Led Zeppelin - How the West Was Won
|
List Price: Our Price: $13.53 You Save: $13.41 (50%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $8.21 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for How the West Was Won
Free Music Review: Led Zep's lost concert recordings from 1972 was the album of 2003
Hit: 5 Stars
Led Zeppelin's third live album (and first triple live album) How the West Was Won was released in May of 2003.
Despite the fact it was recorded in June of 1972, this live album sounds like it was recorded yesterday.
This live album was released in conjunction with the Led Zeppelin 2-DVD set that came out in May of 2003.
The other two live releases, 1976's The Song Remains the Same (which was re-released in a much better version in 2007) and 1997's BBC Sessions, whilst both great, arguably don't match the fire and passion this 3-disc live effort has!
How the West Was Won was recorded in June of 1972 in California during the warm-up tour for Houses of the Holy which would not be released for almost an entire year. Jimmy Page's guitar work, Robert Plant's vocals, John Paul Jones' bass playing and keyboard work and the late John Bonham's drumming were just arguably at their best on this set.
Led Zeppelin turn out superior live versions of "The Immigrant Song", "Heartbreaker", "Going to California", "That's the Way", "Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp", "What Is and What Should Never Be" and the closing "Bring it On Home" I have ever heard.
"Since I've Been Loving You", "Stairway to Heaven", "Rock and Roll" and "Black Dog" are excellent here although am more biased to the versions on the re-issued The Song Remains the Same.
Also, Zeppelin were not afraid to stretch out live as demonstrated on "Dazed and Confused" with Page's eerie violin bow guitar solo (and teasers of the then un-released tracks "The Crunge" and 'Walter's Walk" in the middle section after the violin bow solo where the band jam), "Moby Dick" is phenomenal with Bonham's killer drum solo showing us why he was one of rock and roll's greatest drummers and lastly the extended "Whole Lotta Love" which rivals the version on The Song Remains the Same (either the original 1976 release or 2007 re-release).
Also, Zeppelin previewed the then-upcoming Houses of the Holy album (not released until March of 1973) with stellar versions on "Over the Hills and Far Away", a teaser of "The Crunge" in "Dazed and Confused", "Dancing Days" and of course "The Ocean".
Kevin Shirley plus Zeppelin mastermind Jimmy Page remixed and remastered this album in a painstaking fashion and the results are extremely superb.
When How the West Was Won was released, the public spoke (I helped the cause) and pushed How the West Was Won to #1 in its first week on Billboard (last "from-the-vault" live album to reach #1 as of this moment) and went Platinum with a bullet! Superb for a so-called "from the vault" live album.
Highly recommended!
Free Music Review: You can never have too many versions of "Dazed & Confused"
Hit: 5 Stars
I have a half-dozen bootleg albums of Led Zeppelin concerts from the mid-1970s salted away somewhere, which means that when it comes to listening to the group in live performance the sound on "How the West Was Won" is actually a step up. But even if your experience to Led Zeppelin live is limited to the soundtrack for "The Song Remains the Same" you can still appreciate the way the group refused to simply get up on stage and play their songs the way they appeared on their albums. "Whole Lotta Love" and "Dazed and Confused" were always an opportunity to indulge in the wide variety of musical forms that had inspire Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. This is why when you listen to the former you find John Lee Hooker's "Boggie Chillun," Jerry Leiber's "Let's Have a Party," Gene Pitney's "Hello Marylou," and James B. Oden's "Going Down Slow" into the mix. But during the later Led Zep would reference its own work, both known ("The Crunge") and unknown ("Walter's Walk"). Both "Heartbreaker" and "Bring It On Home" are extended in similar ways as well, playing to the group's strengths. The tracks are taken from two concerts, recorded two days apart, in June of 1972. The order of the 18 tracks follows the set list for those two concerts, with the only omission from both concerts being "Tangerine" from the acoustic set that ends Disc 1 (Disc 3 has half of the encore material from the L.A. gig, which apparently went on much longer than the one in Long Beach, including "Louie Louie," "Thank You" and "Communication Breakdown"). The bottom line is that "How the West Was Won" is one of those albums where the fact that it has previously unreleased live Led Zeppelin music is enough to make you decide whether or not you want to pick it up, even if you already have any of the bootlegs that exist (I have one of 1973 Forum concert that was Bonzo's 25th birthday, but that is not this one). Even when you are aware of the similarities between some of the songs that are on both this album and "The Song Remains the Same," there are always some significant differences that makes you appreciate the way Led Zep usually made their songs extended jam sessions. Besides, you get a version of the one song that is in the concert film of "The Song Remains the Same" but not on the album, "Since I've Been Loving You," which is a Led Zeppelin blues classic that I never thought got the credit it deserved.
