When Led Zeppelin announced they were reuniting in honour of the late Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun, my friend Spencer said he would kill a man to get his hands on a ticket. Five years later, Celebration Day captures the once in a lifetime performance in pristine audio quality for those who missed out. Robert Plant’s ethanol-soaked pipes retain the same ferocity as when he burst on the scene 45 years ago, while John Paul Jones’ rollicking bass holds steady next to tribute drummer Jason Bonham’s papa-pleasing percussion. Remarkably, Jimmy Page’s fretwork has only grown better with age, with the mystical guitar wizard unleashing a visceral attack on “Kashmir,” “The Song Remains the Same” and the overlooked “For Your Life.”
This article appears in Dec 27, 2012 – Jan 2, 2013.