Led Zeppelin - The Song Remains The Same (Remastered / Expanded) (2CD)
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Free Music Notes for The Song Remains The Same (Remastered / Expanded) (2CD)
Free Music Review: Great re-edition
Hit: 5 Stars
I know this is an album that is fashionable to diss. I suspect that this is partly due to the questionable movie of the same name that came out at the time. There was nothing wrong with the concert sequences, but the critics slaughtered the 'fantasy' sequences at the time, and they weren't entirely wrong!
Musically however, there is little wrong with this. It's an excellent concert by a great band and contains superb versions of some of their songs: No Quarter, Since I've Been Loving You (not issued on the original LP), The Rain Song, The Song Remians the Same etc..
Whilst some can argue that Zep has played this or that song better at this or that gig, average Zep is still better than most rock bands' best and The Song Remains the Same is far from being average Zep.
The reissue has a bunch of tracks not issued onthe previous LP (but present in the movie) and the sound quality bears no relation to the original's. You feel you are there now.
An essential purchase if you are remotely interested in rock music.
Free Music Review: Sound Is Improved So Much It Outweighs the Problems
Hit: 4 Stars
3 Essential Facts about This CD (IMHO, of course):
(1) SOUND IS WORTH IT ALONE: The audio is improved remarkably: much more "direct from the soundboard" presence all around; so much so that I think this is partly why some folks complain that it sounds like a whole different album.
(2) EDITS NOT A DEAL-BREAKER: The original was itself "impure" and full of edits, and I think only three edits really matter here. The short missing funk improv near the beginning of Whole Lotta Love is a problem, but the track sounds so much better now that it's worth the tradeoff to hear the other 13+ minutes so well remastered. The edits of No Quarter and Celebration Day do ruin them - the originals were the best versions of these two songs available anywhere. Keep (or get) the original CD for these two songs.
(3) WHY MOST PEOPLE SHOULD GET THIS CD: I firmly believe the core "Led Zeppelin sound" most general, non-hardcore-Zep rock fans know and love is from the 1973-1977 period, when (for better or worse, depending on your perspective) Plant's vocal style matured; the band added funk, acoustic and prog-rock elements to the bluesy style of 1968-71; Page's guitar sound got sharper-edged and more "metallic"; they added more reverb and effects to their live performances; and they played huge venues and really gelled as a touring act.
This CD is by far the best-sounding, most complete document of that era, period. It's not the only live Zep you might want to have, but I do think it's essential for any collection, no matter how small or large.
(The only other officially released live recording whose performances are consistently good enough to rival it is the second disc of the 2003 DVD, which contains about 1/3 of the fantastic Aug 4 1979 Knebworth concert, and a very nice example, from Earl's Court 1975, of the acoustic "mini-set" they started doing in the mid-'70s.)
Free Music Review: You had to be there...
Hit: 5 Stars
The closest I came to a Live Led Zep concert was to see this film when it first came out. I bought the album (LP) and treasured it for years. Lately I bought the updated DVD which reminded me that some of the music was missing from the LP. This acted as a teaser to get the CD with the missing music at some point when I didn't have anything else to buy (the CD is great but let's face it, if you already have the LP and the DVD, buying yet a third version of anything is a bit of overkill.)
Nonetheless, I put on my WishList with a high priority. And wouldn't you know it? My nine-year-old did his Christmas shopping and picked it out for me from the list! Wow! So I sit here reading the reviews and listening to the CD. It's great. I will probably rotate the LP version from my iPod in favor of this!
Once a Led Zep fan, always a fan!
Free Music Review: The greatest band ever!
Hit: 5 Stars
What can I say? The best band ever at there best: live on stage. This remaster sound even better then the original album. And the extra tracks makes it complete. Every headbanger on this planet must have this CD in there collection. And make shure you play it loud!Free Music Review: Led Zeppelin's first live album is still phenomenal years later, especially in its re-issued form
Hit: 5 Stars
Led Zeppelin's first live album which was the soundtrack to their movie The Song Remains the Same was first released in October of 1976 and then was re-released in November of 2007.
For years, many people complained about this album but the reasons for this and its off-shoot concert film was because of lead singer Robert Plant still being out of commission from injuries in a car crash in 1975 and a lack of a tour to support the band's 1976 highly underrated Presence album (one of their best IMHO).
Guitarist Jimmy Page then flew to New York to mix the live shows, that the band performed in July of 1973 on its Houses Of The Holy Tour at Madison Square Garden, originally done for the 1976 release at Electric Lady Studios with engineer Eddie Kramer. For this 2007 re-issue, the soundtrack was remixed by Page and Kevin Shirley and remastered by Bob Ludwig with phenomenal results.
When I heard that a re-issue was coming with almost full show, I was ecstatic and nervous at the same time.
We begin disc one with a spirited "Rock and Roll" which buries the studio version. Next we segue into "Celebration Day", which was not in the movie but is, a great rocker and even better live. Then we go into a killer version of "Black Dog" (with a teaser of "Bring It On Home"). Next are spirited and excellent previously unearthed versions of "Over the Hills and Far Away" and "Misty Mountain Hop". We follow with the superb rendition of "Since I've Been Loving You" which finally appears on album. Next is "No Quarter" which is a great version showing John Paul Jones was not only a great bass player but great keyboard player as well. Then we follow with a spirited version of "The Song Remains the Same" which buries the studio version by a longshot. We end the first disc with first "The Rain Song" which is actually longer on the album than in the movie but a powerful version. For technical reasons of the CD format, a stellar version of "The Ocean" closes the first disc (although this song was performed last in the encore on the 1973 tour).
The second CD of this re-mixed remaster is a near 30 minute version of "Dazed and Confused" which is somewhat different than the one on the orginal 1976 soundtrack album and is the version found in the film. The violin bow section was the best I ever heard. Also, the jam that goes on is amazing and it ends with a killer Page solo and a killer John Bonham drum solo at the end. We follow with arguably the best version of "Stairway to Heaven" which is 11 minutes of majestic bliss and I can play this repeatingly. Next is a killer version of "Moby Dick" which shows the late Bonzo behind his drum kit playing his heart out at the drum kit and tympani be it with drumsticks or barehanded! We follow with a great version of "Heartbreaker" which is excellent and segues into the powerful closer "Whole Lotta Love" which is the film edit (as it's missing the jam which had some references to the Houses Of The Holy track The Crunge but c'est la vie). The theramin and Plant screaming section was superb with bass player John Paul Jones and Bonzo adding a great riff to it. Then the medley of Boogie Mama was excellent before going back to Whole Lotta Love and ending with Bonzo's literally "flaming gong" bashes.
This re-release of The Song Remains the Same I see more as a fresh look at a classic live album with alternate performances and just as good and at times (better) than the original 1976 soundtrack release.
Recommended!