The Song Remains the Same (1976)
Disc One
1. Rock and Roll
2. Celebration Day
3. The Song Remains the Same
4. Rain Song
5. Dazed and Confused
Disc Two
1. No Quarter
2. Stairway to Heaven
3. Moby Dick
4. Whole Lotta Love
Bonus version also includes:
Black Dog
Over the Hills and Far Away
Misty Mountain Hop
Since I've Been Loving You
The Ocean
Heartbreaker
One of the great injustices in the annals of rock is that, for over a quarter of a century, The Song Remains the Same stood as the sole official document of Led Zeppelin as a live act. For those unlucky enough to have missed them in their prime—or too young to remember—it would be entirely reasonable, after hearing this album, to come away with the impression that Led Zeppelin were a rather underwhelming concert band. A travesty, really, considering they were anything but.
Recorded during the 1973 tour in support of Houses of the Holy, the performances here find the band sounding uncharacteristically flat. There is a sense—not even subtly concealed—that they are coasting. What makes matters worse, unforgivably worse, is the song selection. Nine songs spread across a double album. Nine. Zeppelin’s catalog was overflowing with gold by this point, and somehow they managed to mine the least glittering of it. One might generously call it “curious curation.” Less generously: catastrophic misjudgment.
That’s not to say it’s devoid of highlights. Rock and Roll kicks things off with appropriate energy and optimism. For a fleeting moment, one might believe they’re in for a thunderous ride. But it’s a short-lived illusion. Whole Lotta Love and Stairway to Heaven round out the familiar picks, but neither performance captures the vitality of the studio versions, let alone elevates them. They’re workmanlike. Uninspired. One suspects the band had more fire in the rehearsal room.
Then there’s the now-infamous 27-minute rendition of Dazed and Confused. Yes, you read that correctly—twenty-seven minutes. Say it aloud, let it sink in, and then ask yourself whether any song, no matter how foundational, merits that kind of indulgence. This is not a live reinterpretation; it is an exercise in sonic self-importance, replete with meandering guitar noodling and extended instrumental detours that seem designed more to test the patience than reward the listener. The title may as well be a review of this particular record: one emerges from the experience thoroughly dazed, and more than a little confused.
Moby Dick fares no better. Bonham, beloved and often brilliant, is granted what amounts to a solo record within a record. The problem isn’t his talent—it's the runtime. At some point, even the most devoted fan begins to suspect that drum solos should be governed by law. Neil Peart might have made a case for exemption, but even then, the average listener can only absorb so much rhythmic pummeling before the mind wanders. Bonham’s showcase might have worked live, soaked in the atmosphere of the venue, possibly under the influence. On record, it’s like watching someone else’s vacation slides. You had to be there—and even then, maybe not.
When I first acquired this album, I often found myself abandoning ship after side one. It felt less like a live album and more like a chore. Some fans claim it has aged well, that the remastered version breathes new life into the performances. Perhaps they’ve convinced themselves. To these ears, the “expanded” edition simply adds more lethargy. No amount of sonic polish can invigorate what was never particularly alive to begin with.
It’s a small mercy that the band eventually righted the record with 2003’s How the West Was Won—a blistering, full-bodied triple album compiled from the same 1973 tour, and everything this one should have been. If you want to know what Zeppelin sounded like at full throttle, start there. The Song Remains the Same is, sadly, a misrepresentation. Also, the less said about the film detailing the experience, the better. Unless you’re compiling a list of rock’s most gloriously misguided cinematic experiments.
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