Led Zeppelin (Official Thread)
- Thread starter METALPRIEST
- Start date
gcczep
Ever Onward...
From Ultimate Classic Rock:
New York City played host to the surviving members of Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones) today, Oct. 9. The group was joined by drummer Jason Bonham at the New York Museum of Modern Art for a press conference and screening of their new film ‘Celebration Day.’
The enthusiastic press corps seemed to be very impressed with the film during the screening, applauding wildly after every song and thus giving the room the feel of an actual concert. This is the only worldwide screening that will feature all four members of Led Zeppelin that performed at the O2 Arena in December 2007. There are additional premieres in Berlin, Tokyo and London scheduled for later this month.
The movie was screened for the media prior to the press conference to give reporters a chance to ask questions relative to the film. The unique way the film was conceived and presented in “movie format” is one of the more stunning aspects of ‘Celebration Day.’ There are no supplemental interviews, no fantasy sequences or other filler. This is two hours of essential, fervent rock and roll, quite simply. The film is presented much in the same manner as the actual Zeppelin O2 concert back in London in 2007. In retrospect, this appears to be a very good call.
Twenty million people applied for tickets, but only 18,000 lucky lottery winners were actually able to attend this historic show. Combined with the fact that the band members have declined to re-form and tour, this movie gives viewers a chance to see the brilliant performance, and it gives a very honest account of the actual concert. In a time when creative editing can provide a range of viewing experiences, Led Zeppelin correctly made the call not to dramatically alter or tamper with the film, sound mix or the actual concert feel of the set list. As one who attended this historic concert, this film is truly an accurate document of what could be Led Zeppelin’s final performance ever.
The film provides an intro credit lead-in that minimizes the use of graphics, excessive credits and the usual fare of a feature film. Once the introductory credits roll, the viewer is quickly transported back to Dec. 10, 2007. The vintage newsreel footage from Tampa 1973 is shown first, like at the actual concert, and then it’s on to the count-off to ‘Good Times, Bad Times.’ From that point, the visual and aural onslaught begins.
For two solid hours, the viewer is witness to full-on Led Zep sonic fury. Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones’ performances, combined with Jason Bonham’s powerhouse drumming, just leap from the screen. Stellar 14-camera cinematography takes you onstage with the band, so every glance, wink and nod gives witness to their chemistry as the set unfolds. Robert Plant sings his heart out, pushing himself at all times. Jimmy Page’s guitar work is something to be marveled at, and John Paul Jones is his usual top notch self, both on bass and keyboards.
The biggest revelation of the film might have been Jason Bonham, who studied numerous bootlegs and band recordings to really maximize the opportunity to play with his dad’s pals for the first two-hour Zeppelin set in 27 years. Bonham truly challenged himself to raise the bar and do his father proud, and he succeeds in every way. He even brings some interesting, unique drum fills that he makes his own and adds to the sonic steam train that was cooking the entire two hours of the movie screening.
This is a film that needs to be seriously watched, digested and enjoyed over and over again. Younger fans that weren’t alive when the group was in its prime can see and experience what a magnificent band Led Zeppelin actually was.
‘Celebration Day’ makes a huge statement befitting the career of Led Zeppelin, and this film exceeds in the most triumphant ways. This movie will definitely add to their legend and should become a “must have” for all lovers of great rock and roll music.
New York City played host to the surviving members of Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones) today, Oct. 9. The group was joined by drummer Jason Bonham at the New York Museum of Modern Art for a press conference and screening of their new film ‘Celebration Day.’
The enthusiastic press corps seemed to be very impressed with the film during the screening, applauding wildly after every song and thus giving the room the feel of an actual concert. This is the only worldwide screening that will feature all four members of Led Zeppelin that performed at the O2 Arena in December 2007. There are additional premieres in Berlin, Tokyo and London scheduled for later this month.
The movie was screened for the media prior to the press conference to give reporters a chance to ask questions relative to the film. The unique way the film was conceived and presented in “movie format” is one of the more stunning aspects of ‘Celebration Day.’ There are no supplemental interviews, no fantasy sequences or other filler. This is two hours of essential, fervent rock and roll, quite simply. The film is presented much in the same manner as the actual Zeppelin O2 concert back in London in 2007. In retrospect, this appears to be a very good call.
Twenty million people applied for tickets, but only 18,000 lucky lottery winners were actually able to attend this historic show. Combined with the fact that the band members have declined to re-form and tour, this movie gives viewers a chance to see the brilliant performance, and it gives a very honest account of the actual concert. In a time when creative editing can provide a range of viewing experiences, Led Zeppelin correctly made the call not to dramatically alter or tamper with the film, sound mix or the actual concert feel of the set list. As one who attended this historic concert, this film is truly an accurate document of what could be Led Zeppelin’s final performance ever.
