Led Zeppelin IV

Artist: Led Zeppelin
Album: Led Zeppelin IV
Release Year: 1971
Genres: hard rock, art-rock, blues-rock

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.

Best Song: well, that's the very definition of "obvious," isn't it?


That's right, I called it "Led Zeppelin IV," instead of "Untitled" or "Zoso"or whatever weird name the diehards like to tack onto it. I like the chronological names, because they reflect the band's slow progression from heavy blues to big, bloated, immortal anthems like these. And, as soon as the numerical names stopped, the music also took a longer leap than it ever had before. I mean, you can't tell me Houses of the Holy sounds anything like the first four, can you?

(GET ON WITH IT!!!)

Alright. The fact that this contains "Stairway to Heaven" hardly gains it any "subjectivity points," does it? But this is, without question, the biggest, boldest album the band would ever release. Everything that made Led Zeppelin who they were, they poured on triple thick on this album, effectively undermining any amateur critic's attempt at analyzing it outside the band's popular image. Fortunately for me, when I heard the album, I had only a passing familiarity with Zeppelin, so I was a blank slate for about five of these songs. It didn't take me long to reach my verdict, either: Five of them kick astronomical amounts of ass...and the other three suck.

I would like to take this album as a whole when reviewing it, but it just doesn't lend itself to that kind of analysis. Why? Partially because it's not an intelligent album, but mainly because each song has such a HUGE identity that it's impossible to ignore any one in particular. It kicks off with "Black Dog," a heavy, plodding blues number with a great distorted riff and an even better solo. Who wouldn't want to stomp their foot to that beat and sing along with the braindead lyrics like "Hey hey mama, when you shake that thing, gonna make you burn gonna make you sting"? "Rock & Roll" is even better, though; that incessant drum pattern and rollicking melody, combined with Plant's frantic delivery, make it one of the most energizing, feel-good songs I know.

Unfortunately, this is where we run into trouble. "The Battle of Evermore" is incredibly pretentious, has no coherent melody, and its six minutes consist of just as much wailing as singing. I'm all for Tolkien references, but they have to do his work justice. This one does not. "Misty Mountain Hop" is a bit more listenable, but it's twice as stupid. That keyboard riff is just embarrassing to listen to--you're Led Zeppelin, for crying out loud! You can't mix off-rhythm lyrics with synth loops that make me think of bunnies jumping back and forth, and then think something good will come of it. As for "Four Sticks," which comes next, I can't even remember how it goes, but I do remember it bored me slightly less. Alright, so Bonzo could play with four sticks. We all know he was good. We also know rock songs based on drumming alone tend not to be very good.

"Going to California" really redeems the album, though. It's a simple guitar and mandolin (?) ballad, and Plant's singing actually suits it! I'd always thought he could only do heavy songs, but this one made me reconsider. Then we close with "When the Levee Breaks," which Led Zeppelin did NOT write, but they did make it theirs. The beat pounds along as if to crush the listener, while the guitar and harmonica give it a "sharper" edge as well. The impending breaking of the levee doesn't just mean flood anymore--it seems to mean the end of the world. This isn't just blues. This is doom.

Yeah, that's a nine down there, alright. 3/8 of the album may suck, but the rest is just so friggin' incredible that it gets a nine anyway. And that about wraps up the...oh, wait. I didn't mention "Stairway to Heaven" yet. Uh, well...it's "Stairway to Heaven." That's it. I'm done.

Rating: 9