Finally, Becoming Led Zeppelin is hitting streaming this weekend. If you haven’t seen it, you’ll get your chance with a Netflix subscription, and let me tell you, it’s well worth your time, especially if you’re a fan of the legendary band. I watch a ton of rock documentaries, and this one immediately became one of my favorites
That doesn’t mean it’s perfect (few documentaries ever are). While the documentary tells the incredible origin story about one of the most important rock bands of all time, it does leave out one part of the story–the blues legends that the band…uh…borrowed some of their idea from, especially on their debut record. Let’s set the record straight.
There have been dozens of documentaries about Led Zeppelin over the years. What makes Becoming Led Zeppelin the best of the bunch is the interviews. All three living members of the band, John Paul Jones, Robert Plant, and Jimmy Page, are featured extensively in new interviews. The best part, though, is that a rare, old interview with drummer John Bonham is featured heavily. Bonham, who died in 1980, was known for being fairly reclusive with the press, and interviews with him are exceedingly rare.
Beyond the interviews, the live footage from the early days of their biggest hits is also amazing. “Communication Breakdown” is a real highlight, especially seeing how the crowd reacted to such raw power and, frankly, volume. They just didn’t know what to make of this new, brash brand of rock. It’s incredible footage, but this isn’t a concert film; it’s one about the first two albums and the earliest days of the band.
Led Zeppelin Borrowed Heavily From The Blues
Saying that Zeppelin “borrowed” from earlier blues songs when writing their early songs, especially on their first two albums, is being gentle about things. They were accused of lifting entire parts of old songs, or even most of entire songs at times, failing to give songwriting credits to the artists they were “inspired” by. Sometimes, songs that were basically cover songs, are credited solely to the members of the band.
This is all very well documented in court cases, as the band has been sued multiple times over the years, and have had to add artists to the songwriting credits on various re-issues of their albums over the last 50 years or so. That includes some of their biggest hits, like “Dazed and Confused” from their debut album and “Whole Lotta Love” from Led Zeppelin II. Both songs are featured heavily in the documentary, but no mention is made of the lawsuits that altered the songwriting credits on those two songs.
Most Led Zeppelin fans know this history, so for many, it would be re-treading well-worn ground when it comes to the group’s history. The band members and most fans have made peace with those early, questionable omissions, and it doesn’t ruin this amazing rock documentary that everyone should see by any stretch, but a lack of acknowledgement is still part of Led Zeppelin’s story, and it should be here, too.