Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin (Deluxe Edition) (1969/2021) [FLAC 24bit/96kHz]

Led Zeppelin had a fully formed, distinctive sound from the outset, as their eponymous debut illustrates. Taking the heavy, distorted electric blues of Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, and Cream to an extreme, Zeppelin created a majestic, powerful brand of guitar rock constructed around simple, memorable riffs and lumbering rhythms. But the key to the group’s attack was subtlety: it wasn’t just an onslaught of guitar noise, it was shaded and textured, filled with alternating dynamics and tempos. As Led Zeppelin proves, the group was capable of such multi-layered music from the start. Although the extended psychedelic blues of “Dazed and Confused,” “You Shook Me,” and “I Can’t Quit You Baby” often gather the most attention, the remainder of the album is a better indication of what would come later. “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” shifts from folky verses to pummeling choruses; “Good Times Bad Times” and “How Many More Times” have groovy, bluesy shuffles; “Your Time Is Gonna Come” is an anthemic hard rocker; “Black Mountain Side” is pure English folk; and “Communication Breakdown” is a frenzied rocker with a nearly punkish attack. Although the album isn’t as varied as some of their later efforts, it nevertheless marked a significant turning point in the evolution of hard rock and heavy metal.

Tracklist:
01 – Good Times Bad Times
02 – Babe I’m Gonna Leave You
03 – You Shook Me
04 – Dazed and Confused
05 – Your Time Is Gonna Come
06 – Black Mountain Side
07 – Communication Breakdown
08 – I Can’t Quit You Baby
09 – How Many More Times
10 – Good Times Bad Times, Communication Breakdown (Live in Paris 1969)
11 – I Can’t Quit You Baby (Live in Paris 1969)
12 – Heartbreaker (Live in Paris 1969)
13 – Dazed and Confused (Live in Paris 1969)
14 – White Summer, Black Mountain Side (Live in Paris 1969)
15 – You Shook Me (Live in Paris 1969)
16 – Moby Dick (Live in Paris 1969)
17 – How Many More Times (Live in Paris 1969)