Despite singer Tortelvis' reputed propensity for gas, there is no denying that, initially, Dread Zeppelin was a breath of fresh air in a stale music scene which oftentimes took itself way too seriously. Anyone jaded enough to think they had seen it all in rock & roll was forced to think again when faced with the band's improbable reggae renditions of Led Zeppelin classics, performed by an overweight caricature of the King himself, the aforementioned Tortelvis. Together, these disparate elements provided an aural and visual cocktail of Spinal Tap proportions but in this case, it was all for real. Of course, none of it could possibly have worked had it not been so cleverly well thought out in advance, and then expertly executed. Make no mistake, behind the sextet's comedic façade lies a highly competent group, featuring solid musicianship, great arranging talent, and, face it sheer balls and audacity. Having said that, the sextet's first album, 1990s “Un-Led-Ed”, is a gag-infested tour de force where almost every dubious musical moment is safeguarded by a healthy dose of humor and vice versa. Instantly catchy, and often hilarious renditions of such Zeppelin staples as "Black Dog" and "Heartbreaker" (cleverly spliced with "Hound Dog" and "Heartbreak Hotel" for added flavor) are, for the most part, perfectly valid interpretations from a musical standpoint. (Just listen to guitar player Carl Jah as he peels off scorching leads that would make Jimmy Page proud during "Whole lotta Love" for further proof.) And ultimately, what greater endorsement could one hope for, then the one bestowed by Zep vocal legend Robert Plant, who claimed that he actually preferred Dread Zeppelin's take on "You're Time Is Gonna Come" over the original. In the end, there is a very fine line between "sexy clever" and "sexy stupid," and though they would soon cross that line never to regain their way, at least with Un-Led-Ed, Tortelvis and company were taking care of business.
The album received a public endorsement by Led Zeppelin vocalist, Robert Plant, who claimed he preferred Dread Zep's version of "Your Time Is Gonna Come" to Led Zeppelin's original.
01. "Black Dog" (John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant)/Hound Dog (Leiber, Stoller) - 5:21
02. "Heartbreaker (At the End of Lonely Street)" (John Bonham, Jones, Page, Plant)/Heartbreak Hotel (Axton, Dursden, Presley) - 4:46
03. "Livin' Lovin' Maid (She's Just A Woman)" (Page, Plant) - 3:45
04. "Your Time Is Gonna Come" (Jones, Page) - 5:09
05. "Bring It On Home" (Page, Plant) - 4:34
06. "Whole Lotta Love" (Bonham, Willie Dixon, Jones, Page, Plant) - 4:34
07. "Black Mountain Side" (Page) - 2:01
08. "I Can't Quit You Baby" (Willie Dixon) - 6:02
09. "Immigrant Song" (Page, Plant) - 2:53
10. "Moby Dick" (Bonham, Jones, Page) - 4:19
Credits
Carl Jah - Guitars, Maharishi and Background Vocals
Jah Paul Jo - Guitars, Keyboard and Background Vocals
Put-Mon - Bass and Background Vocals
Tortelvis - Lead Vocals and Drums on "Moby Dick"
Ed Zeppelin - Conga, Percussion & Toast
Cheese - Drums and Percussion
Fresh Cheese 'n' Cheese - Drums on "Black Dog"
I-Lar-E Treadwell - Telephone Harmonic Convergence On “Black Dog”
"Colonel” Ron Kane - Spoken Introduction to “Moby Dick”
Bun-E Slopes - Blues Harp on “Bring It On Home”
The Memphis Hornies (Saxwell, Raji And Spam Acid) - Horn Section on "Black Dog"
The Dreadettes - Background Vocals
Michael Jordanaires - Background Vocals
Producers - Jah Paul Jo, Rasta Li-Mon
Engineer - Rasta Li-Mon
Mastered - Plant 'n' Paige at Love Cave
Notes
Art Direction: Bryant Fernandez (Birdcage Records), Hugh Brown (I.R.S. Records)
Photography: Bruce Fernandez, Andy Castro, Fred Davis
Charlie Haj is the man who hands Tortelvis his water and towels on stage.
Genre: Hard rock, reggae rock
Length: 43:24
© 1990 I.R.S. Records
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