Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III

After plundering the Yardbirds' legacy and Willie Dixon (among others) for their blues-riff-heavy first two albums, Jimmy Page and company surprised many listeners with the strong acoustic/folk sensibility displayed on III. Page aficionados shouldn't have been caught off guard; the guitarist had toyed with similar sensibilities and modalities during his brief tenure with the Yardbirds (most notably "White Summer" from the Little Games album). Ever the creative thieves, Zep kick off the album by nicking the riff from "Bali Ha'i" no less, with Robert Plant wailing it to punctuate the thundering FM warhorse "Immigrant Song." Even other electric rockers like "Celebration Day" and "Out on the Tiles" have an inventive, offbeat musicality to them that suggest the band was already wary of stereotyping. But it's the decidedly mellower acoustic groove of the album's latter half that's the news here, from the graceful beauty of "That's the Way" and "Tangerine" to the raw, folksy charm of "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp," "Hats Off (to Roy Harper)," and the traditional "Gallows Pole." --Jerry McCulley Amazon.com

Led Zeppelin

I am collecting some great music classics now. Led Zeppelin is one of the best. April 15, 2008

Essential and often over-looked

This is head and shoulders above the previous two releases even if one is apt to hear more from the former two on the radio. While the first two albums tried hard and often overdid it, this album finds the band settling into a comfort level, spreading out, and demonstrating the kind of diversity and damn the torpedoes attitude that would come to define their uniqueness. While I am curious as to the sagacity of delineating so clearly the hard side and soft side (whereas IV/Zoso intermixed the loud with the quiet), there is no doubt that LZ III was their best effort to date. Plant's Norseman's wail and the thundering gallop of "Immigrant Song" knocks you backward as is typical of Zeppelin's opening numbers and from there it only gets better. "Friends" is one of my top five favorites, and the straight-forward blues of "Since I've Been Loving You" is about as genuine and defining as this band ever did the curious stepchild of the blues which owed as much to the American masters of the genre as it did to the heavily amplified and excessive machismo of the British electrified interpretation.
The songs are nearly all exceptional with the only misstep being the closer "Hats Off To (Roy) Harper" which is a bit too clever for its own good. The second half of the album features the more acoustic influences of Page and Plant and allows the listener to hear how diverse and capable this band was, and in particular, how Page's studio experiences and varied influences allowed this band to separate itself from its Yardbirds roots and forge a path that no band had yet traversed. As this album clearly underscores, the genealogy of this band were clearly broader than Robert Johnson and Willie Dixon.
Along with the follow-up and Physical Graffiti, this is an essential release from Led Zeppelin.
March 15, 2008

WHAT A MASTERPIECE!!!

This record is simply breathtaking. It is one of Led Zeppelin's finest releases ever made. Robert Plant's vocals on this record are raw and unique, and Jimmy Page plays every type of guitar possible on this record, from electric to acoustic to slide to mandolin, and John Paul Jones and John Bonham also shine on this record.

Overall, if you like Zeppelin or classic rock, than you MUST have this record. Every single song on this record was very important to Zep's career, especially 'Immigrant Song,' 'Gallows Pole,' 'Tangerine,' and the bluesy 'Since I've Been Loving You.'

If you've never heard it, listen to 'Friends' and 'Celebration Day.' On the record, 'Friends' goes launches right into 'Celebration Day.' They are practically one song. I can't listen to one without the other, to be honest.

'That's The Way' and 'Bron-Y-Aur Stomp' are other great highlights that would become concert classics for the group. 'Hats of To (Roy) Harper' is another great song well worth listening to. Page's slide guitar and Plant's unique voice prove to be the perfect combo on this track.

Overall, highly recommended for any Zep fan. ENJOY!!! March 15, 2008

My Review

I really liked this album. It's a very good listen. I'd rather suggest buying it. It's pretty decent. March 10, 2008

Early Graffiti

Led Zeppelin III always struck me as an early attempt to achieve what was done so masterfully on Physical Graffiti, which is to explore, more fully than has been done thus far, all of Led Zeppelin's many and varied musical interests and abilities. While it's not fully successful in achieving this goal, the album is still very strong, though perhaps not so strong as their other albums, through Physical Graffiti.

The album does have very strong moments, however, beginning with the heavy, roaring "Immigrant Song," which is often considered inspirational to the later genre of viking metal. This is really a great song, and instantly recognizable. "Friends" has a darker mood that plays nicely into the more upbeat "Celebration Day." A true album highlight can be found on the slow, bluesy "Since I've Been Loving You," which really showcases the band's soulfulness, both on instrument and in voice.

"Gallows Pole" is an effective midpoint for the album, combining blues, a partially bluegrass feel, and some great vocals, before the mellow "Tangerine" changes the mood once more. In fact, a good deal of the second half of the album is based on more acoustic blues and bluegrass, which is why this is a fairly experimental album from Zep. It's very good, but I think they do it better on Physical Graffiti, which is so huge and expansive. But by listening to this, you can really tell where they were planning to go with that album. February 2, 2008

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