In the immortal words of Andrea Martin (as SCTV's programmer Edith Prickley) -- "Could be a hot one!"
BTW, the above is apparently playing in theaters as we speak; my plan is to see it when it shows up on the somewhat smaller (home) screen via Sony, which should be fairly soon. But your mileage may vary.
I should add that I have never been a Zep fan even remotely. But theirs is obviously a hell of a story and-- if memory serves -- I've never seen interviews with either John Bonham or John Paul Jones, so I suspect I'm gonna really enjoy it anyway.
I should also add that I have never owned a Zep album and/or listened to one at home for pleasure...EXCEPT for the last real one (i.e., not a comp of old stuff) they did.
You know -- the one (from 1979) with this absolutely fricking gorgeous song.
Your thoughts?
21 comments:
As a lifelong LZ fan who has everything they ever released, I can't wait to see this in IMAX. I agree with you re: Fool in the Rain, but I have to stand by Physical Graffiti as their finest hour.
I'm aware in the minority about LZ. 😎
I won't embarrass myself here by telling you how many unofficial live recordings I have, or how I spent a year reading Luis Rey's tape documents and tracking down each show I could from their first in 1968 to their last in 1980. (I am a fan.)
That said, I am not as excited about this film as I probably should be. I understand it's "Becoming Led Zeppelin"---key word "becoming"--but sitting in a theatre for two plus hours, and then having it end before getting to their third (and my second favorite album) is already frustrating to me.
"I'm aware I'm in" the minority. Sheesh, somedays I really need an editor.
I'm in Sal's camp. I'll see this, for sure, but, excepting for the third album, this isn't an interesting era of the band. With all documentary history-telling, often the subject is kept in a vacuum, ignoring much of the context of the times. Zep was about the last band to emerge with this model of design. That said, a documentary capturing ZoSo to Presence will be shown weekly in my family room!
I was a big fan of their debut. They lost me with LZ II. Got my interest back a bit with Stairway, but I have heard that too much in my lifetime. Won a copy of Physical Graffiti back when it was released, but gave it away. I would have rather they had Terry Reid as I often can't stand Plant's vocal stylings. I'll skip the pic and stick to watching my dvd of The Yardbirds Story.
I like of few of their songs, but am not really into that end of the musical spectrum. I will say that in the fall of 1968, I was driving when I heard on the radio that the New Yardbirds were coming to town, and I was so excited that I didn't quite stop in time to avoid a very minor fender bender.
My Beatle-freak friend who owns a record store has seen it three times at our local theatre and is still trying to get friends to go again with him to see it.
From his reports, Steve, see it on the big screen if you can.
Bob in IL
I saw them in Cleveland the night men first walked on the moon and my opinion of them has not changed since then - good but not great. Certainly not the "greatest rock band ever." I can name a half dozen or more off the top of my head. Let's start with THE BEATLES, continue with THE ROLLING STONES, add in THE BAND, LOS LOBOS, LITTLE FEAT (at their '70s peak), TELEVISION ... I could go on. Did I mention the Beatles?
Yeah, there's been a good bit of LZ backlash in recent years (most likely having to do with PLAGIARISM!!!!), so this film might be a corrective. Honestly, if they had packed it in after 'Communication Breakdown,' they would already have been immortal. But then, we wouldn't have been graced with 'Kashmir.'
I've met a number of people of a certain age, mostly during my retail days, who say they saw LZ live in 1968 or 1969, and then got off the bus by the 2nd album. Fair enough. As a diehard, I'm not sure I could defend the early live performances the way I can the tours of 1971-1975. But aside from that, a lot of these same people, some of who were bandmates and coworkers, can't even recall the music on most of the records after "II," with the exception of the overplayed hits on classic rock radio. You can't base a career on two records and one live performance from 55 years ago.
"Bron-Y-Aur Stomp."
