special introductory paragraph!

Led Zeppelin

II

III

Led Records

Untitled

The Origin Of The Species DVD

BBC Sessions

In The Light 1969

Houses Of The Holy

The Soundtrack From The Film The Song Remains The Same

How The West Was Won

Physical Graffiti

Physically Present

Presence

In Through The Out Door

Back Through The Out Takes

Studio Daze

Coda

Reader Comments

rapallof@pathcom.com (Electric Magic)
"...The melodies are great, too (although rumor has it that Jimmy stole about half of them)." - I've written a few articles on this & you'd be surprised at some of the material that went 'uncredited'!

la314w@crown.icongrp.com (Jesse Lara)
Jello! Get out your air guitar for this one. Cuz the solos jam themselves out, and you're not as good as Jimmy Page. If you don't already have this one, that basically means that you suck. So go sit in the corner. Otherwise ROCK ON!

DougS@aol.com
This record is my favorite Led Zeppelin album and I'd argue it's the best record they ever did. Led Zeppelin was always incorrectly pigeonholed as a "Heavy Metal" band. Nothing could be further from the truth. They were a blues band that occasionally strayed into what would later be called Hard Rock. And this album best captures them as that. Name an album where Robert Plant's vocals carried that range? That deep full-bodied manic scream on "Dazed And Confused" never returned. "Black Dog"? "Whole Lotta Love"? "Rock And Roll"? Weak imitations. The almost desperate pleading vocals on "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" were never topped, certainly not on "Stairway To Heaven". That was pure blues. Just listen to "You Shook Me". After the first album Plant's voice just sounded like a pale imitation of itself, no doubt partly crippled by drug use.

Led Zeppelin 1 was a remarkable record. What a range in songs! Going from the country-ish "Black Mountain Side" to the pure blues "I Can't Quit You Baby" to the songs that gave Black Sabbath the blueprints for their first five albums, "Dazed And Confused" and "How Many More Times". I've never considered Jimmy Page a terrific soloist. His solos were always pretty sloppy. Even that landmark speed demon solo on "Dazed And Confused" suffers from poorly timed speed changes. But MAN! Those riffs! Only Angus and Malcom Young did it as good with even less.

The rhythm section was never this tight again. John Paul Jones gave his all and only Entwhistle could be considered superior at the time. John Bonham, while no Keith Moon, was still better than most of his contemporaries and I've always considered the sound of his drums on this album to be the best he did. After Led Zeppelin 1 they released a lot of happy albums and made lots of "classic tunes" but the fire that was in this album was never approached again in my opinion. Now of course they're all washed up.

fyodor@mixcom.com (Ted Zimmer)
This whole album rocks. The only weak song is "communication breakdown" which nonetheless rocks anyway. The things that make this and almost every other zep album kick ass, is not page's wailing guitar, plant's screeching, but that tightest rhythm section in rock history. Jones's melodic yet rhythmically perfect bass and Bonham's fat and full beats simply move everything along like a semi truck.

lehmann@ideasign.com (Doug Tedeschi)
This is definitely their best (well, I haven't hear III). "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" Rocks, and "Your Time Is Gonna Come" impresses me. They're much more talented than other tracks suggest.

Alias42264@aol.com
This was where zep started,and although i feel it was not as poetic and meaningful as some of their later albums, it has a passion that they never equaled. plant was still a teenager, can't you tell? desperation never had an equal.

glyn@sci.fi (Glyn Ford)
yes, i like this and i like all zeps blues, but they really rip off the black blues singer, not giving credit. I know they credit Dixon on the first album, but for example "bring it on home" and "nobodys fault but mine" are not credited to the black guys, just trad arrang, plant and page. And "the lemon song" !,- i know this is not the same song as Robert Johnson's "Riverside blues", but it owes a lot to it, and Johnson isn't even mentioned. I think generally a lot of the early bluesy songs are very Willie Dixon, Buddy Guy, Otis Rushish. But even so, i wouldn't call it a real rip off, cos zep bring a whole new originality to the old. But give the black guy his due too !

mistersparkle@hotmail.com (Hector M.)
lord knows i hate to be one of those guys who comments on comments, but sometimes i see something said that just NEEDS a reply. i'm afraid that "DougS" could not be more mistaken when he says that Led Zeppelin was a blues band. i didn't know whether to laugh or cry when i read that. i'm sorry, but TRYING to be a blues band and blatantly ripping off a bunch of old bluesmen does NOT a blues band make. i believe it was Muddy Waters who said, "These white boys want to play the blues badly. And they do."

as for this album, well, i never had much time for Led Zeppelin. they're one of those bands that i don't really like, but i respect because they're talented musicians and they influenced a lot of bands that i DO like. but they sure as hell weren't no blues band.

gt909lb@prism.gatech.edu (Andrew Goldthorp)
Led Zeppelin I was a fantastic debut. Along with Led Zeppelin II, the innovation of transforming blues songs into hard rock shows Led Zeppelin's skill as musicians. No to mention the originals on this album are outstanding-"Dazed and Confused" is six and a half minutes of pure thrill. I don't know if I would say Led Zeppelin was a blues band, but they did use blues as platform for their style of music.

And to correct Hector-it wasn't Muddy Waters who said that, it was Sonny Boy Williamson who said that in reference to the Yardbirds in 1963. Muddy Waters actually applauded Zeppelin and the Stones because it brought white audiences to his records.

gstarst@rsuh.ru (George Starostin)
Somewhere on the net I read an excited review of Who's Next saying that with that album "the Who ushered in the seventies". Nothing could be further from the truth! The REAL Seventies were ushered in by Led Zeppelin, and nobody could deny it. In fact, strange as it may sound, the seventies were ushered in in 1968 - with the release of their first album. No wonder it was so big: it was something completely different from everything everybody was doing at the time. Page's ultra-heavy guitar work; Bonham's drums that threatened to be even more loud than those of Keith Moon (at least for a short while); and maybe most significant of all - Plant's vocals which served as a prototype for so many, many much less talented heavy metal singers.

But no! The most strong side of that all was the general atmosphere of their early records - dark, dense, pessimistic, deep-delving into the dreariest dots of your soul! And I sincerely admit that no single group or artist could ever even come close! Not even Pink Floyd with all their f****** experimentation.

On the other hand, aura and atmosphere is not the only thing that characterizes a good band. The Stones also had their specific "feel": but even if it were totally eliminated, we would still have their wonderful riffs, melodies, lyrics, everything. If you take away the "dark aura" of Led Zeppelin, you will be left with nothing. Most of Page's riffs are... influenced (which is a soft word for "stolen"), and many of the songs have no melodies at all! Seriously, just dig into those records and you'll SEE it! I mean, the guitar solos are OK, but come on - it's not a guitar solo that makes up a song! Actually, it is no coincidence that Jimmy Page spent a heck of time as producer and session musician in the sixties: he just wasn't a songwriter. Neither was Plant. Both were wonderful musicians - one of the best guitarists and one of the best singers ever. But songwriting just wasn't a job designed for them, if you know what I mean. When they did covers (like "You Shook Me" on Led Zep I), it was fantastic. Maybe if all of their records sounded like that first one, it would have been OK.

And one more thing. There's that "gbittar" Zep fan who keeps saying the most stupid things I ever heard. There was a LOT of marketing for Led Zep, "gbittar"! Have you ever heard about Peter Grant? He was like Brian Epstein to these guys, only a trillion times more smart and skilled commercially! Led Zep just HAD to be marketed.

bevan@voicemail.com (Casey)
Come on people, most of you are saying that Led Zeppelin stole everything from their bluesmasters. They didn't really steal anything they just brought it to a whole new level; a whole new sound. That's partly what makes Led Zeppelin great, they took the blues to an extreme and came up with some incredible stuff. They are Hard Rock, Blues, & a little heavy metal. They did a little of everything which is what is so great about them.. They were influenced by the blues just as they influenced tons of hard rock/heavy metal bands later on in the following decades.

I think this is an excellent album so I'd give it a rating of 8. It's still a little rough around the edges but their isn't really a weak cut here. My favorites include the showstopper "How Many More Times", the electric fast "Communication Breakdown"....plus "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You". This is more bluesy then the rest of their albums and a great debut.

jltichenor@earthlink.net (James L. Tichenor)
Yeah, i guess me and a gajillion other ppl think this is a great album. Let me just say that this was my favorite Zep album for a long time but i think ill have to stick with zep II for now- i dont know why- maybe its that killer drum solo on moby dick- (which sabbath obviously ripped off for rat salad). Anyways, yes, this is their bluesiest album, the covers kick ass, and mr. plant isnt so annoying on this record. Oh god he gets very annoying later on.... I think this was the most frustrating album to play along to when i was a begginner- anyone who doesnt know that Page overdubbed out the ass needs a lesson here. Anyone who likes this record the best has really good taste in music let alone Zep. Cuz Zep started to get really annoying around the time of their third release. Everything after that is overplayed and you really need to smoke up to enjoy it. Anyway thats my opinion dont crucify me hehe...

ian.moss@yale.edu
This is one hell of a debut, and it made me think for a while that Jimmy Page was the greatest thing to ever clog my tape deck. A lot of it is kinda loud and cheesy (see "Good Times Bad Times"), but most of these tracks are chock-full of blistering guitar work (although I don't particularly care for "Your Time is Gonna Come"). My favorite track on this album is "You Shook Me," which despite its plagiaristic qualities is probably the best blues wankin' I've ever had the pleasure to hear. The guitar/vocal interplay on that song is extremely well-realized, the double-track guitar solo is a piercing climax--and I tell you, the whole song is so amazingly sexy it's practically obscene. Seriously, listen to it again, it's a great song!

jason_a@earthlink.net (Jason Adams)
Nuclear blues cool enough that even those of us that are allergic to Mr. Plant's vocals (which sound like Ray Stevens imitating a woman in "Guitarzan") like it. Should be cranked up on your cheap little turntable while you sit down (perhaps with tea and scones) at your desk and pump your fist.

JohnnyB8@aol.com
Oh man. This album is AWESOME!!!!! The only song that i find fault with is "Black Mountain Side", but all other songs rock! "Good Times Bad Times" and "Communication Breakdown" are probably my favorites on thgis album. "Dazed and Confused" is an impressing yet different song. Like i said, this album is great, but nowhere near as good as Physical Grafitti.

adknerr@pacbell.net (Andrew Knerr)
Of course Led Zeppelin can not and does not consider them a pure blues band, but these songs are what they grew up on and were influenced by. Every musician that ever exhisted has 'stolen' music from someone else somewhere, somehow, and someway, only to pioneer their own style.

If you feel like their songs are complete copies then please listen to the originals (who Led Zeppelin has given credit to), for example:
Willie Dixon's You Shook Me, I Can't Quite You Baby, Bring it on Home
Robert Johnson's Travelling Riverside Blues (where Plant 'stole' the Lemon verse)
Chester Burnett's Killing Floor (ala Lemon Song)
Bert Bruns Baby Come on Home
LeadBelly's Gollows Pole
Kansas Joe's Levee Gunna Break

If you can compare the two versions objectively you have to admit that Led Zeppelin infused their own persona into blues they grew up on which ultimately transformed the 'electric blues' as we know it.

Led Zeppelin I is obviously the most 'bluesy' album they created, which makes it my favorite album by far. It isn't nearly as polished or matured as their latest works which makes it sound even more real.

Bob.Barrows@Nypro.com
Why does everybody diss Plant/Page for doing what every blues musician, black or white, had been doing for decades: borrowing riffs and choruses. Let's look at "Rock Me, Baby", which started life as a Lil' Son Jackson song called "Rockin' and Rollin'". Muddy Waters later released a song called "Rock Me", which sounded suspiciously like Jackson's song.Then BB King did "Rock Me, Baby", self-credited, and it sounded a lot like Muddy's song. Then Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart turned it into Rock My Plimsoul at the same time Hendrix was recording his version of "Rock Me, Baby", "properly" credited to BB King. No one gave Muddy, BB or Jeff Beck a hard time for "stealing" this song from whomever Lil' Son Jackson "stole" it from. (Much of this is paraphrased from the Experience Music Project website ) So why does everyone pick on Page/Plant?

Jcjh20@aol.com
Classic debut. "Communication Breakdown" and "Dazed And Confused" are the main classics most people know. Its a fairly murky sounding album. The blues covers are totally awesome, "Babe, Im Gonna Leave You" is a beautiful ballady song, which is probably my favorite on the album. Definatly lots of solos, but they, along with the songs are so blissful you'll want more. Overall 9/10.

polaritybear@earthlink.net (Ian Patrick)
I think there are some legitimate reasons to be critical of Zep's appropriations. However, it would be pretty difficult to accuse them of plagiorism in the legal sense because so many of those songs had been considered public domain for decades.

