"Houses of the Holy" Album Review
Alpha101 While I agree that their debut album and "Led Zeppelin IV" are much better than this particular record, this one is my favorite by the band. I love their first four albums as well, but they basically just have all of their hits, such as "Black Dog," "Rock and Roll," and "Communication Breakdown." While all of these songs are masterpieces, and are among Zeppelin's best, they get old with me. Sometimes I just can't stand to listen to them anymore. So I decided to pick up "Houses of the Holy" and I'm so glad that I did. It's a very underrated album by the group, and is a lot different from their other works. Most songs on the album are slower, and softer, which I absolutely loved. Well, time to review this great album from one of history's best bands."The Song Remains the Same" is a great opening track. Paige's guitar work is some of his best, with it's bluesy magnificence. Plant's vocals are very different from his most famous songs, and I love that. His voice sounds like, well, honey. I guess that's the only way that I could describe it. It goes perfectly with the song, and it's one of Plan't most impressive works.
"The Rain Song" is the second best on the album. It's truly a masterpiece, and one of the band's most underrated songs. It's very slow and moving, and I truly have to check outside every time I hear the song to make sure that it's not raining, as the song is one of the most atmospheric that I've ever heard.
"Over the Hills and Far Away" is another classic Zeppelin song. The opening guitar work, courtesy of rock god Jimmy Paige, automatically let me know that I was in for a treat. It slowly transitions from soft to hard and fast, and this is what makes the song great. It hooked me from the start, and it never let me go.
"The Crunge" has a great riff, but that's about it. It's probably my least favorite on the album, and probably my least favorite from the band. It's not by any means a bad song, but it is pretty weak compared to some of their other tracks. This was a let down for me.
"Dancing Days" has a splendid opening, and Plant's vocals are very robotic and unnerving, but great at the same time. It goes well with the song.
"D'yer Mak'er" is one of Zeppelin's best. It sounds completely unlike their other songs, as it has a strong reggae feel to it. The riff is simple but it hooked me, and Plant's vocals really surprised me on this song, not to mention the fantastic drumming.
"No Quarter" was another surprise for me. It was a very calm and beautiful song, and also another one of Zep's most underrated. This was easily Plan't best song on the album, and also one of his best in history. He really impressed me with his slow, sad, and gut wrenching singing. This is easily the best on the album.
"The Ocean" opens with pirates talking, which is always a great idea for opening a song, by the way. It was a very laid back song. Yes, it was one of the weaker tracks on the album, and did not give it the big send off that I longed for, but it was still a pretty good song.
This album is sadly always in the shadows of the band's first four albums. While I can agree that their first four are stronger and better albums, this album is still great. It's easily their most unique album, and everyone who calls themselves a fan of the band should at least try this album. If it's not for them, I can understand, because it's very different from their other works, but it should at least be recognized, which often, it is not.
9.4/10 - Great Album