The Principle of Moments

Last updated

The Principle of Moments
Principle of moments.JPG
Studio album by
Released15 July 1983 (1983-07-15) [1]
Recorded1983
Studio Rockfield Studios (Monmouth, Wales)
Genre
Length38:50
Label
Producer
  • Robert Plant
  • Benji Lefevre
  • Pat Moran
Robert Plant chronology
Pictures at Eleven
(1982)
The Principle of Moments
(1983)
Shaken 'n' Stirred
(1985)
Singles from The Principle of Moments
  1. "Big Log"
    Released: July 1983
  2. "In the Mood"
    Released: November 1983
  3. "Other Arms"
    Released: May 1984 (Japan)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]

The Principle of Moments is the second solo studio album by the English singer Robert Plant, formerly of Led Zeppelin. It was Plant's second Top 10 album in the US and UK. It also gave him his first solo Top 40 hit with "Big Log". The most popular track on album-oriented rock radio in the US was "Other Arms", which reached number-one on the Billboard Top Tracks chart. Genesis' drummer Phil Collins played drums for five of the album's eight songs (as he did on Pictures at Eleven ). On the other two tracks former Jethro Tull drummer Barriemore Barlow performed. On the closing track "Big Log", Gerald Woodroffe programmed a Roland TR-808 drum machine.

Contents

Like Plant's debut solo studio album, Pictures at Eleven (1982), the songs departed from the hard rock sound of Led Zeppelin. Following the strength of these albums, Plant launched a successful tour in 1983. Phil Collins was the drummer for Plant's band for the North American portion of the tour. Collins was content to perform in the background, despite his own enormous success as a solo artist and with Genesis at the time. Little Feat's Richie Hayward played drums for the remaining dates.

Rhino Entertainment released a remastered edition of the album, with bonus tracks, on 3 April 2007.

Promotional music videos

The music video for "Big Log" was shot at the following locations: Crystal Road, Crystal, Nevada (gas station sequences), the Amargosa Opera House, Death Valley Junction, California (driving and "feather" sequence), Calico School House (Calico Ghost Town) Yermo, California (schoolhouse sequence), Glass Pool Inn, Las Vegas, Nevada (pool sequence). The bar sequence is believed to have been shot at a small bar in Shoshone, California (now the Crow Bar Cafe & Saloon), though this is unconfirmed.

A video for "In the Mood" was also produced.

Tour

In 1983, Robert Plant went on a tour to promote the album, starting on 26 August in Peoria, Illinois, and ending on 1 October in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Other Arms"4:20
2."In the Mood"
5:19
3."Messin' with the Mekon"
  • Plant
  • Blunt
  • Martinez
4:40
4."Wreckless Love"
  • Plant
  • Blunt
5:18
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
5."Thru' with the Two Step"
  • Plant
  • Blunt
  • Martinez
5:33
6."Horizontal Departure"
4:19
7."Stranger Here... Than Over There"
  • Plant
  • Blunt
  • Martinez
  • Woodroffe
4:18
8."Big Log"
  • Plant
  • Blunt
  • Woodroffe
5:03
Total length:38:50
2007 remaster bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
9."In the Mood" (Live)
  • Plant
  • Blunt
  • Martinez
7:35
10."Thru' with the Two Step" (Live)
  • Plant
  • Blunt
  • Martinez
11:11
11."Lively Up Yourself" (Live) Bob Marley 3:04
12."Turnaround"
  • Plant
  • Blunt
  • Martinez
  • Woodroffe
4:55

Personnel

Production

Remastering credits

Chart performance

Certifications

Sales certifications for The Principle of Moments
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [10] [11] Gold35,000^
Canada (Music Canada) [12] Gold50,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ) [13] Platinum15,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [14] Gold100,000^
United States (RIAA) [15] Platinum1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phil Collins</span> English musician (born 1951)

Philip David Charles Collins is an English singer, drummer, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and later lead singer of the rock band Genesis and also has a career as a solo performer. Between 1982 and 1990, Collins achieved three UK and seven US number one singles as a solo artist. When his work with Genesis, his work with other artists, as well as his solo career are totalled, he was responsible for more US top 40 singles than any other artist during the 1980s. His most successful singles from the period include "In the Air Tonight", "Against All Odds ", "One More Night", "Sussudio", "Another Day in Paradise" and "I Wish It Would Rain Down".

<i>A</i> (Jethro Tull album) 1980 studio album by Jethro Tull

A is the 13th studio album by British rock band Jethro Tull. It was released on 29 August 1980 in the UK and 1 September of the same year in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">In the Air Tonight</span> 1981 single by Phil Collins

"In the Air Tonight" is the debut solo single by English drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins. It was released as the lead single from Collins's debut solo album, Face Value, in January 1981.

