‘Becoming Led Zeppelin’ Is A ‘Dirt’ Free Origin Story
I remember when I was in high school, a book about Led Zeppelin hit bookstores. Hammer Of The Gods was supposedly the story of the band, although no members of the band had anything to do with the book. In fact, the author, Stephen Davis, got much of his information from the band’s one-time road manager, Richard Cole. The surviving band members — Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones — made their displeasure about the book known. They also questioned the accuracy of many of the (rather wild) stories.
Becoming Led Zeppelin, the documentary which just hit IMAX theaters and will open more widely this week, is the antithesis of that book. It’s the first authorized documentary on the band. Jimmy Page has always been extremely protective of the legacy of Led Zeppelin. Plant and Jones might be a bit less so, but none of them have any patience for questions about the band’s “wild days.”
This is to say that Becoming Led Zeppelin isn’t The Dirt. Four and a half decades since Zeppelin broke up, their music stands the test of time enough; those stories aren’t that important to their legacy anyway. Still, if the film attempted to tell the entire Led Zeppelin story up until their demise in 1980 following the death of drummer John Bonham, it would have been difficult to avoid. If most music documentaries are like longer versions of VH1’s Behind the Music, Becoming Led Zeppelin is more like the lesser-known VH1 series, Driven. Each episode ended when the artist “made it.”
Becoming Led Zeppelin goes a bit further than that, covering the whirlwind few months, from when they formed in 1968, and ending in 1970, after releasing their first two albums, 1969’s Led Zeppelin and II.
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I knew that, as a fan of Led Zeppelin, I would love spending a few hours in a movie theater watching the film. But I’m also a fan of documentaries, and I wondered how it would hold up on that level, given how controlling Page can be. I didn’t learn that much about the band, but I felt like it was worth my time and money. (I went to see it opening night among fans, as opposed to trying to get into a screening with media types.)
One thing about the film that really worked — and which was a big flex — was that the only voices you heard were from the band. Page, Plant, and Jones sat for new interviews, and a previously unheard interview with Bonham represented the drummer. It would have been easy (and probably tempting) to get generations of rock royalty and famous fans to sit for interviews and contextualize the band’s impact. However, the story was more powerful and focused by sticking with just the four men who made up the band. We all know how important and influential they were, and still are.
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It was interesting to see the dichotomy between Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones (both of whom were seasoned professional musicians before Led Zeppelin) and Robert Plant and John Bonham (who weren’t). There were cute anecdotes about John Paul Jones thinking that the name “Led Zeppelin” was silly and about a gig he used to have at his local church. (“I wasn’t particularly religious but it was a good gig!”) Another funny recurring point was how John Bonham’s wife didn’t want him playing in a band with Robert Plant.
There are a few main takeaways. One: every great band is something of a miracle. Bands aren’t just about talent, they’re about chemistry. Led Zeppelin’s was so unique that when John Bonham died, they ended the band.
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Another takeaway is the importance of leadership in a band. Jimmy Page held that role and this film explains how and why. He seemed to have soaked up every possible bit of knowledge from every session he played on (including sessions for the Rolling Stones, the Who, the Kinks, Lulu and Shirley Bassey), as well as being a member of another fairly successful band, the Yardbirds. He not only knew how to compose and produce songs, he had a vision for what he wanted the band to be, and how to get the deal that he wanted from Atlantic Records. (He funded the first album himself and went to his meeting with Ahmet Ertegun with a finished record.)
A final takeaway: there is still live concert material in the Led Zeppelin vaults that has yet to be released, giving us hope for more archival releases. Will there be sequels to Becoming Led Zeppelin? As with most films, the sequel depends on the performance of the first installment. But also, as the story progresses, it’ll be hard to avoid the discussion of drugs, divorces, and even interband tension; that may not be something the band is interested in. And if that’s the case, I’m happy with just having seen Becoming Led Zeppelin; their music doesn’t need any behind-the-scenes context.
