- Led Zeppelin II was released in October 1969. The name is self-explanatory, it's their second album.

- II was their first record to reach No. 1 on the US and UK charts - knocking the Beatles' Abbey Road down twice - and is often described as their heaviest album

- Despite the commercial success, it was not received well critically at first. A journalist wrote a review for Rolling Stone, saying that "until you've listened to the album eight hundred times, as I have, it seems as if it's just one especially heavy song extended over the space of two whole sides". 

- Another journalist, Robert Christgau, wrote Zeppelin were "the best of the wah-wah groups, so dirty they drool on demand", while complaining that "all the songs sound alike" and the album was B grade. Christgau later said in 1970 that "Led Zeppelin simply out-heavied everyone" the previous year, "pitting Jimmy Page's repeated low-register fuzz riffs against the untiring freak intensity of Robert Plant's vocal. This trademark has only emerged clearly on the second album, and more and more I am coming to understand it as an artistic triumph."

- The album was recorded in various studios across America and the UK as a result of pressure from the record company, their original songs written on tour, in the few hours between concerts. This spontaneity and urgency is reflected in the sound, with several songs resulting from improvisation, being recorded live in the studio. The quality of the studios varied from a 'hut' in Vancouver without even any headphone facilities, to state of the art studios in Hollywood.

- In late 1969, Page said, "It [the second album] took a long time on and off, having to write numbers in hotel rooms. It was insane, really. We'd put down a rhythm track in London, add the vocals in New York, put in a harmonica, say, in Vancouver, and then go back to New York to do the mixing. By the time the album came out I'd lost confidence with it."

- Whole Lotta Love was released as a single in the US by Atlantic Records, against the band's wishes. Many radio stations saw the middle section as unfit to air, so simply created their own edited versions. Atlantic Records responded with the release of a 3:10 version of the track with the freeform section removed, and with an earlier fade-out.

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Whole Lotta Love

Starts with one of the best riffs in rock n roll history, catchy, gritty, tense and heavy already, with only the guitar playing. The entrance of the bass mirroring the riff is perfect (I have noticed listening through this whole album in detail, you can definitely hear the bass more than on many Zeppelin albums). Then the lyrics come in, soaring and bluesy, raw and fairly simple but fitting the mood perfectly. The moment the drums kick in the song gets even better, along with the wail of 'oh, whole lotta love', and what I think is the reversed guitar effect in the chorus. The drums seem to be keeping an anti rhythm but the whole thing is very tight and put together. Then there's the theremin section where the texture thins out somewhat; the drumming here is masterful, creating the air of confusion and the all-over-the-place, building-up mood along with the whoosh guitar sounds and vocal, which can only be described as sex noises. This section is rather odd in many places, and maybe goes on a bit too long, but all in all it fits with the song and is a great display of the musicianship and production techniques that went into this album. The section ends with a drum fill, and the drum-guitar call and response that follows is a perfect lead into the next verse, a welcome return to the familiar groove from the start. The refrain, with the wailing voice so strong that bleeds onto the other track, is incredible, and the song returns to the original riff for the fade out. I have to say that I love the panning job done on this song, everything is all over the place, and it works.  A legendary start to the album.

Eddie Kramer, the engineer on this album (with Page acting as producer) once said 'The famous Whole Lotta Love mix, where everything is going bananas, is a combination of Jimmy and myself just flying around on a small console twiddling every knob known to man'.

Much of the lyrics were taken from a song by Willie Dixon. In response to further copyright claims, Plant said 'Page's riff was Page's riff. It was there before anything else. I just thought, 'well, what am I going to sing?' That was it, a nick. Now happily paid for. At the time, there was a lot of conversation about what to do. It was decided that it was so far away in time and influence that ... well, you only get caught when you're successful. That's the game'.

Whole Lotta Love was the last song the band played live with John Bonham, on 7 July 1980

What Is And What Should Never Be

The voice starts soft and delicate, and the smooth bass soon kicks in with gentle drumming and subtle guitar, creating a wildly different mood from the chaotic, energetic first track. I love the bassline here, and the dreamy, fantasy-ish lyrics do fit the feel of the song. For the chorus it becomes suddenly heavier, with louder drums kicking in and the voice becoming rawer, and as ever the change is smooth, different enough to create contrast but never feeling out of place. This contrast is maintained throughout, as the song changes between these two moods. There's definitely some sort of effect on the voice (flanger? I'm not sure, I don't want this to read like a music technology essay). The guitar/bass solo is smooth and lazy at first, like drifting in a daze, which grows into something heavier, mirroring the rest of the song. As for the last section, it's different without losing the song's essence. Overall I like this song, but it isn't one of my favourites. Not their best but certainly not their worst either, and the production techniques used here are extremely good. 

