Getting the Led out: 'Led Zeppelin III'

Bobblehead recently ranked every Led Zeppelin album and long song, reminding me that I need to continue getting the Led out. So I got comfortable on the couch with the ol’ iPod and a notebook one night last week and listened to the third album on Bobblehead’s list: Led Zeppelin III.

III opens with the short but sweet and vicious “Immigrant Song.” Epic and grandiose—albeit at 2 minutes and 25 seconds—it is the Led Zeppelin everyone loves. It is driving and rhythmic, melodic and hypnotic, a great way to start the album.

The second song, “Friends,” is an interesting tune. It’s folksy and instrumental. I could not put my finger on the right word; “haunting?” is in my notes, but it does not fit. The background vocals evoke images of a seance. I also wrote, “LZ goes Deliverance,” which both fits and does not. Listening to it now, the words spooky and odd come to mind. Regardless, I love the segue into the third song, “Celebration Day.” It’s a tune that makes me smile and showcases the band’s chemistry. It seems frantic and discordant, but it works very well and is harmonious. There are touches of both blues and contemporary influences. The short guitar solo evokes Steve Miller Band and the like to me.

Speaking of the blues, my first note for the fourth song, “Since I’ve Been Loving You,” is “YES! Blues!” I’ve come to love these slow, bluesy tracks much more. The tune slows the pace considerably, and shifts to a sorrowful tone. It is solidly in the famine and heartbreak side of the Led Zeppelin spectrum, but it speaks to the soul because it is so passionate. The guitar solo is amazing, and Plant’s vocals are heartfelt and heartbreaking. It’s good late-night-porch-drinking music.

“Out On The Tiles” is a fun tune and an ear worm. I love the repetition and the “fun with stereo” effects at the end with Bonham’s drumming. “Out On The Tiles” closed the first side of the vinyl version, though I think it would have been better to close with “Since I’ve Been Loving You.” I’m not a musician, though, so I know nothing about the art of ordering songs.

“Gallows Pole” is a forgotten gem. I love this song! It’s a little sad, but I love how the song and story build and quicken, how new instruments are added and build to a crescendo. The love continues with the seventh song, “Tangerine.” It’s the song I most associate with the album. It’s another sad one, but it is so beautiful. “Sad but beautiful” is another way one can describe a lot of Led Zeppelin songs. I never heard “Tangerine” until I got the album and listened to it beginning to end. It’s why you listen to the whole album, kids: there are gems on there you have never heard!

“That’s The Way” is simple but powerful, but also another sad tune. “Bron-Y-Aur Stomp,” a lively and toe-tapping track, breaks the sad streak, fortunately. It’s infectious, and I love the guitar. The album closes with “Hats Off To (Roy) Harper,” which is bluesy but weird.

Overall, Led Zeppelin III is fun and features a lot of good tunes. It is not good, but it is not bad. It is not a hit factory, and the only song that is well known is “Immigrant Song,” but it is a solid addition to the band’s discography. It is, however, not as epic or moving as Led Zeppelin, which is currently my favorite.