CODA

While Zep had just called it a day following Bonham's death, Page did not waste much time to release Zep's first (and last for a while) posthumous release, which I must say did not bring much joy to me or most fans. I can never stop to think of this album as Physical Graffiti's little brother as an archive album. Honestly, I can only say that this album in its original form is reserved only for completists only, for there is next to zilch interesting on it.

BTW, the remastered version holds some very worthy bonus tracks (see above), namely the four tracks that were finally made available on the 4 Cd box-set and its 2 Cd follow up in the mid-90's, and just them tracks just double the original album's attractiveness, but it is still not able to be all that interesting.

Oh boy! What a dissapointment it was when Atlantic assembled this collection of outtakes in order to capitalize on the demise of the group!

Except folksy "Poor Tom" and perhaps the drumming extravaganza of "Bonzo's Montreux", all other tracks are simply put - raw and waste matter. Absolutly nothing worth mention is present here. 1,5 only for the two mentioned and only for Zepp fanatics.

Hey, I've been shunned by virtually every Zeppelin lover when I say that this is their best album. But its true. Like the reviewer above me said, bands change, and the last two Zeppelin album were the best by far. "We're Gonna Groove" is an excellent songs with great bass lines and drumming. "Poor Tom" and "Walter's Walk" are in the same vein, bluesy tracks with good riffs, but are seperated by a re-working of "I Can't Quit You Baby".

Side Two starts off with "Ozone Baby" and "Darlene", "Darlene", in my opinion, is the weakest track, because JPJ lays down the bass for the piano and takes the backbone out of the song. "Bonzo's Montreaux" is the best drum solo I have ever heard, except of course for Ginger Baker's "Toad", but that's in a league of its own. "Wearing And Tearing" ends on a high note with some more nice work out of Bonham, but JPJ is back on bass making it a good song.

DONT LISTEN TO THE FANS WHO SHUN CHANGE! THIS IS THE BEST ZEP ALBUM!!!!!!

THE LEFT OVERS, PART TWO

Since Led Zep disbanded after Bonham's death, the record company was keen to capitalize on Led Zep's fame and HUGE sales potential (but only one million copy of CODA were sold). So they release an "album" with old and more recent stuff.

I really wonder how some reviewers can tell that people who do not like this album are against change. I guess that they have not read the liner notes of this "album".

If they had done this, they would have learned that three tracks date from ... 1970 (what a change !) :

"We're Gonna Grove" and "I Can't Quit You Baby" were recorded on January 9, during rehearsals of their legendary concert at the Royal Albert Hall. There will be guitar overdubbing for the first one for this recording. The video of this concert are available on their DVD "Led Zeppelin" (released in 2003). The audio concert is one of their most sought boot and very well known amongst Led Zep fans (which I incidentally am). "Poor Tom" was recorded on May, 6 at the Olympic Studios in London. It was just before the sessions of Led Zep III (which started on May 30th at Headley Grange Studios). The anecdotal point about this song is that it has been inspired by "She Likes It" from Owen Hand who was a friend of Bert Jansch. The same Jansch claiming (rightly) that Page had stolen his arrangement for the song ""Black Mountain Side" featured on Led Zeppelin's debut album (if you want the full picture, I have outlined this story in my review of Led Zep I). The loop has been looped...

"Walter's Walk" was recorded on 15th May 1972 and therefore engineered by Eddie Kramer during the original recording. Page remastered this number in 1982, and Plant apparently over-dubbed some of the vocals at this time.

Three tracks from 1978 :

"Ozone Baby" is one of the good track. Catchy and almost poppy melody, half acoustic- half electric : it is somewhat interesting. It was recorded on November 14, 1978.

"Darlene" (November 16th, in Stockholm). "Wearing And Tearing" (November 21st). This song reminds me at times, "Achilles Last Stand". The beat is rather crazy. It's led Zep response to punk. Plant's vocals are very good. It's one of the best number here.

These three songs come out the same recording sessions for "In Through The Out Door". They were not considered for the album release.

The remastered version of CODA features four bonus tracks.

