Led Zeppelin
IV

THE REVIEW

This is the album that I have listened to more than any other in my life, so much so that the stereo is fed up and trying to destroy it. The record that introduced me to and made me love this group, which already attracted me with those voices that denigrated it for certain mysteries, darkness, but also the greatness and majesty of each member's abilities. From hard rock to folk, from blues to rock and roll, ZOSO is a fundamental work for those who want to delve into the magical world of these four Englishmen who drove the world crazy with the various legends about destroyed hotel rooms or sexual performances desired by multiple groupies.

In short, ZOSO is the album of maturity for Jimmy, Robert, John, and Bonzo, where in eight tracks our heroes offer the essence of what they had already given to fans with the first three also excellent albums.
It starts with BLACK DOG, pure hard rock with Robert's shouted intro, but it continues, and here comes ROCK AND ROLL, my favorite in the realm of wild rock, which begins with Bonzo's famous intro that at the end delights us a bit more, giving us a few seconds of solo… his drums have a sound that never tires, almost like that of a guitar.
After the frenzy, the calm, so to speak, medieval with the folkloric THE BATTLE OF EVERYMORE, a masterpiece in which the voices of ROBERT PLANT and RAMY SHANDY intertwine in perfect harmony. Next is the absolute masterpiece of the album, and probably of all contemporary music, vying for the spot with the magical ECHOES of PINK FLOYD, introduced by fantastic flutes that evoke a fairy-tale world (suitable for the LORD OF THE RINGS) soon accompanied by an acoustic guitar and PLANT's whispered voice.

It is a slow crescendo that takes LED to emotional peaks never reached before (we're in '71) with the help of a phenomenal solo by PAGE and BONZO's strong beats in contrast with the delicacy of the entire song. However, ZOSO is not yet over, as MISTY MOUNTAIN HOP (inspired by the beloved R.R. TOLKIEN) with JONES' keyboards and FOUR STICKS (played with four sticks) two examples of powerful, charged rock restart at full speed. With GOING TO CALIFORNIA, we return to the magic, the bucolic landscapes that inspired III, another pinnacle of the album, a sign of the group's deep agrarian and dreamy attachment. Unfortunately, we have reached the end and fortunately with yet another classic, this time blues, inspired by Memphis Minnie (from '28) and enriched by the reverb of BONZO's drums. It will be the band's best-selling album and the one with a legend thanks to the cover that at the time was released without titles because the fan had to recognize the work by the music.
Inside (in the booklet) only signs and symbols, one of which (zoso) gave the album its name and various other references to magic (the alleged satanic nature of some verses played backward of STAIRWAY… which even took them to trial) to add to the mystery surrounding one of the greatest bands of all time.