Resistance was pointless, not to say churlish. Led Zeppelin IV, recorded at Headley Grange and London’s Island Studios, whipped everything they could do into one stupendous package. ‘Black Dog’, ‘Rock And Roll’, ‘Going To California’ (which the 22-year-old Plant wrote with Joni Mitchell on his mind) and the timeless ‘Stairway To Heaven’ found Zeppelin on such a high that five-star reviews erupted everywhere. Like its predecessors, it’s well serviced by a deluxe 2014 reissue, thanks to rough mixes and unreleased gems the likes of ‘That’s The Way’, a mellow piece adorned by dulcimer and mandolin. ‘Immigrant Song’, ‘Since I’ve Been Loving You’, ‘Gallows Pole’ and ‘Bron-Y-Aur-Stomp’ left the competition eating dust. Led Zeppelin III moved the group into the more pastoral acoustic territory, though they hadn’t shied away from that form before. Other epics such as ‘The Lemon Song’ and ‘Heartbreaker’ propelled the band like a juggernaut. ‘Whole Lotta Love’, with parts “borrowed” from Dixon, topped charts in Germany and Australia and sold a million-plus in the US. Led Zeppelin II, again produced by Page, was heavier still. The disc was also inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame and remains a firm favourite. Amazingly, not all reviews were favourable, but eventually, common sense prevailed and Rolling Stone, who’d disparaged it first time round, ranked it No.29 on their list of the 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time in 2003. They had the basis for a classic: ‘Good Times Bad Times’, ‘Babe I’m Gonna Leave You’, ‘Dazed And Confused’, the Bert Jansch-inspired ‘Black Mountain Side’, ‘Communication Breakdown’ and a cover of Willie Dixon’s ‘I Can’t Quit You Baby’ – All top-notch, high-octane rock’n’roll. Following a Scandinavian tour, they unveiled their new name at the University Of Surrey in Guildford, in October 1968, and released the album in America the following January (while home-grown fans had to import it for two months). Still called The New Yardbirds when sessions commenced for their eponymous debut, Led Zeppelin laid down a marker. They were also thrilled to be the 2012 recipients of Kennedy Center Honors, as bestowed by Barack Obama. Led Zep maintained a powerful hold on their audience and have been honoured in various ways: Rock And Roll and Grammy Hall Of Famers, five diamond-certified albums, and personal gongs for Page (OBE) and Plant (CBE). Renowned for their imaginative stagecraft – and pyrotechnics to match the music – Led Zeppelin evolved rapidly from tight blues-rock to a looser beast altogether on Houses Of The Holy and Physical Graffiti. (Other territories were, however, immune to the credibility-saving gesture, allowing tracks such as ‘Whole Lotta Love’, ‘Black Dog’, ‘Immigrant Song’, ‘Rock And Roll’ and ‘Trampled Underfoot’ to spearhead the FM radio revolution). The same goes for their live albums and box sets, even while maintaining a deliberate policy of not releasing singles in the UK. Meanwhile, all their studio albums went platinum, with Led Zeppelin IV (aka Runesor ZoSo) achieving staggering sales – over 23 million in the US alone.
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