Rocktober Album #19: Black Sabbath – Heaven and Hell (1980)

Happy Halloween, you pagan bastards.  Well dear friends, another Rocktober has come to an end.  Stay tuned, as tomorrow GMYH will begin Nomovember, a 30-day tribute to Hideo Nomo.  But not before we pay tribute to a fitting album for Halloween, Black Sabbath's 1980 masterpiece Heaven and Hell.

In 1980, the metal world was changing.  Iron Maiden released its debut album.  Judas Priest released British Steel.  Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne had parted ways, and both would release their first post-breakup albums.  Ozzy released his classic solo debut, Blizzard of Ozz.  Meanwhile, his former bandmates Tony Iommi, Bill Ward, and Geezer Butler hired Ronnie James Dio to fill Ozzy's shoes as the lead singer of Black Sabbath.

The resulting album, Heaven and Hell, rejuvenated and reinvented Black Sabbath, who had kind of fallen into a rut with their several previous albums.  Dio brought both a powerful voice and great songwriting skills.  The album is a metal classic.  It has the energy that the band's last few albums with Ozzy lacked.  Some of the songs (or at least early incarnations of them) were written before Ozzy left the band, but then reworked once Dio joined the band.  Whatever they did worked, as Heaven and Hell was the band's highest-charting album in both the US and UK since 1975's Sabotage, and it has become the band's third-best selling album behind Paranoid and Master of Reality.  During the tour supporting this album, original drummer Bill Ward quit the band due to alcoholism.  He would rejoin the band several years later, but after Dio left.  Thus, this was the only studio album to feature Dio, Iommi, Ward, and Butler.

1.  "Neon Knights"

The album starts off with ferocity.  "Neon Knights" is, in my opinion, the best Dio-era Black Sabbath song.  It has a great riff and a driving beat, and of course, soaring vocals.  The song was the last one written by the band for the album.  It got up to #22 on the UK charts.

2.  "Children of the Sea"

This was the first song written by the group after Dio joined.  It starts out slow with guitar only and Dio singing, and then at the 40-second mark, Iommi comes in with a heavy riff and the drums and bass thunder along.

3.  "Lady Evil"

"Lady Evil"?  Isn't that an oxymoron?  I kid.  Anyway, this song is very solid.  It discusses witches, has more of a groove than most metal songs, and Iommi has a great distorted, Wah pedal solo.

4.  "Heaven and Hell"

The title track is a solid metal anthem about each person's ability to choose between good and evil.  It starts off with a nice riff, then gets kind of quiet while Dio sings the first verse.  After about 3 minutes, you think the song is winding down, but then around the 4:15 mark, the tempo picks up, Iommi tears into a nice little solo, and the song kicks into oblivion.

5.  "Wishing Well"

There is no letdown on Side Two.  "Wishing Well" is a great metal song.  Dio sings with a little bit of anger in his voice, and Ward's drumming keeps the song driving along.  As with many of the songs, Iommi has a sweet solo.

6.  "Die Young"

This is my second favorite song on the album after "Neon Knights."  It starts out with some eerie guitars that sound like they're crying, and then there's a wicked guitar solo.  The lyrics kick in after about a minute, and it's a fast-paced, snarling song.  Iommi blazes throughout the song.

7.  "Walk Away"

"Walk Away" is slower than many of the other songs.  It sounds a little more mainstream than the other songs on the album, which isn't meant to be an insult – just an observation.

8.  "Lonely Is the Word"

The album ends with a slow, dark, brooding song.  Ward's drumming is noticeable here, as he crashes down on his drums with authority throughout the verses.

Best Band of Our Generation: Round 2 Update

Guns N' Roses holds off one of their influences, Iron Maiden, by a 60% to 40% margin.  Next up is the last match-up of the second round:  Pearl Jam vs. Green (All Saints) Day.  

(For details and background about the Best Band of Our Generation countdown, click here.)

Here are the results so far.  Winners are in green.


