Achilles Last Stand

Over two years ago, I started collecting the super deluxe box sets for Led Zeppelin. These things cost a good bit of spending money, so it has been a slow process. I get nervous with these things...afraid that now that I've started down this road with the super deluxe box sets, that I'll fall behind, and they will start to become more and more difficult to find. With the Presence box hitting the stores in the summer of 2015, it was good to finally add this one to the collection.

I seem to find a reason to get excited over each Zeppelin box set that I purchase. Whether it is my favorite (IV), or one that I wasn't really familiar with (Houses Of The Holy), or one that I'd never owned on vinyl (Physical Graffiti)...with Presence, it was the album that turned me on to the band.

I grew up hating Led Zeppelin, and thought of them as music for old men. I was too busy finding heavier and faster music through the 80's, and anything from Zeppelin was met with the angry sneer of youth.

As I started to roll into my mid-30's, I discovered that some of those 70's Hard Rock bands that I'd hated as a kid, were actually quite good. For Zeppelin, all it took was for my friend Jeff to sit me down, and play the opening notes of Achilles Last Stand. That was it. The hook was set, and as I started to check out their early albums, I was completely reeled in.

Yup...I still love the negative image for the bonus LP containing a handful of alternate mixes and outtakes. Nothing really new, and probably not something that I'll listen to very much, but still a great addition.

The super deluxe box set wouldn't be complete with out that nice hardcover book. Chock full of live photos, old ads and newspaper clippings, these things are a great way to fully immerse yourself in the album. Drop the needle and flip the pages showcasing true musical history.

Super Deluxe Graffiti

I've been doing a good job on keeping up with the Led Zeppelin reissues. They are pretty expensive, so I can't buy each one as they are released, but I've been keeping on task, and picking them off one at at time. With the final three of the set (Presence, In Through The Out Door, and Coda) released in July, I knew I had to get off my ass and pick up Physical Graffiti that was released back in February...and with a little extra cash in my pocket from my birthday last month, the time was right to pull the trigger.

Of all the Zeppelin reissues, the one that I was looking forward to the most was Physical Graffiti...not because it is my favorite album from them, but because it was their only record that I didn't own on vinyl. It is funny...the reason why I hesitated to buy Physical Graffiti when I first started getting into Zeppelin was because it was a double LP, and well, double albums cost more, and I didn't want to commit to spending a few extra dollars to the vinyl. Now that I've gone down the slippery slope of Super Deluxe Box Sets, all bets are off and I'm throwing money out the window like it is going out of style. Here Led Zeppelin, take my money.

Each time I pick up one of these box sets, I sit down with the album, and end up walking away thinking "Damn, I've got a new favorite Led Zeppelin song". Physical Graffiti is no exception. In My Time Of Dying...holy shit what an absolute beast of an epic song! I've heard people mention about John Bonham hitting the drums hard, but I've never really paid much attention to it, but damn, he is absolutely thunderous on this song.

Again, the packaging on these records is top quality, with the sleeve a great replica of the original, complete with cutout windows. Man, bands and labels were creative in the 70's.

Obligatory bonus LP with outtakes and negative print album cover.

I love flipping through the hardcover book that is included in the box sets. The photos are amazing...showcasing how passionate Zeppelin was about their music.

Cool looking layout of the different single sleeves for Trampled Under Foot. Hell yes...what an awesome name. When I start my Metal band, I'm naming it Trampled Under Foot. "Dig that heavy metal underneath your hood..."

When The Levee Breaks

Last night, I hit the movie theater to check out Led Zeppelin on the big screen. This one night showing featured live footage that spanned the band's career, and while I've really been digging Zeppelin lately, this experience just made me appreciate them even more. The band were a powerhouse live...and seriously, when the shows starts off with that riff for Communication Breakdown, I wanted to be back in 1970 at that show...you could tell that those kids were on the verge of starting a mosh pit, and they just needed me as the spark to set it off. Damn...they were so raw and fierce...and when Immigrant Song starts I'm absolutely blown away by how heavy it is. If I'd heard this song as a kid, instead of focusing on the first two minutes of Stairway To Heaven, I may not have spent the majority of my life hating this band.

I fell a little behind in collecting the Super Deluxe editions for the new Led Zeppelin remasters, but I made a couple of big moves these past couple of months. First up is Led Zeppelin IV.

There are some mega-hits on this thing, and while some people would sit back and think, "Man, I never need to hear Stairway To Heaven again", I'm sitting here jamming the fuck out of these songs. I grew up hating these hit songs, but this new appreciation of the band has me hearing them with new ears, and it feels like I'm hearing them for the first time. As a side note, When The Levee Breaks may be my favorite Zeppelin song ever...at least right now it is. Damn, that song is absolutely crushing with it's heaviness.

The companion LP, with the negative image cover, looks cool, but the bonus songs are just all alternate mixes...and too be honest, I don't really get too deep into the weeds with these, and I hardly notice any difference to the ones on the regular album. Cool for what they are, and I'm sure some Zeppelin nerds get a kick out of them...me, I'd rather have some live shit instead.

The big selling point for me in this whole Super Deluxe thing is the hardcover book that comes in the box set. This thing is packed with old photos and news clippings. I love pouring through these things while the vinyl spins on the turntable.

I've never been terribly familiar with the Houses Of The Holy album, and I was eagerly looking forward to the release of this remaster...plus that orange box looks pretty sweet. No expense is spared with this set, as the LP replicates the original pressing with the paper strip that wraps around the cover OBI style. Very cool...even though it is a complete pain in the ass to put back on once you've take it off.

