Jump to content

In Through the Out Door reissue: WOW!


Randall Rhea

Recommended Posts

The remastered In Through the Out Door sounds so much better than previous versions. I think this album is Jimmy's best achievement in the latest series of reissues. Listen to all of JPJ's keyboard work, but particularly the opening of South Bound Suarez. The piano sounds so much clearer and crisper. All My Love is a sonic masterpiece when played even on the headphones that come with the iPhone; it is a beautiful song, Jimmy's lovely acoustic guitar is much more prominent, and the swirling keyboard work of JPJ is truly magnificent.

I must admit that I am a bit biased about this album. It was ITTOD that made me a Led Zeppelin fan back when it was released in 1979 when I was 18 years old. Like all children of the 70's, I was very familiar with side one of Led Zeppelin IV and loved it - but this album got me hooked permanently. It is difficult to describe what a breakthrough it was, entering the charts at number one during the depths of the awful disco era. There are fans and critics who slam the album for not having enough hard rock and offering unabashedly pop tracks like Fool in the Rain, All My Love, and Hot Dog (which many fans hate, but I love as a terrific tribute to rockabilly). For us back in 1979, however, the pounding percussion of Bonzo made each track a Zeppelin track, something no disco band could ever do. The album package is very cool too - the color change when you apply a wet sponge, and the six different covers depicting a man reading a "Dear John" letter in a dive bar from six different vantage points.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

^ Could not have said it better, and I would like to add, both Presence & ITTOD have Bonzo's finest work, by far, as a drummer. ITTOD in particular shows Bonzo going off into the direction of jazz and latin rhythms of which the latter he delved into on Presence as well. However, his jazz and latin beats on ITTOD show a truly magnificent drummer growing into a percussionist spanning all genres of music.

I truly believe if Robert would have just left the band after the European tour in 80', Bonzo would have lived and he would be the elder statesman of drumming jamming with all the greats and becoming the go to studio percussionist. I feel this was truly Bonham's destiny, to live on his farm, surrounded by family, and cruising into London a couple times a month for studio work or the one-off live appearance, going home at night to his family.

Ah, just conjecture in the end...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

^^Hi Randall Rhea and IpMan

I concur. This is most certainly more of Bonham and Jonsey. I listened to the Companion audio, then the new reissued CD followed by the original CD when they came out. I'll get to the album later tonight. First of all the difference in the sound is really something else. The depth and crispness of the sound is so much better. My ears are taking a beating and I may have to wait until tomorrow to get to the CODA companion CD and albums. My take on ITTOD companion audio:

1 In The Evening

Drumming and keyboards in your face! What a pair to have as the rhythm section of the band. Just does not get any better! To me the keyboards have a more psychedelic, groovy sound to them. Jimmy's guitar is a little more in the background on this one. Also egyptian vibe to it for a few seconds at the beginning that is more prominent.

2. Southband Piano/South Bound Saurez

Keyboards stand out here. You also really hear that jazz influence on Bonhams drumming. Jimmy is playing that guitar. Tight as hell ...Sha la la

3. Fool In The Rain

Sounded like it was recorded in a totally sound proof room. Just different, Again Bonham and Jonesy perfect rhythm but on a softer side. I also felt a bit of island/ Caribbean feeling from Bonzo drumming. Roberts vocals are crisper and Jimmys guitar is flawless.

4. Hot Dog

Bonham right in your face and it is wonderful! Jonesy stands out on keyboards with this as well. Roberts voice seems a little lower. You can hear the drumsticks tapping together better as well. Jimmys guitar playing, well just say I even thought the guitar was having fun! Great job!

5. The Epic (Carouselambra)

Again, drumming and keyboards stand out. This has a funk rock feel to it. Jimmy seems to come in more laid back and fits perfect with how Roberts vocals are on this one. Overall sounds a little smoother to me.

6. The Hook (All My Love)

The drumming on this is amazing. Roberts vocals actually sounded so real, like I could feel his sadness..but then the birds chirping ( listed to this 3 times on all 3 different CDs and only the companion one had that sound). Jimmy had a softness to his playing. The ending had a great fade out and all of that together...perfection!

7. Blot (I'm Gonna Crawl)

Keyboards stand out on this one. I also hear a lot of finger walking on the bass. Bonzo sounds so soft and yet so powerful all at the same time. Unbelievable! Roberts vocal range is really great on this, it is flawless. Jimmy stays more low until his solo and then wow! He and Bonzo make their instruments together another instrument! Again unbelievable!

