Mine too. I don't even own the first album.
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 7 August 2015 18:03 (eight years ago) link
that part about this album being a Page / Bonham album and ITTOD being a Plant / JPJ album is pretty spot on (if somewhat reductive)
Def. been a part of LZ lore for some time. Other guys, esp. Page, apparently hated "All My Love," which if you think about it is the most JPJ-side of Zep plus the most personal of Plant lyrics. Interesting sidenote: Bonham, Plant's bestie from back in the day and his perhaps unlikely closest compatriot in LZ, is the only member of LZ who attended the funeral of Plant's son.
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 7 August 2015 18:20 (eight years ago) link
further demonstrate the sonic range of Page and the rhythm section
Irony here being that the rhythm section absolutely hated "D'yer Mak'er."
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 7 August 2015 18:22 (eight years ago) link
IVIIHouses of the HolyPhysical GraffitiICodaIn Through the Out DoorPresence
― Darin, Friday, 7 August 2015 18:23 (eight years ago) link
I never cared much for 'All My Love' but it was hard to feel much antipathy towards it once I discovered why it was written.
― Off Pudding (Old Lunch), Friday, 7 August 2015 18:24 (eight years ago) link
Are people excluding III from their rankings unintentionally or is there some weird 'acoustic Zep is BULLSHIT!' backlash I'm unaware of?
― Off Pudding (Old Lunch), Friday, 7 August 2015 18:26 (eight years ago) link
Whoops I meant to include III after Physical Graffiti.
― Darin, Friday, 7 August 2015 18:31 (eight years ago) link
― Darin, Friday, August 7, 2015 6:23 PM (9 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
heresy
― Wimmels, Friday, 7 August 2015 18:34 (eight years ago) link
darin coming in w/some hot takes on the zep like woah
― Ma$e-en-scène (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 7 August 2015 18:37 (eight years ago) link
Other guys, esp. Page, apparently hated "All My Love," which if you think about it is the most JPJ-side of Zep plus the most personal of Plant lyrics.
I wonder how much of this was Page just not being into the song, and how much was resentment of JPJ and (especially) Plant having a hit that he didn't have a hand in writing. The Barney Hoskyns oral history has more than a few instances of Page's acute jealousy of any adulation Plant got (and vice-versa).
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Friday, 7 August 2015 18:38 (eight years ago) link
I'm not sure I could really rank these albums. First song, first album pretty much epitomizes the band and its greatness. The rest is just riding the same high, more or less. But "Houses of the Holy" may be the best "yeah, we're that good" follow-up to a slam dunk, a really huge exclamation point stuck at the end of a particularly awesome sentence.
Reading that oral history really underscored both how huge and how hated Led Zeppelin was, not least for being huge. They really had few friends or peers, in every sense.
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 7 August 2015 18:38 (eight years ago) link
before the book, i didn't know that bonzo and tony iommi were that tight and also that zep was tight with fairport convention (which actually makes sense on both counts)
― Ma$e-en-scène (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 7 August 2015 18:41 (eight years ago) link
Yeah, doesn't the book hint that someone, somewhere has a recording of LZ and Fairport jamming one night at the Roxy?
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 7 August 2015 18:44 (eight years ago) link
PresencePG
IV, III & HOTH roughly on the same level
IITTOD
Coda and II at the bottom
― rack of lamb of god (WilliamC), Friday, 7 August 2015 18:47 (eight years ago) link
Here's a Zep question I've never seen answered. Page could be sloppy live, but his albums are exceptionally precise ... except the solo on "Heartbreaker," which is a total mess. What's up with that? How can the guy who could pull off the solo on "Good Times, Bad Times" (again, first song first album!) be that messy, and why didn't he just do another take? Is it supposed to be a joke?
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 7 August 2015 18:51 (eight years ago) link
I disagree. Page is sloppy as eff throughout their discography. I mean, he's amazing and does some astoundingly intricate stuff, but he's certainly no perfectionist. Part of the charm.
― Off Pudding (Old Lunch), Friday, 7 August 2015 18:53 (eight years ago) link
And I would imagine that the eighth letter of the alphabet is a fairly concise explanation for much of his sloppiness.
― Off Pudding (Old Lunch), Friday, 7 August 2015 18:58 (eight years ago) link
I think the only Page misstep that I have trouble with is when the solo in 'Tangerine' starts to get a little sour towards the end.
