Led Zeppelin II - Dark Publications

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Product Description
No Description Available
No Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: LED ZEPPELIN
Title: LED ZEPPELIN 2
Street Release Date: 06/21/1994
Domestic
Genre: ROCK/POP

Amazon.com essential recording
Riff rock had been what Jimmy Page's former band, the Yardbirds, were all about, and on Led Zeppelin's second album, released, like its predecessor, in 1969, the inventive guitarist demonstrated that he'd indeed learned his lessons well. Witness "Whole Lotta Love," a woozy epic based on one simple, head-banging-friendly guitar riff. Or the mock-dramatic "Heartbreaker," propelled by far more intricate but similarly effective note squashing. Between Page's sonic wizardry, John Bonham beating his drums into submission ("Moby Dick"), and the juice running down Robert Plant's leg ("The Lemon Song"), Led Zeppelin here just about succeeded in raising rock & roll excess to an art form. --Billy Altman

Amazon.com
Led Zeppelin II is an album of Jimmy Page riffs so huge, and John Paul Jones/John Bonham rhythms so deep, that the heavy metal genre this classic helped create has tried for decades to catch up, mostly without success. And no wonder: since II catches the band before they'd headed too far into their ridiculous medieval fancies, this might be as good as Zep would ever be. Regardless, the thunderous "Whole Lotta Love," a Top 5 hit, and "Bring It on Home" are very nearly as fierce and twisted as British white blues would ever get. --David Cantwell

Customer Reviews: Read 398 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

A Juggernaut Classic!!! March 21, 2008
46 out of 46 found this review helpful

This album is a prime example of why Bonham, Jones, Page, & Plant are legends in the Rock & Roll industry. It has everything a R & R fan could possibly want. A bluesy feel, tight Guitar riffs, solos from the soul, well constructed songs, layers of music, & passionate vocals. For me the true cohesion comes from the rythym section. Bonham's drums drives the band ever forward while JPJones is ethereal on the keyboards & perfect on the bass Guitar. There are no duds on this their Sophmore album.

These are my seven favorites in no particular order. "Heartbreaker," opens with a classic riff. The midsection flows to an improvisational section with a fine Guitar solo. Here the lyrics & music blend easily. I have always liked this one more than the more publized "Whole Lotta Love." "Moby Dick," is a fine instrumental with Bonham's drum midsection carrying it. "Living Loving Maid," is often paired in direct succession with "Heartbreaker." It's an upbeat rocker with a memorable riff & a contagious melody. "The Lemon Song," has one great bass line as JPJones moves smoothly throughout as the crescendo than picks up & takes flight. "What Is And What Should Never Be," is a very different type of song that is hard to classify. I have been told by musicians that this is one of the harder Zeppelin songs to learn. Here the interesting lyrics play as a melodic counterpoint to Plant's vocals. "Ramble On," is the driving other side of the latter song representing moving on from the angst of love. This is one of the most underated of Led Zeppelin's songs. "Thank You," clearly is the bands best ballad until "In Through The Outdoor's All My Love." This one is smooth & brings out the romantic in the listener. This is one of their three best albums. Buy it, you won't be disappointed.

1 out of 5 stars

Ban this band NOW June 12, 2000
29 out of 60 found this review helpful

This band is like a bad dream. Every time you turn on the radio there they are. No other band gets as much airplay. Also, is it just me, or is their music not actually very good? I like hard rock but I've never understood the appeal of this band; violently average songs with bad singing. I've stopped listening to the radio because of them. Every time I hear Plant whine in his high pitched voice "it's just a spring clean for the May queen" the only cure I know is to put on my headphones and listen to the Ozzy Black Sabbath( that tolling bell, the thunder and rain and then that first mighty power chord! My God it's bliss.)

