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GasLightStreet

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RollingFreak

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GasLightStreet
There's an aspect of anything post-1979 or whenever that was unearthed probably has happened. As with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, only so much can be shown that is "new". In regard to a timeline, a story, ok, obviously whatever footage will be used.

Presentation is the key and that might get lost in regard to what you've stated. But for perhaps a lot of people that don't know? As interesting as it could be.

I think what was slightly disappointing to me was the first half was actually so good and so well told. Yeah I knew most of the story, but not all of it, and they told it in a very compelling way. They had so many great photos, and they made any lack of video work. Then the second half felt like a crutch with the limited video they had. It felt like they HAD to play the songs people wanted (and so many of them in full), either because they felt like they had to fill the time (only covered the first two albums) or because they thought people would demand it. Whereas I'd have been ok with less full songs and more clips/photos and behind the scenes stories, being told in a similar fashion to the first half. To me it was brilliantly done till it got a little bit more lazy, which was odd. Cause usually the first half is what you'd breeze through. Felt like the second half should have been fleshed out with more stories and pics, or just cut in half if there wasn't enough there. Or, while I understood the ending with Royal Albert Hall cause that was "making it" on their home turf, an arugment could have been made that they included LZIII which could have ended with them being pre-stadium level. Led Zep 4 really seems like when they went to another level and I get that that's for a different movie.

Overall, I do still really recommend though. Its a great look into their early years and its amazing what they banged out in such little time.

Nice.

That makes sense. They did what they did. As you stated, perhaps because of it being expected. Maybe whatever could've been included, to break it up, was just a repeat so it's boring. Who knows.

I think of FOUR FLICKS and THE BIGGEST BANG and how TBB is an extremely poorly done imitation of FF - and they sounded atrocious in comparison.

FOUR FLICKS is tremendous. It makes LIVE LICKS with it's cheap pictures of the video screen terrible quality for artwork (and some horrendous editing, music wise) seem an afterthought (although disc 2 is worth it). But either one is better than any live release from the BANG tour.

There are many interviews with the filmmakers, similar to the one above, that seem to shed some light on the why the film is what it is. Few reasons:

1. Apparently the original cut of the film didn't get a great reaction back in 2019 or 2021 I think? The rumor I see floating around is it was just a full puff piece (which honestly you see this and I question how much they really changed of it), and NOTHING new. It was kind of a "why bother" so they then went back and recut it, but that could add to the uneven tone cause its more of a compromise than the director's true vision.

2. The Zep guys are so heavily guarded that just getting them to agree meant conceding a lot. Not that we have a worse film because of it, and not that it needed to be a tell all, but basically you either make a film with Zep's approval or you make one without it and it'll be far less distributed, or possibly not even made at all. So they took what they could. In the end, its Zeppelin, so a certain segment of people will go no matter what. But the best docs are generally the ones that leave it all out on the table (ie The History Of The Eagles or that type), and it should be noted it took A WHILE for this film to get a buyer. Which, again, for Zeppelin, feels like it should be a slam dunk. If they can't sell a music doc, who could, but that it wasn't quite compelling enough for awhile.

3. The very specific focus of the doc was limiting. The guys wanted it to be about the early years and the formation, so its very much being marketed as a general Led Zep doc that once you know its only the early years you realize "oh, that's why its called Becoming. That's why all the trailer footage is early stuff." There's definitely a bait and switch element of it so that it has mass appeal, thinking you'll hear about Stairway and whatnot. In some interviews I've read, reporters have tried to spin it as "well maybe this means you can do more movies later on", but the filmmakers seem to squash that. Apparently this took forever, was very time consuming even focusing on a smaller segment of their career, and that any further documentary would require at least 5 years time from conception to release, and that process has not been started, nor seemingly that interesting to any of the involved parties.

Feels like I'm trashing it, and truly I'm not. But seemingly a number of reasons it is the way it is, and it had a more troubled production than the final product would lead you to believe. It feels like this is probably all we'll get from them, so I'm certainly enjoying it for what it is. It adds some interesting backstory, but ultimately the Led Zep DVD from 2003 does cover everything enough as well. As chopped up as that project is as well. Zep has always kinda hampered their output which I don't think is a controversial comment. Hard to tell how they feel about it since they haven't done any promo for it, especially considering how much promo they did for the reunion Celebration Day DVD when that came out.

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GasLightStreet

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RollingFreak

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GasLightStreet
There's an aspect of anything post-1979 or whenever that was unearthed probably has happened. As with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, only so much can be shown that is "new". In regard to a timeline, a story, ok, obviously whatever footage will be used.

Presentation is the key and that might get lost in regard to what you've stated. But for perhaps a lot of people that don't know? As interesting as it could be.

I think what was slightly disappointing to me was the first half was actually so good and so well told. Yeah I knew most of the story, but not all of it, and they told it in a very compelling way. They had so many great photos, and they made any lack of video work. Then the second half felt like a crutch with the limited video they had. It felt like they HAD to play the songs people wanted (and so many of them in full), either because they felt like they had to fill the time (only covered the first two albums) or because they thought people would demand it. Whereas I'd have been ok with less full songs and more clips/photos and behind the scenes stories, being told in a similar fashion to the first half. To me it was brilliantly done till it got a little bit more lazy, which was odd. Cause usually the first half is what you'd breeze through. Felt like the second half should have been fleshed out with more stories and pics, or just cut in half if there wasn't enough there. Or, while I understood the ending with Royal Albert Hall cause that was "making it" on their home turf, an arugment could have been made that they included LZIII which could have ended with them being pre-stadium level. Led Zep 4 really seems like when they went to another level and I get that that's for a different movie.

Overall, I do still really recommend though. Its a great look into their early years and its amazing what they banged out in such little time.