Barrie "Barriemore" Barlow is an English musician, best known as the drummer and percussionist for the rock band Jethro Tull, from May 1971 to June 1980.

<i>Face Value</i> (album) 1981 studio album by Phil Collins

Face Value is the debut solo studio album by English drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins, released on 13 February 1981 by Virgin Records. After his first wife filed for divorce in 1979, Collins began to write songs during a break in activity from Genesis with much of the material concerning his personal life. The album was recorded from mid-1980 to early 1981 with Collins and Hugh Padgham as producers. Additional musicians include the Phenix Horns, Alphonso Johnson, and Eric Clapton.

<i>Seconds Out</i> 1977 live album by Genesis

Seconds Out is the second live album by English progressive rock band Genesis. It was released as a double album on 14 October 1977 on Charisma Records, and was their first with touring drummer Chester Thompson and their last with guitarist Steve Hackett. The majority was recorded in June 1977 at the Palais des Sports in Paris during the Wind & Wuthering Tour. One track, "The Cinema Show", was recorded in 1976 at the Pavillon de Paris during their A Trick of the Tail Tour.

<i>Bursting Out</i> 1978 live album by Jethro Tull

Bursting Out is a 1978 live double album by the rock band Jethro Tull. The album was recorded during the band's European Heavy Horses Tour in May/June of that year.

<i>Genesis</i> (Genesis album) 1983 studio album by Genesis

Genesis is the twelfth studio album by English rock band Genesis, released on 3 October 1983 by Charisma and Virgin Records in the UK and by Atlantic Records in the US and Canada. Following the band's tour in support of their 1982 live album Three Sides Live, Genesis took an eight-month break before they regrouped in the spring of 1983 to record a new album. It is their first written and recorded in its entirety at their studio named The Farm in Chiddingfold, Surrey, and the songs were developed through jam sessions in the studio with nothing written beforehand. Hugh Padgham returned as their engineer.

<i>Duke</i> (album) 1980 studio album by Genesis

Duke is the tenth studio album by English rock band Genesis, released on 28 March 1980 on Charisma Records. The album followed a period of inactivity for the band in early 1979. Phil Collins moved to Vancouver, Canada, in an effort to salvage his failing first marriage, while Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford recorded solo albums. Collins returned to the UK after his marriage ended and wrote a significant amount of material, some of which was used for Duke and some was later reworked for his first solo album, Face Value. Duke contained a mix of individually written songs and tracks that evolved from jam sessions in mid-1979, while recording took place at the end of the year. The break in activity rejuvenated the band, and they found the album an easy one to work on.

<i>Conflicting Emotions</i> 1983 studio album by Split Enz

Conflicting Emotions is the eighth album by New Zealand band Split Enz.

<i>Pictures at Eleven</i> 1982 studio album by Robert Plant

Pictures at Eleven is the debut solo studio album by former Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant, released on 25 June 1982 in the US and on 2 July in the UK. Genesis drummer Phil Collins played drums for five of the album's eight songs. Ex-Rainbow drummer Cozy Powell handled drums on "Slow Dancer" and "Like I've Never Been Gone." On the song "Fat Lip", guitarist Robbie Blunt played a Roland TR-808 drum machine. The title was an often-heard phrase in US television news that would follow a brief announcement of a story of interest to be shown later during a station's 11 PM news program. Pictures at Eleven is the only one of Plant's solo albums to appear on Led Zeppelin's record label Swan Song. By the time of Plant's next release, 1983's The Principle of Moments, Swan Song had ceased to function, and Plant had started his own label named Es Paranza, which would also be distributed by Atlantic Records. Rhino Entertainment released a remastered edition of the album, with bonus tracks, on 20 March 2007.

<i>Behind the Sun</i> (Eric Clapton album) 1985 studio album by Eric Clapton

Behind the Sun is the ninth solo studio album by Eric Clapton, released on 11 March 1985 by Duck Records / Warner Bros. Records. It is Clapton's first collaborative project with Phil Collins who co-produced the album and played on some of the tracks. While recording the album Clapton temporarily split with his wife.

<i>Sixty Six to Timbuktu</i> 2003 greatest hits album by Robert Plant

Sixty Six to Timbuktu is a greatest hits/compilation album featuring the history of the career of ex-Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant, from 1966 to a recording done at the Festival in the Desert in Mali. The album was released in 2003 and contains songs from Plant's eight solo albums up to the time of its release on its first disc, and rarities on its second disc. Some of his well-known songs were omitted from this release, such as "Burning Down One Side", "Moonlight in Samosa", "Slow Dancer", "Other Arms", "In the Mood", and "Hurting Kind ".

