Led Zeppelin - The BBC Sessions (CD 1997)

Some stuff on here is superb, with Zep at their improvisational best. The not-on-any-studio-album "Travelling Riverside Blues", more a homage to Robert Johnson than a cover version of his original, stands out.

Unfortunately there is more than one version of several songs because the CD covers several sessions. Even as a die-hard fan, I can't face listening to "Communication Breakdown" *three times* on the first CD.

2 CD's and the first hey sounds great as they should be with some excellent blues..by the second cd in 71 it is less co-ordinated and plant is sometimes out of tune..but if u want to capture how they sounded live and what made them so good..this is the album and just ignore the bad bits on cd2, along with of ciourse the studio version of cd1 which is Led Zep1..if u are unaware of whats it all about buy led zep 1 album first..and if u are ancient and have a record player..buy the vinyl..

A excellent showcase of the talent Led Zeppelin has to perform and improvise live routines and sets.

pretty good effort overall
pretty good value compared to fancy box sets etc
some good variations ie on communication there is a musical bit later on used on the jimmy page deathwish 2 soundtrack.
stunning solo in thank you last track on cd2

downside:
few tracks i imagine are missing from original sessions days
for example 1969 white summer/black mountain side 8min version which is 10cd set and box set vol1 is not on here. other tracks feel slightly edited in places.