Led Zeppelin – LED ZEPPELIN*****

Good Times Bad Times/Babe I’m Gonna Leave You/You Shook Me/Dazed & Confused/Your Time Is Gonna Come/Black Mountain Side/Communication Breakdown/I Can’t Quit You Baby/How Many More Times

Rising from the ashes of The Yardbirds, this blistering debut album from archetypal heavy rockers Led Zeppelin set the standard by which other such groups would be judged. (US:10 UK:6)

"Led Zeppelin's 1969 debut still stands today as one of the most iconic rock albums from its era. Everything from the instantly recognizable cover art to the groundbreaking music, the album has become a staple in heavy rock culture. Calling this debut anything short of 'revolutionary' would be an understatement. Led Zeppelin began their musical journey with a very firm foot in the well-trodden blues-rock soil, but with a level of unbridled heaviness that was quite unique when it was released."

"There is nothing typical about this outstanding debut album by Led Zeppelin. There is a mix of both hard rock and blues, but the fingerprint is inevitably that of Zeppelin. Creativity is something hard to bottle and in this LP it just flows from one song to the next. Three-quarters of an hour of remarkable musicianship, and a solid foundation from which was launched one of the most legendary hard rock bands of all time."

"Zeppelin didn't need any time to get up to speed - they sound like they've been playing together for years already on this album, and the group is just so strikingly on the same wavelength. This is their most bluesy album, the songs are outstanding. Incredible range - just scarily good. This is the real deal."

"Led Zeppelin's first album is without question a milestone in rock music history. On one hand it is a natural extension of The Yardbirds, the group Led Zeppelin was an offshoot of, and on the other hand the group gives the blues new life with unprecedented approaches and sounds. Not least, Robert Plant's deeply original vocals are remarkable, but of course also Jimmy Page's guitar playing which is both sublime and original. One could easily nominate this album as rock history's first blues-inspired heavy metal album."

"Here we have the beginning of the most successful and beloved heavy rock band ever, and time has served this album well. You can't go far wrong with the rip roaring music on this album."