One of the best nights I ever had was listening to this album, on 8-track, with my car stereo full blast and my car doors open. It was myself and 3 close friends on top of a mountain in the Ozarks. We were all enjoying some trendy chemical amusements. After "Stairway" finished, we all looked at each other and we all started screaming, "Yeah!!!" at the top of our lungs. Then we listened to it a dozen more times. The sun came up just about the time my battery died. I was in high school, and the album had just come out. It remains one of my favorite albums.
3 was a fantastic album. There is so much nuance and feeling. I've listened to it back to the 1970s. So unfair how it was judged. It's called musical growth. I'm 70 years old. Zeppelin is still my # one group, Beck was my other wizard. So misunderstood. He was a genius. Anyway, back to 3. Just listen and give close attention to what you're hearing. It's magical and unique.
I remember riding my bike to the mall and buying led Zepplin 4 around 1973......I was 14 years old........when I ride that same route I picture a young man with a bag carrying the album riding several miles to get home. I am now 67 and have it framed in my Confederate conference room.
Very few, if any, rock artists today could create a work under this much pressure, with so little time, at such high quality and creativity. The fact that LZ could basically order Atlantic to take it or leave it speaks to Jimmy’s brilliant business model vs other bands being ordered around by their record companies and producers.
Dude the insight you gave on the background of this album is incredible. Always seemed like they kept a tight leash on the details of their recording process, so this answered a ton of questions I’ve had for years.
6:00 JPJ is a formally trained musician. He is able to read and write music allowing him to put the notes on paper so nothing would be forgotten. Underrated bloke, did a lot the arrangements for the band in addition to playing multiple instruments, amazing bass player plus plus plus
On my first listening to LZ IV in 1971, the songs that impressed me the most were "Four Sticks" and "Rock'n'Roll" and "Battle of Evermore" --- I like the other songs more with repeated listenings.