LED ZEPPELIN IV

Certainly one of the best loved album in the rock realm, Zep's fourth untitled (or IV - Zoso- Runes >> cross out the ones you wish), this stunning sombre gatefold artwork album, is certainly the crowning achievement of the greatest rock band in the world. In 71, Zep was soaring, reaching the apex of their career creatively both in terms of blossoming musicianship but also in the songwriting dept.

Although I spent almost two decades refusing to listen to this album and the first two, having involuntarily overdosed on them, for it was absolutely impossible to avoid having these albums not playing at parties (house or frat parties indifferently) until the mid-80's. When their records where reissued in the mini-Lp format, I just dived instinctively (and I must admit a bit thoughtlessly) in for the first five albums, avoiding anything else after it. Having come to terms with the fact that I had finally bought the Zep Cds in 03, it took me a few months to actually start to listen to them again. Of all the albums I had grown allergic, this one was at the top of the list. And so I started with this one. Those two excellent good-times RnR tracks starting out the albums were like a shot towards the past good times parties of my teenhood. Of course my fave two tracks were coming just after them and Evermore and Stairway are proof enough that Zep had what it took to verse into the progressive rock realm. No need to describe much the actual tracks that everyone knows as well as I do. And if not, whatya waiting for??

The second side was probably the Zep dose that had me going allergic on them. Beit Four Sticks, Levee or Misty Mountain, this super-heavy (even Sabbath never came down like this ton of bricks) hard rock (although this might be the closest Zep got to Heavy Metal) is simply overpowering you. And the fact that you are provided with a short acoustic interlude (the folkish Going To California) just before the final assault, is even increasing the sonic assault on your lost brains.

Although I can again listen to this album (but in homeopathic doses ;-), this album (which outside two tracks, does not have anything "prog") does not need my recommendation, so please stay away from this awful piece of rock mastery.