It’s been a long time since we… heard a rare Led Zeppelin track. Over two weeks, to be exact, since we shared the alternate version of 1973’s “Rain Song” from Zeppelin’s forthcoming pair of classic LP reissues.
This time, the band has leaked an alternate take of “Rock and Roll” — the windows down, hard-rockin’ second track from 1971’s Led Zeppelin IV. How do you think it compares to the original?
“‘Rock and Roll’ has just got that cheeky energy about it,” Jimmy Page told Rolling Stone. “It’s a party. ‘It’s been a long time since I rock and rolled.’ It says it all, really. It’s great lyrics and it’s a great performance.”
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“As a song, it was actually kind of punky; pre-punk,” bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones said. “It was really fast too, onstage anyway. It just got really quick, a lot of energy. It’s a lot of fun to play. The crowd loved it. We loved it.”
The reissues of 1971’s Led Zeppelin IV and 1973’s Houses of the Holy drop Oct. 27 via Atlantic/Swan Song. Each reissue will contain a bounty of unreleased bonus tracks (on both CD and vinyl, regular and deluxe). Both will be included in a box set, which also contains a coffee table book and a print of the cover art.