Led ZeppelinBy breaking up at the height of their powers, Led Zeppelin managed to retain a mystique that the Stones, Purple and Sabbath all forfeited by trudging on. Thus each of the post-breakup releases from the Zeps has been met with genuine excitement – their rarity makes them actual events. The band's one-off reformation in 2007 with Jason Bonham filling in for dad on drums was certainly such an event and this live release of the gig captures it perfectly. The band are amazing, and the sound is authentically live yet crystal clear. You can feel the palpable excitement of the thousands of well-heeled 50-something lawyers and doctors who were lucky enough to blag tickets and relive their youth. This was certainly something to tell the teenage kids about.
Best of all though is the setlist, which mixes reliable standards like Black Dog, Rock N Roll and Whole Lotta Love, not to mention the obligatory Stairway To Heaven, with enough deep catalogue classics to keep things interesting. No Quarter sounds suitably mystical, Misty Mountain Hop is a joyously timeless romp, and Nobody's Fault But Mine and In My Time Of Dying are great leftfield inclusions. In fact apart from the absence of Communication Breakdown and the blistering Achilles Last Stand, there's nothing whatsoever to complain about here.
This is no second-rate cash grab. Celebration Day confirms the genius of Zeppelin and leaves us all wishing they would do something else, be it an album or tour, to cap off a remarkable career.
