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Pictures At Eleven Turns 30


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I don't think Plant was "aping" Zeppelin at all with Pictures At Eleven. If it sounds like Zeppelin it's only natural since he'd been a member of that band for eleven years of his life. If it didn't bear some sort of sonic resemblance to his former band, I would have been surprised. Not matter what the guy does there's always going to be some asswipe out there such as Major x2 to give him shit.

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Ah Pictures at Eleven, the first RP album I ever got. And honestly I think one of his best efforts and easily the most Zeppelinish sounding album by one of the ex members until Coverdale/Page. I actually like the follow up as well "The Principle of Moments" solid stuff IMO, still in the same vein yet a bit more moody. Shaken N Stirred was also good in its own way, I thought Plant was trying to branch out a bit and at the same time "modernize" his style.

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The first ten years of the 00's was also a great time for new music as is the present day. Nowadays with commercial radio pretty much being a corporate arm controlled by the likes of Clear Channel you have to explore other options to get your musical fix. With the advent of the internet and access to radio stations from around the world, that really isn't much of a problem. Add satellite radio in there as well as a means of being exposed to new music and you have even more options than before.

Whilst artists like Vintage Trouble, Michael Kiwanuka, JD McPherson, and Sam Brookes keep appearing I feel confident the world of music is safe :)

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Some of my favorite albums of all time came out in the 00's including the Drive-By Truckers' Southern Rock Opera. Another one would be Megafaun's Gather, Form and Fly which was released in 2009. More recently I would name Mount Moriah's debut, which was released last year. Still lots of great music being made out there and nowadays there's even more ways to be exposed to it than ever before.

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Pictures at Eleven turns 30, eh?

Always will have a sentimental attachment to that album alone among his 1980s releases. Thanks to my being in the Army at the time, I didn't have a chance to get the album until the 4th of July holiday. I recall being excited by the prospect of hearing Robert Plant again but apart from a couple tracks, my main initial impression was a sense of being underwhelmed.

But if you asked me why, I probably couldn't have told you. There wasn't anything I really could put a finger on...in fact, I'm not even sure what my expectations were for Plant's first post-Zeppelin album. Naturally, I assumed it would continue in a hard rock vein. It wasn't as if I thought he would sound like Sparks or Orange Juice.

After a few listens, I think I got over my expectations and learned to appreciate the record for what it was and not what it wasn't. Although I could never escape the feeling I had that it lacked 'balls'.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Its a goodish album, but I think he got it right about the Shaken'n'Stirred to "Manic Nirvina" time. PAE has its moments though, it started to get suspect when Sax solos were on tracks but overall a good if not safe first effort.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Whilst artists like Vintage Trouble, Michael Kiwanuka, JD McPherson, and Sam Brookes keep appearing I feel confident the world of music is safe :)

While I'm not familiar with the others, a friend of mine keeps mentioning J.D. McPherson. I'm giving him a listen for the first time now. Good stuff.

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  • 4 months later...

I think it's an incredibly good album. i've revisited it a lot over the years. That "wall of sound' that comes crashing out at you with BDOS, the melancholy of MIS, and the tempo and drive of PP. an earlier post didn't like the sax solo but i think it was invigorating. the playfulness of WTD, a drumless FL.... who knew?....the yearning of LINBG....loved that stuff. even the bonus track far post was awesome. the keyboards!! wow. very moody.

did we really want Led Zeppelin 2.0. maybe some did but i was ready for what was in robert's head. and his voice, although not 1969's, was simply awesome. i'm listenting to the piano solo in "far post" and am astounded actually. go baby go!!

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  • 1 year later...

