With 'Zep IV' 'Led Zeppelin' brought together everything they had developed on their previous three albums and concocted not only their biggest selling release, but arguable their best. Many hardcore 'Zep' fans are quite anti 'Led Zeppelin IV', probably due to the over-playing of 'Stairway to Heaven' which consequently led to increased sales on the back of that song and hence taking away some of the mystique and cult status surrounding the group. Whatever you think of 'Zep VI' it will always be regarded as their magnum opus and by my recognising contains at least five Hard Rock classics that anyone of the genre should enjoy.

This classic opens up with the pulsing genius 'Black Dog', an ingenious number that features a unique stop start rhythm driven by quality riffs. 'Robert Plant's' rich vocals ring true and combine superbly with the melody, while 'Jimmy Page's' intricate guitar solo should also not be overlooked as it rides outs sweetly to close the track. Even better in my opinion is the fast and furious 'Rock and Roll', a cracker with a heavy blues feel, 'John Bonham's' heavy handed drum work is a pleasure and works brilliantly with the rolling riffs. Next up is the first epic, the mysterious, weaving jewel 'The Battle of Evermore', a subtle number that's driven by some of sweetest most delicate fret work you will ever hear, this is braced by some superb vocals by 'Robert Plant' who is backed up brilliantly by 'Fairport Convention's' 'Sandy Denny', this all comes together for a harmonious yet mystical treat. Side one closes with one of their most brilliant, yet overplayed songs of all time 'Stairway to Heaven', love it or hate it, it's still the song that helped 'Led Zeppelin' gain a lot of their recognition. You know how it goes, builds intelligently from a subtle acoustic outset and gradually builds into a hot rocker displaying 'Jimmy Page's' best work- overall fabulous, a timeless classic. Less poignant is the slightly unmelodic and disjointed 'Misty Mountain Hop', lyrically it's quirky and the heavy drum work doesn't marry well and makes for a difficult listen. Better is the mysterious sounding 'Four Sticks', so called as 'John Bonham' used four sticks during the song, all in all a strange number with very earthy undercurrents, well performed but definitely and a acquired taste. The tempo drops for the acoustic 'Going to California' a slightly trippy, yet melodic ballad, which is contrasted by the slightly heavier choruses. The album closes on a real high with one of their finest tracks, the splendid 'When the Levee Breaks', a hard hitting blues tracks laced with heavy basslines, 'Page' works wonders on slide guitar while 'Robert Plant' delivers the cracking lyrics with power and conviction.

Not many albums have as much mysticism surrounding them as 'Zep IV' or what ever it was originally titled, this album is in a league of it's own and when we are long gone this will still be revered by new fans. Love it or hate it, you cannot ignore it and the sale figures alone tell the tale of how powerful a release this is. Next time you hear 'Stairway' on the radio again don't moan, but remember some of the brilliant yet overlooked gems on this album that you have probably forgotten about.