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Becoming Led Zeppelin: A Documentary Review - It's Been a Long Time Since I Rock and Rolled

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****THIS IS A SPOILER FREE REVIEW!! THIS REVIEW CONTAINS ZERO SPOILERS!!****

My Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

My Recommendation: SEE IT/SKIP IT – Led Zeppelin are among the greatest rock bands of all-time, but this documentary, despite featuring some scintillating music, is a bit too anti-septic to be a worthy monument to their massive musical accomplishments.

The documentary Becoming Led Zeppelin, directed by Bernard MacMahon, was released in theatres on February 7th of this year and hit Netflix on June 7th…and I just watched it.

The documentary chronicles the famed rock group’s formation and early years and features interviews with all the band members – Jimmy Page (guitar), John Paul Jones (bass), and Robert Plant (vocals) along with archival audio from late drummer John Bonham – who died in 1980 from alcohol induced pulmonary aspiration (he choked on his own vomit).

Like many red-blooded males of my generation (Gen X), I discovered Led Zeppelin in my youth – when they were still together and before Bonham’s untimely death. As a result, I have become fond of saying that every boy goes through a Led Zeppelin phase…or at least every boy should go through a Led Zeppelin phase.

The band’s power and majesty, or as its detractor’s may describe it – its bombast and bravado, is fantastical fuel for youth marinated in copious amounts of testosterone and magical thinking.

Bonham’s skilled primal ferocity on drums, mixed with Page’s muscular blues guitar work, Jones’ masterful heavy yet nimble bass and Plant’s brilliant banshee wail make for a mystical musical experience for twelve-year old boys…and that feeling doesn’t fade with time.

I remember in my teens going through different Led Zeppelin phases where my favorite album would shift from Led Zeppelin II to Led Zeppelin I to Physical Graffiti to Zoso to Houses of the Holy to Presence to Led Zeppelin III to In Through the Out Door to Presence (Presence is often considered their “worst album” but I think “Nobody’s Fault but Mine” is maybe my favorite Zeppelin song – paging Dr. Freud!!) and back again…and I would listen to my favorite album over and over, getting joyously lost in the mystery and maze of each masterfully constructed musical journey.

Watching Becoming Led Zeppelin certainly re-ignites that manic sensation at times, particularly when the band is shown playing live. For example, the footage from its first big gig, which was played in Denmark in 1968, is absolutely electrifying to witness, as is one of their first British gigs, which is very funny because they are absolutely crushing it in front of a very disinterested and confused bunch of old people and kids.  

It is undeniably true that the music in this documentary is phenomenal, and it jumps off the screen and grabs you by the throat and throttles you left, right, front and back in glorious fashion.

Oddly enough though, as good as the music sounds in this documentary, the sound mix is absolutely dreadful as the music is rich, vibrant and loud and the interviews are much to quiet, tinny and muddled, which can make for a frustrating experience.

The members of the band all come across as quite likeable and thoughtful people in their interviews. Page, once a satanic wizard on stage with his guitar, is a quiet, soft-spoken and quite engaging fellow. John Paul Jones, the mysterious and seemingly aloof bassist, comes across as an extraordinarily interesting and charming guy. And Robert Plant, the once upon a time golden god of a front man, seems like a sly and savvy older man still coming to terms with the wounds of his youth.

All that said, the biggest issue I have with Becoming Led Zeppelin is that it is far, far too antiseptic a documentary considering Led Zeppelin weren’t just one of the greatest rock bands of all-time, they were infamous for being one of the most debauched bands of all-time…quite an accomplishment.

The documentary is a rather sugar-coated journey through the band’s early years that never enlightens or, for knowledgeable fans of the band, informs very much.

Like so many documentaries nowadays, Becoming Led Zeppelin is subject-controlled hagiography, pure and simple, and because of that restricted and contrived nature it never gives any true insight into this incredible band or shows the very complex humanity of any of the band members – all of whom are musical geniuses in their own right.

The film runs two hours long and for a fan like me – who I admit hasn’t, for one reason or another, listened to Led Zeppelin in a long time, revisiting the music was a shot of pure adrenaline and nostalgia, and made the film worth watching.

But if you are looking to get into depth, or learn anything of value about Led Zeppelin, or want to be entertained by tales of their epic debauchery, then Becoming Led Zeppelin will be a disappointment…granted it’ll be a disappointment with a superior and savage soundtrack, but a disappointment nonetheless.

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