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Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy CD (album) cover

HOUSES OF THE HOLY

Led Zeppelin

 

Prog Related

3.95 | 971 ratings

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UMUR
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
3 stars Houses of the Holy is the fifth studio album from UK hard rockers Led Zeppelin and the first album where they showcase their more progressive side. It´s also the first album that moves Led Zeppelin one step away from their basic bluesy hard rock sound. Led Zeppelin incorporated folky elements on Led Zeppelin III but the few progressive elements that Led Zeppelin have in their music started on Houses of the Holy IMO.

Houses of the Holy is a very varied album and it´s obvious that the band didn´t only want to be labelled as a bluesy hard rock band anymore. Houses of the Holy hosts both a funky track in The Crunge and a reggae influenced song in D´yer Ma´ker and we have to wait until the last song called The Ocean to hear the most straight bluesy hard rock song on the album. Before that we´re treated with some great songs in The Song Remains The Same and The Rain Song which employs strings and could be considered a bit symphonic. Over The Hills And Far Away is a rocker and the same can be said about Dancing Days while No Quarter is another track with progressive tendencies.

I like most songs on the album but both The Crunge and D'yer Ma'ker leaves a lot to be desired IMO. There´s nothing wrong with diversity on an album but both songs are repetitive and weak compositions that always makes me cringe in embarressement. Led Zeppelin = Reggae and Funk? No way. I´ve never been impressed by those songs.

The musicianship is excellent and as it´s hard not to be impressed with Jimmy Page inventive guitar riffing in songs like The Song Remains The Same,Dancing Days, The Rain Song and No Quarter.

The production is not too my taste. It lacks the warmth of the early albums IMO.

I´m all in for experimentation and trying new things but I think Led Zeppelin lost some of their original appeal with Houses of the Holy. Sadly they would never regain that appeal and subsequent albums just got weaker and weaker. Houses of the Holy is still an enjoyable album though and deserves either a BIG 3 star rating or a SMALL 4 star rating. I´m most inclined to give a 3 star rating though. There are simply too many weak or average moments on the album.

UMUR | 3/5 |

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