Led Zeppelin III

Led Zeppelin III (1970) was apparently a response to the criticism that they were only capable of playing loudly. As such, while loud tracks are still present, there is a greater proportion of soft, acoustic tracks which reflects the influences of English folk music. Soft is a relative term however, and while this may be the mellowest recording in the Led Zeppelin catalog, it is still pretty thunderous (the Immigrant Song always elevated my blood pressure). Elevated blood pressure aside, I have to say that I really appreciate the softer side of the group and find this album to be especially enjoyable. Some of my favorite Led Zeppelin tracks are on this album including the mellow acoustic track That's the Way, the melodic Tangerine, and the electrifying heavy blues/rock of Since I've Been Loving You. Come to think of it, the album is fairly diverse and is a fine example of their brand of eclectic "heavy metal". Other highlights include the (fairly early) use of the mini-moog synthesizer at the end of Friends, the drumming of John Bonham, and the acoustic guitar work of Jimmy Page. This 1994 remaster is OK and the sound quality is not too shabby. Overall though, the CD package does not come close to the high quality of my old (and dearly departed) vinyl LP. Unfortunately, Led Zeppelin III does not receive the acclaim of albums such as II (1969) and IV (1971), which is too bad. It seems to me that this excellent album would offer a lot to the Led Zeppelin fan; both casual and hardcore alike.

Zeppelin III holds a special place in my heart. I cam of age in the early 70's. III was the first Zeppelin LP I purchased as a teen. I loved the functioning, kaleidoscope album jacket! I back filled my collection later and really began to appreciate their true diversity. While I totally rocked out to Immigrant Song, and Celebration Day. I discovered the whole other side of their Rock, Rhythm & Blues origins. An early 70's "Must Have!"

Very nice addition to my collection. Didn’t realize they were actually going to be still in their original packaging! Score! Thank you!

"Led Zeppelin III" finds Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones & John Bonham mixing softer, folkier songs with their trademark hard rock stuff. Some fans loved the acoustic/electric mix, while others were put off. Personally, I think the blend works great. "Led Zeppelin III" may not be the band's crowning achievement, but nonetheless this is an excellent album. The band shred wallpaper on thunderous tracks like "The Immigrant Song," "Celebration Day," and "Out On The Tiles," while "Since I've Been Loving You" is a long, slinky, tasty blues rocker. Zeppelin also score with the acoustic stuff, too: "Tangerine" and "That's The Way" are both gorgeous songs, "Friends" & "Gallows Pole" are also strong numbers, "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" is great fun, and the grand finale, "Hats Off To (Roy) Harper," featuring just Page's steel string guitarfest on one speaker & Plant's distorted, warbly vocals on the other, is weird but very compelling. "Led Zeppelin III" is a great Zep disc, showcasing the band's magic touch with the acoustic as well as the electric. Highly recommended.

A product I am more than happy to review. Led Zeppelin among many other older bands is astronomically famous. They are STILL more popular than ever. I remember buying Led Zeppelin3 for myself on my 13th or 14th birthday and my dad(supposedly a Led Zeppelin fan himself) said,"Oh, you got ripped off here. That's their worst album." Oh, I know, my dad's the biggest IDIOT and it wouldn't be far-fetched to say I hate him and my stepmom. This album is magic. I obviously rebought it recently and realized, quickly, every song on this album is great. What was my dad talking about? He deserves to die a horrid and painful death. This album may not be their best but is FAR from thee worst. Have you ever listened to Robert Plants solo albums? Now that's torture. Great, Great Album. You can put this on and relax 'til it's done or just hit repeat.I can listen to this over and over. Every song is wonderful. LOVE THIS ALBUM!!! AND HATE MY DAD!!

Third time around, and they get it right again. From the squeak of Bonham's kickdrum (the requisite blues "Since I've Been Loving You") to Page's only performance on banjo (the gotcha-anyway "Gallows Pole") there ain't a duff track here. It's a quantum leap sideways from the heaviness of LZ II, and the landing is perfect. Criminy, "Celebration Day" is brilliant enough even with (actually, I think, because of) the botched intro - - when Jones's bass and Bonham's drums finally clamber in, the track takes off and carries the album with it; Page's guitar work on this track is awesome. And Led Zeppelin had flirted with acoustic music before, but the full-blown folk rock on III proves their eclecticism once and for all - - "That's The Way" is simply beautiful in its melancholy. It's a wildly diverse album, and as such shows that Led Zeppelin was at this point bursting with ideas. Anyone remember Lucifer's Friend? They copped Plant's Viking wail from the high-octane, octave-riffed "Immigrant Song" for the first song on their own debut. So what, you say? Exactly.

