"In Through The Out Door" by Led Zeppelin - Appreciation Thread

It has always been a mytery to me why so many fans hate this one. Is it because of "All my Love" that Page disliked as well? But the band released sweet songs before. "Tangerine" and "That's The Way" come to mind. Doesn't get gentler than this in their case. And "All my Love" has strong emotion - that of grieving father. I really don't see how this is worse than "Tears in Heaven", for instance. Moreover, the song has a wonderful bridge and a beautiful keyboard solo that I love.

Incidentally, my father recalls that he was rather disappointed in the LP as well, but came to appreciate it later.

As for other songs: "In the Evening" - it is killer! Those incredible rumbling and soundcapes in the beginning, Plant's thunderous "IN THE EEEEEEEEEVENING" and superb riff, which drives the song perfectly. It's a perfect LZ song worthy of any "best of". "South Bound Saurez" is great with its piano part and Page complements it nicely. It's fun, has drive... just like Misty Mountains Hop or "The Ocean". "Fool in the Rain" is almost in the same vein, and yes, I also don't like that samba interlude, but hey, they've been playing with such things before - "D'yer'maker" comes to mind and it is still enjoyable to listen to. "Hot Dog" is short and fun, and is suggestive of Plant's Honeydripper's phase. "Carouselambra" is yet another foray of the band into prog rock. Great keyboards throughout, several movements, including the lovely slow middle. This is where all musicians get to shine. They managed to pull off basicall a prog rock epic... and that's in 1979!! "I'm Gonna Crawl" is one of their best blueses and my personal favourite. Great chord progression and incredible vocals.

Bottom line - I don't know how one cannot dislike this album severely. Surely, there are some cases, when people just may not dig it, and degustibus non est disputandum, but... I think it has been long unfairly shunned by many fans. The band still retained their charisma, attachment to rock and they released soft gentle music before. So, why is this the black sheep in the pack all of a sudden?

 

The last Led Zeppelin album is one of the best: only behind "Houses of the Holy".

I love "In through the out door". It's a majestic masterpiece from beginning to end.

 

If you ask me, it's a must have for any Zep fan. In fact, it's my favorite Album by the band. They went out with a bang, not a whimper with their last one.

 

Great album, love it

 

To me, In Through The Out Door, ranks as the third best Zep album behind Houses of The Holy and Physical Grafitti. Fav song: Fool in The Rain.

 

For once, i actually agree with you After Houses of the Holy.........yes, a classic!!

 

It's good (for a change) to discuss about Led Zep music instead SQ and other considerations. ITTOD is one of my favorite LZ albums too.

 

It's one of my favorite Zep records and probably the one I still get the most mileage out of. It's synth heavy and it doesn't rock much so I can see why it rubs Zepheads the wrong way. But ITTOD, "I", "Houses of the Holy" and "Physical Graffiti" are the Zep albums I've always found the most essential. The rest of the albums I can take or leave.

 

That intro is unlike anything else...Still..........

 

I was 14/15 when it came out, the first Zep album I got to new and the last one they would ever release.

I think for people who had been on the journey of Zep album releases I can understand their disappointment in it. It always was a bit of a mixed bag, I don't think anybody can ever claim Hot Dog as one of rock's great moments it's just one of those jokey things Zep did that was well crafted but just....odd if fun. Similarly Carosulembra was always a tad lightweight as an epic, time hasn't been kind to the synth sounds used.

But I like it-I feel closer to it that some of the early stuff I consider there to be a few great great track on it-it's a valid standing stone in their Stonehenge.

Ultimately I think it reflects the problems in the band-Page and Bonham were clearly a bit out of it-it features the only Zep song not written by Page and the often quoted comments that Page and Bonham wanted to rock on the next album was surely a reflection of the fact they were too busy rolling on this one.

I always listen to it with a tinge of sadness for lots of reasons and All Of My Love is a wonderful song.

 

Big Led head here, always liked the album. It is a slightly different animal than the others - may be why it gets bad press in these parts? Liked it back in the day, like it now. Although I do seem to spin it less than the others....

