FBG'S TOP 81 LED ZEPPELIN SONGS: #1 - When The Levee Breaks from Led Zeppelin IV (1971) (1 Viewer)

[Anarchy99]

Here we go . . . the ***OFFICIAL THREAD*** of FBG members ranking their Top 25 Led Zeppelin songs. The final tally features lists compiled from 61 people. A big shout out to those of you that took the time tearing out some hair and put your lists together. Scoring was based on a point system: 25 points for a first-place vote down to 1 point for the 25th ranked song on each list. Each song that received a vote will receive an individual listing and write up, along with commentary, song history, links to performances and covers, and results of other polls / rankings. There will be 80 songs included as we wind our way to the #1 overall song. Tie breakers are whatever mood I am at the time a tie comes up. Fair warning, not all songs will be officially released.

HERE was the initial sign up, discussion, and inane banter thread. I did not make a full song listing, I only ranked 25 songs like everyone else.

In an effort to keep things somewhat moving, I will likely add in more information on songs we already covered as I come across it. In the meantime, I would like to introduce Led Zeppelin to you.

On bass guitar . . . John Paul Jones
On drums . . . John Bonham
Lead guitar . . . Jimmy Page
And on vocals . . . Robert Plant

How Many More Times . . . On A Stage That Would Fit In Your Living Room

There will be lots more where that came from.  And so without further ado, on to the mighty mighty Zeppelin.

#81 - Jimmy’s Blues (by P.J. Proby) from Three Week Hero (1969)
#80 - Sittin’ & Thinkin’ from San Francisco - 1969-04-27
#79 – Candy Store Rock from Presence (1976)
#78 - Feel So Bad / Fixin’ To Die / That’s Alright Mama (Unreleased from 1970)
#77 - Train Kept A-Rollin from Texas International Pop Festival - 1969-08-31
#76 - Darlene from Coda (1978 by way of 1982)
#75 - The Crunge from Houses of the Holy (1973)
#74 - Ozone Baby from Coda (1978 by way of 1982)
#73 - Bron-Yr-Aur from Physical Graffiti (1975)
#72 - Wearing and Tearing from Coda (from 1978 by way of 1982)
#71 - Hot Dog from In Through The Out Door (1979)
#70 - As Long As I Have You - San Francisco - 1969-04-27
#69 - Bonzo's Montreux - Coda (1976 by way of 1982)
#68 - Night Flight - Physical Graffiti (1975)
#67 - South Bound Saurez - In Through The Out Door (1979)
#66 - We’re Gonna Groove - Coda (1970 by way of 1982)
#65 - Black Mountain Side from Led Zeppelin 1 (1969) and Coda (1982)
#64 - I’m Gonna Crawl - In Through The Out Door (1979)
#63 - Boogie With Stu from Physical Graffiti (1975)
#62 - Black Country Woman from Physical Graffiti (1975)
#61 - Carouselambra from In Through The Out Door (1979)
#60 - Sick Again from Physical Graffiti (1975)
#59 - For Your Life from Presence (1976)
#58 - Baby Come On Home - Boxed Set 2 (1968 by way of 1993)
#57 - Down By The Seaside from Physical Graffiti (1975)
#56 - Out On The Tiles from Led Zeppelin III (1970)
#55 - That’s The Way from Led Zeppelin III (1970)
#54 - You Shook Me from Led Zeppelin I (1969)
#53 - Four Sticks from Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
#52 - Celebration Day from Led Zeppelin III (1970)
#51 - Moby **** from Led Zeppelin II (1969)
#50 - I Can’t Quit You Baby from Led Zeppelin I (1969) and Coda (1982)
#49 - Bron-Y-Aur Stomp from Led Zeppelin III (1970)
#48 - The Wanton Song from Physical Graffiti (1975)
#47 - Friends from Led Zeppelin III (1970)
#46 - D’yer Mak’er from Houses Of The Holy (1973)
#45 - Custard Pie from Physical Graffiti (1975)
#44 - All My Love from In Through The Out Door (1979)
#43 - Travelling Riverside Blues from Led Zeppelin Box Set (1969 by way of 1990)
#42 - Bring It On Home from Led Zeppelin II (1969)
#41 - Dancing Days from Houses Of The Holy (1973)
#40 - The Lemon Song / Killing Floor from Led Zeppelin II (1969)
#39 - Your Time Is Gonna Come from Led Zeppelin I (1969)
#38 - The Rover from Physical Graffiti (1975)
#37 - Houses Of The Holy from Physical Graffiti (1975)
#36 - Gallows Pole from Led Zeppelin III (1970)
#35 - Fool In The Rain from In Through The Out Door (1979)
#34 - In The Evening from In Through The Out Door (1979)
#33 - Achilles Last Stand from Presence (1976)
#32 - Nobody’s Fault But Mine from Presence (1976)
#31 - Trampled Under Foot from Physical Graffiti (1975)
#30 - Thank You from Led Zeppelin II (1969)
#29 - In The Light from Physical Graffiti (1975)
#28 - Tangerine from Led Zeppelin III (1970)
#27 - How Many More Times from Led Zeppelin I (1969)
#26 - In My Time Of Dying from Physical Graffiti (1975)
#25 - Misty Mountain Hop from Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
#24 - Hey, Hey, What Can I Do from Immigrant Song Single (1970)
#23 - The Song Remains The Same from Houses Of The Holy (1973)
#22 - Ten Years Gone From Physical Graffiti (1975)
#21 - The Battle Of Evermore from Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
#20 - The Ocean from Houses Of The Holy (1973)
#19 - No Quarter from Houses Of The Holy(1973)
#18 - Communication Breakdown from Led Zeppelin I (1969)
#17 - The Rain Song from Houses Of The Holy (1973)
#16 - What Is And What Should Never Be from Led Zeppelin II (1969)
#15 - Since I’ve Been Loving You from Led Zeppelin III (1970)
#14 - Rock And Roll from Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
#13 - Going To California from Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
#12 - Heartbreaker / Living Loving Maid from Led Zeppelin II (1969)
#11 - Good Times Bad Times from Led Zeppelin I (1969)
#10 - Babe I'm Gonna Leave You from Led Zeppelin I (1969)
#9 - Over The Hills And Far Away from Houses Of The Holy (1973)
#8 - Immigrant Song from Led Zeppelin III (1970)
#7 - Black Dog from Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
#6 - Ramble On from Led Zeppelin II (1969)
#5 - Dazed And Confused from Led Zeppelin 1 (1969)
#4 - Whole Lotta Love from Led Zeppelin II (1969)
#3 - Kashmir from Physical Graffiti (1975)
#2 - Stairway To Heaven from Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
#1 - When The Levee Breaks from Led Zeppelin IV (1971)

