Ranking Discographies

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BeA Sunflower



Location: Forest Park
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  • #11
  • Posted: 05/08/2018 04:02
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Ben4 wrote:
Hello everyone! Today I'm going to do some backtracking and talk about the Pixies' 1987 debut EP Come on Pilgrim.


Come On Pilgrim by Pixies

To be honest I don't have a whole lot to say about this EP other than that it's really good. There really isn't a bad song, and if you are a fan of the band, you will like it, obviously. If you are a fan of Surfer Rosa, I would especially recommend this, since it sounds the most like that album.

As I said, the songs are all good, so picking standout tracks is difficult. If I had to say a few that are the best, I'd go with Caribou, Holiday Song, and Nimrod's Son. There is also an earlier version of Vamos, although I prefer the version on Surfer Rosa. The last track Levitate Me reminds me of Nirvana's All Apologies, with the lyric "if all in all is true." I wonder how direct of an influence this song was for the Nirvana song, since Cobain had cited the Pixies as one of his influences.

I'm not going to add this one to the list, just because I don't like comparing EPs to full albums, and because I don't feel like it. I am working on Indie Cindy, and once I've listened to it a couple more times I'll do my write up on it. Until then I hope this tides you over! (As if people are actually anticipating these haha)


Definitely an essential EP in my book. Any fan of the Pixies absolutely, positively NEEDS it. Some of their best stuff.
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Ben4



Gender: Male
Age: 26
United States

  • #12
  • Posted: 05/18/2018 01:20
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Ok well I've decided to finally do the next albums, and I'm going to do them both in one post. First is 2014's Indie Cindy.


Indie Cindy by Pixies

Well I should start by saying this album isn't terrible. It isn't even bad. However that is probably the best thing I can say about it. I didn't find anything on this album memorable. While it does still sound like the same band to a certain extent, they are clearly older, and the difference in lineup is all to clear at some points. For example on the song Bag Boy, Kim Deal's absence is felt when they have whoever their new bassist is do background vocals that sound suspiciously like her. It's like they hired an impersonator. This album I actually listened to a few times, probably four or five, so far less than I listened to their previous ones.

Next is 2016's Head Carrier


Head Carrier by Pixies

To be honest, my thoughts on this album are very similar to my thoughts on the last one. It's not that it's bad, it's just that there is so much more other music I'd rather spend my time listening to (including the earlier Pixies albums). Because of this I am only going to listen to this one once. Compared to Indie Cindy, I think this one is the weaker of the two. The songs seem just a little bit less memorable, and Black Francis voice is a little more noticeably different than it used to be (maybe I'm imagining that last part). One big thing is they gave the Kim Deal impersonator a larger role in this one, including letting her sing an entire song, which I found to be a big turnoff. One thing about this one that is better than Indie Cindy is that it is 15 minutes shorter.

And now for my FINAL and DEFINITIVE RANKING of all the Pixies albums:
1. Doolittle (1989)
2. Surfer Rosa (1988)
3. Trompe Le Monde (1991)
4. Bossanova (1990)
5. Indie Cindy (2014)
6. Head Carrier (2016)

So some final thoughts on the band, they are pretty great. One of the best alternative acts of the 80's. They may take a while to get into due to weird song structure and just overall weirdness, but it is rewarding once you do. Doolittle is essential and one of my favorite albums. I would say that the four albums they released with the original lineup are all classics, and worth listening to, as well as Come On Pilgrim. As for the last two, I think you can skip those and still consider yourself a big fan of the band.

