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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
Also known as the "rune" album or Zoso because of the medieval symbols adorning the inner sleeve, Led Zeppelin's fourth album, released in 1971, turned them from mere superstars into giant behemoths of the rock world. On tracks like "Black Dog," "Misty Mountain Hop," and "Rock and Roll," the combination of Robert Plant's banshee wails and Jimmy Page's frenetic guitar playing forever altered the stylistic bent of hard rock music. And the foreboding "When the Levee Breaks" demonstrated that Zeppelin could indeed play the blues fairly straight if they so desired. Still, everything here ultimately took a back seat to the album's (and, ultimately, the band's) magnum opus--the expertly constructed and deftly executed classic, "Stairway to Heaven." --Billy Altman
Product Description
Japanese-only SHM-CD (Super High Material CD) paper sleeve pressing of this absolute classic album from the Rock legends, originally released in 1971. SHM-CDs can be played on any audio player and delivers unbelievably high-quality sound. You won't believe it's the same CD! Universal. 2008.
--This text refers to an alternate
Audio CD
edition.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
325 of 361 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Within eighteen months three members of this band had gone from total obscurity to part of the best known rock band in the world. By the end of 1971 world domination was such that they could release their fourth album without any sleeve notes, no band image or song titles on the sleeve either. Therefore it has since been called by fans a variety of names from the obvious 'Led Zeppelin IV' to the less obvious 'Runes' after its many Lord of the Rings references to 'Four Symbols'. Or 'Zosa' after its inside cover motif, or plain old 'No Title'. Still, on pre-sales it went to #1 all over the world, being released on November 8th and staying at #1 into the New Year. Over the years it has probably generated enough sales to run a fairly large country. In the last thirty-two years it has won just about every accolade there is to get. Voted the best rock record ever in such illustrious magazines as 'Classic Rock Revisited', `Rolling Stone', 'Q', 'Mojo', and even the Pattaya Mail. (We just had a vote Toto, Ella Crew, Andy, and Led Zeppelin experts Lars Fieste, John Osborne, Graham Rudd, Dai Coe, and the Dog - it was unanimous.)
If you had wanted to put together a super group in 1971 all you would of had to do was put together Led Zeppelin, and there you are you had it. Out of the ashes of the `Yardbirds' founding member Jimmy Page created Led Zeppelin (well, he had to, all the others had left). The new band did one tour of Scandinavia as 'The New Yardbirds'.
Jimmy Page originally joined the `Yardbirds' as bassist, but switched to lead guitar to give the band a duel pronged guitar attack with a certain Jeff Beck on the other axe. Jimmy Page had long been a top session player, playing most famously on the Kinks' `You Really Got Me' famous guitar riff that almost invented heavy metal music. In Jimmy Page Led Zeppelin had a man with a vision as well as a guitarist that could shred the wallpaper off your walls one second and be as gentle as a snowflake the next.
Robert Plant had quickly become the template of what a singer in a rock band looked and sounded like. His unique style of whoops, whines, and yells became his trademark. With his clear vocals he could always put across the stories he wanted to tell in his song writing partnership with Jimmy Page.
Bass player John Paul Jones also had a previous successful career as a session player, but was completely unknown outside the inner music circles. His quiet nature, his bass playing skills, keyboard work, and help with the song writing were integral parts in the band and essential to its well being.
Then behind the drums was the man to set standards of rock 'n' roll to the present day, even after his tragic death more than twenty years ago, Mr. John Bonham. (I mean even his name sounds like a drummer.) This God of Thunder only got the job because he went down with Robert Plant to keep him company on his journey from Birmingham, England, to audition for the band. The rest - as they say - is history.
Is Led Zeppelin's fourth album as good as its reputation? Has it stood the test of time?
Stupid questions, of course it does. You get eight tracks all of which are classic. The opening one-two of the first couple of tracks allay any fears of fans that thought they might delve back further into their folksy roots after the rather laid back 'Led Zeppelin III' of the previous year. But the year of constant touring had honed their natural rocking instincts.
As soon as Robert Plant leads the band off with those immortal lines,
`Hey, Hey Mama, said the way you move,
Gonna make You sweat Gonna make You groove,
My, My Child when You shake that thing,
Gonna make you burn, Gonna make You sting.`...
...you know you are off into totally politically incorrect rock 'n' roll heaven. The band then comes in with `Black Dog's thunderous riff and off they all fly roaring straight the way through until you go without a second to catch your breath into the 'Rock and Roll' opening drum intro. What do you expect to get with a title like this? Page just peels off one riff after another, building them up to a shattering crescendo. John Paul Jones backs this up with some of the busiest fret work ever laid down in a studio by a mere mortal of his chosen profession. As for John (Bonzo) Bonham, he is a man at the height of his powers having the time of his life.
Other tracks include the wonderful 'Four Sticks', so called because John Bonham gets the sound he wanted for the song drummed with four sticks simultaneously. (Obvious, isn't it, when you think about it.) An acoustic ballad in 'Going to California'. A keyboard orientated rocker in 'Misty Mountain Top', which on any other album, by any other band, would be the center piece of any collection. However, on this album it sometimes gets overlooked by its surroundings, but comes across as a real delight in the context of the album. There is also a raging folksy tale told with Robert Plant giving full reign to his Tolkien whims in the wonderful 'The Battle of Evermore', with some dexterous mandolin played by Jimmy Page. Robert Plant is able to display his vocal chops in his duet with Sandy Denny (ex-Fairport Convention), who in her illustrious but tragic career had probably never sung so sweet.
The album closes with one of the darkest songs Led zeppelin ever recorded 'When the Levee Breaks', a blues as only Led Zeppelin can play, with Robert Plant's vocals and harmonica play and Jimmy Page's guitar to the fore as the others lay down a rock solid spine to the song.
