Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy Review

Led Zeppelin – Houses of the Holy

To start, Led Zeppelin is my favorite band of the 70’s. Black Sabbath was definitely the first heavy metal band, but Zeppelin was also one of the pioneers of the genre. The thing that separated Zep from Sabbath is their versatility. They play a number of different musical styles, culled from each band member’s eclectic tastes. They played rock, folk, metal, funk, and even reggae. The band was unstoppable during the 70s, and originated the decadent rock star lifestyle. Houses of the Holy is the band’s fifth album and the follow-up to the massively successful Led Zeppelin IV. IV has some of the band’s most popular songs, including Black Dog, Rock and Roll, and Stairway to Heaven. So, fans must have wondered how the band would top IV. Well, in 1973 they did it. In my opinion, Houses is Zeppelin’s best album. It’s the most consistent, and has the best collection of songs, as well as a number of classics.

The Song Remains the Same:
The album’s opener is a whimsical tune that rocks from beginning to end. I love the vocal melody at the end of the song.

The Rain Song:
The second song is a ballad, and is very well named. You can visualize a rainy day with drops of water cascading down a window. This song is full of great melodies, between Jimmy Paige’s Guitars, John Paul Jones’s bass and piano, and Robert Plant’s vocals.

Over the Hills and Far Away:
This song is one of my favorites on the record. It starts off with a harmonized folksy guitar riff, with Plant singing softly. It then explodes into a rocking chorus with a great groove. I love this type of song, which switches from soft to heavy and back. They always buildup, and excite the listener.

The Crunge:
Fans may be surprised by this song, and I’ll admit when I first got this album on my seventeenth birthday, I was too. This song is full-on funk with a strange vocal melody. It starts with the legendary John Bonham playing a jazzy beat. It took me a while, but I’ve grown to really like this song. This type of song is the reason Zeppelin is such a well-respected band. They branch out and play a number of different musical styles very well.

Dancing Days:
This song is another rocker, opening with clean electric guitar. This song is very, very catchy, and will hook the listener immediately. This song also features keyboards, played by the extremely multi-talented John Paul Jones. Jones is the unsung hero of Led Zeppelin, playing a number of instruments, as well as composing a great deal of the music. However, he is constantly overshadowed by the other three members of the band.

D’yer Mak’er:
D’yer Mak’er is another surprising track, just like The Crunge. This song features heavy reggae influence. The guitars and bass absolutely bleed reggae’s musical style. This is a really cool song because it also has heavy rock mixed in. I’ll admit this is another grower for rock fans, but once it sinks in, you can’t stop listening. Axl Rose of Guns N’ Roses said in an interview that after hearing this song, he knew he wanted to become a rock singer.

No Quarter:
No Quarter is also one of my favorite tracks. It’s very slow and drones in the beginning, even depressing. Later, when the chorus kicks in, Paige plays a guitar riff that reminds me of the style of Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi. No Quarter is one of my favorite Zeppelin ballads, along with Stairway. I became addicted to this song very quickly.

The Ocean:
The Ocean is my favorite song on the album. Even though it doesn’t have the loud guitars or bass of modern heavy metal, this song reeks of heavy. The guitar is amazing in this song, and the groove is ridiculously good, thanks to the rhythm section of John Paul Jones and John Bonham. Paige plays a great blues solo as well. This is one of my favorite Zep songs to listen to, because it isn’t as played out as some of their other classics like Kashmir.

Overall, Houses of the Holy is a great album, and is my favorite Zeppelin album. It many not have some of the more famous songs of the band’s catalogue, but it is the most complete. There isn’t a bad song on here, not to mention it flows so well from song to song. The last three songs flow especially well together, and are some of the best on the entire record. They really finish the record strong with D’yer Mak’er, No Quarter, and The Ocean. This is a great record, and I would recommend it to any rock fan.

My favorite tracks:
-Over the Hills and Far Away
-D’yer Mak’er
-No Quarter
-The Ocean

Rating: 9/10