ENCOMIUM - A TRIBUTE TO LED ZEPPELIN

During the mid-nineties, the major labels all had the idea of making tribute albums of popular artists. Some were okay, some were badly done. This one is mostly tolerable, with a few good tracks and a few bad ones.

First, other than Tori Amos and Robert Plant himself (Is it bad form to record a song for your own tribute album?), none of these bands are remotely progressive. The majority would probably fall into the wide category of alternative rock. And then there's Duran Duran.

Most of the songs on this collection stay fairly close to the original Led Zep recordings. And groups like 4 Non Blondes, with a female vocalist, can sound eerily like the old Robert Plant (who himself sound more like the tired, recent Robert Plant). Blind Melon does a good job on Out On The Tiles, even though they changed the verse section.

Sheryl Crow makes D'yer Maker even more poppy. And Henry Rollins shouts out Four Sticks like it's another version of TV Party. The biggest stinker on the album is Custard Pie performed by Helmet with David Yow. Yow is right. The guy is horrible. I know it a punk thing to do, but he comes across as a mentally challenged individual (to be politically correct), and just ruins the song.

So with nothing really making this worthwhile, the best I can give it is two stars.