Round 2

1.  U2 (1980) (57%)

16.  Foo Fighters (1995)

24.  Mötley Crüe (1981) (60%)

8.  Nirvana (1989)

5.  Def Leppard (1980) (63%)

12.  Bon Jovi (1984)

20.  The White Stripes (1999)

4.  Metallica (1983) (83%)

30.  Stone Temple Pilots (1992)

14.  Huey Lewis and The News (1980) (80%)

11.  Weezer (1994) (75%)

6.  Beastie Boys (1982)

7.  Guns N' Roses (1987) (60%)

23.  Iron Maiden (1980)

15.  Green Day (1990)

2.  Pearl Jam (1991)

Round 1

1.  U2 (1980) (60%)

32.  The Pixies (1987)

16.  Foo Fighters (1995) (75%)

17.  The Cure (1980)

9.  Red Hot Chili Peppers (1984)

24.  Mötley Crüe (1981) (80%)

8.  Nirvana (1989) (67%)

25.  The Black Crowes (1990)

5.  Def Leppard (1980) (86%)

28.  Poison (1986)

12.  Bon Jovi (1984) (100%)

21.  Depeche Mode (1981)

13.  Dave Matthews Band (1994)

20.  The White Stripes (1999) (80%)

4.  Metallica (1983) (100%)

29.  Soundgarden (1988)

3.  R.E.M. (1982)

30.  Stone Temple Pilots (1992) (60%)

14.  Huey Lewis and The News (1980) (67%)

19.  Duran Duran (1981)

11.  Weezer (1994) (80%)

22.  Rage Against the Machine (1992)

6.  Beastie Boys (1982) (80%)

27.  Nine Inch Nails (1989)

7.  Guns N' Roses (1987) (83%)

26.  Smashing Pumpkins (1991)

10.  Radiohead (1993)

23.  Iron Maiden (1980) (75%)

15.  Green Day (1990) (75%)

18.  The Pretenders (1980)

2.  Pearl Jam (1991) (80%)

31.  Oasis (1994)

Best Band of Our Generation: Round 2 Update

11-seed Weezer pulled a mild upset, beating 6-seed Beastie Boys, 75% to 25%.  The next match-up is a tough one:  Guns N' Roses vs.  Iron Maiden.


(For details and background about the Best Band of Our Generation countdown, click here.)

Here are the results so far.  Winners are in green.


Round 2

1.  U2 (1980) (57%)

16.  Foo Fighters (1995)

24.  Mötley Crüe (1981) (60%)

8.  Nirvana (1989)

5.  Def Leppard (1980) (63%)

12.  Bon Jovi (1984)

20.  The White Stripes (1999)

4.  Metallica (1983) (83%)

30.  Stone Temple Pilots (1992)

14.  Huey Lewis and The News (1980) (80%)

11.  Weezer (1994) (75%)

6.  Beastie Boys (1982)

7.  Guns N' Roses (1987)

23.  Iron Maiden (1980)

15.  Green Day (1990)

2.  Pearl Jam (1991)

Round 1

1.  U2 (1980) (60%)

32.  The Pixies (1987)

16.  Foo Fighters (1995) (75%)

17.  The Cure (1980)

9.  Red Hot Chili Peppers (1984)

24.  Mötley Crüe (1981) (80%)

8.  Nirvana (1989) (67%)

25.  The Black Crowes (1990)

5.  Def Leppard (1980) (86%)

28.  Poison (1986)

12.  Bon Jovi (1984) (100%)

21.  Depeche Mode (1981)

13.  Dave Matthews Band (1994)

20.  The White Stripes (1999) (80%)

4.  Metallica (1983) (100%)

29.  Soundgarden (1988)

3.  R.E.M. (1982)

30.  Stone Temple Pilots (1992) (60%)

14.  Huey Lewis and The News (1980) (67%)

19.  Duran Duran (1981)

11.  Weezer (1994) (80%)

22.  Rage Against the Machine (1992)

6.  Beastie Boys (1982) (80%)

27.  Nine Inch Nails (1989)

7.  Guns N' Roses (1987) (83%)

26.  Smashing Pumpkins (1991)

10.  Radiohead (1993)

23.  Iron Maiden (1980) (75%)

15.  Green Day (1990) (75%)

18.  The Pretenders (1980)

2.  Pearl Jam (1991) (80%)

31.  Oasis (1994)

Rocktober Album #18: Mötley Crüe – Theatre of Pain (1985)

