Elliott Douglas Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Hi all. My son is turning 16 next week, and he's a huge Led Zeppelin fan. So I'm trying to decide what CD I should buy him for his birthday. He already owns all their albums, but does not have any of the official Live releases. I've narrowed it down to either "How The West Was Won" or "BBC Sessions." Can anybody tell me if one of these is better than the other (even if only slightly)? They seem relatively similar in terms of sound quality and song selection, so maybe it's really just a question of preference and subjectivity. At any rate, if anyone could offer their thoughts and opinions on this matter, it would be a great help to me. The more detail the better, as I currently do not have much info to go on. I'd like to base my decision on sound quality and most importantly, the quality of performance. Thanks. -Elliott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattmc1973 Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Hmm, tough question. How The West Was Won (or HTWWW as I will call it) was culled from 2 performances, on June 25 and June 27 1972. The best bits from those 2 nights are turned into one cohesive concert. Being from '72, you get songs from Houses Of The Holy, while the BBC Sessions include stuff up through Led Zeppelin IV. The BBC Sessions are a compilation of several sessions...disc 1 is made up of various 1969 BBC sessions, while disc 2 is a 1971 concert. You get several versions of songs like You Shook Me and Communication Breakdown, and you can see the evolution of those songs just over a few months in 1969. Both albums have great sound, and show great performances by the band. If you're looking for one album that really reflects a live Zep show, with them at the top of their game, I'd go with HTWWW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elliott Douglas Posted January 25, 2008 Author Share Posted January 25, 2008 Don't get me wrong ... I truly appreciate you taking the time to submit the same response, again. But do you think there's anyway you can give me a little bit more information? You're obviously very knowledgeable about Zep and their discography. It would be extremely awesome if you could take a look at which songs are duplicated on both "How The West Was Won" and "BBC Sessions," and then tell me which performance offers the superior version to it's counterpart on the other disc/album. I hope this isn't asking to much, but this is really what I'm trying to figure out here. Thank you very much for your help and expertise. -Elliott Hmm, tough question. How The West Was Won (or HTWWW as I will call it) was culled from 2 performances, on June 25 and June 27 1972. The best bits from those 2 nights are turned into one cohesive concert. Being from '72, you get songs from Houses Of The Holy, while the BBC Sessions include stuff up through Led Zeppelin IV. The BBC Sessions are a compilation of several sessions...disc 1 is made up of various 1969 BBC sessions, while disc 2 is a 1971 concert. You get several versions of songs like You Shook Me and Communication Breakdown, and you can see the evolution of those songs just over a few months in 1969. Both albums have great sound, and show great performances by the band. If you're looking for one album that really reflects a live Zep show, with them at the top of their game, I'd go with HTWWW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crunged Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Don't get me wrong ... I truly appreciate you taking the time to submit the same response, again. But do you think there's anyway you can give me a little bit more information? You're obviously very knowledgeable about Zep and their discography. It would be extremely awesome if you could take a look at which songs are duplicated on both "How The West Was Won" and "BBC Sessions," and then tell me which performance offers the superior version to it's counterpart on the other disc/album. I hope this isn't asking to much, but this is really what I'm trying to figure out here. Thank you very much for your help and expertise. -Elliott Just get him both....seriously. The BBC sessions is absolutely fantastic, cd 1 containing a variety of sessions from their early career ZepI to ZepII then CD 2 - WOW! - you get to experience Led Zeppelin at thier tightest during the ZepIV stage of their career. BUT, what makes this so special is the intimate environment they are playing it, you can hear everything - all the subtleties that you miss in a big stadium gig you gain here - very reccomended HTWWW - is just pure 72 zep on the way to world domination, playing their hearts out in an amalgamation of two great concerts. The Kevin Shirley mix down is a powerhouse and you get a real sense of what it must have been like to hear the mighty zep rocking in a stadium. Once you have both, then you need to start getting him some good boots!! - No better place than to ask here, or just check the various topics which frequently get discussed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenman Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 The first disk of the BBC sessions has alot of interesting material(Travelling Riverside Blues, Early WLL with longer solo etc) but HTWWW definately beats the 71 BBC recording which sounds very weak and isnt anywhere near the standard of the bands typical shows that year(I don't think Page would ever have released it if it had been up to him). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crunged Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 The first disk of the BBC sessions has alot of interesting material(Travelling Riverside Blues, Early WLL with longer solo etc) but HTWWW definately beats the 71 BBC recording which sounds very weak and isnt anywhere near the standard of the bands typical shows that year(I don't think Page would ever have released it if it had been up to him). Really? - I have always loved this show. But I will absolutely give it another listen under scrutiny. - I think its the intimate atmosphear that I like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenman Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Really? - I have always loved this show. But I will absolutely give it another listen under scrutiny. - I think its the intimate atmosphear that I like. Performance wise those comments are relative, its still a good show just not IMHO as good as pretty much ever other one from 71 or HTWWW. Its certainly interesting to hear Zep play in a relaxed intimate setting but I don't think it comes close to capturing what they were capible of in 71. