Music Hall of Fame: Houses of the Holy (Led Zeppelin)

Led Zeppelin kicks so much ass.

The thing that I've found most impressive about Led Zeppelin is that, over time, I've come to appreciate almost all of their songs. Wait, appreciate isn't the right word. I can appreciate things that I don't like. I've come to really like almost every Zeppelin tune I've heard.

This CD, Houses of the Holy, has the three song set that might just be the best trifecta to open a CD of all time: The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, and Over the Hills and Far Away. Track one blows you away, seemingly the musical equivalent of a race against time. The Rain Song is arguably the greatest song ever made (I said arguably). The guitar part is smooth and relaxing, but still powerful, and Robert Plant's vocals are, as always, perfectly phrased. Over the Hills is the only radio-friendly of the three, but still holds true to the creative guitar and vocals that Zeppelin became known for.

The rest of the album is great as well. D'yer Mak'er is a huge radio hit and popular among most music fans. No Quarter appeals to a more segmented group, with its darker sounds, but is still tremendous. And the final track, The Ocean, has what I named my favorite lyric of all time:

"La, la, la la la la, la, la la la la la la la la."

What can I say? I'm a sucker for scat.

Most people who recommend Led Zeppelin to someone unfamiliar will recommend the untitled fourth album, also called IV or ZOSO. They're not wrong to make such a recommendation, and I imagine someday that album will make its way into the hall of fame. But for my money, Houses of the Holy is the best album Zeppelin ever made, so that's my recommendation.