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MOTHERSHIP
Led Zeppelin
Atlantic/Rhino
"Top English and American rock
musicians who have heard the
tracks, have compared (Led
Zeppelin 1) to the best of Cream and
Jimi Hendrix and have called Led
Zeppelin the next group to reach
the heights achieved by Cream and
Hendrix."
-Band press release, December 1968
Most rock band PR material is
certified blather, yet could the
example above be more right on?
When Jimmy Page gathered
respected session bassist John
Paul Jones, and two relative
(then) unknowns in drummer
John Bonham and singer Robert
Plant, insider suspected great
notions but the public was yet to
be won over.
As outlined in the
excellent-although a tad
over-flourished essay by David
Fricke, provided with this new
collection of Led Zep faves-the
band had to tour North America 4
times in 1969 to make the positive
press real.
But after that, no hype was
required.
These guys really were the
Hammers of the Gods and ruled
hard rock from 1969 until the
death of Bonham in 1980 put a
untimely stop to it.
The 24 songs collected here in
this Mothership set run the
gamut of the band's explosive
career, but 20 of them are culled
from the era of their monster LPs,
dating to 1969- 1975.
In some quarters, there has been
talk of this release being nothing
but a blatant cash grab, just a
week ahead of the long
anticipated reissue of The Song
remains The Same reconstituted
DVD collection.
Also unclear is exactly when-and
what-was done sonically to these
tracks to make them more tonal in
the age of 24 bit remasters.
Because though a close read of
the well illustrated 24 page CD
booklet, all we are told is that the
set was "produced by Jimmy
Page," and remastered by "John
Davis at Alchemy Mastering,
London."
Even though the overall sound of
these tracks is noticeably
superior-better bass, clearer
guitar and less shrill vocals- to
the early '90s box set offered by
the band, whether the sound is
better than the various forms of
the individual Zep LP back
catalogue and issued in Japan
and the UK, is open to discussion.
But what ALL led Zeppelin studio
material really cries out for is a
nice 5.1 assembling. Then, the
drums, which to my ear are still
somewhat buried could get a
channel of their own.
And although Fricke's
essay-obviously prepared a while
ago- laments the demise of the
performing band, those not out of
touch know that they will reunite
in London, on Dec. 10.
Till then, this collection will just
have to do.
Led Zeppelin
Atlantic/Rhino
"Top English and American rock
musicians who have heard the
tracks, have compared (Led
Zeppelin 1) to the best of Cream and
Jimi Hendrix and have called Led
Zeppelin the next group to reach
the heights achieved by Cream and
Hendrix."
-Band press release, December 1968
Most rock band PR material is
certified blather, yet could the
example above be more right on?
When Jimmy Page gathered
respected session bassist John
Paul Jones, and two relative
(then) unknowns in drummer
John Bonham and singer Robert
Plant, insider suspected great
notions but the public was yet to
be won over.
As outlined in the
excellent-although a tad
over-flourished essay by David
Fricke, provided with this new
collection of Led Zep faves-the
band had to tour North America 4
times in 1969 to make the positive
press real.
But after that, no hype was
required.
These guys really were the
Hammers of the Gods and ruled
hard rock from 1969 until the
death of Bonham in 1980 put a
untimely stop to it.
The 24 songs collected here in
this Mothership set run the
gamut of the band's explosive
career, but 20 of them are culled
from the era of their monster LPs,
dating to 1969- 1975.
In some quarters, there has been
talk of this release being nothing
but a blatant cash grab, just a
week ahead of the long
anticipated reissue of The Song
remains The Same reconstituted
DVD collection.
Also unclear is exactly when-and
what-was done sonically to these
tracks to make them more tonal in
the age of 24 bit remasters.
Because though a close read of
the well illustrated 24 page CD
booklet, all we are told is that the
set was "produced by Jimmy
Page," and remastered by "John
Davis at Alchemy Mastering,
London."
Even though the overall sound of
these tracks is noticeably
superior-better bass, clearer
guitar and less shrill vocals- to
the early '90s box set offered by
the band, whether the sound is
better than the various forms of
the individual Zep LP back
catalogue and issued in Japan
and the UK, is open to discussion.
But what ALL led Zeppelin studio
material really cries out for is a
nice 5.1 assembling. Then, the
drums, which to my ear are still
somewhat buried could get a
channel of their own.
And although Fricke's
essay-obviously prepared a while
ago- laments the demise of the
performing band, those not out of
touch know that they will reunite
in London, on Dec. 10.
Till then, this collection will just
have to do.
