“Led Zeppelin IV”(1971) by Led Zeppelin

“Woahhhhhh…Look there isn’t any name or anything on the cover…this must be the greatest album of all time or something.”  Um, how about not.  Okay, so Led Zeppelin IV is pretty darn good and I tend to forget that from time to time.  When I do put it on though I can’t help but love it.  As my “stoner kid from the 70’s” comment eluded to, this album is perhaps the most overrated thing ever, and also happens to contain one of the most overrated songs ever(and probably the most overrated group of all time).  As with a lot of overrated albums it tends to turn me off and I don’t think that’s fair.  So, I will review this puppy totally focused on the music and not all the bull surrounding it (No formal name, Mystical Symbols on the back, “Stairway To Heaven” played backwards, the place they recorded the album, blah, blah, blah).

So the album opens with two hard rocking songs.  Perhaps Page is trying to prove he can still rock after the folk rock dominance on “Led Zeppelin III”.  I think they are just following tradition by opening with a riff heavy song.  Every album has opened with a classic hard rock riff and “Black Dog” is no different.  Basically, a perfection of the dirty and in your face cock rock single.  Following is “Rock & Roll”, which is a perfect piece of nostalgia done in a very bogey upbeat fashion.  One of the better songs.

So, now we get a taste of where Plant was getting at with those occasional Tolkien lyrics from the past three albums.  “The Battle Of Evermore” is nothing but Golem this, and the Prince Of Peace, and the Dark Lord that.  The song gets evermore(sorry, I had to) pretentious as it goes on.  I love the melody but the singing is kind of embarrassing.  Apparently, Plant was joined by some singer named Sandy Denny.  A lot of help that did.  That’s my beef with “The Battle Of Evermore”, the lyrics and singing.  I just find it so self important and totally unwarranted.

“Stairway To Heaven”…what should I say that hasn’t been said?  As the fourth track of eight I think the song would have worked much better as a closer or at least second to last.  I don’t like to sit around and try to rewrite song orders for artists, but after hearing “Stairway To Heaven” the album quickly gets a bloated feeling.  In other words, the album climaxes way too soon.  I just heard the greatest song on here and then we are back to the normal Zeppelin numbers.  They aren’t bad either.

The album continues with another, if not more pop-ish, cock rocker called “Misty Mountain Hop”.  I dig it but it’s not that special.  It’s just the average Led Zeppelin pop-rocker.  Then comes one of my favorites.  “Four Sticks” has a very primeval feel to it.  Like The Rolling Stones “Sympathy For The Devil” drumming is very deep sounding and the riff, although monotonous, works well.  The song doesn’t have a lot to it but gets a very good groove going for almost five minutes.  “Going To California” is pure folk.  Very good and listenable.  Be prepared to hear some more Tolkien stuff near the end.

The closer is “When The Levee Breaks”.  An end of the world type of blues epic.  I love the chorus that catches you of guard by giving you an emotionally higher and higher feeling.  Probably the most genuinely pretentious song on here.  Which beats the hell out of the commercially pretentious stuff.  Actually a good way to sum up “Led Zeppelin IV” would be to call it commercially pretentious.  Unlike the debut album which is full of real enthusiasm and skillful playing.  Much like “Led Zeppelin II” though, as fake as most of it may be it’s still a fun listen, and if you aren’t a huge Zeppelin fan, then I would forget about any album after “Led Zeppelin IV”.  This is the end of their early period which is by far their best.  Anything after is only advisable if your curious or a die hard fan.

Best Song: Stairway To Heaven
Album Rating: 8/10