The Best Rockumentaries: #11 "The Song Remains the Song" (1976)

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“The Song Remains the Same” was a troubled project and required four years to reach theaters. The final result is not cinematically well made, however, it stands as precious documentation capturing Led Zeppelin on stage at their zenith. The movie was conceived by the band’s manager as a means of reaching more fans and Jimmy Page’s friend and neighbor Joe Massot was hired to direct. Filming took place at three Madison Square Garden concerts in 1973. The band did not like Massot’s footage and editing resulting in a messy firing. New director Peter Clifton decided additional material was needed and recreated the Madison Square Garden concert at Shepperton Studios. The overbudget “The Song Remains the Same” finally opened to good box office and poor critical reaction. Critics thought the 137 minute movie was amateurish and criticized the fantasy sequences. What is important 40 years later are the 25 songs including “Stairway to Heaven,” “Dazed and Confused,” “Whole Lotta Love,” “Black Dog” and “Rock and Roll.”