»Houses Of The Holy« by Led Zeppelin as a reissue 2014: Remastered by JIMMY Page

What takes a long time finally becomes good. Especially when it comes to remastered tapes. The reissues of Led Zeppelin's albums have been announced for a long time. In 2014 the time had come: they are here. “I” to “III” were released at the end of May, and “IV” and “Houses Of The Holy” will be available from October 2014. From 1968 to 1971, Led Zeppelin released three long players within 15 months at a rapid pace. This was already fast in the 1960s and 70s, but today there is an almost unimaginable frequency of publications. Surprisingly, the album »III« was initially not very well received. The criticism particularly frustrated JIMMY Page, who then didn't speak to the press for two years.

In interviews, JIMMY Page let it be known that he didn't like the digital versions of Led Zeppelin's albums from the 1980s. The sound is not differentiated enough because the CDs were not produced from the studio tapes, but from mixed versions. For the 2014 reissue, Page used the studio tapes from 1972 as a basis. The remastering aims to stay as close as possible to the concept of the sound that Led Zeppelin had in mind for the vinyl pressing at the time. On the other hand, Page appreciates the possibilities of digital remastering and the many digital formats that exist today. He wants to do justice to both sides of the coin, and he does it brilliantly.

Led Zeppelin's fifth album, Houses Of The Holy, has long been underrated. Today it is considered an insider tip among Led Zeppelin fans. Top numbers are the funky "The Crunge" (ironic homage to James Brown, a deliberately undanceable song), "The Song Remains The Same", "The RainSong", "Over The Hills And Far Away", "D'yer Mak'er", "No Quarter" and "The Ocean". The album now has diamond status. It has sold over 11 million copies. The deluxe and super deluxe editions of »Houses Of The Holy« contain seven previously unreleased tracks on the second CD or LP. There are working versions and alternative raw mixes of “The Ocean” and “Dancing Days”. In the now usual manner of the 2014 reissues, these versions provide insight into Led Zeppelin's recording work. Also heard: a guitar backing track from “Over The Hills And Far Away” and a version of “Rain Song” without piano.

The following points convinced buyers of the 2014 reissues “I”, “II”, “III”:

• Differentiated and transparent Sound quality
• Surround sound: Every instrument can be easily localized
• New Insights: It's easy to hear details
• Valuable Bonus material: Accompanying LPs or -CD
• Original cover the first edition (Super Deluxe Edition only)
• Never seen before Photos (Super Deluxe Edition book)

The 2014 reissues are real magnets that magically attract fans of Led Zeppelin and friends of rock classics in high-quality remasterings. »Houses Of The Holy« is a worthwhile purchase and is particularly enjoyable in the deluxe edition and super deluxe box.

Reviews

»A treat for every fan!« (Jazzthing, November 2014 - January 2015)