Led Zeppelin III
Led Zeppelin
1970
Album Summary
Led Zeppelin III is the third studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released on 5 October 1970. It was recorded in three locations. Much of the work was done at Headley Grange, a country house, using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio. Additional sessions were held in more traditional recording studios, such as Island Studios and Olympic Studios in London. As with the prior album, the band eschewed the use of guest musicians, with all music performed by band members Robert Plant (vocals), Jimmy Page (guitars), John Paul Jones (bass, keyboards), and John Bonham (drums). The range of instruments played by the band was greatly enhanced on this album, with Jones especially emerging as a talented multi-instrumentalist, playing a wide range of keyboard and stringed instruments, including various synthesizers, mandolin and double bass, in addition to his usual bass guitar. As with prior albums, Page served as producer on the album, with mixing done by Andy Johns and Terry Manning. The album showed a progression from straightforward rock towards folk and acoustic music. While hard rock influences were still present, such as on "Immigrant Song", acoustic-based songs such as "Gallows Pole" and "That's the Way" showed Led Zeppelin were capable of playing different styles successfully. The band wrote most of the material themselves, but as with prior records, included two songs that were re-interpretations of earlier works: "Gallows Pole", based on a traditional English folk song, by way of American singer Fred Gerlach; and "Hats Off to (Roy) Harper", a reworking of a blues song by Bukka White. The acoustic material developed from a songwriting session between Plant and Page at Bron-Yr-Aur cottage in Wales, which influenced the musical direction. The album was one of the most anticipated of 1970, and its shipping date was held up by the intricate inner sleeve design based around a volvelle, with numerous images visible through holes in the outer cover. It was an immediate commercial success upon release and topped the UK and US charts. Although many critics were initially confused over the change in musical style and gave the album a mixed response, Led Zeppelin III has since been acknowledged as representing an important milestone in the band's history and a turning point in their music.
Wikipedia3.8 + Look, I just find Led Zeppelin exhausting. Whenever I hear them I think of my douchey college roommate expounding on how they were “revolutionary.” So, fine, yes this album is terrific - it’s 10 solid tracks with killer drums, piercing vocals and searing guitar. Braun-Yaur Stomp rocks my nuts off. My problem though is that it’s a dialed up sound. It’s like owning a Lamborghini. If all you need is to run out for milk and eggs, driving a supercar can feel like a chore. Same with Led Zeppelin. Sometimes I don’t want music to sound so maxed out. So my college roommate can suck it.
This is one of my all time favorites. Zeppelin at their most varied, including crushing blues, heavy metal, acoustic and folk. Since I've Been Loving You is among my all time favore
My fav Zeppelin album and another listen didn’t budge that truth. It has it all!
Sets the bar high with Immigrant Song and then never comes close again to matching that energy. I needed a nap halfway through.
A fun folksy romp, with one of the most criminally underrated Zep songs (Friends). It has a few duds, however, and doesn't hit quite as high of highs as some of their other works.
While hard rock influences were still present, such as on "Immigrant Song", acoustic-based songs such as "Gallows Pole" and "That's the Way" showed Led Zeppelin were capable of playing different styles successfully.
I've been a fan of this album for, I shit you not, 20 years. East 5 stars for me. Celebration Day is the weakest song on the album, and that's saying something. Don't tell Stairway, but Tangerine is the best thing that Led Zeppelin ever did. DONT @ ME
“Led Zeppelin III” by Led Zeppelin (1970) Clearly the most underrated album by Led Zeppelin, this work deserves a serious listen by every music lover. Venturing into an eclectic mix of rock, blues, and even Celtic folk, Page, Plant, Jones and Bonham produced music of the highest caliber. “Since I’ve Been Loving You” is arguably the best blues rock song of all time—listen to the buildup to the most soulful scream ever recorded (at 5:30-6:20). Jones on bass & keyboards and Bonham on drums give exquisite, inventive performances, and Page’s guitar playing (rhythm AND lead) is stellar. But Plant’s unique vocal quality and range pull the passion right out of you. Dark & dank comic relief on “Gallows Pole” followed by the wistful “Tangerine” and the soul-wrenching “That’s the Way”—music to turn you inside out and back again. This is not top 40. This is actual music. 5/5
J'ai énormement apprécié le clin d'oeil de Led Zeppelin à son public français, avec la présence d'un Nikos Aliagas absolument déchaîné sur la totalité de l'album. Ce dernier commence par nous donner les dernières actus sur Lolo Ferrari, avant de nous parler du Festival de Cannes à venir. Ensuite, il repétera à intervalles réguliers ses phrases telles que "Salut c'est Nikos" ou encore "ça buzze ça tweete". Enfin, il nous proposera un tour d'horizon de l'actu people en moins de 60 secondes.
You know Led Zeppelin, they play bluesy rock really hard but I would say if you're into weird shit, this may be your favorite one. In other words, I think this some of their best, has a lot of depth to its sound.
