I first bought this album two years ago, although previously, my brother said it wasn't all that good. My opinion : it's well worth buying for the blistering album closer, WEARING AND TEARING, which is best played extremely loud, as it's a rampaging monster of a track, used as an answer to the punks who had written off Zep and which also could have been a slight precursor to the early '80s NWOBHM craze. This is the most aggressive song on the track, although 'Walter's Walk' is impressive, too. Cut in 1972 during the HOUSES OF THE HOLY sessions, this features a groovy Jimmy Page riff and is efficiently powered along by Bonzo's powerful drums. The 1970 soundcheck version of 'I Can't Quit You, Baby' is heavier than the original, further improved by Page's sizzling solo and 'We're Gonna Goove' ain't bad, either. As for the other songs? 'Poor Tom' is an okay acoustic effort, with a distinctive, opening drumbeat, 'Bonzo's Montreux' is a pretty interesting drum solo from the man himself and the New Wave influenced 'Ozone Baby' and 'Darlene' are adequate rockers, indicating the sort of direction Zeppelin were taking towards the end of the Seventies. CODA is not brilliant, but it's certainly worth a listen.
