Led Zeppelin - How The West Was Won
Published June 17, 2003
I thought I'd give this a quick mention since it's the only CD I bought while on vacation.
These recordings are so, so, so much better than the limp Song Remains The Same. It's great to finally hear them live up to their "live rock gods" legend (actually, I do have a tape I made off of a radio broadcast made years and years ago...I wonder if it's from the same era).
Tight, furious, heavy and bluesy. Check out the version of "Rock and Roll" on disc 3. It's so good it just might make you forget that danged Cadillac commercial.
There are way too many highlights to enumerate here. But if you're looking for a great example of Zeppelin at their peak of power then this is the CD for you.
ps. It's funny but it bothers me when that squeaky drum pedal is "missing" during "Since I've Been Loving You"...maybe I spent too much time listening to Led Zeppelin III back in the day.
pps. Is it just me or is "How The West Was Won" a fricken terrible title?
(First posted on Mark Is Cranky)
Mark Saleski is a writer and music obsessive based out of the Monadnock region of New Hampshire. On his best day, he hopes to channel the ghosts of Lester Bangs and Jack Kerouac. He spends the hours of 9:32PM to 1:37AM carving out music reviews and essays for Jazz.com, Blogcritics.org and other publications.
- Led Zeppelin - How The West Was Won
- Published: June 17, 2003
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- Section: Music
- Writer: Mark Saleski
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Agree totally on the packaging -- I hate it when a disc set like this comes without any annotation, any perspective, any inside scoop. I didn't mind the title that much; I suppose in this case it refers to California, which is where the concerts were recorded (Long Beach and LA). Anyway, I just got it two days ago -- for Father's Day -- and haven't heard it all yet. I keep replaying Disc One over and over. So far, I'd say it's all a committed Zephead could ask for, and nicely captures the band at their mid-career peak.
Has anybody bought the DVD yet? I bought the DVD and waiting for it to ship.
Does it have the same songs and performances as the double CD?
damn sexy cd, son.
awesome, if played loud at full blast. really shows how good zeppelin is. i dont care what anyone says, this is one of the best cd's from and 70's band in a very long time.
dazed and confused a bit too long, though, but the stairway to heaven solo is mad hott.
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I agree (both on the music and the title.) I guess I understand what is meant by it, but it never really was in doubt that Zep "won" the west, probably long before this was recorded. I have an even bigger problem with the artwork. Compared to the classy desolation ofDVD, this looks like a very cheaply made bootleg. Not to mention rating a big zero on the packaging score - no booklet, no pictures (again, DVD wins here)? C'mon, Zep, we've waited HOW long for this? It just seems to me that if they were going to put that kind of time and energy into the music they could and should have followed through on the package.