The Good and not so Good of Celebration Day

[Rock Historian]

I recieved my Deluxe copy about a week ago in the mail from Amazon. I have anxiously watched the Blu-Ray 3 times through and listened to the CD's twice.

For some reason, I am not sold on the performance yet, not completely. And being a Zep superfan/fanatic to this day, it bugs me to say that. I think personally, the hype of this show being released was greater than the output strength of the product itself. And that's just me being honest. I've always been moved by Zeppelin's music and never really got caught up in any hype or myths surrounding them. (although it does add mystery) The music was/is REAL and to this day, I can put on a certain Zep tune and it will give me "Goosebumps" The beginning intro to Achilles Last Stand does that to me. The solo in For Your Life is another one. But there are countless others. It's that magic that they created that gives the songs such life....I was really, truly hoping this DVD/CD would give me some of that same feeling or something close......Don't get me wrong, the vibes were good. It did have it's great moments in IMTOD, Trampled Underfoot (even though Robert sang like he was limited to words), Black Dog, No Quarter, Kashmir and WLL to name a few.

However, I'm a little "Dazed and Confused" about the mix. In the first two songs, the bass was not nearly as present as it was for Black Dog and beyond. Ramble On, is a stand out bass track, yet it was buried. This couldn't be brought out in the mix of the release somehow? Page's guitar sounds really muddy in a few tunes, especially GTBT and TSRTS. The drop tuning might have had a little to do with that.

Also, some of the edits, I felt should have been left in. For example:The improv between Robert and Jimmy during the "Let that Boy Boogie" segment of WLL is classic chemistry between them-yet those 30 seconds were cut.

Also, some of the chatter/conversation directed to the audience by Robert between songs, was cut on the CD. Why? Was this a timing issue - alloted to each CD?

I also think Page downplayed (in a good way) a few of the songs (solo's) not to get too caught up in things, make things too complicated, risk being to sloppy with things he may not be able to play as well any longer. (and he did break his finger a month or two earlier) In other words, he played it safe (for the most part) on some of the solo's. I believe he must realize it's not 1973. The solo on STH was just about the length of the album cut. He could have extended it, sure. But he didn't. He could have had a marathon run at it, and nobody would have complained.

Good points: It was a triumph on many levels, just for them to be together and finally do it "right" after the slumps of Live-Aid and Atlantic 40th. I thought that was a success in itself.

Plant's voice sounded really, really good and proved he can still sing-even if it's in a different key/register than 30 years ago, which is expected being that he is

human.

Jason Bonham can play the drums....even though there is NO replacing his father.

Jimmy Page had a handful of "magical" moments-like the one note he holds during the intro solo of "Since I've Been Loving You" , the Theramin action of WLL or

brilliance of Kashmir.

JPJ is still as good as ever and it showed.

For Your Life, was great musically, performed for the first time (yet Robert's vocal approach was timid in spots and limited to words , much like Trampled- lyrically, he

sung to the minimum)

So what are your opinions. Honest opinions, regardless of possible negativity from members because of your thoughts, whether they be good or bad-on the movie.

Does anyone else feel that even though this was a triumph on many levels, that the performance left something to be desired, mix included?

Thanks in advance for anything you want to add on your personal thoughts of the sound and performance of this greatly anticipated release.

Edited December 14, 2012 by Rock Historian

[JuliaFinch]

Hi Michael You know my point, I completely agree about the two possible "negative" sides of the movie: the audio especially during the first two songs, Good Times Bad Times and Ramble On, and the edits in WLL, which are in my opinion a real shame. That would have shown their chemistry, thier own fashinating way of working.

So now you're telling me that they also edited some parts of the conversation Plant-audience in the CD??(It hasn't arrived yet).

As to the Page's solos thing, well I think he just wanted to tell us: "Few words, and few notes, can tell a lot sometimes." So personally it wasn't a problem at all if STH solo had the same lenght as the album track.

Lastly, I feel very satisfied of Jason's work. He really did his best, in my opinion. Also, Plant's voice was still egregious, I think especially during Kashmir.

To sum up, great release, very moving for a fan who never saw them live...except the couple of things I wrote above.

