Let the truth be told. I was never a Led Zeppelin fan; for me the New York Dolls, Iggy Pop and the Stooges, The Ramones, and MC5 are the classics. So, to try and compare these sweet blues numbers to the originals would be absurd on my part. But, I do know that the blues showed up a lot in the style of 70's rock Led Zeppelin played. So, for these artists to take the songs they love by an artist they love and bring out the blues, you've got to see the value in that. Even if you weren't a Zeppelin fan. I mean, Eric Gales smooth, gritty voice on "Custard Pie" combined with his fragile, back porch guitar licks can't be ignored by anyone.

Otis Rush's interpretation of "I Can't Quit You Baby" is a soulful blues number dripping with tingling sounds sure to send vibrations throughout your body. "Hey Hey What Can I Do," re-defined by Chris Thomas King is another smashing example of the fluid, colorful blues turning the song into something alive.

Simply put: this is a disc full of lively blues music sure to make any blues fan go crazy. Whether or not you're a Led Zeppelin fan isn't the question here; it's the new formation of these songs, with the blues coming out from every corner, which makes this a great blues album. I'll give it a B+.

Tea for 2000

This Changes Everything: A Second Nature Recordings Sampler

[Issue Twenty-Four // October 1999]