Saw the album cover then heard the opening riff of Immigrant Song in my head. Satisfying.
Immigrant song - what a start to an album! Friends - Now we've gone a bit prog. Not the most melodic song I've ever heard End review - Aside from the couple of good songs "Immigrant Song" and "black dog", the rest was unmemorable.
The 'acoustic' album with plenty of electric guitar! Not as many famous tracks, but still packed with invention and ideas.
gets a 5 for immigrant song alone.. brilliant and not even in my top 2 LZ albums
A blend of folk and rock. Still think Physical Graffiti is their best album
OMG. 16 year old me is sooo excited. Probably my favorite zep albums. LOVE the acoustics. Best opening ever. I've listened to this a thousand times. LOVE
I think I liked this one a little better than the last one but I like them both.
I like Zeppelin but I’m not sure I’ve ever listened to a full album of theirs before. Great album!
Clássico! Apesar de que a versão deluxe capa preta no tidal tá meio assustadora
Saved Prior: Immigrant Song Not Saved: 10. Hats off To (Roy) Harper Saved: 9. Tangerine 8. Bron-Y-Aur Stomp 7. Celebration Day 6. Since I've Been Loving You 5. Friends 4. Out on the Tiles 3. That's the Way 2. Gallows Pole 1. Immigrant Song Overall Notes: Led Zeppelin clicked for me during this album. I genuinely enjoyed every song on this album except the last one, and all for different reasons. Immigrant Song is what I imagine people who like heavy metal think heavy metal sounds like all the time. If it all sounded like that, I'd be a fan. Apparently this album is a transitionary album for Zep, can't wait to hear more.
I, II, III, and Physical Graffiti all make appearances on the 1001 albums list. I love me some Led Zeppelin, but that seems like overkill. Especially because LZIII was critically panned when it came out, damned both for being less aggressive than its predecessors (Melody Maker) and for not being substantially different (Lester Bangs). Perhaps this album was included because it foreshadows Led Zeppelin's later work--Arabic modes and English folk songs both make their first appearance on LZIII. But I'm going to ignore LZIII's place in music history. Is it any good? The leadoff track, Immigrant Song, is relentless and menacing, driven by a staccato pedal point and Robert Plant's double-tracked vocals. A prominent tri-tone and a bridge that leads to nowhere, ending on a flatted 6th, contribute to the track's edge. Friends is a spooky modal tune, feature a flatted 5th and a minor 2nd. The arrangement is both sparse and ingenious, with strings handling a countermelody while Jimmy Page pounds out a rhythmic drone on the bottom. The song ends on a gorgeous synth drone from John Paul Jones, which leads into the next tune, Celebration Day. Here, Jimmy Page repurposes a riff from Robert Johnson's Terraplane Blues, but completely makes it his own. The chorus is pure pop. John Bonham's pounding drums seal the deal. Since I've Been Loving You is one of Led Zep's patented supercharged blues workouts--they wring out every last drop of emotion and intensity from the tune. Out On The Tiles is anchored by an extended Jimmy Page riff, woven together with Plant's vocal. The band is killer throughout the first half of LZIII. What guitarist Jimmy Page lacks in precision, he makes up for in taste, tone, and arranging prowess. John Bonham was the most powerful rock drummer of the era; sorry, Keith Moon. And the band's secret weapon is John Paul Jones, who plays keyboards with consummate taste, as well as bass. The second half of LZIII is less bombastic, which presents a problem for some fans, but is it really the weak link that critics claim it to be? Gallows Pole is a powerful rendering of an old English folk tune, driven along by mandolin, banjo, and John Bonham's kickass drums. Bron-Y-Aur Stomp has a more basic arrangement, but it's effective nonetheless. The softer tunes, Tangerine and That's The Way, are cunningly arranged and cast a melancholy spell. The weakest tune in the bunch is Hats Off To (Roy) Harper, which is 4 minutes of raunchy blues slide guitar paired with Robert Plant's processed vocals, in which he seemingly randomly spouts snippets of various blues lyrics. But even there, I appreciate how Jimmy Page recasts a traditional blues into something contemporary, utilizing the simplest of means. So, what's the verdict? I personally prefer Led Zep's harder side, but they pull off their more acoustically oriented stuff with skill, too. I prefer I, II, IV, and Physical Graffiti, but LZIII is pretty damned good.
It's been so long since I've listened to any Led Zeppelin. Always a classic. I think this is probably one of their albums I've listened to the least throughout my life.
When I first dove into Led Zeppelin’s catalog a few years ago, I was surprised at how varied their music is compared to their mainstream reputation. This is the first album where they kinda started to deviate from the blues rock they’re mostly known for. “Since I’ve Been Loving You” is probably one of my favorites of theirs.
