IN THROUGH THE OUT DOOR

PRESENCE showed a clear retrospect of what too many drug & ego excess could do to a rock´n roll band. But troughout the ´76 album we could see tha all elements of ZEP were still there, altough quite lacking the energy and creativity of their previous superb work. With IN TROUGH it´s not different. Page is there, but his guitar work is almost a blank sheet in many important tracks. No GIBSON trademark riffs, no powerfull electric solos. Nothing. At that moment heroin looked much more attactive than studio "practice". John Paul Jones is the guy who carried almost all musical responsibility in the record. Exploring his new acquired YAMAHA synth style - and, for sure, his cabaret-piano-swing , Jones filled IN TROUGH with many great synth & piano atmospheres, what, we should agree, saved IN TROUGH from a major disaster. Unfortunately, Jones were not able to change the record into a major ZEP album. Bonham´s drumming is also lacking some grandiosity, and Plant vocals are more notably melancholic than in PRESENCE, altough in a prime quility approach at all. From the opening hard-synt IN THE EVENING to the synth-blues I´M GONNA CRAWL, ZEPPELIN bring us a mix of strong compositions without obvious ZEPPELIN´S groove & personality, what, in turn, don´t ruined this extremely underrated album.

IN THE EVENING has its grandiousity, and is maybe a late 70´s answer to ACHILLES LAST STAND. SOUTH BOUND SAUREZ is a showcase from the entire band, and, with, HOT DOG, are funny, lyrical and rock´n roll ZEPPELIN´S tracks in their top form. The latin approach of FOOL IN THE RAIN and the lenghty-synth-driven CARROUSELAMBRA sounds like bizzarre tracks that almost don´t work, but the first one is irresistible in it´s swing and crude drum punch, beein´ one of ZEP´S favourites among many fans. ALL MY LOVE is a truly beautiful tune, where Plant & Jones almost achieved a truly imprint of a high-quality ZEPPELIN band. Unfortunately, the god damned YAMAHA DX synth is an annoyng subject there, altough picturing quite well the late 70´s musical scene.A big point here for Jonesy solo. The final track, I´M GONNA CRAWL is big, very big, and bring us some melhancholic feelin´ that Page could do a better job, but his trademark is there, and we sould respect it. A memorable track.

To finish this review, avoid IN TROUGH if you´re a hardcore early ZEPPELIN fan, but go ahead if you followed the steps of the quartet, understanding and discovering their reasons & choices, both for their successful experiments, and even for their major mistakes in a still highly reccomended record.

A must have album.

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