(Finished November 28th, 2017) The Magnificence of Led Zeppelin's "III", Part 1

Hello,

This two part blog, which I'm going to try and finish today, (maybe), is about the third CD from the mightiest of all mighty rock bands, Led Zeppelin. These two blogs are inspired by a well researched article in the July, 2017 Classic Rock magazine. The excellent article was written by Mick Wall, one of Led Zeppelin's many excellent biographers.

Let me set the scene first, it's early 1970. Led Zeppelin had returned from a heartland tour of the USA. It was an incredibly lucrative tour, but left them a bit off kilter. A lot of societal forces were at work. It's just a few years after the summer of love but only a year after the Manson murders. Meredith Hunter, was killed by the Hells Angels, at a Rolling Stone concert on December 6th, 1969. Yet just a few months before that a celebration of "3 days of peace and music" had happened in a place called Woodstock.

Led Zeppelin has recently released the titanic CD, although not incredibly originally titled CD, "II". Songs on this CD include the behemoth hammer known as "Whole Lotta Love". Other songs on this amazing CD are "What Is And What Should Never Be", "Heartbreaker", "Ramble On" and "Living Loving Maid (She's Just A Woman)". Obviously all those songs are adrenaline rock, and they were best known for these intense rock songs.

After needing to record their first two CDs very quickly, they were able to take a bit more time with "III". There were a lot of people clamoring for a "Whole Lotta Love" 2. People wanted to know how they would top their second CD. However they didn't try to top their previous CD, they just went in a different direction. Some of the influences for acoustic and mellow direction were from The Band, Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell and Crosby, Stills & Nash. To get the proper mind set Jimmy Page and Robert Plant visited a couple of off the beaten path locations, Bron-Yr-Aur and Headley Grange.

First they went to Bron-Yr-Aur, where they came up with "Friends", "That's The Way", "Tangerine" and "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp". They also began later songs such as "Stairway To Heaven" and "Over The Hills and Far Away". Bron-Yr-Aur was an 18th century cottage in Wales. It was a stone dwelling and roughly the name means "golden hill".

At Headley Grange, they came up with such songs as "Gallows Pole", the first song off of the CD "Immigrant Song", "Celebration Day" and "Out On The Tiles". Headley Grange was a dilapidated mansion in Hampshire.

The CD starts off with a musical assault and the banshee scream of Robert Plant in"Immigrant Song". Although "III" has gone on to sell over 6 million units and hit # 1 when it was released, many people consider it a disappointment. I'm not one of those as how can a CD with at least 7 certified Zep classics be a disappointment?

Led Zeppelin was:

• John Bonham – drums, percussion, backing vocals
• John Paul Jones – bass guitar, Hammond organ, Moog synthesizer, mandolin, double bass in "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp", string arrangement
• Jimmy Page – acoustic, electric and pedal steel guitars, banjo, dulcimer, production, bass guitar on "That's the Way"
• Robert Plant – lead vocals, harmonica

Three of these members are still alive and the death of the fourth, Bonham, was one of the main factors in the band breaking up in the first place. To get Zeppelin at their best, I'm posting the best live videos I can find as live is when they were at the peak of their powers. 

1) "Immigrant Song" (Jimmy Page & Robert Plant):

From Japan, a longer version of this classic:

Key lyrics:

"We come from the land of the ice and snow

From the midnight sun, where the hot springs flow

The hammer of the gods

W'ell drive our ships to new lands

To fight the horde, and sing and cry

Valhalla, I am coming!"

2) "Friends" (Page & Plant):

"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":

3) "Celebration Day" (John Paul Jones, Page & Plant):

I love how prominent the bass is on this live version.

"My, my, my, I'm so happy 

I'm gonna join the band 

We gonna dance and sing in celebration 

We are in the promised land"

4) "Since I've Been Loving You" (Jones, Page & Plant):

I've been working from seven to eleven every night

I said it kinda makes my life a drag 

Lord, that ain't right, no no 

Since I've been loving you 

I'm about to lose my worried mind

5) "Out On The Tiles" (John Bonham, Page & Plant):

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

Oh yeah, oh yeah

Oh yeah, oh yeah

This video is from the classic Led Zeppelin bootleg "Live At Blueberry Hill":



This is the full "Live at Blueberry Hill" bootleg, enjoy:

themusicaddict