One of Zeppelin’s most complete albums - nothing that doesn’t still hold up as a classic
The real secret to Zep's success was Page's legendary quality control - just about any song on a good Zeppelin record could be a single, and if you were to ask any random music fan about their favorite Zeppelin songs, you'd end up getting wildly different answers from across their catalogue. It's why a largely uncharacteristic record like III works so well - in the end, the largely acoustic folk that comprises about half the record sits surprisingly well next to groove-rockers like "Immigrant Song." Of course it wouldn't be an early Zeppelin record without a super-long blues track, so here's "Since I've Been Loving You," which admittedly does feel less dragged-out than some of their other lengthy blues jams. Fantastic rhythm section - locked-in, never overdoing it. A high point in an album run that was one of the best ever.
Hands down best rock album. Arguably the album that made Rock what it was in the 70s and what it is now
This is a top Led Zeppelin album for me. Going to Wales was probably the best thing the band could have done in that point in their career. Here they gain a healthy infusion of folk influence. Jimmy Page's open tuning experiments are some of the highlights of the album. I view this album as Led Zeppelin's Revolver, an album that paved the way for their apex, in this case, the self titled fourth album.
I huck-ing love Zeppelin! Havn't listened to their third album as frequent as the others. However to begin this journey with one of my favourite artists excites me. Stoked!
Led Zeppelin III was often regarded as the slightly unloved middle child between Led Zeppelin II which launched the band on the road to rock stardom and Led Zeppelin IV, which is the their true masterpiece. The band's willingness to break out into various styles, from bluesy rock to straight blues, folk rock to pure folk alongside the expected heavy rock songs, seemed to put a lot of people off. But this album is a classic in its own right and has come to be regarded as such. Bangers from start to finish!
One of my favorite LPs of all time. This is getting five stars, and I don’t even need to hear a note. Listened again and it’s as good as I remember. Rock, blues and fusiony goodness with world class instrumentation and one of Rocks all time best vocalists. What’s not to like? Well, maybe the final cut “ Hats off to Roy Harper” as that song is fairly grating. Trivia nugget - Roy Harper is a real dude who was the (originally) uncredited singer on Pink Floyd’s “Have a Cigar”.
Well, this could be the 1001st time I've listened to this classic work. Great stuff.
This album has a little bit of everything. I find myself returning to this album more than any other Zep album. I'm not saying it's their best. I'm just saying what I'm saying. "That's the Way" and "Tangerine" always get played to the end.
Fav songs: - Immigrant Song - Gallows Pole - Tangeringe - Since I've Been Loving You
such a talented fucking band. immigrant song tangerine these are incredible. their range. fantastic!
Classic Album. What’s there not to like about Led Zepplin and arguably their best album of all time.
Absolute bangers all the way through, can't believe i never listened to Zep. Gallows pole FUCKS
Zeppelin. No better rock band. Best song on III: since I’ve been loving you
Great album. Nicely different from the others, but still classically Led Zep.
i’ve already talked about this album it’s so fuckin’ good I think this is where they were really able to show some of their best stuff like LZ-I and II were great but I think they really tuned their sound to a new great level with this album, and all the better stuff to come after this is a 10/10, please check out Led Zeppelin’s discography
Just an excellent album. Not sure what else to say. I remember my dad playing me Gallows Pole on guitar when I was a small child, a bit of a weird sing when you think of lyrics but hey. Interesting fact, the original record cover had a wheel on the side that you could turn and make the image change through the little holes.
Personally, this is my favourite Led Zeppelin album. Introducing folk elements makes a great band even greater.
Really just an amazing album front to back. Maybe my favorite of theirs
Not the best Led Zeppelin album, but have a lot of good songs and surely 5/5
Peerless. From the album cover design and artwork onwards, a masterpiece showing Zep at their best.
As far as I'm concerned Zeppelin 1-4 are flawless and I will stand by that until I die
Hi- Immigrant Song, Since I've Been Loving You, Tangerine, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp Lo- Hats off to (Roy) Harper Led Zep's effort before they *really* hit it big with VI is appreciated with classics like Immigrant Song rocking out, Since I've Been Loving You and Tangerine pulling at the heartstrings, and Bron-Y-Aur Stomp providing the stomp-clap goodness years before Queen did it with We Will Rock You. Hats off to (Roy) Harper was not a great send off for this album, but it's not for us, it's for Page and Plant's friend Roy Harper.
This album is a master class in how to make an acoustic guitar rock. Pretty much love every track (although the last track is only "ok" in my book). Immigrant Song rocks, even if the lyrics are a little cheesy. Love the strings on Friends. Celebration Day is another cool track and I like how Friends segues into it - very cool slide guitar here (and elsewhere on the album). Since I've Been Loving You is a little on the long side, but is worth listening to closely - great guitar throughout with a fantastic solo in the middle. Out on the Tiles has a great groove. Gallows Pole is a classic - a classic with banjo, no less. Tangerine moves nicely from calm acoustic waves to rocking (with a bit of country twang at the end). That's the Way is very moving and Bron-Y-Aur Stomp is a fun acoustic track. Hats Off to (Roy) Harper is a bit of a meandering ending...really feels tacked on, but overall the album is just great. Easy 5.