Where's that confounded bridge?!
― Myonga Vön Bontee, Thursday, 12 July 2007 18:10 (sixteen years ago) link
This is TOUGH. Worst song would be easy peasy ("NQ").
― da croupier, Thursday, 12 July 2007 18:14 (sixteen years ago) link
Very tough, but I'm going to have to go with "The Song Remains the Same," with "Rain Song" as a close second.
― Alex in NYC, Thursday, 12 July 2007 18:21 (sixteen years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― ILX System, Friday, 20 July 2007 23:01 (sixteen years ago) link
"Over the Hills" I think, but it's a tough one.
― Rock Hardy, Saturday, 21 July 2007 00:29 (sixteen years ago) link
I've got an erratic tape player in my car. It plays most of this album fine, but right at the start of 'No Quarter' it slows down and plays at a wobbly half-speed. It's like the soundtrack to a nightmare.
― Ismael Klata, Saturday, 21 July 2007 13:09 (sixteen years ago) link
Going with 'Dancing Days' because it's a great tune to listen to in the summer.
Lots of multi-tracked guitars on this record.
― calstars, Saturday, 21 July 2007 14:39 (sixteen years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― ILX System, Saturday, 21 July 2007 23:01 (sixteen years ago) link
Not sure I've ever listened deep or attentively enough into this album to notice the WONDERFULLY goofy synth on "The Crunge" - shit sounds like a Commander Keen background track! <3
― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 17 January 2013 21:02 (eleven years ago) link
I don't think there's any album I associate more with my adolescence than this. I have these very strong memories of listening to it on my walkman while on some road trip, rewinding rain song over and over again and pining for some girl from summer camp, and then at home as a newb guitarist trying to figure out how the hell Jimmy Page made the chords sound like that.
Something about the super-saturated sound is perfect for boiling-over hormones.
― signed, J.P. Morgan CEO (Hurting 2), Sunday, 15 December 2013 03:13 (ten years ago) link
This is one of their most elusive records for me - been giving it a few spins, trying to see if anything sinks more. Several songs are very distinct in my mind, but "The Rain Song" and "The Song Remains the Same" sort of disappear the moment I'm done listening to them. Maybe I'm a shallow listener who kinda needs a big obvious riff or chorus to make the song stick with me. They can go too far in the other direction; Dancing Days kinda wears me out in this sense. That's a lot of the record, but even on the songs I don't love, the playing is really good and it just sounds great coming out of the speaker. Would've voted "Over The Hills," but runners-up to "The Ocean" for best riff and "The Crunge" for most fun.
Despite many years of disliking "D'yer Mak'er," I gotta go "No Quarter" for worst - the riff is great, but it's so long and dreary and Plant's vocal combined with the watery warble effect they have on it means that whenever the arrangement opens up to give him a major line, he sounds ridiculous, spoiling the effect. "The dogs of doom" and "the winds of Thor" particularly - yikes!
― never ending bath infusion (Doctor Casino), Sunday, 10 April 2016 15:06 (eight years ago) link
Assuming I knew how to play an instrument, I'm certain beyond a shadow of a doubt that I could crank out a note-perfect rendition of 'The Song Remains the Same' and 'The Rain Song' from memory. They are perma-ensconced in my brain. I'd advise listening to the album maybe like a hundred more times if you're interested in becoming similarly familiar.
― a very hansom, and smart boy (Old Lunch), Sunday, 10 April 2016 15:36 (eight years ago) link
(I probably listen to the run from III through Physical Graffiti once every couple months on average.)
― a very hansom, and smart boy (Old Lunch), Sunday, 10 April 2016 15:37 (eight years ago) link
I learned the Rain Song (well the majority of it) recently and it is a p weird song. It's in C6 tuning for one thing.
― Οὖτις, Sunday, 10 April 2016 15:47 (eight years ago) link
I've actually been sort of working my way back in their career lately - big chunk of the record collection that I just haven't given too much time in ages. Burned out on IV circa senior year of high school, put that on today for the first time in at least a decade and it sure sounded good. Not sure I could quite give Houses a hundred more listens but no reason not to keep it in rotation for a while.
