Rain Song 🎵 is Symphony Mozart Material that Orchestras have performed. The Rain Song is one of the Songs that puts Page/Zeppelin in another category apart from the original British Blues Rock Group.
i would also say the "song remains the same" studio version...is like no other song performed by any artist....the opening to the song says it all....the guitar orchestration...is simply that....the ten years gone note i believe is spot on to the sound of tsrts...
For me this album is a testament to the reason why I consider Zeppelin the greatest band ever. It’s because their music can be so expansive as far as musical diversity. They touched on everything. But yet made it their own and made it sound like Zeppelin. To me there isn’t many bands that can be that musically inclined and have so much musical vocabulary to have every song sound very fundamentally distinctive from the next. I frown on bands that use the same formula for every song and beat it into the ground and make a career of it without expanding and experimenting boundaries. But Zeppelin did and because they did they’ve become Timeless and Immortal
No Quarter is my favorite Led Zeppelin song. And I consider the guitar solo from No Quarter live (1973) by Page at Madison Square Garden to be the best. I can't tell you how many times I've listened to that guitar solo, Jones' organ, and of course Bonzo's drums in my young life. And it was all improvisation. Great art!
Led Zeppelin 4 is their greatest album. Physical Graffiti is their masterpiece. Houses of the Holy is the album I get the most enjoyment from it never tires and still fascinates
Was it rated low? I thought that was what happened in the beginning of their career. You probably mean underappreciated, which happens quite a lot on these pages
Carl, this is what many people (myself included) would consider a "perfect album". It really takes you on a journey, much like visiting an array of cultures and climates. I remember spending hours just listening to albums in my room. There was such amazing energy in putting that vinyl disk on the turntable and dropping the needle with an album like this. Back in the late '70s - early '80s, being in my early to mid-teens, it was like traveling into another dimension. Zeppelin III and Physical Graffiti were two other albums that I played the crap out of around that time. What great memories!
Carl, you did an absolutely amazing analysis of this masterpiece album!! Led Zeppelin was one of the most influential bands in my life. I’m 63 and their music sounds as good today as it did the first time I heard them when I was 12 years old. Please keep your incredible videos coming. I’m always spreading the word about your channel. Thank you from Cape Cod, MA!!
Hi Carl Brilliant. Please do more of these. Suggestion perhaps a series that tries to figure out the guitars, amps and effects used on each song? Thanks Hayden.
Exploratory writing and not staying the same. Perfectly said, along with Jimmy exploring what was possible in the recording studio. But Led Zeppelin always kept their fans on their toes with their diverse sound and ingenuity. Despite the critics, the fans were always in awe.
I remember buying it when it was first released, I was a junior in Upper Darby HS. I listened to this album almost everyday, before I went to school. TSRTS remains my favorite Zep song and Dancing Days takes me back to those days. Thanks.
It's hard to believe you have only 25 k subscribers! I'm so happy that I've found you and to follow you on You Tube! I'm 57 and I started listening to Led Zep at the age of 14 in April 1980! Bonham passed away soon after which was a terrible news for a fan like me. Oh no, I wondered, no more albums! I still have my Led Zep 1 vinyl record bought in April 1980 actually!
That was a big loss! Would have loved to have heard what else they’d come up with!! Btw…thanks for the comment on the subs…I desperately need to get that number up to afford to keep it going. I’m losing money each month. I’m hoping we can get to 100,000 subs or breakeven.
Great analysis Carl. This is such a cool album without doubt. As much as I truly love every Zeppelin track, No Quarter is alone in an uncharted universe. It's very under rated from a wide range of acknowledgement, acceptance and success the way Stairway, Whole Lotta Love, Kashmir etc have owned. Every version, whether live or studio, is absolutely mesmerizing and is in a class all it's own.
Rain song is a masterpiece which stand up against anything ever written, TSRTS was written as an instrumental and it’s included in the remastered release, it was like hearing it the first time again when I heard it, amazing how much I missed **edit** also your analysis of of No Quarter is brilliant, that song is haunting
The end bit of The Ocean is right up there with my favorite piece of Zeppelin music. Loved the video you put out a while ago about it being one of Jimmy's most underrated solos; though, I would probably put The Song Remains the Same solos right in that same category of supremely underrated.
This album sometimes gets lost sandwiched between Zep IV and Physical Graffiti. It's a great album though, and still enjoy listening to it. "The Crunge" is a jolt, completely different from anything Zep did before, or after for that matter. I always liked the tune "Dancing Days" but "No Quarter" is my favorite song on the album and one of my favorite Zep tunes, period. Eerie, spooky, and sometimes ethereal, the riff is awesome. Very crunchy (if that is a thing!), it just hooks you and reals you in. I think the album showcases what each member of the band is capable of doing. Looking forward to a similar breakdown of "Presence".
