Over the years, acoustic guitarist James Lee Stanley has released McCabes-styled acoustic tributes to Baby Boomer rock bands like The Rolling Stones and The Doors, all to rich success. He goes for the hat trick here, delving into heavy metal territory with the Led Zeppelin songbook with fellow guitarist/vocalist Dan Navarro along with Chad Watson/b, Washington Tahr/pec, and The Phantom Airman/cel.
The fun here is not only in the song selection but the attitude of essentially, “What if Led Zeppelin lived in Laurel Canyon instead of England?” The question is duly answered with a Jim Croce-mooded “Dazed and Confused” as well as a James Taylor mellow “Over The Hills and Far Away”. Watson gives a cool bass line under the Jimmy Buffet-styled read of “Whole Lotta Love”-what a HOOT!, while “D’jer Mak’er” is a bluegrass beauty. You’re gonna two step to the two step boogie of “ Good Times Bad Times” and sit on the back porch to the swampy “Ramble On”. I won’t spoil it for you, but just wait until you hear “Rock and Roll” and the bluesy “Stairway to Heaven”. They didn’t rip of Spirit for this one! Essential for Zep fans looking for something fresh, and for acoustic fans seeking inspiration.