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Led Zeppelin - The Song Remains the Same Actors: John Bonham, John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant Directors: Peter Clifton, Joe Massot Number of Items: 1 Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen Format: Color, Dolby, Widescreen Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) Running Time: 136 minutes Studio: Warner Studios Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Region Code: 1 Product Group: DVD Release Date: 1999-12-21 Buy from Amazon |
 "DON from Michigan"If you're still looking for this soundtrack contact Tower Records in anaheim on BEACH BOULEVARD. They have EVERYTHING in music.  "Lots of cuts & edits, but something good still comes through"Filming of this concert at Madison Square Garden took place at the end of July 1973 and the end of the 1973 tour year for Led Zeppelin—and it shows in almost every performance. As a rabid Zeppelin fan who owns many live Zeppelin concert recordings (including several from 1973), I can assure you that what you hear in this video is not the Zeppelin you would hear in March or May of that year, which were far better shows. In those months, Zeppelin is fresh and energized and they often left your out of breath. Here in this concert footage—with bits and pieces that were taken from each of the three shows—Page shows some signs of being spent from the long touring year and Robert's voice is just horrid in some spots. Both freely admit that these concerts were not their best effort and both have often bemoaned both the quality of the footage and the quality of play. Lot of the blame could be put on the awful editing job which is evident throughout the film to fit three days of the best music into one supposed concert night (notice how their clothes change from scene to scene?). Additionally, there are several concert footage scenes that were "re-filmed" in a reconstructed studio set of the concert stage (for proof, look at Plant's teeth. In one shot, they'll be crooked, in other shots perfectly straight. Why? Because he had his teeth fixed after 1973 and the "re-filming" captured that). But of all the many cuts found strewn throughout the film, the most criminal cut occurs in "Whole Lotta Love" right before the Theramin section—it's amazing someone could have gotten away with that one. There are several in "Dazed and Confused", too, that rank up there in the list of poor edits. Even after Page's solo in "Stairway to Heaven" (perhaps his finest in that touring year), the film cuts to the previous night because Plant liked the way he sounded that night instead. If you listen closely, this cut completely unbalances the tempo of the song. Lastly, watch Jones very closely after the end of "Whole Lotta Love". He takes his bass guitar off twice. It's that kind of mediocre production that plagues this entire film. But even with all the complaints, I still love this film. It actually was the reason why I became the Zeppelin fan I am today. I watched it one weekend in 1986, and I have been addicted to Zeppelin ever since. As so many other reviewers have said here, even a relatively weak Zeppelin performance is worth its wait in gold. The boys still pull off a lot of exciting moments in these songs, most noticeably in TSRTS, DAC, NQ, and SIBLY. So despite my reservations about the film itself, I still would recommend it to Zeppelin and non-Zeppelin fan alike. Jimmy was a true guitar sorcerer in those days, and Jones & Bonham were simply gigantic from one night to the next—the best rhythm section ever in the history of rock bands. No other live band then and now can match these guys in talent.  "A sad legacy for a great rock band"If this wasn't the only concert film available of Led Zeppelin it wouldn't be such a tragedy.. but it is. This is a second rate concert at best. At the time it was released Plant himself acknowledged its shortcomings, saying it simply had to be released, regardless of the calibre of the music. His words were to the effect that it 'certainly wasn't magical'. And it isn't. For those of us lucky enough to have heard/seen a magical performance of Led Zeppelin in their prime, this concert representation is a pathetic farce. It doesn't even scratch the surface of the brilliance of the band. On top of the mediocre performance, the editing is simply brutal. The 'dream' sequences spliced in and out of the concert footage are rather silly and beside the point, and even the live footage is so butchered that the sound/images don't match half the time. As for the 'dream' sequences themselves.... the fact that the makers of this film are trying to 'liven up' a Led Zeppelin concert should be your first clue that something is wrong. It's not that this film is so bad that bothers me, it's not terrible... it's just mediocre. BUT THAT'S THE PROBLEM! Led Zeppelin was one of the best rock bands of all time.. anyone watching this who had never seen a 'magical' concert would scratch their heads and wonder what all the fuss was about. Let's pray that somewhere, sometime, someone digs up some magic from the video vaults and shows the kind of mind-blowing concert that these guys were capable of.  "Song Remains The Same"I was pretty impressed when I saw this when it first came out [in a theatre]. While its flaws are more obvious now, it is worth having for any Zep fan. The fantasy sequences are a bit silly at times, Planty's ego is too and some of the performances are a bit dodgy against Zeppelin's best work. But it is worth it just for the 25 minute 'Dazed And Confused', a magic moment in rock history, rambling but not a note out of place. Here and in some other parts, it is a joy to watch the band,Page especially, at work. "Not a great effort"Led Zeppelin concert footage is like pizza; even when its bad its good. Would be much better if the were more songs and less theatrical nonsense. Also, the soundtrack is horrible. Certainly doesn't do them jsutice. Still one of my top 5 all time bands. |
