Favorite…Led Zeppelin

Favorite Zeppelin Album?

  • I

    Votes: 2 9.5%

  • II

    Votes: 7 33.3%

  • III

    Votes: 1 4.8%

  • IV

    Votes: 5 23.8%

  • Houses of the Holy

    Votes: 3 14.3%

  • Physical Graffiti

    Votes: 1 4.8%

  • The Song Remains the Same

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Presence

    Votes: 2 9.5%

  • In Through the Outdoor

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Coda

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    21
Coda

Coda

Well-known member
Feel free to voice your opinion. This isn’t an argument thread. I encourage everyone to elaborate on their view…so that we may better understand.

I’ve chosen to include TSRTS and Coda because TSRTS is essentially a studio album, and Coda was the last one…and the inspiration for my username.
 
The only led Zeppelin album I have ever owned was Encomium was a tribute album that came out some time in the 90's. I got it because STP covered Dancing Days and I loved that version. It also had Rollins Band doing Four Sticks, which I also loved. Sp I don't think that counts.

I don't dislike them, but I can't call myself a fan because I've never really listened to them with intention. They are so ubiquitous in our culture though that it's impossible to not know a bunch of their songs. I think they are awesome, but it's never pulled me in to where I've felt like I wanted to go down the rabbit hole.
 
I've alway been partial to II (which I voted for here), although reviewing the song lists, I think IV might hold up better.

Physical Graffiti would probably be if it was more concise.
 
Harry Klippton said:
It's a toss-up between I and II for me, but I voted II
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I agree. From an album perspective it's gotta be I or II. Both are just pure, raw, loud blues. If I have to pick, I'll choose Led Zeppelin I. They are in their rawest form and this is what really drove me to learn more guitar when I was a teenager. Zeppelin, Cream, and Black Sabbath were my go to for a while just starting out.

My favorite song of all time by them is "Since I've Been Loving You" from III.
 
I don't think I've ever listened to the stuff after houses of the holy. I just know there is a ton of zep stuff later on that sounds bad to me that I've heard on the radio
 
For me it’s IV. That was my introduction to Zeppelin and music in general. In a different thread, I mentioned my earliest music memories was hanging with my dad and listening to his records. This was one of the albums we used to listen to quite regularly. When the levee breaks is still my favorite Zeppelin song.
 
IV for me It was in my prime high school years, looking back me now probably prefers I or II, but IV has a warm place in my heart
 
I got in to Zep big time in High School. I had inherited copies of II and IV, and spun them often. I had IV on cd too. As I got in to Zep more, I acquired II on cd, then I, III, and Houses of the Holy. Then came the DVD, which properly established Zep for me. I wish they would release a DVD soundtrack. For a band that shone live, it’s a shame that there aren’t more live releases. MSG in 73 is amazing, as is RAH 70, and even some 77 shows were great. Blueberry Hill in 75, and the Japan shows in 71…Bath 70…I could go on. Houses of the Holy, I think, is the peak studio. 72-73 Zep was the greatest thing, musically, that had ever been.
However…years later (after my High School Zep phase) I picked up a copy of Physical Graffiti. If you take your time, and listen closely to each track, the album is a masterpiece. So much variety. The only thing that gets me is that the production, especially on the first disc, is a little weak. The bass is thin, and the vocals seem unnecessarily close. Some of my favorite tracks are on the second disc: In the Light, Down by the Seaside, Ten Years Gone, The Wanton Song, and Sick Again (the album version is crap, but it was great live.
 
Big Monk said:
Down by the Seaside is a IV outtake.
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I always doubted that. Boogie With Stu and Night Flight are definitely from the IV sessions, but Down by the Seaside has a different sound. I think they did a version for IV, and then redid it for Physical Graffiti.
 
I have all of the Zep albums on vinyl, because that's all there was when I first got into them! Oh there was cassette I guess but I never bought tapes because they wore out. But I have no Zep albums on CD because I just stopped listening to them. To the OP - probably Led Zep II, because Whole Lotta Love. IV is good except for that song. These days I like the really early stuff but find the later stuff so clunky and laboured. Bonham was a great drummer but some songs don't call for that huge caveman sound.

There are bands and artists who I loved like crazy then fell out of love with. I used to play Dire Straits first three albums to death, all of the Zep stuff, Jeff Beck and Clapton... But now they all sound so dated and self-conscious to me. The music hasn't changed but my perception of it coloured by my strange life has! It's so weird how tastes can change so dramatically. Maybe I'll come around again. It's happened before.

But last time I was in NY I was walking along 8th St one warm July evening and saw the building which was on the cover of Physical Grafitti (and also in the Waitin' on a Friend filmclip) so had to take a photo of it.
 
As good as the first four LZ albums are, my favorite has always been II. The first LZ tune I ever heard was Whole Lotta Love and it left an indelible impression. I remember going down to the record store looking for the "new" LZ record because I had heard Black Dog on the radio. It wasn't on the first three records, so there must be a 4th LZ record, right? There is was on display just inside the door. Good thing the store owner put up a sign identifying it as "Led Zeppelin IV" because there's nothing on the jacket indicating that it's a LZ record. Got it home, played it all the way thru and was blown away by Stairway to Heaven. There are special moments I will always cherish, and that was one of 'em. Some people have heard Stairway way too many times and I get it, but I can listen to it every now and then and still appreciate the beauty and artistry. There is a great yaotaob video of Jimmy Page putting on StH and walking the viewer thru the composition and recording process.
 
Big Monk said:
If anyone is interested, I made a Led Zeppelin compilation in iTunes that covers their 1968-1973 peak period. I placed all outtakes and live tracks in chronological order.

I can put it on my google drive.
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Please do.

I came across an 18 CD set named Studio Magik. It contains mostly demos and outtakes, but the real gems are:

CD1 contains Moby Dick as two separate tracks. Intro & outro on one, the entire uneditied drum solo on the other. Jimmy Page is a genius in the studio and knew exactly which part of the drum solo to put on the album mix and which parts to edit out. From these tracks, you can make your own longer version.

CD2 is dedicated to Whole Lotta Love. It contains eight separate raw tracks (2 guitar, bass, 3 drum, 2 vocal). There are four mixdowns, all of which are a little different from the album mix.

CD3 is dedicated to What Is and What Should Never Be. It contains eight separate raw tracks (guitar, bass, 2 drum, 3 vocal, guitar + vocal). There are three mixdowns, all of which are a little different from the album mix.

CD4 is dedicated to Heartbreaker. It contains eight separate tracks (2 guitar, bass, 2 drum, guitar + bass + drum, vocal, guitar + vocal). There are two mixdowns, both of which are a little different from the album mix.

CD5 is dedicated to Ramble On. It contains eight separate tracks (3 guitar, bass, 2 drum, vocal, guitar + vocal). There are four mixdowns, all of which are a little different from the album mix.

These are all FLAC format. I can put them on GD.
 
I strongly suggest finding Lez Zeppelin's faithful recreation of I ... I always hoped they would follow up with II but it hasn't happened
 
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