The film provides an intro credit lead-in that minimizes the use of graphics, excessive credits and the usual fare of a feature film. Once the introductory credits roll, the viewer is quickly transported back to Dec. 10, 2007. The vintage newsreel footage from Tampa 1973 is shown first, like at the actual concert, and then it’s on to the count-off to ‘Good Times, Bad Times.’ From that point, the visual and aural onslaught begins.
For two solid hours, the viewer is witness to full-on Led Zep sonic fury. Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones’ performances, combined with Jason Bonham’s powerhouse drumming, just leap from the screen. Stellar 14-camera cinematography takes you onstage with the band, so every glance, wink and nod gives witness to their chemistry as the set unfolds. Robert Plant sings his heart out, pushing himself at all times. Jimmy Page’s guitar work is something to be marveled at, and John Paul Jones is his usual top notch self, both on bass and keyboards.
The biggest revelation of the film might have been Jason Bonham, who studied numerous bootlegs and band recordings to really maximize the opportunity to play with his dad’s pals for the first two-hour Zeppelin set in 27 years. Bonham truly challenged himself to raise the bar and do his father proud, and he succeeds in every way. He even brings some interesting, unique drum fills that he makes his own and adds to the sonic steam train that was cooking the entire two hours of the movie screening.
This is a film that needs to be seriously watched, digested and enjoyed over and over again. Younger fans that weren’t alive when the group was in its prime can see and experience what a magnificent band Led Zeppelin actually was.
‘Celebration Day’ makes a huge statement befitting the career of Led Zeppelin, and this film exceeds in the most triumphant ways. This movie will definitely add to their legend and should become a “must have” for all lovers of great rock and roll music.
gcczep
Ever Onward...
49 hours, 20 minutes and counting...
Last edited:
gcczep
Ever Onward...
Led Zeppelin's 'Celebration Day' a must-see
by BEN WENER / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Many of us Zep fanatics – the million-plus who tried for tickets times at least 10 – have taken it on good faith for five years that one of the most momentous performances in rock history was every bit as jaw-dropping incredible as everyone said it was at the time.
Now there's proof: Celebration Day, the riveting, invigorating film documenting Led Zeppelin's sole full-length reunion performance since last briefly touring at the dawn of the '80s. It fully delivers on the mythologizing hype that immediately burst forth after that show, finally placing a properly gleaming capstone on their seismic career after a series of self-described shambolic attempts in the past, and giving idolizing devotees who were too young to see the real thing a golden glimpse at the thunder of these gods in action.
Having premiered last week in London, with Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones on hand for the screening, the two-hour chronicle of their once-unthinkable stunner at London's O2 Arena in December 2007 next plays in theaters countywide for one night only – tonight, Oct. 17 – then arrives on Blu-ray and DVD on Nov. 20. CD and vinyl versions of the soundtrack also become available that day, not long before the group is saluted at the annual Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C.
Celebration Day is a monumental testament, nothing less than the epic you'd expect from a group that so enigmatically and painstakingly oversees its legacy. Once you're engulfed in director Dick Carruthers' masterful encapsulation of Zeppelin's tremendous achievement, inspired by the memory of Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun, it's easy to understand at least one reason why they might never want to do it again.
After twice sputtering back to life at other occasions (a sloppy four songs at Live Aid in '85, another mess at Atlantic's 40th anniversary in '88) that left both themselves and their fans disappointed, this time they really got it right. No matter how much we may crave seeing this in the flesh, why cheapen the moment with a cash-grab tour when they so convincingly nailed it the one time they really went all out to honor their past?
You'll certainly never get as close to their center of gravity, anyway, for then as now this elder Led Zeppelin (with Jason Bonham mightily filling the shoes of his incomparable father) is a grippingly tight unit.
I don't mean their playing is suffocatingly perfect, though their instincts for the funkiest of grooves are unerring to the point of
unearthly – especially during a devilish "Black Dog," an explosive blast through "Trampled Under Foot" (Zep's interpretation of Robert Johnson's 1936 "Terraplane Blues," according to Plant), and the slippery shifts in climactic epics like "Nobody's Fault but Mine" and a supernal "In My Time of Dying."
