LED ZEPPELIN

First thanks to fellow Dutchman Tuxon for his efforts to add this amazing band to the site, justice done! Let's now concentrate on this 2-DVD, in my opinion a musical document. Playing live was the real jewel in our existence" says Robert Plant in the booklet. Well, this double DVD with only previously unreleased live footage from Led Zeppelin in the Seventies (and extra's in '69 and '90) shows their captivating development: they started as a powerhouse bluesrock group (DVD 1) but gradually Led Zeppelin turned into an eclectic rockband (DVD 2) with some mindblowing rock compositions that can compete with the best 'epic' progrock songs. And keep this in mind: PLANT IS SEX ("I'll give you every inch of my love"), PAGE IS GOD (and the best Yardbird) and LED ZEPPELIN IS THE ULTIMATE ROCKBAND, suddenly the Rolling Stones, The Who and Beatles seem to sound like overexcited schoolbands!

The first DVD contains 12 tracks from a concert at the Royal Albert Hall in 1970 (at that moment Led Zep's second album was number 1 in the USA and UK!): "We're gonna groove", "I can't quit you babe" (great interplay between Plant's vocals and Page's guitar, years before Gillan and Blackmore), "Dazed and confused" (spectacular, legandary act from Page by playing bow on his guitar), "White summer", "What is and what should never be" (fine bottle neck solo)," "How many more times" (20 minutes with an excellent Page with lots of solos), "Moby Dick" (the famous drum solo with Bonham playing a few minutes with his bare hands, dynamically filmed from different angles), "Whole lotta love" ('classic' guitar riff and solos on bongos and guitar), "Communication breakdown" and the pure R&R songs "C'mon everybody", "Something else" and "Bring it on home" (with Plant on harmonica). The extra's on DVD 1 contain all tracks from '69 (Page with a beautifully painted Fender Telecaster): "Communication breakdown promo" (playback version in b/w), "Danmark radio" ("Communication breakdown" with wah-wah solo/"Dazed and confused"/"Babe I'm gonna leave you", a raw version of one of my favorite Led Zep songs/ "How many more times", all in b/w), "Supershow" ("Dazed and confused", spectacular shots) from British TV and "Tous en scene" ("Communication breakdown"/"Dazed and confused") from Paris TV.

The second DVD starts with "Immigrant Song" (blistering and howling guitar solo) from 1972, followed by three concerts: Madison Squarden Garden from 1973 with "Black dog", "Misty mountain hop" (JP Jones on the Fender electric piano), "Since I've been loving you" (expressive shots from Plant and Page in this blues classic) and "The ocean", Earls Court from 1975 with three 'unplugged' songs titled "Going to California" (JP Jones on a mandolin), "That's the way", "Bron yr aur stomp", followed by "In my time of dying", "Trampled underfoot" (JP Jones 's clavinet gives it a funky climate) and "Stairway to heaven" and Knebworth from 1979 with "Rock and roll", "Nobody's fault but mine", "Sick again", "Achilles last stand", "In the evening", "Kashimir" and "Whole lotta love". The extra's include "NYC press conference" from 1970, "Down Under" from 1972 ("Rock and roll/interviews with the band), "The old grey whistle test" from 1975 (Robert Plant interview) and "Promos" from 1990 ("Over the hill and far away"/"Travelling riverside blues"). My personal highlights on this overwhelming 2-DVD set are "White summer" (12-minutes solo on the impressive Danelectro guitar by Page), "Bron yr aur stomp" (great vocals and splendid play by Page on his acoustic Martin: twanging, rhythm and solos), "In my time of dying" (captivating and dynamic song with Page using a bottle-neck on the Danelectro guitar), "Stairway to heaven" ('killer version': intro with blue light on JP Jones his Mellotron and Page his Gibson twin-neck guitar and halfway an extended, very compelling guitar solo) and "Kashmir" (wonderful Eastern-oriented atmosphere with JP Jones on the Yamaha GX-1 'super synthesizer'). This historical document has turned out to be one of my favorite DVD's and during the 3 years after the release, it has topped the charts in many countries, including the USA and my home country Holland.

My conclusion: splendid and timeless music, wonderful packaging and superb sound and images (read the booklet about the unorthodox restoration), this 2-DVD is a triple must!