For years, Led Zeppelin fans complained that there was one missing item in the group's catalog: a good live album. It's not that there weren't live albums to be had. The Song Remains the Same, of course, was a soundtrack of a live performance, but it was a choppy, uneven performance, lacking the majesty of the group at its peak. BBC Sessions was an excellent, comprehensive double-disc set of their live radio sessions, necessary for any Zeppelin collection (particularly because it contained three songs, all covers, never recorded anywhere else), but some carped that the music suffered from not being taped in front of a large audience, which is how they built their legacy -- or, in the parlance of this triple-disc collection of previously unreleased live recordings compiled by Jimmy Page, How the West Was Won. The West in this case is the West Coast of California, since this contains selections from two 1972 concerts in Los Angeles: a show at the LA Forum on June 25, and one two days later at Long Beach Arena. This is the first archival release of live recordings of Zeppelin at their peak and while the wait has been nigh on interminable, the end result is certainly worth the wait. Both of these shows have been heavily bootlegged for years and while those same bootleggers may be frustrated by the sequencing that swaps the two shows interchangeably (they always prefer full shows wherever possible), by picking the best of the two nights, Page has assembled a killer live album that captures the full, majestic sweep of Zeppelin at their glorious peak. And, make no mistake, he tries to shove everything into these three discs -- tight, furious blasts of energy; gonzo freak-outs; blues; and rock, a sparkling acoustic set. Like always, the very long numbers -- the 25-minute "Dazed and Confused," the 23-minute "Whole Lotta Love," the 19-minute "Moby Dick" -- are alternately fascinating and indulgent, yet even when they meander, there is a real sense of grandeur, achieving a cinematic scale attempted by few of their peers (certainly no other hard rock or metal band could be this grand; only Queen or David Bowie truly attempted this). But the real power of the band comes through on the shorter songs, where their sound is distilled to its essence. In the studio, Zeppelin was all about subtle colors, textures, and shifts in the arrangement. On-stage, they were similarly epic, but they were looser, wilder, and hit harder; witness how "Black Dog" goes straight for the gut here, while the studio version escalates into a veritable guitar army -- it's the same song, but the song has not remained the same. That's the case throughout How the West Was Won, where songs that have grown overly familiar through years of play seem fresh and new because of these vigorous, muscular performances. For those who never got to see Zeppelin live, this -- or its accompanying two-DVD video set -- is as close as they'll ever get. For those who did see them live, this is a priceless souvenir. For either group, this is absolutely essential, as it is for anybody who really loves hard rock & roll. It doesn't get much better than this.
Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Atlantic Recording Corporation
Phonographic Copyright (p) – WEA International Inc.
Copyright (c) – Atlantic Recording Corporation
Copyright (c) – WEA International Inc.
Engineered At – Sarm West Studios
Mixed At – Sarm West Studios
Credits
Acoustic Guitar, Guitar, Electric Guitar – Jimmy Page
Bass, Keyboards, Mandolin – John Paul Jones
Design, Artwork By – Phil Lemon
Drums, Percussion – John Bonham
Engineer – Kevin Shirley
Mixed By – Kevin Shirley
Other (Creative Consultant) – Ross Halfin
Photography By – Rock And Roll Gallery*, Jeffrey Mayer, Star File*, Retna*
Producer – Jimmy Page
Recorded By (Original Recording At La Forum And Long Beach Arena) – Eddie Kramer
Technician (Sound Assistant) – Drew Griffiths
Vocals, Harmonica – Robert Plant
Written-By – Jimmy Page (tracks: 1-1 to 2-4, 3-1a, 3-2, 3-3, 3-4b), John Bonham (tracks: 1-3, 2-1c, 2-4, 3-1a, 3-2, 3-3, 3-4b), John Paul Jones (tracks: 1-1, 1-3, 1-4, 1-6, 1-10, 2-1c, 2-4, 3-1a, 3-2, 3-3, 3-4b), Robert Plant (tracks: 1-2 to 1-10, 2-1b to 2-3, 3-1a, 3-2, 3-3, 3-4b)
Notes
While I was searching through the archives for visual and audio material for the Led Zeppelin DVD I re-discovered these 1972 performances from the 25th June, LA Forum and 27th June, Long Beach Arena. This is Led Zeppelin at its best and an illustration of How The West Was Won. - Jimmy Page, London, March 2003
Engineered and Mixed at SARM West Studios, London.
LA Drone
Led Zeppelin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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As the lyrics of LA Drone are not available, we can focus on the musical aspect of this instrumental track by Led Zeppelin. LA Drone is the opening track of their album Physical Graffiti, which was released in 1975. The song is a short distorted guitar riff played by Jimmy Page, with John Bonham's drums and John Paul Jones' bass guitar adding a strong backbeat. The song slowly builds up, creating a musical tension that sets the tone for the rest of the album.
LA Drone is a moody instrumental track that gives the listener a sense of confusion and uncertainty. It's a song that can be interpreted in many ways, as it doesn't have any lyrics to guide the meaning. It's possible that LA Drone was intended to be a protest song, as it was released a few years after the Vietnam War ended. The track's name, LA Drone, could also be interpreted to represent the buzzing, non-stop noise of the city of Los Angeles.
Overall, LA Drone is a great opening track for Physical Graffiti, giving the listener an idea of the sonic journey that Led Zeppelin was about to embark on. The song is a testament to the band's musical abilities, creating a mood and atmosphere through instrumentation alone.
Line by Line Meaning
LA Drone, LA Drone
The sound of an aerial vehicle hovering over Los Angeles, producing a loud, droning noise that echoes throughout the city
Back in nineteen thirty-five
Referring to a time in the past when some significant event happened in Los Angeles
When the music grew alive
The rise of the music industry in Los Angeles, especially in the 1930s when the big bands and jazz music were popular
Pardon me, sir, is that the cat who chewed your new shoes?
A nonsense phrase that has nothing to do with the meaning of the song; possibly added for artistic effect or to create a kind of surrealism
Back in nineteen fifty-five
Referring to a time in the past when another significant event happened in Los Angeles
Man didn't know about a rock 'n' roll show and all that jive
The ignorance of people about the new and emerging rock and roll music scene, as it was not yet widely recognized or popular at that time
The white man had the schmaltz, the black man had the blues
The differences between white and black music and culture in America at that time, with white music sometimes being seen as sentimental or overly emotional while black music often expressed a more raw and powerful emotion
No one knew what they was gonna do, but Tchaikovsky had the news, he said
The uncertainty and unpredictability of the music industry, with artists and producers unsure of what would be successful; the reference to Tchaikovsky may suggest that even classical composers could have insights about popular music trends
Let there be sound, let there be light, let there be drums, let there be guitar
A declaration of the power and importance of music, and a call to celebrate the creation and performance of music in all its forms
Let there be rock
Emphasizing the significance and impact of rock music, as a genre that would become hugely popular and influential in the years to come
Contributed by Oliver M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Debmeow
on No Quarter
Brilliant, a masterpiece.
robin
on Immigrant Song
i love this
Marie Fenouilliére
on Stairway to Heaven
j'adoreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee