LED ZEPPELIN III

Think about the situation in the "hard rock frenzy" year 1970. Each legendary group was competing in being hard, melodic, filled with riffs or at least full of brilliant solo performances. Black Sabbath released their dark debut and immortal Paranoid, Uriah Heep made also their raw debut, Deep Purple shocked with their classic In rock, Atomic Rooster, after their rather psychedelic debut, carved from the darkness their sculpture called Death walks behind you, Jethro Tull on their way to uniqueness offered the invincible Benefit, Wishbone Ash taught everybody how to play a rock ballad (e.g. Phoenix) also on their debut and I am still talking just about the Great Britain. The 1970 is the best year in the hard rock (and also rock) history without any doubt.

And what about Led Zeppelin? Their "hardened" blues was surely time-proven but they didn't want to stop evolving. Their third album crossed the borders (for the first time) of the style (which Led Zeppelin had helped to create, too) and dressed itself into the acoustic and a little bit folky habits. They were quite unique in this. From blues and hard rock to every thinkable poses only Jethro Tull and perhaps Vincent Crane and his Atomic Rooster (every album different and yet recognizable) can be compared with them. In the year 1970 the third album had no similarity in the hard rock world. The only worthy candidate I can imagine is the Rides again album by James Gang (unique electric and acoustic mix).

And what's going on here?

The first song is the immortal classic Immigrant song. Plant's yelling is legendary, but I have to mention one of the most classical pattern for drums that is often used here and there and each rock drummer will teach it, sooner or later. And here comes the first shock - the acoustic beauty called Friends. Zeppelin sound so convincingly as never before. And they don't need the wall of sound of their amplified instruments. Breathtaking! And the next song is a killer called Celebration day. Things can't be better.

On their debut they used to borrow so called blues standards. Here they created their own. Since I've been loving you! I can't desribe it to someone who hasn't heard. Just listen to the marvelous guitar solos that Page carved into his musical epitaph. Things can be better for sure!

Led Zeppelin produced rather rutine hard rock later, but here every single hard note had an energy compared to the common effort of every nuclear powerplants at the Old Continent and nearby surrounding. Out in the tiles is a proof. Or the next genius song called Gallows Pole. I can imagine this song in electric version and it would be a killer hard rock ride for sure. Even its acoustic version is perfect. From the acoustic songs on this album I like most the fragile and tuny Tangerine. It's the highlight of young Led Zeppelin. By the way, the b-side of LP has nothing to do with loundness. The same fragility is in the song called That's the way. Bron-y-aur stomp evokes me the spring meadow and the end of the recording offers me the great acoustic slide blues Hats of to (Roy) Harper.

For me this is the last genial and charming Led Zeppelin's album and I appreciate it unconditionally.

Share this LED ZEPPELIN review

Social review comments () BETA

---

---

Review related links

• Send comments to Hejkal
• Report this review (#378706)
• Buy LED ZEPPELIN music online with PA partners
• Show all LED ZEPPELIN MP3/Stream
• Go to LED ZEPPELIN page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
• Go to Led Zeppelin III page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
• Search the Forum for LED ZEPPELIN related discussions