Customer Reviews

The Song Remains The Same

5 star:		(63)
4 star:		(32)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I cannot for the life of me figure out why so many Zep-heads (and Page and Plant too) dismiss this 1973 concert album as sub-standard. Granted, it is heavily edited, with the best moments of three consecutive nights spliced together for the final mix. But then, in reality aren't all official live recordings put together this way? And there is no doubt that what we are left with is definitive concert versions of these nine songs. Page delivers two of his finest ever solos in 'No Quarter' and 'Stairway to Heaven,' while his chord/lead work on the title track is simply astounding. Similarly, the violin bow solo in 'Dazed and Confused' and the rockabilly solos in 'Whole Lotta Love' are masterful. Also, Plant is in fine voice throughout, and the rhythm section of Jones and Bonham is frighteningly intense. In my view, 1973 was Zep's greatest year as a live band - it marked the peak of their early instrumental development (check out bootlegs of the Mobile and Seattle shows from this same US tour for comparable performances). And this album captures that peak-1973 period for official posterity. So forget what the 'politically correct' Zep critics say - this is one of rock's great live albums!

This film/album had actually been shelved in 1973, never intended to be released because of what was perceived by the band to be a mediocre performance. It only saw the light of day because of a decision that the band needed to fill a void of 18 months due to Robert Plant's personal problems (he suffered a badly fractured leg in an auto accident and it was feared that he would never walk again without a cane).

First of all, The Song Remains the Same was out of date - the film was shot well before the release of the band's monumental Physical Graffiti album and, obviously, contained none of that album's material. Secondly, the band members themselves lament to this very day that this was their only live performance officially captured for posterity. They were at the end of an extensive American tour at the time and were understandably exhausted.

Circumstances prevented Zeppelin from ever producing the definitive live recording that they so desperately desired. Such a project was slated for the band's '80-'81 tour, but was obviously scrapped by the death of John Bonham.

It's best to think of The Song Remains the Same more as a historical peice than as the definitive live Led Zeppelin, which it is not. It captures a moment in time. An inside-glimpse at the larger-than-life Led Zeppelin, complete with their flaws (even Zep was not perfect). And in that way, The Song Remains the Same is actually more intriguing and has more of an enduring charm than some pristine, studio-exact live excercise.

But don't be deceived into thinking that this album is slop. There are certainly moments of grandeur here that other bands would kill for on their best day. Page's guitar blitz on "Celebration Day" obliterates the studio version. That breathtaking final solo provides fresh open-mouthed astonishment every time. Of course, any time Zeppelin straps it on for "Dazed and Confused", it's an adventure - although the running time here of nearly 27 minutes is shockingly self-indulgent for a live album, especially considering the wealth of material they had to draw from (believe it or not, they were known to go even LONGER in their early days). And who could fail to mention the most famous improvised line ever in a live recording, Robert Plant's, "Does anybody remember laughter?" during "Stairway..." - so well known in fact, that many people think it's part of the studio version.

Taking the good with the bad, The Song Remains the Same soundtrack is an essential momento for any Zep fan, while it should perhaps be left until later for Zep novices (at the very least, get 2 or 3 of the first 6 studio albums before you jump into this).

First of all the 5 stars is for Zep
& the great music but collectors of
mini lp replicas take note:

All the Zep albums(Bar BBC) have been
released on mini lp paper sleeve versions
BOTH from Japan AND Europe.

The europe & Jap versions are sonically identical,
all are taken from the Jimmy Page George Marino
remasters,a fact also printed on the stickers(Europe
releases)& insert sheet (Japan releases).

The packaging is also identical,the europe releases
actually use the Jap outer cardboard sleeves(the catalog
numbers on the europe spines are identical to their
Japanese counterparts but the numbers are different
on the actual discs (europe) themselves.

The Japan versions DO have an extra foldout lyric
insert in Japanese,the discs are housed in see through thin plastic sleeves
(the europe versions are enclosed in glossy
card inner sleeves,much nicer).

Most importantly the EAU versions are MUCH cheaper,
if you must have the paper insert
and the obi strip,be prepared to pay heavily.

