One more from the well of darkness...

Mask. Four Stars.

With their second album, goth rockers Bauhaus picked up a bit of much-needed finesse, without losing much in the way of energy. Musically, little has altered from In the Flat Field. It's still punkish thrashing with a creepy edge. And Peter Murphy still goes off the deep end every chance he gets.

Yet there is a higher quality to the songs themselves. They have a clearer structure, making them more accessible overall.

Hair of the Dog doesn't make any of the small changes immediately noticable. It goes for chaos and the contrast between the dark backbeat and the strange guitar is quite interesting.

Passion of Lovers is a Bauhaus classic. It's very strong, with a sordid lyric mangled by Peter's odd phrasing, plenty of real atmosphere in the music, more weird guitar and a memorable chorus. The backup vocals are a nice touch.

Of Lillies and Remains is a strange little piece. Bouncy, spacey filler. It never really becomes music, as the lyrics are spoken, not sung. It's a bizarre "tune," and though it starts deadpan, Peter does his usual job on the later verses. I'm at a loss about it. Is it supposed to be funny?

Dancing sounds like an extra from their debut, a leftover. It's messy, the lyric is useless and Peter does a lot of yelling...

Hollow Hills is what I truly expected Bauhaus to be like - before I heard any of them. Perhaps the reason for my disappointment. It's a crawling dirge where all the band sound like they're far away. Good lyric, and my favorite track from Mask.

Kick in the Eye 2 (where is 1?) is positively danceable. It's a fun track, with dramatic (not histrionic) vocals from Peter. I can't say more than that.

In Fear of Fear is a light, slightly obnoxious little number. It's a decent followup to Kick. I do like the way Peter juxtaposes his voice by singing twice in higher and lower register.

Muscle in Plastic contains their second reference to Nyjinsky (a ballet dancer who was diagnosed with schizophrenia). Dancing also references him. It's a manic song, without any overdubbing on Peter's voice.

The Man with the X-Ray Eyes is more typical of the CD. Creepy yet incomprehensible lyric and a pretty good climax where the typical wailing corresponds with peppy backups.

Mask also showcases the singer gaining a degree of subtlety that's nice to hear. This is the end of the original release and is quite strong.

Bonuses again included. In Fear of Dub is basically an instrumental edition of In Fear of Fear. Why?

Ear Wax, which seems to have been named that just because, is entirely unmemorable, but atmospheric.

Harry,also named so for no reason, is even stranger. It feels like a British Invasion pop song. Likable, but undeniably odd. It proves how eclectic Bauhaus really was.

The painfully titled 1. David Jay 2. Peter Murphy 3. Kevin Haskins 4. Daniel Ash is actually very good. It opens as a piano driven piece with one of the other guys singing about a law suit or something. Dry run for Love and Rockets. Then it grooves up and Peter takes over with a totally worthless but very funny lyric about fish and potatoes. It's ludicrous to be sure. Then it slows down and another segment (cautionary and not so memorable) finishes the "song." The whole thing is so bizarre it's a standout.

Satori holds promise to start, and features choppy singing in another language. It fades out and then an instrumental percussion fest fades back in. This lasts a while and desists. End of bonus tracks.

Overall, though I like Mask better than In the Flat Field and would listen to more Bauhaus if I had it, I can't say I like them very much. I'm not a fan, as they seem to be the classic example of the mixed bag. They're influential, they popularised Goth Rock alongside Siouxsie and the Banshees, but I prefer their later incarnations, once Murphy had learned how to sing. :)

And so, from the well of darkness...

In the Flat Field. Three and a half Stars.

The revered forefathers of goth rock. Peter Murphy, the stylised Transylvanian Count, and a backup band that would eventually become Love and Rockets. Knowing them both in their later stages, I was curious to here the original material.

If you ask me, it's a bit like introducing listeners to Iggy Pop via The Idiot and then giving them Raw Power...

My version of In The Flat Field contains a variety of bonus material, leaving it difficult to discern how it would have come across in shortened form. But I digress.