Well, there it is. My first artist done. Next time I will be looking at the debut album of another band. Possibly Led Zeppelin (but maybe not). Until then, thanks for reading!
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Ben4



Gender: Male
Age: 26
United States

  • #13
  • Posted: 05/21/2018 04:28
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Well here it is, my next artist. As I said, I'm going to start looking at Led Zeppelin. Before I get into the album reviews, I'm going to give some general thoughts on the band. Led Zeppelin rocks hard. It's like an indisputable fact. The sky is blue, the Earth revolves the sun, and Led Zeppelin is the best rock band ever. When I first started getting into music, Led Zeppelin was one of the first bands I got into, so I don't listen to them that much anymore. It's almost like I don't need to listen to them, I know their albums so well. I have studied these albums, I know every note. These albums are like prerequisites to all other music. Along with some of The Beatles' albums, I think Led Zeppelin's work should be required listening for the human race. Well instead of general gushing about how great this band is, I am going to gush about how good their albums are, starting with 1969's self titled debut.


Led Zeppelin by Led Zeppelin

This was the second album of theirs that I got when I was 12 years old. If there is one word I would use to describe this album it is youthful. It is an album of young raw talent, and when I was younger I loved it. I still love it, but I think as I have gotten older there are albums that I would rank higher now.

I might as well just go track by track with this review so here goes. Good Times Bad Times is a killer opener, and the drums always get me pumped up. John Bonham really shines on this one, although everyone else is great too. Babe I'm Gonna Leave You is another great track, that really showcases Robert Plant's voice. You Shook Me is probably my least favorite track on the album. It's pretty much a pure blues song, and even features harmonica. It's just not quite the Zeppelin we all know and love. The next track, Dazed and Confused, is one of their best songs, and is a great example of the blues rock the band is known for. Once it speeds up it might be their hardest rocking moment, with Bonham just banging on the drums as hard as he can and Jimmy Page ripping into an amazing solo.

The next two tracks on the album are a little weaker. You're time is gonna come is okay, and the organ is cool, but it isn't one of the songs I find myself coming back too. Black Mountainside is sort of a filler instrumental track, but it is still pretty cool, and in the context of the album it works well, but I don't think I'd listen to it by itself. Communication Breakdown is a great fast passed rocker with almost a punk feel, and is one of the best songs on the album. Then is I Can't Quit You Babe, which is another straight up blues song like You Shook Me. I actually really like this one, and I think Jimmy Page kills it on this song. It kind of reminds me of the Jimi Hendrix song Red House. Then the closing track, How Many More Times, is great. Along with Communication Breakdown and Dazed and Confused it's the best song on the album, and it has a pretty sweet baseline.

I think the biggest flaw of this album (and I use the term flaw very loosely because I think this album is amazing) is that it focuses a little too much on the showy aspects of the band, and isn't very strong songwriting wise. The songs are all pretty simple blues based songs that are vehicles for these four talented musicians to show how talented they are. It doesn't have any songs that are that interesting like ones you see on later albums. But what it lacks in songwriting it makes up for in pure youthful energy, which I don't think they ever matched again in their career.

Since they both came out in 1969, and since I listened to both albums today while driving, I am going to review Led Zeppelin II as well now.


Led Zeppelin II by Led Zeppelin

This album might be the most fun of all their albums. The fact that it came out less than a year after the first one boggles my mind. In terms of songwriting it is a big step up from the first album in my opinion, but it still has a lot of the show off-y moments to remind you that these are some of the best young musicians ever.

The album opens with the hit Whole Lotta Love, which it is pretty much impossible not to like. Track two is What is and What Should Never Be, which I absolutely love. It is probably in my top ten Led Zeppelin songs. This is a perfect example of more interesting and more mature songwriting compared to the simple 12 bar blues with Jimmy Page shredding. It goes from quite to loud, with a cool bass line, and just has a super unique sound to it.