 

[Anarchy99]

#80 - Jimmy’s Blues (by P.J. Proby) from Three Week Hero (1969)

Appeared On: 1 ballot (out of 62 . . . 1.6%)
Total Points: 1 point (out of 1,550 possible points . . .  0.0645%)
Ranker: @[scooter]
Highest Ranking: 25

Live Performances: Never performed live.
Notable Covers: None

Ultimate Classic Rock Ranking (out of 92 songs): Not Ranked
Vulture Ranking (out of 74 songs): Not Ranked
Rolling Stone Ranking (out of 40 songs): Not Ranked
Louder Ranking (out of 50 songs): Not Ranked
Uproxx Ranking (out of 50 songs): Not Ranked
WMGK Ranking (out of 92 songs): Not Ranked
SPIN Ranking (out of 87 songs): Not Ranked
Ranker Ranking (out of 87 songs): Not Ranked
Anachronarchy Ranking (out of 80 songs): Not Ranked

What better place for us to start than the very beginning? I know a lot of people will say “WTF?!? What is this . . . that’s not even a Led Zeppelin song?!?” But first the back story.

In the early 60s, Jimmy Page started out as a session musician at 18 or 19 years old. He performed on a lot of tracks for artists that most people today would be unfamiliar with. His first recording session as a hired gun was for the instrumental Diamonds by Jet Harris in 1963. But he got steady work and a regular paycheck. There has been talk that in those days Jimmy was approached to join several bands but opted to stick with being an in-demand session musician. Here’s the long list of his session work.

Other notable session performances included acoustic guitar on Goldfinger by Shirley Bassey (1964), Heart of Stone by The Rolling Stones (1964), Baby, Please Don’t Go by Them (1964), Downtown by Petula Clark (1964), I Can’t Explain by The Who (1965), It’s Not Unusual by Tom Jones (1965), Sunshine Superman by Donovan (1966), and With a Little Help from My Friends by Joe Cocker (1968). Along the way, Page played on some tracks with another session musician . . . bassist John Paul Jones.

The Yardbirds were formed in 1963 and shortly thereafter added Eric Clapton as their lead guitarist. Clapton opted out in 1965 and was replaced with Jeff Beck. In 1966, Page originally joined the Yardbirds . . . as their bass player. By the end of 1966, Beck also chose to leave the band.

Around this time, Page wanted to form a supergroup with Page and Beck on guitars and the Who's Keith Moon and John Entwistle on drums and bass. Vocalists Steve Winwood and Steve Marriott were also considered for the project. That project never really got off the ground. Ultimately, Beck and Page joined forces with Keith Moon, John Paul Jones, and keyboard player Nicky Hopkins. They recorded only one song: Beck’s Bolero by Jeff Beck in 1967.

When the proposed super group concept never materialized beyond that, Page instead took over as lead guitarist of the Yardbirds. The band produced a studio album and a live album in the 18 or so months they remained together. In 1968, the Yardbirds called it a day but were still contractually obligated to play some shows in Europe. Page got permission to press on with a newly configured band called The New Yardbirds. But after those tour dates, he lost the naming rights battle and had to come up with a new band name. His first choice to be lead singer for this new venture was vocalist Terry Reid, who declined but suggested Robert Plant.

At one point when Page and Beck had been discussing musicians for a potential new group, one version of how the new band's name was chosen held that Moon and Entwistle had suggested that a supergroup with Page and Beck would go down like a "lead balloon." As legend has it, that evolved and morphed into Led Zeppelin.

One of the artists that Page had worked several times across the early to late 60’s was P.J. Proby. By that point, the New Yardbirds featured Page and Jones . . . to go along with Robert Plant and John Bonham. Proby still was interested in working with Page. The newly minted Led Zeppelin finished their dates in Scandinavia, and the band members agreed to work on Proby’s new album even though they were more interested in recording out on their own (more on that later).

Jimmy’s Blues is the first studio recording that featured all four members of Led Zeppelin. Robert Plant plays harmonica. I thought about excluding this one from the rankings but decided against it. Proby languished in the music business in the 70’s and 80’s but reemerged in the 90’s and 00’s. He toured with The Who as The Godfather in 1997. He’s been recording songs and albums and performing live again since then.

