I've traditionally had a fractured relationship with this album. I've gone through times of loving it and times of hating it. But what strikes me about it now is the sheer genius - that is, the genius of approaching this, the album to follow up the monolithic IV, in total freedom. The guys in Zeppelin had the cojones to grant themselves total and utter freedom on this album (as indeed they did on all their albums), and throughout there is an exultant, celebratory tone, from Song Remains right through to the jubilant The Ocean. It deserves its many plaudits, even though I still at times can't stomach the more jocular cuts from the album.

I've caught up with the purchase of I II and III and of the three - and they are all fascinating - I'm finding III to be my favourite. Love the previously unheard stuff, in fact I think I would have preferred Jennings Farm blues to Stomp

Yeah...I think Robert in particular was just such a freedom lover, with all the bounty that West Coast life had to offer he wasn't going to just say no and not indulge to some degree. Although I do remember reading somewhere that after a few years of that he got tired of the new wave of really young groupies coming in and he would just get a house in Malibu and generally avoid the craziness.

Personally I like knowing the facts about my heroes' pasts. Its good to know, purely from the point of view of being enlightened about what really went on. Not that we can really know what was in people's hearts but for me its not about being salacious - its about seeing past the wearying, carefully constructed public image to the truth of the lives they lived. I would much rather at least know stories like the one posted in this thread than not. At the same time I don't believe in judging the people involved either. Its just what happened - we can't judge unless we go back in time and live the life these people led, with their choices and their lifestyle factors. As I say its really simply about knowledge. Oh and sidebar - I think the one Robert really loves is himself, personally Oh and children, I think he has a soft spot for kids.

Ha ha that's the one! Classic

Does the movie The Banger Sisters feature any Zep references? I know that they are a loosely disguised parody of the Plaster Casters, who immortalised the erm, privates of stars like Hendrix.

Think I'll take this opportunity to state that, as a happily straight man, that by God the Zep boys were/are beautiful!! They are just so.....aesthetically and artistically gorgeous!

Gah! Coolness overload........(clutches heart and falls to floor) Except for the last couple of pics. And all the ones from the 80's

The Paragon Hotel at Circular Quay, Sydney... http://www.hotelparagon.com.au

Ha ha, great emoticon, and yeah tell me about it! When even the breeze just feels like a wall of heat you know you're in trouble!!

44 Celsius here in the city, that's about 111 in your money. Like an oven out there Luckily its a dry heat with storms expected tonight and temps to drop to half what they are now.

Nicely put, Charles, respect for your words. It certainly is to be admired that Robert at least attempted to convey a new level of sensitivity in All My Love, and I think that spirit of experimentation is what characterises ITTOD. Kudos to them, by all means. I guess what it boils down to for me personally is that I just think it could have been a better album considering the other material they had at the time. But they made their choice and it stands.

The problem is that for any other band, ITTOD would be a fantastic album - its just that Zeppelin set the bar so freaking high! But to their credit they rarely felt the need to top themselves. So for me, ITTOD ends up sounding inferior in many ways. I am one of those that loves Hot Dog now, its just brilliant, funny, warm and smiling all the way through. But SBS and IGC I can do without, sorry I just don't 'get' Crawl, and like Tea for One of Presence, it will for me always be a poor comparison to the mighty Since I've Been Loving You. Controversial, but hey that's the way I feel about it. I did a review of ITTOD that not all of you will like, but hey at least its a starting point for discussion. I wouldn't call it a great album, but I certainly wouldnt say that others who think so are "deluded", its all personal taste. The problem will always be comparisons to their earlier works for those of us weaned on their first four albums.