But blues enthusiasts to the end, they embellish throughout every piece, from the stomping "Good Times Bad Times" kickoff and the rousing "Rock and Roll" finale to all points in between, including the first-ever live version of "For Your Life," a suitably demonic "Dazed and Confused" (replete with violin-bow guitar solo), a majestic rendition of "No Quarter" and, yes, "Stairway to Heaven," still awesome after all these years.
With heaps of grit to match his astonishingly fluid fretwork, Page enlivens all those staple riffs that have spawned scores of garage-bound, would-be virtuosos, executing them with warm familiarity yet suffusing each song with wizardly magic, his fingers startlingly nimble like a young man's. He's reborn in the moment, baptized by sweat – whereas Plant has been subconsciously working his way up to this pinnacle for a decade.
On his solo tours backed by the aptly named Strange Sensation, the one-of-a-kind singer has explored the deepening fissures of his voice and found expressive new ways to put across old melodies; he retains their spirit while toying with their cadence, smartly mapping ways around soaring high notes that are now out of reach without diminishing soulfulness or thematic scope. (And then there are those times when you can tell he's been holding off on smaller-scale range-scraping – say, the cries amid "Misty Mountain Hop" – so that he's got enough in the tank for the wailing bits that really matter, like the end of "Whole Lotta Love.")
Bonham, as I mentioned, is a monster behind a clear, yellow-tint kit with the Hindenburg image from the first Led Zeppelin cover on his bass head. More on-the-money than in-the-pocket (like Bonzo was), he's the glue that binds these three titanic talents together, appropriately weighty when required but often deftly powering the proceedings to higher heights while your focus is elsewhere; take note of how his playing builds from straight-ahead plod to cyclonic propulsion during "Kashmir," and how he eventually takes the reins of that dangerously monotonous monolith.
But for me, the revelation is the least flashy person on stage: John Paul Jones. The rich theater mix (presumably translated to home surround-sound systems) allows you to hear the details of his complex underpinnings even when you can't watch his calloused hands stretch out on bass. When the camera does zoom in on him, though, especially while at his keyboard array, his skill is mesmerizing. I used to think Ray Manzarek was a marvel at balancing bottom heft with top-end filigree. Now that I've seen JPJ do that and more with his hands while tapping out bass parts with his feet, Manzarek seems practically one-dimensional.
All of that plus the evolving mood on stage – the culmination of "thousands and thousands of emotions we've been going through these past six weeks to get to this point," Plant explains – is on eavesdropping display throughout Celebration Day, the gaggle of cameras catching egged-on glances, elated/relieved smiles and all manner of body language you could read any which way and probably still wind up wrong. (By the way, I wasn't wild at first about the occasional inserts of grainy Super 8-style footage, often at curiously dynamic moments. Eventually, however, the editing rhythm falls into place, achieving a galloping strength all its own.)
What I noticed above all, though, was how insular Zeppelin still is, often huddled closely in front of Bonham to cull as much force as possible. They rarely sprawl out or strike poses, gaining intensity while maintaining permanent cool by focusing their flow of energy in a tightly drawn arc. You'd never be able to crack into that inner layer from a triple-digit seat a football field away from the stage were they to ever really tour.
Yet it's a transcendent thing to watch, rare among concert films – rarer still among Led Zeppelin's cinematic canon. All due respect to a generation or two's stoned love of The Song Remains the Same (1976) and the many gems tucked within the self-titled DVD box set of 2003, but Celebration Day is to Zep on film what the superb How the West Was Won package (also '03) was to Zep on record: the great concert we've long wanted.
This, it's safe to assume, is as near as we'll ever get to having Led Zeppelin back at full capacity, as I'm firmly in the camp that believes this will never, ever happen again. I'm grateful that I'll have versions I can play at home when I need a reminder of how immense they could sound live. But nothing will match seeing it on a big screen with a killer sound system pumping at maximum volume. If I weren't taking in Neil Young & Crazy Horse at the Bowl, I'd undoubtedly be seeing this all over again. Wish someone was showing it at midnight in Hollywood.
by BEN WENER / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Many of us Zep fanatics – the million-plus who tried for tickets times at least 10 – have taken it on good faith for five years that one of the most momentous performances in rock history was every bit as jaw-dropping incredible as everyone said it was at the time.
Now there's proof: Celebration Day, the riveting, invigorating film documenting Led Zeppelin's sole full-length reunion performance since last briefly touring at the dawn of the '80s. It fully delivers on the mythologizing hype that immediately burst forth after that show, finally placing a properly gleaming capstone on their seismic career after a series of self-described shambolic attempts in the past, and giving idolizing devotees who were too young to see the real thing a golden glimpse at the thunder of these gods in action.
