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We are in the not-too-distant 2003 and finally the great Mr. Page decides to release in the form of a live album material chosen by him, dating back to 1972, more precisely from two concerts at the LA Forum (June 25) and Long Beach Arena (June 27), which according to James Patrick represent the golden era in which the Led will conquer America. Led Zeppelin are considered one of the greatest live bands of all time, and listening to this triple album one will understand why.
Starting with the outburst of "Immigrant Song", where Page adds a splendid guitar solo not present on the studio version and where Bonham performs his magic on the drums, continuing with the dirty riff of "Heartbreaker" where Plant gives his best with an excellent vocal performance, and ending with the immortal "Black Dog", with Page setting the rules of the game and Plant executing them to perfection.
The waters calm a bit with the sweet "Over The Hills And Far Away" (note that the album "Houses Of The Holy" containing it had not yet been released in '72), still in development but still beautiful. And it is here that in my opinion comes the best live version of the first album, the heart-wrenching blues of "Since I've Been Loving You", where Plant screams like a madman and Page releases painful fiery notes from his Les Paul. Note also Bonham's versatility, who from the calm and pleasant rhythm of this song will later move to an unforgettable solo, namely "Moby Dick". After finishing the painful blues, Plant, with a smiling voice, announces "Stairway to Heaven" and from here Jimmy starts the arpeggio followed by John Paul Jones's flutes. The song in the live version is a succession of poignant moments where Plant's voice blends splendidly with Page's doubleneck to conclude in the final solo with driving drums and Robert's screams. These are the moments that make rock great, and Led Zep have given us so many... The enjoyable flow of "Going To California", with Page's mandolin at work, and two tracks from "Led Zeppelin III", namely "That's The Way" and "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp", follows.
The second disc opens with the majestic "Dazed And Confused", the group's ultimate psychedelic moment, with Plant delivering another truly magnificent vocal performance, concluding with a jam led by Page, which includes snippets of "The Crunge" and "Walter's Walk" (from Coda). We emerge from the psychedelic mist with the grand "What Is And What Should Never Be", which leads the audience into ecstasy, where the four of the Zeppelin perfectly understand each other and create a truly wonderful version. The cheerful "Dancing Days" precedes Bonham's masterpiece, that is the aforementioned "Moby Dick", nineteen minutes of fury, improvisation, incredible control in playing the instrument, the piece that in my opinion, along with "Achilles Last Stand", demonstrates all of John's greatness.
This brings us to the third disc, which begins with the hard rock of "Whole Lotta Love", with Page at his best, passing through the memorable "Rock and Roll", to "The Ocean", concluding the album grandly with "Bring It On Home", one of the Dirigible's best blues/rock improvisations. Few groups can work so well together as they do, and that's why without Bonham they will face the inevitable split.
And finally, this triple album represents the essence of the group, what they were and can never repeat again, in short, their best years. Once they climbed the mountain, gradually the group will start to descend, and there will be no more such testimonies. A must for every fan. Long live Led Zeppelin, the best. Always and forever.
Tracklist Lyrics and Samples
02 Immigrant Song (03:42)
Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs flow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!
On we sweep with threshing oar, Our only goal will be the western shore.
Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
How soft your fields so green, can whisper tales of gore,
Of how we calmed the tides of war. We are your overlords.
On we sweep with threshing oar, Our only goal will be the western shore.
So now you'd better stop and rebuild all your ruins,
For peace and trust can win the day despite of all your losing.
03 Heartbreaker (07:24)
Hey fellas, have you heard the news?
You know that Annie's back in town?
It won't take long, just watch and see
All the fellas lay their money down
Her style is new, but the face the same
As it was so long ago
But from her eyes, a different smile
Like that of one who knows
Well, it's been ten years and maybe more
Since I first set eyes on you
The best years of my life gone by
Here I am alone and blue
Some people cry and some people die
By the wicked ways of love
But I'll just keep on rollin' along
With the grace of the Lord above
People talkin' all around
'Bout the way you left me flat
I don't care what the people say
I know where their jive is at
One thing I do have on my mind
If you can clarify, please do
It's the way you call me another guy's name
When I try to make love to you
I try to make love, but it ain't no use
Give it to me, give it
Work so hard, I can't unwind
Get some money saved
Abuse my love a thousand times
However hard I tried
Heartbreaker, your time has come
Can't take your evil ways
Go away, heartbreaker
Heartbreaker, heartbreaker, heart!
