Classic Albums Live Plays Led Zeppelin Ii

While Jimmy Page gets some great blues licks on 1969’s Led Zeppelin II, I don’t enjoy Zeppelin’s take on Howlin’ Wolf’s “Killing Floor” as much as I do Wolf’s. Retitled “The Lemon Song,” Zeppelin’s version of “Killing Floor” was a ripoff, though it was well-done. What I love about Led Zeppelin II, which a group called Classic Albums Live will perform this week at the Schermerhorn, isn’t its blues. It’s Page’s production and his guitar work, both of which manage to be subtle and overpowering. The record’s “Ramble On” is one of the essential Zeppelin tracks, and there’s nothing about it that borrows from Howlin’ Wolf. Like many of the greatest rock groups, Led Zeppelin created its own world out of blues, folk rock and pop — despite the super-hype and the guitar heroics, they were smart enough to poke fun at their own excess. Will classic rock someday take the place of classical music? It could happen. 8 p.m. at the Schermerhorn, 1 Symphony Place EDD HURT