It's important to remember that the whole concept of the "cover version" is really a pretty recent idea. In the ealry blues and folk traditions there was much more of an attitude that the music belonged to everybody, not just to the songwriter or performer it was most commonly associated with. That folky/communitarian attitude is very differant from both the artistic and commercial sensibilities of rock n' roll, which always ephasizes the individual performer.

I'm sure Page and Plant understood this, and would probably claim that their appropriations of blues standards were totally in keeping with the tradition of the music.

But that's the problem, right?

I mean, how for heaven's sake can a pair of white guys with awesome corporate support really claim to be part of a musical legacy which belongs so undeniably to southern black people?

And furthermore, isn't it patronizing to assume that those early musicians were so content in their folky-populist idyll that they woulnd't have demanded greater royalties and protections if they'd been available?

And for crying out loud, aren't those very laws written exclusively by rich white people and altered whenever it suits their purposes?

The line between paying tribute and exploitation is fine indeed. But these days the audience for traditional blues is mainly white anyway, so who cares...

Zepplin rules!!!

watta502@yahoo.gr (Akis Katsman)
I like this revolutionary album, but I'd give it a low 8. And this for two reasons: a) The mix here is strange so the songs seem a little "broken" and messy, b) The band didn't write all the songs here (unlike, say, the "Untitled" album that consists of only original material). But if you can stand the production, you may enjoy this album. The magnum opus here is "Dazed And Confused" which many people already know. And I dig "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You"! This song is so dark for 1969! "You Shook Me" is a nice blend of blues-rock, even myself, who can't stand the old blues much, I love the song, has prominent guitar. "Good Times Bad Times", "Your Time Is Gonna Come", "Communication Breakdown" and "I Can't Quit You Baby", sorry guys, but don't work much for me although I have listen to them a thousand times. But the last song is a killer. Oh this riff, I love it over and over again...

Note that I own the remastered version of the album. So don't tell me to buy it 'cos of the "production" comment I made. But the later albums sound better.

jmrwl13@yahoo.com (James Rowlee)
How many more times has to be the most majestic catchy beat goes on intro songs that I have ever listened to. Sometimes at work I will somehow get that rythmn stuck in my head and start singinging this song o rosie o girl o rosie o girl steal away steal away baby steal away..... you'd swear there were two guitars playing on this song.

god I want to make love to this song.... SPLOOGE

robchaundy@yahoo.com (Robert Chaundy)
This guy speaks the truth! How Many More Times is a glorious song which never seems to get very much credit. Long too! Everything that can be said about this album has already been said, often, so I will limit my comments to This is the purest, freshest, most powerful record Zeppelin made and the only one on which everything they try works. Percy's voice is just great - hereafter, it wasn't; and Jones is already showing what a great musician he is.

Hey, even Starostin likes this one!!!!!! Must be a bit special!!

Morally this gets the ten - it's kinda epochal, like.

gray0187@tc.umn.edu (Jon)
All kinds of crazy guitar sounds and massive distguit/bigbass/loudrum stuff, but it sounds kind of tenative to me because of some weird mixing decisions(?). Best song is "babe" for sure. Everyone is tired of those chords now, though--once I heard that Green Day song and some other 70s band... same rhythm and chords... oh man. I also don't like "You Shook Me" all that much. What gives? 7/10

uglytruth@hotmail.com (Hossein Nayebagha)
Basically I agree. It's a really mature debut work, for the obvious reason that atleast Jimmy Page was already an established musician both as a player and a producer by the time this was released.

How much he's stolen, I don't know. No one complains though when Hip Hop acts sample stuff today, as long as it sounds good. They didn't sample back in the late 60's, and the band's interest in earlier blues acts is pretty obvious, so you shouldn't maybe talk about how much they stole. All in all it's just a matter of details, in the long run it's just blues anyhow, you can't find sources to specific acts anyway.

A song like "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" proves in my opinion the flaws of early heavy bluesrock, they played either really uncompromising blues oriented stuff, or did wussy balads that didn't have any history in rock 'n roll and didn't fit in with the rest of album. It doesn't mean that the song sucks, but there's something disturbing about it. 9/10.

bbernath@san.rr.com
The record that let all the young jocks engage in some good old fashioned homosexual oogling. How many of you are woman? Do you love Robert’s tight jeans? His girlish screams? Do you LUUUUUUVVVVVJimmy page? How gay…..

robadobb_2@msn.com (Rob Raymer)
i agree with many who feel that this really was their best album. the passion and heaviness of this record makes it an absolute powerhouse. and yes they were a blues band at their core but had the talent to succesfully explore other areas.incredible chemistry mixed with jimmy beginning his claim to the throne as the king of classic riffs make this one unforgettable.

stroudley_loco@hotmail.com (Sam Davenport)
Out of all the first six Zeppelin albums, which is all I've heard so far [and I haven't bothered to listen to the second disc of Physical Graffiti yet] this is the best. Bluesy, but oh my god, listen to how fresh and rocking the band sounds on here. Plant's voice is at its best, the bass is solid, the drums are pounding, the guitar is magnificent. Yeah I know that half the songs on here are uncredited blues ripoffs and covers, but who cares when they're done this well? One of the best debut albums EVER. Led Zeppelin would never, ever top this again. A high nine, if not a ten. Only Zep 4 comes close to the goodness of this, and that album is let down badly by Misty Mountain Hop.

If ever there was an indication of this album's greatness, it's the ending of How Many More Times. Absolutely stunning stuff, the scream Plant lets out before the first riff comes back in, the pounding crescendos of the ending........ wow. Get

this album, get it now. Zeppelin at its finest.

TheHitman413@aol.com
As if anyone who posted here will be checking back now to see if youve been recently assailed for your POOP opinions. I will still say ( rather type) my piece. Can I first ask a question? Can I ask another? Well, I guess I better just ask because I may be waiting until the point in my life when the booze on Bonzo's breath smells fresh, before I am given actual pemission to ask my primary, or not primary, but most significant question. That is.... Why do a lot of people seem to think that they know enough to state their opinions, and even contrive a sensible one to begin with? Because all of you that will never be rid of the boner you get when you hear about Page not crediting old dead black guys, are fucking mental peasants. We here in the US dont go around throwing about our plan on how to fuck the global community up, no we trust the government and the experts to do that, because its what they know best. Just as a good number of, safe to say even this early in my reading, nigh most of you have absolutely no business advertising your opinions when they have been so poorly arrived at. Plants voice was that of a 20 yr old boy when the 1st album came out. He began to smoke regularly, as well as mature into a young man and much of this strange time for vocal changes occurred over the early 3 or 4 years of Zep's career. Dont fucking lay into Plant, his voice may have changed but only a caveman set a million years into his stupid ways, would actually find natural change to be bad in his voice. He never COULDNT sing well, unless it was a hoarse night here or there, but he has ALWAYS been well above his contemporaries throughout his career, in the vocal and performing department. Even with a deeper, more subtle controlled voice, his use of the well placed scream or wail still serves him well today and he hasnt managed to mar any Zep songs with his recent treatments. In fact Ramble On for example, in 2002 could be heard live with a MUCH improved synth string arr. So dont sit there and pretend to know the slightest thing about musicianship or singing if you honestly think that Zeppelin I was the bands peak, pinnacle, and masterpiece. Youre not even scratching that surface until AFTER Houses of the Holy, in 1973. Tell me critics, can any of you effectively sing all of The Ocean, note for bloody note, or perhaps even attempt to squirt that perfect opening word "MANY!!!...." And the vocal brilliance that follows it on Over the Hills? His voice evolved and matured, it didnt deteriorate, if not for the better.

kamikazebulldozer@yahoo.com
This album's ok. Normally I would consider it great, but...3 damn cover songs? Come on! It's a letdown to me that when I trim off cover songs I end up with 25 minutes of original Led Zeppelin music! As far as I'm concerned, cover songs belong on cover-based albums, and if I want that I'll purchase Metallica's Garage, Inc., thank you. Not that the covers are done poorly, but...Well...I've just never really liked cover songs, no matter how well the covering artist does them.

But whatever. No need to complain, I suppose. I'll just address the album from now on as if it were stripped of the cover songs...

The album's too damn short! Only 25-minutes! What is this, a friggin' hardcore punk EP? BLAUGH!

Ok, ok. Seriously.

This is a pretty good start. Very disciplined and very solid electric blues. One of the things I appreciate about the album is its modest consistency in the midst of how well it balances short, straightforward and jangly rockers (Good Times Bad Times, Communication Breakdown) with slower, extended, more weeded out and crafted blues draggers (Babe I'm Gonna Leave You, Dazed And Confused, Your Time Is Gonna Come). Dazed And Confused even has a doomish sound to it. And of course, here we have yet another instrumental. Interesting how so many albums that are claimed to be a 'landmark in heavy metal' (not saying Led Zeppelin were ever metal, I'm just going by the popular perspective) have instrumentals. Black Mountain Side, Rat Salad, Orion, and probably many more I've missed.

Though Robert Plant's voice sounds slickest on this one, I actually think that he had developed better on some of the later albums (most notably on III). Still, the blues melodies here do pretty well on their own, and the band have a knack for discipline, arrangement, and the fusion of melody. John Bonham's drumming is great. The shorter and catchier songs can keep new listener's coming back for more until they can develop an attachment to the longer, better and more weeded out songs. Not bad. Not bad at all.

rockylisa@yahoo.com (Robert, Texas)
One of the greatest things about Zep is that I always hear or get something new from them every time I listen to them. I recently noticed some keyboards on Communication Breakdown. At 1:44 seconds, during the guitar solo, when Page is doing the ascending lick, you can hear keyboard in the right channel. It is most prominent at 1:59 when the main riff kicks in for the second time. What a classic record.

ozekat1@yahoo.com
Yeah I think led zeppelin 1 has a lot of great songs in it. I still don’t understand why you don’t like “I can’t quit you baby” I think it’s a great blues song, sure the guitar is fucking sloppy, but I think the rest of it is great. I’m not sure it this needs a better score or not. But then again, what band does get a 10 out of 10 in a review?

roma23rpm@hotmail.com
This one’s more like blues rock. It has a much looser feel (sometimes Page’s guitar seems to randomly noodle and Plant’s vocals ramble somewhat), more relaxed, probably because it was their first record and there was less pressure involved -- no one was expecting a phenomenal record from them.

It’s much more Cream and Hendrix inspired, even the production, which is completely different from any of the later albums. The later albums have more of a heavier, metalish sound, more trebly. This production on this album, instead, is more fit for guitar based blues rock, much like (as I said) Hendrix and Cream. Bonzo’s drumming also sounds looser and more fluid. If you listen to the drumming on “Good Times, Bad Times” and “Dazed and Confused”, you’ll find they’re so Ginger Baker and Keith Moon like. He would never drum like that on any of the next albums. Anyway, as I said, the album’s much, much more bluesy than the rest, sometimes it even sounds like they’re just jamming (even though they’re not). I agree with the 9/10. “Dazed and Confused”, captures almost every quality of Led Zeppelin at the time -- slow and haunting blues, unique use of the violin bow in the middle, the sudden surge in tempo and Plant’s exceptionally expressive singing. This song is a classic, as are “Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You” and “Communication Breakdown”. It could be their best album.

If needlessly bass-heavy mixing doesn't put a pebble in your shoe, buy this Brown Bombing classic with its hits galore!

Reader Comments

rapallof@pathcom.com (Electric Magic)
Regarding the "muddiness" of the sound - Are you listening to the 'remastered' version? Some of the earlier CDs were poor in sound quality.

la314w@crown.icongrp.com (Jesse Lara)
Well, Well, Well, we do have a piece of mudpie here. But hey look on the brightside - Lucille Ball is on the cover!

m.eisenkraft@juno.com (Michael Eisenkraft)
I've only been listening to one thing for the past week; LED ZEPPELIN 2. Here's my review; WOW!!!!!!!!!

jnw@iglobal.net (Jim Hull)
I got this record when I was about 14, and put "Whole Lotta Love" on the headphones for my dad to listen to...I really loved the stereo on this album, and thought the "orgasm" part of the song was cool...my dad apparently did too, because he started laughing, and his face got red...true story...and hey!! Squeeze my lemon til the juice runs down my leg, mofo!!

aaap@netl.nw.com.au (Andy Rolfe)
Mark, Just bought the re-release of this great CD (Oct. 1996) which is digitally remastered using the original stereo master tape by the one and only Jimmy Page (a relic from a different age??). This release could solve your initial concerns regarding production clarity as it flat out kicks the crapp out of the original CD release of about 10 years ago. If after listening to this particular release you don't have a tear in your eye, you sir, are not human!!

