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What is the most underrated Led Zeppelin song?


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On 25 July 2016 at 0:08 PM, kingzoso said:

Led Zeppelin's most underrated song, in my opinion, is Led Zeppelin's greatest song:

In the Light (you will find the road...):

I really and honestly think that In the Light is the Greatest Song of all-time.  If anyone wants to challenge Me or question Me on this, I am and will always be available to answer and defend MY choices and comments. 

Brilliant choice. My five: 

1. Ten years gone.

2. In the light. 

3. Down by the seaside.

4. For your life. 

5. Custard Pie. 

Sure, ten years gone featured live in '77 but it often doesn't get mentioned in the same breath as Kashmir, stairway, WLL. But for me, hands down their greatest song. No question

 

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On 06/08/2016 at 9:11 AM, Sathington Willoughby said:

I'm surprised that one doesn't get more radio play. Then again, I'm surprised a lot of songs don't get more radio play. 

EXACTLY THIS.

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On 7/21/2016 at 6:32 PM, the chase said:

You Shook Me.. 

Even the boys dropped it from their live set pretty early. It has possibly the meanest, coolest tone Jimmy Page ever got out of an electric guitar.. Yep it's a cover, Jeff Beck was pissed LZ also covered it. .. It kicks ass on all levels. I've heard it on the radio maybe a half dozen times in 40+ years..

Interesting.  We hear it all the time in Milwaukee and Chicago, all points in between, probably in Detroit too but we have not heard back from the Detroit office in some time.  I am one who underrates their version of the alleged Willie Dixon's tune, and, I suppose that and "All of My Love" have been the songs I am most likely to underrate.

Like most Zepheads on this post, I took "underrated" to mean "hidden gem that doesn't usually get a rating." -- So I  immediately thought of South Bound Suarez, Candy Store Rock, The Wanton Song and Out on the Tiles. Hats off to Harper!  It seems the idea of low ratings on anything Led Zep is alien to most of us. 

Given the critics disdain for You Shook Me and the insulting tone it engendered from same critical wads, I would have to agree with you that You Shook Me is probably the most underrated Led Zed Zeppelin piece.

 

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On 8/5/2016 at 3:41 PM, Sathington Willoughby said:

^Down by the Seaside is fantastic. 

Oh, absolutely, Sath! :yesnod: It sure is such a relaxing tune and you feel like you're at the beach, while listening to it! It's got such a great riff that just builds up, as Robert sings: 'So far away, so far away. See how they run, see how they run, see how they run, see how they run'. So beautiful! :wub: 

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4 minutes ago, Kiwi_Zep_Fan87 said:

Oh, absolutely, Sath! :yesnod: It sure is such a relaxing tune and you feel like you're at the beach, while listening to it! It's got such a great riff that just builds up, as Robert sings: 'So far away, so far away. See how they run, see how they run, see how they run, see how they run'. So beautiful! :wub: 

:stereo:

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  • 2 weeks later...

To me, Tangerine is the most underrated Zep song ever. I also think its one of Bonham's most overlooked studio performance's, along with the exquisite production by Jimmy Page. Maybe the softest/heaviest song ever put to tape. It really shows the dynamics that Zeppelin were capable of and nobody before or since has come close to it. My second choice would be Gallows Pole. If you want to know about Zeppelin, its all packed into this song in one go. Fucking brilliant! And yes, LZ III is (IMO) their most underrated album as well. LZ IV was their most commercially successful album, but to me, III was the boldest and most important record of their entire career. How HHWCID didn't make it onto the record, I don't know, but it would have fit in perfectly and only enhanced the magic that was being brewed on LZ III.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I think Ten Years Gone and In the Light are underrated. They are excellent musical works of art just like Stairway to Heaven and I feel they get overshadowed by it. I wonder, if Stairway didn't exist, would either of these 2 songs have received more attention?

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  • 2 weeks later...

I understand some of these entries, but they seem to be far more from a radio play consideration. I've hung out literally

probably hundreds of times at night with a fire going at a beach or in some park woods. And the usuals---(studio) WLL,

D&C, IS,SIBLY, etc., etc., are almost always past over for many of the songs that have been mentioned. Ten Years Gone,

not appreciated, well not on my local stations, at least 10-15 yrs ago. I think I'm Gonna Crawl is totally forgotten, it is

not vital or classic Zep , but Jimmy's solo is awesome and Robert does a great job. Again it's not their GREATEST ignored

song, that would be a differet list. As I said, the late night drunken/stoned hangs pulled out many of mentioned nuggets.

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Tea for One.  I consider it one of their best ever.  An amazing feel to it, so much emotion.  It was always overshadowed by SIBLY, which has vintage primal Plant, but I think if Tea For One had been played on the 1977 tour it would have become more of a fan favorite. 

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I was going to say Tea For One but you beat me to it John. For me, after ALS, it's the best track on Presence. I recall reading about how Jimmy layered guitar pieces over and over again to get that powerful, intense sound he wanted.

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I don't know if it is underrated, but to me Ten Years Gone is a absolutely groundbreaking. a song that instigates contrasting emotions both with the words and the feel.  As far as I am concerned it is the song that best represents Pages ideals of "light and shade" in music.  Many fans either don't know the song or disregard it on PG (not fans on here I know heh).

Other than that, I'm Gonna Crawl is one of those songs you can listen to and remind yourself why LZ is head and shoulders above all bands. 

 

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11 minutes ago, Amstel said:

That's The Way - for me, this rates right up there with their best pieces of work.  That outro is so beautiful.  It has so much feeling in it!

 

This topic is a very hard question, since there are so many great Zep songs that it's easy to overlook some compared to others, but That's the Way is as good a choice as any here.  The combination with Going to California at the Earl's Court shows was superb.  (And I love how Jimmy throws it in at the end of Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp in the Euro '73 shows.)

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An honourable mention to The Song Remains the Same from HoH.  I used to always skip this song on my cd player, it might have had to do with the singing which Robert himself wish he had back.  

When I listen to the 2014 Remastered Guitar Reference mix instrumental (which is how the song was originally written to be until Plant added lyrics to it) it really grooves.  I prefer the instrumental now.

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