The Song Remains The Same

---

---

Customer reviews

review by: Mike date: 2008-07-10 rating:
Overdue remaster
Good to see this has finally been remastered and the extra songs are welcome. One thing I cannot understand though is No Quarter has been edited from the original version, the previous release was 12:30 in length, this version is around 2 minutes shorter with obvious cuts in the mid-song jam section. Why on earth would you re-master an original and then cut sections of a song out?

---

review by: date: 2008-05-24 rating:
The Song does still remain the same - Still the best and worst of Zeppelin live.
This new expanded version of TSRTS suffers from the same problem as the original release (fairly obviously, given that it comes from the same source material), namely that the first disk is utterly brilliant and the second is mediocre at best. It's fairly easy to get carried away about Led Zeppelin (as a lot of fans do), but let's not forget that as well as some of the greatest rock music ever they also recorded some fairly pitiful stuff too (The Crudge, Hats off to Harper, Walter's Walk...).

This document of their Houses of the Holy tour was originally released between the albums Physical Graffiti and Presence, as a necessity, to fill the void left by Robert Plant's serious injury which prevented them touring. Over time the band have expressed regrets that it didn't catch them at their imperious best but it was all they had so it was polished up (with some truly dreadful videos!!) and released as a "movie" (hence the "Soundtrack to.." moniker).

Disk one, as already stated, is fantastic. It contains some of the definitive versions of their work. Rock and Roll, No Quarter, The Rain Song and The Ocean are worth the admission fee alone. This could be explained by the fact that most of the songs, though expanded and developed (as you would expect any live band made up of real musicians would do), still remain tight and don't deviate from their core melodies, indeed, they do remain the same.

Disk two sees a different side, and possible underlines why Robert Plant became so disillusioned with the overindulgent improvisations (as interestingly Clapton did with Cream - he felt that as soon as you strayed away from the song it became pointless). This disk underlines the case. The trouble with extended improvision is that no matter how good you are you will inevitably have nights where it all comes together and is brilliant and nights where it doesn't work and comes across rather flat and uninspired, boring. To underline this, compare Dazed and Confused with Disk two of Live at the BBC - the BBC version is fresh and inspired. Compare Whole Lotta Love with the same BBC concert or the How the West was Won version and you'll see it comes across as tired - still good but waning in power. Only Stairway and Heartbreaker match the disk one performance levels, probably because they don't stray too far and, as such, remain tight.

In short, Disk one is worth the money alone (5 stars) and disk two isn't (3 stars). If you just treat disk two as bonus tracks then it'll be a fantastic purchase.

---

review by: date: 2008-05-13 rating:
It has been a long time.....
I have been a Led Zep fan for years every since I heard Whole Lotta Love for the very first time. Unfortunately, it was just too late to have had the opportunity to experience a concert. So as a teenager I bought the Song Remains the Same on vinyl (yes vinyl) and when released, the movie on Betamax..! Since then I have re-bought the original CD release and the movie in VHS and then DVD format. Now I have bought it again in this remastered/expanded format.

Firstly, the presentation of the package is superb, the cardboard folder and the booklet recreate for me the tactile experience once delivered by the original vinyl release.

Then there is the music.....

The energy of the concert is delivered in a rich rewarding sound - shut your eyes and you have hear and feel every single track in the finest detail. The event takes off with the pounding Rock and Roll followed by the equally powerful Celebration Day after which the concert continues to beguile. Jimmy's guitar work is captivating as he weaves his magic into the truly superb Since I've Been Loving You. The climax arrives with the driving Heartbreaker followed by one of rocks most recognised rhythms that is a Whole Lotta Love, for me back to where it all started.

I shall not be buying the movie again, having already bought it three times and watched only a handful of times. I find the fantasy sections hard work to watch and end up only listening anyway.

Led Zep fan or not - purchase this CD you will not regret it!

---

review by: Andy P date: 2008-03-10 rating:
The song doesn't remain the same
I agree with Tom from the US.....do some homework! This latest incarnation is just 'better' 'cos of the increased number of tracks. The quality on the whole is, in my opinion, much worse than the 'original' CD set, therefore it only gets 3 stars. The guitar solo in probably Jimmy Page's greatest riff, ie in 'No Quarter' is cut to shreds. Two minutes of that track are missing in this latest collection just so they can squeeze on the admittedly excellent 'Ocean', which is in the wrong place anyway as it was their encore and curtain closing number after 'Whole Lotta love' in their live set. The greatest guitar solo in guitar history, in Dazed and Confused, after the violin bow set, is of a horrible quality as it's just taken directly from the movie which was rubbish, has too much bass and therefore not enough sound quality, and hearing both this one and the 'original' you will realise why the original edit is better. You might think you're getting more, but you're not, honestly. Do like I've done...take the extra tracks (with those from How the West was Won as well), and make your own 'mix' of the best tracks from all 3 sources. Its the best of all worlds.
If you're just about to buy this as your first live Led Zepp album, just because its got 2007 stamped on it, you'll be making a mistake!!
I'd say get the 'original' CD set and then compare the same tracks with this one, you'll soon hear which one is the better!!


review by: Michael from Blackrock date: 2008-02-19 rating:
Simply wonderful
Incredibly rich and heavy sounding rollercoaster of a live album. To my absolute delight I also discovered that this version had 6 additional tracks from the original....and they are not just stocking fillers either...real quality on display here - just check out the classic Misty Mountain Hop. With some trepidation I also admit to loving every second of the 29 minute long Dazed and Confused....

---

Similar products

Led Zeppelin - The Song Remains The Same (Special Edition) [1976]
Mothership - The Very Best Of (2CD)
Raising Sand
Physical Graffiti
Presence

---

Similar categories

Music . Styles . Pop . General AAS
Music . Styles . Rock . General AAS
Music . Styles . Hard Rock & Metal . Heavy Metal
Music . Styles . Blues . General AAS
Music . Refinements . Format (binding_browse-bin) . CD . CD Album

---