March 22, 2000

Latter Days: The Best Of Led Zeppelin. Volume Two

While the material on this record doesn't match up to [B]'Volume One'[/B], it's still an essential purchase for anyone who can't be bothered to get their patchy later albums...

8 / 10 Released as the sequel to last year's 'Best Of', this record documents Led Zep just as they'd reached their peak. The world lay conquered before them, they were selling out Madison Square Garden and making movies. Bonham, Page, Plant and Jones were the kings of the universe, the best rock band on the planet, no contest.

/img/ledzeppelin0300.jpg But from 1973's 'Houses Of The Holy' onwards their kingdom began to crumble amid a horrible mess of witchcraft, heroin, family tragedies and coke-fuelled egotism. This record documents their work over that time, but far from sounding wasted and overwrought, it contains some of their finest moments.

Arguably Led Zep's most enduring tune, 'Kashmir' is the sound of a million elephants marching on Trafalgar Square, a song that's still not been topped in terms of majesty. Not even Puff Daddy's platinum production skills on his 1998 version ('Come With Me') could outweigh the power of the original. 'The Song Remains The Same' is almost the best song The Who never wrote, while 'No Quarter''s sleazy atmospherics set a blueprint for bluesy sleaze rock outfits the world over.

While the material on this record doesn't match up to 'Volume One', it's still an essential purchase for anyone who can't be bothered to get their patchy later albums.