Nice.

That makes sense. They did what they did. As you stated, perhaps because of it being expected. Maybe whatever could've been included, to break it up, was just a repeat so it's boring. Who knows.

I think of FOUR FLICKS and THE BIGGEST BANG and how TBB is an extremely poorly done imitation of FF - and they sounded atrocious in comparison.

FOUR FLICKS is tremendous. It makes LIVE LICKS with it's cheap pictures of the video screen terrible quality for artwork (and some horrendous editing, music wise) seem an afterthought (although disc 2 is worth it). But either one is better than any live release from the BANG tour.

Completely agree, GasLightStreet: Four Flicks was utterly tremendous. The Bigger Bang set is indeed a ‘poor cousin’ It’s similar with the tour itself, actually. Despite catching multiple shows in ‘06 and ‘07, this tour holds little memory for me, whilst ‘Licks’ was an absolute blast in every respect.

A friend got me THE BIGGEST BANG. A while went by and he asked me how it was.

I said I hope you didn't spend much money on it.

$5!

I said good - it's horrible.


Brian Johnson's A LIFE ON THE ROAD Robert Plant episode is fantastic. It's an interesting peek into Plant's mind of the Zep days but gives good ground for his solo career.

Can't find the entire thing but here's part of it (14:01).

Somewhat old news, but here it is — longer and upgraded/new footage of Led Zeppelin at the Budokan, Tokyo, September 23, 1971, the group’s Japanese debut. Some historic moments there. 2 sources (37:34 and 3:51).

[www.youtube.com]

[www.youtube.com]

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RisingStone
Somewhat old news, but here it is — longer and upgraded/new footage of Led Zeppelin at the Budokan, Tokyo, September 23, 1971, the group’s Japanese debut. Some historic moments there. 2 sources (37:34 and 3:51).

[www.youtube.com]

[www.youtube.com]

I wonder if we'll ever get another Zeppelin live release? 'How The West Was Won' is fine, as is the Zeppelin DVD, but I think those Earl Court shows, along with Knebworth, deserve individual releases. It would be interested to know what else Jimmy Page has in his vault. I know there's the Seattle show from 1977, for instance.

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Big Al

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RisingStone
Somewhat old news, but here it is — longer and upgraded/new footage of Led Zeppelin at the Budokan, Tokyo, September 23, 1971, the group’s Japanese debut. Some historic moments there. 2 sources (37:34 and 3:51).

[www.youtube.com]

[www.youtube.com]

I wonder if we'll ever get another Zeppelin live release? 'How The West Was Won' is fine, as is the Zeppelin DVD, but I think those Earl Court shows, along with Knebworth, deserve individual releases. It would be interested to know what else Jimmy Page has in his vault. I know there's the Seattle show from 1977, for instance.

The Song Remains The Same was just on TCM last week and I was watching it and thinking the same thing. My wife who was on her phone not caring about any of it was like "this must be one of a ton of releases they have, right?" and I was saying "its actually insane how limited it is." The ones you mentioned really do deserve a release but I truly don't know what Jimmy does all day in his castle. I know he and the Black Crowes just put out a 25 anniversary release of their show with added songs, and that was cool. They did a video to promote it and Jimmy looked good, but he's getting old. Can't tell if we're more likely to get stuff before or after he's gone at this point.

It would be nice for a proper Earls Court 75, Seattle 77, and Knebworth 79 release, but they have been on Youtube for a while now, and the fact Page hasn't had them taken down suggests there's nothing official on the horizon. It also suggests, though, that he's ok with the performances being out there, so you never know.

As is well known, The Song Remains the Same was doctored with mimed footage filmed on a soundstage in the UK a year later. The performances are spotty, and they're really not at their peak, but there are some great moments. They put so much money, time, and effort into it, with the 'fantasy' sequences and all, that they probably felt they had to release it, just to recoup.

69-72 were their most consistent and energetic years, after that, Plant had intermittent vocal issues, Page got a bit sloppy, and the tempos (Bonahm) sometimes dragged. Keep in mind they still blew away most bands, even on an 'off' night.

While it's a pity there isn't more footage, they did better than post-Dark Side Pink Floyd, with nothing officially pro-shot to document the 72-73, 74-75, and 77 tours.

True. That's very sad we don't have more from Floyd, though between the live Dark Side and Wish You Were Here releases we have a full show with all of Dark Side, early Shine On, Dogs, and Sheep which was basically a full show. I found the Echoes version from a bootleg which completes the show. Its amazing with Floyd we even got a full Wall show released at all.

To me, How The West Was Won is the best Zeppelin release they can muster. Between that, Royal Albert Hall, and the doctored Song Remains The Same, you have some of their best eras. Obviously they could put out more, but agreed that after Song, and even by Song, they started going downhill. Like you say, Song isn't even the peak, though it was commercially probably for them. I think they did put so much money into it that it had to come out, but also when Plant's son died it was a good release to tide them over. Kinda similar to The Grateful Dead Movie. Its not definitive, but it works in conveying the vibe.

I got a dvd bootleg from the first Knebworth show and it is a killer.
I got dvd/cd bootlegs from Earls Court, May 23, 24 and 25. The only songs that are really thrilling me are Tangerine and Heatbreaker and Communication Breakdown/Dyer Mker from May 25. I think Page will not release a full show or a best of several shows, because he thinks that nobody needs another 30 Minutes version of Dazed and Confused, Moby Dick and No Quarter. And that´s my opinion, too. If you want a killer complete live show from 1975, try to get a soundboard bootleg from Vancouver or Seattle.
The Seattle show from 1977 is very, very sloppy. So it never will get an official release. At least as long as Page is alive and well.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2025-06-19 19:24 by RockingLonestar.