Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin 4 - Atlantic 1971
Tracks: 1. Black Dog / 2. Rock & Roll / 3. The Battle Of Evermore / 4. Stairway To Heaven / 5. Misty Mountain Hop / 6. Four Sticks/ 7. Going To California / 8. When The Levee Breaks
Comments:
This album from 1971, Led Zeppelin's fourth, is most often referred to as "Led Zeppelin 4" and at time “The Runes Album” because of the mysterious script signs like, which could be found on the original inner sleeve and which are likely to symbolize the four members.
The album is usually considered the group's most important; probably not least because here is the classic "Stairway to Heaven" to be found. This one track is, of course, worth the whole album and the song hardly needs any special presentation.
Fortunately, "Led Zeppelin 4" is also much more than this classic number. On "The Battle of Evermore" the group continues one of the trends it had set on the previous albums, with a rather strong acoustic folkish elements and references to "Lord of the Rings". On this fantastic number, there is an exciting guest vocal from Sandy Denny, which helps lift the number to something very special - also interesting that here it is Jimmy Page, who takes care of the mandolin.
Another fine acoustic track is "Going to California" which has a Robert Plant in top form on vocals.
Otherwise, the rest of the album is firmly grounded in the heavier blues-rock, which the group master to perfection.
Two strong examples of this open the album. "Black Dog" is a heavy blues rocker, with a strong Page guitar riff and an exuberant Robert Plant.
The group composition "Rock and Roll" is an upbeat rocker with a beat inspired by the old "Keep 'a Knocking" – a track that appeal strongly to get and dance or just to move around.
A couple of tracks are a bit heavy and monotonous for me; this applies to "Misty Mountain Hop" and "Four Sticks". Neither of these two really do anything for me. The same applies somewhat also to the final track "When the Levee Breaks", which is a rather long and slow blues, which does, however, nicely support the dramatic lyrics.
This is, of course, an album that should be found in any serious rock collection.
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