HOW THE WEST WAS WON (LED ZEPPELIN) - 2003

“How the West was won” è un triplo album dal vivo dei Led Zeppelin, pubblicato nel maggio 2003. Si tratta di registrazioni originali in occasione della tournee statunitense del 1972, in particolare del concerto del 25 giugno 1972 al L.A. Forum e di quello del 27 giugno 1972 alla Long Beach Arena. Come risulta dalle note di cui è corredato il disco, Jimmy Page considera quel periodo il migliore della band dal punto di vista artistico-musicale.
Registrazioni non autorizzate degli spettacoli dei Led (i cosiddetti bootleg) circolano da sempre; tuttavia, si tratta in genere di materiale a dir poco scarso e di pessima qualità sonora. Sebbene molti di questi bootleg siano giunti in possesso dei fan - album illegalmente ricavati dalle matrici rubate dall’archivio personale di Jimmy Page negli anni Ottanta - gli originali dei due concerti summenzionati furono per fortuna risparmiati. Per tale motivo, la pubblicazione “How the West was won” offre la possibilità di ascoltare le versioni originali di tali concerti.
Questi tre CD sono fenomenali. Per la prima volta ci vengono offerti i Led Zeppelin dal vivo (in versione ufficiale) davvero in forma e con concerti interi o quasi. Nulla a che vedere con il mediocre “The song remains the same” o con “BBC Sessions”, i quali erano più che altro compilation di brani presi da vari trasmissioni del network.
In questo triplo album dal vivo trovate tutto il meglio dei Led Zeppelin, dalle sfuriate hard-blues alle divagazioni psichedeliche. Un triplo live davvero impedibile per tutti gli appassionati (e non solo).
Voto personale (insufficiente / sufficiente / buono / distinto / ottimo / eccellente): Ottimo.

“How the West was won” is a triple live album by Led Zeppelin, released in May 2003. These original performances are from the band's 1972 concert tour of the United States, recorded at the L. A. Forum on June 25th, 1972 and Long Beach Arena on June 27th, 1972. As mentioned in the album notes, Jimmy Page considers Led Zeppelin at this point to have been at their artistic peak.
For many years, live recordings of these two shows only circulated in the form of bootlegs, and even then only certain audience recordings were available to fans and collectors. Though several soundboard recordings of Led Zeppelin concerts were circulated amongst fans after having been stolen from Page's personal archive some time in the 1980s, no soundboards of the 1972 Long Beach or LA Forum shows were taken, meaning the release of “How the West was won” was the first chance fans had of hearing the soundboard versions of these concerts.
This 3-CD set sounds quite exceptional. For the first time, Led Zeppelin fans have had the chance of listening to their favourite rock band playing live on an official record - quite a different thing from “The song remains the same” or “BBC Sessions”, the two live albums consisting of mere compilations of songs taken from various broadcasting network transmissions.
You will find all the best of Led Zepplin live in these three 3 CDs: from hard-blues ravaging pieces to psychedelic extravaganzas. A triple album that should be a must for all the band fans (and not only those …).
My personal mark (poor / pass / good / fairly good / very good / excellent): Very good.

LED ZEPPELIN (1972):

Jimmy Page - chitarre elettriche e acustiche, cori (electric and acoustic guitars, backing vocals)
Robert Plant - voce, armonica (lead vocals, harmonica)
John Paul Jones - basso, tastiere, mandolino, cori (bass, keyboards, mandolin, backing vocals)
John Bonham - batteria e percussioni, cori (drums and percussions, backing vocals)

TRACK LIST:

CD 1:

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

CD 2:

1. Dazed and confused
2. What is and what should never be
3. Dancing days
4. Moby Dick

CD 3:

1. Whole lotta love
2. Rock and roll
3. The Ocean
4. Bring it on home

HOW THE WEST WAS WON - LED ZEPPELIN

CD 1 (108 MB):

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=QPHNZPHV

CD 2 (101 MB):

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=NLL0IU5C

CD 3 (77,5 MB):

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=36GFXVAE