Led Zeppelin – Mothership

For a band that eschewed single releases — they barred them at home in England, while accepting their necessity in the far larger expanse of the U.S. — Led Zeppelin is remembered almost as much for its songwriting talents as the sonically huge rock that made the band legendary. Mothership ranges across Zeppelin’s eight studio albums, gathering cranked-up folk-rock (“Stairway to Heaven”), post-psychedelic drone (“Kashmir”), punky manifestos (“Communication Breakdown”), skewed reggae-pop (“D’yer Mak’er”) and a 50’s-ish request to “take you to the movies” (“Houses of the Holy”). Whether taken as a handy primer for newcomers or a happy reminder of some of the music’s finest moments, the double-album again reveals a four-piece with a lot to say — and loads of imagination with which to say it.