Theatre of Pain is Mötley Crüe's third studio album, and frankly, probably the worst of their classic albums (i.e., Too Fast For Love through Dr. Feelgood).  The band admitted in their Behind the Music that they were kind of going through the motions on this one.  Nonetheless, it's still a pretty good album.  I remember seeing the album cover when I was 7 or 8 and thinking that the band was obviously full of Satanists because one of the masks has a pentagram on it.

The album got as high as #6 on the Billboard charts, their first Top 10 album, and their first of five Top 10 albums in a row.  It is dedicated to Hanoi Rocks drummer Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley, who died as a passenger in Vince Neil's car while Neil was driving drunk to go get more booze.  I have the 2003 remastered version of the album, which also includes some demos and alternate versions of "Home Sweet Home," "City Boy Blues," "Smokin' in the Boys Room," and "Keep Your Eye on the Money."  I'm not going to discuss the demos or the alternates, since the final versions are better.

1. "City Boy Blues"

I'm not a huge fan of this song.  The first song on an album should be one of the best two or three songs on the album, and I like this one the least.  It's an average song, with a medium tempo, but it just doesn't have much grit or passion to it.  I don't know.  It just doesn't do it for me, especially given the many other Mötley Crüe songs that I love.

2. "Smokin' in the Boys Room"

This was the band's first Top 40 hit, reaching #16.  It is a cover of a 1973 song by Brownsville Station.  The video is a classic (and it often shown on VH1 Classic's Metal Mania), featuring Michael Berryman as the high school principal who doesn't quite believe some dude's story that a dog ate his homework, even though it's true.

3. "Louder Than Hell"

This song appears as a demo (with a different title, "Hotter Than Hell") on the remastered version of the Shout at the Devil album I have.  Perhaps the band changed the name so that it wouldn't be confused with the Kiss song "Hotter Than Hell."  Regardless, it's a good, gritty song.

4. "Keep Your Eye on the Money"

This is a pretty good song.  Perhaps this is what the band was doing with this album instead of keeping their eye on the music.

5. "Home Sweet Home"

For all intents and purposes, this was the first power ballad.  For better or worse, after this song, every hair band had to have a power ballad on their album.  Bands like Mr. Big or Extreme probably owe a large part of their popularity to this song.  The song itself is pretty good.  It has one of the most recognizable piano intros (courtesy of Tommy Lee).  You can't help but sing along to the chorus.  I was surprised to see that the song only got up to #89 on the Billboard charts (although the remixed version in 1991 got up to #37).  Maybe it was just a much bigger video hit than a radio hit.

6. "Tonight (We Need a Lover)"

This is not to be confused with the band's cover of The Raspberries' "Tonight" on the Too Fast For Love album.  This song is another pretty good song.  It rocks, I suppose.  At the end, it continually increases in tempo, which I like.

7. "Use It or Lose It"

This is probably my favorite song on the album.  It is the song on the album that has the most soul and umph to it.  It has a great riff and a frantic feel to it.  Mick Mars has an awesome solo in the middle.  The song almost feels like it should have been on one of the band's first two albums – not that I'm complaining about its inclusion here.

8. "Save Our Souls"

This one starts off with promise with a quick drum intro by Lee, then the tempo slows and the song kind of grinds along.  The chorus requests "Save our souls for the heavens."  I've read The Dirt.  No chance on that request.

