Re: The OFFICIAL Led Zeppelin Thread
I'll never forget the "Zeppelin vs. The Clash" war that was waged in the pages of Creem magazine back in the late 70s. Zealots on both sides of the fence, but I couldn't side with either, because I loved them both.
"Led Zeppelin IV" is one of most solid rock albums ever produced. Some folks like "Physical Graffiti" better, and that's all fine and good, but "IV" packs a whole lot more punch, IMO. I mean, come on...from "Black Dog" to (the incredible) "When the Levee Breaks" there's not a single sub-paar song in the lot.
My short takes:
"I"- Worth owning for Dazed and Confused if nothing else.
"II"- Always thought this one was overrated, but still a great record.
"III" - By contrast, "III" is underrated, but not by much. "Immigrant Song" saves it.
"IV" - See above
"Houses of the Holy" - Formidable follow-up to the classic "IV". Not quiiiite up there, but close. "No Quarter" is my favorite from this one.
"Physical Graffiti" - Sorry, folks...I think this one is spotty. 2 records is too much, for one thing. You can sort of hear the tension between the members by this time.
"Presence" - Tension remains, but I like this one a lot more than most people seem to. "Nobody's Fault But Mine" and "Achille's Last Stand" are a couple of their best.
"In Through The Out Door" - I'd kind of lost interest in Zep by the time this one came out, so I don't have a solid opinion. I do like "In the Evening" a lot, though I can't stand "Fool in the Rain" or ""All of My Love".
"Coda" - I've got the album but I can't say I've ever even listened to all of it.