Customer Reviews

No Quarter: Music of Page & Plant [VHS]

5 star:		(68)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Ex-Led Zeppelin vocalist and lyricist Robert Plant always said that the true spirit of Led Zeppelin as represented within a single song was more evident in "Kashmir" than it was in AOR standby classic tracks like "Rock & Roll" and "Black Dog"; the notion that a hard rock blues-based band of English white boys who practically invented the heavy metal music genre could in fact be considered the godfathers of "World Beat" music a full generation before Peter Gabriel came along is conveniently overlooked by Western rock music fans, as is the notion that the principles of Eastern music (in terms of Indian and Arabic theories and applications) were far more prevalent within Led Zeppelin's work than that of the Beatles, typically more associated with Indian music thanks to George Harrison's association with Ravi Shankar.

This outstanding live performance recorded 10 years ago as of this writing is a fantastic example of Plant's opinion and the Led Zeppelin vision of musical exploration gloriously realized. As detailed within the interview included with this DVD's bonus features, Plant and guitarist/co-songwriter Jimmy Page chose a set that lent itself well to a broad interpretation and that reflected less the brute force of the riff-driven heavy metal classic tracks that permeate albums such as "Led Zeppelin II" and their self-titled 4th album (although "Four Sticks" and a wild reinterpretation of "When The Levee Breaks" are included) and more of the songs crafted as introspective compostions from "Led Zeppelin III" and "Houses Of The Holy".

This is not Led Zeppelin in their prime; that would be "How The West Was Won". And in truth John Paul Jones' absence is much lamented by this listener as he may well have been the best musician in the band and was the unifying force keeping them together during their last years...but the musicians filling in for him and the late John Bonham are certainly competant and their absence tugs at the sentiment of the heart rather than the sensitivity of the ear.

But for me the accompanying musicians are what really makes this set go. This is not a case of adding an extra guitarist (i.e., Pat Smear from the "Nirvana: MTV Unplugged" concert); the musicians added to this performance play every thing from banjo to hurdy-gurdy to native Arabic lutes, in addition to both Western and Eatern string sections as well as Arabic percussion specialists. The culmination of the meshing of musical talents and the melding of musical sensibilities is no better realized than in the epic performance of "Kashmir", my personal favorite Led Zeppelin song (and perhaps my favorite song by any performer). The song is hardly recognizable as the 8-plus minute classic rock radio staple; it has instead become the living embodiment of the spirit of the band and with its new energy surpasses the original studio recording whose orchestral sounds were generated from an early synthesizer (by John Paul Jones); the energy and the determination exhibited by the lead and supporting musicians during its performance is thoroughly inspiring and worthy of one of the finest performances in contemporary rock history.

This is a tremendous sampling of a band broken down to its most musical elements. Not specifically rock, folk, or even acoustic. Just evidence of the work of one of the finest bands to ever record. All the elements are there; you owe it to yourself to partake of them.

Well, Sir Robert and James Page have done it again!

This time, in a re-release of MTV's 1994 Special UnLedded Page and Plant video, the full beauty of Robert's voice, and Jimmy Page and his mastery of guitar legend abound.

It is replete with wonderful moments, such as Gallows Pole, featuring Jimmy playing one of his own BlackMountainside Brand custom acoustic guitars, Friends, a fabulous, exotic song from Zep III, and a heavy version of THE song, Kashmir, replete with cello phenom Caroline Dale, her entire ensemble of British cellists, Giles, Milne, et al, an Egyptian string ensemble, (with monstrously talented Egyptian violin soloist Wael Abu Bakr) doing lead violin solo, and Jimmy playing the 50,000$, multi computerized GIbson Les Paul Transperformance guitar - capable of instantaneously moving and retuning to nearly 100 different modal tunings real time- with relish. Jimmy has that device down to a science. Kashmir is simply still astonishing and brings tears to the eyes delivered like this. Power and glory abound here.

There is EVEN Page/Plant/Jones and Lee, doing a parody of Dred Zeppelins' (Nobody's Fault) doing a parody of Led Zep. How about that for turnabout? All in good fun of course. It's even dumbed down to Dreds level for extra gusto.

The other piec de resistanc' is No Quarter, the beginning song, filmed outdoors, in the woods, in Wales, with Jimmy doing a totally re-worked No quarter in modal 12 string, acoustic, and Robert handling his own array of black boxes (on his lap) through which he does misty mountain hopping special FX for his voice, in real time. THIS is priceless.