This was Led Zeppelin's finest hour, and therefore rightly holds the claim to #1 album of all time.
Oh by the way it also includes 'Stairway to Heaven'. Does any body remember laughter?
Mott the Dog
Re-mastered by Ella Crew
40 of 41 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I would like to start this review by stating that this is, arguably, the greatest rock album ever recorded. I don't see how it has an overall 4.5 star rating and it's all of the idiotic 1-star reviews that bring it down. I'm not calling it the best rock album of all time because I'm giving in to the hype about it, because I'm not. I own it and have listened through it over a hundred times so I am more than familiar with it, along with the rest of Zeppelin's music. This is simply the most complete, diverse and distinctive album ever. Not only are Plant, Page, Jones and Bonham gods of their instruments but they are likewise with song writing. The songs range from funky rock and roll (Black Dog, Rock and Roll) to groovy melodies (Misty Mountain Hop) to the more melodic ballads (Battle of Evermore, Going to California) to the epic heavy hitters on the album, Stairway and When the Levee Breaks. These four guys have mastered blues-inspired rock and roll and play it like no other. Jimmy Page is equally masterful and brilliant with the electric and acoustic guitars and his melodies are some of the most unconventional, odd time-signatured yet captivating ever. This is the quintissential hard rock album and it seems like all other albums should be measured up against this one.
I give every single song on this album a 10/10 with the exception of Four Sticks, which I would give a 9.5. Albums can't really rate much higher.
These are the gods of rock and this is their masterpiece. No person who claims to listen to rock should be without it. Don't pay any attention to the 1-star reviews, or the 2- and 3- star reviews, for that matter. They are ridiculous and written solely out of rebellion. Let them listen to their Fallout Boys and Nirvanas and Panic at the Discos. This is real music.
I am someone who usually does not give in to fads and trends just for the sake of doing it, but Led Zeppelin IV is a trend that I can't help but follow. It's simply the best..
I give every single song on this album a 10/10 with the exception of Four Sticks, which I would give a 9.5. Albums can't really rate much higher.
These are the gods of rock and this is their masterpiece. No person who claims to listen to rock should be without it. Don't pay any attention to the 1-star reviews, or the 2- and 3- star reviews, for that matter. They are ridiculous and written solely out of rebellion. Let them listen to their Fallout Boys and Nirvanas and Panic at the Discos. This is real music.
I am someone who usually does not give in to fads and trends just for the sake of doing it, but Led Zeppelin IV is a trend that I can't help but follow. It's simply the best..
96 of 108 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
You know, there are actually some people in the world who don't own this album? What a shame. It's a classic! From the manic vocals on "Black Dog" through the thundering backbeat and jagged guitar lines of "Four Sticks," to the rough Mississippi Delta blues of "When the Levee Breaks," the album is epic. And of course, the album's centerpiece is "Stairway to Heaven," a slow building folk rock masterpiece which climaxes in a volley of hard rock guitar lines with Plant's wailing vocals over the top.
That's not to say that the album is all brawn and no melody. On the contrary, "The Battle of Evermore" and "Going to California" are beautiful folk ballads which perfect the folk sound that Led Zeppelin had been experimenting with ever since their first album came out.
At any rate, if you don't own this album, then you ought to go out and buy it. Just to have one of the greatest CD's ever in your collection.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
The Fourth Time's a Charm
Led Zeppelin seems as brilliant on their first album as they do on their last. One gets the sense of being lured into their timeless sound one album at a time. Read more
Published 22 days ago by Heather Elaine Stafford
Good, but far from Zeppelin's best
Before starting, I realize that I'm walking into a mine field in daring to utter even the mildest criticism of one of the most revered albums in rock history, but as with Jethro... Read more
Published 23 days ago by psychedelephant
Read the 1 star reviews
I think it is so funny that one person would take so much time to wright all the 1 star reviews. Is is so obvious they are all written by the same person. Read more
Published 26 days ago by Ramond
LZ THE HOLY GRAIL
ONE OF LZ'S BEST ALBUMS, EVERY TRACK IS GREAT, ESPECIALLY WITH THE AWESOME SHM AUDIO FORMAT. MUST HAVE FOR ANY CD COLLECTION, BUT DON'T PAY THESE RIDICULOUS OVER-INFLATED RIP OFF... Read more
Published 1 month ago by A. Georgopoulos
Solid Led
Good remaster and worth the price. This remaster is a significant improvement over the earlier CD release with no harshness in the treble as is so often the case with RIAA... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Ed lucky8
WORLD MASTERPIECE!!!!
This is one of the best moments of the world music history...this is maybe the MOST relevant of all the masterpieces LED ZEPPELIN did... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Rio Fluzão
Maybe Best of all Time
i get tired of people giving reviews of a group / album / CD / when it is obvious they don't like the band, don't know anything about the music or band, don't care for classic rock... Read more
Published 2 months ago by James Parker
Zoso Defines Rock
I can't understand how people could rate one of the best albums in classic rock history anything lower than a 5-star. Read more
Published 3 months ago by P. Kemmerling
The Best...
Personally, I hope to never hear STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN ever again. Do I hate the song? No, I simply have it burned into my brain forevermore! Read more
Published 3 months ago by Bindy Sue Frønkünschtein
Led Zep woke up the world !
My favorite band of all time, and I simply refuse to review any Zep album because there is no way that I could ever do them the justice in words that they deserve. Nuff said !
Published 4 months ago by E. D. Clark
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Led Zeppelin's album Led Zeppelin IV was produced by Jimmy Page.
Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, John Bonham, and Jason Bonhamhave been a member of Led Zeppelin.
Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, John Bonham, and Jason Bonhamhave been a member of Led Zeppelin.
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