Jimmy Page's gift to humanity: 5 hours of live Zeppelin!
Written: May 27 '03 (Updated May 30 '03)
Product Rating:
Pros: 5.1 sound, John Bonham in all his glory, and 49 minutes of Earls Court
Cons: ?? Maybe that it's not in widescreen. Doesn't come with a Page satin dragon suit.
The Bottom Line: Where do I start? Never-before-released footage of live Led Zeppelin in superb 5.1 audio and as clear as the day it was filmed, + extras? I must be in Heaven.
For Zeppelin fans who do not collect bootlegs, the new Led Zeppelin DVD will be a revelation. Even those of us do collect can't deny the power of this collection, as assembled by Jimmy Page himself. The chance to see and hear Zeppelin in this clarity and with 5.1 sound is worth every penny. Heck, I probably owe Jimmy about $100, truth be told.
Disc 1 begins with a concert at the Royal Albert Hall from January 9, 1970, Page's 26th birthday. Boy, does he celebrate. Page turns in a fiery performance this night and ensures it's a show to remember.
Not to be outdone, the late (and very great) John Bonham shows why he was so crucial to the band right from the start with the intro to "We're Gonna Groove." No once since Bonzo has been able to set the beat like he did, and his performances throughout the DVD set is awe-inspiring. He makes it seem so effortless.
The Albert concert shows the band in fine form, with just two albums under the belt and a year of touring. This is before "Stairway", before mystical symbols and trips to Kashmir. It's just four guys getting down to it and enjoying themselves. Pure rock and roll, no pretense. It’s clear the audience got all they wanted from the group, and the vibe is palpable.
From an even earlier date comes the band's appearance on Danish TV. It's obvious from the footage that Page and the boys were breaking new territory in the world of rock, and the audience, while enjoying themselves, seem almost scared to death. The rendition of "How Many More Times" from this show is one of my favorites, as Page has a lot of fun with ad libs. Plant also shows some of his early chops as well.
The other items on Disc 1 reveal the band in the heady early days when they toured almost non-stop until mid-1970. Supershow is just about impossible to find anymore, so it's a very welcome addition to the set, along with Communication Breakdown promo and Tous En Scene.
Disc 2 is what I like most. I've always been disappointed that "The Song Remains the Same" didn't include "Over the Hills and Far Away" and "The Ocean" even though those numbers were performed on the three nights that movie was filmed in New York City.
While this set does not include a version of "Hills" it does add "The Ocean" and the double-shot of "Misty Mountain Hop" flowing right into "Since I've Been Loving You." Now, Page's manic playing at the beginning of "Since I've Been Loving You" that we see on "The Song Remains the Same" makes sense. "The Ocean" is just an open invitation to a party and the copious scenes of the audience getting down prove that point. Wonderful stuff.
Then it's on to Earl's Court, 1975, what I would call Zepp's definitive shows. The group played Earl's Court five times in May of that year and could do no wrong. The chance to see Page getting jiggy playing slide guitar on "In My Time of Dying" is worth every penny of this set.
The only thing that doesn't work in this section is a sense of scale. The Earl's Court shows were massive and after five nights, 85,000 had witnessed Zeppelin at their last, great height. There are just a few scenes of the audience and those don't give any sense of perspective.
Before that number, the intimacy and delicacy of "Going to California" and "That's the Way" bring chills to my spine. Too often, this softer side of Zeppelin gets ignored, and I applaud Jimmy Page for including these two numbers. Don't forget the cheerful "Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp," Plant's paean to his "blue eyed merle" Strider. It's just too bad Page didn't include "Tangerine," also performed during the five-night stand, but perhaps it was a matter of available footage. After a rousing "Trampled Underfoot," what could be more timeless than a spectacular, fiery performance of "Stairway to Heaven"?
Well, I could ask for a performance of "Kashmir" from Earl's Court, but I'll have to settle for the version from 1979, Knebworth. The seven numbers from Knebworth convey the ideal image of Knebworth instead of the reality. Knebworth was a ragged, under-practiced affair that didn't always live up to expectations. But, the songs Page includes from Knebworth on this set are all show stoppers in their own right, especially "Achilles Last Stand" (with Page and Plant in prototypical rock god stances, weaving and bobbing together) and "Kashmir." Thanks to Robert Plant's excellent ad-libs ("Woman, talking to ya!"), "Kashmir" live was always better than the studio version (except on the frequent occasions when they got lost), and this version is no different.
The extras on Disc 2 are also very welcome, with brief but interesting interviews and promo material from 1990.
The new Zeppelin DVD set (why no name?) is leaps and bounds ahead of "The Song Remains The Same." The concert footage, especially from Royal Albert Hall, conveys all the power and glory one could experience at a Zepp show (I guess; being 31 I was to young to ever experience one). It’s DVDs like this that make you want to go out and get a Bose surround sound system and a huge TV. For now, I have to settle for 5.1 on my computer.
One can only hope that Page will crack open the Zeppelin archives again and top this set, somehow (I'm begging for a complete Earl's Court DVD, or anything from the 1977 tour). If he does, I'll be back with my e-pinion.
Recommended:
Yes
Viewing Format: DVD Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up Ages 8
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