Whats your fave Led Zep album?

[angelsighs]

For pretty much all of my favourite artists, I can usually instinctively pick one which one is my clear favourite. sometimes this corresponds with the general critical consensus (or even mega-sales), sometimes I've gone for a weird favourite, perhaps because I'm focussing on a different aspect of their sound than the norm. For example my favourite Clash album is Sandinista and I've got a weird feeling recently that I might actually prefer Second Coming to the Stone Roses s/t (perhaps a topic for another time)

anyway, this is a roundabout way of me saying that Led Zep are one of the few acts where I literally can't begin to select a favourite. I think Dylan is the only other artist who has produced as many classic albums as the Zep (but obviously he's produced a lot of crap too because he's been around longer), but with him it's easier to focus on different periods where the production is so different and varied. With Zeppelin it was a much more gradual evolution, and the albums were released in a much tighter timeframe. Also obviously Jimmy Page produced all their stuff himself so they have a uniform sound. it's simply a wondrously solid catalogue (from one the best bands ever?)

sometimes I go for the obvious choice of Led Zep 4. But then I'm always a sucker for a double album and Physical Graffiti is amazing. But then Led Zep 1 is so explosive and bluesy sometimes only that hits the spot...
whats your choice?

[runcible]

Physical Graffiti followed by Led Zep 3. 1 & 2 follow closely. The only one I don't get is Houses of the Holy (barring The Ocean which is immense). Physical Graffiti is the greatest double album ever made bar none.

Like I said a while back - Spacemen 3 are my favourite ever band but Led Zeppelin are the greatest ever band.

[spzretent]

My vote goes for LZ ll. Followed by Physical Graffiti.
I like House Of The Holy.
My vote for best double album ever is Exile.
As for greatest ever band my nod goes to the Stones. Completely discounting anything after Black & Blue!

[MODLAB]

Physical Graffiti hands down.

I clicked the wrong one...

2nd is Houses.

B,

M

[BzaInSpace]

II, III, Houses of the Holy...and the mighty Presence. Dunno if I could choose just one however.

[redcloud]

No contest for me... Led Zep 'III' all the way!

Dad gave me 'IV' for Christmas back in '77...I LOVED it and soon picked up the others. Back then though 'III' was always the more difficult one for me to get into but today it is the one I go back and listen to the most.

Probably 'Houses" or "IV" a close second. Sadly, so much of 'IV' has been so overplayed that I do not listen to it very often. But when I do pull it out, dust it and drop the needle down I always turn the sucker up...(to 11)!

[Laz69]

First one... hands down... but i think the first 3 are some of the best records ever.

The debut album is an absolute MONSTER of an album, and the fact that this was their debut is just astounding. Always thought that Led Zep I is the possibly the best ever debut album ever...

[angelsighs]

I like Houses of the Holy, but I don't think it's right up there in competition for the top spot. it's quite playful and too much of a grab-bag of stuff compared to the mammoth statements of the other albums. some amazing songs on there though- Over The Hills and Far Away is brilliant and a song I've been trying to learn on the guitar lately. and the Rain Song is unexpectedly beautiful.

for me 'III' isn't in the running, although brilliant it's not quite up there.
'IV'- yeah maybe that has been overplayed a bit, not their fault though. but stops me connecting with it as much as i might.

I'll give a nod to Presence too- nothing wrong with that album at all and opens with one of their greatest ever songs in Achilles Last Stand. with any other band that album would be a career peak. nice and heavy and raw.

After reading everyone's comments I'm now leaning towards Physical Graffiti, or the debut. that first album is indeed a monster and such a cocky and powerful way to say hello to the world. the impact must have been amazing at the time. although it's a debut don't forget that Jimmy had been in the Yardbirds and a session player. by then he was ready to make his big statement and knew exactly what he was doing. but the album also has a looseness and cockiness that comes from youth. How Many More Times is one of my favourite LZ songs but it hardly ever gets mentioned. The BBC Sessions version is brutal.

[runcible]

The debut album is an absolute MONSTER of an album, and the fact that this was their debut is just astounding. Always thought that Led Zep I is the possibly the best ever debut album ever...

It features the greatest opening track on any debut album ever made - no question about that. Every part of that song, from it's opening power chords to the rippling solo it finishes on, is perfection. And, referring to an old thread here, it wasn't a single. Very rare for a debut album opener not to be a single.

[Laz69]

The debut album is an absolute MONSTER of an album, and the fact that this was their debut is just astounding. Always thought that Led Zep I is the possibly the best ever debut album ever...

