I own every single Led Zeppelin album, excepting the soundtrack to "The Song Remains the Same". Since this is a concert film, the soundtrack is just a live album, and it's not a very good live album. According to the Led Zeppelin bio, "Hammer of the Gods", Led Zeppelin were in the midst of a major slump on their 1973 American tour; especially the shows that were filmed to eventually make "The Song Remains the Same".
The four members look lethargic and bored during these sets. Led Zeppelin were known for incredible live shows during that time, and you have to wonder what went wrong. During one of the shows, somebody, presumably an employee, made off with a large some of money Zeppelin had locked up in Madison Square Garden. Puzzlingly, there is some footage of the ensuing chaos, among other backstage footage, but the most prominent parts of this film are the fantasy sequences.
Each member (Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and John Bonham) stars in their own small piece of the movie. It's all self-indulgent nonsense. Bonham drives fast in his expensive cars, Page climbs up a mountain and visits a sorcerer; blah blah blah. Pretty cool for a fifteen-year-old boy, maybe, but really cheesy for anyone else.
This film was made from footage shot on three consecutive nights, but it was supposed to look like all one show. Unfortunately, it doesn't. There are huge continuity errors. The director, Joe Massot, was actually the second director; the first director was fired midway through editing. That might be somewhat to blame.
If you're desperate for a concert film, try the Lynrd Skynrd movie, "Freebird". It's a much better live performance and isn't nearly as pretentious. Other Zeppelin fans seem to like this movie far more than I did, but if you like them and don't know them well, buy one of their CD's instead.
Recommended:
No
Viewing Format: VHS Video Occasion: Better than watching TV
The best of Led Zeppelin's legendary 1973 appearances at Madison Square Garden. Interspersed throughout the concert footage are behind-the-scenes mome...More at Family Video
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