A reissue of Led Zeppelin’s “The Song Remains The Same” was released this week on CD and DVD. This project has always been somewhat of a point of contention among Zeppelin fans.
The 3 concerts filmed for the movie were done at the end of the band’s 1973 North American tour at Madison Square Garden. Most fans will admit that while there were some magical and inspired performances recorded, the film and recordings show a band slightly fried.
From early-1969 through mid-1973, Led Zeppelin practically lived on the road. Yes, there were breaks and obviously the band took time out to record their phenomenal studio albums, but they toured non-stop. They were a well-oiled machine. For a period of time, they were considered the best live band in the world. However, during those 3 legendary shows at the Garden in '73, it was apparent that those shows were not the finest of the era.
The movie is over-the-top in a lot of ways. It is a product of its time. The band had a much bigger vision for the finished project. They knew the shows at the Garden did not represent their best. They intended to film more shows during 1975. Ultimately, due to a multitude of issues, the film was wrapped up with some controversial reenactment sequences filmed at Shepperton Studios along with some fantasy sequences and was released in 1976.
It was no secret that Led Zeppelin was considered one of the greatest live bands in the world by 1976. However, no official live album had ever been released until “The Song Remains The Same” soundtrack was issued. Up until that time, amazing bootlegs such as “Live On Blueberry Hill,” “Burn Like A Candle” and “Bonzo’s Birthday Party” were the only live documents fans had – and they were fantastic. When “The Song Remains The Same” was finally issued, it was met with mixed reception that has lasted 30 years. It isn’t that the performances are bad; it is just that fans knew it could have been so much better.
“The Song Remains The Same” was one of my first Led Zeppelin albums. I actually purchased the vinyl in a used shop. It really was a fascinating album in terms of the artwork. The black cover with an animated picture of an old defunct theatre centered on the front along with the famous Swan Song insignia located on the bottom really was intriguing. It just seemed so mysterious and full of promise.
This was before the internet. Finding out information about an album was much harder; especially an album that had already been out over 12 years. I remember playing the album on my record player and being spellbound. I had no need for a 12 minute “Moby Dick,” but hearing the opening chords of “No Quarter” was captivating. The title track was blistering with its dazzling guitar work. “Whole Lotta Love” was a wild musical excursion (although it failed in comparison to previous workouts of the song from previous tours, but I didn’t know it at the time). The album definitely made an impression on me.
By the time it was released on CD, the ambience from the vinyl was missing. The performances were flat. It also was apparent that there was some heavy editing done to the songs. By then I was able to compare the material with some of the great bootleg performances mentioned above and it was clear that the 1973 Madison Square Garden shows as a whole left something to be desired. Still, the band nailed certain songs such as “No Quarter” and “Since I’ve Been Loving You." It was clear that a proper CD release was needed to give “The Song Remains The Same” some credibility.
This new version of the soundtrack is different from the old one in a handful of ways. Engineer Kevin Shirley did a fantastic job mixing the music like he did on 2003’s “How The West Was Won” and the skilled Bob Ludwig did a fine job with the mastering. This album has finally come to life.
In addition to the glowing sound, additional songs have been added to the track listing to replicate more of the standard set list from that tour. The song versions also are different than what was originally on the soundtrack album as they are now intended to match the versions found in the movie. What, there were different versions of songs used on the soundtrack and movie? That is another very complex issue that can only be explained by Eddie Edwards – if you are a Led Zeppelin fan and want an entertaining read, check out Eddie’s site dedicated to this project (as well as other official live Zeppelin releases): www.thegardentapes.co.uk
This is definitely one of the best vault reissues of the year. Led Zeppelin was one of Rock’s greatest live bands. And while the July 1973 concerts at Madison Square Garden do not represent the finest Led Zeppelin had to offer, the band definitely was still playing at a very high level. While I wait for a vault release of the band’s 1972 Japan gigs or the 1975 Earls Court gigs (one can dream), this new release of “The Song Remains The Same” along with “How The West Was Won” will be just fine for hours of enjoyment and inspiration.