It features the greatest opening track on any debut album ever made - no question about that. Every part of that song, from it's opening power chords to the rippling solo it finishes on, is perfection. And, referring to an old thread here, it wasn't a single. Very rare for a debut album opener not to be a single.

Yeah, don't think they ever released any UK singles... but agree with you and angelsighs, i often wondered what it would have been like to hear that album when it weas released... it must have been like nothing anyone could have imagined.

[solarflarez]

i picked IV, but it was a hard choice, I,II,III and IV are all classic, perfect albums and number II has the best memories for me

[BzaInSpace]

I've loved Led Zeppelin ever since I was a teenager - my dad got me into them by giving me the tape of IV, after I read they were a favourite of Kurt Cobain. I can still remember the exact location and time and feeling of hearing 'Black Dog' rip it up - I was amazed at how fresh and heavy they sounded. And 'Rock And Roll' - wow!
I never really liked 'Stairway...' and I still don't, but hey - their back catalogue remains one of the most incredible ever. There's very few songs I would skip, and they have done several great, great records - that's why I found it so hard to choose just one record.

For example, when I first started getting into them I snapped up as much as their albums as I could find on cassette - one time I tried to compile one C90 of their best songs so I wouldn't have to lug all the tapes around and found that I just couldn't - for me it's all really good shit!

I went for Presence in the end as I think that record is just incredible. It's so brutal, the songs are almost prefectly crafted and they return to their early, in a room live sound...ah, I love it! Plus I listened to it most recently...

I always enjoy II and III - where do you start (and end) with them? Perfect albums. Houses of the Holy I've always really enjoyed too. Some great tunes - as mentioned 'The Rain Song' - awesome. 'Dancing Days' is just amazing, like a spaced out new wave tune or something.

I also really dig Page's awesome production - he seems to layer and mix everything really tightly in the exact antithesis of most early 70s rock which tends to be total surround mixes. The recordings are absolutely superb and Bonham's drums remain the best reproduced-to-disc in my opinion. Gotta love too Page's weirdly dry guitar tone. Just really loud, but often without much effects.

I LOVE LED ZEP!

[scratch]

I'll give a nod to Presence too- nothing wrong with that album at all and opens with one of their greatest ever songs in Achilles Last Stand. with any other band that album would be a career peak. nice and heavy and raw.

I think it is a career peak.. but the debut beats it.
Plant sounding nervous while the band is confident.. creates a nice tension..
guess I love it for what some consider flaws - they were not yet a well oiled machine but very hungry.
I also adore the heavy print-through from earlier takes which almost sounds like a deliberate effect. Did they remove it in remastering?

[angelsighs]

I'll give a nod to Presence too- nothing wrong with that album at all and opens with one of their greatest ever songs in Achilles Last Stand. with any other band that album would be a career peak. nice and heavy and raw.

I think it is a career peak.. but the debut beats it.
Plant sounding nervous while the band is confident.. creates a nice tension..
guess I love it for what some consider flaws - they were not yet a well oiled machine but very hungry.
I also adore the heavy print-through from earlier takes which almost sounds like a deliberate effect. Did they remove it in remastering?

never knew about that. I do remember reading that the band were so loud and the studio so small that there was a lot of bleeding, for example Roberts voice being picked up by other mikes etc. add this to Jimmy's distant miking for the drums and the album almost has a quasi-ambient sound.. "moving air around"

[jadams501]

I suppose I'm in the minority, then, of not really "getting" Led Zeppelin. Stairway and When The Levee Breaks are obviously great, and I do like the debut quite a bit, but LZ just hasn't really moved me emotionally like Pink Floyd or The Who have. I respect it intellectually, but it just doesn't draw me in for repeat listens. At least when I was more tied to CDs I would put some Zeppelin in the player once in a while, but now with my ipod it's far too easy for me to scroll past them.

A few years ago I bought "How The West Was Won" in what I considered a last-ditch effort to understand what all the fuss was about. For whatever reason, I've only made it through once.

I want to give it another try. I only own I, IV, and How The West Was Won, but am willing to track down other stuff. Where should I start?

[angelsighs]

I want to give it another try. I only own I, IV, and How The West Was Won, but am willing to track down other stuff. Where should I start?

I would maybe try Physical Graffiti as that has more of the epic sound you hear in Stairway or Levee.
or if you like the first album maybe BBC Sessions of which the first disc is storming live versions of early material.

but it seems you've sampled a good range so far so maybe they're just not your thing. it's The Who that leave me cold, I must say.

[sunray]

III for me. Then again i could always take or leave Zeppelin so probably doesn't matter what i think....

[Multi]

.

