The line forms here for the world's greatest and possibly most influential band--Led Zeppelin. This mesmerizing movie built around Zep's famed 1973 concerts at New York's Madison Square Gard... Read allThe line forms here for the world's greatest and possibly most influential band--Led Zeppelin. This mesmerizing movie built around Zep's famed 1973 concerts at New York's Madison Square Garden is convincing proof why.The line forms here for the world's greatest and possibly most influential band--Led Zeppelin. This mesmerizing movie built around Zep's famed 1973 concerts at New York's Madison Square Garden is convincing proof why.
- Self - Lead Singer
- (as Led Zeppelin)
- Self - Guitarist
- (as Led Zeppelin)
- Self - Bassist & Keyboardist
- (as Led Zeppelin)
- Self - Drummer
- (as Led Zeppelin)
- Self
- (uncredited)
- Self
- (uncredited)
- Self
- (uncredited)
- Self
- (uncredited)
- Self
- (uncredited)
- Self
- (uncredited)
- Self
- (uncredited)
- Self
- (uncredited)
- Self
- (uncredited)
- Directors
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaJimmy Page's scene was filmed in the Scottish Highlands behind his house, previously owned by Aleister Crowley, on the shores of Loch Ness in Scotland.
- GoofsThroughout the movie, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones have different outfits on. However, this is because the movie was filmed when the band played Madison Square Garden 3 nights in a row in 1973, and both Jimmy and John Paul didn't want to wear the same outfits. Small portions of songs were also filmed in 1974 at Shepperton Studios because of missing pieces of songs.
- Quotes
Robert Plant - Lead Singer: I think this is a song of hope.
[singing]
Robert Plant - Lead Singer: There's a lady who's sure, All that glitters is gold, And she's buying a Stairway to Heaven...
- Crazy credits"Stairway to Heaven" is played in its entirely, resulting in several minutes with the words "Exit Music" on a black screen after the credits have finished rolling as the music continues.
- Alternate versionsUK cinema release was seemingly pre-cut for an A rating (roughly a modern PG), to remove a scene with frequent swearing. The backstage scene in question shows Peter Grant letting loose on a crew member for not clamping down on poster bootleggers. The several uses of strong language aren't mentioned in the BBFC's original cinema report, and the video report from 1987 questions the previous lack of mention of swearing - all UK video releases are uncut and upgraded to 15.
- ConnectionsEdited into Led Zeppelin: Black Dog (Live at Madison Square Garden 1973) (1976)
- SoundtracksRock & Roll
Written by Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham
Performed by Led Zeppelin
Music Published by Superhype Music, Inc.
The film opens with an odd gangster-style sequence, where faceless mobsters are mowed down by what would appear to be rival gangsters. Whatever meaning this scene is meant to represent is not clear, however it has been suggested that the faceless mobsters are the British press, who had vilified Led Zeppelin through their entire career. Who knows, but it certainly makes for an interesting start to the film.
From there the film takes an interesting turn. Each individual band member is introduced. We see drummer John Bonham ploughing his fields in a tractor, bassist John Paul Jones reading nursery rhymes to his children, singer Robert Plant playing with his wife and children in an English country lake (the scene resembles the cover of Led Zeppelin's 1973 album 'Houses of the Holy'), while guitarist Jimmy Page is introduced next to a riverside. They each receive a letter informing them that they are to tour the next day.
Once Led Zeppelin take the stage at New York's Madison Square Garden, the action really begins. The band run through some of their absolute classics, including 'Whole Lotta Love', 'Stairway to Heaven', 'Heartbreaker' and a massive version of 'Dazed and Confused'. The quality of musicianship is amazing. Page's guitar playing belies belief and John Bonham's twenty minute drum solo is awe inspiring. As the band plays there are more fantasy scenes, the best of which includes Robert Plant as some kind of Arthurian hero. The way in which Led Zeppelin embrace and play on the Tolkien-like world of mystical fantasy is truly refreshing in these over-stylised days, where musicians are more concerned with the amount of gel in their hair than the music they produce.
Watching the band at work you get a distinct feeling that the musicians of today really aren't as proficient as they were twenty or thirty years ago. Led Zeppelin it seems were better live than on record, which would be unheard of today.
As an audience we are able to see "The Song Remains The Same" for what it is: a timepiece. Post-1975, Led Zeppelin's work became gradually lower in quality and as Punk revolutionised the music scene, they became dinosaurs at the end of the decade. But in this time, their 1971-1975 period, Led Zeppelin were the biggest band in the world, and their power is captured with brilliant clarity on this film. Whatever happened after this time is a moot point; this is how Led Zeppelin should and will be remembered. A must for any serious music fan.
- exterminator_99
- Apr 20, 2002
- Permalink
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Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- La canción es la misma
- Filming locations
- Loch Ness, Highland, Scotland, UK(Moonlit mountain climb)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross worldwide
- $2,773
- Runtime2 hours 17 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1