While you Led Zeppelin fans are out their raving about ‘Black Dog’ or ‘When the Levee Breaks’, or ‘Stairway to Heaven’ if you really don’t care what anyone thinks, I’ll be in the corner listening to ‘Misty Mountain Hop’ and ‘Four Sticks’. That’s right. Those are my two favourite songs from Led Zeppelin IV. Not because I’m trying to be contrarian or anything. They just have some great grooves to them. Grooves that get me boppin’ my head to their rhythm every time their momentum gets going. Unfortunately for ‘Sticks’, I didn’t know the track when I was doing the F’s, so it doesn’t have its own post. Not to worry though, as between it and ‘Mountain Hop’, I most definitely prefer the latter.

So, what’s the song about? Seems to be one of those ‘day in the life’ songs. Robert Plant guides the listener through some freaky things he sees when walking through the park. People in their masses are getting high, he decides to join them, he doesn’t notice that he’s out there for ages because his head’s in the clouds and a police officer comes and weirdly invites the people round to his house. Plant has no idea what’s going on, but is lucid enough to warn listeners to be aware of what’s going on in the world because the ignorance has become too much for him that he’s decided to take a trip to the Misty Mountains and stay there for a while. It’s all a bit of a trip. But it’s a trip that’s set to a fine boogie.

Usual bassist John Paul Jones gets behind the keys on here, laying down the track’s whole foundation with that downward riff that opens the proceedings, continues throughout most of the song, and is simultaneously followed by Jimmy Page on the guitar. The vocal melody also follows whatever Jones plays on those keys. What I’m saying to you is, just listen to those smooth keyboards. John Bonham adds power to the rhythm, business as usual for him with his performance on the drums, keeping a solid beat in the verses and mixing it up with some crazy drum fills in some spaces. This is a song to just walk down the street to and feel on the top of your game, you know? Many good feelings to have from hearing this one.