Encomium: A Tribute to Led Zeppelin

Performer: Various Artists
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: Producers include: Linda Perry, Dave Navarro, Don Gehman, Bill Bottrell, Brendan O'Brien Engineers include: Eddie Delena, Don Gehman, Bill Bottrell, Nick Didia, Andy Torri. Includes liner notes by Tori Amos, Blind Melon, Helmet, Big Head Todd And The Monsters, Never The Bride, Duran Duran, Cracker, Stone Temple Pilots, 4 Non Blondes, Rollins Band and Sheryl Crow. Portions of the proceeds from ENCOMIUM will benefit various children's charities. Personnel: Todd Park Mohr (vocals, guitar); Brian Nevin (vocals, drums); Darius Rucker, David Lowery, David Yow, Henry Rollins, Linda Perry, Scott Weiland, Shannon Hoon, Sheryl Crow, Brad Smith (vocals); Mark Bryan (guitar, background vocals); Chris Haskett, Christopher Thorn, Dave Navarro, Rob Echeverria, Johnny Hickman, Page Hamilton, Rogers Stevens (guitar); Dean DeLeo (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Robert DeLeo (acoustic guitar, bass guitar); Nick Forster (slide guitar); Peter Holsapple (mandolin, organ); Catherine Feeney (strings, piano); Michael Sherwood (keyboards); Eric Kretz (drums, percussion); Charlie Quintana, Glenn Graham, Dawn Richardson, John Stanier, Terry Bozzio (drums); Dean Felber (background vocals). Audio Mixers: Dave Jerden; David Bianco; Don Gehman; Eddie DeLena; Jason Corsaro; Mike Gregovich; Bill Bottrell; Brendan O'Brien; Butch Vig. Photographer: Katrin Thomas. Unknown Contributor Roles: Catherine Feeney; Stephen Marcussen; Tori Amos. Arranger: Duran Duran. Led Zeppelin have been worshipped intensely by generations of rock musicians ever since the 1969 release of their first of eight massively influential studio recordings. Despite a near-constant, and unrealistically cool critical reception, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, Robert Plant, and John Bohnam's beyond-iconic status was hardly ever in doubt, and indeed grew for a 20-year period after the band's 1979 demise. Encomium's tribute is appropriately reverent, with serious treatments generally true to their original arrangements. Before getting frustrated with what could be considered mere musical mimicry on the part of the record's participants, listeners should be reminded that the unusual and painstakingly detailed arrangements are generally what made Led Zeppelin songs great. If Cracker, for instance, had made "Good Times Bad Times" into their own kind of alt-country ditty, it might have been interesting, but Encomium's producers weren't willing to risk it, so they appropriately ensured cohesion by allowing (or encouraging) Cracker, and each of the disc's diverse list of contributors, to stay within earshot of their selected title's original versions. That's not to say that this tribute is without its own color. David Yow of Jesus Lizard could never even approximate Plant's rendition of "Custard Pie," so when Yow teams with Helmet for their own bombastic version of the classic, the flailing results are quite fresh without being at all revisionist. Other highlights include Sheryl Crow's sexy vocal performance of "D'yer Mak'er" that stands up well to Plant's sultry original, and Atlantic Records' promotional inclusion of their 1995 baby-band Never the Bride's expressive "Going to California." While nothing compares to the original hard rock masterpieces, the transcendent power of this 12-track collection should satisfy fans of emotive guitar rock, no matter the era. ~ Vincent Jeffries Slightly amended, tribute albums have become the sincerest form of flattery. ENCOMIUM: A TRIBUTE TO LED ZEPPELIN is way overdue, in light of the onslaught of tribute albums that have flooded the marketplace since the late '80s. Although Led Zeppelin was an English band, their influence on American music was inescapable. Thus, of the twelve groups to appear on ENCOMIUM, it's fitting that the only Brits included are Duran Duran, who, along with their American guitarist, do a reverential rendition of "Thank You." Most of the chosen covers come from the earlier part of Zeppelin's catalog, weighing heavily towards LED ZEPPELIN III and LED ZEPPELIN IV. 4 Non Blondes kick off the festivities with a by-the-numbers-reading of "Misty Mountain Hop" with a riff or two from Santana's "Gypsy Queen" thrown in for good measure. Sheryl Crow wraps her raspy vocals around a rock-steady "D'yer Mak'er," while Rollins Band strong-arms "Four Sticks" to the floor and infuses it with a fair amount of rage. Adding pedal steel and slide guitar to "Tangerine," Big Head Todd & The Monsters gild its essence with a dreamy haze. The most drastically reworked arrangement goes to Tori Amos' reading of "Down By The Seaside." Joined by Robert Plant, Amos slows the tempo, extending the song to eight minutes, while painting it with varying tones never traversed by the original.

Q (6/95, pp.130-131) - 3 Stars - Good - "...Three stars are grudgingly awarded in recognition of the cool professionalism of the acts involved....and the outstanding quality of the Led Zeppelin songs they have opted to Xerox..."

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