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Rating:
I remember the first time I listened to “Tangerine”; I left it on repeat for 5 straight hours: an entire afternoon.
You understand the worth of this album after just one listen - in its variety of folk, rock, and blues.
But I don't want to talk about the album, too well-known, but rather about how it was received at the time by the public and critics.
First and foremost, it was a relative commercial failure. Maybe people liked this album less because, listened to globally, it turns out slower than the first two (despite the presence of tracks like “Celebration Day”). Many songs are “full of peace and reflectiveness” - obviously influenced by the almost hermitic place in which they were composed. As my brother says, a reasonable fan of Led: “Many of us prefer faster and more direct things”.
Others, however, were disappointed perhaps because the melodic side of Led (who were always great melodists) was perhaps too highlighted in songs like “Tangerine” and “That’s the Way”; and for some rock fanatics, beautiful melody in a rock song is like salt in cream.
The reception by the critics would deserve an entire book. I don't think the story is known to everyone, and it has really ridiculous aspects. Reality can sometimes be funnier than fantasy.
When it came out, here's what many “experts” wrote: “Led Zep have betrayed rock. They have become acoustic”. Plant said: “I've never liked the definition of fathers of rock. It's a convenient definition for those who like to categorize everything. Led had three souls: rock, blues, and folk.”
Page, on the other hand, in the face of the critics' superficiality, even lost his legendary English composure: “I told myself: where do they have their ears? Did they notice that at least 5 songs from our first two albums are acoustic? Then I decided not to talk anymore with these people, and released the fourth album anonymously.” Page's press silence lasted 18 months and he was duly punished. The following year, with Led Zeppelin IV, the critics dedicated only one paragraph.
You stand petrified in front of reviews that start like this: “The acoustic album of Led”. And you wonder: are we talking about the same album? “Celebration Day”, “Immigrant Song”, “Out on the Tiles”, "Since I’ve Been Loving You" are acoustic songs?
Even “Tangerine” is beautifully “corrected” by the steel guitar, and therefore not even it can strictly be defined as acoustic.
When I read this nonsense, I started to understand what was hiding behind so many supposed experts who write in specialist magazines and get paid very well to enlighten the tastes of us ordinary mortals. People have noticed by now, and maybe that's why critics today are no longer listened to as they once were, and certainly no longer influence people’s choices - as they did until a few decades ago.
I attended a debate on this topic, and I remember that after two hours of talking and hypocrisy, an honest critic said that, in fact, many critics write for money without true passion and therefore true attention to what they review; others instead, I would add, review as a fan would. This is also why sites like Deb are born; surely I wanted to be part of it for this reason as well.
A final note for a laugh. There are even more ridiculous things than the story of “Led Zeppelin III”. One of the most famous and celebrated music critics in the world like Robert Christgau gave A (masterpiece) to “All That You Can’t Leave Behind” and A minus to “War”. It's not a joke; go to his site and you'll verify.
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
01 Immigrant Song (02:24)
Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs flow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!
On we sweep with threshing oar, Our only goal will be the western shore.
Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
How soft your fields so green, can whisper tales of gore,
Of how we calmed the tides of war. We are your overlords.
On we sweep with threshing oar, Our only goal will be the western shore.
So now you'd better stop and rebuild all your ruins,
For peace and trust can win the day despite of all your losing.
02 Friends (03:52)
Bright light, almost blinding
Black night, still there shining
I can't stop, keep on climbing
Looking for what I knew
Had a friend, she once told me
"You got love, you ain't lonely"
Now she's gone and left me only
Looking for what I knew
Mmm, I'm telling you now
The greatest thing you ever can do now
Is trade a smile with someone who's blue now
It's very easy just
Met a man on the roadside crying
Without a friend there's no denying
You're incomplete, they'll be no finding
Looking for what you knew
So anytime somebody needs you
Don't let them down, although it grieves you
Someday you'll need someone like they do
Looking for what you knew
Mmm mmm, I'm telling you now
The greatest thing you ever can do now
Is trade a smile with someone who's blue now
It's very easy just
Ohh, yeah
I'm telling you now
The greatest thing you ever can do now
Is trade a smile with someone who's blue now
It's very easy
It's very easy
It's very easy
It's easy, yeah
03 Celebration Day (03:25)
Her face is cracked from smiling, all the fears that she's been hiding
And it seems pretty soon everybody's gonna know
And her voice is sore from shouting, cheering winners who are losing
And she worries if their days are few and soon they'll have to go
My my my, I'm so happy
I'm gonna join the band
We gonna dance and sing in celebration
We're in the promised land
She hears them talk of new ways to protect the home she lives in
Then she wonders what it's all about when they break down the door
Her name is Brown or White or Black, you know her very well
You hear her cries of mercy as the winners toll the bell
My my my, I'm so happy
I'm gonna join the band
We gonna dance and sing in celebration
We're in the promised land
There is a train that leaves the station, heading for your destination
But the price you pay to nowhere has increased a dollar more
Yes, it has!