9. "Raise Your Hands to Rock"

This is an interesting song.  It has both acoustic and electric guitars near the beginning, and it's very catchy.  It seems like it could have been released as a single and done decently.  It almost foreshadows Firehouse or bands like that that came along a few years later, towards the end of the Hair Band Era, who were a little more pop than metal.  I'm not trying to bash this song, because it is rock through and through, with a great guitar solo and a party chorus.  It's just the interplay near the start with the acoustic and electric may have planted some seeds for other bands to go less electric.

10. "Fight for Your Rights" 

 The album ends with a decent song.  It has a good, hard repeating riff, and a positive message.

Best Band of Our Generation: Round 2 Update

Huey Lewis and The News ends Stone Temple Pilots' cinderella run, by an 80% to 20% margin. Next up is Weezer vs. Beastie Boys, a very solid match-up.  As is the custom on the weekends, I will give you until Sunday evening to cast your votes.  Happy Halloween weekend!

(For details and background about the Best Band of Our Generation countdown, click here.)

Here are the results so far.  Winners are in green.


Round 2

1.  U2 (1980) (57%)

16.  Foo Fighters (1995)

24.  Mötley Crüe (1981) (60%)

8.  Nirvana (1989)

5.  Def Leppard (1980) (63%)

12.  Bon Jovi (1984)

20.  The White Stripes (1999)

4.  Metallica (1983) (83%)

30.  Stone Temple Pilots (1992)

14.  Huey Lewis and The News (1980) (80%)

11.  Weezer (1994)

6.  Beastie Boys (1982)

7.  Guns N' Roses (1987)

23.  Iron Maiden (1980)

15.  Green Day (1990)

2.  Pearl Jam (1991)

Round 1

1.  U2 (1980) (60%)

32.  The Pixies (1987)

16.  Foo Fighters (1995) (75%)

17.  The Cure (1980)

9.  Red Hot Chili Peppers (1984)

24.  Mötley Crüe (1981) (80%)

8.  Nirvana (1989) (67%)

25.  The Black Crowes (1990)

5.  Def Leppard (1980) (86%)

28.  Poison (1986)

12.  Bon Jovi (1984) (100%)

21.  Depeche Mode (1981)

13.  Dave Matthews Band (1994)

20.  The White Stripes (1999) (80%)

4.  Metallica (1983) (100%)

29.  Soundgarden (1988)

3.  R.E.M. (1982)

30.  Stone Temple Pilots (1992) (60%)

14.  Huey Lewis and The News (1980) (67%)

19.  Duran Duran (1981)

11.  Weezer (1994) (80%)

22.  Rage Against the Machine (1992)

6.  Beastie Boys (1982) (80%)

27.  Nine Inch Nails (1989)

7.  Guns N' Roses (1987) (83%)

26.  Smashing Pumpkins (1991)

10.  Radiohead (1993)

23.  Iron Maiden (1980) (75%)

15.  Green Day (1990) (75%)

18.  The Pretenders (1980)

2.  Pearl Jam (1991) (80%)

31.  Oasis (1994)

Listen to Hair Band Friday - 10/28/11

Rocktober Album #17: Dio – Holy Diver

The more that I have come to learn about Ronnie James Dio, the more I like him.  By all accounts, he was one of the nicest, classiest guys in rock.  And, of course, he invented the devil horns, which are now are universally thrown up at just about ever rock concert in the world.

After his stints as the lead singer of Rainbow and Black Sabbath, Dio formed his own band in 1982, continuing to provide hard-hitting, well-written hard rock and metal.  He was a short man, probably 5'5" or so, but he had such a powerful voice for such a small guy.  His band members weren't exactly slouches either.  The guitars are handled by future Whitesnake and Def Leppard member Vivian Campbell.  Drums were handled by the legendary Vinny Appice, who has previously been the drummer for several Rick Derringer albums and for a few Dio-era Black Sabbath albums.  The bass and keyboard player was Jimmy Bain, who had been in Rainbow and played on former Thin Lizzy lead singer Phil Lynott's solo albums.

