Led Zeppelin III

Led Zeppelin III
Studio album by Led Zeppelin
Released 5 October 1970
Recorded January–August 1970 at various locations
Genre Hard rock, heavy metal, folk rock
Length 43:04
Label Atlantic
Producer Jimmy Page
Led Zeppelin chronology
Led Zeppelin II
(1969)		 Led Zeppelin III
(1970)		 Led Zeppelin IV
(1971)
Singles from Led Zeppelin III
  1. "Immigrant Song"/"Hey Hey What Can I Do""
    Released: 5 October 1970

Led Zeppelin III is the third album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. It was recorded between January and July 1970 and was released on 5 October 1970 by Atlantic Records. Composed largely at a remote cottage in Wales known as Bron-Yr-Aur, this work represented a maturing of the band's music towards a greater emphasis on folk and acoustic sounds. This surprised many fans and critics, and upon its release the album received rather indifferent reviews. Although it is not one of the highest sellers in Led Zeppelin's catalogue, Led Zeppelin III is now generally praised, and acknowledged as representing an important milestone in the band's history.

Contents

Recording sessions

Bron-Yr-Aur cottage

Many of the songs featured on the album were conceived in mid-1970 at Bron-Yr-Aur, an 18th century cottage in Gwynedd, Wales, on a hilltop overlooking the Dyfi Valley, three miles north of the market town Machynlleth. There, Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant and guitarist Jimmy Page spent some time after a concert tour of North America to play and compose new music. This remote setting had no running water or electric power, which encouraged a slight change of musical direction for the band towards an emphasis on acoustic arrangements.[1][2] As Page later explained:

After the intense touring that had been taking place through the first two albums, working almost 24 hours a day, basically, we managed to stop and have a proper break, a couple of months as opposed to a couple of weeks. We decided to go off and rent a cottage to provide a contrast to motel rooms. Obviously, it had quite an effect on the material that was written ... It was the tranquility of the place that set the tone of the album. Obviously, we weren't crashing away at 100 watt Marshall stacks. Having played acoustic and being interested in classical guitar, anyway, being in a cottage without electricity, it was acoustic guitar time ... After all the heavy, intense vibe of touring which is reflected in the raw energy of the second album, it was just a totally different feeling.[3]

Plant has expressed similar recollections:

[Bron-Yr-Aur] was a fantastic place in the middle of nowhere with no facilities at all-and it was a fantastic test of what we could do in that environment. Because by that time we'd become obsessed with change, and the great thing was that we were also able to create a pastoral side of Led Zep. Jimmy was listening to Davy Graham and Bert Jansch and was experimenting with different tunings, and I loved John Fahey. So it was a very natural place for us to go to.[4]

After preparing the material that would emerge on the album, Page and Plant were joined by the other members of the band (drummer John Bonham and bass player John Paul Jones) at Headley Grange, a run-down mansion in East Hampshire, to rehearse the songs. With its relaxed atmosphere and rural surroundings, Headley Grange appealed to the band as the favoured alternative to the discipline of a conventional studio.[1]

The album was then recorded in a series of sessions in May and June 1970 at both Headley Grange and at Olympic Studios, London. Some additional work was put in at Island Records' new Basing Street Studios in Notting Hill, London, in July, then mixed at Ardent Studios, Memphis in August 1970 during Led Zeppelin's sixth American concert tour.[1] The album was produced by Page and engineered by Andy Johns and Terry Manning.

Composition

As noted above, Led Zeppelin III marked a change in focus for the band from late 1960s hard rock to a more folk rock or electric folk and acoustic inspired sound.[1] These styles had been present to a lesser degree in the band's first two releases, but here it was the main emphasis—and one that would remain prominent in some of the group's later albums. This development endeared the band to many progressive rock fans who would never have listened to Led Zeppelin's established blues and rock repertoire. With Led Zeppelin III the group's songwriting dynamic also changed, from Page's domination of the first two albums towards a more democratic affair in which all four group members contributed their own compositions and ideas—patterns that would continue in future sessions.[1]

The album contains two songs which became key components of the band's live concert performances for many years: "Immigrant Song" and "Since I've Been Loving You". The first of these, written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, is about the Norse invasions of England and was inspired by the band's recent live performance in Iceland. "Since I've Been Loving You" is a classic, original blues in the key of C minor featuring heartfelt interplay by all four group members. It would become a live performance staple for the band, replacing the slow blues of "I Can't Quit You Baby" from the first album as the band's slow blues showcase.