 

[ChiefD]

Is it coming sometime?

 

[Anarchy99]

Is it coming sometime?

I see your reading comprehension skills and ability to follow directions are both unmatched and unrivaled. But yes, it is coming soon. I have to move the information into this thread . . . and the more people ask questions, well, the longer it is going to take me.

 

[ChiefD]

I see your reading comprehension skills and ability to follow directions are both unmatched and unrivaled. But yes, it is coming soon. I have to move the information into this thread . . . and the more people ask questions, well, the longer it is going to take me.

My apologies. I was rising up against the establishment. 

Carry on.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Is it coming sometime?

That's what she said.

The pizza was late.

 

[belljr]

First!

 

[Gilroy34]

I might be able to name 1 or 2 songs

 

[Ron Popeil]

Tonight, on Shuke!

 

[skol asylum]

Wait! I forgot to include Safari Song.

 

[skol asylum]

#80 - Jimmy’s Blues (by P.J. Proby) from Three Week Hero (1969)

Appeared On: 1 ballot (out of 61)
Total Points: 1 point (out of 1,525 possible points . . .  0.0635%)
High Ranker: @[scooter]

Live Performances: Never performed live.
Notable Covers: None

Ultimate Classic Rock Ranking (out of 92 songs): Not Ranked
Vulture Ranking (out of 74 songs): Not Ranked
Rolling Stone Ranking (out of 40 songs): Not Ranked
Louder Ranking (out of 50 songs): Not Ranked
Uproxx Ranking (out of 50 songs): Not Ranked
WMGK Ranking (out of 92 songs): Not Ranked
SPIN Ranking (out of 87 songs): Not Ranked
Ranker Ranking (out of 87 songs): Not Ranked
Anachronarchy Ranking (out of 80 songs): Not Ranked

What better place for us to start than the very begging? I know a lot of people will say “WTF?!? What is this . . . that’s not even a Led Zeppelin song?!?” But first the back story.

In the early 60s, Jimmy Page started out as a session musician at 18 or 19 years old. He performed on a lot of tracks for artists that most people today would be unfamiliar with. His first recording session as a hired gun was for the instrumental Diamonds by Jet Harris in 1963. But he got steady work and a regular paycheck. There has been talk that in those days Jimmy was approached to join several bands but opted to stick with being an in-demand session musician. Here’s the long list of his session work.

Other notable session performances included acoustic guitar on Goldfinger by Shirley Bassey (1964), Heart of Stone by The Rolling Stones (1964), Baby, Please Don’t Go by Them (1964), Downtown by Petula Clark (1964), I Can’t Explain by The Who (1965), It’s Not Unusual by Tom Jones (1965), Sunshine Superman by Donovan (1966), and With a Little Help from My Friends by Joe Cocker (1968). Along the way, Page played on some tracks with another session musician . . . bassist John Paul Jones.

The Yardbirds were formed in 1963 and shortly thereafter added Eric Clapton as their lead guitarist. Clapton opted out in 1965 and was replaced with Jeff Beck. In 1966, Page originally joined the Yardbirds . . . as their bass player. By the end of 1966, Beck also chose to leave the band.

Around this time, Page wanted to form a supergroup with Page and Beck on guitars and the Who's Keith Moon and John Entwistle on drums and bass. Vocalists Steve Winwood and Steve Marriott were also considered for the project. That project never really got off the ground. Ultimately, Beck and Page joined forces with Keith Moon, John Paul Jones, and keyboard player Nicky Hopkins. They recorded only one song: Beck’s Bolero by Jeff Beck in 1967.

When the proposed super group concept never materialized beyond that, Page instead took over as lead guitarist of the Yardbirds. The band produced a studio album and a live album in the 18 or so months they remained together. In 1968, the Yardbirds called it a day but were still contractually obligated to play some shows in Europe. Page got permission to press on with a newly configured band called The New Yardbirds. But after those tour dates, he lost the naming rights battle and had to come up with a new band name. His first choice to be lead singer for this new venture was vocalist Terry Reid, who declined but suggested Robert Plant.

At one point when Page and Beck had been discussing musicians for a potential new group, one version of how the new band's name was chosen held that Moon and Entwistle had suggested that a supergroup with Page and Beck would go down like a "lead balloon." As legend has it, that evolved and morphed into Led Zeppelin.

One of the artists that Page had worked several times across the early to late 60’s was P.J. Proby. By that point, the New Yardbirds featured Page and Jones . . . to go along with Robert Plant and John Bonham. Proby still was interested in working with Page. The newly minted Led Zeppelin finished their dates in Scandinavia, and the band members agreed to work on Proby’s new album even though they were more interested in recording out on their own (more on that later).

Jimmy’s Blues is the first studio recording that featured all four members of Led Zeppelin. Robert Plant plays harmonica. I thought about excluding this one from the rankings but decided against it. Proby languished in the music business in the 70’s and 80’s but reemerged in the 90’s and 00’s. He toured with The Who as The Godfather in 1997. He’s been recording songs and albums and performing live again since then.

