This album is like an exotic trip through the Arabiandesert, and reminiscent of the glory days of Led Zeppelin. Jimmy Page and RobertPlant, former guitarist and singer for Led Zeppelin, respectively, take thelistener on a journey with the use of foreign musicians and instruments includingEgyptian bamboo flutes, mandolins, and bodhrans.
Much of the music on"No Quarter" has a Middle-Eastern feel to it. Page and Plant enlist thehelp of the London Metropolitan Orchestra and an Egyptian ensemble to create themagnificent and dreamy sound of Middle-Eastern music mixed with Western rock. Theresult is fabulous. I haven't been as amazed with an album since I first listenedto Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon."
What I am most blownaway with is how different many of the songs sound. Some, such as "ThankYou" and "Gallows Pole," are basically the same as the Zeppelinclassics. Many, however, sound as if they went in for plastic surgery. Myfavorite example is the first song on the album, "Nobody's Fault ButMine." I always thought the original Led Zeppelin version was alright, butwhen I heard Page and Plant's version, I was pleasantly surprised. It is slower,more beautiful, and, in my opinion, better than the original.
Jimmy Pageand Robert Plant's "No Quarter" captures the mystery, power and life ofmusic itself. I thought it was great to hear this album give bits of music fromanother time that many Americans have never had the pleasure of experiencing."No Quarter" is a breath of fresh air in a world of recycled music.
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