Led Zeppelin – “The Song Remains the Same” (Remastered Super-Deluxe Re-Issue) [Album Review]

Who can forget that scene? You know, the scene from director Cameron Crowe’s award-winning 2000 film, Almost Famous. The scene in which satin-draped “Band-Aide,” Sapphire (played “famously” by Fairuza Balk), steps outside the backstage door and proclaims (with champagne bottle in-hand), “Does anybody remember laughter?” Originated onstage in 1973 by Led Zeppelin frontman, Robert Plant, his seemingly spontaneous inquiry has since become an acknowledged, iconic tagline for Crowe’s film, as well as for the band’s classic track, “Stairway to Heaven,” and this legendary live set.

Praised highly by some, while panned fervently by others, the original soundtrack to the 1976 concert film of the same name captured the mighty Zep at the apex of its glory days. Recorded at New York’s famed Madison Square Garden during a three-show run in July 1973, the record now has been re-born.

Available on September 7, 2018 (in various remastered and expanded configurations), the revised deluxe edition of The Song Remains the Same features the full album in hi-res 5.1 surround sound on Blu-ray. The elaborate super-deluxe boxed set also will mark the first time the full-length film and soundtrack have been available in the same package. On the 4-LP (180-gram vinyl) set, founding guitarist, Jimmy Page, now has included the epic-length, 29-minute version of “Dazed And Confused” in its entirety for the first time, while the video offers live performances of four songs not included in the original film — “Celebration Day,” “Over The Hills And Far Away,” “Misty Mountain Hop” and “The Ocean.” The double-DVD of the concert is in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround and PCM Stereo, and includes an impressive photo gallery. The deluxe package also offers a remastered twin CD, as well as various collector’s booklets, a replica of the 1977 Japanese program and a personal essay by Cameron Crowe — plus a high-quality print of the original album cover, the first 30,000 of which will be individually numbered.

In sum, this is an exhaustive and expansive effort — a magnificent, must-have collection for any self-respecting Zep aficionado.

Check out this dope little teaser video for the new remastered version.

The Song Remains the Same Track Listing:

01. Rock And Roll
02. Celebration Day
03. Black Dog
04. Over The Hills And Far Away
05. Misty Mountain Hop
06. Since I’ve Been Loving You
07. No Quarter
08. The Song Remains The Same
09. The Rain Song
10. The Ocean
11. Dazed And Confused
12. Stairway To Heaven
13. Moby Dick
14. Heartbreaker
15. Whole Lotta Love

Release Date: September 7, 2018
Record Label: Atlantic Records / Swan Song