Becoming Led Zeppelin

I grew up in an home where folk music reigned, and a bit like with those folks at the Newport Folk Festival who recoiled in disgust at Bob Dylan’s shift from acoustic to electric, my parents wouldn’t give this band house room in their collection. Therefore, save for the odd rendition of “Whole Lotta Love” or “Stairway to Heaven” I knew precious little about this band when I watched this documentary. It starts by introducing us to each of the members, and rather poignantly uses an interview with the late John Bonham as all four take us through their own musical influences before they met and make musical history. There’s some serious archive research gone into this film providing an astonishing array of material from not just those who inspired these men but of some of their own early appearances. There’s an especially enjoyable scene from London’s Roundhouse theatre where, already having had success in the USA, they perform to a bemused collection of Londoners - some with their fingers in their ears! I didn’t love all of their music, and as one journalists quoted here declared - they can be a bit self indulgent. So what, though? That old adage about serving others best when you serve yourself springs to mind. If you can’t enjoy making music your own way, you can’t expect others to enjoy listening to it - and that search for a musical style that resonates with an audience is clearly important to these blokes. Interestingly, after fifty-odd years, they still appear to respect each other and look back fondly not just on their days touring and making music, but also display a touching affection for their lamented drummer who’s comments elicit a genuine emotion from Messrs Plant, Page and Jones. It features very little by way of noises-off comments, instead focussing on the band’s own insightful narration as well as plenty of actuality material - including some long form performances from their gigs up until the release of “Led Zeppelin II” where our history rather abruptly concludes. These are three erudite and engaging men who who have clearly lived life’s ups and downs fully and energetically, and emerged remarkably sanely out the other side of a music industry that they refused to be consumed by. There music won’t be to everyone’s taste, but as a history of an industry, a band and a genre-busting style of rock this is an easy film to absorb for two hours.