Encomium: A Tribute to Led Zeppelin |
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Released: March 14, 1995 Peak: 17 US, 12 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 0.5 US Genre: rock |
Tracks:Click on a song title for more details about the original version by Led Zeppelin. Click on artists’ names to see their DMDB encyclopedia entries.
Total Running Time: 52:02 Other Songs from This Era: |
Rating: 3.203 out of 5.00 (average of 10 ratings)
Awards:(Click on award to learn more).
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Led Zeppelin’s Legacy“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.” AMSong SelectionOne of the interesting elements of this collection is how Led Zeppelin’s most familiar songs are largely avoided. Absent are any covers of “Stairway to Heaven,” “Whole Lotta Love,” “Black Dog,” “Rock and Roll,” “Immigrant Song,” or “Kashmir.” One wonders if this was a directive or the artists were simply leery of being compared to the classics.It should be noted, though, that Kevin Gilbert did contribute a cover of “Kashmir” to the album, but it was rejected. He was weeks away from releasing his debut album. He’d been with the group Toy Matinee and was part of the behind-the-scenes collection that crafted Sheryl Crow’s Tuesday Night Music Club but he wasn’t a household name. Artist SelectionAs is always the case with various artists’ collections, the featured acts are a mixed bag. There are A-listers (Tori Amos, Sheryl Crow, Hootie & the Blowfish, Stone Temple Pilots). Of particular note is “Sheryl Crow’s sexy vocal performance of ‘D’yer Mak’er’ that stands up well to Plant’s sultry original.” AM Robert Plant himself also makes an appearance on a phenomenal duet of “Down by the Seaside” with Tori Amos.There are also B-listers (Big Head Todd & the Monsters, Blind Melon, Cracker, 4 Non Blondes) alongside largely unknown head scratchers (Helmet, Never the Bride, David Yow of Jesus Lizard). “Many of the appearing artists were signed to Atlantic or an affiliate at the time of the release.” WK For example, Atlantic Records’ promotional inclusion of their 1995 baby-band Never the Bride’s expressive ‘Going to California.’” AM Yow “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.” AM The Execution“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.” AM“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.” AM |
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First posted 9/12/2025. |
