Led Zeppelin II - The Greatest Rock Album of All Time Released 40 Years Ago Today

I love Zep 1 through Houses of the Holy with #2 being the least of those now, but I sure did 'dig' Zep 2 when it came out! Maybe I have just heard it toooooooo many times.

Listened to Jimmy Page's 'Deathwish II' (Japanese gold cd) 4 days ago for about 3 straight hours. I think most people don't really like it that much, but I do! I just needed my Deathwish II fix! LOL

Happy Birthday Zep...You saved my 'head' back in the day!!!!!!!!

 

Love the sound quality of it, love the music, definitely my favorite Zeppo

 

I agree that the music is great, and it is unfair to completely dismiss the record because it is essentially an album of cover songs.

It is a shame that Zeppelin didn't honestly present the album as a covers album, because there wouldn't be the backlash that exists today. Unfortunately, because they tried to pass off the work of others as their own, there will always be a stigma to the album.

Zep was not the first band to steal from black artists, but it is the shameless approach of often word for word and chord for chord theft with no credits that ruins Zep II for some of us.

When I hear Ryan Adams do his unique take on "Down In a Hole" by Alice In Chains, I don't think "rip off" because there is no deceit involved.

Page's greed hurt his legacy, and had he properly credited the artists that actually wrote the songs, everyone would have been fine. Like Zep, The Beatles did tons of covers on their early albums, and no one cares because The Beatles actually had the decency to credit the original artists.

 

Risk implies uncertainty, and I would classify your assessment of sacrilege as a given.

 

I'll take I, III, and PG over Led Zep II anyday.

 

Just got done cranking...and I can honestly report that Led Zeppelin II is still, indeed, one of the greatest albums of all time!

 

I've had my share of poking fun at Zep on this forum, but when II (on vinyl, natch) is on the 'table, yeah, I would agree that it's up there with the greatest records of all time. Even though it's hipper to prefer Presence or Physical Grafitti or whatever, II, with the exception of "Moby Dick," is pretty damn near perfect. My faves are "Ramble On" and "What Is and What Should Never Be."

 

This "stigma" that you claim sure hasn't hurt the sales of ZepII. It has sold many millions.

 

The stigma of slavery certainly didn't hurt commerce in the south, either. Dude, I'm a Zep fan. The music is great. It is a covers album. No one is claiming the record is unworthy of purchase, nor is anyone claiming it didn't deserve to make money.

We're simply saying the writers of the songs should have gotten credited and paid. My apologies for caring about poor black musicians that couldn't afford the attorneys Zep had.

 

As if there isn't a Jimmy Page connection there. Someone starts a thread commemorating a great album, and you came here to crap on it?

My response to your post was pointing out how you did exactly what you assert LZ did; ripped off others without credit. You didn't cite or credit your sources for the Yardbirds / LZ myth did you? ...its not like your statement is new, unique, or original to you is it? Nope. Whats that term? hypo-something or other?

 

I'm listening to my Zepp II German Atlantic gold disc right now and it sounds wundervoll

 

Maybe, but, the RL pressing is one of the most overrated items here at the forums.

 

Definitely a favorite of mine right behind Physical Graffiti. "Whole Lotta Love" is still magical after all these years.

 

On a side note, 40 years ago was there actually such a thing as a nationwide uniform release date for rock albums? Or would Led Zeppelin II maybe have appeared on record store shelves in New York and L.A. a week or two before it made its way to Kansas?

 

Another anonymous poster with no profile. aka Troll.

'We're...' as if you speak for a conglomerate or group representing the poor people of yore. Who appointed you? You?? It seems if you're concerned about, say, Robert Johnson's estate (for him) you'd certainly be ultra-concerned about a bigger theft issue. So let me ask - if you are on US soil, have you paid any tribes or Native Americans for the land you're living on or profiting from?

 

But I'm sure glad I got my grubby little hands on a copy ($7 in a used album bin).

Do you have one?

 

Happy Birthday Led Zeppelin II.

You always were my favorite.

 

Hopefully we'll get to hear the outtakes and see the video shot during the recording sessions. There was a long thread awhile back about how awful LZ was recorded in the studio. I can't agree with that. LZ II has some of the sickest bass and guitar sounds ever. The sounds JP and JPJ get after the Heartbreaker solo when the band kicks in are unreal. Someone said on another forum that the guitar sounds like it has been dragged to hell and back. I know exactly what they mean

 

For me too. A lot great memories did and still do come with that album.

 

I guess I'm new to this debate. In the posts since my last I see people making assertions I'm not familiar with. I love Zep. I've got them nine ways to Sunday. UK pressings, US pressings, MoFi, Classic, Japanese, original tan and purple Atlantics and plum label UK's and that's before we get into the CD's.

I'm not here to upset anyone or pick a fight. I'm not trying to read anything into anyones post other than the words on the page. I was just having fun stating the obvious that the New Yardbirds became Led Zeppelin. Zep II is a great LP. It's hard to imagine rock music without it. Now let me get back to crapping on another thread.

 

Happy Birthday!

but seriously, THE greatest rock album of all time?

I must respectfully disagree... not even Zep's best, that honor would probably go to ZoSo as far as mass aclaim goes, IMHO its III or PG depending on what day it is.

But many happy returns anyway

 

And If I Say To You Tomorrow...

There was a time when Zeppelin II and I ruled my world, my late teen years, when they got me through those awkward alienation phases. But now, as I grow older and slighty mellower, I've come to prefer III and IV over the first two, which seem a bit too blues-based, derivative for me now. However, like Cassius intoned, II has a certain extrasensual tone to it and songs like Ramble On and Thank You and What Is And What Should Never Be are long-time firm faves. Even Bring It On Home moves me still, with that classic break down switch up, and I have found a recent soft spot for Living Loving Maid, an eclectic song for sure. Sound like a Noel Redding type cut on Axis or EL. Bottom line, I am more a words/lyrics man than blues guitar rocker now, and II is where Percy was just coming into his own as a songwriter, and he grew in leaps and bounds (in Bron-Y-Aur and elsewheres) to be a great lyricist by III and IV and HOTH...(along with their fellow outtakes found on PG). Mind you, I have and always shall be a firm believer in the God-like guitar prowess of Mister James Patrick Page, and he was the mystro magi magifico shining all over these five records. Not forgetting their fairly decent rythtym section... MOBY DICK DICK DICK!!!!



cheers,

mrbill

 

Maybe I read it wrong. My bad.

The 1968 US Yardbirds tour was loaded with future Zep!

 

I agree completely. It is a dirty sounding recording, but in the most high fidelity way possible. If they had recorded it with Steely Dan like SQ, it would not be LZ II. Sounds to me like they pushed those Vu meters into the red, and with spectacular results.

I just gave my Classic a spin, and for me it never gets old. And piss on anyone that does not like Moby Dick.

Brian