Dark Entries is a good pace and tone setter. Driving guitars, and an incomprehensible lyric delivered at speed with odd phrasing, all complicating matters. No melody. Sounds like punk rock.

Double Dare has fat, distorted guitars and ominous drums. Peter Murphy sings like he's before an audience hung up on his every word. He stretches all his lines to the breakng point while the music rises steadily in volume.

In the Flat Field doesn't rest for long. That drummer goes into overdrive, while Murphy goes conventional with actual verses and a chorus. He does some cool things with his voice, but he's a bit too fond of screaming. That happens a lot here, which does rob some power from the proceedings.

God in an Alcove is a step in the right direction. A bit restrained musically.I think it's impossible to retrain Murphy though.

Dive is like Dark Entries 2. Punk Thrashing, never letting up the pace. I think Murphy is trying to be hard to understand on purpose. Short.

Spy in the Cab again teeters on finesse. Musically it's really quite atmospheric. Peter's vocal histrionics kind of do it in.

Small Talk Stinks (complete with incomprehensible, tinny voices in the back) is... really weird. It's almost funny ("There's no idle gossip in braille"), but also nicely unsettling with those tinny voices taking over toward the end.

St. Vitus Dance is light. I don't think Bauhaus were quite as dismal as the goth tag might sound. Peter really camps this one nicely. But then he gets up and screams it out. Maybe he enjoyed it... But I don't.

The crucifixion is given the rock treatment with Stigmata Martyr. It adheres musically to all the record. Cold, guitar-heavy post-punk. Actually, come to think of it, it really sounds a hell of a lot like The Scream.

Nerves is brilliant. The opening build up is truly nerve-wracking, using our fear of sudden, quiet noises to perfection before expanding. This is the end of the original album, and even though Murphy does some yelling here, being as the song is a seven minute build-and-subside experiment, it really comes across as far more compelling than anything prior to it.

Extras.. Telegram Sam, a reimagining of that classic T. Rex song. Instead of a straight version, there's a manic and somewhat silly quality to the cover. It's fast and almost charming, if that's possible from these guys.

Rosegarden Funeral of Sores is a John Cale song. It fits well with Bauhaus originals, being rather dismal and dirge-like. It's worth waiting for the eventual delivery of the title phrase. It has more impact that way.

Terror Couple Kill Colonel actually carries a melody. Must have been a single, for it's a shame to think of wasting that potential. It's about a murder, of course, but still accessable.

Scopes is utterly trivial. A minute and a half of Peter listing off a variety of scopes with backing vocals chanting "scope!" Lame. But Bauhaus had to be a group that was either way too serious or secretly having a laugh to make this type of music. Scopes backs up the latter.

Untitled is a bit of jamming with our singer muttering something at the same time. Makes no difference what it is, as it's no longer than Scopes.

God in an Alcove plays again. Remixed or an alternate take or something. It's a little different, but nothing important.

Crowds is an extraordinary turn of events. Peter Murphy sings to a lover he doesn't like so much anymore. It's amazing. Just gentle piano based stuff to back him up, with him just wringing real emotion from this sad, angry, betrayed rant. I'm still impressed by it.

Last is an unlisted bonus, a remix of Terror Couple Kill Colonel. Really irrelevent as well, except to Bauhaus fanatics.

Of which I am not one. Though this debut was more eccentric than I'd anticipated, and grew on me as I compiled this review, still moreso it frustrated me with fine hints of what it could be, but lacked the focus or wisdom to achieve.

At least on this outing. Maybe on their next and only other CD I own, they will refine their sound.

Finished with this set

Presence. Four and a half stars.

For the public and critics alike, every Zeppelin album from I to VI are looked upon as golden, essential works from a band at their peak. And then...

Presence, from '76, is the first to fail at capturing enthusiasm. I can't speak for the ones to follow, as I don't have them. But I think what made this a forgotten album is its subtlety. Unlike prior records, there is little in the way of big riffs or other classic Zeppelin tricks of getting attention.

