Led Zeppelin 'How The West Was Won' - 2018 Multiple Format Remasters (Pricing & Shipping Thread!)

Many thanks yet again!

This is off-topic and, I promise, my last question (for today) but are there, similarly, any grey area releases for TSRTS that compete with the official versions?

 

Yes, there are a few. My favorite is the Heywood edition, which mixes and matches from the 1976 CD, the 2007 CD, and the 2003 LZ DVD (and a bootleg soundboard for the final organ solo-Thank You encore) to make the fullest possible concert. His version is unique in that it uses snippets from the DVD menus to construct an 18-minute Whole Lotta Love, which I think is fantastic. He also restores the better guitar solo in Celebration Day, the missing 2-1/2 minutes of No Quarter, and a longer Moby Dick than on any of the official release versions, among other tweaks. He also did a very nice job blending the sources - aside from the bootleg-sourced encore and some unavoidable shifts in the soundstage imaging during the composite Moby Dick drum solo, the entire thing flows together pretty much seamlessly sonically.

There's also a ledsox version, which uses more vinyl sources and uses the original 1976 vinyl wherever possible. This version includes some of the missing material and preferred bits noted above, but it's not as comprehensive and IMHO not as sonically smooth across the various sources, since it does have to use some digital sources in places and they don't blend with the vinyl rips perfectly in terms of the sound.

In terms of pure sonics, the new 2018 remaster is IMHO the best ever: fuller and less dull-sounding than the original, but not fatiguing and overly amped-up sounding like the 2007 CD. If Heywood were to re-do his prior version now, using the 2018 remaster where he previously used the 2007 remaster, that would really be something.

 

Calling @}{eywood

 

Would love to hear that matrix!

 

Are you talking about "How The West Was One" here?

 

No - The Song Remains the Same, as per a question posed a few comments above.

 

Wait, so they both had 2018 improved remaster releases?? How did I not know this? I heard about West and got that. I have a purchase to make!

 

Well, some people might not agree with me about the improved sonics. But yes, IMHO the 2018 versions of both of these live albums are the best-sounding ever.

However, with The Song Remains the Same, be aware that the actual musical content is identical to the 2007 "remastered and expanded" version. That's great because a it contains all 15 tracks (not just the 9 tracks released on the original 1976 soundtrack). But it's not so great because it retains the multiple changes and edits that many folks didn't like on the 2007 release: The original guitar solo to close out Celebration Day was replaced with a different (and to many folks somewhat inferior) one; 2-1/2 minutes chopped out of the No Quarter solo; a half-beat removed from Since I've Been Loving You to keep it synced up with the video footage; and The Crunge section removed from Whole Lotta Love (again to maintain video sync), with a brutal, awful edit.

But if you have the 2007 version and you are cool with the content, then yes, the 2018 IMHO represents a modest but real improvement in the sonics - not a dramatic improvement, keep your expectations modest; but less fatiguing and more laid back/natural sounding to my ears.

 

I definitely like the mastering and mixes of the original 1976 release better, but we all need the remix for the bonus tracks, and if the 2018 is a little less squashed than I'll be replacing the 2007 set.

 

If you feel the 2018 How the West Was Won is a noticeable sonic improvement over the 2003 original, then I think there is a good chance you will find the 2018 TSRTS to be an improvement over the 2007 as well.

My view is that the How the West Was Won is a little more of an improvement, but in both cases I find the improvement, while modest, to be crucial, because for me it makes the difference between a fatiguing (2003/2007 originals) and non-fatiguing (2018 reissues) listen, especially over the course of 2+ hours, a duration where even small sonic differences can loom large.

And in both cases the improvement is not so subtle that you have to listen carefully for it or do a bunch of A/B'ing. Rather, in my experience the sonic difference is immediately apparent.

 

Well, if you have the '07 set, you have the bonus tracks.

I'm about as completist as it gets when it comes to Zep, but so far, I've avoided last year's TSRTS in any form. I didn't even go for the BluRay, which is the best deal of all the options. On a value for money basis, there's just no reason to bother, and it has the highest price of all the reissues.

BTW, I bought all the other Super Deluxe boxes.

 

The 2018 sounds better IMO, plus you get lossless 2.0 and 5.1 audio for the bonus tracks, lossy on Blu-Ray of the film. For $20 or less, I see great value in that.

 

It's my favorite LZ album, so I just bought it. Only $12 for a better mastering makes sense to me.

 

So was the bluray of the TRTS movie redone for the rerelease or is the new blue ray audio only??

 

Video was not done.

 

Thanks! One less thing I have to purchase!

 

+1

 

The bonus tracks, Celebration Day, Over The Hills And Far Away, Misty Mountain Hop, and The Ocean on the new Blu-Ray audio are in video form with lossless 2.0 and 5.1 audio for the first time.

 

I watched a good portion of the 2007 TSRTS version today and after reading reviews here on this site and on Amazon I decided to get the 2018 blu-Ray audio. I felt the 2007 sounded quite good but if there’s any improvement to be found I need it. I’m also not really going to miss having the movie again. The HTWWW reissue sounds fantastic on vinyl and blu ray audio as well (vinyl probably my preference).

 

Ok so I’ve finally had time to experiment with the blu ray set and I have to say my preference is for the DTS-Master 2.0 over the 5.1. It just sounds a little more full to me. The 5.1 is good too but I’m not hearing that much activity at all in the surrounds or rears. I’m actually still listening through all 7 speakers on the 2.0 and sound great. The vinyl with headphones remains the best listening for this set (my personal preference).

 

Listening to Dazed and Confused on PCM and pretty impressive as well. Am I understanding correctly that this just mean the Oppo is decoding the signal and not my Onkyo stereo?

 

Should be no difference whatsoever between DTS Master Audio 2.0 and the PCM 2.0. As far as decoding, PCM is already decoded, your Oppo will decode the DTS MA 2.0 to PCM depending on your settings.

 

Is official hdtracks version (How The West Was Won (Live) [Remastered] | HDtracks - The World's Greatest-Sounding Music Downloads ) is the same that on blue ray?

 

Yes.

 

Did u hear "The Great Western Expansion JRK Remaster" ? Another fan made version of HWWW. Much closer to new remaster.