The Everest Rock

After a few bucolic accents but oh so delicious III, Led Zeppelin gave us an album that many consider the peak of their art.
Here the contrast between the acoustic and hard beaches is much more obvious.
"Black Dog" alternates Plant angry voice a cappella with the rest of the group in a truly hellish delirium of guitars, bass and drums. Amazing! Never a piece had been constructed in this manner before. In the chorus, everyone gets started with offbeat drums. This is simply monstrous.
We could start better.
Follows a "Rock Roll Year" burly around the drums, lead guitar, and of course the crazy singing Plant! A real massacre with a descent diabolical battery as a coda.
Calm down with the delicious "Battle of Evermore" to Celtic and ethereal tones with the participation of Sandy Denny, Fairport Convention singer bathed in acoustic plucked instruments.
"Stairway to Heaven" is really the highlight of this timeless album. From the first acoustic guitar arpeggios, followed flute sings the sweet voice of Robert Plant in the first verse; then comes the 12-string arpeggios ... Sumptuous several acoustic guitars backed by deep bass. It's magic, magical, elegiac, heavenly, divine ... what else I know? The melody is growing. Then come the electric guitar arpeggio still! But it's beautiful !!! The sound gradually rises, the battery in its turn at the wrong cleverly! Had to find rhythmically speaking this entry! How many apprentices batsmen are broken teeth by entering them time too early or too late? Suddenly 3 short chords on electric guitar followed by a fourth longer, repeated 2 times herald a change of pace that results in a masterful solo by Jimmy Page now entered in the annals of rock. Follows a more hard last verse where the battery multiplies very impactful setback, inspired and shattering.
A sudden slowdown in the tempo announces the end itself surprising: "And she's buying a Stairway to Heaven" sung by a calmly Robert Plant cappella ... then nothing ... although one would expect a electricity and chaos orgy hard as is often the case (see "Child in Time" Deep Purple). It is truly held in suspense until the last note. Never heard of !!!
Led Zeppelin has fully understood the concept of progressive rock of always surprise his audience with creativity at all times.
This tremendous increase acoustic and electro-acoustic and hard to return a cappella is a real master stroke in the genus; so that it will not be repeated anytime soon.
Finally, to conclude this masterpiece of the twentieth century, "Taurus" instrumental piece composed by Randy California of Spirit in 1968, is the origin of "Stairway to Heaven" in the spirit and atmosphere. As the 2 groups have toured together, we can date the genesis of this piece that time.
"Misty Mountain Hop", a classical style piece starts with a repetitive guitar riff throughout the song. Battery highlighted once again gives the piece a certain power lead.
"Four Sticks" is much more than the previous speed again with a classic repeating pattern of the time and the voice of Robert Plant that runs behind. The "chorus" of an oriental color is a vocal delirium Plant in a flood of acoustic guitars ... When this passage comes back, he is followed by a synth theme. Amazing!
In "Going to California" things settle down to make way for a nice acoustic ballad.
When the levee breaks closes this album with the battery, always before starting on a heavy and well square tempo. Follows a pattern harmonica very improvised. The rather haunting melody is followed by other repetitive riffs harmonica improvisation interspersed. There is a blues inspiration once visited.
This glowing album, full of emotion and electricity is full of the most original finds. He continues to refer more than 30 years later.
To buy emergency and carry on a desert island.