How the West Was Won (Led Zeppelin album)

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How the West Was Won
Live album by Led Zeppelin
Released 27 May 2003
Recorded 25 June 1972, L.A. Forum,
27 June 1972, Long Beach Arena
Genre Hard rock, heavy metal, blues rock, folk rock
Length 150:27
Language English
Label Atlantic
Producer Jimmy Page
Compiler Jimmy Page
Led Zeppelin live album chronology
BBC Sessions
(1997)		 How the West Was Won
(2003)

How the West Was Won is a triple live album by the English rock group Led Zeppelin, released by Atlantic Records on Compact Disc on 27 May 2003, and DVD-Audio on 7 October 2003. These original performances are from the band's 1972 concert tour of the United States, recorded at the L.A. Forum on 25 June 1972 and Long Beach Arena on 27 June 1972.

Guitarist Jimmy Page considers Led Zeppelin at this point to have been at their artistic peak, as is mentioned in the album's liner notes. In an interview he gave to The Times newspaper in 2010, when asked which performances from Led Zeppelin's career stand out to him now, he made reference to these gigs:

I think what we did on ... How the West was Won – that 1972 gig – is pretty much a testament of how good it was. It would have been nice to have had a little more visual recordings, but there you go. That’s the conundrum of Led Zeppelin![1]

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 (for example, Burn Like a Candle). 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.[2]

The songs from the two shows underwent some extensive editing and audio engineering by Page at Sarm West Studios in London before being released on the album. A comprehensive analysis of live tracks edits for the album can be found at The Garden Tapes. Some songs which were played at the concerts, such as "Communication Breakdown", "Tangerine", "Thank You" and a rare version of "Louie Louie" from the 25 June show, were left off How the West Was Won.

Contents

[edit] Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source Rating
Metacritic 97[3]
Review scores
Source Rating
Pitchfork Media (8 August 2010)[4]
Uncut 4/5 stars....[5]
Allmusic 4.5/5 stars....[6]
Stylus A−[7]
Entertainment Weekly A−[8]

The album debuted on the Billboard 200 chart for the week ending 14 June 2003 at number 1, with sales of 154,000 copies. It remained on the chart for 16 weeks.[9] It was certified gold and platinum by the RIAA on 30 June 2003.[10] The album became the first Led Zeppelin album since 1979's In Through the Out Door to reach the No. 1 position.[11][12] As of 2008 it has sold 818,000 units, making it one of the worst selling No. 1 albums.[13] How the West Was Won is tied with Smile by Brian Wilson, and Van Lear Rose by Loretta Lynn as the best reviewed album of all time by Metacritic, with an average score of 97%.[3]

[edit] Accolades

Publication Country Accolade Year Rank
Classic Rock United Kingdom "The 50 Greatest Live Albums Ever"[14] 2003 4
Les Inrockuptibles France "2003 Best Reissues"[15] 2003 4
Record Collector United Kingdom "New Albums: Readers Top 10" (2003)[16] 2004 4
The Village Voice United States "Albums of the Year"[17] 2004 37
Q United Kingdom "10 Live Albums You Must Own"[18] 2005 *
Q United Kingdom "The 20 Greatest Live Albums"[19] 2006 11

(*) designates unordered lists.

[edit] Track listing

Disc one
  1. "LA Drone" (Page/Jones)  – 0:14*
  2. "Immigrant Song" (Page/Plant)  – 3:42*** (Some vocal from LA)
  3. "Heartbreaker" (Page/Plant/Jones/Bonham)  – 7:25*** (LA version when the guitar solo starts)
  4. "Black Dog" (Page/Plant/Jones)  – 5:41*** (Some vocal from LA)
  5. "Over the Hills and Far Away" (Page/Plant)  – 5:08*** (Opening section from Long Beach, LA for the heavy section, Long Beach for ending)
  6. "Since I've Been Loving You" (Page/Plant/Jones)  – 8:02*
  7. "Stairway to Heaven" (Page/Plant)  – 9:38****
  8. "Going to California" (Page/Plant)  – 5:37* (one vocal might be a mix of LA and Long Beach)
  9. "That's the Way" (Page/Plant)  – 5:54**
  10. "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" (Page/Jones/Plant)  – 4:55*
Disc two
  1. "Dazed and Confused" (Page)  – 25:25**
  2. "What Is and What Should Never Be" (Page/Plant)  – 4:41*
  3. "Dancing Days" (Page/Plant)  – 3:42*** (Some vocal from LA)
  4. "Moby Dick" (Bonham/Jones/Page)  – 19:20**
Disc three
  1. "Whole Lotta Love" (Page/Plant/Jones/Bonham and Dixon)  – 23:08**
  2. "Rock and Roll" (Page/Plant/Jones/Bonham)  – 3:56*
  3. "The Ocean" (Page/Plant/Jones/Bonham)  – 4:21**
  4. "Bring It On Home" (Dixon)  – 9:30**
    • "Bring It On Back" (Page/Plant/Jones/Bonham) (cut)

*From the Long Beach Arena. **From the LA Forum. ***From a mix of the 2 nights. ****Mellotron from Southhampton, 1973.

