Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin III

Play. Immediately you feel Bonzo's crash hit that slams the riff in your face, in my opinion, among the top ten most badass in the history of Rock. Yes, rock with a capital R. Also heavily copied. Pardon!… also among the most inspiring. Plant wallah-la-lehs like a hammer of the gods: relentless rhythmic daze, hypnosis, sonic trance. “Immigrant Song” with all its riff vigor, based on fundamental and octave, opens what is in my opinion the most underrated album of the dirigible's lineup.

Atmospheres between the Arabian and folk rhythm permeate “Friends” with a Les Paul here and there responding and enriching the base made of acoustic guitar and percussion. An effected didgeridoo then carries the joy of “Celebration Day” among the most typical, for those who insist on classifying them, songs of the dirigible. And in my ear, for this reason, it goes almost unnoticed. Cute but not essential: granted, fast forward is pressed.

And what about “Since I’ve Been Loving You”?!? Surely, for a wannabe musician like me, unattainable: writing a piece with such pathos is not for mere mortals, it's not trivial stuff from Finley or associated acts. A blues, a bloody simple blues. But you need to be able to render the blues: damn! Always, always, always; every time I listen to Page's solo, all I do is think of a girl. Oh, the regrets!! That the charm of “Since I’ve Been Loving You” is irresistible, we have no doubts or reservations: made of high-pitched notes that sound like wails and cries of love that leave no escape. A piece to fall in love with, like becoming enamored with a woman or a man and remaining indissolubly tied for eternity.

But here they return, the Zep. “Out On The Tiles”: overdrive on the bass, grand riff, and away we go. It feels like listening to a sort of prelude to “Black Dog,” of their future work, given the piece's structure and the importance the riff holds...after all...Led Zeppelin. In some ways, the piece has a power metal attitude: who knows why in Scandinavia the Zeppelin still garner acclaim and even awards. For other reasons (or the same?), many find it easy to discard, avoid. At least for non-fanatic listeners of the 4 British. If it were written and performed today, with contemporary sounds and recording techniques…everyone would say: Rage Against The Machine or Audioslave…right, Tom Morello. Precisely him, the guitarist who owes so much, if not almost everything, to the riff of “Out On The Tiles”.

Turn…the Zeppelin you don't expect. The Zeppelin from a country fair in some English Shire, Zeppelin at a wedding party to make everyone dance, to get honorees and guests moving. “Gallows Pole”, here you go. Mandolins and more mandolins to underline the bucolic attitude of the second part of the record. Do you know Bron-Yr-Ar? Yes? Good. No? Bad…you should: it’s in the Welsh countryside, does it tell you anything if I say the Zeppelin retreated there to compose and record their third work?

The seventh track deserves a review of its own. “Tangerine”, tangerine. What could it mean? I can only think of Page during the live performances, all sweaty with those long hair, looking like a Chinese from the imperial era. A mandarin. But the piece is truly rock encyclopedia worthy. The solo is breathtaking. I have yet to hear a guitar crying and moaning like that. To hell with all those who say the best solo by Page is in “Stairway To Heaven.” Yes okay, great execution, great technique all you want. But in terms of inspiration and sentiment, much better the song of the Mandarin. Solo Tangerine vs. Solo Stairway: 5 – 2. Not a complete wash, that would be too much. Tangerine…an absolute masterpiece that collections too often forget. Too difficult to review, better to listen. Divine. Full stop.

But then what’s the way? “That’s The Way” and it’s back to the bucolic and dominating acoustic, to the hippie atmosphere and the taste of peace of mind. Mandolins, acoustic guitar, and voice. A piece to savor like a good glass of wine, you have to enjoy it to the fullest in all its nuances and all the scents it leaves. I won't list them first out of ignorance and second to let you find your own.

“Bron-Y-Aur Stomp” another country party piece, a piece to play to make people dance, rock piece. Clap clap of the hands. Even the Hamish would listen to it, imagine if they wouldn't dance to it. Damn… I already see myself at my wedding: a few musicians, and down we go, stomping the dance floor between glasses thanks to the Stomp of the bass drum. A piece to sweat over. Want to make people dance and don’t have electricity? Play “Gallows Pole” and “Bron-Yr-Ar Stomp”. You’ll become the king of the evening.

“Hats Of To (Roy) Harper” takes you to the Mississippi. Acoustic sounds, bottleneck, rasofonics, black blues from an age without electricity. Fascinating and atypical even for this out-of-tune Zeppelin album. Okay, all right, I’ll tell you the truth. This isn’t a piece by Zeppelin. It’s a blues by Bukka White…the inspiration from Robert Johnson is all too evident. Obligatory tribute.

Led Zeppelin III…a rock Bignami. It’s all here: the power and vigor, the sweetness and suave approach, the ultra-affected sound (we’re still talking about 1970) and the acoustic, the relaxed atmospheres, and those tonically excessive, the popular melody and the more refined one. An unmissable gem. An album too advanced for its time, and for this reason, denigrated by critics. A genuine album that in my humble opinion highlights the most sincere Zeppelin. An album to have and be proud of. An album to listen to excessively: in the car, in the shower, at parties, everywhere and in every situation. The best synthesis of Led Zeppelin.