Mott the Dog: Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin – 5 Stars

By Mott the Dog

July 21, 2022

33687

Led Zeppelin in 1969. Who would have believed that these fresh faced young lads, would soon become the Juggernauts of Rock Music, redefining its very essence.

For 12 years Led Zeppelin ruled supreme as the head of state in Rock ‘n’ Roll. Dragged, kicking and screaming, to superstardom by their powerhouse manager Peter Grant – you didn’t mess with our Peter, if he put the bad eye on you for selling Bootleg Zeppelin T-shirts you stayed sorted.

Led Zeppelin came up in the age of singles. However, on the instructions of the manager, Led Zeppelin did not release one single. Nevertheless, right from the day that the New Yardbirds turned into the beast that was to become Led Zeppelin, the principle players were superstars. They arrived to packed out concerts in stretch limos with masses of P.A. The albums were riding at the top of the charts, and they enjoyed all the excesses of the Rock ‘n’ Roll life style. One minute you’d never heard of them, the next they were everywhere.

Listening to this album 53 years later on, does it live up to the hype? Has it stood the ravages of time? Is a Dalmatian a beautiful dog? Of course it has , the brilliance of diamonds does not dim over a few years.

As soon as the band breaks into the opening song, you know that you are listening to musical magic. Led Zeppelin had only been together for six weeks when they were ushered into the studio to record their inaugural album. Glyn Johns was the only outsider required to do the engineering and less than four weeks later they emerged with this masterpiece. Basically, they had laid down their stage act on tape, so no wonder the sound is so vibrant and alive. Most of these songs stayed in the live set right to the end and are regularly brought back again whenever Page or Plant decide to strut their stuff on the boards.

With gigging almost every night , fitting recording sessions in when they could. It’s amazing they ever sat still long enough to get a publicity shot done.

There are nine songs in all, ranging from the blitzkrieg heavy metal thrash of Communication Breakdown at 2 minutes 26 seconds to the control and magnificence of How Many More Times, at 8 minutes 30 seconds. This closes with an uncredited run through of “The Hunter”, which is a favourite for this dog. However, it is the amazing slow Blues, You Shook Me by Willie Dixon that really shows off the talent of all the group members. The Jeff Beck Group (Jimmy Page’s old running mate in the Yardbirds) had, six months previously, issued a version of this song on his band’s debut album “Truth” (August 1968) and it had Rod Stewart on vocals. Despite this, after Beck heard Zeppelin’s version, it gave him an inferiority complex that has lasted up until today, despite now being regarded as the finest electric guitarist on the planet. Please note that the Beck version is brilliant, it’s just that Zeppelin took it to another level.

Of course, over the years, “Dazed and Confused” became Jimmy Page’s “Tour De Force”. It stretches up to 30 minutes on stage, with the guitarist using violin bows, and all sorts to show his virtuosity. On the album though, you get the original tune, which is often easier listening, without having to suffer the over indulgence from Page. The opening bass line of this song before Jimmy Page comes in on lead guitar sends a shimmer through the fields of Rock’n’Roll every time it’s played.

Quite rightly it was Jimmy Page that was front and centre for Led Zeppelin. But the longer the band pulled together the more of an identity the others got.

Zeppelin achieved this magnificent album without bothering the writing skills of Robert Plant. All that was still to come when Page/Plant became as famous, as Lennon/McCartney or Jagger/Richards.

From here Led Zeppelin went onto conquer the world, and this was their glorious start.

These days when you buy the Led Zeppelin debut album . you get two discs , the second disc has a fabulous live recording from 1969 of the Band at the Paris Theatre. Worth buying the album for that alone. Even in 1969 Led Zeppelin were a mighty beast.

The members of Led Zeppelin may have been jealous of their Managers Rolls Royce . But by the end of their first year together they could all afford fleets of them.

Musicians:
John Bonham – drums, tympani, backing vocal
Robert Plant – lead vocal, harmonica
Jimmy Page – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, pedal steel guitar, backing vocal
John Paul Jones – bass, organ, backing vocal

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