Free Music Review: british blues with a dash of hard rock and mysticism
Hit: 5 Stars
i have been an admirer of led zep for a number of years. of course this reviewer was not old enough to attend even their last shining performance as band in Knebworth ('79). i can tell you that word of mouth is just as good advertising as any other marketing tool. its been said that no other band can match the raw energy that these boys radiated on the stage. the thing about this band was that its beginnings were rooted in the blues and from that starting point jimmy page (their leader) mutated their sound into an aural event that no one has heard since. the band tended to have critics and the like judge their music by their performances. some bands even with all of the studio trickery that can be achieved today can not put together anything close to the magnitude in which zeppelin albums were formulated let alone their live performances. this band was meant to be heard live and in no other atmosphere. we have the good fortune with "how the west was won" to learn and appreciate the many styles each member represented and brought to the table. they could have been accused of becoming a little more aor with their last full release "in through the out door" (released just a short year before bonzo's death) but this set catches them at the peak of their creative powers. their style is in many ways copied and they launched a sound for millions of other bands to imitate and use as a blueprint for their own creative direction. its just a feeling of relief to know that even 35 years plus after their inception that they have the top slot in the billboard charts and that fans continue to enjoy their music and that new fans are being discovered every day. bands with something to prove should sit up and take notice and thank their lucky stars that led zeppelin ever existed. i think the thing which most impresses me about this recording is the quality (30 years considering) and the amazing intensity with which these four stellar musicians perform because first and foremost thats what they were, musical virtuosos. being in the top slot over bands like staind, linkin park and even eminem is all the proof you need to know that these guys were/are the real deal. the dvd collection is probably on par with the stones' "gimme shelter" or dylans "dont look back" and i would highly recommend it to not only the diehard or casual zeppelin fan but the individual with the ability to appreciate good old fashioned rock n' roll.
lighters up to an unparalleled legacy!
Free Music Review: A great capture of Bombastic, Excesssive 70's stadium rock by the Godfathers of Hard Rock
Hit: 5 Stars
When I was going to University in England on study-abroad as a teen, I happened upon a kiosk selling bootlegs, and got a two-tape Led Zeppelin bootleg. As far as I can tell, it may have been comprised of one of these shows, as it certainly sounded like it was off the soundboard, and it certainly wasn't the later Song Remains the Same soundtrack. Unfortunately, it was a tape, and it either got chewed up or left behind in one of the many moves in that period of my life. Pity, I'd like to know if it was the same shows I was listening to back then that I hear now in these recordings, because I remember thinking back then, the world really deserved to hear a concert like THAT to represent Led Zeppelin live. Now we have it, on CD, cleaned up and mastered and showing the band in all its glory.
Some people like the whole stretched-out 70's live rock stadium extravaganza, and others want to hear their songs as close to how they're played on record as possible and then go home. This disc is a record of 70's stadium rock at both its best and most bombastic, excessive, and pretentious. If you're into that sort of thing (I certainly am) its a must-have collection.
These CD's show why the band made a wise move in disbanding after Bonham's death. He was an absolute monster on the skins. His swing would start at the corner and stretch all the way around the block, and STILL be coming at you. Its his drumming that anchors Zeppelin as we know it. JPJ is a solid, dependable bassic, and he does the wise thing of fitting right in on the bottom end and holding his own, while Page pummels us with his guitar riffing. Yes, the excessiveness of Page's playing often shows his technical limitations and sloppiness, but like many great 70's acts, you have to remember, he was writing the book of tricks that so many bands nowadays simply use to write music-by-numbers. This guy was reckless, experimental, and creative as hell, and that's something, at its best, that comes through in spades. Plant's voice holds its own and then some. He's not hamming it up like he did for Song Remains the Same, and it doesn't sound like he's stretching as hard as he might have been if he knew these soundtracks would be released world-wide years later. But that makes this performance more honest, in that you get to experience what it might have been like to be in the audience for a couple great Led Zeppelin shows. In a word-awesome.
Free Music Review: All Hail the Gods of Rock
Hit: 5 Stars
One day, my friend asked me, if you were stuck on a deserted island and could only bring one album, which would it be? Now, ME being a music freak, one would think I would have a hard time answering this question- but no. Quite simple. THIS ONE. This is the mother of all live albums. What makes it so freakin awesome? To start off, we're talking about Zeppelin here. LIVE ZEPPELIN.
DISC 1:
1/2. LA Drone/Immigrant Song: Blood pumping intro; listen to this one with your headphones at the loudest volume... it will make you shake with excitement.
3. Heartbreaker: THIS is why Page is Godly.
4. Black Dog: Perfect. Perfect. Plant knows how to work a crowd.
5. Over the Hills and Far Away: At this time, Houses of the Holy wasn't released yet, so audiences got their first taste of the genius to come. This song IS genius, even better live.
6. Since I've Been Loving You: Blues at their finest. Oh how I love these four men.
7. Stairway to Heaven: The insane ballad with the double necked gibson. What else to say?
8. Going To California: This song makes me cry its so beautiful. Oooh yes.
9. That's The Way: Please see "Going to California"
10. Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp: This will get your feet stompin' and your blood rushin'.
DISC 2:
1. Dazed and Confused: Are you intimidated by the length of this song? Don't be. [really] AMAZING. This is an even better example of why Jimmy is right up there with Hendrix. An excellent example of how the 4 members seem to be psychic.
2. What It Is and SHould Never Be: Perfect
3. Dancing Days: "it's about summertime and good things" :)
4. Moby Dick: GOD BLESS BONHAM'S SOUL. PLEASE.
DISC 3:
1. Whole Lotta Love: Take an even farther step back in time when John Lee Hooker and Gene Pitney were writing rock n' roll. Zep will take you there. If I had to choose a favorite track on the album, this would probably be it. Only these guys can pull off what they do here. Only Zeppelin.
2. Rock and Roll: classic tune with a live attitude. geez I sound like a salesperson. Let me change that: A classic tune with a live attitude :: wink and smile with a tooth sparkling ::
really fun.
3. The Ocean: You can tell they're just totally rockin out here and having a hell of a time. really awesome.
4. Bring It on Home: PERFECT ENDING.
One complaint. I wish it was longer.