BECOMING LED ZEPPELIN: Whole Lotta Interviews
By Harrison J. Bahe
Interviews, performances and never-before-seen footage provide insight into the origins of Led Zeppelin and their meteoric rise to musical stardom.
Led Zeppelin has always been a part of my life as far back as I can remember. I wouldn’t say I’m the biggest fan of their music, but I simply know of their existence through cultural osmosis. In fact, I could only list some of my favorite songs of theirs on one hand. (Ramble On, Stairway to Heaven, Immigrant Song, and Whole Lotta Love.) That’s not saying they’re a bad band at all! It’s just that my taste in music lies elsewhere. Though, I can love and appreciate the indelible impact they had on rock and roll history. Simply put, I am a super casual fan and that is going to be my approach to this 2-hour documentary about the origins of the band Led Zeppelin.
The first half of this documentary intrigued me the most as it told the childhoods of each member leading up to their first meeting and eventual first show. The backstories were more interesting than the extended performance sequences featured in the second half. The candidness of the band members was entertaining as many of them recalled personal stories of each other. Some even hilariously ribbed on the others in good humor. The heartbreaking aspect of the documentary is that their drummer John Bonham died in 1980 and is represented here through never-before-heard audio recordings. The reactions of the band members who never heard the recordings was heartfelt as big smiles pasted across their faces and their eyes glistened with memories past for their beloved drummer. Better yet were the authentic reactions of the band members watching recently recovered footage of many of their own performances as they were making a name for themselves; including their very first public performance as Led Zeppelin which hilariously featured some audience members covering their ears and looking on in dismay.
The second half of the documentary removes the rhythm of the documentary style and instead becomes a concert show as it plays extended sequences of the band performing some of their well-known classics uncut. You see, I think a hardcore Led Zeppelin fan may enjoy these moments but as a film critic who has a general love of documentaries, the pacing of the film slowed down considerably. It must be noted though that the explosive boom of an IMAX sound system really puts you right in the action and may be the closest current day audiences will get to experiencing a Led Zeppelin concert live. While the music was engaging and energetic, I found myself looking down at my phone every once in awhile because I’m sure you know that certain Led Zeppelin songs are long, long, long! I wasn’t alone in the theater. In the documentary’s quieter moments during the performances, I heard some subtle snoring within the audience. Maybe the live performances were a bit much. It should be noted that the documentary only covers the band’s first two albums.
Becoming Led Zeppelin is a finely produced documentary about the origins of Led Zeppelin and their meteoric rise to stardom. From what I heard, the band is very private and hasn’t given interviews like the ones featured in this documentary so I’m sure mega fans will appreciate the candid insights of their favorite band. This film critic is just a super casual fan of their music and looked at the film as a documentary. The first half is engaging and informative while the second half is bogged down by extended psychedelic fever dreams of some of their live performances. Again, I’m sure fans will appreciate those segments, but this viewer got a bit more out of the first half than the second half, which is why I give Becoming Led Zeppelin:
3.5 Vinyls out of 5
Becoming Led Zeppelin has been Rated PG-13 by the MPAA for Some Drug References and Smoking.