Led Zeppelin gets so much love on classic rock radio it's almost embarrassing. I'm pretty sure every track on this album has been played to death over the airwaves except maybe the hapless "Crunge". Sure, it's a fine album (as is pretty much their entire catalog), but for god's sake radio, share some of that love! There are many other deserving bands out there that would fit right in the format.
My favorite tracks are "The Rain Song" (sucker for the Mellotron, I am) and the unmistakably eerie "No Quarter" which shows John Paul Jones as a real force within the band. Both songs also show the bands ability to step outside of their comfort zone. I also see this album as the end of the "first era" of Zeppelin, with each album a refinement of the previous one. Physical Graffiti, though half-archival/outtake, would make a change of direction, largely put in place by this album. For example, "The Wanton Song" and "Trampled Under Foot" would build on some the more funky moments of this album, while "No Quarter" would birth even more ponderous (in a good way) material like "Kashmir". Of course, that album added a ton of flimsy material, so it's best to analyze it through the stuff actually recorded for that album.
Don't let me appear to hostile. If you are a fan of the genre you should have this album. However, keep it in perspective. There are so many great releases from 1973, so don't stop here!
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