Customer Reviews

Led Zeppelin

5 star:		(315)
4 star:		(59)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(24)

 

 

This is Led Zeppelin's best CD. No other CD truly defines this band better than their self-titled debut. All songs on this album are indispensible. Dazed and Confused is a masterpiece, as is Babe, I'm Gonna Leave you. But the real heart and soul of this record are its blues tracks You Shook Me and I Can't Quit You Baby anchor the album. Zep was always at their best playing the blues, just check out Since I've Been Lovin' You. Your Time is Gonna Come still gives me goosebumps, and How Many More Times is the hidden gem on the album. Zeppelin would never top the overall consistency of this album, it is a true landmark in rock history and should be in every fans' collection.

The short guitar bursts on "Good Times Bad Times" that open this firecracker debut in 1969 could be viewed as a forewarning of great songs to come, some of the most historic moments in rock and roll. These four guys were actual musicians who, as a collective unit, created a sound that was unmatchable at the time. And they didn't just blast away at their instruments, either. "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" showcases gentle acoustic guitar at first, then later driving riffs that could inspire anyone to play air guitar. Even on their first record, Zeppelin weren't afraid to draw out their songs (some would say overstay their welcome), and four of the nine tunes last (and blast) for over six minutes. Like The Doors, Zeppelin had a keen interest in the blues; underneath all the raw rock on this album is a soulful, bluesy sound and aura with two Willie Dixon covers that the band "Zeppelinizes" to the max. Nothing, however, tops the segway from "You Shook Me" to the blazing "Dazed and Confused," which sounds amazing, raw and blistering. The organ work of John Paul Jones on "Your Time is Gonna Come" is truly beautiful, sounding like a church hymn on a rough-and-tumble rock and roll album. Undoubtedly, these British lads mixed sonic beauty and thrashing rawness to create an art form that still resonates today. "Black Mountain Side" is a busy acoustic ditty that sounds positively charming next to its follower, "Communication Breakdown," but that's Zeppelin's style in a nutshell -- heartlifting to raw in a matter of seconds. These rocking songs come off as urgent and passionate. Lyrically, the album is all blues as Plant wails majestically about one heartbreak after the other, moaning about his lost women and unabashedly feeling lonesome and sorry for himself. No matter, he'd have plenty of time to attain more women in the future. This is the work of a band ready to take on the world -- on its own terms.

"From the chunky, hard riff that opens "Good Times, Bad Times" (listen to how John Bonham triples up on his bass drum during the first verse) Led Zeppelin introduced the music world to something entirely new. The zest, fervor and passion that they'd put into thier final performances as the "New Yardbirds" was heightened on this first album, and perfected with relentless touring and concentrated studio time. "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" perfectly showcases Robert Plants' staggering vocal prowess (remember he was still a boy of 21 at the time) and the groups' brilliant arranging and playing. The two sprawling, bluesy excursions these blokes take on have become classics in thier own right (the pummeling "Dazed & Confused" and the album closing "How Many More Times" give the album it's epic feel and are perfect examples of how the blues informed and influenced the band from the very beginning. The shorter songs are oustanding as well, the punkish attack of "Communication Breakdown" provides a quick burst of energy for the listener, while "Your Time Is Gonna Come" is perfect acoustic pop that still doesn't sound dated or contrived. "Black Mountain Side" owes a debt to the Beatles in the middle 60's experimental period with it's use of tabla, acoustic instruments and somewhat unusual arrangement (no vocals). The entire band seemed to really coalesce into a tight, ferocius and intuative unit in a very short time as this debut album is completely lacking in any of the awkwardness or timidity usually associated with a new band. Throughout, Jimmy Pages' guitar (electric and acoustic) whips and soars over the heavy blues rock like a bird in flight, he essentialy rewrites the book on hard rock guitar playing here. John Bonham (THE GREATEST ROCK DRUMMER EVER, PERIOD) and John Paul Jones are an astounding rhythm section incapable of ever losing the groove and they stretch out to wondrous effect here on several selections. Led Zeppelin were a true band who only got better with time. Though their sound became more streamlined with subsequent releases, they never lost the fire that they started with in '68. This is a classic whose influence has been far reaching , but the years have only made it sound fresher and more vital. ...