The opener is the strongest moment, bar none. Achille's Last Stand is a rock epic, stretching to ten minutes, and gaining a powerhouse performance from everyone. Plant is more of an accent than usual. Bonham's drums are very noticable. It keeps your interest all the way, and bears no excess that I noticed. Surprising, after their last record.

Its strength does put the rest of the songs at a disadvantage. None of it is as likely to blow you away. But For Your Life does pretty well. It draws you in as it goes. It's quite impressive, though it takes awhile to realise that. No chorus or catchy bits. Nothing obvious.

Royal Orleans is a three minute piece, and though high quality, it doesn't last long enough to really make an impression. It just skates on by.

Nobody's Fault but Mine is our customary blues track. Big theatrical pauses for the main line, placed inbetween some great musical jams. This tends to be most people's favorite Presence track.

Candy Store Rock was apparantly a flop single. It makes for an unlikely Zeppelin tune, I'll admit. Sort of a tribute to the long ago early days of rock and roll. Plant does a good impression of... whoever he's affecting. It's the light moment, and a good change of pace. I wish it had been shorter, which is more in keeping with oldies.

Hots on for Nowhere is a casual rocker, with Plant taking his usual center stage role. It carries on very nicely.

Tea for One wraps the album very well. It returns to the long gone "late night bar" atmosphere of Since I've Been Loving You, only as the title points out out, you don't need coffee or whiskey to feel this bad. Alright, I do prefer their previous forays in this direction, but as my last Led Zeppelin record, this is a fitting closer.

I am of the opinion that this carefully thought out product trounces the bountiful Physical Graffiti, which was too much of a good thing. It ranks alongside their debut in my eyes. Severely underrated, and yet without a drop in quality. I must put its lack of popularity down to it being a rather difficult set of songs to immediately grasp.

And did I mention how good it sounds on headphones?

A small mire

Physical Graffiti. Three and a half stars.

Odd that there are so many double albums out there, given that they always end up sounding overlong (The Who's Quadrophenia being an exception). Certainly it's the case with this one, the last of the Zeppelin "classic" records. Overall quality is lower, as this brew of songs just doesn't rise to former heights. Especially in the lyric department...

Despite all that, the first CD opens with Custard Pie, a stately rocker that shows Led Zeppelin at the top of their game. It holds together well, has a nicely heavy sound and doesn't meander too much.

The Rover is also excellent. Cool riff, great vocal, decent lyric, good guitar solo. There's just nothing wrong with this piece.

In My Time of Dying is an eleven minute blues extravaganza. If it were a bit shorter, I'd have less to complain of. As it is, yeah, cool slide guitar and all that, but Robert Plant comes across as a bit overwrought. And though it is interesting in an instrumental sense, it seems a tad grandiose. Epic songs just don't have to be this long. On the other hand, I can't really say it's bad. Zep always could handle a blues jam.

Things tighten back up with the song Houses of the Holy. And on a record rather caught up in sleaze and excess, this is made all the nicer. Idyllic. It could have fit in well on the album of the same name, methinks.

Trampled Under Foot is the exact opposite. The car metaphor is hit-you-over-the-head obvious, but the riff is killer, and Plant plays it up well.

And last is Kashmir. In the right mood, this one'll send a shiver up your spine. Epic drama, surreal and fitting lyric and of course, those unforgettable strings. Very different from all their other songs, but undeniably Zeppelin.

Disc two doesn't rock so much, and it has some pacing problems. It seems to be mostly filler and throwaways. Not nearly of the previous quality.

In the Light starts atmospherically, but soon bogs down. What momentum the song contains is lost as it is unreasonably stretched to eight and a half minutes. There's not enough there to sustain interest.

Bron-Yr-Aur is a lovely, acoustic throwaway. One of their rare instrumentals and pastoral as all get out. I found it charming.

Down by the Seaside is a leisurely tune. Unexpectedly staid for this band. Yet quite nice in its own right. Though the disc's pacing problems are now apparant. Case in point:

Ten Years Gone takes ages to get going. After all the previous languid tracks, the last thing you want is a dignified, laid-back rock ballad that goes on for six minutes. On its own, though hardly memorable, Ten Years Gone isn't bad. It's the layout that's bad.

