It took 30 years before Led Zeppelin gave its fans just about the only thing missing from its history – a high quality live album of the group at the peak of its powers. How the West Was Won filled that gaping hole quite nicely. A must have for any Zep fan; a must listen for every hard rock lover.
HTWWW is a 3 CD set released on May 27, 2003. A 2 disc DVD-Audio was released on October 7, 2003. The recordings on the discs are from the soundboards at two of Led Zeppelin’s finest performances: at the LA Forum on June 25, 1972, and at the Long Beach Arena on June 27, 1972. To put it in context, this was Zeppelin’s US tour between IV and Houses of the Holy.
Jimmy Page produced the release, picking and choosing the best performances from the two concerts. Audience bootlegs of these shows had circulated for years, and Jimmy Page’s personal archives had been robbed in the mid-80s, but neither of those sources included soundboard recordings of these shows. This is 2 and 1/2 hours in a time machine.
The sound quality on HTWWW is truly first rate, putting The Song Remains the Same to shame. Robert Plant’s voice was in incredible condition, John Paul Jones a precision driving machine, and John Bonham a thundering powerhouse. Jimmy Page has never played better, as even he acknowledged in an interview with The Times on January 8, 2010.
“I think what we did on ... How the West was Won – that 1972 gig – is pretty much a testament of how good it was. It would have been nice to have had a little more visual recordings, but there you go. That’s the conundrum of Led Zeppelin!”
Upon its release, HTWWW debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 Albums and Top Internet charts. It stayed on the chart for 16 weeks, and was certified Platinum by the end of June, 2003. The UK’s Classic Rock rates HTWWW as #4 of the 50 Greatest Live Albums Ever.
Disc One:
“LA Drone” “Immigrant Song” Heartbreaker” “Black Dog” “Over the Hills and Far Away” “Since I’ve Been Loving You” “Stairway to Heaven” “Going to California” “That’s the Way” “Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp”
Disc Two:
“Dazed and Confused” “Walter’s Walk” “The Crunge” “What Is and What Should Never Be” “Dancing Days” “Moby Dick”
Disc Three:
“Whole Lotta Love” “Boogie Chillun” “Let’s Have a Party” “Hello Marylou” “Going Down Slow” “Rock and Roll” “The Ocean” “Bring It On Home” “Bring It On Back”
Here is the entire 3 disc recording with track list and times. Enjoy, and have a great Memorial Day weekend!