Led Zeppelin - In Through The Out Door

RandallFlagg

I'm a little ashamed to say that having owned Led Zeppelin's 'In Through The Out Door' album for ages, I've never really given it more than cursory skim through.

Played it loud start to finish today. It's a cracker!

I hear some BritPop elements in it, years before Britpop was a thing. What a refreshing listen this has been.

russpm

John Paul Jones had a lot of input on this album. The original vinyl release had a inner sleeve that changed colour if you put a little moisture on it. Their music doesn’t age and stands the rest of time.

steveledzep

Not played mine for yonks either, I'll put it on later.  Yes, my inner sleeve is like some of the painting books I had as a nipper, just a brush and water required.

Did you know that there are (IIRC) six different outer sleeve designs labelled A to F, shown on the top of the spine.  Mine is design A.

russpm

steveledzep said:

Not played mine for yonks either, I'll put it on later.  Yes, my inner sleeve is like some of the painting books I had as a nipper, just a brush and water required.

Did you know that there are (IIRC) six different outer sleeve designs labelled A to F, shown on the top of the spine.  Mine is design A.

There record label must have been so pissed, the production of the sleeves etc must have cost a fortune. Other examples are Led Zep II with the spinning disc sleeve and Physical Graffiti with the sliding inner sleeve. Collecting records was pretty cool when artists did stuff like this.

Philly_Q

steveledzep said:

Not played mine for yonks either, I'll put it on later.  Yes, my inner sleeve is like some of the painting books I had as a nipper, just a brush and water required.

Did you know that there are (IIRC) six different outer sleeve designs labelled A to F, shown on the top of the spine.  Mine is design A.

I didn't remember about the different sleeve designs, just had a look and mine's D.  And it came in a brown paper bag so you couldn't tell which sleeve you had.

It was the first Led Zeppelin album I bought, on the day of release.  In retrospect it's really not one of their best, but I thought it was amazing at the time.

That was when I was first getting into heavier rock music - I bought Rainbow's Down to Earth, In Through the Out Door, Judas Priest Unleashed in the East, Whitesnake's Lovehunter and Gillan's Mr Universe, all released within a couple of months of each other.

koneguitarist

Jimmy Page, let loose on a B bender. Wild 

steveledzep

Philly_Q said:

steveledzep said:

Not played mine for yonks either, I'll put it on later.  Yes, my inner sleeve is like some of the painting books I had as a nipper, just a brush and water required.

Did you know that there are (IIRC) six different outer sleeve designs labelled A to F, shown on the top of the spine.  Mine is design A.

I didn't remember about the different sleeve designs, just had a look and mine's D.  And it came in a brown paper bag so you couldn't tell which sleeve you had.

It was the first Led Zeppelin album I bought, on the day of release.  In retrospect it's really not one of their best, but I thought it was amazing at the time.

I'd forgotten about the brown paper bag and yes, not one of their best.

Keefy

I remember hearing this on someone's car stereo in 1980, and got it on CD quite a few years later. I still get goose bumps when the band kick in on 'In The Evening'.

zepp76

Bonzo’s drumming on Fool in the rain is sublime.

viz

I LOVE I’m gonna crawl. That solo. 

scrumhalf

For me Zep hit their peak in early 69 and by the time this album came around I thought I was listening to The John Paul Jones Band.

mudslide73

It's not the note they should have gone out on imo. It's the sound of Jonesy exploring the new Yamaha GX1 in the freezing cold of a Swedish winter. I think it's a pretty good record considering what they'd been through with Robert losing his son. 

I've often thought their next record would have coincided with NWOBHM - Jimmy has alluded to him and Bonzo being dissatisfied with ITTOD and discussing a more "hard driving" follow up. 

Philly_Q

scrumhalf said:

For me Zep hit their peak in early 69 and by the time this album came around I thought I was listening to The John Paul Jones Band.

mudslide73 said:

It's not the note they should have gone out on imo. It's the sound of Jonesy exploring the new Yamaha GX1 in the freezing cold of a Swedish winter. I think it's a pretty good record considering what they'd been through with Robert losing his son. 