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donald Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Get HTWWW first. Both are great, but HTWWW is the best live album of all time IMO. It's my favorite official LZ album of them all (studio and live). Brief comparison off the top of my head: Immigrant Song, Black Dog and Heartbreaker are very good on both albums, but I prefer the HTWWW versions of all three of them. Over The Hills And Far Away is a killer version on HTWWW. Of course, it's not on BBC Sessions (song didn't exist yet in 71). Further great previews of the Houses of the Holy album like The Ocean and Dancing Days are available on HTWWW, but not on BBC Sessions. Stairway to Heaven is better on BBC Sessions IMO. And Thank You on BBC Sessions is simply amazing (the drumming is unbelievable). On BBC Sessions you also get some rare covers (like Something Else or The Girl I Love), raw early versions of Whole Lotta Love, Communication Breakdown (3 different versions!) and a few other songs which all sound great. Whole Lotta Love (medley) and Dazed and Confused are on both albums, but they are better (and much longer) on HTWWW IMO. Great versions of Rock and Roll and Bring it on Home are only offered on HTWWW. Plus, HTWWW is overall much better sounding than BBC Sessions. So, all in all, I think HTWWW is no. 1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonham Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Go all out - get him both!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bomber Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 HTWWW is best,you get a better rendition of Stairway,3 discs,a 25 minute take on D & C with great call and response technique and a cool bow solo,a 23 minute version of WLL with an amazing medley (Better than the BBC medley,Boogie Chillen to Let's Have A Party to Hello Marylou to Going Down Slow) a solo that wasn't in the Immigrant song,a 20 minute drum solo in Moby Dick (If your into that sort of thing,i am,but only if Bonzo or Jason does it) The Stuff on BBC is rarer,"The Girl I Love She Got Long Brown Wavy Hair" which is the songs only performance ever,and a few songs they didn't release on their albums,and the greatest solo of all time in "Thank You" HTWWW,the band is at their best,they Jam Hard and give 2 of the best concerts ever done on 3 discs,the Jamming is amazing,for improv and heaviness fans BBC,The band is on the rise,getting their identity,trying stuff that is now very rare,they stay more faithful to the originals but this is the only place you'll ever find most of them BUT,Don't get him either of them,get him the Led Zeppelin DVD,2 discs,5 hours 14 mins,4 shows (1970 Albert Hall,1973 Madison Square Garden,1975 Earls Court,1979 Knebworth) many extended Jams that you find in HTWWW,and also extremely rare footage,interviews,TV shows and more,it's the Holy Grail of Zeppelin. Does he have TSRTS? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
songbird Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 I personally prefer HTWWW 1000000000000000000000000 x more (ok maybe not quite that much) than BBC Sessions, though I do like BBC Sessions. BBC Sessions to me is more of an interesting archival thing for the hardcore fan, but HTWWW is just in your face Led Zeppelin on top of the world mind numbing awesomeness. Course I haven't listened to HTWWW in a loong time since I completely lost the first disc a few years ago and the other 2 are scratched and skip!! :'( But anyways, IMO, HTWWW is better sound quality and a generally more powerful release. Though BBC Sessions has stuff like The Girl I Love and Travelling Riverside Blues etc... and it is neat to hear multiple versions of songs like Communication Breakdown and how they evolve and blahblah... so I dunno, get him both! Both are essential for the hardcore fan. Make sure he has Led Zeppelin DVD as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elliott Douglas Posted January 27, 2008 Author Share Posted January 27, 2008 Okay, you're all gonna kill me. Yesterday I was trying to decide between "How The West Was Won" or "BBC Sessions" ... But after reading all your responses, and upod further investigation, I'd have to say that I'm now actually leaning towards "The Song Remains The Same." You see, I just found out that it finally got remastered, and in my opinion the sound quality may even sound better than "How The West Was Won." Please share your thoughts on this sound issue. To me, the guitar chords sound charper and Plant's vocals more spotlighted than on the new "TSRTS" than on "How The West Was One." The setlists are pretty dissimilar between these two releases, so it's hard to decide. Who can refuse rare perfomances of "No Quarter," "Misty Mountain Hop," and "Rain Song???" Of course, then I'd be missing out on that amazing version of "Over the Hills and Far Away." I know what you're all thinkin ... "this guy's a total crackpot!" or "just buy them both, damn it!" But please, I'm trying to make an informed decision here. Hey, you know what'd be a real help ... is there anyway somebody could hook me up with a compressed copy of the remastered "The Song Remains The Same," so that I can listen to all the songs before I buy? Then I'd really be able to make an informed decision. I know it's askin a lot, but I'll just pray you're feeling extremely generous. My e-mail's Edouglas23@aol.com if you wanna respond. Then again, maybe I ought to just quit while I'm ahead. Oh, and I use 128kbps ... all I'm sayin. -Elliott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenman Posted January 27, 2008 Share Posted January 27, 2008 What about the DVD? That provides a more extensive a varied mix of material than HTWWW, BBC or TSRTS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huw Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 Honestly you need them all, because they all represent different things: BBC disc one gives a representation of Zep in 1969 - not a huge repertoire yet, but full of youthful fire & energy. BBC disc two captures them as they were in 1971 - four albums worth of material, more mature but still early days. As the BBC recording were realtively small & intimate affairs, there's a "closeness" in these recordings. HTWWW is another matter - this is them in 1972 in front of a huge crowd, the biggest band in the world. The size of the tour is refected in the performance - they're showing off & getting away with it, and still trying to hit that level of energy from the early days. TSRTS is only a year later, but 1973 is a different Zep. They're into their "mid-period" now, lots of songs from HOTH, and while they're still exciting, the performances are more measured, more controled. This is a different band from 1969 - older, more mature, trying to project a range of different musics. So you pay your money & you take your choice... but really you need them all... then get started into the bootlegs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the-ocean87 Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 HTWWW has a better sound. Not just the Disks itselfs, also the band-members. I don't like the bass sound on BBC- Sessions Disc 2. But the performances on both (BBC + HTWWW) are incredible good. I especially like the blues- songs on BBC Sessions. But i don't think that one release is better than the other. Perhaps in 1972 Zep played the best. But 1971 all the IV pieces are so new and i like that feeling. Listen to the BBC Stairway version. And then listen to the HTWWW Version. It changed a lot, especially the solo part is much longer. I like them both ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allthekingshorses Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 I feel like such a bad fan... I have neither. I have to get "How the West Was Won" though after hearing that Bron yr Aur Stomp. I really need to update my Zeppelin collection. I have looked for HTWWW here and there and haven't found it yet. So it's probably best to order it online. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chien Noir Posted January 31, 2008 Share Posted January 31, 2008 Well my suggestion...has already been said. Both. And TSRTS with them. Reminds me I gotta get myself those BBC sessions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickZepp Posted February 1, 2008 Share Posted February 1, 2008 BBC Sessions is probably slightly better. But both are great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cecil. Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 If it is full on go for HTWWW,if more of a curate's egg go for BBC sessions. let us know what your son thought Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 I think this has probably been said before but I just skimmed; HTWWW is, in my opinion, a broader representation of the band's music. It is, however, nothing more than a statement of where the band were at in 1972. BBC Sessions is from sessions earlier than HTWWW, and therefore doesn't include many of their newer songs. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as their early stuff is great, but many of the songs on HTWWW are more original, more Zeppelin if you will. If you want to give a broader sample of their live music - go for HTWWW. I would recommend TSRTS next and BBC Sessions 3rd, but they are all very worthwhile and special. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alwizard03 Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 I am not going to get technical on you heres my opion buy them both the kid is worth it and zep is awesome.If i had to choose i would pick how the west was won but they are both great collections.the how the west was one set has familar songs but it just rocks. bbc sessions has 1.) the girl i love she got long black wavy hair 2.) travelling riverside blues 3.) something else these songs live are hard to find unless you go bootleg but then in most cases you loose some quality. i repeat buy them both sorry if that was not what you were looking for Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Styrbjorn Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 I find the official BBC Sessions interesting but it pales into insignificance up against Empress Valley's 4 cd "Complete BBC Sessions" bootleg. Fascinating stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bomber Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 Have you got him anything yet?The STH on TSRTS is legendary,but i reeat HTWWW!It rocks!!!It's got the medleys,the classic rock songs,the solo's and really it's just spectacular,TSRTS isn't shabby but HTWWW is best,more songs on it if that helps,most are longer too,look at the track-listings and see which is best suited to his tastes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steh30 Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 1 - DVD 2 - HTWWW 3 - Sessions As for asking on here about boots, dont even try - your post gets deleted and noone wants to even remotely help you. Its like "HI EVERYONE I HAVE MILLIONS OF BOOTLEGS BUT IM NOT HELPING YOU GET ANY OR TELLING YOU WHERE TO GET THEM EITHER" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Styrbjorn Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 1 - DVD 2 - HTWWW 3 - Sessions As for asking on here about boots, dont even try - your post gets deleted and noone wants to even remotely help you. Its like "HI EVERYONE I HAVE MILLIONS OF BOOTLEGS BUT IM NOT HELPING YOU GET ANY OR TELLING YOU WHERE TO GET THEM EITHER" The secret revealed! Abracadabara! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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