HDVW143@aol.com
This is definitely my favorite Led Zeppelin cd. I think every song rocks! My favs are "Ramble On", "Whole Lotta Love", and "Heartbreaker". The only Zep cd that contends with this one is Physical Graffiti.

fyodor@mixcom.com (Ted Zimmer)
This is perhaps the greatest bass rock album ever. A lot of bassists (including myself) steal so many of the things that Jones did on it. In fact my whole bass style is practically based on this album.

scott_stanner@gspsf.com
Possibly the best heavy guitar album of all time.

daniel@fhsk.skurup.se (Daniel Reichberg)
Led Zeppelin II worse than the debut? No way!

Godranek@aol.com
This is such a great album I can tell you that I am very much SICK of it too!!! Every darned song on II is overplayed on the radio to the point of asphyxiation. I mean, why buy the damned album if every song comes on the radio all the frikkin TIME!? " That was Led Zep with 'Whole Lotta Love'.. now stay tuned coz in about an hour we'll be Gettin The LED OUT!!' .. AAAAAHH, what's the point of a Led Zeppelin 'gettin the led out' hour if they play Zeppelin every other dang hour anyways??

That's why III is the greatest Zep album because it's the album RADIO IGNORES THE MOST.

Balrog@tig.com.au
I am quite surprised at some negative comments about this cd....I truly love it. Led Zeppelin are a great band.....and i agree totally when people say they r not heavy metal, of course they arent.. If you want Heavy metal (or hard rock I prefer to call it), listen to AC/DC, if you want something a little more mellow listen to Led Zep... :)

gstarst@rsuh.ru (George Starostin)
This album is quite typical of Led Zep. As most of their albums, it starts on a high note - with three wonderful songs, and I will be the last to admit these songs are not wonderful! "Whole Lotta Love", which is a classic, has one of the best heavy riffs ever written! And "What Is And What Should Never Be" is probably one of their best ballads. Finally, "The Lemon Song" is a funny cocktail of "generic blues" as you call it, pure rock and roll and some standard Plant wailings.

But from then on it's all going downhill. "Thank You" just plain drags. It sounds like a poorboy version of "What Is". Naive, stupid and tries to be melodic but fails. "Heartbreaker" and "Living Loving Maid" are solid heavy rockers, but, apart from the heaviness and the usual Zep aura, they've got nothing. Rip-offs from rock'n'roll classics - that's what they are, I tell you! "Ramble On" is "Thank You" No. 2, borrowing a bit of heaviness from "Heartbreaker". It's just that when Page had enough of copying his predecessors, he was starting to copy himself - and not always with a good result.

"Moby Dick" is an unashamed and complete rip-off of Cream's "Toad". Not that I like "Toad": but why go and make an instrumental which totally resembles another instrumental? What did the world receive with "Moby Dick" that it hadn't already received with "Toad"? And, by the way, Ginger Baker is a much more prolific and experienced drummer than Bonzo (RIP) ever was. Finally, the album closes with one more half-melodic tune ("Bring It On Home") which just WON'T stick in my memory, no matter how much I listen to it.

That's the usual thing with the Zepsters - they'd always start fine and then get more and more lousy towards the end. Just not enough inspiration! You can't get away from it, man.

megaman684@aol.com (Vincent Hedrick)
II is a better album than I. It was the first Zeppelin album I bought and I hear more songs from the second album than the first album on the radio. Sure the first album is a great album but the second album sold more. I think its their biggest seller after IV.

What the hell is that sound at the end of "the lemon song" going into "thank you". It sounds like some guy talking.

hijinks@utarlg.uta.edu (Thomas Rickert)
I like the bass-heavy thing myself, but despite that, I agree with you that this album is overrated overall and all over. I never really find myself in the mood for it. I even like Presence better. There are good songs here, but still. Bring it on Home and What is... are truimphs regardless, though.

bevan@voicemail.com (Casey)
Now this is where Led Zeppelin totally kicks ass. Their melodies and riffs on this classic album are all highly memorable(and played on the radio too much too) so this probably makes it my favorite Led Zeppelin album. When i first heard this album "Whole Lotta Love" and "What Is And What Should Never Be" just blew me away. I wouldn't say the production is too murky, maybe a little rushed, but i guess that's what makes this such a great album; nothing drags on and everything is exciting.

This is a big improvement over Led Zeppelin 1; more variety on this album and better tunes. Just think, all of this was made before Black Sabbath(another great band) came out; this proves that Led Zeppelin were the first true pioneers of the Hard Rock sound that other bands tried to immitate.

cliffnorth@localacess.com
Let's not 4get that "Whole Lotta Love" is 1 of the GREAT comedy songs of R time -- it's just SO Xcessive, how can NEbuddy take it seriously? Wotta sense of humor these guys had, 1nce. Now Page & Plant R just OLD.... But then, so am I....

brain_of_j@hotmail.com (Tommy Joyce)
Not a bad album. Page is consistently entertaining on his instrument (hmm. the guitar?), and he steals so many riffs he puts at least 4 in every song (except Whole Lotta Love which has only 1 riff and, well, I made this comment on the Zep newsgroup and was flamed of course, but I still think that it is a rather blatant rip-off of Hendrix's version of 'Hey Joe'; as best heard on the Hendrix BBC sessions album, a live performance (the one he interrupted by playing Cream) aired probably just about the time WLL was probably written). Plant sounds really REALLY bad - he sounds like he's got no teeth and is a total jerk, which he of course was. Does anybody know from whence originates the riff to My Big Dick? It's really cool. Well, I guess now I'll go and shoot myself, because Thank You doesn't drive me to tears. Drives me to the lavatory, rather.

jltichenor@earthlink.net (James L. Tichenor)
the best Zep album man.... they finally mature into their own blues and the riffs are the blueprints for too many bands to name. ANd the bass playing just rocks my world.... 9/10 dude.

ian.moss@yale.edu
I think this one is my favorite Zep album, because of the multitude of rockers (especially "The Lemon Song" and "Heartbreaker") that just kick my ass onto a United Airways jet with express service to Grooveland, population me. And "What Is and What Should Never Be" is a great little half-ballad. I don't like "Thank You but No Thanks," though, so Just Shoot Me, I tell you!

jtcable@home.com (Josh Cable)
Chew!

I like rock, and this album has an assload of it. Just a lot of really awesome songs. What's not to like?

Plus, this album doesn't have Stairway to Heaven on it.

erogozin@mtu-net.ru (Eric Rogozin)
This album rules! Brilliant, brilliant, briliant! Wonderful performing and amazing songwriting skills! It's a masterpiece! It's one of those records in rock music, that made a such big influence. How can one resist a marvellous riff of Jimmy Page in "Heartbreaker", it's so gorgeous and the song itself is gorgeous. Celestrial "Whole Lotta Love", "What Is And What Should Never Be", "Thank You" are glorious! And "Moby Dich" has that famous drum solo of John Bohnam. "Bring It On Home" is awesome! But "The Lemon Song" is some worse.

Dan804935628@aol.com
A few good ones here,nothing to get excited about though,well maybe WHOLE LOTTA LOVE ,the rest....alright I guess.To be honest (and you know I always am,Prindle) most of this sounds as if the great ZEP had recorded it in about 20 minutes,just my opinion.

Jcjh20@aol.com
Classic record. Every song on here is great. I dont really have much to say bout the production. I guess its fine to me, but i dont pay much attention because these songs are stellar. I love "Thank You", "What Is And What Should Never Be", "Lemon Song" and "Bring It On Home" (ahh that bluesy-harmonica beginning is kinda boring though, i love when it kicks in), and "Whole Lotta Love", "Living Loving Maid" and "Moby Dick" are great too. I dont know if id give this a 10, either this, III or IV would get the 10 though. 9/10

watta502@yahoo.gr (Akis Katsman)
Well, I enjoy this a little better than the debut. I'd give it a low 9. The only problem here is the diversity. Hard rock all the way man! But this isn't necessarily a bad thing. "Whole Lotta Love" is a classic (although I find the middle "orgasm" part quite boring) with one of the best riffs ever made! Yeah! "Ramble On" is another favourite of mine, I like the chorus. Also I like "What Is And What Should Never Be" much, but it's "Thank You" that bores me to death, although it has some sweet melodies. I could have done without "The Lemon Song" or "Moby Dick". And "Heartbreaker" is good, but it's somewhat simple for me. Anyone who enjoys riff-driven hard rock should buy this album and rock!

soul_crusher77@hotmail.com (Mike K.)
I can't help but think I have an unusual local classic rock station, because around here this record isn't as overplayed as people commenting on this seem to suggest. Sure "whole lotta love" gets played all the live long day, and every once in a while you'll get a "what is and what should never be" or "heartbreaker", but that's about it. IV is much more overplayed around here, and even then I somehow managed to never hear "stairway to heaven" in it's entirety till I got the album itself.

Anyway, I don't have all the stuff yet, so I don't know where it stands, but an even mixture of butt-rocking and blues wanking is what I like in a Led Zeppelin cd, and this one has that down. I'll agree the low end production does screw up "thank you", but I actually think it's actually sort of neat in "what is and what should never be". I like how in the verses, the murkiness and the effect they put on plant's voice make it sound like the song's underwater, and then all of the sudden this loud and clear chorus pops up out of nowhere. I'm not too sure how I feel about "moby dick", and I can never remember how "bring it on home" goes, but the rest is great thunderous blues rockin' and a few paritally acoustic numbers for variety. Maybe not a 9, but probably an 8.5.

gray0187@tc.umn.edu (Jon)
Love "Bring It," "What Is," and "Lemon Song": that one has some surprisingly authentic funkyass bass for 1969! Only Larry Graham would do better in that year for my money. The big story is the solo on Heartbreaker, which is a bitch and a half to play, especially if you (and you know you do, guitarists!) sling the axe really low when you try and play it. That middle section is so fast I get blisters on my right hand fingertips. Too bad I never learned with a pick, this album makes me kinda wnat to. Solid stuff. 8/10

uglytruth@hotmail.com (Hossein Nayebagha)
They've moved on a bit from the blues stuff to establish what we call hardrock. So it has some really memorable songs that are based on one really mean riff; "Whole Lotta Love", "Heartbreaker" etc.

But I don't know if it's just the prodcution that makes it less, a song like "Thank You" is what "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" was on the debut, but more embarrasing and dinosaur. "Moby Dick" has a fantastic guitar riff but a drum solo on a rock n' roll record is really stupid in my opinion. The riff on "Heartbreaker" is really cool but overall it's ruined by that break and that riff is played on a higher scale or whatever you call it. I think bands like this usually get a lot of credit for having influenced so many bands, so I'm not gonna give 'em that this time, and I may regret this but I just have to go down to a 7/10.

robadobb_2@msn.com (Rob Raymer)
another classic zep album to say the least, recorded mostly on the road and probably why the production drops off from the first record, like this as a follow up cause its less intense than the first. what is, ramble on and bring it on home knock me out. zep were masters at the slow buildup. jones is awesome on this one and good to see everyone gives him his due. his licks on the lemon song alone are enough to make him immortal

ddickson@rice.edu
Can't agree with you here. I think it's the production, crazily enough--I like this bass-heavy, estrogen-n'-testosterone-producing sound a lot better than the wild hallucinogenic '60's ambience of the first record.

Perhaps the best pure rock and roll record I've ever heard (that excludes the Beatles, so don't get offended). The LP that kicked off the '70's.

Their second best. Only IV can top it.

jokerman1235@sbcglobal.net
The Zeppelin's greatest work. Love the "generic blues rock." Bring it on Home is by itself worth the price of the album. I can't understand why nobody else likes that particular tune, but it's my favorite Zeppelin song.

So kiss my ass, all y'all.

This album rocks.

spinaltomek@hotmail.com
If this wasn't the Led Zeppelin, I guess it would receive a much lesser grade, let's say seven or six. Okay, seven, because "Whole Lotta Love", "Ramble On" and "Heartbreaker" are classics and totally rock. But there is too much stupid crap on here, especially "The Lemon Song" and "Thank You". I can't tell you how much I hate "Thank You". Sounds like Van der Graaf Generator. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing, but this is supposed to be a Led Zeppelin album! Try to imagine somebody playing "Thank You" on a acoustic guitar, without drums, keyboard or bass. See?