The album also featured the rock songs "Celebration Day" and "Out on the Tiles", the eastern-influenced "Friends" and the acoustic tracks "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp", "Tangerine" and "That's the Way", the last considered by Page to be a breakthrough for still-developing lyric writer Plant.[5] The song "Gallows Pole" is an updated arrangement of a traditional folk song called "The Maid Freed from the Gallows". The album concludes with "Hats Off to (Roy) Harper", a track dedicated to their influential contemporary and friend, Roy Harper, honouring Harper’s work and acknowledging the band’s roots in acoustic music.

Release and critical reaction

 Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Q 5/5 stars[6]
Blender 3/5 stars[7]
Allmusic 5/5 stars[8]
Rolling Stone (mixed)[9]
Robert Christgau (B+)[10]

Led Zeppelin III was one of the most eagerly awaited albums of 1970, and advance orders in the United States alone were close to a million mark.[1] Its release was trailered by a full page advertisement taken out in Melody Maker magazine at the end of September, which simply said "Thank you for making us the world's number one band."[1]

Although the band's expanding musical boundaries were greeted warmly by some, detractors attacked the heavier tracks as being mindless noise, while the acoustic material was criticised by others for merely imitating the music of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.[11] Page suggested that this comparison was inaccurate, stating in an interview he gave to Cameron Crowe that

when the third LP came out and got its reviews, Crosby, Stills and Nash had just formed. That LP had just come out and because acoustic guitars had come to the forefront all of a sudden: LED ZEPPELIN GO ACOUSTIC! I thought, Christ, where are their heads and ears? There were three acoustic songs on the first album and two on the second.[12]

Page has also said that the negative press given to the third album affected him so much that he did not give press interviews for eighteen months after its release, and was also one of the reasons why the band's subsequent untitled album contained no written information on it at all.[3] However, in more recent years, he has commented on the negative press reaction in somewhat more diplomatic terms:

[W]ith hindsight, I can see how if somebody got Led Zeppelin III, which was so different from what we'd done before, and they only had a short time to review it on the record player in the office, then they missed the content. They were in a rush and they were looking for the new "Whole Lotta Love" and not actually listening to what was there. It was too fresh for them and they didn't get the plot. So, in retrospect, it doesn't surprise me that the diversity and breadth of what we were doing was overlooked or under-appreciated at the time.[13]

Led Zeppelin III was a trans-Atlantic #1 hit. It spent four weeks at the top of the Billboard chart, while it entered that British chart at number one and remained there for three weeks (returning to the top for a further week on 12 December).[1] However, following the lukewarm, if not confused and sometimes dismissive reception from critics, sales lagged after this initial peak.[5] As Plant said:

Led Zeppelin III was not one of the best sellers in the catalogue because the audience turned round and said 'What are we supposed to do with this?' - 'Where is our 'Whole Lotta Love Part 2'? They wanted something like "Paranoid" by Black Sabbath! But we wanted to go acoustic and a piece like "Gallows Pole" still had all the power of "Whole Lotta Love" because it allowed us to be dynamic.[2]

In spite of its initially indifferent reviews and lower sales than Led Zeppelin's other early albums, Led Zeppelin III's reputation has recovered considerably with the passage of time. The RIAA certified the album 2x platinum in 1990, and 6x platinum in 1999.[14]

Accolades

Publication Country Accolade Year Rank
The Book of Rock Lists United States "The Top 40 Albums (1970)"[15] 1981 39
Mojo United Kingdom "The 100 Greatest Albums Ever Made"[16] 1996 99
Colin Larkin United Kingdom "The Virgin All-Time Album Top 1000 List"[17] 1998 361
Q United Kingdom "50 Best British Albums Ever"[18] 2004 9
Robert Dimery United States 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die[19] 2005 *
Classic Rock United Kingdom "100 Greatest British Rock Album Ever"[20] 2006 31

(*) designates unordered lists.

Album sleeve design

Led Zeppelin III's original vinyl edition was packaged in a gatefold sleeve with an innovative cover, designed by Zacron, a multi-media artist whom Jimmy Page had met in 1963 whilst Zacron was a student at Kingston College of Art.[21] Zacron had recently resigned a lectureship at Leeds Polytechnic to found Zacron Studios, and in 1970 Page contacted him and asked him to design the third album's cover.

