Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV (aka ZOSO)

Like it needs to be said again.

Classic rock and roll at it's all time greatest. Including songs that many would say are the best ever recorded,including my self.

A timeless masterpiece that I will enjoy until I die. September 18, 2008

MP3 Album NOT The Remastered Version!

Beware that the MP3 album for sale here is NOT the remastered version, even though it's linked to the remastered CD version on the amazon site. I discovered this after purchasing and listening to it. The audio is muddy and full of dropouts, and basically sounds like an old audio cassette. This is why it's only $8. August 26, 2008

Hey, when I'm wrong, I'm wrong...

It took me forever, but I'm just finally learning to appreciate Zeppelin's most famous album right now. I won't say it's my favorite - I, II and III are just as good, and Houses of the Holy is better. But I now like it. In fact, I think I liked it all the while, but I refused to admit it. See, this marks the point where "Led Zeppelin the band" and "Led Zeppelin the cultural phenomenon" become the same thing. And while I'm definitely a fan of Led Zep the band, I'm kinda shaky on Led Zeppelin the cultural phenomenon. And, I mean, this is the BIG one. The pride and joy of fans, critics, and DJ's everywhere. That and it's got "Stairway to Heaven," a cultural phenomenon within a cultural phenomenon within a cultural phenomenon. Sort of a Russian nesting doll deal there.
Methinks the problem I had with this for so long is because I listened to it expecting it to be the great masterpiece so many people say it is, and I never really heard it that way. But recently, I did the smart thing: I let my defenses down, and listened to the album for what it was. And I found that it was quite good.
Let me be up-front about why I'm only giving this four stars. First off, I don't really like "Four Sticks." Parts of it are nice, and parts of it aren't. Secondly, there's the issue of Robert Plant. I've never been his biggest fan, but here he's too much for me, almost ruining a couple of his songs with his "vocal acrobatics." He nearly kills the stop-start, riff-filled "Black Dog" entirely for me with his moans, groans, and grunts behind the guitar solo. Yeah, so it fits with the song's lyrics. But it still sounds bad. And "Battle of Evermore," despite being genuinely gorgeous, also showcases Plant right up in the front. He makes his voice turn somersaults, backflips, and cartwheels, and it just annoys me. Every phrase he gets, he oversings somehow. And then he pulls that crap with an echo effect near the end. It really annoys me. 'Tis a shame they didn't just let ex-Fairport Convention member Sandy Denny sing lead on the whole track, because she's got a beautiful voice. Not only that, but she's also got an authentic English folk voice, and "Evermore" is an English folk song. With a fantastic mandolin part.
Okay, now I can get to the really good parts. First off, I almost hate to admit it because I'm sick of everyone saying it's the best song ever (gimme a break, it isn't even Zeppelin's best!), but I really, really like "Stairway to Heaven." I won't dwell too much on it, because everyone is probably familiar with it at this point, but it's earned its reputation as one of the greatest guitar tracks in history, and it's definitely a great rock epic. The Hendrix maniac in me thinks "All Along the Watchtower" is the best, the Beatlemaniac in me puts "Hey Jude" in second, and the Who freak in me would rank "Won't Get Fooled Again" as third. But number four (or maybe number five or six, because I can never allow myself to forget "You Can't Always Get What You Want" or "Jungleland") is certainly nothing to sneeze at, especially considering how many genuinely wretched "rock epics" there are out there. Great song, even though I'd take "Over the Hills and Far Away," "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You," and "Ramble On" over it in the Zeppelin catalog. That's just me, though. No "serious" person likes "Misty Mountain Hop," but I think it's fun. Yeah, the lyrics are dumb, but in the harmless, "'70s pothead who says words like 'dude' and 'cosmic' a lot, laughs at absolutely nothing, and eats ten bags of Cheetos a day" sense, not in the "offensively stupid or ignorant" sense. In other words, harmless, and kinda funny. Actually, all the lyrics in Led Zeppelin's entire history that aren't about sex are like that. Plus it's so bouncy! It's the only Zeppelin song you can dance to! How about that? It's a guilty pleasure for me, but I still enjoy it immensely. "Rock and Roll" does just what it promises, and it's my favorite of Zeppelin's short, punchy rockers. Bonzo's rhythm is unbeatable, and there's a multi-tracked guitar solo. Despite my seeming lack of manliness (yeah, I'm a guy), I do have some testosterone, and it really gets what little of it there is pounding. By the opposite token, "Going to California" is one of the prettiest, most quaint, folksy, and downright cute things in Zeppelin's catalog. Despite me not being much of a Robert Plant fan, I still love the way he sings, "La-la-la-la-la" after one of the verses. It's just so damn adorable! And I know that every Zeppelin fan who wasn't theoretically stabbing my hypothetical picture already is doing so now, but hey. Adorable is good. And you want a searing musical interpretation of a hurricane? Check out "When the Levee Breaks," a very successful mood piece and arguably the best song on the record. Bonzo's drums thunder - his intro is justly one of the most famous of all time - Page's guitars sting, burn, and all kinds of other stuff, and Plant's harmonica wails away. John Paul Jones doesn't do much, which is a shame, because he's my favorite member of the band. But hey, you can't have it all.
If you were to cut out "Four Sticks," and give Robert Plant a bit less time at the mike, this would be a better album. But it's fine the way it is. I still refuse to admit it or anything else Zeppelin ever made is a masterpiece. If that's the way you roll, more power to you. But it's not the way I roll. So no power for me. Oh well. Still, this is probably my second, third, fourth, fifth, or whatever Zeppelin album. It's tough to decide between those first four. They're all very worthy four-star records, and I actually think they're of the exact same quality, more or less. Whatever. Zep's first five all are great. August 2, 2008

Best Album from Led Zeppelin.

This album ROCKS, with a capital R. John Bonham's drumming is the best. Every song on here is awesome, especially Rock and Roll, and Stairway To Heaven. Another Great song is When The Levee Breaks. It is no wonder that so many rock fans, and magazines consider it to be one of the greatest rock albums ever made. July 23, 2008

Led Zeppelin, "Led Zeppelin IV aka ZOSO), 1971

By the far the best Led Zeppelin album you can buy and one of the greatest rock albums you can buy. This is Led Zeppelins best period of time and when they sounded the best and were the best. All eight songs on here are great and this album should be bought by any fan of rock music.

1. Black Dog, a nice start too this album and has good blues singing(Robert Plant), and plus the beat on here is very cool and that guitar sound is very nice. Great song 5/5 stars

2. Rock N Roll, this song has one of the coolest drum intros of all time and its riff and beat cant be sold. A classic song that so many people today still download. Nothing else too say except its a great song and if you havent heard it than download it now. 5/5 stars

3. The Battle Of Evermore, pretty good song but its too soft and gets a little boring 4/5 stars

4. Stairway Too Heaven, great song and great guitar on this song. I love this song great zeppelin song 5/5 stars

5. Misty Mountain Hop, now this is where things start getting heavier. This Led Zeppelin back too the beggining. A nice cool rock beat and a cool drum beat also great song, 5/5 stars

6. Four Sticks, another good song and has a cool drum intro to this and has a nice riff. great all around song,
5/5 stars

7. Going Too California, a great song also not much more too say, 5/5 stars

8. When The Levee Breaks, a nice way too end this album and has a cool heavy blues rock beat too it. Great song 5/5 stars

buy this album now if you dont have it... July 8, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...