According to Stephen Davies, the author of the Zeppelin biography Hammer of the Gods, the lyrics for this song reflect a romance Plant had with his wife's younger sister. But we already know to take that biography with a pinch of salt.

The Lemon Song

A rearrangement of Howlin' Wolf's Killing Floor. Immediately kicks in with a rude, dirty guitar riff. Love the drum and bass kicking in; once more, I love the bassline in this, forming a base under the riff. The vocals when they join are clearly bluesy, soaring over the top of the heavy instruments. The short guitar phrase at the end of the verse specifically is a particular favourite of mine. There's a change in pace for the guitar solo, and again, the bass is brilliant here as well as the impressive guitar and drums. There's a heavy slowing down to get into the next verse, coupled with a vocal scream. Then it slows down, bass taking prominence along with the voice. The vocals here present some lovely imagery that show off Zeppelin's lyric genius; 'squeeze my lemon baby until the juice runs down my leg' truly is Nobel prize-worthy. In all honesty this section perhaps lasts slightly too long, even though the musicianship is masterful, particularly the drum fills. Then it all picks up again for a loud, fast section to end on; I keep mentioning the bass, but here it shines as much as the guitar, which is in the middle of a tricky solo. Ends suddenly with the voice.

The squeeze my lemon lyric is from Robert Johnson's Travelling Riverside Blues, but it's widely suspected that Johnson himself borrowed the lyric, making all those lawsuits seem even more ridiculous and unnecessary. 

Thank You

I'll start by saying this is one of my least favourite Led Zeppelin songs (I also dislike Going To California, which has a similar mood, if that says anything). I'll do my best to give it a fair review, given this is honestly my first time listening it past the first lyric line. 

The song starts with delicate, nice-sounding acoustic guitar, which sets the mood, along with the Hammond organ that enters. Even before the voice starts it just seems too nice, especially given the songs that have come before it. This only gets worse when the voice enters (where I normally skip the song up until this listen), almost absurdly delicate and flowery, bordering on cheesy. However I can see why other people might find that endearing, it's a matter of personal preference; the lyrics are beautiful, the musicianship is extremely good of course, it's just not my thing. I do like the harmonies, and that section I actually find myself quite liking, with the harmonies, strumming guitar and good drum beat. But then it returns to the lovey-dovey mood from the start for the solo, which honestly is rather plinky and thankfully gets drowned out a little by the drums and bass for once. There's another repeat of the section I liked, but it's quickly back to the 'if the sun refused to shine' bit and I can't stop grimacing. Maybe that's just me being a miserable, cynical bastard. But the outro does go on far too long. Honestly? I can see why people like this song, I just don't. 

I read that this is a love song to Robert Plant's then-wife Maureen, which makes sense. This was the first song he wrote all the lyrics for, and the song that made Jimmy Page realise that Plant could handle writing the majority of the lyrics for the band.

Heartbreaker

More like it! Loud, mean guitar riff to start, the bass kicks in with the drums like a welcome punch to the face, dark and gritty. The verse is brilliant; I love the way the bass glides in particular, making it even heavier, and the faultless way the guitar and voice slot together. The vocals are raw and tell a story - the lyrics actually rhyme too! I like the return of the riff, and how the instruments give way slightly to the voice for the next verse, because honestly who could sing over a base like that? Have to mention another favourite lyric of mine 'so why'd you call me another guy's name, when I try to make love to you?'. The guitar, bass and drums are pounding her, then suddenly stop for the refrain so the guitar can show off completely on its own, which I don't begrudge as that display of musicianship is incredible; apparently this whole song was mostly written as a showcase for Page's guitar skills, which doesn't surprise me. Everything kicks back in with a different tone but just as heavy, continuing the solo with a thicker texture (I'm pretty sure I hear two guitar parts). The drums are delightfully heavy going back into the verse, with more of that gliding bass I love, and the song ends perfectly with a sudden stop rather than a fadeout. 

The guitar solo was recorded in a different studio to the rest of the track, which explains the different sound. Eddie Van Halen has claimed this solo was the origin of his tapping technique.

Livin Lovin Maid (she's just a woman)

It's an abrupt start, and immediately it strikes me as different. Not bad different, just... jingly? That's the only word I can think of to describe it. I like the call and response with the voice and guitar taking prominence, and the drum and bass are both good. There honestly isn't too much to say about this one. Light hearted, and catchy enough, with the lyrics telling a mildly amusing story (no, they're not sexist, you can't deny you've met someone like the woman in the song). The guitar solo seems a little tame, especially after Heartbreaker, but it's short at least. I think the main reason I'm a bit 'meh' about this song is that despite the attempted build-up of anticipation, I can predict everything that's coming before it happens, and this is one I don't listen to often. That's very unusual for Zeppelin, usually even after listening to their songs a dozen times there's still something surprising, or just something that you wouldn't expect to hear. Favourite lyric here is the one everyone finds the most offensive - 'no one hears a single word you say/(backing) livin', lovin', she's just a woman/but you keep on talking til your dying day' - I think it's the she's just a woman bit that makes me laugh, it's placed perfectly.