Holy Diver was the band's first album, and it is a good one, full of catchy hard rock songs with heavy riffs, great lyrics, and a thunderous rhythm section.  The cover of the album features the devil apparently attempting to smite a priest, or maybe a priest breaking away from the devil and diving into the water, making him a holy diver.

1.  "Stand Up and Shout"

The album starts of with power.  This song starts off with a hellacious, fast-paced guitar riff, and then the drums and bass kick in to add bottom.  Of course, Dio's vocals are predictably potent.  Campbell has a white hot guitar solo halfway through.  Good shit.

2.  "Holy Diver"

This is probably Dio's most well-known song, with the possible exception of "Rainbow in the Dark."  It starts off with some howling wind sound effects, and then the heavy, thumping bass and guitar riff.  For me, the bass sticks out on this song.

3.  "Gypsy"

Dio was of Italian descent.  He even took the famed devil horns from his Italian grandmother, who, if she was anything like my Italian grandmother, loved everyone.  Except gypsies.  Given the wrath with which Dio sings in this song, it is safe to say he feels the same way.

4.  "Caught in the Middle"

This is a solid, early '80s hard rock song.

5.  "Don't Talk to Strangers"

Back in the early '80s, stranger danger was at the forefront.  I, for one, was terrified of being kidnapped, so I appreciate that Dio was trying to spread the good word.  This song is a dark rocker, so it provides the perfect medium for the message.

6.  "Straight Through the Heart"

This is another great hard rock song.

7.  "Invisible"

This one is kind of slower, with a snarling riff and a bit of nastiness to it.

8.  "Rainbow in the Dark"

This song is just plain awesome.  From its opening synthesizer riff to Dio's controlled howl.  It's a catchy song that rocks, which is always a nice combination.  Campbell has a nice solo in this one, and the drums are nice as well.

9.  "Shame on the Night"

The album ends with another slower song.  This one relies on Appice to keep the song plodding along.

Best Band of Our Generation: Round 2 Update

Metallica takes down The White Stripes handily by an 83% to 17% margin.  Next up is an interesting battle:  Huey Lewis and The News vs. Stone Temple Pilots (who pulled off the biggest upset of the first round by knocking off 3-seed R.E.M.).

(For details and background about the Best Band of Our Generation countdown, click here.)

Here are the results so far.  Winners are in green.


