Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV
November 1971
#66 On Rolling Stone's Greatest Albums List
Led Zeppelin Members:
Robert Plant - Vocals and Harmonica
Jimmy Page - Electric and Acoustic Guitars
John Paul Jones - Bass Guitar, Keyboard and Mandolin
John Bonham - Drums and Percussion
This album, with its title-less cover, (it is called, and obviously now accepted, as "Led Zeppelin IV, even though it offically has no title) is, in all honesty, legendary. It is, in my opinion, and most Zeppelin fan's opinion, their best. It has sold the most copies by far. 22,000,000 copies to date. (a stat from 1999) That places Led Zeppelin IV at number 7 on the all-time, best selling albums list. Every single track on this album is well known, and most people have heard of them before. It includes the famous song "Stairway to Heaven." Quite possibly the most famous rock song ever. And the best part about it, Zeppelin didn't even put out a single. And also, they were well known for being camera shy, giving very few interviews.
Led Zeppelin is an all-star band. Robert Plant is an great singer with the ability to hit all of those high notes, and isn't afraid to do it. Although he might take some time to get used to. Jimmy Page is one of the best guitarists of all-time, enough said. John Paul Jones is a great musician, with many talents, and he is great with any instrument. John Bonham is an amazing drummer. He tragically passed away in 1980 from "drowning in his own vomit" after consuming an in-human ammount of vodka.
The Songs
1. Black Dog - My favorite on the album after "Stairway To Heaven", "Black Dog" starts this album of with a bang. You get a good taste of every member in this song, as they all contribute equally. Plant sings a line, and the band responds with a catchy riff. Jimmy Page's solo is one of the best on the album, which is played over the main riff, and Plant singing in the background. This song is quite well known, and is a good example of why Zeppelin is one of the greatest bands all-time.
2. Rock and Roll - Another well known, pretty generic song by the band. This song has been everywhere, movies, radio, and covered by many bands. A fast, exciting song. The main riff, played by Page and Jones, is catchy and memorable. And of course, you can't forget about Bonham's expert talent on the drums.
3. The Battle of Evermore - Just one of the two songs on the album that I am not too fond of. It is an eerie folk ballad, written by Plant. At the time, Plant was obessed over researching religions and mythology. This definitley shines through with this song.
4. Stairway to Heaven - I am sure you all know of this song. Many think it is over-rated, but not me. Maybe the most famous rock and roll song of all time. I was reading a little bit of a Guitar One magazine last night (February 2004 I believe) and it had a little section were Page talked about writting "Stairway to Heaven". He said that the guitar riffs came from fooling around with the acoustic guitar in the studio. The band heard it and loved it. They put together the riff together with Jones on the keyboard (an ecential part of this song) and Plant wrote lyrics to it. Jimmy Page's solo for this song is remarkable. He also talked about the solo in the magazine. How did he write it? He didn't. He sat down and improvised three solo's, and picked the one which was best suited for the song. That just shows how great of a musician Page is/was. Ironically, they have found subliminal messages about Satan in this song as well. Many people here on MX have already seen this but if you haven't, you must check it out.
[url]http://www2.memlane.com/jmilner/stairwaybackwards.htm[/url]
5. Misty Mountain Top - Yet another classic song. Another one of my favorite rock and roll songs. Page writes the best, most catchy riffs, than any other guitarist I have ever heard. This song is no exception. It has been described perfectly as "a pounding hippie satire." That is exactly what it is like. Of course, being in their prime in the 70's, Led Zeppelin was a favorite amongst the "hippie" groups.
6. Four Sticks - An alright song. It has lots of funky riffs, but I just can't get into it. Plant doesn't even sound like himself in this song. If I had never heard of it before, I probably wouldn't have guessed it was a Led Zeppelin song the first time. I have never been able to get into it, but it is my friends favorite song, so I guess it is all a matter of opinion.
7. Going to California - The slowest song on the album is another folk ballad dedicated to Joni Mitchell, the girl out there with love in her eyes and flowers in her hair." I really enjoy this song, and put it on when I am in a calm mood. Jones plays the mandolin, Page plays fingerpicking an acoustic guitar. Great song.
8. When The Levee Breaks - A twangy (that even a word?), but great blues epic. Great way to end a great album. I love the guitar, and the main riff is played by Plant on the harmonica. He is actually pretty good with that thing. Only complaint I have about it is that, at just over seven minutes, it is kind of long for such a repetitive song. Almost sounds like a country song to me maybe, but don't disregard this song because of that.
Well, there you go. I have said that it is great album probably a million times, but it really is. If there are any mistakes just let me know. Feel free to do your own review if you wish, I would love to read what you have to say. Thanks. :thumb:
My rating: 5/5
I don't like giving albums 5/5, unless they are pretty near to perfect, and this one is.
