Becoming Led Zeppelin (2024)

IMDb plot summary: The film traces the journeys of the four members of the Stairway To Heaven rockers through the music scene of the 1960s and their meeting in the summer of 1968, culminating in 1970.

Directed by Bernard MacMahon.

Becoming Led Zeppelin is a documentary about the forming of Led Zeppelin, primarily centering around interviews with the living members of the band, more so than those in their circle or influenced by them. Watching documentaries about bands I have no connection to is always kind of an interesting task. My primary litmus test is whether it made me want to listen to their music more, and, for this one, it mostly didn't. What it did do was give me a fondness for the nerdery of the band members. They seem much less like hugely successful musicians and more like college besties just enjoying how much fun music is. It does turn out that everything that they love most about music is not what draws me to music. They're talking about all these amazing guitar choices and drum choices and rhythm choices and while I really love hearing them talk about something that they are so passionate about, I'm a lyrics person and a melody person. I do appreciate this extra understanding of what it is that makes this band special. It just also highlights for me that this is not going to be a band that is going to be my favorite. But if you want to hear people just nerd out about music theory for like 2 hours, this is a surprisingly fun watch, and definitely a different take from many music documentaries that focus so heavily on the stress of the celebrity life.

🎥 Becoming Led Zeppelin (2025)

📊 Ranked #2438/4194 on my Flickchart

🎯 Flickscore™: 42

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