[Stryder1978]

I will FOREVER be grateful to the band for releasing this recording. So professionally done, numerous formats to choose from and at a price that can't be beat!

But when I saw it at the cinema, I was a little dissappointed. Before it was officially released I mentione that when i was at the show that the volume of the bass was VERY low compared to the drum and guitar, but people blew me off saying it was due to the position I was standing at in front of the stage. But even the "A Work and Progress" and "Third Eye" versions showed that the bass was indeed low during the first few numbers. Not only is it prominenty missing in "Ramble On" but I also felt it was low in "Dazed"

A LOT of the Plantations were cut from the official release. The singing of "I Can't Quit You Baby" by Jason during one plantation and especially the entire intro to "Kashmir" dissappointed me.

The other thing that really hit me at the concert was during "Stairway" After Robert sang his famous line "And the forests will echo with laghter", the fans in the front row sang back "Does anybody remember laughter?" which caused Robert to smile back at them. Very touching moment to me. And I was hoping for a close up of Robert's face at that moment...alas it wasn't there.

Jimmy did scale back a lot of the songs during the performance...I believe mostly due to the time constraints at the venue. I think they tried to keep the songs close to the album versions just so they would have time to do more songs. I'm in the minority here, but I always thought the STH solo on the album was PERFECTION and was disappointed in the live versions (can a real fan really say MORE Jimmy playing is a bad thing?). That first "E" note of the STH solo hits me like a cattle prod to the nads and during the live versions that note is missing and it always bugged me. However at the O2, he again reformatted his solo to match the album...and in this case I was grateful.

I was also dissappointed that more entire stage shots were not included and that the pace of the shots is too quick - not as bad as some other recent concert films (The Cult comes to mind), but when Jimmy is soloing, I want the camera panned on him for most of it.

And on a very selfish note, I was hoping for a few more audience shots (between songs) as I was on the front/second row in front of the stage, and would have LOVED to have been immortalized on a Led Zeppelin film release.

That's my rant......

[bhw]

I loved it all and was surprised that no one seems to be crazy over the version of No Quarter, like I am!!! Pure magic!

Edited December 15, 2012 by bhw

[54Tangerine]

I think JPJ put it best, "The show itself felt like the first night of a tour". One thing is certain, a mediocre Zep outing is still 100 times better than any other rock band's best efforts! I thought it was great. The bonus material, the Shepperton rehearsal, also had a couple of gems but I found it a bit frustrating to watch as I really wanted to hear some chat between the member. My friend said he heard Robert say you can't get a blow job in this town but I'll have to hear that with my own ears! Where's the Garden Tapes dude when you need him?

[BigJetPlane]

I appreciate the honest review of the concert movie. With the wife and kid out of the house, I played the show at full volume on the big TV with surround sound. It was better than I could have imagined. Sometimes I would start comparing to 1970, 1973 or 1975 live concerts and think that it was obviously different, but most of the time I thought it was one of their greatest efforts.

How shall I put it? I guess we all have to put this show in proper context. Led Zep band, 60+ years old, playing a concert that still sounded better than any band in existance today. In that context, it is far greater than I could ever imagine. I was so happy to see they could play the number of songs they did, with the most intense energy, and giving it their best. My god, I'm in my early 40's and could not comprehend how those guys played like they did that night. And I have to say Jason's drumming was a highlight of the show for me. He nailed it, on every song.

The energy, determination to succeed, imperfections, updated tunings, Mr Plant embracing Led Zep music again, and seeing them on the same stage giving it their all makes it one of my favorite concerts that I will watch more than their previous shows because it is what they are today (actually 5 years ago). I can't wait to see Mr Page next year live (if that happens). I don't need to see him in his dragon outfit, I just want to see what he does as a 68 old guitar God.

[Great Sombreo]

They "redid" the sound for the 1st 2 songs. When you listen to the You Tube version of Good Times and Ramble On, there is a TON of feedback. This is missing on the offical release. I'm wondering if that has something to do with the sound on the release. Plus many have said Zep didn't get into the groove till Black Dog. You will notice a huge difference in the energy from Black Dog on. I'm not bragging in any way shape or form. But i have a Rythmik FV15 subwoofer. I have it with both plugs open and I cleanly get down to 18hz with no problem. I had a hard time hearing the bass on Good Times Bad Times myself. Again, I'm moving into a new house, after I'm settled in I will calibrate my eq and then will give a review of the Blu Ray. What ever the sound is, it simply blows away The Song Remains The Same in a big way.