Once again Carl, what a great review of this masterpiece. I use to argue with my friends all the time about LZ's diversity. It is all the more brought out in your analysis. Thank you for allowing many to see the greatness of this band. 🙂
There’s a lot of great bands and great music in that time period mid 50s thru late 70s , but Zeppelin is in their own category, from simple to complex . As a popular DJ in CT in the mid 70s said they can rock your sox off then turn around and mellow you right out . I’ll add and everything in between. Song remains the same and rain song are like bookends , with the rest of their catalog in the middle . Song remains the same is like orchestra when I listen I feel like a conductor moving my baton along with that song , they are in their own league no doubt in my mind . Keep up the good work
I remember hearing this for the first time, high as a kite on Sativa, in the late 70's! It truely blew my mind, especially No Quarter, when Jimmy's fuzzed out riff rips it's way into the song. Such an epic riff! Great episode Carl! Imagine doing a review of Electric Ladyland😂
Love all of your analyses Carl! As a classic/progressive rock freak and devoted listener of Zep for over 40 years (though my ear and overall musical ability are both jokes), I would heavily suggest that - after you do this with the studio recordings - try comparing those to the live renditions. But be careful, because this can become quite the obsession - I have all their legit releases and the best bootleg recordings from every tour (in terms of both performance and sound quality) - this could easily morph into a never-ending quest. They changed constantly and so often - not just from studio recording to studio recording - but from tour to tour. Not just different songs and/or in a different order, but different combinations of medleys, semi-medleys, using snatches of songs just as an intro to another song, different individual solo spots, different openers, etc... Get the legit live stuff (BBC Sessions, The Song Remains The Same, How The West Was Won). For bootlegs, in terms of great performances and at least OK recording quality - and to thoroughly cover 1968-1980 I suggest: Another White Summer, Listen To This Eddie, Seattle Supersonic, Cabala, Through The Years, Another Trip and Hotter Then The Hindenburg. I'll take the blame and apologize in advance if nobody sees you for a few months...
Very enjoyable video ! Especially for all of us experienced Zeppelin fans. Always fun to hear an astute musician speak about their music. It brings an awareness to it that makes me realize the work that went into it. It’s not all natural talent, Jimmy was a fantastic producer and composer.
It must have been so difficult for Zeppelin to introduce this album. Compared to what's been done, how do you as a band get people to understand that you're constantly evolving, and growing? Nowadays it's easier to appreciate it and damn, did they nail it.
Houses of the Holy was, in its day, hard to love completely. I was into Zeppelin in the late 60s with their distinctive heavy riffs and songs on the first two albums. I continued to be on with the next two - more or less. But then came the "problematic" fifth. Where was the distorted guitar? Where were the distinctive riffs? Where were Robert Plant's screams? Where were the generally heavy drums from Bonham? Etc. In my youth, I never quite recovered the enormous excitement of the first two albums. Although there were a few bright spots here and there on Presence and Physical Graffiti. Only much later did I appreciate Houses of the Holy, among other things, for its diversity and different way of being Zeppelin. Now I see their entire production as a whole precisely with the enormous diversity in styles and arrangements - and greatly appreciate what I failed to appreciate back in the 70s. However, I could still have done without The Crunge and Dy'er Ma'ker. But thanks for another inspiring video. There could be lots of suggestions for an album review. How about Presence or In through the Out Door? These two albums are somewhat stepmotherly treated.
I loved this breakdown of the album, Carl! I'd love to see more like this, of all the Zeppelin albums (you appear to be one who's very well versed for this task!), but more than that, I'd like to see you break down my favorite Led Zeppelin song, "Fool In The Rain." To me, that song contains a bit of everything that made Led Zeppelin great. It never fails to move me the same way it did when I first heard it. Keep doing what you're doing - I'll be watching!
I was 14 when this came out and it was the first Zep album I went out and bought with my own money. It completely blew my mind and was a huge influence on my musical outlook. To this day it's my favourite Zep record. I agree with your review - their most diverse and musically mature outing. I also love the mix of acoustic and clean guitars, the range of styles, Eddie Kramer's clear recording and mix, it's all as good as it gets
You are absolutely correct about The Crunge; I started laughing when you said it! It took me until now to understand this album (which I procured immediately upon its release), but now I see it for the album as you describe it. Not their masterpiece, as that must surely be Physical Graffiti, but, as you say, a tour-de-force of song-writing styles. Song-writing is what set the Zeps apart from Deep Purple and the many other blues-rock bands of that era (which I had the pleasure of living through).
Your channel is so much fun. After Led Zeppelin IV, I remember hearing Houses of the Holy for the first time. They definitely explored new forms and went in a new direction. The irony is the Song Didn’t Remain the Same.
An outstanding album from an outstanding band - still remember buying the album and rushing home to listen to it on my old mans Hi Fi (vacuum tube) rig before he got home and kicked my a$$. Great job Carl can always count on you to provide interesting and informative episodes. Cheers brother!
Thank you Carl, this was immensely pleasing to watch and hear. The opening track has grown to be my favorite Zeppelin song (for now anyway), and I am still floored by the craziess of The Crunge every time I hear it. I suggest reviewing Aqualung next... lots to unpack on that album as well!
I love your thoughts on zep. This is definitely my favorite of theirs- as hard as it is to decide which is my favorite- this one has to win- no quarter, and rain song alone make it an undoubted winner. Thanks Carl!
Hi Carl. Long time fan of your Page stuff. I had an unexpected discovery about this album a couple of years ago. I bought a new Fender '72 Deluxe Telecaster with the Wide Range humbucking pickups, but I wasn't happy with those pickups. They sounded like there was a blanket over the sound. So I bought some Lollar Regals to replace them. What a difference. It was like the guitar woke up. As soon I started playing on a clean sound through a tube, I thought, "This sounds just like Houses of the Holy!" It really does. I can't say for certain, but I think the album was largely done on a Telecaster. With Wide Range pickups? Only Jimmy knows. But it sure sounds like it. Incredible hair by they way, lol.
Carl, after watching your Zep/Page videos, I'm disappointed to have missed your "Soul of Zeppelin" show in Lorain! I'm in Youngstown, and will be alert for another opportunity. Keep up the phenomenal work, sir.
