Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy (1973)

[Sox]

Re: Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy

Great write up, fantastic album.

 

[stepcousin]

I am mixed on this album. It is the only Zeppelin album that I actually skip tracks on. I like the whole album but I don't love the whole album. Some songs on it make me cringe and some are in the top echelon of Zeppelin's catalog. "No Quarter" just might be my favorite Zep track ever, especially live. "The Crunge", easily my least fave, and "Dancin" Days" somewhere near the bottom.

Now just for kicks, I wonder what the album wouldve been like had they replaced a couple tracks with a couple the recorded during the sessions but didnt use until "Physical Graffiti: ponder.....

1. The Song Remains The Same
2. Rain Song
3. Houses Of The Holy (move "Over The Hills" down one, to me it always seemed like an album side finisher anyway. Take Out "The Crunge".
4. Over The Hills And Far Away

side 2:
5. The Rover (take out "Dancin' Days")
6. D'yer Mak'er
7. No Quarter
8. The Ocean

 

[Khor1255]

Very cool album. Used to be my favorite, but it does have a few flat spots.

 

[runtfan]

Now just for kicks, I wonder what the album wouldve been like had they replaced a couple tracks with a couple the recorded during the sessions but didnt use until "Physical Graffiti: ponder.....

1. The Song Remains The Same
2. Rain Song
3. Houses Of The Holy (move "Over The Hills" down one, to me it always seemed like an album side finisher anyway. Take Out "The Crunge".
4. Over The Hills And Far Away

side 2:
5. The Rover (take out "Dancin' Days")
6. D'yer Mak'er
7. No Quarter
8. The Ocean

That's a pretty cool idea. The only change I would make is I'd take out D'Yer Mak'er and put The Crunge back in.

 

[Metal Head Mike]

Great album and a nice review. My favourite tracks on this album are The Song Remains The Same, Dancing Days, The Rain Song, and The Ocean. My band back in the day used to practice all these songs. But we could never pull them off live

 

[some jerk]

2nd best zep album after IV

 

[Big Ears]

This is the Led Zeppelin album that I like the most and it was probably the least popular with diehards when it was released. I remember a reviewer saying that they had become progressive rock and were using too much keyboards. Maybe that's why I like the album. I never really liked Led Zeppelin that much, because Robert Plant always sounded too mannered to me.

 

[Mr. Shadow]

I like "The Crunge" to be honest.

"Rain Song" is my favorite.

 

[McFly]

Great review of my favourite Zep album. Best song on this album is Over The Hills And Far Away.

 

[TheSound]

Everything they did was excellent, but I'd rate this as my least favourite, especially when you consider what came before it (The Runes album) and then what came after it (the incredible Physical Graffiti). I don't like The Crunge or D'Yer Mak'er at all, and I mean I would just never play them, they seem totally pointless self-indulgent exercises for a band that was at the height of their song writing powers during this period, and I don't like Plants vocals or even Jimmy's guitar sound on this album, which to my ears is tinny and lacks the depth and tone and colour that he got on Physical Graffiti, but it's still a marvellous record in some ways, as they set the bar so much higher than everyone else. Rain Song and No Quarter would both go onto my Top 10 Zep tracks list without hesitation.