Wow. Great write-up.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

#80 - Jimmy’s Blues (by P.J. Proby) from Three Week Hero (1969)

Appeared On: 1 ballot (out of 61)
Total Points: 1 point (out of 1,525 possible points . . .  0.0635%)
High Ranker: @[scooter]

Live Performances: Never performed live.
Notable Covers: None

Ultimate Classic Rock Ranking (out of 92 songs): Not Ranked
Vulture Ranking (out of 74 songs): Not Ranked
Rolling Stone Ranking (out of 40 songs): Not Ranked
Louder Ranking (out of 50 songs): Not Ranked
Uproxx Ranking (out of 50 songs): Not Ranked
WMGK Ranking (out of 92 songs): Not Ranked
SPIN Ranking (out of 87 songs): Not Ranked
Ranker Ranking (out of 87 songs): Not Ranked
Anachronarchy Ranking (out of 80 songs): Not Ranked

What better place for us to start than the very begging? I know a lot of people will say “WTF?!? What is this . . . that’s not even a Led Zeppelin song?!?” But first the back story.

In the early 60s, Jimmy Page started out as a session musician at 18 or 19 years old. He performed on a lot of tracks for artists that most people today would be unfamiliar with. His first recording session as a hired gun was for the instrumental Diamonds by Jet Harris in 1963. But he got steady work and a regular paycheck. There has been talk that in those days Jimmy was approached to join several bands but opted to stick with being an in-demand session musician. Here’s the long list of his session work.

Other notable session performances included acoustic guitar on Goldfinger by Shirley Bassey (1964), Heart of Stone by The Rolling Stones (1964), Baby, Please Don’t Go by Them (1964), Downtown by Petula Clark (1964), I Can’t Explain by The Who (1965), It’s Not Unusual by Tom Jones (1965), Sunshine Superman by Donovan (1966), and With a Little Help from My Friends by Joe Cocker (1968). Along the way, Page played on some tracks with another session musician . . . bassist John Paul Jones.

The Yardbirds were formed in 1963 and shortly thereafter added Eric Clapton as their lead guitarist. Clapton opted out in 1965 and was replaced with Jeff Beck. In 1966, Page originally joined the Yardbirds . . . as their bass player. By the end of 1966, Beck also chose to leave the band.

Around this time, Page wanted to form a supergroup with Page and Beck on guitars and the Who's Keith Moon and John Entwistle on drums and bass. Vocalists Steve Winwood and Steve Marriott were also considered for the project. That project never really got off the ground. Ultimately, Beck and Page joined forces with Keith Moon, John Paul Jones, and keyboard player Nicky Hopkins. They recorded only one song: Beck’s Bolero by Jeff Beck in 1967.

When the proposed super group concept never materialized beyond that, Page instead took over as lead guitarist of the Yardbirds. The band produced a studio album and a live album in the 18 or so months they remained together. In 1968, the Yardbirds called it a day but were still contractually obligated to play some shows in Europe. Page got permission to press on with a newly configured band called The New Yardbirds. But after those tour dates, he lost the naming rights battle and had to come up with a new band name. His first choice to be lead singer for this new venture was vocalist Terry Reid, who declined but suggested Robert Plant.

At one point when Page and Beck had been discussing musicians for a potential new group, one version of how the new band's name was chosen held that Moon and Entwistle had suggested that a supergroup with Page and Beck would go down like a "lead balloon." As legend has it, that evolved and morphed into Led Zeppelin.

One of the artists that Page had worked several times across the early to late 60’s was P.J. Proby. By that point, the New Yardbirds featured Page and Jones . . . to go along with Robert Plant and John Bonham. Proby still was interested in working with Page. The newly minted Led Zeppelin finished their dates in Scandinavia, and the band members agreed to work on Proby’s new album even though they were more interested in recording out on their own (more on that later).

Jimmy’s Blues is the first studio recording that featured all four members of Led Zeppelin. Robert Plant plays harmonica. I thought about excluding this one from the rankings but decided against it. Proby languished in the music business in the 70’s and 80’s but reemerged in the 90’s and 00’s. He toured with The Who as The Godfather in 1997. He’s been recording songs and albums and performing live again since then.

I was not familiar with this. Obviously it was not on my list or my friend’s. Would like to hear from Scooter why it made his top 25. 

Fun fact: The Kinks’ “Session Man” is partly about Page. Page has claimed that he played the iconic riff on You Really Got Me, which the Davies brothers have disputed.

 

[BroncoFreak_2K3]

Awesome start

  (Cheers to Bonham)

 

[Binky The Doormat]

Wow. Great write-up.

yeah, if this is what we get for a song with one vote out of 61 and unranked at every website ...can't wait for the rest of it!!!

 

[Binky The Doormat]

I was not familiar with this. Obviously it was not on my list or my friend’s. Would like to hear from Scooter why it made his top 25. 

Fun fact: The Kinks’ “Session Man” is partly about Page. Page has claimed that he played the iconic riff on You Really Got Me, which the Davies brothers have disputed.

scooter while ranking.

 

[jamny]

#80 - Jimmy’s Blues (by P.J. Proby) from Three Week Hero (1969)
 

How dare that guy interrupt Page when he was about to wail!

 

[2Young2BBald]

Wow. Great write-up.

THIS, and I am suddenly feeling all "chalky" about my list!

 

[PIK95]

Any chance we get #79.  I need something to look forward to.

 

[Tom Servo]

Any chance we get #79.  I need something to look forward to.

I’m sure @Anarchy99 will get to it someday. 

 

[Zegras11]

Is that it?  Are we done here?

