Led Zeppelin
III

THE REVIEW

Led Zeppelin III is an album about which nothing new can be said and I am aware of it. I write this review for the simple reason of expressing my opinion, even if you will suffer and give me the usual and canonical 2 or, at best, 3. Well, with that said, let's start.

It's 1970, the year that opens those fantastic '70s that represented the golden age of rock music, and there was the affirmation of high-caliber bands in all fields, from the southern rock of Lynyrd Skynyrd to the progressive rock of Genesis and King Crimson, from blues rock to the rock n' roll of Bruce Springsteen.

Led Zeppelin has two masterpieces behind them, "Led Zeppelin I" and "II." Both albums established the band in the European context and achieved great sales success. Their concerts are the icing on the cake of rock; they are the peak moments, the occasions when Robert Plant showcases his skill as a showman and frontman. The sound of Led Zeppelin is very full-bodied, with Jimmy Page's guitar dominating, and his solos offer us indescribable emotions. The drums of John "Bonzo" Bonham are a must, and we are literally impressed by his skill and speed behind the drums and cymbals: watch the live performance of the instrumental Moby Dick, and you'll understand. To complete the picture is bassist John Paul Jones, a musician who is unfortunately a bit overlooked, as all bassists are, although he is a phenomenal bassist and crucial to the band.

The band's success is enormous, but the 4 English musicians retreat to the mountains, at Bron Yr Aur, in Wales, to rest a bit and stay away from the spotlight (moreover, at that time Robert had a voice problem that did not allow him to perform at his best on stage). In May of that distant 1970, the band moved to Headley Grange, a country house in Hampshire, to record additional tracks to be added to the already recorded That's the way and Bron Yr Aur Stomp.

The album was released on October 5 and takes the name, as previously mentioned, of Led Zeppelin III. I won't start with a track by track that is so little appreciated by the members of Debaser: I will limit myself to giving a general idea of the record. The album kicks off with a very famous rock piece, Immigrant Song, with its fast and frantic rhythm introduced by Plant's grating voice. The Hammer of the Gods has ruled, and the starting line is cut. This is followed by two tracks with a pastoral atmosphere, which are enjoyable. The highlight comes with Since I've been loving you, a magnificent and sublime blues piece, and also my favorite Led Zeppelin song. Introduced by a magnificent crescendo solo of Jimmy's electric guitar and accompanied by Bonzo's drums, this melancholic and poignant blues unfolds between Robert's high notes and crescendos, with climaxes and sudden illusory pauses that serve as a bridge to an explosion of solos united together. A song about a love affair gone wrong, with the protagonist feeling depressed and despising the girl with all his heart who betrayed him with "the man from the back door." Following this masterpiece is Out on the tiles, true and genuine "hard rock n' roll." Other notable tracks are Gallows Pole and Tangerine, an emotional piece in which Plant's sad voice is accompanied by a particularly evocative guitar from Page. In the middle of the song, a psychedelic electric guitar riff kicks in. The song that perhaps disappoints a bit is the final Hats off to (Roy) Harper, a track with a dirty and distorted sound with Robert's voice equally distorted.

An epochal album, a pearl of rock. It is certainly not on par with masterpieces like Led Zeppelin I and IV, but it has a nice sound, and the listening is very pleasant. The critics received it coldly, but the true fans of the quintessential rock band know how to appreciate an album like Led Zeppelin III, with its flaws and merits, with tracks not quite right like the already mentioned Hats off to (Roy) Harper, and with masterpieces like Since I've been loving you, which remains my favorite song.