LED ZEPPELIN III

The only Zep album I still listen to from this Behemoth of a rock band. It features 4 of Zep's strongest ever songs and overall has an earthy vibe to it which is cold, yet appeals in an intellectual kind-of-way.

My long-term music tastes are normally of a tribal kind, and of long instrumental jams or of detached sonic experimentation. Led Zep's anthems of Stairway, Ramble On, Dazed & Confused, Kashmir, Whole Lotta Love etc were great when I discovered them at age 16 & 17 back in 1996/97...but as my tastes looked to progress these anthems became boring.

Led Zep III's strength lies in the apparent inaccessibility of its songs...they last. Below a song-by-song with marks out of ten:

Immigrant Song - 7

A nice dancy groove and juicy drumming with dramatic cries of ah-aaaahs - this song is not really anything special but it does serve as an opener.

Friends - 8

Catches the ear with ominous strings complementing dramatic verse delivery from Plant.

Celebration Day - 5

This song is out-of-place. It feels like it would prefer to be in Led Zep II rather than here. Still, it's an ok and straight rocker, but I skip this one...bland.

Since I've Been Loving You - 9

An anthem that doesn't get annoying! It has a fragmented, epic blues feel and an emotionally soaring delivery from Plant.

Out on the Tiles - 5

A rather non-event song this one, mid-paced. One of those songs that I have to play to actually remember what it sounds like.

Gallows Pole - 9

Yeah! Masterful build-up to when the fat snare drum kicks in. A real party this one.

Tangerine - 6

Shades of Led Zep IV here, Tangerine sounds like it could develop into an epic ballad but instead comes up with a weak chorus, then fails to go anywhere else.

That's the Way - 7

Quite nice to sing-a-long too this one.

Bron-Y-Aur Stomp - 9

Tss- tomp! Tss- tomp! Tss- tomp! Tss- tomp!

Hats Off to (Roy) Harper - 9

Dark twisted blues of the kind I wish there was more of from Led Zeppelin.

So an album of 4 great songs which are still great more than a decade after first discovery, plus a couple of good ones and a couple of weak ones makes...a 3.6-star album (okay a 4).