In the mood (Robert Plant) (LP 3510 - 3511)

Robert Plant  Pictures at Eleven (Vinyl, Swan Song Records, 1982) ***  

Robert Plant  The Principle of Moments (Vinyl, Atlantic Records, 1983) *** 

Genre: Rock

Places I remember: Marbecks Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Big Log (Principle of Moments)

Gear costume: In The Mood (Principle of Moments)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: I bought these in the early eighties out of a sense of loyalty to Led Zeppelin.

Pictures at Eleven was his debut solo album and it appeared on Swan Song Records. I was flirting with the thought of buying albums on that label for a while, but pretty quickly I abandoned the idea. 

The Principle of Moments followed quickly after and is in the same style. It was a solid start to his solo years. In both albums, he takes on a different sound to Led Zep with success, but it just didn't resonate with me in the same way. I wasn't a teenager anymore, it was the early eighties, and I was starting my teaching career. 

Where do they all belong? That's it for solo Robert Plant. I tried, but I struggle to think of him outside of the band of my youth.

The hammer of the gods (Led Zeppelin) #196

Led Zeppelin Whole Lotta Love; Good Times Bad Times/ Immigrant Song; Hey Hey What Can I Do (Atlantic EP, EP A 220, 1973)

Led Zep were THE band to follow in the early seventies at my school. They were cool as heckfire.

They were an album band - they didn't rely on singles and they didn't need their name on albums (or even album names!). COOL!

This extended play is weird then - coming out in NZ in 1973 - the same year they were releasing Houses Of The Holy. It contains songs from the band's first three albums (1968 to 1970) and a B side from 1970 (the only non album song released during the band's existence).

The two A siders are stone cold classics. Good Times indeed!

Hidden gem: Hey Hey What Can I do began life as a B side to Immigrant Song so it's fitting that it's paired with that song here. 

Immigrant Song was the first Led Zeppelin song I heard and fell in love with (having bought Led Zeppelin III from a shop in Onehunga in 1970, IS is side one, track one).

Hey Hey... is a great track. It wouldn't have been out of place on LZ III so clearly it's a case of an embarrassment of riches. Bonham's drums, Jone's bass and Page's guitar are utterly distinctive and Plant's vocals are superb.