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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The greatest album of all time. Bar none., 28 Oct 2005
Four Symbols, Zoso, IV, The Runes Album. To be honest, Led Zeppelin could have called their 4th studio album "A load of b****cks" and it wouldn't have made any difference.Led Zeppelin IV is simply the greatest album ever recorded. In America, only Thriller, The Wall and Eagles-Very Best Of have sold more. And let's face it, in musical terms, only Pink Floyd of these three can be mentioned in the same breath as Led Zeppelin. Just looking at the track listing is like looking at a greatesT hits album. Black Dog was the product of a jam between John Paul Jones and John Bonham. It remained a steady fixture of their live shows for years to come. Misty Mountain Hop is simply mesmerising, fusing the brilliance of multi-instrumentalist/arranger supreme Jones with the awesome riffery of Jimmy Page, arguably the greatest guitarist of all time. I say this because Page's legacy, both as producer, live performer, songwriter and guitarist is far greater than Clapton, Beck and even Hendrix, who didn't stick around long enough to show off his sublime talents. Going To California is essentially a nod to Joni Mitchell and gives a brief respite from the barbaric rock of numbers such as Rock & Roll and Four Sticks. To finish the album, When The Levee Breaks is just incredible. Robert Plant's wailing lyric above the blues inspired guitar lines and two-bar drum intro is simply breathtaking. If you haven't heard any Led Zeppelin music, shame on you. And until you do, you haven't heard music. Real arse kicking music, that is.
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