Having premiered last week in London, with Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones on hand for the screening, the two-hour chronicle of their once-unthinkable stunner at London's O2 Arena in December 2007 next plays in theaters countywide for one night only – tonight, Oct. 17 – then arrives on Blu-ray and DVD on Nov. 20. CD and vinyl versions of the soundtrack also become available that day, not long before the group is saluted at the annual Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C.
Celebration Day is a monumental testament, nothing less than the epic you'd expect from a group that so enigmatically and painstakingly oversees its legacy. Once you're engulfed in director Dick Carruthers' masterful encapsulation of Zeppelin's tremendous achievement, inspired by the memory of Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun, it's easy to understand at least one reason why they might never want to do it again.
After twice sputtering back to life at other occasions (a sloppy four songs at Live Aid in '85, another mess at Atlantic's 40th anniversary in '88) that left both themselves and their fans disappointed, this time they really got it right. No matter how much we may crave seeing this in the flesh, why cheapen the moment with a cash-grab tour when they so convincingly nailed it the one time they really went all out to honor their past?
You'll certainly never get as close to their center of gravity, anyway, for then as now this elder Led Zeppelin (with Jason Bonham mightily filling the shoes of his incomparable father) is a grippingly tight unit.
I don't mean their playing is suffocatingly perfect, though their instincts for the funkiest of grooves are unerring to the point of
unearthly – especially during a devilish "Black Dog," an explosive blast through "Trampled Under Foot" (Zep's interpretation of Robert Johnson's 1936 "Terraplane Blues," according to Plant), and the slippery shifts in climactic epics like "Nobody's Fault but Mine" and a supernal "In My Time of Dying."
But blues enthusiasts to the end, they embellish throughout every piece, from the stomping "Good Times Bad Times" kickoff and the rousing "Rock and Roll" finale to all points in between, including the first-ever live version of "For Your Life," a suitably demonic "Dazed and Confused" (replete with violin-bow guitar solo), a majestic rendition of "No Quarter" and, yes, "Stairway to Heaven," still awesome after all these years.
With heaps of grit to match his astonishingly fluid fretwork, Page enlivens all those staple riffs that have spawned scores of garage-bound, would-be virtuosos, executing them with warm familiarity yet suffusing each song with wizardly magic, his fingers startlingly nimble like a young man's. He's reborn in the moment, baptized by sweat – whereas Plant has been subconsciously working his way up to this pinnacle for a decade.
On his solo tours backed by the aptly named Strange Sensation, the one-of-a-kind singer has explored the deepening fissures of his voice and found expressive new ways to put across old melodies; he retains their spirit while toying with their cadence, smartly mapping ways around soaring high notes that are now out of reach without diminishing soulfulness or thematic scope. (And then there are those times when you can tell he's been holding off on smaller-scale range-scraping – say, the cries amid "Misty Mountain Hop" – so that he's got enough in the tank for the wailing bits that really matter, like the end of "Whole Lotta Love.")
Bonham, as I mentioned, is a monster behind a clear, yellow-tint kit with the Hindenburg image from the first Led Zeppelin cover on his bass head. More on-the-money than in-the-pocket (like Bonzo was), he's the glue that binds these three titanic talents together, appropriately weighty when required but often deftly powering the proceedings to higher heights while your focus is elsewhere; take note of how his playing builds from straight-ahead plod to cyclonic propulsion during "Kashmir," and how he eventually takes the reins of that dangerously monotonous monolith.
But for me, the revelation is the least flashy person on stage: John Paul Jones. The rich theater mix (presumably translated to home surround-sound systems) allows you to hear the details of his complex underpinnings even when you can't watch his calloused hands stretch out on bass. When the camera does zoom in on him, though, especially while at his keyboard array, his skill is mesmerizing. I used to think Ray Manzarek was a marvel at balancing bottom heft with top-end filigree. Now that I've seen JPJ do that and more with his hands while tapping out bass parts with his feet, Manzarek seems practically one-dimensional.
All of that plus the evolving mood on stage – the culmination of "thousands and thousands of emotions we've been going through these past six weeks to get to this point," Plant explains – is on eavesdropping display throughout Celebration Day, the gaggle of cameras catching egged-on glances, elated/relieved smiles and all manner of body language you could read any which way and probably still wind up wrong. (By the way, I wasn't wild at first about the occasional inserts of grainy Super 8-style footage, often at curiously dynamic moments. Eventually, however, the editing rhythm falls into place, achieving a galloping strength all its own.)