"Baby come On Home" : recorded on October 10th, 1968. It was a left over of Led Zep one. It's a bluesy one (not really a surprise). The mood is mellowish and keyboard oriented. Plant's work is rather convincing (but he was a renowned blues singer before joining LedZep).

"Traveling Riverside Blues" was recorded and broadcast on June 23rd, 1969 for the "John Peel's Top Gear" radio show. As the title indicate, this is another 100% blues track. Not really great, I should say. Page uses the sliding to perform his part (similar to what he did for Hat's Off To Roy Harper" on Led Zep III). Part of this song will often be used in the medley for "How Many More Times". The famous section with "You Can Squeeze my lemon" from "The Lemon Song" is also featured here. "White Summer/Black Mountain Side" : it is a medley from Davey Graham's "She Moved Through The Fair" and Bert Jansch's "Black Water Side". Page also often inserted "Casbah", another Bert Jansch composition (this guy must have been really P.O. by Page...). Actually, this track is a guitar solo (nice performance, but not really interesting as such). One can see a rendition of this medley on their latest DVD (released in 2003) during their concert from the Royal Albert Hall in January 1970.

"Hey Hey, What Can I Do" was recorded in 1970 (Led Zep III sessions). It was released as B-side of "Immigrant Song" (one of their few singles). It is an acoustic ballad (don't forget that this track comes out the sessions of their third album). Not bad, nor good. Therefore the B-side... Those bonus tracks add relative value to the "original" recording. I fully understand most of my colleagues reviewers rating this album very low. I will not be so critical (for once...). Although it is really meant for Led Zep maniacs only (and therefore accordingly deserves two stars) I believe that five out of ten would have accurate (IMO) but I will, sentimentally, upgrade it to three stars. RIP John.

A bittersweet farewell from the band after the tragic death of their drummer, the incomparable John Henry Bonham, Coda is disjointed to be sure. It's a record that gives the unshakable feeling we're hearing a collection of trimmings and loose meat, and Coda's relationship to even die hard fans is shaky. That's a shame, too, because not only is it the parting shot of arguably the most important group in rock, it ended up being a strong, fun album of good music.

Made up mostly of tracks recorded over the years but never put to album, the different aspects of the group are represented; blues, folk, power, a smart, eccentric rhythmic sensibility and the deep friendship and musical connection the four had. 'We're Gonna Groove', probably the album's signature cut, is rough and stormy heavy blues with a demanding Victrola-horn vocal from Robert Plant and Page's stuttering guitar. The melancholy 'Poor Tom' reflects upon a man warm of heart but weak of mind with Page's acoustic drone over a beautiful and booming syncopation from John Bonham, showing the reason this band could not go on without their beloved timekeeper. A drunk rehearsal version of the classic 'I Can't Quit You Babe' gives the casual fan a taste of Zep in a live setting, and 'Darlene' swings, showcasing John Paul Jones' piano skills and some good solid songwriting.

Of course the highlight is 'Bonzo's Montreux', Bonham's wardrum tour-de-force, topping off a legendary career with thunder. Revealing a Led Zeppelin unlike the deities they were seen as, we instead see four normal men with the good fortune to have known each other.

Excruciating end to a fine rock group.

First off, there's not a whiff of progressive sensibility here. The only smell I detect is that of the cash-in. Whether it was the remaining band members or the record label who pushed for these cast-offs to be released is a moot point, but in the end the band are doubly culpable: for recording this stuff and for allowing it to see the light of day.

The first two tracks are the best, and that's not saying much. After that, we have half an hour of pointless noise, culminating in the 'Wearing and Tearing' joke. Did they really not understand the genre they were trying to parody? 'Darlene' teases for about ten seconds, almost sounding like a legitimate track, until it descends into another egregious attempt to cultivate the American market. 'Walter's Walk' is really a song fragment, and the riff actually appears on 'Hots On For Nowhere' from 'Presence'. If you've heard that, you've heard this.

For those misguided folk who want to buy this, get the CD, as it has four bonus tracks that are far better than any of the eight original tracks. 'Travelling Riverside Blues' is a re-run of 'The Lemon Song' but just sufficiently different to sound interesting. We get some nice guitar work in 'White Summer' which segues into a less intense version of the familiar 'Black Mountain Side'. My goodness, this is the best track on the album, and it's not as good as the throwaway track from their first.

