Heartbreaker
A riff song built around an unaccompanied guitar solo.
Led Zeppelin, from Led Zeppelin II (1969)
- Written by
- Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, John Bonham
- Released
- 1969
- Length
- 4:15
- Album
- Led Zeppelin II
Heartbreaker was mostly written by Page as a showcase for his guitar skills, and it has an unaccompanied solo in the middle. Eddie Kramer engineered it at A&R in New York, and the mixing of the track was done while the band was on tour. It became a live favorite, played regularly from October 1969 and throughout the career.
The solo has been cited as an influence on Eddie Van Halen, as inspiration for his two-handed tapping, and on Steve Vai. Pitchfork's Mark Richardson wrote that Page might have written 20 of the 100 greatest guitar riffs in rock and that a good number of them are on this album, which includes Heartbreaker.
More songs by Led Zeppelin
Stairway to Heaven, Whole Lotta Love, Kashmir, Dazed and Confused, When the Levee Breaks, Black Dog, Immigrant Song, Communication Breakdown, The Rain Song, Trampled Under Foot, Achilles Last Stand
Sources
- Led Zeppelin II, Wikipedia
- Led Zeppelin II, master release, Discogs
- Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin II, Led Zeppelin III (reissue review), Pitchfork (2014-06-12)