Audio CD review:
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III

Band: Led Zeppelin Title: Led Zeppelin III Rating: Release Date: 09 June, 2003 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Immigrant Song 2: Friends 3: Celebration Day 4: Since I've Been Loving You 5: Out on the Tiles 6: Gallows Pole 7: Tangerine 8: That's the Way 9: Bron-Y-Aur Stomp 10: Hats off to (Roy) Harper

Customer Reviews Give it time, it'll grow on you In fact, it gets the #2 slot, after Houses of the Holy. It took me a couple listens to realize this, but Led Zeppelin III is one of my favorite Zeppelin records. It's way better than IV, not to mention I and II. As much as I want to stand on top of a mountain and shout loudly that this is my favorite Led Zeppelin album, I can't: I dock a half-star on account of Hats Off to (Roy) Harper - awful song; another quarter-star (metaphorically, anyway) for Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp, and a third quarter-star on account of Plant, who does a lot of moaning and rarely lifts up the pen to write an interesting lyric. Plus a couple of the otherwise good songs go on a bit too long. Since I've Been Loving You doesn't, though. The best thing about this song (I feel) is its use of dynamics. The opening quiet guitar solo unexpectedly turns to a roar; then the band quiets down to let Plant start singing; intensity builds in the choruses; and Page eventually lights his guitar afire (again, metaphorically so) during his solo. Then it's back to Robbie, who delivers the performance of a lifetime: I don't like his voice very much, but here he's quite soulful (Well, he always is, but in a high-pitched, scratchy sense, like he swallowed a drainpipe or something - THAT'S what I don't like about him). But here, he refrains from the high-pitched whines, instead going right for the heart and hitting it: sure, the lyrics are pure unoriginal drivel, but he sings 'em so well it doesn't matter. Since I've Been Loving You is, of course, the long slow blues that finds its way on just about every Zeppelin album. But that's about all it has in common with the group's other releases. Hard rock (cock-rock, some would say) has been toned down, other than on the shuffling classic Immigrant Song, which is stellar even though it's based on the repetition of a single riff: it's a good one, and the song's short, so that doesn't bother me; and Out on the Tiles. The pummeling riff was lifted from Jeff Beck's Shapes of Things, but that doesn't detract from the music itself, which is good (love the chorus!), but I think it goes on a bit too long. I could've done without the coda; Plant moaning, Page hammering the riff into you, Jeff Beck so infuriated with Page for stealing one of his riffs without asking that he's throwing knives at Jimmy's picture. (Hey, given Beck's temper, anything's possible!) However, this album's focus is mainly on melodic folk or country-folk. Friends is the first, and weakest example of this; but I think it's a nice song, though I was ready for it to end about a minute before it actually did. The lyrics are also rather cheesy, and the riff is again someone else's (Crosby, Stills & Nash used it for their far better Carry On), but those Indian-sounding strings are great. The country-folk really shines on Tangerine and especially That's the Way. (I think DJ's should give Stairway to Heaven a break and spin those instead! I'd love that! They're just so pretty!) Tangerine is probably the best schmaltzy folky Zep love song (the others are Thank You, which is good; Your Time Is Gonna Come, which blows; and Goin' to California, which blows even more), and That's the Way has an excellent melody and earnest (if a little naive) environmentalist lyrics. I like it a lot. My favorite song on the album. And it's BETTER than ANYTHING on IV! Except maybe Rock and Roll. Another personal favorite (that again is better than anything the Old Guy in Black Hat with Kindling On His Back Standing on a Hill album had to offer) is Gallows Pole, an old folk song known by a huge variety of different names. The mandoloin and percussion are nice production touches, and that bizarre ending just rules. Good song! You know what else is good? The warped, moog 'n' slide rocker Celebration Day. Here's another song I think deserves some radio play. Sadly, all DJ's want us to hear is stuff from the Heidenberg in Flames album; the Guys in Army Uniforms album or the Cool Symbols on Back Cover album. In fact, I think every Zeppelin studio album (other than Coda) gets more radio attention than this one, which is sad because this is better than any other Zeppelin album but Houses of the Holy Pervert's Dream, Batman! And don't try to tell me the last two albums are any better than this. They're not. They're stupid. This is not by any stretch of the imagination. Well, except for Hats Off to (Roy) Harper. I can barely listen to that song. . 