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I've never heard anything good about The Song Remains the Same (soundtrack/live album) by Led Zeppelin, but a coupla weeks ago I traded the LP for some old Zappa stuff that I had in several copies - and when I listen to it, i think it's really good. Good performances and variations of the songs, really nice guitar playing.

The 27 minute long track on side two and drum solo in Moby Dick would soon go out of fashion in 1976, but in 2011 I enjoy the LP as a strong Zeppelin album. And I understand the CD is even better.

Layla by Derek & The Dominoes, on the other hand - is an album that everybody praises as a cornerstone of rock. I bought it just recently and haven't got into it yet, although I've always loved the title track.

What do you think?

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We make a special art in an environment hostile to dreamers. Frank Zappa, 1971

I think Eric Clapton is way overrated, period. I'm not familiar with The Song Remains The Same, but I'm still a bit of a Led Zeppelin fan. I have way more respect for Jimmy Page than I do for Eric Clapton.

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The way I see it Barry, this should be a very dynamite show.

I didn't think much of "The Song Remains The Same", but after hearing how much better "Duke" (Genesis) sounded on Japanese import (half-speed mastered), I bought the Japan import of "The Song Remains The Same" and found it to be much more of a groovy experience. If the CD is remastered, I can see it as being a good listen.

(BTW...I like the song "Layla", but have never heard the album.)

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Stay with me flagrantly and we'll have ecstasy for all eternity.

TSRTS is one of the worst live albums EVER. Fuck sloppy Led Zeppelin!

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Make your checks payable to QUENTIN ROBERT DeNAMELAND, Greatest Living Philostopher Known to Mankind.

I didn't mind TSRTS...... but Clapton?
The most B-O-R-I-N-G guitarist E-V-E-R!

Safe, boring blues licks with NO creativity.

Highly overrated!
Did I say BORING?

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

No sex in his playing, no "Black" in his playing and no avant garde in his playing.
3 strikes....yeeerrrrr OUT!

It seems I'm not alone. I'm not sure I could get that animated about it though.

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The way I see it Barry, this should be a very dynamite show.

I knew I could count on JP for a well-considered, reasonable answer

But how about it jpfunk, what music do you like, other than Zappa?

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We make a special art in an environment hostile to dreamers. Frank Zappa, 1971

I bought the original gatefold lp Layla & Assorted Love Songs when I was a teenager and really into Cream and Blind Faith's only album. It seemed like a logical next step and I like everybody else knew and loved the song Layla.
Boy was I disappointed - I thought it was so middle of the road. It's all sentimental and sounds like a bunch of aging musicians harping on about the good old days.

I listened to side one a couple of weeks ago to see whether I liked it any better 15 years later.
No, it's still bollocks <3

A bit harsh but f*ck it. When I get home this afternoon I'm going to smash the vinyl to smithereens and cut the gatefold into handy sized square pieces and tell Mrs Drum that we are to use it as toilet paper before starting on the new pack of Andrex

Bell bottom Blues? I'll give you bell bottom blues.......

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"drums are too noisy, 'n you've got no corners to hide in"

When the song remains the same movie was shown in my home town last century, around 1976 according to wiki....the Embassy picture theatre had an enormous (for 1976 new zealand) sound system installed

To my 18 year old ears/mind this movie was outstanding

I recently watched the DVD on a top of the line home blah blah blah on a 100 inch blah blah blah to my now cynical 53 year old ears/mind this movie was not so good, the album however does still have some olde worlde charm, I still enjoy listening to the occasional early Led Zep album, if only to hear robert planet's heavy english accent climbing'a stairway to heavoooooen, which I now can't listen to without comparing it to FZ's 1988 reggae version

I don't think this album has stood the test of time...........

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Thanks for the music Frank.

Well I'm about to get sick from watching my TV

haven't heard 'the song remains the same' in ages. I'm a big led zeppelin fan, but I never liked that album when it came out.
it was just too... much! maybe I should listen to it again.

'layla' may not be a cornerstone of rock, but I've always liked it.
I think it has a lot of good songs and some excellent guitar by both eric clapton and duane allman.

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"bit of nostalgia for the old folks."

I've never been a Clapton guy either. I don't hate him, but his playing has just never resonated with me much.

"Slowhand? Pick up the pace, buddy."

In the early Clapton history, when he was a guitar for hire, blues purist he had a reputation for not showing up for rehearsal, gigs etc if he didn't deem them to be blusey enough John Mayall got in the habit of booking two guitarists just in case of an Eric no show.

It appears he didn't take things to seriuosly in those early days, theres a great album cover of the band looking earnist and Eric reading a comic (graphic novel)

I read somewhere (probably Rolling Stone so it's gotta....) that the nick name slow hand, was not due to his instrumental prowess, but if he broke a string, he took forever to replace and tune it to his satisfaction.

I like the Yardbirds & Cream 60's early 70's Clapton, but the later evolved Eric is not for me....

ps I tried attaching the album cover but the board has peaked.

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Thanks for the music Frank.

Well I'm about to get sick from watching my TV

Clapton stated in his autobiography that he was reading Beano on the cover because he felt like being "uncooperative" during the photo shoot.

Dick.

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I'm not bald; I'm taller than my hair.

I agree with you, The Song Remains the Same was an excellent soundtrack and the CD (which has bonus tracks) is great.

But as good as TSRTS was/is, I strongly recommend that you check out another Led Zep live 3 CD collection called How the West Was Won. Jiimmy Page released this in 2003 and it's an even better document of Led Zep in the early 70s. And yes, it also contains a version of Moby Dick (19 minutes).

http://www.amazon.com/How-West-Was-Won- ... 723&sr=1-1

"The Song Remains The Same" was a pretty sad LP release,........BUT the CD has been refurbished with all new ,high-falootin',big-time audio computer equipment and now sounds pretty damned powerful and also has some nifty-tough-and bitchen bonus trax not previously on the black vinyl disc version I first heard long ago all while in a different chemical universe(in which it sounded amazing ,....until I came back to terra-firma,and found it to be long ,dead-sounding ,and BORINGLY mixed!).

Soooo,I say "Buy the new CD....burn all old Lp copies(except for the big ol' cool gate-fold cover,....which was pretty neat-o to stare at for the hours of listening it held) ,and all hail new mixing technology!!!."

I liked The Song Remains The Same album. Sometime in the 90's I bought a VHS tape of the movie, and it was horrible. The audio track didn't even match the video! And it was supposed to be an official release! I then read later that Jimmy Page was pissed over the whole thing. I do like How The West Was Won better.

As for Layla, I can listen to it maybe once a year.

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You gotta give the people something good to read, on a Sunday

Clapton overrated????? Yes.

I'm not a huge LZ fan, but I like some of their stuff. As for live shows, HOW THE WEST WAS WON is fabulous. It's recorded and mixed really well (especially for the time), and many of the performances are great. Check it out.