Rock

Hard Rock, Classic Rock

1969

About the album cover:
The cover features a white silhouette of a Zeppelin airship, operated by the Deutsche Luftschiffahrts-AG prior to the outbreak of World War I, when they were then redeployed as bombers. An adapted photograph of pilots from the Jasta Division of the German airforce in WWI is superimposed. Faces of the band members have been montaged onto this image, together with manager Peter Grant and tour manger Richard Cole. The Marlene Dietrich lookalike is "Mary Poppins" actress Glynis Johns, a play on the name of recording engineer Andy Johns' elder brother Glyn Johns. The remaining four faces are a matter of conjecture, and it has been suggested that one provides homage to blues musician Blind Willie Johnson.

The Zeppelin could not land as such, and was tethered in a hovering position above an access structure or dirigible terminal. This doubtless provided inspiration to artist David Juniper for his monolithic illustration on the inside spread of the gatefold. A tethered Zeppelin also appears as a monogram on the back cover.

About tracks & track credits:
• Cassette issues of this release have a different track order to that which is on the vinyl release.
• Initial releases of both cassette & vinyl did not contain track timings.
• The later attributed timing of 3:50 for "Thank You" is incorrect. It is, as the later CD issue, 4:47.
• Initial releases contain "The Lemon Song", later replaced by "Killing Floor".
• From around mid 1970 into '71 Polydor's licence expired. Issues, remastered from SD 8236, began appearing via the Kinney Group, K40037, with a red/green label. "The Lemon Song" also reappeared in the Kinney period. WEA will appear on sleeve 1972 onward. Sleeves with barcode on back are even later.
• The original UK release contains "Livin' Lovin' Wreck (She's A Woman)" ['Wreck' is replaced by 'Maid' on inside sleeve], later retitled "Living Loving Maid (She's Just A Woman)". There are releases between these events where "Livin' Lovin' Maid (She's A Woman)" appears.

The release of this album subsequently involved a number of law suits regarding copyright infringement. Among the tracks affected were:
• "Bring It On Home", eventually credited to Willie Dixon on later releases (I think 1985).
• "Whole Lotta Love", eventually credited to Willie Dixon on later releases (I think 1985).
• "The Lemon Song" credited to Zeppelin ('69), retitled "Killing Floor" on later releases credited to Chester Burnett (in '70) and then reverted to "The Lemon Song" (circa '70-'71 onward).

Despite these law suit events, the nature of blues music has always been derivative, with lyrical fragments or musical phrases inserted in appreciation, or as a tribute, to the artist in question. As an example, "Squeeze my lemon..." could be attributed to "Travelling Riverside Blues" by Robert Johnson or Arthur McKay's "She Squeezed My Lemon". In defense of Led Zeppelin, this album is quite simply a unique and progressive fusion of blues styles.