Happy 45th: Led Zeppelin, LED ZEPPELIN IV

45 years ago today, Led Zeppelin released the album that has come to be viewed among many fans as the only Led Zeppelin album you need to own. Of course, that’s ridiculous, because you obviously need to own all of them – the preceding 13 words have been brought to you by the fine folks at Rhino Records – but there’s certainly considerable merit to the theory when you consider that it’s the album that contains the eternal rock ‘n’ roll trifecta of “Black Dog,” “Rock and Roll,” and “Stairway to Heaven.”

Recording for LED ZEPPELIN IV began at London’s Basing Street Studios – and at the same time as Jethro Tull’s AQUALUNG, no less – but by the time the album was actually completed, the band had done additional work at Headley Grange in East Hampshire, where they utilized the Rolling Stones’ Mobile Studio. The end result was a more spontaneous environment, one which clearly benefited the material immeasurably.

LED ZEPPELIN IV might well have been out sooner were it not for the band’s dissatisfaction with the original mix of the album, resulting in a delay while they fixed the sound to meet their exacting standards, but it’s hard to say that it wasn’t worth the time they took to do it, given how rapturously the album was greeting by fans.

Yes, of course, hardcore Zeppelin fans have a tendency to meet every album rapturously, but the awards and acclaim over the years have clearly backed up how those fans felt from the get-go, and if you haven’t listened to it in awhile, it’s time to revisit it and remember just how amazing it is.