Houses of the Holy is my favorite Led Zeppelin album. "The Rain Song," in my humble opinion, is one of the most ingenious pieces of music ever created! When I pick up a 12 sting guitar, I always play "Over the Hills and Far Away." It was probably the first song as a teenager learning guitar that I paid close attention to the varying guitar parts. Lots of great and varying guitar tones throughout this whole album! Great review of the album! No matter what Zep album it is though, I can't help but wonder how extremely impressive it was for the listener at the time of its release. They were always very different from anything else that was going on.
The Song Remains the Same version without the vocals is such a great musical master piece that just the music alone stands all by itself.The music has so much drive and power that the movement of energy just builds into a force of nature.
@@CarlBaldassarreMusic...hi Carl. Yes there is...its included on the deluxe version of Houses Of The Holy, on the companion disc that was released in 2014. It's the 'guitar overdub mix'. Here you go... ruclips.net/video/1fcS_EXK8Uw/видео.html
My best friends dad was a musician and when we were 8 years old in 74 he would take us down in the basement and play No Quarter, Rain Song and The Ocean over his stereo system with the black light on telling us that this music would live forever because it was at another level of creativity in modern music !! Here I sit now in 2023 watching Carl give this album love !! I guess my friend Jason and his dad Bob were right, it does live forever because Zeppelins music is of lasting quality. RIP my old friends, thanks for giving me a lifelong love for music.
There is minor issue here. The Song Does Not Remain the Same after watching your lesson, you are giving so many exciting backgrounds and inspiring to re-listen with other open-ear. :-) Many thanks!
Absolutely hit the nail on the head with each track. Beautiful descriptive detail and wonderful knowledge of the instrumentation. Over The Hills And Far Away is the first thing I play when I pick up my guitar each day.
Love this format Carl! And your expert perspective as a musician that has lived and breathed those notes and chords offers a more in depth and enjoyable analysis. I would love for you to analyze their greatest album IMHO Physical Graffiti. If a double album is too long, then perhaps do one on Presence. That album is underrated and still somewhat mysterious. Keep em coming Carl!
Hey Carl ,House's one of my favorite Zeppelin albums, lost my cherry 🍒 with Over the hills and far away playing in the background, wow. Always a go to album. Great review 👍Thanks Karin 💙
Never thought about how the album ends with them looking back at the kind of stuff they had done before, but in a more experienced, polished way with The Ocean. Great observation.
Great concept Carl. It's been fun to see the evolution of production quality and style in your segments. I've probably listened to "Led Zeppelin V" more than any other. It's such a concise package that always lifts me up no matter how I might be feeling. It might actually be a desert island pick for me. You know it's interesting in that 'Houses' was the first album they actually named. It always made me think they finally felt some critical acclaim after the success of "ZoSo IV" and the last album on Atlantic on the verge of a true metamorphosis into Page's new 'Swan Song' label. It feels like they actually experienced joy in the making of it- such a contrast to the "exquisite loneliness" of 'Presence' later on with possible hints of that here and there on "Physical". Great work once again and thank you!
Excellent synopsis, Carl. For myself, this record goes back to around ‘80-‘81 or so. I was 13 and rock radio was still raging, leftover from the glorious seventies. I was young in the seventies though being a ‘67 baby but during the early eighties is when it all started coming together for me. I realized early on that corporatized, digitized and synthesized music upcoming was no match for my beloved Zeppelin. Meanwhile they’d been disbanded a few years on now. My friends tried to convince me that Motley Crue and upcoming hair metal were the new bringers of glory. It didn’t work. I sunk deeper and deeper in to LZII and then Houses. There were no competition for Zeppelin’s high cruising altitude. I pin most of the credit for this on John Paul. Without him…they may have been just another supergroup trying to outdo Cream still.
This is totally awesome.... I guess relating to my own Zep experiences... They undoubtedly had an impact on my writing style and playing... I can even look through my own personal catalogue and see every song I have penned is as radically different from one to the other... I think I should also attribute this to my Parents. The had a vast and eclectic mix of genres from Swing,Jazz. Contemporary Standards, Rock , Country and blues.and most certainly Classical.. Having Zeppelin in our musical lives is a blessed thing... These vids have a way of reminding me where it all came from... Well done, Carl...
Great channel and interesting thoughtful insights with a whole lotta heart. I must just point out John Paul Jones's orchestration with the mellotron on Rain Song and also JPJ's contribution in general :) Greetings from Sweden!
Carl, I am loving your Led Zeppelin content. Your enthusiasm is infectious. You're also putting out some Ozzy Osbourne vibes with your outfit and cross. Very cool. Peace and love
Great review Carl and thanks for sharing your thoughts on a remarkable but demanding album for diehards LZ fans. Houses of the Holy came out of left field after the monster that was LZ4, but proved its importance when the first two opening tracks in particular become the mainstay of later live performancs, as did No Quarter and the Ocean. I recommend the 1973 Madison Square Garden performance of TSRTS and the Rain Song. Page seamlessly moves from one to the other, from a standard 12 string upstairs to the tuned (DADGAD? / dropped E?) on the lower guitar, from the frenetic pace of TSRTS to the beautiful and languid lyricism of Rain Song, 14 minutes of genius, and one of the greatest live perfomances available to view on RUclips.
After x years, it’s easy to just subscribe to the official verdict about LZ, forgetting what made me, as an individual, sit up and listen. This was the first time I ever heard the band, a friend lent me this album. So there were very specific things here that made me a fan. Robert’s weird singing on TSRTS, the unreal sound of No Quarter, the overwhelming beauty of The Rain Song, and more.
