Debut album Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin emerged from the remains of the Yardbirds, a very influential British Sixties band that in the course of its existence, the guitarist legends Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page had -schließlich- as "main attraction". After the band finally surrendered in the summer of 1968 for Jimmy Page, the opportunity to put together a new band on his own terms. Within a short time he recruited John Paul Johnes (born John Baldwin) - as well as himself an experienced and versatile musicians - bassist and only known to insiders, just 20 years Robert Plant (vocals) and John Bonham (drums). Even as New Yardbirds "sent by the American label Atlantic on tour, was immediately taken up in October 1968 in London, the debut album of the group, which meanwhile" Led Zeppelin "(Engl .:" leaden Zeppelin ") called. Even the only 30 hours production time - spread over 9 Days - could have any idea of ​​the myth and the incredible abilities arise, which is assoziert with the four musicians to this day.

LED ZEPPELIN has laid foundation stones whose meaning extends to the present day. Firstly, it has defined the style and sound of the band before the second album, Led Zeppelin should go through "Whole Lotta Love" abruptly international superstars: Hard Rock with clear blue references, Jimmy Page Guitar Inferno and -exzentrik and perhaps the most important Ingedrenzien in Band Sound , Plants hysterical falsetto vocals and Bonhams brutal, driving drumming.

Secondly, it already anticipates the versatility and the rich variety of later albums. Straighter hard rock songs (the opening track "Good Times, Bad Times" and the frantic "Communication Breakdown") and menacing-monstrous tracks like "Dazed and Confused" or the eight-minute closer "How Many More Times") alternate with pure blues ("You Shook Me", "I Can not Quit You") and (semi) -akustischen half ballads ("Babe I'm Gonna Leave You", "Your Time Is Gonna Come"). Especially nice succeeded the direct transfer of the latter to "Black Mountain Side", a solo acoustic piece Jimmy Page, concerning his virtuosic versatility perfectly demonstrated.

Another fact, however, is revealed even on this album: the plagiarism. Led Zeppelin had a lifelong weakness for taking compositions from another hand and to make it their own, but often without mentioning the true origin of the song in the credits. LED ZEPPELIN is no exception. Only "Good Times, Bad Times", "Communication Breakdown" and "Your Time Is Gonna Come" are genuine own compost ion, the rest is either gecovert, stolen or not refined or ("Dazed and Confused") nothing but a still from Yardbirds times originating Song. Well, in the Sixties, it was common practice to cram debut albums with cover songs - Beatles, Stones, Who, Kinks, Bob Dylan and many others had done the same thing. Led Zeppelin, however, should also disclose the following albums of this behavior.

Nevertheless, these shortcomings are not critical, but the band created a distinctive style that is not only in approaches the mystical, mysterious the later albums (eccentric sounds, seemingly oriental melodies, etc.) reveals. In addition, have "Dazed and Confused" and "How Many More Times" with their heavy riffs already heavily into the heavy metal direction, for a little later Black Sabbath should "specialize".

Conclusion: LED ZEPPELIN can be absolutely seen in comparison to the subsequent Zep albums in terms of sound, it seems sometimes even fresher than that!