The cover and interior gatefold art consisted of a surreal collection of seemingly random images on a white background, many of them connected thematically with flight or aviation (as in "Zeppelin"). Behind the front cover was a rotatable laminated card disc, or volvelle, covered with more images, including photos of the band members, which showed through holes in the cover. Moving an image into place behind one hole would usually bring one or two others into place behind other holes. This could not be replicated on a conventional cassette or CD cover, but there have been Japanese and British CDs packaged in miniature versions of the original sleeve. In France this album was released with a different album cover, simply showing a photo of the four band members.

The volvelle used on the front cover

The idea of including a volvelle, based on crop rotation charts, was initially Jimmy Page's concept.[1] However, the result was a meeting of minds as Zacron had been working on rotating graphics from 1965. Zacron felt that by not including text on the front of the cover, the art would endure.[22]

In an article featured in the December 2007 issue of Classic Rock magazine, Zacron claimed that upon his completion of the artwork, Jimmy Page telephoned him while he was in New York to express his satisfaction with the results, saying "I think it is fantastic".[23] However, in a 1998 interview Page himself gave to Guitar World magazine, he described the results as a disappointment:

I thought it looked very teeny-bopperish. But we were on top of a deadline, so of course there was no way to make any radical changes to it. There were some silly bits—little chunks of corn and nonsense like that.[24]

The album cover featured on the front page of The Daily Mail's Live Magazine in December 2007, which hailed Led Zeppelin III as "The greatest rock album of all time.[22]

The first pressings of the album included the phrases "Do what thou wilt" and "So mote it be", inscribed on the lacquer itself by engineer Terry Manning during the final mastering process. This phrase is from the core tenet of Aleister Crowley's philosophy of Thelema: "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law. Love is the law, love under will. There is no law beyond do what thou wilt." Page was a scholar of Crowley's work, once owning a private collection of Crowley manuscripts, artwork and other ephemera, and in the 1970s even bought one of his residences, Boleskine House on the shores of Loch Ness in Scotland.

Track listing

Side one
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Immigrant Song"   Page, Plant 2:26
2. "Friends"   Page, Plant 3:55
3. "Celebration Day"   Jones, Page, Plant 3:29
4. "Since I've Been Loving You"   Jones, Page, Plant 7:25
5. "Out on the Tiles"   Bonham, Page, Plant 4:04
Side two
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Gallows Pole"   trad., arr. Page, Plant 4:58
2. "Tangerine"   Page 3:12
3. "That's the Way"   Page, Plant 5:38
4. "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp"   Jones, Page, Plant 4:20
5. "Hats Off to (Roy) Harper"   trad., arr. Charles Obscure 3:41

Sales chart positions

Album
Chart (1970) Peak Position
Norwegian Albums Chart[25] 3
US Billboard 200[26] 1
US Billboard Soul LP's[27] 30
UK Albums Chart[28] 1
Canadian RPM Top 100 Albums Chart[29] 1
Japanese Albums Chart[30] 5
US Record World Top Pop Albums[31] 1
US Cash Box Top 100 Albums[32] 1
German Albums Chart[33] 3
Spanish Albums Chart[34] 6
French Albums Chart[35] 4
Australian Go-Set Top 20 Albums Chart[36] 1
Singles
Year Single Chart Peak Position
1970 (release)
1971 (peak position)		 "Immigrant Song" /
"Hey Hey What Can I Do"		 Billboard Hot 100 Singles 16[37]

Sales certifications

Album
Country Sales Certification
Switzerland (IFPI) 25,000+ Gold[38]
Germany (IFPI) 100,000+ Gold[39]*
United States (RIAA) 6,000,000+ 6x Platinum[40]
France (SNEP) 300,000+ Platinum[41]
Spain (PROMUSICAE) 40,000+ Gold[42]
Argentina (CAPIF) 40,000+ Platinum[43]
Australia (ARIA) 210,000+ 3x Platinum[44]
Netherlands (NVPI) 30,000+ Gold[45]*