Great breakdown of this record, Carl.So used to listening to many of these songs live in all of the unique,different ways they were played, enjoyed the perspective of the original tracks. Would love to see a breakdown of Coda,Traveling Riverside Blues and Hey Hey What can I do.🎶😊
Carl - thank you for doing these excellent breakdowns and sharing with the world. Like a Gandalf guitar-wizard welcoming everyone to a journey through the Middle-Earth of rock n roll. Love it.
Yes! The Rain Song is definitely one of my favorite songs by them! An I’m even more grateful I learned to play guitar an am able to play such a beautiful piece of music!
Great album. A masterpiece….number 5 in a row. It’s such an uplifting springtime album. Whenever I think of it I think of the colour orange and brightness and happiness and sunny days in the 70’s. I absolutely love the album cover too. So strange but just so cool. I remember reading that this was Paul Stanley’s fav Zeppelin album. He was dating a waitress from the Rainbow Club in the summer of 73 and he said they listened to Houses over and over and over again….and it always brings back happy memories for him. Thanks for this episode,Carl. ✌️❤️
First Led Zeppelin album I ever owned, a gift from my older sister between junior and senior high school 😁 When I read the song titles, I though--get this--"Gee, what if I don't like the songs?" As though that was possible! One playthrough, and I had fallen in love, under the spell, and had found my new #1 favorite band for life. Sorry, Beatles, it was good while it lasted 😉
Hi Carl, the album analysis is a very good and informative format. Please continue it with other classic rock albums. Very well done but as a historian I think you should also include some more information about the historic background of the albums. Greetings from Germany, Gerald
I love how you analyze the music. I’ve been a Zep fan ever since I first heard those thunderous triples on the kick drum, first album, first side of Zep I …I was 5
I really love your insights and commentary. I come away with a deeper appreciation of the music. I hope you will be doing more album reactions (by Zep or otherwise).
I once read that TSRTS was supposed to be an instrumental intro to the Rain Song, but things escalated... The latter in turn is said to be Page's answer to Harrison's Something and there definitely a hint of that in the initial 2 chords.
I was at the 1973 Tampa Stadium... They broke the Beatles single artist concert I remember Plant saying he was drinking milk & honey, because he had damaged his voice on the Japan tour
@@CarlBaldassarreMusic I've seen L.Z. 4x That was my inspiration to by a Les Paul sunburst in 1972 & I still have it today! Seen 'em 3x in Chicago & a free one when some girls needed a ride to the concert after their ride fell thru the concert was November the 6th & we were all trying to guess the first song they'd play, but we were all wrong because it was days before Zeppelin 4 and they started off with "Black Dog"of course they played Stairway.... That was the first concert they played that material....Minds were blown that night!! Love your videos BTW👍
So glad! I wasn’t sure how it would go down! We worked hard on the visual production with all the band videos, photos, and audio. Tried to find some photos that were not as shop worn. It took a lot of work!!
![Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” - Guitar Lesson [Guitar Solo and Song Breakdown]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/W5PxxcIJfJU/mqdefault.jpg)
Please continue through the Zeppelin catalogue with this format. Well done!
I concur
Rain Song 🎵 is Symphony Mozart Material that Orchestras have performed.
The Rain Song is one of the Songs that puts Page/Zeppelin in another category apart from the original British Blues Rock Group.
Agree!
i would also say the "song remains the same" studio version...is like no other song performed by any artist....the opening to the song says it all....the guitar orchestration...is simply that....the ten years gone note i believe is spot on to the sound of tsrts...
For me this album is a testament to the reason why I consider Zeppelin the greatest band ever. It’s because their music can be so expansive as far as musical diversity. They touched on everything. But yet made it their own and made it sound like Zeppelin. To me there isn’t many bands that can be that musically inclined and have so much musical vocabulary to have every song sound very fundamentally distinctive from the next. I frown on bands that use the same formula for every song and beat it into the ground and make a career of it without expanding and experimenting boundaries. But Zeppelin did and because they did they’ve become Timeless and Immortal
No Quarter is my favorite Led Zeppelin song. And I consider the guitar solo from No Quarter live (1973) by Page at Madison Square Garden to be the best. I can't tell you how many times I've listened to that guitar solo, Jones' organ, and of course Bonzo's drums in my young life. And it was all improvisation. Great art!
Why oh why on later versions of TSRTS have they edited that solo. The original version is a masterpiece!
Completely agree. Page's solo on TSRTS version is just amazing. Like you, I must have listened to it hundreds of times. No Quarter is an amazing song.
YES INDEED !!!!
agreed...NQ is such a great song
The perfect description of "No Quarter". That song absolutely freaked me out as a kid... it's perhaps the eeriest song in rock.
Led Zeppelin 4 is their greatest album. Physical Graffiti is their masterpiece. Houses of the Holy is the album I get the most enjoyment from it never tires and still fascinates
Most underrated Zeppelin album, up there among their very best
Was it rated low? I thought that was what happened in the beginning of their career. You probably mean underappreciated, which happens quite a lot on these pages
Carl, this is what many people (myself included) would consider a "perfect album". It really takes you on a journey, much like visiting an array of cultures and climates. I remember spending hours just listening to albums in my room. There was such amazing energy in putting that vinyl disk on the turntable and dropping the needle with an album like this. Back in the late '70s - early '80s, being in my early to mid-teens, it was like traveling into another dimension. Zeppelin III and Physical Graffiti were two other albums that I played the crap out of around that time. What great memories!
OK, houses of the holy versus dark side of the Moon.
Thank you for sharing your memory!! The vinyl experience in our bedrooms was one for the ages!
Impossible, but if had to only have one…HOTH
Carl, you did an absolutely amazing analysis of this masterpiece album!! Led Zeppelin was one of the most influential bands in my life. I’m 63 and their music sounds as good today as it did the first time I heard them when I was 12 years old.
