ZEPPARELLA (A Pleasing Pounding) CD
I'm generally quite skeptical about cover bands. Mostly those bands fail in trying to capture the spirit of their idols, but there are a few exceptions. One of them is ZEPPARELLA, an all-female band featuring ex-members from Bottom, and 'A Pleasing Pounding' is their second live album, that has been released in 2008 by What Are Records?. I suppose, that you already know that ZEPPARELLA are paying tribute to Led Zeppelin, and not to Barbarella but I really like the idea behind the name as well as the altered version of the "Swan man" symbol. Now it's a woman, who's wearing a bra, panties and holds a Gibson Les Paul in her hands. I love this kind of humour! The song selection here is very good, because they have chosen also some more unknown tracks like 'Sick Again', 'Custard Pie', 'Trampled under Foot' or 'In My Time of Dying', which are all from Led Zep' sixth album 'Physical Graffiti'. Of course, here are also a few well-known songs like 'Immigrant Song' and 'Dazed and Confused', but fortunately no 'Stairway to Heaven' and 'Whole Lotta Love'. The musicianship is top-notch and the passion of the band for Led Zep is clearly felt throughout the included nine songs. I like the vocals of Anna Kristina more than the one's from Robert Plant, and maybe even Led Zep haters will like ZEPPARELLA more than the original. By the way, she's also a good harmonica player. There's plenty of guitar firepower on 'A Pleasing Pounding', while the rhythm section is tight as hell and the driving force behind ZEPARELLA. Personally I would say that most of the here included versions have more power than the old songs, what makes 'A Pleasing Pounding' to an extremely enjoyable experience. The production is crisp and loud, so that the album rolls on all cylinders. For fans of Led Zep this is an essential release.
(KK)