The sound is really good and when they rock, they rock! But when they try to be experimental or hippy-esque or whatever, it's no good. Works much better on the later records. Don't start your Led Zep collection here, as I did. Big mistake.

roma23rpm@hotmail.com
Definitely their heaviest album. Probably because they found this neat new heavy sound and were so excited about it that they poured it all through the album. While Led Zeppelin I only showed flashes of heavy metal (or hard rock; whatever you want it to be) this is where they really find it. In fact, besides “Thank You” (first attempt at a “pretty” little pop ditty) there aren’t many soft, slow parts here. While it’s much less bluesy than the debut it’s still a bit more blues based than the succeeding albums, which were more cock-rockish. Plant has also found his voice, which he didn’t quite get down on LZ I; now it’s at his highest and strongest. It’s almost amazing how much they progressed just within months. The best song of course, is “Whole Lotta Love,” which is kind of like a sequel to “Dazed and Confused,” especially with the weird sound effect part in the middle. I give this one a 9/10.

The only radio standards are "Immigrant Song" (better known as "AH-AH-AAAAAAAAAA-AH!") and the sorrowful/hoedown "Gallows Pole," but the gentle and tender roots of future Zep bombast can all be found right here. "Tangerine" is a succinct and pretty precursor to "Stairway To Heaven"; "Since I've Been Loving You" is the first of the three amazing melancholy blues numbers that they would pull off during their too-short career (the other two are "When The Levee Breaks" and "Tea For One" - all three are phenomenal); the absolutely gorgeous jear-terker "That's The Way" (one of my top five favorite Zep tracks) paves the corridor to the far more popular "Going To California"; the tenebre, Easterny "Friends" prepares the musical world for "The Battle Of Evermore"; and the raucous rocker "Out On The Tiles" squeezes your woman's lemon pie such as "Black Dog" might do just one year later.

The rockers rock, the ballads are lovely, and "Hats Off To Roy" is screwy as a lightbulb. Some folks claim that this was a calculated attempt to cash in on the 1970 acoustic folk-rock craze but, being basically unborn until mid-'73, I wouldn't know about all that. All I know is cracklin' good melodies - all one of which you'll find right here on Led Zeppelin III. Now I'll GRANT YOU that "Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp" isn't my favorite song in the world. But the other nine, I mean come on! Listen to that janglin' wiggly-diggly guitar line in "Celebration Day"! Aren't you smiling? SMILE!

Brief summary: I = blues-based. II = hard rock-based. III = folk rock-based. Enjoy!

Reader Comments

rapallof@pathcom.com (Electric Magic)
10 out of 10? Great.

la314w@crown.icongrp.com (Jesse Lara)
Hate to spoil your fun, but this album doesn't cut it for me. IT SUCKS! Though,you can have hours of fun with the record version, it spins ROUND, AND ROUND, AND ROUND, AND ROUND. I do enjoy much the song of immigrants!

laura@gseal.mdn.com (Galen Clavio)
Damn straight. I've never gotten tired of this album. Of all people, John Paul Jones shines on this record! Great! A bassist who can arrange strings! (See "Friends") Unlike II, Page's guitar is somewhat understated, which works much better, IMO. People may point to II as the guitar that identifies Zep's sound, but I think this album is much more representative.

break7@localnet.com (May-Day)
How can someone who shares my uncommon opinion that Led Zeppelin III and Van Halen's Fair Warning are those bands' best efforts be so WRONG about The Who? Sad. So sad. Where and how did you go so wrong? Who's Next is better than all these silly Zep and VH records, by the way...

fyodor@mixcom.com (Ted Zimmer)
This is tied with the first zep album as my favorite, because they are both the two most atmospheric zep album in the catalogue. Unlike II which does rock, but there is now atmosphere, just a bunch of rockers.

Weigelda@aol.com (Dave Weigel)
This album makes me feel ashamed. See, for a good while I misheard the line "Hammer of the Gods" in "Immigrant Song" as...ahem..."Camera of the Gauls". No, I don't know why, it just seemed to fit in! So it was playing on the radio in the car and I sang along, and they all laughed at me! I don't sing along to songs anymore.

Other than that, this is a great album that, for some reason, critics dismiss. This and Houses of the Holy. You listen to Rolling Stone and you'll believe that the best Zep albums are II and IV, but that's not true. And as I don't really have anything else to contribute, I'd like to say that I read that the reason the band's fourth album doesn't have a title is because that, in the words of Jimmy Page, "we were tired of having to think of titles all the time." DOES ANY OTHER HUMAN BEING IN HUMAN HISTORY HAVE LESS OF A RIGHT TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THAT? Led Zeppelin didn't give their fuckin' records names for 5 or 6 years! They gave them numbers--no, I'm sorry, roman numerals. Dumb bastards. Great band, though.

ryan.kearns@Law.UC.Edu
I believe this to be the best Zeppelin album they did, period. I can listen to this one over and over -- perhaps because a good majority of the songs on here aren't overdone on FM radio. Absolutely beautiful compositions.

Stryker120@aol.com
Don't forget "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp", of which I have found myself retuning my guitar many times to play.

gstarst@rsuh.ru (George Starostin)
The "dead album", I often call it. We disagree strongly here. Out of the first four records, this is arguably the weakest (in my opinion). All the usual problems are here - unoriginality, ripped-off riffs, Plant's wailings which are beginning to get on my nerves already (holy heavens! the man uses the same singing style on ALL of his albums! these "ah-ahs" and "oh-ohs" were good first time around, but how long should we endure them? and why did they think it so necessary to include them on every second song?), unmemorable melodies. The best song here is probably "Since I've Been Loving You", but come on guys, it's an unashamed copy of standard blues classics ("Double Trouble", for instance)! That twice-repeated five-note guitar line at the beginning of each verse is fairly cool, though. Hmmm. I wonder if Jimmy Page thought of it by himself? Guess I have to listen to some more fifties' blues albums - I'll be damned if I don't find it there.

So yeah, I'll agree that the rockers rock and the ballads are lovely. Then again, every single damned rocker on Earth is supposed to rock, and every single ballad is supposed to be lovely. But GREAT rockers and GREAT ballads are supposed to have inspired and memorable melodies as well. And this is what this album lacks completely.

megaman684@aol.com (Vincent Hedrick)
This is not the best zeppelin album. However it is one of their best albums behind HOTH, IV, and II. When I first got this cd i thought it was the worst one but after a few listems the album revealed it stregnths. I wonder why the remastered cd doesen't come with the wheel like the record did. If you look on the vinyl version there is some quotes from some guy in the space between the label and the last song.

hijinks@utarlg.uta.edu (Thomas Rickert)
Though not an immigrant, this album has always left me out on the tiles! I feel I am friends with the band, and that it is a celebration day. I can't recall a time since I haven't been loving this album. A mighty mighty ten! That's the way it should be! It stomps LZ II. Hang tangerines from that gallow's pole, everyone, cause this is it. I mean, hats off! Simply unbelievably good and rich, and not overplayed on radio! In comparison, that is. That alone might be considered a possible proof of the existence of some sort of Music God.

bevan@voicemail.com (Casey)
A nice half-relaxed acoustic album after the hardrocking Led Zeppelin II. Though a little weaker than Led Zeppelin II it is a great album because it proves that Led Zeppelin can play acoustic stuff well while still sounding like Led Zeppelin. It's not all acoustic though; their are some great rockers like "Immigrant Song" and the interesting riff-laden song "Out On The Tiles". Plus one of thier best songs "Friends" is on here. They are most successful in their acoustic style with "Gallows Pole" which is a hard rocking song played on acoustic instruments; quite interesting. Maybe one weak cut on this album "Hats(off to roy harper)" which comes at the end anyway so its consistenly enjoyable all the way through. Rating: 8 from 10.

This isn't really a transistional album for them considering that Led Zeppelin IV overall sounds similar to Led Zeppelin II, they just went back to more harder rocking stuff after this album, but they took a little bit of Led Zep III with them as you can tell in some of the tracks like "Battle of Evermore" and "Going To California".

stoo@imsa.edu (John McFerrin)
This record rules. Incidentally, I believe that Plant himself refers to this album as "Led Zeppelin's finest moment." It's far easier to sit through than II: the second album is excellent, to be sure, but if you're gonna go so heavy on production on so many songs, you have to have at least one totally acoustic track for every three or 4 electric ones. And that's why LZ3 is so awesome; the balance in the sound is as good as they ever got it.

brain_of_j@hotmail.com (Tommy Joyce)
10 is right. Why does nobody like Gallows Pole? It's my favorite here, and the best Zep rocker ever - I just can't help banging my head to that. Also agree totally that Out On The Tiles is better than Black Dog - I can never remember the lyrics to the verses because I listen only to the kick-ass riff. That's The Way is actually one of the weakest tracks here, IMO - lovely guitar, not much else (funny lyrics, though). Don't see the Tangerine - Stairway connection, though both are excellent songs, with an underrated solo in Tangerine. III is IMO the best Zep album guitar-solo-wise - Since I've Been Loving You, of course, Tangerine and Gallows Pole has some great unintrusive leads on it, too. This one was my first Zep album and every other one has been a let-down. Also, btw, Page's high point as a lyricist - he actually gets political on Immigrant Song and is very nice and sympathic on Celebration Day. No macho posturings here.

rangas@hotmail.com
This is one alimghty fine album. Why oh Why doesn't Jimmy Page write lyrics. 'Tangerine' just may be Led Zep's finest moment (Ten Years Gone does come close though), and Pagey wrote the whole song himself - whoa!

'Immigrant Song' is a great song but it is a misleading opener. 'Friends' is a masterpiece, it's easy to see why the boys like this track so much. 'Celebration Day' was the first Led Zeppelin track to get my attention, 'Since I've Been Loving You' is beautiful, that bit at the end of Page's solo is brilliant. 'Out on the Tiles' is an infectious bit of rock, but grouse nonetheless. 'Gallows Pole' is the weakest of the acoustic tracks yet is still a good tune. 'Tangerine' is the best song on this album, anyone who disagrees should listen to it again, really listen. 'That's the Way' is not bad, not bad at all, and 'Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp' is a bit of a rockin' song don't you think? A Great record 10/10.

But Hang on what about the closer, 'Hats Off (To Roy Harper)', well the album liner says this is a traditional song, yeah a traditional piece of crap, the boys worst song (along with 'The Crunge'). Change my 10/10 to a 9/10. Roy Harper you cost the boys a point!

jltichenor@earthlink.net (James L. Tichenor)
There are some great songs on here- 'Out on Tiles" rocks ass! "bron-y-aur stomp" is pretty. But i think "since i been lovin you" is the most ridiculous overblown zep song ever and the rest is pretty much mediocre. Since im no 80's metal fan the chorus of "immigrant song" ruins it for me. AGHGHHG. Ok album.

ian.moss@yale.edu
Well, I wouldn't give it a 10, but it is surprisingly good. "Celebration" and "Tangerine" are real nice songs, and I LOVE "Since I've Been Loving You," one of their very best songs. If you ever think that Jimmy Page had the technical chops but couldn't play with feeling, check out "Since I've Been Loving You"--it may well change your mind.

jtcable@tir.com (Josh Cable)
You know, IV had all the really heavy rockers and shit, and this one just has some blues wanking I guess.

Or at least, that's what a I thought on first listen. Where were the rocking out songs? Why, they're Out on the Tiles, dammit!

I had only heard Immigrant (or whatever it is) Song a billion times from a greatest hits boxed thing, because the song is fucking awesome. But holy shit, here's a whole album of undiscovered asskickings here. There's CERTANLY some slow blues shit here, but man is it crazy blues shit. Hats off to Harper is just INSANE the way the vocals were made. What the fuck were they doing? Shit, crazy shit here. And Since I've Been Loving You is not happy or lovydovey at all! That's good! FUCK LOVE.

The album is just packed full of sneaky AWESOME SONGS THAT ARE REALLY GOOD.

The only sorta-ok song would be Tangerine, I SUPPOSE.

erogozin@mtu-net.ru (Eric Rogozin)
Absolutely agree! I think, that II and III are Led Zeppelin's best, someday I can prefer II over III, someday I can prefer Led Zeppelin III over Led Zeppelin II. Well, all Zeppelin albums are brilliant, but this album is...something amazing, various and different. Wonderful record! This album proves the greatness of Led Zeppelin; "Immigrant Song", "Since I've Been Loving You" and "Gallows Pole" are eternal magnificent classics. "Friends", "Celebration Day", "Out On The Tiles", "Tangerine" etc. - all these songs sound perfectly well. Here's a folkish athmosphere over this album and the ballads are great, especially that one bluesy "Since I've Been Loving You". "Immigrant Song" rules.

