Led Zeppelin's Mothership

Led Zeppelin at the O2 Arena, London, December 10, 2007The release of Led Zeppelin’s Mothership , the latest compilation to celebrate the career of the legendary foursome, comes on the heels of the much touted and since lauded Ahmet Ertegün Tribute concert in London’s O2 Arena on December 10th last, and is accompanied by a much quieter re-release of legendary concert film The Song Remains The Same. Entirely coincidentally, Stephen Davis’ derided-as-inaccurate but enormously entertaining tell-all Hammer Of The Gods was also re-released last April. Listening to the album underlines just how influential Led Zeppelin remain to this day – contemporary artists like The Hold Steady, Black Stone Cherry, The Black Crowes (who have recorded with Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page) and Wolfmother wear the influence on their sleeves. Despite Robert Plant’s rejection of the ‘heavy metal’ label, few would deny that the band dramatically changed, if not defined the genre. It must be said that many metal bands seem to take more influence from the lifestyle defined in Davis’ book than from old Zeppelin records, although the musical influence is still clear – listen to Nobody’s Fault But Mine and then Guns N’ Roses Paradise City back to back and you’ll see what I mean.(Yes, I realise I just used Guns N’ Roses as an example of a modern metal band. Yes, I realise that was probably a dumb thing to do. Still a valid point, though.)As an introduction to Led Zeppelin, Mothership is a good one – for your money you get 2 CDs (or 4 records if you’ve gone for the vinyl edition) and, if you go for the ‘Deluxe’ version a DVD of live performances from across the Seventies (which we’ll get to in a moment.) Rockers like Kashmir, Black Dog, Dazed and Confused and Whole Lotta Love share the discs with more ethereal fare like Ramble On and – do I even need to mention it? – Stairway To Heaven and later, funkier material like In The Evening.The argument as to whether or not Mothership comprises the essential Led Zeppelin is, of course, one for the ages. It’s certainly difficult to argue with the choice of songs – all eight studio albums are represented with at least two songs each, IV and Houses Of The Holy each getting four; and the tracks were selected by the surviving band members. And yet with a band as prolific and at the same time divisive as Led Zeppelin the selection is almost guaranteed to disappoint some hardcore fans.Hardcore fans, however, are unlikely to buy Mothership. According to the press release, all the songs have been “selected, sequenced and mastered under direct supervision of the band” especially for the album, although it’s debatable whether or not anything new has been brought to these versions. They are, for my money, a little clearer and sharper than the 1990 (1992 for US listeners) Remasters versions, although not by much. Even if all you already own is the first Remasters set, you’ve already got everything on here, with the exception of When The Levee Breaks (in fact, you’ve got three more tracks – Battle Of Evermore, Misty Mountain Hop and Celebration Day.) I’m going to go on the record and wish that this time around they’d included Hey, Hey, What Can I Do and Living, Loving Maid, although I can’t imagine what I’d leave off to make room for either.The DVD, if you’re inclined to splash out on the deluxe edition, features 20 songs selected from five live performances, 9 of the songs being from a January 9th, 1970 performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Shows from Madison Square Garden, Earl’s Court and their last UK shows at Knebworth in 1979 are also featured. The Madison Square Garden shows are the same as those featured in The Song Remains The Same.If you’re looking for an introduction to the music of Led Zeppelin, Mothership does a great job. Put it on your iPod, listen to it on the train/bus/walk to work and on the way home again, put the CD in your car for any long drives you take and you’ll be very, very happy. It’s a great representation of the band’s catalogue and shows you exactly what they can do.If you’re looking for an introduction to the culture of Led Zeppelin (and please note the difference), dust off your turntable, track down some vinyl copies of Led Zeppelin I-IV and play with the lights off and the volume high enough to cause permanent hearing damage. Your neighbours will hate you, but by God, you’ll know what rock is.Track Listing:Disc One1. "Good Times, Bad Times" (from Led Zeppelin)2. "Communication Breakdown" (from Led Zeppelin) 3. "Dazed and Confused" (from Led Zeppelin)4. "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" (from Led Zeppelin) 5. "Whole Lotta Love" (from Led Zeppelin II) 6. "Ramble On" (from Led Zeppelin II) 7. "Heartbreaker" (from Led Zeppelin II) 8. "Immigrant Song" (from Led Zeppelin III)9. "Since I've Been Loving You" (from Led Zeppelin III)10. "Rock and Roll" (from Led Zeppelin IV)11. "Black Dog" (from Led Zeppelin IV) 12. "When the Levee Breaks" (from Led Zeppelin IV) 13. "Stairway to Heaven" (from Led Zeppelin IV)Disc Two1. "The Song Remains the Same" (from Houses of the Holy) 2. "Over the Hills and Far Away" (from Houses of the Holy)3. "D'yer Mak'er" (from Houses of the Holy)4. "No Quarter" (from Houses of the Holy)5. "Trampled Under Foot" (from Physical Graffiti)6. "Houses of the Holy" (from Physical Graffiti)7. "Kashmir" (from Physical Graffiti)8. "Nobody's Fault but Mine" (from Presence)9. "Achilles Last Stand" (from Presence) 10. "In the Evening" (from In Through the Out Door)11. "All My Love" (from In Through the Out Door)Deluxe Edition DVD1. "We're Gonna Groove" (Royal Albert Hall - January 9, 1970)2. "I Can't Quit You Baby" (Royal Albert Hall - January 9, 1970)3. "Dazed and Confused" (Royal Albert Hall - January 9, 1970)4. "White Summer" (Royal Albert Hall - January 9, 1970)5. "What Is and What Should Never Be" (Royal Albert Hall - January 9, 1970)6. "Moby Dick" (Royal Albert Hall - January 9, 1970)7. "Whole Lotta Love" (Royal Albert Hall - January 9, 1970)8. "Communication Breakdown" (Royal Albert Hall - January 9, 1970)9. "Bring It on Home" (Royal Albert Hall - January 9, 1970)10. "Immigrant Song" (Sydney Showground - February 27, 1972)11. "Black Dog" (Madison Square Garden - July 27, 28, 29, 1973)12. "Misty Mountain Hop" (Madison Square Garden - July 27, 28, 29, 1973)13. "The Ocean" (Madison Square Garden - July 27, 28, 29, 1973)14. "Going to California" (Earls Court - May 25, 1975)15. "In My Time of Dying" (Earls Court - May 25, 1975)16. "Stairway to Heaven" (Earls Court - May 25, 1975)17. "Rock and Roll" (Knebworth - August 4, 1979)18. "Nobody's Fault But Mine" (Knebworth - August 4, 1979)19. "Kashmir" (Knebworth - August 4, 1979)20. "Whole Lotta Love" (Knebworth - August 4, 1979)