 

Yeah, bit different, much more Plant-Jones than usual, lot more keyboard, sharp contrast to Presence with no keyboard (I think) and sonically it's not great, Page down in the mix and somewhat muddy............be very interesting to see what he does with the sound on the new super duper remaster................but then personally I prefer it to I or III or Holy and I've heard IV too many times.....................

 

I've always liked it, it's different, but very good. I don't think the songs are as inferior to those on the previous albums as they are sometimes made out to be. Yes, it's a bit weaker overall, but these are all above average songs.

 

Because it was their last studio album, it seems to get dismissed almost like a reunion album. I'm Gonna Crawl is my favorite Zep song.

 

I really like the album...In the Evening, Carouselambra, I'm Gonna Crawl, Fool in the Rain, and South Bound Saurez are just fantastic tunes. I don't mind the rest of it, either, but those are standout tracks for sure and show LZ moving in a different direction but still retaining their instantly identifiable sound and feel.

 

As with The Beatles, there are no bad Led Zeppelin records.

 

in thru the outhouse for me

Carouselambra tries to be epic like Achilles
I know Hot Dog is trying to tongue in check but save it for the scrap pile
Bonzo's drums on Fool in the Rain are fabulous

there is that nice break in In The Evening

Jimmy was just too out of it

Some of Robert's most impassioned vocals though

 

It's the only Zep album I don't own. Fool In The Rain is awful. Horrible off key singing. In The Evening is great, as is I'm Gonna Crawl. The rest of the album just sounds like a jumbled mess.

 

In Through the Out Door was the first Led Zeppelin album I owned. I paid 50 cents or a dollar for the 8 track at a garage sale when I was in 9th grade...or there abouts. It was as LONG time ago!

It holds a special place in my heart and while the track sequence may not flow the best In the Evening and I'm Gonna Crawl are great songs. I think it's an under appreciated album.

 

My favourite Zep álbum. So diverse, this is the one where Plant and Jones took control In the Evening, Fool in the rain, I'm Gonna Crawl, All My Love, South Bound Saurez and Carouselambra are all great songs in my opinión. Hot Dog is just a funny song, very tongue in cheek.

 

I understand why folks who joined the Zeppelin bandwagon in 1969 -- and who consider songs like "Dazed and Confused" and "Communication Breakdown" to be the essence of the band -- don't like ITTOD. But count me as another person who considers Houses of the Holy and ITTOD to be the band's best.

 

Side One is great, Side Two...not so much.

 

It's very cool to see folks commenting on how much they like ITTOD. It's not my favorite Zep album, but I agree with the ITTOD fans here that it gets way, way too much negative reaction from a lot of Zep (and rock) fans. I also agree that In the Evening and I'm Gonna Crawl belong in the pantheon of the greatest Zep tracks. I also love Fool in the Rain - off-key moments, samba bit and all. Every time I listen to it, it just makes me happy. And the main groove is infectious - and Bonham's drumming during the bridge out of the samba back to the main groove = All My Love is a beautiful song as well. South Bound Suarez and Hot Dog are fun, but they don't do anything for me; at least D'yer Mak'er has a killer percussion track.

If I could go back in time, and if the LP could be properly cut with a couple extra minutes of running time, I'd swap out Suarez, swap in Wearing and Tearing, and reorder the tracks.

That said, I'm with Robert Plant on ITTOD: He's said it was a bit too mannered and polite, because they'd been off the road so long before making the record. It's also a transitional record, with all the synthesizers. I can only imagine what would've happened had Bonham lived, the creative loose ends from ITTOD merging with Bonham's and Page's harder-rocking impulses. Could've produced something pretty amazing. Or it could've crashed and burned as a synth-laden, '80s metal-ish mess that was simultaneously too lightweight and too "heavy metal." We'll never know.

 

I'd guess that since Rush was able to emerge from their synth-laden 80s period, Zep would have been just fine.

 

Well, from all accounts they were planning on a more back-to-basics, raw rock album for the follow-up, and their proposed setlist for the 1980-81 US tour (and some of the numbers they revived for the 1980 Euro tour) bear this out.