The Bottom Line: Do you like Led Zeppelin even a little? Then it is quite possible that How The West Was Won is the perfect purchase. Simply amazing material. Really.
lambchops's Full Review: How the West Was Won [Box] by Led Zeppelin
Rewind to 1995. Grunge was over, kaput. And I was looking for a new infatuation. In a strange twist of fate, I fell in love with classic rockers Led Zeppelin instead of some new band or artist. From that moment on, I have considered myself a massive fan. Led Zeppelin is the single most important rock band to come out of the 1970’s. Period.
Not to mention the fact that Led Zeppelin rocked me through the most difficult days of my life. Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham were my constant companions during my diagnosis and treatment for cancer in early 1996. Even though I am so tied to the band, it has not by any means clouded my vision. I do not see Led Zeppelin as a band of gods. Rather, I see them as unequalled musical giants. Their music will forever stay with me, and now a new generation has been given the opportunity to discover the British greats.
The band’s journey began in England during the summer of 1968. Rising out of the ashes of Page’s earlier endeavor, The Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin would far surpass the wildest expectations of even the band members. This critical, commercial, and radio success throughout the years is certainly attributable to the kismet of the four members. Plant’s distinctive, rousing vocals matched Page’s incredible guitar work perfectly. One did not outweigh the other. Jones on the other hand proved an incredible bassist, but even more important was his ability to blend other instruments—he too was an accomplished keyboard/organ player. Bonham, an undisputed madman, thwacked feverishly at his drums. The four together, well, they were perfect.
From 1969 through 1979, Led Zeppelin released a string of albums. At first they were brilliant—Led Zeppelin I, Led Zeppelin II, Led Zeppelin III, Led Zeppelin IV, Houses of the Holy and double record Physical Graffiti were all incredibly efforts. As the seventies drew to a close, the band began to show signs of cracking. The release of live record The Song Remains The Same in addition to Presence and In Through The Out Door were all rather under whelming with only occasional flashes of the once-great band.
Led Zeppelin was not meant to stay around forever. John Bonham sealed this fate with his death due to alcohol poisoning in 1980. The band parted ways only a few months later. As sad as the break up was, it left a mostly positive taste in the mouths of fans and critics alike. They didn’t go too severely downhill, nor did Led Zeppelin ever become a band of has-beens and jokes. Rather, they left a legacy of greatness very rarely equaled and certainly never surpassed.
And late last month, something special happened. Led Zeppelin was brought back to life. The three remaining members for the first time in twenty years got on stage at the debut of their DVD and also live album How The West Was Won and performed. My sister, in attendance at said party and not even a huge fan, said it was simply electric. Plant, Page, and Jones still have that kismet mentioned above. They are still after all these years the perfect compliment to one another.
How The West Was Won will undoubtedly introduce a new generation to real hard rock royalty. It is a collection of three discs with never-before-heard live recordings from the band’s heyday (1972) and recorded at Long Beach Arena and the LA Forum. Consider this album a live greatest hits compilation. All the expected songs and a few unexpected gems are included. Not one is disappointing. Live albums are often annoying tests of patience marked with overwhelming crowd roars and various feedback. But How The West Is Won has been masterfully produced and assembled by Jimmy Page. His heart and his soul were clearly in the right place, and his talent for music making puts the album over the top of even my wildest expectations.
How The West Was Won is the most important album this year to date—a strange thing considering the recordings are now thirty years old. But as mentioned, aside from those people lucky enough to be in those 1972 these recordings had been completely forgotten. From the first notes of Immigrant Song, the album is pure magic. And this surreal, ethereal magic is what has always been appealing. How The West Was Won captures Led Zeppelin in time and preserves their memory.
Imagine yourself to be among the crowd at Long Beach Arena as Led Zeppelin opens Immigrant Song. While it is not by far their biggest hit, it has one of the most distinctive guitar lines in the history of rock n’ roll. Plant’s wailing chords also mark this as a standout. Everything about Immigrant Song is right. The fact that this is a live performance is almost completely forgotten as the most perfect band in rock history molds the notes and the melody into a true masterpiece.
The first CD continues, touching on the equally wondrous Heartbreaker. Plant’s energetic delivery sends chills down my spine. Add in the incredible guitars and drums and the overall quality of the song is undeniable. But it is on Black Dog that I most connect to Led Zeppelin. It is a song I’ve always been extremely partial to, probably in part because of the stop-and-go melody and the outstandingly heavy guitars and drums. Led Zepplin proves that heavier is indeed better if done properly, but they also contrast this by including slower songs in their set. But with that said, I can’t help but sing:
Hey hey mama said the way you move,
Gonna make you sweat gonna make you groove.
Over The Hills And Far Away is a lighter track that consciously infuses blues. Led Zeppelin possessed the ability to blend together genres and musical eras with what seems like ease. This without question is one of the main reasons why so many people with such diverse musical backgrounds all have a great appreciation for the band. Since I’ve Been Loving You also is a remarkable blues-rock track. With a slow, intentional pace the track begins with Page’s guitar and Bonham’s drums. It takes some time for the tack to really take shape, but as Jones taps away at the keys and Plant yowls provocatively there is no doubt that Led Zeppelin was at the top of their collective game.
There is one song that above all others will remind even the most novice of listeners who they are hearing on this album. Stairway To Heaven is not however my favorite song, though with that said it is still incredible. I can only fathom what joy it brought to the fans—even they quieted down to participate in the joyous occasion. Stairway To Heaven has always left me feeling enlightened. The arrangement is powerful to say the least, and here with just Plant’s restrained voice, Page’s beautifully melodic guitar, and a flute and the occasional tambourine it is an undeniably special experience. Simply, completely, amazing song—especially live.
