In Through The Out Door is essentially the last Led Zeppelin album. It was released in 1979, about one year before the Zeppelin drummer John Bonham died and the band disbanded. It was also released at a very difficult time for the band - lead singer Robert Plant's son had recently died, guitarist Jimmy Page was addicted to heroin, Bonham was succumbing to alcoholism, and disco had overtaken rock as the popular sound of the time. Rather than go anti-disco like, I don't know, KISS, Zeppelin chose to tentatively embrace synthesizers and let John Paul Jones, the Zeppelin bass player and keyboardist, become the driving force behind this album. The result is pretty much the least popular Zeppelin album according to so-called "purists," or "true fans" or what have you, but in reality there are some true gems on In Through The Out Door. This album is definitely not a great Led Zeppelin album, but it is a very good album that happens to be by Led Zeppelin.
Track one of this short 7 track album is "In The Evening," which starts the album off in a very prototypical Zeppelin style. The guitar screams out in front of strong drums, as if to reassure the listener that Led Zeppelin is very much back from their 3 year hiatus. This song hearkens back to Zeppelin's IV in a good way. The next track, "South Bound Suarez," would fit in easily alongside some of the lighter fare of Houses of the Holy - the sound is more upbeat and rollicking ala "D'yer Mak'er" or "Out On The Tiles." While this song is still enjoyable, it is pretty evidently filler material, just taking up a spot so that the heavy hitter of the album can come up 3rd - and what a heavy hitter it is.
"Fool In The Rain" has to be the most popular and well-known song on this album, but with very good reason - it is amazing. The sound turns more calypso- and reggae-inspired with this track, but the riff is undeniably catchy, and the emotion from Robert Plant on this track pushes it well over the top. The first two lines give me shivers every time - "Well there's a light in your eye that keeps shining / Like a star that can't wait for a night" - and the song tells a tale of a fool who thinks his love has left him, only to find that he has been waiting for her in the wrong place. The pure emotion with which Zeppelin tells this story is what does it for me, even if the sound is not patented Zeppelin. Their emotion is always what put them apart and above other bands, whether it be the tenderness and ferociousness of "Stairway To Heaven" or the churning drive of "The Immigrant Song" or, in this case, the more emo than emo could ever be "Fool In The Rain." I freaking love this song.
The next track is more filler, but it is killer filler, much better than "South Bound Suarez." Entitled "Hot Dog," this song is an homage to a style of country music known as "Bakersfield country" or "West coast country." You can't imagine how long it took me to come up with that. Anyways, one listen and you'll know the genre of music I'm talking about, and one more listen and you'll come back for me, I promise. However, much like "South Bound Suarez," this song is more of a placeholder for bigger things to come.
Track 5 has to be where a lot of people less interested in experimental music lose interest in this album, even going as so far as to denounce it as a bad album. Honestly, between "In The Evening" and "Fool In The Rain," only a complete ass could say this album sucks. Regardless, "Carouselambra" is the first song on In Through The Out Door where the influence of John Paul Jones is very tangible. The keyboards are at the very forefront at the beginning and play a huge role throughout this song, with the exception being a slow, bluesy part about halfway through that eventually relents to the overpowering, rollicking synths at the end. This song is all about the music, as Plant's vocals are at best third to the synths and drums. Really, the value of this 10 minute epic is all in how you approach it. I approached this album expecting nothing, and having already been delivered the first three tracks, I was in a very forgiving mood with Zeppelin. I would have given Zeppelin a pass on this song, but but it was "Carouselambra" that kept my interest in In Through The Out Door after my first full listen - not "In The Evening" or "Fool In The Rain" - the music is just too catchy. In the same way that "Fool In The Rain" is more emo than emo, this song is more 80s than the 1980s. It's just really good.
So at this point I was pretty satisfied with this album. Honestly, I expected nothing special at all and I have been rewarded with 5 above-average songs. Unfortunately the album closes out with an overly dramatic track 6, "All My Love," as well as a plodding "I'm Gonna Crawl," a song that undermines my argument that Zeppelin is one of the best bands at closing out an album. It feels wrong to dismiss "All My Love," as it is Plant's homage to his late son, but sentimentality aside I did not really like this song - I am sure plenty of other people will like this song, however. I have no such qualms with track 7. "I'm Gonna Crawl" kind of bites. However, disliking these songs could have easily happened because I really, really liked the first five. Like I implied earlier, good songs really let me give leeway to bands for bad songs.