Please keep your incredible videos coming. I’m always spreading the word about your channel.
Thank you from Cape Cod, MA!!
I feel ya, I'll be 64 on 6/4/23 so I know whereof you speak.
Wow! Thank you so much for the support. I really appreciate it. Getting new subscribers is the only hope I have ti keep the channel going…
Hi Carl Brilliant. Please do more of these. Suggestion perhaps a series that tries to figure out the guitars, amps and effects used on each song? Thanks Hayden.
63 too and listen everyday 👌
Exploratory writing and not staying the same. Perfectly said, along with Jimmy exploring what was possible in the recording studio. But Led Zeppelin always kept their fans on their toes with their diverse sound and ingenuity. Despite the critics, the fans were always in awe.
this is my favorite album due to the variety and the top level of creativity between the 4 members love it all
I remember buying it when it was first released, I was a junior in Upper Darby HS. I listened to this album almost everyday, before I went to school. TSRTS remains my favorite Zep song and Dancing Days takes me back to those days. Thanks.
Thanks for sharing!
It's hard to believe you have only 25 k subscribers! I'm so happy that I've found you and to follow you on You Tube! I'm 57 and I started listening to Led Zep at the age of 14 in April 1980! Bonham passed away soon after which was a terrible news for a fan like me. Oh no, I wondered, no more albums! I still have my Led Zep 1 vinyl record bought in April 1980 actually!
It is hard to believe. But...... when you think about today and what is important to people today.... its not.
That was a big loss! Would have loved to have heard what else they’d come up with!! Btw…thanks for the comment on the subs…I desperately need to get that number up to afford to keep it going. I’m losing money each month. I’m hoping we can get to 100,000 subs or breakeven.
Great analysis Carl. This is such a cool album without doubt. As much as I truly love every Zeppelin track, No Quarter is alone in an uncharted universe. It's very under rated from a wide range of acknowledgement, acceptance and success the way Stairway, Whole Lotta Love, Kashmir etc have owned. Every version, whether live or studio, is absolutely mesmerizing and is in a class all it's own.
Well said!
Otherworldly
Carl you love and understand Led Zeppelin the same way I do. There are so many creative nuances missed by most.
Rain song is a masterpiece which stand up against anything ever written, TSRTS was written as an instrumental and it’s included in the remastered release, it was like hearing it the first time again when I heard it, amazing how much I missed
**edit** also your analysis of of No Quarter is brilliant, that song is haunting
Thank you!
The end bit of The Ocean is right up there with my favorite piece of Zeppelin music. Loved the video you put out a while ago about it being one of Jimmy's most underrated solos; though, I would probably put The Song Remains the Same solos right in that same category of supremely underrated.
This album sometimes gets lost sandwiched between Zep IV and Physical Graffiti. It's a great album though, and still enjoy listening to it. "The Crunge" is a jolt, completely different from anything Zep did before, or after for that matter. I always liked the tune "Dancing Days" but "No Quarter" is my favorite song on the album and one of my favorite Zep tunes, period. Eerie, spooky, and sometimes ethereal, the riff is awesome. Very crunchy (if that is a thing!), it just hooks you and reals you in. I think the album showcases what each member of the band is capable of doing. Looking forward to a similar breakdown of "Presence".
ThANKS SOOO MUCH FOR THIS REVIEW.. I HAVE LEARNED A LOT!!
Once again Carl, what a great review of this masterpiece. I use to argue with my friends all the time about LZ's diversity. It is all the more brought out in your analysis. Thank you for allowing many to see the greatness of this band. 🙂
Thanks you. I hope you feel vindicated!! You’re 100% on the right side!!
i clearly remember hearing this album for the first time. It was a magical experience.
There’s a lot of great bands and great music in that time period mid 50s thru late 70s , but Zeppelin is in their own category, from simple to complex . As a popular DJ in CT in the mid 70s said they can rock your sox off then turn around and mellow you right out . I’ll add and everything in between. Song remains the same and rain song are like bookends , with the rest of their catalog in the middle . Song remains the same is like orchestra when I listen I feel like a conductor moving my baton along with that song , they are in their own league no doubt in my mind . Keep up the good work
I remember hearing this for the first time, high as a kite on Sativa, in the late 70's! It truely blew my mind, especially No Quarter, when Jimmy's fuzzed out riff rips it's way into the song. Such an epic riff! Great episode Carl!
Imagine doing a review of Electric Ladyland😂
Love all of your analyses Carl! As a classic/progressive rock freak and devoted listener of Zep for over 40 years (though my ear and overall musical ability are both jokes), I would heavily suggest that - after you do this with the studio recordings - try comparing those to the live renditions. But be careful, because this can become quite the obsession - I have all their legit releases and the best bootleg recordings from every tour (in terms of both performance and sound quality) - this could easily morph into a never-ending quest. They changed constantly and so often - not just from studio recording to studio recording - but from tour to tour. Not just different songs and/or in a different order, but different combinations of medleys, semi-medleys, using snatches of songs just as an intro to another song, different individual solo spots, different openers, etc... Get the legit live stuff (BBC Sessions, The Song Remains The Same, How The West Was Won). For bootlegs, in terms of great performances and at least OK recording quality - and to thoroughly cover 1968-1980 I suggest: Another White Summer, Listen To This Eddie, Seattle Supersonic, Cabala, Through The Years, Another Trip and Hotter Then The Hindenburg. I'll take the blame and apologize in advance if nobody sees you for a few months...
Thank you for the bootleg playlist!!
