Led Zeppelin (album)
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| Led Zeppelin | ||
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| Studio album by Led Zeppelin | ||
| Released | January 12, 1969 | |
| Recorded | October 1968 at Olympic Studios in London | |
| Genre | Hard rock | |
| Length | 44:51 | |
| Label | Atlantic Records | |
| Producer(s) | Jimmy Page | |
| Professional reviews | ||
|---|---|---|
| Led Zeppelin chronology | ||
| Led Zeppelin (1969) |
Led Zeppelin II (1969) |
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Led Zeppelin, released on January 12, 1969, was the first album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. The groundbreaking music and recording techniques displayed on the album are today considered as one of the most impressive and important debuts in rock, creating an entirely new interpretation of the genre. The album established Led Zeppelin's then-unique dynamic, from their fusion of blues and rock to the integral contributions from each of the group's four musicians. Though all of these elements would later be developed, the album was the blueprint Led Zeppelin continued to follow for the rest of their career.
Led Zeppelin created a large and devoted following for the band. Their then-unique proto-metal and psychedelic rock sound endeared them to a section of the counterculture on both sides of the Atlantic.
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[edit] History
Despite the conceptual originality displayed on the album, it included three songs composed by others: "You Shook Me" and "I Can't Quit You Baby", both by blues artist Willie Dixon; and "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You". Regarding the last of these, at the time guitarist Jimmy Page mistakenly believed he was adapting a traditional folk song, but this was corrected on subsequent rereleases after it was revealed that the song actually was composed by Anne Bredon in the 1950s. Dixon, on the other hand, received proper credit as the composer of his two songs on this album (although "You Shook Me" later would be additionally credited to J. B. Lenoir); but he would go on to sue the band over the partial use of other material of his on the band's second album.
"Dazed and Confused" is arguably the album's centrepiece: a foreboding arrangement featuring a walking bass line from Jones, heavy drumming from Bonham and some powerful guitar riffs from Jimmy Page. The middle section of the song also featured Page playing the guitar strings with a violin bow, a technique adapted by him during his years as a studio guitarist, and later in his performances of this song during the latter days of The Yardbirds.
However, Led Zeppelin also demonstrated a wide range of textures and shades other than just loud, amplified electric riffs. A tabla player accompanied Page on the acoustic guitar instrumental "Black Mountain Side". Meanwhile, "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" and "Your Time Is Gonna Come" feature Page's acoustic guitar work, which would be extended on subsequent albums.
Page is reported to have used natural room ambiance to enhance the reverb and recording texture of this record. The album was recorded on an analog 4 track machine which also helped to give the record a warm sound.
The album cover features an artfully manipulated version of the most famous photograph (originally from UPI) of the Hindenburg disaster. It is in fact an illustration of this photograph drawn with a Rapidograph pen and ink by graphic artist George Hardie. Such originality in album cover art and packaging would be developed on the band's subsequent releases.
In 2003 the TV network VH1 named Led Zeppelin the 44th greatest album of all time. Also in 2003, Rolling Stone magazine declared the album the 29th greatest album of all time.
[edit] Track listing
- "Good Times, Bad Times" (Bonham/Jones/Page) – 2:46
- "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" (Bredon/Page & Plant)– 6:41
- "You Shook Me" (Dixon/Lenoir) – 6:28
- "Dazed and Confused" (Page) – 6:26
- "Your Time Is Gonna Come" (Jones/Page) – 4:34
- "Black Mountain Side" (Page) – 2:05
- "Communication Breakdown" (Bonham/Jones/Page) – 2:27
- "I Can't Quit You Baby" (Dixon) – 4:42
- "How Many More Times" (Bonham/Jones/Page) – 8:28
Robert Plant participated in songwriting, but wasn't given credit due to unexpired contractual obligations.
Some cassette versions of the album reversed the order of the sides. For these versions, side one began and ended with "Your Time Is Gonna Come" and "How Many More Times," while side two began and ended with "Good Times, Bad Times" and "Dazed and Confused."
[edit] Credits
- Led Zeppelin:
- Jimmy Page - Acoustic, electric, and pedal steel guitar, backing vocals, producer
- Robert Plant - Vocals, harmonica
- John Paul Jones - Bass guitar, organ, keyboards, backing vocals
- John Bonham - Drums, tympani, backing vocals
- Viram Jasani - Tabla
- Chris Dreja - Back liner photo
- George Hardie - Cover design
- Glyn Johns - Engineer, mixing
- Peter Grant - Executive producer
[edit] Charts
Album - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Pop Albums (Billboard 200) | 10 |
Singles - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | "Good Times Bad Times" | Pop Singles (Billboard Hot 100) | 73 |
| 1969 | "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" | Pop Singles (Billboard Hot 100) | 73 |
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
| Led Zeppelin |
|---|
| Jimmy Page · Robert Plant · John Paul Jones · John Bonham |
| Discography - (Category) |
Studio albums: Led Zeppelin · Led Zeppelin II · Led Zeppelin III ·  (Led Zeppelin IV) · Houses of the Holy · Physical Graffiti · Presence · In Through the Out DoorLive albums: The Song Remains the Same · BBC Sessions · How the West Was Won |
| Films |
| The Song Remains the Same · Led Zeppelin DVD |
| Other |
| Peter Grant · Richard Cole · Swan Song Records · The Yardbirds · XYZ · The Firm · Page and Plant · Strange Sensation · Bootlegs ∙ Concerts ∙ Songs |
