Led Zeppelin to Reissue First Three Studio Albums in 2014

Looks like we get some bonus tracks and some stuff from the vaults as well as new music from Page...if only we could get a new led Zeppelin album...

http://www.guitarworld.com/led-zeppelin-reissue-first-three-albums-year

..."Robert Plant announced he had stumbled upon a few long-lost Zeppelin recordings."

..."I'm desperately trying to get this one track or the two tracks of John Paul Jones singing lead."

For about 4 or 5 years , I have been collecting as much of their 1960s/70s bootlegs (live, and unreleased studio tracks) that has been shared online, but can't recall anywhere John Paul having lead vocals.

      A very good way to entice old fans like me to re-buy the discography if rare bonus material like this included.
I sold off most of my Led Zep cassette/vinyl/cd collection a very long time ago, before the start of mp3 age.

The quality of the bonus material would be the deciding factor for me. It was only about a year or 2 that I finally upgraded all of their studio album from tape to cd. I'm not anxious to re-buy the same albums again for some shoddy demos or live cuts. Unreleased tracks maybe.

I wouldn't mind if they added the tracks from that one box set they put a few years back (the one with the crop circle in the shadow of the zeppelin on the cover). I had that thing and foolishly got rid of it.

007 wrote:

I wouldn't mind if they added the tracks from that one box set they put a few years back (the one with the crop circle in the shadow of the zeppelin on the cover). I had that thing and foolishly got rid of it.

That's the box set I have. I got it as a new release, which is why it took me so long to upgrade all their studio albums. That box set had enough coverage for me at the time.

I don't have it in front of me at the moment, but there was only 2 unreleased tracks on there, wasn't there? 'Travelin' Riverside Blues'' and the Bonham Moby Dick/Montreaux mash-up. Did I miss any others?

I am a huge Led Zeppelin fan but I am not rebuying the albums. I wish they would release these unreleased tracks on its double CD set

manny wrote:

I am a huge Led Zeppelin fan but I am not rebuying the albums.  I wish they would release these unreleased tracks on its double CD set

Same here, or even make a new album out of them. Besides, my question is how are they gonna remaster these, exactly?

Quote :

'Travelin' Riverside Blues'' and the Bonham Moby Dick/Montreaux mash-up. Did I miss any others?

"White Summer" was released for the first time on that set as well.

I wish they would just reissue their catalog on vinyl. Used Zep LPs are usually in the worst condition. Most look like they were used as a frisbee on a sandpaper beach.

I was worried these albums would start to be hard to find.

corplhicks wrote:

manny wrote:

I am a huge Led Zeppelin fan but I am not rebuying the albums.  I wish they would release these unreleased tracks on its double CD set

Same here, or even make a new album out of them. Besides, my question is how are they gonna remaster these, exactly?

I am in total agreement with both of you.

Witchfinder wrote:

I wish they would just reissue their catalog on vinyl.  Used Zep LPs are usually in the worst condition.  Most look like they were used as a frisbee on a sandpaper beach.  

I had a copy of II in pristine condition when I was a kid, which I destroyed on purpose for some target shooting with a 30-06. I was young and very very dumb, thinking it was worth nothing and since I already had the CD it was no big deal. I had not yet fully understood what vinyl was all about.

Not a fan and have never been, so no need for me to buy

MetalGuy71 wrote:

007 wrote:

I wouldn't mind if they added the tracks from that one box set they put a few years back (the one with the crop circle in the shadow of the zeppelin on the cover). I had that thing and foolishly got rid of it.

That's the box set I have. I got it as a new release, which is why it took me so long to upgrade all their studio albums. That box set had enough coverage for me at the time.

I don't have it in front of me at the moment, but there was only 2 unreleased tracks on there, wasn't there? 'Travelin' Riverside Blues'' and the Bonham Moby Dick/Montreaux mash-up. Did I miss any others?

Plus Hey Hey What Can I Do, although I'm sure that wasn't exclusive to that set. It certainly wasn't on any of their releases on cassette (which was all I had owned of theirs).

Complete bonus tracks from the Led Zeppelin Box Set

Traveling Riverside Blues (also released on the BBC Sessions 2 disc set)
Hey! Hey! What Can I Do? (b-side of the Immigrant Song single)
White Summer/Black Mountain Side (BBC recording)
Moby Dick/Bonzo's Montreux (remix)

I would be happy to hear more early material, live or studio.

I only have the "Mothership" (best of) compilation album and Houses of the Holy. So I will definitely be buying these new reissues w/ bonus tracks.

Regarding "Hey, Hey What Can I Do"

I've had this 45 rpm, like forever


Japan single B side of "Immigrant Song"

Witchfinder wrote:

I wish they would just reissue their catalog on vinyl.  Used Zep LPs are usually in the worst condition.  Most look like they were used as a frisbee on a sandpaper beach.  

