Robert Plant Solo Singles 1981-1990

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Lots of these are fairly great.

http://artbell.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/LittleByLittle.jpg

Poll Results

OptionVotes
Big Log 14
In the Mood 12
Little By Little 4
Burning Down One Sidee 2
Heaven Knows 2
Ship of Fools 2
Sea of Love 2
Far Post 1
Hurting Kind (I've Got My Eyes on You) 1
Rockin' At Midnight 0
Other Arms 0
Tall Cool One 0
Pledge Pin 0


guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 10 August 2014 01:49 (ten years ago) link

love that screen grab

pplains, Sunday, 10 August 2014 01:55 (ten years ago) link

"In The Mood" is the only one I've ever had enough affection for to even remember its title. was totally confused that "Big Log" was more popular in the classic rock poll.

some dude, Sunday, 10 August 2014 01:56 (ten years ago) link

I like a lot of these, but I can't not pick Ship of Fools.

Johnny Fever, Sunday, 10 August 2014 01:57 (ten years ago) link

will still argue that Robert Plant solo during these years represents the only boomer canon, Paul Simon excepted, with no embarrassments. He's got no single disc comp but this list of singles would shame any boomer.

guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 10 August 2014 01:59 (ten years ago) link

his airy synth pop/strummy guitar love man voodoo (e.g. "Big Log," "Ship of Fools," "Little by Little") has aged quite well.

guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 10 August 2014 02:01 (ten years ago) link

practically all of the big rock stars of the '80s were baby boomers and tons of them had better runs of singles in that decade

some dude, Sunday, 10 August 2014 02:13 (ten years ago) link

Big Log, but I'd happily listen to any of these at any time.

EZ Snappin, Sunday, 10 August 2014 02:13 (ten years ago) link

practically all of the big rock stars of the '80s were baby boomers and tons of them had better runs of singles in that decade

― some dude,

who?

guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 10 August 2014 02:14 (ten years ago) link

Petty, Springsteen, you name it

some dude, Sunday, 10 August 2014 02:15 (ten years ago) link

hmm Petty and Springsteen code as post-boomer in a way that Plant doesn't, Petty especially. I'm open to persuasion.

guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 10 August 2014 02:17 (ten years ago) link

yeah if you really mean people who started out in the '60s that definitely thins the competition

some dude, Sunday, 10 August 2014 02:18 (ten years ago) link

Springsteen and Petty were still riding their first waves of success. Plant and Simon and others had repositioned themselves by this point as legacy artists.

Johnny Fever, Sunday, 10 August 2014 02:24 (ten years ago) link

In The Mood. Plant had a fine 80s until the biggest rock star sellout move of the decade, his godawful coke commercials

kornrulez6969, Sunday, 10 August 2014 02:41 (ten years ago) link

xhuxk is a fan of this, and so am I: boomer listening to hip hop and Duran Duran:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjUetCpIkkk

guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 10 August 2014 02:44 (ten years ago) link

that weird drop at 1:20 is batshit crazy

guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 10 August 2014 02:45 (ten years ago) link

hmm Petty and Springsteen code as post-boomer in a way that Plant doesn't, Petty especially. I'm open to persuasion.

I could imagine this sentence written by Xgau.

Naive Teen Idol, Sunday, 10 August 2014 02:55 (ten years ago) link

"Ship of Fools".

Ha, I prefer Plant's singles but Petty is only two years younger than him! I feel like I know what Alfred is getting at but 'boomer' seems like the wrong term for it, maybe?

EveningStar (Sund4r), Sunday, 10 August 2014 02:57 (ten years ago) link

Xgau would say "survivor."

Naive Teen Idol, Sunday, 10 August 2014 04:41 (ten years ago) link

Sorry but "Shaken N' Stirred" is pretty much unlistenable clueless farting about with a Fairlight. Give me Sakamoto's "Esperanto" anytime I want to hear jagged sampladelics.

