You Shook Me: A Deep Dive Retrospective of Led Zeppelin
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Led Zeppelin is the very essence of what is now referred to as classic rock. The band took the standard, blues-based rock of the 1960s and elevated it to a new standard, with a bold, rich sound unlike any before or after. Building a career catalogue of impossibly consistent high quality songs and albums made them one of the biggest rock bands of all-time. Like other bands of their stature, they were blessed with a perfect chemistry of talent, swagger and timing and set a new course for rock and roll both in and out of the studio. The basis for their music was tried and true, but their delivery was something else. Per the preferred approach here at Ceremony for hugely famous acts, we’ll take the deep dive approach and explore Zeppelin’s career through their deeper album tracks.
L to R: John Paul Jones; Jimmy Page; Robert Plant; John Bonham
The formation of Led Zeppelin originated with guitarist Jimmy Page in 1968, who was looking to form a supergroup of exceptional musicians after his experience playing with Jeff Beck in The Yardbirds. Unable to recruit the name talent he wanted, Page assembled a quartet by hiring vocalist Robert Plant and drummer John Bonham from an act called Band of Joy and accepted an inquiry from bassist John Paul Jones, whom he’d known through his prior session work. From the get-go the intent would be to explore the blues music that had inspired Page and The Yardbirds and that was delivering great success for many acts in England. What would be different, perhaps unknown to them at the start, would be Page’s exceptional song writing, Plant’s distinct vocals, and Bonham’s thunderous drumming that would given them a deeper, darker, all-encompassing approach to the blues that would win over legions of fans.
The Playlist
You Shook Me
How Many More Times
What Is and What Should Never Be
Bring It on Home
Since I've Been Loving You
Out on the Tiles
Hey Hey What Can I Do
Misty Mountain Hop
When the Levee Breaks
The Rain Song
No Quarter
In the Light
The Wanton Song
For Your Life
Nobody's Fault but Mine
In the Evening
I'm Gonna Crawl
Wearing and Tearing
Originally touring under the moniker, The New Yardbirds, the band was forced to change their name by The Yardbirds and thus adopted the fabled name, Led Zeppelin. It was a reference to an observation that the original intent of the supergroup would go over like a “lead balloon,” and then was adjusted to ‘Led’ to avoid people pronouncing it, ‘leed.’ ‘Zeppelin’ was chosen instead of ‘balloon’ to convey the mix of heavy and light that would characterize their sound.
“You Shook Me”; “How Many More Times” \ Led Zeppelin (1969)
Thanks to the presence of Page, the band gained a recording contract and attention right out of the gate and released their first album in January of 1969. The attention wasn’t only because of their guitarist’s profile, it was because the album was stupendous and unlike anything else in the musical landscape. Other bands played rock, even harder-edged rock (Black Sabbath and Deep Purple were also formed in 1968), and many drew on blues as their foundation, but none put it together as purely and completely as Led Zeppelin.
The challenge in compiling a deep dive playlist is finding lesser-known Zeppelin songs. There are reasons for why most of their music is well known: 1) they put out less music (eight proper albums) compared to others of their stature; 2) their albums had fewer songs due to their longer lengths, an approach that would influence other rock acts in the following decade, especially Progressive (Prog) Rock bands; 3) they were not a singles band so their album tracks received substantial exposure via radio and via fans buying the albums in huge numbers; 4) the establishment of classic rock and album-oriented radio (AOR) stations that have continued to highlight this era of music and has led to the band’s music being extensively played to wide audiences; and 5) their albums have so many outstanding songs, especially the early ones, that DJs and other bands have widely drawn on them.
