Making Led Zeppelin IV and Houses of the Holy even greater?

I say I agree

 

Walter's Walk released on Coda was also from 1972.

 

I've always loved Dyer Maker never understood the disdain for it.

 

I love the song HOTH, but for me it doesn't really fit on the album. It seems to work better on PG.

 

It gives the double album attempt needed weight.
Especially as a side 2 opener.

 

I agree that HOTH is a bit of a mess with The Crunge being one of only eight songs, while those choice tracks were left aside, but the idea of adding three mediocre songs to IV is just bizarre to me. I wouldn’t mind The Rover on HOTH instead of The Crunge, but it would be hurting PG more than it’d be helping Holy, which has five stone classics on it.

 

I might suggest

Black Dog
Rock and Roll
Battle of Evermore
Stairway to Heaven

Misty Mountain Hop
Four Sticks
Going to California
When the Levee Breaks

Down by the Seaside b/w Bron yr Aur
Night Flight b/w Boogie with Stu

 

They couldn't be made greater in my opinion. Leave them alone.

 

It is interesting to think about and look at different track listings but for me I like the LPs just the way they are, just my two cents.

 

The limitations it puts on artists are important. A time limitation catalyzes creativity (as do all limitations), it requires you to self-edit, to discard weaker material, to be relatively concise and concentrated for the ideas you're exploring, etc.

 

Amen! And with that, you have what is (arguably) the best side of a Led Zeppelin album:

Houses Of The Holy
Trampled Underfoot
Kashmir

 

I hate that people hate "The Crunge".

 

I wouldn't change a thing about LZ IV, but I would replace Dyer Maker and The Crunge with The Rover and either Houses of the Holy or Walter's Walk. Then I'd undo the change in pitch made to the vocals on The Song Remains the Same.

 

LZ and the Beatles are the two bands who have an almost perfect catalog as is. Exceptions for both are, perhaps, the last ones they released, Let It Be and ITTOD.

 

i wouldn't change a thing.
one error, imho, in modern releases is feeling the need to put 80 minutes of music on a disc because it fits. the art of assembling an album seems to have been lost. most of the time the longer albums are less satisfying due to an obvious need to fill the space, rather than create a cohesive work.
as an example, led zep iv is just about the perfect album, and adding a song to it would ruin that perfect flow

 

This is how I felt about the Red Hot Chili Peppers Blood Sugar Sex Magik. The focused, contained energy of Mother's Milk became a wandering, meandering mess.

 

it happens too much. i know from experience it's hard paring down your songs, because you get close to them. it's better for someone else to do it, but that someone has to have a clue lol