Acid Hose (Capitaine Jay Vee), Sunday, 10 August 2014 12:03 (ten years ago) link

Wow, no idea he had a bit of new romantic phase. I think Shaken n Stirred is pretty sick actually.

the joke should be over once the kid is eaten. (chap), Sunday, 10 August 2014 12:44 (ten years ago) link

Like if Bowie had come out with it everyone would think it was great.

the joke should be over once the kid is eaten. (chap), Sunday, 10 August 2014 12:45 (ten years ago) link

Oh the song's called Too Loud, guess Shaken n Stirred is the album.

the joke should be over once the kid is eaten. (chap), Sunday, 10 August 2014 12:46 (ten years ago) link

Instead of boomer, maybe go with "legacy artist"?

EZ Snappin, Sunday, 10 August 2014 13:59 (ten years ago) link

Little by Little - great synths & flourishes, meaty drums, & Plant templating his vocal approach for all releases to come with style and panache ...

BlackIronPrison, Sunday, 10 August 2014 14:02 (ten years ago) link

I thought "The Way I Feel" was a single -- it was in rotation on the classic-rock station in Minneapolis back then. Anyway, going "Little by Little."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ada43wbkVtA

the one where, as balls alludes (Eazy), Sunday, 10 August 2014 14:05 (ten years ago) link

Addendum to the guilty pleasure thread... Tall cool one is a fun jam in retrospect, but boy do I remember being pissed about the Coke commercial and Zep samples.

BlackIronPrison, Sunday, 10 August 2014 14:10 (ten years ago) link

"The Hurting Kind" is my jam here

Now I Am Become Dracula (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Sunday, 10 August 2014 16:34 (ten years ago) link

In the Mood

weatheringdaleson, Sunday, 10 August 2014 16:47 (ten years ago) link

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

System, Monday, 18 August 2014 00:01 (ten years ago) link

man I hope "Sea of Love" gets no love (my intro to Plant). Still the only embarrassing move in his musical career.

guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 18 August 2014 00:05 (ten years ago) link

http://i.imgur.com/EER7qAB.png

pplains, Monday, 18 August 2014 00:14 (ten years ago) link

man I hope "Sea of Love" gets no love (my intro to Plant). Still the only embarrassing move in his musical career.

― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, August 17, 2014 8:05 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I take it you've never heard his early, pre-Zep singles - Robert Plant may well have become a crooner had he and Pagey never crossed paths....

(personally, I love Plant as crooner - "Sea of Love" was the only time he revisited this style. We should poll his pre-Zep tracks sometime, there are at least 11 of them.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8-DfoiEiKQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEM8Um5-wag

and in his absence, she (Lee626), Monday, 18 August 2014 03:14 (ten years ago) link

my love is exceedingly vivid

brimstead, Monday, 18 August 2014 04:00 (ten years ago) link

his airy synth pop/strummy guitar love man voodoo (e.g. "Big Log," "Ship of Fools," "Little by Little") has aged quite well.

― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, August 9, 2014 7:01 PM (1 week ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

i agree. he sounds so comfortable and surprisingly vital amongst some of these 80s sounds.

brimstead, Monday, 18 August 2014 04:08 (ten years ago) link

The first records with Robbie Blunt are really ace and they had a cool modern band sound for the 80s. I think sonicly it works next to Plant's contemporaries like King Crimson and Yes in the 80s, both of which had either commercial or musical success with a then modern sound with synths etc. Plant had a hipper sound than The Firm to be certain.

I wonder in the end if Robert Plant not playing any Zeppelin live at all for really the first few years he went solo kind of stifled his popularity?

earlnash, Monday, 18 August 2014 04:11 (ten years ago) link

Yeah I really like Blunt's guitar work on those first two albums, lots of 'modal' chords and scale runs (in non-major or minor keys) that work nicely. Except for "Burning Down One Side" which is "In The Evening" redux, these songs forge a distinct new sound that's quite removed from Zep's supercharged blues but remains appealing, without the generic-'80s sound that many veteran rockers resorted to in this period. I'll vote for "Far Post", a non-album track that apparently is now included as a bonus track on Pictures at Eleven.

and in his absence, she (Lee626), Monday, 18 August 2014 04:38 (ten years ago) link

I just realized that Now and Zen has two songs that share a name with John Cale compositions – and neither (despite what All Music says) are a cover.

