Led Zeppelin - The Song Remains The Same (Special Edition) (2DVD)

The first time I saw this film was at a local high school when I was in grade nine. Was not overly impressed but I did enjoy it. Then around ten years ago they put out the Led Zeppelin DVD set and that was awsome. So I figured when this was being rereleased it would be a lot better. Wrong! First off Jimmy Page took a lot of liberties when doing the DVD. First off almost every song have the vocals double tracked on it. Something he could not do here because people would pick it up right away since most Zep heads have heard the album a thousand times not counting previouse VHS and DVD copies of the film. I was really looking forward to the HD soundtrack. But there are cut out on it that have never been fixed. For real! At some point a drop out was added to the master during Moby Dick. Now I am not a huge of Moby Dick but when a company releases a major music film like this in a mass release and there is a flaw in it during the past this would be recalled and fixed. But not now a days. Now they say it's only a drop out yet the drop out does not occur on the dolby digital track. When Band's as huge as Zeppelin have this happen to them it tells you how bad the industry is screwed up.
The film is shot on a off night. The audio has been majorly sharpened up and the picture has never looked better. If you love Zeppelin you will love this film. Just switch to the Dolby track for Moby Dick or skip it all together. Even thow it is not on Blu Ray Led Zeppelin DVD is by far the best bang for your buck. It covers their whole career and it even has a few songs from the Song to boot! In the words of Otto the bus driver as he is being swept away to his death "Zeppelin Rules"!

Led Zeppelin will remain the giants of Rock 'n' Roll for a long time to come. Although they've been criticized for "robbing" the blues greats, the truth as any student of the blues will know is that the tradition of the blues (and folk for that matter) is to take existing songs and then modify them with new variations and improvisations until eventually a new song emerges that's virtually indistinguishable from the original. Led Zeppelin have done this with some of the early songs, especially on the first album, but then developed their own unmistakable sound that has since been imitated but never duplicated. This concert is a document of the band at the peak of their powers, claiming their place as the undisputed biggest band in the world at the time, and for many years after.

"The Song Remains the Same" showcases the band during their 1973 USA tour promoting their Houses of the Holy album, with footage from their three nights at Madison Square Garden in New York. The great (now classic) songs from the first five albums are here, including "Dazed and Confused", "Rock and Roll", "Moby Dick", "Whole Lotta Love", and of course the anthemic "Stairway to Heaven". But this is more than simply a film of the concert, as it includes several "fantasy" sequences for each individual band member, making it into a mix of live concert footage and music video, during the days before music videos were widely available on MTV (and many places elsewhere within a few years). The fantasy sequences are intertwined with the concert film, giving each band member a chance to show his individual personality through imagery only made possible with film. The original film (disc one of the two disc version) also includes some news or documentary type footage of the concerts, including investigation of the disappearance of money that the band had deposited in the hotel's safe deposit box.

This new release of the original movie has added a second disc that contains some additional concert footage (not from New York), as well as an interview with manager Peter Grant and lead singer Robert Plant, originally shown on BBC's "The Old Grey Whistle Test" prior to release of the film in 1976. In total it may not be much in terms of "bonus material" or "extras" but for any Zeppelin fanatic - and I include myself here - it's really a "must have" addition to all of the other Zeppelin albums and videos that are bursting our shelves. Besides, at the price being offered, it's almost free in the sense that I can buy the new two disc version and trade the previous one disc version with a friend for something else.

All in all, I'd highly recommend this newer version, even to anyone who has the previous version already in their collection.

I cannot say enough good stuff about this movie! I know lots of people say these were not their best performances, but it's still amazing to watch. "Dazed and Confused" and "No Quarter" blew me away. The sound on this movie is great, you can hear pretty much everything quite clearly. I have yet to watch bonus features, I just keep rewatching the concert!
The weird little acting sequences add some variety and interest throught out the movie, because it could get a little dry at times.
I recomend this movie to anyone and everyone! It's amazing.