This first, self-titled album had all the above qualities. The track listing was practically a greatest hits compilation: “Good Times, Bad Times,” Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You,” “Dazed and Confused,” “Your Time Is Gonna Come,” and “Communication Breakdown” were all significant tracks in the history of rock ‘n’ roll. The album established the band’s signature sound with mixes of rock, acoustic ballads, psychedelia, and an expansive sound that interpreted the blues in a more aggressive manner than their contemporaries. For example, though The Beatles had given a taste a couple years’ prior on The White Album, they hadn’t employed the crushing bottom-end of Zeppelin’s sonics and couldn’t offer the range of expressiveness of a Robert Plant.
From the memorable opening notes of the album’s first song, “Good Times, Bad Times,” Led Zeppelin’s sound was defined through Page’s phenomenal guitar playing dancing intricately with Bonham’s lively drumming. Page would cement his legacy as one of the greatest guitarists ever by providing an obscene number of memorable riffs, played with a proficiency and experimentation that expanded the definition of rock music. Acoustic, electronic, solos, strumming, rhythm and lead, Page did it all and as the lead song writer, was the heart of soul of Zeppelin’s remarkable discography.
“You Shook Me” showed how a standard blues riff was taken on an extended, psychedelic journey, riding Jimmy’s guitar through many lush peaks and valleys. “How Many More Times” built more on their psychedelic vibe with a harder rock energy and, of course, a memorable guitar riff.
The album established the band and its heavier sound as a commercial success, reaching the top ten in the UK and US. In some ways there was nothing new in it, as blues-rock was commonplace for 1969. But the heavy drumming, thick basslines, and strong melodies were fuller, more menacing, and energetic. Only the Mc5 were approaching this sound at the time though with not nearly the same quality of song writing and playing. Zeppelin was threatening in sound yet inviting in its rich melodies and musicianship, catchy yet complex, and set a course for a new brand of rock, inviting others to expand their sound and explore the darker, heavier depths of their instruments.
“What Is and What Should Never Be”; “Bring It On Home” \ Led Zeppelin II (1969)
The band would not be known for its inventive album titles. The second self-titled LP was released just nine months after the first. Once again opening the album with an iconic guitar riff on, “Whole Lotta Love,” the song was joined with other notable tracks as, “The Lemon Song,” Thank You,” “Heartbreaker/Living Loving Maid (She’s Just A Woman),” and “Ramble On.”
The band toured relentlessly, and their hard work was rewarded as audiences grew. Zeppelin became legendary for its partying and destruction of hotel rooms while on tour. They established the stereotype of the hyper-sexualized, anarchic, and hard partying rock star. With suggestive lyrics like “I wanna be your back-door man,” the overt sexuality of Robert Plant, with his bare chest and tight pants, would push their show beyond the standard rock affairs of the time. His distinctive voice and strong set of pipes also became a signature sound for the band, with a style that allowed him to counter, or play off either the highs or lows of Page’s guitar work as well as the baritone depths of the rhythm section.
“What Is and What Should Never Be” was an example of the band’s large sound, moving between quieter and gentler moments to big, crashing verses. Folk, jazz, rock and psychedelia were all utilized to take the song on quite the musical journey. This was also evident on, “Bring It on Home,” featuring more instantly memorable guitar riffs.
Led Zeppelin II gave the band their first #1 LP in both the US and UK, a feat that would be repeated for every subsequent release of their career with the exception of Led Zeppelin IV, which also reached #1 in the UK but stopped at #2 in the US. Their longer tracks also didn’t lend themselves to radio-friendly formats with the exception of the AOR stations on FM radio, which at that point hadn’t grown in popularity as they would in subsequent years, largely on the back of bands like Led Zeppelin. “Whole Lotta Love” would end up being Zeppelin’s only top ten single of their career, reaching #4 in the US. They usually only released one single per LP and only in the US and other international markets but not in their homeland, resulting in no charting singles in the UK.
Led Zeppelin brought the spectacle of rock concerts to new heights
“Since I’ve Been Loving You”; “Out on the Tiles” \ Led Zeppelin III (1970)
The band’s incessant touring, featuring long shows up to four hours with long jams, built their reputation and, with the success of Led Zeppelin II, moved them from clubs and small halls to larger auditoriums. Seeking a break, Page and Plant retired to a cottage in Wales called Bron-Yr-Aur to do some writing. In this rural setting they would write most of their material for their third and fourth albums.