I know a number of LED ZEPPELIN fanatics, and I've yet to hear any of them have a good word to say about this record. Unless you're a completionist (as I am), then give this a miss.

What were they thinking?

I actually was serious when I said this album is better than "In Through the Out Door." I would choose this collection of oddities over that previous bloody mess in a heartbeat.

Don't get me wrong, this is still firmly in the "for Zep fans" tent but at least it has a pulse and some decent moments. You get some nice early recordings in "We're Gonna Groove" and "I can't quit you baby" both of which will bring you back to their glory days. Then you have I believe 3 or so outtakes from the ITTOD sessions and remarkably all of them are preferable to songs they chose for their unfortunate last studio effort. "Ozone Baby," "Darlene," and "Wearing and Tearing" are looking pretty good when stacked against the likes of "Hot Dog" and "In the Evening." I don't know who made the song selection for ITTOD but they really blew it. There is also a tribute to Bonzo here called "Bonzo's Montreaux" which is a nice little solo but nothing earth shattering. "Poor Tom" and "Walter's Walk" are similarly pretty weak stuff.

It's a bit sad that this is the best stuff a band like Zeppelin could come up with from their magic vault. The vinyl used to have a wonderful photo collage in the gatefold that was worth the price for Zep fans. This is worth getting for fans of the group but only after you've acquired every other work save ITTOD which is best avoided completely. I'd give 3 stars to the version with the bonus tracks, but the original eight song version would be 2 stars.

LED ZEPPELIN “Coda” 2

Yep, this is what it should be – unreleased and thrown out material, hardly interesting for anybody except fans. Some interesting moments here and there, but this is mostly collector’s item – blueprints of what could have been good. Grab it if you already have all the others, it’s inescapable, you’ll buy sooner or later anyway. LZ rock even in post-mortem condition!!!

Best tracks: “Poor Tom”, ”Wearing and Tearing”, “Ozone Baby”

Wearing

While "Coda" tends to be listed in Led Zeppelin discographies as the band's final studio album, the reality is that "In through the outdoor" was their true swansong. As the title suggests, "Coda" is a posthumous release, appearing about 2 years after the death of John Bonham, which brings together eight previously unreleased songs.

At a mere 33 minutes, it quickly becomes apparent that there is not a great quantity of such material available, and it does not take long to realise when listening to this album that there is some major barrel scraping going on.

The tracks are pretty much chronological, starting with "We're gonna groove" a blues standard recorded by the band in late 1969 or early 1970. "Poor Tom" is from the "Led Zeppelin III" sessions, the song reflecting the more acoustic nature of that album. "I can't quit you baby" is one of the few tracks here to have appeared on one of the band's albums, in this case their first. This version is a live rendition, although there seems to be some doubt as to whether it is a concert recording or a rehearsal. In any event, it is by far the strongest track here.

"Walter's walk" was originally intended for "Houses of the holy", and to be fair it is not actually any worse than a number of the songs which made it on to that album. In brief, it is a rather muddled upbeat rambler. Three songs, "Ozone Baby", "Darlene", and "Wearing and Tearing", were recorded for "In through the out door" but not used. The first of these, "Ozone baby" is a pop based up-tempo number with a catchy hook. "Darlene" features John Paul Jones on piano and some notable guitar work, but is otherwise uninteresting. "Bonzo's Montreaux" muscles in between this track and "Wearing and tearing". As the title suggests, "Bonzo's. . ." features the drumming of John Bonham the track being slightly enhanced through the addition of some effects by Jimmy Page. As drums solos go, this is one of the more acceptable ones, as it at least features a recognisable beat and some Caribbean style sounds.

We close with "Wearing and tearing", a fairly standard Led Zeppelin romp with a familiar drum pattern and a pop rock feel.

In all, an album only for the Led Zeppelin devotee; there are no hidden gems to be found here.

Some versions of the album on CD include a number of bonus tracks, all of which were included in the Led Zeppelin box sets. The most interesting of these is the wonderful "Hey hey what can I do", the B side of the single "Immigrant song".

The end...

