How the West Was Won (2003) 


 

Disc One
 1. L.A. Drone
 2. Immigrant Song
 3. Heartbreaker
 4. Black Dog
 5. Over the Hills and Far Away
 6. Since I've Been Loving You
 7. Stairway to Heaven
 8. Going to California
 9. That's the Way
10. Bron-Yr-Aur stomp


Disc Two
 1. Dazed and Confused
 2. What Is and What Should Never Be
 3. Dancing Days
 4. Moby Dick

Disc Three
 1. Whole Lotta Love
 2. Rock and Roll
 3. The Ocean
 4. Bring it On Home

 

It’s a curious thing. One listens to How the West Was Won and immediately wonders: if this existed all along, why was the world subjected to the turgid mess that was The Song Remains the Same? Here, at last, is the live Led Zeppelin that fans always imagined existed—a band that sounds awake, alive, and, most importantly, dangerous.

This triple CD set draws its material from two 1973 Los Angeles shows during the Houses of the Holy tour. Whether the performances were seamlessly stitched together or selectively enhanced in post-production is beside the point. The result is nothing short of electrifying. The energy is palpable, the playing muscular, and the setlist generous. For once, Zeppelin live sounds like a celebration rather than a chore.

The luxury of three discs (running an indulgent 2½ hours) grants the band the room to stretch out. And stretch they do. The trio of epics—Dazed and Confused, Moby Dick, and Whole Lotta Love—each clocks in at over 20 minutes. Under normal circumstances, this would amount to a test of listener endurance, but here it somehow works. Dazed and Confused is stitched with musical detours, psychedelic explorations, and unexpected covers, while Whole Lotta Love devolves into a joyous, genre-hopping medley. Even Moby Dick, usually an overlong drum exercise, benefits from production so immersive that one scarcely notices the excess. The bloat, for once, feels earned.

Equally notable is the improved song selection. Unlike the muddled picks of The Song Remains the Same, this release highlights the best of Zeppelin’s first five albums—radio staples, fan favorites, and, most charmingly, a three-song acoustic interlude that closes the first disc. It’s a rare moment of repose that highlights the band’s folk underpinnings, often lost amid the thunder.

Why it took 30 years to release this recording remains one of rock’s minor mysteries. But better late than never. How the West Was Won not only redeems the band’s live reputation—it elevates it. One can only hope that the vaults still contain more gems like this, preferably from later tours, when the band’s palette had expanded to include the heavier, darker tones of their twilight years.

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