Although I've been kind of down on the bluesier stuff in these reviews I don't want to give the wrong impression, because a good old fashion Led Zeppelin blues jam is a lot of fun, and no song displays that better than The Lemon Song. Another favorite of mine, for pretty much the opposite reason that the last one is. It is blues rock at its most fun, and also features a killer bass line from the man himself, John Paul Jones. Track four is Thank You, which is my least favorite song of the album, although it is far from bad. It is just the worst on an album full of great songs. One of the best of these songs is the next one Heartbreaker. What makes this song great is the guitar solo, which is in the running for Jimmy Page's best work. On top of that it has a super cool groove. The next song is probably my second least favorite, but is still fun. Living Loving Maid follows Heartbreaker well, but it isn't super memorable in my opinion. Then comes Ramble On which is another great example of the more mature songwriting on this album. The Bass line is catchy, and in some parts is the melody of the song. And the lyrics are inspired by Lord of the Rings, although they don't portray the story very accurately.

To close out the album is Moby Dick, the drum solo from John Bonham which is awesome of course, and then Bring it on Home, which is a great bluesy track with harmonica, and with a great main riff.

So if you haven't heard these albums, what are you doing with your life? Listen to them right now!

Ranking:
1. Led Zeppelin II (1969)
2. Led Zeppelin (1969)
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Ben4



Gender: Male
Age: 26
United States

  • #14
  • Posted: 05/24/2018 01:14
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Today I am going to review the album I know the least from Zeppelin's first six albums, Led Zeppelin III


Led Zeppelin III by Led Zeppelin

Although it is the one I've listened to the least, I still know it pretty well, and I enjoy it for the unique place it holds in the bands discography. I think on average, this is the one that gets the least love of the first six. There are people who it is their favorite, but I think a majority of people would rank it as their least favorite pre Presence. Personally I think saying it is the sixth best album of theirs doesn't mean it isn't great, it just means it is not as good as five great albums.

Listening to it this most recent time, I forgot just how much I like this album. This is when the band really starts to branch off from the heavy blues rock that earned them popularity after their first two albums. This album has a very unique mix of folk, blues and rock. It features a lot more of their unique and mature songwriting rather than the simple blues riffs.

In terms of the songs, I think most of them are good. Immigrant song is a classic. Friends is probably my least favorite on the album, and it is probably the only one that doesn't really work at all. It isn't terrible, it is just not interesting at all. Celebration day is fun and energetic. Track four, Since I've been loving you contains maybe the greatest performances Robert Plant and Jimmy Page ever had in the studio. It is an epic that ranks among the best Zeppelin songs. Out on the Tiles is the most like something that would have been on their last two. It has a good grove sort of like Heartbreaker. Gallows Pole is another track that I think the album could do without. It is a cover of a traditional folk song I believe (I could be wrong) and it's a little repetative and doesn't go anywhere. Tangerine is one of the bands more beautiful songs. That's the Way is another one I'm not crazy about. I like it more than Friends and Gallows Pole though. Then Bron-Y-Aur Stomp is good. It has great acoustic guitar intro, and really showcases Jimmy Page's talents outside of fast blues solos. The closer Hats Off to Roy Harper features another cool acoustic guitar part, this time played with a slide. That is a sound that I really like, but it may not be the best album closer the band ever did.

So now comes the question of how to rank this album. Going into this I thought that it would be an easy choice to put this one third after I and II, but I really liked it this last listen. Sure there are a few dull tracks (3 to be exact), but the debut has a few as well. In the end I think the first one gets it just on the strength of How Many More Times. I think the closing track of an album is super important. If you close your album with a bang, people are more likely to want more music from you, and be left satisfied with the album they just heard. While I do like Hats Off to Roy Harper, How Many More Times is hands down the better song and better closer, so here is my ranking:

1. Led Zeppelin II (1969)
2. Led Zeppelin (1969)
3. Led Zeppelin III (1970)

Do you agree? Do you disagree? What do you think of Led Zeppelin III? Let me know.
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Ben4



Gender: Male
Age: 26
United States

  • #15
  • Posted: 05/28/2018 04:08
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Moving on in Led Zeppelin's catalogue, today I am talking about Led Zeppelin IV.


