English rock group Led Zeppelin performing at the Empire Pool, Wembley, London, 23rd November 1971. Left to right: Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page and John Bonham (1948 – 1980). (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty
“As a song, it was actually kind of punky,” John Paul Jones says.
“It’s a lot of fun to play”
Later this month, Led Zeppelin will release deluxe reissues of 1971’s Led Zeppelin IV and 1973’s Houses Of The Holy. The latest installments of their year-long archival campaign, both were remastered by Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page and include a second disc of bonus, unreleased music.
Already we’ve heard a grittier version of Led Zeppelin IV‘s “Black Dog” and a stripped-down rendering of “The Rain Song” off Houses Of The Holy. Now, comes an alternate rendition of the Led Zeppelin IV track “Rock and Roll”. Here, a different mix of guitars evokes a somewhat softer, less dynamic tone. It doesn’t shift the song into a new direction per se, but this take certainly doesn’t wield the sweltering oomph of the final track we all know and love today.
Page spoke to Rolling Stone about the song’s undeniable exuberance, saying, “‘Rock and Roll’ has just got that cheeky energy about it. It’s a party. ‘It’s been a long time since I rock and rolled.’ It says it all, really. It’s great lyrics and it’s a great performance.”
Bassist John Paul Jones added, “As a song, it was actually kind of punky; pre-punk. It was really fast too, onstage anyway. It just got really quick, a lot of energy. It’s a lot of fun to play. The crowd loved it. We loved it.”
Listen in below.
Both reissues are due out on October 28th. The Led Zeppelin IV deluxe edition includes unreleased versions of every song appearing on the original album, including alternate mixes of “Misty Mountain Hop”, “Four Sticks”, “The Battle Of Evermore”, and “Stairway To Heaven”. Meanwhile, the companion disc for Houses Of The Holy includes rough and working mixes for “The Ocean” and “Dancing Days”, a guitar mix backing track for “Over The Hills And Far Away”, and a version of “The Rain Song” without piano.
Led Zeppelin IV Deluxe Reissue Tracklist:
Disc One:
01. Black Dog
02. Rock And Roll
03. The Battle of Evermore
04. Stairway To Heaven
05. Misty Mountain Hop
06. Four Sticks
07. Going To California
08. When The Levee Breaks
Disc Two:
01. Black Dog – Basic Track With Guitar Overdubs
02. Rock And Roll – Alternate Mix
03. The Battle Of Evermore – Mandolin/Guitar Mix From Headley Grange
04. Stairway To Heaven – Sunset Sound Mix
05. Misty Mountain Hop – Alternate Mix
06. Four Sticks – Alternate Mix
07. Going To California – Mandolin/Guitar Mix
08. When The Levee Breaks – Alternate UK Mix
Houses of the Holy Deluxe Reissue Tracklist:
Disc One:
01. The Song Remains The Same
02. The Rain Song
03. Over The Hills And Far Away
04. The Crunge
05. Dancing Days
06. D’yer Mak’er
07. No Quarter
08. The Ocean
Disc Two:
01. The Song Remains The Same – Guitar Overdub Reference Mix
02. The Rain Song – Mix Minus Piano
03. Over The Hills And Far Away – Guitar Mix Backing Track
04. The Crunge – Rough Mix – Keys Up
05. Dancing Days – Rough Mix With Vocal
06. No Quarter – Rough Mix With JPJ Keyboard Overdubs – No Vocal
07. The Ocean – Working Mix
alt-J : This is All Yours [new album]
This Is All Yours
Mercury-winning troupe alt-J lose a member and venture further out there.
Alt-J Will Debut New Album Live In New York
They’re simply my favorite band of the decade, so I’m thrilled that alt-J premiered a good chunk of its new album live for you to see and hear on September 2. That album, This Is All Yours, is another eclectic mix of English folk and art rock, with disturbing and intoxicating lyrics, rhythms and melodies that shift, fall apart and explode. It’s been looping endlessly in my head since I first heard it.
This second set of songs from the Leeds, England group (now a trio) is every bit as quirky and mysterious the one we heard on its 2012 debut, An Awesome Wave, which was my favorite album of 2012. This Is All Yours will be out Sept. 22, but three weeks before the release the band will play these songs at (Le) Poisson Rouge in New York City. Audio and video of the entire show will be broadcast live on at NPR Music, beginning at 9 p.m. ET on Sept. 2 (and on WFUV as well).
Alt-J Full Performance at Le Poisson Rouge 9.2.2014 [Official NPR YouTube Video]
September 02, 2014 • Nothing was ordinary about this alt-J show — not that anything is ever ordinary from the artful British band.
But on at (Le) Poisson Rouge in New York City, alt-J played its first concert in eight months: its first without departed friend and bassist/guitarist Gwil Sainsbury, its first with touring member Cameron Knight, and its first playing songs from the upcoming album This Is All Yours.
The new songs have all the power of the old ones, flush with textured sounds from Gus Unger-Hamilton’s electronic horns, steel drums, voices, and dense washes of grit. Lyrically, the new songs are equal parts creepy, lovely, puzzling, and expressive. In that expression is precision; you can see it in drummer Thom Green (watch his left hand) and you can hear it in the guitar dynamics and vocal phrasing of Joe Newman. This isn’t a band of pyrotechnic wizards, but alt-J’s technical prowess helped make this performance a deep pleasure on an extraordinary evening.
Briefly rocked by the departure of reluctant tour guitarist Gwil Sainsbury, the now three-piece alt-J show no signs of suffering creative jitters on this assured and strange second album. Leading on from the odd, compelling barber-shop trip-hop of 2012’s An Awesome Wave, the trio stretch their idiosyncratic range to include spooked neo-R&B (the Miley Cyrus-sampling Hunger Of The Pine), head-nodding Odelay-era Beck sonic collages (Left Hand Free) and, most effective of all, spectral balladry in Choice Kingdom and Pusher. There’s lyrical playfulness throughout – not least singer Joe Newman’s desire in the lightly lascivious Every Other Freckle to “turn you inside out and lick you like a crisp packet”. It’s one of many indications here that you can never quite predict what’s around the turn with this highly intriguing and inventive outfit.
Watch the video for “lightly lascivious” Every Other Freckle:
alt-J – Every Other Freckle (Official Video – Girl) From the forthcoming album ‘This Is All Yours’
Alt-J – Hunger of The Pine Official Video
Set List for premiere of the album in NYC
Set List
- “Hunger Of The Pine”
- “Fitzpleasure”
- “Something Good”
- “Left Hand Free”
- “Dissolve Me”
- “Matilda”
- “Bloodflood Pt. 2”
- “Tessellate”
- “Every Other Freckle”
- “Taro”
- “Warm Foothills”
- “The Gospel Of John Hurt”
- “Nara/Leaving Nara”
- “Breezeblocks”
Producers: Mito Habe-Evans, Otis Hart; Event Producer: Saidah Blount; Hosts: Bob Boilen, Russ Borris; Videographers: Mito Habe-Evans, Colin Marshall, Maia Stern, A.J. Wilhelm; Audio Engineer: Kevin Wait; Additional Editing: Colin Marshall; Special Thanks: (Le) Poisson Rouge; Executive Producer: Anya Grundmann
Love Inks – Watch The Beautifully Trippy Video For ‘Sky Machine’
