Led Zeppelin III

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Editorial reviews

Album Description
2005 Japanese standard jewel case pressing of Led Zeppelin's 1970 album. Features the same tracks and mastering as the US edition but includes an OBI and Japanese/English insert. Warner. 2005.

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Amazon.com
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

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Customer reviews

review by: gyeo date: 2008-11-19 rating:
Zep's Esoteric Entry
Led Zep's 3rd album continued the epic rise of the mighty band but was seen at the time as a slowdown because of its strange diversions and acoustic numbers. In reality, it showcased a different identity for the band and provided a nice contrast to their previous albums by not being a pure rock album.

The album's predecessor - Led Zep II had been recorded in spurts while the band was on tour and though powerful, was uneven in parts.

In contrast, Led Zeppelin III was a lot more focussed and sophisticated in production. A very nice album indeed. Although it gets the least play on my Zep list, the ideas here would define the group's sonic and acoustic inventiveness; and their love of light and shade.

Page unleashes the full fury of Zep on "Immigrant Song" and then goes into the otherworldly "Friends" before rocking out on "Celebration Day." "Since I've Been Loving You" follows and is the ultimate Zep blues anthem that's never been bettered. "Out on the Tiles" is a throwaway number and "Gallows Pole" is another Zep reworking of a blues number. "Tangerine" and "That's the Way" recall Zep's childhood innocence and showcases their acoustic side. "Bron Yr Aur Stomp" is another Zep ditty. The album ends with "Hats off to Roy Harper": a proto / primal blues number that's been thumbed down by many a Zep fan as being weird. In fact it was a tribute to their blues roots which most overlooked.

What would Zep be without the spirit of experimentation? Zep III may have been viewed as a stop gap then but is now accepted as an essential part of the band's oeuvre.

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review by: date: 2008-11-08 rating:
It's Zeppelin...Just buy it!
I remember as a child I knew the name and the image of Led Zeppelin long before I ever heard the actual music. The legend surrounding them is so strong, and their songs are so well known, that people tend to take it for granted that somebody had to actually write those songs. III saw the band growing into the most talented riff-makers in the history of rock and roll. Still a heavy rock album by anyone's standards, III contained a more folksy sound than their previous releases. The tone of the album is actually very moody and the songs are quite often acoustic. This was quite a change from I and II. For me, the second side of the album is stronger than the first, and it is also where the band let their folk flag fly, more than ever before. The heavy blues are obviously still present but by 1970 Zep was proving they had more to offer than just ferocious interpretations of that particular American-born genre.

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review by: date: 2008-10-02 rating:
Out of Reach!
The light/heavy ideas of Led Zeppelin really come to fruition with the third where much has been written about its obvious folk leanings, certainly Page's twelve string guitar is a treat but these arrangements have the orchestrated detail of a symphony. This musical collage doesn't in any way impede the powerful sense of spontaneity, with Bonzo creating a jazz feel to keep his boogie backbeat loose (dig the extended coda to Out On the Tiles).

The single release for this album was the magnificent Immigrant Song, a Viking saga in miniature but Zep III also contains what may be considered their finest moment with Since I've Been Loving You; a monumental piece that provides big climaxes for stretching Plant's rambling vocals, to where he delivers all the feverish emotions of an Anglo-Saxon blues opera, while Jimmy Page's flowing guitar solo has incomparable strength and sound. The sheer transcendence of these two tracks alone makes accusations of plagiarism seem irrelevant!

Led Zeppelin covered a lot of musical ground in a very short space of time but with their third album a mature disenchantment begins to show through as on That's the Way, the black humour to Gallows Pole, and Since I've Been Loving You; proof that the blues creeps into every corner of peoples lives, irrespective of colour. Despite negative experiences Zep's optimistic spirit surged on.

Alongside all of this one can't help but feel the fine touch of John Paul Jones arranging talents combining with those of Jimmy Page; married to that sophistication is the creative rawness, range and energy of Robert Plant and John Bonham. No small wonder then that the results are of a volcanic artistry way out of reach of any heavy metal band. Consequently I've often found the fourth or so called Runes album bordering on the bland in comparison to this jewellery box.

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review by: Rick Highman date: 2008-09-23 rating:
My favorite Led Zeppelin Album
I have always been a big fan of Zeppelin. I think this is one of the albums that didn't get the extensive airplay as some of the others. It is loaded with great songs though. I can always put this on and listen to the entire album everytime.


review by: Older and Wiser date: 2008-09-22 rating:
Led Zeppelin III
This Album shows the depth, length and width of Led Zeppelins talent and is one of the best albums to mellow out to after a grueling day of noise and aggravation. I have worn through the grooves in this album, stretched out the tape on the 8-track, broken all the teeth on the cassett and look forward to having a digital copy that will last a life time.

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