Coda for sure, these guys clearly wanted to end with something that didn't beg for more. Released after Bonzo's death this compilation is a collection of previously unreleased material often toting the ''studio album'' tag. This collection is a rather unfortunate one, being as there's nothing remotely classic on the disc. While every Zeppelin studio album would have its moments in the sun this one really does not. None of the songs on the album are redeeming, and even the bonus tracks on the remastered cd don't do that much. This really feels like a cash grab, especially considering that they'd release it on cd, a move which was quite unnecessary.

It's quite clear that the band had Bonzo in mind when releasing this album. For the most part he's the best part of the disc. It's annoying to note, however, that a lot of the time his drums are mixed well above most of the other parts, and it makes for a large distraction, especially considering that Zeppelin's main force was Page's guitar. Songs like the opening We're Going To Grove feature nice drum parts but rather uninspired guitars and vocals. For the most part the album is like this. Walter's Walk features a mean drum part which washes out the guitars completely. For the sections where the guitar is noticeable it feels overly distorted to the point where it sounds just messy, the solo on I Can't Quit You Baby is like this, the melody and power of Page's normal work is completely absent in this recording.

For the most part is feels like only one member at a time is allowed to perform well. Poor Tom features more good (albeit repetitive) work from Bonzo, but the vocals are put in the background and Page still sounds like he's just going through the motions. The harmonica section at the end of the song isn't bad, though. Darlene features (FINALLY!) some good guitar work from Page, but Plant's vocals are incredibly annoying (something very unusual about the band, as Plant is usually top notch) in the repeated chorus section and the point in the song where he seems to be going for an Elvis impression. Ozone Baby shows John Paul Jones in top form with a decent riff pattern by Page, but Plant is once again annoying, the chorus and constant ooohing racking ont he nerves of the listener.

A few of the songs are even surprisingly ineffective considering their context. In an album where Bonzo is put to the front it's surprising that his solo, Bonzo's Montreux is rather dull, and the electronic sounds used on the track nearing the end of the song are strangely out of place. Wearing and Tearing is a nicely heavy song with a muddled, but effective, guitar section, but with Plant's vocals once again making for an irritating listen.

The bonus tracks on the album are not bad, but they're not terribly redeeming either. Baby Come On Home shows the band experimenting in R&B territory while Traveling Riverside Blues shows the band is full blues motion. White Summer/Black Mountain Side is highly enjoyable with Page's delicate guitar at the forefront with barely anything else going on in the song. A touch long, it feels like, but enjoyable none the less. Hey Hey What Can I Do feels more or less like the rest of the album, a bluesy rock piece. Plant's vocals are more enjoyable on this track than a lot of the rest of the album. An enjoyable classic rock/blues tune.

If you're here looking for the progressive side of Zep you're not going to find it. This compilation was really only meant for the hardcore Zep heads in the world who had to have every single recording that the band ever released, so there's really nothing of huge value here. Avoid it if you can, since it's useless to a progressive music collection. Hard rock and blues collection? Maybe, but progressive - no. Not at all. 1 star for this album - not ''poor'', but for completionists only for sure.

Just as codas are rarely the best part of a song, the same applies to careers.

It's bad, but surely no one actually expected it to be good. This wasn't Jimmy Page saying "Hey, we decided to save all our best material for after our drummer's death". It was purely a release of spare 'ITTOD' cuts and various odds and sods, for anyone who may have been interested.

Some of the early stuff was omitted from previous albums with good reason. And the then- recent Stockholm offerings lean a little too much towards punk for my liking. I think even people who like punk would be put off by 'Dinosaurs' attempting it. The Bonham tribute is nice, but I'm glad it didn't push it's way onto any significant LZ albums. And I am puzzled by the inclusion of a VERY early recording of 'I Can't Quit You Baby'. What have the bluesy early days got to do with a 1982 release?? Sure it's good, but there must have been something more appropiate [more recent] in those Atlantic vaults.

It really is only neccesary to buy this album if you are a completionist. Or if it's cheaper than something by Robert Plant...

