Welcome to the 3rd installment of my Led Zeppelin studio album reviews! These are tandem reviews with my amazing wife, Sarah who is posting her own reviews over at Caught Me Gaming. So be sure to check out her write up on Led Zeppelin III right here!
As for me, I can sum up Led Zeppelin III like this: Where’s my blues at?
As a Led Zeppelin Album: 3/5
Compared to the Rest: 3/5
Whaaaa??? You need me to elaborate again?!?!?! OK…
Led Zeppelin III is a pretty good album, but just not one of my favourites. Like Costanza wearing velvet…
…I prefer my Zep albums to be draped in the hard-rockin’ blues. Zep 3’s main focus is acoustic folk instead. It isn’t a complete shift for the band as there has always been some folk in their sound, but for me, they were the weaker moments on the previous albums.
Friends, Gallows Pole, Tangerine, That’s The Way, and Bron Y-Aur Stomp are five tunes out of the 10 that really don’t do much for me. Tangerine is pretty and I might stompy my foot a little for the Bron Y-Aur, but I would be a casual fan at best if this is what made up the band.
The few rockers on here are OK. The lyrics for Immigrant Song is cheese. Celebration Day is no Communication Breakdown, and Out on The Tiles has a nice second half but it takes a while to get there.
The album’s closer is a blues tune, Hats Off To (Roy) Harper. It is closer to folk-blues than the electric Chicago kind, but that dirty acoustic slide makes it for me.
The one song I do love on here is Since I’ve Been Lovin’ You. Zep definitely upped their blues game for this one. It reminds me a lot of Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You from the first album, a slow burn but a low-down and dirty one. In fact, this might be their best blues number up until this point. Superb.
Zep 3 is not a bad album in any way, but it doesn’t appeal to me on the same level as some others. I know this is a favorite for some of you out there and my hat is off to all of you Harpers who really dig it.
Yeah, I’m one of those fans who digs Led Zep III.
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My hat is off to you.
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I like the fact that 3 albums in they shook it up. It’s got a different vibe that’s for sure but I see what your getting at when you want lemon squeezed on that killing floor and there’s none to had!
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I’m an AC/DC and Motorhead fan. I want the same thing every time!
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I think we kinda talked about this already. I don’t like the blues side as much so I like this the most of the original three. Still a bit too derivative for my liking but a good album. I’d maybe go 4 on this. But I get where you’re coming from.
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It would be a boring world it we all liked that same things the same way!
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I think like this one more than you, but maybe not as much as your Sarca. Somewhere in between. I didn’t mind the less Blues (although that is my favorite thing about them). And I did love the interactive album cover. I found one that still works and love it.
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Yeah, ours is broken and not in good shape overall. I’m looking for a replacement. The remastered CD we got spins which I thought was nice to bring back.
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The CD spins? That is cool. I thought it was only a vinyl thing. That was smart on their part.
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Yes, it is the double CD remastered version from 2015-ish. It is a scaled-down duplicate of the LP, and it is what I used for the photos!
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Nice!
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I’m more of the blues rock vibe with Zep. But I would give it a 4 for Immigrant Song. That riff, the drumming and Plants wail. Perfect.
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I just can’t take that song seriously. I get a chuckle out of it.
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Great post. I’m not as familiar with Led Zep as most so you’re giving me a solid run down for future listenings!
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Thanks man! Someone on facebook was just making fun of me for reviewing 50 year old albums. Now I can show them this!
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Silliness. Most of us are reviewing old albums and you get different perspectives from different people on tried and true releases.
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I fully agree!
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I like the “shift” in this one Mars but it’s nice when they kick in the other stuff. I do dig this album.
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I know I’m in the minority. I do like the album overall. I just prefer the two that came before this one.
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I still reach for the debut a lot.
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I was going to say, 3 out of 5? Why?
But then Costanza draped in velvet, it all becomes clear!
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So I get that you like the blues side better than the acoustic side. But on this one I gotta take Sarah’s side. Zeppelin showed me how many different ways you could take acoustic music. It didn’t have to be Every Rose Has Its Thorn.
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Oh well, every song on here is better than Every Rose, lol
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