Was Houses of the Holy a step down in quality after 4?

If you're a real fan of the band I don't know why you would phrase your love of the song this way.

There's a lot of this going on in this thread, though. Raise HOTH up by knocking IV down.

 

I have difficulty listening to IV regularly because of Stairway -- I'm burnt out. So I have to only listen to one side, or hop about on the vinyl (which I hate doing).

I have no problems with HOTH... and never have.

 

These 2 albums are very solid, stone classics, the next after these is a little less so, but not by much. There is no bad Zeppelin album IMO, I even think ITTOD is top notch.

 

Yes. But sometimes less than perfect is a more interesting listening experience.

 

No way.

It´s my favourite album, followed by the first disc of Physical Graffiti.

 

I agree. The greatness, or even uniqueness, of Zeppelin was that they weren't the kind of band that had a "clear peak" in any way and then slowly and clearly dissipated. The albums weren't "rises followed by falls or missteps". The albums were all on an "equivalent plane" with each one its own stand-alone work. Every album was very artistically intended to be what it is and to be taken as such.

In other words, unlike most artists, I don't think of their evolution as vertical. I think of the catalog as being horizontal. Each different, but all on the same plane.

Now I'm back to geometry and mathematics again. It never ends!

 

Not at all. To me it's a step up

 

no. it's a much better album.

 

I have to say I'm mildly shocked to see so many apparent Zep fans putting down IV. I wonder how much of that is the heavy overplay on Classic Rock radio.

 

A minor stumble but they recovered to get Physical.

 

There’s no way Houses of the Holy is anywhere near as good as the first 4 albums. The songwriting is inconsistent, Plant’s vocals are in clear decline, and there are a couple of downright annoying songs.

 

For me...a lot.

 

I would guess that has a lot to do with it. I've posted this here before but I literally didn't listen to "Stairway to Heaven" for about 20 years because I had heard it so many times, and "Rock & Roll" and "Black Dog" are right up there, too (although I never get sick of "Black Dog"). When I eventually wound up listening to "Stairway" again, I was like "Hey, this is actually pretty good."

 

I agree! I still get goosebumps cranking this up.

 

No. I felt iv was a step down from iii, and HotH was normal service resumed.

iv has some truly great moments, but I never liked Stairway to Heaven, and to waste Sandy Denny's talent on the hobbitty travesty that is Battle of Nevermore is just beyond the pale.

There. I've said it.

 

I'm not sure I'd even know a hobbit travesty if I seen one, and yet I love Evermore! For me it always comes back to the song, and the melodies. I think a track like that is actually a prime example of why Led Zeppelin was "Led Zeppelin". I think Sandy Denny's contribution to it is gorgeous and helps gives the album a big part of its (positive) creative character. Not that I know anything.

I still respect the opinion though.

 

Lets face it, we are talking about Zep, I find it hard to criticise any of their albums apart from when we are having an academic debate!

 

I have had this argument many of times at work. I used to be on the HotH train, but have shifted over to IV over the years.

Its a pain to criticize a song like "Stairway" just because it was played into the ground. It is somewhat bittersweet knowing it is going to start to drift off into slight cultural irrelevance given its age. Modern radio (over the air, not as much digital I'd guess) doesn't tend to play songs from the early 70's as much anymore. The "kids" won't know how epic this song actually was. Same goes with the rest of IV. It was the band firing on all cylinders, and I think it carried over to the next album.

 

No, Nay, Never!

 

This is a trick question. After LZ4, ANYTHING would be a step down in quality.