― Off Pudding (Old Lunch), Friday, 7 August 2015 19:01 (eight years ago) link
Huh, I've never noticed anything remotely as egregious as the Heartbreaker solo.
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 7 August 2015 19:13 (eight years ago) link
It was never anything terribly egregious, but he was often fairly unpolished.
― Off Pudding (Old Lunch), Friday, 7 August 2015 19:21 (eight years ago) link
― Ma$e-en-scène (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, August 7, 2015 11:37 AM (42 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
next time I'll lie and pretend Presence is awesome. that's how things work around here, right?
― Darin, Friday, 7 August 2015 19:27 (eight years ago) link
dude i was just saying that's an interesting list, no biggie chill
but yes presence is awesome pls report to your local re-education camp
― Ma$e-en-scène (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 7 August 2015 19:30 (eight years ago) link
ha ha sorry...
reporting to re-education camp asap
― Darin, Friday, 7 August 2015 19:34 (eight years ago) link
Anyone else think Royal Orleans sounds like the Minutemen?
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 7 August 2015 19:35 (eight years ago) link
I thought that the first time I heard Royal Orleans, and stuck it on a mixtape of angular punk songs right away to amuse my young self.
― juggulo for the complete klvtz (bendy), Friday, 7 August 2015 19:48 (eight years ago) link
I had no idea "All My Love" was about his son until a couple years ago and it doesn't matter -- the lyrics are generic love pap.
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 7 August 2015 20:03 (eight years ago) link
it's hard for me to come up with a zeppelin lyric I hold in much esteem, and it doesn't really matter, the words are mostly just vehicles for Plant's vocalizations
― five six and (man alive), Friday, 7 August 2015 20:13 (eight years ago) link
walking in the park just the other day doo do dooo
― insufficiently familiar with xgau's work to comment intelligently (BradNelson), Friday, 7 August 2015 20:16 (eight years ago) link
WHHHADYA...WHHHADYA THINK I SAW-AW?!
― five six and (man alive), Friday, 7 August 2015 20:17 (eight years ago) link
Yeah I can't hate a lyric like that, I mean it could have been a Fogelberg lyric too but when plant's singing it sounds incred
― nomar, Friday, 7 August 2015 20:21 (eight years ago) link
I think of Plant the way I think of Beefheart and Tom Waits (and probably many others): incredible singer, but sometimes I wish they'd shut up so I could better hear the awesome band.
Would pay good money for instrumental versions of Rain Dogs, Presence, etc. (The Trout Mask instrumentals on that Beefheart box set a few years ago was a revelation).
― Wimmels, Friday, 7 August 2015 21:15 (eight years ago) link
Yeah, doesn't the book hint that someone, somewhere has a recording of LZ and Fairport jamming one night at the Roxy?― Josh in Chicago, Friday, August 7, 2015 1:44 PM (3 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, August 7, 2015 1:44 PM (3 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Joe Boyd mentioned this in the liner notes to House Full, going on to something to the effect that everyone was drunk and it was awful.
― Love, Wilco (C. Grisso/McCain), Friday, 7 August 2015 21:55 (eight years ago) link
plant's commitment to hobbit core is a major secret charm of zeppelin
i'd rank the studio albums as follows
PHYSICAL GRAFFITIIVIIHOUSES OF THE HOLYIIIIIN THROUGH THE OUT DOORPRESENCE
xpost
― reggie (qualmsley), Friday, 7 August 2015 21:57 (eight years ago) link
re people excluding III from their rankings unintentionally or is there some weird 'acoustic Zep is BULLSHIT!' backlash I'm unaware of?
― Off Pudding (Old Lunch)
HOTHIIIIVPGPresenceITTOD
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 7 August 2015 21:58 (eight years ago) link
btw I've done this on his dedicated thread but solo Plant is responsible for some awesome, rewarding music -- the most consistently interesting boomer rocker imo. No embarrassing moments after "Sea of Love."
