Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #33033 in DVD
• Released on: 2000-06-05
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 127 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Bombastic, pretentious and narcissistic, Led Zeppelin's The Song Remains the Same is also one of the best concert films of the 1970s, capturing the greatest rock band of the decade in full flight at Madison Square Gardens in 1973. The notorious "fantasy sequences" punctuate the musical action but don't, fortunately, interrupt it. Playing true to their self-indulgent rock & roll personas, each band member has his own segment, as does legendary larger-than-life manager Peter Grant. Only John Bonham's is reasonably down-to-earth: during his mammoth drum solo ("Moby Dick") he is seen driving his custom car, his Harley chopper, and a drag racer at Santa Pod, as well as inspecting bulls and doing a bit of building work. Well, what else would a working-class lad from Birmingham do with his millions? Elsewhere, John Paul Jones is a demented Phantom of the Opera with an unfeasibly large organ ("No Quarter"); Robert Plant is a quasi-Arthurian knight errant rescuing a suitable rock-chick damsel in distress ("The Song Remains the Same/Rain Song"); while Aleister Crowley acolyte Jimmy Page goes in for sorcery and mysticism as he encounters the wizard from the cover of Led Zep IV ("Dazed & Confused"). But the real magic is the onstage footage: Page wields his Gibson Les Paul as if he is indeed enchanted (the violin bow becomes his magician's wand in "Dazed & Confused"), while Plant preens and prowls his way around the stage, the very image of the rock idol; and quite how Jones and Bonham managed to be such a behemoth of a rhythm section is still a mystery. For all its many faults, this remains an essential document of an era when rock dinosaurs still walked the earth.

On the DVD: No extra features to speak of at all, which is extremely disappointing given the wealth of archive material concerning the band and this movie that must be available. The picture and sound are respectable without being exceptional. --Mark Walker

Special Features
1.85 Wide Screen
DVD 9
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround English
Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround

Synopsis
THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME presents the very best of Led Zeppelin's legendary 1973 appearances at New York's Madison Square Garden. Interspersed throughout the concert footage are behind-the-scenes moments that supposedly reflect each band member's individual fantasies and hallucinations. Includes blistering live renditions of 'Black Dog', 'Dazed And Confused', 'Stairway to Heaven', 'Whole Lotta Love', 'The Song Remains The Same', 'Rain Song', and more.

Customer Reviews

This is a unique product if you like Zep buy it now.
This is not a Video and it is not just a live concert it is actually unique being ,as far as I know, one of a kind. The main part of the DVD is a live concert filmed in 1973 at Madison Square Gardens. The unique parts are the fantasy sections woven in and around the live sections. In places it is almost a documentary and in others sections it is almost a feature film. My favourite bit, apart from the live music parts, is called "Who's responsible" This is where the bands manager Peter Grant gives a telling off to some venue official about pirate posters being sold on the premises. It is this section that gives part of the reason Led Zeppelin got to the top in the first place by Grants force of personality. The musical sections are a must for any Zep fan and are of course magic. The only fly in the ointment for me is the cutting of the solo from Heartbreaker. This is a small point when you consider that Dazed and confused is about 20 minutes long. As a DVD the film has great picture and sound quality but no extras such as "The making off" or interviews with the band members. Now this is a shame it looks like it has just been copied and put out quickly which means a couple of years from now it will be re-released with all the extras on. OH well it's still worth it.

Great for a Led Zepp Fan
A couple of months ago my dad's friend at work lent us this video. I am 13, so as a young Led Zeppelin fan I had never seen footage of them moving, let alone performing.
I din't get the first bit, but soon understood it was Peter Grant's fantasy sequence, as some freaky gangster. Yes, all of the fantasy sequences are weird: John Bonham driving so reall weird old car and riding a Harley; John Paul Jones riding a gorse throught the night as the phantom of the opera in a REALLY ugly mask; Jimmy Page recreating the scene from the inside cover from their fourth album (I'm guessing it has something to do with magic, being him); oh, yes, and Robert Plant, being Robert Plant, being a knight in medieval clothes and tight trousers having a sword fight to save a damsel in distress in a castle. Hmm, interesting, but not what I was waiting for.
When you get to the live stuff, it's great. They start with Rock n Roll. They all get the audience going, and look as if they're a great time. Robert Plant is prancing around the stage, Jimmy Page looking fantastically cool in a black outfit with silver stars on it, John Paul Jones looking rather stupid in a shirt with apples hanging off it, and Bonzo, is just an animal.
Anyway, the music. Jimmy Page plays fantastic guitar solos, and is amazing with the bow. Robert Plant's singing is 99% brilliant.
So, if like me, you never got to see the Zeppelin live, buy this for a great taster. I want to give it more than five stars, but I can't.

Led Zeppelin - Live as they should be listened to...
Need a guitar lesson?

Then buy this and watch the master perform. Don't listen to the waffle about this film, Zep always were a bit hit and miss on stage but that was the appeal for many people, each night was different. My favourite part is Since I've Been Loving You (not featured on the CD) Page is truly excellent, I always watch the start of this song and marvel at Page.

To me it is blindingly obvious why many rate Zep as the best band in the world. The DVD affords a much better picture and sound than the old video ever did, I find myself noticing small bits that I missed on the video.

So if you are a Zep fan then buy it, sure it is not perfect and the editing of the film leaves a bit to be desired but it's truly Led Zeppelin at the height of their career.