I've often thought their next record would have coincided with NWOBHM - Jimmy has alluded to him and Bonzo being dissatisfied with ITTOD and discussing a more "hard driving" follow up. 

Although strangely enough, JPJ's (much later) solo albums rock like bastards.

jdgm

koneguitarist said:

Jimmy Page, let loose on a B bender. Wild 

He also uses it all over the 2nd Firm album "Mean Business".....

KDS

Hm not heard that in awhile, put it on tommorrow

prowla

Philly_Q said:

steveledzep said:

Not played mine for yonks either, I'll put it on later.  Yes, my inner sleeve is like some of the painting books I had as a nipper, just a brush and water required.

Did you know that there are (IIRC) six different outer sleeve designs labelled A to F, shown on the top of the spine.  Mine is design A.

I didn't remember about the different sleeve designs, just had a look and mine's D.  And it came in a brown paper bag so you couldn't tell which sleeve you had.

It was the first Led Zeppelin album I bought, on the day of release.  In retrospect it's really not one of their best, but I thought it was amazing at the time.

That was when I was first getting into heavier rock music - I bought Rainbow's Down to Earth, In Through the Out Door, Judas Priest Unleashed in the East, Whitesnake's Lovehunter and Gillan's Mr Universe, all released within a couple of months of each other.

I remember going in the car to Knebworth and Eyes Of The World came on the radio. 

Cols

One of only two truly disappointing Zeppelin albums for me, I’m afraid.  

I’d read before listening to it that In Through The Out Door was driven by John Paul Jones, who I’ve always felt was the best musician in Led Zeppelin.  I’d recently listened to his excellent solo album Zooma, and was really looking forward to hearing what a Zep album sounded like with him in creative control.

Oh dear.  Parping synths lie heavily across the whole album, which is simultaneously densely produced and devoid of any real depth.  Page is... well, he’s there, and playing well, but doesn’t really seem to bring many creative ideas this time.  Almost as if he’s a session guitarist on his own record.  The whole thing feels like it’s been made out of obligation - the four of them saying “We should make an album” rather than “We want to make an album”.

axisus

Had all Zep albums. Hated that one. I vaguely recall that I liked In the evening and Hot dog a bit, but the rest was pants.

Redlester

 I had a copy but didn't hold on to it. I think it's a curate's egg of an album. 

I think that Hot Dog is complete pants. The final track is alright but they'd already done that 'slow bluesy closer' stuff on Presence. 

There were the three tracks from the sessions that were at one point considered for a separate ep: Ozone Baby, Darlene, and Wearing and Tearing. 

Personally I'd have pulled South Bound Suarez, Hot Dog and Crawl, and put in three above. Wearing and Tearing would've been a good album opener.

I'd probably go with this as a final track listing:

Side 1. 
Wearing and Tearing
Ozone Baby
Fool in the Rain
Darlene

Side 2.
Carouselambra
All My Love
In the Evening 


This totally alters the balance of the record of course. On side 1 you get the punky, synthy, new wave spiky stuff completely front loaded. But it gives the whole atmosphere the kick up the arse it needs, and sort of fulfils their remit of showing a) they could still play, b) there was still a pulse in Zep, and c)they could ride out changes in the musical landscape. I'd have to check if all those tracks are in the same key. That'd be quite funny if they were! 

Side 2 is basically your more reflective, intricate, more self-indulgent Zeppiness. Actually, In the Evening was the closing track off the seminal Remasters compilation in 1990, and it works an absolute treat as a 'cinemascope' epic album closer. 

As far as the old line from Pagey about him and Bonzo saying they wanted the ITTOD follow up to be harder, this is completely true. As a matter of fact, a lot of Pagey's good ideas ended up with the Firm and also Coverdale Page. 





 

Philly_Q

@Redlester That's an interesting re-imagining, although I do think In the Evening is a fantastic opener.  But maybe it'd make a good closer too.

ICBM

I think it's one of the better Zeppelin albums - although I have to say I'm not really a fan, as I can't stand Plant's oohing and screeching, which pretty much ruins everything great they did. He has got much less bad with age though, and maybe this album was the start...