Album of the Month for December: IV

It's about time for a new feature: Led Zeppelin Album of the Month. Of course the first one has to be IV, an album that has not only been the definitive record of the band but also one of the greatest recordings in the history of Rock and Roll.

Release Date: November 8th, 1971
Highest Billboard Chart Position: 2
Sales Status: 23x Platinum (3rd most all-time)
Other Distinctions: #66 on Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums

Track Listing:
1. Black Dog
It's debatable which of the band's songs is the number on hit. "Whole Lotta Love", "Rock and Roll", "Kashmir", and "Stairway to Heaven" are close, but this might be the song people usually think of when they hear the name Led Zeppelin. The song has all the elements of the classic Zeppelin track: Robert's powerful vocals, Jimmy shredding on the guitar, Jones backing up well on bass, and Bonzo pounding away on the drums. The blues is very prevalent as well. Slow it down and you've got a great blues song on your hands. The song's title comes from a black dog the band kept seeing around the studio while they were recording.

2. Rock and Roll
The band was attempting to write more of an old-fashioned rock and roll song. It has since become one of their most covered songs by bands like Heart and Guns n' Roses.

3. Battle of Evermore
This is a track where Robert could really let his epic creativity flow. He was always a big fan of heroic tales like Lord of the Rings (just listen closely to "Ramble On"). He also got to sing a duet with Fairport Convention singer Sandy Denny. Their vocals intertwine throughout the entire song and it gives the song a very ancient feel. Jimmy's use of the mandolin (his first ever) also adds on a nice touch to the song.

4. Stairway to Heaven
What hasn't been said. One of the greatest rock songs ever. One of the most requested ever. It has caused grown men to cry for no apparent reason. I'm not going to lie: I have thought about staying in a car when I reached my destination because "Stairway to Heaven" was on the radio. The song's origins are actually pretty boring. Once it was recorded, however, the band knew it was going to be something big. Jimmy later had to buy a special guitar with both a 6-string and 12-string guitar on it. He would keep both channels open during live performances so that the 6-string channel would pick up him playing on the 12-string and vice versa. Also, notice how Bonzo's drum part doesn't start until halfway into the song.

5. Misty Mountain Hop
With all of the great tracks on this album, this song gets overshadowed a little bit. It's a great song with a good riff from Jimmy and the drum line really pushes the song along.

6. Four Sticks
Not much to say about this one. It led to the creation of "Rock and Roll" when the band needed a break from finishing this. It is also the song Robert uses today as a tribute to John Bonham because of the complex percussion in the song.

7. Going to California
This one seemed more like a leftover from Led Zeppelin III. It highlights the love of folk for both Jimmy and Robert along with their fondness for the state of California. It was also a tribute to Joni Mitchell, one of Robert's favorite performers who he got a chance to meet while he was with Zeppelin. He declined because he was too nervous to meet her and didn't know what he'd say.

8. When the Levee Breaks
A song originally by Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie, this is yet another example of Zeppelin propensity for "borrowing" songs without crediting anyone (just ask Willie Dixon). They gave it a similar sound to "Bring It On Home" with heavy reverb on Robert's voice and a lot of ambient noise. They again try to reinterpret the blues but keep some of the similar elements from older blues recordings.

Random Fact:
IV is in fact an untitled album. In the end, the band decided to release it with nothing on the album cover period. The only indication it was Led Zeppelin were the four symbols on the inside jacket and Jimmy's producing credit. Otherwise, the band left the cover without any signs that Led Zeppelin was involved. Atlantic fought tirelessly to get the band to put SOMETHING on it, but the band refused. Obviously, Atlantic was dead wrong with the album becoming the 3rd best seller ever. Although it is untitled, most people refer to it as Led Zeppelin IV since the first three albums were numbered as well. Other names include Zoso (for Jimmy's symbol) and Four Symbols.