 

[Pip's Invitation]

#80 - Jimmy’s Blues (by P.J. Proby) from Three Week Hero (1969)

Finally listened to this. It's cromulent late '60s blues-rock -- the kind of stuff that Zep would soon make irrelevant. The first half kind of sounds like You Shook Me with inferior source material and an inferior singer. The second half builds up some nice momentum but I agree with whoever said Proby should have just gotten out of Jimmy's way. 

 

[Binky The Doormat]

Is that it?  Are we done here?

reaction.

 

[In The Zone]

Awesome start. What a wealth of information. I love it. 

This song definitely wasn't on my radar but it is now. 

Oh, and that video of How Many More Times linked at the top is nothing short of bad ###. 

This is going to be a rewarding journey. 

 

[Anarchy99]

#80 - Sittin’ & Thinkin’ from San Francisco - 1969-04-27

Appeared On: 1 ballot (out of 62 . . . 1.6% )
Total Points: 1 point (out of 1,550 possible points . . .  0.0645%)
Ranker: @Anarchy99
Highest Ranking: 25

Live Performances: Only Performed Once (See Link Above)
Notable Covers: None

Ultimate Classic Rock Ranking (out of 92 songs): Not Ranked
Vulture Ranking (out of 74 songs): Not Ranked
Rolling Stone Ranking (out of 40 songs): Not Ranked
Louder Ranking (out of 50 songs): Not Ranked
Uproxx Ranking (out of 50 songs): Not Ranked
WMGK Ranking (out of 92 songs): Not Ranked
SPIN Ranking (out of 87 songs): Not Ranked
Ranker Ranking (out of 87 songs): Not Ranked
Anachronarchy Ranking (out of 80 songs): Not Ranked
 

The Robert Plant side of the Led Zeppelin equation is a lot less to review. At age 18 or 19, he recorded a couple of singles: Our Song and Long Time Coming . He had short stints in several band including Hobbstweedle and  the Crawling King Snakes, which brought him into contact with drummer John Bonham. They both went on to play in the Band of Joy. Here’s one of their songs from 1968: I Gotta Find My Baby. And a demo called Steal Away.

In August 1968, when Page was trying to retool the Yardbirds, the Led Zeppelin played together for the first time in a room below a record store in London. Page suggested that they attempt Train Kept A-Rollin', which had been covered by the Yardbirds. "As soon as I heard John Bonham play", Jones recalled, "I knew this was going to be great ... We locked together as a team immediately."

They recorded their first album in 9 days in 36 hours of studio time. They had no recording contract and Page fronted all the money to pay for the recording sessions, said to be for just under 1,800 pounds. At that point in time, Page used a Fender Telecaster. To say that Zeppelin took the music scene by storm in 1969 is the understatement of all understatements. They recorded and released their first two albums and completed 7 tours all in the same year. For my money, I would happily offer the rest of their collection and catalog in trade for everything they recorded in 1969.

The first time they made it to America was the last week of 1968 into the beginning of January 1969. They went back to Europe for 3 months of touring but made a momentous return to the States with their performances in late April 1969 in the San Francisco Bay area. All the dates from 1969 are electric, blistering, bombastic, and bursting with energy. Page was on fire, night after night, and the band’s chemistry clicked almost immediately. They were mostly playing clubs and smaller venues, as they had not hit the big time just yet.

Some places list this as a Buddy Guy song, others suggest it’s a Muddy Waters number, and other still say it was a Guy / Waters collaboration. LZ played Sittin’ & Thinkin’ once and only once in their time as a band. The fact that there is a recording of it in decent sound quality is just dumb luck, but we should all be thankful for it.

I picked this one (and a coupole of others) mostly because I wanted to get us to an even number of songs. There are any number of rare tracks and live cover songs that could also have been options. I will post some of those along the way. But JP rips it up in the center section on this slow blues number.

 

[ConstruxBoy]

Wait, wait wait. 
 

“inane banter”?

I thought we were friends. 

 

[Binky The Doormat]

Wait, wait wait. 
 

“inane banter”?

I thought we were friends. 

hey, I'm pretty sure you nailed what we're about ...

 

[PIK95]

Great write up.  I have to admit, I like that Gotta Find My Baby better then all the others you mentioned up there.  It's funny, I was a giant fan as a kid.  The last thing they put out in my time, was that four CD set with the crop circles and TRB.  I never bothered with much from them after, as I kinda just moved on to other music.  I haven't heard any of this stuff that showed up after 1995, lol.  It's pretty cool, please keep it coming.  Thx

I still have my 80's Black Stairway Tapestry somewhere fwiw.

 

[Dennis Castro]

I see your reading comprehension skills and ability to follow directions are both unmatched and unrivaled. 

This looks just like something your avatar might say. 

Also :sehorn:

 

[[scooter]]

I was not familiar with this. Obviously it was not on my list or my friend’s. Would like to hear from Scooter why it made his top 25. 

Do I really think that "Jim's Blues" is a better track than the ~82 songs that didn't make my list? No, not really.

Sure, I could have thrown a dart at a random Zep song and it would have been a perfectly acceptable 25th pick. But what would be the fun in that?

What I like about "Jim's Blues" is that it's THE FIRST. The first time 4 legendary musicians recorded together. And that deserves extra credit in my book. Plus, the backing track is basically a rehearsal of "You Shook Me" -- give it real vocals and it fits in just fine on the first album. P.J. Proby was a skilled singer in the sense that he could belt out a song at the top of his lungs without going out of tune, which apparently was a noteworthy semi-novelty in the mid-'60s. But his vocal gimmicks (along with his other gimmick -- splitting his trousers onstage) had worn out their welcome by 1967. He's doing the musical equivalent of overacting here.

