The album starts on somewhat familiar terms; the trademark wails from Plant coupled with one of Jimmy Page’s many killer riffs. The songs real heaviness comes from Bonzo and JPJ, who are the real engine behind the lush exterior of Page and Plant. However, from then on in we’re introduced to a much more acoustic, folk-inspired side of Led Zeppelin that caused some difference in opinions amongst critics at the time.
Tracks like ‘Friends’, ‘That’s the way’ and ‘Tangerine’ blend the bands early American blues influences with British folk artists of the time like Bert Jansch, and most notably Roy Harper who even gets his own song title. These songs showcase a whole new dynamic that makes bands that do acoustic versions of already existing electric songs seem a tad lame. The stand out acoustic track for me is ‘Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp’ named after the welsh cottage in which the album was written. The intricate, country-style riff lifts Page up above so many of his axe-wielding peers at the time who survived solely on a distortion pedal and the pentatonic scale.
The true pièce de résistance comes from the spine tingling ballad ‘Since I’ve been loving you’. It’s frankly astonishing to hear the sound achieved with just three blokes, pretty much no overdubs, and John Paul Jones playing organ as well as bass, with his feet no less! Plants delivery is so on the money it more than makes up for his slightly clichéd blues lyrics.
Led Zeppelin III introduced fans to a whole new side of Led Zeppelin, unfortunately it also marked the start of Robert Plant’s fascination with Celtic folk tales which would go on to feature on other albums, as well as in the cringe worthy scenes from The song remains the same. The album was a launch pad for the band to go on experimenting with their folk influences, mixing their acoustic material in alongside more familiar rock sounds, and of course leading to the composition of one particular song that must not be named.
