A Led Zeppelin IV Blog

I remember being about 11 years old and buying Led Zeppelin IV at a Target in Stockton with my own money + $1 from my brother Todd.
I hate writing about my tween years, so I'll just skip to my current analysis: Led Zeppelin IV is one of the greatest albums ever and possibly the greatest album of the 70s.

But why? I mean, look at that stupid album cover. It's a portrait of an old man hunched with a cane in hand and a bunch of large sticks on his back. This has to be the dumbest album cover of all time. Who knew that this would be the cover of the most explosive rock music you'll ever hear?
Led Zeppelin IV (also known as Zoso) would become the epitome of how to make rock music for the next 43 years (and counting). Made only one year after The Beatles broke up, their message was clear: Screw The Beatles. They're dead. Listen to Led Zeppelin. We're alive. 
This thing's got it all:

1 The insanely electric "farewell-to-blues-as-you-know-it" riff on "Black Dog."
2 The new sonic definition of "rock and roll" as heard on "Rock And Roll."
3 The dark, epic folk and mystical storytelling of "The Battle Of Evermore." 
4 The immortalized, beautiful, climactic ballad from hell [(about drugs, of course) and apparently about Satan if played backwards] "Stairway To Heaven."
5 The drunken bass-heavy banger about hobbits, "Misty Mountain Hop."
6 The song with four drumsticks, "Four Sticks."
7 The part-personal and part-nonsensical tender folk ballad, "Going To California."
8 The echoing, all-powerful drum part on "When The Levee Breaks."
I suppose that there are plenty of elements on this album that people were introduced to before 1971. But I think that Zoso is Zeppelin's most dynamic work. Their most-well produced album. Their most focused. The blueprint for rock and roll to come. 
Another interesting about this album: No band photo. We get the old man on the cover. We get the I don't know how they did it!
drawing of Gandolf-hermit. We have some dude reading a book next to the "Stairway to Heaven" lyrics. But where's the band? To me it makes the production more mysterious. Cuz heck,
Each band member stepped up their game on this album:
Robert Plant Plant's voice was used before as a hippie who could scream the blues. After this album, he sounded more more mature, yet also more drugged-up. This is where he made his crossover. I don't know what the frick he's saying on half these songs, but he sounds very passionate about it. (And yes, he did have a crush on Joni Mitchell. "Going to California" refers to her song "California.") 
Jimmy Page Listen to "Black Dog." Have you ever-- ever heard a sound like that before? Maybe Hendrix? Maybe Cream? Maybe King Crimson? Those are only maybe's. Nobody utilized electricity quite like Jimmy. Also, "Stairway to Heaven." The transition from acoustic to electric to the depths of hell sound effortless... and flawless. Plus, sick mandolin part on "Evermore!"
John Paul Jones I'm not gonna lie, if you want a "Bass Playing 101" lesson, try Led Zeppelin II. On Zoso, he proves himself to be an equally talented multi-instrumentalist. Hear the flute organ on "Four Sticks" and "Stairway." His piano solo on "Rock And Roll." The bass-and-keyboard combo on "Misty Mountain." 
John Bonham No, Bonham wasn't given any solos on this one. There is the track where he plays drums with 4 sticks. His part on "Levee" was recorded in a stairwell to make it sound bigger and echoing. This makes up for his absence on 2 (and-a-half) songs here. That-- and his part on "Rock And Roll." Holy ****.
Anyways, this album is being reissued this week. I probably won't buy that copy. But it's a friendly reminder of a personal favorite and historic classic.

Zoso is not a word, but rather, a symbol...