[edit] Sales chart performance

Chart (2003) Peak position
French Albums Chart[20] 11
Italian Albums Chart[21] 7
Irish Albums Chart[22] 9
Canadian Albums Chart[23] 1
Polish Albums Chart[24] 24
Norwegian Albums Charts[25] 10
Finnish Albums Chart[26] 23
UK Albums Chart[27] 5
Spanish Albums Chart[28] 39
Austrian Albums Chart[29] 17
Japanese Albums Chart[30] 3
Swedish Albums Chart[31] 16
US Billboard The 200 Albums Chart[32] 1
US Billboard Top Internet Albums[33] 1
Belgian Albums Chart (Walloon)[34] 2
Dutch Albums Chart[35] 15
Australian ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart[36] 10
German Albums Chart[37] 15
Swiss Albums Chart[38] 20
Belgian Albums Chart (Flemish)[39] 9
New Zealand RIANZ Top 50 Albums Chart[40] 13
Danish Albums Chart[41] 25

[edit] Sales certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Brazil (ABPD)[42] Gold 50,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[43] Platinum 100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[44] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[10] Platinum 818,000[13]

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

[edit] Release history

Region Date Label Format Catalog #
United States 27 May 2003 Atlantic Records Compact Disc 83587-2
7 October 2003 DVD-Audio 83587-9
Japan 27 May 2003 WEA Japan Compact Disc 11585-7

