Save your money for something good and enjoyable

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

It's hard to find fault with "Celebration Day", Dick Carruthers's document of Led Zeppelin's reunion concert on December 10, 2007. Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham play just about every song you'd expect to hear (unless you were counting on a selection from Zep's final studio album "In Through the Out Door"), from 'Stairway to Heaven' to 'Whole Lotta Love', and even manage a deft first-time live rendition of 'For Your Life'. There are a few shaky moments but, to the band's credit, these were not corrected with overdubs; for the majority of the two-hour show, everybody's in top form. By the time they launch into 'Kashmir', Led Zeppelin are firing on all cylinders, and the grandeur of their performance is such that the 27 years which had elapsed between the group's last full-length concert and this one simply evaporate. It's a stunning moment to witness, even for those of us who weren't there in person. My only beef with "Celebration Day" is that the bass guitar is often buried in the mix: John Paul Jones's doomy intro on 'Dazed and Confused' sounds like it's coming from miles away. Jones, and the song, deserve better.

Led Zeppelin: Celebration Day (2012) *** 1/2 (out of 4) I'm sure when the four current movies of Led Zeppelin walked off the stage of this 2007 concert, all but one figured that there would be more shows to follow. As of me writing this it hasn't happened but we can always hope. If this concert does turn out to be the final Led Zeppelin show then it's certainly a good one and thankfully it has perfectly been preserved in this concert film. There's no question that all three original members and Jason Bonham are at the top of their game as they bring these classic songs to a new generation of fans. While there are certain changes from the last time the group was together, there's still no question that this here is a major achievement with all sorts of classic tunes. I think the highlight of the night would have to be the amazing version of "Stairway to Heaven," which perfectly captures the mood and spirit of the studio version. "Kashmir" is another masterpiece as is "Rock and Roll," "Black Dog" and "Whole Lotta Love." In fact, there's really not a weak moment to be found among the setlist as the tunes selected are all fan favorites and the band does a very good job here. I was surprised at how well the band was but it's clear that they were doing a lot of rehearsing in the six weeks prior to this show. Page's guitar playing is as good as ever and Plant's voice holds up extremely well. One just wishes that all the work and effort that went into this gave way to more shows but CELEBRATION DAY is certainly a nice little gem that fans should love.

This is more of a technical review on each musician rather than of the concert as whole as there are enough of those already.Robert Plant Well he did a remarkable job considering it was almost 40 years ago that he recorded the most well know Led Zeppelin tracks. His voice with its age can't hit the high notes anymore and he changed the articulation in several songs as he may just not have the muscle memory of what they used to sound like.Jimmy Page Not sure if it was his finger or just age but he was struggling to keep up to tempo on several songs. His fingers were not as nimble along the fret board as they used to and thus there was not the resonance from the guitar parts that is in example on other live Led Zeppelin titles like Song remains the same or How the west was won.John Paul Jones By far the standout from this performance. The tone and sound he gets from the bass guitar is amazing for a guy over 60. Maybe the road fitness he would have built up touring with Them Crocked Vultures a few years back is part of it but from the first song till last when he has a bass in his hands he fills out the whole bottom end of the sound beautifully. Sadly I found his keyboard a little, rushed maybe. No quarter which should have been a highlight for me kind of just came and went for me.Jason Bonham Well he had massive shoes to fill and sadly it was his feet that let him down. I have no idea why he chose to use a double bass peddle but it was the wrong way to go. Fair enough he may not have the "jack rabbit" right foot that his dad was famed for having but to just create a basic muddy sound where Led Zeppelin was known for having distinction was a massive disappointment. From the opening of Good times Bad times, he was on song with everything above the waste but as a drummer he missed the bass drum parts by a long mark. I also found the choice of Zildjian cymbals a little surprising as they have no where near the cut through and volume that the old Paiste giant beats that his dad used had. I know he is sponsored by Zildjian but seriously this was Led Zeppelin.The overall sound mix I also found a little guitar heavy, but then the same problem happened when Song remains the same was remastered for DVD release. I think Jimmy Page kind of went, make me louder :POverall an awesome show and I can't wait for the blue ray so I can listen properly without the echo that a cinema brings.

