[3] John Paul Jones' synthesizers dominate the song, with Jimmy Page's guitar playing a supporting role.
The second section is much slower in pace, highlighting Page's use of the Gibson EDS-1275 double-necked guitar, the only time he used that instrument on a Led Zeppelin studio song,[4] while Plant sings some reflective lyrics.
[5] In a contemporary review for In Through the Out Door, Charles M. Young of Rolling Stone described "Carouselambra" as having "an extremely lame keyboard riff" and said the song was too long, clocking in at "an absurd 10:28".
"[7] On the Deluxe Edition, Doscas found Plant's vocals on the "Carouselambra" rough mix (titled "The Epic") much more clear than those of the original version.
The song was reputedly discussed for inclusion in the setlist for the planned autumn 1980 tour of North America, which was ultimately canceled after Bonham's sudden death during rehearsals.