Record Reviews

LED ZEPPELIN ~ HOW THE WEST WAS WON ATLANTIC 83587 ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Led Zeppelin released only 9 studio albums (one of them double) through their entire career, now collected in the magnificent Box Set called “The Complete Studio Recordings” – a mother of all Box Sets! Although there are hundreds of Led Zeppelin live bootlegs circulating on the market, there is scarcely little officially released live material. The BBC sessions album is one of them, but that is hardly a real “live” album, and of course the soundtrack to their pseudo-documentary movie "The Song Remains The Same", which was not really intended as a stand-alone live album. Therefore when Jimmy Page decided (in 2003) to release these two concerts, recorded in June of 1972 during their US tour, nothing could make me happier as a great admirer of Led Zeppelin’s artistry. Anybody listening to these recordings should be easily convinced that they were undoubtedly the greatest rock band of all times. Period. The 3 hours long set gives the listener everything there is to give. Superb performances, heartbreaking lyricism, divine sophistication and musical virtuosity – very lofty words, I know, but 100 % solid truth. They were just eight miles higher than anything else on earth at that time or after. Page is a giant and a genius, so inventive that it is truly scary. His treatment of the instrument and his ability to improvise are stellar. A 25+ minutes of “Dazed And Confused” and 23+ minutes of “While Lotta Love” are typical examples of what they sounded like at their best and how they could turn any of their songs around any way they wanted. I could really brag about this for hours, buy talking about music is like making love over the telephone, so just get this damn album and listen, and listen again. A little brain damage never hurt anybody! ;)

Updated: 26/01/2019Posted:

CD 3 Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend