Robert Plant: The Principle Of Moments (Remastered + Expanded) CD Track Listing

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Robert Plant The Principle Of Moments (Remastered + Expanded) (1983)
The Principle Of Moments (Remastered + Expanded)\n2007 Es Paranza/Rhino\n\nOriginally Released July 11, 1983\nCD Edition Released 1988 ??\nNine Lives Boxed Set Released September 12, 2006\nRemastered + Expanded CD Edition Released April 3, 2007\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: Robert Plant's follow-up to Pictures at Eleven places much of his debut's style and vocal meandering into a new and more exciting bunch of songs. The mysteriousness of "Big Log," the album's first single, reached the Top 20 in the United States and in the U.K., while "In the Mood" is The Principle of Moments' finest offering, proving that Plant could roam freely with his voice and still have it work effectively. But Plant doesn't stop here, as he gives tracks like "Wreckless Love," "Stranger Here...Than Over There," and "Other Arms" an equal amount of curt abstractness and rock appeal. Because Plant's voice is so compelling in any state, the convolution of his writing tends to take a back seat to his singing in most of his solo work, which is definitely the case in most of the songs here. Plant went on tour with the Honeydrippers within the same year as The Principle of Moments' release, adding another facet to his already diverse solo repertoire. [The 2007 reissue includes live versions of three songs from the album ("In the Mood," "Thru' With the Two Step" and "Lively Up Yourself') and the previously unreleased "Turnaround" as bonus tracks.] -- Mike DeGagne\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: Plant reinvents rock and pop oldies in much the way Led Zeppelin did old blues songs. "Other Arms" recasts "Lay Down Your Arms," as Plant declares, "I'm not a prisoner of the big parade," awhile "In the Mood" retools an old pop theme. The playing is propulsive (thanks to guest drummer Phil Collins) and Plant's singing unusually supple. -- William Ruhlmann\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: (Nine Lives Boxed Sed) Too much of a good thing? Perhaps. Nine Lives contains remastered versions of all of Robert Plant's studio recordings, from Pictures at Eleven (1982) to Mighty Rearranger (2005), with bonus cuts and a DVD containing an hourlong film that covers the career gamut, with cut-in video clips, a new interview, and, as is Rhino's wont, comments from everybody from Ahmet Ertegun and Bobby Gillespie to Tori Amos and John McEnroe! Nothing appears from the Jimmy Page and Robert Plant recordings. Was this really necessary, especially after the issue of Plant's double-disc career retrospective, Sixty Six to Timbuktu, in 2003? His early records used the technology of the day and the first pair, Pictures at Eleven and The Principle of Moments, dipped deep into the production and pop styles of the '80s and mixed them with Led Zeppelin's ponderous pomp and circumstance. This also occurred on discs from Shaken 'n' Stirred to the harder-rocking Now & Zen and Manic Nirvana, with stops along the way via the Honeydrippers' roots rock cover project that featured the reunion of Jimmy Page with Plant, yes, but also of Page with Jeff Beck. Of course, with Fate of Nations, Plant changed course again, creating a moody, drifty, and dreamy sound -- another portrait of the singer and songwriter that paved the way some nine years later for his resurrection as a recording artist with 2002's Dreamland and a band (Strange Sensation) that found its way with the aforementioned Mighty Rearranger. Plant's solo records have been consistently acclaimed, and he has always placed singles in the charts somewhere. Some were received better than others, and some scored big, like 1988's Now & Zen, with its big single, "Tall Cool One." These ten discs reveal Plant to be endlessly searching and endlessly changing without losing the core of who he was as either a singer or a songwriter. He never tried to recreate Led Zeppelin, though he did firmly acknowledge it finally in Mighty Rearranger with guitarist Justin Adams. There isn't anything dour in these records, though some have stood up better to the test of time than others. The first two discs in the set do sound hopelessly dated, and at this point, the Honeydrippers project, played so godawful many times on FM radio, has lost its charm and sounds like a slew of cats having a good time playing standards. Still others, like Now & Zen and Manic Nirvana, sound better somehow than when they were issued -- at those moments in time, rock & roll was seldom played on the radio and these are most assuredly big rock & roll albums. Plant played the game insofar as he made videos and played live, but the albums themselves -- with their huge guitar and edgy synth atmospherics -- are far from nostalgia because of that experimentation with rock & roll's sonics. The story is one that shows how plentifully Plant surrounded himself with textures, space, and -- above all -- a knotty idea of what rock & roll was as it moved through the decades. He nurtured his own vision along some pretty sketchy lines during the volatile 1980s and '90s. In the new millennium, it became safe for rockers of his generation to come home again, from Eric Clapton and the Who to the Moody Blues and even Traffic. (Jeff Beck and the Rolling Stones have never really gone away.)All of this said, it still feels like a lot, maybe over the line. Sure, having these albums in remastered form is a great idea; look for them to follow suit soon -- if Rhino's past marketing track is any gauge -- as individual budget-priced items. There is a very handsome book included with loads of photos and a book-length liner note essay by Ed Vulliamy. The bonus material is nice, but it's far from earthshaking or in the least bit revelatory. The listener/consumer is faced with a dilemma: how often will some of these albums get pulled out of the stack and played? Stories like this one get told in the music business to be sure, but in Plant's case, his solo career -- no matter how successful -- has always been visible, but still somehow under the radar and second fiddle because of the incredible weight that Led Zeppelin's myth carries. Perhaps this set will be acclaimed for what it is, and that would be justice, but it's more likely that it will be considered an incomplete excess, which would be not only unfortunate, but very wrong. Certainly there is an argument for the Page & Plant records to be included here, but those, good as they are, are a distraction more than anything else because they are collaborations. For any Plant -- or truly hardcore Zep -- fan who wants the whole solo story presented in a manner that is pristine, revealing, and elegant, this set will be a boon. For the rest, in an age when the "track" is what matters, a box this size will be considered an overblown excess beyond comprehension or consumer demand, and that argument carries more than a bit of weight. -- Thom Jurek\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nAverage Effort, June 24, 2007 \nBy Siobhan Chamberlin-watts "dwatts74" (Basildon, Essex)\nIt's unlikely that an album such as this is going to win over new fans - I'd guess most people buying it are fans from the past. So I'll address the three things those who are considering upgrading will care about: \n\n1. Does it sound better? \n2. Are the bonus tracks worthy? \n3. Is the booklet any good? \n\nIs the sound better? The quick answer is YES. However, it's a MARGINAL improvement only. It's much louder, so if you play your music with the stereo turned up to 5, then you might only need this disc on 3 (if that makes any sense). There is EVER SO SLIGHTLY more clarity, and the bass is tighter. However, probably only audiophiles will care. It is NOT a "night and day" difference. When you adjust volume levels so the old disc sounds the same loudness wise, the differences are very minor. \n\nAre the bonus tracks worth it? Well there are four here. The first "In the Mood Live" is actually quite bad. Plant's vocal is out of tune on the harmonies, and the mix loses instruments every now and again, pushing the guitar to the back. The second "Thru with the Two Step Live" is pretty good though. It clocks in at 10 minutes, with an extended intro of more than 3 minutes. The mix has settled, and it's a good listen. The third is "Lively Up Yourself Live", a Bob Marley tune. This is a good song, and while Plant simply covers it (not major changes really) it's a fun tune, and it's done by musicians clearly having a good time. Finally, there's "Turnaround", an outtake from the original sessions. This is by far the best bonus track here. I wish they had put it FIRST among the bonus songs, so we could have enjoyed the sessions rather than have to wade through the live stuff first. \n\nAll in all, the bonus material is okay. The studio track is great, the live stuff is nice, but not essential. \n\nFinally the booklet. They have taken the notes straight from the booklet of the box set from wence this came - they're not exhaustive, sadly. Still, tey beat the original release. \n\nAll in all then, this is a minor upgrade to a classic record. Those expecting something revilutionary sound wise will be disapointed if they do a close examination. The bonus tracks are't terrible though, and Plant is always great. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nClassic Plant, March 6, 2006 \nBy Kid A (Boulder, CO)\nI've been listening to this since shortly after it was released. This album knocked me out the first time, and I've only grown to enjoy it more and more over the years. \n\nPlant seemed hesitant to release his Zeppelin past with Burning Down One Side, but Principle of Moments definitively laid down the roadmap for Plant's solo career with driving melodies, brilliant musicianship, and incredible vocals. \n\nIt must be difficult to do anything but "play backup" for someone like Robert Plant. Once you've listened to this enough, though, you'll come to realize and appreciate Robbie Blunt's incredible guitar work. Sure, he's no Jimmy Page, but this guy has got it going on. The guitar solo in Horizontal Departure alone is worth the price of admission. Few guitarists can say so much with so few notes. It's short and to the point. \n\nIt's also hard to go wrong with Phil Collins banging the drums. This was always Phil's strength. It's 1982 and Phil is certainly not ripping out the incredible fills and beats in Genesis. Their music was becoming simpler and more pop-oriented. Principle of Moments assures us, though, that Phil is still an accomplished drummer. \n\nThese elements all combined to produce an album that I would not hesitate to say is among the best of the '80s. Buy, listen, love. It's very simple. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nExcellent transition to solo projects, January 29, 2005 \nBy kozmikrokker (Highland, Utah United States)\nAll of the Robert plant albums are gems. Unlike people like Michael Schenker and others who, after leaving their previous successful bands surrounded themselves with lesser talent, Robert Plant hired great progressive minded, talented musicians. Where as many of the others failed to create anything noteworthy, Robert Plant, in my opinion created the best progressive rock of the entire 1980's. almost every track on every album is artistic and musical and either rocks or mystifies or takes you on a musical journey somewhere. Beginning with this album, if you like it, you'll probably like all the others equally. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nTaking a step back, February 12, 2003 \nBy "deltafront" (Silverdale, WA United States)\nIt's rather refreshing to see such an accomplished singer as Robert Plant take a step back from the self-indulgent bombasity that marked - and marred - some of Led Zep's later works, and turn out such a fine album as "The Principle of Moments." This is a consistent work, full of simple songs well-performed and sung. "In the Mood" still hold up after all these years as an excellent song, dreadfull video notwhithstanding. There are no real rockers here - all of the songs on this CD are mellow, introspective, generaly pleasent to listen to - again and again. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nBIG LOG, big bass, haunting lyrics..., October 27, 2001 \nBy Verne Robinson (Brooklyn, NY USA)\n"My love is in league with the freeway...its passion will rise as the cities fly by and the taillights dissolve..."\nPlant haunted me with this transcendant yet sentimental song. I have loved it since I first heard it on a mushroom trip in Haight Ashbury back in 1982. It is track #8 and I put it on repeat..."leading me on...leading me down the road...driving me on...driving me down the road...there is no turning back...no...there is no turning back...on the run." \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nRobert Plant discovers life after Led Zeppelin, June 8, 2001 \nBy 26-year old wallflower "Eric N Andrews" (West Lafayette, IN)\nThe 1980s held so much promise for Led Zeppelin. Their final album had shown they could make the transition into the digitally-minded decade with ease by toning down the guitar attack in favor of lush keyboards. However, drummer John Bonham's death silenced that notion and the surviving members decided to carry on alone. No surprise, Robert Plant, being the most visible member of Zeppelin, found solo success first. His 1982 debut PICTURES AT ELEVEN sold well thanks to his previous fame with Zeppelin, even peaking at #5 on the charts without a high-selling single. But that album seemed to say that Plant still missed the heavy blues-rock that Zeppelin had all but pioneered. With the follow-up PRINCIPLE OF MOMENTS, Robert probably decided to sever ties with his past once and for all. Indeed, MOMENTS introduces a more pop-oriented facet to Plant's personality, and like the keyboard-based departure that was IN THROUGH THE OUT DOOR, it works surprisingly well. The album generated 2 top 40 hits for Plant: the simple yet infectious "In The Mood" and the moody, introspective "Big Log". This was probably due to the airy soundscapes that producers Benji Lefeure, Pat Moran, and Plant himself bring to songs that may have also worked had Jimmy Page had a hand in them. "Mood" proves that blues-shouter Plant could convincingly sing mellow pop, while "Big Log" maintains the mystery of Zeppelin's best work, although some have said it is Robert Plant having a conversation with God (maybe about John Bonham's death), so who knows? Hinting at Led Zeppelin's underrated willingness to experiment, PRINCIPLE OF MOMENTS has its share of more left-field ditties like the eerie "Stranger Here...Than Over There", "Messin' With The Mekon" and "Thru With The Two-Step". Plant hasn't lost his tendency for abstract song titles, and their intention