What I noticed above all, though, was how insular Zeppelin still is, often huddled closely in front of Bonham to cull as much force as possible. They rarely sprawl out or strike poses, gaining intensity while maintaining permanent cool by focusing their flow of energy in a tightly drawn arc. You'd never be able to crack into that inner layer from a triple-digit seat a football field away from the stage were they to ever really tour.
Yet it's a transcendent thing to watch, rare among concert films – rarer still among Led Zeppelin's cinematic canon. All due respect to a generation or two's stoned love of The Song Remains the Same (1976) and the many gems tucked within the self-titled DVD box set of 2003, but Celebration Day is to Zep on film what the superb How the West Was Won package (also '03) was to Zep on record: the great concert we've long wanted.
This, it's safe to assume, is as near as we'll ever get to having Led Zeppelin back at full capacity, as I'm firmly in the camp that believes this will never, ever happen again. I'm grateful that I'll have versions I can play at home when I need a reminder of how immense they could sound live. But nothing will match seeing it on a big screen with a killer sound system pumping at maximum volume. If I weren't taking in Neil Young & Crazy Horse at the Bowl, I'd undoubtedly be seeing this all over again. Wish someone was showing it at midnight in Hollywood.
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Went to see it tonight. It's absolutely phenomenal. If you haven't got tickets yet and you're not sure, DO IT. You won't regret it.
My only complaint was the cinema wasn't loud enough. I wanted it to be pretty loud to really get the vibe of being there, but quite honestly, the performances of the individuals and the band as a whole, it's frightening and shone through even without ear splitting volume. Robert Plant sounded incredible. Jimmy effortlessly riffed and soloed. John Paul Jones is the master of both his crafts and Jason is definitely his fathers son. An absolute powerhouse on the tubs.
Great setlist, covered all the bases IMO. In My Time of Dying and Kashmir were absolute beasts.
I ****ing love Led Zeppelin.
My only complaint was the cinema wasn't loud enough. I wanted it to be pretty loud to really get the vibe of being there, but quite honestly, the performances of the individuals and the band as a whole, it's frightening and shone through even without ear splitting volume. Robert Plant sounded incredible. Jimmy effortlessly riffed and soloed. John Paul Jones is the master of both his crafts and Jason is definitely his fathers son. An absolute powerhouse on the tubs.
Great setlist, covered all the bases IMO. In My Time of Dying and Kashmir were absolute beasts.
I ****ing love Led Zeppelin.
I just got back from seeing it...WOW! I expected alot and it was better than expected. "For Your Life" rocked my world! This is definitely a must-see for Zeppelin fans.
electric funeral
Just listening music
Saw it last night and enjoyed it immensely. All the members were on top form. As Powerage I thought In My Time of Dying was unbelievably good. I had a smile all through the movie. Oh.....and the sound was loud enough for me.
gcczep
Ever Onward...
Celebration Day – The Film…
Prologue:
October 17 two thousand and twelve, the musical colossus Led-Zeppelin puts forth their second foray onto celluloid. Their legion of rabid fans which could not see the show at the 02 wanted their own experience of the event. Five years ago in five minutes time in the band’s world. So did the song remain the same?
The Program:
The opening clip is from a news report of their Tampa gig of 1973 that broke the biggest attendance for a single musical act. It held the audience mesmerized before the band strode on stage.
Good Times Bad Times – the first song on their first album opens the concert. It doesn’t deviate much from the studio version with Jones’ bass runs and Page’s solo. Plant’s vocals sound strong.
Ramble On – slow and languid but nevertheless rendered properly. Page recreates the layered solos without a hitch. Great stop and go ending.
Black Dog – this version reminded me of the Page/Plant rendition with a slight reggae lilt. Plant lets the audience sing the ah-ah's including the one I was in...even five years forward!
In My Time Of Dying – Page on bottleneck guitar peels off those sickly, desperate opening notes. Not as dynamic as if it was 1975 but it had the spirit. Oh my Jesus…indeed. No old groupies’ names mentioned in the last lines.
For Your Life – its first and likely only live airing. There wasn’t much improvisation like the rest of the numbers but it came off heavy and trance like.
Trampled Under Foot – Plant delivers a little dialogue about Robert Johnson then off they go. Jones boogies on the keys then Page plays a nifty coherent solo with Plant screaming “Push!”
Nobody's Fault But Mine – apparently the band was in a Mississippi church circa 1932 when they first heard this song. Page and Plant do their typical call and response again. Jones and Bonham are locked in rhythm for Plant’s adequate harmonica bit and Page’s solo to ride on. 1977 as if Jason’s father was on the chair.