After riding high on the massive, unprecedented success of their first two albums and following tours, Zeppelin pulled back on the reins and gave us a third album of folk meanderings, mystic offerings to Gods, and a less abrasive approach. The band had taken some extra time to hone their song writing skills, move away from heavy blues standards, and begin experimenting with other sounds and ideas. Critics didn’t love the idea at the time, but the fans lapped it up and saw it as the sign of a hugely talented band taking their next logical step. ‘Immigrant Song’ opens the album in fairly typical style with booming drums, a tuneful riff, and some wailing vocals. We get tell from the opening lines that the band have taken a more mystical direction with Nordic nods and references. This is a short, simple verse chorus verse song which is forced along by that riff and doesn’t outstay it’s welcome wisely before concluding with a cymbal’s hiss. ‘Friends’ is a much softer affair features mostly acoustics, a cheeky climbing piece by page, eastern tinged strings, and some tambla by Bonzo. This one feels like a campfire song before a battle although the lyrics are more peace and love focused than war based, but we feel the band huddled together, plotting for some huge event while the darkness gathers around them. The structure is simply but avoids being repetitive, there is no chorus, and the songs gradually increases in speed and volume for the ending. ‘Celebration Day’ picks up the pace and opens with the final phasing notes from the previous tracks underneath some bizarre guitar sounds by Page. This gives way to a string bending riff, some over the top vocals by Plant who is on top form, and the usual racing beats we would expect by the bass and drums. This time we get a big chorus and a nice Page solo. ‘Since I've Been Loving You’ is a classic blues standard given the Zep treatment, and it ends up being one of their greatest songs. Each member plays their part to unbridled perfection- Page’s playing is soothing, fiery, flawless, Plant’s vocals are rarely more powerful and evocative, while the bass and drums come blasting at the exact moments. Of an often underappreciated album, this is the song many fans point to to prove otherwise. ‘Out On The Tiles’ is a near-average rock song by Zep- one of the reasons why this album isn’t seen as highly as others. It is still driven by a powerful riff, the overall rhythm is funky, and we get a catchy, if cheesy chorus. Great work by Bonham and Jones here and I think it simply gets forgotten due to being seen as a lesser version of their more famous riff songs. ‘Gallows Pole’ is an unusual song in the band’s catalogue, but a great one nonetheless. A variation on the folk song this one starts softly and slowly and builds gradually throughout until we get a stomping beat and some entertaining mandolin and banjo playing. Zep give the lyrics a darker twist in that the hero still dies even after the executioner gets some loving and money. ‘Tangerine’ calms the album down and may be their most beloved acoustic song. Opening with a false-start, we get a stirring chord progression which Plant sings over with his most tender voice. The song is given extra depth by the different string types, from Pedal guitar to electric blast for the solo and the country feel doesn’t feel intrusive. ‘That's The Way’ continues the softer side of the record with the band’s most gentle song, one of innocence and friendship. Bonham does not drum here taking away 99% of the band’s force in one swoop, while Jones plays mandolin alongside Page’s acoustics. The song is extremely relaxed and the band would often sit together and sway whilst playing this one live. The lyrics show the band’s peaceful side and cover their feelings on the environment, violence, and Vietnam protests. For people who only know the loud Zep tracks, this is a good one to show them another side. ‘Bron Y Aur Stomp’ features Bonham on the Spoons and Page letting rip on some fantastic acoustic playing. The song feels like a hoedown, with the band all stomping their feet together and possibly slugging down litres of moonshine. ‘Hats Off To Harper’ closes the album in bizarre style with heavy experimenting on Plant’s vocals making him sound like Lulu in a washing machine, and on Page’s slide guitar. A tribute to singer Roy Harper, the song’s blues melody and anger are often beneath the strange effects and cause many people to skip the song entirely. It’s an entertaining song but not one I would listen to often. Due to the sharp shift in styles from their first two albums, many critics felt that the band had already peaked and were slipping away. There are a number of good songs in here which are deemed as average due to their similarities to other bigger, better tracks from the band. Even these have their moments and none of them are bad in any way. We still have some standout moments, one of their greatest epics, and their best acoustic songs. It may be more folk than blues, but the band would infuse both styles more clearly more their next album.