And if you walk you're gonna get there, although it takes a little longer
When you see it in the distance you will wring your hands and moan
05 Out on the Tiles (04:01)
As I walk down the highway, all I do is sing this song
And a train that's passin' my way, helps the rhythm move along
There is no doubt about the words are clear
The voice is strong, is oh so strong
I'm just a simple guy, I live from day to day
A ray of sunshine melts my frown, and blows my blues away
There's nothing more that I can say, but on a day like today
I pass the time away, and walk a quiet mile with you
All I need from you, is all your love
All you got to give to me, is all your love
All I need from you, is all your love
All you got to give to me, is all your love
Ooh yeah, ooh yeah
Ooh yeah, ooh yeah
I'm so glad I'm living, and gonna tell the world I am
I got me a fine woman, and she says that I'm her man
One thing that I know for sure, gonna give her all the loving
Like nobody, nobody, nobody, nobody can
Standing in the noonday sun, trying to flag a ride
People go and people come, see my rider right by my side
It's a total disgrace, they set the pace, it must be a race
And the best thing I can do is run
All I need from you, is all your love
All you got to give to me, is all your love
All I need from you, is all your love
All you got to give to me, is all your love
Ooh yeah, ooh yeah
Ooh yeah, ooh yeah
06 Gallows Pole (04:51)
Hangman, hangman, hold it a little while
Think I see my friends coming, riding a many mile
Friends, did you get some silver?
Did you get a little gold?
What did you bring me, my dear friends, to keep me from the gallows pole?
What did you bring me, to keep me from the gallows pole?
I couldn't get no silver, I couldn't get no gold
You know that we're too damn poor to keep you from the gallows pole
Hangman, hangman, hold it a little while
I think I see my brother coming, riding a many mile
Brother, did you get me some silver?
Did you get a little gold?
What did you bring me, my brother, to keep me from the gallows pole?
Brother, I brought you some silver, yeah, I brought a little gold
I brought a little of everything to keep you from the gallows pole
Yes, I brought you, to keep you from the gallows pole
Hangman, hangman, turn your head awhile
I think I see my sister coming, riding a many mile, mile, mile, mile
Sister, I implore you, take him by the hand
Take him to some shady bower, save me from the wrath of this man
Please take him, save me from the wrath of this man, man
Hangman, hangman, upon your face a smile
Tell me that I'm free to ride
And ride for many mile, mile, mile
Oh, yes, you got a fine sister, she warmed my blood from cold
She brought my blood to boiling hot to keep you from the gallows pole
Your brother brought me silver, and your sister warmed my soul
But now I laugh and pull so hard, see you swinging on the gallows pole, yeah
But now I laugh and pull so hard, see you swinging on the gallows pole, pole, pole
Swingin' on the gallows pole
Swingin' on the gallows pole
Swingin' on the gallows pole
Swingin' on the gallows pole, pole, pole, pole, pole, pole, pole
07 Tangerine (03:09)
Measuring a summer's day
I only find it slips away to grey
The hours, they bring me pain
Tangerine, Tangerine
Living reflections from a dream
I was her love, she was my queen
And now a thousand years between
Thinking how it used to be
Does she still remember times like these?
To think of us again, and I do
Tangerine, Tangerine
Living reflections from a dream
I was her love, she was my queen
And now a thousand years between
08 That's the Way (05:36)
I don't know how I'm gonna tell you
I can't play with you no more
I don't know how I'm gonna do what mama told me
My friend, the boy next door
I can't believe what people saying
You're gonna let your hair hang down
I'm satisfied to sit here working all day long
You're in the darker side of town
And when I'm out I see you walking
Why don't your eyes see me?
