Led Zeppelin II and IV

All great bands need musicians with a mixture of characters. It is often out of that mix that the music gets its 'edge'. Led Zeppelin certainly thrived from the interplay of four distinct personalities; the down-to-earth John Bonham, the classical and disciplined John Paul Jones, the arrogant but hugely talented Robert Plant and the mysterious guitarist Jimmy Page.

Like many Zeppelin fans I was very disappointed with almost everything they did from Houses of the Holy onwards. To me it is the first four albums that best represent the true Zeppelin with their mixture of acoustic songs that border on folk music and their derivative blues, albeit played with power and aggression. And one mustn't forget the guitar riffs, so often augmented by the bass, that just blow you away. The band wasn't really doing anything new but they did it with a style that excited another generation of listeners with the blues.

Much of Zeppelin I and II contains guitar licks and lyric ideas and songs that appear to be straight copies from the old American blues players. Earl King must be very flattered by Page's blues soloing and Willie Dixon surprised by finding his ideas turned into such foot-stompers as Whole Lotta Love. That particular song did indeed become the subject of legal action. Now, don't misunderstand me. To a great extent all players share a musical vocabulary that is handed down player to player meaning that they will play licks and hooks and riffs that someone else originated and that is no bad thing. The problem comes when there is such a thin line between one musician's work and another's. It rings hollow to me when I hear Plant accusing modern musicians of sampling Zep's work with such indignation - what was that proverb about pots and kettles? Suffice to say Zeppelin's early work is probably not as original as it ought to be. But it was highly innovative in terms of pure electric energy. That is why people like the band so much. To my mind the best of that era can be found in their second and fourth albums.

Is it a good thing to have one's guitar riff used as the theme to Top of the Pops? Led Zeppelin II (such a nice thoughtful title) may start the same way as that ghastly show but it certainly doesn't continue in the same vein. This album is Led Zeppelin I (such an equally thoughtful title) grown up. Like the first album there is bags of atmosphere and exhilaration that speaks volumes for the production capabilities of Jimmy Page. But the songs seem somehow more coherent in terms of putting together an album collection. Stand out tracks for me are What Is And What Should Never Be, Whole Lotta Love, Heartbreaker and The Lemon Song. In every way this album represents the pinnacle of Page's guitar playing, being always inventive and invoking many shades and moods. The sound that he achieves is remarkable and many players would kill to get such a guitar sound. Gibson probably sold more Les Pauls than they could even have dreamed possible because of Page's early Zeppelin sound. As for Robert Plant, here he is in full flight, putting so much feeling and torture into his voice that you can't help but understand what the blues is all about.

By the time Zep got to record 1971's Led Zeppelin (what a nice original and thoughtful title) which became known as Led Zeppelin IV or Four Symbols the guys were grooving. They still had the power but the 70's were beginning to change their sound and pull them away from the blues. The previous Led Zeppelin III (I just love the names of their records) had been a largely acoustic affair and here it matured in the wonderful Battle of Evermore, Going to California and that big favourite of FM radio Stairway to Heaven. Rock'n'Roll seemed to take twelve bar blues into the space age whilst Black Dog laid the ground work for Physical Graffiti (hey - a real title!)

I adored both albums in their time and still enjoy listening to them immensely. Even more, I like cranking up the guitar amplifier and playing through all the riffs and solos. Both albums are a guitar player's delight, full of flashy bits! But over the years whilst Zep's sales and status in the rock hierarchy seems to have grown, my love of them has waned and I appreciate other bands much more now. But that's a story for other pages.

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