COMPILATION REVIEWS: Led Zeppelin, Genesis, Goldfinger,
KROQ Acoustic Christmas
- Bob Gajarsky
What needs to be said about Led Zeppelin? One of the most influential bands of all time, with the pairing of vocalist Robert Plant and legendary guitarist Jimmy Page. And despite a box set (_Remasters) which captured part of the essence of Led Zep, the band has never had a proper greatest hits collection. Until now.
Best Of Volume 1 - Early Days (Atlantic) answers part of that problem. This thirteen track collection of rock classics covers the best of their first four discs, along with a 24 page booklet featuring some rare photos of the band, and an enhanced CD track featuring a previously-unreleased black and white live video of "Communication Breakdown". While the rest of the equation will be solved with the early 2000 release of Best of Volume 2, younger Zep-heads may be satisfied with the holiday release of this collection.
Another band that has had a significant influence on listeners is Genesis. Ironically, the band's career has seemingly been divided in two: the Steve Hackett / Peter Gabriel prog-rock years, and the post 1980 pop/rock Genesis with Phil Collins on lead vocals. Turn It On Again (Atlantic) attempts to meld the two eras on one disc; older fans will get "I Know What I Like" and an all-new recording (with the original lineup) of the 1974 "Carpet Crawlers", and even the 'bridge' hits of "Turn It On Again", "Follow You, Follow Me" and "Misunderstanding". Although the focus of Turn It On Again is on the Phil Collins-led era, the collection stands much stronger than Collins' own hits collection from last year. Perhaps Msrs. Rutherford and Banks exerted just a bit more effort on Phil than had been previously thought.
Serving as a stopgap until their next full length release in 2000, Goldfinger thrash, pound and generally throw themselves into this seven-song, twenty-two minute covers Darrin's Coconut Ass (Mojo) EP. The Cure's "Just Like Heaven" isn't too much different than Dinosaur, Jr.'s version. Bad Company's "Feel Like Making Love" and the Who's "The Kids Are Alright" are ska-turned-punk songs (of course!). Their ska debts are paid in full on the cover of "Nite Klub" by the Specials, the band responsible for much of the So-Cal ska-punk infusion. A tasty little morsel at a discount price will save you from having to buy several bootleg discs for these choice cuts.
Los Angeles radio station KROQ may be (in their words) "world famous", but the only exposure to the rest of the globe has been through the radio - until The Best of KROQ's Almost Acoustic Christmas Volume 1 (Time Bomb). Capturing songs from the KROQ 1993 - 1998 Christmas parties, the artist selection on this disc - Blink 182, Garbage, Hole, Smash Mouth, No Doubt, Bush, Radiohead, Live and more - serves as a primer for anyone who has missed the last five years of modern rock radio. And while fans of the respective bands will find this a must-get, Almost Acoustic Christmas also will finally alleviate the disappointment from many Los Angeles-based listeners; how to hear the music from the acoustic Christmas if not a lucky contest winner.
