Martes 1 Dic 2009, 21:56

The playlist I propose below is my personal take on showing what makes Led Zeppelin such a great band. While picking the tracks, I tried to avoid very obvious, overplayed songs and to display how they were able to pull off very engaging and very diverse songs. Thus, I hope it can portray them from a somewhat different perspective than usual. I constrained the compilation to a set of two LPs (or two sides of a 90' mixtape if you prefer), each of them having to make for a consistent listen in terms of flow and moods. Therefore, I had to make some sacrifices - most noticeable will be the absence of darker blues epics (Tea for One, When the Levee Breaks, …). Disc One is arguably closer to what one would expect from a traditional Zeppelin compilation, while Disc Two is rather different in that it focuses on the latter albums and aims for sheer playfulness (an element which I find to be really overlooked when it comes to discussing Zep music). Anyway, here are the picks:

Disc One

The Song Remains the Same (Best album opener ever! Perfect for starting a day with a shot of adrenalin as well. I was tempted to follow it with the marvellous The Rain Song as in Houses of the Holy, but doing so would overload the disc with long songs.)

In My Time of Dying (Want a massive blues epic? Fine, as long as it doubles as the most hilariously over the top piece of gospel music ever!)

Hey Hey What Can I Do (Like they used to do on the shows, this will have an acoustic set in the middle. We start with this cheerful non-album (!) B-side from the Led Zeppelin III era.)

Going to California (Maybe their most beautiful ballad. And extra points for the Joni Mitchell references.)

Tangerine (A simple, gorgeous ballad, this time a bit darker. Might have put Gallows Pole here instead but it just wouldn't fit so well.)

Achilles Last Stand (Oh my. This is the quintessential Led Zeppelin song with regards to their epic, unlimitedly powerful side. From the manic galloping beat to the towering guitar orchestrations to the unbelievable solos… in one word: mindblowing. And it comes from the often derided Presence no less.)

Disc Two

Carouselambra (The insane propulsive rhythm coupled to the massive - and "cheesy" too, but who cares? - synth lines are set to drive you straight into top gear)

Nobody's Fault But Mine (Raw, stripped down and very heavy blues which happens to be immensely compelling and fun as well)

Ramble On (Bit of an odd choice here, but I found it adequate to have something from I/II, and nothing better than this innocent, starry-eyed Tolkien rocker - with neat bass work too, BTW)

Dancing Days (Bliss, pure refreshing joyous bliss. Hard to resist the urge to stand up and, well, dance to this one!)

Fool in the Rain (Great lightweight tune which glides on some wonderful drumming. Not to mention the totally awesome faux-Latin breakdown.)

Down by the Seaside (Delicious, even relaxing (!) song which really conveys a maritime feel. Hugely overlooked, this one.)

Misty Mountain Hop (And to finish off in a mood as cheerful as possible, a straightforward rock song that is pure fun from beginning to end!)