A Record a Week: Led Zeppelin - II

SIDE1.
A WHOLE LOTTA LOVE
WHAT IS AND WHAT SHOULD NEVER BE
THE LEMON SONG
THANK YOU

SIDE 2.
HEARTBREAKER
LIVING LOVING MAID (She's Just a Woman)
RAMBLE ON
MOBY DICK
BRING IT ON HOME

Well, here it is. My dirty little secret: I don't like Led Zeppelin. I always felt like I should like them, but I just caaaaaaan't with them. Maybe, I thought, I just haven't given them a fair chance. Well, this record sort of proved both sides of that. I should note that I do enjoy Stairway to Heaven for the first 5 or so minutes, but that is like saying you like the Stones because you enjoy Satisfaction if you don't enjoy anything else by them.

Zeppelin takes what could probably be 3-4 minute songs and just harps on some part of them until I feel uncomfortable. Whether it's a short guitar shot that they play 40 times instead of the 10 or 11 I expect, or a wailing vocal part (the ones with no instruments especially) that continues until my muscles begin to involuntarily twitch; I just can't do it. To be fair, this was greatly amplified from working at a place where the 'new rock' station was on all day and they would repeatedly play their songs throughout the day and rotate between only 2 or 3 of them.

This record contains a few of their radio play songs for sure, but I must admit there was one or two songs that were shorter and had none of the elements that I dislike. There was even one (Thank You, perhaps?) where the singing was in a lower register and it was a nice break. I also must admit that they do know how to rock. They have some good riffs and some parts of songs that are awesome, but then they run them into the ground by playing them over and over.

It was more tolerable than I had thought it would be and as mentioned, some killer riffs were in there. It also gets a bonus for having a locked groove at the end, something I love and have always wanted to do. Either that or an even bigger bonus for having the best-timed skip on a record ever.