'Coda' - Led Zeppelin (3/10)

Hard rock legends Led Zeppelin had already broken up by the time this little afterthought rolled around; a way to give the band one last 'hurrah' before closing the doors forever. Collecting some outtakes that were frankly too weak for any legitimate studio album, 'Coda' was forged. There's really not much to say here, except that even as someone who knew what to generally expect from this record, I find myself incredibly disappointed. With the possible exception of one track, these are some of the most throwaway Zeppelin tracks one is going to hear.

The tracks here remind me somewhat of what I heard on their other somewhat weak release 'Presence', basic rock tracks with forgettable melodies, some interesting riffs from Page and nothing to really spark much feeling. There is nothing here that originally endeared me to Zeppelin, the charming orchestrations and arrangements, diverse influences, and sense that rock music was really being elevated through their music. Instead, what is heard here is almost an entirely different band in terms of approach; bland and repetitive rock lacking much in terms of bite or vitality.

The one interesting highlight here however is the drum solo 'Bonzo's Montreux'. I can still see why it may have been left off of an album, but it is very cool to hear it. Although beginning as a fairly straightforward drum solo from the late John Bonham, there are new layers added before the end that turn it into some nightmarish Hawaiian luau. Simply stated; it is quite different from virtually anything else the band had done, although it's a little abrasive and rough to be heard anywhere but here.

If you find yourself really thirsty for some forgettable, bland classic rock, Led Zeppelin's 'Coda' might do the trick. It seems a shameful afterthought, especially considering that this is the same band that delivered some of the 70's greatest albums. In any case, fans of the band may want to check this out as a rule, but as long as they are prepared for some impending disappointment.

"Coda" is the afterthought album when the Zeppelin crashed into the tower and burned up in a fireball. The travesty of "Presence" set the ball rolling towards a break up, followed by horrendous "In Through the Out Door", and then John Bonham's death sealed it in stone. The band had nothing left to give and the great drummer's death rocked their world and he simply couldn't be replaced. Some bright spark decided to release all the tracks that were unreleased from past recording sessions as a posthumous gift to the fans, after all the bootlegs were being unearthed in large quantities so there was obvious interest in the group, and there you have the creation of "Coda". It is Led Zeppelin's worst album with very little to salvage even for the diehard ZepHeads.

There are moments that are up to the excellent Zep standard, as usual, namely 'Walter's Walk', that trudges along with a killer riff and pounding drums, the way they should sound, over present and dominant. Well, at least they drown out the poor vocal technique of Plant drivelling the non-sensical lyrics.

'I Can't Quit You Baby' is back to brilliance as the Zeps move into the dominant blues landscape, a searing performance by Page who makes his guitar cry hot tears. LZ were masters of this genre and when they are released to improvised blues jamming there were none better.

However you have to trudge through tedious songs to get to them. When I say tedious there is none worse than the Elvis inspired ditties such as Darlene, a must to avoid. I know some ZepHeads will state LZ can not do wrong but there is no room for fanboyism here, folks. A lot of this album smells and it smells very bad indeed like the rotting corpse of prog that was stinking during 1982 when this was released to the adoring public.

Also 'Bonzo's Montreux', has a clever title but little else. Okay, it is Bonham banging the living suitcase out of his kit and I guess that has merit, you have to hand it to the man, he knew how to slam those cans, but he does this every concert. Having said that it is one of the lone highlights on "Coda" so worth seeking out.

Anyway this is an album designed for completists, and of course it is coming from arguably the most influential and indisputable rock gods themselves. It has a couple of decent tracks so deserves at least 2 stars. The mighty Led Zeppelin were capable of so much better, and if you want to hear the best you need to turn to the first 4 albums; sheer brilliance.

I have discovered that I still have not written a review for this album!

Well. This album was mostly released as a "recording contract filler" two years after the death of John Bonham. It is a collection of previously unreleased tracks and short in playing time (aprox. 34 minutes).

"We´re Gonna Groove" and "I Can`t Quit You Baby" are two Blues covers which were recorded live in 1970 but were overdubbed in the studio years latter. Both are not very interesting for me.

"Poor Tom" is an outake from their third album from 1970 with great drums by John Bonham.

"Water`s Walk" is an outtake from their "Houses of the Holy" album from 1973.

