Led Zeppelin/IV Sessions

This is a recording of the session for Zeppelin’s fourth album, which was the most successful in terms of sales. The recording took place at the Rolling Stones’ mobile studio, which not only allowed them to concentrate on recording without worrying about time or costs, but also reportedly made Page particularly like the unique sound. The recording was done intensively from the end of 1970 to around spring 1971, and was released in November 1971. Please note that the “takes” below refer to the tracks in this album and are different from the “takes” used to refer to the actual studios. [BLACK DOG] Four takes are included here. The first two takes show the process of completing the riff on an acoustic guitar. It’s basically a repetition of the familiar riff, but you can hear Page working on it while keeping the rhythm with his feet. Take 3 and onwards are recordings of sessions in the studio with everyone together. Although the basic form is decided, the song is still unfinished, and Plant seems to lightly add vocals and the band seems to solidify the performance accordingly. Although the song is extremely unfinished, it is clear that the artist is experimenting with the middle part in mind. [GUITAR & PIANO IMPROVISATION] This is an improvisation with acoustic and keyboard. Although it is an improvisation, it has a proper melody, and it is clear that the song is created from this kind of improvisation. The melody is impressive and the melody is beautiful, and it is fun to imagine what kind of masterpiece would have been born if it had developed from here. Unlike takes 1 and 2 of the aforementioned “BLACK DOG”, which were later transformed into electric arrangements, this song has an atmosphere that makes it more effective as it is with an acoustic guitar arrangement. [STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN] A total of seven takes are recorded, including a guitar improvisation take in the middle. Take 1 is by acoustic guitar and electric piano. It is very interesting as it incorporates picking techniques that are not included in the release take and contains melodies that were ultimately omitted. Moreover, it is an early version of “Stairway to Heaven”, with the intro melody looping back again in the middle. Take 2 is a performance from the middle part that stirs up the expectation of the song climbing up the stairs. Here, too, it is still performed with only acoustic guitar and electric piano. You can hear voices in the background, but the voices are probably Plant and Bonzo, who are not participating in the performance. Although it is short, the riff just before the song goes to the guitar solo is also played. And take 3 is the latter half of it. You can hear Page explaining with his mouth “Ta-ra-ra~”. Since it is performed with acoustic guitar, there is no guitar solo, but the trial and error of how to do the second half of the song is recorded in detail. And take 4 is the part where the first half and the second half are finally completed, where the composition of the song is finally completed. At this point, it can be said that the basic part is almost complete. From take 5, the actual singing begins. As you can hear, the melody and composition of this song seem to have been created first, the lyrics are really unfinished, and Plant’s singing is often interrupted, and it is interesting to see him humming in places and singing lyrics different from the released version. Take 6 is a song that has evolved considerably, but it is still unfinished. In particular, the lyrics are completely different and somewhat unsettled. Also, the melody played by the guitar in the interlude has unreleased lyrics, which is interesting as one of the production processes of this song. However, even in such an unfinished state, the beauty of the song cannot be hidden, and it has a charm that makes you want to listen to it. Take 7 has the familiar lyrics, and it feels like a rehearsal take just before completion. What’s interesting is that excessive guitar is added to the bridge to the guitar solo. It was naturally cut in the end, but the guitar sound that comes to the fore unnaturally is surprising. [THE BATTLE OF EVERMORE] This song is a duet with a beautiful Celtic melody that determines the atmosphere of the album. Take 1 and Take 2 are Plant’s solo, and Plant also sings the part that was Sandy Denny’s part in the released version. Take 3 is almost the released version with Sandy participating, but since it is a performance track, it is almost a karaoke state overall. Take 5 is a mix where the vocals come to the forefront, and the exquisite exchange between Plant and Sandy, like a curse ritual, unfolds before your eyes. Takes 6 and 7 are almost the same as the finished version. Since it is a song with a complex vocal structure, it seems that rehearsals were repeated many times like this. [FOUR STICKS] Two takes are recorded here. It is a very noisy and hectic song. Take 1 is a take where the guitar is layered on the rhythm track. The vocals have not yet been layered. Take 2, recorded from a discussion in the studio, was recorded from the impressive samba-like rhythm. Page is the one who counts. This take makes it clear that Plant is singing desperately. [WHEN THE LEVEE BREAKS] This is a cover song of a blues song that is arranged in the style of Zeppelin. The original song is an old song released in 1929, and it was probably adopted to reflect Plant’s taste. The first take does not have echo on the vocals, and is recorded in a very raw state. The song is in its finished state. Take 2 does not fade out, but has a truly mysterious ending added. [LED ZEPPELIN IV SESSIONS] This work contains all the session recordings confirmed to exist for Zeppelin’s fourth album. Zeppelin shows various approaches on the live stage, but it is the studio recordings created with such careful consideration that support their performance on stage. It is a valuable recording that gives a glimpse into the production process of songs that are still known as rock classics. DISC ONE 01. Black Dog #1 02. Black Dog #2 03. Black Dog #3 04. Black Dog #4 05. guitar & piano improvisation 06. Stairway To Heaven #1 07. Stairway To Heaven #2 08. Stairway To Heaven #3 09. Stairway To Heaven #4 10. guitar improvisation 11. Stairway To Heaven #5 12. Stairway To Heaven #6 13 Stairway To Heaven #7 DISC TWO 01. The Battle Of Evermore #1 02. The Battle Of Evermore #2 03. The Battle Of Evermore #3 04. The Battle Of Evermore #4 05. The Battle Of Evermore #5 06. The Battle Of Evermore #6 07. Four Sticks #1 08. Four Sticks #2 09. When The Levee Breaks #1 10. When The Levee Breaks #2