Hammer of the Gods, Led Zeppelin

[Tusk]

So.... I have started threads about The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Eagles, Heart and even ABBA....

How could I forget the great Led Zeppelin?

Even though they were an English band, I had never heard of them until I came to America. The Beatles, The Hollies, Cream, Abba, the Bee Gees was as far as we went in our family in the way of 'Rock Music', hard rock was not played in the home.

As soon I was struck with the Zeppelin music, their musicality, mysticism and edge, it didn't take long to have to OWN all their albums, they were so good and gave me a taste of that hard edged rock that balanced my love of harmonies and melodies from the Beatles. Zeppelin was a revelation in music, hard, fast down and dirty
They would influence my journey into future rock favorites

Here is their Kennedy Center Honors show


Anne and Nancy Wilson performing Stairway to Heaven with John Bonham's son, Jason, is the highlight to the tribute

So many great tunes to post

[Tusk]

Zep at their Bluesiest, Their debut album was dripping with the blues of their influences. Like many of his British Brethren of the time, Jimmy Page was taken with American Blues artists and infused every ounce of the songs with blues soaked licks, Plants vocals and wails matched Page's intensity, John Paul Jones holding the rhythm on bass and Bonham's beats provided the back bone to some amazing songs.

Good Times, Bad Times


Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You


Your Shook Me


Dazed and Confused


Your Time is Gonna Come


Black Mountain Side


Communication Breakdown


I Can't Quit You Babe


How Many More Times

[Tusk]

No sophomore slump was Zeppelin II, considered by many Zep fans as one of Their best. This is the album that has Zep Iconic hits such as the Haley covered "What is and What Should Never Be", Plant's Love song, "Thank You", the Crazy Sexualized, "Lemon Song" and on and on.

Bonham's Legendary Drumming is on "Moby Dick"...it could be said every song on this album is a hit.

It would be hard to argue against this being their finest album....but there was a Stairway to come

Whole Lotta Love


What is and What Should Never Be


The Lemon Song


Thank You


HeartBreaker


Living Loving Maid (She's Just a Woman)


Ramble On


Moby Dick


Bring it On Home

[Tusk]

No let up in the Zeppelin Boys, their 3rd album, released in 1970, was full throttle with the Iconic Viking themed "Immigrant Song" and Plant's siren wail to open the album. It was this song that coined the term, "Hammer of the Gods" which would eventually be attributed to Page's guitar playing style. Contrast that hard core Rock with the sensual tones of Robert Plant, the blues drenched guitar work of Jimmy Page, The percusive precision of Bonham and Bass and keyboards of Jones on "Since I've Been Loving You", the flower power of "Tangerine" and country inflected, "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp"

Zep III had an interesting cover for it's album, one of those things that had cut outs and you could spin/rotate a wheel that showed different things in the cut outs.

Immigrant Song


Friends


Celebration Day


Since I've Been Loving You


Out on the Tiles


Gallows Pole


Tangerine


That's the Way


Bron-Y-Aur Stomp


Hats off to (Roy) Harper


...next, if you listen very hard... the tune will come to you at last...

[30CamdenSquare]

I've been meaning to add this song to the Led Zep thread for a long time, so I'm glad Tusk paused before he got to LZ IV, because it fits right here.

"Hey Hey What Can I Do" was recorded for Zeppelin III, but wasn't included on the album, which always surprises me because it would've been one of the strongest tracks on the LP. It was released as a B-Side to "The Immigrant Song" in the U.S. though & has gotten more airplay, over the years, than most of the songs on the album.

"Hey Hey What Can I Do"