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| ARTIST: |
Led Zeppelin
(Google this artist) |
| ALBUM: |
How the West Was Won |
| LABEL: |
Atlantic Records |
| RELEASED: |
2003 |
In a recent Rolling Stone interview, Eddie Vedder remarked that "all the great bands are a little bit scary." Few bands have ever sounded scarier or greater than Led Zeppelin does on How the West Was Won, a live document from a series of 1972 left-coast shows.
From the first 15 seconds, when a short instrumental explodes into "The
Immigrant Song," the intensity, musicianship and sheer confidence of Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John "Bonzo" Bonham and John Paul Jones is astonishing. In terms of power, versatility and virtuosity, no other supergroup can approach them. Unlike the Who, fronted by the often grating Roger Daltrey, Led Zeppelin has no weak link. Here they're a blues-powered locomotive a-rollin' through one sex-charged classic after another, from "Heartbreaker" to "The Ocean" and "Over the Hills and Far Away" from the then-unreleased Houses of the Holy. Even "Stairway to Heaven" sounds fresh in this incarnation.
Though culled from a handful of shows, the three-CD set is sequenced to convey the feel and flow of a single Zep concert. Unfortunately this means including the 19-minute drum solo "Moby Dick." It's like devoting 19 minutes of a film about a day in someone's life to them sitting on the can. Authentic, yes. Necessary, no. Enjoyable, not hardly.
But, as I'm sure Robert Plant would tell you, longer can also mean better. A thrilling 23-minute version of "Whole Lotta Love" incorporates a medley celebrating their blues and rockabilly roots. They sound like the world's greatest roadhouse band, having a good-old fashioned rave-up. Anyone who thinks of Zeppelin as pretentious or ponderous should have a listen.
As powerful as Zeppelin is at full throttle, they are most magical when they sit down at the end of disc one for their nightly acoustic trilogy: "Going to California," "That's the Way," and "Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp." The interplay between Page's Martin and Jones' amplified mandolin on "That's the Way" is particularly breathtaking.
For far too long, the Spinal Tap-ish soundtrack to The Song Remains The Same has stood as the official Led Zeppelin live document of record. Thankfully, we now have How the West Was Won, a generous helping of one of rock's mightiest groups at the absolute apex of their powers. By the time they "Bring it on Home" at the end of disc three, you'll be ready to head on over to the Riot House for a shark sandwich. See you there.
review by Steve Walsh
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©
Figgle 2001-2007