The Pretty Things-Silk Torpedo (1974)

In 1974, after being signed to Swan Song, Led Zeppelin's record label, The Pretty Things released their seventh album, "Silk Torpedo", which many of their fans believed would be their most successful and definitive album. Produced by Norman Smith, the album surprised longtime fans of The Pretty Things, who, accustomed to their R&B roots and the British pop-rock of their early albums "The Pretty Things" and "Get The Picture" (1965), their avant-garde forays into the rock opera "S.F. Sorrow" (1968), or the psychedelic rock of "Parachute" (1970), soon observed a radical change in their style. Musically, "Torpedo Silk" contains a varied repertoire, including forays into commercial melodies ("Is It Only Love"), catchy glam rock ("Dream/Joey"), politically charged pop-rock protest songs ("Belfast Cowboys"), infectious rock standards ("Come Home Momma" and "Bridge of God"), tearful ballads ("Is It Only Love"), and experimental meanderings with the instrumental "L.a.n.T.a.". All of this made "Silk Torpedo" one of their most conventional and commercial releases. However, it soon became the target of criticism from fans and the ever-conservative British press, who accused it of being overly commercial, a departure from the bolder creations of their previous releases. After the album's release, the band embarked on an extensive tour of the United States as the opening act for Led Zeppelin, but this tour was unfortunately cut short by a serious car accident involving Led Zeppelin's singer, Robert Plant.