Far away from the distractions of London to Led Zeppelin subjected on 19 May 1970. after Headley underway, an old country house in Hampshire to record there in a mobile studio their third album .....
..... That should be a good mix of hard rock and acoustic numbers grenades that were influenced by the early Californian soft rock, be. Clearly as the successor of "Whole Lotta Love", the martial "The Immigrant Song" (Track 1) was intended. With his battle cry "Val-hal-la I am coming" the song was an example of the affinity group members to medieval fantasies from the marauding and brand respectful world of the Vikings. Already in dealing with the acoustic guitar is "Friends" (2) a merciless Ripoff of Crosby Sills & Nash. The same applies to the string arrangements which Tony Visconti for the then major British glam rock band T. Rex had done. The orchestration and the singing Robert Plant are the last attempts towards psychedelic. The track ends with a roar that in "Celebration Day" (3), an additional number full battle noise and ample guitar overdubs, merges. Here, the "Living Loving Maid" (Led Zeppelin II) is quoted briefly in the second verse. "Since I've Been Loving You" (4) is an excellent blues, the product of collaboration between Page and Plant. Since the song was recorded live in the studio, he gives an excellent impression of the former concert sounds and also reveals that Plant must have been carefully Janis Joplin and Van Morrison belongs. The foot-stomping stimulating "Out of Tiles" (5) is an invitation to rock.
With the second five songs that failed uncharacteristically quiet, Led Zeppelin gave the hard core of their fans at a mystery. Page & Co. attorney hereby clear that they saw themselves not only as a hard rocker, but also musical artists. After two booming loud albums they wanted to finally have a full length album which you can listen to at home, surrounded by his family. The tracks, especially the guitar parts are reflected Pages longstanding admiration of old folk songs and traditional guitar playing resist. Therefore, the album is dedicated to ancient melodies and instrumental techniques of the British Isles.
"Gallows Pole" (5) is a creepy, old ballad that Page had on an old Folkways album Fred Gerlach, a twelve-string guitar, found. A fiddle and banjo playing Jimmy Page (!) Give it a strong Southern touch. Page later admitted that his fingerpicking was a combination of Pete Seeger, Earl Scruggs and total incompetence. The imagery of the text, the tarot card of the Hanged Man, showed strong interest for the subject for which Page, who had designed his own Tarot card set. Said Tarot figure stands for change, the search for wisdom and the guidance of the subconscious. "Tangerine" (7) had written in a time of emotional turmoil Page. Already the Yardbirds had it tried unsuccessfully. For Led Zeppelin Page number was musically totally remodeled, with new lyrics and pedal steel guitar. A great solo is obviously a quote Jeff Beck, with whom he had played together in the Yardbirds. The beautiful reverberated guitar part of the following "That's The Way" (8) based on the then sound the Canadian Neil Young. The text, water pollution and ecology the subject has, is also a reminder of the group at their US tours, as they were threatened in the Deep South in the own wardrobe with revolvers and accused by local sheriffs as perverse and addicted to drugs. Even with arrest Ihne was threatened, they should dare to play an encore. The Welsh-sounding "Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp" (9) is a classic skiffle number, with his drums sets the distinctive rhythm when Jon Bonham. The last song reminds with his guitar playing and the electronically treated voice Plants of "The King Of The Delta Blues" Robert Johnson (1911 - 1938) and is known as "Hat Of To (Roy) Harper" (10) pays homage to the eponymous English folk singer that is recover in a special way in Pages opening quotation.
After nearly four decades, there is also the third plant of the self-titled (anything but) leaden Zeppelins 5 stars Amazon.
