Real Review - Led Zeppelin - The Song Remains the Same HD DVD
April 20, 2008
From the moment I first put the needle to the LP back in my teenage year of 1976, I knew Led Zeppelin’s The Song Remains the Same would follow me throughout my life. I literally wore out that soundtrack LP and I practically memorized every note played by guitarist Jimmy Page. I would stare at the poster of him on my wall and imagine him playing those blazing licks that erupted from my headphones. I guess you can say I’m a big Zeppelin fan. Some things never change, and it’s true: the song remains the same even after all these years.
I progressed from that LP recording to a Beta video tape copy of the movie, duplicated from an unremembered source. I owned the VHS when it was released, and I also bought the DVD. I guess it is no surprise that I eagerly snatched up my copy of the HD DVD when it became available.
A flood of memories returned to me as I watched The Song Remains the Same in glorious High Definition and TrueHD 5.1 audio. The volume kept going up as each song played, and I was soon enraptured by the aural assault of the music. To say the music of Led Zeppelin is powerful is an understatement. There is a reason why their music is aptly described as the “Hammer of the Gods.”
Starring the members of Led Zeppelin, vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham, the film not only presents the group in concert during their 1973 American tour at Madison Square Garden in New York City, but The Song Remains the Same also includes “fantasy” sequences of each individual member interspersed within the songs. I will be the first to admit that these sequences are somewhat “cheesy” but after so many viewings of this film, they are essential to the enjoyment of the movie. I can’t image “Dazed and Confused” without the Jimmy Page scene where he climbs the craggy mountain to the top and finds the personification of Time standing at its peak. Nor can I imagine “The Rain Song” without the scene of Robert Plant rescuing the damsel in distress in the medieval castle. It’s all part of the the Zeppelin mystique.
I watched The Song Remains the Same on HD DVD and the PQ has never looked better for this film. There are some problems, though, and the disc can’t be thought of as top-tier. Nevertheless, I saw many details never before visible in the film so I am pleased with the transfer. I listened to the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio track, and, like the PQ, the audio has never sounded as good. The music is front-centric, but my surrounds participated enough to make them noticeable. My only reservation with the audio is that the music demanded better subwoofer activity, though the bass is quite clear and tight. I simply would have preferred a deeper bottom to the mix.
The disc also includes three or four additional concert sequences, a short documentary on the “great robbery,” an contemporaneous interview with Robert Plant and Zeppelin manager, Peter Grant, and the original trailer.
A movie such as The Song Remains the Same has been part of my experience for so long now, that any rating I should give it would not be accurate. If you like Led Zeppelin, then the disc is a must-own. If you are merely curious, I would say give it a rent. After you do, my guess is that you’ll end up owning a copy.
Rating: 8
Source Chuck’s Movie Reviews
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I have had a similiar experience with this film. Great to know I am not alone
I too am a long time Zeppelin fan. I was privileged enough to have witnessed the famous 4+ hour Boston Tea Party show in the late 60’s. I have since seen virtually all the great bands of rock, and as impressive as some were, ie The Who, none has ever approached what we witnessed in Boston that long ago night. Led Zeppelin in their lean and hungry prime were just unbelievably powerful and mesmerizing. None of the top rock bands in history can match Zeppelin’s range, power, and skill. The music never grows old because it was built to last. TSRTS, as I’m sure you know is widely regarded as a mediocre performance by Led Zep standards. Of coarse, Zeppelin’s mediocre is far better than most band’s very best. I am still a big fan of the movie, cheese and all. I highly recommend the 2003 ‘Led Zeppelin DVD’ release. It’s the first official video released by the band in over 25 years (since TSRTS), and it’s just phenomenal. Over 5 hours of stunning footage spanning the bands career. It, not surprisingly, was the best selling music DVD in the U.S. for 3 years, and has since become, by far the best selling music DVD of all time, having been certified well over 20X platinum. Only The Beatles are in Zeppelin’s league for influence and popularity, but Led Zeppelin remain alone, despite those notoriously biased RS polls, as the greatest rock band that ever stepped on a stage.