Becoming Led Zeppelin

by Mike McGranaghan

Becoming Led Zepplin incorporates amazing footage of the rock band playing one of its very first shows together. The audience doesn’t know how to react. A few people are into the music. Others look at each other in bewilderment. Some of the kids in the crowd stick their fingers in their ears. Director Bernard MacMahon allows the song to play in full, letting viewers digest how groundbreaking the band was and how not everybody was ready for what they brought. More than anything, this extended sequence exemplifies what makes the documentary special.

Instead of portraying them as legends, MacMahon portrays them as musicians and men. You will hear no tales of rock and roll debauchery, no stories of groupies and drugs and stuff like that. Instead, the focus is on how the band forged a unique path in the industry. You will hear Led Zeppelin’s members talk about their personal musical influences, how they wrote their songs, and how they approached instrumentation, among other topics.

The time frame covered is short, stopping at 1970, as the band’s second album breaks through in a big way. Singer Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, and bassist John Paul Jones appear on-camera to share their memories about how they met and began to develop their distinct sound. Late drummer John Bonham is represented via a never-before-heard audio interview. Archival footage, including several full-length performances, helps to paint the picture.

By concentrating on the genesis of Led Zeppelin, the film shrewdly avoids the familiar arc of many rock docs. What becomes clear is that the members shared top-notch musical talent, along with a desire to experiment sonically. Drawing upon a wide array of inspirations, they envisioned a group that would mix styles in unpredictable combinations. Page talks about inventive techniques such as adding a reverse echo to songs. In his words, he defines the mission as making something that would force the listener to pay attention. Early in their career, they even eschewed releasing singles, preferring that people listen to an entire album side rather than just a piece of it. From the perspectives of Plant, Page, and Jones, you come away with a richer understanding of why Led Zeppelin stood out from the crowd, as well as why their popularity continues to this day.

Like the David Bowie documentary Moonage Daydream, Becoming Led Zeppelin is also designed to be a sensory experience. The sound mix is appropriately loud. Similarly, the manner in which the band’s story is visualized via editing, superimposed images, and graphics creates a sense of excitement. You don’t simply hear the music, you feel it.

I should clarify that I’ve never been a particularly big Led Zeppelin fan. Hardcore fans may already know the details of their story that are presented here. I did not, and I found it to be completely fascinating. Plant, Page, and Jones come off as relatively down-to-earth guys who just happened to revolutionize rock music by trying to distinguish themselves. It would have been easy to make a documentary about Led Zeppelin as rock gods. This doc is about the band as a working unit, and that makes it indispensable.

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