Note: (*) Remastered sales only

Personnel

Led Zeppelin
Production

External links

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Dave Lewis (1994), The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, Omnibus Press, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Chris Welch (1994) Led Zeppelin, London: Orion Books. ISBN 0-85797-930-3, pp. 52, 55.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Dave Schulps, Interview with Jimmy Page, Trouser Press, October 1977.
  4. ↑ Nigel Williamson, "Good Times...Bad Times", Uncut, May 2005, p. 56.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Gilmore, Mikal (10 August 2006). "The Long Shadow of Led Zeppelin". Rolling Stone (1006). http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/11027261/the_long_shadow_of_led_zeppelin/print. Retrieved 9 December 2007. 
  6. ↑ Q Review
  7. ↑ Blender Review
  8. ↑ Allmusic Review
  9. ↑ Rolling Stone Review
  10. ↑ Robert Christgau Review
  11. ↑ Davis, Stephen (4 July 1985). "Power, Mystery And The Hammer Of The Gods: The Rise and Fall of Led Zeppelin". Rolling Stone (451). http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/ledzeppelin/articles/story/17537975/power_mystery_and_the_hammer_of_the_gods. Retrieved 15 January 2008. 
  12. ↑ "Cameron Crowe interview Led Zeppelin". 18 March 1975. http://www.cameroncrowe.com/journalism/articles/crowe_eyesandears_journalism_led.html. Retrieved 7 November 2007. 
  13. ↑ Nigel Williamson, "Forget the Myths", Uncut, May 2005, p. 70.
  14. ↑ LED ZEPPELIN III search results, RIAA official website.
  15. ↑ "The Top 40 Albums 1970". rocklistmusic.co.uk. http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/dmarshal.html#70. Retrieved 10 February 2009. 
  16. ↑ "The 100 Greatest Albums Ever Made - January 1996". Mojo. http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/mojo_p3.htm#albums. Retrieved 10 February 2009. 
  17. ↑ [htthttp://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/virgin_1000_v3.htm "Virgin All-Time Album Top 1000 List - 1998"]. Virgin. htthttp://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/virgin_1000_v3.htm. Retrieved 10 February 2009. 
  18. ↑ "50 Best British Albums Ever - July 2004". Q. http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/qlistspage3.htm#50%20Best%20British%20Albums%20Ever!. Retrieved 10 February 2009. 
  19. ↑ Dimery, Robert - 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die; page 156
  20. ↑ "Classic Rock - 100 Greatest British Rock Album Ever - April 2006". Classic Rock. http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/steveparker/classicrock2.htm. Retrieved 10 February 2009. 
  21. ↑ Zacron - Led Zeppelin III Rock album cover Gallery
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Daily Mail 'Live' Magazine, 2 Dec 2007, interview with Zacron
  23. ↑ "Hats Off to Zacron", Classic Rock Magazine, December 2007
  24. ↑ Brad Tolinski and Greg Di Bendetto, "Light and Shade", Guitar World, January 1998.
  25. ↑ "Top 20 Singles - 25 October 1970". norwegiancharts.com. http://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Led+Zeppelin&titel=Led+Zeppelin+III&cat=a. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  26. ↑ "The Billboard 200 - 31 October 1970". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=305&cfgn=Albums&cfn=The+Billboard+200&ci=3068956&cdi=8733244&cid=10%2F31%2F1970. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  27. ↑ "allmusic (((Led Zeppelin III > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums)))". http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:2z3tk6sx9krj. Retrieved 26 May 2008. 
  28. ↑ "Top 100 Albums - 7 November 1970". chartstats.com. http://www.chartstats.com/albuminfo.php?id=2720. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  29. ↑ "RPM Albums Chart - 7 November 1970". RPM. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.3713&volume=14&issue=12A&issue_dt=November%2007%201970&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=hrg50o22lgammqcogv27ve6d95. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  30. ↑ "Top 100 Albums - 11 November 1970". Oricon. http://www.oricon.co.jp/. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  31. ↑ "Top Pop Albums - 14 November 1970". Record World. http://www.geocities.com/muggy59/RWPOPLPS1970THRU1974.html. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  32. ↑ "Top 100 Albums - 21 November 1970". Cash Box. http://msdb.hp.infoseek.co.jp/cb&bb/album%20no1/1970.htm. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  33. ↑ "Top 100 Albums - November 1970". charts-surfer.de. http://www.charts-surfer.de/musiksearch.php. