Artist: Led Zeppelin
Album: Led Zeppelin II
Year: 1969
Round 2 of Zep comes up in a big hurry after Round 1 two albums ago.
I'd have to say that after listening to both albums back to back, I prefer Led Zeppelin I to Led Zeppelin II. It's a close call, but on the first album, you get a more palpable feel of how the band was influenced by blues, folk, and psychedelia in somewhat equal measure. There is more subtlety to its craft, I feel. On this one, you just get pummeled by really heavy blues-rock over and over. Which is fine, because it's all really good, and really essential to the development of hard rock/heavy metal. My preference is for a more varied experience, so I slightly prefer the first album.
But this one really kicks all kinds of ass also. "Whole Lotta Love" has an insanely catchy riff and was the band's biggest hit, "What Is and What Should Never Be" has a big dose of Hendrix-style sensuality, alternating between countrified verses and a heavy chorus. "Ramble On" brings things down to the acoustic level for awhile, a welcome respite from the shards of Page's heavy guitar that dominates the album. "Heartbreaker" is another blues-riff-driven tune that stands among the band's best songs, with a show-stopping solo by Page about halfway through.
I can see how influential this album was, but I'm looking forward to Led Zeppelin III, which notably is a folkier effort than the first two albums, to my delight, and I reckon to the disappointment of many young adult males circa 1970.
Rating: Worth repeated listens
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