Monday, July 27, 2015

Led Zeppelin : Rehearsals, Demos And Studio Outtakes






With the re-release of all of the Led Zeppelin albums in deluxe editions with unheard bonus tracks, my hopes were very high. I myself was a huge Zeppelin collector for a portion of my life and had heard some really amazing versions of songs not often heard by others besides Zepheads. The other side to that story is I know how Jimmy Page likes to go back and change his music history by "fixing up the recordings". When he re-released "The Song Remains The Same" and released "How The West Was Won" it just seemed a bit TOO perfect. Sometimes live Mr. Page did not play as well as he had hoped, and in this day and age it is easy to go back into a studio and fix the tuning or whatever is needed to make it perfect. The thing that I don't think he got was, it may not have been perfect but it showed you are a human. Don't get me wrong - sometimes live shows are just, well what can I say, really bad, but when you decided to re-release them they should stay untouched or at least not perfected to this degree. The re-issue of "The Song Remains The Same" soundtrack is just something I can't and will not listen to. Sure, it's nice to get the few extra songs but man, you changed the vibe of the entire thing and I can't stand it.




This brings us to the deluxe edition re-issues of all the studio albums with bonus tracks. Alternate mixes? What a bunch of crap. Yes, I too can go into the studio with the master tape and make an"alternate mix" and just take the vocals out. Great, now I can hear everyone really sing karaoke with Zeppelin??!!! WTF

NO DEMOS
NO DRUM MIXES
NO FUN STUFF

I think Jimmy Page missed a huge portion of historic recordings he could have used. Sure, I've heard the story about him checking with the collectors to see if they had heard certain mixes or songs before but really, this is what you picked?
Sure a few new things have been released, but overall I'm not very happy with what has and will be included in these deluxe editions. I guess everyone is now going to have to buy "Coda" because that is were the Bombay sessions and a few other recordings now show up. 



What you get here is a collection from someone who has heard way too much Led Zeppelin to have these go unheard by the masses. It is a compilation in chronological order and includes MANY historic gems. Enjoy!!



Disc One
Babe I'm Gonna Leave You (alternate take)  
You Shook Me (alternate take)  
Do What Thou Wilt (outtake)  
Baby Please Come Home (original mix)   
Moby Dick (full version - no solo)   
Moby Dick (alternate drum solo only) 
Sugar Mama
Immigrant Song (rehearsal)   
Out On The Tiles (rehearsal)   
That's The Way (demo)   
Bron-Y-Aur (demo) 
Down By The Seaside (demo)   
Gallows Pole (demo)   
Over The Hills And Far Away (demo)  
I'm Gonna Be Her Man (demo)  
The Rover 1 - (demo)  
The Rover 2 - (demo)  
Untitled (demo)  
Friends (demo)
 


Disc Two
Hey Hey What Can I Do (demo)   
Hey Hey What Can I Do  
Blues Jam/That's Alright Mama   
Since I've Been Loving You (alternate mix)    
Friends (Bombay version)  
Four Sticks (Bombay version)   
Four Sticks (full version)
The Battle Of Evermore (alternate mix)   
Stairway To Heaven (demo) 
When The Levee Breaks (alternate version) 




Disc Three
No Quarter (alternate mix) 
In The Light (alternate version)  
Swan Song (outtake) 
The Wanton Song (alternate version)  
Custard Pie (alternate version)   
All My Love (full version)   
Fire (Say Your Gonna Leave Me (rehearsal)  
Wearing And Tearing (drum mix)  








2 comments:

  1. Thank very much! Led Zeppelin is <3!

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  2. I was really hoping they'd release the 'long' version of All My Love off In through the Out Door, which comes to a full close rather than fading out.

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