Wiki
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Release Date
17 October 2012
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Length
16 tracks
In 2007, a benefit concert to commemorate the life of music executive Ahmet Ertegun (founder and president of Atlantic Records) was staged with a reunited Led Zeppelin as the main act. They played several of their most famous songs to an enthusiastic crowd and coordinated a professional recording of the show with 16 cameras, with the prospect of a home video release.
Rumours immediately circulated that the recording would become available, but the following year, band member Jimmy Page said that release wasn’t certain and that it required mixing and would be a “massive job to embark on.” Bassist John Paul Jones agreed that he would like to see it released commercially, but that there was no timeline.
Even through 2010, Page was uncertain of the status of the album. On 9 September 2012, the band updated their Facebook page, which led to widespread speculation that the release was finally ready. Details leaked over the following days, with a source telling The Sun on 11 September that the album was due for release later that year and theatre web sites announcing airings of the film slated for the following month.
On 13 September, the band revealed that the film would hit theatres on 17 October, with premieres in Berlin, London, Los Angeles, New York City, and Tokyo and that the home video was scheduled for 19 November. The surviving members of the band appeared at a press event on 21 September to promote the release. They debuted the film at the Odeon West End and answered questions afterward; when queried about more reunion performances, the trio were coy.
Like the 2007 greatest hits album Mothership, the cover and promotional art were designed by Shepard Fairey. Alan Moulder worked with Jimmy Page on mixing the album but used only a minimal amount of overdubs and corrections, as both the performance itself and the recording were of high quality.
The album was released in a standard edition consisting of one DVD or Blu-ray bundled with two soundtrack CDs. A triple vinyl LP was initially annouced to be released on 10 December 2012. The vinyl release is now expected in February 2013. The deluxe edition includes bonus video from the Shepperton rehearsals and news footage from the BBC. Additionally, there is an audio-only Blu-ray with DTS-HD MA 48 kHz/24-bit sound and no video.
The tribute concert performance was well-received. New Musical Express published that the show “prove(d) that they can still perform to the level that originally earned them their legendary reputation.” Writing for The New Yorker, Sasha Frere-Jones opined, “the failed gigs of the nineteen-eighties and nineties have been supplanted by a triumph, and the band should be pleased to have done Ertegun proud with such a spirited performance.”
The album has received generally positive reviews from critics; it holds an 81% normalized score review aggregator Metacritic, indicating “universal acclaim”.
In terms of sales, it debuted on the Billboard 200 at ninth place.
— Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia —
— Discogs —
Personal/Production
Robert Plant – Vocals, Harmonica, Tambourine
Jimmy Page – Guitar, Production
Jason Bonham – Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
John Paul Jones – Bass Guitar, Keyboards
Engineer – John Catlin
Mastered By – John Davis
Mixed By – Alan Moulder
Recorded By – Tim Summerhayes
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Three P Films Limited
Copyright © – Three P Films Limited
Mixed At – Assault & Battery 1, London
Mastered At – Metropolis Studios
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