― never ending bath infusion (Doctor Casino), Sunday, 10 April 2016 16:31 (eight years ago) link
The Ocean is my favorite off the record. Great riff, love the doo-wop outro.
The Song Remains The Same is a relatively unmemorable melody but the intro is so thrilling, amazing rising action--perfect album opener.
The stuff in between is pretty good too, even if I'm sick of D'Yer Mak'er
― thom yorke state of mind (voodoo chili), Sunday, 10 April 2016 17:02 (eight years ago) link
I agree with the top 2
― lute bro (brimstead), Sunday, 10 April 2016 19:28 (eight years ago) link
Me too. This is my second favourite Zep after Physical Graffiti.
― the joke should be over once the kid is eaten. (chap), Monday, 11 April 2016 10:58 (eight years ago) link
I learned the Rain Song (well the majority of it) recently and it is a p weird song. It's in C6 tuning for one thing.― Οὖτις, dimanche 10 avril 2016 17:47 (Yesterday)
― Οὖτις, dimanche 10 avril 2016 17:47 (Yesterday)
yeah, me too a couple of years ago. it's so satisfying to play. almost a physical pleasure. clearly one of my favourite songs to play on a guitar (and so my favourite song of the album).the only problem is it's a bit annoying to have to change the tuning of the guitar just for that one song !
― AlXTC from Paris, Monday, 11 April 2016 12:26 (eight years ago) link
The Song Remains the Same always sounds to me like Led Zeppelin's James Bond Theme. You got the big action part up front with Roger Moore on Jet Skis or horseback then the smoothe back end when you roll the credits and have women swim naked around Bond's gun awashed in psychedelic early 70s colors.
― earlnash, Tuesday, 12 April 2016 01:25 (eight years ago) link
I can totally hear it. Surprised there's not already a supercut of it.
― pplains, Tuesday, 12 April 2016 01:45 (eight years ago) link
Thanks, Google. Never mind, earl.
http://i.imgur.com/pcyp6mD.jpg
― pplains, Tuesday, 12 April 2016 01:46 (eight years ago) link
Ha! Forgot about that one. The Song Remains the Same would fit as a Bond title too.
― earlnash, Tuesday, 12 April 2016 01:54 (eight years ago) link
― earlnash, Monday, April 11, 2016 8:25 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
lol, I never would have thought of this but it works
― human life won't become a cat (man alive), Tuesday, 12 April 2016 03:07 (eight years ago) link
― signed, J.P. Morgan CEO (Hurting 2), Saturday, December 14, 2013 10:13 PM (2 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Also now remembering that I spent a lot of time trying in vain to figure out Bonham drum parts (I was pretty bad at drums at the time) and in particular how to make the drums SOUND like that (having no idea that a lot of it was production).
― human life won't become a cat (man alive), Tuesday, 12 April 2016 03:10 (eight years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gTkWU3Ywwo
― calstars, Friday, 5 August 2022 05:10 (one year ago) link
This is easily "The Rain Song" for me.
Even though it was recorded all over the place - like most of their albums - this seems like their brightest and best sounding album up till then. By no means my favourite though.
― Bulky Pee Pants (Tom D.), Thursday, 25 January 2024 08:07 (three months ago) link
Has anybody ever covered The Rain Song with real strings instead of the Mellotron? I'd love to hear a mega-lush version of the song.
― Hideous Lump, Thursday, 25 January 2024 11:11 (three months ago) link
Love mellotron strings tho.
― Bulky Pee Pants (Tom D.), Thursday, 25 January 2024 11:25 (three months ago) link
predictably "Over the Hills" for me, but honestly I just love listening to this thing as a whole. was my favorite Zep for a very long time. maybe still is.
"No Quarter" a close second.