Night Flight has a great little chorus. And it's short. So I like it, for what that's worth.

The Wanton Song finally kicks off right away. It's a punchy number, and typical of the band.

Boogie With Stu, on the other hand, is not at all what one expects out of them. It dips into old times rock and roll, and it sure as hell boogies. It's got a honky-tonk piano and is the most fun on Physical Graffiti.

Black Country Woman is a sad, plaintive "love-gone-sour" epistle. Good vocal from Plant, even if the lyric does repeat itself.

And last of all is Sick Again. Sleazy, macho rock tune with a rich teenage girl. It's a strong endnote.

All in all, I really must protest the length of this album. But consider this: with some trimming, it would lose a certain amount of personality. It's the eternal quandary... All the extras ruin the highly polished flow of listening, yet it is those same extras that can reveal so many of a band's creative eccentricities.

Oh well. Suffice to say, Physical Graffiti is overlong, poorly plotted and studded with some very good material nonetheless.

Glorious follow-up

Houses of the Holy. Five Stars.

I rank this CD right behind III as my favorite Zeppelin album. It's not as eclectic as the former, but on the other hand... It's a very fun record, lighthearted and with a sense of humour. I don't tend to associate Led Zeppelin with that quality, but it's on hand here.

The opener (The Song Remains the Same) is very immediate and infectious. It rocks with glee. These are the experts, after all... It slows down for a set of verses done in a higher register than Plant usually goes for. You might find it eerie and offputting, but he uses it all through the record, so you'd best get used to it. Meantime... this rocks.

The Rain Song is a bit overambitious, but it has a certain mellow appeal. Heck, it's even romantic. Slow moving, heavily draped with keyboards, very long and winding. It's really a nice interlude, though these two long songs ensure that the CD gets off to a slower start than the previous ones do.

Everything is fixed with Over the Hills and Far Away. It has a folky, appealing intro, before launching into an equally appealing, jaunty rock song. It's fun and has a keyboard solo placed on the end, which is an interesting addition.

The Crunge is an abrasive "song." It's more along the lines of a stand-up comedy act. The lyric is completely ridiculous, made even more so by Plant's ludicrous delivery and the brash, in-your-face instrumentation. It's not really a song, so over-listening to the record will make this one wear thin faster than the others.

Dancing Days returns to the usual Led Zep territory. It does nothing new, but it's cool. Great riff, classic rock attitude is presented, really short and packing a punch. Easiest song on here to like.

D'yer Make'er is weird, but very pleasing nonetheless. It has a sense of... drama, for lack of a better word. It's my current favorite song off Houses of the Holy. It's so well structured, and the music is so sunny, despite the sad lyric; which also contains an upbeat quality in its odd delivery.

No Quarter is the one that doesn't fit. It's a very dark mood piece, and reminds me of When the Levee Breaks, as it has the same majestic quality. It's a quieter track though, stately and dignified. The strange thing is that it doesn't sound that out of place, despite the fact that it should.

The Ocean is the closer. It's a rocker, obviously, but surprisingly layered. Just when you have it pinned, it cartwheels into some sort of pastiche of cheezy pop backing vocals. There's no reason for it, but it's nice.

Houses of the Holy proves that, as of '73, Zeppelin weren't boxing themselves in and repeating the megahit formula. It sounds like a creative, good times record. I don't know if that's true behind the scenes, but I'm too afraid to look, for fear the band will pull a Deep Purple on me. :)

Makes me curious about Physical Grafitti though. I haven't heard it in years...

One of the crown jewels

Led Zeppelin IV. Five Stars.

This is where it's at. The Holy Grail of 70's rock music. Everyone's heard it, knows it, loves it. Even I'll admit it's great. So why am I going to review it, I ask...

Black Dog is a wonderful opener. It's got a lot of panache and confidence, and is complex to boot... I'm trying to avoid saying it sounds like Led Zeppelin, but why not? This record is the pure distillation of their sound.

