Led Zeppelin - How The West Was Won - 3CD (2003)

Led Zeppelin - How The West Was Won - 3CD (2003)

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, scattershot soundtrack 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) 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 faithfulmore… 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, 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, Morocco, James Brown, Holst, Elvis Presley and Muddy Waters amidst their trademark sturm und drang, while the acoustic set that closes out Disc One showcases the band's--and particularly Robert Plant's--good-natured, crypto-Celtic folk appeal with energetic aplomb. Bigger and brasher 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...Pepe Panzer

320 @
345 MB

Tracklist:

CD 1

01. LA Drone – 0:14
02. Immigrant Song – 3:42
03. Heartbreaker – 7:25
04. Black Dog – 5:41
05. Over the Hills and Far Away – 5:08
06. Since I've Been Loving You - 8:02
07. Stairway to Heaven – 9:38
08. Going to California – 5:37
09. That's the Way – 5:54
10. Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp - 4:55

CD 2

01. Dazed and Confused – 25:25
02. What Is and What Should Never Be – 4:41
03. Dancing Days – 3:42
04. Moby Dick – 19:20

CD 3

01. Whole Lotta Love - 23:08
02. Rock and Roll – 3:56
03. The Ocean – 4:21
04. Bring It On Home (inkl. Bring It On Back) – 9:30

Led Zeppelin - BBC Sessions (2CD-Remaster Edit1997)

Led Zeppelin - BBC Sessions (2CD-Remaster Edit1997)

Led Zeppelin 's BBC sessions were among the most popular bootleg items of the rock & roll era, appearing on a myriad of illegal records and CDs. They were all the more popular because of the lack of official Led Zeppelin live albums, especially since The Song Remains the Same failed to capture the essence of the band. For anyone who hadn't heard the recordings, the mystique of Zeppelin's BBC sessions was somewhat mystifying, but the official 1997 release of the double-disc BBC Sessions offered revelations for any fan who hadn't yet heard this music. While some collectors will be dismayed by the slight trimming on the "Whole Lotta Love Medley," almost all of the group's sessions are included here, and they prove why live Zeppelin was the stuff of legend. The 1969 sessions, recorded shortly after the release of the first album, are fiery and dynamic, outstripping the studio record for sheer power. Early versions of "You Shook Me," "Communication Breakdown," "What Is and What Should Never Be," and "Whole Lotta Love" hit harder than their recorded counterparts, while covers of Sleepy John Estes' "The Girl I Love She Got Long Black Wavy Hair," Robert Johnson's "Travelling Riverside Blues," and Eddie Cochran's "Something Else" are welcome additions to the Zeppelin catalog, confirming their folk, blues, and rockabilly roots as well as their sense of vision. Zeppelin's grand vision comes into sharper relief on the second disc, which is comprised of their 1971 sessions. They still have their primal energy, but they're more adventurous, branching out into folk, twisted psychedelia, and weird blues-funk. Certainly, BBC Sessions is the kind of album that will only appeal to fans, but anyone who's ever doubted Zeppelin's power or vision will be set straight with this record. ..S. T. Erlewine

320 @
350 MB

Tracklist:

CD 1

01. You Shook Me (5:14)
02. I Can't Quit You Baby (4:22)
03. Communication Breakdown (3:12)
04. Dazed And Confused (6:39)
05. The Girl I Love She Got Long Black Wavy Hair (3:00)
06. What Is And What Should Never Be (4:20)
07. Communication Breakdown (2:40)
08. Travelling Riverside Blues (5:12)
09. Whole Lotta Love (6:09)
10. Somethin' Else (2:06)
11. Communication Breakdown (3:05)
12. I Can't Quit You Baby (6:21)
13. You Shook Me (10:19)
14. How Many More Times (11:51)

CD 2

01. Immigrant Song (3:20)
02. Heartbreaker (5:16)
03. Since I've Been Loving You (6:56)
04. Black Dog (5:17)
05. Dazed And Confused (18:36)
06. Stairway To Heaven (8:49)
07. Going To California (3:54)
08. That's The Way (5:43)
09. Whole Lotta Love (Medley): Boogie Chillun' / Fixin' To Die / That's Alright Mama / A Mess Of Blues (13:45)
10. Thank You (6:37)