We’re in the final stretch of the Led Zeppelin reissues programme now. On 31 July, the final set of three albums will be released, comprising Presence, In Through the Out Door and Coda.
In Through the Out Door emerged in 1979, three years after Presence, during which time punk had transformed the rock landscape. Zeppelin were still huge, of course, playing two nights at Knebworth to a total of around 400,000 people, but they were no longer untouchable. In his NME review of the album, Nick Kent, who had been a supporter of the group, noted that Zeppelin had “become the numero uno brickbat boys for new wave contempt. Unlike the Stones and the Who, they never really influenced any contemporary bands beyond the reactionary heavy metal combos.” Nevertheless, he concluded, the album displayed a sense of adventure: “I came in fully expecting to drive the stake through the heart of an ailing behemoth, but In Through the Out Door is no epitaph.”
We have a previously unreleased rough mix of the album’s opening track, In the Evening – pretty much its only undisputed rocker – for you. Have a listen and let us know what you think.
