More of the Music of Led Zeppelin
Reviews and Commentaries for Led Zeppelin II
The best copies of Zep II have the kind of rock and roll firepower that’s guaranteed to bring any system to its knees.
That’s what makes it a Top Test Disc.
And if you’re looking for rock and pop albums that are very hard to reproduce, here are some that should fit the bill nicely.
Side One
Whole Lotta Love
This album is unique in one sense: both sides of ZEP II start our with MONSTER ROCK AND ROLL tracks with unbelievable dynamics, energy and bass. Most bands would be lucky to get one song like this on an album. This album has about five!
The middle section with the cymbals and panning instruments is key to the best copies. When it starts they goose the volume — not subtly mind you — and a big room opens up in which everything starts bouncing around, reflecting off the walls of the studio. It’s a cool effect, there’s no denying it.
This is the loudest, most dynamic cut on side one. If it doesn’t knock you out, keep turning up the volume and playing it again until it does.
What Is and What Should Never Be
Amazing presence. Plant is right there!
The Lemon Song
The bass parts always sounded muddy on the sub-gen copies I often found. The definition and note-like quality here is superb and it’s only found on these good originals.
There are real dynamics here — the middle part is at a much lower level than the guitars that follow. This song, like so many on II, is really designed to assault you, to give you the sense that guitars are being broken over your head. That’s the kind of power this track has. It’s also relatively smooth and sweet compared to the rest of the album as a whole.
Thank You
Side Two
Heartbreaker
Side two seems to be cut a little lower than side one, so add about a DB to the volume or this side will sound a bit tame. Again, big and dynamic. These are the BIGGEST, MOST POWERFUL GUITARS I have ever heard on a record. Most copies sound good. The Hot Stampers show you that those big guitars are a lot bigger than you thought.
Living Loving Maid (She’s Just a Woman)
Ramble On
Some copies are super transparent, and in some ways that really works on this track, where Plant’s voice can get a bit lost in the mix. But they don’t have the oomph down below, which is why they sound clearer in the midrange. The amazing copies have so much weight and power down there, some clarity in the middle has to suffer. But the power of the music requires prodigous amounts of bass. Without that bass you have just another rock record, not The Monster Rock and Roll Record of All Time. Big difference.
Moby Dick
Bring It on Home
When those guitars come in, look out! Another out of control rocker.
Further Reading