More impatient listeners may balk at the inclusion of the lengthy, legendary jams the band was known for. "Dazed And Confused," "Moby Dick," and "Whole Lotta Love" could fill an entire CD by themselves (literally - there's approximately 70 minutes spread nearly evenly between the three,) but are thankfully separated by shorter tracks. And if you thought you'd long ago heard more than enough of "Stairway To Heaven," How The West's version restores to the FM-staple the rightful beauty it had the very first time you heard it. The first disc, for me, is sure to see the most time in the CD player - these are the more immediate crowd-pleaser moments and bluesy romps, and even with the longer tracks - "Stairway," "Heartbreaker," and "Since I've Been Loving You" - which clock in at seven to nine minutes each, the set moves along at a good clip. Discs two and three, featuring only four tracks each, require more astute listening. The long jams really need time to develop and envelope the listener, and so will probably require appropriate listening circumstances - these jams do tend to "ramble on," so those of short-attention span or those just looking for a quick Zep fix are urged to move along after the main body of the songs have been covered. "Dazed" eventually develops into "The Crunge," and "Whole Lotta Love" contains its signature medley, but getting there may take some patience.
How The West Was Won makes up for the previous absence of truly representative live Zeppelin. The sound quality is stunning - there is no other word for it - and highlights aspects of the band that simply could not be represented or captured in the studio. Waiting decades to receive something like this is like receiving that long-delayed gift from that relative or friend who somehow missed your birthday. You knew it was out there, and you hoped that after all this time it was going to be something really special. This gift more than makes up for being tardy - it re-establishes the legend of this unforgettable force in music. As if it was ever really in question.
(And now I have to find time to watch five and a half hours of live footage on DVD. Yikes!)
Article comments