Austin Metz
Editor in Chief
Few bands have kicked off their career with an album as powerful and dynamic as Led Zeppelin did with the self-titled album “Led Zeppelin.”
From the opening guitar licks to the driving drum work in “Good Times Bad Times,” listeners are immediately thrown into a style similar to a unstoppable tornado that no band had ever made work before.
As listeners move to “Babe I’m Going to Leave You,” it became clear the band was going to be a force to be reckoned with. The song produced a softer, more sophisticated sound showcasing both the acoustic guitar of legend Jimmy Page and the unique, high-pitched, wailing voice of Robert Plant.
The band is rounded out by arguably the greatest drummer of all time in John Bonham and bass guitar player John Paul Jones who together lay the ground work on which the music stands.
Although most albums provide an avenue for listeners to exit on (normally dull and boring filler songs), once a listener moves into classic songs like “Dazed and Confused,” “Communication Breakdown” and the oddly placed but talent showcasing “Black Mountain State,” listeners become entranced by the clean yet reckless abandon by which Led Zeppelin became known.
While there were many great songs from the album, the song that provided a glimpse into what the future held for the band had to be “You Shook Me.”
Whether it’s Plant’s voice, the deep, bluesy guitar of Page, or the clean drum work of Bonham, “You Shook Me” put forth the elements that would be used in future classics such as “Since I’ve Been Loving You” and “When the Levee Breaks.”
A great album becomes great when all the songs work together to create something special. While this album does just that, how many other bands can you think of that have used so many different sounds and beats in a single album?
Though the death of Bonham and the egos of the different band members led to the eventual demise of Led Zeppelin, the ten original albums they put out represent some of the top music ever performed.
Go home, get the album and crank it up… You won’t be disappointed.
Check out my next blog which will be released on Wednesday, November 16
