Jimmy Page
Outrider

James Patrick Page: English guitarist and composer. Born on 9/11/1944 in Heston, Middlesex, England. Former leader of the historic rock group Led Zeppelin. Considered one of the greatest rock guitarists ever, capable of giving a unique and timeless sound to one of the greatest rock bands on the planet. In short, an unparalleled absolute genius of music.

Yes, you're right. I certainly don't need to tell you who Jimmy Page is. However, I wrote this small personal note with a bit of regret. Yes, because I should now be using a past tense. Especially after listening to the solo works (primarily this one) of the "elderly" Page. Works lacking inventiveness and light-years away from that three-dimensional sound that the Led had managed to invent.

After their end, Page was challenged several times, especially for expectations that the works from the early '80s (with the Firm being the main example) failed to meet, for fairly obvious reasons. "Outrider" (1988) was a further demonstration of the phase of confusion that Jimmy was experiencing, where confused and not very concrete ideas were sailing full sail.

The album indeed comes across as quite clumsy, desperately trying to reconnect with the blues and hard-rock sounds that made the Led Zeppelin so great. And precisely those unforgettable sounds blended between the blues-rock of Cream and the psychedelic rock of Pink Floyd, that the virtuosic and pyrotechnic guitarist had conceived and realized, are missing. It's as if Page had lost his sense of direction during those years, unable to find the path back to those magical moments, which before September 25, 1980, he managed so brilliantly. Despite numerous collaborations, including those of Robert Plant and the late "Bonzo's" son, Jason Bonham, at the drums, "Outrider" is a rather uninspired album.

There are few tracks that can please, or at least interest, on this album. "Wasting my time," "Wanna make love," the instrumental "Liquid mercury," and "Blues Anthem" can undoubtedly entertain, but it's far too little. The remaining five songs turn out to be predictable songs, an adjective that one regrets using next to Jimmy Page's name, a figure who, despite the missteps in his solo career, will continue to linger in the memories of those who loved and will always love Led Zeppelin.

"There will be Led Zeppelin as long as there are Jimmy Page, John Bonham, John Paul Jones, and Robert Plant"