**The Record Jimmy Page Said Captured Led Zeppelin’s Best Live Moments**
When it comes to the myth and majesty of **Led Zeppelin’s** legendary live performances, fans and critics alike often debate which recording truly captures the band at its most electrifying. But according to **Jimmy Page**, there’s one record that stands above the rest: ***How the West Was Won***.
Released in **2003**, *How the West Was Won* is a sprawling, high-octane live album compiled from two iconic California shows in **1972**—at the Los Angeles Forum and Long Beach Arena. Clocking in at over two hours, the album showcases Zeppelin at the height of their powers, firing on all cylinders in front of feverish crowds.
For Page, the choice was clear.
> “We were absolutely on fire during those gigs,” he once said in an interview. “The energy, the improvisation, the interplay—it was everything I ever wanted from us live. *That’s* the Zeppelin I remember.”
And it shows. From the thunderous 25-minute version of **“Dazed and Confused”** to the blistering medley in **“Whole Lotta Love,”** every track feels like a sonic journey—equal parts precision and chaos, crafted on the edge of control. The album also features what many consider the definitive live versions of **“Stairway to Heaven”** and **“Immigrant Song.”**
What makes *How the West Was Won* so essential isn’t just the performances—it’s the mix. Page, ever the perfectionist, personally remastered and sequenced the album to preserve the spontaneity while enhancing the sound quality to modern standards.
For die-hard fans and new listeners alike, it’s more than a live album. It’s a **time capsule**, a raw and unfiltered look at a band that didn’t just play music—they **unleashed it**. And as Page himself says, this is **“Led Zeppelin in its purest, most powerful form.”**