Reflecting the pastoral setting in which it was written, Led Zeppelin III shifted the band’s sound away from the large, booming rock sounds to a more nuanced, acoustic feel. The album, however, again launched with a signature, rocking tune, “Immigrant Song,” with its memorable “ah ha ahhh” backing vocal and its driving, catchy guitar riff. A song like “Celebration Day” caught the smoother, electric guitar groove more than their past work, still drawing on the blues but presented in a purer rock sound. “Friends,” “Gallows Pole,” “That’s the Way” and “Bron-Y-Aur Stomp” showed the acoustic prowess of the band, mixing strings and the range of subtlety and power in Plant’s vocals. “Tangerine” was one of their greatest songs, featuring soft, acoustic guitar partnered with Plant’s plaintive vocals while riding a typical blues rhythm from Bonham and Jones and a hint of country electric, but it was the smooth, gliding melody that grabbed you, begging for closed eyes and letting the mind surf the closing, psychedelic guitar solos to a blissful listening experience. It was no mystery why Led Zeppelin was prime listening for pot heads.
“Since I’ve Been Loving You” was more reminiscent of their prior albums, featuring a long and dramatic blues song once again displaying the incredible combinations of the quartet’s individual skills. This was the emblematic sound of classic rock, with deep valleys of blues-tinged melancholy and euphoric peaks of searing guitar and wailing vocals. “Out on the Tiles” was another track with the classic rock sound, this time propelled by electric guitar and Page’s astonishing penchant for instantly memorable sequences, frolicking deliriously with Bonham’s inventive and complex beats. As Plant vocalized, almost jazz-like, over the music’s finishing portions, you almost sensed he was just sitting back, grooving on his band’s sound just like we did as listeners.
“Hey Hey What Can I Do” \ B-side to “Immigrant Song” (1970)
“Hey Hey What Can I Do” was a non-album track, issued as the B-side to the single, “Immigrant Song.” It was a rare non-album release that over the years was hard to find until it was included in their post-career compilation albums. It was an infectious song riding a rich mix of acoustic guitar that showed the depth of the band’s output that such a tune could be left off the LP. It had a melody best described as fun – you just smiled and bobbed your head and maybe smirked a bit guiltily to Plant’s lyrics, “(No, no, what can I say?) hey, hey what can I do, I got a woman she won't be true / (Hey, hey, what can I do?) oh oh hear what I said I got a woman wanna ball all day / (No, no, what can I say?) keep on keep on. A man who can’t help but love his prostitute girlfriend was not a typical theme for 1970s songs.
“Misty Mountain Hop”; “When the Levee Breaks” \ Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
The fourth album, in terms of awareness and identification of this band, was the album. Similar to Sgt Pepper for The Beatles or Pet Sounds for The Beach Boys, IV was the album that cemented Zeppelin’s legacy as one of the greatest bands in rock history. It has been so ubiquitous that, over time, there has been a backlash – see the scene in Wayne’s World where (mimicking the real-life Steve’s Music store in Toronto) Wayne was admonished in a music store for violating the store’s, ‘No “Stairway to Heaven” policy.’
So, let’s get that one out of the way. “Stairway to Heaven” was a giant of a song, both in composition and its stature in music history. Acoustic and electric, loud and quiet, it was a journey of a song that blended prog rock elements of bombast, classical flourishes, and drama within the rock format. Along with “Roundabout” by Yes and “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen, it was a song that at first defied its genre then went on to define it. It made many stand up and take notice that hard rock music was entering a new phase in which artistry and heavy sounds could go hand in hand. This wasn’t just blues-rock anymore, this was something intriguing and fantastic – if you like things, one louder. And of course, “Stairway to Heaven” was never released as a single but has been played thousands of times on radio and routinely tops lists of all-time best rock songs.
