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Anyone wish Zep had done a cover album?


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I've listened to some boots/rehearsals of Zep doing 50s music and other bands covers....

Anyone else think it would've been cool to have had Zep do a '50s cover album in say 1974 or so? '50s Nostalgia was big around then and Zep loved a lot of that stuff and I think they could've credibly covered it as a stopgap between Houses and Graffiti, also so they had some 'new product' in 1974 for the fans to enjoy.

Something like:
1) Please Don't Tease (Cliff Richard)
2) Love Me/King Creole (Elvis) [medley]

3) Around and Around (Chuck Berry)

4) Blueberry Hill (Fats Domino)
5) School Days (Chuck Berry)
6) Long Tall Sally (Little Richard)

7) Stand By Me (Ben E. King)

8) Killing Floor/Sweet Jelly Roll (hidden bonus)


 

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I am glad they did not.  Their covers of old rock and roll tunes was best done live, in particular, C'mon Everybody- Something Else - Long Tall Sally at RAH January 1970, and in countless WLL Medleys.  These types of covers benefit from the energy and looseness of a live show.  Usually when bands cover "oldies" they get overproduced and stale, particularly if the band is already "established".  One notable exception to this is the Beatles, because their best covers were done when they were still young and hungry.  Their early covers of songs like Slow Down, Bad Boy, and especially Long Tall Sally are brimming with enthusiasm and energy. 

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Someone once laid out a tantalizing fantasy about Led Zeppelin staging a Johnny Kidd and the Pirates cover album in the decision making time after H o t H but before PG..  I believe there were some rehearsal or bootleg outtakes to flesh out the fantasy. Johnny Kidd and the Pirates are most well known for "Shakin all over".

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Not sure any Cliff Richards songs would have done them any credit. 

I was thinking about this today though. A covers album with some of the classic blues standards. Not sure Bonzo would've got much action though. 

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John Bonham is one of the best blues drummers I've ever heard, their acoustic blues stuff was amazing but it went up a notch on things like I can't quit you baby & Tea for one, one half acoustic & the other electric would've been great.

I'm sure people with a load of bootlegs could make their own one up.

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57 minutes ago, Boleskinner said:

I always felt cover albums were a sign that an artist's creative juices had dried up a bit. 

Lennon's Rock 'n' Roll album in the mid 70s springs to mind.

 

Pin Ups by Bowie would be a good argument to the contrary, although it wasn't his finest moment, he still had a few years of genius left in him after that. Having said that, it was merely fulfilling a contractual obligation to his record company if I remember correctly.

I don't think Led Zeppelin ever needed to do a cover album, they made at least 6 classic albums which is a lot more than most bands ever manage.

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