[runcible]

I can't listen to Stairway any more as everyone at school overdid it when I was in my teens.

It seems I should revalue Houses of the Holy from everyone's opinions here.

[Minky]

First one... hands down... but i think the first 3 are some of the best records ever.

The debut album is an absolute MONSTER of an album, and the fact that this was their debut is just astounding. Always thought that Led Zep I is the possibly the best ever debut album ever...

I agree. Tough choices but if I had to pick one this is definitely my favorite album. So much energy in that recording!

[Minky]

I can't listen to Stairway any more as everyone at school overdid it when I was in my teens.

Yeah, elementary school slow dance guarantee! If I hear it somewhere I actually don't mind it so much now since I steered away from it so long.

[spzretent]

It seems I should revalue Houses of the Holy from everyone's opinions here.

I saw that tour. July 13, 1973 Cobo Arena Detroit. I'll get my cane/walking stick!

On second thought I just found this.
http://www.guitars101.com/forums/f90/le ... 89810.html
I do remember a MONSTER 30 minute drum solo at some point. Damn, nearly 39 years ago!
I am technically unable to figure out how to up or download this.
Can someone figure it out and burn it for me. A nice present awaits.

[Minky]

These work:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=TKCUOFRN

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=OFCCGNG0

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=65620TPN

[scratch]

I saw that tour. July 13, 1973 Cobo Arena Detroit. I'll get my cane/walking stick!
I am technically unable to figure out how to up or download this.

1. hit the computer with the cane as though you were Bonzo
2. chant really loud for half an hour.. doesn´t matter exactly what your mantra is but it helps if inspired by Tolkien and has corny allusions to sex.

[spzretent]

Dont I have to puke at one point or just get fed up and throw the damn thing out the window?
Wait, I may throw my back out doing that.

[Minky]

I saw that tour. July 13, 1973 Cobo Arena Detroit. I'll get my cane/walking stick!

On second thought I just found this.
http://www.guitars101.com/forums/f90/le ... 89810.html
I do remember a MONSTER 30 minute drum solo at some point. Damn, nearly 39 years ago!
I am technically unable to figure out how to up or download this.
Can someone figure it out and burn it for me. A nice present awaits.

Um, I tried. Second link keeps hanging up. Checked DVD's I have chock full of live stuff (sent from a friend) and that show isn't one of them. Sorry.

[norrin radd]

Coda is fucking quality as well !

as far as the voting...thats tough...for me personally, its a toss between 3 and physical grafitti.....fuck it, graffiti because its longer..then again, since ive been loving you, friends...arrh this is impossible

[rameses]

I saw that tour. July 13, 1973 Cobo Arena Detroit. I'll get my cane/walking stick!

On second thought I just found this.
http://www.guitars101.com/forums/f90/le ... 89810.html
I do remember a MONSTER 30 minute drum solo at some point. Damn, nearly 39 years ago!
I am technically unable to figure out how to up or download this.
Can someone figure it out and burn it for me. A nice present awaits.

Um, I tried. Second link keeps hanging up. Checked DVD's I have chock full of live stuff (sent from a friend) and that show isn't one of them. Sorry.

All downloads worked ok for me. I'm going to give it a blast on the way to work.

[niamhm]

I or IV for me ,and IV has some great memories attached ,so thats one for me fatty,a slight aside back in 1990 whilst on a few days sick leave ,my mother`s Brittania Music Club choice of the month came through the door ,Lad Zepplin -Remasters compilation ,needless to say it soundtracked the next few days ,obviously a few things missing but its a pretty good collection.

[Already There]

I voted for Led Zeppelin III. I don't know all their albums, but from those that I do know this would be my favourite album, although their fourth and Houses of The Holy contain some of my favourite songs.

[marmalade]

the first album for me, love the raw power

and for anyone else into it, check out the bootleg of their performance at the 1969 Texas Pop Festival, soundboard recording and amazing

[angelsighs]

seems like the first album is edging it then. I'm surprised that II is not getting more love as that's another stone cold classic- another hardly ever mentioned gem in The Lemon Song (bass playing on that is amazing). but maybe that's the bands fault for making too many great albums, it kind of splits the vote.

I remember buying a bootleg DVD of one of the Earls Court shows from a bloke at a record fair, and he said he went to one of the nights, and his ears were ringing for a WEEK afterwards.

[toomilk]

Nothing beats the raw energy of the first one, which I feel is perfectly embodied by Page's solo on "Good Times Bad Times."

I'm not the biggest fan of guitar solos, but that song makes me bow down. Goddamn.

[Already There]

I think I still need to get into their first album.