Houses of the Holy [Original recording remastered]

Led Zeppelin | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 19, 1994)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Atlantic
• ASIN: B000002J0B
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (337 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #449 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #6 in Music > Rock > Rock Guitarists > Guitar Gods
  • #7 in Music > Hard Rock & Metal > British Metal
  • #10 in Music > Classic Rock > Supergroups

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording

Buoyed by the runaway commercial success of Led Zeppelin IV, Jimmy Page used this 1973 follow-up to hone his already impressive production skills, and the result was a collection sporting an impressively expansive sound. Benefiting--especially on tracks such as "Dancing Days Are Here Again," "The Crunge," and "Over the Hills and Far Away"--was Zeppelin's always underrated rhythm section: thunder-fisted drummer John Bonham and rock-solid bassist John Paul Jones. Jones also emerged here as a secret weapon on keyboards with his subtle work on more pensive fare such as "No Quarter" and "The Ocean." And the goofy "D'yer Ma'ker" showed that Zeppelin had more of a sense of humor than most people ever gave them credit for. --Billy Altman

Product Description

2005 Japanese standard jewel case pressing of Led Zeppelin's 1973 album. Features the same tracks and mastering as the US edition but includes an OBI and Japanese/English insert. Warner. 2005. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

80 of 87 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A flawlessly diverse mind-blowing classic, February 17, 2005

By 

Alan Pounds "Minnesota Hip-Hop Fiend" (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Houses of the Holy (Audio CD)

Imagine turning out four of the most successful and groundbreaking heavy metal/blues-rock albums of all time, only to go on turning out more outstanding material. Very few bands in history have consistently delivered mind-blowing albums one after the other for an extended period of time the way Zeppelin has. Zeppelin had invented the sound of the decade, and by 1973, they were really ready to spread their wings (as if they hadn't already).

"Houses Of The Holy" follows the same foot steps as "Led Zeppelin IV", but the approach is much more easy-going. Jimmy Page's riffs range from folk hooks as well as his classic blues-rock hooks, giving the album a lighter and looser feel. The album kicks off with epic "The Song Remains the Same". "The Rain Song" is a moody, meandering tune, sprawling progressive rock arrangements touching on classical music, jazz, blues, and folk, as well as hard rock. Robert Plant's vocals are soulful and heartfelt. "The Rain Song" also shows Jimmy Page's growth as a producer. "Over the Hills and Far Away" was a further progression away from the band's original heavy blues into more diverse arrangements. The acoustic introduction is a variation of Jimmy Page's own "White Summer," which was highly influenced by Davey Graham's "She Moved Thro' the Fair." The affectionate James Brown send-up "The Crunge," one of my favorites, really adds to the diversity of the album. "Dancing Days" gives you a solid taste of their classic hard rock strut. The reggae-influenced song "D'Yer Mak'er", featuring John Bonham's driving drums makes for an exceptional love song. The song was released as a single and reached the top 20, staying on the charts for total of eight weeks. Zeppelin's spooky "No Quarter" is a jazz, bluesy jam. The songs starts off with John Paul Jones' electric piano, reminiscent of the Doors' "Riders On The Storm". The song jumps into Bonham's hard-hitting drums, then leads into Page's blues-rock riff, backed by an analog synthesizer. Plant paints a picture of creepy images within his soaring slowed-down vocals. "The Ocean" makes for a great closer, featuring a funky guitar riff from Page, into an a cappella, going out swinging.

It's hard to pick a "best" Zeppelin album. Usually my favorite is the one I am currently listening too. "Houses Of The Holy" lives up to the reputation of their first four masterpieces. They took a chance and were unfazed by the spotlight. This album adds dramatic influence to heavy metal, blues-rock and hard rock as we know it today. Don't miss out on this flawless classic.

46 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For some reason it's a great summer album, April 19, 2000

By 

Sal Nudo (Champaign, Illinois) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Houses of the Holy (Audio CD)

Ah, 1973: It was the year I was born, Pink Floyd put out the seminal Dark Side Of The Moon, and Led Zeppelin's arguably best release, "Houses of the Holy," also came out. The urgent opening riffs on "The Song Remains the Same" signal great things to come. Jimmy Page does some marvelous twin guitar work, Robert Plant has an almost Chimpmunkish yelp, and we're off and running. "The Rain Song" quickly tones things down, a soothing, dreamy tune sprung from the South Carribean, with strings in the background for further relaxing effect. "The Rain Song" might be Zeppelin's best acoustic song ever.

Like Pink Floyd, Zeppelin refused to releasing songs as singles. And yet, structured pop shines through on the folkishly delightful "Over the Hills and Far Away," the fun rock jingle of "Dancing Days," and the reggae- flavored "D'yer Maker." "No Quarter" contains a dimmer vibe, filled with buzzy guitars, a brooding piano, and Plant's isolated voice coming through in distorted tones, like a man coping with deep depression. Midway through, John Paul Jones plays a beautifully serene piano, only to give way to John Bonham's smooth rhythmic drum kick. The band's cohesiveness is at an all-time high here, as everyone involved gets to subtly show off. There's nothing coy about the next sublime rocker, "The Ocean," which anybody with half a heartbeat could stomp along to.

"Houses of the Holy" may have been Zeppelin at its height; the band could have called it quits after this record and still be assured easy classic-rock status. It's simply another great Zeppelin album that adds to a string of greats. The guys kept their style simple, yet branched out a bit and explored new avenues. Some would even say that all Zeppelin albums after this one were pleasant icing on the cake. Of course, the same thing has been said about Pink Floyd after 1973, as well.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Zep 5, April 17, 2001

By 

Thomas Magnum (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Houses of the Holy (Audio CD)

Houses Of The Holy is probably the most melodic of all Led Zeppelin's albums. The album has full and layered sound that relies more on the band's powerhouse rhythm section of John Paul Jones and John Bonham than on Jimmy Page's guitars. Don't worry though, Mr. Page's powerhouse riffs abound throughout the album, but they are deftly mixed in to create a bigger sound. Mr. Jones' keyboards are found in heavy doses which is a welcomed thing. "The Crunge" is a James Brown tribute that has a loose, funky feel and "Over The Hills & Faraway" is a driving rocker. "Dancing Days" has a melodious beat with a stinging guitar and "D'yer Mak'er" is a reggae influenced song and is one of the few Zeppelin songs you can actually dance to. "No Quarter" is the most mystical and darkest of all of Zeppelin's songs. The music has strange keyboards and Robert Plant's voice is so distorted that is sounds like he's singing under water. The lyrics are Tokleinesque in nature and the song is a mini masterpiece. The album closes out with the thumping "The Ocean". Houses of The Holy has another infamous Zeppelin cover and brought them back to number one.