I am really enjoying these. It is going to drive me crazy to wait until tomorrow for CODA.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My only very minor bit of feedback is I wish they would have included the version of All My Love with Jimmy's soloing at the end as I really like that version. Alas, and gratefully, there is a quality version available elsewhere.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree, these 3 new reissues, Presence, ITTOD, and Coda, sound the best of the batch, plenty of low end, Walter's Walk in 24/96 sounds MASSIVE! ITTOD and Presence in 24/96 is something to behold, so clean and detailed, yet fully powerful...no missing low end calamities like on Kashmir from PG reissue (zero low end, thin sounding, not sure what happened there..).

And how about "Desire", which is the amazing rare version of "Wanton Song", just listen to how funky Jones is on the keyboards on those 2 jazz sections, different than the PG version. Coda is a great sounding package also, it really is amazing in it's own right. "Ozone Baby" is so punchy and clean. "Hots On For Nowhere" has some of Page's best riffs ever. "Fool in The Rain" is Bonzo laying down some seriously smooth shuffles. Zeppelin threw away more great material in an afternoon than most bands base their whole careers on...Attention to the senile, dribbling, bitter, jealous, delusional (but comical) Ginger Baker, who slams Bonzo and Zep at every chance (also hates the Beatles, Stones, Who, etc), have a listen to these or merely "Achilles Last Stand" in 24/96, then go wimper back to your nursing home and wish you could ever approach the magic of Led Zeppelin, or the advanced, inspired, funky innovations in sonics, drum tuning, shuffles, live improv, pure groove, and brilliance of Bonzo! Baker is way better as a comedian than a musician, he needs to wipe the baby food dripping down his chin, change his bib, change his diaper, sit down, shut up, and study the work of established master Bonzo. These LZ reissues earn RESPECT.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I truly believe if Robert would have just left the band after the European tour in 80', Bonzo would have lived and he would be the elder statesman of drumming jamming with all the greats and becoming the go to studio percussionist. I feel this was truly Bonham's destiny, to live on his farm, surrounded by family, and cruising into London a couple times a month for studio work or the one-off live appearance, going home at night to his family.

Ah, just conjecture in the end...

I know it's very easy to look at the tragedy of September 25th, 1980, and say if only this or that had happened differently then Bonzo's family would still have him in their midst today, but we simply don't know what variables would have occurred along the way even if Bonham hadn't died when he did... even if the band had taken an extended hiatus after Over Europe (which they had no plans to do, but speaking purely hypothetically), would Bonham have sobered up, would he still have went on benders, and even if he cleaned up, what kind of chronic health issues would have arisen owing to his prolonged alcohol abuse for most of his life?

Robert and the band as a whole really enjoyed the Over Europe tour and were feeling optimistic for the first time in a long time about the band's future in general, so there was no reason for Robert to quit at that point... that being said, had Over Europe been a debacle, it's fairly certain he would have called time on Zeppelin, but it wasn't and he didn't, although he was rather ambivalent at that point about being in the band, he gave it his all but it just wasn't the same anymore post-Karac's death, plus Jimmy's and Bonzo's dancing with Mr Brownstone and Sweet Lady Liquor certainly didn't help matters either; Zeppelin had become a monster and that monster was devouring it's creators, it was only a matter of time before one of them (Jimmy or Bonzo) fell never to get up again...

With regards the newly-remastered ITTOD - getting back on topic (ahem) - it definitely has the most improved sound of all the studio albums - although the remastered LZ III was an utter revelation - because it's the one Zeppelin studio album that was most in need of a proper remastering; before it sounded at times like it had been recorded in a biscuit tin, but now it has lovely clarity, beautiful separation, and an overall wide soundstage that just sparkles.

Can't wait for the next albums to be re... oh wait :... goddammit!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The remastered In Through the Out Door sounds so much better than previous versions. I think this album is Jimmy's best achievement in the latest series of reissues. Listen to all of JPJ's keyboard work, but particularly the opening of South Bound Suarez. The piano sounds so much clearer and crisper. All My Love is a sonic masterpiece when played even on the headphones that come with the iPhone; it is a beautiful song, Jimmy's lovely acoustic guitar is much more prominent, and the swirling keyboard work of JPJ is truly magnificent.

