With the unexpected, and accidental death of founding member, John Bonham, who died on September 25, 1980, Led Zeppelin made a decision most probably didn't expect. The already legacy band disbanded, stating it was out of respect for their former drummer. Vocalist, Robert Plant would eventually launch a successful and probably expected solo career. This was kicked off in 1982 with his debut, Pictures At Eleven.
Upon its release, it would perform moderately well, but probably not as good as expected. The two singles, Burning Down One Side, and Pledge Pin would only prove to be minor hits, peaking at sixty-four and seventy-four, respectively. It was also cool to hear Phil Collins on skins, and cool to learn that Cozy Powell also provided drums on the album.
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Admittedly, my exposure to Plant as a youngster was relatively limited. In fact, I couldn't honestly say when or how I first heard anything from him, be it his solo work or catalog with Led Zeppelin. Regardless, I somehow came to own all of the band's discography, and all of Plant's 80's discography. Mind you, I've listened to none of them, well, with exception of today's album.
To approach this from a positive perspective, it's a solidly crafted rock and roll album. This is by far his first rodeo, and Robert knows what he's doing in the studio. In that regard, you're going to get something worth listening to backed by top notch vocals. Further, the two noted singles are pretty okay, with Pledge Pin being the more favorable among them to me. I'll also give an honorable mention to Like I've Never Been Gone.
However, what you won't get is really anything memorable. There are no iconic riffs or classic choruses to really keep this at the forefront of your mind. Perhaps this was a result of the three-to-four-year hiatus between Zeppelin's 1979 album, In Through The Out Door, and Plant's solo debut. There may just have been some cobwebs that needed to be shaken off.
With all of that stated, I'm down with diving into his 1983 The Principal Of Moments. This is actually one I do know a few songs from, and an album I actively sought out to add to my collection when I started putting it together. So, basically, I'm also a bit excited to get into it.
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