A Book Of Led Zeppelin

IN THROUGH THE OUT DOOR

I've been bitching about this album for most of the book so I decided to give it an honest review and it's own chapter.

So firstly - in my opinion anyway I don't know how many others agree - In Through The Out Door was the worst album Led Zeppelin made. Quite a harsh title to give it, but when you consider it's competition it makes sense. It's a nice enough, sure, but I think most people would agree it's nowhere near the same level as IV or any of Zeppelin's other albums. 

However, this was Led Zeppelin. Their worst album is equal to a lot of bands' average or even best. So I'm not saying it's a bad album, not at all. It's got several decent songs and one that's beautiful, but I think the main problem I have with it is that so many of the tracks on it just don't sound like Led Zeppelin.

There are several possible reasons for it being a little... (for want of a better word) hollow. When this album was made, it was a tricky situation for the band. John Bonham was homesick and drinking himself away. Robert Plant had lost his 5 year old son Karac to a stomach infection in 1977 and was grieving heavily. And Jimmy Page had developed a heroin addiction that affected everything from how he played to how he acted. So it was left to John Paul Jones to go to the studio and do much of the work on the album by himself. You can hear the piano or the organ playing a noticeably larger part in this album compared to others, often taking over the riffs or main melodies in the songs. Unlike the previous albums, the guitar just floats over the top in many of them. Page wasn't exactly in the right state to be composing killer riffs and solos, so Jones had to put much of the workload on himself.

But this is what made the album be so mediocre. Jones was an incredibly skilled musician and songwriter, that can't be argued with, and his contribution to the band was essential; it wouldn't have worked without him. But it was all four members together that made up Led Zeppelin, that made up their sound. The different influences, tastes and characteristics of each individual all seeping through to the music were their sound, and that's what made them the band they were. If it was only one member doing the bulk of the work, with minimal input from the others, it just didn't sound like them, and that's where the problem with this album is.

Anyway, below is my review of each song on the album, in the order they appeared on the record.

In The Evening is one my favourite songs on this album. It's pretty good and no worse than ones like Dancing Days or Livin' Lovin' Maid etc. For me the trippy keyboard introduction before the riff is a little dragged out and the song could've benefitted from more lead guitar but it has a good guitar solo even if the ending of the solo is a little lame. The riff is catchy, it has good lyrics and although you can definitely tell the band has changed since their earlier albums (is it just me or does it seem a little forced and laboured..? Like they're struggling to get it out) I generally enjoy listening to it.

South Bound Saurez starts alright. I like the guitar, and the vocals are alright I guess. Then there's that little bit of lyrics halfway through the verse which I think is far too cheesy and slightly irritating. The guitar solo's alright but apart from that the song's all very repetitive and dull. And then at the part when Plant sings 'south bound... Suarez!' and those bloody 'sha-la-la-la's, I physically cringe at the forced positivity and cheeriness and ugh it's not good at all... It's an alright song, with very skilful piano, but it just doesn't really sound like Zeppelin. And the fact I keep describing it as 'alright' shows that if anything is a filler song then this one is.

Fool In The Rain is, to put it bluntly, awful. It starts boring and sounds very generic. The vocals are limp and so are the instruments. Then for some reason this messy and completely out of place instrument (I can't actually tell if it's an acoustic guitar or a harpsichord) part that doesn't fit comes in and fucks it up even more so it's not just boring but genuinely bad.
Then after that, when you think it's calmed down, a carnival whistle blows and all hell is released upon your ears.
The song changes abruptly and I think the idea was for it to be exotic and exciting with music that sounds Hawaiian and whistles, but it just manages to sound like a shitty holiday advert. The vocals are out of place and actually slightly out of tune too, which is awful. The whole thing just manages to be embarrassing.
Then it changes back to generic and boring again but they've now thrown in some guitar. By this point you're begging for Jimmy Page to come in and rescue it and the guitar improves it a little but it's not brilliant by any means.
And then ugh, the guitarsichord thing is back for the eagerly awaited ending.
This song is just disjointed, too messy and just a bad mix. It's Led Zeppelin's worst song by far. Normally they pull off experimental better than anyone but here they didn't at all. Fool In The Rain goes past experimental and is just plain bad.