Early Days and Latter Days

Infobox Album
Name = Early Days & Latter Days
Type = Box set
Artist = Led Zeppelin


Released = November 19, 2002
Recorded = 1968 - 1978
Genre = Hard rock, blues-rock
Length =
Label = Atlantic
Producer = Jimmy Page
Reviews = *Allmusic rating|4|5 [http://wm06.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:d9fyxqtaldke~T0 link]
Last album = ""
(2000)
This album = "Early Days & Latter Days"
(2002)
Next album = "How the West Was Won"
(2003)

"Early Days & Latter Days" is a combined box set of two compilation compact discs released on November 19, 2002 by the band Led Zeppelin. It contains the best known songs from their début album "Led Zeppelin" to "In Through the Out Door". In 2007, it was superseded by "Mothership".

About the Set

"Early Days & Latter Days" was released by Atlantic Recording Corporation in 2002. The set is actually just a repackaging of Led Zeppelin's two previous compilation CDs, ' and '; released in 1999 and 2000, respectively. "Early Days & Latter Days" was produced by Jimmy Page.

Appearance

Sleeve

The sleeve that holds the two CDs is made of cardstock. The cover of the sleeve is mainly occupied by the same photo that there is on the cover of "Early Days". It features the members of Led Zeppelin in late Apollo mission astronaut suits in front of a starry background and a Led Zeppelin logo. The members of Led Zeppelin, positioned left to right, are John Bonham, the drummer; John Paul Jones, the bassist; Robert Plant, the singer; and Jimmy Page, the guitarist. The logo behind them shows many space-related images, but the only one wholly visible is a drawing of the moon with a face with a ship or rocket capsule stuck in its eye.

On the back of the sleeve is an array of information split up into two columns. On the left column, there is a photograph of the cover of Latter Days. It features the same astronaut suits, but the photos were taken later and so the members of Led Zeppelin are older. In the logo is an image of Saturn and behind all of the foreground is an image of Earth taken from space. Below that is the information about Atlantic. On the right column is a synopsis of the tracks on both discs.

Early Days Disc

"Early Days" is packaged in a plastic jewel compact disc case. Much of the background is a drawing of stars, yet inside the case and behind the CD is an image of an artist's rendition of a supernova, apparently airbrushed. On the backside of the case is a list of the tracks. The background of the back cover appears to be a slightly out-of-focus photograph, likely taken by an amateur photographer.

The "Early Days" liner notes begin with the cover. On the cover is the same image that appears on the foreground of the sleeve. Inside the booklet is first a summary of the tracks, and then photos of the band ranging from 1969 to 1973. Then after that is a list of their albums, and the back page is a list of the band members, design and artwork credits, and information about the Enhanced CD capabilities on "Early Days".

Latter Days Disc

"Latter Days" is comprised much like that of "Early Days". The four band members are pictured in the same Apollo space suits in the same order, but they are older. Much of the background is of Earth as viewed from orbit. There is a picture of Saturn in place of the picture of the moon with the ship in its eye. Behind the CD is an image of the Eagle Nebula.

The liner notes are just like those of "Early Days", except for the fact that the images range from the years 1972 to 1979.

Enhanced CD

Both the "Early Days" CD and the "Latter Days" CD are enhanced so they can play extra content on your PC or Mac. All you need to do is pop the CD in a compact disc drive and the content will autoplay. On "Early Days", a music video of the song "Communication Breakdown" is included. On "Latter Days", a video of the song "Kashmir" is included.

The minimum system requirements for playback are:

Windows 95/98/NT; 8 megabytes of RAM; and QuickTime 3

OR

Mac OS PowerPC; 16 megabytes of RAM; and QuickTime 3

Track listing

Early Days: The Best of Led Zeppelin Volume One

#"Good Times, Bad Times" (Bonham/Jones/Page) – 2:48
#"Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" (Bredon/Page/Plant) – 6:41
#"Dazed and Confused" (Page) – 6:27
#"Communication Breakdown" (Bonham/Jones/Page) – 2:29
#"Whole Lotta Love" (Bonham/Dixon/Jones/Page/Plant) – 5:34
#"What Is and What Should Never Be" (Page/Plant)– 4:44
#"Immigrant Song" (Page/Plant) – 2:25
#"Since I've Been Loving You" (Page/Plant/Jones) – 7:24
#"Black Dog" (Page/Plant/Jones) – 4:54
#"Rock and Roll" (Page/Plant/Jones/Bonham) – 3:41
#"The Battle of Evermore" (Page/Plant) – 5:52
#"When the Levee Breaks" (Page/Plant/Jones/Bonham/Memphis Minnie) – 7:08
#"Stairway to Heaven" (Page/Plant) – 8:02

Latter Days: The Best of Led Zeppelin Volume Two

#"The Song Remains the Same" (Page/Plant) – 5:28
#"No Quarter" (Page/Plant/Jones) – 6:59
#"Houses of the Holy" (Page/Plant) – 4:01
#"Trampled Underfoot" (Page/Plant/Jones) – 5:35
#"Kashmir" (Page/Plant/Bonham) – 8:31
#"Ten Years Gone" (Page/Plant) – 6:31
#"Achilles Last Stand" (Page/Plant) – 10:22
#"Nobody's Fault But Mine" (Page/Plant) – 6:27
#"All My Love" (Jones/Plant) – 5:53
#"In the Evening" (Jones/Page/Plant) – 6:49