All in all, this is a solid effort, although the slow tempo tunes bog it down at times, and Plant is definitely still developing as a vocalist here. Still, this is a fine debut and well worth adding to your collection.


Yeeuuchhh.   October 14, 2000
 26 out of 65 found this review helpful

Led Zeppelin are friggin overrated horse droppings.


Best debut ever   August 4, 2002
 21 out of 26 found this review helpful

That just it, it's the best debut album ever. Led Zeppelin used this phenomenal fusion of rock 'n' roll and the blues and turned themselves into the Gods of hard rock. They are the best hard rock band ever and they can easily fight with Black Sabbath as the fathers of heavy metal. They were never critics favorites, but screw the critics because the fans knew the real deal. Good Times, Bad Times features every band members specialty, the fade out gutiars are stellar. Babe I'm Gonna Leave You is the template for all of their epic rock classics like Stairway and Kashmir, long and loud. You Shook Me and I Can't Quit You Baby are flawless blues covers, phenomenal range in musical talent. Dazed And Confused is the best song on here, one of their best and most popular and the one that has become part of our everyday vocabulary. Your Time Is Gonna Come is kind of bluesy but more fist pumping rock and has a great beat. Black Mountain Song is a fabulous first instrumental. Communication Breakdown flat out rock, fast and hard. How Many More Times is another one of those beat driven epic of Led Zeppelin's many. In the end, this is the best debut and one of THE best albums of all time. This is incredible rock 'n' roll and it receives my highest recommendation.


A Thundering Debut   August 28, 2001
 19 out of 20 found this review helpful

"From the chunky, hard riff that opens "Good Times, Bad Times" (listen to how John Bonham triples up on his bass drum during the first verse) Led Zeppelin introduced the music world to something entirely new. The zest, fervor and passion that they'd put into thier final performances as the "New Yardbirds" was heightened on this first album, and perfected with relentless touring and concentrated studio time. "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" perfectly showcases Robert Plants' staggering vocal prowess (remember he was still a boy of 21 at the time) and the groups' brilliant arranging and playing. The two sprawling, bluesy excursions these blokes take on have become classics in thier own right (the pummeling "Dazed & Confused" and the album closing "How Many More Times" give the album it's epic feel and are perfect examples of how the blues informed and influenced the band from the very beginning. The shorter songs are oustanding as well, the punkish attack of "Communication Breakdown" provides a quick burst of energy for the listener, while "Your Time Is Gonna Come" is perfect acoustic pop that still doesn't sound dated or contrived. "Black Mountain Side" owes a debt to the Beatles in the middle 60's experimental period with it's use of tabla, acoustic instruments and somewhat unusual arrangement (no vocals). The entire band seemed to really coalesce into a tight, ferocius and intuative unit in a very short time as this debut album is completely lacking in any of the awkwardness or timidity usually associated with a new band. Throughout, Jimmy Pages' guitar (electric and acoustic) whips and soars over the heavy blues rock like a bird in flight, he essentialy rewrites the book on hard rock guitar playing here. John Bonham (THE GREATEST ROCK DRUMMER EVER, PERIOD) and John Paul Jones are an astounding rhythm section incapable of ever losing the groove and they stretch out to wondrous effect here on several selections. Led Zeppelin were a true band who only got better with time. Though their sound became more streamlined with subsequent releases, they never lost the fire that they started with in '68. This is a classic whose influence has been far reaching , but the years have only made it sound fresher and more vital. ...