Dread Zeppelin's years on the Cleopatra label (from 2000 on) are covered on
Re-Led-Ed; The Best of Dread Zeppelin, a fair collection that can be your second purchase of this limited band. The group's cheeky combination of reggae,
Led Zeppelin tunes, and an
Elvis impersonating frontman really rocked on their 1990 debut,
Un-Led-Ed. Since then, synths and sequencing have made them dreamy and clever, not what everybody looks for in a novelty party band. With electronics and the absence of its oh-so-identifiable riff, "Kashmir" is a breezy highlight, and an example of how crafty these musicians are. Their version is memorable, as are their "Lemon Song" and "Going to California," but there's some dull and pointless material here, too much for a "best-of." If you can't get enough of their debut,
Re-Led-Ed has half-an-album's worth of
Un-Led-Ed excitement. It's an easy way to cherry pick from some bad albums and hear how this one-trick pony of a band mellowed and trip-hopped into their later years. ~ David Jeffries