Led Zeppelin IV by Led Zeppelin

This was the first Led Zeppelin album that I got, and also the first hard rock album that I got, so it holds a special place in my heart. Before this all I mostly listened to Pink Floyd and The Beatles, so this seemed like the next step in my discovery of rock music. I remember the first time I listened to it I was a little underwhelmed by it, or a lot of it went over my head, but I quickly grew to love it.

I wont go track by track in depth like the last ones, because every track is good. The weakest one is Four Sticks, and that song still rocks. Black Dog and Rock n' Roll are Zeppelin at their hardest and most iconic, with the guitar riff in Black Dog and the drums in Rock n' Roll. The Battle of Evermore is one of my favorite deep cuts, much like What is and What Should Never Be. Stairway is perhaps a little overplayed, but you can't discount the solo. Misty Mountain Hop is a fun and bouncy song, and I loved it when I was younger. Probably the best song on the album (although there are many you could make a case for) is When the Levee Breaks.

This is really all I have to say about it. It's great and if you haven't heard it, what are you doing with your life?

Ranking:

1. Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
2. Led Zeppelin II (1969)
3. Led Zeppelin (1969)
4. Led Zeppelin III (1970)
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Ben4



Gender: Male
Age: 26
United States

  • #16
  • Posted: 06/02/2018 06:23
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Houses Of The Holy by Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin's fifth album is a very interesting step for the direction of the band, and has a sound that is unlike anything they had done before this. The production went up and Jimmy Page was able to create complex layered soundscapes. The band also started experimenting with styles they haven't played in before. These aspects coming together are what make this possibly the most interesting album in Led Zeppelin's career.

The first three tracks are stone cold classics. The Song Remains the same is a triumph of song writting, and gets me exited whenever I hear it. Rain Song is descent, but in my opinion it is one of Zeppelin's stronger deep tracks. Over the Hills and Far Away is possibly the best Led Zeppelin song, and the intro is pretty close to perfect.

Track four thing start to get a little sketchy. The Crunge sounds almost like the band is doing an imitation of James Brown. The strange time signature of the song keeps it interesting, but it is a very strange thing to hear. It gets on track again though with Dancing Days, a catchy song kind of like Misty Mountain Hop. D'yer M'aker isn't my favorite song on the album, but I enjoyed it a lot this most recent time I listened to the album. John Bonham's drumming is really good on this one. No Quarter features some really cool guitar sounds, and cool organs for almost a Pink Floyd vibe. Then the closer The Ocean is a classic fun Led Zeppelin jam, with an unexpected tempo change at the end which is awesome.

This is certainly the most mature songwriting from the band so far, and if the album maintained the consistency of those first three tracks, this could easily be the bands best work. Because all of these albums are so good, any small thing would make on worse than the other. For any album that this one is ranked behind, it is because this album has The Crunge on it.

Do you agree? Where would you rank Houses? What are your thoughts on the song The Crunge?

1. Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
2. Led Zeppelin II (1969)
3. Houses of the Holy (1973)
4. Led Zeppelin (1969)
5. Led Zeppelin III (1970)
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BeA Sunflower



Location: Forest Park
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  • #17
  • Posted: 06/02/2018 13:23
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Ben4 wrote:

Houses Of The Holy by Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin's fifth album is a very interesting step for the direction of the band, and has a sound that is unlike anything they had done before this. The production went up and Jimmy Page was able to create complex layered soundscapes. The band also started experimenting with styles they haven't played in before. These aspects coming together are what make this possibly the most interesting album in Led Zeppelin's career.

The first three tracks are stone cold classics. The Song Remains the same is a triumph of song writting, and gets me exited whenever I hear it. Rain Song is descent, but in my opinion it is one of Zeppelin's stronger deep tracks. Over the Hills and Far Away is possibly the best Led Zeppelin song, and the intro is pretty close to perfect.