Could it be you've found another game to play?
What did mama say to me?
That's the way, oh, that's the way it oughta be, yeah yeah
Mama say that's the way it oughta stay, yeah yeah
And yesterday I saw you standing by the river
And weren't those tears that filled your eyes?
And all the fish that lay in dirty water dying
Had they got you hypnotized?
And yesterday I saw you kissing tiny flowers
But all that lives is born to die
And so I say to you that nothing really matters
And all you do is stand and cry
I don't know what to say about it
When all your ears have turned away
But now's the time to look and look again at what you see
Is that the way it oughta stay?
That's the way, that's the way it oughta be, oh don't you know now
Mama said, mama said that's the way it's gonna stay, yeah
09 Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp (04:17)
I caught you smiling at me,
That's the way it should be,
Like a leaf is to a tree so fine.
Ah all the good times we had,
I sang love songs so glad,
Always smiling never sad so fine.
As we walk down a country lane,
I'll be singing a song,
Hear me calling your name.
Hear the whisper in the trees,
Telling mother nature bout you and me.
Well, if the sunshines so bright,
Or on our way it's darkest night,
The road we choose is always right so fine.
Ah can your love be so strong,
When so many loves go wrong,
Will our love go on and on and on and on and on and on.
As we walk down a country lane,
I'll be singing a song,
Hear me calling your name.
Hear the whisper in the trees,
Telling mother nature bout you and me.
My my, la de la, come on now it ain't too far,
Tell your friends all around the world,
Ain't no companion like a blue eyed merle.
Come on now well let me tell you,
What you're missing missing round them brick walls.
So, of one thing I am sure,
It's a friendship so pure,
Angels singing all around my door so fine.
Yeah, ain't but one thing to do
Spend my natural life with you,
You're the finest dog I knew so fine.
When you're old and your eyes are dim,
There ain't no old Shep gonna happen again.
We'll still go walking down country lanes,
I'll sing the same old songs,
Hear me call your name.
10 Hats Off to (Roy) Harper (03:40)
When I done quit hollerin' baby
I believe I'll shake 'em on down
Get me baby, won't be late
You know by that I mean seconds late
Ah, must I holler, must I shake 'em on down?
When I done quit hollerin' baby
I believe I'll shake 'em on down
Well I ain't no monkey
I can't climb no tree
No brown skin woman gonna make no monkey out of me, yeah yeah
I ain't no monkey
Sure can't climb no tree
I been mistreated babe
I believe I'll shake 'em on down
Well I've been mistreated babe
I believe I'll shake 'em on down
Listen mama, put on your mornin' gown
Put in your nightshirt mama, we gonna shake 'em on down
Must I holler?
Must I, must I, must I shake 'em on down?
Ooh well, I been mistreated baby
I believe I'll shake 'em on down
Gave my baby
Twenty dollar bill
If that don't get her
I'm sure my shot-shot-shotgun will
Yeah, I gave my baby
A twenty dollar bill
If that don't get that woman
I'm sure my shotgun will
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Other reviews
By ROCKER88
Page achieved his dream: to make the listener compare the sound of the guitar to the relentless advance of an army.
'Since I've Been Loving You' is a blues masterpiece with Plant's voice erupting thundering after the initial sweetness.
By Alchimista
"Since I’ve Been Loving You is a cornerstone of the Dirigible’s discography. No more words are needed."
"Tangerine is the best fusion of the whole band in the entire discography of the Dirigible. A must-have piece."
By macciopiccio
"Among the top ten most badass riffs in the history of Rock."
"'Since I've Been Loving You' is a piece to fall in love with, like becoming enamored with a woman or a man and remaining indissolubly tied for eternity."
By claudio carpentieri
Immigrant Song, a musical monolith in which Plant’s cries of invasion propel an invincible shock wave.
Gallows Pole intensifies the narrative of the condemned prisoner escaping his unhappy fate with an ingenious blend of instruments.
By James Patrick
"Immigrant Song" is an indescribable bomb that will inspire more than half of Heavy Metal.
From this album onwards, there will be a turning point: new melodic choices, new rides, different ways of interpreting rock.
