Though the (concurrently-released) triple-CD set “How the West Was Won” is indeed an impressive replacement to the flaccid and overlong “Song Remains the Same” album (if only for “West’s” blistering version of “Over the Hills and Far Away”), the simply titled double-disc DVD reveals the “Song” film for the uncomfortable rockstar fiasco it was, and rightfully reorients Zeppelin’s reputation as a pre-eminent live act. Stripped of wizard-on-the-mountain vignettes and over-effected performances, “DVD” presents a hodgepodge of truly inspired performances in chronological order, from a bluesy, rip-snortin’ 1970 London set, all the way through the band’s oft-bootlegged, 1979 Knebworth performance. Visually, it’s stunning (with the exception of some treated Super-8 footage) and sonically, the 5.1 surround-sound mix will floor you. The inclusion of a healthy dose of bonuses sweetens the deal, but really, watching Bonham and Jones lock onto the groove of “Black Dog” with wild-eyed abandon, witnessing a somewhat humble Plant put his whole body into “We’re Gonna Groove” or seeing Page lean into “Communication Breakdown” like he still cares about playing the hell out of his guitar … well, that’s more than enough.
This article appears in May 28 – Jun 3, 2003.