Led Zeppelin's fifth album in, and the band keeps cranking out powerful and passionate songs. Listening to this, I can't help but think that Over The Hills And Far Away is one of my new favorite Led Zep songs. This song was made for cruising around in the summertime with the windows down, and the music playing loud...warmer weather can't get here fast enough.

The bonus LP contains more alternate mixes for the album. These naked kids creep me out.

Love love LOVE these pictures. Plant and Page are two of the coolest motherfuckers to come out of the early 70's.

I knew that taking on the task of collecting the Super Deluxe versions of these new remasters was not for the weak. This isn't for the casual collector. Die hards only. Over the course of collecting these box sets, it has only made my appreciation for each Zeppelin album grow, and they have been worth every penny spent. Next up...Physical Graffiti.

Getting The Led Out

If you aren't familiar with the story, if I had to categorize Led Zeppelin as a kid, they would fall under the heading of "Who Gives A Fuck". Regardless of the loud guitars and screaming vocals, all my teenage ears heard was Stairway To Heaven, and for that, I could not have cared less. I guess it is one of the beautiful things of being an angst ridden kid that is discovering a world of Heavy Metal and Thrash. I was in love, and if a band fell outside of that immediate circle, it was shit, and not worth my time.

And if that closed minded arrogance defines youth, one of the wonderful qualities of growing older is that you tend to break down some of those walls, and you reach out and start to appreciate some of those things that you'd shut out while growing up. Such was my relationship with Led Zeppelin. 20 years is a long time to chill out and recognize that music doesn't have to hit you in the face like a hammer 24 hours a day, and to acknowledge that power doesn't only mean blazing fast guitar leads. It took me a while, but once I recognized these facts, and a friend introduced me to Achilles Last Stand from the Presence LP...I had to pick my jaw up from the floor. Goddamn. I've been denying myself some amazing music.

So, while I've come to appreciate Led Zeppelin over the past 8 years or so, when the new remastered pressing were scheduled to come out this year, I wasn't really sure what level of a fan I really was. While the Super Deluxe box sets looked amazing, I wasn't sure if I wanted to commit at that level. Yeah, I was a fan, but was I a "$100 record" kind of fan? You can see from this post, the answer to that question.

I was really torn on making the big leap, knowing in the back of my head that I wouldn't be able to stop at just one. No, once I started the madness, I would have to see it through for the entire discography.

On release day, I took a trip to the local record store...you know, just to check them out. I walked through the door, and only Led Zeppelin II and III on display. I picked up one of them from the shelf...fuck...they felt so heavy...so substantial...the hook was set. As I was looking over the box, a salesman walked up and asked I was finding everything okay. Well, if I was going to buy one, I was going to start with Led Zeppelin I, and since there weren't any on the shelf, I asked if they had any in stock. He went out back, and 5 minutes later he was back with a copy in his hands. Now I felt that it was just rude to not buy it after he took the time to find a copy for me...like it or not, I was committed.

Cracking open the box, I was immediately happy that I spent the money. Vinyl...hardcover book...art print...a replica of the press kit from Atlantic...holy shit, this thing was well put together.

I've always liked the first Zeppelin album, but by the time I would get to the end of the album, I would often find that it had lost my attention. With this remastered vinyl, that was not the case. The recording sounds incredible, and sucked me in from start to finish.

The bonus LP contains a live show from the Olympia in 1969. I've never been too interested in Zeppelin live material, as stretching the songs out with some trippy jam session has never been my style...and this companion LP is not exception. Good for a historical reference, but not something that I'll be reaching for very often. Still, that "negative image" style album cover is totally bad ass.

The hardcover book is a great addition to the overall package. I love flipping through it, looking at the old photos and news clippings. Seeing all of the different variations to the 7 inch singles, it tugs at the collector in me, and says, "You want them, don't you?".

Once I'd bought Zeppelin I, it took me a couple of months to work up the courage to start thinking about buying II. Dropping this much money on a box set is not for the faint of heart. I'd promised myself to not half ass this collection, and once I got myself in a good place financially, I finally committed to buying the second box set in the series.

I'm always torn as to what my favorite Zeppelin album is, and I waver from one to another. Well, after just giving II a listen with this box set, I'd say that this one takes the top spot. Damn, this this is so solid.

I'm not big on outtakes and alternate recordings, and that is all we get on the companion LP with this set. It is an interesting listen, but not something that I'd reach for very often. Love the look of that psychedelic album cover though.

This box set didn't come with as many extras as the first one, but still that hardcover book is well worth the price of admission. I love looking at these old pictures of Robert Plant singing...the dude did not hold back, and just put everything into unleashing on the mic.

I bought the Led Zeppelin III box shortly after buying II. Finding a used copy for sale at a discounted price helped to sway my decision to buy it, rather than waiting another couple months. Who buys something as hefty as one of these box sets, only to turn around and sell it back to the store so soon after?

When I first started checking out the band, it took me a long time to warm up to Led Zeppelin III...there just weren't enough loud and heavy guitars. Sure it started balls out with Immigrant Song, but there was too much acoustic guitar for me to really appreciate it. Sitting here today, on this nice summer day, with the sun pouring in the windows, I'm thinking that songs like Tangerine and That's The Way are as close to perfection that a band can get. Beautiful.

More outtakes for the Zeppelin III companion album, although the Jennings Farm Blues song is a cool mix of all the guitar overdubs from the days recording session, as is the Key To The Highway/Trouble In Mind song that I'd never heard before.

Looking at the pictures in the hardcover book for the Led Zeppelin III box set...these photos make me want to grow a beard.

I, II, and III complete. Looking forward to IV and Houses Of The Holy this Fall.