It moves on with Rock and Roll. Hard not to like this one. It's everything you'd expect - drums, guitars, a beat that never falters, Plant wailing... Great housecleaning tune.

Things wind down for the more artistic, mandolin-driven fantasy The Ballad of Evermore. Sandy Denny of Fairport Convention guest stars. She helps give this song a completely unique flavor in the band's canon, and her voice meshes with Plant's extraordinarily well. Excellent from start to finish.

But it's Stairway to Heaven everyone knows is the centerpiece. It's a casualty of Classic Rock Radio, but if you're very lucky and haven't heard it to death, then you can fully enjoy the breathtaking beauty of it. When I first heard it, I never wanted the song to end, it was that good. Nowadays I'm more cynical. It's Misty Mountain Hop I'm here for.

Misty Mountain Hop is an amusing piece of work. The beat is what everybody will remember, but I just like the poor, confused narrator's encounter with hippies in a park. It's really a fun track, just like Rock and Roll .

Four Sticks is a good song. I like the chorus and John Bonham's percussion. It's oddly forgettable, which left it as my least favorite for years, but now I'm starting to really appreciate the track. Plant's voice is quite eerie toward the end.

Okay, I vote for Going to Calafornia as the real weak link. It's a nice interlude, but somehow quite wishy-washy. A bit overwrought. It picks up as it plays, but really isn't great.

And it's eclipsed by When the Levee Breaks. A positively apocalyptic, unholy blues epic. The whole thing rocks with splendid grandeur. It finishes the record on a very strong note.

It's hard to fault this record. So why isn't it my favorite? Why doesn't it make it onto my top 20? Perhaps it's because there are other albums with more personality quirks, or because I like to root for the underdogs. It certainly isn't because this doesn't measure to its reputation.

Iced tea with lemon zest...

(The title is keeping the silly theme of comparing this band to a variety of beverages...)

Led Zeppelin III. Five Stars

How did they do it? How did Zeppelin go from a band on the verge of becoming a sausage machine of blues/metal riffs to something far more rewarding? This is their acoustic record, and the one where song writing comes to the foreground. It's diverse in both mood and style, and is to my mind their greatest record.

The storming opener, Immigrant Song, is one of their best rockers; short, driven by Plant's phenomenal voice (here finally branching out from the "my baby's such a devil, but I can't stop loving her" motif).

Friends is built on a rather ominous acoustic guitar line. In fact, this whole song has a very dark quality, yet the lyric has a lovely sentiment attached. The moods conflict, and I think it's a fascinating song.

It segues into the more jaunty Celebration Day. Great, weird guitar. Bizarre lyric. It's a lot of fun.

The above three are all short tracks, but Since I've Been Loving You is a real ode to last year's model. A seven minute heartbroken, bluesy piece. The subtlety on display here is great, as it begins in a laid-back, resigned way, building up as Robert Plant bleeds his heart out all over the song. Yes, we've heard it all before on I and II, but I personally feel this is their most successful attempt at the subject, and I love that guitar solo, too.

Out on the Tiles is an upbeat tune (which is a bit of a relief after that last one). It's "traveling man" themed, and the fade-out is my favorite part of it.

Gallow's Pole is a traditional ballad, about a man petitioning to his friends and siblings to save him from the hangman. It builds, via a wonderful arrangement, to a real frenzy. Always a favorite.

Tangerine, after a false start, turns out to be one of the band's finest ballads. I wish they'd indulged in more, but that's another story. This is just a beautiful, finely wrought ode to a lost love.

And it's followed by another gorgeous ballad - That's the Way. Evocative, ambiguous, breathtaking and heartfelt. It evokes a beautiful end-of-summer melancholy to me.

Bron-Y-Aur Stomp is an unsurprising footstomper. An uplifting county song, and where I usually stop the record.

Because Hats off to (Roy) Harper is a pointless inclusion. A bizarre blues thing that sounds entirely wrong for the album. I'd never miss it if it were gone, and always think it's an awful way to end Led Zep III.

Despite that minor reservation, it's still a great CD, and to me, it's where they really took off as a band.