For Led Zeppelin fanatics, this 1976 feature The Song Remains the Same is a treasure of searing live performances, particularly welcome in light of the sad scarcity of such visual material from the band’s great decade. Despite the group’s road weariness after a long tour, their final, three-night stand at Madison Square Garden in 1973 was full of the old power.
Performances of “No Quarter,” “Whole Lotta Love,” “Black Dog,” “Dazed and Confused,” and “Stairway to Heaven” underscore Zep’s charisma. Trouble is, you don’t get an unbroken performance here. Viewers have to wade through a mishmash of documentary insight into the lives of Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Bonham, and John Paul Jones, as well as fantasy sequences supposedly inspired by the thoughts and fantasies of the band’s individual members. It’s mostly garish and silly, but there are some nice elements, especially insights into the late Bonham’s life.
01. Mob Rubout
02. Mob Town Credits
03. Country Life (Autumn Lake)
04. Bron-Yr-Aur
05. Rock and Roll
06. Black Dog
07. Since I’ve Been Loving You
08. No Quarter
09. Who’s Responsible?
10. The Song Remains the Same
11. The Rain Song
12. Fire And Sword
13. Capturing The Castle
14. Not Quite Backstage Pass
15. Dazed And Confused
16. Strung Out
17. Magic In The Night
18. Gate Crasher
19. No Comment
20. Stairway To Heaven
21. Moby Dick
22. Country Squire Bonham
23. Heartbreaker
24. Grand Theft
25. Whole Lotta Love
26. End Credits (w/ Stairway to Heaven)
01. Tampa News Report (News Footage Of The Band’s Arrival And Concert In Tampa, Florida)
02. Over The Hills And Far Away (Never-before-released Song)
03. Boating Down The Thames (BBC Vintage Interview With Robert Plant And Peter Grant)
04. Celebration Day (Cutting Copy) (Never-before-released Song)
05. The Robbery (Vintage Footage Of The Infamous Drake Hotel Robbery – Interview With Peter Grant)
06. Misty Mountain Hop (Song)
07. The Ocean (Song)
08. Original Film Trailer