Rain Song is indeed amazing though
― never trust a big book and a simile (Neanderthal), Thursday, 25 January 2024 16:00 (three months ago) link
Love this album sm but it's still Over the Hills in a heartbeat
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Thursday, 25 January 2024 16:01 (three months ago) link
I wouldn't call the 1994 Page & Plant rendition of "Rain Song" a cover, right? But the below as well as 'Four Sticks" and "Friends" are stirringly rendered by the accompaniment of an Egyptian orchestra and a moroccan string band… I think that P&P project was pretty fucking awesome, including Walking through Clarksdale, and Unledded is the only unplugged exponent that is worth more than a syphlitic dog testicle… like, I never thought a version of "Kashmir" associated with the Unplugged franchise could possibly be any good, but with the accompaniment I mentioned above, it is DEVASTATING.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeDylD8dV7U
― veronica moser, Thursday, 25 January 2024 16:14 (three months ago) link
for some reason the one song I could never quite get a handle on here is “dancing days”… there’s barely any harmonic movement or energy shifts, it’s weird
― brimstead, Thursday, 25 January 2024 19:13 (three months ago) link
This was the first Zeppelin album I bought, and it's still my favorite. I love every song on it, including "D'Yer Maker." That said, my pick is "No Quarter." However, almost nothing rocks harder than "The Ocean" (even more so the version on How the West was Won).
― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Thursday, 25 January 2024 19:18 (three months ago) link
Jimmy Page looks like Rosanne Bar there
― poppers fueled buttsex crescendo (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 25 January 2024 19:19 (three months ago) link
Barr even
The TPL review of it is amazing. Even tho it barely mentions my favourite.https://nobilliards.blogspot.com/2011/06/led-zeppelin-houses-of-holy.html
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Thursday, 25 January 2024 19:20 (three months ago) link
I think this poll mostly gets it right, but I can't stand Dancing Days - I find it dull and plodding, and it sounds like they tried really hard to write a single. The short harmonized guitar solo/bridge is probably the only thing that saves it for me.
― longtime caller, first time listener (man alive), Thursday, 25 January 2024 20:16 (three months ago) link
I like it but you can't dance to it
― poppers fueled buttsex crescendo (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 25 January 2024 20:17 (three months ago) link
I think I could sign off if The Ocean and Dancing Days were swapped. DD is still better than Crunge - which is kind of a throwaway - and Dyer Maker, which is deeply irritating at this point.
― longtime caller, first time listener (man alive), Thursday, 25 January 2024 20:22 (three months ago) link
I like "Dancing Days". I don't like either "The Crunge" or "D'yer Maker", despite Marcello's best efforts.
― Bulky Pee Pants (Tom D.), Thursday, 25 January 2024 20:52 (three months ago) link
i think a big part of the problem with D'Yer Maker is the lyrics sound like Sting wrote them
― Deflatormouse, Thursday, 25 January 2024 21:01 (three months ago) link
Agree about Unledded, it was a current release when i was getting into this band and i think the second LZ-related album i bought (after IV) or maybe even the first. i haven't heard it in years but i listened to the studio recording of No Quarter over the summer with the Unledded version in mind and it was disappointing. I wish there were more classic rock dudes who were trying to be Najma Akhtar.
― Deflatormouse, Thursday, 25 January 2024 21:05 (three months ago) link
Sting couldn't have written them b/c the song has no awkward polysyllabic word.
― poppers fueled buttsex crescendo (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 25 January 2024 21:14 (three months ago) link
― brimstead, Thursday, 25 January 2024 21:21 (three months ago) link
Not uniquely, no.
― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Thursday, 25 January 2024 21:26 (three months ago) link
I’m the biggest fan on my block but I have 0.0 pct interest in hearing Clarksdale or Unledded
― calstars, Thursday, 25 January 2024 21:29 (three months ago) link
both are duds
― reggie (qualmsley), Thursday, 25 January 2024 21:39 (three months ago) link
I forgot about the Page & Plant version of Rain Song, and also forgot that I have the Gallows Pole CD single with Rain Song as a b-side.
That middle eastern version of Four Sticks kills me.
― Hideous Lump, Thursday, 25 January 2024 22:04 (three months ago) link
I just listened to this album and Over The Hills And Far Away is indeed a worthy winner.
― Bulky Pee Pants (Tom D.), Thursday, 25 January 2024 22:14 (three months ago) link