Recently, I found out that there
are people who hate
Led Zeppelin.
Like, they feel about this band the way I feel about
Nickelback. I've always known that, just like a lot of
things, what people like in music is subjective, and that some people don't
care for them, but openly hating and despising them?
That was a new one on me.
Personally, I've felt for a long time that
even with all the acclaim and accolades that are heaped on them, they still
don't get enough credit.
They really
showed, more than any other band, yes, even
The Beatles, that a band
doesn't have to be limited, that whatever they want to write, they can write it
and perform it well and not have to fit into the narrow confines, the little
pigeon hole, in which a lot of us want to put a band.
Case in point; this album.
I have gone back and forth over the years as
to whether this was my favorite Zeppelin album, or Physical Graffiti.
Perhaps it is the fact that I have spent
hours and hours with the new Jimmy Page remasters that came out this summer,
but I am firmly back in the camp with this album.
To me, this is the album where Zep put it all
together and realized that they could do pretty much whatever they wanted, and
do it well.
The first album was raw and
visceral and almost felt as though they were making it up as they went.
The second album was a bit more polished but
still very much in the vein of the first album.
Both found the band trying to be a heavy blues band.
They did that very well, but it also seemed
to limit them, especially when you compare those first two to what came
after.
There would never have been the
freedom to record “4”, or “Zoso”, or whatever you choose to call it, which is
one of the great masterpieces of rock, if Led Zep III didn't come first.
The songs took a lot of people
by surprise back in 1970 when this came out.
Many referred to it as the Zeppelin acoustic album, although the
majority of the songs are still electric.
It was different.
It was a huge
departure from the two previous albums.
“The Immigrant Song” kicks things off and it's a song about Vikings, so
how am I not going to like that one.
You
could see that one fitting in with what had gone before, but after that one,
the album really branches out.
“Friends”
is an acoustic number, with some good ol' Page rhythmic twists just to let you
know who it was.
“Celebration Day” is a
rocker but definitely veers away from the blues base.
Then, just to throw a curve
ball, comes “Since I've Been Loving You”.
I was all of 7 years old when this album came out, and I could still
feel what they were going on about.
When
you can make a little kid feel the blues, you're on to something.
To this day this is one of my favorite blues
songs, and though the elitist blues purists would argue until they die that
it's a Zeppelin song so it can't be blues, they couldn't be more wrong.
And when Jimmy Page just digs into his solo
part way into the song, it is just sublime.
Next up is “Out On The Tiles”,
another rocker with that Zeppelin touch.
Nothing as simple as a 4/4 rocker in their repertoire, and this one is
another case in point.
“Gallows Pole”
comes next, starting out fairly acoustic and traditional sounding, but ending
up ripping along as the story builds.
“Tangerine” is a sweet, somewhat acoustic ballad, and again the band is
not afraid to try out new territory.
This was different as well, not like anything they had done
previously.
“That's The Way” is the most
blatant acoustic song on the album, and it is simple, sheer beauty when you
listen to all the layers of guitar on this song.
The creativity to put so many parts together,
and the way they all work so well, demonstrates the brilliance of Mr.
Page.
Some of them are just a little
strum here and there, a couple of notes that pop up in the right places, but
without them the song just wouldn't be the same.
And on a personal note, this is one of my
absolute favorite songs to play.
Wrapping up the album come
“Bron-Y-Aur Stomp” and “Hats Off To (Roy) Harper”.
Both of these songs, to me, have always
sounded like a band just having fun and enjoying the pleasure of playing
together.
A little more back to the
blues base, much more so on “Hats Off...”, but still doing something different.
Definitely a fun and enjoyable way to wrap up
the album.
Although “III” did not really
get its due when it came out, and is still set aside as a second rate release by
many Zeppelin fans, I love it and I think it ranks right up there with all of
the other releases.
If you've never
given this album some time, listen to it chronologically with the first two and I
think you might see what I'm talking about.
Listen closely and you will hear genius at work, you will hear a band
literally taking a leap of light years in the course of a single album, and
putting themselves on the threshold of the rock immortality that came with
their next album.
- ODIN
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