THE SOUNDTRACK FROM THE FILM - THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME

Released some three years after the performances of the gigs it documents, "The song remains the same" was for many years the only live Led Zeppelin album officially available.

Now I know this is a controversial statement, but for me the logic behind this is that while the band were great entertainers, when they played live they were, to put it simply, not all that good. In my opinion, Robert Plant's vocals are far better when subjected to the rigours of the studio, and Jimmy Page's guitar sounds far better after some sympathetic production. Take away those props and you are left with a very mediocre sounding live album.

The quality of the product on offer here is not helped by the inclusion of what I consider to be poor selections. Songs such as "Celebration day", "The rain song", "The song remains the same" and "No quarter" will never be Led Zeppelin classics in my book. Add to that a 27 minute ramble through "Dazed and confused", a song which sounded good when it was restricted to a sensible length, and an elongated "Moby Dick" (oh joy, a long drum solo), and you are left with just a handful of appealing songs. Even then, I much prefer the controlled studio performance of "Stairway to heaven", and the whole point of "Whole lotta love" was the stunning middle orgasmic section, which is all but impossible to recreate live.

I never had the honour of attending a gig by Led Zeppelin. I am sure however that it would have been one of life's truly memorable experiences. Sitting back listening only to the audio element of such a gig though, only serves to emphasise how such an experience is about the atmosphere and the visuals as much as it is what you actually hear.

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