Jimmy Page should be revered as one of the great wonders of the world, a planetary treasure.
As before, these are thoughts and reactions experienced when listening to this remaster disc for the first time.
Led Zeppelin III
One of the most chilling, soul shivering song beginnings ever. But LZ was good at that.
Love the way RP lingers on the syllables.
I will never listen to the original albums again. The remasters are it.
The crispness of the sound makes me appreciate all over again how tight their musical choreography is.
Wait wait – Immigrant song can’t be that short!
That alternate tuning - edgy!
A kind of scary song, isn’t it? Friends? I mean really - who the hell decided on that innocent name?
The flow from Friends into Celebration Day – brilliant!
I’m so happy I joined up with that band decades ago!
The ups and downs – rhythm, tone, alternate tuning, major to minor scales, pitch, even the segues to next songs. Contrast, contrast, contrast, baby - never ever left to chance.
SIBLY. Simply… wow. A guitar and drummer. A touch of keyboard. And then POW. A sucker punch to the gut and then backing off to let RP sing of the damage. I fall for it each time.
Those rocking rhythms just stuck in there.
Wah. Tearing me to shreds.
The guitar – I wasn’t ready, I could never be ready for that lethal insertion of emotion. And then and then and then….
Jazz/scat, the whole kitchen sink. RP’s tools were beyond mortal.
Once again I’m struck with the disjoint of the start of OOTT. Uncomfortable, puts me off balance. Inside, it feels normal already. Were they not afraid of anything at all?
I remember thinking when I first ever heard this that it was a great song but why in the world did LZ do it? But really, who cares? It’s another way to express something different musically. Do it all! Any way at all!
Banjo. What a riot. It’s a sound. In fact, Gallows is so rich with diverse sound
I never noticed that chorus effect in the last minute – is that really what I’m hearing?
That false start before Tangerine… intriguing
Tangerine has always been one of my least favorite LZ songs. But there’s new information now, and it seems more complex musically than I thought. Maybe I've never given it a fair shake.
More slide guitar? Steel pedal? Where did that come from? And so its own thing. Not the way I’m used to hearing it
I can’t really listen to this music with my eyes open.
The sound between the notes is so full!
Steel strings so hard for such a soft song. But the bass cushions.
I love the ending – sometimes words just get in the way.
Oh Bonzo – you made it stomp. Can’t help but bounce when listening to this!
The greatest band in the world does a song about a dog. Is there ANYTHING they won’t try?
That’s some pretty slick guitar playing, Mr. Page.
Two instruments, so unlike. A guitar. A voice. And yet so much there.
But the end too soon!
♪
Afternote:
Did anyone truly appreciate LZ in their time? I know that what I hear and appreciate now is very, very different than what I was hearing back then. We all are growing up, but maybe there are good things that come from that after all.
What I take away from this album is a new appreciation for how diverse these guys were, how bold and adventurous. Any technique, any sound – it was all fair game to get their music out there.