According to YouDopia, the coolest shit ever can be found on a walk in the woods. I abandoned my previous hobby of fellwalking near Blea Tarn with Jimmy and Roy, and headed out for the woods, where I, too, became proud owner of the Song Remains The Same: Fan Edition.
It's a lot like The Song Remains the Same: Special Edition, which I've reviewed here before, except pretty much everywhere where I say "loses momentum" or "lags" or "drags" or "I-can't-believe-the-director-did-that", the offending piece has been taken out, replaced by concert footage or glossed over. The fan editor did a wonderful job - the series of concerts that Jimmy Page thought were mediocre – “Obviously we were committed to putting this album out, although it wasn't necessarily the best live stuff we have. I don't look upon it as a live album...it's essentially a soundtrack” – and were made even more mediocre by the inane 'backstage' footage, are revealed as a stonkin' concert of the type bands don't do anymore.
And don't bother me about it. I paid to see the movie in the theater, and I've paid for two different DVDs of it. I can't see that watching a recut version is doing anybody out of any money.
In news brought to me today by my favorite Led Zeppelin site, the organ used in John Paul Jones' fantasy sequence is the mighty Organ at Alexandra Palace. It is now sadly damaged and fallen into disrepair, and there is an appeal for restoration funds at The Alexandra Palace Organ Appeal.
Here's the organ as it looked in 1970, unrestored but whole.
Here's what it looks like in a frame from TSRTS – click thumbnail for full size picture.
A close up of the keyboard from the movie.
It's good to find out more about this film, now more than 30 years old and still filled with wonders. I'd describe the Shepperton reshoots except I think the pictures still belong to individuals.
I've mentioned it many times before, and here's a round up of links.
Original DVD of TSRTS - review
Remastered DVD of TSRTS - review
Jimmy Page's eyes in TSRTS
The garden tapes
Information identifying the Ally Pally organ with the Song Remains the Same organ is from Steve A Jones via Lord Jagged.
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