The Official Led Zeppelin Thread

[zeb]

Listening to Physical Graffiti right now, i got it on vinyl and i just opened it...nice edition by the way.

Album is a monster damn. These guys were on another level really.

Me and everyone I know is on a Physical Graffiti kick right now for some reason.

Well it is their best record after all.

[VinylGuy]

It’s been discussed here but this days I feel Presence is their best, and I could throw Houses Of The Holy there too

[Buby]

My spoiler review is available if anyone wants it.

Long story short: wait for streaming.

I wants.

[VinylGuy]

Might see it next week

[Happy Trees]

My spoiler review is available if anyone wants it.

Long story short: wait for streaming.

I wants.

Spoiler: show

The first 45 minutes are wonderful, touching and informative.

But once the band forms, it gradually becomes light on narrative depth (no surprise) with very little "unseen" footage in general. The same songs appear in full more than once, as well as other tricks to stretch a 30 minute story (at best) into an additional 75 minutes, and this becomes very tedious and frustrating. There are also questionable moments of dialogue that have frustrated the informed (Robert falsely claiming that he was "homeless", both Robert and Jimmy more or less admitting that they stole songs with doublespeak).

A lack of available visual footage is filled in by manipulating well-known TV footage to appear like it's something different, bad quality super-8 footage is laid on top of unrelated audio quite a bit (so much for IMAX), footage from a "comedy show" TV appearance with people looking disgusted and holding their ears is disingenuously placed as if to imply that it's from their first unsuccessful UK concert (I'm sure there are morons who will believe this), recording studio footage is completely faked by using more TV performance footage and stock studio footage from the early 60's, and there are images of newspaper articles and concert posters floating by. The best stuff is photographs. It might wow people looking for a bombastic theatre experience, but it's weak ass shit if you know what's really going on.

The audio is mostly simulated surround because the original sources are mono. It's hard to tell if the studio stuff was remixed, but there are fancy isolated elements portions that happen to be from the same small handful of second album songs that have long circulated as multi-track stems on bootlegs, suggesting that was the source. So there is no unheard audio at all as far as I can tell, even though people seem to believe that there is anyway. It's not very impressive from this jaded turd's point of view.

The film ends with a (repeated again) track from Royal Albert Hall 1970, but instead of utilizing and re-editing the splendid black & white footage on the old DVD set, they used previously unseen poor quality super-8 footage that looks like it was shot by a roadie having a seizure.

I left the theatre feeling like I had been edged for 45 minutes, laughed at for 75 minutes and then pushed out of the room balls full.

[joostone]

I'm a sucker for music docs. And for me this was a great one. I fully understand the critism, but it was all great to me. Their vault is pretty much emptied, keeping the press or record companies out was great, but because of it there's not much footage that can be used. And we have seen it all. They used some of it to tell the story in a great way. The audio sounded absolutely amazing. And hearing Jimmy talk about his visions for both LZ1 and LZ2 was fascinating.

Now I just want a sequel. 'Being Led Zeppelin'. About the money, fame, parties and the unfortunate end. As long as we have Jimmy talking about the records, and how all their fame was reflected in that...

[Sloppy Dupree]

I thought it was a great doc, too. I actually learned a lot.

[96583UP]

My spoiler review is available if anyone wants it.

Long story short: wait for streaming.

I wants.

Spoiler: show

The first 45 minutes are wonderful, touching and informative.

But once the band forms, it gradually becomes light on narrative depth (no surprise) with very little "unseen" footage in general. The same songs appear in full more than once, as well as other tricks to stretch a 30 minute story (at best) into an additional 75 minutes, and this becomes very tedious and frustrating. There are also questionable moments of dialogue that have frustrated the informed (Robert falsely claiming that he was "homeless", both Robert and Jimmy more or less admitting that they stole songs with doublespeak).

A lack of available visual footage is filled in by manipulating well-known TV footage to appear like it's something different, bad quality super-8 footage is laid on top of unrelated audio quite a bit (so much for IMAX), footage from a "comedy show" TV appearance with people looking disgusted and holding their ears is disingenuously placed as if to imply that it's from their first unsuccessful UK concert (I'm sure there are morons who will believe this), recording studio footage is completely faked by using more TV performance footage and stock studio footage from the early 60's, and there are images of newspaper articles and concert posters floating by. The best stuff is photographs. It might wow people looking for a bombastic theatre experience, but it's weak ass shit if you know what's really going on.

The audio is mostly simulated surround because the original sources are mono. It's hard to tell if the studio stuff was remixed, but there are fancy isolated elements portions that happen to be from the same small handful of second album songs that have long circulated as multi-track stems on bootlegs, suggesting that was the source. So there is no unheard audio at all as far as I can tell, even though people seem to believe that there is anyway. It's not very impressive from this jaded turd's point of view.

The film ends with a (repeated again) track from Royal Albert Hall 1970, but instead of utilizing and re-editing the splendid black & white footage on the old DVD set, they used previously unseen poor quality super-8 footage that looks like it was shot by a roadie having a seizure.

I left the theatre feeling like I had been edged for 45 minutes, laughed at for 75 minutes and then pushed out of the room balls full.

awesome review

[Happy Trees]

awesome review

Spoiler: show

Since I wrote that, more info has emerged explaining how much audio and video in the film is actually faked.

