Friday, May 20, 2016

Throwback Thursday: Houses of the Holy, by Led Zeppelin



In 1973 rock giants Led Zeppelin thundered through the front door with one of their biggest productions at that point: their fifth studio album Houses of the Holy (which ironically didn't contain the track of the same name; it would be put on the band's following album Physical Graffiti). The band needed something to follow up their epic album Led Zeppelin IV which contained their most well known track that is forbidden from being played at guitar stores: Stairway to Heaven. Recorded over the span of 9 months, they put a lot of time and effort into making this the most grand thing they could, and they succeeded.

Houses of the Holy goes a different direction than Led Zeppelin's previous efforts as it goes into more hard rock and experimental directions, forgoing the blues and folk sounds that they had previously rooted themselves so heavily in. Some of the songs pack a pretty serious punch, while others get just plain odd (though not in a bad way by any means). Plus, some of the band's most well known tracks such as The Ocean, D'Yer Ma'ker, Dancing Days, and Over the Hills and Far Away.

The Ocean is one of my absolute favorite Led Zeppelin tunes of all time. If you crank it up loud enough you can hear drummer John Bonham say in the background at the start saying in his rough boisterous English accent "We've done four already and now we're steady and then they went one, two, three FOUR.". When Jimmy Page comes in with that big beefy guitar riff along with John Paul Jones thundering along on bass it's incredibly difficult not to move your head along to the groove. In some ways you really do feel like you're on an ocean and hearing it roar.

No Quarter is in my opinion the most peculiar song Led Zeppelin ever put out. You can definitely hear how it inspired later bands such as Rival Sons with the kind of riffs Page threw in and the big thundering rhythms from Jones and Bonham. Robert Plant's vocals get distorted to sound like they are under water for much of the tune, which adds a bit of a psychedelic feel to it. Overall it's a lumbering giant of a song, making you feel like if you're not careful you're going to get stepped on.

Houses of the Holy is definitely one of Led Zeppelin's crowning jewels. I think it deserves a place on the top shelf with the other classics they put out. Half the album is well known radio hits and the other is fascinating soundscapes with more depth to them for the listener who is interested in delving into something a little more interesting than a quick 4 minute radio friendly pop piece. It's a must have for any fan of Led Zeppelin or anyone looking to start experiencing their holy grails of rock n' roll.

Houses of the Holy, by Led Zeppelin receives 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Track List:

1. The Song Remains the Same
2. The Rain Song
3. Over the Hills and Far Away
4. The Crunge
5. Dancing Days
6. D'Yer Mak'er
7. No Quarter
8. The Ocean

Buy the album on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Houses-Holy-Deluxe-Led-Zeppelin/dp/B00M30V1YO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1463729625&sr=8-2&keywords=Houses+of+the+Holy

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