I watched The Song Remains the Same instantly on Netflix because I was in the mood for some rock, Zeppelin-style. As one of my favorite bands, I've been motivated to see parts of this documentary before but never made it all the way through because the dream sequences/extra footage made my head hurt a little. Also, the viewer is treated to Zep's 23-minute long rendition of "Dazed and Confused," featuring, among other things, Jimmy Page whaling on his guitar with a violin bow, which is artistically amazing but, as sound, makes my teeth chatter.
Now, I can say I've watched it all and like it. If you count yourself among Led Zeppelin fans, particularly with the band's recent "reunion," this movie is a must-see. It was released around the time of "Houses of the Holy," which features the film's title song as its first cut. The film provides footage of a concert given at Madison Square Garden, when, also, the band's money was stolen, and the band's manager got into it with Garden officials. There are some crazy dream sequences depicting each band member's state of mind and/or hobbies and/or personal interests (oddly enough, John Paul Jones' is the weirdest). Otherwise, you get to see the band play live performances of "Rock and Roll," "Black Dog," "Since I've Been Loving You," "No Quarter," "The Song Remains the Same," "Rain Song," "Dazed and Confused," "Stairway to Heaven," "Moby Dick," "Heartbreaker," and "Whole Lotta Love." Robert Plant seems to have to warm up to his signature screechy falsetto, but he pulls off some good screeching by the finale. Jimmy Page, John Bonham and Mr. Jones are in fine form, extending each song with high-octane jamming. Bonzo's rendition of "Moby Dick" in this one is pretty electrifying and goes on nearly as long as "Dazed and Confused" did.
Because this is a documentary, I won't subject it to the rating system, though it's really less of a documentary than a very long music video collage for several songs. I'm also not sure it passes my test, only because I know there is another two-disc set of live Led Zeppelin that might suit me better, as it leaves out the trippy sequences and sticks to the music. Still, this was worth the look, and no Led Zep fan should neglect it.