Led Zeppelin Remasters--Remasters by a Master

Make no mistake about it--Led Zeppelin Remasters (Box)--Led Zeppelin is not a greatest hits collection. I've owned this box set for several years now (having mistakenly received the cassette tape version rather than the compact disc version), and I've never been able to fathom just exactly why the particular twenty-six tracks that make up this collection were chosen. I just know that the selection is really impeccable, and represents an excellent blend of the styles that Led Zeppelin explored during the career of the band.

Led Zeppelin Remasters (Box)--Led Zeppelin is a three-tape (or disc) compilation of classic Led Zeppelin music that has been remastered by one of the finest producers ever to assume the controls--the immensely talented Jimmy Page. The first two tapes have a total of twenty six songs, which I've pointed out before, and the third tape isn't music at all--just an interview with the members of one of the most influential rock 'n roll bands of our time. Led Zeppelin Remasters (Box)--Led Zeppelin does just exactly what any good box set should do--it defines the career and music of Led Zeppelin in one tidy little cubbyhole. That is difficult to do with most bands, but even more so with Led Zeppelin--these guys covered the spectrum, from metal, blues and funk to reggae, traditional acoustic music and yes, even a little pop.

Highlights Of Disc 1

The songs on Disc One are taken mostly from the first four albums--songs like Good Times Bad Times and Communication Breakdown demonstrate just how Led Zeppelin could perform "in your face" rock 'n roll, while Dazed And Confused and Since I've Been Loving You reflect the blues roots of these players. Whole Lotta Love and Black Dog show one of the band's true strengths, improvisation, while Rock And Roll and Heartbreaker show flashes of the metal influences that Led Zeppelin exerted on the many groups who emulated this fantastic foursome.

Led Zeppelin did plenty of acoustic work too, with traditional acoustic instruments like guitars and mandolins. The Battle Of Evermore, Ramble On, and Babe I'm Gonna Leave You are all acoustic pieces that feature the talents of Led Zeppelin without the veil of amplification, and it's fine work indeed.

No Led Zeppelin collection could be deemed complete without their most famous song, Stairway To Heaven, so you won't be disappointed--it's right here, in all its' restrained glory.

Highlights Of Disc 2

Disc Two is focused on the latter part of the career of the band--the controlled violence of the extended jam in The Song Remains The Same is nicely balanced by the delicacy of The Rain Song, and D'yer Mak'er is an exercise in reggae rhythms that resembles the Caribbean feel of All Of My Love. No Quarter, Trampled Underfoot and Nobody's Fault But Mine are brooding tunes that represent where Led Zeppelin went with their early blues influences, while the epic Kashmir, perhaps their greatest accomplishment, shows just how expansive this band's sound could be.

Highlights Of Disc 3

No music here, just interviews with the band. I'll admit--I've never listened closely to this one, much preferring to listen to the music on the first two offerings. Many will find this stuff interesting, if not fascinating, however--to each his own.

If you own the Led Zeppelin catalogue, you really don't need this, because you already have it all. These songs have been digitally remastered, and the jury is still out on remastered work. Some say it sucks the life out of the original old master tapes, while others say it refines them perfectly. My ear is not good enough to tell the difference, to be honest with you. The Led Zeppelin initiate would probably do well to get this set to get a good idea of what this band was all about.

Thanks for reading.