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1971 - December: Led Zeppelin ”IV”
A case could be made that Led Zeppelin IV is the biggest heavy metal album of all time. However, "IV" isn't really the name of the album. The actual title was four symbols, one selected by each band member. The record company hated the idea for obvious reasons, but what they thought was "professional suicide" turned out to be the best selling album for the band and one of the top rated Rock albums of all time.
The rollout of Led Zeppelin IV without a pronounceable title and without written information on the album sleeve was a reaction to their experience with the previous album. Led Zeppelin III had been highly anticipated and a commercial success, but received several negative reviews from critics. This response affected the band, particularly Jimmy Page. Led Zeppelin stopped touring and returned to Headley Grange in Hampshire, England for recording the new material. The relaxed environment of the country house was good for removing distractions and encouraging spontaneity.
The result was both a commercial and critical success, and a defining album for heavy metal throughout the 70's. Every track on this album would be played on AOR and hard rock radio stations.
Folks, this is an album you need to hear in its entirety.
Rock and Roll
The second track on the album is now a rock and roll standard. It came out of a jam session the band had while producing the album. John Bonham started with a drum introduction from "Keep A-Knockin'" by Little Richard. Jimmy Page adds a guitar riff inspired by Chuck Berry. Ian Stewart, pianist for the Rolling Stones, joins on the song. It is one of the few songs for which all four band members got writing credits.
Four Sticks
A song for which the name doesn't match the lyrics, "Four Sticks" is so named because John Bonham used two sets of drumsticks - two sticks in each hand - while recording the song. He recorded only two takes, and Jimmy Page said that "it was physically impossible for him to do another."
Black Dog
Another song for which the name doesn't appear in the lyrics, "Black Dog" received its name from a black Labrador retriever found wandering around Headley Grange mansion while they were recording. The alternate a cappella vocals and start and stop instrumentation was inspired by Fleetwood Mac's "Oh Well."
Stairway to Heaven
This instantly recognizable epic is Led Zeppelin's signature song. The band was setting out to create an epic when they wrote it, as they wanted a song to replace "Dazed and Confused" as the centerpiece of their concerts. Amazingly, it did not chart because it was never released as a single.
ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:
Main theme from the motion picture Diamonds Are Forever
Bond...James Bond! This Bond film was the last one with Sean Connery as James Bond before being replaced by Roger Moore.
STAFF PICKS:
Hallelujah by Sweathog
Wayne leads off the staff picks a Christian rock crossover, similar to "Jesus Christ, Superstar" and "Godspell." Sweathog was a band out of San Francisco which became a top opening act for groups like Black Sabbath, Emerson Lake & Palmer, and Grand Funk Railroad.
Day After Day by Badfinger
Brian's staff pick sounds like the Beatles, perhaps because George Harrison produced this album, and participates on guitar and backing vocals. It tells the story of a boy daydreaming about a girl "looking out from my lonely room, day after day."
Never Been to Spain by Three Dog Night
Rob's staff pick from Three Dog Night features Cory Wells on lead vocal duties. Three Dog Night had three singers who would trade off on providing lead vocals. This song was penned by folks singer-songwriter Hoyt Axton, and discusses places the singer has never been, but compares spots that might be good proxies for these locations.
Peace Train by Cat Stevens
Bruce finishes the staff picks with Cat Stevens' first top 10 hit in the U.S. After converting to Islam and changing his name from Cat Stevens to Yusuf Islam, he performed the song as a call for a peaceful solution to the Iraq War, as well as playing it at the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize concert when Muhammad Yunus received the award for his work in micro-lending to the poor.
INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:
Scorpio by Dennis Coffey & The Detroit Guitar Band
A funky instrumental from the film "Scorpio" takes us out of this podcast. The song was on the charts this month, though the movie would not appear until 1973.
Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?”
NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.
Please follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/whattheriffpodcast/, and message or email us with what you'd like to hear, what you think of the show, and any rock-worthy memes we can share.
Of course we'd love for you to rate the show in your podcast platform!
