TRAIN – Does Led Zeppelin II (2016)

American radio-rock / modern rock band TRAIN are releasing “Train Does Led Zeppelin II“, where they recorded the entire legendary album… a remake nobody asked for.
Granted, it isn’t terrible, despite all the hand-wringing on social media once the project was announced. They didn’t ruin the album forever. John Bonham didn’t turn over in his grave. Jimmy Page wasn’t shrieking in agony at a nursing home somewhere.
But, question is… we needed this?

If you walked into a bar, and the band played Led Zeppelin like Train does, you might do a double take. Pat Monahan, who got his start in a Led Zeppelin cover band, has had decades to hone his Robert Plant howl. And it’s a faithful replica — in particular, Train’s “Ramble On” is well executed, buoyed by Monahan’s gravelly chorus.
Overall, Train’s renditions are proficient if sterile, with some especially feeble backing vocals. But it’s clear the group clearly knows the album intimately.

The band, rightly, avoids attempts to put its own spin on “Led Zeppelin II”. Any effort to out-Zep the masters would be outrageous and futile. So Train rarely strays from note-for-note recitations of Zeppelin material.
Hackneyed? For sure. Pretentious? Probably. But the band seemed to be enjoying themselves revisiting this classic.
So we return to the initial question; we needed this?

If you like “Led Zeppelin II”, why not just listen the original? Why is Train taking this upon itself?
“Led Zeppelin is our favorite band,” Monahan explained… That’s it, more or less. That’s Train’s entire rationale behind this album.
They are an American mainstream band, and nothing’s more American than pumping out trite covers of Led Zeppelin songs. It’s pretty much a rite of passage. Guitar-wielding 14-year-olds do it daily.
Ultimately, though, Train’s latest project feels like an unnecessarily intense game of Guitar Hero. The band nails its parts well enough, and has a good time doing it.
So if you are curious, give it a listen.

01 – Whole Lotta Love
02 – What Is and What Should Never Be
03 – The Lemon Song
04 – Thank You
05 – Heartbreaker
06 – Living Loving Maid (She’s Just a Woman)
07 – Ramble On
08 – Moby Dick
09 – Bring It On Home

Pat Monahan – lead vocals, guitar
Jimmy Stafford – guitar, backing vocals
Jerry Becker – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
Hector Maldonado – bass, percussion, backing vocals
Drew Shoals– drums

BUY IT !
www.amazon.com/Does-Led-Zeppelin-II-Train/dp/B01EU46QCC
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