No Quarter – Jones to the fore. Its keyboard intro sounds very much like the Houses version. No mellotron. Jones with a sprightly piano concerto then Page follows with one of his best of the evening. Plant’s singing has that ghostly feel. The pre-requisite dry ice fog covers the stage. Weird and haunting all the same. Plant acknowledges Jones to the audience.
Since I've Been Loving You – Page hits those forlorn bluesy notes. This is where Plant’s voice is tested. He sings without being overwrought, plaintive with more soul. At some points early on, they sound like a Vegas lounge act but Page pulls them out of it. Jones flies in at the end with some gospel like flourishes at the organ.
Dazed And Confused – Plant patters on about ten albums…all these songs but ONE has to be part of the set. THIS was it. Jones’ delivers those ominous bass notes followed by Page’s Gothic lines. Plant doesn’t scream but is forceful on the lyrics. Page brandishes the violin bow and settles inside a green laser pyramid which revolves as he strikes and strafes it against the strings. Surprisingly, Plant was able to scat along without a strain on his voice. Page nails it with speed and precision. Jones and Bonham though were shaky on the segues. Plant salutes Page after the song.
Stairway To Heaven – when Page strums this, pick in his mouth…the crowd erupts. Plant doesn’t rush it like he did at Knebworth with disdain like cleaning public toilets. He was at least sincere. In the 1970’s during this number the audience was a galaxy of lighters. Now, said lighters have been replaced by camera phones. Page’s solo? There was none or at least he passed what he thought was one. Disappointing. Afterwards Plant said "Ahmet, we did it!"
The Song Remains The Same – the pace picks up as Page rings this out. It hasn’t changed over the years when they played it live and tonight was no different. It is still powerful with its shifting cadences and intensity.
Misty Mountain Hop – Plant tells the story of Pat and John Bonham were the biggest Hendrix impersonators in their neighborhood then praises Jason on his singing abilities. Sure enough, the son of Bonzo sings a duet in the chorus. A really rollicking reading of this underrated classic.
Kashmir – the final number of the set. It still retains its otherworldly qualities. Epic. Sweeping. Majestic. An appropriate choice to close the proceedings this night. Jason Bonham really shines here keeping time while adding his own fills. Plant talked about losing steam at the end of the number. Why? In the middle section, he summons two high pitched screams that hasn’t been heard since…1972? At least they did not screw up and got lost in it like they have done before.
Whole Lotta Love – the first encore. The band used to improvise this number night after night in their heyday not sounding similar each time. Well, age and curfews changes things. It still stomps and swaggers with Page visiting his theremin with eerie siren wails pinging all over the place.
Rock And Roll – the last encore so the boys can go home and no one misses the trains. It gave the show that party element of joy and exhilaration as the band with the audience rock as one. Jason Bonham gives it a rousing finishing kick. TWICE! Page, Plant and Jones were beaming with pride at him as they huddled in front of his riser. Just like that…it’s over.
The Principals In Play:
Plant…once a wild, preening Viking prince now a weathered Norse king in for one last ride into battle. Page…the dark haired wizard of the fretboards whose locks now an aged white accompanying him to conjure up past magic along the journey. Jones…the unwavering liege whose multi musical talents lent focus, direction and order. Jason Bonham…the late bulwark’s son out to do his father proud with what he learned at his knee with their craft piloting the ship. The three surviving members did an admirable job while leaving the band’s legacy intact. Plant sang in a lower register but was mostly on point when dramatics were called for. He did not ad lib the lyrics which I was personally pleased about. Page was fluent without the slop. He sweated it out wringing what he could as evidenced by the expressions on his face. Jones? Solid as expected. Jason Bonham filled in for his father suitably. The son did not have his father’s spontaneity but had his own memorable moments. Overall, it wasn’t the devastating rain of thunderbolts from Mount Olympus as they are known for but still a powerful sonic torrential hailstorm that more than satisfies.
The Screen Action:
All four looked to have a good time playing together again. There were smiles all around…nods of approval…moments of playfulness and reconnecting again as if they never left. The focus was on the players with minimal audience shots in between songs. Unlike the recent KISS and Aerosmith concert vids that had scads of quickies of lovelies in the audience…I counted only three such instances in the two hour extravaganza. Now, I’m NOT knocking that aspect of presentation but just stating the facts. All four had equal camera time. I loved that Jones was not shuttled off in the shadows like he always was in those bootlegs I’ve watched. Some might not be enamored though of the Super 8 footage interspersed but at least Carruthers did not let it get out of hand. There was even a couple of the split camera effect used like in The Song Remains The Same film. The onstage gear were shown too such as Page’s effects board, Bonham’s bass drum and Jones bass pedals. Nice boots Jonesy. At the end of Kashmir to Whole Lotta Love, the jump cut sequence was jarring.
