It's hard to be one of the few who finds Stairway to Heaven over-rated...

That is not to say that Stairway is not a good song, but that to call it one of the five best Led Zeppelin songs, nevermind one of the five best rock and roll songs ever, is well, a bit misguided.

With the release of Led Zeppelin III, the band expanded their sound and began exploring past the muscular interpretations of the blues that made up both Led Zeppelin I and Led Zeppelin II. If I is the blues meeting head on with hard rock, II is the definition of riff, and III is the band's exploration into other territories, then Led Zeppelin IV (or "Untitled" or "4 Symbols" or "Runes", take your pick) is the melding of all 3 into a musical stew that truly defines early-era Zeppelin.

With only eight tracks, the album is short by today's standards. However, with the band releasing albums regularly, and the emphasis on quality rather than quantity, this is a minor annoyance, for lack of a better term.

It kicks off with a pair of songs that would not have felt out of place on Led Zeppelin II. Black Dog has one of the most recognizable guitar riffs ever, with Jimmy Page driving the music in between vocal lines from lead singer Robert Plant. What this song also is is a bit of a showcase for the late drummer John Bonham. His fills are impeccable throughout this song. It's not something you might notice, but if you just listen to the drums, you realize the fact that he's holding back because that's what makes the song better. He isn't showing off just for the sake of showing off, as so many talentless hack drummers today do.

Rock and Roll begins with some adrenalized drumming from Bonham, and it is he who really drives this song. Sure, there's a decent riff from Page in there, and Plant's usual howling vocal performance, but this is one of the few songs in rock history that begs to be air drummed instead of air guitared.

On The Battle of Evermore, the band changes things up completely. Driven by a mandolin melody, it's a dark, eerie folk ballad with some gorgeous vocals from Sandy Denny, a British folk singer. Here, Plant's fascination with mythology comes out in full force.

Evermore sets the stage for the aforementioned Stairway to Heaven. With a simple acoustic opening, the song builds and builds and builds into the musical bridge (which is truly heaven) and then Page's guitar solo before the song turns into a full fledged rocker. While some have said this song is so great because it is everything Zeppelin was over their first four albums in one eight minute song, I find that while the song does have the softer, acoustical side and the Page driven heavy riff side, I do not find the psychedelic heavy blues side that was so prominent in the band's earliest days (some might argue that's what Plant's vocals are, but I disagree).

I've always had a soft spot in my heart for Misty Mountain Hop, which personally, I find to be the most fun Zeppelin song to sing along to, what with its almost chanted lyrics. That is followed by Four Sticks, a dreamy song that melds Page's riff with some heavy, almost Middle Eastern, percussion from Bonham.

But for me, the last two songs have always been the real centerpieces of this great album. Going to California is perhaps the best ballad Zeppelin ever wrote (it's neck and neck with That's The Way and Thank You), with its gorgeous acoustical melody and Plant's heavy vocal performance.

With When the Levee Breaks, the band created a blues masterpiece. Bonham's drum intro sounds menacing, as if a foreshadowing of things to come. Page's guitar seems to just sing at about the halfway part of the song. It was that dynamic, the fact that Jimmy's guitar just seemed to speak to you, that separated Zeppelin not only from their peers at the time, but from the current crop of rock bands as well.

While I do not feel Led Zeppelin IV is the band's best album, it is still an absolutely essential part of any rock music fan's collection. It not only neatly wrapped up where Zeppelin had been over their three previous albums, but acted as a foreshadowing of where the band would head on their future releases. Buy it.

More on Led Zeppelin:

Led Zeppelin I

Led Zeppelin II

Led Zeppelin III

How the West Was Won



Great Music to Play While: Remembering the scene in Fast Times at Ridgemont High where Damone says this is the best thing to play on a first date with a girl.

Recommended: Yes