10 Greatest Live Albums In Rock Music History
6. Led Zeppelin - How the West Was Won
The Song Remains The Same, the sole live record put out during Zeppelin’s lifetime, was somewhat of a disappointment for fans and the band alike. On release, the mixing was poor, and while subsequent remastering has fixed this, the record’s lack of energy still fails to exhibit the towering band at their best.
Many moons later, in 2003, Jimmy Page sought to rectify this. He took recordings from their 1972 tour (only a year prior to TSRTS but a big difference maker in terms of energy) and formed a record which much better reflects what the band was all about. They’re an astonishingly tight act, navigating the tricky rhythm and key changes of “Black Dog” in perfect precision and turning poppy cuts like “Heartbreaker” into epic but cohesive jams.
Most impressive, perhaps, are the slower numbers. “Going To California” is beautiful, with Robert Page on rare emotional form, and “Bron-Y-Aur Stomp” a showcase for Jimmy Page’s versatile guitar playing.
It’s a live album that focuses on the task of capturing the concert vibe. These aren’t just the songs you’d hear on the record; the band are insistent on giving the fans - the new generation especially - a proper reflection of Led Zep in their world conquering pomp.