Led Zeppelin Top 3

Jimmy Page started his career as a studio musician. His first session for the Decca Records label was the recording "Diamonds" by Jet Harris and Tony Meehan, which went to Number 1 on the singles chart in early 1963. He became a favourite session musician for producer Shel Talmy and played on records by The Kinks and The Who. He can also be heard on "Heart of Stone" by the Rolling Stones and Petula Clark's "Downtown". In 1966 Jimmy Page joined the Yardbirds to replace Paul Samwell-Smith as a bass player. But soon changed to second lead guitar together with Jeff Beck. At the end of 1966 Jeff Beck left the Yardbirds. The Yardbirds were now a 4-man band and released one more album titled "Little Games" which was experimental and psychedelic.

Little Games by the Yardbirds (including Jimmy Page)

Then this line-up break up leaving Jimmy Page to form the New Yardbirds. First the idea was to form a supergroup with Jeff Beck again and members of the Who: Keith Moon and John Entwistle. That didn't succeed. As a singer he recuited Robert Plant from the Band of Joy. Robert recommended drummer John Bonham. Finally a session musician Jimmy knew named John Paul Jones was also added to the line-up. They did a scandinavian tour as the New Yardbirds with a more heavier sound. By the time they started recording their first album they decided to change the name of the band completely. They suggested that the idea of forming a supergroup with Page and Beck would go down like a "lead balloon". They replaced both words and finally it would be: Led Zeppelin. They signed with Atlantic Records. Their debut album would reach #10 in the US, #6 in the UK and #14 in the Netherlands. The album mixed blues with folk and rock. Their second album (II) was moving towards heavy metal and became #1 in the US, UK and the Netherlands. In 1975 they would release a double album including new material and unreleased work titled "Physical Graffiti". In 1980 John Bonham's drinking problems rised and he died as a result of alcohol and medicines to treat his anxiety. By that point the band broke up.

Led Zeppelin

My top 3 of Led Zeppelin albums:

Original album cover

1. III (1970)
Immigrant Song / Friends / Celebration Day / Since I've Been Loving You / Out on the Tiles / Gallows Pole / Tangerine / That's the Way / Bron-Y-Aur Stomp / Hats Off to (Roy) Harper

Fold-out front and back cover

Bron-Y-Aur Stomp (Welsh for "hill of gold") is the name of a cottage in Wales where the band wrote many of the songs for their third and fourth album. "Immigrant Song" was written about the Viking invasions of England, "Gallows Pole" is an updated arrangement of a traditional folk song called "The Maid Freed from the Gallows" and "Tangerine" was written by Page in 1968 when he was still with the Yardbirds. "Hats Off to (Roy) Harper" was a tribute to their folk hero Roy Harper. The album reached #3 in the Netherlands and #1 in both the US and UK. The cover was designed by multimedia artist Zacron.

Original album cover

2. Physical Graffiti (1975)

Custard Pie / The Rover / In My Time of Dying / Houses of the Holy / Trampled Under Foot / Kashmir / In the Light / Bron-Yr-Aur / Down by the Seaside / Ten Years Gone / Night Flight / The Wanton Song / Boogie with Stu / Black Country Woman / Sick Again

Physical Graffiti Building In New York

"The Rover", "Black Country Woman" and "Houses of the Holy" are outtakes of "Houses of the Holy" including the unreleased title track from the album with that same name. "Bron-Yr-Aur" is an alternative version of that one on III. "Down by the Seaside", "Night Flight" and "Boogie with Stu" are outtakes from "IV". The album was released officially in a die-cut sleeve design depicting a New York City tenement block, through whose windows various cultural icons could be interchangeably viewed.It was designed by Peter Corriston. The album reached #7 in the Netherlands and #1 in both the US and UK.

Original album cover

3. IV (1970)

Black Dog / Rock and Roll / The Battle of Evermore / Stairway to Heaven / Misty Mountain Hop / Four Sticks / Going to California / When the Levee Breaks

Fold-out front and back cover

"Black Dog" was named after a dog that hung around Headley Grange during recording. "The Battle of Evermore" included folk artist Sandy Denny and included lyrics inspired by the Scottish Independence Wars. "Stairway to Heaven" is one of their most famous songs ever. "Misty Mountain Hop" about drug possesion with the title based on J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. "Going to California" is about the Californian earthquakes and to find the perfect woman. The album cover holds 3 elements: 4 symbols representing the band members, a picture of a classic straw roof builder and the Salisbury Tower, Ladywood, Birmingham. The album reached #7 in the Netherlands and #1 in both the US and UK.

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