Artist: Led Zeppelin
Album: Led Zeppelin
Year: 1969
Led Zeppelin were to the 1970's what The Beatles were to the 1960's. There are few bands or artists who can lay claim to leaving a larger influence and longer lasting legacy than the Page/Plant/Jones/Bonham foursome. They expanded the blues-rock tradition started by Jeff Beck, The Yardbirds, and Cream, threw in a healthy dose of British folk, and pumped up the jams to arena size. More than that, they were subtle craftsmen who could alternate quickly between blistering heavy metal and pretty acoustics.
Led Zeppelin shows the band arriving nearly fully developed on their debut. The material here is mostly really raw, grungy blues, best exemplified by "You Shook Me." That song sounds like it could have been a combination of Muddy Waters and Booker T. & the M.G.'s, with a more primal guitar assault. It's not my favorite track on this album, but it does show the band's roots very clearly. "Dazed and Confused" takes the same formula and adds Hendrix-esque psychedelia and monolithic descending riffs into the mix. "Communication Breakdown" really isn't too far off from three-chord punk, and sets the template for just about every 80's hair metal band's oeuvre.
Blues-rock hasn't ever really been my thing, but I can definitely get behind Led Zeppelin. They take the genre to extremes, and the folk and psychedelic influences help to make it more palatable for me. I'm looking forward to listening to their next five albums--all of which are included among the 1001--as well.
Rating: Worth repeated listens
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