Track four thing start to get a little sketchy. The Crunge sounds almost like the band is doing an imitation of James Brown. The strange time signature of the song keeps it interesting, but it is a very strange thing to hear. It gets on track again though with Dancing Days, a catchy song kind of like Misty Mountain Hop. D'yer M'aker isn't my favorite song on the album, but I enjoyed it a lot this most recent time I listened to the album. John Bonham's drumming is really good on this one. No Quarter features some really cool guitar sounds, and cool organs for almost a Pink Floyd vibe. Then the closer The Ocean is a classic fun Led Zeppelin jam, with an unexpected tempo change at the end which is awesome.

This is certainly the most mature songwriting from the band so far, and if the album maintained the consistency of those first three tracks, this could easily be the bands best work. Because all of these albums are so good, any small thing would make on worse than the other. For any album that this one is ranked behind, it is because this album has The Crunge on it.

Do you agree? Where would you rank Houses? What are your thoughts on the song The Crunge?

1. Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
2. Led Zeppelin II (1969)
3. Houses of the Holy (1973)
4. Led Zeppelin (1969)
5. Led Zeppelin III (1970)


That's what I love about every single Zeppelin album actually. They're all totally different. I would say that all of their first five albums are five star stone cold classics, each with a diffentent vibe & personality like a family with five kids.

My ranking would likely be....

III
IV
Houses of The Holy
I
II

Oh. And I LOVE The Crunge. I wouldn't even know who James Brown was until about ten years later. lol.
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Ben4



Gender: Male
Age: 26
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  • #18
  • Posted: 06/07/2018 03:21
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After the super fun and creative Houses of the Holy, Led Zeppelin get even more creative and experimental with Physical Graffiti.


Physical Graffiti by Led Zeppelin

This is their longest album, and certainly their most diverse. It is also the last of their albums that I know super well. I've only heard the last two a few times each. This is probably the one of the first six that I revisit the least, except maybe III. I think this is partially due to the length. When I am in the mood to revisit Zeppelin's work, I usually want a 40 minute rocker like the ones they did before this. Also I think Robert Plant's voice isn't quite as good as it used to be. Maybe I'm crazy for thinking this, but on this album, and Houses to a lesser extent, I think the singing isn't at the same level as the first four. This isn't saying much, since those first four are practically the high point in all of hard rock vocals.

Although I don't revisit this one as much as the others, I am always glad when I do. It has some really great songs on it. The first two songs, Custard Pie and The Rover are good, but not super noteworthy. It picks up a lot though on track three, and keeps the quality songs going for a while. In My Time of Dying is over ten minutes long, and starts slow, but once it picks up energy it is super fun. It features a great slide guitar solo from Jimmy Page, and some great drumming from John Bonham. Then comes Houses of the Holy, Trampled Under Foot, and Kashmir, which are all great. Trampled Under Foot has grown on me over the years because of how funky it is. It has some really cool guitar effects in it as well.

After Kashmir are two songs which I don't remember enjoying all that much, but on this last listen, I found them very interesting. In The Light is a keyboard based song, and has some really cool vocal harmonies. Down By the Seaside is hard to explain. If I had to make a comparison, it is like a Beach Boys song, but I don't think that is the best description. Then comes Ten Years Gone, which has a wonderful but simple guitar solo, that I would say ranks among Page's best.

After this, the album looses a little bit of steam for me. I've always liked Wanton Song, but other than that there isn't a lot to love. It has some cool bluesy/folky songs in Boogie with Stu and Black Country Woman, but they certainly aren't among the bands best songs.

All in all, this double album pays off, and is mostly cohesive despite its length. It continues in the trajectory the band has been following, it is more diverse and experimental (maybe experimental isn't the right word) and less straight up blues rock. There is a wide array of influences, like funk, blues, folk, pop, and even middle eastern sounding music on Kashmir. So listen to this album if you haven't, or revisit it if you haven't heard it in a while.

Ranking:

1. Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
2. Led Zeppelin II (1969)
3. Houses of the Holy (1973)
4. Led Zeppelin (1969)
5. Physical Graffiti (1975)
6. Led Zeppelin III (1970)

Do you agree? Where would you rank Physical Graffiti?
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Ben4



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  • #19
  • Posted: 06/14/2018 01:08
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I am now in the point in Led Zeppelin's discography that I am less familiar with. I practically studied the first six records when I was younger, but these last two, I only listened to a few times.


