The film traces the journeys of the four members of the Stairway To Heaven rockers through the music scene of the 1960s and their meeting in the summer of 1968, culminating in 1970.
Chuck says:
Being a Rolling Stones fan, my knowledge of Led Zeppelin was cursory, at best. Sure, there are more than a few of their tunes on my various playlists but how the band came together, the genesis of their sound and how they were initially received were unknown to me. After taking in Bernard MacMahon’s raucous, fascinating and wonderfully loud documentary “Becoming Led Zeppelin,” I’m a bit more up to speed and ready to take a deeper dive into the group’s extensive catalogue.
The participation of the three surviving band members – Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones – is vital to the film’s success. Their first-hand memories and anecdotes offer an in-depth look at not only the beginning of the band but a historical record of London’s music scene from the mid 1940’s to the early 1970’s. The addition of a never-before-heard interview from drummer John Bonham helps fill out the band’s story, each of the members coming from disparate social and musical backgrounds.
Using newsreel footage and clips from privately shot home movies, MacMahon masterfully sets the scene, reminding us that post-World War II London was a city in disrepair, its populace eager to resume their lives, open to societal changes that would help signal its resurrection. Each of the band members recount being gob smacked by the rhythm and blues records being imported from America, Little Richard, Sonny Boy Williamson and their peers having a profound effect on them. But the music from the States was only one aspect of the country that intrigued them. As Plant states, “America was my dream,” realizing the land across the pond was one ripe with the opportunities England couldn’t offer.
However, getting there was a journey fraught with difficulties. Each getting their musical education at a young age, Page and Jones would get their feet in the door as session players in London’s recording studios. Bonham also got an early start, eventually forming his first band in his teen years, slowly climbing the ranks of the club scene. Page would find himself on the outs with his parents, who cut him off after he decided to pursue a singing career. Eventually, due to his unique voice, stage presence and good looks, he too found himself on the rise, despite being homeless and at loose ends.
Having made his mark with The Yardbirds, Page was eager to branch out and experiment. Hearing him, Bonham, Jones and Plant each recount how their paths intersected is one of the highlights of the film – you can see a sly smile play across their respective faces as they speak. Equally interesting are the various film clips showing their initial efforts on stage and in the studio. There’s a confidence about them that grows with each successive scene. Breaking new ground sonically, there’s an assurance about their approach that’s arresting. Ignoring the various naysayers, they take the public by storm – some repelled by them, others embracing their radical approach. This is never more obvious than during an early appearance in America in which various members of the audience are seen putting their hands over their ears, pained expressions on their faces.
Of course, there’s no shortage of the band’s music, MacMahon culling from a vast trove of concert footage of Zeppelin’s initial appearances. Seeing them control the stage and entrance concertgoers is a bittersweet reminder of what’s been lost in the overproduced, sanitized era of arena rock we live in. Each member of the band exudes a palpable sense of excitement that’s infectious and that’s where “Becoming’s” power lies.
3 1/2 Stars
