Led Zeppelin

[The Sad Punk]

I think their later work should be more appreciated. I consider Achilles Last Stand to be their greatest song.

Shit yeah. "Presence" has its problems, but Achilles still stands up. I wrote a whole goddamn essay about it in high school. Zeppelin was probably my favourite band at the time and I sometimes feel bad that I haven't given them as much attention over the past few years.

I must go to youtube and search for Ten Years Gone immediately!

 

[phanan]

It was on your DI list, no? I loved the hell out of it.

Sure was.

 

[LemonMelon]

I must go to youtube and search for Ten Years Gone immediately!

Very, very respectable choice, Bonster. I think that was that asshole Beav's favorite song ever or something. Got that one right.

 

[iron yuppie]

Oh yes, Ten Years Gone. That and In the Light are two of Zeppelin's most under-appreciated songs (I say "under-appreciated" in the sense that they are not radio staples like so many other Zeppelin songs).

 

[phanan]

One Zep song that I've always loved that you hardly ever hear outside of its album is Down By The Seaside. Just perfect.

 

[lazarus]

I really love that song, specifically Page's "watery" guitar sound.

It's something Hedge also does in Peace On Clay, which is part of why I like that track more than most people.

 

[iron yuppie]

Down by the Seaside is certainly a great song. The Plant-Tori Amos collaboration on the Encomium tribute is one of the few bright spots from that album as well.

 

[lazarus]

Some new Zeppelin goodies in the Lance's Mom thread, for those who are into that sort of nonsense.

 

[bono_212]

So, I've owned Zeppelin II on vinyl for a while, a friend gave it to me a while back, and I've never done anything with it. Travis picked it up to listen to just now, and noticed there are two sleeves in it. It's not a double vinyl right? If not, does anyone know what WAS in that other sleeve?

 

[iron yuppie]

How do you all feel about In Through the Out Door? Personally, I love its eclecticism, and it has two absolute classics in I'm Gonna Crawl and In the Evening. JPJ also gets a well-deserved chance to shine in terms of songwriting, and Plant offers one of his most delicate, poetic lyrics in All My Love.

 

[lazarus]

Ehh...

It has some good songs, but All My Love is a musical embarrassment. If that synth crap is the direction they were headed in, consider me thankful that John Bonham died when he did.

I do love Fool In The Rain and the other titles you mentioned, but it's by far their weakest album, and I would put the Page/Plant reunion album Walking Into Clarksdale above it. Great and underrated album, that one.

 

[No spoken words]

consider me thankful that John Bonham died when he did.

You know, I'll assume some % of that comment is just a joke, but, seriously, you sound like such a douchebag when you speak like this.

 

[agentorange]

...Achilles still stands up. I wrote a whole goddamn essay about it in high school. Zeppelin was probably my favourite band at the time and I sometimes feel bad that I haven't given them as much attention over the past few years.

Sweet. I did my high school senior English thesis on Zeppelin. Best decision I made that year - getting graded for going to the library and digging up old articles from Rolling Stone, etc. I have no idea whatever happened to that paper, which is probably just as well that I never see it again. It would probably be pretty embarrassing to read now...
And yes, Achilles is a tour de force.

 

[LemonMelon]

it's by far their weakest album

Nope, Presence. What a bore, Achilles aside. Tea For One sounds like a Zeppelin cover band in a bar stumbling through Since I've Been Loving You. Royal Orleans and Candy Store Rock are godawful. For Your Life and Nobody's Fault are enjoyable, particularly the former. Barely remember Hots On For Nowhere, but I recall it being a trifle.

ITTOD is embarrassing in spots, but In The Evening, Fool In The Rain and I'm Gonna Crawl are legit. The rest are disatrous, but in a fun way. I'm thoroughly entertained by it, overall.

 

[lazarus]

Well I wouldn't call Presence superlative, either.

I agree on the standouts from each record, FWIW. But Presence has far more Zeppelin fan supporters than ITTOD, from what I've read.

 

[gareth brown]

You know, I'll assume some % of that comment is just a joke, but, seriously, you sound like such a douchebag when you speak like this.

this.

as for following up In Through The Out Door, I read once that Jimmy Page and John Bonham talked a bit about getting Zeppelin back to the really riff-heavy ROCK before Bonham sadly died.

Sucks really that we'll never know what would have emerged, but also interesting to imagine a Led Zeppelin in the 1980s! Wonder if they would have come back with that ball-busting rock album or mixed it with more contemporary sounds as well. The idea of a Led Zeppelin featuring big phil collins sounding drums is a bit hard to stomach

 

[LemonMelon]

as for following up In Through The Out Door, I read once that Jimmy Page and John Bonham talked a bit about getting Zeppelin back to the really riff-heavy ROCK before Bonham sadly died.

Ha, I like that only two of them were discussing this, like they were having secret undergound meetings to overthrow Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and their synthy crap.

 

[iron yuppie]

I guess that I'm in the minority in liking All My Love. The synth may sound dated, but it is almost stately in JPJ's hands. The song has certainly held up a lot better than Plant's early solo work.

 

[gareth brown]

yeah i love All My Love too. great track! Carouselambra as well now that's a killer song

 

[No spoken words]

I love All of my Love too. The synths do not bother me at all.

 

[LemonMelon]

Carouselambra as well now that's a killer song

It's absurdly long, but absolutely has some great moments.

Re: All My Love, the chorus, string parts, cheesy synth horn solo and Robert Plant's vocals in the outro are all weak at best, occasionally awful. However, Page's solo is beautiful, the lyrics are good, and I find the verses very enjoyable. Plus, Bonham's fucking LOUD drums during the break always crack me up for some reason, as if placing him there in the mix was one of his conditions for playing on it to begin with.

 

[agentorange]

The song has certainly held up a lot better than Plant's early solo work.

Ah, yes. BIG. LOG. It just doesn't carry the same connotation as it did when I was 9...

 

[iron yuppie]

Ranking the albums, just for fun:

1. IV
2. Physical Graffiti
3. Houses of the Holy
4. III
5. I
6. II
7. In Through the Out Door
8. Presence

 

[ultraviolet92]

physical graffiti is one of my faves of all time absolutely gorgeous

as for ranking

1. physical graffiti
2. IV
3. III
4. Houses of the Holy
5. II
6. I
7. Presence
8. In through the out door

 

[LemonMelon]

1. Houses of the Holy (10/10)
2. IV (9.5/10)
3. II (9/10)
4. III (8.5/10)
5. Physical Graffiti (8/10)
6. I (8/10)
7. In Through The Out Door (6.5/10)
8. Presence (5.5/10)

 

[PhilsFan]

I've only listened to the first six, so I am not qualified to do a ranking.

 

[LemonMelon]

You should make a list. The top six aren't likely to change anyway.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

II has always been my favorite. I think it's pretty close to perfect. It's my go-to if I want to get the fucking Led out.

 

[Alan Jamison]

In polls the winner always seems to be IV, IV, FOUR! But I think one is an astonishing debut, though two might be their greatest album ever.

some of the best zeppelin footage ever: YouTube - Led Zeppelin-How Many More Times, Part 1 (Live @ Danmarks Radio, 03/17/69)

 

[Hewson]

In my backstage encounter with Robert Plant in 2002, I asked him which song that he wrote with Jimmy Page to be the closest to perfect, his answer was twofold, Kashmir and The Rain Song.