Zeppelin is a staple of classic rock, there is no doubt, but In Through the Out Door is a record that represents a more troubled time for the band. Touring exhaustion, drug dependencies, and personal tragedies led to an album that doesn't have the same level of energy as previous ones. That being said, it's not a bad collection of songs when listened to on its own.
The first thing that stands out is the heavy use of synthesizers and piano, courtesy of John Paul Jones. On the one hand, it does make the album distinct from Zeppelin's others, but they don't necessarily stand out of place, either. Zeppelin's always had a symphonic side to their style, they're just using synths instead of full orchestration. However, they do take center stage in the mix, sometimes burying Page's guitars and even Plant's vocals!
The album is definitely softer than their other ones as well, but there are a few upbeat moments. "In the Evening" is a decent rock song, "Hot Dog" is straight-up (if rather generic) rockabilly, "Fool in the Rain" embraces a samba beat, and the beginning of "Carouselambra" is rather quite punchy. The album also sees the band pushing deeper into prog territory. "Fool in the Rain" really lets Bonham play around some jazz fusion rhythms, and "Carouselambra" definitely has some interesting shifts, with the moody middle section, and the bouncier end section that almost sounds like New Wave! However, the stand-out is easily "All of My Love," the emotional ballad Plant wrote in honor of his son who had passed away a few years earlier. While it's not as hard-hitting as "Kashmir" or "Achilles' Last Stand," I do think it fits well with the band's epics as a softer interpretation of arena rock.
As I wasn't alive when it came out, I can't really ignore this album's place in the band's history and the hindsight associated with it. While Page can still play some decent solos, this album is clearly not his best work, and while Bonham has nothing to prove, but I doubt this is what he would have wanted as his last recorded effort. It's hard not to see this as the band winding down to a conclusion that would end up being rather permanent. Even the titans of rock have their end.
Serenity has been doing their brand of progressive power metal for over 10 years, and their latest carries on that trend without deviation. I remember listening to Codex Atlanticus a few years ago and thought it was decent, and The Last Knight seems to be in the same category. Just kinda decent.
The only songs that stand out to me are "Invictus" which was a solid opening track (after the obligatory instrumental piece, of course), "My Kingdom Comes" with it's 6/8 gallop, and "Wings of Pride" which is rather proggy, with different moods and dynamics. That last one made me wish the whole album was like this instead of group of standard tunes that we got.
Overall, the whole thing just coasts along. Some of it is fast, some of it is mid-tempo. there's a ballad; all pretty standard stuff. It's not bad, though, occupying a space between Kamelot and the Italian-style of prog metal, with Neuhauser's vocals soaring over it all. Full of symphonic tones and melodic guitars, their production values are top-notch. It's a shame not all the songs are of that same quality.
Despite being a lifelong fan of Yes and Pink Floyd, I came to Rush much later in my life, and it's been an interesting journey as I've been exploring their discography. Power Windows is a long ways away from their classic hard prog rock sound of the 70s, but it remains unique to themselves, as the band is deep in their electronic rock period.
Each song is rich with all kinds of synthesizer sounds, from Geddy's arpeggiating keyboards to Neil Peart's sample-heavy drums. Even Lifeson gets a few touches on his guitars. All of this allows the production to have this wall-of-sound approach that may have sounded great at the time, but comes across as a little dated now. Not that I have a problem with it, but it definitely shows a different mentality than their clearer, heavier 70s stuff.
To be honest, this album is kind of a wash for me, with not much standing out. Rush still has their proggier tendencies, with their thoughtful lyrics, unconventional time signature changes, and iconic song-writing, and many of the rhythms seem to carry on a reggae influence that gives me Police vibes (though I suppose they started it themselves back on "Spirit of Radio").
To their credit, though, these songs are jam-packed with little bits and pieces, so this album may grow on me with repeated listens. In the end, Rush will always be Rush, regardless of the decade. Their talents always shine through somehow, and this album is no different, featuring Geddy's strong basslines, Lifeson's energetic solos, and Peart's rolling drums.
So I guess I didn't really get to listen to anything amazing this past month. Sometimes that happens, and that's okay. We need to have the decent albums set the stage for when the great ones come along (though that Rush album could grow on me).
As for my schedule, I don't know what to expect. Between a bit of a stubborn cold and some sleep-schedule shenanigans, accompanied by the general chaos Covid-19 is causing, I don't know what the immediate future of my blog will be. However, I'm sure as long as I keep listening to all this rock music, I'll find things to talk about.
Until then, rock on! \m/
No comments:
Post a Comment