Led Zeppelin How The West Was Won DVD-A review (1 Viewer)

[LarryDavenport]

I picked it up and will listen to it when I get home. But I have to say it is the worst packaging of any DVDA I have ever seen!

 

[Steve_AS]

If it's really as bad as the reviewers say

You wanna bet is *isn't*?

 

[LarryDavenport]

Ok I listened to it and the review is full of crap. No one's going to listen to it and go "Wow!" but it sounded fine. It's a live recording from 1972 after all. I don't know about the reviewer's very expensive hi-fi, but I got Jimmy Page's guitar coming out my rear speakers and there was some definite panning effects during Whole Lotta Love.

Like I said before, the only part that sucks is the packaging (I've seen better books on tape).

And despite what the review says, it's not any longer than the CDs.

 

[Tom Foley]

I agree, Larry. It's not just the age, but the technology of concert recordings from that time. You're just not going to get that "pop", especially from the vocals. I just picked it up, and I'm already impressed. On the positive side, there is a definite improvement in clarity, and of course the 5.1 mix opens things up.

As this is my first DVD-A, I can't comment about how it compares to other DVD-As, but I doubt it is up to par with the best of them. It's certainly not the showcase for hi-rez Led Zeppelin that everyone was hoping for. So, it may not be for everyone (everyone who has DVD-A capability, that is), but as someone who has been collecting many Zeppelin bootlegs for a while, this is the culmination of everything that the hardcore fans have been waiting for, even beyond the HTWWW CD. We're always looking for a bootleg that sounds like "Zeppelin in your living room," and maybe a handful of bootlegs come that close. But this takes it even a step further and gives you the feeling of actually being there. It might be even better, since the loudspeakers probably weren't even that good back then!

And yeah, the packaging sucks. Bad intro to DVD-A for a lot of people.

 

[Ken Stuart]

1) What pricing do people see on this?

2) Which on-line stores have it? Amazon does not even list it at all.

 

[Piers C]

1) What pricing do people see on this?

2) Which on-line stores have it? Amazon does not even list it at all.

1. I've been seeing 10% off list.

2. Yes, it is available through Amazon. Here's the link:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...231465-0269430

I'd be great to have a group who buys DVD-A/SACD through Amazon in order to benefit from "Share the Love" on titles for an extra 10% off.

 

[Ken Stuart]

This has the wacky title at Amazon of:

How the West Was Won [DOLBY]

(but it does say DVD-Audio further down on the page)

 

[Steve_AS]

I listened to it a bit this weekend. The 5.1 mix, while not *terrible*, does rather turn JPJ's bass to a background mush while emphasizing Mr. Page with crystal clarity (and firmly to the right). This isn't a problem on the stereo mix, where the balance of instruments seems better.

The upshot is, I'm finding that for this disc, for surround listening I prefer the two-channel mix processed with Dolby Pro Logic II, to the actual 5.1 mix. The bass sounds more articulated this way. Give it a try if you're finding the 5.1 mix annoying.