5 out of 5 stars

As hard-rocking as it gets. Led Zeppelin's best album. May 28, 2007
22 out of 22 found this review helpful

Led Zeppelin's second album is sure to please all music fans of any genre. Led Zeppelin II, released in the same year as the first album in 1969, is as hard-rocking as it gets when it comes to Zeppelin. All nine tracks are Led Zeppelin at their best, whether it's world-renowned blues rock ("Whole Lotta Love"), racing guitar play ("Heartbreaker"), or awesome, creative drum solos ("Moby Dick"). This album is a representative of late-60s rock, and I find it quite similar to Axis Bold As Love, by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. The album starts to amaze you with the recognizable blues-rocker "Whole Lotta Love," which has a creative interlude consisting of distorted radio waves; after said song, Zeppelin attempts to cool you down a bit with the bluesy ballad "What is and What Should Never Be," which, like "The Rain Song" from the Houses Of The Holy album, is where you'll find Robert Plant's vocals at their peak. This is followed by "The Lemon Song," which actually sounds like something Jimi Hendrix would play. "Thank You" is also a very nice Led Zeppelin song and is a very easy listen. The album's turning point is at track five, which happens to be the instant rocker "Heartbreaker". It's definately one of the band's greatest songs, and Jimmy Page is at his best in it. The hard-rocking Sabbath-like main riff is a great combination with John Bonham's rapid drumming, and the solo is easily one of the best of all time, as it is not only awesome and awestriking, but it was improvised; that proves Page can ad-lib his way through solos and STILL make it sound good. "Living Loving Maid (She's Just a Woman)" is also a very easy listen, and quite catchy at that. "Ramble On," yet another acoustic song, also contains great vocals and guitar playing. "Moby Dick" is probably where drummer John Bonham is putting forth his best effort, as the song starts out with a guitar and drum combination and then drops into a complete drum solo where at first, Bonham plays with his hands, and about two and a half minutes into the song he picks up the sticks and delivers a heavy rain of thunderous drumming. The outro of the song is when Jimmy Page comes in again and finishes it off with John, making the song a very powerful instrumental. The last song, "Bring it on Home," is very convenient for the album, as it first leaves you with a blues impression, but later picks up in a hard rock style, just as Zeppelin would do. Overall, Led Zeppelin's second album is what I think is the crown jewel in their albumography. Whenever you get the chance, buy it--you'll be pleasently surprised.

1 out of 5 stars

Thunderous? May 6, 2001
21 out of 48 found this review helpful

I must say that I don't understand how you reviewers can describe this album as "thunderous".When I first heard Whole Lotta Love I thought to myself " it sounds like he's playing a toy guitar, a plastic guitar". I honestly thought it was a quiet intro before the real ,hard song began.The reviewer who said that no albums rocks quite as hard as this one must have a very small record collection. However before you Led Zeppelin fans damn my soul to the fiery pits of hell, I have to say that I do quite like this album because the toy guitar sound and cute songs like Thank you and What Is And what Should Never Be bring back some lovely childhood memories of being taken to Santa's Magic Grotto and seeing the elfs,the first time I saw Bambi in the theatre with my parents , and the nice birthday cake I got for my fourth birhday( it had a lovely little pink sugar mouse on it)

3 out of 5 stars

it's a clever copy of many black blues stars August 30, 2002
20 out of 32 found this review helpful

yes Plant & Page were totally black blues fans during in the 60. These two ZEP founders always admired the original black blues composers like Willie Dixon, John Lee Hooker, BB KING, Elmore James, Robert Johnson etc...
1. Whole lotta love was originally composed by Willie Dixon and Muddy Waters in 1955. The original title was "You need love". PAGE & PLANT imitated the guitar riffs and changed the vocal style. These ZEP guys later wrote the song-credits in the second album under the name of Page and Plant only, without having the name of the original black blues composer Willie Dixon. Dixon went to the court in 1977 and demanded the ZEP ex members his copyright of this song.
2. The lemon song was originally composed by some black blues singers in the 40's. Not under the name of Plant and Page. Howling Wolf ever did the old version of this song in the 40's, later Jimi Hendrix did also too in 1969 with the Experiences.
3. Bring it on home was once again composed by Willie Dixon, ZEP members only changed the melody and the lyric radically.
4. Heartbreaker was honesty composed by the members of Zeppelin, but the guitar blues riffs can be heard somewhere else (some black blues singers like Chuck Berry ever did the same riffs in the 40's) Jimmy Page imitated the Chuck Berry guitar style so much.

PS: The complete informations can be found more in the Blues lexicon or Zeppelin biography by Chris Welch. The ZEP fans will experience clearly that Led Zeppelin was not big as a god like the others thought. These guys imitated honesty the black blues original players and developed into their own band style.
DIG IT !

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