In my opinion, Led Zeppelin was sort of a blueprint of all the hard rock and heavy metal that was to come. The album laid out a foundation and some boundaries, as well as essential parts, to what '70s hard rock would be. It's like the prologue to a good book, or what The Hobbit is to the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Can't have one without the other!
The record contains many of Zep's so-called "greatest hits", their most popular tracks. But if you think about it, every Zeppelin album is incredibly popular with incredibly popular tracks...... My favorites include Dazed and Confused, Communication Breakdown, and How Many More Times. Dazed and How Many definitely qualify for "jam" songs. They're long, with repetitive riffing, and a lot of soloing and improvisation. Just my type of thing =) They really show the dynamics of the group, how well they can play off of each other, as well as each individual's incredible talent with the instrument and the ability they have to make it do whatever they want.
There isn't really any soft songs here, just more mellow. Dazed, as well as You Shook Me and I Can't Quit You keep the tempo groovy, but again, are upbeat and charging, not down and depressing. Good Times Bad Times and Communication Breakdown are the most uptempo tracks. Searing guitar and vocals cut through walls of rhythm, pummeling the listeners ears with pre-1970s aggressive blues rock.
If you consider everything else that was being played at the time (1969), Led Zeppelin was a kick in the pants. One might say that it "blew the classical music out of society's butt" - It's an essential to any rocker's musical arsenal, one that can be played over and over again.
No comments:
Post a Comment