Tuesday, October 5, 2010

led zeppelin III










page and plant were ready for a change when it came time to work on their third album. they retreated to a remote welsh cabin with no electricity or running water to get back to basics. the result is a remarkable album of depth, grace, and sophistication that was quite a departure from the thunderous roar that was led zeppelin.



the first side only hints at their new approach on the elegiac 'friends', which includes a string arrangement by john paul jones, before mooging into 'celebration day'. that and the other straightforward rocker 'out on the tiles' sandwich the bluesy slow-boiler 'since i been lovin' you'.




side two of the album starts out with the stark 'gallow's pole' which begins with acoustic guitar and vocal and builds to a stomp as the narrator's pleas to the hangman grow more desperate. the sweet country folk of 'tangerine' goes down easy makes the easiest transition ever into 'that's the way'. after some more acoustic stomp, page and plant end things with slide guitar and a stirring wail on 'hats off to (roy) harper'.










http://www.ledzeppelin.com/







"immigrant song"  
like the vikings of yore, the band was embarking on a journey through new musical territory:
ah, ah,
we come from the land of the ice and snow,
from the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new land,
to fight the horde, sing and cry: valhalla, i am coming!

on we sweep with threshing oar, our only goal will be the western shore.

ah, ah,
we come from the land of the ice and snow,
from the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
how soft your fields so green, can whisper tales of gore,
of how we calmed the tides of war. we are young overlords.

on we sweep with threshing oar, our only goal will be the western shore.

so now you'd better stop and rebuild all your ruins,
for peace and trust can win the day despite of all your losing.





"tangerine"
measuring a summer's day
i only finds it slips away to grey
the hours they bring me pain.

tangerine tangerine

living reflection from a dream;
i was her love she was my queen
and now a thousand years between.

thinking how it used to be
does she still remember times like these?
to think of us again?
and I do.





"that's the way"
a beautiful acoustic song about the band's relationship with the united states:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdWPkgtaOTw





i don't know how i'm gonna tell you,
i can't play with you no more,
i don't know how i'm gonna do what mama told me,
my friend, the boy next door.
i can't believe what people saying,
you're gonna let your hair hang down,
i'm satisfied to sit here working all day long,
you're in the darker side of town.

and when i'm out i see you walking,
why don't your eyes see me,
could it be you've found another game to play,
what did mama say to me.

that's the way, oh,
that's the way it ought to be,
yeah, yeah, mama say
that's the way it ought to stay.

and yesterday i saw you standing by the river,
and weren't those tears that filled your eyes,
and all the fish that lay in dirty water dying,
had they got you hypnotized?

and yesterday i saw you kissing tiny flowers,
but all that lives is born to die.
and so i say to you that nothing really matters,
and all you do is stand and cry.

i don't know what to say about it,
when all you ears have turned away,
but now's the time to look and look again at what you see,
is that the way it ought to stay?

that's the way...
that's the way it oughtta be
oh don't you know now, mama said..
that's the way it's gonna stay, yeah.






bron-y-aur stomp misspelled the name of the cabin that inspired their new acoustic paradigm. i used to think they were trying to make some kind of joke about how much less "brawny" their new sound was (not).



i caught you smiling at me
that's the way it should be
like a leaf is to a tree
so fine

all the good times we had,
i sang love songs so glad
always smiling, never sad
so fine

as we walk down the country lanes i'll be singing a song
you hear me calling your name
hear the wind within the trees telling mother nature 'bout you and me

well, if the sun shines so bright, or our way is darkest night
the road we choose is always right
so fine

can any love be so strong when so many loves go wrong
will our love go on and on and on and on and on and on?

as we walk down the country lanes i'll be singing a song
you hear me calling your name
hear the wind within the trees telling mother nature 'bout you and me

my, my la de la come on now it ain't too far
tell your friends all around the world,
ain't no companion like a blue-eyed merle
come on now, well let me tell you what you're missing messing 'round them brick walls


so, of one thing i am sure
it's a friendship so pure
angels singing all around my door
so fine

yeah, ain't but one thing to do
spend my natural life with you
you're the finest dog i knew
so fine

when you're old and your eyes are dim, there ain't no old shep gonna happen again
we'll still go walking down country lanes, i'll sing the same ol' song
hear me call your name





'Led Zeppelin III'
full album:


Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III 1970 Vinyl Full... by slade66



1. "Immigrant Song"/Jimmy Page, Robert Plant  00:00
2. "Friends"/Page, Plant 03:01
3. "Celebration Day"/John Paul Jones, Page, Plant 07:53
4. "Since I've Been Loving You"/Jones, Page, Plant 12:15
5. "Out on the Tiles"/John Bonham, Page, Plant 21:30
6. "Gallows Pole"/Traditional, arr. Page, Plant 26:39
7. "Tangerine"/Page 32:51
8. "That's the Way"/Page, Plant 36:50
9. "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp"/Jones, Page, Plant 43:51
10. "Hats Off to (Roy) Harper"/Traditional, arr. Charles Obscure 49:12










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