Presence by Led Zeppelin

A big part of why I am less familiar with Presence than I am their earlier albums is that Presence isn't as highly esteemed as the earlier albums. It certainly isn't a hated album, and in looking at reviews online, there are very few people who have much bad to say about it. Is this album a step down from the bands previous work, or is it an overlooked classic?

Personally, I have really enjoyed listening to this album recently and getting to know it better. It's been years since I listened to a Led Zeppelin album without knowing exactly how the next song will start when one song ends. This album is very electric guitar driven. I didn't notice this until I read it online, but this is the first album that doesn't feature a keyboard or acoustic guitar at any point on the album. This album also has the fewest songs of any Led Zeppelin album, with only seven tracks. It is still 44 minutes long, which I don't think is the shortest of their albums, and if it is, it's not by much.

So lets get into the music of this albums. This album puts its strongest track first with the ten minute epic Achilles Last Stand, which features some of Bonham's best work. This song is unlike anything the band has done up to this point. with galloping rhythms, it sounds like a precursor to heavy metal bands like Iron Maiden (more than usual that is). After this epic comes For Your Life. This song is a solid bluesy rock song with good guitar parts, and a good groove. That last sentence is how I would describe most of the songs on this album. The next song, Royal Orleans, is similar, but with a bit more of a funky feel to it. Track four is another standout, Nobody's Fault But Mine. It's not my favorite song because of its stop start nature, but when it keeps the groove going, it is pretty rocking. It has a great heavy blues sound of the guitar and bass, and has a killer harmonica solo too. Candy Store Rock is has a retro 50s feel to it. I actually like it because it is a change of pace from the rest of the album, and its fun. Hots on for Nowhere is another solid track with cool guitar lines. The worst song on the album in my opinion is Tea for One, which is far too reminiscent of Since I've Been Loving You.

While I think that the songs on this album are of a high enough quality, the biggest issue on the album is a lack of variation. Their last album was a double album with a wide array of styles. Looking at the best Led Zeppelin albums, you will see a lot of variation. Houses of the Holy has a James Brown homage, a reggae song, an organ filled Pink Floyd-esque song, and a folky acoustic intro to one song, to name a few. IV has straight forward rockers, a mandolin song, an acoustic song, and a bluesy harmonica driven song. This one, while it does have Achilles Last Stand, consists of mainly mid tempo blues rock. Royal Orleans, For Your Life, and Hots on for Nowhere are all about the same tempo, and are very similar songs. They remind me a little of Heartbreaker with their grooves, or Out on the Tiles. This album is probably more consistent in song quality than III, but I think III is the better album because it was trying something new for the band, and had a wide variety of music, albiet with a few tracks that bring it down a little bit.

So in essence, the reason I think this album is the most forgotten of their discography is because it is their most forgettable album. Besides the obvious standout of Achilles Last Stand, the band mostly treads familiar territory with mid tempo grooves and bluesy rock. I really have enjoyed listening to it, and will probably continue listening to it even though I've already written about it. Do you agree? What are your thoughts on Presence?

Ranking:
1. Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
2. Led Zeppelin II (1969)
3. Houses of the Holy (1973)
4. Led Zeppelin (1969)
5. Physical Graffiti (1975)
6. Led Zeppelin III (1970)
7. Presence (1976)
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bobbyb5



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Location: New York
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  • #20
  • Posted: 06/15/2018 20:16
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My favorite Led Zeps are the ones smack in the middle: lV, Houses of the Holy, and Physical Graffiti. I too love The Crunge, but I'm always surprised when people tell me it's the worst song on the album. I think it's the most fun song on the album. I think the worst song on the album is the unfortunate D'Yer Maker, which I always disliked.
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