Round 2

1.  U2 (1980) (57%)

16.  Foo Fighters (1995)

24.  Mötley Crüe (1981) (60%)

8.  Nirvana (1989)

5.  Def Leppard (1980) (63%)

12.  Bon Jovi (1984)

20.  The White Stripes (1999)

4.  Metallica (1983) (83%)

30.  Stone Temple Pilots (1992)

14.  Huey Lewis and The News (1980)

11.  Weezer (1994)

6.  Beastie Boys (1982)

7.  Guns N' Roses (1987)

23.  Iron Maiden (1980)

15.  Green Day (1990)

2.  Pearl Jam (1991)

Round 1

1.  U2 (1980) (60%)

32.  The Pixies (1987)

16.  Foo Fighters (1995) (75%)

17.  The Cure (1980)

9.  Red Hot Chili Peppers (1984)

24.  Mötley Crüe (1981) (80%)

8.  Nirvana (1989) (67%)

25.  The Black Crowes (1990)

5.  Def Leppard (1980) (86%)

28.  Poison (1986)

12.  Bon Jovi (1984) (100%)

21.  Depeche Mode (1981)

13.  Dave Matthews Band (1994)

20.  The White Stripes (1999) (80%)

4.  Metallica (1983) (100%)

29.  Soundgarden (1988)

3.  R.E.M. (1982)

30.  Stone Temple Pilots (1992) (60%)

14.  Huey Lewis and The News (1980) (67%)

19.  Duran Duran (1981)

11.  Weezer (1994) (80%)

22.  Rage Against the Machine (1992)

6.  Beastie Boys (1982) (80%)

27.  Nine Inch Nails (1989)

7.  Guns N' Roses (1987) (83%)

26.  Smashing Pumpkins (1991)

10.  Radiohead (1993)

23.  Iron Maiden (1980) (75%)

15.  Green Day (1990) (75%)

18.  The Pretenders (1980)

2.  Pearl Jam (1991) (80%)

31.  Oasis (1994)

50 Worst NFL QBs

I forgot to post a Tuesday Top Ten yesterday, so I will make up for that five-fold by providing the link to an article listing the 50 worst quarterbacks in NFL history.  Thanks to Tron for the link.  There are ten QBs on the list who played for the Bears at some point, although Cade McNown is a surprising omission.

Rocktober Album #16: White Zombie - Astro-Creep: 2000 – Songs of Love, Destruction and Other Synthetic Delusions of the Electric Head (1995)

As you may or many not know, Rob Zombie loves horror movies.  Before he was directing Night of 1,000 Corpses or the remake of Halloween, he was using horror movies to inspire his songwriting.

Astro-Creep: 2000 is White Zombie's fourth and final album (before Rob Zombie went solo), and I suppose it can be categorized as industrial metal and groove metal.  That may sound like a strange label, but it kind of makes sense when you listen to the music.  It's definitely metal, but it has a groove to it.  And yes, I just defined "groove metal" as "metal with a groove."  As for the industrial part, there are synthesizers and weird sounds of all sorts, which I guess means it's industrial metal.

No matter what you call it, the music is interesting and pretty hard core.  Many of the songs have clips from old horror movies, which I've always thought was pretty cool.  The album got as high as #6 on the Billboard album charts.

1.  "Electric Head Pt. 1 (The Agony)"

I have a non-electric head, so I can't really relate, but the song has a hard driving beat complemented by Zombie's guttural vocals.

2.  "Super-Charger Heaven"  

This might be my favorite song on the album.  It's fast and gritty.  The chorus particularly sticks with me:  "Devil man, devil man (calling) / Devil man, runnin' in my head."  The song also contains the following awesome line:  "I dreamed I was a super nova fucker."  Now that, I can relate to.

3.  "Real Solution #9"  

This one has distorted vocals, like Zombie is singing through a megaphone into the mic.  While I can't really tell what he's saying, I will say that I like "Real Solution #9" better than "Revolution #9."

4.  "Creature of the Wheel"

This one is a plodding song with bird-like howls in the background and a swirl of drop-tuned guitars.

5.  "Electric Head Pt. 2 (The Ecstasy)"

This song starts with a nice quick repeating riff, then breaks into Rob Zombie's nearly decipherable verses.  It has a nice thumping beat to it.

6.  "Grease Paint and Monkey Brains"

What are two things that have never been in my kitchen? 

7.  "I, Zombie"

This is another good song with a driving beat.

8.  "More Human than Human"  

This is probably the most famous and recognizable White Zombie song, and it's a good one.  It has a great riff and a thumping beat that either makes you want to dance really weird or drive across the desert.

9.  "El Phantasmo and the Chicken-Run Blast-O-Rama"

If I ever form a White Zombie tribute band, I will call it El Phantasmo and the Chicken-Run Blast-O-Rama.

10.  "Blur the Technicolor"

This song has a nice groove to it, with a catchy little sound effect that repeats throughout the song and almost acts as the chorus.

11.  "Blood, Milk and Sky" (and "Where The Sidewalk Ends, The Bug Parade Begins," a hidden track)

Both the unhidden and hidden tracks are slow and kind of trippy.  It kind of sounds like the soundtrack to a horror movie.

Best Band of Our Generation: Round 2 Update

Def Leppard held off a pesky Bon Jovi, 63% to 37%.  Next up:  The White Stripes vs. Metallica.

(For details and background about the Best Band of Our Generation countdown, click here.)

Here are the results so far.  Winners are in green.


