Review BETH HART ‘A Tribute to Led Zeppelin’

Working on a cover album with songs of one of the most iconic bands in rock is a challenge not everyone is willing to take. Too high is the risk of failure, regardless of if one sticks closer to the original or starts to push some classics into a totally new sound costume.

Beth Hart accepted the challenge which was given to her by her heart. The result is a tribute album to Led Zeppelin. ‘A Tribute to Led Zeppelin’ is the meaningful title of a release that includes nine songs, originally penned by the Page, Plant & Co.

The idea for this longplayer started to grow during the ‘War in My Mind’ session when Hart sung an improvised version of ‘Whole Lotta Love’. Producer Rob Cavallo came up with the idea of a cover album which was rejected in the first place. Led Zeppelin songs need a feeling of anger, something Hart wanted to bring under control during the last years.

It was the pandemic that changed things. Being angry and frustrated about the situation allowed the iconic singer to get into the right mood for recording some Led Zeppelin classics, nine in total.

A triple of super songs starts the record. ‘Whole Lotta Love’, Kashmir’ and ‘Stairway to Heaven’ are timeless classics in rock and the way Beth Hart interprets these songs is awesome. With having fully control over her voice, the singer adds her own timbre to these classics and at the same time sticks to the original expression. It is a great experience listening to Hart singing these rock anthems since she finds the sweet spot of own identity and original spirit.

A song that can’t be missed on such an album is the powerful ‘Black Dog’ that allows Beth Hart to make full use of her bluesy voice while the funky version of ‘The Crunge’ shows the wide range of the singer from California.

‘A Tribute to Led Zeppelin’ is an album with the potential to be a delight for Beth Hart fans as well as for Led Zeppelin enthusiasts.