Led Zeppelin II de Led Zeppelin
Álbum de Led Zeppelin
- Fecha de lanzamiento: 22 de Octubre de 1969
- Sello Discográfico: Atlantic
- Compositores: Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, John Bonham
- Productores: Jimmy Page
Led Zeppelin II es un álbum de Led Zeppelin, publicado en 1969 por Atlantic. El disco incluye 9 canciones, entre ellas «Whole Lotta Love», «What Is And What Should Never Be», «The Lemon Song» y «Thank You».
Lanzado en el mismo año que su debut, Led Zeppelin II es el álbum que consolidó a Led Zeppelin como una fuerza imparable y que, para muchos, sirvió como el plano definitivo del hard rock y el heavy metal. A diferencia de su predecesor, grabado rápidamente en un estudio, este disco fue forjado en la carretera, compuesto y grabado en varios estudios de Norteamérica y el Reino Unido durante las incesantes giras de la banda. Esta urgencia y energía se reflejan en un sonido más directo, pesado y centrado en los riffs. Impulsado por el icónico "Whole Lotta Love", "Led Zeppelin II" es un asalto sónico implacable que captura la potencia de la banda en su estado más crudo y viril.
El origen del álbum
1969 fue un año frenético para Led Zeppelin. La banda realizó cuatro giras por Estados Unidos y cuatro por el Reino Unido. En lugar de tomarse un descanso, compusieron y grabaron su segundo álbum en los huecos de su agenda, utilizando una docena de estudios diferentes. Esta grabación fragmentada fue un desafío logístico, coordinada por el productor Jimmy Page y el ingeniero Eddie Kramer. La naturaleza itinerante de la grabación contribuyó a la espontaneidad y la crudeza del sonido del álbum, que a menudo se describe como el más "en vivo" de sus discos de estudio.
El sonido del álbum
Si el primer álbum era una reinterpretación pesada del blues, "Led Zeppelin II" es donde la banda crea su propio lenguaje. El sonido está dominado por los riffs de guitarra monolíticos de Jimmy Page, que se convirtieron en la plantilla para miles de bandas de rock y metal. Es un álbum mucho más centrado en el hard rock, con menos incursiones en el folk que su predecesor. La producción es más elaborada, con Page y Kramer experimentando con efectos de estudio como el "panning" estéreo y el "phasing" para crear paisajes sonoros psicodélicos, especialmente en la sección central de "Whole Lotta Love".
Repaso a las canciones
El álbum se abre con el que es quizás el riff de guitarra más famoso de todos los tiempos: "Whole Lotta Love". Es la canción definitiva de Led Zeppelin, una combinación de un riff de blues pesado, una letra cargada de insinuaciones sexuales y una sección central de vanguardia y free jazz, un collage de sonidos psicodélicos creado con un theremin y la manipulación de cintas. Se convirtió en su primer gran éxito en Estados Unidos.
"What Is and What Should Never Be" muestra su dominio de las dinámicas, alternando entre versos tranquilos y estribillos explosivos. "Heartbreaker" es famosa por su riff contundente y, sobre todo, por su solo de guitarra a capella de Page, un momento innovador que inspiró a generaciones de guitarristas.
El álbum también contiene la única balada, la hermosa "Thank You", una de las primeras letras de Robert Plant y la primera vez que la banda utiliza un órgano Hammond de forma tan prominente. "Ramble On" es una pieza de folk-rock que introduce por primera vez las influencias de J.R.R. Tolkien en sus letras. El álbum se cierra con la instrumental "Moby Dick", un vehículo para el legendario solo de batería de John Bonham.
Arte de portada
La portada, basada en una fotografía de la división de la Fuerza Aérea Alemana durante la Primera Guerra Mundial, fue diseñada por David Juniper. Sobre la foto original, superpuso los rostros de los miembros de la banda y otras figuras, creando un collage surrealista. El dirigible marrón en el fondo (el "Brown Bomber", apodo del álbum) es una referencia al nombre de la banda.
Estreno y listas de éxitos
El álbum fue un éxito comercial masivo, desbancando al "Abbey Road" de The Beatles del número 1 en Estados Unidos y consolidando a Led Zeppelin como una de las bandas más grandes del mundo.
- USA Billboard 200: 1
- UK Albums Chart: 1
- España (PROMUSICAE): 1
- Australia (Kent Music Report): 1
- Alemania (GfK Entertainment): 1
Acogida de la crítica
La crítica fue mucho más favorable que con su debut. Rolling Stone lo describió como uno de los álbumes más pesados de su tiempo. Es universalmente considerado como un álbum fundamental en la historia del rock, un disco que no solo definió el sonido de una década, sino que creó el modelo para el hard rock y el heavy metal que dominarían los años venideros.