The LP, like other albums of its stature, went well beyond its signature song, with every track becoming cherished. The album started with the dual rock blasts of “Black Dog” and “Rock and Roll,” and each side of the LP offered a reprieve from the larger rock numbers by acoustic tunes in the third slot, “The Battle of Evermore” on side one (with mandolin for a little medieval flavour) and “Going to California” on side two. After “Stairway…” finished the first side in epic style, side two continued the expansive, bombastic songs that showed the band was really in its groove. “Misty Mountain Hop” and “When the Levee Breaks” were thunderous songs that indicated Bonham had no equal in pounding the skins. These were songs that encouraged armies of kids to pick up the sticks. Jimmy Page, of course, offered more definitive guitar sequences and Jones grounded it all with rich basslines. I think for many, these tracks were the more enduring songs from the album after hearing the others so many times.
The album became known as Led Zeppelin IV, though officially the band didn’t give it a name, leaving it untitled aside from some cryptic symbols. It didn’t feature any pictures or the name of the band, putting the music and art at the fore of Led Zeppelin’s output thereafter.
The band with their own plane for touring
The LP, like many of their songs, took a slow and long journey to becoming the band’s signature legacy. As noted earlier, it’s only one of two in their career that didn’t reach #1 in the US but has become one of the greatest selling albums of all time and far and away Led Zeppelin’s biggest commercial success. The band was now in a class of its own as their stratospheric success drew the informal title, ‘biggest band in the world.’ They flew on their own jet, rented out entire sections of hotels (which they would trash, though some say these stories are more myth than reality), and began playing in arenas and stadiums, something few other rock acts could achieve at that point.
“The Rain Song;” “No Quarter” \ Houses of the Holy (1973)
The band’s unblemished record of standout albums continued with their fifth release, two years after the prior LP. Despite this longer gap between albums, it had only been four years since the release of the first LP. It was also the first to be given a proper name, Houses of the Holy. It continued the band’s penchant for controversy by designer Hipgnosis’ choice to depict naked children on the cover climbing Ireland’s ‘Giant’s Causeway’. The associated tour broke attendance records both collectively and individually as the band toured in stadiums exclusively.
The music on the album was a little lighter than IV. While “The Song Remains the Same” was another solid tune, it didn’t live up to the standards their openers had attained on the prior albums. “Over the Hills and Far Away” was another acoustic/electric jam as wholly defined by the Zeppelin sound. “Dancing Days,” despite being the B-side to “Over the Hills…,” followed the pop format more than their usual output. Short, tight, catchy, a little dance-like, it was a new song style for the band. “D’Yer Mak’er” pulled a reggae vibe (the song’s title was a slang variation of ‘Jamaica’) showing the band expanding its repertoire, though still thoroughly a rocker as defined by Bonham’s always imaginative beats. The album closed with, “The Ocean,” the song that hewed most closely to their traditional sound.
Two songs showed the band’s progression and mastery of the bigger rock sounds of the 1970s. “The Rain Song” and “No Quarter” were beautiful, expansive songs that built an intoxicating atmosphere in different ways. “Rain Song” used strings and light guitar to build to an elegant, classic rock finish a la electric guitar and pounding drums. “No Quarter” drew on the psychedelic sounds of the ‘60s – perhaps a last tip of the hat to the band’s originating sound before they would mostly move into new directions. It was yet another sample of how Page and Bonham, riding on a solid foundation from Jones and highlighted with affected vocals from Plant, created a total that was so much greater than the parts.
“In the Light;” “The Wanton Song” \ Physical Graffiti (1975)
Taking, again, a year between albums, the band formed their own label, Swan Song, and recorded a movie of their concerts, The Song Remains the Same, which would be released a couple years later. The band made up for the lighter period of new output by issuing a double-album for their sixth effort, Physical Graffiti. Despite the greater volume of songs, the album was no less engaging and substantial than the others. The LP was mix of new tracks and castoffs from recordings of their earlier albums, so there was more variety and experimentation on the album.
