Customer Reviews

It's Not Unusual

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On Dread Zeppelin's third album, they go for a big change of pace. They still play songs in a combined Elvis/Zeppelin/reggae style, but this time they are mostly playing disco songs. The results are a lot of fun. I really get a kick out of this album. The songs are played with a reggae beat, but they will throw in a Zeppelin riff or an Elvis line. This album is not for everybody, but it is for me.

This is an interesting experiment. Buttboy becomes the frontman (Gary B.I.B.B.) on this one and the Zep/Reggae/Elvis formula is applied to disco music. The best results occur in "Jive Talkin'", which melds the original tune with Zep's "D'yer Maker" and of course, the reggae feel and Elvis-style vocals. Buttboy proves a somewhat capable imitation, but there is truly only one Tortelvis. If his presence were on this album, it would have been a bit livelier I think. This album is a bit spotty at times (see "Night Fever") where the collision of the four styles feels a little clumsy, but is still an interesting idea. The experimentation of applying the DZ formula to songs that come from places *outside* of the formula would prove to be more fruitful with later efforts, ("Unchained Melody", and "Brick Houses of the Holy" for examples) but the idea is a good one.

As if an Elvis/Zeppelin/reggae combo wasn't weird enough, they went ahead and added disco to the mix on this one. Oh, and they have a new singer: Tortelvis goes on temporary hiatus, and is replaced by Gary B.I.B.B. No matter. The boys hammer everything into shape, and the results are pretty good. There's only one actual Zeppelin song on here ("Ramble On"), but they use plenty of Zep riffs throughout the other songs. The entire first half is killer, particularly "Night Fever" and "Jungle Boogie". The second half kinda drags, but it's not terrible. It appears this cd is no longer in print, which is a shame.

Ok a friend of mine got me this because we both had different taste in music. the only other guy I knew who loved to sit and listen to Tom Waits. But he bought me this, he had been following the band for years. How many bands that has a lead singing being an Elvis impersonaitor could pull off covering zeppelin reggae style. It will make you laugh but they really nail it. I think its worth a listen or two.