The 3 concerts filmed for the movie were done at the end of the band’s 1973 North American tour at Madison Square Garden. Most fans will admit that while there were some magical and inspired performances recorded, the film and recordings show a band slightly fried.
From early-1969 through mid-1973, Led Zeppelin practically lived on the road. Yes, there were breaks and obviously the band took time out to record their phenomenal studio albums, but they toured non-stop. They were a well-oiled machine. For a period of time, they were considered the best live band in the world. However, during those 3 legendary shows at the Garden in '73, it was apparent that those shows were not the finest of the era.
The movie is over-the-top in a lot of ways. It is a product of its time. The band had a much bigger vision for the finished project. They knew the shows at the Garden did not represent their best. They intended to film more shows during 1975. Ultimately, due to a multitude of issues, the film was wrapped up with some controversial reenactment sequences filmed at Shepperton Studios along with some fantasy sequences and was released in 1976.
It was no secret that Led Zeppelin was considered one of the greatest live bands in the world by 1976. However, no official live album had ever been released until “The Song Remains The Same” soundtrack was issued. Up until that time, amazing bootlegs such as “Live On Blueberry Hill,” “Burn Like A Candle” and “Bonzo’s Birthday Party” were the only live documents fans had – and they were fantastic. When “The Song Remains The Same” was finally issued, it was met with mixed reception that has lasted 30 years. It isn’t that the performances are bad; it is just that fans knew it could have been so much better.
“The Song Remains The Same” was one of my first Led Zeppelin albums. I actually purchased the vinyl in a used shop. It really was a fascinating album in terms of the artwork. The black cover with an animated picture of an old defunct theatre centered on the front along with the famous Swan Song insignia located on the bottom really was intriguing. It just seemed so mysterious and full of promise.
This was before the internet. Finding out information about an album was much harder; especially an album that had already been out over 12 years. I remember playing the album on my record player and being spellbound. I had no need for a 12 minute “Moby Dick,” but hearing the opening chords of “No Quarter” was captivating. The title track was blistering with its dazzling guitar work. “Whole Lotta Love” was a wild musical excursion (although it failed in comparison to previous workouts of the song from previous tours, but I didn’t know it at the time). The album definitely made an impression on me.
By the time it was released on CD, the ambience from the vinyl was missing. The performances were flat. It also was apparent that there was some heavy editing done to the songs. By then I was able to compare the material with some of the great bootleg performances mentioned above and it was clear that the 1973 Madison Square Garden shows as a whole left something to be desired. Still, the band nailed certain songs such as “No Quarter” and “Since I’ve Been Loving You." It was clear that a proper CD release was needed to give “The Song Remains The Same” some credibility.
This new version of the soundtrack is different from the old one in a handful of ways. Engineer Kevin Shirley did a fantastic job mixing the music like he did on 2003’s “How The West Was Won” and the skilled Bob Ludwig did a fine job with the mastering. This album has finally come to life.
In addition to the glowing sound, additional songs have been added to the track listing to replicate more of the standard set list from that tour. The song versions also are different than what was originally on the soundtrack album as they are now intended to match the versions found in the movie. What, there were different versions of songs used on the soundtrack and movie? That is another very complex issue that can only be explained by Eddie Edwards – if you are a Led Zeppelin fan and want an entertaining read, check out Eddie’s site dedicated to this project (as well as other official live Zeppelin releases): www.thegardentapes.co.uk
This is definitely one of the best vault reissues of the year. Led Zeppelin was one of Rock’s greatest live bands. And while the July 1973 concerts at Madison Square Garden do not represent the finest Led Zeppelin had to offer, the band definitely was still playing at a very high level. While I wait for a vault release of the band’s 1972 Japan gigs or the 1975 Earls Court gigs (one can dream), this new release of “The Song Remains The Same” along with “How The West Was Won” will be just fine for hours of enjoyment and inspiration.
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