HOUSES OF THE HOLY

Led Zeppelin needs no introduction. Led Zeppelin is without any doubt the biggest and best rock'n'roll band this planet has ever seen. And yes, I rate them well above The Rolling Stones.

This, their fifth album follows and broaden the path they took on their legendary IV album. It opens with the very good The Song Remains The Same. That is a classic Led Zeppelin track with everything this band is known for. The following track The Rain Song prove that Led Zeppelin also can do a very lyrical track. It is very brooding and based on some brilliant guitar harmonies from the master himself; Jimmy Page. Poetry in motion. I love this track and it is the best track on this album. It also prove that Led Zeppelin also were more than a bombastic balls-to-the-wall heavy metal band. Over The Hills And Far Away also shows Led Zeppelin from a different angle than this crash-and-burn mode. The guitars are again really good. The vocals too are from the top drawer. Then the album take a nose dive with The Crunge. Funk ! A truly horrible track. Dancing Days is also a detour from the classic Led Zeppelin sound. But this one is OK with a great riff. It is not among my favorite Led Zeppelin tracks though...... D'yer Ma'ker is a bit reggae with a bit of rockabilly. Again, not a track I enjoy. I prefer the classic Led Zeppelin formula or the more mellow stuff. I prefer the live version of No Quarter (released on The Song Remains The Same soundtrack) to this studio version. But the album is finally back to classic Led Zeppelin territory. What a relief.......... I like this track. It flows and ebbs throughout. Some good keyboard work from John Paul Jones drives the track forward. John Bonham also drives the the track with some intelligent drumming. This is a superb track. The Ocean ends this album. This is another good Led Zeppelin track, but not one of my favorites. It is good though.

I am all for variations on albums. But in my view; this album is not coherent enough. The messing around with funk and reggae is a big turn off for me. The song The Crunge is in my view the big cringe. This is not a Led Zeppelin album I am listening to on a regular basis. I really only enjoy Rain Song, the title track, Over The Hills And Far Away and No Quarter. The rest is not my cup of tea.

3 stars.

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