Led Zeppelin: The Best Worst Stuff

[Zzzptm]

Let me explain... on the help/hurt thread we was talking about different ways to do the game and I wondered aloud who has the best worst stuff. As I thought, I realized the answer is most likely Led Zeppelin.

Typically, Presence is the bottom of the Zep barrel. It's the least-played album on classic rock radio, had poor sales, kinda rambles around and loses itself... compared to the rest of Zeppelin's studio offerings, it's generally considered to be the weakest.

Now, put that up against the weakest stuff to be released under the names of Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. Zeppelin's lucky in that only the classic lineup has ever recorded as Zeppelin, because there's some real crap that Iommi and Blackmore were able to put together under their names. Forbidden, anyone? How about Slaves and Masters? I'll take Presence, any day.

With just classic-only lineups, I still prefer Presence to Technical Ecstasy. There's a debate among Sab fans about whether it's a classic 5 or classic 6. Some even put forward a classic 8. NOBODY argues for a classic 7, and Technical Ecstasy is the reason why. Give me Presence.

Against the DP Mk2 and Mk3 lineups, Presence loses. It does beat, however, most of the Mk1 stuff as well as Purple's TBRO and even HOBL done with the Mk2 Reunion.

I'm only considering Presence vs. the worst of Sabbath and the worst of Purple. The field is open, however, to put it up against anyone else's worst and to see how it fares.

My conclusion: Led Zeppelin may not have been the *best* band in my opinion, but Zeppelin at its worst is still much more listenable and enjoyable than pretty much any other band at its worst.

Discuss.

[Tyr66]

Although being a very late fan of LZ, I don't understand this approach by the bad side when it comes to this band.
don't get me wrong, I perfectly understood the subject but I cannot walk in this way. LZ is undoubtedly the band that o we systematically need justify to love.
In the Ancient World  last year I announced my new passion for this band. Sin Cardinal Sin could not find anything "better" than creating a new hateful thread against them. Disgusting.
Of course, all the bridges were broken immediately and definitively.

Again I know we're not here in this bad register obviously but I just want to put the church in the center of the village.
this band pushed the boundaries before and far more than the other two.
 

[Axefiend]

The worst of the big 3 IMO:

1 - In Through The Out Door
2 - Who Do We Think We Are (not even counting the orchestra album)
3 - Never Say Die

I'm obviously going by the "classic" DP line-up and the original line-up of Sabbath but man, I love these albums. I think they mop the floor with most other bands great stuff, but that's down to my own musical taste isn't it? I love deep cuts.

If I included albums from the other line-ups, I think it would just be too hard for me gauge, It would be so apples and oranges.
Unless you wanted to included Jimmy and Robert's solo stuff which, IMO, totally stinks compared to latter day Sabbath and Purple (Except for the Coverdale/Page album).

[Zzzptm]

I agree on Plant/Page solo vs. Coverdale/Page solo... honestly, I wish that had worked out better than it did, the pair really had a chemistry going.

[Axefiend]

Definitely agreed!!!

[Zzzptm]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRlx12uJqZM

[Zzzptm]

Holy crap, this version of "Kashmir" is awesome, right from the start. Coverdale's voice is perfect for this song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2Hco-APNeo