All in its great to have these available but in a nutshell
the European versions are almost identical
bar the paper insert at a much lower price(amazon.co.uk)

Even though this is a edit of many performances that the band did during their stay at MSG in '73, it is still not as bad as many fans have said about this. To bad "Since I've Been Loving You" which was in the movie itself but not included on this soundtrack. "Stairway To Heaven" is done very well and does show Zeppelin at that time. Yes, there are hundreds of bootlegs of that tour and yes, most of them are better than this disc. Pick up the cd for the great version of "No Quarter" and "The Rain Song." As a collector of many Zep recordings, I still like to listen to this cd and hope that Robert will get off his high horse and let Jimmy release what is and has been in the vaults since Zeppelin started. This is a great starter "live" cd for you Zeppelin newbies out there to get an idea of how the band sounded in concert.

The artifacts that survive the ravages of time may not always be the best documentation of the way things were. If history is an interpretation of artifacts, then it is a science limited in its ability to 'get it right', by the quality of the artifacts from which historians draw their conclusions. It is truly a loss for 'Rock History' (and Rock fans) that Led Zeppelin only put out one live album.

Led Zeppelin was a much better band in concert than this CD would suggest. A bit of background: The footage for this was shot when Led Zeppelin was at the end of their 1973 tour. The band was exhausted, and this show was added because of fan demand, and because the footage shot on the previous 3 nights had been badly botched. This was in the days before ubiquitous low cost video, so everything was shot on expensive 35mm and 16 mm film.

Led Zeppelin members regret that this is the only official, legal live recording of an entire concert ('The BBC Sessions', a much more poserful set of audie tracks have no video accompaniment). While there are a few excellent bootlegs out there, you'll just have to track them down on your own...

As a midnight movie, though, the film and music work surprisingly well. It's not as slick as today's productions, and it definitely has a low-tech look compared with today's digitially enhanced video and movies.

Still, the versions of 'Rock and Roll', 'Celebration Day', 'The Song Remains The Same', No Quarter' and other early Led Zep songs stand as a testament to the energy and power of Led Zeppelin when they performed live. Even at the end of their US tour, they had more energy onstage than a lot of new acts.

It's been observed that if Eric Clapton was "god", then Jimmy Page was Satan or Lucifer, and we all know that 'the devil' has the greatest music. Nearly 28 years after it was originally recorded, that observation still stands, and Led Zeppelin, even on an off night, still has the ability to awe listeners (and viewers, should you happen to see the movie).

I am a huge Led Zeppelin fan, so I get as much live Zep as I can. I bought the movie and wanted to get the album. The songs sound like they could be live in the studio, that's how good they sound on stage. Jimmy's guitar solos are some of his best I have heard. Dazed and Confused is 27 minutes long and it keeps you wanting to listen during the whole time. The Whole Lotta Love Medley is great. They do an Elvis tune during the song that is awesome. The Stairway to Heaven is awesome. Jimmy's two minute solo may be sloppy, but it is phenomonal! I love the whole album. I listen to it almost all the time. BUY THIS ALBUM!

Nearly 20 years ago this album converted me from a Zeppelin fan to a Zeppelin fiend. I've collected Zeppelin bootlegs ever since. These songs should not be compared to their studio versions because comparing live Zeppelin to studio Zeppelin is like comparing apples to oranges. They are two different things. Having said that, I can tell you that this album captures Jimmy at his peak. His playing is electrifying, emotional, and sinister. His solos in No Quarter and Stairway To Heaven are unbelievable. No Quarter and Celebration Day alone are worth the price of the album. Sure, Dazed and Confused and Moby Dick are overdone, but bands tended to do that in those days. The only complaint I have is that Since I've Been Loving You and Black Dog were left off the album. Jimmy really nails those two songs also. Especially Since I've Been Loving You, Zeppelin's own brand of electric blues - controlled chaos, outstanding!

This is Zeppelin in their prime, in one of the greatest arenas in the world (the Garden). 1973, they were in top shape. The band themselves don't like this concert that much, but hey, they were perfectionists, and a bit extreme too.

It starts with Rock and Roll, which really does rock you. Page, as always, excells in his guitar playing, as does Plant in the vocals, and Bonham finishes with his hi-energy drums playing.

After Celebration Day, comes the namesake song of the film, The Song Remains The Same. It is brilliantly done, as is Rain Song.