4.5 Stars - Acoustic excellence; one of Led Zeppelin's underrated releases ), Led Zeppelin's third studio album In 1969, Led Zeppelin became practically an overnight sensation with their first two albums which were hard-rock blues classics. Led Zeppelin III (1970. Led Zeppelin's popularity meant that their third album was easily one of the most anticipated albums of 1970. Many fans assumedly were expecting another heavy blues effort from the band in a similar vein to their first two albums. However, fans couldn't have been further off the mark with their guess. Led Zeppelin, being a band who like to diversify/experiment (or at least, we know now in retrospect), produced an album quite different in sound from the first two. Instead of a multitude of songs with crushing electric guitar melodies, the band put out an album which was largely acoustic and folk based. Fans were actually quite shocked by this and many didn't quite know what to make of it. As a result, Led Zeppelin III has grown to be one of Led Zeppelin's more underrated albums, but is this truly a deserved reflection? For me, eventhough I don't regard this album as being quite on the level of the first two Led Zeppelin albums, Led Zeppelin III is an excellent album. I personally completely agree with what Led Zeppelin did with using acoustic ideas for this album. Led Zeppelin, being the groundbreaking band they are, were hardly going to settle back and keep to exactly the same hard-rock and blues formula throughout their careers. In that respect, the acoustic based album was one that they were destined to make. Saying that, fans should have been only too aware of Jimmy Page's taste for acoustic play, given he'd employed it with the Yardbirds and in songs on the first two albums such as 'Ramble On'. Page was hardly going to restrict his adept guitar play to his Gibson Les Paul electric guitar. That said though, this album still has its more rocking moments. Songs such as 'Immigrant Song' and 'Out On The Tiles' are heavier efforts and the blues of 'Since I've Been Loving You' is classic early Zeppelin style. However, aside from this, the album is mostly acoustic and is very much a chilled out affair which you can really relax to. 'Immigrant Song' is the album's short but powerful opener. I would even go as far to say this is Led Zep's most aggressive opening track that they put on their albums. The strong rolling riffs and Plant's foreboding wails with lyrics about Viking raiders give this song a steely edge. The classic opener then runs into 'Friends' and the acoustics begin. This is a great track, with a catchy melody. The exit to the track has a string group in the background; a great idea to finish the track. Following this is a return to the hard rocking vein of things with 'Celebration', an upbeat song with a racing riff. Then we come to 'Since I've Been Loving You'. There is only one word for this track . . . AWESOME. This is for me, the best blues styled song that Led Zeppelin ever made. Page's guitar melodies are awesome, as is the organ accompanyment played by John Paul Jones. Plant sings out heartwrenching lyrics that powerfully resonate through this 7 minute masterpiece. Next up, to finish the first half of the album is 'Out On The Tiles'; a gritty hard rocker with lots of energy. It has a similar feel to 'Good Times, Bad Times' from the first album. For the second half of the album, we hit acoustic sounds full on. The first of these is 'Gallows Pole', a folk traditional arranged by Page. More nifty guitar work accompanies Plant singing about a man being hanged. The song gathers speed progressively and it builds into a great climax. 'Tangerine' is a chilled out acoustic gem with a dreamy quality. Then comes 'Thats The Way', the third masterpiece track of the album, after 'Immigrant Song' and 'Since I've Been Loving You'. The acoustic riff is timeless; this is a folk-based masterpiece. Plant sings this song with amazing vocal control. 'Bron Yr Aur Stomp' is an acoustic sing along, the title inspired by a cottage in Wales. It has some great grooves and is an enjoyable listen. Sadly though, the last track, 'Hats Off To Roy Harper' leaves a lot to be desired. The scratchy guitar play and disjointed vocals just leaves me thinking 'URGHHHHHH'. I could never get into this song and is probably the only Zep tune that I can't listen to. The b-side masterpiece song 'Hey Hey What Can I Do' should have been on here instead, or indeed 'Travelling Riverside Blues'. Had either track have been included instead of 'Hats Off' I would have given this album 5 stars. Led Zeppelin III is an excellent change of style by the band. Sadly it didn't please all fans at the time of its release (though most were won back with the follow up in Led Zeppelin IV) but for me, and any of the open minded fans of the band, this is an excellent effort. Eventhough this is by far not the band's best work, it is still an undeservedly underrated album. I would personally recommend this Led Zeppelin album to any new fan of the band looking for more beyond the hard-rocking stuff or any open minded listener in general. . . You can see a complete list of all Led Zeppelin discography, or go back to the Led Zeppelin tabs