How The West Was Won: Live

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Product description ------------------- FACTORY SEALED DELUXE 3CD BOX - EAN 075678358722 - ATLANTIC - 2003 - MADE IN GERMANY .co.uk ------ How the West Was Won has been a long time coming. For a band with such an overarching legacy, the official record of Led Zeppelin's legendary--and unpredictable--live act has previously been poorly represented by the disappointing, scatter soundtrack ( /exec/obidos/ASIN/B000002I3D/%24%7B0%7D ) to The Song Remains the Same. But this triple-disc live set (culled from 1972 Long Beach/LA shows in advance of Houses of the Holy ( /exec/obidos/ASIN/B000002J0B/%24%7B0%7D )) addresses history with a vengeance, if a few decades late. These shows have rightfully assumed cult status in the bootleg market, showcasing a band at the peak of its creative and performing powers. The Zep faithful will welcome this belated release as evidence for enduring loyalty, but younger fans may find its diversity and dynamics even more enlightening--indeed, whole careers have since been built on the musical ideas Jimmy Page and company throw out here as decorative filler. Crucially rooted in the amped-and-hammered American blues of the guitarist's former band, the Yardbirds ( /exec/obidos/artist-search/Yardbirds/%24%7B0%7D ), the marathon work-outs of "Dazed and Confused" and "Whole Lot a Love" (which consume nearly an hour all by themselves) somehow encompass Ricky Nelson ( /exec/obidos/artist-search/Ricky%20Nelson/%24%7B0%7D ), Morocco, James Brown ( /exec/obidos/artist-search/James%20Brown/%24%7B0%7D ), Holst, Elvis Presley ( /exec/obidos/artist-search/Elvis%20Presley/%24%7B0%7D ) and Muddy Waters ( /exec/obidos/artist-search/Muddy%20Waters/%24%7B0%7D ) amidst their trademark sturm und drang, while the acoustic set that closes out Disc One showcases the band's--and particularly Robert 's--good-natured, crypto-Celtic folk appeal with energetic omb. Bigger and ber than just about any rock act that followed in its historic wake, yet ever fan-loyal to its myriad influences, Led Zeppelin's live juggernaut finally gets the monument it deserves. --Jerry McCulley