So in the end, In Through The Out Door must be considered an excellent effort from the ailing and soon to be defunct Led Zeppelin. It very much is not a Led Zeppelin in that, unlike previous Zeppelin albums, it is not defined by a hard rock interpretation of the blues. However, it is a good album that just happens to be by Led Zeppelin - their B-level efforts are just miles above other bands. The shining gem is "Fool In The Rain," but with at least 4 other excellent songs, no one should pass up this album.
Score: 8.5/10
Track one of this short 7 track album is "In The Evening," which starts the album off in a very prototypical Zeppelin style. The guitar screams out in front of strong drums, as if to reassure the listener that Led Zeppelin is very much back from their 3 year hiatus. This song hearkens back to Zeppelin's IV in a good way. The next track, "South Bound Suarez," would fit in easily alongside some of the lighter fare of Houses of the Holy - the sound is more upbeat and rollicking ala "D'yer Mak'er" or "Out On The Tiles." While this song is still enjoyable, it is pretty evidently filler material, just taking up a spot so that the heavy hitter of the album can come up 3rd - and what a heavy hitter it is.
"Fool In The Rain" has to be the most popular and well-known song on this album, but with very good reason - it is amazing. The sound turns more calypso- and reggae-inspired with this track, but the riff is undeniably catchy, and the emotion from Robert Plant on this track pushes it well over the top. The first two lines give me shivers every time - "Well there's a light in your eye that keeps shining / Like a star that can't wait for a night" - and the song tells a tale of a fool who thinks his love has left him, only to find that he has been waiting for her in the wrong place. The pure emotion with which Zeppelin tells this story is what does it for me, even if the sound is not patented Zeppelin. Their emotion is always what put them apart and above other bands, whether it be the tenderness and ferociousness of "Stairway To Heaven" or the churning drive of "The Immigrant Song" or, in this case, the more emo than emo could ever be "Fool In The Rain." I freaking love this song.
The next track is more filler, but it is killer filler, much better than "South Bound Suarez." Entitled "Hot Dog," this song is an homage to a style of country music known as "Bakersfield country" or "West coast country." You can't imagine how long it took me to come up with that. Anyways, one listen and you'll know the genre of music I'm talking about, and one more listen and you'll come back for me, I promise. However, much like "South Bound Suarez," this song is more of a placeholder for bigger things to come.
Track 5 has to be where a lot of people less interested in experimental music lose interest in this album, even going as so far as to denounce it as a bad album. Honestly, between "In The Evening" and "Fool In The Rain," only a complete ass could say this album sucks. Regardless, "Carouselambra" is the first song on In Through The Out Door where the influence of John Paul Jones is very tangible. The keyboards are at the very forefront at the beginning and play a huge role throughout this song, with the exception being a slow, bluesy part about halfway through that eventually relents to the overpowering, rollicking synths at the end. This song is all about the music, as Plant's vocals are at best third to the synths and drums. Really, the value of this 10 minute epic is all in how you approach it. I approached this album expecting nothing, and having already been delivered the first three tracks, I was in a very forgiving mood with Zeppelin. I would have given Zeppelin a pass on this song, but but it was "Carouselambra" that kept my interest in In Through The Out Door after my first full listen - not "In The Evening" or "Fool In The Rain" - the music is just too catchy. In the same way that "Fool In The Rain" is more emo than emo, this song is more 80s than the 1980s. It's just really good.
So at this point I was pretty satisfied with this album. Honestly, I expected nothing special at all and I have been rewarded with 5 above-average songs. Unfortunately the album closes out with an overly dramatic track 6, "All My Love," as well as a plodding "I'm Gonna Crawl," a song that undermines my argument that Zeppelin is one of the best bands at closing out an album. It feels wrong to dismiss "All My Love," as it is Plant's homage to his late son, but sentimentality aside I did not really like this song - I am sure plenty of other people will like this song, however. I have no such qualms with track 7. "I'm Gonna Crawl" kind of bites. However, disliking these songs could have easily happened because I really, really liked the first five. Like I implied earlier, good songs really let me give leeway to bands for bad songs.
So in the end, In Through The Out Door must be considered an excellent effort from the ailing and soon to be defunct Led Zeppelin. It very much is not a Led Zeppelin in that, unlike previous Zeppelin albums, it is not defined by a hard rock interpretation of the blues. However, it is a good album that just happens to be by Led Zeppelin - their B-level efforts are just miles above other bands. The shining gem is "Fool In The Rain," but with at least 4 other excellent songs, no one should pass up this album.
Score: 8.5/10