Listado de Canciones
- Whole Lotta LoveYou need cooling Baby, I'm not fooling I'm gonna send, yeah You back to schooling Way down inside Honey, you need it I'm gonna give you my love I'm gonna give you my love Wanna whole lotta love Wanna whole lotta love Wanna whole lotta love Wanna whole lotta love You've been learning Baby, I been learning All that good times Baby, baby, I've been yearning Way, way down inside Honey, you need it I'm gonna give you my love I'm gonna give you my love Wanna whole lotta love Wanna whole lotta love Wanna whole lotta love Wanna whole lotta love You've been cooling Baby, I've been drooling All the good times Baby, I've been misusing Way, way down inside I'm gonna give you my love I'm gonna give you Every inch of my love, gonna give you my love Wanna whole lotta love Wanna whole lotta love Wanna whole lotta love Wanna whole lotta love Way down inside Woman you need love Shake for me, girl I wanna be your backdoor man Keep it cooling, baby Keep it cooling, baby Keep it cooling, baby Keep it cooling, baby
- What Is And What Should Never Be
Letra
And if I say to you tomorrow Take my hand, child, come with me It's to a castle I will take you Where what's to be, they say will be Catch the wind, see us spin, sail away Leave today, way up high in the sky and whoa But the wind won't blow You really shouldn't go, it only goes to show That you will be mine, by taking our time And if you say to me tomorrow Oh, what fun it all would be Then what's to stop us, pretty baby But what is and what should never be Catch the wind, see us spin, sail away Leave today, way up high in the sky and whoa But the wind won't blow You really shouldn't go, it only goes to show That you will be mine, by taking our time Catch the wind, see us spin, sail away Leave today, way up high in the sky and whoa But the wind won't blow You really shouldn't go, it only goes to show That you will be mine, by taking our time So if you wake up with the sunrise And all your dreams are still as new And happiness is what you need so bad Girl, the answer lies with you Catch the wind, see us spin, sail away Leave today, way up high in the sky But the wind won't blow You really shouldn't go, it only goes to show That you will be mine, by taking our time Oh, the wind won't blow and we really shouldn't go And it only goes to show Catch the wind, we're gonna see it spin We're gonna sail, little girl Everybody I know seems to know me well But they're never gonna know that I move like hell - The Lemon Song
Letra
I should have quit you, long time ago Oh yeah, long time ago I wouldn't be here, my children Down on this killing floor I should have listened, baby, to my second mind I should have listened, baby, to my second mind Everytime I go away and leave you, darling You send me the blues way down the line Said, people worry I can't keep you satisfied Let me tell you, baby, you ain't nothing, but a two bit, no good jive Went to sleep last night, worked as hard as I can Bring home my money, you take my money, give it to another man I should have quit you, baby Such a long time ago I wouldn't be here with all my troubles Down on this killing floor Squeeze me baby, 'till the juice runs down my leg Squeeze me baby, 'till the juice runs down my leg The way you squeeze my lemon, I'm gonna fall right out of bed I'm gonna leave my children down on this killing floor - Thank You
Letra
If the sun refused to shine I would still be loving you When mountains crumble to the sea There'll still be you and me Kind woman, I give you my all Kind woman, nothing more Little drops of rain, whisper of the pain Tears of loves lost in the days gone by My love is strong with you there is no wrong Together we shall go until we die Inspiration is what you are to me Inspiration, look to see And so today, my world it smiles Your hand in mine we walk the miles Thanks to you it will be done For you to me are the only one Happiness, no longer sad Happiness, I'm glad If the sun refused to shine I would still be loving you When mountains crumble to the sea There'll still be you and me, and me - Heartbreaker
Letra
Hey fellas, have you heard the news? You know that Annie's back in town? It won't take long just watch and see How the fellas lay their money down Her style is new, but the face is the same As it was so long ago But from her eyes, a different smile Like that of one who knows Well, it's been ten years and maybe more Since I first set eyes on you The best years of my life gone by Here I am alone and blue Some people cry and some people die By the wicked ways of love But I'll just keep on rolling along With the grace of the Lord above People talking all around About the way you left me flat I don't care what the people say I know where their jive is at One thing I do have on my mind If you can clarify please do It's the way you call me by another guy's name When I try to make love to you I try to make love, but it ain't no use Give it to me, give it Work so hard I couldn't unwind Get some money saved Abuse my love a thousand times However hard I tried Heartbreaker, your time has come Can't take your evil way Go away, heartbreaker Heartbreaker Heartbreaker Heart - Living Loving Maid (She's Just A Woman)
- Ramble On
Letra
Leaves are falling all around, it's time I was on my way Thanks to you, I'm much obliged For such a pleasant stay, but now it's time for me to go The autumn moon lights my way For now I smell the rain And with it pain, and it's headed my way Sometimes I grow so tired But I know I've got one thing I got to do Ramble on and now's the time, the time is now, to sing my song I'm going around the world, I got to find my girl, on my way I've been this way ten years to the day ramble on Gotta find the queen of all my dreams Got no time to for spreading roots The time has come to be gone And to our health we drank a thousand times It's time to ramble on Ramble on and now's the time, the time is now, to sing my song I'm going around the world, I got to find my girl, on my way I've been this way ten years to the day ramble on Gotta find the queen of all my dreams Mine's a tale that can't be told, my freedom I hold dear How years ago in days of old when magic filled the air T'was in the darkest depths of Mordor, I met a girl so fair But Gollum, and the evil one crept up and slipped away with her, her, her, yeah Ramble on and now's the time, the time is now, to sing my song I'm going around the world, I got to find my girl, on my way I've been this way ten years to the day ramble on Gotta find the queen of all my dreams Gonna ramble on, sing my song, gotta keep-a-searching for my baby Gonna work my way, around the world I can't stop this feeling in my heart, gotta keep-a-searching for my baby I can't find my bluebird - Moby Dick
Letra
[Instrumental] - Bring It On Home
Letra
Baby, baby, I'm gonna bring it on home to you I've got my ticket, I've got that load Got up, gone higher, all aboard Take my seat, right way back, oh yeah Watch this train roll down the track I'm gonna bring it on home Bring it on home to you Watch out, watch out Try to tell you, baby What you trying to do? Trying to love me, baby Love some other man too Bring it on home Bring it on home Went a little walk downtown Messed and got back late Found a note there waiting It said, daddy, I just can't wait Bring it on home Bring it on home Bring it on home Bring it back home to me, baby Tell you, pretty baby You love to mess me around I'm gonna give you loving, baby Gonna move you outta town Bring it on home Bring it on home Sweetest little baby, daddy ever saw I'm gonna give you loving, baby I'm gonna give you more Bring it on home Bring it on home Bring it on home Bring it on home Bring it on home to you