BTW, the song's proper title is "Jim's Blues" -- named after Mr. Proby (real name: James Marcus Smith), not Mr. Page.

 

[shuke]

These write-ups, wow.  Can't wait for this journey.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

#79 - Sittin’ & Thinkin’ from San Francisco - 1969-04-27

They had a unique approach to the blues from the very beginning. There was no reason to record both this and You Shook Me, as they cover the same ground, but it's a fascinating look at what they were up to before anyone caught on. 

 

[PIK95]

This looks just like something your avatar might say. 

Also :sehorn:

:Thrash:

 

[AAABatteries]

Pretty sure I’m winning so far.

 

[[scooter]]

Some places list this as a Buddy Guy song, others suggest it’s a Muddy Waters number, and other still say it was a Guy / Waters collaboration. LZ played Sittin’ & Thinkin’ once and only once in their time as a band. The fact that there is a recording of it in decent sound quality is just dumb luck, but we should all be thankful for it.

This is believed to be the starting point for "Sitting And Thinking" -- but if that's the case, Zep took it in a direction that would have made the source indeterminable if not for Plant's namecheck.

Any other '60s blues rock band would have made this song a centerpiece of an album side, but for Zep it was little more than 2nd-set concert filler.

 

[dickey moe]

This thread will be Magnum Opus. 

 

[Dennis Castro]

:Thrash:

  ?

 

[Witz]

Awesome write ups so far. Can’t wait for what’s in store for us. Thank you!

 

[Anarchy99]

#78 – Candy Store Rock from Presence (1976)

Appeared On: 1 ballot (out of 62 . . . 1.6%)
Total Points: 1 point (out of 1,550 possible points . . .  0.0645%)
Ranker: @Mookie Gizzy
Highest Ranking: 25

Live Performances: None as LZ, once as Page & Plant (Montreux - 2001-07-07)
Notable Covers: None

Ultimate Classic Rock Ranking (out of 92 songs): 79
Vulture Ranking (out of 74 songs): 68
Rolling Stone Ranking (out of 40 songs): Not Ranked
Louder Ranking (out of 50 songs): Not Ranked
Uproxx Ranking (out of 50 songs): Not Ranked
WMGK Ranking (out of 92 songs): 79
SPIN Ranking (out of 87 songs): 86
Ranker Ranking (out of 87 songs): Not Ranked
Anachronarchy Ranking (out of 80 songs): 46

We get to our first official catalog track, this one from the band’s seventh studio album Presence. Led Zeppelin was said to have peaked popularity wise after Physical Graffiti. They closed out their 1975 tour in May with 5 colossal shows at Earls Court in London. The shows all clocked in at well over three hours, and the last night they approached 3:45.

The plan from there was to take two months off and then tour America, but Plant crashed his rental car while vacationing with his family in Greece the first week of August. He broke an ankle and an elbow, which wouldn't fully heal for another two years. He spent time in a wheelchair, and the American tour had to be cancelled.

Plant’s accident and slow recovery also temporarily halted work on Presence, which finally came out the following year after several delays. The album was recorded and mixed in 18 days, with Plant completing his parts from a wheelchair. Because things were knocked out of phase in terms of song writing, almost all the songs were developed by Page and Plant, with JPJ and JB parts added with little songwriting contribution. Unlike their earlier albums, Jones and Bonham were left off writing credit for 6 of the 7 songs on the album.

Presence is the only LZ that does not feature keyboards, and with the exception of a rhythm track in Candy Store Rock, it also has no acoustic guitar. Proving that record companies are clueless, Candy Store Rock was released as a single and failed to chart anywhere.

In a contemporary review for Presence, Stephen Davis of Rolling Stone described "Candy Store Rock" as "perfectly evoking the Los Angeles milieu in which the Zep composed [Presence]." He further described the song as sounding like "an unholy hybrid in which Buddy Holly is grafted onto the quivering stem of David Bowie." In a retrospective review of Presence, Andrew Doscas of PopMatters described Candy Store Rock as sounding like "the prequel to 1971's "Rock and Roll"" from their fourth album.

Singer Robert Plant later described Candy Store Rock, along with Achilles Last Stand, as the "saving grace of Presence.” Plant said the song's rhythm section was inspiring to him, partly due to the album's tumultuous recording sessions.

The song was never played live by the band, save for a snippet at a gig in 1977. It made a brief appearance as a snippet again on the Page and Plant tour in 1995. It finally got performed in its entirety at the last ever Page and Plant gig at Montreux in 2001.

Ultimate Classic Rock Ranking (63 of 92 songs): Zeppelin's rockabilly move on an album mostly buried in lifeless rhythms and prog half-steps suffers from the wall of murk that weighs down so much of the LP.

Vulture (68 of 74 songs): A faux ‘50s rave-up. Neither Plant nor Page is convincing.

WMGK Ranking (79 of 92 songs): The only single released from ‘Presence,’ “Candy Store Rock” is an attempt at a rockabilly romp, but it just lacks the Bo Diddley energy Zeppelin were clearly trying to channel.