The most interesting songs from this album for me are the three outakes from their "In Through the Out Door" album ("Ozone Baby", "Darlene" and "Wearing and Tearing"). The three songs are the best from this album, very energetic, with "Wearing and Tearing" being the best song from this album, with great guitar playing by Page and great drums playing by Bonham. "Wearing and Tearing" was played at the Knebworth Festival from 1990 by Plant`s band with Jimmy Page as guest. That was the first time that I listened to this very good song during a TV broadcast from this Festival.

"Bonzo`s Montreux" is a very good solo drums and percussion composition by John Bonham recorded in 1976, done with several overdubbs and very good and energetic rhythms. This composition also shows why Bonham was considered as one of the best drummers in Rock. This recording was augmented by some sound effects done by Page to be released in this album.

In conclusion: "Coda" is an uneven compilation album that was released mostly as a "record contract filler", mostly interesting for the most die-hard fans of the band. I don`t listen to this album very often, but I prefer the songs from the original Side Two of the L.P. (tracks 5 to 8).

Even though the record label wanted to consider "Coda" a regular studio album (for contractual obligation purposes) it is actually a collection of rare outtakes and recordings that were scraped together in order to squeeze out another album after John Bonham's untimely death. The band had actually considered on continuing on and also considered many drummers to take Bonham's place, but then ultimately decided to disband. So, this album was born.

It's really not a bad album, it just doesn't have the flow and cohesiveness of past LZ albums. Some of the tracks are great, while others just sound unfinished and imperfect. It is still worth it to the general public to purchase this album if they like the band, but just know that it is not a typical album.

"We're Gonna Groove" is one of the rougher tracks and it opens the album. The album notes claim this was recorded in studio at Morgan Studios in 1969, but in reality, it came from a concert at Royal Albert Hall in January of 1970. Guitar parts were overdubbed while the original guitar part was taken out. It was originally going to be included on "Led Zeppelin II". Next is the much better song "Poor Tom" which is an outtake from the "Led Zeppelin III" sessions. This is followed by the strong bluesy track "I Can't Quit You Baby" which was recorded live at the same concert as "We're Gonna Groove". This recording on the album is said to be from the sound rehearsal. However, it was edited from the original live performance so that the crowd noises were taken out. "Walter's Walk" ends the first side, and is a decent track. It is a "Houses of the Holy" outtake with overdubs added later.

Side two starts with the upbeat "Ozone Baby" and was recorded during the "In Through the Out Door" sessions. "Darlene", a more rock n roll style song was also recorded at the same sessions and has a heavier sound than a lot of the tracks on that album. "Bonzo's Montreaux" is an amazing and catchy (mostly) drum solo by Bonham with effects added in by Page. It was originally recorded in 1976 in Switzerland. This is one of my favorite drum solos ever. "Wearing and Tearing" ends the original vinyl version of the album with another song from the "In Through the Out Door" sessions and was recorded to prove that LZ could compete with new punk bands.

The CD edition from 1993 added 4 more tracks that help round things off but these tracks were already released on the Led Zeppelin Box Sets 1 and 2, so at the point of the release of the CD edition, these tracks weren't necessarily rare. The tracks are "Travelling Riverside Blues", "White Summer/Black Mountain Side", "Hey Hey What Can I Do" (from the non album b-side to "Immigrant Song") and "Baby Come On Home" (which was previously unreleased before the box set became available).

The album still has some gems on it even if it is a bit inconsistent in sound quality and not very cohesive. Yes many people groan that it was too bad that the band had to end things with this album, but keep in mind it is a collection of rare tracks and as such, it has the drawbacks of being such. If it hadn't been released, all of these tracks would have suffered from less exposure and of course we would have a lot of terrible bootleg sounding versions of them. So we should just feel lucky that we have this collection. 3 stars.

Review Nº 781

"Coda" is the ninth and last studio album or a compilation album, as you wish, of Led Zeppelin, released in 1982. It's a collection of unused tracks taken from various sessions during Led Zeppelin's musical career, and so, it could be heard as a quasi compilation album of unreleased tracks in the same tradition of other albums such as "Odds And Sods" of The Who and "Basement Tapes" of Bob Dylan. It was released two years after Led Zeppelin had officially disbanded following the death of their drummer John Bonham. The word "coda", meaning a passage that ends a musical piece following the main body, was therefore chosen as a title. So, it represents the end of the musical career of a great band.

