The heavy beat boys of British rock have produced a standard package of intense rock material utilizing their staunchest abilities to praise the beat and bury the melody. One recalls the period of psychedelic music on several of the tracks and a wry sense of parody on the tune "D'yer Mak'er" with its recall of 1950's music and splitting syllables. Best cuts: "The Crunge," "D'yer Mak'er."

- Billboard, 1973.

Bonus Reviews!

I could do without "No Quarter," a death march for a select troop of messenger-warriors, perhaps the band's road crew, that you can tell is serious because of the snow (when they're working up to big statements it only rains) and scary sound effects. But side two begins with two amazing, well, dance tracks -- the transmogrified shuffle that is actually called "Dancing Days," while "D'Yer Mak'er" is a reggae, or "reggae" -- that go nicely with the James Brown tribute/parody/ripoff at the close of side one. Which is solid led, lurching in spring rhythm through four tracks than might have been on II, III, or IV, or might not have been as the case may be. A-

- Robert Christgau, Christgau's Record Guide, 1981.

Houses of the Holy follows the same basic pattern as Led Zeppelin IV, but the approach is looser and more relaxed. Jimmy Page's riffs rely on ringing, folky hooks as much as thundering blues-rock, giving the album a lighter, more open atmosphere. While the psuedo-reggae of "D'Yer Mak'er" and the affectionate James Brown send-up "The Crunge" suggest that the band was searching for material, they actually contribute to the musical diversity of the album. "The Rain Song" is one of their finest moments, featuring a soaring string arrangement and a gentle, aching melody. "The Ocean" is just as good, starting with a typically heavy, but funky, guitar groove before slamming into an a cappella section and ending with a swinging, doo wop-flavored raveup. With the exception of the rampaging opening number "The Song Remains the Same," the rest of Houses of the Holy is fairly straightforward, ranging from the foreboding "No Quarter" and the strutting hard rock of "Dancing Days" to the epic folk/metal fusion "Over the Hills and Far Away." Throughout the record, the band's playing is excellent, making the eclectism of Page and Plant's songwriting sound coherent and natural. * * * * *

- Stephen Thomas Erlewine, The All-Music Guide to Rock, 1995.

There are some fans who will tell you Houses of the Holy is even better than the fourth album; it's actually a bit less consistent, though it's hard to argue with seminal tracks such as "Dancing Days," "Over the Hills and Far Away" and the reggae number "D'Yer Maker." * * * *

- Gary Graff, Musichound Rock: The Essential Album Guide, 1996.

Led Zeppelin had stuck close to their core sound on earlier albums -- supercharged blues, celestial folk -- but on Houses of the Holy the band added a groove. "D'yer Mak'er" is their version of reggae, and "The Crunge" is inspired by James Brown. "We thought of putting steps on the cover to help you do the dance," said Jimmy Page. With the ballad "Over the Hills and Far Away," an FM staple, and "D'yer Mak'er" reaching the Top Twenty, Houses became Led Zeppelin's third album to hit Number One. That summer, Zeppelin's American tour broke box-office records established by the Beatles.

Houses of the Holy was chosen as the 149th greatest album of all time by the editors of Rolling Stone magazine in Dec. 2003.

- Rolling Stone, 12/11/03.

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