I found an original pressing of Zep II and Houses. The covers were in bad shape and the LP's weren't in the best condition either. Gave them to a friend, because I wanted to find better. Search continues. I'm interested in these re-masters. The Mothership LP release was pretty darn good. Bought it for my brother and we listened to it on his system and I was impressed. I don't even own a turn table, but this my be the push I need to pull the trigger. Yet again, I remember the days of LP's not holding up to continual use.

I think the Zep catalog was re-mastered a few years back. Could be wrong.

Zep albums found in used stores in "bad shape" , usually chewed up,  as they get played all the time.
By your self, when friends are over at parties, by siblings when you are not at home  who bounce the needle around looking for the start of a song they like.
      It is like finding the first few Black Sabbath LP's used.
If they only cost $1 or $2, they probably will be just as worn and scratchy as Zep or late 1960s/early Stones vinyl.

I was going to suggest for those with deep pockets, to order Japanese vinyl as they release "audiophile" versions that are superior, but just looked on Discogs.com and see that the last pressing was in 1992 !
This was just after the I stopped reading HiFi Stereo Review Magazine in the late 1980s!

journeyman wrote:

I think the Zep catalog was re-mastered a few years back. Could be wrong.

The set with mini replica cardboard sleeves I think?

here is some Zep related news -

Today, I was reading a gift I got for Christmas.
Record Collector magazine.December 2013.
On page 78,
among the pages of the Paul McCartney ''Band On the Run'' history, at the end of another smaller piece (The Cold Cuts Saga), which is about unreleased, leftover tracks that Paul has had since 1973, and he always postpones the 2 Lp compilation for them, he has always planned, it said -

"With McCartney involved again in the reissuing of his 70s catalogue, rumours have emerged of an ambitious 4CD Cold Cuts out-takes collection being prepared fpr release, which is said to include a version of C Moon featuring the late John Bonham."

These are finally out; I don't have any need for the "rough mix" tracks, but the bonus material for the first album is all live tracks from a Paris show of excellent sound quality. It's great stuff, and I appreciate the songs off the first album much more in live format.

They actually come out Tues. I have preordered the vinyl versions. Can't wait to get these! However I have ordered the no bonus versions as I am just not that interested in the extra tracks. Not to mention the vinyl versions were something like $34 and the regular vinyl versions are $22. I ordered from Amazon so I hope they are here soon! And yes, I plan on ripping them open as soon as they come in! You better believe I'm gonna play em!

So will Led Zeppelin IV be blocked from reissue??

From time.com

You may have never heard of the band Spirit, but Led Zeppelin has.

Not only did they play shows with Zeppelin in 1969, but Spirit has also now sued them for allegedly lifting what may be one of the most famous riffs in rock history — the opening notes of “Stairway to Heaven.”

“It’s been a long time coming,” attorney Francis Alexander Malofiy said in Bloomberg Businessweek. Malofiy is representing a trust for writer Randy California, the deceased Spirit guitarist who wrote “Taurus,” the instrumental track that appeared on the band’s eponymous 1968 debut album and from which the chord progression is allegedly lifted.

Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page allegedly wrote “Stairway to Heaven” in 1970, two years after “Taurus” was released and a year after the band shared stages at gigs across the U.S. in 1969. According to the band’s bass player, Spirit always included “Taurus” in their sets. “It was such a pretty moment,” said Mark Andes to Businessweek. “It would typically come after a big forceful number and always got a good response.”

In 1997, California went public with his claims about the origins of “Stairway to Heaven.” “I’d say it was a ripoff,” California said in Listener magazine. “And the guys made millions of bucks on it and never said ‘Thank you,’ never said, ‘Can we pay you some money for it?’ It’s kind of a sore point with me.” However, California and Spirit never sued, even though fans had noted the similarity between the songs for years. “Nobody had any money, and they thought the statute of limitations was done,” Mick Skidmore, who manages California’s trust, explained to Businessweek.

Now, as Led Zeppelin prepares to release remastered deluxe versions of their original albums, including “Stairway to Heaven,” California’s trust is finally springing to action with a copyright-infringement suit and an injunction that would block Led Zeppelin IV’s reissue.

“The idea behind this is to make sure that Randy California is given a writing credit on ‘Stairway to Heaven,’” Malofiy said. They are most likely seeking monetary reparations as well. Businessweek quotes an estimate that by 2008, “Stairway to Heaven” had earned at least $562 million.

Led Zeppelin and Warner Music had no comment on the story.

Edit:

Page responded: "That's ridiculous. I have no further comment on the subject."

Here's the song in question and it sounds more like Pink Floyd to me than Zeppelin (can't remember which song but Vera or Nobody Home, somewhere in that sequence of songs from The Wall).