A flourish of Led Zeppelin news leading up to the reunion concert in London this December has finally culminated in a remastered, two-disc compilation release. The songs for Mothership were hand-chosen by the three surviving members and present a musical trip through the band’s recording life, displaying highlights off of each album as they were released in chronological order. This is a brilliant way to arrange an album of this magnitude, as it becomes a “Zeppelin crash course” by presenting the best material of each period.
Led Zeppelin provide the most songs on the first disc with four, and opens this compilation with its most impressive set of work. These four songs show how the band shaped the rock scene in their own time and in days to come. Each song offers its own style and shape, giving listeners all they can handle. The compilation begins by pairing up two rock songs that not only compliment each other, but also define the band’s sound very well, “Good Times, Bad Times” and “Communication Breakdown.”
The next song provides the listener with the first Zeppelin epic in “Dazed and Confused,” and then rounds things out with, “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You.” This folk-rock song is not a surprising choice as the band regularly shies away from the heavy rock stereotype by reminding everyone of their consistent use of acoustic and mandolin guitars. This song choice makes up for the lack of Led Zeppelin III songs featuring this style, such as acoustic greats “Bron-Y-Aur Stomp” and “That’s the Way.”
While their opening songs may provide a very intense listening experience, it is only about 18 minutes away from an album that contains over two hours of highlights spanning a decade of music from arguably the most talented band ever assembled.
Along with the classics, they continue to show their varying styles with songs like “Since I’ve Been Loving You,” “D’yer Mak’er” (one of the most surprising choices on this album as its heavy reggae influence brought criticism after its original release) and the closer “All My Love,” which, although a little soft, is a fitting end as it foreshadows some highlights of ’80s music to come.
Mothership does not present listeners with any weak spots. As a result, this album is a necessary purchase for those only familiar with “Stairway to Heaven.” For fans who already own the albums containing these songs, this is a necessary purchase on the basis that it is remastered and presents Led Zeppelin sounding their very best. This makes Mothership a winner for everyone, except for those who are too busy to give it a listen.