Now comes the best part of CD 1. The near-half-hour-long version of Dazed and Confused proves their caliber as a band. Those who complain it's too long are just missing its point. The complete freedom they give themselves in improvising is what makes it so good. The extra long intro with John Paul Jones setting the mood. Page pulling off surreal sounds with the violin bow. The interwining of other songs's fragments. This is top-notch improvisation. I remember this being almost a religious experience for me at first. I'd sit down and hear it with solemnity, as if in the presence of a saint.

CD 2 continues with great playing. No Quarter is far better than the studio, with John Paul Jones and Page excelling in their respective solos. Stairway to Heaven, though astoundingly good, is, I must admit, the only song that might sound better in How The West Was Won (along, perhaps, with Moby Dick). It remains, however, amazing. And one thing in which it is much better than in How The West Was Won is its finale. Plant's final scream is simply epic.

Wrapping up the show are Moby Dick, which features an excellent drum playing by Bonham, and Whole Lotta Love, which again features amazing improvisation.

An amanzing CD and film, finally. Wrapping up, NO, the songs are not too long, NO, How The West Was Won is not better (it has good stuff, and might be as good, but The Song Remains The Same beats because of its sentimental value. I mean, it was, for years, the only live Zep material). If you like Zeppelin, music improvisation, or just a plain good rock concert, this CD is for you.

And finally, ZEPPELIN RULES!!!!!

of what is wrong with listeners today: They say: "this is what I want ... exactly the same song played live that was recorded by the musicians on the CD I bought...note for note; lyric for lyric". These people have been brainwashed to accept CD's and concert tours being pre-approved by their corporate sponsorship and the label that says "yes, sir" to a hierarchy who knows nothing about music just the imperitive to make money - which it can't because the music is so "banal" with no redeeming quality. Why? Because of the narrow and unredeeming people who claim that a band who dares to improve upon the original songs with touches of brilliant improv. is "banal" . It is these very people who are now responsible for the music industry losing *billions* of dollars (read the new Rolling Stone article). You did this - you killed the creativity, the sense of fun and pure muscianship. Give the low stars and go back to your bands that all ripped off Pearl Jam, U2, REM, LZ, Floyd, The Stones, and every other band worth anything. It's what *they* would want.

The point is simple: From the beginning, even in 1968, LZ showed up record companies, the media, and sometimes listeners. They are still showing record companies today why they are losing billions of dollars. They always took risks and I love that it doesn't seem to play well to new listeners - because it shows how dull and listless their ears are, by accepting todays crap and not accepting anything "out of bounds". This the reason why there will be no major labels in about 5 years.

I would argue that wrapped up in some of Page's solo's alone on this CD are more moments of unadulterated creativity than bands like Nickelback have ever had (by all of their bandmembers) on all of their CD's combined.

If you are reading this you are deeper into LZ than just what you hear on the radio- Thank God, for you! Have an open mind and listen to what 4 masters of their instruments can do with a basic song structure. It is sheer brilliance from start to end.

I'm really amazed at all the bad reviews this has gotten. I have both this album and How the West Was Won and have to say I like this better. It really shows Zeppelin at their height, playing only their best songs and jamming on almost everything, which really adds to it. The performances from each member are all top notch and the listener also gets more time to hear each of them as musicians. My only gripe (the reason this gets 4.5 stars) is that the drum solo on "Moby Dick" goes on too long (like it always did, may I add), but the version here is about half the length fo the one present on HTWWW and it was an important staple of their live set, so I can't really complain much.

Now to defend this album against the other reviewers. First of all, the sound quality is not bad at all. It's a bit murky, I'll give it that, but so are lots of other great, outstanding albums, such as Pangea by Miles Davis and My Bloody Valentine's Loveless. I actually enjoy the general sound/feel of this recording; it's much better than the far majority of bootlegs (trust me, I collect Pink Floyd boots). Also, the instrumental passages are really in no means "self-indulgent." They really help the songs and make them a lot stronger than the studio versions. It's my opinion that Zeppelin were much better musicians than songwriters and this album seems to prove this. If you think this is sef-indulgent, wait until you hear almost any modern jazz record. Finally, what does it matter that this isn't a "real" live album? Does it somehow hurt the band's integrity if they have to overdub a few things? Miles Davis did that all the time on his live albums, especially Live-Evil, and honestly, I'm glad. Overdubbing is a good thing if it makes the music sound better, which it certainly does in this case.

Overall: If you like to hear jamming done right, get this album. If you just want the hits, STAY AWAY. Previous knowledge of the band and ownership of other recordings not necessary.