Led Zeppelin II: How Rock Became Metal Became Mythology
As the freewheeling days of the ‘60s wound down, the sturdy trunk of American Rock and Roll that dominated airwaves since Little Richard and Chuck Berry first planted seeds was being cleaved into a pair of increasingly disparate boughs: that of the Beatles, with its whimsical pop-sensibility and wide-eyed adventurousness, and the more traditional, Blues leaning style of the Rolling Stones. For a few years, these branches crisscrossed the Atlantic, germinating and bearing fruit on either side that are still producing quality music to this day. And for that short while, between 1962 and 1969, it seemed that Rock had fully settled into its two respective lanes, that its progression would be linear, and that any and all imitators would stem back to those intertwining foundational limbs.
Led Zeppelin was supposed to follow the predetermined path taken by the Stones. Like Mick and Keith before him, Jimmy Page was an acolyte of the Chicago Blues, performing covers and adaptations of Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters and Elmore James as part of the Yardbirds. In fact, the Yardbirds were the immediate successors to the Rolling Stones at the Crawdaddy Club, a Richmond venue dedicated to the Blues. When the Yardbirds disbanded, Page assembled a team of the then-unknown vocalist Robert Plant, Plant’s childhood friend John Bonham (drums), and an associate of Page’s (John Paul Jones, bass/keys) to form Led Zeppelin and release their self-titled debut in 1968, they had yet to diverge from their blues-rock progenitors. It wasn’t until their second (self-titled) album that the chain was broken; a third branch burst forth, Rock became Metal, and Led Zeppelin forged their own mythology.
Like the debut issued some ten months prior, Led Zeppelin II was met by contemporary critics with a lukewarm, if not baffled reception. Regardless, like its predecessor, its massive commercial success was propped up by the same questions that befuddled analysts. That Hard Rock should rock harder made no sense. It was already heavy. Why on earth would you want it heavier?
Ultimately, the sound that defined LZII — and would come to define the entire genre of Heavy Metal — was a compromise of vision and necessity. Whereas Led Zeppelin was recorded entirely at Olympic Studios in Barnes, West London in a mere 30 hours, Led Zeppelin II was a transient affair. Between their formation and the release of II, the young giants of a new brand of Rock had already toured Europe four times and America three. They had gone global; there was no home base anymore. They had to translate that on-stage chemistry to airports and bus stations, where the album was entirely written. Compositions were road-tested live, and recordings were done wherever they could squeeze a few hours in, ranging from Mystic Sounds Studio in Hollywood, the BBC’s Maida Vale studio in West London, Page’s Pangboure houseboat on the River Thames and the R&D Studio, which had no working headphones and was described by the band as “a hut, in Vancouver.”
At this time, with consistent prodding from Page, Plant began helming Zeppelin on the lyrical front. An avid fan of various mythologies, mysticism and, most notably, the high-fantasy literature of J.R.R. Tolkien, he more than any is responsible for fantastical elements that have become a bedrock of Metal’s expansive lore. “Ramble On,” the album’s seventh track, and arguably the most organic recording on the project, doesn't shy away from its references to The Hobbit and Lord Of The Rings. Allusions to Sauron and Gollum are thrown in the dynamic blend of acoustic West Coast rock and full-throttle Metal, light and dark, peace and violence. It may well have been recorded on Pelennor Fields as the ultimate battle for Middle Earth raged.
And yet, as Plant grew into one of the world’s most formidable frontmen and songwriters, the band’s roots were not left to rot. The Blues still permeate every inch of the record, absorbed through osmosis like water from nutrient-rich soil. The ghosts of Mississippi haunt its riffs and whispered wisdom onto the lyric sheets. Of the nine tracks comprising Led Zeppelin II, only six are entirely credited to the band. Chester Burnett aka Howlin’ Wolf owns a writing on the “Lemon Song” for its liberal use of phrasing from “The Killing Floor.” Willie Dixon has two credits for “Whole Lotta Love” and “Bring It On Home.” Dixon was initially left uncredited for both, but after copyright infringement lawsuits were launched (the former with Dixon’s knowledge, the latter without) and settled out of court, Dixon’s name was attached and has remained since 1985. In a 1990 interview with Musician magazine, Plant would go on to say “Well, you only get caught when you’re successful. That’s the game.”
The sporadic and fractured recording process inadvertently led to the cohesive heft of Led Zeppelin II. Legendary engineer Eddie Kramer was tapped to help unify the mix, with the band appreciating his balance of light and heaviness in his work with Jimi Hendrix, another adaptive bluesman. Kramer had also previously worked with The Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Mixing was done over two days, liberally toying with whatever A&R Studios gave them access to. Mics were moved, pan pots were placed just about everywhere, Kramer’s 8-track and custom-built console were pushed to their limits and “every knob known to man” was twiddled to its breaking point. Despite his recording of three tracks (“Heartbreaker,” “Ramble On,” and “Bring It On Home”), Kramer gave full production credits to Page, who he maintains was in charge all the while. Page, for his part, kept his goal simple:
““The goal was synesthesia. Creating Pictures with sound.” ”
Upon release on October 22, 1969, Led Zeppelin II was ironically labeled ‘The Only Way To Fly.’ Despite the confusion it elicited from the press, it knocked Abbey Road off the top of the charts in the US not once but twice and remained on the throne for seven weeks. It lasted on the British LP charts for 138 weeks. In less than a month, the RIAA had bestowed upon it a Gold certification for moving upwards of 500,000 units in the States. But the commercial success doesn’t hold a candle to its influence. ‘The Only Way to Fly’ is ironic because the musical world became irrevocably heavier that day. Echoes of Page’s blues-inspired riffs are as far-ranging as Black Sabbath to Tool. Plant’s vocal stylings and imaginative lyrics painted the blueprint for generations of fanciful rock bands (hello, Greta Van Fleet). The speed, precision, and righteous power of John Bonham’s drumming remains the standard for percussionists, be they Black Metal or Stadium Rock. The Brown Bomber, as Led Zeppelin II was affectionately called, still hovers above anything with a power chord. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Experience Led Zeppelin II for yourself on October 24! Join Classic Albums Live and Arts Commons Presents in the Jack Singer Concert Hall for a faithful recreation of the iconic album –– note for note, cut for cut, live on stage! Tickets available now.
