Entertainment scene Every song tells a picture

Press, 24 March 1977, Page 19

Entertainment scene Every song tells a picture

By

NEVIN TOPP

For those into rock music, particularly Led Zeppelin fans, the film “The Song Remains the Same” is worth going to see. The film, which begins its run in Christchurch at the Odeon Theatre tomorrow, captures the vibrant f force of what it is like to ?be at a Led Zeppelin concert. The plot of the film is simple. It merely has the group leaving London and arriving in New York to give three summer concerts at Madison Square Garden. Film footage is culled from the three concerts, and also what happens to the group during its short stay in New York. Not exciting you say Well, for a start the . band’s hotel safe deposit - box is robbed of . -SUSIBO.OOO and the manrager of the group, Peter * Grant is taken in for ques- , -tioning by the police. ►' The film also shows a * rather arrogant Peter - Grant throwing his consid- * .erable weight around a ; dressing room in an “Eng--.•lish versus American” argument about a group of people selling posters of Led Zeppelin outside the concert entrances. But, these are only the realities of the film — in many ways the best is yet to come. Each member of the group, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and John Bonham, as well as Peter Grant provide a fantasy sequence of their own creation for the film. Thus, the film footage also consists of gangsters, nubile maidens, medieval knights and highwaymen. Robert Plant sees himself as a viking warrior, and he carries a long, shiny sword — the sexual overtones of which are inescapable. I would give the film a B on a grading of A to E as a rock film. It is not as good as “Woodstock,” “Gimme Shelter” or “Mad Dogs and Englishmen” because it lacks a story. The difficulty for films about music is that they must engage the audience both visually and audibly. The fantasy sequences in “The Song Remains The Same” are designed to do this but, they detract rather than compliment the music. My second criticism is

that the film footage of the concert is almost four years old, and the music, which is taken from their first album “Led Zeppelin” (1968) to “Houses of the Holy” (1973), is to some degree, dated. But, there are also compensations. Technically, the camera work of Peter Clifton and Joe Massot is excellent, with split screens that equal those of Ken Russell. Also, Jimmy Page serves up some stunning guitar work — which, to me, matched the efforts of

Alvin Lee (Ten Years After) on “I’m Going Home” in the Woodstock film. This film mbay also be viewed in a bynical light. On August 4, 1975, Robert Plant suffered multiple fractures of the elbow, ankle and bones that support his left foot in a car accident o-n the Greek Island of Rhodes. Since that time the group has not toured, and therefore it could be argued that the film is a way of keeping interest in the group alive.

Indeed, the Gods of Rock Music seem to be against the band. It was due to start a United States tour on February 28 at Fort Worth, Texas, but Robert Plant was taken ill with tonsillitis. The tour now opens in Toronto, Canada on April 1.

Those who like Led Zeppelin will like the film — particularly the .two songs “Dazed and Confused” and “Stairway to Heaven” — it matches “Ladies and Gentlemen, the Rolliiig Stones.”