Led Zeppelin - In Through The Out Door

In Through the Out Door was Led Zeppelin's eighth and last studio album. The band reconvened in May 1978 to start work on this record after a two-year absence from concert stage and recording studio. The first rehearsal was held at Clearwater Castle in the Forest of Dean, England.

During the group’s hiatus, punk had moved to centre stage of popular music, with its loathing for big stadium bands like Zeppelin. While the band had contemplated going on tour in February 1979, they decided against it.

Instead, they planned to release ITTOD to coincide with their appearances at the Knebworth Festival on August 4 and 11, 1979. They’d miss that target, releasing it on August 20. No matter! It would hit #1 in many countries anyway.

True to Zeppelin tradition, its tracks would present an eclectic mix of musical genres. The album’s title reflects the difficulties they felt, swimming against the current of punk – and the British tax exile - to make a comeback.

The Spotlight Shifts

Most of the tracks on In Through the Out Door had been worked on in England. When recording them at Polar Studios in Stockholm, Sweden in November 1978, a much more relaxed atmosphere prevailed than when they’d laid down Presence.

Robert Plant and Jimmy Page had always shared the limelight. But on this eighth and final studio recording, the focus shifted from Page to John Paul Jones and Percy. JP has the lead credits for all songs but Hot Dog.

Before getting into the tracks, the album cover deserves a mention. Aubrey Powell of Hipgnosis designed it, based on Page’s suggestion of creating a bar scene New Orleans style, to match the blues-club feeling of the album.

Six inner sleeves were created, each a different perspective of the same man sitting at the bar burning a “Dear John” letter. Plant suggested the outer sleeve be a plain paper bag so the buyer wouldn’t know which he got.

This was a great idea! Peter Grant was convinced it would sell, just as the untitled fourth album had. And rabid fans would snap up six albums in a bid to collect them all!

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Track By Track

In Through the Out Door leads off with Page pulling out his violin bow for the haunting, hypnotic song In the Evening. It may have been inspired by his work on Kenneth Anger’s film, Lucifer Rising in the early ‘70s.

Later in his guitar solo, he uses a Gizmatron - a device that creates exaggerated distortion. Here it sounds like a metallic earthquake or a huge piece of steel splitting open. Jonesy’s keyboard flutters in mid-song.

The arrangement’s symphonic quality makes this selection a fitting “overture” to the rest of the In Through the Out Door album. Unfortunately, though, Robert Plant’s vocals are so deeply buried in the mix that it’s often difficult to make out his lyrics.

Track Two, South Bound Suarez, has an Elvis-style rock and romp to it, emphasized by John Paul Jones’ amazing dexterity playing piano. He sounds as if he’d been born in a Bourbon Street gin joint and never left!

Songs From The South

Fool in the Rain is one of the most commercially successful songs on In Through the Out Door. In 1978, soccer’s World Cup was played in Argentina whose samba rhythms and syncopations inspired this song.

One of my interviewees – native Texan Zani Dani - told me it was her least favourite Led Zeppelin song because of the police whistle! But perhaps it was a soccer referee’s.

With the next track, Zeppelin moves from South America to the American South; in particular, Texas. On stage in 1980, Robert Plant would tell audiences that a certain lady there inspired it. Hmm…could it have been Zani Dani?!!

Hot Dog is unique in Zeppelin’s catalogue. While it has the same lilt and energy as some of their Celtic stomps, the character is definitely country or rockabilly. And John Paul is back banging away on his barrel-house piano.

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Every Album Has Its Epic

And on In Through the Out Door, that epic is Carouselambra leading off Side Two at ten minutes plus. It’s one of the rare numbers where Page uses his double-neck Gibson guitar in the slower tempo mid-section of the song.

This creates a feeling almost of suspended animation. John Paul’s keyboard work drives the song and is a standout on the album. Carouselambra resembles Kashmir in its sweeping scope and virtuosity.

Zeppelin’s musicians were divided as to whether or not All My Love should be included on this album. Lucky for us, it was! Jones’ classically-infused keyboards coupled with Plant’s sensitive, tender lyrics.

Page’s acoustic guitar picking was well placed yet unobtrusive and underscored to perfection by Bonham’s empathetic percussion. A beautiful ballad in the tradition of Thank You.

Wrapping Up More Than The Album

The last song on In Through the Out Door is I’m Gonna Crawl. Another symphonic tryst of synthesized keyboard work by JP Jones, it embodies the light and shade elements that helped Led Zeppelin’s music change popular music history.

Starting off as contemplatively mournful, it soon kicks into high gear with Page’s trademark electric guitar arpeggios. Plant’s vocal treatment crescendos from a whisper to a roar. It fades into the sunset with Jones’ sustained keyboard effort.

The song also has a bluesy vibe that harkens back to where it all began for the group, so long ago in 1968. Led Zeppelin is closing off the 1960s and ‘70s with a spirit of musical rebirth on this album.

There’s an energy of anticipation, hope and musical freshness as the group prepares to enter the ‘80s.

As with all the albums, I’ll be providing a much more in-depth look at each individual song on this one. So stay tuned to this website and learn even more about Led!