Terzo capitolo dei led zeppelin nel 1970. Album registrato durante il primo vero periodo di pausa e di rigenerazione a seguito di massacranti tournée. La voce di Plant è al massimo splendore ( lo resterà ancora fino al Led Zeppelin IV), e Page dimostra ora il grandissimo talento acustico. Il disco è influenzato da elementi di folk anglosassone e nordico, vive spesso l'equilibrio con il suono elettrico e la tradizione blues del sud degli stati uniti, e le canzoni iniziano ad essere un ibrido tra l'esplosione di idee, riff, andature, fraseggi caratteristici del primo periodo e le composizioni più classiche del secondo periodo. Immigrant Song è il brano di apertura, un hard rock con stupenda andatura claudicante su cui si innesta un urlo di battaglia vichingo seguito da una melodia nordica e terminare poi con un tema melodico più ritmico. Friends è un folk cupo, drammatico, quasi funereo, un brano di forte impatto che confluisce in Celebration Day, molto più ritmica e rock. Since I've been lovin you è una classica ballatona blues, un brano che non ho mai particolarmente amato, probabilmente perché sentito e sfruttato all'inverosimile prima e dopo. Senza dubbio è comunque un pezzo eccellente in cui Plant giganteggia con la sua interpretazione vocale e Page dimostra di padroneggiare tutti i segreti e lo spirito della chitarra blues. Un pezzo straordinario in tutto e per tutto è la meno conosciuta out on the tiles, un insieme di riff e cadenze hard rock e di accompagnamenti di batteria che i Rage Against the Machine hanno poi ampiamente rielaborato in bulls on parade, singolo di evil empire del '96. La tensione del brano viene risolta dal ritornello melodico veramente centrato. Incredibile pensare che questo pezzo sia stato composto nel '70, sembra di essere a metà '90! Vertice straordinario è il folk in crescendo di gallows pole, che deriva da un traditional americano, ma qui viene contaminato con elementi anglosassoni, prima che il crescendo lo faccia confluire in un magma di chitarre acustiche, banjo, cori. Tangerine è un brano acustico, dolcissimo, dai sapori vagamente country, in cui gli zeppelin trovano una melodia strepitosa che non viene però sfruttata completamente nella forma canzone tradizionale, preferendo interromperla, mettere variazioni strumentali, tematiche. Fulgido esempio di come l'eccesso di creatività dei primi zeppelin non riesca ad essere contenuto entro una bella canzone di 3-4 minuti. Altra perla acustica, malinconica e romantica è that's the way, un brano che ha quel che di indefinito che gli conferisce grossa longevità dopo molteplici ascolti. Bron-y-aur invece E' LO STOMP per eccellenza, con una introduzione acustica sublime e un coro melodico e battere di mani veramente indovinati. Si termina con hats off to roy harper un blues arcaico per voce e chitarra acustica che è un tributo ai blueman girovaghi del sud di inizio secolo, un brano solo all'apparenza banale, perché per eseguirlo senza sembrare ridicoli bisogna aver interiorizzato al 100% le primissime forme di blues. Disco strepitoso per la qualità della scrittura e dell'interpretazione è una vera miniera di idee (spesso sfruttate in seguito da altri) in un alternarsi di blues, hard rock, folk, elettrico ed acustico.

Classic Zeppelin - perfect

I ordered 2 more CDs with "Led Zep 3" and got all of them within two days of placing order. The packaging and the product condition was excellent. No scratches on CD and their covers; got them in mint condition. Prices are low, so for music freaks like me do take an advantage of this!

Es un discazo imprescindible para todos los amantes de Led Zeppelin. El tema de entrada, Immigrant Song es tremendo. No desecharía ningún tema de este disco.