June 10

This was another movie that I wanted to see in the theater, but it would just never fit into the schedule. I do enjoy Led Zeppelin, though I do not know if I would call myself a fan. I was happy to see this documentary pop up on Netflix.

Led Zeppelin was Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham. They came out of the sounds of the late sixties in Britain with powerful rock that helped inspire heavy metal of the 70s and 80s.

This documentary featured interviews from the members of the band, mixed with unseen concert footage.

Some of this documentary actually reminded me of This is Spinal Tap, the mockumentary of the fictional band Spinal Tap, particularly the concert they played early where the crowd was clearly not the target audience for Led Zeppelin: older people and kids holding their fingers in their ears.

You also saw footage of Jimmy Page using a violin bow on his electric guitar, which reminded me of solo scene from This is Spinal Tap where Nigel Tufnel used a violin to play his guitar. You can see where Spinal Tap had been inspired by Led Zeppelin.

The music truly is the star of this documentary. The doc spent a great deal of time with the band and the focus was on the first two albums. Looking at the music through the voices of the band is the strength of this movie.

I missed Stairway to Heaven, which I know is on the fourth album, but the doc was solid despite that.

3.9 stars