Some of the Bonham interview was edited to make it seem like he was talking about something he's really not talking about. For example, the dialogue about their first rehearsal was actually about a Beatles concert he had attended. There is fake ephemera...random news reel footage and photographs that have been AI'd to make it seem like it was really about Led Zeppelin. The Fillmore West marquee is fake. Etc etc. All kinds of stuff like that all over the place. And of course the performances themselves have been manipulated visually or misrepresented as something they aren't.

Of course, people on general-dumbass social media are being aggressively sarcastic about how nobody should care because the world has real problems. But add that to all the other stuff I mentioned, and I find this film to be troubling and sleazy from a historical standpoint. Like anything else these days, the potential consumers who wouldn't know any better and couldn't care less about the quality or legitimacy of what they are seeing and hearing anyway (but are willing to spend money) are the ones who are nevertheless being catered to, which suggests a post-Zeppelin money grab. Complacency rules.

[Happy Trees]

I'm a sucker for music docs. And for me this was a great one. I fully understand the critism, but it was all great to me. Their vault is pretty much emptied, keeping the press or record companies out was great, but because of it there's not much footage that can be used. And we have seen it all. They used some of it to tell the story in a great way. The audio sounded absolutely amazing. And hearing Jimmy talk about his visions for both LZ1 and LZ2 was fascinating.

Now I just want a sequel. 'Being Led Zeppelin'. About the money, fame, parties and the unfortunate end. As long as we have Jimmy talking about the records, and how all their fame was reflected in that...

That's a nice way of looking at it, but a lot of what you were seeing and hearing wasn't actually "real" - or was misrepresented in some way. And the narrative and banter in the last hour was dumbed-down to generalities. It's just flashy eye and ear candy disguised as a historical document.

They could have done a real documentary that was all legit and avoided any issues that the band may have not wanted to touch upon, without resorting to trickery and advantageous manipulation and repeating the same songs over and over. It's a sad reflection of the times we live in, and it makes me weary of where this kind of thing is headed and very cautious about falling for it again.

It gives me the general impression of "the band doesn't want to talk about stuff, so let's utilize the latest technology to make something out of nothing and see what we can get away with and make a lot of money too".

[joostone]

I'm a sucker for music docs. And for me this was a great one. I fully understand the critism, but it was all great to me. Their vault is pretty much emptied, keeping the press or record companies out was great, but because of it there's not much footage that can be used. And we have seen it all. They used some of it to tell the story in a great way. The audio sounded absolutely amazing. And hearing Jimmy talk about his visions for both LZ1 and LZ2 was fascinating.

Now I just want a sequel. 'Being Led Zeppelin'. About the money, fame, parties and the unfortunate end. As long as we have Jimmy talking about the records, and how all their fame was reflected in that...

That's a nice way of looking at it, but a lot of what you were seeing and hearing wasn't actually "real" - or was misrepresented in some way. And the narrative and banter in the last hour was dumbed-down to generalities. It's just flashy eye and ear candy disguised as a historical document.

They could have done a real documentary that was all legit and avoided any issues that the band may have not wanted to touch upon, without resorting to trickery and advantageous manipulation and repeating the same songs over and over. It's a sad reflection of the times we live in, and it makes me weary of where this kind of thing is headed and very cautious about falling for it again.

It gives me the general impression of "the band doesn't want to talk about stuff, so let's utilize the latest technology to make something out of nothing and see what we can get away with and make a lot of money too".

What trickery and advantageous manipulation do you mean exactly? Maybe I was just not seeing it. Digital work on audio and video? I enjoyed it for what it was. A great tale of the start of a legend. Only wished they talked more about the albums. Because those segments where highlights for me.

I didnt care that much about the short Bath segment. I dont really care about 8mm footage at all. I think Ive owned all the LZ video boots out there and I never really cared for that kind of stuff.

[Happy Trees]

What trickery and advantageous manipulation do you mean exactly? Maybe I was just not seeing it. Digital work on audio and video? I enjoyed it for what it was. A great tale of the start of a legend. Only wished they talked more about the albums. Because those segments where highlights for me.

Spoilers above.

[96583UP]

was listening to How the West Was Won yesterday. that album rawks

[Sloppy Dupree]

was listening to How the West Was Won yesterday. that album rawks

Yeah it does! Might be my #3 zep album.

[Happy Trees]

was listening to How the West Was Won yesterday. that album rawks

That's funny because "Heartbreaker" from that album came on Sirius radio earlier today in the car and I turned it way the fuck up at a stop light and didn't care.

"O My Soul" by Big Star coming on out of the blue was the only other time that has happened in recent memory.

I normally don't risk damaging my hearing and disrupting the neighborhood.

[Ello Sailor]

It's not even a proper album, you weirdos.

[Ello Sailor]

Actually, that was directed solely at Slurpee. #3 Zep is insane.

[Ello Sailor]

You need coooolin'

[Happy Trees]

It's not even a proper album, you weirdos.

Define "proper album".
It's the best live material that was multi-tracked.
And it was recorded with the intent of releasing a live album.
Better late than never, bitch.

[Ello Sailor]

Pfft. If you put that shit above 1, 2, 3, 4, HotH or PG, you're a fucking jabroni of the highest order.