Led Zeppelin - Houses of The Holy

After the album Led Zeppelin IV surprisingly became one of the most lauded and biggest-selling albums in rock history, the group faced a challenge head-on and created a compelling follow up. Released in May of 1973, Houses of the Holy is perhaps their most accessible, commerical yet ambitious title. Maturing from the blues quartet that had catapulted them onto the scene, producer/guitarist Jimmy Page really started expanding his studio skills and vision after Led Zep II. Here, on their fifth album, each member takes a turn shining. They complimented each other perfectly and could still rock with the best of them: even their acoustic songs could rock! Each song is an adventure: folk, middle-Eastern, blues, there's even a hint of R&B/soul here and there. All in all, this is an exceptional collection.