Led Zeppelin to reissue ‘How The West Was Won’ as part of 50th anniversary celebrations

Led Zeppelin are kicking off their 50th anniversary celebrations by releasing a new edition of their 2003 live album ‘How The West Was Won’

Author: Scott ColothanPublished 24th Jan 2018

Featuring newly remastered audio, which was done under the supervision of Jimmy Page, ‘How The West Was Won’ will be released on Friday 23rd March via Atlantic/Swan Song.

It will be available on triple CD, quadruple vinyl, Blu-Ray Audio and Streaming & Digital Download formats together with a Super Deluxe Box Set containing the following:

- Remastered audio on three CDs and four 180-gram vinyl LPs.
- DVD of album in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround and PCM Stereo, plus photo gallery.
- High-definition download card of all stereo audio content at 96kHz/24 bit.
- A book filled with rare and previously unpublished photos of the band at each of the concert locations, plus memorabilia and ephemera.
- High-quality print of the original album cover, the first 30,000 of which will be individually numbered.

A critical and commercial success upon its initial release 15 years ago, ‘How The West Was Won’ was recorded at Led Zeppelin’s much-fabled concerts at the Los Angeles Forum and Long Beach Arena on 25th and 27th June 1972.

Melded together and sequenced to replicate a single concert from beginning to end, Jimmy Page considers ‘How The West Was Won’ to showcase Led Zeppelin at their artistic peak.

The remastered edition of the album is the first in a series of Led Zeppelin 50th Anniversary releases and events that will be unveiled throughout the year.

Over the festive period, it was announced that Jimmy Page, Robert Plant & John Paul Jones are collaborating with Reel Art Press on a lavish illustrated book to mark half a Century of the band.

A post on the band’s social media accounts announced the project, confirming the book will see the light of day in 2018. No additional details were unveiled.

> Led Zeppelin are pleased to announce that Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones are collaborating with @reelartpress to publish the official illustrated book celebrating 50 years since the formation of the group. Coming 2018. For updates please visit reelartpress.com > > A post shared by Led Zeppelin (@ledzeppelin) on Dec 21, 2017 at 9:04am PST

Speaking to the Academy of Achievement in December, Jimmy Page promised “all manner of surprises” in 2018 and said “there will be a Led Zeppelin product coming out that people haven’t heard.”

In October, Redditch Borough Council gave the green light for a John Bonham memorial to be built in the legendary drummer's home town as part of the band’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

The 2.5 tonnes bronze sculpture will be situated in Mercian Square next to Redditch market and it’s expected to be launched to coincide with what would have been Bonzo’s 70th birthday on 31st May 2018.

Despite the 50th anniversary inevitably throwing up fresh rumours of a Led Zeppelin reunion, Robert Plant has been swift to quash such speculation. In an interview with Kentucky radio station 91.9 WFPK last week he said he wouldn’t want to do Led Zeppelin “a disservice” by reuniting.