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  34. ↑ "Top 100 Albums - 12 December 1970". PROMUSICAE. http://www.promusicae.es/english.html. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  35. ↑ "Top 100 Albums - 1970". infodisc.fr. http://www.infodisc.fr/B-CD_1970.php. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  36. ↑ "Top 20 Albums - 23 January 1971". Go Set. http://www.poparchives.com.au/gosetcharts/1970/19700404.html. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  37. ↑ "Hot 100 Singles - 30 January 1971". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=379&cfgn=Singles&cfn=The+Billboard+Hot+100&ci=3070611&cdi=8842889&cid=01%2F30%2F1971. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  38. ↑ "Swiss Charts Certifications: Led Zeppelin III - 1993". swisscharts.com. http://swisscharts.com/awards.asp?year=1993. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  39. ↑ "Bundesverband Musikindustrie: Led Zeppelin III - 1994". musikindustrie.de. http://www.musikindustrie.de/gold_platin_datenbank/?action=1&strSuche=Led+Zeppelin+III. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  40. ↑ "RIAA.org Led Zeppelin III - 3 May 1999". RIAA. http://www.riaa.org/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  41. ↑ "Disque en France: Led Zeppelin III - 18 October 2001". SNEP. http://www.disqueenfrance.com/fr/monopage.xml?id=259165&year=2001&type=12. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  42. ↑ "PROMUSICAE Led Zeppelin III - 2002". PROMUSICAE. http://www.promusicae.es/english.html. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  43. ↑ "CAPIF: Led Zeppelin - 2003". CAPIF. http://www.capif.org.ar/Default.asp?PerDesde_MM=0&PerDesde_AA=0&PerHasta_MM=0&PerHasta_AA=0&interprete=Led+Zeppelin&album=&LanDesde_MM=0&LanDesde_AA=0&LanHasta_MM=0&LanHasta_AA=0&Galardon=O&Tipo=1&ACCION2=+Buscar+&ACCION=Buscar&CO=5&CODOP=ESOP. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  44. ↑ "ARIA Album Accreditations - 31 December 2006". ARIA. http://www.aria.com.au/pages/ARIACharts-Accreditations-2006Albums.htm. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  45. ↑ "NVPI: Led Zeppelin III - 2006". NVPI. http://www.nvpi.nl/nvpi/pagina.asp?pagkey=60461#resultaat. Retrieved 19 January 2009. 
  46. ↑ 46.0 46.1 46.2 "Led Zeppelin III mastering engineers". http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?p=3502079. Retrieved 27 May 2008. 
  47. ↑ "allmusic (((Led Zeppelin III > Credits)))". http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:2z3tk6sx9krj. Retrieved 27 May 2008. 
Led Zeppelin III track listing
"Immigrant Song" · "Friends" · "Celebration Day" · "Since I've Been Loving You" · "Out on the Tiles" · "Gallows Pole" · "Tangerine" · "That's the Way" · "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" · "Hats Off to (Roy) Harper"
Led Zeppelin
John Bonham · John Paul Jones · Jimmy Page · Robert Plant
Studio albums
Live albums
The Song Remains the Same · BBC Sessions · How the West Was Won
Compilations
Led Zeppelin · Profiled · Remasters · Boxed Set 2 · The Complete Studio Recordings · Best of Led Zeppelin · Mothership · Definitive Collection
Singles
"Good Times Bad Times" / "Communication Breakdown" · "Whole Lotta Love" / "Living Loving Maid (She's Just a Woman)" · "Immigrant Song" / "Hey Hey What Can I Do" · "Black Dog" / "Misty Mountain Hop" · "Rock and Roll" / "Four Sticks" · "Over the Hills and Far Away" / "Dancing Days" · "D'yer Mak'er" / "The Crunge" · "Trampled Under Foot" / "Black Country Woman" · "Candy Store Rock" / "Royal Orleans" · "Fool in the Rain" / "Hot Dog"
Films
The Song Remains the Same · Led Zeppelin
Tours
Scandinavia 1968 · U.K. 1968 · North America 1968/1969 · U.K. & Scandinavia 1969 · North America Spring 1969 · U.K. Summer 1969 · North America Summer 1969 · Europe Autumn 1969 · North America Autumn 1969 · U.K. 1970 · Europe 1970 · North America Spring 1970 · Iceland, Bath & Germany 1970 · North America Summer 1970 · U.K. Spring 1971 · Europe 1971 · North America 1971 · Japan 1971 · U.K. Winter 1971 · Australasia 1972 · North America 1972 · Japan 1972 · U.K. 1972-1973 · Europe 1973 · North America 1973 · North America 1975 · Earls Court 1975 · North America 1977 · Knebworth 1979 · Over Europe 1980 · Ahmet Ertegün Tribute Concert 2007
Related
Articles
Discography (Bootlegs) · Swan Song · Bron-Yr-Aur · The Starship · Caesar's Chariot · Shark episode
Bands
The Yardbirds · XYZ · The Firm · Coverdale-Page · Page and Plant · Them Crooked Vultures · Strange Sensation
Books
Hammer of the Gods: The Led Zeppelin Saga · Stairway to Heaven: Led Zeppelin Uncensored · When Giants Walked the Earth: A Biography of Led Zeppelin
People
Peter Grant · Richard Cole · Jason Bonham
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