In Through the Out Door [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

Led Zeppelin

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 16, 1994)
• Original Release Date: 1979
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Atlantic / Wea
• ASIN: B000002JSP
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (272 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #5,920 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Though the band likely didn't know it at the time, this would prove to be the last studio record by one of the most famous rock & roll bands in the world. Drummer John Bonham died shortly after its release. Although nothing compares to early Led Zeppelin--and they lost many longtime fans in the late 1970s--this LP is nothing to be embarrassed by. They were quick to embrace and experiment with synthesizers, and while it wears a little thin by record's end (the synth-bloated "Carouselambra" and the slick AOR hit "All My Love"), it adds a certain majestic tone to the heavy-hitting opener, "In the Evening," and gives a rollicking good-time feel to "South Bound Suarez." Plant's howl and Page's bluesy guitars are in fine form on "I'm Gonna Crawl" and the lilting "Fool in the Rain" recalls the pretty numbers from their early career. --Lorry Fleming

Product Description

Japanese-only SHM-CD (Super High Material CD) paper sleeve pressing of this classic album from the Rock legends, originally released in 1979. SHM-CDs can be played on any audio player and delivers unbelievably high-quality sound. You won't believe it's the same CD! Universal. 2008. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

159 of 180 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Let's Put Zeppelin in Perspective., February 28, 2000

By	Jason Stein (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Let's put Led Zeppelin in perspective: They had 8 full length studio albums before disintegrating. They ARE one of the best bands of all time, like the Beatles before them, Led Zeppelin will always spark interest in music fans. YES, Led Zeppelin 4, Houses of the Holy, Physical Graffitti and Presence probably caught Zeppelin in their prime. All eight albums have their pluses and minuses, and yet, In Through The Out Door is always criticized the most. Like U2, R.E.M. and Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin had to change. Robert Plant just lost a child, disco was bigger than rock, and punk's angry cries were more deafening than any Zeppelin record. The complaint of synthesizers is understandable since Zeppelin is mostly known for Page's guitar wizardry, but In Through The Out Door is Zeppelin's Achtung, Baby, or Out of Time or Permanent Vacation--it's a rebirth of sorts. I certainly think that non-fans should check this out if they don't like Led Zeppelin for it has the hits "Fool in the Rain" and "All My Love." If the Beatles only relied on John and Paul then we'd have no Here Comes The Sun or Yellow Submarine. John Paul Jones's influence gave Zeppelin more credit. It wasn't just Page, Plant and Bonham. I know I'll get heat for defending In Through The Out Door, but it is a great record, just not like Zeppelin's others.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bonzo, requiescat en pace, June 6, 2003

By	Interplanetary Funksmanship "Swift lippin', e... (Vanilla Suburbs, USA) - See all my reviews

I was 14 when this album came out and turned the grooves to dust within a few months by ceaselessly playing it on a cheap Soundesign turntable. Then I got in on 8-track. In 1983, I bought the casette (newly installed in my car), and in 1998, I finally broke down and got it on CD. When you buy an album *four* times, you know it's a keeper.

This is a fitting denouement for the Greatest Rock Band Ever, though I wish John Bonham drank a little less and lived a little longer. His touch is all over these songs. His genius was that he made the drum riffs sound easy. It's deceptive -- you try some of those bits while never dropping the on-tempo beat from the high-hat.

"In Through the Out Door" also showcases John Paul Jones' layering-on of the keyboard and synthesizer parts over his driving bass. My favourite is his upbeat boogie-woogie piano on "South Bound Suarez."

Robert Plant still had most of his voice when this was recorded, and it really comes out best on this remastered CD version. The album's opening tune, "In the Evening," sends the listener back not to 1979 (when this record was released), but to 1973. The sound and leitmotifs are right out of "Houses of the Holy" songs "The Ocean" and "Dancing Days." Jimmy Page's guitar solo is quintessential Pagey; There's no guitarist who can touch him. Hendrix, Clapton, Nugent, Van Halen, they come close, but you listen to Page, scratch your head and ask "how'd he do that?"

"Fool in the Rain" is the best song on this record. It's a song only Zeppelin could do: Part Reggae, part meringue, part Carnaval in Rio, laid over with Page's Steely Dan-like solo, it's still all Zeppelin. Plant's voice soars on this one.

"Hot Dog": Country Western, sure. Rockabilly, yeah. What I really hear is Plant's tribute to Elvis. When his voice wavers and quavers, the King comes through. Plant doesn't say "hunka hunka," but you can hear it between the lines.

Yes, I forgive them for "Carouselambra." Too much synth. However, excellent bass and guitar lines and it's all over the map in its musical construction.

"All My Love": At the time, a fave at high school dances, but it was really Plant's tribute to his son, who'd died tragically. How eerily it seems written for Bonzo as well.....

"I'm Gonna Crawl." This is Led Zep blues, right out of "In My Time of Dying" and "What Is and What Should Never Be." It's gut wrenching, slow, a dirge.

"Zoso" is still their best, but this is the one I get all sentimental about. I listen to it, and I'm 14 again.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars They can't all be "lemon squeezing" records..., January 10, 2006

By	Paul Carruthers - See all my reviews

One of the biggest reasons for my initially buying this particular Zeppelin album owed much to curiosity; as in curiosity as to why so many Zep fans--nevermind the critics--seemed to trash it so much. Having been previously inundated with Zeppelin I, II and the almighty fourth album, this was indeed "different". But the thing I came to appreciate about Zeppelin over time was how 'different' a lot of their latter days output was and how their musical style progressed over the course of eight studio albums.

"The Brown Bomber" (Zeppelin II) and "Zoso" are great records, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be as big a LZ fan as I am now if every single album sounded like them, or if Plant & company felt they needed to endlessly recycle the riff from "Whole Lotta Love" to keep their "true fans" happy and never try to expand beyond nicking old blues numbers.

For one thing, the much carped about use of synthesizers featured on "In Through the Out Door" never once bothered me; it wasn't like Zeppelin never used them on a song before ("No Quarter" anyone?); having Jones back on the keyboards/piano for this one makes for a refreshing variety amongst all the tracks, an ingredient that was sorely lacking from "Presence".

I'll just finish this by simply stating that ITTOD is by no means an album to be ashamed of. For me personally, it's at the very top of the list along with "Houses of the Holy" and "Zoso". Times change and so do many truly great musicians over the course of their careers; Led Zeppelin was no different.