This is not my favorite Zep album, nor do I think it's their best, but it's a great debut and sign of things to come from Jimmy Page (guitar), Robert Plant (vocals), John Paul Jones (bass/keys) and John Bonham (drums).
Led Zeppelin was one of those rare groups that combined musicianship, live performance, charisma, myth and decadence into an enduring legend. The critics may have hated them, and detractors may still rip on them, but this band recorded a decent catalog of material.
These guys were also very eclectic with their musical styles, with straight-ahead rock/metal, white blues, acoustic folk, and eastern-tinged raga all showing up on different tunes. They may have shamelessly ripped off classic blues, call it sampling, but they were unafraid to push the boundaries of rock music.
"Good Times Bad Times" is a crunchy opener, with its guitar rhythm puzzle, outstanding drum fills, and excellent bass riffs.
"Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" has a nice acoustic guitar ballad feel, but rises and falls with varying dynamics. The lyrics are pretty standard 'my woman done me wrong' but Plant turns in a good performance.
"You Shook Me" is a slow-burn blues tune. Great organ solo. Interesting guitar/vocal interplay between Page and Plant.
"Dazed and Confused" is a signature tune for Led Zeppelin. My favorite thing about this song is the timing of the rhythm section, especially John Bonham's drumming.
"You Time is Gonna Come" begins with cathedral-like organ playing by Jones before breaking into an acoustic/rock number. More lyrics about 'woman done me wrong.'
"Black Mountain Side" is an instrumental featuring acoustic guitar and tablas. I like Dread Zeppelin's version for humor.
"Communication Breakdown" revs things up with more crunchy rock, with a great bassline and blistering guitar solo by Page.
"I Can't Quit You Baby" is another slow blues burn, with plenty of tasty guitar licks by Page.
"How Many More Times" has a nice swinging rhythm groove, wah guitar, and probably Plant's best vocal performance on the disk.

All in all, this is a solid effort, although the slow tempo tunes bog it down at times, and Plant is definitely still developing as a vocalist here. Still, this is a fine debut and well worth adding to your collection.

I really don't know what to say about this. All words of praise pale in comparison to the music. It defines an era, a moment, a generation. I can't listen to it without a flood of memories and feelings. There is nothing like it. The best of the best.

That just it, it's the best debut album ever. Led Zeppelin used this phenomenal fusion of rock 'n' roll and the blues and turned themselves into the Gods of hard rock. They are the best hard rock band ever and they can easily fight with Black Sabbath as the fathers of heavy metal. They were never critics favorites, but screw the critics because the fans knew the real deal. Good Times, Bad Times features every band members specialty, the fade out gutiars are stellar. Babe I'm Gonna Leave You is the template for all of their epic rock classics like Stairway and Kashmir, long and loud. You Shook Me and I Can't Quit You Baby are flawless blues covers, phenomenal range in musical talent. Dazed And Confused is the best song on here, one of their best and most popular and the one that has become part of our everyday vocabulary. Your Time Is Gonna Come is kind of bluesy but more fist pumping rock and has a great beat. Black Mountain Song is a fabulous first instrumental. Communication Breakdown flat out rock, fast and hard. How Many More Times is another one of those beat driven epic of Led Zeppelin's many. In the end, this is the best debut and one of THE best albums of all time. This is incredible rock 'n' roll and it receives my highest recommendation.

This is one of my alltime favorite albums ever! I love all Led Zeppelin, but this is the one that started it all and introduced me to them. My personal favorites would be: babe i'm gonna leave you, your time is gonna come, you shook me, dazed and confused, good times bad times, i can't quit you---aah you know what...I love the whole thing! Go buy this right now!!! It's a classic!!! A must have!!!

Led Zeppelin I (1969.), Led Zeppelin's first studio album

Over the years there are bands which have completely revolutionised rock n' roll. One of the most important of these bands is the mighty Led Zeppelin. The quartet of Robert Plant (vocals), Jimmy Page (lead guitar), John-Paul Jones (bass) and John Bonham (drums) have gone on to become one of the biggest selling album bands of all time; second only to the Beatles. This is even more phenominal when you consider the band did this with just nine studio albums and a few extra releases. Led Zeppelin originally formed in early 1968 and released this album in amazingly quick time. The public's response to this new band was ecstatic and this album was quickly hailed as a masterpiece, and still is for that matter. So is this a deserved tag to be given to Led Zeppelin's mammoth debut?

Led Zeppelin's debut is a capture of the band at their most rawest and blues based. However, this is part of why this album is so revolutionary (and the Led Zeppelin II follow up for that matter) because the sheer power and strong riffing to a bluesy sound was something pretty new at the time. Other bands such as Cream and the Who had deveoped a somewhat hard rocking sound but Led Zeppelin literally took the concept into unchartered territory with this album. Jimmy Page's guitar playing is inspired throughout, Bonham's drumming is thunderous, John Paul Jones' bass play is assured and pronounced and Robert Plant's powerful wails resonate with brilliance. Indeed Plant's style has become a blueprint for many vocalists to follow him over the years. However, what makes the band playing even more awesome, from this album onwards, is how all four player's miraculous ability all comes together to make mindblowing ensemble play. People have criticised the early Led Zeppelin work as being a 'blues rip-off'. This is a statement which is far from the truth. Sure, the band took some old blues styled numbers as a basis for some of the songs on their early albums but at the same time what is more important the actual sound which Led Zeppelin had; it was revolutionary ... no dispute. You cannot deny the band's importance. What makes Led Zeppelin I an even more phenominal debut is in the fact that the band recorded the album in just 30 hours of studio play; over 9 days. For an album of such quality, it speaks volumes for the band's ability as musicians and as a unit.

