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The unpleasant events that affect the Led Zeppelin directly or indirectly increase as the months go by. From the death of Plant's son Karac (July 26, 1977) due to a gastric infection, to the disappearance of Elvis Presley (August 16, 1977), whom the group duly considers their "putative grandfather," to Bonzo's risk of dying in a car accident (September 1977) to the guilty plea (February 1978) for Bonham, manager Grant, and bodyguard John Bindon for assault after the show at the Oakland Coliseum, these incidents reinforce the belief that a curse hovers over the band.
Apparently overcoming the negative wind, the crew of the dirigible meets at Clearwell Castle on the borders of Wales to plan the immediate future, which will start with rehearsals for their ninth studio work. These will begin in London in November 1979, culminating in the recording of "In Through The Outdoor" at the Polar Studios in Stockholm.
The smoky introductory keyboards and Plant's warm vocal lament are enough to launch "In The Evening", a solid blend of sounds that makes everything majestic and imposing, with a grating guitar solo that leads to an instrumental break, where Page's mastery can best express itself with simplicity and ease. The mocking "South Bound Saurez" moves over boogie and polyrhythmic groove coordinates where the vocal inserts attempt to convey just the right amount of catchiness, making the listening experience more shamelessly enjoyable. The Led Zeppelin's ability to operate across a wide range of sounds and rhythms is established, and with "Fool In The Rain"—a real meeting point between samba and Caribbean-inspired sounds with a masked party piano by Jones and various whistles—they manage to ensure the right carnival atmosphere to the ironic portrayal of the curly singer as abandoned lover (An' the clock on the wall's movin' slower, Oh my heart it sinks to the round An' the storm that I thought would blow over Clouds the light of the love that I found, found; L'orologio alla parete va più lento Il mio cuore affonda, va a terra E la tempesta che credevo avrebbe spazzato via rannuvola la luce dell'amore che avevo trovato, trovato).
The festive atmosphere continues with "Hot Dog" (perfect for enlivening a saloon frequented by rednecks), concluding the more lively part of the record, to start with "Carouselambra" (second in length only to "In My Time Of Dying" from "Physical Graffiti"), a certainly more interesting path for originality and intent. We are, in fact, facing more than ten minutes of music, converging various elements of different nature (from the substantial presence of synthesizers to the clear coloring of the guitar sound), where the roughness of the beginning is shaped according to those personal evolutionary needs already intimated with the immediately preceding works. "All My Love" (composed by Jones and Plant) is a perhaps somewhat affected ballad, where Plant's languid performance can represent a sure gateway to the Zeppelin's music, even for that less traditionalist audience. Closing, the old love for blues is felt with "I'm Gonna Crawl", where the soft chord succession and slow proceeding of the vocals alternate well with the interspersed rhythmic section tasked with highlighting the most intense moments.
The seven tracks played so far make "In Through The Outdoor" a more than decent work, undoubtedly showing that even the band itself begins to pay the price for the negative events mentioned above and the consequences of living eleven years of career in the full fulfillment of the triad "Sex, drugs and Rock' n Roll". A record, therefore, that certainly does not disgrace itself if placed alongside the numerous masterpieces that preceded it, although not equaling their artistic magnitude.