Naive Teen Idol, Monday, 18 August 2014 04:53 (ten years ago) link

the one I really want to vote for is "29 palms" but that came a couple years too late...

resulting post (rogermexico.), Monday, 18 August 2014 04:54 (ten years ago) link

29 Palms was a dirty trick, because the rest of that album was el stinko iirc (I haven't listened to it in many years).

Everyone's a closet ned. (Johnny Fever), Monday, 18 August 2014 06:20 (ten years ago) link

Greil Marcus is fond of "Far Post."

guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 18 August 2014 10:30 (ten years ago) link

i always loved this "Hey let's do a late period Zep song for old time's sake" song off of Jimmy Page's Outrider

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5jdQCyQ-8g

ruffalo soldier (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 18 August 2014 21:43 (ten years ago) link

xxpost I think more like el snooze-o but i also haven't listened in forver

resulting post (rogermexico.), Monday, 18 August 2014 22:15 (ten years ago) link

I never bought Outrider at the time because I didn't like the single very much, and have never gone back to investigate it since. If I'd known Plant sang on one of the tracks, I'd have done so long ago.

Everyone's a closet ned. (Johnny Fever), Monday, 18 August 2014 22:21 (ten years ago) link

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

System, Tuesday, 19 August 2014 00:01 (ten years ago) link

so then The Principle of Moments is your favorite solo album, posters

guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 19 August 2014 00:03 (ten years ago) link

hey I voted for "burning down one sidee"

resulting post (rogermexico.), Tuesday, 19 August 2014 00:04 (ten years ago) link

that said, "big log" is a more convincing "defend the indefensible: strats" than all the SRV in texas. gorgeous, and gorgeously unpagey.

resulting post (rogermexico.), Tuesday, 19 August 2014 00:07 (ten years ago) link

i can breathe again now

mookieproof, Tuesday, 19 August 2014 00:12 (ten years ago) link

LEADING ME ON

guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 19 August 2014 00:15 (ten years ago) link

wow shaken 'n' stirred has potential to be one of my favorite albums ever

emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Tuesday, 19 August 2014 02:08 (ten years ago) link

YAY

guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 19 August 2014 02:08 (ten years ago) link

"Sixes and Sevens" might be my favorite Plant solo ballad.

guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 19 August 2014 02:09 (ten years ago) link

turns out "farting about with a fairlight" is my genre

emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Tuesday, 19 August 2014 02:15 (ten years ago) link

"dancing around with a cat" is your hobby

guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 19 August 2014 02:17 (ten years ago) link

So many great Fairlight records. Boomers did many. Lindsey Buckingham's Go Insane is one.

Naive Teen Idol, Tuesday, 19 August 2014 05:18 (ten years ago) link

voted for Heaven Knows, Now and Zen is such a great record

The Velvet Fog called me a motherfucker (Sandy), Wednesday, 20 August 2014 08:37 (ten years ago) link

I spent the weekend listening to it and, yeah, it's strong.

guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 20 August 2014 11:17 (ten years ago) link

Loved how the Fairlight boosters were boomers, art-rockers (Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel) and a bunch of British kids (New Order, Depeche Mode). The great equalizer.

Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 20 August 2014 13:04 (ten years ago) link

the great graphic equaliser

Mark G, Wednesday, 20 August 2014 13:20 (ten years ago) link

(xpost)

Are you employing "Fairlight" in a generic sense? 'Cos it's not featured on any record by New Order or Depeche Mode. Both bands used the poor man's equivalent, the Emulator.

Vast Halo, Wednesday, 20 August 2014 17:54 (ten years ago) link

Martin's "Fairlite" clearly visible around the 1:40 mark:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMs5Rje_dLg#t=104

Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 20 August 2014 18:06 (ten years ago) link

Happy Birthday Mr. Plant.

EZ Snappin, Wednesday, 20 August 2014 18:08 (ten years ago) link

http://www.images99.com/i99/03/81878/81878.jpg

Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 20 August 2014 18:17 (ten years ago) link

"Only One" is not that good. Kind of a descendant of "Wearing and Tearing"

calstars, Tuesday, 26 August 2014 03:44 (ten years ago) link

Someone should cast Corey Feldman as 80s Robert Plant in something.

