Led Zeppelin stands as one of the greatest bands in history, a monument in terms of commercial success, musical influence, and mythical status. They are spiritual idols for countless suburban youths, fantasy enthusiasts, and guitar aficionados worldwide.
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02-10, 2025However, looking back at Led Zeppelin's first UK performance at the London Playhouse in March 1969, their superstar status seemed far from predestined. As the band passionately played the earth-shattering "Communication Breakdown," the camera captured audience members covering their ears and awkwardly conversing, seemingly perplexed by the "thunderous" music. Only a few tapped their feet to the beat, and after the performance, the audience offered polite applause. To paraphrase a line from the movie "Back to the Future," their kids are gonna love it.
This scene is vividly documented in the engaging new documentary, "Becoming Led Zeppelin." Lead singer Robert Plant, bassist John Paul Jones, and musical mastermind Jimmy Page, along with the late drummer John Bonham (appearing through never-before-heard audio interviews), collectively recount their journey from post-war British teenagers to rock superstars. As the band's first officially authorized documentary, it leans towards a family-friendly style, omitting mentions of the band's fervent fans, underage girlfriends, or dealings with dark forces, ending before the band's infamous 70s indulgence. At the same time, unlike many rock documentaries obsessed with fame and fortune, this film focuses on the music itself, entirely narrated by the band members themselves.
When Jimmy Page sees footage of himself performing on a BBC program in 1958 as a clean-cut teenager, a tender reminiscence washes over his face. Page was already an accomplished guitar master at the time, serving as a session musician on countless recordings in the 60s, including for The Rolling Stones, The Who, and Shirley Bassey's "Goldfinger." John Paul Jones, a teenage church organist who encountered Page in the recording studio, also features in the orchestra for this classic Bond theme. It's no wonder the band's musical style is so rich.
Meanwhile, Bonham and Plant (who had considered a career as a chartered accountant) met through the local band circuit in the north. This encounter proved to be a fateful arrangement in 1968 when Led Zeppelin (evolved from Page's Yardbirds) recruited a lead singer. Jones recalled his first impression of lead singer Robert Plant: "I was expecting a soul singer, but instead, a screaming madman arrived."
Director Bernard MacMahon, an expert in American folk and blues music documentaries, keenly captures Led Zeppelin's musical origins, taking the time to highlight the band's musical influences, especially how they borrowed and reshaped the sounds of black heroes. Page recalled that the American rock and roll he heard as a child sounded like "electricity from Mars," while Plant said that hearing Little Richard's music was like "a shot in the arm that you never forget." While recording Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love," a song that borrowed a lyric from Willie Dixon, he said, "I found the best bits of black music and put them in a juicer." For Bonham, the rhythm section of James Brown's band was his inspiration. "I've got to get that sound," he said. Later, Jones recalled a scene where, during a sound check at a music festival, the drummers of soul godfather James Brown were amazed when Bonham warmed up.
While the documentary may not offer any new discoveries for Led Zeppelin's die-hard fans, it is tightly paced and visually compelling, combining vividly restored archival footage with contemporary media clips to create a sensory experience akin to David Bowie's "Moonage Daydream." Seeing Page summon lightning from his guitar with a violin bow during a performance of "Dazed and Confused" is almost a supernatural experience, especially when viewed at full speed in a massive IMAX theater. In addition, MacMahon and editor Dan Gitlin have created explosive montages that capture Led Zeppelin's rise, just as the dreams of peace and love of the 60s dissipated in smoke. Even if not a catalyst for the end of the decade, the band was undoubtedly the soundtrack of that era, the irresistible sound of a dark legion riding towards Mordor.
Whatever was in the air at the time, it must have infuriated rock critics, who have never been kind to Led Zeppelin. Reviewing the band's debut album, Rolling Stone magazine deemed Page "a very limited producer and a writer of weak, unimaginative songs," and criticized Plant's vocals as "forced and often painfully strained shouting." Watching this documentary, it's hard to imagine what the critics were thinking at the time, but no doubt questions of authenticity—and the long and inglorious tradition of white rock musicians plagiarizing blues riffs—played a role in their animosity.
Regardless, the band has long been enshrined in the history of classic rock. In conversation, Page, Plant, and Jones are undoubtedly the most gentle and adaptable old guys who ever indulged in the excesses of 70s rock 'n' roll, although Page still enjoys the occasional cryptic remark. "It's a guitar that can take you on a complete journey," he said of the instrument Jeff Beck passed on to him, "like King Arthur's Excalibur."