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 7 August 2015 21:59 (eight years ago) link
I forgot III. Amended ranking:
IVPhysical Graffiti (Disc 1)IIIIIIHouses of the Holy (would be 2-3 spots higher if not for "The Crunge" and "D'yer Maker")Physical Graffiti (Disc 2)PresenceIn Through the Out Door
― the top man in the language department (誤訳侮辱), Friday, 7 August 2015 22:01 (eight years ago) link
THE SONG REMAAAAAAINS THE SAAAME SAIIIIM SAAAAYYYYMMM SAAAAIIYYMMMMM SAEEEEEMMM SAIIYYYEMMM SAIIIEEEEMEMM!! oooOOOOOoooOOOOoooOOOOOOOOoooo!
― You’re being too simplistic and you’re insulting my poor heart (Turrican), Friday, 7 August 2015 22:02 (eight years ago) link
Physical GraffitiIVIIHouses Of The HolyIIIIPresenceIn Through The Out Door
― You’re being too simplistic and you’re insulting my poor heart (Turrican), Friday, 7 August 2015 22:05 (eight years ago) link
IVphysical graffitihouses of the holyIIIIIIin through the out doorpresence
love them all, probably most likely to listen to how the west was won if i listen to zeppelin nowadays
― balls, Friday, 7 August 2015 22:09 (eight years ago) link
I don't even think Zep's lyrics are much worse than a ton of 70s bands, like Yes or Wishbone Ash or any buncha moustache farmers in flares
― Ma$e-en-scène (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 7 August 2015 22:15 (eight years ago) link
Led Zeppelin lyrics are not great, in keeping with the tradition of 90% of rock music.
― Off Pudding (Old Lunch), Friday, 7 August 2015 22:18 (eight years ago) link
love zep's lyrics in general, real nice mix of mysticism and wit
― balls, Friday, 7 August 2015 23:19 (eight years ago) link
I can deal with pretty much everything, but the Mordor/Gollum line is kind of a problem in an otherwise fine song. Other than that, the lyrics are fine...
― dlp9001, Saturday, 8 August 2015 00:25 (eight years ago) link
Also, I'm realizing on relistening that I must have played In Through The Out Door more than any of their other full albums as a kid. I was pretty surprised to find that I knew the whole thing by heart. That and Houses of the Holy are the only albums I'd ever played as albums. The rest I knew from the radio. Interesting thing about growing up during the radio era is that you often didn't actually buy the albums that were on the radio all the time...because they were on the radio all the time.
― dlp9001, Saturday, 8 August 2015 00:27 (eight years ago) link
I don't pay attention to lyrics. Like, ever.
BTW, the 2007 expanded remaster of The Song Remains The Same is a revelation. Yes, "Dazed and Confused" is still boring. But the bonus tracks they added really do make it flow much better, and the sound is amazing. I listen to it almost as often as the studio albums.
― the top man in the language department (誤訳侮辱), Saturday, 8 August 2015 00:55 (eight years ago) link
I've long suspected that Page's guitar soloing is rooted in his hired gun studio background. Come in, go splat on a track, get out. I think I like the later Zeppelin albums more because I just like that sound for them more. Jimmy Page producer >>>> Jimmy Page guitarist.
In Through The Out Door was the first albums I ever bought - I suppose it's the only time I ever bought a *new* Zeppelin album. Have always wondered how they would have fared had Bonham lived and kept things from being just a mash of Firm riffs and The Principle of Moments spaciness. I suppose that isn't bad...
― Elvis Telecom, Saturday, 8 August 2015 01:35 (eight years ago) link
Have always wondered how they would have fared had Bonham lived and kept things from being just a mash of Firm riffs and The Principle of Moments spaciness.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKlu3A3BBgE
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 8 August 2015 01:56 (eight years ago) link
I'd probably go:
IIIPhysical GraffitiIIVHOTHIIPresenceITTOD
― five six and (man alive), Saturday, 8 August 2015 02:14 (eight years ago) link
IV1PGHouses
― brimstead, Saturday, 8 August 2015 02:16 (eight years ago) link
The only things I feel certain about though are that ITTOD is my least favorite, that III or Physical Graffiti should be at the top, and that I like I more than II. Otherwise the order could shuffle a bit.
Houses was a record I listened to a lot when I was 13/14, learning to play the guitar, and developing my first crushes, and I have very strong memories of listening to the Rain Song a lot one summer on my walkman, thinking about my crush, and just kind of generally being into the feeling of having a crush.
― five six and (man alive), Saturday, 8 August 2015 02:16 (eight years ago) link