 "A Timeless Classic!!!" | 2009-10-06 |
| - Reviewed By User: A327SR4NXQNOL4 |
| The MORON reviewer who stated that Led Zeppelin is/was an "over rated" band should be beaten within an inch of his miserable life with his entire Brittany Spears collection. What an idiot!!! This band has not only stood the test of time but as compared to most of the drivel being recorded today actually gotten stronger over the years. I am, as I type this listening to a boot of a live show they did in Southampton England on January 22, 1973 and trust me they were truly the best rock band on the face of the earth at the time (followed VERY closely by The Rolling Stones) and will still be in heavy rotation on my ipod when I die 30 years from now. Led Zeppelin IV is a masterpiece with every single song on the disc a classic. If you do not already own this album then you really need to start here with this cd and then get the entire Led Zeppelin catalogue as this is truly music for the soul to be cherished for your entire lifetime! |
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| "Zep IV, Relive the glory days of Zep's best LP." | 2009-08-16 |
| - Reviewed By User: A24O18M69482GA |
There is no weak spot on this album. Each song on Zep IV is solidly written and executed. With this album, Zep set out to prove the critics wrong and they did so in a big way. There is no label on the cover to designate the band the name of the album, or the songs. However, it quickly was scooped up by their fans and hit platinum (at a time when platinum meant something). You can pleasurably play each side through and enjoy it from beginning to end and without redundancy or weakness. Each song seems to naturally follow the flow of the other or create a counter point to the previous one. This was no accident but a deliberate design of the band. This is what set them apart and above the majority of other bands of that era.
How strange that it took all these years for someone to press these albums of such high sonic quality that they can now be enjoyed to their fullest. I wish Classic Records would again reissue these so more can enjoy them at a reasonable price. |
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 "It's stood the test of time for a reason." | 2009-08-10 |
| - Reviewed By User: AUM5KN5UJ2NQY |
I'd like to start this review by quoting one of the naysayers:
"Led Zeppelin is for only the shallow ears. Most serious music fans and critics disregard Zep"
I'm getting a bit tired of this attitude, not just in regard to Zeppelin, but with all aspects of music criticism. The idea that Led Zeppelin are artistically and culturally worthless because 'serious' fans/critics (whoever THEY are) have decided it should be so is laughable. What exactly is a 'serious' music fan? Someone who loves to listen to the music that gives them pleasure, who tries to further their appreciation of it wherever possible? Or someone who only takes pleasure in obscurity for it's own sake and enjoys sneering at us sheep-like masses with our harmless appreciation of The Riff? I suspect the latter. Let's face it: music attracts more snobbery and elitism than any other subject (wine included). And words like the above are all too tiresomely common. It seems its not acceptable to like something and be done with. No, it has to descend into a superiority contest where the line of argument is 'I don't like this and I'm obviously very intelligent. You do, ergo you must be stupid'. It's the sort of tedious, specious logic that ends up constantly defining rock 'n roll as primitive and inferior, while chin-stroking experimental jazz and 4 hour ambient wankathons assume the status of a spiritual quest. No-one likes to be told by some self-styled 'expert' that they only enjoy something because they are too simple to know any better.
Zeppelin are one of the most well established, well respected and successful rock acts of all time. They have influenced generations of musicians and bands. They have sold millions upon millions of records. They can still sell out a massive arena if they want to. Before you trot out the argument that the opinion of the majority is no gaurantee of quality, how many other bands still have the same massive following some 40 years on? And not just with their original fanbase, but with those who weren't even born until after they split?
Led Zeppelin 4 may not be their best record. It's a matter of opinion. I actually prefer 'Physical Graffiti'. But its a damn fine rock album.
If you don't get it, then that's fine. We don't all have to like the same things. But it's an act of supreme arrogance to assume that you don't like it because you're smarter than everyone else. Who exactly are you trying to convince? Rock music may not always be the most cerebral, but it appeals to an area of the human spirit that is just as vital, and just as important.
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| "Led Zeppelin finally make a rock album...their greatest hits..." | 2009-08-02 |
| - Reviewed By dfle3 |
My first experience of Led Zeppelin on cd was through their two cd compilation. I can't say that that made me hold them in the regard that many people seem to. I knew that IV was often considered one of the all time greatest albums too, but when I occasionally browsed it in cd shops, I can't really say that I felt the urge to buy it...I could take it or I could leave it, and it was the latter I did, until recently. That's mainly because I thought I'd explore this band's earliest studio releases. Nothing in those albums up to this one really made see why this band is held in such high esteem. They seem more of a roots rock band than the rock'n'roll legends that they are made out to be. That roots rock formula may be why some people tend to find the band over-rated, which I agree with. Most of their albums are not conventional rock'n'roll, so it takes a special taste in music to appreciate this band.
