LED ZEPPELIN II

Just about the time most of us were starting to get tired of the first album this one came along later that same year of 1969 and really sounded like it was the second LP of a double album, just delayed a bit. They still showed the in-your-face attitude and sexual swagger on "Whole Lotta Love" they had proudly displayed on the previous record but also started to show their own songwriting skills with "What is and what should never be." More than anything this album made us all realize that these guys were going to be around for a while and they were just going to get better and better with time. Okay, so "Moby Dick" is just another long drum solo but that's what was happening in arena rock about then and, when you've got a beast like Bonham behind the kit, you might as well showcase him and let him loose to rattle the roof. Again, they had what all great bands have even to this day - dynamics. On "Ramble On" we hear them coast along acoustically and then bam! that incredible electric sound jumps out at you and keeps you anxious for more surprises. Since the next LP would definitely take a drastically different path, this was a completion of the bluesy rock foundation they wanted to establish before entering the more mystical realms that they were just starting to bring into their work. Basically, if you loved LZ1 you'll love LZ2 just as much, if not more.