Led Zeppelin I - Rolling Stone Review

[Zzzptm]

"The popular formula in England in this, the aftermath era of such successful British bluesmen as Cream and John Mayall, seems to be: add, to an excellent guitarist who, since leaving the Yardbirds and/or Mayall, has become a minor musical deity, a competent rhythm section and pretty soul-belter who can do a good spade imitation. The latest of the British blues groups so conceived offers little that its twin, the Jeff Beck Group, didn't say as well or better three months ago, and the excesses of the Beck group's Truth album (most notably its self-indulgence and restrictedness), are fully in evidence on Led Zeppelin's debut album...

...'Babe I'm Gonna Leave You' alternates between prissy Robert Plant's howled vocals fronting an acoustic guitar and driving choruses of the band running down a four-chord progression while John Bonham smashes his cymbals on every beat. The song is very dull in places (especially on the vocal passages), very redundant, and certainly not worth the six-and-a-half minutes the Zeppelin gives it...

...Like the Beck group they are also perfectly willing to make themselves a two- (or, more accurately, one-a-half [sic]) man show. It would seem that, if they're to help fill the void created by the demise of Cream, they will have to find a producer (and editor) and some material worthy of their collective attention." (John Mendelsohn, 3/15/69 Review)

Wow. That's a right panning! It's pretty interesting to see all these unfavorable reviews of albums when they first came out... and then RS to reverse course and praise them as eternal, essential albums.

That being said, it made me want to compare Beck's version of "You Shook Me" with Zeppelin's version.

Beck, with Rod Stewart on vox:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7VNqSozhfw

And Zep's, with Plant running the mike...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YS1Tz6dzcjU

Comparing the two, Beck's version has a really fun solo, but the band as a whole kinda lumbers along. Zeppelin's got a more identifiable groove to the whole operation. As for accusations of excesses, no more so than on a typical Little Richard single. I really think the Zep version is the better of the two... but is it the better of the three?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSlv4c00dW4

^ This is an example of why I say Willie Dixon is the founder of Led Zeppelin. Damn, but that's a tough version to compete against. I'd say it totally blows away Stewart's vocals and the smoother voice style I prefer to Plant's. And that harmonica solo! WOW!

But this makes me come back to the reviewer... why the hell didn't he bring up Dixon's version if he wanted to cast aspersions on the Led Zeppelin? I think there's a real battle of the bands to be had there. Comparing to Beck's album is pretty obvious, the two being released close in time to each other and both guitarists having played with The Yardbirds, but why not reach back and inform the audience reading the review of another standard by which to judge both those works?

Give each track a full listen and let's talk about the three... as well as toss another log on the fire burning that awfully-done review. 

Play us out, bonzo...

[Billy Underdog]

Rolling Stone Magazine; always getting on the bandwagon after the fact...

Both Zeppelin and Sabbath suffered the "not quite Cream" stigma, just due to playing Blues-based Hard Rock. The fact that Blues-based Hard Rock could have many neuances other than what Cream had done didn't hit RSM until well into the 70's...

[Zzzptm]

I know... RSM seems quite good at walking back its previous comments when the band is popular.

And when the band isn't popular, nobody remembers RSM's predictions of greatness for the band that eventually went nowhere.

[AnnoMundi]

It’s Zeppelin I’s 50th anniversary.

[Thelemech]

I have never agreed with most of the opinions the so called critics over at Rolling Stone. Bunch of Hippie/Yuppies braindead fucks who would not know great music if it kicked them upside of the head.

[Zzzptm]

That's why I put "Lester Bangs" in the keywords on every Really Bad Record Review that I post.

I actually reviewed Green Day's American Idiot without listening to one note of it, just to see how bad I could be. My kids, fans of the album, said it was one of the worst reviews they've ever watched, asked if I could do more reviews like that because they were hilarious to mock.

[AnnoMundi]

I have never agreed with most of the opinions the so called critics over at Rolling Stone. Bunch of Hippie/Yuppies braindead fucks who would not know great music if it kicked them upside of the head.

Zep is great music.

[AnnoMundi]

That's why I put "Lester Bangs" in the keywords on every Really Bad Record Review that I post.

I actually reviewed Green Day's American Idiot without listening to one note of it, just to see how bad I could be. My kids, fans of the album, said it was one of the worst reviews they've ever watched, asked if I could do more reviews like that because they were hilarious to mock.

I think Green Day are ok.

[Zzzptm]

That's why I put "Lester Bangs" in the keywords on every Really Bad Record Review that I post.

I actually reviewed Green Day's American Idiot without listening to one note of it, just to see how bad I could be. My kids, fans of the album, said it was one of the worst reviews they've ever watched, asked if I could do more reviews like that because they were hilarious to mock.

I think Green Day are ok.

For me, I couldn't get into the band. Just too... I dunno, didn't like them.

[AnnoMundi]

That's why I put "Lester Bangs" in the keywords on every Really Bad Record Review that I post.

I actually reviewed Green Day's American Idiot without listening to one note of it, just to see how bad I could be. My kids, fans of the album, said it was one of the worst reviews they've ever watched, asked if I could do more reviews like that because they were hilarious to mock.

I think Green Day are ok.

For me, I couldn't get into the band. Just too... I dunno, didn't like them.

At first I thought they were English or something, the singer has some kind of accent, would’ve never thought they were American.

[Zzzptm]

At first I thought they were English or something, the singer has some kind of accent, would’ve never thought they were American.

I first thought Ozzy was Mexican... musical confusion can strike anytime, anywhere!

[AnnoMundi]

At first I thought they were English or something, the singer has some kind of accent, would’ve never thought they were American.

I first thought Ozzy was Mexican... musical confusion can strike anytime, anywhere!

Lol Triple Z, you tickle me every time.

[AnnoMundi]

Almost bought the 50th anniversary book today, nice thick book, didn’t have the dough for it, so I had to pass.

[Vyn]

RSM's collective mouth is so numb from all of their self-fellating over the years, they wouldn't be able to tell a pin joint from a donkey dick.

[Zzzptm]

RSM's collective mouth is so numb from all of their self-fellating over the years, they wouldn't be able to tell a pin joint from a donkey dick.

So, I'm getting the impression that you're casting aspersions on the editorial reliability of the RSM reviewers.