The Reason Jimmy Page Didn’t Like ‘Led Zeppelin III’ Artwork

The Reason Jimmy Page Didn’t Like ‘Led Zeppelin III’ Artwork | I Love Classic Rock Videos

Jimmy Page Radio Interview - Grief Tourist / YouTube

For someone as intricate and as precise as Jimmy Page, every detail of the work done should be put under the microscope. It’s not to say that he is an over-the-top perfectionist; but sometimes, a little attention to a small element makes a huge difference. So when the cover for Led Zeppelin III’s artwork came out, with a little time to make changes on the final release, he knew he had to say something about it.

Busy artists tend not to give all their energies in creating the concept for the album’s artwork. It is either a mere afterthought from all the nitty-gritty efforts after formulating all the songs. Or, a viable option is to assign someone to carry the planning and designing, and it’s up to the masters if they would raise their thumbs to it. For the band’s 3rd album release, the latter was chosen.

In all fairness, Led Zeppelin III showed an unfamiliar side from the group that was completely different than what they have previously exhibited. So Page contacted his friend whom he met at the Kingston College of Art, an artist named Richard Drew a.k.a Zacron, to catch that kind of art. While Zacron had incorporated all information that surrounded the album, he was pretty sure that his work was the epitome of surrealism, and that every tiny detail added to it, was a puzzle that completes the whole ensemble.

However, Page had to express his dismay at the said artwork, saying that it was “a disappointment” when the topic was brought on by Brad Kolinski from Guitar World in 1993. The guitarist further explained that he was not at all happy about it, and couldn’t do much about the work as well since they were approaching the tight deadline and to change it is a big risk for taking.

It might be a different story to Zacron, who told the Classic Rock that Page liked the album cover. Yet, as the planning for the 4th studio album of the band began to start, Page had made sure to give his full control inside the making of its sophisticated cover art album.