Led Zeppelin - The Origins Of The Species (Under
Review series)
Picture: C+ Sound: C+ Extras: C+ Documentary: B
Maybe the
biggest secret to why Led Zeppelin is such an enduring success is that they
were an innovative British Rock band who redefined the genre, took it into
wilder territory, knew how to run with their influences and in all this managed
to sound as American as they ever sounded British. To talk to many of their fans today, you’d
never think they were ever from another country. However, they were not just formed out of
nowhere and the Under Review music
documentary series installment Led
Zeppelin - The Origins Of the Species traces the band from the members
early origins to the success of their first two albums.
The main
focus of the first half of the loaded 70 minutes deals with the early success
of Jimmy Page, from child prodigy onward.
We learn about his childhood, life and early success as a very sought
after studio musician. Then this builds
into the early years of The Yardbirds with the great Jeff Beck, how beck left,
how The New Yardbirds formed, what the music influences were throughout and how
fateful meetings and connections finally created the band we now know as Led
Zeppelin.
As The
Yardbirds take off, we also learn of the early recording of Robert Plant,
influenced by the liked of Sandy Denny (who has her own Under Review program reviewed elsewhere on this site) and we even
get to hear is early version of a record by his earlier band named Listen,
singing You Better Run. The song later became a huge hit for Pat
Benatar as a huge early hit Music Video on MTV and the second clip they ever
played.
We then
see how the band cut their impactful classic self-named debut album in only
days and how despite heavy touring and sudden success, turned out their seconds
album only nine months later. The story
is as remarkable as anything and can compete with the Hammer Of The Gods novel
surprisingly well. Once again, the Under Review series proves what a
vital, must see series it is and anyone serious about music or especially the
subject of the music act being covered has to consider this yet another
must-see winner.
The
letterboxed 1.78 X 1 is not bad, though too bad it was not anamorphically
enhanced. Yes, some of the footage is
older and detail is an issue, but there is footage here even diehard Zep fans
may have never seen, have not seen for years, or can finally be happy they have
on DVD versus VHS or Beta. Dolby Digital
2.0 Stereo sound is adequate, including many of the band’s original hits, those
cuts before the band formed and those obscure cuts this series is so good at
coming up with. Extras include the
hardest Zeppelin Quiz Ever, text contributor bios, a Beyond DVD bit and fine
section giving us the story of The Yardbirds.
Fine work all around yet again.
For more
information on Led Zeppelin, try this link for the Blu-ray and HD-DVD versions
of The Song Remains The Same + the Mothership CD Set:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/6821/Led+Zeppelin+–+The+Song+Remains
- Nicholas Sheffo