Dan804935628@aol.com
I agree with the review also,this is probably their best ever in my opinion.Every song here is great,no filler,all perfect!! One of my favorite albums of all time. 10!

Jcjh20@aol.com
Yeah mostly acoustic stuff here, which i love a lot. The rockers like "Immigrant Song", "Out On The Tiles" and "Celebration Day" are great, and the acoustic stuff is very beautiful, extremely beautiful now that i remember! "Thats The Way", "Gallows Pole", "Tangerine", and "Since Ive Been Loving You" being a really great bluesy song. "Hats Off to Roy Harper" is pretty fucked up though, i always turn it off after the up-beat and catchy "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp". 9/10.

JenthePen8@aol.com
I've never really reviewed an album before. Actually I just really started getting into music a lot recently. However, I love this album! The first time I heard Tangerine, I couldn't get enough. The first stanza is just brilliant. "Measuring a summers day, I only find it slips away to gray. The hours, the bring me pain." Actually the song that made me explore Led Zeppelin and all of their music was That's The Way, when I heard it on the Almost Famous soundtrack. There are more great lyrics in that one and the guitar is just great. The guitar playing is strong throughout this whole album which is another reason I love it so much. This album is just awesome and it is always in my car stereo.

robchaundy@yahoo.com (Robert Chaundy)
es, yes, yes. I am so pleased that so many people are acknowleding this as Led Zeppelin's greatest album. When it was released it got an absolute critical slating because it didn't trowel on the bogus heavy metal like Led Zeppelin II did, but good taste has had the last laugh.

I did not mean to sound quite so negative about Led Zeppelin II. I like it a lot.

You know how people rave on about Physical Graffiti showing every musical facet of the band? Well this album does the same thing in half the time and with a lot more subtlety and authenticity. Gallow's Pole, Hats Off to (Roy) Harper and Bron-y-Aur Stomp are pure English folk, Tangerine pure West Coast folkyish rockaroll and Friends is... Indian? Whatever, it's brilliant. And if Led Zeppelin have ever recorded two more effortlessly fantastic heavy rockers than Immigrant Song and Out on the Tiles then I'll eat me hat.

There's no obvious masterpiece in the Led Zeppelin catalogue (thank you citizens of the world for rejecting the critical consensus that IV is it) - instead you've got to look for the most consistent, least flawed or most enigmatic album. By this standard, I and III are the only candidates. But any album inspired by a tumbledown cottage in the Weslh mountains wins hands down.

A glorious, triumphant ten. Folk music is just the best.

todchy@openaccess.org (Todd Lee)
Led Zep III isn't as good sonically as the first two albums, but this album contains all original material, even though the first two don't credit anyone else. In fact, LZ was sued by the estates of two blues masters (I think it was Howling Wolfe and Willie Dixon) for back royalties (which they were awarded). LZ III has some great moments on it, and some great blues treasures. The Immigrant Song however, doesn't fit at all and as it turns out, Page had some better songs that he coulda put on this LP, 'Hey Hey, What Can I Do?' for one, and Traveling Riverside Blues (an acknowledged cover) which may have never been released because 'Whole Lotta Love' was a blatant rip-off. I'll say this for Led Zepplin, plagerism aside, they were the only true blues-rock band, ever, until the Black Crows. The Stones, Clapton, or any other so-called blues/rock act were mere dabblers. Even the great southern rock bands of the seventies didn't capture the blues to the extent that LZ did. LZ's music was a dead-on take of what the world of blues was. Has anyone ever written a better blues/rock tune than Since I Been Lovin You'? Sure. LZ did a few albums later, 'In My Time Of Dying'.

watta502@yahoo.gr (Akis Katsman)
Oh no. I'm very dissapointed with this album, maybe a low 7. It's not because it's softer but most songs here aren't much interesting. The only songs that I really enjoy here are "Since I've Been Loving You" and "Gallows Pole". "Tangerine" sucks! I can't understand why this song is so loved by Led Zeppelin fans. So does "Hats Off To (Roy) Harper", a bad blues number. "Immigrant song" isn't quite bad, but it's too simple, too small and without a guitar solo! "Friends" is nice, but somewhat childish from me (maybe the lyrics or the guitar?), "That's The Way" is quite cool and "Celebration Day" is great, with a nice riff, although not the best rocker Zeppelin put out. This isn't a bad album, but to the new fans: I think that III is the worst out of the first four Zeppelin albums. Please do not start with this album, but pick up II or IV instead. But you may enjoy it.

uglytruth@hotmail.com (Hossein Nayebagha)
I don't know wether this is the best Led Zeppelin album or not, but I wouldn't give it a ten. But it is a lot more interesting than the previous two, more varied and experimental. "Since I've Been Loving You" is one of the best songs they ever did, incredibly overdramatic as it may be. "Out On The Tiles" may have a great verse riff and ryhtms, but the chorus melody is so embarrasing that you can hardly listen to it. The second half of the album hasn't caught my attention yet even though I've listened to it quite a lot, for that reason it doesn't deserve a ten. 9/10.

okeydoke0@yahoo.com (Barrett Barnard)
i totally agree mr mark. this along with the first lp and houses of the holy is far and away their best. its usually refeered to(get it reeferd as in reefer oh man i am so sexy and 17.what?)as their folk album.but immigrant song celebration day and out on the tiles are pure rock n roll in the zep vein which soon was contaminated with endless amounts of smack and jack.friends tangerine gallows pole and bron yr aur are the folky stuff and theyre great.then theres that long blues jam where jimmy just goes all over the place.just great primo shit in the zep vein(wow that was good i hope you get it damn i already used that joke.)i personally like hats off to harper so you can suck me as axl says.and the pridle dick is also right in that thats the way is one of the best zep songs ever.thank you.by the way i like thank you as well.its a good song.lay off.wanksta.

slb23@shaw.ca (S.B.)
Well, I am a fan of Led Zeppelin, but this one just doesn't do it for me. It's good, but not as great as the towering rock (and acoustic) monsters that are Led Zeppelin II, IV (Zoso), and Physical Graffiti.

The acoustic numbers are nice enough, but aren't too good in the quality department, if you ask me. Example: "Gallow's Pole" - - - it's lyrics are too repetitive, but the music is fine. "That's the Way" has a great lyrical theme, but not too good music. See what I'm getting at? It's almost always half-way with those acousitc numbers, not all the way. (I hope i'm making sense.)

Anywho, it has some great rockers ("Immigrant Song", "Celebration Day", and "Out on the Tiles".) a blues number ("Since I've Been Loving You" - which, IMHO, is their best blues song.)

And now to the most horrendously bad song on the album: "Hats off to (Roy) Harper". For those who don't know who he is, he is most noted for singing on Pink Floyd's "Have A Cigar" off of Wish You Were Here. 6.5 Stars out of 10.

robadobb_2@msn.com (Rob Raymer)
love this album , the second side is a neccesity. shows depth and its just damn good music. hats off to harper knocks me dead, great impression of evil black bottleneck blues. since ive been loving you is a killer, great emotion with my all time favorite solo by anyone. out on the tiles has got to be one of the best feel good tunes ever.

MatthewByrd@hotmail.com
What!? I don't know, I have to disagree with probably everyone here. I once went through a Led Zeppelin phase........ it didn't last long. I mean, I can't deny that Jimi Page is maybe (or, YES, he is) the greatest riff-maker in rock history........ but, c'mon that's basically all the band has (well, except for the Bonheimian drumming). Yeah, I, like most people can appreciate Led Zeppelin once in a while........ but I don't think they've ever released an album that had more depth than just good riffs throughout. I don't know, that's definetely a strike against them in my book (I do have a book, it's a big book, a big book of......... I'm sorry, I have no idea). But, then again, isn't that what most bands offer? Yeah, I hope I don't contradict myself with other albums that I gave good scores too but........ I just can't give this album a good score. I agree with Rollingstone when they used to put Led Zeppelin DOWN. Man, I don't know anything the critics said though........... my dad just told me that Rollingstone didn't like Led Zeppelin in the 70's. I hope that's reliable. But, aren't I contradicting myself? I mean, I think that Low is a good album....... but that's just as meaningful as Led Zeppelin..... But, I have to say, I do like "Heroes" Low and Station To Station. So, I guess my accusations of Led Zeppelin are unfair. But only partially. Station To Station, "Heroes" and Low maybe aren't completely honest....... but they were a step to it. They are also considered highly innovative. I guess this gives me some leverage. But, as for Led Zeppelin III, the whole album is about as bad as 'What Is And What Should Never Be' on Led Zeppelin II. There are no highs like 'Rock 'N' Roll' or 'When The Levee Breaks'. It's like they didn't really care. I'll get my thoughts together someday.......... but, for now, I give this record about a 5.

roma23rpm@hotmail.com
I don’t know, this one’s kind of overrated among fans. I mean reviewers are always giving it such high ratings - I really don’t see why. I mean it’s a good album, in fact very good, but just not on a par with the others. Except "Immigrant Song" and "Since I’ve Been Loving You" - the truly great songs on the album - the songs are just completely not as good, they hardly compare. "Celebration Day" to me is like an inferior version of "Communication Breakdown." Listen to the difference in songwriting quality: one’s an automatic classic and the other is just, ehh... 'good.' What I mean is that it’s like they went from a very high level to a much lower level of songwriting capability in an overall way; same impression goes for when I compare "Tangerine" with "Thank You" and "That’s the Way" with "Going To California" and "Friends" with "The Battle Of Evermore." I can’t believe they could have sunk this low between two such phenomenal albums, and all in such a short time. Now don’t get me wrong, as I said it’s still a really good album; just not up to standards. Thanks to "Immigrant Song" and "Since I’ve Been Loving You" I would give it an 8/10 instead of a 6 or 7/10.

"Black Dog" -- "Hey hey mama said the way you move/Gonna make you sweat gonna make you groove" -- bombastic stop-start headbangery

"Rock And Roll" -- "Been a long time, been a long time, been a long lonely lonely lonely lonely lonely time" -- nonstop r'n'r fun-go-round with fantastically enthusiastic drumming

"Stairway To Heaven" -- the original overblown mystical epic. Some love it, some hate it -- for me, it depends on what kind of mood I'm in.

"Misty Mountain Hop" -- "Please hey whoopie cat!" (he doesn't actually say "Please hey whoopie cat" -- this is the one where at the end they sing "I really don't kno-ow kno-ow kno-ow kno-ow. I really don't kno-ow kno-ow kno-ow kno-ow!") - goodtime synclavier goofy vocals!

"Going To California" -- "Give me a punch on the nose and it's startin' to flow -- I think I might be sinking!" -- absolutely gorgeous hippy acoustic balladry

"When The Levee Breaks" -- A MONSTER. The number one grade-A fucking most incredible song they ever recorded. IT FUCKING POUNDS, SOARS AND WAILS ALL AT ONCE. FOR EIGHT MINUTES!

"The Battle Of Nevermore" -- this woman keeps going "Aaaaah dance in the dark night! Sing to the morning light!" -- mandolin-driven Olde English intrigue and role-playing.

"Four Sticks" -- You might not know this one, but it's a killer understated repetitive hard rock riffer.

Fuck, that's every song on here.

Such a diverse, mature and professional record certainly desires a place in your collection. But don't bother paying for it. Just listen to a classic rock station for twelve hours or so and you can probably tape the whole thing. And tell 'em Dave sent ya!!!!!????!!

Reader Comments

rapallof@pathcom.com (Electric Magic)
Well, what can you say...

la314w@crown.icongrp.com (Jesse Lara)
Well, great album. Yet, so overrated! This album is one reason to get sick of Led Zeppelin! Though can't help tappin' my foot to "Rock'n'Roll!" There's one reason to love 'em!

cgarwood@netropolis.net (Calvin B. Garwood)
No it's not a bongo, it's FOUR STICKS!!! As in two drumsticks in each of Bonzo's hands while drumming.

hurst@bbs.tsf.com (Rick Bromley
This was the greatest album ever made, I just can't get over the song "Rock and Roll". It's the best.

michael@hartingdale.com.au (Peter)
I totally agree. BRILLIANT! My favourite Led Zep album; with songs like "stairway to heaven", "misty mountain hop", "black dog" and the rest of them, you can't help but be impressed. 10 out of 10.

fyodor@mixcom.com (Ted Zimmer)
This album is very good, but I have kind of gotten away from it because of the fact that it is very overrated. Now, whenever i listen to it, I skip "black dog", "rock and roll", and "Stairway", and go to "four sticks", "when the levee breaks" and probably tied with others as my all-time favorite song, "The Battle of Evermore".

