Houses Of The Holy (studio album) by Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin's most eclectic record, showcasing reggae ("D'yer Maker"), funk ("The Crunge"), folk ("Over The Hills and Far Away"), psychedelia ("No Quarter") and a progressive ballad ("The Rain Song").

With a few weaker moments, this is still my second favorite Zep album. I they had put The Rover instead of The Crudge it would be my favorite. Great album, nonetheless, a bit underrated in Zeppelin´s discography I think

From pedro1976 05/02/2022 05:55

Album of the year. 1973

A more experimental and risky release from Led Zeppelin but I really think that it pays off. Songs like D'yer Mak'er, The Song Remains The Same and Over The Hills And Far Away still sound fresh today and they all have some fantastic instrumentals on there. The guitar work from Jimmy Page is fantastic the whole way through and it elevates songs that are already great into truly phenomenal cuts. Alongside this, you have some amazing performances from John Bonham and John Paul Jones on bass and guitar which all blend together to create some intelligent and very enjoyable hard rock. Also, Robert Plants vocal is obviously stunning and as gritty and rough as ever. However, what holds this album back for me is the couple of songs which are just decent. These songs are Dancing Days and The Crunge with the latter being dangerously close to being pretty poor. Without these two songs I do think the record is better. Overall, this release is great but a few factors keep it from reaching its true potential.

From pedro1976 04/27/2022 12:35

suuuperb album, very nearly my favorite Zep LP - snip off the (slightly) weaker tracks (my candidates would be D'yer Mak'er or/and The Crunge) and replace with The Rover and Houses of the Holy and it would place it in my top 3 of all time ... songs were recorded at same sessions and appeared later on Physical Graffiti..

What is noticeable in this album is the colourful nature that emerges in all of the tracks. It is fun, experimental but still manages not to sound forced or like a flash in the pan fad. Tracks on this album stand amongst the band's best and changing the formula somewhat reaped huge rewards.

This album is very impressive and great at its best and very underwhelming at its worst, but I can't say that it is a mixed bag, because it is still a great Led Zeppelin album that I love. The Ocean, No Quarter, Over The Hills are my personal favorites and The Rain Song and Song Remains The Same are very good quality too. The only problem I have with it is that The Crunge and Dy'er Mak'er are bad in my opinion so I can't give it anything higher than 95.

fave tracks - The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Djer Makr

More brilliance. Not a fan of The Crunge or the last track, but there is some great stuff here. D'yer Maker is a lot different to most of the album, but it still works. No Quarter is incredible, surely one of their best. That guitar riff is insanely good. Very easy to play but very difficult to make it sound as good as Page makes it sound. Over The Hills And Far Away is great too.

From Squonk007 12/01/2021 00:17

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