I must admit that I am a bit biased about this album. It was ITTOD that made me a Led Zeppelin fan back when it was released in 1979 when I was 18 years old. Like all children of the 70's, I was very familiar with side one of Led Zeppelin IV and loved it - but this album got me hooked permanently. It is difficult to describe what a breakthrough it was, entering the charts at number one during the depths of the awful disco era. There are fans and critics who slam the album for not having enough hard rock and offering unabashedly pop tracks like Fool in the Rain, All My Love, and Hot Dog (which many fans hate, but I love as a terrific tribute to rockabilly). For us back in 1979, however, the pounding percussion of Bonzo made each track a Zeppelin track, something no disco band could ever do. The album package is very cool too - the color change when you apply a wet sponge, and the six different covers depicting a man reading a "Dear John" letter in a dive bar from six different vantage points.

Amen brother. This album sounds better then ever. One of eight masterpieces.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does this come in single sleeves for the deluxe vinyl?

The Deluxe CD version does so I don't see a reason why the vinyl would not. So one or two sleeves inside a paper bag depending on if you're getting the companion disc or not. Haven't the CD and vinyl copies been identical besides for the size?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm another one that wanted the full version of All My Love to get an official release.

Yes, I've got it anyway, but the guitar and vocals in the last part are surely worthy of wider recognition.

Guess this one fell foul of Jimmy's decision not to put out things that were widely available on bootlegs.

Shame, though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i pretty much agree with JTM, the companion disc for ITTOD is pretty poor. what do we get with it? nothing new really, very slightly different mixes etc. i had hoped for a version of carouselambra with increased vocal volume and the full version of all my love at least

You seem to be in the minority here. Any reasons why you felt it was abysmal? Just curious!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was just finally able to listen to the ITTOD remastered original, after coming back into town today, while driving around with Walter Jr. and WOW! As has been said earlier - the songs are so crystal clear and the instruments really "breathe". It sounds so clean, warm, crisp, and beautiful. Great job Jimmy! The companion I enjoyed for ITE and Carouselambra mainly. Would've loved to have had that longer "All My Love" put on there too....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The companion disc to ITTOD would have been exciting if it featured Ozone Baby, Darlene and Wearing and Tearing as previously unreleased tracks. Obviously, not the case.

As it is, there really isn't much to get excited about. Most of it is barely distinguishable from the first disc upon casual listening, with In The Evening being the biggest exception.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Original album remastered: Very good sound, much improved, I can even hear Robert's vocals better in Carouselambra.

Companion Disk: Three interesting alt mixes - In The Evening, Carouselambra and Hot Dog (prefer the rough mix of Hot Dog over the original). Very bad, dull sounding mono mixes of All My Love, I'm Gonna Crawl and Fool in the Rain. South Bound Saurez sounds very similar to the album mix.

Still worth getting for the much improved sound of the original album.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You seem to be in the minority here. Any reasons why you felt it was abysmal? Just curious!

I quite like the guitar up in 'Hot Dog', the begining of 'Carousel' that's improved imo, the highs on the companion are smoother than the album but the lows are mushy in places and those mono tracks, that's just criminal. ITTOD is still my least favourite album overall, In the Evening is pretty good and the middle section of 'Carousel' is amazing, so after half a dozen listens maybe this companion is not quite abysmal it's just not very good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've never been a fan of ITTOD, but based on the reviews here, I'll give the reissue a fair hearing. ITTOD always sounded to me like it someone had placed blankets over the microphones. There are some killer tunes on that record, so I'm looking forward to hearing what Jimmy has done with them. Thanks for your reviews, everyone!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ITTOD is kind of a 'go to' album for me...it's Led Zep 'soft' but it's still got some killer cuts. The remastered drum sound is AMAZING. The full, rich sound of Bonzo's drumming is really on display here. The crispness of his snare in All of My Love is beautiful, and it seems like all instruments 'breathe' a little more on this remaster. Overall this is the best sounding of the original albums in my opinion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think disc 1 shows the most improvement of all the releases. I had to listen to the calypso part of "Fool in the Rain" twice...great separation and you can hear and follow every instrument. Same with "

In the Evening" and pretty much everything else.

On the other hand, the companion disc is the most disappointing. Unlike the others, I don't see myself ever bothering to listen to it again. I think it would have been much more interesting to have a couple of these songs from the Copenhagen warm-up shows that surely must have been recorded. Offering mono mixes just really doesn't make much sense to me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some of the actual sound on In Through The Out Door seems to have been a result of using Abba's studio.

Jimmy recently said that Polar Studios was 'acoustically dead' - he got in there and clapped his hands to get an idea of the ambient sound in the room 'and there was nothing', it was totally dry.

They had to add fake reverb at the mixing stage to disguise just how 'dead' the studio was.

As the bloke who basically invented the technique of capturing the ambient sound in the room as part of a recording, Jimmy can't have been too thrilled.

And he didn't even get to meet Agnetha...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...