Alias42264@aol.com
"Stairway to heaven" was great, but "going to california" is probably my all-time fave zep track. plant comes close to remembering the first album on the vocals, page mixes acoustic and fuzzy hard guitar beautifully, and MAN, have you listened to the lyrics? My fave zep album.

gt909lb@prism.gatech.edu (Andrew Goldthorp)
This is without question one of the ten greatest rock and roll records to be made. Everything from folk to blues is explored in this album. Still enjoy Page's slide guitar work on "When the Levee Breaks". I don't know how you can contend Led Zeppelin III is better? Sure Untitled is played more on the radio-that's because the songs are better than those off of III.

jhurtt@comp.uark.edu
It is I again, Jeremy Hurtt, the roving critic, and I have just one thing to say -- YES!!!! YOU ARE RIGHT!!! " When the Levee Breaks" IS LedZep's best song. Damn skippy!! I am gald to finally find a kindred on this one.

BTW, you have to be a fool to not like "Black Dog" and "The Battle of Evermore" They are sweet as a nun's cunt.

gstarst@rsuh.ru (George Starostin)
Overrated. Yes, that's what it is - overrated. And I'm not afraid to say this. All of the Zepsters' albums are overrated (well, maybe except the very first one).

Starts off promisingly - with "Black Dog" and "Rock And Roll". These songs are actually quite listenable, although not very much inspired. The melody on "Rock And Roll" is actually a rip-off of at least a DOZEN rock'n'roll classics (Ten Years After's "Losing The Dogs" is the first thing that comes on my mind, but that is a rip-off itself, so I guess there's more to it), although that "lonely, lonely, lonely" line is fairly attractive.

But then off we go onto weak and unmelodic territory! "Battle Of Evermore" is yet another in a series of J. R. R. Tolkien-inspired ravings (by the way, there is a whole page on GeoCities devoted to Tolkien's influence on Led Zep). "Stairway To Heaven" has a miraculously created melody, yes, I'll agree with that one hundred percent, but it is overlong nevertheless and ends up in some shitty vocals from Page, and it's also about a trillion times more bombastic and pretentious than the most pretentious tracks by The Who!

The other songs are really forgettable as well. Yes, and "When The Levee Breaks", too. The playing is great, but no original melodies. Just the usual mystical, heavy aura of Led Zep. If the aura's enough for you - get this album. If you wanna listen to real inspired and well-crafted music, skip it! Get Led Zep 1. At least it's got "You Shook Me".

max9@foothill.net (Jon Poirier)
"Stairway To Heaven"? Hold on now. That song is dangerous. I heard that someone was locked into a room with it playing over and over again and died. ...really...

megaman684@aol.com (Vincent Hedrick)
You should have givin this one a ten along with HOTH and II. All their records kick ass.

hijinks@utarlg.uta.edu (Thomas Rickert)
Good review, sprindletype. A bit overrated, but such a classic, a nine is really kinda foreordained. And, really, one can only bow before the altar that is When the Levee Breaks. Where do these kinds of depths come from? And those drums!!!!

!!!!!

I'm goin down now...

bevan@voicemail.com (Casey)
Their most popular album and also one of their best along with II and Houses of The Holy. An improvement over III in that every song on here is either good or a classic. You probably know every song on here without buying the album but get the album anyway, its a Kickass record. Classics include: "Stairway To Heaven"(go figure), "Black Dog", "Misty Mountain Hop", "Rock And Roll",etc.

cliffnorth@localacess.com
Hey, Mark, it only took me about 25 years 2 realize how really marvelous "Stairway to Heaven" is -- up til then I just thot it was the most overplayed song of all time, & I was in junior-high when this album came out, so I heard it A LOT.

But 1 day I put the tape on the ol player & "Stairway" rolled around, & when it was finished it was like this big lightbulb went on above my head: These guys were GOOD. The obvious takes me awhile 2 grasp.

The thing about "Stairway" is that it sounds ... inevitable. Like if Page & Plant didn't cough it up, somebody else would've -- I can't imagine reality without it, it's so perfect, and the contrast in it is so fine. I especially love Jimmy's wild work on that very last break B4 the end -- turn it up!

On the way 2 "Stairway," I FINALLY paid attention 2 "Battle of Evermore," which features the gorgeous co-vocals of Sandy Denny, 1of my favorite British folk-rock singers. "Battle" is pretty wonderful 2, but U might want 2 check-out the band Denny came from, Fairport Convention. Talk about a great band....

I've always preferred Zep at their quieter moments -- the 2 songs named above, & "Over the Hills and Far Away" -- but I also love "Immigrant Song," "Carouselambra" (great art-rock track), "Fool in the Rain" (specially the drum-&-bugle-corps middle-section), "In the Evening," "Black Dog," "Rock and Roll" -- and their jokes: "Whole Lotta Love" & of course "Hot Dog." My favorite album is IN THROUGH THE OUT DOOR.

Course ya know Page said he thot Zep coulda turned in2 something like the Incredible String Band -- ever heard THEM? Don't think these guys could EVER have got10 that goofy, but re-listening 2 "Whole Lotta Love" makes me wonder if I underrated 'em....

bobafett77@hotmail.com (John Miles)
It is hard for me to even start to comprehend that VI is better than III.

Anyone who plays guitar, bass, twelve string, drums or any kind of keyboard would agree. VI takes the remains of the classic era of III and II and puts them into a jumble of songs which, on their own are impressive, yet not continuos...at all. Stairway being placed in front of Misty Mountain hop is the most inappropriate song placement in existence. Both good songs, mind you. Rock'nRoll and black dog are too similar to be consecutive, Four sticks and Misty mountain hop are uninteresting and battle of evermore is just a lousy song.But, on a high point When the levee breaks and going to califonia are the two best songs. Although stairway would almost unquestionably be added, but has become a cliche IV is overrated. Learn it. Know it. Live it. III on the other hand gives the listener a fantastic start with immigrint song, and it just keeps on getting better. Friends is a good transition to the greatest zeppelin song of all time, "Celebration day". since I've been loving you, shows the band's versatility in blues and live impovosation, Out on the tiles is just fun, Gallows pole showcases plant's best vocals, tangerine... tangerine is just a great song, That's the way is light and meaningful, Bon-y-aur Stomp is the most musically talented(excluding Bonzo's bass drum/High-hat beat). Hats off to Harper, although I still enjoy it, is the worst song on the album, partially due to the recording quality.

jltichenor@earthlink.net (James L. Tichenor)
Led Zep IV, the most overated piece of shit ever!!!! Just kidding! Someone had to bring in an opposing point of view. heheh. Anyway... get high on reefer and sit back and play this album continously. You'll think you're in another planet seriously folks!!!!

Paulst@wfs.co.uk (Paul Stewardson)
The best ROCK album in the world.....ever ? Probably. "Black Dog" rocks like a big bastard. "Rock N Roll" rocks like a bigger bastard. The guitar solo from "Stairway To Heaven" rules, despite what anyone says! And "When The Levee Breaks" is the musical equivalent of a nuclear explosion. In a word...BIG.

stoo@imsa.edu (John McFerrin)
The main problem with this record is that it is unbelievably erratic in quality. To start, I honestly don't like Black Dog much at all. It just doesn't do a single thing for me (on the other hand, for some reason I actually enjoy the version on BBC quite a bit). Rock and Roll is better, even very good, but not killer. Battle of Evermore, on the other hand, rules. Period. Easily the best song of side one imo. Then there's Stairway to Heaven, which while not being the greatest song ever made like some friends I know think, is still remarkably well created.

Onto side two. Simply put, I HATE Misty Mountain Top. I honestly believe it's one of the five worst songs they ever did. Going to California, on the other hand, is simply great. I love it love it love it. Four sticks is...ehn... decent enough. And then there's When the Levee Breaks, the best zep track ever. This saves the whole dang album.

So there are 4 fantastic tracks, 2 good enough tracks, and two blech tracks. Not deserving of a 10. But still 9 worthy.

frh74@tea.net (Ray Holloway)
Well goddamn! Are you a communist? You say you don't like "Misty Mountain Hop" ? It's about friggin' hobbits and shit! That's right! Hobbits! The mythical halflings from Middle Earth! You know, hobbits! You gotta like a song about goddamn hobbits! Where the hell else are you gonna hear a song about hobbits? I dunno! I'm askin' you! Listen Paco, if you like goddamn hobbits, then you should like this goddamn song. Kapish? C'mon man. Cut me some slack here. It's about friggin' hobbits for chrissake. All I'm sayin' is, if you like goddamn hobbits then this should be your goddamn theme song. 'Cause, Charlie, this song is crazysexycool about some friggin' hobbits.

ian.moss@yale.edu
Somewhat overrated in my view, although "Rock And Roll" and "When the Levee Breaks" are up there with anything they ever wrote. But I'm sorry, I have never understood why people are so obsessed with "Stairway to Heaven." I mean, it's a PRETTY good song, and the guitar solo is very nice indeed, but why? what is so special about it that makes it so much more revered than any other song they wrote? Anyway, what do I know--apparently it's the "Top Song of the Millenium" according to my all-knowing local classic rock radio station, so I guess I'll just shut up right now.

jtcable@tir.com (Josh Cable)
Yes, this album is overrated, but not because it secretly SUCKS. Misty Mountain Hop is pretty lame, and Black Dog isn't as good as it could have been (still has awesome riff), but the whole rest of this album is awesome. It spawned about 5 singles, and there's only 8 songs. The best song being pretty damn long (a damn good idea to have a long song as your best).

Not Stairway tho. Stairway, while is ok, is so GODDAMN OVERRATED it's sickening. We really never need to hear the song ever again, but we will. Fuck.

Best song is Levee. It's just so damn dark and EVIL. I mean, not about evil-devilness, but it's really REALLY dark, and it's about death and destruction and rain and thunder and HATE AND MURDER. Or some such. And it's awesome. Too bad radio almost never plays it. "Hello local classic rock station, can I request some LZ?" "Sure thing!" *plays Stairway to Heaven, twice since it's a "Twofer Tuesday"*

The best songs are the Four Sticks/Going To Cali stuff that we never hear much. Tell you the truth, I didn't buy this album, my mom did. Battle of Evermore is also just plain awesome. It's about a billion times better than any badly written Lord of the Rings bullshit (seeing as that's what that incoherent pulpy stupidness was... Lord of the Rings I mean). Battle of Evermore, an very excellent idea for a song, original or not. Hardly "weak and unmelodic." You'd have to be deaf to think that. Either that, or some kind of amature Rolling Stone critic. Fuck that bullshit. Go be GAY somewhere else, George. What a fucking retard he is.

Rock and Roll, man what an awesome song that used to be. But god o god, we beat it to pieces. This whole album got ruined by these moron radio stations that beat it to death. Fuck radio, I'll never listen to it again. It can keep playing it's dreadful Morining Zoos and such other happy horeSHIT. I will have no part of it.

They never play Kashmir anyway.

Overrated. Still great, but overrated. It's hard for it to be not overrated. Thank God you gave 3 the *10*. Otherwise, I wouldn't love you anymore.

Hobbits are gay.

Oops, forgot that LZ never released any singles. So this album actually had zero singles! Yay.

richbunnell@home.com
Well, I'm impressed. I like it. I've heard all the songs a million times (okay-- just "Stairway," "Black Dog," and "Rock And Roll," with the others given scattered radio airplay every so often), but I don't judge albums by how "highly rated" they are, just how much I like them, and I like most of these songs. I don't see why everyone hates "Misty Mountain Hop"-- do you people just try to find some Zeppelin song that has some minor annoying quality just so you can exploit it and act like it makes the song bad? I don't care about the Tolkein-inspired ravings at all, probably because I'm not much of a lyrics guy--i.e., I can sit through "Battle Of Evermore" and think "Wow, what a cool mandolin tune!" rather than "Wow! This song is annoying lyrically! Screw the awesome melody, I hate this crap!" I'd give the album a 9, like you. Maybe even a 10, but I haven't heard every Zep album yet.

