Led Zeppelin

[dudelsack]

Several stereo image reversal problems with these LZ non-remastered CDs - one side of Physical Graffiti is reversed, too.

[lukpac]

I'll try and post a few clips...

[Larkston Zinazpic]

I guess this is slightly OT, but does anyone know where those remixes of the Zep III stuff came from on that boot Studio Daze? Maybe I'm just weird but I prefer them to the regular mixes, and Jennings Farm Blues sounds like the best studio recording Zeppelin made in '69. Was that part of the stuff that got stolen from Page's house?



...

[lukpac]

Here are a few from the first album:

Good Times Bad Times

You Shook Me

The only thing I did was to level match them. Of course, that kind of becomes apples to oranges when the EQ is different, but...

No comment on which is which yet.

[lukpac]

More comparisons:

Whole Lotta Love

What Is And What Should Never Be

The Lemon Song

Thank You

Random thoughts on LZ II:

- Whole Lotta Love is too fucking long

- I never hear either on the radio these days, but back in the day stations seemed to *always* play Heartbreaker followed by Living Loving Maid. Always the two together. In fact, those were probably the first LZ songs I ever knew.

- Drum solos (Moby Dick) are fucking boring.

I think I'd be happy with a single CD of the highlights of I and II.

[Phil Elliott]

Andreas sent me snippets of his LZIII disc - and it's the same as mine after all.

In casual listening, at least to my ears, track 8 fades out, although there is a lurch in the fade 1 second from the end. But, if you crank it up loud, what Andreas says is pretty much correct. The song is still going under all the hiss, and is interrupted.

[balthazar]

Random thoughts on LZ II:

- Whole Lotta Love is too fucking long

I rather like the song, despite its length

- I never hear either on the radio these days, but back in the day stations seemed to *always* play Heartbreaker followed by Living Loving Maid. Always the two together. In fact, those were probably the first LZ songs I ever knew.

One follows the other on LZII, but I don't know if that's the sole reason they got played together. My original casette version of LZII split them up, so I originally never knew why they got played together. I don't hear them much that way, either, unless is part of a typical "Two for Tuesday" deal or some Led Zeppelin segment.

- Drum solos (Moby Dick) are fucking boring.

IMO, "Moby Dick" is better than its inspiration, "Toad" by Cream.

I think I'd be happy with a single CD of the highlights of I and II.

I've got all the studio albums, plus _The Song Remains the Same_ and _BBC Sessions_. If you're interested in anything from any of them, let me know.

[lukpac]

IMO, "Moby Dick" is better than its inspiration, "Toad" by Cream.

I don't like Toad much either, especially the live version!

[Rspaight]

Jesus, I'm deaf. I honestly can't detect enough difference (at least in "Good Times" and "Whole Lotta Love") to care which is which.

Your equipment must be at fault.

Ryan

[Beatlesfan03]

I'll take a stab, for the LZ I I think the remasters are first, the old second. LZ II is the originals first, and the remasters second. I'm still kind of on the fence about the first tracks because I couldn't tell that much of a difference.

[Andreas]

My thoughts about Luke's samples:

Good Times Bad Times: Very close. I'd say the remaster is second, since the "upper midrange" is a bit accentuated.

You Shooke Me: No difference at all.

Whole Lotta Love: I like the drum sound much better on the first sample. I'd say, the remaster is the second sample.

What Is And What Should Never Be: No difference.

The Lemon Song: Obvious upper midrange boost on the second sample, which makes it a candidate fo the remaster. The first sample sounds a bit dull, but still much better and fuller. The biggest difference among these.

Thank You: No difference.

PS:
Luke, who gave you the idea that I and II are Led Zeppelin's best albums? I'd recommend you III and HOTH as the band's most diverse and most interesting albums. Better melodies, better hooks, folk and accoustic elements, more experimentation, less solos.

[Phil Elliott]

I find I and II to be a little blues heavy, which doesn't do a great deal for me. III has always been my favourite though.

[lukpac]

I'll take a stab, for the LZ I I think the remasters are first, the old second. LZ II is the originals first, and the remasters second. I'm still kind of on the fence about the first tracks because I couldn't tell that much of a difference.

I'll just say this for now - it isn't that simple.

[Rspaight]

Upon further review (and a night's sleep), I'm going to agree with Andreas on WLL (both in the superiority of the drums on the first sample and the remaster being second).

Ryan

[lukpac]

Luke, who gave you the idea that I and II are Led Zeppelin's best albums? I'd recommend you III and HOTH as the band's most diverse and most interesting albums. Better melodies, better hooks, folk and accoustic elements, more experimentation, less solos.

I honestly don't know too much about III.

I love Over The Hills and Far Away on HOTH, but I can't stand The Rain Song or D'Yer Mak'er. Those two songs make me gag. Don't know much about the rest of the album.

Growing up I knew II and IV. I think I'm just sick of most of IV these days.

As far as the clips go, I think I'd probably be able to tell the difference on all of them, sans perhaps You Shook Me (I did pick that one because it seemed really close). The order in which you play the clips makes a big difference, as does the relative volume. At one volume, one version may seem better, but when it's 1 dB lower the other suddenly seems better.

And one person's "obvious upper midrange boost on the second sample" is another's "obvious upper midrange cut on the first sample". Or perhaps the truth is somewhere in the middle.