Led Zeppelin: Celebration Day

On 12 December 2007 legendary rock band Led Zeppelin reformed to perform a tribute concert for Atlantic Records founder Ahmed Ertegun. This is that concert. The concert, performed at London's O2 Arena, included their most well-known songs. Set list: Good Times, Bad Times; Ramble On; Black Dog; In My Time of Dying; For Your Life; Trampled Under Foot; Nobody's Fault But Mine; No Quarter; Since I've Been Loving You; Dazed and Confused; Stairway to Heaven; The Song Remains the Same; Misty Mountain Hop; Kashmir; Whole Lotta Love; Rock and Roll.

Great concert, and capture of it. Good choice of songs. Nothing major gets left out (OK, maybe Immigrant Song, but I could understand if Robert Plant didn't feel he could manage the vocals on that any more).

While Led Zep might not have the energy and swagger of the 70s, when they were the undisputed kings of concerts, and rock music generally, their musicianship and artistry is undiminished. The power is still there too.

If anything, the music sounds tighter and fuller than in the 70s. Some of this is due to advances in live recording techniques and technology. Some of it could be due to guitarist Jimmy Page now not being under the influence of drugs...

If you compare this to The Song Remains the Same, the film of Led Zep's 1974 Madison Square Garden concerts, I probably prefer the music in The Song Remains the Same (we won't go into the non-music side of TSRTS - some of that was incredibly cheesy and certainly diminished the quality of the film). There's a rawness about it, and there's the Led Zep mystique too. Celebration Day isn't too far behind though.

Plenty of highlights, and like most of their output, has a way of growing on you to an almost uncomfortable degree taking you on a miniature journey. As a rock audience, we've practically seen it all: multiple camera angles, audience noise, high-speed editing, close-ups, cameras in clear plastic balls, helicopter shots from above, giant video screens, wide angle shots, 3-D effects, and even fan-held cameras on the loose. After so many years of technological leaps and bounds finding their way to the big screen, it's downright hard to bring anything new or innovative to this medium.

In this concert film we see what we need to see – the concert. And probably all the things that I wanted to see were up close and personal. This includes close-ups of Jimmy Page playing his classic sunburst Les Paul at just the right times, John Paul Jones' fretless bass and Page's skillful slide guitar playing during "In My Time of Dying," Jones' use of the rare 12-string bass during "Trampled Under Foot" and Page's use of the Transperformance guitar during "Whole Lotta Love." Awesome percussion by Jason Bonham throughout and Robert Plant's vocals hold up well. And those were just the technical/musical close-ups of real value. Add in the human emotion of Jones, Page and drummer Jason Bonham looking at each other, nodding and smiling when they were locked in to a tight groove. Not a dull moment, completely engrossing all the way through.

This is definitely a film that is a must see.

The previous reviewers have summed up this film perfectly - this was an amazing experience to see Led Zeppelin performing circa 2007 at the O2 Arena in London. The band themselves do not stray from a very tight pattern on stage, but that keeps you close to the music and the performances - yes they have aged, but they still keep it together perfectly. Director Dick Carruthers lets the music do the talking, and while the editing is tight, the camera concentrates on the band, rarely focusing on the audience. Absolutely fantastic. If you've missed them on the big screen, then seek this out on Bluray and DVD in November - you will not be disappointed if you love Zep. The best concert film in a long time.

This is one of my favorite concert videos that I have ever seen. The performance of Kashmir gives me goosebumps every time I watch it. Jason Bonham, while not as skilled as his father, certainly holds his own with three legends. If you aren't a Zep fan, this concert just might make you one.

As a die-hard Led Zeppelin fan, this was a bona fide treat to watch, especially since I wasn't able to be at the O2 Arena concert in 2007. The band redeemed themselves from their three largely forgettable reunion concerts they've done in '85, '88, and '95. Dick Carruthers did an absolutely fantastic job with this film. If this is the final ever Led Zeppelin concert, I'm content with it.