The Song Remains the Same (song)

Template:Infobox song "The Song Remains the Same" is a song by the English rock group Led Zeppelin. It is the opening track from their 1973 album, Houses of the Holy.

Composition

The song was originally an instrumental with the working title "The Overture".<ref name=Schulps>Dave Schulps, Interview with Jimmy Page Template:Webarchive, Trouser Press, October 1977.</ref> After singer Robert Plant added lyrics, it was temporarily known as "The Campaign" before becoming "The Song Remains the Same".<ref name=Complete>Dave Lewis (1994), The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, Omnibus Press, Template:ISBN.</ref> In an interview he gave to Guitar World magazine in 1993, guitarist Jimmy Page discussed the song's construction: Template:Quote

Plant's vocal track was slightly sped up for the album release.<ref name="Complete"/> Page played overdubs with a Telecaster on this recording, and also a Fender 12-string guitar.<ref name="Complete"/>

Performance and releases

The band first performed this song live on their 1972 Japanese Tour.<ref name="Complete"/> Bootlegs from this tour reveal that the song was still without a settled title, with Plant introducing it as "Zep" from the stage at Tokyo. At Led Zeppelin concerts from late 1972 through 1975, "The Song Remains the Same" was followed (just as on the original album) by direct segue into "The Rain Song". For this live arrangement, Page employed his trademark Gibson EDS-1275 double-necked guitar.<ref name=page93>Interview with Jimmy Page Template:Webarchive, Guitar World magazine, 1993</ref> "The Song Remains the Same" was the opening song for the 1977 US tour and 1979 concerts, before being dropped from the set list for the 1980 European tour.<ref name="Complete"/> The song was also performed at Led Zeppelin's reunion show at the O2 Arena, London on 10 December 2007.

"The Song Remains the Same" was featured on Led Zeppelin's 1976 concert film (and accompanying soundtrack), as part of Plant's fantasy sequence. The title of the song was used as the title of both the film and the album.

"The Song Remains The Same (Guitar Overdub Reference Mix)", an instrumental version of the song, appears on the second disc of the remastered 2-CD deluxe edition of Houses of the Holy. It was recorded on 18 May 1972, at the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio at Stargroves, with engineer Eddie Kramer and mix engineer George Chkiantz. It runs 5:30, while the original runs 5:24.

Reception

In a contemporary review of Houses of the Holy, Gordon Fletcher of Rolling Stone gave "The Song Remains the Same" a mixed review, writing that the track is "the only other tune [on the album, except for "The Ocean"] approaching the Zep's past triumphs" and "works solely as a vehicle for Page's guitar antics".<ref name="rolling stone">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

In a retrospective review of Houses of the Holy (Deluxe Edition), Kristofer Lenz of Consequence of Sound gave "The Song Remains the Same" a more positive review, praising every band member and writing that "as the band moves through the many changes of “The Song Remains the Same”, they are tight yet nimble, proficient yet unpretentious."<ref name="CoS">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Personnel

According to Jean-Michel Guesdon and Philippe Margotin:Template:Sfn

• Robert Plant – vocals
• Jimmy Page – electric guitars (six- and twelve-string)
• John Paul Jones – bass
• John Bonham – drums

See also

• List of cover versions of Led Zeppelin songsTemplate:Snd"The Song Remains the Same" entries

Bibliography

• Template:Cite book