Personally, I think 'Pictures at Eleven' is a great album; in fact, one of the very best of Plant solo journey. His voice here sounds a lot like the latter years of Zeppelin, probably '79 and '80. In fact, the album lean a bit on the Zeppelin sound while at the same time shows the new facet of Plant as a solo artist. I think that was a good move or strategy for him when it came to start a solo career. Obviously, the more-related Zeppelin tracks on the album are 'Burning Down One Side' and 'Slow Dancer'. I believe that first song sounds reminiscent to 'In The Evening', that opening track on Zeppelin's 'In Through The Out Door' album; a very catchy song. The way Robert sings here is very unusal and original, I think... and charming!. 'Slow Dancer' sounds to me like some sister of 'Kashmir'; you know... the drum beat, the dramatic 'oriental' atmosphere and such. Cozy Powell really beat the shit out of his drums here. That sound is amazing. He really evokes the Bonham thunder here. I like the melancholy and finesse on 'Moonlight in Samosa' and 'Like I've Never Been Gone'. LINBG is one of his best ballads. Reminds me some of the 'drama atmosphere' characteristic on 'Since I've Been Loving You'. Robbie Blunt was great on this album, I love his guitar sounds and arrangements. I don't have any problems with that evil 'eighties soundalike' kind of thing on this album. I think here, overall, the production techniques and arrangements sounds tasty. In my opinion, 'Now and Zen' sounds more excessively eighties than any other album he made in that decade. But, I have to say, I don't really listened 'The Principle of The Moments' and 'Shaken'n Stirred' too much yet to have a proper perspective. Maybe his 1985 album is more eighties than any other.

I used to listen 'Pictures at Eleven' with my mp3 player and phones when I was working as a paper-boy early in the morning a couple of years ago, in the little town where I lived. I was riding a bike while the town was still quiet and with the very firsts lights of dawn. So the energy of the album helped me a lot to recharge my batteries after a 'not-sleeping-all-night-long' kind of thing on a sunday morning, as you can imagine, and people would get his morning papers on time. But I still listen to it and I still think is great. (I like 'Mighty Rearranger' a lot, too).

I went to see Robert and his Sensational Space Shifters when he came to Cordoba, Argentina, in november 2012. What a great show and band that was! I had never seen him live before, so - you can imagine, hearing his voice rumbling through the building from the first song ('Tin Pan Valley') was kind of surreal. I immediately felt something like: "Holy shit!, here is a man with 64 years old and thousands of battles on his back, and he still manages to sound strong!"

He's a truly Chief Viking :yesnod:

Edited by lucisfero
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Personally, I think 'Pictures at Eleven' is a great album; in fact, one of the very best of Plant solo journey. His voice here sounds a lot like the latter years of Zeppelin, probably '79 and '80. In fact, the album lean a bit on the Zeppelin sound while at the same time shows the new facet of Plant as a solo artist. I think that was a good move or strategy for him when it came to start a solo career. Obviously, the more-related Zeppelin tracks on the album are 'Burning Down One Side' and 'Slow Dancer'. I believe that first song sounds reminiscent to 'In The Evening', that opening track on Zeppelin's 'In Through The Out Door' album; a very catchy song. The way Robert sings here is very unusal and original, I think... and charming!. 'Slow Dancer' sounds to me like some sister of 'Kashmir'; you know... the drum beat, the dramatic 'oriental' atmosphere and such. Cozy Powell really beat the shit out of his drums here. That sound is amazing. He really evokes the Bonham thunder here. I like the melancholy and finesse on 'Moonlight in Samosa' and 'Like I've Never Been Gone'. LINBG is one of his best ballads. Reminds me some of the 'drama atmosphere' characteristic on 'Since I've Been Loving You'. Robbie Blunt was great on this album, I love his guitar sounds and arrangements. I don't have any problems with that evil 'eighties soundalike' kind of thing on this album. I think here, overall, the production techniques and arrangements sounds tasty. In my opinion, 'Now and Zen' sounds more excessively eighties than any other album he made in that decade. But, I have to say, I don't really listened 'The Principle of The Moments' and 'Shaken'n Stirred' too much yet to have a proper perspective. Maybe his 1985 album is more eighties than any other.

I used to listen 'Pictures at Eleven' with my mp3 player and phones when I was working as a paper-boy early in the morning a couple of years ago, in the little town where I lived. I was riding a bike while the town was still quiet and with the very firsts lights of dawn. So the energy of the album helped me a lot to recharge my batteries after a 'not-sleeping-all-night-long' kind of thing on a sunday morning, as you can imagine, and people would get his morning papers on time. But I still listen to it and I still think is great. (I like 'Mighty Rearranger' a lot, too).

I went to see Robert and his Sensational Space Shifters when he came to Cordoba, Argentina, in november 2012. What a great show and band that was! I had never seen him live before, so - you can imagine, hearing his voice rumbling through the building from the first song ('Tin Pan Valley') was kind of surreal. I immediatly felt something like: "Holy shit!, here is a man with 64 years old and thousends of battles on his back, and he still manages to sound strong!"