Jeff

[cousinlouie]

I loved it all and was surprised that no one seems to be crazy over the version of No Quarter, like I am!!! Pure magic!

Whoever you are i agree, No Quarter is mind blowing

[DAS]

The only things I didn't like were the cuts from WLL and Plant talking and how much they scaled down songs like Dazed And Confused. Still one of the finest albums in the world.

[Old Shep]

The mix on this is truly terrible, but the fact that they have had 5 years to get it to sound right and failed suggests the problem was with the sound on the night and/or the source recording, which also has badly disguised high pitched squeals in places.

It is what it is, it's nice to have it but I won't be watching or listening to it much. The rehearsal DVD is much more visually interesting and a better performance too.

[68geetee]

In an interview Jimmy Page said the monitors weren't working on the first 2 songs so they couldn't hear themselves, probably didn't know how the mix sounded. Still a great show in my opinion.

[racerrr]

Old Shep, while I respect your opinion, I couldn't disagree more about the rehearsal dvd. I felt the boys clearly kicked it up a couple of notches at the O2. I agree that the bass seems to go missing in places, but damn it's a live audio recording. The thing I love the most about this release is the honesty of it. They could have went back and overdubbed bass back into it but they didn't. I commend them for that. There are always "bugs" to work out opening night, but opening night wound up being their only night. To think everything would go absolutely perfect is unrealistic. Some technical glitches aren't going to ruin my opnion or enthusiasm of this release. They put on a "monster" performance at the 02. A performance a modern rock band couldn't begin to come close to pulling off on their best day. If you want perfection, then go back and listen to the studio albums.

Edited December 16, 2012 by racerrr

[Dallas Knebs]

The thing I love the most about this release is the honesty of it.

Exactly where I am.

Jimmy left in a crap ton of honesty in that I would have been fanatical about fixing. Glad Page took the approach he did.

[unleasher]

I loved it for what it was..

but can someone explain what was cut from the Kashmir Intro?

[kenticus]

I loved it for what it was..

but can someone explain what was cut from the Kashmir Intro?

If you YouTube it, you'll see that Robert talked about how people from 50 countries were there to see them, talking about how funny it is that people would come expecting. To hear the hammer of the gods so late in life. That's the gist of it, was a really good speech and am sad to have seen it cut

[jsj]

i'm just glad that they released it, so my only real gripe is the very fast switching of camera angles meaning that we rarely get any lingering shots of anyone or anything. the visual interchanges between the band on stage are great, but there's too much of it, all the time. i'd like to have seen shots of the stage from further back too so that we could have a view of what the audience were seeing

when we went to the cinema to see it my mate left at the beginning of kashmir because the visuals were making his head spin, and he was sober

[fenderguy]

Thanks for the thoughtful and insightful replies on this topic. I also thought that the show got better after the first two songs, but I did not know all the reasons for it. No Quarter, yes, yes, In My Time of Dying.....they absolutely nailed that one, I had goose bumps the very first time I heard it...........YES!!! How about For Your Life....they nailed it!!...I was electrified!! Dazed and Confused---excellent! If you want to get nit-picky---I could have heard the keyboards in the mix a little more prominently on some songs. Overall I am very happy with this recording. I sort of get the criticisms of the video, but since I care a lot more about the audio, I am saying, what the hell! The most controversial thing I can say about this release is that after hearing it, I think Plant is nuts for not wanting to get back with the band and tour. I actually think his singing is better now without the excessive vocal mannerisms. I really love this recording. Peace.

