the song remains the same Opening scene of The Song Remains the Same

[Guest Shenouda5252@gmail.com]

Does anybody know what the meaning of the opening scene of The Song Remains the Same is? When Peter Grant is dressed like a 1920s gangster with a tommy gun and gets in the old model A and then shoots up the werewolves' poker game. Does anybody know the meaning behind that scene? 

[kingzoso]

1 hour ago, Shenouda5252@gmail.com said:

Does anybody know what the meaning of the opening scene of The Song Remains the Same is? When Peter Grant is dressed like a 1920s gangster with a tommy gun and gets in the old model A and then shoots up the werewolves' poker game. Does anybody know the meaning behind that scene? 

I think it was Peter Grant's way of taking "aim" at all the critics and all the others who doubted the early Led Zeppelin.  Those that described Led Zeppelin has pure "hype". 

Then again, I could be wrong. 

[Guest Shenouda5252@gmail.com]

19 minutes ago, kingzoso said:

I think it was Peter Grant's way of taking "aim" at all the critics and all the others who doubted the early Led Zeppelin.  Those that described Led Zeppelin has pure "hype". 

Then again, I could be wrong. 

Hmm that sounds like it could be it. Thanks a lot for the response man!

[JohnOsbourne]

3 hours ago, Shenouda5252@gmail.com said:

Does anybody know what the meaning of the opening scene of The Song Remains the Same is? When Peter Grant is dressed like a 1920s gangster with a tommy gun and gets in the old model A and then shoots up the werewolves' poker game. Does anybody know the meaning behind that scene? 

Probably a not-so-subtle allusion to Zeppelin's gangster-like reputation for conducting business?  No-nonsense vs. heavy-handed being in the eye of the beholder, I suppose.  Not like the musical establishment they pushed back against were exactly choir boys.

[Strider]

"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side."

~ Hunter S. Thompson

[No Quota]

I may read too much into things but my take is this  

The faceless man and the fat cat playing a game represented the music establishment. The wolf man represented the radio voices (Wolfman Jack) and the pin suit gangster was just that, a gangster. 

All properly dispatched by our guys, the new bosses in town. 

[The Dark Lord]

I believe it was symbolic of all that they hated about the leacherous music industry, and what they (Grant et al) would do if ever crossed. It seems to share a connection to the scene in the movie where Grant is ripping the MSG manager a new A-hole for allowing bootleg shirts to be sold. 

[NealR2000]

The opening scene was simply Grant's fantasy sequence.  All 5 of them were asked to come up with a fantasy segment and Grant's was that of a gangster, which fitted his personality and style.  I guess the when the scenes were being discussed and he was asked who are you going to shoot up, the faceless music media were the obvious choice.  Bonzo was the only one who didn't have a fantasy theme like the others.  He chose to be just himself.

[Valerie Sunshine]

Maybe he wanted to show that he was capable of doing anything in order to protect LZ

[Mithril46]

Very much agree the main point " Don't even THINK about messing with us ". I love Zep in every way , but apart from

Bonzo's sequence in the movie, the others really are rather unfocused and just are not the dynamic representations 

of Grant and the boys you would expect. The opening sequence even for me seeing it in a midnight movie situation,

Yes, the muscle behind Zep , yes, but the sequence , violence and all, still IMO boring.

[babysquid]

7 hours ago, Mithril46 said:

Very much agree the main point " Don't even THINK about messing with us ". I love Zep in every way , but apart from

Bonzo's sequence in the movie, the others really are rather unfocused and just are not the dynamic representations 

of Grant and the boys you would expect. The opening sequence even for me seeing it in a midnight movie situation,

Yes, the muscle behind Zep , yes, but the sequence , violence and all, still IMO boring.

May I ask Mithril why is it that your posts always appear disjointed with paragraphs finishing mid sentence and then continuing at the start of the next paragraph ? Yet when I quote you and your words appear in the quote box they're reshaped into how I'm guessing you originally intended them to be!

[babysquid]

That is until I post, then they return to being all over the place

[SteveAJones]

On ‎8‎/‎14‎/‎2016 at 0:48 AM, Shenouda5252@gmail.com said:

Does anybody know what the meaning of the opening scene of The Song Remains the Same is? When Peter Grant is dressed like a 1920s gangster with a tommy gun and gets in the old model A and then shoots up the werewolves' poker game. Does anybody know the meaning behind that scene? 

As with most great art, it's open to interpretation. Obviously, it's Peter Grant's fantasy segment. He's portrayed as a gangster. I tend to agree with interpretations that suggest on one level it is meant to show him delivering a bit of ultra-violence to those who had control of the music industry. I haven't heard of the Faceless Man and the Wolfman representing specific sectors of the industry (radio and the press), but it's plausible. On another level, I think there is something to be said for the Nazi symbol being depicted on the cards, as there has been speculation that Peter was of Jewish ancestry. Note the peculiar absence of blood. Then again, that could simply have been a concession for audiences. 

Careful analysis of the scene confirmed it was filmed in the room over the auto garage at Tower House (Jimmy's home in Kensington). The exterior shots were filmed at Horselunges Manor (Peter's home in Hellingly) and Hammerwood in East Grinstead.

When I visited current owner of Hammerwood (David Pinnegar) in 1998 he was convinced the final scene of Peter & Richard standing in the doorway was also filmed at Hammerwood. He showed me two doorways that seemed to match that of the one in the film, but he had no way of knowing which of the two they used.

     

[NealR2000]

I very much doubt Tower House was used as an inside location shot.  Way too intrusive for Pagey, what with all the equipment and people.  I think it's pretty evident that they used Hammerwood for the whole shoot-em-up scenes.  From what I've read, there would have been no concern about any damage being inflicted on the property as it was already in a rough state.   

[Mithril46]

Can't comment much on location, I just am not up on that. As far as my strange paragraph/spacing issue, if I knew how

to fix that I would. My brother has called me one of the least computer savvy people he has ever encountered Sorry.