Voodoo Blues

Before the name Jimmy Page became synonymous with hard rock guitar, the guitarist was a much sought-after session player in London — appearing on a variety of artists' recordings. Some were well known (the Kinks, the Who, etc.), but quite a few were obscurities — which serves as the basis for the 20-track No Introduction Necessary Deluxe Edition. Although Led Zeppelin touched upon a variety of musical styles throughout their career, the first 14 tracks could all be neatly placed in the 1960s rock & roll/pop genre — the amps are certainly not cranked to ten here. But you do get a glimpse into Page's playing as a 'hired gun' — "Lovin' Up a Storm" and "Boll Weevil Song" are enjoyable (yet not exactly 'must-hear') selections. Closer to the hard rock sound you expect from Page are several tracks that close out the collection, which are taken from the obscure 1970 Screaming Lord Sutch recording, Lord Sutch and Heavy Friends. Page produces and plays on the record (even co-penning a few tracks), and while the music does reflect early Led Zeppelin at times (John Bonham also plays), the vocals of Screaming Lord Sutch don't come close to matching up to those of Robert Plant. Overall, not a bad compilation of Page's early playing. ~ Rovi Greg Prato.