Very enjoyable video ! Especially for all of us experienced Zeppelin fans. Always fun to hear an astute musician speak about their music. It brings an awareness to it that makes me realize the work that went into it. It’s not all natural talent, Jimmy was a fantastic producer and composer.
Great concept and format. That was informative and fun; a continuing theme of your channel ;)
Thanks so much!
Everytime I go back and listen to an entire Zep album, I think it's the best and my favorite. Never fails.
It must have been so difficult for Zeppelin to introduce this album. Compared to what's been done, how do you as a band get people to understand that you're constantly evolving, and growing? Nowadays it's easier to appreciate it and damn, did they nail it.
Houses of the Holy was, in its day, hard to love completely. I was into Zeppelin in the late 60s with their distinctive heavy riffs and songs on the first two albums. I continued to be on with the next two - more or less. But then came the "problematic" fifth. Where was the distorted guitar? Where were the distinctive riffs? Where were Robert Plant's screams? Where were the generally heavy drums from Bonham? Etc. In my youth, I never quite recovered the enormous excitement of the first two albums. Although there were a few bright spots here and there on Presence and Physical Graffiti. Only much later did I appreciate Houses of the Holy, among other things, for its diversity and different way of being Zeppelin. Now I see their entire production as a whole precisely with the enormous diversity in styles and arrangements - and greatly appreciate what I failed to appreciate back in the 70s. However, I could still have done without The Crunge and Dy'er Ma'ker.
But thanks for another inspiring video. There could be lots of suggestions for an album review. How about Presence or In through the Out Door? These two albums are somewhat stepmotherly treated.
I loved this breakdown of the album, Carl! I'd love to see more like this, of all the Zeppelin albums (you appear to be one who's very well versed for this task!), but more than that, I'd like to see you break down my favorite Led Zeppelin song, "Fool In The Rain."
To me, that song contains a bit of everything that made Led Zeppelin great. It never fails to move me the same way it did when I first heard it.
Keep doing what you're doing - I'll be watching!
I was 14 when this came out and it was the first Zep album I went out and bought with my own money. It completely blew my mind and was a huge influence on my musical outlook. To this day it's my favourite Zep record. I agree with your review - their most diverse and musically mature outing. I also love the mix of acoustic and clean guitars, the range of styles, Eddie Kramer's clear recording and mix, it's all as good as it gets
The Houses of the Holy is just brilliant!!! Probably their most underrated LP but maybe their best!! Great review ✌️🤘
You are absolutely correct about The Crunge; I started laughing when you said it! It took me until now to understand this album (which I procured immediately upon its release), but now I see it for the album as you describe it. Not their masterpiece, as that must surely be Physical Graffiti, but, as you say, a tour-de-force of song-writing styles. Song-writing is what set the Zeps apart from Deep Purple and the many other blues-rock bands of that era (which I had the pleasure of living through).
Your channel is so much fun. After Led Zeppelin IV, I remember hearing Houses of the Holy for the first time. They definitely explored new forms and went in a new direction. The irony is the Song Didn’t Remain the Same.
So true!!
An outstanding album from an outstanding band - still remember buying the album and rushing home to listen to it on my old mans Hi Fi (vacuum tube) rig before he got home and kicked my a$$. Great job Carl can always count on you to provide interesting and informative episodes. Cheers brother!
Thank you Carl, this was immensely pleasing to watch and hear. The opening track has grown to be my favorite Zeppelin song (for now anyway), and I am still floored by the craziess of The Crunge every time I hear it. I suggest reviewing Aqualung next... lots to unpack on that album as well!
I love your thoughts on zep. This is definitely my favorite of theirs- as hard as it is to decide which is my favorite- this one has to win- no quarter, and rain song alone make it an undoubted winner. Thanks Carl!
In the light, that would be amazing to hear. There are so many great songs in the catalog of Led Zeppelin.
Rain Song….one of two,maybe three zep songs that can bring tears to me. The studio is great but the live ? MSG? really hits. Thanks Carl.
Really enjoyed the review, thanks! This has always been my favourite Zep record.
The album review style is cool. I hope you do more. Great video. I'm so glad I was a '70s teen. Worked well for me!
Me too! Thank you for the encouragement!
I remember buying the 45 of D'yer Mak'er LOL! One of the proudest moments of my life was when I learned to play Over The Hills and Far Away.
Hi Carl. Long time fan of your Page stuff. I had an unexpected discovery about this album a couple of years ago. I bought a new Fender '72 Deluxe Telecaster with the Wide Range humbucking pickups, but I wasn't happy with those pickups. They sounded like there was a blanket over the sound. So I bought some Lollar Regals to replace them. What a difference. It was like the guitar woke up. As soon I started playing on a clean sound through a tube, I thought, "This sounds just like Houses of the Holy!" It really does. I can't say for certain, but I think the album was largely done on a Telecaster. With Wide Range pickups? Only Jimmy knows. But it sure sounds like it. Incredible hair by they way, lol.
Thank you and I’m glad you like the hair!!
Keep it coming, Karl. Great stuff.
Thanks, will do!
Carl, after watching your Zep/Page videos, I'm disappointed to have missed your "Soul of Zeppelin" show in Lorain! I'm in Youngstown, and will be alert for another opportunity. Keep up the phenomenal work, sir.
Houses of the Holy is my favorite Led Zeppelin album. "The Rain Song," in my humble opinion, is one of the most ingenious pieces of music ever created! When I pick up a 12 sting guitar, I always play "Over the Hills and Far Away." It was probably the first song as a teenager learning guitar that I paid close attention to the varying guitar parts. Lots of great and varying guitar tones throughout this whole album! Great review of the album! No matter what Zep album it is though, I can't help but wonder how extremely impressive it was for the listener at the time of its release. They were always very different from anything else that was going on.
