THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME (FILM)

I watched this film in a cinema when it was just released in 1976. I remember very vividly that we started to feel uncomfortable after 10 minutes because of the first of 'movies-into-movies' idea, every Led Zep member was invited by the director to invent his own movie, it started with John Bonham and his 'gangsters', quite boring. But in the end the concert began with the explosive Rock And Roll, to me it sounds as 'a heavy metal version of Chuck Berry music', so powerful, John Bonham kicks off at his best! In the long and compelling Since I Have Been Loving You, Jimmy page carry me away with one of hist best guitar soli, so moving and the interplay between the musicians is great, especially the guitar and organ. In No Quarter multi-instrumentalist John Paul Jones plays delicate Fender Rhodes eelctric piano and in The Rain Song he blows me away with wonderful Mellotron sounds on the M400, that 'white piece of furniture'. During the film we have to watch other 'movie ideas' like John Paul Jones and his medieval vision, Robert Plant with his white horse and Jimmy Page with quite scary images, especially that changing face from old to young. I am not pleased with those images, evenmore irritating than on Pictures At An Exhibition by ELP. The long compositions Dazed And Confused and Whole Lotta Love showcase the creative mind of Jimmy Page playing with a violin bow on his guitar and using and a spectacular sounding effect machine. The aboslute highlight is the symphonic rock composition Stairway To Heaven with JP JOnes playing flute on the M400, a beautiful vocal performance by Robert Plant and a very compelling guitar solo on the Gibson double-neck guitar with split images, very sensational to watch.

I have never understood the critical comments about the music on The Song Remains The Same, in my opinion Led Zeppelin sounds great and inspired but the 'movies-into-movies' idea turned out to be a disaster! Nonetheless, essential!

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