He's a truly Chief Viking :yesnod:

Nice! I agree.

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Yep. Pictures At Eleven and Principle of Moments are my "favorite album". The reason I use the singular is because I see the two albums as two sides of the same coin. One side, Pictures At Eleven, is the more basic rock style and the other side, Principle of Moments, is more sophisticated. I LOVE the albums and I don't think Robert ever did anything like it ever again.

Shaken n' Stirred is a bit weak apart from Too Loud, Little By Little and Sixes and Sevens which is amazing.

Honeydrippers is really great. I listen to it a lot and the special guest appearences from Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page are brilliant. I even have the original Es Paranza tape from '85.

Now and Zen, apart from The Way I Feel, Heaven Knows and Ship of Fools, is PATHETIC! I heard Jimmy Page frizbeed it out of the window when he first heard it or was that just a wild unfounded rumour?

Manic Nirvana is OK.

Fate of Nations has some magic moments (Maire Brennan, among others).

I sort of lost track afterwards until Raising Sand which is really beautiful.

But back to the first two. If you love those albums as much as I do, try to get the King Biscuit Flower Hour show which is really brilliant. It was even used for the bonus tracks of the 2007 reissues. Fat Lip specially is brilliant! It's easy enough to find on the net. It's out there. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink. ;-)

Edited by kayley10
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Now and Zen, apart from The Way I Feel, Heaven Knows and Ship of Fools, is PATHETIC! I heard Jimmy Page frizbeed it out of the window when he first heard it or was that just a wild unfounded rumour?

Well, I read somewhere that kind of story when the "black book" Hammer of The Gods came out in 1985. Jimmy got a copy and, after reading a few bits, he throwed it in disgust through the window of his house by the Thames, so the book went sailing down the river waters. It seems to be a Jimmy's habit when he lays his hands on some Zeppelin-related artifact that he doesn't like. Maybe digging the deeps of river Thames we can find some damned Zeppelin treasures!, probably an entire collection of Zeppelin books :P

Edited by lucisfero
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  • 4 months later...

Dusted Pictures At Eleven off a couple nights ago...goddamn, what an excellent album- not only do I reckon it's Plant's best solo outing, but I'd put it on par with any of the Zeppelin albums and possibly even higher than In Through The Out Door. There really isn't a bad song on the thing.

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Dusted Pictures At Eleven off a couple nights ago...goddamn, what an excellent album- not only do I reckon it's Plant's best solo outing, but I'd put it on par with any of the Zeppelin albums and possibly even higher than In Through The Out Door. There really isn't a bad song on the thing.

I pretty much agree. I'm listening to it right now.

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  • 2 years later...

Newbie question perhaps but my wife has a pressing of this record where the 'B-Side' seems to be Bad Company (Rough Diamonds?) rather than Robert. Can't find any information about the mistake anywhere online but it surely can't be unique. SS K 59418 / SS 8512. Pressed in Germany (Alsdorf).

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My favourite of his solo albums.

Voice in top form, great songs and great musicians, especially Blunt, Collins and Powell.

Even the album cover is pretty cool and the production is very clear after the muddy ITTOD.

A great summer new wave/rock album.

 

 

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I listened to again recently for the first time in 15 years maybe. I enjoyed it a lot and think it stands the test of time. the only other Plant album I enjoyed as much was Fate of Nations. I remember when I first got it thinking that Robbie Bunt's guitar playing in Slow Dancer was very reminiscent of Page's, but only on that song. Otherwise the man has his own style and sound going on

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1 hour ago, jsj said:

I listened to again recently for the first time in 15 years maybe. I enjoyed it a lot and think it stands the test of time. the only other Plant album I enjoyed as much was Fate of Nations. I remember when I first got it thinking that Robbie Bunt's guitar playing in Slow Dancer was very reminiscent of Page's, but only on that song. Otherwise the man has his own style and sound going on

Yes, they approach the instrument very differently and IMO their sound is nothing alike. Blunt really likes the clean, single-coil Strat tone and takes his time with his solo's. Kinda reminds me of a cross between Clapton & Knopfler in his approach. I really like Blunt's playing in general.

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