10 Fascinating Covers Of Led Zeppelin Classics
Experience the music of Led Zeppelin as you've never heard it before.
Led Zeppelin, like The Who, Nirvana and Pink Floyd, very much put their readily-identifiable stamp onto every piece of music which they recorded. While the songs themselves are wonderful, it is the unique styles and talent of the original performers, in this case Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Bonham and John Paul Jones which elevate them to a special level.
In this regard, Led Zep are similar to The Beatles, in that the group's cohesiveness and distinctive sound are as much a part of each track as are the lyrics and the melody. Nobody is going to replicate Bonham's thunderous, innovative drumming, Plant's voice, Page's singular guitar or Jones' bass, but the songs presented below are not attempting to.
A great cover version takes the original as inspiration and adds something new. A great cover version re-interprets the original through a contrasting lens, bringing out new flavors and colors in the process. This is not about improving, it's about exploring.
It's fitting testament to Led Zeppelin's lasting impact that their work continues to be re-recorded forty years since their last original material was released. We are sure that you will find much to enjoy in the list presented here.
10. Dennis Caplinger - Going To California
The sadly-departed (1963 - 2021) Grammy-winning multi-instrumentalist Dennis Caplinger was a musician's musician. Fiddle, banjo or guitar, if an instrument had stings, Caplinger could make it sing. Eric Clapton and J.J. Cale are just two of the many notable artists who sought out Caplinger's talent to grace their recordings. “There was nothing with strings on it that Dennis couldn’t play," observed fellow Grammy-winner, Steve Vaus, "if heaven’s angels have harps, there’s no doubt he (Caplinger) is already teaching them new licks.” Caplinger's also contributed to soundtracks for film and television across multiple genres, including HBOs Deadwood, which provided the perfect backdrop for his music.
Caplinger's version of Going To California is a delight. Sublime banjo picking flits like sunlight on water, fiddle adds a perfect bitter-sweet touch, and acoustic rhythm guitar provides the jogging, kicking back-beat. This track, as much as any ever recorded, brings out the song-writing strength and deep folk roots of Led Zeppelin, whose original version first appeared on their seminal fourth album, Led Zeppelin IV (sometimes referred to as Four Symbols).
According to Robert Plant, the song encompassed, “me reflecting on the first years of the group, when I was only about 20 and was struggling to find myself in the midst of all the craziness of California and the band and the groupies.” The cover that you will hear above is a wonderful tribute to a unique band from an equally unique player.