Led Zeppelin's name has been lampooned by artists ranging from
Dread Zeppelin to Jed Zeppelin to Fred Zeppelin, and there is even a northern California winemaker who came out with a syrah called Red Zeppelin. But it doesn't end there. One of the various
Led Zeppelin tribute bands to emerge in the 21st century is
Lez Zeppelin, and the thing that separates
Lez Zeppelin from the others is the fact that all of its members are female. The
Lez part will no doubt inspire listeners to wonder whether or not any of
Lez's members are lesbians; never let it be said that
Lez Zeppelin didn't come up with a clever gimmick. But
Lez's name is the only thing that is gimmicky about this self-titled debut album; offering very little, if any, irony,
Lez Zeppelin come across as a group of enthusiastic
Led Zeppelin devotees who just happen to be female. This
Eddie Kramer-produced CD is pleasingly solid, and lead singer Sarah McLellan's passionate performances of
Led Zeppelin classics like "Rock and Roll," "Whole Lotta Love," "The Ocean," and "Kashmir" make it clear that
Lez should not be dismissed as a mere novelty act. Devoid of post-'80s alternative rock influences, this 38-minute CD is quite faithful to the spirit of late-'60s and '70s rock -- which is not to say that McLellan tries to emulate
Robert Plant. Actually,
Heart's
Ann Wilson has a much more
Plant-minded vocal style than McLellan (who is somewhat
Janis Joplin-ish at times, but without sounding nearly as raspy). It should be noted that even though
Led Zeppelin's heavy metal/hard rock material is a major focus on this album,
Lez's members are insightful enough to realize that their heroes were more than headbangers -- and
Lez acknowledges
Led Zeppelin's blues-rock side on "Since I've Been Loving You" and their folk-rock side on "Winter Sun." Bottom line:
Lez Zeppelin show themselves to be one of the more substantial
Led Zeppelin tribute bands on this worthwhile disc. ~ Alex Henderson