Thursday, August 20, 2015

Led Zeppelin - End Credits

Led Zeppelin made albums.  Like others of their generation, Led Zeppelin didn't make music to be radio stars.  They didn't make music to be featured in commercials, movies, or TV shows.  They didn't make music for any other reason but to make great music.  Their albums were islands.  Moments in time.  A place to journey to.  A sonic landscape to escape to.  Back then, it was about quality not quantity.  There are very few songs that slipped out from in between the cracks.  In fact, prior to the Led Zeppelin box set of 1990, the band only officially released one extra song as a B-side (Hey, Hey What Can I Do). This week sees the final release of the Led Zeppelin remasters series.  Though most of the bonus tracks were alternate versions and demos, some better than others (actually, few better than others), there was a handful more unreleased tracks in the overall series. Led Zeppelin bonus tracks are a rarity.  They may exist in small doses but only to draw attention to their larger contributions.  They exist like bonus scenes at the end of a Marvel movie.  The end credit scenes.  Over the course of the remasters and box sets, enough bonus material has come out to form one additional album...an "end credits" album. With the releases of Led Zeppelin coming to a close, here is the final culmination of their remaining music, compiled in one album, aptly called "End Credits."