SPIN (86 of 87 songs: A hookless, aimless, funk-less tribute to Bo Diddley and ’50s rock that was somehow released as a single A-side, demonstrating just how out of touch the band was in 1976.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

#78 – Candy Store Rock from Presence (1976)

Appeared On: 1 ballot (out of 61)
Total Points: 1 point (out of 1,525 possible points . . .  0.0635%)
High Ranker: @Mookie Gizzy

Live Performances: None as LZ, once as Page & Plant (Montreux - 2001-07-07)
Notable Covers: None

Ultimate Classic Rock Ranking (out of 92 songs): 63
Vulture Ranking (out of 74 songs): 68
Rolling Stone Ranking (out of 40 songs): Not Ranked
Louder Ranking (out of 50 songs): Not Ranked
Uproxx Ranking (out of 50 songs): Not Ranked
WMGK Ranking (out of 92 songs): 79
SPIN Ranking (out of 87 songs): 86
Ranker Ranking (out of 87 songs): Not Ranked
Anachronarchy Ranking (out of 80 songs): 46

We get to our first official catalog track, this one from the band’s seventh studio album Presence. Led Zeppelin was said to have peaked popularity wise after Physical Graffiti. They closed out their 1975 tour in May with 5 colossal shows at Earls Court in London. The shows all clocked in at well over three hours, and the last night they approached 3:45.

The plan from there was to take two months off and then tour America, but Plant crashed his rental car while vacationing with his family in Greece the first week of August. He broke an ankle and an elbow, which wouldn't fully heal for another two years. He spent time in a wheelchair, and the American tour had to be cancelled.

Plant’s accident and slow recovery also temporarily halted work on Presence, which finally came out the following year after several delays. The album was recorded and mixed in 18 days, with Plant completing his parts from a wheelchair. Because things were knocked out of phase in terms of song writing, almost all the songs were developed by Page and Plant, with JPJ and JB parts added with little songwriting contribution. Unlike their earlier albums, Jones and Bonham were left off writing credit for 6 of the 7 songs on the album.

Presence is the only LZ that does not feature keyboards, and with the exception of a rhythm track in Candy Store Rock, it also has no acoustic guitar. Proving that record companies are clueless, Candy Store Rock was released as a single and failed to chart anywhere.

In a contemporary review for Presence, Stephen Davis of Rolling Stone described "Candy Store Rock" as "perfectly evoking the Los Angeles milieu in which the Zep composed [Presence]." He further described the song as sounding like "an unholy hybrid in which Buddy Holly is grafted onto the quivering stem of David Bowie." In a retrospective review of Presence, Andrew Doscas of PopMatters described Candy Store Rock as sounding like "the prequel to 1971's "Rock and Roll"" from their fourth album.

Singer Robert Plant later described Candy Store Rock, along with Achilles Last Stand, as the "saving grace of Presence.” Plant said the song's rhythm section was inspiring to him, partly due to the album's tumultuous recording sessions.

The song was never played live by the band, save for a snippet at a gig in 1977. It made a brief appearance as a snippet again on the Page and Plant tour in 1995. It finally got performed in its entirety at the last ever Page and Plant gig at Montreux in 2001.

Not on my list or my friend’s, obviously.

This is basically Plant doing Elvis. And Plant loved Elvis, so it’s not surprising it’s one of his favorite tracks from Presence. I’ve always just seen it as one of the last three tracks from Presence, all of which are meh at best.

Zep was resolutely not a singles band, so it never mattered what was actually picked for release. It’s not like Presence offered much to work with in that area. Three of its songs were way too long for that, and the others had a sound that was not only not typical of the musical trends of the time, but not typical of Zep’s standard sound either. 

The FM stations I listened to as a teen in the 80s mostly ignored Presence except for Nobody’s Fault But Mine. Achilles Last Stand was a rare treat — if they were gonna play a really long Zep song, they usually chose Stairway, Kashmir or Dazed and Confused. 

 

[Mookie Gizzy]

#78 – Candy Store Rock from Presence (1976)

Appeared On: 1 ballot (out of 61)
Total Points: 1 point (out of 1,525 possible points . . .  0.0635%)
High Ranker: @Mookie Gizzy

Live Performances: None as LZ, once as Page & Plant (Montreux - 2001-07-07)
Notable Covers: None

Ultimate Classic Rock Ranking (out of 92 songs): 63
Vulture Ranking (out of 74 songs): 68
Rolling Stone Ranking (out of 40 songs): Not Ranked
Louder Ranking (out of 50 songs): Not Ranked
Uproxx Ranking (out of 50 songs): Not Ranked
WMGK Ranking (out of 92 songs): 79
SPIN Ranking (out of 87 songs): 86
Ranker Ranking (out of 87 songs): Not Ranked
Anachronarchy Ranking (out of 80 songs): 46

We get to our first official catalog track, this one from the band’s seventh studio album Presence. Led Zeppelin was said to have peaked popularity wise after Physical Graffiti. They closed out their 1975 tour in May with 5 colossal shows at Earls Court in London. The shows all clocked in at well over three hours, and the last night they approached 3:45.

The plan from there was to take two months off and then tour America, but Plant crashed his rental car while vacationing with his family in Greece the first week of August. He broke an ankle and an elbow, which wouldn't fully heal for another two years. He spent time in a wheelchair, and the American tour had to be cancelled.

Plant’s accident and slow recovery also temporarily halted work on Presence, which finally came out the following year after several delays. The album was recorded and mixed in 18 days, with Plant completing his parts from a wheelchair. Because things were knocked out of phase in terms of song writing, almost all the songs were developed by Page and Plant, with JPJ and JB parts added with little songwriting contribution. Unlike their earlier albums, Jones and Bonham were left off writing credit for 6 of the 7 songs on the album.

