All the Zep albums(Bar BBC) have been
released on mini lp paper sleeve versions
BOTH from Japan AND Europe.

The europe & Jap versions are sonically identical,
all are taken from the Jimmy Page George Marino
remasters,a fact also printed on the stickers(Europe
releases)& insert sheet (Japan releases).

The packaging is also identical,the europe releases
actually use the Jap outer cardboard sleeves(the catalog
numbers on the europe spines are identical to their
Japanese counterparts but the numbers are different
on the actual discs (europe) themselves.

The Japan versions DO have an extra foldout lyric
insert in Japanese,the discs are housed in see through thin plastic sleeves
(the europe versions are enclosed in glossy
card inner sleeves,much nicer).

Most importantly the EAU versions are MUCH cheaper,
if you must have the paper insert
and the obi strip,be prepared to pay heavily.

All in its great to have these available but in a nutshell
the European versions are almost identical
bar the paper insert at a much lower price(amazon.co.uk)


History Lesson   February 20, 2000
B. Lynch (USA)
19 out of 21 found this review helpful

The artifacts that survive the ravages of time may not always be the best documentation of the way things were. If history is an interpretation of artifacts, then it is a science limited in its ability to 'get it right', by the quality of the artifacts from which historians draw their conclusions. It is truly a loss for 'Rock History' (and Rock fans) that Led Zeppelin only put out one live album.

Led Zeppelin was a much better band in concert than this CD would suggest. A bit of background: The footage for this was shot when Led Zeppelin was at the end of their 1973 tour. The band was exhausted, and this show was added because of fan demand, and because the footage shot on the previous 3 nights had been badly botched. This was in the days before ubiquitous low cost video, so everything was shot on expensive 35mm and 16 mm film.

Led Zeppelin members regret that this is the only official, legal live recording of an entire concert ('The BBC Sessions', a much more poserful set of audie tracks have no video accompaniment). While there are a few excellent bootlegs out there, you'll just have to track them down on your own...

As a midnight movie, though, the film and music work surprisingly well. It's not as slick as today's productions, and it definitely has a low-tech look compared with today's digitially enhanced video and movies.

Still, the versions of 'Rock and Roll', 'Celebration Day', 'The Song Remains The Same', No Quarter' and other early Led Zep songs stand as a testament to the energy and power of Led Zeppelin when they performed live. Even at the end of their US tour, they had more energy onstage than a lot of new acts.

It's been observed that if Eric Clapton was "god", then Jimmy Page was Satan or Lucifer, and we all know that 'the devil' has the greatest music. Nearly 28 years after it was originally recorded, that observation still stands, and Led Zeppelin, even on an off night, still has the ability to awe listeners (and viewers, should you happen to see the movie).


The Song Remains the Same   April 8, 2008
David Miles (Burbank, CA)
12 out of 18 found this review helpful

You always have some guys complaining about something. It's the song remains the same for f@#ks sake! Sit back, roll a fat one and enjoy!


A Moment In Time   January 17, 2000
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

This film/album had actually been shelved in 1973, never intended to be released because of what was perceived by the band to be a mediocre performance. It only saw the light of day because of a decision that the band needed to fill a void of 18 months due to Robert Plant's personal problems (he suffered a badly fractured leg in an auto accident and it was feared that he would never walk again without a cane).

First of all, The Song Remains the Same was out of date - the film was shot well before the release of the band's monumental Physical Graffiti album and, obviously, contained none of that album's material. Secondly, the band members themselves lament to this very day that this was their only live performance officially captured for posterity. They were at the end of an extensive American tour at the time and were understandably exhausted.

Circumstances prevented Zeppelin from ever producing the definitive live recording that they so desperately desired. Such a project was slated for the band's '80-'81 tour, but was obviously scrapped by the death of John Bonham.

It's best to think of The Song Remains the Same more as a historical peice than as the definitive live Led Zeppelin, which it is not. It captures a moment in time. An inside-glimpse at the larger-than-life Led Zeppelin, complete with their flaws (even Zep was not perfect). And in that way, The Song Remains the Same is actually more intriguing and has more of an enduring charm than some pristine, studio-exact live excercise.

But don't be deceived into thinking that this album is slop. There are certainly moments of grandeur here that other bands would kill for on their best day. Page's guitar blitz on "Celebration Day" obliterates the studio version. That breathtaking final solo provides fresh open-mouthed astonishment every time. Of course, any time Zeppelin straps it on for "Dazed and Confused", it's an adventure - although the running time here of nearly 27 minutes is shockingly self-indulgent for a live album, especially considering the wealth of material they had to draw from (believe it or not, they were known to go even LONGER in their early days). And who could fail to mention the most famous improvised line ever in a live recording, Robert Plant's, "Does anybody remember laughter?" during "Stairway..." - so well known in fact, that many people think it's part of the studio version.

Taking the good with the bad, The Song Remains the Same soundtrack is an essential momento for any Zep fan, while it should perhaps be left until later for Zep novices (at the very least, get 2 or 3 of the first 6 studio albums before you jump into this).