Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin IV
Houses of the Holy
(Atlantic Records)
5/5
A perfect 5/5 rating? Sure: these are reissues of two of the best rock albums ever created. To help clarify things, we’ve provided a step-by-step walkthrough of the thought process that went down during the listening process.
It’s not easy, as discussed during our reviews of the band’s first round of reissues earlier this year. These albums are permanently embedded in our brains (well, my brain, anyway). It’s easy to feel like you never need to hear them again.
But that changes every time the first song starts. Led Zeppelin IV opens with two of the best hard rockers ever recorded. Houses of the Holy has deep cuts to die for.
The next round of reissues will start to get into Zeppelin’s later, and perhaps most interesting, phase. But this middle round is the band at the height of their hard-rocking greatness, and these two albums ooze rock god appeal like nothing that’s come since.
Put them on and go back to a time when rock was king. It gets no better than this.
I thought I never needed to hear this album again, but I’ve listened to four seconds of Led Zeppelin IV and now realize I should listen to this album every day of my life.
John Bonham was the best rock drummer ever. Even on the quieter songs, he’s just going crazy back there.
Oh no! Another version of “Stairway to Heaven.”
Oh no! “Stairway to Heaven” is still going on. Damn, this song is long.
Oh, screw it. It is a great song.
This bonus material is boring and mainly doesn’t sound much different from the original stuff. Only of interest to severely upsetting guys who obsess over Zeppelin. But the eight originals here? Stunning in their perfection.
Houses of the Holy: great production sound, everyone is playing hard but not overplaying, different sounds on the eight songs… there’ll never be another Zeppelin.
As far as white-guy reggae goes, it gets no better than “D’yer Maker.” And then “Dancing Days”… I always loved those two tunes back to back.
Oh no! I’m not high enough to enjoy “No Quarter!”
Oh no! “No Quarter” is still going on. Damn, this song is long, too.
Oh, screw it. It is a great song.
Ditto on the bonus material here: studio outtakes that are of mild interest to Zep fanatics only. For the best experience, buy the original. But once you’ve listened to the original 20,000 times, which you should, get this anyway.