Robert Plant - Pictures at Eleven Reissue Review
Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 10:42 amROBERT PLANT
Pictures at Eleven [Remastered & Expanded]
Rhino Records 2007
"The debut solo album from Robert Plant gets the reissue treatment here. The CD features an introductory essay and two bonus cuts. Robert Plant is one of the few true legends of the music industry. It’s just an amazing thing to see him fronting the biggest band of all time and then when that eminently successful run ends, he reinvents himself as a solo artist unafraid to try any musical idea that he comes across. Pictures At Eleven is definitely a musical portrait of an artist in transition from one stage of his career to another, but even that doesn’t hold Plant back. The lead track “Burning Down One Side” still stands today as one of the best sounding tracks he’s produced in his solo career. What puts this track even higher in my estimation is the fact that Phil Collins performs the drums. In fact he performs on all but two of the original track listing’s songs, the now deceased Cozy Powell handles the other two tracks.
The guitar work and general overall wild vibe on “Mystery Title” makes it a standout for me. The song just bounces all over the musical landscape and it’s quite the enjoyable ride. “Slow Dancer” gives you the first glimpses of Plant’s use of Arabic sounds in his music. That is an influence that has continued throughout his solo material. “Moonlight In Samosa” has that moody atmospheric sound conjured up by the song title. I liked “Pledge Pin” as a whole, but I really dug the included saxophone sound. It really sold the song to me. I didn’t really care for “Like I’ve Never Been Gone”, so the inclusion of a live recording of the song alongside the original studio version did nothing for me.
The album has lots of musical ideas and notions to reel in the listener with nifty guitar work, pound rhythm section work, and of course the magic of Plant’s vocals. The best thing is that this was only the beginning. He gets not only better as the albums progress, but also more important as a musical artist. As a longtime fan of his solo material I have to say the beginning is always the best place to start your appreciation of one of the rarest gems in the musical world."
-- Jay Roberts
3 1/2 out of 5
Pictures at Eleven [Remastered & Expanded]
Rhino Records 2007
"The debut solo album from Robert Plant gets the reissue treatment here. The CD features an introductory essay and two bonus cuts. Robert Plant is one of the few true legends of the music industry. It’s just an amazing thing to see him fronting the biggest band of all time and then when that eminently successful run ends, he reinvents himself as a solo artist unafraid to try any musical idea that he comes across. Pictures At Eleven is definitely a musical portrait of an artist in transition from one stage of his career to another, but even that doesn’t hold Plant back. The lead track “Burning Down One Side” still stands today as one of the best sounding tracks he’s produced in his solo career. What puts this track even higher in my estimation is the fact that Phil Collins performs the drums. In fact he performs on all but two of the original track listing’s songs, the now deceased Cozy Powell handles the other two tracks.
The guitar work and general overall wild vibe on “Mystery Title” makes it a standout for me. The song just bounces all over the musical landscape and it’s quite the enjoyable ride. “Slow Dancer” gives you the first glimpses of Plant’s use of Arabic sounds in his music. That is an influence that has continued throughout his solo material. “Moonlight In Samosa” has that moody atmospheric sound conjured up by the song title. I liked “Pledge Pin” as a whole, but I really dug the included saxophone sound. It really sold the song to me. I didn’t really care for “Like I’ve Never Been Gone”, so the inclusion of a live recording of the song alongside the original studio version did nothing for me.
The album has lots of musical ideas and notions to reel in the listener with nifty guitar work, pound rhythm section work, and of course the magic of Plant’s vocals. The best thing is that this was only the beginning. He gets not only better as the albums progress, but also more important as a musical artist. As a longtime fan of his solo material I have to say the beginning is always the best place to start your appreciation of one of the rarest gems in the musical world."
-- Jay Roberts
3 1/2 out of 5