Led Zeppelin Remasters in 2014+ to include 2nd disc of bonus material (Pt 8)

Post pics!!

 

I've been able to hear the companion material.

Presence = very cool.

In Through the Out Door = meh (at best).

Coda =

 

Hmm. I don't like "meh"

 

So can you describe St. Tristan's Sword on the Coda disc?

 

In the Evening - which many of us already have heard - is a great alt version, interesting in its own right and a truly different feel.

The main problem with the companion disc is that Fool in the Rain, All My Love, and I'm Gonna Crawl sound terrible - quite muffled, as in clearly from an inferior source. (Some are speculating that these are the main tracks Page didn't have, and he got them from Plant's copies which maybe were cassettes or 3-3/4ips reels instead of the normal 7-1/2 reels that Page has.) Combined with the fact that they're just not that different from the official versions, these three are truly one-and-done IMHO.

On the other hand, Carouselambra, South Bound Saurez, and Hot Dog sound great and the latter two in particular have that "live in the studio" feel the best companion tracks off the prior reissues have. The percussion and low end are better too. When I heard the rough mix of South Bound Saurez my first thought was, "Man, John Bonham was a good drummer."

 

It kicks ass and sounds like you'd expect a Zep track to sound. I think folks might pick out little bits and pieces that echo (or foreshadow) guitar lines and such that ended up in album tracks released later. It sounds great, and I would say guitar riffing is its main strength. An online article called it "rollicking" and I think that's misleading. I'd say it's more driving - less happy go lucky than rollicking. I would be flabbergasted if anyone here didn't think this track was at minimum "very good."

 

Wow. Of those three I really like IGC. I guess that stinks that the alt version isn't great.

However, i can't wait to hear Bonzo on that alt take of SBS.

 

So I think the Coda companion discs are the best of the campaign. I think my overall ranking of the companion discs would be:

1. Coda (great stuff and the sheer volume of truly new/alt material)
2. Zep III (top-quality material from start to finish IMHO)
3. Physical Graffiti (first five tracks are fantastic, and Kashmir's sonics are better than the album version IMHO)
4. Zep I (live concert!)
5. Presence (Pod is beautiful, Achilles is a fantastic alternative, Royal Orleans vocal is fascinatingly horrible)
6. Zep II (La La, plus great instrumental versions, plus an all-too-rare example of a mostly alt vocal with WLL)
7. Houses of the Holy (instrumental TSRTS is a gem; alt Rain Song really beautiful; No Quarter instrumental nice to have but not thrilling; the rest I don't ever need to hear again)
8. Zep IV (instrumentals are beautiful; alt Levee mix a nice alternative with less mud; alt Stairway has superior sonics; but overall not much different from official album)
9. In Through the Out Door (In the Evening great; three of the remaining tracks have appalling sound)

 

I'm not one of those In Through the Out Door haters, but I'm not a huge fan of it either. For those who really love that album, I'd say the companion material does offer four worthwhile tracks, with the first two being the gems, In the Evening for the version, and South Bound Saurez for the mix/sonics. And it's cool to hear Carouselambra with less reverb and processing,

But like you, I really like I'm Gonna Crawl. I also love Fool in the Rain, so I was disappointed that they both sound so bad.

On the bright side, the main album is arguably the most improved sonically with the new remasters, and Fool in the Rain and I'm Gonna Crawl sound great in their regular/official versions.

 

Nice.

Hoping to see some unboxing videos for the super deluxes this weekend

 

Reading all this posts makes me wish it was Friday!!

 

it'll be a few days before I can hear the three latest, but I mostly agree with your assessment of the first six. Except, I'd give particular mention to Over The Hills instrumental. And I'd put LZI a bit lower.

 

Agreed, I'd switch II and I around. Other than that, spot on tmtomh.
Been listening for a couple of hours now, let me just say that Coda's companion discs are an embarrassment of riches.

 

Happy to read your first reviews, guys -and of course even happier that they are mostly positive!
I won't be able to buy them for still a few days, so I have two questions, if you don't mind
1- How is the sound of the core albums, compared to the two previous released versions?
2- Could you describe how different is the alternate Achilles from the studio version?

Many thanks!

 

How`s"Blot"?

 

IMHO the sound of the core albums is superior to all previously released CD/digital versions. When it comes to In Through the Out Door, I think I'm in very good company - ever since the new mastering first surfaced via the iTunes and Qobuz files in late 2012 and early 2013, many folks have remarked how much better this album sounds. So I feel strongly that this is the best sounding version of this album, including all previous vinyl releases.

As for Presence, this is my favorite mastering on digital, but I still slightly prefer a superb rip of the Classic Records 45rpm vinyl (which I assume means the actual LP, played on a high-end system, would sound even a little better). But for 99% of us, IMHO this new mastering is as good as it gets. Plus it's almost impossible to get a turntable to track the latter vocal parts of "Tea for One" without excessive sibilance. So for me the new version, in CD/digital format, is the best version of this particular track, bar none.

For Coda my feeling is similar to Presence - this new mastering is the best, except for the Classic Records 45rpm vinyl.

Also, as a side note to Coda, it contains two "companion" studio tracks that have been officially released before - Baby Come on Home and Hey Hey What Can I Do. The main (only?) prior release of Baby Come on Home has been on the 1993 box set. And so it's a real treat here, because there is no Diament-mastered version of the track, nor is there any vintage vinyl of the track. It's great to hear it with the frequency balance, clarity, and openness of the new mastering. Hey Hey What Can I Do exists in some pretty good sounding versions via rips of the original 45 single, but this definitely is the best digital mastering of that track too - and IMHO also better than the old 45s, though YMMV on that count.

Oh, yes, Achilles - I'm not an Achilles expert like a lot of hardcore Zep fans, so I can't talk about all the little different details. But the mix is less dense and there's less reverb/compression/EQ on some of the guitar parts (and I think maybe on the drums too). It's got a more "live in the studio" feel although still with several overdubs. I really like it.

Blot is I'm Gonna Crawl, and as I noted above, the sound quality ruins it for me. The ITTOD companion disc is the only one of the whole campaign that I probably won't ever listen to all the way through again. I will put it in a playlist and listen to In the Evening, South Bound Saurez, Hot Dog, and Carouselambra, and skip the other three (which is a shame since Fool in the Rain and Blot/I'm Gonna Crawl are my 2nd and 3rd favorite tracks on the album).

But taking these three albums as a single unit, the companion material overall is terrific.

 

Many thanks tmtomh !

 

who's going to be the first to post a picture of all the SDEs together?

 

So with all of the companion material revealed now, that just leaves Moby Dick/Bonzo's Montreaux and Black Summer/White Mountainside as the only orphan bonus tracks not to be included in the 2015 remasters, right? Or am I overlooking any others?

 

^ Yes.
BTW, Moby Dick/Bonzo's Montreaux is a mish-mash from 1993. Black Summer/White Mountainside is a live track from BBC concert.

 

Is The alt versión of All My Lo ve The Extended version t hats be en out for a Long time?

 

Actually, both of those made their first appearance on the 1990 box set (along with Traveling Riverside Blues). White Summer/Black Mountain Side would later also appear on the 1993 Coda re-issue, but was left off the BBC Sessions release. Oddly, TRB is on the '93 Coda, BBC Sessions and now the Coda Companion set.

 

No. And I don't understand that decision.

 

Well

. Well Now im just going to get The single vinyl versión. A shame raeally. I wanted The extra disc just for The Extended All My lo ve versión.

 

Robert Plant song, he reportedly had nothing to do with these re-issues.