Led Zeppelin's debut kicks off with the crunching, strong chords of 'Good Times, Bad Times'. This song is a great opportunity for all the band members to shine and we see racing guitar solos from Page, catchy bass hooks, inspired drumming and striking vocals from Plant. The injection of heaviness in the first song gives the album the jump start it needs to belt out more Zeppelin style guitar based rock. However, there is a slight change of pace with 'Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You'. This 6 minute song is a blend of passionate acoustic melodies with heavy crunchin verse. Plant's vocals are at their most emotional on this song and he gives a chilling performance. 'You Shook Me' follows, another classic slow blues staple. Plant's wails of 'Babe!' echoed by Page's guitar are classic, as is the mouth organ sequence mid-way. Then for me, comes the best track of the album and a big fan favourite in 'Dazed And Confused'. This is a Jimmy Page written piece which starts with a brooding riff from John Paul Jones' bass then moves up a gear for the solo, in which Page takes his trademark violin bow to the guitar for the first time in a quite experimental sequence. The hard rocking sequence late on in the track is ear-crunching and Bonham's pounding drumming is legendary.

Opening up the second half of the album is the clinical organ sequence played by John Paul Jones in 'Your Time Is Gonna Come'. The song, after a minute deveops into a ballad styled rocker which is a great listen. For acoustic mastery, we have 'Black Mountainside'. Some of the sequences Page plays are awesome and it goes to how really how good a guitarist Page is. The background tabla drums give the song good effect. 'Communcation Breakdown' is next. If you really think Led Zeppelin couldn't do heavy riffed songs, think again after listening to this gem. The fast paced and aggressive riffs of this short length track are amazing. This song rocks hard. Then we have more classic hard rock-blues with 'I Can't Quit You Baby'. Classic slow riffs, coupled with an emotional vocal performance from Plant see this track home. Finally, we have the closing epic in the 8 minute 'How Many More Times'. This is a lengthy, high energy exit and a classic finish. The spontaneous melody contains more violin bow solos from Page and more timeless riffs.

Led Zeppelin's debut is a timeless classic. This album is revolutionary to say the least and was the launch pad for plenty of later and again influential classics from the great band that are Led Zeppelin. This debut for me is the band's heaviest album and their rawest but its part of the work's charm and gives it a great edge. Many would even go as far to call it the band's best effort (I wouldn't personally) but you can see why with the albums foreboding, passionate and inspired bluesy tunes. If you don't own this album, you simply haven't got a proper rock collection; it's a must buy.

Imagine buying an album in early 1969, and all you really knew about the band was that the third most famous Yardbirds guitarist had made a new group, and it shared a name with a German flying machine. What would you expect? Most bands take a few albums to start generating a buzz, but Zeppelin's first studio album was unlike any other debut, rivaled in history only by Pearl Jam's surreal "Ten".
When Led Zeppelin I is first played, you hear a pounding drumbeat. The drums became a trademark of Zeppelin, and the drummer, John Bonham, displayed ability and talent unseen before, and since. "Good Times Bad Times" gets the Zeppelin train started, and the rest of the album is riveting. Highlights include a cover of "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You", a track which shows Page's brilliant ability to lay multiple guitar tracks, and his wondrous skill in mixing acoustic and electric guitar. The highlight of the album is "Dazed and Confused", where the talents of all members are dsplayed. To Jimmy Page's impossible guitar solos, Robert Plant's screaming voice, John Paul Jones' steady bass, and John Bonham's thundering drums, all combine to make one of Zeppelin's signature songs.
This CD is a must buy for any fan of Blues-based rock.

Whenever you hear someone refer to "old school" rock and roll, this is the school they're talking about. Led Zeppelin burst onto the scene in early 1969 with this debut album and taught an entire generation of singers, songwriters, and music lovers something new about blues, folk, and rock n' roll.

The influences of other artists (most notably bluesmen Willie Dixon, J.B. Lenoir, and Albert King) was prevelant (enough to earn the group a tongue-lashing from a pompous Rolling Stone reviewer), but they had definitely found their own sound, a bombastic, entrancing explosion that would later the define the chaos and disillusionment of an entire era. Even today this music's passionate strumming and aftershock drumming is an inspiration, a testament, a signpost.

Featuring classics like the ambitious "Dazed and Confused," heavy blues numbers like "I Can't Quit You Baby," and even some herbal folk and eastern influences ("Your Time Is Gonna Come" and "Black Mountain Side," respectively), this album is a must-have for anyone interested in a look back at the bedrock-breaking origins of metal. Or, actually, for anyone who just wants to listen to some unquestionably good rock and roll.