Doctor Casino, Tuesday, 26 August 2014 07:32 (ten years ago) link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gpQczORW9Y

Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Saturday, 6 September 2014 06:21 (ten years ago) link

For whatever reason, I just decided to listen to the White Nights soundtrack and am just hearing "Far Post" for the first time. WHAT A FUCKING GREAT SONG.

Johnny Fever, Wednesday, 10 September 2014 23:21 (ten years ago) link

Side note: the Lou Reed song on this soundtrack is great too.

Johnny Fever, Wednesday, 10 September 2014 23:31 (ten years ago) link

That hook goes round and round.

guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 10 September 2014 23:41 (ten years ago) link

Show at the Roundhouse on Monday was the best gig I've been to all year.

Unsettled defender (ithappens), Thursday, 11 September 2014 09:08 (ten years ago) link

Robert Plant: I bought the Big Black album when it came out. The green fluorescent one with the two people making out.
Dave Grohl: Songs About Fucking?
Robert Plant: Yeah, it was around the time of [HOsker Du's] Candy Apple Grey, I think. So I became an Albini fan.

Dave Grohl interviews Robert Plant & Jimmy Page for Raygun Magazine

I always liked that Plant seemed to really want to listen to new music. And he had Albini do one of his Page/Plant collaborations too.

Loud guitars shit all over "Bette Davis Eyes" (NYCNative), Thursday, 11 September 2014 09:41 (ten years ago) link

two years pass...

Phil Collins sounds so good on Pictures at Eleven.

The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 14 December 2016 01:01 (eight years ago) link

It's funny, I was just listening to that again recently and had exactly the same though. Say what you will about his latter-day solo career, Collins sounds like a fuckin' monster on that record.

"Little By Little" should have made a way better showing in this. That song is sublime.

and this section is called boner (Phil D.), Wednesday, 14 December 2016 01:03 (eight years ago) link

*thought

and this section is called boner (Phil D.), Wednesday, 14 December 2016 01:03 (eight years ago) link

I was thinking of "Pledge Pin" and "Worse Than Detroit," where he tugs at and pushes the rhythm simultaneously.

The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 14 December 2016 01:11 (eight years ago) link

Just read the Phil Collins memoir, and it made me want to revisit both of the Plant albums he is on, as well as the two Clapton albums I have never heard.

For some reason I forgot that he did an entire tour drumming for Plant, I should seek out a bootleg.

Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 14 December 2016 02:42 (eight years ago) link

for some reason i've woken up with 'in the mood' in my head for like the last 2 weeks. i never realized collins was the playing drums on it but i've never invested any time in plant's solo stuff beyond that track.

dynamicinterface, Wednesday, 14 December 2016 03:02 (eight years ago) link

I don't think I want to live in a world where it's socially acceptable to read a Phil Collins memoir.

Naive Teen Idol, Saturday, 17 December 2016 13:49 (eight years ago) link

'Big Log'!

Working night & day, I tried to stay awake... (Turrican), Saturday, 17 December 2016 15:29 (eight years ago) link

xpost It's not bad, actually, at least for a while. Dude was a hard worker, and the book made me dig out those two John Martyn albums he worked on, mostly to hear his playing. Honestly, it was kind of nice to discover that he really wrote it from the perspective of a drummer, of a musician, and up until the end that's how he identifies. Got pretty bored with all his divorces and stuff, but was surprised to learn about his late-life struggles with alcoholism and several near-death experiences.

But yeah, I mean, it's crazy to think he was a superstar with Genesis, a superstar solo artist, and he still toured as Plant's and Clapton's drummer.

Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 17 December 2016 16:00 (eight years ago) link

I always liked that Plant seemed to really want to listen to new music.
― Loud guitars shit all over "Bette Davis Eyes" (NYCNative), Thursday, September 11, 2014 5:41 AM (two years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

A friend of mine who used to work at a pretty well-known record store had a great Robert Plant story. The employees were in the process of going through the standard 'prepping the store for opening' procedure when they were told by the store manager that they'd be opening a half hour early to accommodate a certain customer. This was pretty routine, and usually meant someone like Shia Labeouf or Jack Black wanted to shop privately / anonymously in peace. So my friend sorta rolled his eyes, wondering what Hollywood dumbass it was gonna be this time. Turned out to be RP, and my friend (a Zep fan like any reasonable person) said Plant, in addition to scooping up a bunch of cool shit, went around asking employees to recommend some stuff, and he ended up walking out with all these Numero and Dust to Digital comps and psych reissues.