And does anyone else find Josh Cable's comments on this site rather blatantly offensive? I realize that he's a veteran poster at this site and all, but it's like he's going out of his way to act like a homophobic prick. If I took a 200-page spiral notebook and made a tickmark every time the word "gay" or "fag" came up in one of his postings, I'd run out of space before getting through the ninth comment. Yeah, I know that he does it on purpose and I agree with some of his opinions, but couldn't he have some reverence for other posters on the site? George, for one, has revised his opinion of this album on his site (up to a 9).

jtcable@home.com (Josh Cable)
Didn't notice.

Perhaps we can't all live in Candyland, assfister. But it's clear that I just ruined your soul.

Levee is still the best fucking song ever. Man that song is just a jam. And by jam, I don't mean like a shitty boring blues jam with no lyrics that just goes on and on, and is boring and pointless. Like Phish. Phish are fucking losers, and I hate them.

I think the reason why I don't like Misty Mountain Hop is because it's lame. It's somewhat candy assed, and listening to the song is like watching a sheet of white paper. It might be fun the first few times, but it eventually gets sickening.

Stairway to Heaven used to be an ok song. It was kinda long and had several sections. That doesn't mean that I care about the song every time I hear it.

richbunnell@home.com
"Perhaps we can't all live in Candyland"? What the hell? This is a website, not South Central Freaking LA. You're not acting like a prick because it's a harsh, merciless world - you're doing it just to be a prick. And you do it in a constant, endless manner, commenting on the same album seven times in a row and saying the same things over and over and over again. Metallica are sellouts. The Who Sell Out sucks. People who don't like Back In Black are gay. 5150 is the worst album ever. Blah blah blah, we get the goddamn point already.

Also, that reader comment two posts up for Untitled is probably my lamest comment ever. I didn't even really review the album, I just unsuccessfully made fun of Zep-bashers for no reason. I still really like "Misty Mountain Hop," though.

jason_a@earthlink.net (Jason Adams)
Both sides of this album start out weak and end big. Yep, even dumb old overplayed "Stairway To Heaven" still packs a heck of a punch and "When The Levee Breaks" just rocks proverbial arse. To tell you the truth, I don't much like the rest of the album. Robert Plant syndrome, again.

Jcjh20@aol.com
I frankly dont give a damn if "Stairway To Heaven" is overrated or not, personally i think its one of the greatest songs of all time (I agree with Rich above about how its pointless to judge a song just by how much people highly rate a song). You probably heard this classic beauty, as well as maybe "Black Dog" and "Rock And Roll". But this album mostly is a step up in diversity and really shows how powerful John "Bonzo" Bonham was as a drummer, especially "When The Levee Breaks". Id hate to go and give this critically acclaimed album a 10, but id most likely do so, because these are really great songs, even "Misty Mountain Hop".

robchaundy@yahoo.com (Robert Chaundy)
Not the best. But good.

Here are some things you may not have known: 'Black Dog' is named in honour of a black dog who wandered into the studio during a recording session; the drums on Levee sound so immense because they were being played from the bottom of a stone spiral staircase; the original version of Kashmir was written for this album but shelved.

I cannot emphasize enough that this is not Led Zeppelin's best album. But it is good.

R.I.P. Les Sealey
1957-2001

watta502@yahoo.gr (Akis Katsman)
Oh yeah babe! This album is a killer! All the songs here are winners. Everybody knows the classics "Rock And Roll" and "Stairway To Heaven" (one of my all-time favourite songs). The worst song here is probably "Four Sticks" because it's too simple. But it's good. "When The Leevee Breaks" is a blues killer. And "The Battle Of Evermore" is weird dark folk! Oh yeah! And "Black Dog" is good, but overrated. Maybe a 10.

robadobb_2@msn.com (Rob Raymer)
if youre a rock fan and not big on this album you should pretend to see freud and explain your various issues. a perfect blend of what they wanted to be known for. black dogs riff is john pauls originally and its just a glimpse of what was happenin within this incredibly dynamic unit. always thought four sticks was underrated but i guess it was shallow lol

uglytruth@hotmail.com (Hossein Nayebagha)
Interesting observation about "Stairway To Heaven" and its existence. But, I still think it would've been a much better song if the distorted parts with the solo and everything had been skipped. They should've made a fade-out before that part.

I think this is the best Led Zep record and, I disagree with the statements about the previous record on "Friends" vs. "The Battle Of Evermore" and "Out On The Tiles" vs. "Black Dog". On the former, I think "Friends" is somewhat more experimental, whereas the latter one is just really pleasing in terms of melody. As for Black Dog, I find it more powerful, AND it doesn't have the embarrassing chorus.

I dig folk music, so "Battle Of Evermore" is one of the best songs they ever did. Other faves on the record are "Black Dog" and "When The Leaves Break".

artmuse@hvc.rr.com
Jimmy Page wanted to write a song that would represent Zeppelin. The problem is, Zeppelin themselves ruined "Stairway" by playing it live, and killing all the subtlety that the original album track had in the first place.

The song begins like it was written before you were born, and then ends up right in your crotch, your hips. Zeppelin, more than any other band, had the sexual waist-groove perfected. The Chili Peppers knew this, too.

It was so very cool that the remastered CD had the original Atlantic label design on it. When you played that album on the turntable, and saw that red and green (with a white stripe through the middle) label swinging around to the sound of the guitars warming up (BLACK DOG), it just made you salivate. It was the Zeppelin experience.

BLACK DOG just jams (and it's named after some stray black dog that just wandered in, while they were recording!)

ROCK AND ROLL is still one of the best improvised songs ever thrown together (and I don't drive a Cadillac, either)

THE BATTLE OF EVERMORE has the foggy Celtic vibe - screw the Tolkienisms, "Mordor" is mentioned in "Ramble On" (Led Zeppelin II), also

STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN there's a reason it's still around, maybe just to annoy those who don't quite hear it yet

MISTY MOUNTAIN HOP is a song most people cannot cover because it is so atonal, and the throbbing bassline just kicks ass

FOUR STICKS is a really cool groove, sort of an early Kashmir, thanks to Bonham's four sticks (two in each hand)

GOING TO CALIFORNIA showed that Zeppelin were not all heaviness and nothing else, but...

WHEN THE LEVEE BREAKS is all heaviness, and swamp groove, an incredible song!

10/10...

but HOUSES OF THE HOLY is still my favorite 10/10

Prindle rocks! And I'm not saying this just because of the cables around my wrists either!

jb2533@hotmail.com
Oh! Led Zeppelin, I used to really like these guys......... not so much anymore. Rock 'n' Roll is probably their best tune ever! The perfect mixture of old-time rock and their own acid-blues AND screeching vocals. It's a tight, well-executed song that doesn't meander and is, despite its own declarations, not as pretentious as most of their stuff. Black Dog is also pretty good too! When The Levee Breaks is also one of their best. Its blues menace at its Rolling Stones-Gimme Shelter-type way. It has an absolutely MONSTOROUS sound and harmonicas that just give you a chill! Great! When The Levee Breaks, now this is the way Led Zeppelin SHOULD have interpreted the blues! So, there you have it, Rock 'n' Roll and When The Levee Breaks - the two greatest Led Zeppelin songs ever. I'm not going to even talk about Stairway To Heaven or the others. So, Led Zeppelin IV is not bad, but it STILL suffers, for the most part, from what EVERY Led Zeppelin album suffers from, so......... a 6 out of ten.

panos_kakaviatos@yahoo.com
A magnificent album. All the songs are good. All of them.

To heck with naysaying intellectuals both latterday and yesteryear. They are all wrong.

Let's being with Black Dog. What I really like about this song is not so much the stop and go quality, which is appealing. No, what is really original about this is the guitar-driven beat that is set off from the 'Hey Baby, Woah Baby' lines. That one-two-three / one-two-three punch style guitar driven beat is much more like a repeated menacing wave - matched with Page's very fine solo work. Superb. (10/10).

Then comes Rock and Roll. Quick and hard and it really gets you moving. A real stomper, laid thick with guitar, beefily backed up by the band with almost impetuous percussion, a great bass line and rock and roll piano. Yet, it also manages to be oh so smooth in style. Yep, another 10 for 10.

Is the next song, The Battle of Evermore, as some have written, pretentious? Ney. Nyet. Nein. Oxi. So Robert Plant liked Tolken. His job as a rock singer is not to recreate great literature however, but he is certainly free to allude to it. Fine by me. Ever more so because the music and lyrics here are very listenable, both creating yet another dark mood, accentuated by Sandy Denny's singing. Nothing wrong with that. In fact, this gets a high score for allowing a breather after two such hard rockers, while bringing back the dark mood of Black Dog. I could have done without the somewhat repetitive ending however and thus knock it a notch (Bring it, bring it, bring it AHHHHHH). Yes, ahhhh indeed. (9/10).

Stairway to Heaven. Never you mind that it has been overplayed on the radio. Perhaps one should ask why? The answer: It is a bloody great song. What can I add to the plaudits of most all music reviews, even from the skeptics. One thing though: it is hardly heavenly. It is again a dark song. 10/10.

I have always liked Misty Mountain Hop. What a cool longish riff with a progressively powerful guitar, that, again, remains stylish. A mantra to the hippies? Maybe. The lyrics are certainly fun and not dark in this case. They asked us to stay for tea and have some fun! Sure I'm having fun with this, taking a good look at myself and describing what I see. I may not always like that, but this song is cool, particularly the way it plays off Bonham's drums: I really like the power drumroll towards the end. 9.5/10, if only because I like Black Dog more.

Four Sticks returns us to a moody, dark ambiance, and I like it. It has a menacing guitar line, and then what I think is John Paul Jones' synthesizer creating that cool moodiness pierced by Page's bright clangy guitar volleys and again John Paul Jones sometimes complex bass lines. Perhaps Page howls to much, but it is all backed up by Bonham's use of... four sticks. But I give it... 9 points.

When I was 11 years old (almost 30 years ago, egads), I always avoided Going to California. You know, I was more into the hard rock genre, and I was put off by this folk song. Well, one lives and learns. This song is a very pretty one. Plant's singing is clear and plaintive, and I love the guitar work behind it and how it builds towards an eerie climax. Very nice. 10/10

But save the best for last, right? When the Levee Breaks is awe-inspiring. I read about how the band recorded it, in a large manor, where they had Bonham playing drums I think in the basement, but had set up microphones all over to get an echo-like amplified effect. The drums are among the most impressive ever heard in song, because they drive it, unleashing a carefully contained guitar and harmonica-infused fury. This is one of my all time favorite Led Zeppelin songs and certainly the best on this album (perhaps indeed because I have heard Stairway so often?) 10+/10.

Overall rating. Gee. Let's take a guess...

matthewbyrd@hotmail.com
Ugh, I used to really like Led Zeppelin, but now, ugh, I don't think a lot of their stuff could entertain me. Even though I woulndn't put any of their albums on a favorite album list (well, this one MIGHT squeak by) 2 of these songs on here I think are great, truly great. Rock 'n' Roll, the opener, this is fun, driving hard rock, I love it, also, When the Levee Breaks, great song, one of their best. The rest just are SOOO serious in their bombast (well, I can't deny Black Dog is fun) that they're just not all that fun to listen to....... well, except for Stairway to Heaven. I think Queen did epic heavy-metal smaltz better with Bohemian Rhapsody. The riffs are good, of course, I won't deny that.

ddickso2@uccs.edu
Yes, I DID, indeed, send you. And YOU. And. . . YOU.

Y'know, when people give advice to aspiring writers and/or music-obsessed lunatics, they often admonsih one to speak one's mind. Just be yourself, as it were. Tell us what you're thinking, as it do. Unfortunately, such advice is all WRONG, because the only two things I've been thinking about for the past 23 hours are a.) girls, and b.) guitars playing really really really LOUD. Such things are good and wholesome and natural and yaddleaddle blah blah etc. yeah, but do you really want to be EXPOSED to that kind of brain? Fuck no. And neither do your minions. "Be yourself," my ass. Ass ass ass. Self-deprecation is entertaining as hell.

But the flipside of it all is we get exposed to such brain-meltingly perfect masterpieces as Led Zeppelin's fourth album. Many people rightfully complain about its overplayed-ness and the fact that not EVERY one of its songs deserves to be a classic, but you know what? It's the only sone of their albums where SONGWRITING, not rockin' hard, not folkin' dream (ily), not even being diverse and clever, is the point. Plus it has the least amount of ripped-off riffs and melodies of any album from the band, and that's always nice.

Actually, to tell the truth, I have also been thinking about technical writing techniques, differential equations, transverse determinants, couple moments, Java programming, the complete works of Honore de Balzac (poor guy), and how to start a campfire in wet 'n wild weather. But those things are all useful, so they don't count.

