Led Zeppelin DVD (2003) (V)

User Rating:

9.4/10   

Directors:

Peter Clifton
Stanley Dorfman

Release Date:

27 May 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Music

Plot Keywords:

Rock Music | Concert Film

Cast

Robert Plant	...	Himself (Vocals and Harmonica) (archive footage) (as Led Zeppelin)
Jimmy Page	...	Himself (Electric and Acoustic Guitars) (archive footage) (as Led Zeppelin)
John Paul Jones	...	Himself (Bass guitar, Keyboards and Mandolin) (archive footage) (as Led Zeppelin)
John Bonham	...	Himself (Drums and Percussion) (archive footage) (as Led Zeppelin)

Runtime:

320 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Norway:A

Filming Locations:

Brussels, Belgium

Company:

M:Productions

Trivia:

The performance at the Knebworth Festival would be the band's last appearance in England. While rehearsing for an upcoming American tour the next year, drummer John Bonham died from asphyxiation after a night of drinking.

Soundtrack:

C'mon Everybody

Black Dog......or 'Camp' Dog??

The only footage of Zeppelin I've seen prior to this DVD is 'The Song Remains the Same' movie from 1976. We used to spend hours round a friends house watching this, but I never really liked it and hated the fantasy sequences....

So what of this DVD? I didn't know it existed until browsing for the Physical Graffiti CD.....'When did this come out?' I thought

For some reason I thought that Page wasn't a great live guitarist, but to say that watching this DVD has changed my opinion is a massive understatement.

There's 'White Summer' from 1970 - 10 minutes of guitar wizardry.

There's an acoustic set from 1975 - 'Bron-y-aur Stomp' has a brilliant finger-picking improv section.

The 'In my Time of Dying' and 'Trampled Underfoot' performances (also from '75) are breathtaking - with Page and Bonham tearing things to pieces like no one else ever has. Demonic possessions of rawk!!

The magic continues into the Knebworth 1979 section. The rendition of 'Achillies Last Stand', considering their various drug-addled states just beggars belief! A song of complex guitar overdubs, Page arranged it in a way that lets him just 'punk it out' live - the effect is totally mesmerising. 'In the Evening' - I never liked this on disc but it zings along here. 'Sick Again' - great piece of sleaze-rock. The footage from Knebworth is very interesting, cutting between big screen, various rostrums and bootleg footage to great effect.

Plant is amazing throughout all the performances. Page, despite being painfully thin, looks like a six-year old kid having the most fun of his life at the Knebworth concert - and makes infectious viewing.

One thing that puzzled me - The 'Black Dog' performance from 1973 sounds very 'camped up'!! Robert Plant always did love a little 'mince' and those jeans are absolutely ridiculous - and would warrant an arrest nowadays. All very different from the muscle-bound kick-a$$$ studio version.

I love this DVD. It has reminded me how good Zeppelin were and remain.