Excessive to all, and to all a good night,

Fenderguy

[whitem8]

I have been waiting for this release with a lot of anticipation. All I had was a crappy audience recording, and when I listened to that I felt the thrill that Zep conjures. I sat down at my brother's last Saturday and watched the entire DVD (after a 25 hour flight from Asia!) And it cured my jet lag. Well not quite, but I was stunned by how good it was. I don't agree the first two songs were flat. I found them exciting and a very sentimental statement by the band. "Here we are, back, and playing the first song from our first album, and the second song from our second album." Two songs they had not done full version live before, played with swagger, guts, and tons of heavy passion. And boy did they look happy and proud. As they should be! The rest of the show soared even higher. Yes, there are some rusty notes, and I applaud Page for restraining his wizardry inclinations to let it stand mostly as it was performed. Because it is the passion that comes through all the songs. For Your Life! WHEW! THey smoked on it! It was as if Presence was just released and they were promoting it on Top of the Pops! Amazing! The changes were on the money, complex, and full of swagger. Overall, I was very pleased by the sound quality, and especially the picture quality. Yes, they are older, playing a few in different keys, a little slower, but again with a passion and respect that carries this forward to being one of their most exciting releases. Excuse me, I need to watch it again!

[chef free]

Having watched three different bootleg DVDs and many CDs of this show for the past five years, I'm just blown out by how much more is on Celebration Day! I can't believe how they fixed the first two songs, bootlegs reveal overwhelming feedback during them. I'm impressed how many camera angles were used yet we see very few cameras in the official release, they are all over the place in the bootleg DVDs. I liked the inclusion of some bootleg shots mixed in too, a little reference to those of us who already had some bootleg DVDs. Some songs suffered from very quick cuts but I'm starting to warm up to that "MTV" style (sort of). I could have used a few more long close ups of Jimmy's hands!

Musically, I'm impressed by Plant's voice, especially on the later (Presence, PG) songs, he's still got the power. How about the moan at the end of Kashmir? I like Jimmy's approach to the solos, not like the studio recordings, very groove oriented and extemporaneous. Jones was as steady and precise as ever. Jason stepped into his father's very large shoes with authority. I wish that it was the complete show, I suppose Led Wallet didn't want to get into any publishing rights hassles. But cutting the Honey Bee reference is just unforgivable!

[whitem8]

Yeah, it is a shame they cut the Honey Bee reference, but having said that, I was also completely riveted by the wonderful endings of many of the songs. They harkened back to those wonderful moments of improvisation they would often kick out at their live shows. This was another wonderful nod to the passion behind Led Zeppelin live. Lovely.

[Cecil.]

For me well, the super 8 footage tends to get annoying in the way it pulls you out of band or what was happening on stage.

It is a minor gripe, but fans of Led Zeppelin may have seen enough grainy footage of the band to last a lifetime

[mielazul]

I can understand some of the gripes here...but all I can say is that the DVD whipped me up to a level of Zep fanaticism that I haven't been at in a while. I've always been an obsessive Zep fan, but I was kind of in one of those subdued phases (maybe you guys know what I mean)...one of those phases where LZ is still unquestionably your favorite band, but you're spending time investigating other music and not listening to them as much and not really being CRAZY obsessive. It's a good thing, I suppose, but it's always fun to come back...and after seeing the DVD, I really came back. I joined this Forum (HI!), dropped the cash on "Double Shot,"and I've been listening to bootlegs and reading LZ books non-stop. I thought the O2 show was so impressive...I thought they all sounded magnificent, they were incredibly tight, and I couldn't believe how good Jason was. He was playing drums with Jimmy when I caught the Outrider tour in 1988 - it still stands as my favorite concert ever, but man, Jason has come LIGHT YEARS from that time. To be honest, I didn't expect the O2 show to be that great, but I now really think it was a magical show.

[racerrr]

Cecil......I agree with the super 8 stuff. It was used way too much, and I would rather they had not used it at all. Carruthers said he loves super 8, and it shows.

[LedZebedee]

It put Live Aid and Atlantic 40th well and truly to bed for me. Soooooooooooooooooooooooo much better than i thought it would be. They had put a lot of work into the rehearsals and it showed! Would have loved it if they had done a 3 hour show like the old days but hey ho you can't have everything!

[Roger]

For me well, the super 8 footage tends to get annoying in the way it pulls you out of band or what was happening on stage.

It is a minor gripe, but fans of Led Zeppelin may have seen enough grainy footage of the band to last a lifetime

The Super 8 footage was the grainy parts that had the strange little rectangle on the side of the frame? I also found it very distracting and wonder about it every time I watch the film. I didn't like it either but thought the overall film was great.