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Rating:
I am literally flattered to review this rock masterpiece. Without a doubt, it is one of the best albums ever released.
With this work (released in October 1969), the dirigible confirms its magical inspiration, offering us a beautiful, hard, and quite significant album for this reason: this record marks the beginning of hard rock, and it will surely be the hardest rock record of Led Zeppelin's career, starting with the famous riff that opens one of the best songs of their career, "Whole Lotta Love" (remember that it was chosen as the theme song for the program Top of the Pops). After the attack of Page, Jones and Plant, Bonzo steps in with the drums giving us one of the best drumming performances ever. At a certain point, the song changes and becomes a percussive, psychedelic piece, with Page intent on inserting strange sounds and Plant screaming with moans. Then comes the famous interplay between Bonzo's pyrotechnic drums and Jimmy's super guitar, the track returns to its initial energy. The next track, "What Is And What Should Never Be," is a perfect example of how Bonham is capable of giving the drums refined and calm strokes, but also of breaking in and giving power to the song. So far, everything is a spectacle and the four show they know how to enchant the listener. But the wonders are not over yet (it's not a 45 rpm, after all!), then here is "The Lemon Song", a reworking of a blues track by Howlin' Wolf. Plant writes the text taking verses from "Travelling Riverside Blues", by Willie Dixon. Subsequently, the style changes and softens: "Thank You" is destined to remain among the best ballads of the group and of rock in general, characterized by Jones' splendid organ and Page's 12-string acoustic guitar. Simply magnificent. The B-side bursts in with "Heartbreaker," a showcase of Page performing fast and extraordinary solos with his guitar. "Living Loving Maid (She's Just A Woman)," while being a beautiful and aggressive song, is poorly regarded, so much so that it will never be played live. "Ramble On" is an acoustic piece inspired by Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, a cult book of the time. But strangely, this track is also not performed live. If "Heartbreaker" was a showcase for Page, "Moby Dick" is one for Bonzo, who does everything: he hits the drums with sticks and without, a spectacle indeed. But, anyway, this track is not absolutely significant, it is not the highest achieved by the four. However, it will be a very famous track, so much so that it becomes the most performed song live by the dirigible.
The final piece, "Bring It On Home," is also memorable: after the first part composed of guitar, voice, and harmonica, the track changes clothes and becomes a frenzied rock blues. An extraordinary closure of an equally magnificent album. Certainly one of the high points of Led's career, it will be the wall to break down.
This album is also a demonstration of the magical talent of Page, Plant, Jones, and Bonham. A classic. And sorry if it's not much.
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