[edit] Personnel

Led Zeppelin

[edit] Additional personnel

[edit] References

  1. ^ James Jackson, "Jimmy Page on Led Zeppelin IV, the band's peak and their reunion, The Times, 8 January 2010 .
  2. ^ Lewis, Dave (2003). Led Zeppelin: The 'Tight but Loose' Files: Celebration II (1st ed.). London: Omnibus Press. p. 156. ISBN 1-84449-056-4. 
  3. ^ a b How the West Was Won at Metacritic Retrieved 7 October 2011.
  4. ^ Pitchfork Media Review[dead link]
  5. ^ "Uncut Review". Uncut.co.uk. http://www.uncut.co.uk/music/led_zeppelin/reviews/5808. Retrieved 7 October 2011. 
  6. ^ Allmusic Review
  7. ^ "Stylus Review". Stylusmagazine.com. http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/led-zeppelin/how-the-west-was-won.htm. Retrieved 7 October 2011. 
  8. ^ Reviewed by Anthony DeCurtis (20 June 2003). "Entertainment Weekly Review". Ew.com. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,458304,00.html. Retrieved 7 October 2011. 
  9. ^ "The Billboard 200: How the West was Won". Billobard. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=305&cfgn=Albums&cfn=The+Billboard+200&ci=3051055&cdi=8051285&cid=09%2F27%2F2003. Retrieved 18 January 2009. [dead link]
  10. ^ a b "American album certifications – Led Zeppelin – How the West Was Won". Recording Industry Association of America. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?artist=%22How+the+West+Was+Won%22.  If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
  11. ^ "Zep Gives Retail Whole Lotta $$". Billboard. http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/miscellaneous-retail-retail-stores-not/4636329-1.html. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  12. ^ "Zeppelin Smashes Records as CD/DVDs Debut at No. 1 – 4 June 2003". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1903223. Retrieved 19 January 2009. [dead link]
  13. ^ a b Grein, Paul (21 November 2008). "Chart Watch Extra: What A Turkey! The 25 Worst-Selling No. 1 Albums – Chart Watch". new.music.yahoo.com. http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/chart_watch/20401/chart-watch-extra-what-a-turkey-the-25-worst-selling-1-albums. Retrieved 24 April 2011. 
  14. ^ "Classic Rock – The 50 Greatest Live Albums Ever (2003)". Classic Rock. http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/steveparker/classicrock.htm. Retrieved 10 February 2009. 
  15. ^ "2003 Best Reissues". Les Inrockuptibles. http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/lesrock.html#2003. Retrieved 10 February 2009. 
  16. ^ "New Albums: Readers Top 10". Record Collector. http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/recordcollector.htm#Best%20of%202003. Retrieved 10 February 2009. 
  17. ^ "Albums of the Year (2004)". The Village Voice. http://villagevoice.com/specials/pazznjop/04/. Retrieved 10 February 2009. 
  18. ^ "10 Live Albums You Must Own – April 2005". Q. http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/qcollection.htm. Retrieved 10 February 2009. 
  19. ^ "The 20 Greatest Live Albums – June 2006". Q. http://pub37.bravenet.com/forum/3172289350/show/620762. Retrieved 10 February 2009. 
  20. ^ "Top 100 Albums – 25 May 2003". lescharts.com. http://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Led+Zeppelin&titel=How+The+West+Was+Won&cat=a. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  21. ^ "Top 100 Albums – 29 May 2003". italiancharts.com. http://italiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Led+Zeppelin&titel=How+The+West+Was+Won&cat=a. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  22. ^ "Top 75 Albums – 29 May 2003". acharts.us. http://acharts.us/ireland_albums_top_75/2003/22. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  23. ^ "Top 100 Albums – 1 June 2003". CRIA. http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/L/Led_Zeppelin/2003/06/04/746876.html. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  24. ^ "Top 50 Albums – 1 June 2003". OLIS. http://www.olis.onyx.pl/listy/index.asp?idlisty=147&lang=. Retrieved 19 January 2009. [dead link]
  25. ^ "Top 100 Albums – 5 June 2003". norwegiancharts.com. http://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Led+Zeppelin&titel=How+The+West+Was+Won&cat=a. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  26. ^ "Top 100 Albums – 5 June 2003". finnishcharts.com. http://finnishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Led+Zeppelin&titel=How+The+West+Was+Won&cat=a. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  27. ^ "Top 100 Albums – 7 June 2003". chartstats.com. http://www.chartstats.com/albuminfo.php?id=1131. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  28. ^ "Top 100 Albums – 7 June 2003". PROMUSICAE. http://www.promusicae.es/english.html. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  29. ^ "Top 100 Albums – 8 June 2003". austriancharts.at. http://austriancharts.at/showitem.asp?interpret=Led+Zeppelin&titel=How+The+West+Was+Won&cat=a. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  30. ^ "Top 100 Albums – 11 June 2003". Oricon. http://www.oricon.co.jp/. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  31. ^ "Top 100 Albums – 12 June 2003". swedishcharts.com. http://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Led+Zeppelin&titel=How+The+West+Was+Won&cat=a. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  32. ^ "Billboard.com How the West Was Won – 14 June 2003". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/discography/more.jsp?tp=others&pid=5047&aid=582147. Retrieved 19 January 2009. [dead link]
  33. ^ "Top Internet Albums – 14 June 2003". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=327&cfgn=Albums&cfn=Top+Internet+Albums&ci=3049806&cdi=8008109&cid=06%2F14%2F2003. Retrieved 19 January 2009. [dead link]
  34. ^ "Top 100 Albums – 14 June 2003". ultratop.be. http://www.ultratop.be/fr/showitem.asp?interpret=Led+Zeppelin&titel=How+The+West+Was+Won&cat=a. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  35. ^ "Top 100 Albums – 14 June 2003". dutchcharts.nl. http://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Led+Zeppelin&titel=How+The+West+Was+Won&cat=a. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  36. ^ "Top 100 Albums – 15 June 2003". ARIA. http://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Led+Zeppelin&titel=How+The+West+Was+Won&cat=a. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  37. ^ "Top 100 Albums – 15 June 2003". musicline.de. http://www.musicline.de/de/chartverfolgung_summary/title/LED+ZEPPELIN/How+The+West+Was+Won/longplay. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  38. ^ "Top 100 Albums – 15 June 2003". hitparade.ch. http://hitparade.ch/showitem.asp?interpret=Led+Zeppelin&titel=How+The+West+Was+Won&cat=a. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  39. ^ "Top 100 Albums – 21 June 2003". ultratop.be. http://www.ultratop.be/nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Led+Zeppelin&titel=How+The+West+Was+Won&cat=a. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  40. ^ "Top 100 Albums – 29 June 2003". RIANZ. http://charts.org.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Led+Zeppelin&titel=How+The+West+Was+Won&cat=a. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  41. ^ "Top 100 Albums – 8 August 2003". danishcharts.com. http://danishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Led+Zeppelin&titel=How+The+West+Was+Won&cat=a. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  42. ^ "Brazilian album certifications – Led Zeppelin – How the West Was Won" (in Portuguese). Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos. http://abpd.org.br/certificados_interna.asp?sArtista=Led+Zeppelin&tmidia=1. 
  43. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Led Zeppelin – How the West Was Won". Music Canada. http://www.musiccanada.com/GPSearchResult.aspx?st=How+the+West+Was+Won&sa=Led+Zeppelin&smt=0. 
  44. ^ "British album certifications – Led Zeppelin – How the West Was Won". British Phonographic Industry. http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx.  Enter How the West Was Won in the field Search. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Click Go

[edit] External links

Preceded by
14 Shades of Grey by Staind		 Billboard 200 number-one album
8–14 June 2003		 Succeeded by
St. Anger by Metallica
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