04 Black Dog (05:40)
Hey, hey, mama, said the way you move
Gonna make you sweat
Gonna make you groove
Ah, ah, child, way you shake that thing
Gonna make you burn
Gonna make you sting
Hey, hey, baby, when you walk that way
Watch your honey drip
Can't keep away
Oh yeah, oh yeah, ah, ah, ah
Oh yeah, oh yeah, ah, ah, ah
I gotta roll, can't stand still
Got a flamin' heart, can't get my fill
Eyes that shine, burnin' red
Dreams of you all through my head
Ah ah, ah ah, ah ah, ah ah, ah ah, ah ah, ahhh
Hey baby, whoa baby, pretty baby
Darlin' makes 'em do me now
Hey baby, oh baby, pretty baby
Move me like you're doin' now
Didn't take too long 'fore I found out
What people mean by down and out
Spent my money, took my car
Started tellin' her friends she gonna be a star
I don't know, but I been told
A big-legged woman ain't got no soul
Oh yeah, oh yeah, ah, ah, ah
Oh yeah, oh yeah, ah, ah, ah
All I ask for, all I pray
A steady rollin' woman gonna come my way
Need a woman gonna hold my hand
Won't tell me no lies, make me a happy man
Ah ah, ah ah, ah ah, ah ah, ah ah, ah ah, ahhh
05 Over the Hills and Far Away (05:08)
Hey lady
You got the love I need
Maybe more than enough
Oh, darlin', darlin', darlin'
Walk a while with me
Ohh, you've got so much
So much
So much
Many have I loved
Many times been bitten
Many times I've gazed along the open road
Many times I've lied
And many times I've listened
Many times I've wondered how much there is to know
Many dreams come true
And some have silver linings
I live for my dream and a pocketful of gold
Mellow is the man
Who knows what he's been missing
Many many men can't see the open road
Many is a word that only leaves you guessing
Guessing 'bout a thing you really ought to know, ohh ohh ohh ohh
Really ought to know, ohh ohh
I really ought to know
07 Stairway to Heaven (09:37)
There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold
And she's buying a stairway to heaven
When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for
Ooh ooh, and she's buying a stairway to heaven
There's a sign on the wall, but she wants to be sure
'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings
In a tree by the brook, there's a songbird who sings
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven
Ooh, it makes me wonder
Ooh, it makes me wonder
There's a feeling I get when I look to the west
And my spirit is crying for leaving
In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees
And the voices of those who stand looking
Ooh, it makes me wonder
Ooh, it really makes me wonder
And it's whispered that soon if we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter
If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now
It's just a spring clean for the May queen
Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on
And it makes me wonder
Your head is humming and it won't go, in case you don't know
The piper's calling you to join him
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow, and did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind
And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll
And she's buying a stairway to heaven
08 Going to California (05:37)
Spent my days with a woman unkind
Smoked my stuff and drank all my wine
Made up my mind to make a new start
Goin' to California with an achin' in my heart
Someone told me there's a girl out there
With love in her eyes and flowers in her hair
Took my chances on a big jet plane
Never let them tell you that they're all the same
Oh, the sea was red and the sky was grey
Wondered how tomorrow could ever follow today
The mountains and the canyons started to tremble and shake
As the children of the sun began to awake
Watch out
Seems that the wrath of the Gods got a punch on the nose
And it started to flow, I think I might be sinkin'
Throw me a line, if I reach it in time
I'll meet you up there where the path runs straight and high
To find a queen without a king
They say she plays guitar and cries and sings, la la la la la
Ride a white mare in the footsteps of dawn
Tryin' to find a woman who's never, never, never been born
Standin' on a hill in my mountain of dreams
Telling myself it's not as hard, hard, hard as it seems
10 Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp (04:52)
I caught you smiling at me,
That's the way it should be,
Like a leaf is to a tree so fine.
Ah all the good times we had,
I sang love songs so glad,
Always smiling never sad so fine.
As we walk down a country lane,
I'll be singing a song,
Hear me calling your name.
Hear the whisper in the trees,
Telling mother nature bout you and me.
Well, if the sunshines so bright,
Or on our way it's darkest night,
The road we choose is always right so fine.
Ah can your love be so strong,
When so many loves go wrong,
Will our love go on and on and on and on and on and on.
As we walk down a country lane,
I'll be singing a song,
Hear me calling your name.
Hear the whisper in the trees,
Telling mother nature bout you and me.
My my, la de la, come on now it ain't too far,
Tell your friends all around the world,
Ain't no companion like a blue eyed merle.
Come on now well let me tell you,
What you're missing missing round them brick walls.
So, of one thing I am sure,
It's a friendship so pure,
Angels singing all around my door so fine.
Yeah, ain't but one thing to do
Spend my natural life with you,
You're the finest dog I knew so fine.
When you're old and your eyes are dim,
There ain't no old Shep gonna happen again.
We'll still go walking down country lanes,
I'll sing the same old songs,
Hear me call your name.
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Other reviews
By jk
Far surpassing the previous official live album "The Song Remains The Same," this triple offering provides us with a perfect synthesis of our beloved Led Zeppelin at their best.
Every time they are considered defunct (artistically speaking, of course), our guys return to show us once again WHO ROCKS!!!
By glitch
The concert was used as a testing and experimentation ground, leading the music to constant evolution.
How The West Was Won is destined to enter the history of the best live rock albums, succeeding where The Song Remains The Same failed.
By cece65
Robert Plant having an incredible voice, Jimmy Page with a guitar that sounds like a machine gun.
To be introduced to the younger generation, because those who listen to Pearl Jam, Phish, and Black Crowes today must know who the Led Zeppelin were and what they represented.
By paloz
These 18 tracks are nothing short of extraordinary!!! Almost three hours of magic signed by Zeppelin.
If we want to sum it up, we can safely say that nothing like this live performance has been seen since the 1976 film/concert.
By claudio carpentieri
An unmissable opportunity to take a sonic ride into a past turned history and understand how four young Englishmen came … To Conquer the West!
The album showcases a full yet essential sound, far removed from the nights at Madison Square Garden, clearly thanking the U.S.A. for its recognition.
