"Squeeze me, baby, 'til the pod runs down my cast . . . "

Like the German bombardiers depicted on its sepia-toned cover, Led Zeppelin II blitzed onto millions of turntables in October 1969. Mike Carpenter and Ben Yates continue their deep dive into the band's discography, dropping the needle on the nine-track album featuring Zeppelin's only top-ten single "Whole Lotta Love", along with other classics like "Heartbreaker" and "Ramble On".

Recorded in fits and starts during a frenetic summer touring schedule, Led Zeppelin II set the blueprint for what a hard rock record should sound like. Jimmy Page's iconic riffs, Robert Plant's banshee wailing, John Bonham's thunderous drums, and John Paul Jones' nimble bass playing stunned listeners and established them as the next biggest band in the world.

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