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"…Gonna Make You Sweat…Gonna
Make You Groove…"
I remember walking up to
Dolphin Discs in Talbot Street in Dublin in November 1971 and seeing the
long-awaited album sleeve to Led Zeppelin's new album be given pride of place
in their window display. Even at the tender age of thirteen and twelve - my
sister Frances and I were devoted Zeppelites - so I drew closer to ogle. Someone
in the shop had made a white cardboard star, drawn "LED ZEP IV! IT'S
HERE!!" in the album's inner sleeve calligraphy and stuck the card star on
the top right of the untitled matt sleeve. People were stopping to gawk -
what's the big deal? But I remember thinking only one thing. Cheeky buggers -
the Zeps are now so big they haven't even put a bleeding title on it! How
very...well...Rock and Roll!
Fast-forward to 2014 and
another reissue and yet another (far better) remaster. Here are the levees breaking,
hops on misty mountains and the May Queen bustling in your hedgerow...
Released October 2014 - "Led
Zeppelin IV: Deluxe Edition” by LED ZEPPELIN on Atlantic/Swan Song 812279446
(Barcode 081227964467) is a 2CD Remaster and breaks down as follows:
Disc (ORIGINAL ALBUM - 42:38
minutes):
1. Black Dog
2. Rock And Roll
3. The Battle Of Evermore
4. Stairway To Heaven
5. Misty Mountain Hop
6. Four Sticks
7. Going To California
8. When The Levee Breaks
Tracks
1 to 8 are their 4th LP “Led Zeppelin IV” – released 8 November 1971
in the USA on Atlantic SD 7208 and Atlantic 2401012 in the UK. Officially their
4th album was ‘untitled’ but of course is often referred to as "Led
Zeppelin IV", "Four Symbols" or "Runes" or "ZoSo"
(after the four symbols that appear at the top of the Atlantic Records label -
Zodiac letters for each member of the band).
Disc 2 (COMPANION AUDIO
Unreleased Studio Outtakes - 40:35 minutes):
1. Black Dog (Basic Track
With Guitar Overdubs)
2. Rock And Roll (Alternate
Mix)
3. The Battle Of Evermore
(Mandolin/Guitar Mix From Headley Grange)
4. Stairway To Heaven
(Sunset Sound Mix)
5. Misty Mountain Hop
(Alternate Mix)
6. Four Sticks (Alternate
Mix)
7. Going To California
(Mandolin/Guitar Mix)
8. When The Levee Breaks
(Alternate U.K. Mix)
For a supposed DELUXE
EDITION the 16-page booklet is adequate at best - colour live shots, the inner
sleeve reproduced in the centre pages and a few basic reissue credits on the
last few pages. All the original LP artwork is there – the second hand painting
Plant bought in Berkshire and stuck to the wall of a derelict building to get
the cover shot – the four symbols of the Zodiac for the boys along with Sandy
Denny’s on the inner sleeve – the lyrics to “Stairway To Heaven” that we used
to all pour over. But for such an iconic band and prestigious catalogue - you
think Atlantic could have pushed the boat out a bit more. It's noticeable also
that the track list stick-on sheet that was pasted on to the rear sleeves of I,
II and III is now on the outside of the shrinkwrap for you to place wherever
you want. It's also irritating because you can barely read the writing on it.
But to the really good news...
The much-lauded JIMMY PAGE
remaster is excellent and a definite improvement on what we had before -
especially on the beautiful acoustic tracks "The Battle Of Evermore"
and "Going To California". But it's when we hit "Black
Dog", "Rock And Roll" and especially the monster "When The
Levee Breaks" that the real sonic punch kicks in. The harmonica on
"Levee" threatens to run amuck in your living room while that
acoustic break in "Four Sticks" after the guitar intro is absolutely
huge. It has to be said that there's noticeable hiss on some of the quieter
parts in "Stairway" but not enough to be intrusive or detract. The
same applies to the John Paul Jones keys in "Misty Mountain Hop" and
Bonzo's drums just so powerful. But for me the sonic jewel on here is the
mandolin/guitar battles and vocals in the stunning "Battle Of
Evermore" with SANDY DENNY guesting so sweetly.
The liner notes for the
'Companion Audio' give it some waffle about 'new material' recorded for the
'works in progress' - it's deliberately ambiguous because you can't feel that a
lot of these 'outtakes' were done in the studio with Pro Tools in the last few
years and bear little resemblance to 1971. Having said all of that - they are
irritatingly brilliant! You'd be hard pressed to spot the differences in either
the Basic Track of "Black Dog" or the Alternate Mix of "Rock And
Roll" but the Headley Grange version of "The Battle Of Evermore"
is fabulous stuff - guitar bits coming at you've never heard before. Having
become so accustomed to the finished take of the album's goliath "Stairway
To Heaven" - the Sunset Sound Mix feels oddly unsatisfying - even though
that beautiful electric guitar break remains virtually intact (and still has
the power to thrill). But I'm taken aback yet again by the sheer Zep power of
"When The Levee Breaks" where there's more echoing on the guitars and
harmonica to a point where it feels like its going to get out of hand (but it
doesn't). And that little guitar flourish at the end is Production genius. Wow!
So what we have is a
five-star album given five-star sound and four-star presentation (don't get me
started on the rip-off Uber Deluxe Edition). I can remember the excitement
their albums used to engender on arrival - and this morning - tingles returned
- and that's good enough for me (name or no name)...
PS: see also reviews for the
2CD Deluxe Edition versions of "I", "II", "III",
"Houses Of The Holy", "Physical Graffiti" (3-Discs) and the
3-Disc version of "Mothership: The
Very Best Of"