There are a few (very few) weak spots here and there, but after all, these guys are middle aged fellows, like many of us, here, and none of us are what we were when we were 25. And Bonham's presence is noticable at times. Thank You could have been a better take.

But on the whole, this is thrilling music, with enormous scope, big time arrangements, TOP talent doing backup roles. The hurdy gurdy, rich mandolins, and violas and Bodhran add especially flavorful ethnic mixes to the final product. It is exciting, fresh, and full of new twists. I loved the jam with the musicians in Morrocco. And in Marrackech, that anthem, with Pagey doing the moonwalk, is just plain loud fun.

Where Pagey gets these special effects is anyones' guess. He never runs out of new ideas, or new gear. No one, save perhaps Gilmour, knows more about the technical end of guitar, electronics, FX, cutting edge tech, and the like. These two fellows have pushed the state of the guitar ahead 100 years... if only there were people behind them picking up where they left off. As long as that is not the case, WE need JP showing us the way..

SIBLY is again, great. If you liked Led Zep, I dare say you will probably love this video. It is worth watching and keeping. You won't find another live rock band like this for another hundred years or more. And with this high calibre of musicians backing them up, you won't see a show like this again. That much is assured. Guaranteed.

I'm very surprised that no has rated this DVD yet. This is one of the best live concerts I have ever scene. Plant and Page are masters and work together like two soulfull, deep and invested musicians at the top of how real musicians should make music. The Arabic touches are mesmerizing. This combination of Middle-Eastern music with rock breathes a fresh spin on the classic rock genre that, unfortunatly, is not done by too many other bands today. I can't understand why either - these styles can compliment each other so nicely if done right like they way it's done here. What a great sound. Stand out traks - "Friends," "Kashmir," "Four Sticks," "Scince I've Been Loving You," "The Rain Song" and one of my other favorites, "Nobody's Fault But Mine." I can't say how much of an impact this made on me the first time I saw it. My dad bought it on VHS and we watched it when I was about 16. That was it for me. I discovered real music. I'm 21 now, and Led Zepplin still remains on of my favorite bands including Talking Heads and Jethro Tull. I always wondered why this concert never went on DVD, so to finnally find it was great. This music started it all for me. It's deep, powerful, fun and emotional music. Note - People who like "The Backstreet Boys" will, more then likely, not like this music. It's not pop, just great music.

First off, this is a must have for fans of Zepp as this DVD includes near perfect renditions of all of the classics that were not included on the recent 2 DVD set. Great acoustic stuff here. Not to be missed...

Secondly, Page and Plant should be ashamed of themselves for not inviting John Paul Jones' participation. It goes against everything that Zeppelin stands for. Not only did he contribute his solid bass and keyboard skills he was also the single entity that kept the band together in their later years. Explainable for no other reason but sheer Greed.

Shortly after this was filmed, Zepp was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Page, Plant and Jones all accepted the award together along with Bonhams son. Jones approached the mike and made the public comment when accepting "I'd like to thank my mates(looking at Page/Plant) for remembering my phone number this time." Page and Plant immediately look at each other with embarrassment and shame. Plant then glances back at Jones while mimmicking that he was searching his jacket and trouser pockets for a pen. An all time low for this mighty band and their stellar reputation...

I can't disagree more with the guy who said the DVD was distorted - their system must be set up very incorrectly or they blew some cones. In fact I'd agree with the review that said it should be a sonic reference disc (eg. like The Eagles - Hell Freezes Over... but a lot cooler)- eg. the surround mix is used to great effect on What Is & What Should Never Be.
It's a great package. You get;
A surreal vid of No Quarter, intimate concert footage including with Egyptian ensembles, & classical light orchestra. It is definately not all unplugged - Page cranks the Les Paul quite a lot & the drums are loud at times. Then if you were bored by all this - the middle section transports you to exotic Morocco for a few live songs - then back again to the original concert. You have lots of classic Zep (OK no Stairway - but you don't need it) & new songs like Wonderful One which is er, wonderful. Not to mention the extras of Black Dog, weird vid for Most High & a street interview.
You couldn't make a better DVD of this type. Thank You Page/Plant & all those other musicians & staff involved.

This DVD is an essential for all fans of Led Zeppelin, and of rock music in general. It includes the full Unledded performance with additional tracks such as The Rain Song, along with extras such as a Page & Plant interview from 1994, and an alternative version of Black Dog from the ABC American Music Awards. It also includes the video for "Most High", from the Walking Into Clarksdale album from '98.