The Movie House and Everyone Who Was There:
First off, I was not surprised to see that it was SOLD OUT on the board. Unfortunately, the sound was not as loud as I’d like. The low end was lacking. Yeah, I know I come off like a spoiled brat but I was not alone. During Ramble On there was a precipitous drop in the audio level. Everyone was hooting and hollering to turn it up. I was too. Funny part was everybody started singing the chorus. Thankfully, it was corrected in the transmission during Black Dog. Those cats in the back were loud in their appreciation but not during the songs. Gents, a tip of the cap for all of you. They made it fun! Biggest reactions of the night were for the violin bow and the theremin. People were clapping along during Misty Mountain Hop and Rock And Roll. It was festive inspite of the inadequacies of the place. The crowd was a mix of middies who knew what it was all about and curious youngsters who wanted to see what the fuss is. All the generations present had a good time.
My Take:
I enjoyed the hell out of it. Making plans to see it again tomorrow. It wasn't perfect but 95% of it was. I can’t wait for the Blu Ray with its lossless audio and play it in a proper set-up.
Prologue:
October 17 two thousand and twelve, the musical colossus Led-Zeppelin puts forth their second foray onto celluloid. Their legion of rabid fans which could not see the show at the 02 wanted their own experience of the event. Five years ago in five minutes time in the band’s world. So did the song remain the same?
The Program:
The opening clip is from a news report of their Tampa gig of 1973 that broke the biggest attendance for a single musical act. It held the audience mesmerized before the band strode on stage.
Good Times Bad Times – the first song on their first album opens the concert. It doesn’t deviate much from the studio version with Jones’ bass runs and Page’s solo. Plant’s vocals sound strong.
Ramble On – slow and languid but nevertheless rendered properly. Page recreates the layered solos without a hitch. Great stop and go ending.
Black Dog – this version reminded me of the Page/Plant rendition with a slight reggae lilt. Plant lets the audience sing the ah-ah's including the one I was in...even five years forward!
In My Time Of Dying – Page on bottleneck guitar peels off those sickly, desperate opening notes. Not as dynamic as if it was 1975 but it had the spirit. Oh my Jesus…indeed. No old groupies’ names mentioned in the last lines.
For Your Life – its first and likely only live airing. There wasn’t much improvisation like the rest of the numbers but it came off heavy and trance like.
Trampled Under Foot – Plant delivers a little dialogue about Robert Johnson then off they go. Jones boogies on the keys then Page plays a nifty coherent solo with Plant screaming “Push!”
Nobody's Fault But Mine – apparently the band was in a Mississippi church circa 1932 when they first heard this song. Page and Plant do their typical call and response again. Jones and Bonham are locked in rhythm for Plant’s adequate harmonica bit and Page’s solo to ride on. 1977 as if Jason’s father was on the chair.
No Quarter – Jones to the fore. Its keyboard intro sounds very much like the Houses version. No mellotron. Jones with a sprightly piano concerto then Page follows with one of his best of the evening. Plant’s singing has that ghostly feel. The pre-requisite dry ice fog covers the stage. Weird and haunting all the same. Plant acknowledges Jones to the audience.
Since I've Been Loving You – Page hits those forlorn bluesy notes. This is where Plant’s voice is tested. He sings without being overwrought, plaintive with more soul. At some points early on, they sound like a Vegas lounge act but Page pulls them out of it. Jones flies in at the end with some gospel like flourishes at the organ.
Dazed And Confused – Plant patters on about ten albums…all these songs but ONE has to be part of the set. THIS was it. Jones’ delivers those ominous bass notes followed by Page’s Gothic lines. Plant doesn’t scream but is forceful on the lyrics. Page brandishes the violin bow and settles inside a green laser pyramid which revolves as he strikes and strafes it against the strings. Surprisingly, Plant was able to scat along without a strain on his voice. Page nails it with speed and precision. Jones and Bonham though were shaky on the segues. Plant salutes Page after the song.
Stairway To Heaven – when Page strums this, pick in his mouth…the crowd erupts. Plant doesn’t rush it like he did at Knebworth with disdain like cleaning public toilets. He was at least sincere. In the 1970’s during this number the audience was a galaxy of lighters. Now, said lighters have been replaced by camera phones. Page’s solo? There was none or at least he passed what he thought was one. Disappointing. Afterwards Plant said "Ahmet, we did it!"