The Song Remains the Same version without the vocals is such a great musical master piece that just the music alone stands all by itself.The music has so much drive and power that the movement of energy just builds into a force of nature.
Agreed. It's a masterpiece.
Zactly how he planed it! 😉
Is there a version without vocals?
@@CarlBaldassarreMusic I have the Houses of the Holy (Deluxe Edition) version on iTunes
@@CarlBaldassarreMusic...hi Carl. Yes there is...its included on the deluxe version of Houses Of The Holy, on the companion disc that was released in 2014. It's the 'guitar overdub mix'. Here you go...
ruclips.net/video/1fcS_EXK8Uw/видео.html
Do this for all their records! Great review!
Listening to the Rain Song forces one to simply fall in love …. similar to Ten Years Gone.
My best friends dad was a musician and when we were 8 years old in 74 he would take us down in the basement and play No Quarter, Rain Song and The Ocean over his stereo system with the black light on telling us that this music would live forever because it was at another level of creativity in modern music !! Here I sit now in 2023 watching Carl give this album love !! I guess my friend Jason and his dad Bob were right, it does live forever because Zeppelins music is of lasting quality. RIP my old friends, thanks for giving me a lifelong love for music.
God bless your friend and his father. They not only were prescient, they gave you a life long gift!
There is minor issue here. The Song Does Not Remain the Same after watching your lesson, you are giving so many exciting backgrounds and inspiring to re-listen with other open-ear. :-) Many thanks!
Thank you!!
I was thinking that too. It's a great album title and discussion.
Another great episode, Carl! Bravo!
Well done Carl. I hadn’t listened to this album lately, but I’ll be cranking it up in a few minutes. Thank You.
Absolutely hit the nail on the head with each track. Beautiful descriptive detail and wonderful knowledge of the instrumentation. Over The Hills And Far Away is the first thing I play when I pick up my guitar each day.
Thank you kindly!
Love this format Carl! And your expert perspective as a musician that has lived and breathed those notes and chords offers a more in depth and enjoyable analysis. I would love for you to analyze their greatest album IMHO Physical Graffiti. If a double album is too long, then perhaps do one on Presence. That album is underrated and still somewhat mysterious. Keep em coming Carl!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Hey Carl ,House's one of my favorite Zeppelin albums, lost my cherry 🍒 with Over the hills and far away playing in the background, wow. Always a go to album. Great review 👍Thanks Karin 💙
Love it!!
Never thought about how the album ends with them looking back at the kind of stuff they had done before, but in a more experienced, polished way with The Ocean. Great observation.
Absolutely Great Carl! Love HotH very much!
Great concept Carl. It's been fun to see the evolution of production quality and style in your segments. I've probably listened to "Led Zeppelin V" more than any other. It's such a concise package that always lifts me up no matter how I might be feeling. It might actually be a desert island pick for me. You know it's interesting in that 'Houses' was the first album they actually named. It always made me think they finally felt some critical acclaim after the success of "ZoSo IV" and the last album on Atlantic on the verge of a true metamorphosis into Page's new 'Swan Song' label. It feels like they actually experienced joy in the making of it- such a contrast to the "exquisite loneliness" of 'Presence' later on with possible hints of that here and there on "Physical". Great work once again and thank you!
Thank you for the encouragement and insight!
Excellent synopsis, Carl. For myself, this record goes back to around ‘80-‘81 or so. I was 13 and rock radio was still raging, leftover from the glorious seventies. I was young in the seventies though being a ‘67 baby but during the early eighties is when it all started coming together for me. I realized early on that corporatized, digitized and synthesized music upcoming was no match for my beloved Zeppelin. Meanwhile they’d been disbanded a few years on now. My friends tried to convince me that Motley Crue and upcoming hair metal were the new bringers of glory. It didn’t work. I sunk deeper and deeper in to LZII and then Houses. There were no competition for Zeppelin’s high cruising altitude. I pin most of the credit for this on John Paul. Without him…they may have been just another supergroup trying to outdo Cream still.
I’m right there with you!!
cool carl thanks for video love your vid
Glad you enjoyed it
This is totally awesome.... I guess relating to my own Zep experiences... They undoubtedly had an impact on my writing style and playing... I can even look through my own personal catalogue and see every song I have penned is as radically different from one to the other... I think I should also attribute this to my Parents. The had a vast and eclectic mix of genres from Swing,Jazz. Contemporary Standards, Rock , Country and blues.and most certainly Classical.. Having Zeppelin in our musical lives is a blessed thing... These vids have a way of reminding me where it all came from... Well done, Carl...
Thanks buddy!!!!!
Great channel and interesting thoughtful insights with a whole lotta heart. I must just point out John Paul Jones's orchestration with the mellotron on Rain Song and also JPJ's contribution in general :) Greetings from Sweden!
Thanks so much for this analysis of this album by the greatest band ever
Carl, I am loving your Led Zeppelin content. Your enthusiasm is infectious. You're also putting out some Ozzy Osbourne vibes with your outfit and cross. Very cool. Peace and love
Thanks! I liked that look, I’m glad you noticed. I hope you subscribed!!
Nice job Carl!
Great Review! Top Notch Content!
Much appreciated! I hope you subscribed!! It’s the only way I can keep the channel going!!
Great review Carl and thanks for sharing your thoughts on a remarkable but demanding album for diehards LZ fans.