"Coda" has eight tracks. The first track "We're Gonna Groove" was a song co-written by Ben E. King and James A. Bethea with the original title "Groovin". It's a live track recorded on 9 January 1970 in London and was edited with guitar overdubs. This track was originally stated for inclusion on "Led Zeppelin II" and kicks off the compilation album with the heavy, funky blues so common on the early band's works. Lyrically, it's a song with a high energy and an excellent musicianship, being just a plain of a pure Rock'n'Roll song. The second track "Poor Tom" was written by Page and Plant and is an outtake from "Led Zeppelin III". It tells us the story of the eponymous railroad worker whose clairvoyance leads to the knowledge of his wife's affairs. Musically, it opens with a solid drum riff and with Plant dinging softly. The drums are the predominant instrument through the early musical stages of the group and this song isn't an exception. However, it's very curious and extremely rare for the highlight on an acoustic song to be the drums. The third track "I Can't Quit You Baby" was written by Willie Dixon and recorded by Otis Rush in 1965. It was included on Led Zeppelin's debut studio album in 1969. It's an edited live track recorded on 9 January 1970 at the Royal Albert Hall, in London. It's a song heavily influenced by the blues riffs and the slow bass drumming. This live version is better than the original with nice guitar solo and the sound just seems tighter than on the original studio take. It's a nice flashback into the early days of the group. The fourth track "Walter's Walk" was written by Page and Plant and is an outake from "Houses Of The Holy", possibly with later overdubs. It's perhaps Led Zeppelin's rawest song on the album. It opens strong with the guitar followed by a solid drumming. Plant's vocals, although strong, sound like they are in the background. The musicianship is very strong and despite being a good song is probably one of the weakest tracks on the album. The fifth track "Ozone Baby" was written by Page and Plant and is an outtake from "In Through The Out Door". It opens very promisingly, and musically it continues all over the song. Plant's vocals are very good, as always. He sings very well in tune with the music, and its upbeat guitar riffs and fills with a nice solo too. It makes of this song as one of the best tracks on the entire compilation. I probably would have liked to have seen it on "In Through The Out Door". The sixth track "Darlene" was written by Page, Plant, Jones and Bonham, it's also an outtake from "In Through The Out Door". This is another good song with a great beat and where Jones makes a great piano job, once again. Plant's vocals are once more great and the way that it put his vocals back up Page's interesting guitar line, make this song being catchy and nice to hear. The seventh track "Bonzo's Montreux" was written by Bonham and was recorded in 1976 at Mountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland. It's a four minute drum solo taken from one of Bonham's sound checks at Royal Albert Hall. It can be compared to "Moby Dick" in that they are both drum solos, although, aside from that, they are slightly different. It doesn't open and close with Page taking the centre stage and Page added some electronic effects over the solo in the studio. This is a great track and shows for the last time, just how great Bonham was, really. The eighth and last track "Wearing And Tearing" was written by Page and Plant, is another outtake from "In Through The Out Door". This is a musical effort to mirror the growing popularity of the punk movement at the time, and it imitates its style. The chaotic musical atmosphere of the track provides an excellent background for Plant's stylishly sung vocals. However, I've never was a great fan of punk, really. But, it's a fresh song, for the time, and I don't dislike it.

Conclusion: As a true album, "Coda" isn't definitely, to anyone, one of the favourite albums of Led Zeppelin. It was composed of the left over stuff from the band, even if Led Zeppelin's throwaways are better than most groups usually make at their best. This is definitely an album that would be labelled only for hard core fans, even thought that the world is full of them. It's one that every Led Zeppelin's fan should save in the last. It's an album that only a real Led Zeppelin's fan would or could really enjoy, if your musical collection of pre "Coda" isn't complete yet, I wouldn't recommend this album to anyone. Concluding, "Coda" is definitely not the Led Zeppelin's best musical work. It's not a bad album, but not a good start off to listening to Led Zeppelin's music. Fans of the band, like me, will probably enjoy it to an end, as I do. It's non-essential, but as a posthumous work for Bonham's, it's a very emotional album for the group and fans too.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)