The MTV Unledded performance from Page & Plant is truly magical. The reworking of Led Zep classics such as Nobody's Fault But Mine, No Quarter, When The Levee Breaks and Kashmir, add a whole new dimension to these classic songs. It shows an admirable willingness to roll the dice on the part of Page & Plant. Songs like Thank You, What Is And What Should Never Be stay pretty much true to the original arrangements. Plant's voice is incredible, although he's not able to reach the high notes like he used to, and Page's guitar playing is also fantastic. Witness the solo on Since I've Been Loving You - he's lost none of his magic!

The new tracks that came from the Unledded project are also well worth their place in the set. Page & Plant really seem to enjoy the challence of playing with the local Morroccan musicians. Wonderful One and The Truth Explodes are both fantastic tracks.

All in all, an essential purchase. Highly recommended!

This ain't no nostalgia act kids!..Jimmy and Robert deliver on all counts on this amazing piece of rock & roll history.The big bonus here is an outstanding version of The Rain Song, not available on the cd....worth the price of admission!!!!!get it fellow Zeppers!!!!

JIMMY PAGE and ROBERT PLANT have once again, put together a musical MASTERPIECE.

I am watching this DVD "NO QUARTER - JIMMY PAGE & ROBERT PLANT UNLEADED" absolutely THRILLED with the talent, unique versions of classics, and how genuinely EXCEPTIONAL this DVD truly is.

This was recorded in 1994 and if you loved Page and Plant back in the 70's you are going to LOVE this DVD. I'm actually AMAZED at how EXCEPTIONAL the music is! Their performances, along with the addition of extremely talented people filmed on location from Morocco and Snowdonia are such a gift to watch,
*****THIS DVD IS AWESOME***** The rich cultural musicians and added scenery truly make THIS DVD the most unique I have EVER seen.

*****I LOVE IT***** I'm watching this with the biggest smile on my face. There is not one boring moment - every song is phenomenal - it's the quality of the music, ALL of the additional elements - watching it all takes my breath away.

One thing is certain, the incomparable talent of Page and Plant has only GROWN richer, deeper, more unique and passionate over time - they are TRULY TIMELESS AND LEGENDARY GIFTS.

I'm loving every nanosecond of this DVD. NO QUARTER - JIMMY PAGE & ROBERT PLANT UNLEADED IS A MUST BUY, MUST OWN, MUST ENJOY AND TREASURE GIFT you will be giving yourself.

The orchestra back-up in "The Rain Song" is superior, but it's not fair to single out one song - they are ALL so touching, each in their own unique way, which is what makes THIS DVD so special.

The digitally mastered sound and video quality is amazing.

I only gave this DVD 5 stars because I couldn't give it 5 Million Stars.
It IS TRULY PHENOMENAL, and I mean this with all of my heart.

Barbara Rose, Ph.D. author of If God Was Like Man, Stop Being the String Along, and If God Hears Me, I Want an Answer!

PS: The personal interviews after the music are very interesting, bringing a great perspective to their musical choices - which are truly outstanding. The footage filmed in Morocco is just a delightful gift to watch. It's really a whole lot more than just a DVD - this is a real experience, and a great one that I'll be watching many, many more times. Outstanding!

I bought the DVD and played it using DTS sound.
It was so fantastic and exciting emotionally, and it sounded SO incredible (the instruments sounded like the guys were in the room) that I kept getting tremmers (as Jimmy Page calls goosebumps). The Black Dog video and the interview with Page/Plant that are in the extras just makes this DVD even more way beyond incredible.
If you like them you HAVE to experience this DVD.

I was not born yet when Zeppelin broke up, and I didn't even know who they were when they did the "Unledded" segment and the tour (nor was I old enough to go if I wanted to-I was in middle school at the time), but since I've hit my early 20's, I've really appreciated their music. For someone like me, they are almost like mythical gods, because I can only see them via video. I bought this dvd for both my mom, and my aunt and uncle (who were all at the Zeppelin riot show in '77 at Tampa Stadium). While Plant's voice unfortunately can't handle the strain of the chorus of "What is and What Should Never Be" or "Black Dog", he is amazing on "Thank You" and "The Battle of Evermore." Also, one song on this dvd made the purchase price well worth it- "Gallow's Pole"- this live version blows the studio recording out of the water. Would have liked to see some "Going to California" on here.