Album Review

*** 1/2, JIMMY PAGE & ROBERT PLANT, “No Quarter”, Atlantic While most imitators have mimicked Led Zeppelin’s portentous posturing, they have missed the fact that the seminal metal group also created music of exquisite subtlety. The depth, power and intricacy of the band’s best work are made evident on this companion album to the recent MTV special that reunited Page and Plant. The pair’s refusal to compete with their past allows their old music to open up and shine.

“No Quarter” has the duo working with diverse players including Moroccan folk musicians, Egyptian percussionists and the London Metropolitan Orchestra. Far from producing a precious exercise in multiculturalism, this variety encourages Page and Plant to vigorously reinvent several Zep classics. The album features a few fine new songs, but their joyous rediscovery of the old stuff is the real attraction.

New albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).