LED ZEPPELIN III

Since I had seen them in concert while touring their second album and witnessed the incredible grandeur that was "Since I've been loving you" I really expected another blues/rock barnburner in the same spirit as the first two when this LP hit the shelves. However, after being electrified by the kickbutt impetus started by "Immigrant Song" my favorite band in the world at the time turned into Simon and Garfunkle. That's a little severe, I know, but at the time that's the way I felt. It was as if they were trying so hard to show another side of themselves that they disappeared completely. The years have softened me a bit concerning this effort and I can now more truly appreciate the skill and workmanship that went into its creation but I can never shake the memory of the disappointment that I felt initially when the last song ended and I was left sitting there idly and morosely spinning the strange wheel on the LP's cover. Had they not recovered so incredibly well on the fourth album they may have lost me as a fan forever but I guess this was just a stage they had to go through to exorcise some particular demons or something. Whatever it was, it left me feeling a little empty and I found myself instinctively reaching back for I & II for fulfillment, satisfaction and nourishment for the rock and roll monster that lived in my soul.

Having said all that childlike crud, the plain fact is that I couldn't accept the truth that these guys were truly "progressive" and I wasn't. Not at that stage in my young life, anyway. I pouted and wanted them to stay the same but that would've made them grow stale and insignificant. The material on this album may not be on the same lofty plateau as what appeared on the two that preceded it but these songs are indicative of a band that was not content to be just another loud blues outfit aka Cactus or others of that ilk and era. I finally got over my funk about this disc and can now appreciate it for what it is. A good record.