Product Description

The last proper Led Zeppelin album shows the group's response to punk's encroachment to be a regal shrug and a continuation of the outsized heavy rock that made the band a legend.There are a few interesting stylistic detours--the almost salsa-like piano that drives "Fool in the Rain", the country-flavoured hoedown of "Hot Dog"--but for the most part this is 1970s rock in the grandest style. John Paul Jones in particular struts his stuff here, his synthesizer powering "Carouselambra", Zeppelin's furthest excursion into prog rock, andsweetening "All My Love", a balladic requiem for Robert Plant's late son, Karac. Zeppelin sounds so assured on IN THROUGH THE OUT DOOR it's hard to believe the end of the band wasjust around the corner.

Track Listing

1. In the evening
2. South bound saurez
3. Fool in the rain
4. Hot dog
5. Carouselambra
6. All my love
7. I'm gonna crawl

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4618 in Music
• Released on: 1997-08-25
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered

Customer Reviews

Definitely going through the out door
How anyone, even die-hard Zeppelin fans, can give this four or even five stars is way beyond my comprehension. The circumstances surrounding the band during its recording are well-documented (Page and Bonzo strung out, Plant injured then stricken with death of his son) leaving JPJ as the main contributor here.

Zeppelin's bassist does a good production job, particularly on the atmospheric opener In The Evening and the slow-blues closer I'm Gonna Crawl, but overall this is the sound of a band whose best days were well behind them, fighting to remain relevant in a world of New Wave and post-punk.

Page's playing is all over the place. The mighty riff for In The Evening is an exception, instead we are left with the appalling country & western schtick of Hot Dog, the cod-disco of Carouselambra - a 10-minute long exercise in pointless music making - and the dreadful distorted fuzz of South Bound Suarez, in which James Patrick sounds like one of those people who pick up a guitar in a shop and give it a blast, just because they can.

Fool In The Rain for me stands head and shoulders above the rest, but even here it stands stripped for what it is, a retread of the earlier "D'yer Maker" even down to the speeded up finale. All My Love is a fine song but surely the closest LZ got to being a cabaret act.

Two start for In The Evening and Fool In The Rain, stick to the greatest band ever's output up to 1975 and leave this well alone.

Don't beleive what you read.
I love this album, more than Presence and more than Houses of the Holy, am I wrong?. I think that too many people concur with the accepted wisdom that this LZs crap album. It's not, it is excellent, probably poppier than any other album of theirs but there are a number of songs on here that stand the test of time. The production is very much of its time, the remaster does much to tidy that up. The other big change is that there is a more orchestral feel to the album, more synths which demonstrates the ascedancy of JPJ's star at this time. Jimmy obviously gave him more latitude and it is a qualified success in this respect.

In the Evening continues the incredible vein of excellent and original, Side One, Track Ones that they have produced over their career. Whole Lotta Love, Immigrant Song, Black Dog - lordy lordy what a band. From the droning eeerie intro to the crashing introduction of the band to Jimmy Pages weird crunching noise as he embarks on a great little solo, this song intrigues. I once played this to a bewildered school disco. Great track.

Southbound Suarez has a persistent chugging boogie woogie piano riff driving it along. A decent if unremarkable song.

Fool in the Rain is fun song with a relentless beat that once in your head doesnt go. Good for finding a cadence while cycling or god forbid running. Until the latin breakdown near the end - why I don't know but its another demonstration of the bands virtuosity and versatlity.

Hot Dog is a short frivolous piece of rockabilly. The weakest song on the set but by no means awful.

Carouselambra is epic in scale, underpinned by a terrific synth riff from JPJ.

All My Love is a great love song. A tender paen to Plant's young son Karac who died when barely out of being a toddler. The proud Aryan is not a fascist sentiment, its a tribute to a little blond boy. As a result I think it possesses one of Plants most tender vocal performances. Another, better accepted inclusion on my school disco playlist. Neither wonder I didn't cut it as a DJ, I was happy though.

I'm Gonna Crawl is another love song with a gentle synth orchestral beginning. the song itself is decent, a good workout for JPJ and the mighty Bonzo.

Overall I love this collection, this record and Presence continued to demonstrate Zeppelins love of tinkering with various styles and showed further movement away from their blues roots. It is not as riff heavy as any of the earlier work by there are some great cameos from Page. I for one think this variety is no bad thing. If you want the same thing every time try Quo or the stones. I think its as good as some of the early material just different.

Make up your own mind.

R.I.P. (1969-1979)
I was interested to read Jordan Lee Smith's review (3rd Oct 07)because my favourite track on 'In Thought The Out Door' is 'In The Evening', in fact it's one of my favourite Led Zeppelin songs. Digital remastering and a decent CD player does highlight the poor prodution quality, which I never noticed on my original vinyl copy but I think the 'rough at the edges' feel gives this album its unique character. It feels like they had a lot of fun making this album and, not for the first time,were re inventing themselves. Who knows what great music they'd be making today had the necessary art of re invention continued, Led Zeppelin's Mighty Rearranger? That would be ok with me. Every great band has written at least one bad song. I think Led Zepplin only ever wrote one really bad song and that's 'South Bound Saurez'. I've tried to like it for 28 years but it just doesn't do it for me. Anyway this was their last album and so we should respect, cherish, adore and enjoy it.