"Out On The Tiles"
"Battle Of Evermore"
"The Song Remains The Same"
"Dancing Days"
"Night Flight"
"Sick Again"
"The Wanton Song"
"Achilles Last Stand"
"For Your Life"
"Royal Orleans"
The entire L.A. Forum performance from 1972 on "How The West Was Won?!!"
Start there and maybe those awful memories from 1969 will be erased.
I'm a big fan of "Dancing Days," which is tremendous fun to play live.
But I'm of two minds about them generally. On the one hand, I saw them live in (either) 73 or 74, at an 8th row seat at the Garden, and they were appallingly awful. We actually started timing the drum solo and yelling for them to keep going at one point -- "12 minutes??? Go for 15!!!!!"
On the other hand, Page's production on those records is utterly brilliant, even when I don't care for the songs.
No one, not even rock drummers, like a rock drummer drum solo. Can't argue with you there.
I saw them twice, '75 and '77. '75 blew my mind. '77 was brutal. But again, I think there is more to the records than what detractors usually complain about, especially those who haven't actually listened. And the aforementioned "How The West Was Won" is, arguably, their finest hour live. Check it out next time you have three hours to spare...or two and a half if you skip "Moby Dick."
:)
Don't get me started about Zep! :-)
Steve: I was sitting with you at the Garden show (73') and that drum solo was one of the high low lights of my concert going experiences! I believe it finally ended just shy of 19 minutes.!While I'm not proud of it I remember yelling out at the top of my lungs "Anyone got a deck of cards?" as we watched a third (or more) of the crowd run for the restrooms and concession stands. When the drum solo ended the crowd exploded in to the most deafening roar of applauds I ever heard. Clearly a very musically sophisticated audience. Ah, to the good old days!
Captain Al
I'd forgotten the deck of cards heckle. 😎
"Clearly a very musically sophisticated audience," says MC Moose Cock.
You've illustrated my point exactly. Thank you.
Alright, kids. Let's take it easy. 😎
Thank you, thank you, that's it for tonight, be sure to tip your waitresses! I'll be here all weekend.
Sal:
While I love ragging on Led Zeppelin (for every LZ song I dislike there is one I do every much enjoy) it's really their audiences I have distain for. They are a fun loving bunch but very uncool and musically unsophisticated!
I'm not talking about you but the majority of Zep fan that never did their musical homework. Not that musical homework is required but it helps to know a little about the history of the greatest music ever created! (Yes even more than Jazz, R&R can be the most magical music ever.) (Just sayin', in my big mouth opinion.)
:-)
Captain Al
My initial comments were respectful. But if my point about those who are still smarting over a bad night in 1969 is met with the same complaint about 1969, maybe you're not really listening.
There are far worse fans than Zep fans. But it ain't the pear's fault it isn't an apple. If you've listened to "How The West Was Won," or "Presence," or have even the slightest memory of the songs I mentioned, let's talk about the music. The stories about a drum solo from 56 years ago? Not interested.
I didn’t like LZ when they were new, and only got into them in the late eighties or early nineties. When the first record came out, I auditioned to sing with a band that wanted me to sing Communication Breakdown. My voice had already changed, so it was out of the question. Neither the band nor I were particularly disappointed. Where was I? I now enjoy them a bit, especially Houses of the Holy and Physical Graffiti. But I must say that people ( you guys) take them way to seriously. Just sayin’. Cleveland Jeff
As a longstanding Yardbirds fan, and ole enough to be there from the beginning, i recall arguing with friends over which of the two albums were better: Truth (with Jeff Beck) or Led Zep (with Page). Both were good, Great, in fact. But Led Zep, with its power (Page's production), Page's singing, and mix of rock and electrified blues, actually moved the direction of rock forward. Many of the bands that followed Zep were forgettable and regrettable because they tended to focus on only one aspect of Zep: the heaviness. Zep's first four albums, From LZ1 through ZOSO, stand up to time, and the first two are just remarkable.
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