Tracks
Disk #1
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Rarely do first albums make such a splash as Led Zeppelin’s genre-pushing, trail-blazing, heavy-as-a-lead-balloon benchmark for all things rock and all things roll. Completely ignored by the media and loved by the fans, it was to set the tone for Zeppelin’s career – in all its meteoric brightness.
Released in 1969, it was completed in an amazing 36 hours capturing the band chemistry, skill and ferocity for future generations to admire and follow. Although borrowing heavy from the Southern Blues songbook, every track is played with the molten heaviness of proto heavy metal and showcases levels of craftsmanship beyond the band’s youthful age.
Featuring a number of re-interpreted covers, the band nevertheless are able to showcase their style and vision which is amazingly coherent and well expressed, given this being a first album (not for Page, of course, on account of his Yardbird and session musician experience). The ability to mix acoustic and electric, light and shade, loud and quiet is there from the very start, especially in my favourite, ‘Babe I’m Gonna Leave You’, which is combines fragility and darkness, packing a punch in the face of unrequited love. The guitar experimentation and layers of tracks, replete with an amazing acoustic solo – there is nothing NOT to like as the tune ebbs and flows, leaving the listener breathless. ‘Your Time Is Gonna Come’ is another glorious ballad, coloured and driven by John Paul Jones’ amazing organ work and Plant’s tender delivery which is not the least powerful for it.
‘Good Times, Bad Times’ is a catchy, up-beat and cleverly introduced tune which showcases the band firing on all cylinders, cutting a sonic trail and sounding even better in this, remastered version of the album.
‘Communication Breakdown’ is the song which Black Sabbath cite as the inspiration behind their own, legendary Paranoid. The song features Page’s palm-muted string-attack and Bonham’s incredible drumming, making it an inspired look in the future and the eventual advent of genres like speed metal.
Originally a Howlin’ Wolf number, ‘How Many More Times’ is a faithful interpretation, capably performed and featuring Page’s famous violin bow-performed solo. An early live favourite it has stood the test of time well, as has the album as a whole. Particularly notable is the live Disc 2 on this issue, which shows why Led Zeppelin were never bothered by the opinions of critics – there’s hardly a need to listen when you can deliver witch such force and conviction live.
Released in 1969, it was completed in an amazing 36 hours capturing the band chemistry, skill and ferocity for future generations to admire and follow. Although borrowing heavy from the Southern Blues songbook, every track is played with the molten heaviness of proto heavy metal and showcases levels of craftsmanship beyond the band’s youthful age.
Featuring a number of re-interpreted covers, the band nevertheless are able to showcase their style and vision which is amazingly coherent and well expressed, given this being a first album (not for Page, of course, on account of his Yardbird and session musician experience). The ability to mix acoustic and electric, light and shade, loud and quiet is there from the very start, especially in my favourite, ‘Babe I’m Gonna Leave You’, which is combines fragility and darkness, packing a punch in the face of unrequited love. The guitar experimentation and layers of tracks, replete with an amazing acoustic solo – there is nothing NOT to like as the tune ebbs and flows, leaving the listener breathless. ‘Your Time Is Gonna Come’ is another glorious ballad, coloured and driven by John Paul Jones’ amazing organ work and Plant’s tender delivery which is not the least powerful for it.
‘Good Times, Bad Times’ is a catchy, up-beat and cleverly introduced tune which showcases the band firing on all cylinders, cutting a sonic trail and sounding even better in this, remastered version of the album.
‘Communication Breakdown’ is the song which Black Sabbath cite as the inspiration behind their own, legendary Paranoid. The song features Page’s palm-muted string-attack and Bonham’s incredible drumming, making it an inspired look in the future and the eventual advent of genres like speed metal.
Originally a Howlin’ Wolf number, ‘How Many More Times’ is a faithful interpretation, capably performed and featuring Page’s famous violin bow-performed solo. An early live favourite it has stood the test of time well, as has the album as a whole. Particularly notable is the live Disc 2 on this issue, which shows why Led Zeppelin were never bothered by the opinions of critics – there’s hardly a need to listen when you can deliver witch such force and conviction live.