Don’t Miss Led Zeppelin’s Brilliant Performance of Kashmir in 2007

For a moment, we were all transported back in time to 1977 when Led Zeppelin slammed into “Kashmir,” at the end of their 2007 reunion concert. The performance that featured Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham was held as a tribute to Atlantic Records music executive Ahmet Ertegun. Filmed and recorded for possible release, the performance finally found the light of day five years later when the concert was released on Blu Ray, DVD and CD in a package very appropriately entitled Celebration Day. It is easily hands down the greatest video quality one will ever see of Led Zeppelin performing live. The sound and video is breathtaking.

While one could celebrate the quality of the sound and video, the most important aspect of the release was the superb performance the band put on that night. No one knew what to expect of the band. From the interviews with Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, one can easily concur that Page and Plant were not even sure how it would go.

Led Zeppelin fans have been buying Robert Plant solo albums ever since the band broke up. Throughout Plant’s solo career, the former lead singer of Led Zeppelin has sung in a very different voice from the one he used during his Led Zeppelin days. Many fans wondered if Robert Plant would sound like the Robert Plant of 1970’s Led Zeppelin. In a way it was kind of unfair to expect the man to hit the same notes he commanded so easy when he was the God of rock and roll. However, the Celebration Day concert proved that Robert Plant could still hit most of those notes. What was even more compelling was listing to Robert Plant not only hot the notes, but hearing him sing in that Robert Plant Led Zeppelin voice one more time.

The band sounded great from the opening note of “Good Times, Bad Times” which they played as the concert opener. With every song they played, the band sounded tighter. Jason Bonham did a superb job filling in for his late father. Ther is no one in rock and roll who will ever play drums like John Bonham did. However, Jason’s bloodline and his amazing talent made it work.

While Led Zeppelin sounded great through the show, it was the band’s performance of Kashmir that really hit home. By the time the band got to the final song before the encores, the four men were locked in and grooving hard. Jimmy Page is playing in perfect time and tune. John Paul Jones is laying it down hard and Jason Bonham is all killer. When Robert Plant sings the opening line of “Kashmir,” in his Led Zeppelin voice, most old Led Zeppelin fans must have fainted. It was simply one of the greatest performances the band has ever displayed on the live stage. Watch the video below from the concert and you will know exactly what we are talking about.