Led Zeppelin
In Through the Out Door

THE REVIEW

We are in 1979 and the Led Zeppelin are emerging from a very tumultuous period in their career: Jimmy Page is now completely addicted to heroin, John Bonham has serious alcohol problems, and Robert Plant recently lost his son Karac due to a gastric infection. It is thus up to John Paul Jones to take on the role of helmsman of the Dirigible.

The album clearly shows a remarkable evolution in the group’s sound, which includes progressive and pop influences in their repertoire, along with the massive introduction of synthesizers and keyboards.

However, the album opens with In The Evening, a track in their classic style and probably one of the album's highlights. Here, Jimmy Page, contrary to what his physical condition might suggest, delivers one of his most incisive riffs and an excellent solo; also noteworthy is Robert Plant's outstanding vocal performance, which imparts an almost epic tone to the song.

The first stone of controversy is definitely South Bound Saurez, a piece that mixes rock n’ roll with choruses reminiscent of the musicals of those years, providing a pop backdrop to it all. In this piece, Page plays a marginal role, although he manages for a while to stand out with a raw and driving solo. John Paul Jones frantically plays notes on the keyboard, Plant sings with passion, and Bonzo hits hard, nice track.

We proceed with what, in my opinion, is the lowest point of the album, Fool In The Rain, the track is definitely too contrived to be pleasant. Here, whistles appear (as this song was inspired by the soccer World Cup), along with Caribbean sounds and more; truly awful.

The following track, Hot Dog, is a carefree ditty in a country and western style that further undermines the group's credibility, filler.

The style changes dramatically with Carouselambra, a ten-minute track in which Jones takes the lead and creates a sonic wall of keyboards, bass, and synthesizer. Page watches on, though occasionally emerging with his guitar and undertaking a decent guitar performance; beautiful but can be boring.

We have arrived at All My Love, probably the emotional peak of In Through The Out Door. Plant writes a poignant lyric dedicated to his late son, and John Paul Jones takes care of the music; the result is a decidedly successful and impactful (pop) track.

The album concludes with I’m Gonna Crawl, a track with two sides: On one hand, the typically blues tones of the early Led Zeppelin emerge; on the other, the new sound of the group, notably due to the synthesized strings played by John Paul Jones that give the track softer nuances, but overall, the result is enjoyable.

The album as a whole turns out to be good, although it drastically differs from what the Zeppelin have delivered in their previous works; whether this is a bad or a good thing will be decided by the listener...