10 Bad Closing Songs On Great Rock Music Albums
3. Hats Off To (Roy) Harper - Led Zeppelin III (Led Zeppelin)
The song Hats Off to (Roy) Harper was a tip of the cap from Led Zeppelin to their friend and peer of the same name.
They'd have been better off just sending him some flowers in the post.
As a farewell to Led Zep's third studio album, Hats Off etc. etc. doesn't work. As a song on its own, Hats Off doesn't work. In short, this thing simply doesn't work.
It was based on an existing blues song called Shake 'Em On Down by an artist named Bukka White. It features Robert Plant singing through some sort of vocal filter whilst the rest of the band play a disjoined, folksy tune underneath.
What's Plant singing about? It's impossible to tell!
Considering that Led Zeppelin III begins with the impeccable Immigrant Song, it's incredible that it would end on such a dud.
It's nice that the boys wanted to include a song named after their friend, but couldn't they have included one that was actually good? Hats Off is like a cheese grater to the ear and is borderline unlistenable in places.
Led Zep didn't miss often, but when they did, they missed big.