On December 10th 2007 the seemingly impossible happened. Zed Zeppelin, the world's original super group and one of the few bands in history who could rival The Beatles for fame and popularity at their height, reformed for a one off concert at London's O2 Arena for the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert. The show set a world record for ticket demand with over twenty million people (including myself) registering online for a chance of one of the 20,000 tickets. Like close to twenty million others I didn't get a ticket for a show that myself and other fans had been waiting for, for over twenty five years.Fast forward nearly five years to October 17th 2012 and the concert was screened for one day worldwide in cinemas ahead of a DVD and Blu Ray release on November 19th. This time demand wasn't so high and I managed to get two tickets for a screening at my local multiplex. While in no way the same as seeing the band, my favourite of all time, live, the two hours I sat in the cinema were amazing. The band showed that despite having barely played together in thirty years and missing original drummer John Bonham whose death in 1980 was the trigger for the band's breakup, that they are still able to rock with the best and sounded close to as good as they have on any other live recording I've seen.One of the problems with seeing a band like Led Zeppelin at the cinema is that it isn't the sort of environment that you can really relax, sing,air guitar or dance in. It was a little awkward at times as a few people bobbed heads or tapped feet. I didn't feel as though I could properly enjoy the show in that environment and think that it is probably better suited to DVD. I had to resist the urge to sing and clap which isn't the most relaxing thing.Before I go any further I have to make it clear that I may be biased in my review of this concert film as Led Zeppelin is my favourite band. Even so and trying to be as objective as possible, they put on one hell of a show. The film is shot in a fairly conventional manner with close-ups of faces, instruments and the like, spliced with wide shots and some nice super 8 style camera work which is reminiscent of the likes of The Song Remains the Same and the Led Zeppelin DVD. The old looking footage gives a 70s vibe which obviously matches the music. For the most part the camera-work is crisp and looks great in HD. There are plenty of interesting angles and cuts too which add to the visual enjoyment. Unlike Scorsese's Rolling Stones film Shine a Light which seemed to spend as much time on the audience as the band, Celebration Day focuses almost solely on the on stage action with just a couple of cut aways to the audience.Musically the band sound incredibly tight. The three surviving members last performed together in 1988 and this was their first full length concert since John Bonham's death. Age and time coupled with a falling out between bassist John Paul Jones and singer Robert Plant and guitarist Jimmy Page appears to have had little effect as the band sound great. Robert Plant's voice is almost indistinguishable from his 1970s self save for a few missed high notes. Jimmy Page is still one of the greatest guitarists of all time and played the concert despite breaking his little finger just a month before the show. John Paul Jones, always the quietest member of the group and the one who seems least at ease on stage played incredibly well on both bass and keyboards. Drummer Jason Bonham, son of John was excellent and has all the ferocity of his father. He slotted straight in despite this being the first gig he'd played with the full band. Not a bad debut gig! It was nice to witness the genuine looks of pride and glee on the faces of the original members as the looked a Bonham Jnr playing his father's parts.In their eleven year existence Led Zeppelin created some of the most iconic rock music in history with the likes of Whole Lotta Love, Kashmir, Rock and Roll and Dazed and Confused amongst the most popular and enduring songs in rock history. Stairway to Heaven of course transcends even those songs and is frequently voted the most popular song of all time, rock or otherwise. As well as the stalwarts like Kashmir and Stairway the band also perform some of my personal favourites such as No Quarter, Misty Mountain Hop and Trampled Underfoot, a song that always reminds me of my dad. For Your Life is also performed on stage for the first time ever but unfortunately there is no space for more of my favourites such as Communication Breakdown, When the Levee Breaks, Heartbreaker, The Immigrant Song, Gallows Pole or Ramble On. The problem with having such an extensive back catalogue is that there will always be songs that are missed but there could be few arguments that the chosen set was anything but spectacular.Overall Celebration Day is the sort of thing which is probably more enjoyable at home where you can sit back, enjoy a drink or a smoke and properly rock out to the music. Even so I really enjoyed seeing my favourite band on the big screen and would recommend the forthcoming DVD to hard line fans as well as anyone who just thinks that Zeppelin are some old band what sang that long song. There's enough to satisfy fans and newcomers alike.www.attheback.blogspot.com