Going To California has always been one of my favorite songs from Led Zeppelin. A soft folk-rock experience, it is the perfect setting for Plant’s talent. And while on many levels it seems as though Page, Jones, and Bonham take somewhat of a back seat their role is extremely important. The three fill up every possible hole with a continuous stream of consciousness sort of melody. Page’s acoustic guitars are impermeable—really, he’s never sounded better. Continuing in the same vein, That’s The Way is a lesser known gem. Originally recorded for Led Zeppelin III, it is light and shimmers delightfully. The fact that the band seems somehow less serious is a bit of a change of pace. Even though new fans may be unfamiliar with the track, it will soon become a favorite.
The first disc wraps up with the classic romp ‘em, stomp ‘em Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp. This is the kind of track that proves the band had the balls to try new things. They were never limited by genre and without much trouble infused. As with many of the other included live performances, this actually comes across better than studio recordings. Led Zeppelin is loose and wild and drops all production pretentiousness. Almost any band can sound great when a producer is done with them, but Led Zeppelin proves beyond doubt that they were a powerful, talented entity. Even today, it goes without say that the band is truly amazing.
Just four tracks are included on CD 2. This isn’t to say it is brief; rather it is to say that two are of epic length. Both Dazed and Confused and Moby Dick get special attention. Dazed and Confused clocks in at over twenty-five minutes. Surprisingly enough, it never once gets old. Led Zeppelin’s marvelous, emotional, psychedelic classic is tweaked into an indulgent, grand piece of art. Listeners will be drawn into the atmospherics. Closing my eyes, I feel the heat of the night and the electric vibe of the track.
Sandwiched between the two epic tracks are two classics in What Is And What Should Never Be and Dancing Days. The former returns to the band’s heavy blues roots. Jones’ bass guitar is a very important part of What Is And What Should Never Be. But I also have to mention the fact that I adore Plant here. He wails with pointed, restrained intention. Songs like this, while not the usual favorite Led Zeppelin, prove exactly why the band is the single best creative hard rock force to ever grace the music world.
Dancing Days on the other hand was actually the way I originally discovered Led Zeppelin--via a Stone Temple Pilots remake. It goes without saying that it is one of my top five favorite songs from them of all time. Dancing Days once again possesses an extremely distinctive intro. The melody that follows is equally powerful. And, performed live, the band takes the song to entirely more important heights. The usually controlled track features spikier guitars and more obvious drums. I like the direction, and of course I love Plant’s voice. If any one of the member of Led Zeppelin never existed, the band wouldn’t have ever reached these heights.
The second epic recording of this disc is Moby Dick. It comes as no surprise that the band was able to stretch it out to nearly twenty minutes considering that on past recordings it has gone on for over ten minutes with ease. Occasionally, Moby Dick does drag especially with Bonham’s wacky drum solo that lasts for over five minutes. But with that said, even if there are some sticking points I commend Page and Led Zeppelin--Page of course for not omitting it from How The West Was Won and Zeppelin for realizing the importance of percussion to their brilliant music.
CD 3 also begins with another long offering, Whole Lotta Love. This track also comes as shock since past versions have ranged from about five minutes to about fifteen. The arrangement of the track lends itself well to the expanded format. Whole Lotta Love is above all other things a straight-ahead hard rock offering. Everything about it seems familiar, yet the live recording exhibits all of the seams, the roughness, and the energy that I can only imagine were commonalities at Led Zeppelin shows. The song does eventually break into medley. But even though these epic songs are fascinating, I must admit that the shorter tracks are truly miraculous.
Rock And Roll is still another personal favorite. Blues melds perfectly with hard rock in this rousing song. The anxiousness and brevity of the track work hand in hand. Page’s guitars are loud and gritty, but with the addition of Jones’ bass and Bonham’s drums the song becomes something of a classic. Plant rounds out the equation in usual Led Zeppelin fashion—perfect. The Ocean is also a wonderful track, one that in fact is often forgotten in the wake of the major hits. But insofar as arrangement and writing and melody go, it is superior to much of the Zeppelin catalogue. It clearly came across even more perfectly live as the audience claps along to the softer parts. And those words, they cut right to my soul:
Sing about the good things,
And the sun that lights the day.
I used to sing on the mountains,
Has the ocean has the ocean lost its way?
This magical experience comes to a close with Bring It On Home, a cover of American blues master Willie Dixon’s song of the same name. Earlier tracks here prove that Zeppelin has the blues, and Plant actually came from a blues background before joining up with the band that would make him famous. Bring It On Home begins as a free wielding blue jam including harmonica, but as the song progresses the band plugs in and puts their own distinctly rock twist on the situation. It is in fact, the perfect way to end this perfect live collection.
Led Zeppelin thirty years later is just as relevant. Their songs and their music and their albums are just as important today as they’ve ever been. And considering the overall rather dire state of music in 2003 it is more important now than ever that kids check Zeppelin out. How The West Was Won is a rockin’ great time, but it is not just entertaining. This collection of live recordings proves the band’s importance. They were more than just studio musicians, Led Zeppelin was arena royalty.
Rating: 5/5 stars
Track Listing:
Disc: 1
1. LA Drone
2. Immigrant Song
3. Heartbreaker
4. Black Dog
5. Over The Hills And Far Away
6. Since I've Been Loving You
7. Stairway To Heaven
8. Going To California
9. That's The Way
10. Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp
Disc: 2
1. Dazed And Confused
2. What Is And What Should Never Be
3. Dancing Days
4. Moby Dick
Disc: 3
1. Whole Lotta Love (Medley)
2. Rock And Roll
3. The Ocean
4. Bring It On Home
Recorded in California How The West Was Won is a brilliant and essential audio complement to the DVD. This 3 CD set was culled from two legendary perf...More at Buy.com
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