LED ZEPPELIN IV

Led Zeppelin IV? ZOSO? Four Symbols? Untitled? Who cares when the music's so great! This is the only recording I own by these hard rock pioneers, although I am familiar with some of their other material. I know for a fact that this album is something really special. Page's guitar, Bonham's drums, Plant's voice and Paul-Jones's bass fit together perfectly with a few other instruments and a guest vocalist on one track to make music that ranges from beautiful to mind shattering.

The procedures start with the blues-based hard rocker 'Black Dog', with a truly great riff, and slightly agressive vocals. 'Rock and Roll' lives up to it name and is an up tmepo number and is very standard (but brilliant) hard rock. 'The Battle of Evermore' is hauntingly beautiful with Sandy Denny as a guest vocalist. But the album's masterpiece is track four: 'Stairway to Heaven'. How ever many times I hear it (and that i already many, many times) I will never tire of this beautiful song. Jimmy Page gives forth a totally mindblowing solo before the final hard rock section which brings this amazing song to a close. I do not need to elaborate any more as I am sure you are already familiar with this song, and if not there is nothing i can say that can prepare you for what you will hear. This song could not easily be followed so pehaps that is why they place the weakest song next. 'Misty Mountain Hop' is a well above average rock song, but by Zep's standards nothing brilliant and a bit monotonous. 'Four Sticks' is good, especially with the extremely innovative drum technique (which involves, you guessed it, four sticks). 'Going to California is another song of beauty in a very different vein. It is folk-based like Stairway and Evermore, but different. I really like this track and it makes you sympathise with the narrators longings. The grand finale is 'When the Levee Breaks', a southern feeling mini epic full of sludgy riffs and the slow pace and rough guitar tone make listening to this song feel like walking through treacle. I mean this in a good way in this context.

Now my decision is the rating. Should it be five stars as it is truly a masterpiece, or four stars because although being 'related' to prog and having progressive moments isn't truly a prog album through an through. I think I'll have to go with five stars to be honest, but it's a close shave.