Presence is the only LZ that does not feature keyboards, and with the exception of a rhythm track in Candy Store Rock, it also has no acoustic guitar. Proving that record companies are clueless, Candy Store Rock was released as a single and failed to chart anywhere.

In a contemporary review for Presence, Stephen Davis of Rolling Stone described "Candy Store Rock" as "perfectly evoking the Los Angeles milieu in which the Zep composed [Presence]." He further described the song as sounding like "an unholy hybrid in which Buddy Holly is grafted onto the quivering stem of David Bowie." In a retrospective review of Presence, Andrew Doscas of PopMatters described Candy Store Rock as sounding like "the prequel to 1971's "Rock and Roll"" from their fourth album.

Singer Robert Plant later described Candy Store Rock, along with Achilles Last Stand, as the "saving grace of Presence.” Plant said the song's rhythm section was inspiring to him, partly due to the album's tumultuous recording sessions.

The song was never played live by the band, save for a snippet at a gig in 1977. It made a brief appearance as a snippet again on the Page and Plant tour in 1995. It finally got performed in its entirety at the last ever Page and Plant gig at Montreux in 2001.

So is it bad that I like this?

 

[Anarchy99]

#78 - Feel So Bad / Fixin’ To Die / That’s Alright Mama (Unreleased from 1970)

Appeared On: 1 ballot (out of 62 . . . 1.6%)
Total Points: 2 points (out of 1,550 possible points . . .  0.129%)
Ranker: @Anarchy99
Highest Ranking: 24

Live Performances: None
Notable Covers: None

Ultimate Classic Rock Ranking (out of 92 songs): Not Ranked
Vulture Ranking (out of 74 songs): Not Ranked
Rolling Stone Ranking (out of 40 songs): Not Ranked
Louder Ranking (out of 50 songs): Not Ranked
Uproxx Ranking (out of 50 songs): Not Ranked
WMGK Ranking (out of 92 songs): Not Ranked
SPIN Ranking (out of 87 songs): Not Ranked
Ranker Ranking (out of 87 songs): Not Ranked
Anachronarchy Ranking (out of 80 songs): Not Ranked

Anarchy doing Anarchy things here. Fans of LZ III should appreciate this one. It’s from a 5 CD set called Uncensored that came out (unofficially) in 1992. It was recorded 1970-05-31 at Headley Grange Studios in Hampshire. An acoustic medley that sounds good enough to at least have made it as a bonus track to the deluxe version of the third album, the deluxe version of Coda, or one of the box sets. Sounds like a sprinkle of In My Time of Dying mixed with Hats Off to Roy Harper (very similar guitar and vocal effects). Maybe they thought it sounded too similar to officially release it, but I figured it was something different that people probably hadn’t heard before.

Compared to the first album (recorded in 9 days) and the second album (pieced together in recording sessions when they were on the road seemingly non-stop), they took more time for their third effort. After all their touring, RP suggested they take a break and develop songs at Bron-Yr-Aur, a cottage that Plant had spent holidays in when he was younger. It had no power or running water, which led to acoustical arrangements many of their new songs.

The actual recording session spanned around two months. It was recorded at three locations in and around London. The album was mostly a departure musically from the harder, edgier first two releases. For the most part, the band pivoted to much more of a folk and acoustic sound throughout much of the album. Ten tracks were released on the album and an additional 6 other tracks would eventually be released from these sessions (Hey, Hey What Can I Do and Bron-Yr-Aur when they were still together and Poor Tom, St. Tristan's Sword, Jennings Farm Blues, and Key to the Highway / Trouble in Mind much later on).

In his book, The Rough Guide to Led Zeppelin, author Nigel Williamson called Feel So Bad one of the band’s essential rarities. After LZ III was released, Page shared that Hats Off to Roy Harper was actually part of “a whole tape of us bashing our different blues things.” When asked by Brad Tolinski in his book, Light & Shade: Conversations with Jimmy Page, when exactly blues came into Led Zeppelin guitarist picture, Page responded, “It didn’t take me long to notice that some of my favorite Elvis songs were originally written and recorded by blues performers. We began to discover people like Arthur Crudup, who wrote Presley’s “That’s All Right.” So in this way, bit by bit, you start understanding a much bigger musical picture. You discover that music is tapestry that unfolds.”

 

[Dwayne Hoover]

Nice start @Scooter and @Anarchy99, like the off menu selections

 

[Dwayne Hoover]

@Anarchy99if i understand the scoring system, do you have two songs from your list with one point now?  You have yourself as the high ranker twice for a one pointer

 

[Tom Servo]

When songs are tied on points, what breaks the tie?

 

[DocHolliday]

 And here we go

 

[Leroy Hoard]

When songs are tied on points, what breaks the tie?

The same thing that broke the levee?

 

[Anarchy99]

When songs are tied on points, what breaks the tie?

From the OP: Tie breakers are whatever mood I am at the time a tie comes up. 

There are no ties inside the Top 60+ songs. All ties are songs with 9 or fewer total points. I will use whichever song appeared on the most ballots as the first tiebreaker and if still tied whichever song got the single highest vote as the second tie breaker. Beyond that, I will just pick one song over another.

 

 

[shuke]

But how do you have two songs from your own list with 1 point?

I'm watching you.

 

[jwb]

So is it bad that I like this?

I like it too. It didn't make my top 25 for this thread, but on another day it could.

 

[lardonastick]

Great stuff so far!