Led Zeppelin, II
Led ZeppelinLED ZEPPELIN II.
Led Zeppelin II sounds unified, but it was assembled while the band was moving through a relentless touring schedule, with sessions spread across studios in two countries and multiple cities.
Album artwork shown for commentary and historical reference. Image source: Cover Art Archive / MusicBrainz.
SEVEN THINGS
WORTH KNOWING.
Recording stories, credits, physical details and numbers worth keeping with the record.
Led Zeppelin II was released on October 22, 1969 in the United States and contains nine tracks.
Jimmy Page produced the album.
The official Led Zeppelin archive lists recording sessions in London, Los Angeles, Vancouver and New York.
Those sessions involved studios including Olympic, A&M, R&D, A&R, Mayfair, Groove Sound, Juggy Sound and Morgan.
MusicBrainz identifies the album as the first Led Zeppelin record on which Eddie Kramer served as an engineer.
The 2014 deluxe edition added an eight-track companion disc of rough mixes and backing tracks, including the previously unreleased "La La."
Led Zeppelin's official reissue archive says the 2014 remasters were created from 192 kHz/24-bit digital transfers of the original analogue tapes.
WHY THIS
ALBUM MATTERS.
Led Zeppelin II is a reminder that cohesion does not require one studio or one uninterrupted session. The album was pieced together while the band was moving constantly, yet the finished record sounds heavier and more focused than the circumstances suggest it should.
THE
NUMBERS.
TRACKS
The original album contains nine songs.
COMPANION TRACKS
The 2014 deluxe edition added eight alternate and unreleased recordings.
TRANSFER
The reissue campaign used 192 kHz/24-bit transfers of the original analogue tapes.
THE
PHYSICAL OBJECT.
The cover combines the band with a World War I-era group photograph and surreal airship imagery, creating a piece of artwork that feels half historical document and half rock mythology.
RESEARCH SOURCES
Facts are checked against artist, label, archival and recording-credit sources before publication.
KEEP
DIGGING.
More recording stories, strange credits, cover art, chart numbers and details hiding inside the records.