at sparking discussion among music fans is indeed a successful one. The closest things to all-out rockers on MOMENTS are "Other Arms" and "Horizontal Departure", proving that Robert Plant doesn't need to be reflective all of the time. While the keyboard playing by Jezz Woodroffe would be the most obvious highlight of MOMENTS, the percussion work should be equally noted. While John Bonham's tubthumping drumwork is missed for sure, the slightly understated sound of it on MOMENTS works just as well. Phil Collins and ex-Jethro Tull skinsman Barriemore Barlow give the songs a supple backbeat that even Bonzo himself may have appreciated. PRINCIPLE OF MOMENTS was as big a success as its predecessor PICTURES AT ELEVEN, becoming a top 5 hit at a time when the charts were still geared towards artists who were a generation younger than Plant. Whether or not it was due to Robert Plant's legendary work with Zeppelin or the album's own merits is unclear. But it still went a long way in establishing Robert Plant as an engaging solo artist in his own right. And for anyone who knocks the follow-up SHAKEN N' STIRRED for being too keyboard-driven, they should listen to PRINCIPLE OF MOMENTS to realize that the more production-based approach was coming anyway. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nA trademark of ominous melancoly, September 24, 1999 \nBy raycooper@sprintmail.com (Austin, Texas)\nBig Log came out in the fall of my Sophomore year of high school and I remember how it captivated me way back then. I wondered who this wonderful artist was. I had never even heard of Robert Plant. When "In the Mood" was released, I knew that I had buy the album which I still have. Three worn out copies of the tape and a replacement CD later, I can still remember climbing into the backseat of my car, putting my head between the two triaxial speakers, and letting "Big Log" take me away to a lonely, far off place. \n\n\nHalf.com Details \nContributing artists: Barriemore Barlow, Phil Collins \nProducer: Pat Moran \n\nAlbum Notes\nPersonnel: Robert Plant (vocals); Robbie Blunt (guitar); Jezz Woodruffe (keyboards); Paul Martinez (bass); Phil Collins, Barrimore Barlow (drums).\n\nPersonnel: Robert Plant (vocals); Robbie Blunt (guitar); Jezz Woodroffe (keyboards); Paul Martinez (bass guitar); Phil Collins (drums).\n\nRecording information: 1983.\n\nWith his debut solo album, 1982's PICTURES AT ELEVEN, singer Robert Plant successfully began establishing himself as a solo recording artist apart from his former band, the incomparable Led Zeppelin. Plant wasted no time in issuing a follow-up, PRINCIPLE OF MOMENTS, which appeared one year after his debut.\nFollowing in the musical footsteps of its predecessor, PRINCIPLE shows Plant and his backing band (which included a cameo from Genesis drummer Phil Collins) exploring modern rock sounds. The two best known songs remain the hit singles/videos "Big Log" and "In the Mood," both, especially the former, slow-paced yet highly melodic compositions. Other standouts include the keyboard-infused "Thru With the Two Step," as well as such challenging numbers as "Wreckless Love" and "Messin' With the Mekon."\n\nIndustry Reviews\nHighly Recommended -- Perf 8.6 / Sound 8.6\n\n\nROLLING STONE REVIEW\nThe problem with Robert Plant's solo career is that he has been unable to leave Led Zeppelin's thunderous sound completely behind him. Even without the late John Bonham's gorilla thwack spurring him on or Jimmy Page's demon blues licks chasing his tail, Plant sometimes cannot help resorting to his trademark Promethean theatrics, straining at melodies with salacious vocal jibes and full-moon howls. Fortunately, much of The Principle of Moments finds the singer trying to get around that dilemma by toying with weird hard-rock alternatives and singing in a restrained, though powerful, manner.\n\nOne of Plant's best outings on his second solo album is "Big Log," a ballad that features a vague Latin lilt and a discreet synthesizer gloss that complements the sexy elasticity of Robbie Blunt's guitar. Against his best heavy-metal instincts, Plant resists easy histrionics and opts for a far more effective quiet tension in his bluesy wails and bassy coos. Musically, there are several references to the Zeppelin canon here -- the jerky "Black Dog"-like rhythm pattern of "Messin' with the Mekon," Blunt's Middle Eastern "Kashmir" - type motif in "Wreckless Love" -- but overall, Plant is taking more outside chances.\n\nThe experimental half of The Principle of Moments is, in effect, Robert Plant's admission that on his own, he can never improve on Zeppelin's otherworldly he-man fantasies. It is also his declaration of independence from the past -- not a denial of it, but just one way of showing there's more to life than "Whole Lotta Love." (RS 403 -- Sep 1, 1983) -- DAVID FRICKE
This rock cd contains 12 tracks and runs 65min 57sec.
Freedb: a80f730c
Buy: from Amazon.com

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