Houses of the Holy came out of left field after the monster that was LZ4, but proved its importance when the first two opening tracks in particular become the mainstay of later live performancs, as did No Quarter and the Ocean. I recommend the 1973 Madison Square Garden performance of TSRTS and the Rain Song. Page seamlessly moves from one to the other, from a standard 12 string upstairs to the tuned (DADGAD? / dropped E?) on the lower guitar, from the frenetic pace of TSRTS to the beautiful and languid lyricism of Rain Song, 14 minutes of genius, and one of the greatest live perfomances available to view on RUclips.
I saw Zeppelin in Chicago in 73 & 75. The memories are a bit “foggy”. But their No Quarter performances will forever be clear in my mind.
Loved this! My fave Zepp album!
Very good review of a long time favorite album of mine and a wonderful revisit with added perspective and clarity. Thanks Carl!
My pleasure!
Thanks for another wonderful video Carl! Hope to see more videos like this in the future, i loved the format. Best regards from Brazil!
Glad you enjoyed it!
After x years, it’s easy to just subscribe to the official verdict about LZ, forgetting what made me, as an individual, sit up and listen. This was the first time I ever heard the band, a friend lent me this album. So there were very specific things here that made me a fan. Robert’s weird singing on TSRTS, the unreal sound of No Quarter, the overwhelming beauty of The Rain Song, and more.
Great analysis. I love Zeppelin.
Me too!
The guitar sound in no quarter is sublime. Really unique, especially the way it’s played so beautifully.
This is really interesting to hear, cheers
Great breakdown of this record, Carl.So used to listening to many of these songs live in all of the unique,different ways they were played, enjoyed the perspective of the original tracks. Would love to see a breakdown of Coda,Traveling Riverside Blues and Hey Hey What can I do.🎶😊
Glad you enjoyed it
I always loved this album. Thank you for your thoughts, Carl.
Thanks for listening
Love The Crunge. It takes listening to a few times but it grows on you. Brilliant album.
Carl - thank you for doing these excellent breakdowns and sharing with the world. Like a Gandalf guitar-wizard welcoming everyone to a journey through the Middle-Earth of rock n roll. Love it.
My pleasure!
It's a great album and I always love your analysis. Thanks!
Thanks for listening
Yes! The Rain Song is definitely one of my favorite songs by them! An I’m even more grateful I learned to play guitar an am able to play such a beautiful piece of music!
Awesome analysis Carl! Please do this with other LZ albums.
Great album. A masterpiece….number 5 in a row.
It’s such an uplifting springtime album. Whenever I think of it I think of the colour orange and brightness and happiness and sunny days in the 70’s. I absolutely love the album cover too. So strange but just so cool.
I remember reading that this was Paul Stanley’s fav Zeppelin album. He was dating a waitress from the Rainbow Club in the summer of 73 and he said they listened to Houses over and over and over again….and it always brings back happy memories for him.
Thanks for this episode,Carl. ✌️❤️
Glad to help you time travel!
Thanks!
First Led Zeppelin album I ever owned, a gift from my older sister between junior and senior high school 😁 When I read the song titles, I though--get this--"Gee, what if I don't like the songs?" As though that was possible! One playthrough, and I had fallen in love, under the spell, and had found my new #1 favorite band for life. Sorry, Beatles, it was good while it lasted 😉
Wow, that's a great review! It's really eye opening on how that music is so beautiful 😀
Glad you liked it!
@@CarlBaldassarreMusic Of course I did! Every time you're talking Led Zeppelin I'm all ears, 'cuz you always have something interesting to say.
Hi Carl, the album analysis is a very good and informative format. Please continue it with other classic rock albums. Very well done but as a historian I think you should also include some more information about the historic background of the albums. Greetings from Germany, Gerald
Thanks, will do!
No quarter is by far my favorite song on the album. I can still get lost in the song to this day.
The Rain Song deserves it's own break-down please!
Great job discussing this review 👍👍
Glad you enjoyed it!
I love how you analyze the music. I’ve been a Zep fan ever since I first heard those thunderous triples on the kick drum, first album, first side of Zep I
…I was 5
Absolutely wonderful analysis...bravo!
I would go crazy if you did the same for Zeppelin II if at possible. Take good care, Carl.
I really love your insights and commentary. I come away with a deeper appreciation of the music. I hope you will be doing more album reactions (by Zep or otherwise).
I once read that TSRTS was supposed to be an instrumental intro to the Rain Song, but things escalated... The latter in turn is said to be Page's answer to Harrison's Something and there definitely a hint of that in the initial 2 chords.
I was at the 1973 Tampa Stadium... They broke the Beatles single artist concert
I remember Plant saying he was drinking milk & honey, because he had damaged his voice on the Japan tour
Fantastic! You saw the prime version!
@@CarlBaldassarreMusic I've seen L.Z. 4x
That was my inspiration to by a Les Paul sunburst in 1972 & I still have it today!
Seen 'em 3x in Chicago & a free one when some girls needed a ride to the concert after their ride fell thru the concert was November the 6th & we were all trying to guess the first song they'd play, but we were all wrong because it was days before Zeppelin 4 and they started off with "Black Dog"of course they played Stairway....
That was the first concert they played that material....Minds were blown that night!!
Love your videos BTW👍
Fabulous video! :) Enjoyed it so much! 💜
So glad! I wasn’t sure how it would go down! We worked hard on the visual production with all the band videos, photos, and audio. Tried to find some photos that were not as shop worn. It took a lot of work!!
Is that a Silver Tone hanging on the wall? Absolutely love your channel!
Yes! Good eyes!! Thank you for watching! I hope you spread the word!
The only album I still need in my vinal collection of led zepps
This was very well done!
I love love love this album it’s such a unique feel and combination of great sounds.