10 Fascinating Covers Of Led Zeppelin Classics
3. Helmet And David Yow - Custard Pie
A host of notable talents collide in this version of Zep's Custard Pie, which first appeared on their 1975 double-album, Physical Graffiti. The song itself pays tribute to a variety of early blues recordings, including Blind Boy Fuller's I Want Some Of Your Pie and Brownie McGhee's Custard Pie Blues. Reputedly, Zep never played this song live, which is a little mystifying given its swagger and infectious groove. The song also ranks among the least sampled and least covered of Zep tracks.
Thankfully, we have this exhilarating version by Helmet and David Yow. Yow, in case you didn't already know, served as lead vocalist for seminal noise rock bands Scratch Acid and The Jesus Lizard. Helmet, an alternative metal band from NYC, have been around since 1989, undergoing numerous line-up changes, with founding member, lead singer and guitarist Page Hamilton the only constant.
Shot through with a wild, reckless energy, this shambling, shifting work-out may take a few listens to cast its peculiar magic on your soul. Hamilton's vocal delivery is, to say the least, highly individualistic, with possibly only The Fall's Mark E Smith ranking alongside him in terms of distinctive originality. Stay with it, though, and you will be amply rewarded. There is a kind of desperate energy flowing through this track which only grows more appealing with time.