Rating: 
Summary: The Hammer of The Gods Indeed.....
Review: As a disc jockey at my school I still remeber listening to a pre-release issue of the first Led Zeppelin album and just sitting in shock at the sound coming into my headphones! From that day on I was hooked and and a few years later I would actually spend time on the road with Led Zeppelin.
After all these years I can honestly say that my initial viewing response to this incredible five hour collection brought tears to my eyes and joy to my heart.Led Zeppelin live was something special. Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and John Bonham gave it their best every time they hit the stage. The Rolling Stones have always proclaimed themselves at the "Greatest Live Rock and Roll Band," but Led Zep can also make their claim for that title in this special 3 DVD set. In 1970, where this muscial journey begins, video and sound recording was light years from today's digital revolution. This was a time when long playing vinyl albums sometimes were released in both a mono and stereo versions! Jimmy Page and crew worked many months in restoring the video quality and remastering the sound to glorious Dolby Digital and DTS formats. To just comment on a few songs in this incredible sonic document would be missing the point. Having witnessed their live performances at back stage, side stage and front stage I know that for any hard core Led Zep fan this is as good as it gets! For the casual fan of that time in history or the younger generation you can now see and hear what the fuss was all about. The Led Zeppelin DVD collection validates the reason for having a home theater system! These guys might have had the rock star swagger, but they knew they were great and we knew they were something very special. As Baseball Hall of Famer Dizzy Dean once said "It ain't bragging if you can do it!" and I think this sums it up nicely for the Hammer of The Gods.
Rating:
Summary: WOW.... just... WOW
Review: There are few words I can use to describe this DVD, and one of them is WOW. Another is AWESOME. It is jaw-dropping and toe-tapping. I felt like I was THERE. Zeppelin is a completely different story when they are live- the improv is just mind-shattering and Jimmy Page is the undeniable GOD of Guitardom. The studio albums are clean and straightforward. Live, they go anywhere and everywhere and it draws you in- a completely different experience I think is essential to any self-proclaiming Zeppelin fan. The music isn't for just everybody, true, but it does have a way of getting into your head and sticking there and drawing you into it. This DVD was magic. Thank you, Jimmy Page!!!!
Rating:
Summary: It's been a long time since we rock and rolled
Review: Led Zeppelin has always been known for anthemic rock songs produced in the studio. Bootlegs always hinted at their ability to reproduce those songs in grand fashion live on stage. The only official live video performance until now, "The Song Remains The Same," was simply too ambitious to portray the true Zeppelin experience. Jimmy Page himself said that the "Song" movie was filmed on a mediocre night. Was he making excuses? Nope. He knew what we can all know now: Led Zeppelin was the greatest live band ever. They could do anything they wanted on stage, twisting blues riffs into sonic rock jams through improvisation that would surprise even the most nimble jazz players. There is a point in the Earl's Court performance of "In My Time of Dying" when it is clear that Led Zeppelin perfected Rock n' Roll. They knew it, based on the smiles flashing from the stage, and now we do too. Surprisingly, one of the sweetest moments on the DVD isn't even a live performance. It is a brief interview with Robert Plant in 1972, who is asked if he would ever do a solo album. He then asks the interviewer, "Who would plays drums? I have John Bonham." If you don't have this DVD now, then you will wonder what took you so long when you do.
Rating:
Summary: Power and Glory
Review: Other bands seem to be coasting and going through the motions compared to the power Zep exudes in this priceless epoch. The wild art form of Zeppelin can blow you away even today after so many years - crank it up and sit back (if you can) and enjoy. I love live DVDs (Who Isle of Wight, Bowie Ziggy Stardust, The Band Last Waltz, Dylon, Stones, Beatles, Hendrix, Metallica, CSN, ELP, Pink Floyd, Eagles, etc. etc.) and each generally capture some of the magic that made the respective musicians and bands great. This new Zeppelin release does this with a vengeance - in experiencing this DVD there is no mistaking why Zep is a Legend. Review Supplemented 6/25/03 - this DVD was the "killer app" that drove me to buy a home theatre audio surround sound system. I may sleep again one day...
