October 22, 1969. Led Zeppelin follows up their debut album, released just 10 months earlier, with a monster of a sophomore effort.
And yes, this all happened 50 years ago. The fact that we’re still talking about this album and playing songs from this album today is a testimony to how groundbreaking it was at the time and how important it continues to be. I could go on and on, but I won’t. Instead, to mark the anniversary, let’s test our knowledge with this short quiz, then dive into a trio of cover versions of some of the seminal cuts on Led Zeppelin II.
Cave In “Dazed And Confused” — If you caught the Boston-area post-hardcore vets on tour back in 2001, you had the opportunity to pick up a limited-edition EP with their take on this Zep II epic.
Duran Duran “Thank You” — This cover, courtesy of the 80s New Wave giants, was featured on both the soundtrack of the 1995 film With Honors and the Led Zeppelin tribute album Encomium released that same year.
Reina del Cid “Ramble On” — Acoustic guitar, upright bass, and lap steel. Check out this stripped-down and simple cover by the Minneapolis folk-rocker.