Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II (1969)

Genre: Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Blues Rock

Released a little over half a year after their stellar debut, Led Zeppelin II knocked The Beatles' Abbey Road off of the No.1 spot on the charts, twice, proving that they were a force to be reckoned with. As a reminder, I do not intend for this to be a really in-depth and complex review. I'm just sharing my quick personal thoughts on the album. As for any album review I will do, I try to be objective without letting any personal bias get too much in the way of the final grade.

Led Zeppelin II was more or less a continuation of the early heavy metal sound of their first record. Most critics and fans like to think back on this record as the most heavy among the band's discography, and I can agree with that. Hits on this record like Whole Lotta Love and Heartbreaker demonstrate this, with their hard pounding bass grooves and loud, distorted guitar riffs. The former song takes a break halfway through with a very psychedelic jam session which includes Robert Plant doing some interesting vocal improv (honestly, he sounds like he's having a seizure induced orgasm). The latter song also takes a break at the halfway point, just for Jimmy Page to get cocky and show off his flashy guitar shreds.

Personally, the heaviest track on this record would have to be The Lemon Song. This is over six minutes of pure, unadulterated Zeppelin at their finest. Two transitions throughout the song lead into a fine showcase of musicianship, with the members playing at full capacity, thanks in part to a really fast tempo change. Plus, with lyrics like these, one can't resist, "Squeeze me baby, 'till the juice runs down my leg... the way you squeeze my lemon, I'm gonna fall right out of bed." Still on the subject of heavy tunes, Moby Dick, which is pretty much just a glorified drum solo, still sounds intense and is fairly enjoyable. Bonham is truly a master of his craft.

Even though this record feels heavier than the rest of their discography, there's still a couple of tracks here that fit into the lighter side of the spectrum. Thank You is quite an underrated mellow love song, featuring some sweet undertones from Jones' Hammond organ. What Is And What Should Never Be and Ramble On, both incredibly infectious songs, balance the sound between soft and hard rock. Both start off with some incredibly sweet and melodic guitar riffs and break into some intense verses. 

While there was little innovation in the way of their sound on this record, there's no denying the amount of hits that came from it. Pretty much 2/3 of the tracks on here are classics that you instantly think of when Led Zeppelin is brought up. I still prefer their debut slightly more over this one, but I still consider this a great demonstration of late 60's hard rock and an incredibly consistent demonstration of what made Led Zeppelin so great as a pioneer of heavy metal.

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Favorite Tracks: Whole Lotta Love, What Is And What Should Never Be, The Lemon Song, Living Loving Maid (She's Just A Woman), Ramble On, Bring It On Home

Least Favorite Track: Moby Dick