Led Zeppelin II Deluxe Edition

Love it

Led Zeppelin released its superb second album Led Zeppelin II in October of 1969.In 1968, famed British session guitarist Jimmy Page (whom had joined The Yardbirds and was in their final lineup) first joined forces with fellow British session musician John Paul Jones (bass guitar and keyboards) and two musicians from the Midlands of England being singer Robert Plant and the sadly missed John Bonham on drums. Just after the band released its debut album in January of 1969, the band conquered America with ease as its debut album reached #10 in the States without a hit single! Also the band quickly graduated from opening act to theaters to eventually arenas and stadiums.Whilst the band toured for its debut, they recorded, mixed and mastered its sophomore effort with Jimmy Page producing the album and this time Jimi Hendrix engineer Eddie Kramer, the late Andy Johns, George Chkiantz and Chris Huston were the recording engineers and Eddie Kramer did the mixing. Would this album be as great as its debut or better, read on and find out, as I did when I first heard as a 7 year old in 1983 when my third oldest sister's friend brought over the vinyl record and would acquire on cassette in 1985 (with "Heartbreaker" ending Side 1 and "Thank You" opening Side 2).We open proceedings with the band's only US Top 5 hit, the rocking "Whole Lotta Love" which is just a killer tune although its been played many times on rock radio over the years. When issued as a single, the trippy middle section was excised (sacrilege). The song was a group composition based on Willie Dixon's "You Need Love". Next is Page and Plant's power ballad as it were "What Is and What Should Never Be" which is just a stellar song and has the quiet verses, the loud chorus and an ending which goes elsewhere. Next is the band's collaboration rocker called "The Lemon Song" which is not about lemons. The song has references to blues songs like Robert Johnson's "Travelling Riverside Blues" and Howlin' Wolf's "Killing Floor" but the riffs and the solo sections from Page were all Zeppelin. The first half closes with "Thank You" which is a Page/Plant collaboration which has Jimmy on acoustic and electric guitars, Jonesy on organ and is just a beautiful love song as it were.The second half of the album begins with the group collaborated rocker "Heartbreaker" which just burns and is a killer tune. We then segue into another rocker out of "Living Loving Maid (She's Just a Woman") which is a Page/Plant rocker which rocks. Then it's a half acoustic/half electric number called "Ramble On" which is another Page/Plant collaboration and just is a great song. Next is the instrumental "Moby Dick" which showcased why the late John Bonham was rock's greatest drummer (this song's drum solo would extend to upwards of 30 minutes in later concert performances in later years). We close the album with "Bring It On Home" which is two songs in one which the intro and outro was based on Sonny Boy Williamson and then the rest was Page/Plant with some additional lyrics by Willie Dixon. Killer way to end the album.Led Zeppelin's sophomore effort would go to #1 on the American album charts knocking The Beatles' Abbey Road out of #1 and has sold over 10 plus million Stateside.Now in 2014, the album is re-released and given a superb remastering treatment by Jimmy Page and also comes with a second CD featuring a rough mix of "Whole Lotta Love" with alternate vocal performance and sans the overdubs plus rough mixes of "What Is and What Should Never Be", "Heartbreaker" and "Ramble On" with alternate vocal and guitar bits. Then there is instrumental backing tracks of "Thank You" and "Living Loving Maid" and "Moby Dick". Finally is an instrumental not released before called "La-La" which is an excellent and unique instrumental which is excellent. Also is packaged in a triple gatefold and comes with a stellar booklet with awesome pictures.RECOMMENDED!

This is a must for any true Led Zeppelin fan. It's not one of those "digitally remastered" compilation's where it plays like an ipod on relentless shuffle, but hold's true to the original release format including cover art with added liner notes and pics. It also has a companion disc that hold ruff mixes & striped down versions of some these classic tracks to reveal a look into the meticulous production that went into the making of this now classic recording. If you're interested in knowing my motivation for such high praise (and you have 8 days to spare.......kidding) read on. If this is enough to spike your interest, then........ never mind!In 1969 I had already been playing music for 4+ plus years and at the ripe old age of 17 thought I was "King S!#t". "Thought" being the key term in my misguided assessment of my early facility on my instrument...the bass. The shocking moment of revelation came not when I first heard Led Zeppelin's first offering, which was itself a revelation, but when I walked into Winterland (an old now non existent ice arena turned concert venue in SF CA) to my first Zep concert. The first player I saw/heard (more like felt right through my body) was John Paul Jones. His sound was like a freight train comin' at ya at full throttle but with the touch & skill of a classical concert musician! I had never heard anything like it. Then later that year Led Zeppelin II came out and I said to myself, "self, you've been f@$&!*g around up till now...you best get busy" So I did. I learned I & II note for note....every track. But my all time favorite is "Ramble On". Here I finally get to my point. After 43+ years as a professional musician & teacher (10 of those years) I use Ramble On and many other Zep trks to teach ear training. In Ramble On's case in particular, I had lobbied the Zep powers that be by email & by any means I could find to "please release or tell me if it's possible to make available a copy of the tune without fading it out". I wanted to know what went on to the end of the track as recorded, 'cuz to me it sounded like they were well on their way to "gittin' it" when as it often happens to great rhythm sections as they "air it out", get faded out. Well I am extremely happy to report here & now that has now, with this new version with the supplementary special added track of ruff mixes, this has actually happened. Jimmy Page has given us a peek at the meticulous construction/production of this classic recording by drying up some of the effects, eliminating some of the over tracked guitar parts and vocals (to his credit I might add 'cuz they're great parts), by doing so, clarified the bass even more to reveal every little nuance that JPJ articulated. He holds the fade on Ramble On till the very last moment & you can actually hear them stop. I must admit it was a little anti climatic 'cuz I though they had for sure gone into a great jam but they end it not really to long after the original fade! None the less it answers a question that has haunted me since I first heard the tune. Thank you Mr Page for your tireless work in "re working" a true master piece.

A no frills CD