Round 2

1.  U2 (1980) (57%)

16.  Foo Fighters (1995)

24.  Mötley Crüe (1981) (60%)

8.  Nirvana (1989)

5.  Def Leppard (1980) (63%)

12.  Bon Jovi (1984)

20.  The White Stripes (1999)

4.  Metallica (1983)

30.  Stone Temple Pilots (1992)

14.  Huey Lewis and The News (1980)

11.  Weezer (1994)

6.  Beastie Boys (1982)

7.  Guns N' Roses (1987)

23.  Iron Maiden (1980)

15.  Green Day (1990)

2.  Pearl Jam (1991)

Round 1

1.  U2 (1980) (60%)

32.  The Pixies (1987)

16.  Foo Fighters (1995) (75%)

17.  The Cure (1980)

9.  Red Hot Chili Peppers (1984)

24.  Mötley Crüe (1981) (80%)

8.  Nirvana (1989) (67%)

25.  The Black Crowes (1990)

5.  Def Leppard (1980) (86%)

28.  Poison (1986)

12.  Bon Jovi (1984) (100%)

21.  Depeche Mode (1981)

13.  Dave Matthews Band (1994)

20.  The White Stripes (1999) (80%)

4.  Metallica (1983) (100%)

29.  Soundgarden (1988)

3.  R.E.M. (1982)

30.  Stone Temple Pilots (1992) (60%)

14.  Huey Lewis and The News (1980) (67%)

19.  Duran Duran (1981)

11.  Weezer (1994) (80%)

22.  Rage Against the Machine (1992)

6.  Beastie Boys (1982) (80%)

27.  Nine Inch Nails (1989)

7.  Guns N' Roses (1987) (83%)

26.  Smashing Pumpkins (1991)

10.  Radiohead (1993)

23.  Iron Maiden (1980) (75%)

15.  Green Day (1990) (75%)

18.  The Pretenders (1980)

2.  Pearl Jam (1991) (80%)

31.  Oasis (1994)

Rocktober Album #15: Led Zeppelin – Untitled (1971)

Whether you call it IV, The Fourth, Four Symbols, Zoso, Runes, The Hermit, or anything else, Led Zeppelin's fourth album is rightfully considered one of the greatest rock and roll albums ever.  This was the first Zepplin album I bought, and probably the first Zeppelin album most kids bought.

When it was released, it was purposely mysterious.  The band name appears nowhere on the album cover.  In the album sleeve, the band identified themselves esoterically with symbols:

From left to right, it goes Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, John Bonham, and Robert Plant. 

Page's symbol, often called "Zoso" is allegedly a 16th Century symbol that represents Saturn, although Page has never disclosed his reason for choosing it. 

Jones's symbol was chosen from German typographer Rudolf Koch's Book of Signs.  Apparently it's called a triquetra, and it was supposed to symbolize someone with confidence and competence, which seems appropriate.

Bonham also chose his symbol, three interlocking rings, from Koch's book.  It apparently represents a mother, father and child, and was also the logo for Ballantine beer.

Plant designed his own symbol, which was based on the sign of the civilization of the supposed lost continent of Mu.

By the time they made this album, Jimmy Page had become fascinated with the occult.  He had an occult bookstore in London and even purchased Boleskine House, an allegedly haunted estate on Loch Ness where famed occultist Alistair Crowley lived.  And, of course, as discussed below, there are claims that the album has Satanic backwards messages.

The album hit #1 in the UK and #2 in the US.  It has sold 37 million copies worldwide, making it the 11th-best selling album of all-time in the world.  In the US, it is 23x Platinum, making it the third-best selling album of all-time in the US (behind only Michael Jackson's Thriller and The Eagles' Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975)).  Among its accolades are the following:

-Member of the Grammy Hall of Fame

-On Robert Dimery's list of 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die

-#1 on Classic Rock magazine's 100 Greatest British Albums poll

-#1 on Classic Rock magazine's 100 Greatest Rock Albums Ever poll

-#1 in Guitar World 100 Greatest Albums readers' poll

-#2 on The Guitar magazine's Album of the Millennium list

-#4 on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Definitive 200: Top 200 Albums of All-Time' list

