The Best of Led Zeppelin

The Best of Led Zeppelin
Greatest hits album series by Led Zeppelin
Released	Early Days: 23 November 1999 (1999-11-23) Latter Days: 21 March 2000 (2000-03-21) Box set: 19 November 2002 (2002-11-19)
Recorded	October 1968 – December 1978
Genre	Hard rock
Length	68:09 and 64:36
Label	Atlantic
Producer	Jimmy Page
Led Zeppelin chronology
BBC Sessions (1997) The Best of Led Zeppelin (1999–2000) Led Zeppelin DVD (2003)
Early Days: Vol. 1
Latter Days: Vol. 2

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Sputnikmusic	[2]

The Best of Led Zeppelin is a two-volume greatest hits compilation album series by English rock group Led Zeppelin released by Atlantic Records. Containing songs from eight of the band's nine studio albums, volume one, Early Days, was released on November 23, 1999 while volume two, Latter Days, was released on March 21, 2000. Early Days is composed of selected tracks from the period in the band's history dating 1968 to 1971. Latter Days covered 1973 to 1979. Early Days debuted at #71 on the Billboard's Pop Albums chart and Latter Days debuted at #81. A combined disc set, called Early Days and Latter Days, was released on November 19, 2002. Both Early Days and Early Days and Latter Days were certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.^[3]

Both volumes are now out of print, and were replaced with the 2007 two-disc compilation Mothership.

Early Days

This enhanced CD contains 1969 television footage from Sweden of the band miming to "Communication Breakdown". On the compilation, the first four songs were originally released on the band's eponymous debut, the next two on Led Zeppelin II, the next two from Led Zeppelin III, and the final five from Led Zeppelin IV.

Track listing

1. "Good Times Bad Times" (John Bonham, John Paul Jones, and Jimmy Page) – 2:48
2. "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" (Anne Bredon, Page, and Robert Plant) – 6:41
3. "Dazed and Confused" (Page; inspired by Jake Holmes) – 6:27
4. "Communication Breakdown" (Bonham, Jones, and Page) – 2:29
5. "Whole Lotta Love" (Bonham, Willie Dixon, Jones, Page, and Plant) – 5:34
6. "What Is and What Should Never Be" (Page and Plant) – 4:44
7. "Immigrant Song" (Page and Plant) – 2:25
8. "Since I've Been Loving You" (Jones, Page, and Plant) – 7:24
9. "Black Dog" (Jones, Page, and Plant) – 4:54
10. "Rock and Roll" (Bonham, Jones, Page, and Plant) – 3:41
11. "The Battle of Evermore" (Page and Plant) – 5:52
12. "When the Levee Breaks" (Bonham, Jones, Memphis Minnie, Page, and Plant) – 7:08
13. "Stairway to Heaven" (Page and Plant) – 8:02

Latter Days

This enhanced CD contains a video of a live performance of "Kashmir" from Earls Court in 1975 matched to the studio track. On the compilation, the first two songs were originally released on the album Houses of the Holy, the next four on Physical Graffiti, the next two on Presence, and the final two on In Through the Out Door.

Track listing

1. "The Song Remains the Same" (Page and Plant) – 5:28
2. "No Quarter" (Jones, Page, and Plant) – 6:59
3. "Houses of the Holy" (Page and Plant) – 4:01
4. "Trampled Under Foot" (Jones, Page, and Plant) – 5:35
5. "Kashmir" (Bonham, Page, and Plant) – 8:31
6. "Ten Years Gone" (Page and Plant) – 6:31
7. "Achilles Last Stand" (Page and Plant) – 10:22
8. "Nobody's Fault but Mine" (Page and Plant) – 6:27
9. "All My Love" (Jones and Plant) – 5:53
10. "In the Evening" (Jones, Page, and Plant) – 6:49

Box set

Appearance

The sleeve that holds the two CDs is made of cardstock. The cover of the sleeve is mainly occupied by the same photo from the cover of Early Days. It features the members of Led Zeppelin in late Apollo mission astronaut suits in front of a starry background and a Led Zeppelin logo. The logo behind them shows many space-related images, but the only one wholly visible is the image of the moon's face with a space capsule stuck in its eye taken from the early silent movie A Trip to the Moon.

On the back of the sleeve is an array of information split up into two columns. On the left column, there is a photograph of the cover of Latter Days. It features the same astronaut suits, but the photos were taken later and so the members of Led Zeppelin are older. In the logo is an image of Saturn and behind all of the foreground is an image of Earth taken from space. Below that is the information about Atlantic. On the right column is a synopsis of the tracks on both discs.

Early Days disc

Early Days is packaged in a plastic jewel compact disc case. Much of the background is a drawing of stars, yet inside the case and behind the CD is an image of an artist's rendition of a supernova, apparently airbrushed. On the backside of the case is a list of the tracks. The background of the back cover appears to be a slightly out-of-focus photograph, likely taken by an amateur photographer.

The Early Days liner notes begin with the cover. On the cover is the same image that appears on the foreground of the sleeve. Inside the booklet is first a summary of the tracks, and then photos of the band ranging from 1969 to 1973. Then after that is a list of their albums, and the back page is a list of the band members, design and artwork credits, and information about the Enhanced CD capabilities on Early Days.

Latter Days disc

The packaging for Latter Days mirrors that of Early Days. The four band members are pictured in the same Apollo space suits in the same order, but they are older. Much of the background is of Earth as viewed from orbit. There is a picture of Saturn in place of the picture of the moon with the ship in its eye. Behind the CD is an image of the Eagle Nebula.

The liner notes are just like those of Early Days, except for the fact that the images range from the years 1972 to 1979.

Enhanced CD

Both the Early Days CD and the Latter Days CD are enhanced so they can play extra content on a computer. On Early Days, a music video of the song "Communication Breakdown" is included. On Latter Days, a video of the song "Kashmir" is included.

Personnel

Led Zeppelin

• John Bonham – drums and percussion
• John Paul Jones – bass guitar, keyboards, and mandolin
• Jimmy Page – acoustic and electric guitars, production
• Robert Plant – vocals and harmonica

Additional musicians

• Sandy Denny – Vocals on "The Battle of Evermore"
• Ian Stewart – piano on "Rock and Roll"

References