**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.
View all episodes
By Rob Marbury, Wayne Rowan, Bruce Fricks, John Lynch
4.9
4747 ratings
A case could be made that Led Zeppelin IV is the biggest heavy metal album of all time. However, "IV" isn't really the name of the album. The actual title was four symbols, one selected by each band member. The record company hated the idea for obvious reasons, but what they thought was "professional suicide" turned out to be the best selling album for the band and one of the top rated Rock albums of all time.
The rollout of Led Zeppelin IV without a pronounceable title and without written information on the album sleeve was a reaction to their experience with the previous album. Led Zeppelin III had been highly anticipated and a commercial success, but received several negative reviews from critics. This response affected the band, particularly Jimmy Page. Led Zeppelin stopped touring and returned to Headley Grange in Hampshire, England for recording the new material. The relaxed environment of the country house was good for removing distractions and encouraging spontaneity.
The result was both a commercial and critical success, and a defining album for heavy metal throughout the 70's. Every track on this album would be played on AOR and hard rock radio stations.
Folks, this is an album you need to hear in its entirety.
Rock and Roll
The second track on the album is now a rock and roll standard. It came out of a jam session the band had while producing the album. John Bonham started with a drum introduction from "Keep A-Knockin'" by Little Richard. Jimmy Page adds a guitar riff inspired by Chuck Berry. Ian Stewart, pianist for the Rolling Stones, joins on the song. It is one of the few songs for which all four band members got writing credits.
Four Sticks
A song for which the name doesn't match the lyrics, "Four Sticks" is so named because John Bonham used two sets of drumsticks - two sticks in each hand - while recording the song. He recorded only two takes, and Jimmy Page said that "it was physically impossible for him to do another."
Black Dog
Another song for which the name doesn't appear in the lyrics, "Black Dog" received its name from a black Labrador retriever found wandering around Headley Grange mansion while they were recording. The alternate a cappella vocals and start and stop instrumentation was inspired by Fleetwood Mac's "Oh Well."
Stairway to Heaven
This instantly recognizable epic is Led Zeppelin's signature song. The band was setting out to create an epic when they wrote it, as they wanted a song to replace "Dazed and Confused" as the centerpiece of their concerts. Amazingly, it did not chart because it was never released as a single.
ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:
Main theme from the motion picture Diamonds Are Forever
Bond...James Bond! This Bond film was the last one with Sean Connery as James Bond before being replaced by Roger Moore.
STAFF PICKS:
Hallelujah by Sweathog
Wayne leads off the staff picks a Christian rock crossover, similar to "Jesus Christ, Superstar" and "Godspell." Sweathog was a band out of San Francisco which became a top opening act for groups like Black Sabbath, Emerson Lake & Palmer, and Grand Funk Railroad.
Day After Day by Badfinger
Brian's staff pick sounds like the Beatles, perhaps because George Harrison produced this album, and participates on guitar and backing vocals. It tells the story of a boy daydreaming about a girl "looking out from my lonely room, day after day."
Never Been to Spain by Three Dog Night
Rob's staff pick from Three Dog Night features Cory Wells on lead vocal duties. Three Dog Night had three singers who would trade off on providing lead vocals. This song was penned by folks singer-songwriter Hoyt Axton, and discusses places the singer has never been, but compares spots that might be good proxies for these locations.
Peace Train by Cat Stevens
Bruce finishes the staff picks with Cat Stevens' first top 10 hit in the U.S. After converting to Islam and changing his name from Cat Stevens to Yusuf Islam, he performed the song as a call for a peaceful solution to the Iraq War, as well as playing it at the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize concert when Muhammad Yunus received the award for his work in micro-lending to the poor.
INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:
Scorpio by Dennis Coffey & The Detroit Guitar Band
A funky instrumental from the film "Scorpio" takes us out of this podcast. The song was on the charts this month, though the movie would not appear until 1973.
Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?”
NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.
Please follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/whattheriffpodcast/, and message or email us with what you'd like to hear, what you think of the show, and any rock-worthy memes we can share.
Of course we'd love for you to rate the show in your podcast platform!
**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.
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