Rating:
Summary: Better than one could ever have hoped
Review: This double DVD release is so good as to render "The Song Remains The Same" little more than an historical curiosity. While the production suffers slightly in places, possibly due to deterioration of the originals, the flair and ability of the band shines through, sometimes in unexpected places, such as the incredible feat of drumming performed by Bonham on "Achilles' Last Stand". My first viewing of this consisted of myself and a friend sitting, mouths agape, unable to tear ourselves away from the TV, occasionally uttering expletives in surprise at the brilliance unfolding before us.
Rating:
Summary: Cranky Reviewer?
Review: "It" dissed Zeppelin in favor of Justin Timberlake. The world as we know it is gone, and I'm not reading any reviews anymore, while I hide under my bed.
Rating:
Summary: Worth the wait
Review: Fellow Zep fans rejoice! This is the one we've been waiting for. The discs feature performances spanning from 1969 to 1979 with over 4 1/2 hr. of live music. Okay, some of the visuals are lacking,(remember, they're from bootlegs, what do you expect?), but the crystal clear audio more than makes up the difference. The acoustic numbers alone make this worth the money. It is a true must have for die hard Zep fans. The best part is that there are no silly fantasy sequences to muddle through ala TSRTS. Buy it now.
Rating:
Summary: Be ready for 5 hours of joy
Review: Having seen Zep when I was 15 in 1977, the opportunity to buy this very fine 2-DVD set arose and I took it. 5 hours later, past my normal bedtime, I finally finished watching, transfixed the entire time. The cool thing about this set is the fact that you can watch the entire band develop as a performing group from the early 70's on up to one of their last, and greatest performances in '79. We see John Paul Jones moving from very accomplished bass player to a seasoned keyboard/bass player. Plant's vocals move from shear young power, with seemingly unlimited range, to more graceful yet still very powerful and accentuating a tight band. Page's guitar moves around from idea to idea in the first shows, jamming and writing simultaneously and always surprising. Later he stands back and just grins, but always tastefully placing the licks where they belong in killer examples of "Achilles Last Stand", "Trampled Under Foot", and others. But the most awesome part of the awesome was Bonham, who at first exhibits flash, brilliance and power yet develops into a totally dependable drummer who can hold the ever-increasingly complex tunes together with great ease.. Their last show just months prior to his death showed a drummer at the top of his craft, truly a genius. I found myself asking the question what if..The band stole the scene early on, becoming the greatest performing band, and developed into one of the greatest bands of all time, really transcending the art form. Amazon's low price on these 2 DVD's justifies anyone remotely interested in Led Zeppelin or rock history to GET THIS! You won't be dissappointed.
Rating:
Summary: MORE THAN YOUR MONEYS WORTH
Review: Should you buy it if you just like Led Zeppelin music and are not really a great fan of theirs? YES! there is more than enough in this this DVD set to keep you buisy for a few weeks...I mean it takes many sittings to take in the entire set....this is a great thing. The footage is excellent over all and the audio is just ridculiously mind blowing....what I didn't like was the cheesy effects and editing that were used during the 1975 footage but it still looks like it was shot yesterday. The 1979 footage at Knebworth was shot with video but this version is has been altered to look like film...well it doesn't change much except for the audio which was mixed way better than the circulating bootleg version. The TV appearances and music videos are funny to watch and have stunning performances. In the end you really feel like you got more than your moneys worth. There is enough diverse material here to really make a hater into a lover:)
Rating:
Summary: File under the dictionary definition of "rock music"
Review: From the first notes, in spectacular DTS (or Dolby or stereo), you feel like you're onstage with Led Zeppelin. The video quality is very good, considering what they had to work with, and the audio quality is superb. The first disc is early Led Zep, where they play some covers to fill their set out. It's raw rock, with a skinny Bonzo bashing away. It's exciting to watch and listen to. The second disc pulls together several shows from 1972 to 1979. Even though Bonham gets bigger and Page gets skinnier (i.e. alcohol and heroin) they still rock well. The Knebworth concert footage at the end shows Led Zep jamming away on the newer songs. Sadly it hints that we missed out on quite a lot with John Bonham's untimely death. The DVD shows a few things that aren't apparent from listening to the records. "Whole Lotta Love" changes quite a bit from the early version to the Knebworth version. John Paul Johns uses a pick on some songs. All in all, this is a great, great, great DVD.
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