Vinyl ReviewsLed Zeppelin III

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III

Led Zeppelin III is an anomaly—an undisputed classic that lacks the respect of the two other classics between which it’s sandwiched. The band isn’t the first musical genius to have merely great music stuck amidst mega-hits. Beethoven’s odd-numbered symphonies (Nos. 3, 5, 7, and 9) remain some of the greatest pieces composed, while his even-numbered lot is merely great. Caught betwixt Led Zeppelin II and Led Zeppelin IV, Led Zeppelin III often gets overlooked as a work simply not up to the group’s expected level of illustriousness.

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV

Led Zeppelin’s peak: How else do you describe an LP on which side one opens with “Black Dog” and closes with “Stairway to Heaven”? In between resides “Rock and Roll” (a song that became a concert staple, and for good reason) and “The Battle of Evermore,” one of the band’s most beautiful creations. Led Zeppelin IV is not just Led Zeppelin’s finest album but one of rock’s all-time best LPs. The group’s movement towards acoustic and British folk reaches its apex here, and this considering the quartet had only started releasing albums two years prior.

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin I

The “New Yardbirds”, as they briefly presented themselves, came roaring out of the box with a monster hit called Led Zeppelin I. Side one shakes you upside the behind like few LPs had done at the time and alone ensures the work’s classic status. Other than Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin albums, no LP issued in the late 1960s seemed quite so rebellious, so loud, and so utterly wild.

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II

It was 1969 and Led Zeppelin was changing the rules. Sure, the Rolling Stones had covered the blues before, but their early albums shoot a slight, sly sideways wink whereas Led Zeppelin II combines brutal, in-your-face proto-metal instrumental delivery with raunchy lyrics cut and pasted from the best blues singers dating back a generation and two.

Led Zeppelin - How the West Was Won

Led Zeppelin’s chemistry and hammer-of-the-gods prowess don’t come any better.

Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy

Led Zeppelin’s fifth studio album was released in March 1973 after a hiatus of 16 months, an eternity for the band and anxious fans. The set (for the first time) contains only original material, and the production reflects the group’s emphasis on layering sound more than ever before. While better than the albums that followed, it lacks the coherence and excitement of the quartet’s first four efforts.

Billy Squier - Don’t Say No

What’s surprising is how well Don’t Say No stands up nearly four decades after its release. Squier is, first and foremost, a rocker, and his music carries as much Rolling Stones in its DNA as it does Aerosmith or Led Zeppelin.

Dusty Springfield - Dusty In Memphis

Fail to take it seriously at your own risk. Dusty in Memphis was, and remains, one of the great albums of the classic-rock era. Dusty Springfield was keeping up with the fast-moving times of 1968—she had a string of hits in the U.K. and U.S. unrivaled by any other female singer—but songs like “You Don’t Own Me” sounded old-fashioned by the late 60s.

Robert Plant - Carry Fire

Carry Fire can be divided in two sections: The more upbeat, rocky side of Robert Plant and the more serene, peaceful side of the same artist. Indeed, half of the work—generally, the more downtempo songs—feels reflective. Plant sings of sadness and intimacy, and frequently wraps up such emotions in melancholy devices. That the record serves as a soulful reminder of how inimitable Plant remains shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Jack White - Boarding House Reach

Above all, the biggest misstep here isn’t White’s desire to experiment but the hostile nature in which it’s compiled. White isn’t giving us different. Rather, he’s shoving different down our throats.

Janis Joplin - Pearl

I searched for years to find a good-sounding pressing of Pearl, even shelling out for a “hot stamper” copy to wring the most feeling from Joplin’s lyrics. Mobile Fidelity’s version now takes pride of place. “That’s it!” (Joplin’s cackling laugh fades to black.)

The Black Keys - El Camino

Recorded at Auerbach’s Nashville studio on a 1969 Quad-8 mixing console, El Camino turns on a dime. Each track offers a unique experience. “Lonely Boy” is lean, mean, and bright, while “Gold on the Ceiling” brings to life a glam-rock giant stomping through a sprawling soundscape. Elsewhere, the metal crunch of tunes such as “Money Maker” abet punky, soul-inflected cuts like “Hell of a Season.”

Alice Cooper - Alice Cooper’s Greatest Hits

riday Music’s reissue sucks much of the life out of the presentation, with instruments sounding bleached and two-dimensional. The liner notes supply no information about how the reissue was mastered.

The White Stripes - Elephant

Third Man Records’ reissue removes some of the XL LP’s graininess and places the listener a couple of rows away from the stage. I listened to the Third Man Records pressing all the way through without pausing, but needed to take breaks with the XL edition. Both versions rock, so which is “better” comes down to personal taste.

- Prince’s “Black Album” Sells For $27,500, Breaks Discogs’ Most Expensive Sold Item Record!

… in June 2018 a 1987 original Canadian pressing of Prince’s The Black Album sold for a cool $27,500. Yes, 27 grand, you read that right! Discogs says this is the only known production copy of The Black Album from Canada, which makes it one of the rarest pieces of vinyl in the world.

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- Prince’s “Black Album” Sells For $27,500, Breaks Discogs’ Most Expensive Sold Item Record!

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Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin I

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II

Led Zeppelin - How the West Was Won

Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy

Billy Squier - Don’t Say No

Dusty Springfield - Dusty In Memphis

Robert Plant - Carry Fire

Jack White - Boarding House Reach

Janis Joplin - Pearl

The Black Keys - El Camino

Alice Cooper - Alice Cooper’s Greatest Hits

The White Stripes - Elephant

- Prince’s “Black Album” Sells For $27,500, Breaks Discogs’ Most Expensive Sold Item Record!

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