Album Review: Those 70's Shows: Classic Rock Reviews

LED ZEPPELIN

Probably the power rock band of the '70s, Led Zeppelin--singer/majority songwriter Jimmy Page, guitarist Robert Plant, bassist John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham--has partially influenced almost all of modern rock. Now, in recognition of their 30th anniversary, founder Jimmy Page has seen fit to assemble a compilation of their "greatest moments." The first segment, entitled Early Days, features songs from Zep's first four albums and some multimedia frills.

The songs have been culled from their first four albums, and all tracks are solid Zep hits, including the ubiquitous "Stairway to Heaven." From the smooth "Dazed and Confused," the band's bluesy influence shines through, in almost all tracks, including the laid-back "When the Levee Breaks." Rest assured, there are songs such as "Black Dog" that feature Page's trademark banshee wail, not to mention Plant's scorching guitar riffs, all of which became synonymous with the band's earlier studio sessions. The visceral thrills in "Rock and Roll" and "Communication Breakdown" hurtle with the subtlety of a rhinoceros on amphetamines, impelled by Bonham's frenetic percussion.

However, the group's work also shines in the acoustic gem "The Battle for Evermore," showcasing the more folksy influence that would pervade later albums, and the downright languid blues-shuffle of "Since I've Been Loving You" is a welcome contrast to thrashing guitars, even if this foray into straight blues is a little uneven. All the tracks here could reasonably be considered necessary inclusions, although, as is inevitable, there are some notable omissions. The band's folk-based yearnings, so prominent on III, are almost ignored throughout. In general, their second and third albums are much more scarcely represented, but it's not a significant problem.

Perhaps the collection's only prominent failure resides in not capturing the band's raw performing power. Still, this is an essential for the Led Zeppelin novice--although if you've already got the boxed set, don't bother. The CD-ROM video of a "Communication Breakdown" performance is a nice touch, but not worth the price of admission. It deserves an A, but only if you haven't got the other albums already.

GENESIS

Genesis, coincidentally another group of rockers celebrating their 30th anniversary, features the eclectic musicians (mainly featuring Phil Collins, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford) from the '70s, '80s and '90s, but where Led Zeppelin could be considered power rock, Genesis is best categorized as power pop. On Turn it On Again, the band appears in all its past glory, selecting its best outings from nine studio albums spanning 25 years.

Hits from the later years include all five top five singles from their 1986 album Invisible Touch, including the upbeat and pleasing title track, dominated by synthesizer and pounding studio drums and the somewhat sappy yet touching ballad "In Too Deep," in which Phil Collins' conversational vocals become very intimate. "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight," a song about sexual desire infused with a little '80s electronic music, is a darker single from the same album. Other predictable songs are here, such as "I Can't Dance" and "ABACAB," the latter whose introductory guitar riff is familiar, even if you didn't know from which track it came. "Jesus He Knows Me," an ironic single about evangelism and the cult of religion, drives forth with infectious energy, while the soulful inflections on "That's Me" illustrate that Genesis are multi-dimensional, if not fully experimental.

In retrospect, it's certainly not offensive stuff, and incredibly easy to listen to. That said, there are some tracks that just don't quite work. The faint tribal chanting on "Congo" seems experimental for experiment's sake, and the guitars on "Throwing It All Away" are pretty, but the sentiment is a little overwrought, as are the lyrics overly-melodramatic to the point of banality on "Follow You, Follow Me." It seems as though the producers, probably under the urging of the current band members, were stretching to select tracks to fill a pre-determined quota. It might have been better to cut the number of later tracks, and include founding member Peter Gabriel on more than one track. The collection is good, but not great, and when it comes to choosing songs, Genesis might have benefited from a more critical, more dispassionate ear. B