To me the term “sloppy” is kind of silly. While it is true that Jimmy tends to be a very sloppy guitarist, it doesn’t change the fact that when he’s on, he’s REALLY on.

To see how he communicates with the rest of the band as he goes through his wild improvisations is simply amazing. The concert at Royal Albert Hall is just one blues jam after another with hints of their songs thrown in to give it a sense of cohesion.įor all of those musicians out there who idolized Jimmy Page as I did, you will not be disappointed in the slightest. After seeing and hearing some of the material on this DVD it just re-emphasized this thought. I think we’re better off leaving that title to the likes of Black Sabbath. True, they were a major influence then and now, but it’s got too much of a base in blues and jazz to be compared to Metal. I personally tend to disagree with those that make Led Zeppelin out to be the fathers of heavy metal.

That’s exactly why Led Zeppelin was in a class all their own. These improvised jams tend to be something that only musicians with jazz or blues backgrounds tend to understand. I believe the band maintained the ethic that sure it may not be perfect, and sometimes downright messy, but when they get into a groove, it’s truly lightning in a bottle. It’s extremely rare to see that in a Rock and Roll band outside of the Dead. The reason Led Zeppelin’s live shows were so legendary was because of how much improvisation they emphasize in the performances.

I’m not going to state that all the performances are perfect, because they certainly are not. Watching how the band communicates through their improv sessions, the fact that John Bonham sung backup on Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp, seeing John Paul Jones playing the mandolin parts that I always thought were Jimmy’s, and countless other little bits that make it all worth the watch. While the performances themselves are amazing, it’s the little things that really turned me on. The performances on this DVD don’t completely live up to the hype, but they sure do come close. After completing just half of the first DVD, I felt that I had finally found the Zeppelin Holy Grail. Of course I’ve seen “The Song Remains the Same” countless times and have a few bootlegs that are just good enough to tease. For those of us who weren’t fortunate enough to be around during Zeppelin’s heyday, then this DVD is a dream come true.įor years I had heard all the stories about how amazing Led Zeppelin’s live shows were. This DVD is for the hardest of hardcore Led Zeppelin fans. If you are just a casual fan who likes the cuts they hear on the radio and may own an album or two, this DVD is definitely not for you. Review Before purchasing this DVD set, you must ask yourself this simple question: “Am I a true Led Zeppelin fan or do I just like a few songs I hear on the radio?” I’m not expecting an historical document, so I have no problem with the usual monkeying with the set order or the merciful editing of Plant’s traditional lengthy (and quite stoned) patter between songs, but every time one of these ‘improved’ segments kicks in I’m left longing for the beautiful set that would have remained had the producers stopped after the restoration process.

The fuzzy faux-shakycam treatment is particularly galling, since it’s such a cliche in recent MTV fare and obscures some truly lovely passages. In some instances it’s apparent that this was done to cover minor glitches (probably unrestorable) in the video, but the vast majority of the embellishment is in sequences with excellent quality. Where the original may show a 10 second shot of Page’s hands playing a solo, this version will feature 4 or 5 fast intercuts to footage of Plant clapping (culled from earlier in the set), digitally fuzzified and pseudo-shakycam versions of the original shot of Page’s handwork, an audience shot culled from another show, another shot of Plant digitally slowed down in an attempt to make his clapping sync with the audio, etc., etc., ad infinitum. On the other hand, they saw fit to reedit nearly all the sequences to a 90’s MTV aesthetic. So why only four stars? Well, the production team couldn’t just stop at a masterful restoration of the deteriorated masters- they had to ‘improve’ it.īootleg videos of the vast majority of this material has been floating around for years, and having seen much of it, I can vouch for the astounding restoration work this set represents. The video quality is excellent, as is the sound, and it’s an absolute bargain given the 5+ hour running time. Review Let’s get it out of the way- this is an absolutely fantastic set and shouldn’t be missed. Led Zeppelin Good Times Bad Times DVD (2012)

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