The band themselves have admitted that they dislike this track - it's Jimmy Page's least favourite, as he deemed it too much like mainstream pop - and that it's nothing but a filler song, perhaps why it was never performed live. It's written about a groupie that stalked them on a US tour.

Ramble On

I didn't used to like this song, and it isn't one I listen to often even now, but over the years it's grown on me. It starts of with a fairly upbeat, light guitar riff, and the drums stick out. Once again, I like the bassline throughout. There's an air of serenity and peacefulness about it, which I quite like. The vocals are rather soft, but increase in intensity as the verse goes on. They tell a good story, and don't sound forced like in Thank You. The imagery is also very good. I love the electric guitar when it enters just before the chorus, and the chorus itself is much heavier but not particular dark or gritty like many of the songs on this album, which is actually a nice change. The drums and bass in the chorus I like in particular. My favourite part however is the entrance of the flute/synth instrument; that sound and melody is beautiful, and reminds me of something I can't quite put my finger on. Even now I'm just thinking I should listen to this song more often. Another verse, with more Tolkein-esque lyrics, but that's just Zeppelin I guess. Some of them feel a little shoehorned in but overall not out of place. I love the overdubs - both vocal and guitar - and harmonies in the last chorus though, leading into the fadeout. 

Surprisingly this song was never performed live either, until the 2007 Ahmet Ertegun tribute concert, though the overdubbing must have made live performances difficult. 

Moby Dick

This is one of my favourite Zeppelin riffs despite being fairly simple. The drums are prominent from the start as well, and the bass mirrors the guitar well. I love the guitar fills at the end of each 12 bar phrase. Then all that ends, and what follows is four minutes of the best drummer of all time showing off beautifully. I'll admit, I've only listened to the drum solo several times all the way through - despite being an absolutely incredible display of musicianship, a lengthy drum solo is not something I'm in the mood to listen to often - but it shows how much faith the band had in the album and Bonham himself to put out a song that is mostly only drums. The drumming itself just blows you away, I don't know how anyone could move that fast. It perhaps could have done with some accompaniment, though not so much when he gets into a more obvious groove about halfway through, and it is very interesting to hear the drums completely on their own in a track. The guitar and bass come back in with the main riff in a call and response with the drums, which I love - I feel like that riff was underused - then finally the doomy chords at the end that almost seem Sabbath-esque. 

The drum solo in the album was actually edited down from a much longer studio version.

When played live, Bonham's drum solo could last anywhere from 6 mins to (more often) 30mins. The rest of the band would leave the stage having played the introduction. During the performance Bonham would often throw his drumsticks into the audience and continue the solo with his hands, sometimes even drawing blood.

Bring It On Home

Straight away it's bluesy, quiet, understated and warm. As ever, I love the harmonica, which blends perfectly with the guitar and voice to fit the blues mood. The vocals honestly don't sound much like Robert Plant, more like an old man; I don't know if that's just me, but I thought they'd brought in a guest singer the first time I listened. The different vocal style works, however, warm, soft and whispering, coupled with the more jarring edge of the harmonica. Then it abruptly stops, with the sharp entrance of the riff, a fast, loud and dirty sound even with only the guitar. The drums and bass kick in shortly after, creating a very different feel that somehow blends with the first half of the song. The voice is completely changed, truly showing the different styles Plant can sing in. The drum fills here - and drumming overall - are amazing, and the whole atmosphere is different to the initial one; the second section is loud, showy and sharp, with incredibly tight musicianship. An underrated gem, this one, one of my favourites. I love the ending too, with the return of the tone from the start.

The first section and outro were meant as a deliberate tribute to Sonny Boy Williamson, who recorded a version of the song in 1963, but it was written by Willie Dixon. Without Dixon's knowledge, his record company sued Led Zeppelin for using "Bring It On Home" without its permission. The band said that they copied parts of the song as an intentional tribute to Williamson, and resolved the matter with a cash settlement. For many future reissues of the song, Dixon is listed as the sole songwriter, despite the middle section being an original composition by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. 

Worst To Best

Thank You

Livin Lovin Maid

Moby Dick

Ramble On

What Is And What Should Never Be

The Lemon Song

Heartbreaker

Bring It On Home

Whole Lotta Love

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Do you agree/disagree with the order I've put the songs in? This one was quite interesting to do as there are several songs like Thank You and Ramble On that I really don't listen to that much.

As always, thank you for reads, votes and comments.