Led Zeppelin "How the West Was Won" 1972(rec) 2003(release)*****

One of the most commonplace things "experts" always did with Led Zeppelin was to lament how they disbanded without releasing a live album worthy of their reputation. The movie and soundtrack of The Song Remains The Same (recorded 1973) were considered underwhelming, especially in comparison with classic live albums like The Who's Live At Leeds, Deep Purple's Made In Japan or Thin Lizzy's Live And Dangerous. I daresay that The Song... was vastly improved when it was reissued in 2007 with a new remastering and 6 extra tracks including big hits like "Black Dog" and "Heartbreaker". No-one listening to it now would put it down so easily. Next to that, we now have 3 more posthumous live albums and one DVD to choose from: BBC Sessions (recorded 1969-71), How The West Was Won (rec.1972),  Led Zeppelin DVD (1969-79) and the band's triumphant 2002 one-off comeback Celebration Day (released in 2012). They all offer ample proof that Led Zeppelin were a monster of a live band, probably even the best rock performers ever, period. Among these, How the West Was Won, recorded in California (hence the West of the title) in June 1972, is arguably the best representation of the band on top of their game. They sound supremely confident and powerful as they tear through their songs, elongating and reshaping them at will. I can just picture audiences staring at them with mouth open in awe, as they launch with the Viking attack of "Immigrant Song": Bonham banging the drums as if trying to get the rowing warriors to achieve ramming speed (and who could withstand such an assault?), Plant in total command of his voice, shrieking like a berserker or singing low like an epic troubadour, Page shredding... wait, Page shredding? that doesn't sound right. Page is known for his heavy blues riffs, he's not a shredder. Rewind: yes, here he is, releasing a torrent of angry notes right at the point where the studio version used to end. I guess he can do anything he wants: listen to the next song "Heartbreaker" where he goes from the heavy opening riff to playing everything from blues to country to medieval folk in the bridge, until the heavens open again for Bonham's thunderbolts and more guitar shredding. If you think I'm unnecessarily waxing poetic, you haven't read much about Led Zeppelin. It's impossible to approach this band in a pedestrian manner. You can either marvel at what they do, or hate them for their grandstanding, for buying into their own myth and for disappearing into their own asses to play 25-minute jams ("Dazed And Confused") and 19-minute drum solos ("Moby Dick"). But those two songs are in Disc Two. I don't think anyone could find a fault in Disc One: 9 amazingly powerful performances of classic Zeppelin. Plant drips with passion on "Since I've Been Loving You", and "Stairway To Heaven" is like a gorgeous lady you've gotten too accustomed with: change a few details and you're ready to fall in love with her all over again. "Going To California" gets, of course, an enthusiastic crowd reaction (this was, after all, recorded in California) and proves Zeppelin don't need thousands of Volts to work magic: Page's acoustic and Jones' mandolin, together with Plant's dreamy vocals will suffice. "That's The Way" and the country-ish "Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp" complete the acoustic segment that closes Disc One. Disc Two is overburdened by the two aforementioned behemoths that are alternately spell-binding and tiresome: Page using a violin bow on his guitar on "Dazed..." is one of the highlights of a long, self-indulgent, piece, and I'll probably choose "Moby Dick" anytime I want to listen to a marathon drum solo, but that doesn't happen too often. Disc Three opens with the monster riff of "Whole Lotta Love", and the band takes us on a 23-minute trip, into which they incorporate not only the famous psychedelic bridge but also a medley of covers including John Lee Hooker's "Boogie Chillen", Leslie Gore's "Let's Have A Party", Ricky Nelson's "Hello Mary-Lou" and Jimmy Oden's "Going Down Slow". "Rock And Roll" perfectly encapsulates the meaning of those three little words. As penultimate track they give the audience a preview of then-still-unreleased "The Ocean", and finally close with a return to the roots and Willie Dixon's classic "Bring It On Home". Plant gets downhome here, even blowing some blues harp, but it's still the blues Led Zeppelin-style i.e. with bone-crunching riffs and thunderous drums. I guess I'm like most people who've been listening to Rock for decades: I rarely feel like listening to Zeppelin since I'm overtly familiar with every little nuance of their classics. Maybe it's getting re-acquainted with them through these new versions that makes me enjoy this live CD so much, or maybe these performances just really are so awesome. Certainly I've never heard Bonham sound so good before. Hammer Of The Gods, indeed! Let there never be said again that Led Zeppelin have never made a truly classic live album.

***** for Immigrant Song, Heartbreaker, Black Dog, Over The Hills And Far Away, Since I've Been Loving You, Stairway To Heaven, That's The Way, Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp, Whole Lotta Love, Rock And Roll 

**** for Going To California, What Is And What Should Never Be, The Ocean, Bring It On Home 

*** for Dazed And Confused, Dancing Days, Moby Dick