LED ZEPPELIN How The West Was Won(Atlantic/Warner) Rating: NNNN Rating: NNNN
With Led Zeppelin’s Rock And Roll now being used in television ads to sell Cadillacs, the release of this three-CD live set along with a two-DVD collection of concert footage seems like a timely tie-in. How The West Was Won finds the proto-metal masters in conquest mode for two shows at the L.A. Forum and the Long Beach Arena in 72. The focus is clearly on Jimmy Page’s guitar flash – he produced the set, after all. However, the performances are exceptionally tight and aggressive all around, with the 25-minute excursion into Dazed And Confused and the kooky 23-minute Whole Lotta Love medley (that trips through Boogie Chillun, Let’s Have A Party, Hello Marylou and Going Down Slow) being key points of interest. The fab DVD package generously includes over five hours of pro-shot concert footage in Dolby digital 5.1 surround sound, including the highly regarded Royal Albert Hall show from 1970, Madison Square Garden 73, Earls Court 75 and Knebworth 79, in addition to interview clips and promo spots. A must for Led Zep fanatics.