The new vibes were most evident in yet another defining song of their legacy, “Kashmir,” in which the distinctive strings and keyboards combination gave the band a new vibe to play against Bonham’s crashing drums and Plant’s wailing tones. Keyboards were prominent in their new sound, as was the case across the rock spectrum, helping to forge a new direction for the band’s artistry. Oddly, the album included the fantastic song, “Houses of the Holy,” that would have seemed more appropriate as the title track from the prior LP (indeed, it was originally intended as such but then omitted since they didn’t think it fit with the album yet chose to retain it for the title). “In My Time of Dying” and “Trampled Under Foot” were other notable tracks again marked by distinctive Page/Bonham interplay, and “Ten Years Gone” was a lovely tune that captured the band’s increasing use of a blues-jazz sound.
“In the Light” was an interesting track that seemed to blend the old and new Zeppelin sounds. It was a psychedelic blues-rocker that wouldn’t be out of place on their first two albums yet included long passages of Plant singing over the newer sounding keyboard segments. And of course, there was guitar work that needled into your brain and implanted it in the growing Zeppelin riff memory bank. “The Wanton Song” also combined the band’s old and new sounds in their traditional rock format.
The album had a distinctive album cover, featuring a photo of buildings on St. Mark’s Place in New York (notice in the Street View the current store in the basement of the building, Physical Graffitea).
“For Your Life;” “Nobody’s Fault but Mine” \ Presence (1976)
Led Zeppelin again took a break after extensive tours and then were delayed when Robert Plant and his wife were injured in a car accident while vacationing in Greece. They eventually got to recording the next album but delayed touring until the following year. Presence marked a turning point for Led Zeppelin as their unparalleled success and status as the world’s biggest band started to set expectations for their music that simply no band could meet album after album, despite they not having taken a misstep through their first six.
Further hampering reception to the album was an expectation that the band would continue with their larger-than-life compositions and inventive, consistent melodies and rhythms. Instead, with the exception of the opening and closing tracks, “Achilles Last Stand” and “Tea for One” respectively, the band put out an album of standard blues-rock tracks that played close to the genre’s established norms. Make no mistake, this was a good album, but it lacked a song of similar stature to the impressive catalogue of tracks they had offered so far. You could hear this in “For Your Life” and “Nobody’s Fault but Mine,” which were great tunes marked with the typical guitar and drumming interplay, but at that point was only a variant of the established Zeppelin sound.
Despite Presence continuing their streak of #1 LPs, it was their lowest selling yet. That didn’t stop their tour in 1977 from breaking more attendance records, though this time was plagued with logistical and technical problems that led to riots and arrests at some shows. Their show in Oakland on July 24, 1977 would unknowingly be their last in the US as the rest of the tour was cancelled after Robert Plant’s son died due to a stomach virus.
In the Evening; I’m Gonna Crawl \ In Through the Out Door (1979)
The band returned to the studio in 1978, continuing to experiment and expand the use of keyboards. The rock world was undergoing significant change and the older, established artists were dealing with the challenges of a disrespectful punk wave that openly disdained the grandiose music of acts like Zeppelin, the new disco and club music that discarded guitar and emphasized rhythm and beats over melody, and the increasing experimentation with electronics and synth-based music. Jimmy Page incorporated the synth and a small danceable sensibility into Zeppelin’s music, and while not entirely departing from their blues-rock and expansive soundscapes, produced one of their most compelling and thrilling albums, In Through the Out Door, though many critics and fans are likely to disagree.
“In the Evening,” “Fool in the Rain,” and “All of My Love” ranked with any songs of their past. Bonham’s playing on “Fool in the Rain” set a new standard for drumming prowess within the ranks of rock ‘n roll (check out this video that examines his playing and why he’s such a giant of his craft). While the keyboards of “In the Evening” and “All of My Love” may have turned off traditional Led Zep fans, they did nothing to take away from the energy and quality of the songs. Then there was the slow, tortured beauty of “I’m Gonna Crawl,” in which the band once again blended their talents into a significant achievement. Listening to the song from a current context, you can hear the launch of many an ‘80s pop song via the blend of keyboards and rock over a blues melody. This may be one of the band’s most overlooked songs on an album that created debate over what might have been for the band should they have continued. In Through the Out Door was Led Zeppelin’s last studio recording.
Wearing and Tearing \ Coda (1982)
The band promoted In Through the Out Door via some British festivals and a minor tour through Europe. In Germany the show was halted when John Bonham collapsed and rumours swirled about his alcoholism. Then, on September 24, 1980 the legendary drummer died via asphyxiation on his own vomit after a heavy day of drinking while the band was rehearsing for their upcoming tour of North America. Despite speculation of who could replace him, the band asserted what would seem obvious given Bonham’s contributions to their sound, that they would not continue without him and officially disbanded Zeppelin in December of 1980. It was a sudden and tragic end to one of the most significant acts of the past decade.
In 1982 an album of unreleased material and live outtakes was released titled Coda. Not surprisingly it is an incomplete and lesser work than their other albums. It included an interesting solo from Bonham called “Bonzo’s Montreux” that was mixed by Plant. “Wearing and Tearing” was from the In Through the Out Door recordings and mixed well with the music from that album, with the guitar sounding like a variation of that album’s track, “Hot Dog.” However, it lacked the keyboards and grace of the album and in that regard, harkened back more to the Presence recordings. Regardless, it was probably a poor choice by the band to release Coda and create a rather lacklustre finish to the band’s career.
Post-Zeppelin, Robert Plant formed The Honeydrippers along with Jimmy Page and Page’s ex-bandmate in the Yardbirds, Jeff Beck. This all-star band played music drawn from the 50’s and early 60’s R&B, though only toured a little and released just one album over the few years they were together. The three remaining Led Zep members reformed for a performance at 1985’s Live Aid concert in Philadelphia, and Page and Plant would play together and release two albums in the 1990s. The three also got together with Bonham’s son, Jason, to play a few commemorative shows over the ensuing years, always to great fanfare and demand and amidst speculation that a complete reformation and new material was in the works. We’re still waiting – well, some are – though I think it’s clear the band’s time is well behind them and there is only nostalgia to be mined at this point. These guys are in their seventies, after all.
Led Zeppelin defined the classic rock sound – a mix of blues powered by big guitar and drums unlike anything any other act has been able to replicate. Everything about Zeppelin was big – to the thrill of many but perhaps overwrought for others who like their music a little more on the human scale. Over time the excesses of the rock lifestyle embodied by Zeppelin were ripe for spoofing, done most effectively in 1984’s ‘mockumentary,’ This is Spinal Tap.
Regardless, the influence and legacy of Led Zeppelin are paralleled only by a precious few of any musical genre. To this day they are a staple of radio and legions of fans bang their heads and groove to their wealth of catchy, classic songs. I’d suggest there isn’t one guitarist that can lay claim to the volume and legacy of riffs produced by Jimmy Page. There are easily twenty or more songs most people can identify within a few seconds from his guitar work. Likewise, an legion of drummers have emulated Bonham’s dynamic, thunderous approach and a bottom-heavy, rich rhythm section has been a standard of hard rocking bands ever since Zeppelin created the standard. But still, no one has been able to match their sound or take it to a better place, which is testament to the cumulative abilities of this band. All were seminal talents of their respective crafts, yet collectively elevated their achievements far beyond their individual possibility – including Jimmy. Indeed, none of the remaining members have been able to establish anything close to a prominent career subsequent to their original act. But for now, we have their incredibly rich and sustaining run of albums from 1969 to 1979 to carry us through.