However, after having continued to stick to buying this band's albums, I have to say that they finally rewarded my perseverance here. Like I said, this album itself works as a Led Zeppelin greatest hits album. To the extent that the amount of songs that Australian FM radio stations play (I mean the ones that play "classic" rock") and the frequency with which they play those songs, then, by that measure, IV is a great album. I don't think that any other Zeppelin album gets more than one song played from them, and their debut album doesn't get any songs played from it, despite the high esteem that it is held in-at least on the stations that I like to listen to. Even though die hard Zeppelin fans will dismiss this criterion of quality, it is in keep with my own thoughts on the band...in other words, they don't really make a lot of "classic" rock type songs, at least in the sense of making the kind of songs that could get released as singles and sell a million.
Anyway, what made me initially reluctant to buy this album when browsing was that the songs that I did know didn't really move me that much, and I didn't know any of the other songs. It must be said, that despite these misgivings, this is a truly great album. It has the well known radio friendly unit shifter type songs on it, and some of the songs I had never heard of impressed me as quality album material.
My pick as the three best songs on this album are:
Rock and roll - has a terrific drum intro and outro by Bonham, good riffing and some good, intense playing of one note on the piano, by the sounds of it.
The battle of Evermore - a pretty folk song with a weird stringed instrument, by the sounds of it...mandolins perhaps. It has fantasy theme, lyrically, and there may be another vocalist on this, apart from Plant. I'd liken this song to the kind found on Led Zeppelin III, but a step up in quality. III is my second favourite Zep album, after this one...but not too many people are fans of that album, but I like its European folk sensibility.
Stairway to Heaven - apparently the most requested song of all time, in radio. So it's probably their most famous song. No doubt for some people, this song is grating, purely for the fact that it gets flogged to death by radio stations. Can't say that I would want to have to listen to this everyday, but it is a really good song. Fortunately, in Australia, this song hasn't been as flogged as much as AC/DC's classic "You shook me all night long", which has now made me try and avoid that song, apart from the ringing intro with the guitar. Anyway, back to Stairway...has a nice gentle, accoustic guitar build up and a mediaeval sounding flute type instrument. This song is an epic 8 minutes in length and it's magic in the lead up to the electric guitar being introduced. The electric guitar solo at the end is noteworthy.
The next best song:
Black dog - along with "Stairway to Heaven" and "Rock and roll" this is one of the three songs that will get played on Australian FM radio stations which play 'classic' rock songs. It has a classic introduction, and Plant's signature cocky vocals to match the cocky sounds of Page and Bonham. Page has a lead guitar solo in this song and there is a strange synthetic sound quality to the guitar riff...I'm assuming that the guitar's tone is being altered in some way, and the riff is not being played by a synthesiser. In any case, this kind of weird guitar sound is a signature of the band.
Best of the rest:
Misty mountain hop - an interesting sounding song, featuring keyboard. Plant's vocals are glassy here and the song has a certain swing to it. The rhythm guitar, I think, makes me bring to mind the song "Mama Told Me (Not To Come)" by Three Dog Night. Think that that is the song I had in mind.
Going to California - a pleasant multi accoustic steel stringed guitar ballad. Plant's longing lyrics have an American twang to them.
When the levee breaks - this might be my pick as the best of the rest. It's a 7 minute long blues epic featuring the harmonica. I like the blues rhythm to this song, and the lead guitar work is good, as is the riff.
The only song that I don't find particularly interesting is "Four sticks". It's sort of like "Misty mountain hop", in some ways. Has accoustic parts and a synthesiser part...the melody is nice.
Anyway, for me to give a Led Zeppelin album five stars is saying a lot...for me, in any case. I don't think that Led Zeppelin ever approached the heights of this album, before or afterwards. Next best I like III, and Houses Of The Holy isn't bad, and maybe the kind of album that grows on you. Must say, I have been more impressed with Black Sabbath as a band, despite also being reluctant to buy their albums for similar reasons to that of Led Zeppelin. |
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| "timeless classic" | 2009-07-17 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1SO5510XPVUVT |
It doesn't get much better than this album.
I probably have listened to it over 500 times, maybe even 1000. They were really tight, and really had some kind of magic working for them. Each song on here is timeless, infinitely deep and still rocking at the same time. Even the album artwork should be in the Smithsonian or the Louvre, really. Hard to say why though....there is just something about this album...
Sounds better on vinyl, that's for sure...in fact, with some pops and small scratches, even better...they should release a "used vinyl" release on CD. Seriously...that only adds aura and mysticism to this record, as i'm sure many of the old-timers on here can attest to....
The music world has taken a long trip downhill since the heady days of the early 70s...I really don't think anyone can deny that fact. Somehow those days produced so many classics...and so many from England too..odd, isn't it?
Honestly though, there are no rock and roll albums better than this...some "equals" maybe, sure.
I will say this, though, a lot of those guys from then were kind of thieves of the Delta Blues, now weren't they??? I wonder how many of them ventured to the crossroads...Jimmy?? |
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| "Good Quality (1971 CD)" | 2009-07-11 |
| - Reviewed By rfjjqj |
These comments refer to the 1971 publication of the CD. Mainly I wanted to report that the sound quality was very good.
I purchased this CD used for my daughter. It's very good musicianship, although the composition it isn't entirely my cup of tea.
FYI: I am a record collector of 55 years and a sometimes deejay. |
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