For Led Zeppelin, it was tough to beat the popularity and success of Led Zeppelin IV, and it is definitely the best album they have ever put out. However, two years later, Zeppelin released another album, called Houses of the Holy. This album has its fair share of amazing songs, and Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, and John Bonham showcase their skills once again. Houses of the Holy, from a Zeppelin standpoint, I would consider to be underrated. It has a ton of songs that are played a lot, and some that are not, and that’s what makes the album so good.
The Song Remains the Same
This is a high-energy song, and it merges many different instruments. Jimmy Page’s layering of guitars makes the sound we hear throughout this song. Bonham controls this song with his explosive rhythm, and Plant’s lyrics layer with the song. Overall, a solid song. I would give it an 8/10.
The Rain Song
This song shifts to a much slower and emotional tone, shown by Plant’s vocals. Once again, a longer song. It feels haunting at times, and has a slow build-up, and even the outro is calmer, in contrast to other Led Zeppelin songs. John Paul Jones’ keyboard playing is crucial to this song’s sound. It creates the hauntingness of the song. It’s an amazing song and one of the best Zeppelin songs ever written, so I give this song a 10/10.
Over the Hills and Far Away
The iconic opening riff introduces us to another amazing song. This song is more folk-inspired, foregrounded by Page’s acoustic guitar playing. Plant’s vocals are soothing, and can be compared to songs like “The Battle of Evermore.” The middle of the songs shifts to a more upbeat sound, a quicker build-up. This is one of the more popular songs on the album, and it’s popular for a reason. Once again, I give this song a 10/10.
The Crunge
This song has a funky rhythm, especially for Led Zeppelin. It explores the funk rock side, something that Zeppelin had never done up to this point. A lot of fans don’t like this song very much, and I’m one of them. It sticks out like a sore thumb compared to the rest of this album and to Led Zeppelin in general, and it just does not fit the band. This is one of my least favorite Zeppelin songs, so I give this song a 5/10.
Dancing Days
This is a complete 180 from the previous song. Page’s guitar riff is very catchy in this song. Compared to other Zeppelin songs, this song has a happy, youthful feel, possibly representing the early 70s, an era dominated by youthful culture. This song was also inspired by a rhythm they felt on a trip to India, which is why some say it feels Indian inspired; that’s because it is. Another solid song here, I give it an 8/10.
D’yer Mak’er
This is very clearly a reggae-influenced song; it feels like this song was made in the 1960s. Bonham carries this song again, giving it his signature heavy, booming sound. This song was actually looked at as a joke by the band, and Bonham himself said it was his least favorite song. But it was very popular among the music community, mostly because of the fun sound it brings. I’m going against Zeppelin’s thoughts on this song for this rating. I like it, so I give it a 9/10.
No Quarter
This song is very slow. One of the slowest Zeppelin has ever made. John Paul Jones’ piano playing really makes this song flow the way it does. Page’s guitar playing is slow and very different from his usual playing, but it is still good. My only critique of this song is that it goes for a little longer than it should have, as at times it seems to drag. With that, I give this song an 8/10.
The Ocean
The last song on this album is their most famous one. This is a high-energy, hard-rock song. Bonhams’ fills are funky, and Jones and Page’s riffs are, too. But this funkiness all ties together to create a great sound. Plant’s vocals are amazing here, and he carries the weight of this song. This is another great song, and one of my personal favorites. I give it a 10/10.
There really is not a “bad” Led Zeppelin album. Houses of the Holy may not be as strong as some of their other albums, but it sure is up there with the best. Zeppelin experimented a lot with their songs in this album, shying away from their usual hard/blues rock sound, and some ended up being successful, like “D’yer Mak’er,” and some not so good, like “The Crunge.” There was really no theme to this album, as many different tones and energies were used, but it’s Led Zeppelin; the amount of talent makes it hard for them to make bad songs.
I gave three songs a 10/10, but “The Crunge” brings things down a little bit. This is a great album overall, and my final ranking of this album is 8/10.