-#7 on Pitchfork Media's Top 100 Albums of the 1970s list

-#7 on ABC media's top ten albums list

-#21 on Q magazine's 100 Best Albums Ever list

-#24 on Mojo magazine's The 100 Greatest Albums Ever Made list

-#26 in Q magazine's greatest album of all time readers' poll

-#26 on Q magazine's 100 Greatest British Albums Ever list

-#66 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time

1.  "Black Dog"

"Hey hey mama said the way you move / Gonna make you sweat, gonna make you groove."  With that opening line, how can you not love this song?  While the song title is actually inspired by a black lab that was wandering around when the band was making the album, the lyrics have nothing to do about dogs, other than maybe the way in which they procreate.  Musically, the song is intentionally complex, with time changes and difficult guitar and bass parts.  Interesting tidbit:  if you turn up the volume loud enough during the a capella parts before the riffs, you can hear John Bonham tapping his drum sticks to keep time.

2.  "Rock & Roll"

This song embodies its title.  From that opening drumbeat, it's fast and gorgeous 12-bar blues.  Page has an awesome guitar solo that acts as the glue for Plant's wailing, honky-tonk pianos (courtesy of Rolling Stones keyboardist Ian Stewart), and Page's repeating riff.  This song has become so familiar that I forget how awesome of a song it is.

3.  "The Battle of Evermore"

They take it down a few notches with this one.  It's acoustic with a mandolin, and guest vocalist Sandy Denny accompanies Plant.  There is not much in the way of percussion.

4.  "Stairway to Heaven"

"Stairway to Heaven" is so well-known that it almost defies any superlative that can be placed on it.  It is probably Led Zeppelin's most famous song, and a rock and roll masterpiece.  Despite the fact that it was never released as a single, it was the most-requested song on FM radio in the 1970s.  If you change the station when this song comes on the radio, don't roll your windows down, and don't crank this, then there is something horribly wrong with you.  The song is basically four songs in one.  It starts off acoustically, almost folkish with recorders, then the song kicks up a notch and goes electric, soon there's a bustle in your hedgerow that shouldn't alarm you just because it brings drums into the mix, and then it keeps building and building until it's in its full rock and roll fury by the end, before calming back down for the outro.  And to add to the song's intrigue, there is allegedly some backmasking in the song.  Supposedly, at the aforementioned "bustle in your hedgerow" part, if you play the record backwards, it says "my sweet Satan" and some other allegedly Satanic things (which you can kind of hear if you play it backwards).  The band has denied it and I'm sure any resemblance to those sounds is coincidental, but it's still another thing to add to the "Stairway" legend.

5.  "Misty Mountain Hop"

After "When the Levee Breaks," this is probably my favorite song on the album.  It starts with a great organ riff which is repeated throughout the song on the bass and guitar, and a great opening drum beat by Bonham.  It's just a great, catchy rock song.

6.  "Four Sticks"

This is another song with complex time signature.  The title of the song comes from the fact that John Bonham was getting pissed off at himself for not being able to get the song right that he started playing with four drumsticks instead of two.  The song has a gritty repeating guitar riff, and it has kind of a dark mood to it.

7.  "Going to California"

This is another acoustic song with a mandolin, courtesy of Page.  There is no percussion on this one, and apparently it's about Joni Mitchell.

8.  "When the Levee Breaks"

Not only is this my favorite Led Zeppelin song, but it's one of my top five favorite songs of all-time.  This song is my ringtone.  It is a reworking of an old Delta blues song by Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy song about the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, which resulted in many residents of the Delta packing up and moving north to Chicago.  Led Zeppelin took that and made it into seven minutes of electric blues gold.  That opening drum beat pounds like thunder, and then the swirling guitars come in like the howling wind, and that fuzzed-out harmonica is the driving rain.  The song is just fucking awesome, and that's that.