An unexpected Zeppelin DVD review, this from XML guru Tim Bray:

Disc One, Sigh There are two volumes of DVD; the first is an end-to-end concert recorded in 1970, just before the release of LZ II. It’s pretty poor; while the talent shows through, they had zero showmanship, and the sound is bleeding-from-the-ears bad.

According to Tim, first disc bad, second disc okay. This is incorrect.

You need to put aside the 1970s Zeppelin juggernaut and see that Albert Hall performance for what it is - a small band at the top of its game, four guys flat on a stage, no light show, crushing a set of songs at full tilt and volume. What I wouldn't give to play in a band with that kind of electricity.

I was veering toward Proustian deflation of a treasured memory, and surely the band wasn’t nearly as bad as the first disc would suggest. Hmm, maybe the problem was that I was too sober.

I honestly don't have an answer to that. I'm not sure I've ever watched that first disc sober, which explains why I'm always yelling (positive) things at the screen when it's on.

I still end up back at disc 1.

Posted by Chuck Dolan at July 16, 2003 07:22 AM