The Song Remains The Same – the pace picks up as Page rings this out. It hasn’t changed over the years when they played it live and tonight was no different. It is still powerful with its shifting cadences and intensity.
Misty Mountain Hop – Plant tells the story of Pat and John Bonham were the biggest Hendrix impersonators in their neighborhood then praises Jason on his singing abilities. Sure enough, the son of Bonzo sings a duet in the chorus. A really rollicking reading of this underrated classic.
Kashmir – the final number of the set. It still retains its otherworldly qualities. Epic. Sweeping. Majestic. An appropriate choice to close the proceedings this night. Jason Bonham really shines here keeping time while adding his own fills. Plant talked about losing steam at the end of the number. Why? In the middle section, he summons two high pitched screams that hasn’t been heard since…1972? At least they did not screw up and got lost in it like they have done before.
Whole Lotta Love – the first encore. The band used to improvise this number night after night in their heyday not sounding similar each time. Well, age and curfews changes things. It still stomps and swaggers with Page visiting his theremin with eerie siren wails pinging all over the place.
Rock And Roll – the last encore so the boys can go home and no one misses the trains. It gave the show that party element of joy and exhilaration as the band with the audience rock as one. Jason Bonham gives it a rousing finishing kick. TWICE! Page, Plant and Jones were beaming with pride at him as they huddled in front of his riser. Just like that…it’s over.
The Principals In Play:
Plant…once a wild, preening Viking prince now a weathered Norse king in for one last ride into battle. Page…the dark haired wizard of the fretboards whose locks now an aged white accompanying him to conjure up past magic along the journey. Jones…the unwavering liege whose multi musical talents lent focus, direction and order. Jason Bonham…the late bulwark’s son out to do his father proud with what he learned at his knee with their craft piloting the ship. The three surviving members did an admirable job while leaving the band’s legacy intact. Plant sang in a lower register but was mostly on point when dramatics were called for. He did not ad lib the lyrics which I was personally pleased about. Page was fluent without the slop. He sweated it out wringing what he could as evidenced by the expressions on his face. Jones? Solid as expected. Jason Bonham filled in for his father suitably. The son did not have his father’s spontaneity but had his own memorable moments. Overall, it wasn’t the devastating rain of thunderbolts from Mount Olympus as they are known for but still a powerful sonic torrential hailstorm that more than satisfies.
The Screen Action:
All four looked to have a good time playing together again. There were smiles all around…nods of approval…moments of playfulness and reconnecting again as if they never left. The focus was on the players with minimal audience shots in between songs. Unlike the recent KISS and Aerosmith concert vids that had scads of quickies of lovelies in the audience…I counted only three such instances in the two hour extravaganza. Now, I’m NOT knocking that aspect of presentation but just stating the facts. All four had equal camera time. I loved that Jones was not shuttled off in the shadows like he always was in those bootlegs I’ve watched. Some might not be enamored though of the Super 8 footage interspersed but at least Carruthers did not let it get out of hand. There was even a couple of the split camera effect used like in The Song Remains The Same film. The onstage gear were shown too such as Page’s effects board, Bonham’s bass drum and Jones bass pedals. Nice boots Jonesy. At the end of Kashmir to Whole Lotta Love, the jump cut sequence was jarring.
The Movie House and Everyone Who Was There:
First off, I was not surprised to see that it was SOLD OUT on the board. Unfortunately, the sound was not as loud as I’d like. The low end was lacking. Yeah, I know I come off like a spoiled brat but I was not alone. During Ramble On there was a precipitous drop in the audio level. Everyone was hooting and hollering to turn it up. I was too. Funny part was everybody started singing the chorus. Thankfully, it was corrected in the transmission during Black Dog. Those cats in the back were loud in their appreciation but not during the songs. Gents, a tip of the cap for all of you. They made it fun! Biggest reactions of the night were for the violin bow and the theremin. People were clapping along during Misty Mountain Hop and Rock And Roll. It was festive inspite of the inadequacies of the place. The crowd was a mix of middies who knew what it was all about and curious youngsters who wanted to see what the fuss is. All the generations present had a good time.
My Take:
I enjoyed the hell out of it. Making plans to see it again tomorrow. It wasn't perfect but 95% of it was. I can’t wait for the Blu Ray with its lossless audio and play it in a proper set-up.
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gcczep
Ever Onward...
Nice story about Plant and Joe Strummer at the 7:00 mark...
Rockfield Studios With a Wizard | Marshall Headphones: On the Road | VICE
Rockfield Studios With a Wizard | Marshall Headphones: On the Road | VICE
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