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3 Average - Some good songs, some bad ones at about a half/half ratio.
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Band
Led Zeppelin
Title
Led Zeppelin DVD
Type
DVD
Company
Atlantic
YOR
2003
Style
Traditional
7/22/2003 - Review by: Frank Hill
Led Zeppelin DVD - 2003 reviewed by: Nailer

Man, what a sweet package.

I usually try to reserve comments like that for when I'm looking down in the shower (har!), but this Zep DVD desrves it as well on the strength of the performances and the crispness of the film footage.

The DVD basically features groups of live performances spanning the career of the mighty Zeppelin. According to the notes provided, they dug through loads of archived reels and pulled out the best performances. Given that the tapes would be degraded, colored or of an old format, somebody or some team put a LOT of work into making these clips look nice. The clarity of the film, both in audio and video, is amazing with not a hiss, pop or noise bar in sight. Camera cuts for the DVD are smooth well-paced.

As to the performances themselves, the band used to brag up its live shows, but the only testament fans had short of being there was the film "The Song Remains The Same". That one was decent, but it generally left newer viewers wondering what the fuss was all about.

John Bohnam earns his rep as one of the greatest rock drummers from the beginning and the pure skill of the others is more than evident. Jimmy and Robert command the Royal Albert Hall with their confidence and virtuoso performance bringing eventual cheers from the initially subdued audience. Some of the blues jamming that extended out songs can get a bit tedious, but Zep was never a singles type of band. Watching Bohnam pound his kit during Moby Dick was a highlight and it was interesting to see the usual background fixture of John Paul Jones go bass wild during the upbeat section of "Dazed and Confused".

Earl's Court shows the band in a quieter setting performing songs from the Led Zep III era. For me, the best show was Knebworth where the band was matured and slick. They commanded the stage not in a bombastic sense, but in a regal way deserving the attention of kings.

More of the extras showing brief interviews would have been nice. For Zep fans this DVD shows the evolution of the band very well and for fans is a must.


DVD 1:
Live at the Royal Albert Hall (1970)
We're Gonna Groove/ I Can't Quit You Babe/ Dazed And Confused/ White Summer/ What Is And What Should Never Be/ The Ocean/ How Many More Times/ Moby Dick/ Whole Lotta Love/ Communication Breakdown/ C'mon Everybody/ Something Else/ Bring It On Home

1969 - 3 titles from Danish Television (31 min Stereo)
1969 - "Communication Breakdown" Promo - Paris (9 min Stereo)
1969 - "Dazed And Confused" - Supershow (7 min Stereo)

DVD 2:
1972 - Immigrant Song - Splodge Edit Live (4 min)
1973 - Madison Square Garden - New York (24mn) - 4 titles not included in the film "The Song Remains The Same"
1975 - Earl's Court - London 49 min
1979 - Knebworth - Angleterre 52 min

Immigrant Song/ Black Dog/ Misty Mountain Hop/ Since I've Been Loving You/ Going To California/ That's The Way/ Bron-Y-Aur Stomp/ In My Time Of Dying/ Trampled Underfoot/ Stairway To Heaven/ Rock And Roll/ Nobody's Fault But Mine/ Sick Again/ Achilles Last Stand/ In The Evening/ Kashmir/ Whole Lotta Love

Extras:
1970 - NBC interview with the band
1972 - Rock N' Roll + interviews from Australian Television
1975 - Interview with Robert Plant - BBC Old Grey Whistle
2 clips : "Over The Hills" and "Travelling Riverside Blues"


--Nailer 7.22.03
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ALL REVIEWS FOR: LED ZEPPELIN
TITLE
DOR
COMPANY
REVIEWER DATE MADE RATING
Led Zeppelin DVD
2003
Atlantic
Frank Hill7/22/2003
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ALL INTERVIEWS FOR: LED ZEPPELIN
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