Led Zeppelin: We Are Your Overlords

In my mind there are two types of rock: that which was created by man, and that which was created by gods. The music of Led Zeppelin is most definitely the latter of the two. Their fusion of styles, use of instruments, and cosmic sense of rhythm set them apart from the band's inception.

Forming in 1968, Led Zeppelin was comprised of: Robert Plant, vocals; Jimmy Page, guitar; John Paul Jones, bass guitar and keyboards; and John Bonham, percussion. These four men, over the course of ten years and eight albums, incorporated rock, blues, Celtic, classical, funk, jazz, and many other styles into their music. Although many have typecast Zeppelin as Heavy Metal, their blends of musical styles and instruments and their use of acoustic and distortion created what was arguably it's own genre.

Their first album, Led Zeppelin, reached #10 on US charts with thumping, bluesy songs such as Communication Breakdown and Dazed and Confused, as well as the lovely acoustic Babe I'm Gonna Leave You.

Led Zeppelin II continued the bands blend of styles with Heartbreaker, Living Loving Maid (She's Just a Woman), and What is and What Should Never Be. Included in the second album's lineup was Moby Dick, an instrumental piece which showcased the mastery of drums by John Bonham.

Led Zeppelin III brought more interesting music from the band. While the first two albums had been dominated by Page, with the release of III the band had become more democratic in choosing it's styles. This brought another hard hitting list of songs including The Immigrant Song, which happens to contain my favorite lyric for describing Zeppelin, "We are your overlords."

Led Zeppelin IV, also known by the names "The Four Sticks" and "Symbols" as well as others gave birth to a song that nearly everyone who picked up a guitar thereafter would aspire to play: Stairway to Heaven. While Stairway in itself is considered by many to be Led Zeppelin's masterpiece, this album also carried Rock and Roll, Black Dog, The Battle of Evermore, Misty Mountain Hop, and When the Levee Breaks.

The fifth album, Houses of the Holy, marked more change in the band as they drifted away from the bluesy sounds of previous albums. This album contained such songs as D'yer Mak'er, The Rain Song, and Over the Hills and Far Away. In my opinion this album was a nice upswing from some of Zeppelin's earlier heavy-hitting and sometimes dark and mysterious songs, with D'yer Mak'er and Over the Hills both having a happier sound. However, if its the more cosmic Zeppelin that you crave, this album's No Quarter should keep you satisfied.

Physical Graffiti, the sixth helping of Zeppelin, offered more great tunes. Songs such as Kashmir, In the Light, and my personal favorite Page acoustic piece, Bron-Yr-Aur. The title song of Houses of the Holy also wound up on this album due to an odd decision by the band to withhold it from that album. Graffiti was one of my favorite album covers, with the building being the actual cover and holes in that cover showing the letters spelling the album title showing through from the record's dust covers.

Created after singer Robert Plant was in a serious automobile accident in Greece, the band's seventh album, Presence, is not one of my favorites. I don't know why some of the songs of this album don't agree with my Zep-palate. Good titles from this album include Achilles Last Stand, Nobody's Fault But Mine, and Candy Store Rock.

In Through the Out Door was Led Zeppelin's final studio album. Page and Bonham both tended to show up late to these sessions, causing most of the album to be influenced primarily by Plant and Jones. Favorites from this one include In the Evening and Fool in the Rain. Carouselambra offers a unique sound on this album. Although Jimmy Page never liked it, I like All My Love. Page felt that it just wasn't Zeppelin-like, but anyone who has followed Plant's solo career can testify that All My Love was definitely a preview into Plant's internal realm.

In September of 1980, the incomparable John Henry "Bonzo" Bonham died. Although rumors of replacements abounded, the remaining members and their manager released a statement to the effect that there was no way they could carry on without Bonham, and that the band was no more.

Since that time, Zeppelin has cast its awesome shadow on many in the rock world, influencing those from rockabilly artists to the heaviest of metal. However, in my opinion, the blend of talent and styles that is Led Zeppelin couldn't ever again form on this plane of existence.