‘Immigrant Song’ was originally released as the opener to Led Zeppelin’s third album Led Zeppelin III in 1970. However the version of the track I regularly listen to, enjoy the most, and therefore see as the definitive take is the performance that appears on the band’s monstrous How the West Was Won live triple album from 2003.

This version is actually mixed from two live performances the band did on 25th and 27th June 1972, so it’s almost cheating in a way, but despite this I vastly prefer it to the take on LZIII because of the rawness and gruesome delivery of every instrument on show. As soon as that snare hits and Bonham, Page and Jones come in together with the riff, it is almost like being booted in the face. And it just goes on and on. It helps that there’s a great emphasis on the low frequencies here so every hit on the bass drum really hits. Plant’s vocal isn’t tampered with at all unlike on the album. It’s basically the four men, in their prime, doing their craft in the most massive way possible.

Then when Plant finishes his vocal, he just lets the instruments do their thing in a lengthy instrumental passage. John Bonham, the powerhouse he was, leads it all throwing in these random fills and cymbal crashes with John Paul Jones keeping up somehow. Page carries out a solo amidst all of this. After what seems like an eternity it all comes to a resolution and sharp stop. If only it was the actual official take that everyone knew. I honestly feel this version of the song blows every other one out of the water. I mean, it’s for you to decide though. The album version is below.