Tag: led zeppelin (Page 1 of 2)

I’m sure everyone who will be reading this will have heard this album before, and with all the tracks still be being played on classic rock stations everywhere it doesn’t feel like a record that was released way back in 1969. That’s right Led Zeppelin 1 is 55 years old.

Where blues meets rock. I know the Stones had been doing the blues and putting out as their own but Zeppelin were adapting it to create their own sound. Sure, there are a couple of blues standards here but tracks like Good Times Bad Times, Dazed And Confused, Communication Breakdown, and Your Time is Gonna Come were taking the blues into a whole different universe. My favourite tune is the photo metal riffage of Communication Breakdown.

Did Zeppelin ever get better after the first two albums? We can debate that one forever and a day.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

This is a Wally World (Walmart) exclusive release of the Led Zeppelin’s ’76 album, complete with a repo tour laminate of the period. I’m assuming they are using the most up to date remaster as it sounds super clear and also empty at the same time as the sound is very sparse.

I’m not the biggest Zeppelin fan as they never seemed to flick my switch, but I remember buying this on release day and feeling quite underwhelmed after playing it. From what you read online, this seems to be most people’s least favourite Zeppelin album.

Achilles Last Stand is regarded by many as the album’s stand out tune, and it feels a bit like Zeppelin go Prog to me. However, in my opinion Nobody’s Fault But Mine is the best tune on the record, as it feels like them being themselves. A cool riff and a bit of eastern promise added to the intro, plus that Bonzo and JPJ groove is timeless. It’s cool that they go back to the blues on the close out tune Tea For One, as that’s where it all started.

I’m not sure when this will get played again, but it was cool to listen to it after all this time.

7.5/10 from The Grooveman.

I’m more of a Sabbath and Purple fan than a Zeppelin disciple, as they were a lot easier for my brain to take as the riffs were a lot simpler and easier to digest. I do appreciate the influence the band have had on popular music and today. There are a raft of bands trying to be the new Zeppelin: Greta Van Fleet and Rival Sons to name two.

This album seems to be the forgotten album in the band’s catalogue as it often gets overlooked for their more popular releases. Other than The Crunge, with that huge Bonham groove, there are not a lot of heavy moments on this album. It’s a very laid back record, and they play around with differing styles like D’yer Mak’er bringing the reggae that just doesn’t work for me.

It’s the first three tracks that make this album shine: The Song Remains The Same, the beautiful Rain Song, and my favourite on the album, Over The Hills And Far Away where Plants voice is just wonderful. I can see why he doesn’t want to do this anymore as there is no way he could now give the performance these songs need.

Will there ever be bands like Zeppelin, Sabbath, and Purple again? I would say no, as the musical climate shifts so quickly and no band has the chance to grow and evolve anymore. Not their best, but still a solid album.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.