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
01 In the Evening (06:50)
In the evening, When the day is done
I'm looking for a woman, but the girl don't come
So don't let her, Play you for a fool
She don't show no pity baby, she don't make no rules
*Chorus: Oh, oh, I need your love, I need your love
Oh, I need your love, I just got to have
So don't you let her, Oh, get under your skin
It's only bad luck and trouble, From the day that you begin
I hear you crying in the darkness, Don't ask nobody's help
Ain't no pockets full of mercy baby, Cause you can only blame yourself
Chorus
Oh it's simple, All the pain that you go through
You can turn away from fortune, fortune, Cause that's all that's left to you
It's lonely at the bottom, Man, it's dizzy at the top
But if you're standing in the middle, Ain't no way you're gonna stop
Chorus
Oh whatever that your days may bring
No use hiding in a corner, Cause that won't change a thing
If you're dancing in the doldrums, One day soon, it's got to stop, it's got to stop
When you're the master of the off-chance, When you don't expect a lot
Chorus
02 South Bound Saurez (04:14)
Baby, when you walk that sweet walk
Oh, you walk it good, yes you walk it good
Baby, when you talk that sweet talk
Oh, it sounds so good, oh so good
With a little bit of concentration
And a little bit of helpin' hands, yeah
And a little bit of raving madness
You know it makes me feel, baby
Both my feet are back on the ground
And when the rhythm takes me
It feels so good, oh so good
Baby if it keeps a-shaking
It will do you good, oh so much good
With a little bit of stop-a-shakin' shakin'
And a little bit of ?fly right down?
And a little bit of sweet con-carne
It makes me feel, makes me feel
I got my feet on the ground
Ooh now baby, when you move it makes me
Really feel so good, oh so good
And I'm so glad, so glad, so glad, so glad
And I'm good, oh, so good
With a little bit of concentration
And a little bit of helping hand
And a little bit of ?saving madness?
You know it makes me feel, baby
I'm back on the ground oh yes, sure does
It makes me feel back on the ground.
I'm feelin' good child!
Down on the ground.
Sha la la la...
05 Carouselambra (10:34)
Sisters of the way-side bide their time in quiet peace,
Await their place within the ring of calm;
Still stand to turn in seconds of release,
Await the call they know may never come.
In times of lightness, no intruder dared upon
To jeopardize the course, upset the run;
And all was joy and hands were raised toward the sun
As love in the halls of plenty overrun.
Still in their bliss unchallenged mighty feast,
Unending dances shadowed on the day.
Within their walls, their daunting formless keep,
Preserved their joy and kept their doubts at bay.
Faceless legions stood in readiness to weep,
Just turn a coin, bring order to the fray;
And everything is soon no sooner thought than deed,
But no one seemed to question in anyway.
How keen the storied hunter's eye prevails upon the land
To seek the unsuspecting and the weak;
And powerless the fabled sat, too smug to lift a hand
Toward the foe that threatened from the deep.
Who cares to dry the cheeks of those who saddened stand
Adrift upon a sea of futile speech?
And to fall to fate and make the 'status plan'
Where was your word, where did you go?
Where was your helping, where was your bow? Bow.
Dull is the armour, cold is the day.
Hard was the journey, dark was the way. Way.
I heard the word; I couldn't stay. Oh.
I couldn't stand it another day, another day,
Another day, another day.
Touched by the timely coming,
Roused from the keeper's sleep,
Release the grip, throw down the key.
Held now within the knowing,
Rest now within the peace.
Take of the fruit, but guard the seed.
They had to stay!
Held now within the knowing,
Rest now within the beat.
Take of the fruit, but guard the seed...
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Other reviews
By Antonino91
If someone knows Led Zeppelin meaning "Stairway To Heaven", surely when they listen to this mess, they won’t say it sounds like Led Zeppelin.
"I'm Gonna Crawl" represents one of the very few interesting episodes, a heartfelt blues for guitar and strings, sung by Plant with grit and participation.
By Miki Page
It’s regrettable that the Zep left us with such an awful album (definitely the worst in their discography), at times even embarrassing.
When I listen to ‘All My Love’ I think: it’s not us, it’s not us.
By abe90
To truly appreciate 'In Through The Out Door', one must forget or at least avoid comparisons with previous albums.
'In Through The Out Door' is the last stage of the journey; an experimental work that leaves us a bit puzzled but certainly signals an artistic and concert rebirth of Led Zeppelin.
By Randall
Jimmy Page delivers one of his most incisive riffs and an excellent solo; Robert Plant’s outstanding vocal performance imparts an almost epic tone.
'All My Love' is probably the emotional peak of the album, a poignant tribute to Plant’s late son, with impactful music by John Paul Jones.