My friend also said Plant was one of the nicest 'famous' people he's ever met (and he's met a few). Another friend who met him under similar circumstances (ie as a provider of services, not a fanboy) said basically the same thing. Not that that matters, but, you know, it's cool to hear.

Never got confirmation but there was a rumor going around about ten years ago that Walter Becker was seen at one of the WFMU record fairs buying LPs from the Twisted Village guys. Seems a little far-fetched to be true, but I heard that story more than once.

Wimmels, Saturday, 17 December 2016 23:52 (eight years ago) link

Oh, as for the poll: I missed it, and it's just as well because I only actually remember two of these (Tall Cool One and In The Mood, though if Sea Of Love is a cover, of course I know that song too, but don't remember Plant doing it). Dunno how I missed p much the entirety of this guy's work between In Through The Out Door and Raising Sand, but I guess I did.

Wimmels, Saturday, 17 December 2016 23:56 (eight years ago) link

Walter Becker hangs around more than people know. In his street clothes he's pretty hard to recognize. He has turned up at things I was doing and it took my drummer to say "hey Joan C., look, is that or is that not Walter B"

though she denies it to the press, (Joan Crawford Loves Chachi), Saturday, 17 December 2016 23:59 (eight years ago) link

That's crazy! Still, I might be more likely to believe it if he was checking out, like, Brotzmann LPs or something, but Twisted Village? I dunno.

Sorry for the derail

Wimmels, Sunday, 18 December 2016 00:02 (eight years ago) link

"Walter Becker hangs around more than people know. In his street clothes he's pretty hard to recognize."

Really? It would take me about a second to recognize this dude

calstars, Sunday, 18 December 2016 01:19 (eight years ago) link

Sorry for the detail

I can get with the smoothness of big log and in the mood but not much else. And zep is my #1

calstars, Sunday, 18 December 2016 01:20 (eight years ago) link

big log is so fucking sweet

a but (brimstead), Sunday, 18 December 2016 03:20 (eight years ago) link

Really? It would take me about a second to recognize this dude

dude Steely Dan changed my life and he could have left the room incognito if it hadn't been for my drummer. he looked like he'd accidentally wandered in but he was actually there with rickie lee jones waiting for her to finish soundchecking.

though she denies it to the press, (Joan Crawford Loves Chachi), Sunday, 18 December 2016 04:26 (eight years ago) link

sweatpants, sneakers, jogging hoodie, completely looked like he was there to ask if he could use the bathroom

though she denies it to the press, (Joan Crawford Loves Chachi), Sunday, 18 December 2016 04:27 (eight years ago) link

three years pass...

Quite the backup band heh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2FHDW5Frwc

SQUIRREL MEAT!! (Capitaine Jay Vee), Saturday, 14 March 2020 15:12 (four years ago) link

Love Phil’s shirt

calstars, Saturday, 14 March 2020 16:01 (four years ago) link

That's from one of the Secret Policeman's Balls, isn't it? There's a Kate Bush clip of "The Wedding List" with that same band (or at least w/Phil & New Wave Pete).

a bevy of supermodels, musicians and Lena Dunham (C. Grisso/McCain), Saturday, 14 March 2020 17:05 (four years ago) link

Yeah same concert.

SQUIRREL MEAT!! (Capitaine Jay Vee), Saturday, 14 March 2020 18:41 (four years ago) link

I mean: Mick Karn and Collins as your rhythm section is brilliant and also a shame no one put those two together in a studio context.

SQUIRREL MEAT!! (Capitaine Jay Vee), Saturday, 14 March 2020 18:43 (four years ago) link

How'd Robert Plant get hooked up with Mick Karn?

Gerald McBoing-Boing, Saturday, 14 March 2020 20:03 (four years ago) link

Guessing it’s all dudes who also played at the gig. Kind of an all star last song jam to close it out ?

calstars, Saturday, 14 March 2020 23:41 (four years ago) link

A terrific catalog. What a top twenty would look like

TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 20 March 2020 00:06 (four years ago) link


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