Admonsih--capital of the ancient mystical state of Taht on the continent of Teh in the province of Wrogn. Now selling tourist packages for $.599, etc.

crab.stick@talktalk.net
Yup, awesome.

When The Fucking Levee Breaks.... "cryin' won't help ya, prayin' won't do ya no good"

Wise words, Robert. Do they make 'em like this anymore? That's a - frankly obvious - no.

9.5 red dots from us here. Fuck it, make it 10.

roma23rpm@hotmail.com
So LZ I was blues based, II was heavy based and III was acoustic based and here they kind of all come together and squeeze the best out of all three worlds. “The Battle of Evermore” and “Going to California” are acoustic mellow ditties influenced by III, “Black Dog”, “Misty Mountain Hop” and “Four Sticks” are heavy rockers influenced by II and “When the Levee Breaks” is a blues song (best one they ever did) influenced by I, it’s very diverse and uneven as one could see. The drums are very big and spacey as is the whole album. I don’t know whether it’s because the drums kind of carry the rest of the instruments or it was just produced or mixed that way. Tied with “Physical Graffiti” this probably gets the 10/10.

This Led Zeppelin DVD is FUCK YOU DAD!!!!!! I HATE YOU!!!!!!!!

Hi, Mark Prindle here. I hope you enjoyed my dramatic showcase The Harrowing Childhood of Kajagoogoo Johnson. Many people feel that giving their child a funny name and then sexually abusing it a lot is hilarious, but I've never been of that opinion and hope that my award-seeking one-act play makes a strong statement against such chide-worthy behavior. If you would like permission to present The Harrowing Childhood of Kajagoogoo Johnson to your classroom, please send a self-addressed stamped envelope to protectingthechildren@blowjobs.com.

The Origin Of The Species is a 70-minute film covering the years that the future members of Led Zeppelin were struggling in the session studios and amateur band scenes of the 1960s, moving through the modest success of blah blah blah and culminating in Led Zeppelin's first two albums. This DVD is not authorised by Led Zeppelin or individual members thereof or their estates, their representatives, or any record or publishing companies associated with the release or ownership of Led Zeppelin's music. However, it still kicks some pretty major ass. Let's go over the reasons:

-- Lots of rare footage, clips and songs, including Jimmy Page speaking and skiffling on a local TV show at age 15, Robert Plant's first single with his pre-Zep band Listen, the Yardbirds performing "Dazed and Confused," and early Zeppelin kicking some major ass on a foreign TV show.

-- Comment and critique from Yardbird Chris Dreja, musicians Chris Farlowe, Dave Berry and Clem Cattini, and journalists Alan Clayson, Chris Welch, Keith Altham, Phil Sutcliffe and Barney Hoskyns. Barney's a little TOO much into Zeppelin, constantly making non-journalistic blanket statements like "Led Zeppelin II is the greatest hard rock album ever recorded," but they're all well-versed on the history of the band -- and one of them is Chris Dreja! Hear him explain why he quit the New Yardbirds to make way for John Paul Jones! And while you're at it, hear Chris Farlowe laugh at himself for warning John Bonham, "I think it's a bad idea for you to join Led Zeppelin."

-- If you ever thought Led Zeppelin were a bunch of plagiarists, think again!!!! It was mainly Jimmy Page. Actually, Robert Plant did it a little bit too. Let this DVD entertain you with its striking comparisons between "Black Mountain Side" and Bert Jansch's rendition of "Black Riverside"; between "Dazed & Confused" and Jake Holmes' "Dazed & Confused"; between "How Many More Times" and both the Yardbirds' "Smokestack Lightning" and Howlin' Wolf's "How Many More Years"; between Plant's "Woman! You-uuuu need-ah... LOOOOOOOOVE!" bit of "Whole Lotta Love" and Steve Marriott's "Woman! You-uuuu need-ah... LOOOOOOOOOOOVIN'!" bit of the Small Faces' "You Need Lovin'" (itself a plagiarized Willie Dixon song). Ripoff artists? Try "CHIP-OFF artists"! In that they were a "chip off the old block" of other, previous ripoff artists. As one of the DVD's commentators puts it, "Should a plumber receive a royalty every time someone flushes a toilet?" As I put it in response, "That's the least sensical analogy I've ever heard."

-- Special feature: Chris Dreja talking about the Yardbirds for 20 minutes. I made it through half of it. He's a very friendly and warm speaker, but I don't buy DVDs* for one shot of some guy chit-chatting at me for 20 minutes!

Please note: this DVD is not a history of Led Zeppelin. It is rather a history of the early musical lives and influences of the four men who would become Led Zeppelin, and how these influences made their way (credited or not) onto the first two Zeppelin albums. Then there's a little concert footage of "Rock And Roll," but they just threw that in there to fuck with you. If you're looking for the history of In Through The Out Door and Coda, don't look here.

Let me know though, and I'll have Music Video Distributors working on it post-haste! Who wouldn't want to know what Phil Sutcliffe thinks about "Ozone Baby"? NOBODY! THAT'S GODDAMN WHO!!!!

That would be a great name for the new Who album coming out in a few months, btw. NOBODY! THAT'S GODDAMN WHO!!!! Somebody pitch it to that child molester they've got there in the band.

* (or receive them free in the mail)

One warning - tons of guitar wank jams. They sound OKAY here, though! They seem relatively thought out, and in a couple of places they actually add something interesting to the tune, like during the extended ending of "Immigrant Song" and such. If you dig the bluesy Zeps at all, try to find somebody who owns this delightful little set and borrow the daylights out of it. Or just STEAL it!!!! Break into his house one night and STEAL it!!!! And grab me a goldfish bowl!!!!

No, no, an electric shaver!!!! TWO of them!!!!

Reader Comments

Trashsurfr@aol.com
Great disc. The versions of "Whole Lotta Love" and "Dazed and Confused" blow away the original versions.

Please do not break into my house. I will tape it for you.

starostin@geocities.com (George Starostin)
Well it's an interesting album, sure, and I actually do like it because it's got all the great songs and not too much fluff on it. Still, there are problems. Three versions of "Communication Breakdown" are really too much for my poor little head, and there's also two versions of "I Can't Quit You", and two of "You Shook Me", and two of "Dazed", and two of "Whole Lotta Love" - ain't it a bit repetitive?

Also, I think I finally had enough of Plant with his "squeeze my lemon" in every place he can insert this line into. What was that - a medical problem? Why was he so obsessed?

Also: "Since I've Been Loving You" is ruined (very sloppy playing and out-of-tune singing).

Also: "The Girl I Love...", in case you haven't noticed, is actually nothing else but a non-instrumental version of... MOBY DICK!!!! And I like it! Why the hell did they have to substitute Plant's singing for Bonzo's stupid drumming is way beyond me.

Also: the second version of "Dazed" is great, and the same goes for most of the hits. But really, this should have-a-been a single CD. My humble opinion.

emrobert@mail.e-mg.co.za (Rob Davies)
Bought this today, put it in the car-CD and blasted it all the way to work. Got a speeding ticket. This is really good shit, actually it's excellent shit. The production is really quite good and Pagey's guitars sound pretty wild. Chunky and menacing. What I don't like much is that the tunes, especially Communication Breakdown, are repeated. Not that they sound shit, that's not the thing, it's just that listening to a song three times within the space of 30 minutes is cutting it a bit. Apart from that there is nothing bad about this album, it really is very, very good. The tune Mark mentions in his review, The Girl I Love She Got Long Black Wavy Hair, was written by Zeppelin along with a guy called John Estes. And boy, it kicks ass. I'll give this baby an eight.

ian.moss@yale.edu
The first CD is a lot better than the second--it's got two kickin' versions of "You Shook Me," some of the "Communication Breakdown"s have nice solos, and of course the excellent excellllllent "Travelin' Riverside Blues." I initially hated "The Girl I Love She Got Long Black Wavy Hair" because of Robert Plant's unbearable tone-deaf screaming (especially right at the beginning of the song--he basically replaces the first line of the lyrics with "wwwhhhaawawawayeyewayeaaahaaayeah!!!!!!!" What a dick.), but the rest of the song is pretty cool. As for the second CD....whatever. The "Whole Lotta Love" medly is kinda cool, but "Dazed and Confused" is about 10 minutes too long, and some of those songs are just butchered. Maimed, disemboweled--sent to a premature demise, if you understand me. Slaughtered, that is. You know--butchered.

Jcjh20@aol.com
Even though im not that big a fan of Live albums in general, this is a nice album showing the intensity that this band gave off live. The Song Remains The Same live album (and movie) was boring, and wasn't a good representation of this band, but this album does in my opinion. No need for 6 thousand different versions of "Communication Breakdown" though! A 9.

jmrwl13@yahoo.com (James Rowlee)
I had heard that this bootleg was around quite awhile in the underground before they released it back in 199 something .

To compare and contrast songs that made the albums is awesome cause there are changes in how they performed the studio stuff to the actual songs that made the cut.

I highly recomend BUYING THIS double cd cause it roxors the boxors and I played the shit out of it for like two months every day .

But hold it now hit it! Balance those expectations! (?) Aside from the rocking "Dancing Days" and "The Ocean," this doesn't much sound like the last album at all. The guitars, almost strictly electric, are high-pitched, ringing, multi-tracked, and extremely busy - "The Song Remains The Same" is one of the most complex (and bonus) songs Jimmy has ever writ, and the heart-enhancing "Rain Song" doesn't fall too far behind. I figure this record will end up impressing you as much as the others, but I just wanna warn you; it's a high, ringy-sorta record. With overtime and extra spent in the composing and arranging areas. The best songs on here have a billion changes, guitar overdubs and wondrous little snippets, trinkets and beautiful movements.

However, for some reason, among all these complex mature compositions (the eerie organ Vikings tale "No Quarter" and gorgeous, intelligent light rocker "Over The Hills And Far Away" are on here, too! Christ!), radio programmers nine times out of ten pick the silly reggae song "D'yer Mak'er" as their choice to get the led out with. Me, I prefer "The Crunge," a hilariously bizarre 'funk' song featuring one of the most strained, self-mocking Plant deliveries of his entire career. But that's me. Not you. Me. Pal.

Just like the four that came before, this album is proof unnegative that this particular R 'n' R machine could never be content simply remaking the same record over and over again. I mean, this baby ain't bluesy at all!!!! I mean, AT ALL!!!!!! You need it. Listen to that guitar work. Jesus H. Mandarin Orange. Who hired that guy?

Reader Comments

rapallof@pathcom.com (Electric Magic)
Brilliant.

la314w@crown.icongrp.com (Jesse Lara)
FUNKY!FUNKY!FUNKY! I agree totally!

dave@mgagray.com (David Aurand)
Man, I have to admit, Zeppelin is not my favorite band. But, I listened and listened and grew to love them. Not all of them....but alot. This was by far the best album to fuck to. By the time you get to the "Rain Song"....which I usually program on the cd to 3 or 4, it becomes quite an awesome experience. I love it..........the disc, too.......

cgarwood@netropolis.net (Calvin B. Garwood)
Listen for an unmistakable 12-string guitar on "Over the Hills and Far Away" and "The Rain Song" intro.

HDVW143@aol.com
I love this cd! My favorite song is easily "D'yer Maker". In fact, it is the reason I bought the cd! It just rocks!

michael@hartingdale.com.au (Peter)
GREAT ALBUM. Not as heavy as some of their other albums but brilliant all the same. "D'yer Mak'er" is the best song on the album, along with the great "The Rain Song" and the rocking "The Ocean". 9 out of 10.

fyodor@mixcom.com (Ted Zimmer)
Isn't the best zep album, but it still is good. As a person I know once put it, "Half of Houses of the Holy kicks in the ass, but the other doesn't do shit." "Over the Hills and far Away" and "Song Remains the Same" Kick you in the ass, but "The Crunge" and "Dancing Days" just don't cut it. "Dancing Days" is just plain annoying. In fact, although I hate them, I like Stone Temple Pilots' acoustic version better than the loud, obnoxious original (perish the thought!)

Glenn.Wiener@entex.com
Now I'm not a Zeppelin fan by any means but "No Quarter" gives NO QUARTER! IT TOTALLY RULES! "Dancing Days", "The Rain Song", and "Dyer Maker" ain't that bad either.

WK@nimo.com
Very uneven and over-rated album. I have to disagree with everone and say that "The Song Remains the Same" is as uninspiring and bombastic as their sludge filled live LP of the same title. "No Quarter" is truly pitiful as well as "D'yer Mak'er". On the other hand "The Rain Song" is beautiful but has not