"Feel so bad, you won't like the way I feel"
There have been so many, but it's hard to argue that Led Zeppelin III was an incredibly important and pivotal moment for Led Zeppelin. The mix of Jimmy's strident groundbreaking riffs, the evolution of the guitar army, their first original blues standard plus the myriad of acoustic flavours and textures all made for a brilliantly bright future. And while there were up to 18 tracks considered for inclusion on the finished elpee, the tenth and final chosen track was a bizarre acoustic jam certainly nodding to their roots and influences.
The title was a tribute to their friend Roy Harper, and Jimmy in particular had championed Roy from when he first heard his Sophisticated Beggar elpee. The 3.42 version that closes 'III' is a studio muse, a short jam featuring Jimmy on open tuned acoustic primed for some of his finest picking and bottleneck work and Robert howling through a tremolo/vibrato unit, giving his voice an otherworldly, dissonant quality, at the same time leaning back on the songs, sounds and artists from the delta that inspired their personal musical journeys.
It's listed as 'Traditional arr. Charles Obscure', almost certainly a pseudonym for Jimmy. It couldn't really be anything else.
It's listed as 'Traditional arr. Charles Obscure', almost certainly a pseudonym for Jimmy. It couldn't really be anything else.
The released version is centred on Bukka White's Shake 'Em On Down, later crunched electrically on Custard Pie four years later. Robert's affinity for the original bluesmen shines through, and Jimmy leads him through various moods and emotions with some startling playing.
In the early 1990's a series of reel tapes appeared, and included on one 2" master was 'Blues Medley'. It eventually fell into the hands of the bootleggers for the Studio Daze CD, alongside the other tracks on the reel, That's The Way and Since I've Been Loving You.
In the early 1990's a series of reel tapes appeared, and included on one 2" master was 'Blues Medley'. It eventually fell into the hands of the bootleggers for the Studio Daze CD, alongside the other tracks on the reel, That's The Way and Since I've Been Loving You.
Far looser than the released take, this is a longer jam. After 45 seconds of instrumental slide warm-ups we have over 6 minutes of magic that begins with another Bukka White song, Feel So Bad. This mutates into Fixing To Die before it takes a left turn and ends with a precis of That's Alright Mama. The quality is superb, the performance sublime.
The deluxe III added yet another take from the session. Recorded at Island on June 10th, it's more blues figures and tributes with a fantastic medley of Key To The Highway and Trouble In Mind. It too is pared own to 4.05. There may indeed be more jams and throwaway moments from the session, and they all paint a picture of their collective musical minds and contentment back in the summer of 1970
As much as I love these versions, Hats Off is a forgotten track for many, at the end of the elpee and sometimes ignored. As a stand alone track it's not going to be the first you go to but there is a lot to offer. A hidden gem, not least for some of Jimmy's best and overlooked acoustic work.
It's also a near perfect example of their empathy and ability to work in any framework. Pared down to the bare bones, with the obvious inspiration of the Welsh experience fresh in their minds, the roots and original vibes of their influences shine through.
As you can imagine, it wasn't set aside as a single or b-side, but there IS a rarity to find - a Polish Flexi Postcard where it's coupled with Out On The Tiles.
It's also a near perfect example of their empathy and ability to work in any framework. Pared down to the bare bones, with the obvious inspiration of the Welsh experience fresh in their minds, the roots and original vibes of their influences shine through.
As you can imagine, it wasn't set aside as a single or b-side, but there IS a rarity to find - a Polish Flexi Postcard where it's coupled with Out On The Tiles.
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