#58 Led Zeppelin, 'Led Zeppelin IV' (1971)
Previously #69
Leapfrogging over ‘Led Zepplin’ (previously #29, now #101), comes Led Zeppelin’s best-selling record, thanks to their signature song and guitar standard, ‘Stairway To Heaven.’ Following a lukewarm reception on ‘Led Zeppelin III,’ the band took residence in the 18th Century stone manor, Headley Grange. They recorded using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio with their engineer, Andy Johns, with assistance from their pianist, Ian Stewart. Living there allowed the band to focus. It also allowed for spontaneous jam sessions.
Opening with ‘Black Dog,’ inspired by a black Labrador living on the property, the song has one of my all-time favourite vocal performances by Robert Plant; “Hey hey mama said the way you move/Gonna make you sweat, gonna make you groove.” Into one of the best Rock ‘n Roll songs ever, the aptly titled ‘Rock and Roll.’ Born out of a jam with Ian Stewart, Bonham was inspired to write the intro by Little Richard’s ‘Keep A Knockin’. ‘The Battle Of Evermore’ is notable for featuring the only female voice on any Zeppelin recording care of Fairport Convention’s Sandy Denny. Closing Side One of the record is the iconic, timeless and brilliant ‘Stairway To Heaven;’ a song that feels like it’s been around since the beginning of time. A true collaborative effort, each member would contribute to its arrangement. Side Two opens with another J.R.R. Tolkien inspired song, ‘Misty Mountain Hop,’ with John Paul Johns leading on electric piano. ‘Four Sticks’ is a relentless performance by John Bonham, while ‘Going To California’ is a beautifully acoustic number led by Jimmy Page. It also features some of my favourite Zeppelin lyrics; “Someone told me there's a girl out there/With love in her eyes and flowers in her hair.” The final track, ‘When The Levee Breaks,’ features the greatest drum intro bar none. A sound that could only have been recorded at Headley Grange; it was recorded in a stairwell with two mics hanging down the stairs. It’s a reinterpretation of a 1929 Blues song by Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy. The drums have been sampled heavily in many Hip Hop songs, most notably the intro to ‘Rhymin & Stealin,’ the first track on Beastie Boys’ ‘Licensed To Ill’ (#192).
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