Not Only Prog: Led Zeppelin self-titled album

They basically created and conceived a sound that, in my opinion, has never been matched by any other band in terms of intensity and power. The band was made up of exceptional, unique individuals. Sadly, at the most dramatic moment, with the death of John Bonham, they broke up. For me, this represents pure love: the impossibility of carrying on without him. It wasn’t a change, but the dramatic end of a band because one of its members passed away.

I could talk about John Bonham for hours. As a long-time but non-professional drummer with broad musical experience across different genres, I still consider him unmatched today in terms of power and taste. Even if there have been technically more skilled drummers, no one has given me what he managed to give me. So take mine as a personal, biased judgment, since I put this band at the top of rock and John Bonham at the top of drummers. 

What new can be added about Robert Plant? He’s considered the greatest frontman ever, with a powerful voice, incredible nuances, and an inimitable scream, even if often copied.

And Jimmy Page? A guitarist who won everyone over with his extraordinary musical ability, immense technique, refined taste, creativity, and flawless execution. A true genius.

Finally, John Paul Jones, seemingly reserved, whose bass, organs, and backing vocals were essential to the band’s success.

About the record too, produced by Jimmy Page, everything has been said. I’ll stick to a few anecdotes.

“Good Times, Bad Times”, the very first track ever released by the band, was also their first single, with “Communication Breakdown” on the B-side, a very hard-hitting song.

“Babe I’m Gonna Leave You”, originally by Anne Bredon in the ’50s and performed by Joan Baez in 1962, was rearranged by Jimmy Page. Initially credited as Traditional, it was later re-credited to Anne Bredon, Jimmy Page, and Robert Plant.

“You Shook Me” is a cover, written by Willie Dixon and first recorded by Muddy Waters in 1962. It contains one of the earliest call-and-response passages between voice and guitar.

“Dazed and Confused”, with a great guitar solo played with a violin bow, is a Jake Holmes song rearranged by Jimmy Page. Live, the solo was extended to about 30 minutes, as in the live “The Song Remains the Same”.

“Your Time is Gonna Come” features an organ solo by John Paul Jones and the unsettling refrain “your time is gonna come”.

“Black Mountain Side” is the rearrangement of a traditional Irish tune with Arab and Indian influences, with Viram Jasani on tabla.

“Communication Breakdown” starts from an idea by Page and has been taken as a reference by many bands, first and foremost the Ramones. So, more or less directly, it marks the beginning of punk rock.

“I Can’t Quit You Baby” is a cover of a Willie Dixon blues song, played a lot during concerts up to 1970.

“How Many More Times”, the album’s longest track, closes it with Page’s unmistakable bow.  Curiously, the duration shown on the cover is only 3 minutes and 30 seconds, while the actual version runs over 8 minutes. Page decided to list a shorter length to fool radio deejays, notoriously reluctant to play tracks of excessive duration.

Another interesting anecdote concerns the cover and the band’s name.  It depicts a reworking of a photo of the 1937 Zeppelin LZ 129 Hindenburg disaster.  After seeing the cover, Count von Zeppelin’s granddaughter threatened to sue the band for improper use of the family name.  As a result, during their concert in Copenhagen in 1970, the band temporarily changed its name to “The Nobs” for that one occasion.

A masterpiece through and through, with some covers masterfully reinterpreted in their unmistakable style. Some of these covers were the subject of legal disputes, which led to later reattributions of the songs. However, Led Zeppelin elevated and immortalized these tracks, making them an integral part of music history. The album also contains original songs that anticipated the future, some of them true masterpieces. These tracks offer early examples of voice, guitar, and bow call-and-response, along with a sound that inspired—and still inspires—the world of rock.

It’s an absolute must in every collection.

My Version

Label:  Atlantic – 8122796641, Atlantic – R1 535224
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered, Stereo, 180g
Country: Europe
Released: 2020

Tracklist

- Good Times, Bad Times – 2:46 (Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, John Bonham[59])
- Babe I'm Gonna Leave You – 6:42 (Anne Brendon, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant)
- You Shook Me – 6:28 (Willie Dixon, J. B. Lenoir)
- Dazed and Confused – 6:28 (Jake Holmes (uncredited) - Jimmy Page)
- Your Time Is Gonna Come – 4:34 (Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones)
- Black Mountain Side – 2:12 (Jimmy Page)
- Communication Breakdown – 2:30 (Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, John Bonham)
- I Can't Quit You Baby – 4:42 (Willie Dixon)
- How Many More Times – 8:27 (Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, John Bonham)
Length 44:26

Lineup

- Robert Plant - vocals, harmonica
- James Patrick Page - electric guitar, acoustic guitar, pedal steel guitar, backing vocals
- John Paul Jones - bass, organ, backing vocals
- John Bonham - drums, timpani, backing vocals
With:
- Viram Jasani - tabla (on Black Mountain Side)