So much has been written about Led Zeppelin that writing this review of their first album seems almost unnecessary. After all, what am I going to say that you couldn't possibly already know or read somewhere else? The answer: nothing, but you're reading this anyway. Don't you just hate it when you waste time like this? =)

Amazingly, even 32 years after it's release, this album still sells thousands of copies a year, as just about every Zeppelin release does. It's considered by many to be the ultimate debut of "heavy metal," although I don't necessarily buy that. To me, Led Zeppelin is a further amped up and sexed out version of The Who. For me, heavy metal started with Black Sabbath. When this album came out, Rolling Stone and just about every other critic hated it. Shows you exactly how much critics know.

My title means no disrespect to The Beatles, who were no doubt important and revolutionary but overall, I feel Zeppelin had a greater influence on ROCK music, while the Beatles influence is definitely more rooted in pop/rock.

This record is wonderfully diverse. The songs range from the short, sonic, bombastic punch of Communication Breakdown to the epic-like Dazed and Confused, a song that alone would have been enough to call this record "revolutionary."

My personal favorite is the acoustic tinged Your Time Is Gonna Come, which itself sounds like it could be a Beatles song, with the harmonies and the sweet arrangement and the gorgeous melody.

The two covers of blues classics, Otis Rush's I Can't Quit You Baby and Howlin Wolf's How Many More Times show off the band's incredible diversity as well.

Ultimately, what made Zeppelin so great was their tightness as a unit, which is on full display on this record. The individual talents of all 4 members were gigantic, but when combined, this was a MONSTER of a band. Plant as probably the only one who could hold his own vocally with Jimmy Page wailing away on guitar.

Ultimately, this release is more sedate than some of Zeppelin's follow up releases, but it still rocks hard, with an ultimate spirit of blues that remains hard charged and refreshing.

Recommended: Yes