Rating: NNN
There’s something admirable about Robert Plant’s resolve to leave the legacy of Led Zeppelin in the annals of rock and roll history. There’s doubtlessly a multi-million-dollar market for a Zeppelin reunion tour, but Plant has left that money on the table to play bluegrass. And, thankfully, the other members have never followed through on a rumoured tour with a replacement singer.
But one night in 2007, the three surviving members plus deceased drummer John Bonham’s son Jason reconvened at London’s O2 Arena for a one-off tribute to Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun. Now, for the 20 million people who couldn’t get tickets, Warner has compiled the half-decade-old greatest hits set into a live album.
Plant’s voice is noticeably lower than his salad-days falsetto, and Jimmy Page’s guitar sounds slicker than before, but for the most part this is the Zeppelin of yore, trotting out blistering renditions of Dazed And Confused, Rock And Roll and, yes, Stairway To Heaven.
Top track: No Quarter
