II | 1000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die

II

Led Zeppelin

album cover

If You Don't Know This, You Need Schoolin'

Led Zeppelin II is an example of how, in the rock and roll business, necessity really can be the mother of invention. Led Zeppelin (singer Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham) erupted out of England in January 1969, with a hard-edged record that suggested much of the preceding activity in British blues-rock had been child's play. The debut generated intense demand for the band to tour and to record again—a problem since Zeppelin hadn't written much new material. A make-do solution was brokered: The band would record intermittently, at stops during tours scheduled for January through August.

Rather than compose entirely new songs, Plant recast lyrics and melodic ideas from old blues standards—the opening track, "Whole Lotta Love," drew several lawsuits asserting that it was a thinly veiled copy of Willie Dixon's "You Need Love/Woman You Need Love," a tune often associated with Muddy Waters. These suits were settled out of court; subsequent pressings credit Dixon as a co-composer. But even the most diehard blues apologist has to recognize that Led Zeppelin did something totally different with the source material—transforming often-appropriated blues tropes into a startlingly visceral, grab-you-by-the-throat sound that changed rock forever.

The hard-rocking tunes on II foreshadow the basic guitar attack of heavy metal—as well as the campier blues riffage of bands like Aerosmith. The lighter, folk-tinged tunes, such as "What Is and What Should Never Be," anticipate the mystical airs Zeppelin would pursue later, most successfully with the epic "Stairway to Heaven" (from IV). Even the other blues "borrowings" are notable for their audacious steps: "The Lemon Song," which interpolates Howlin' Wolf's "Killing Floor," lifts the flatted-third "moan" that is common currency in the blues to a level of sublime invention.

As both a soloist and creator of dense guitar textures, Page is tremendous here; his playing may be a personal best in a career with many candidates. He gets help, of course, from the rhythm section, which follows him closely and is audibly energized by what he's doing. They didn't write all the songs, but on this monumental work the members of Led Zeppelin come to fully "own" them. Following in the tradition of generational borrowing that defines the blues, they radically revamp the outlines of the music until it speaks with a bold, sometimes brutal fury. An attack that could only have happened in the heady times of 1969, it's plenty startling, still.

Genre: Rock
Released: 1969, Atco
Key Tracks: "Whole Lotta Love," "Heartbreaker," "What Is and What Should Never Be," "The Lemon Song"
Catalog Choice: Physical Graffiti; IV
Next Stop: Black Sabbath: Paranoid
After That: The Yardbirds: Live Yardbirds (Anderson Theater New York, March 30, 1968)
Book Pages: 442–443

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Comments:

#1 from Richard, Green Bay Wisconsin - 11/21/2008 11:52

well the list is pretty good i mean i was surprised when i saw machine head, and black flag especially, but for Led Zeppelin… where is STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN!! that is the GREATEST rock song ever recorded no argument it is just hands down genius

#2 from Brent Carter, chilltown Va - 12/11/2008 4:47

i have to agree with the above poster. WTF WHERE IS STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN and Zepplin 4 was better than Zepplin 2 i thought….

#3 from CristobalDeLicia - 04/13/2009 10:49

Listen to Stairway to Heaven lyrics backwards! Certainly forwards, the lyrics suck. Also, on this album, although they didn’t credit their inspiration, its clear they built upon the blues tradition. On their other albums they rip off their contemporaries- Moby Grape, and a long line of others, and take songwriting credit for traditional tunes. I love their music, but really too much is left uncredited

#4 from Melaleuca, United States - 08/27/2009 10:10

You have a point Cristobal but you can’t deny that Led Zeppelin is a legend and they continue to inspire thousand of rock bands. I totally agree with STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN, by the way. It is one of the greatest songs ever recorded.

#5 from Michael, Texas - 12/28/2009 11:00

I actually disagree with IV being the best Zeppelin. I prefer II for a disappointingly unmentioned asset. Jone’s lead bass playing is regarded as one of the best album wide performances by a bass player; I was a tad peeved that bass players got so little love in any of the recommendations.

And Stairway to Heaven may have been good, but I prefer “The Battle of Evermore” off of IV.

1000 Recordings To Hear Before You Die

II

Led Zeppelin

If You Don't Know This, You Need Schoolin'

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