Led Zeppelin - Celebration Day (Deluxe Edition 2CD, 1 Blu-Ray, 1 DVD)
Rhino
www.rhino.com

Rating: A+

Ahmet Ertegun was one of the most powerful men in the music business. After his passing, a massive concert was held in his honor on December 10, 2007. Headlining the event was Led Zeppelin featuring Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and, on drums, the son of John Bonham, Jason Bonham.

What followed was over two hours of the most iconic hard rock to ever be played on stage. Sixteen classic Zeppelin songs were performed to an enthusiastic audience. Led Zep was on fire during this show, as emotions were running high. After playing the song that Robert Plant said he would never sing again, “Stairway to Heaven,” Plant smiled and said, “Hey Ahmet, we did it!”

The show opened with the first Led Zep song on their debut album, “Good Times Bad Times.” The best performed songs were “In My Time of Dying,” “No Quarter,” “For Your Life,” “Trampled Under Foot,” “Nobody’s Fault but Mine” and “Since I’ve Been Loving You.” Page was on fire the entire night. Plant was in fine voice on every song’ the high notes are skipped but his midrange sounds as good as ever. John Paul Jones added the bass line and other musical accents while Jason Bonham, who had a ton of pressure on him, as he was in the drum seat formerly occupied by his father, who happened to be the best hard rock drummer of all time. The younger Bonham passed the test with flying colors. He is the true unsung hero of the performance, giving 110% at all times.

The Blu-ray of the show is well shot and sounds wonderful. Seeing these guys once again, for such a special occasion, was emotional. The feelings that were in the room that night come across loud and clear, from the television screen to your living room. This is one concert you will watch time and time again.

The CDs, while missing the obvious visual component, actually make the audio excellence of this concert come to life.

It is unknown if we will ever see this band perform together again; this could be Led Zeppelin’s final performance. Should they decide to keep Led Zeppelin on the shelf for all time, then this is the definition of going out on a high note. The concert is simply amazing, from beginning to end, and a must-own for all fans of rock and roll.

1. Good Times Bad Times
2. Ramble On
3. Black Dog
4. In My Time Of Dying
5. For Your Life
6. Trampled Under Foot
7. Nobody s Fault But Mine
8. No Quarter
9. Since I ve Been Loving You
10. Dazed And Confused
11. Stairway To Heaven
12. The Song Remains The Same
13. Misty Mountain Hop
14. Kashmir
15. Whole Lotta Love
16. Rock And Roll

By Jeb Wright