<i>Serious Hits... Live!</i> 1990 live album by Phil Collins

Serious Hits… Live! is the name of Phil Collins' 1990 live album, released on vinyl, cassette and CD. It is also the title of the 2003 DVD video release of his concert at Berlin's Waldbühne on 15 July 1990. The songs on the CD version are taken from various concerts during the Seriously, Live! World Tour. At the Brit Awards in 1992, the album brought Collins a nomination for British Male Artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Follow You Follow Me</span> 1978 single by Genesis

"Follow You Follow Me" is a love song written and recorded by English rock band Genesis. It was released in March 1978 as the first single from their ninth studio album, ...And Then There Were Three... (1978). The music was composed by the band, and the lyrics were written by bassist and guitarist Mike Rutherford. The single became Genesis' first top 10 hit in the UK and first top 40 hit in the US, reaching No. 7 and No. 23 respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Plant discography</span>

After the breakup of Led Zeppelin in 1980, Robert Plant pursued a successful solo career comprising eleven studio albums, two compilation albums, three video albums, four collaborative albums, and 42 singles. He began his solo career with Pictures at Eleven in 1982, followed by 1983's The Principle of Moments. Popular tracks from this period include "Big Log", "In the Mood" (1984), "Little by Little", "Tall Cool One", Manic Nirvana's "Hurting Kind " (1990), and "I Believe", another song written for and dedicated to his late son, Karac. In 1984, Plant formed a short-lived all-star group with Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck called the Honeydrippers, who had a No. 3 hit with a remake of the Phil Phillips' tune, "Sea of Love" and a follow-up hit with a cover of Roy Brown's "Rockin' at Midnight". Although Plant avoided performing Led Zeppelin songs through much of this period, his tours in 1983 and 1985 were very successful, often performing to sold-out arena-sized venues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burning Down One Side</span> 1982 single by Robert Plant

"Burning Down One Side" is a song by English recording artist Robert Plant from his debut solo studio album, Pictures at Eleven (1982). It was the most popular track from the album on album-oriented rock radio in the United States, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard Top Tracks chart in 1982. Later released as the first single from the album, it only managed to reach No. 64 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 73 on the UK Singles Chart. The UK B-side "Far Post" was a moderate AOR radio hit in the US, reaching No. 12 on the Top Tracks chart in January 1983. This song features Genesis' Phil Collins on drums, as do many other songs off this same album. The song plays at 113 BPM in 4/4 time signature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Log</span> 1983 single by Robert Plant

"Big Log" is a song by English recording artist Robert Plant. The first single from his second solo album, The Principle of Moments (1983), it became his first top 40 solo hit, peaking at No. 11 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song also reached No. 6 on the Billboard Top Tracks chart. Neither of the words in the title appears in the lyrics.

<i>Going Back</i> (album) 2010 studio album by Phil Collins

Going Back is the eighth solo studio album by English singer-songwriter and drummer Phil Collins, released on 13 September 2010 by Atlantic Records. His first solo album in eight years, it features covers of 1960s Motown and soul standards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">In the Mood (Robert Plant song)</span> Robert Plant song

"In the Mood" is a song by English recording artist Robert Plant from his second solo studio album, The Principle of Moments (1983). "In the Mood" was written by Plant, guitarist Robbie Blunt and bassist Paul Martinez. The drummer on the recording was Genesis' Phil Collins.

References

  1. "BPI".
  2. "The Principle of Moments Review by Mike DeGagne". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  3. Fricke, David (1 September 1983). "The Principle of Moments". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  4. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 . St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  5. "charts.nz – New Zealand charts portal". charts.nz. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
  6. "swedishcharts.com – Swedish charts portal". swedishchart.com. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
  7. "The Official Charts Company – Robert Plant". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 7 February 2010.
  8. "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – 1983". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  9. "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – 1984". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  10. "Phil Collins – Robert Plant Australian Certified Gold LP Award". Kodner Auctions. 3 February 2021. Archived from the original on 4 February 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  11. "Gold in Oz" (PDF). Cash Box . 17 March 1984. p. 17. Retrieved 8 December 2021 via World Radio History.
  12. "Phil Collins – Robert Plant Canadian Certified Gold LP Award". Kodner Auctions. 3 February 2021. Archived from the original on 4 February 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  13. "New Zealand album certifications – Robert Plant – The Principle of Moments". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  14. "British album certifications – Robert Plant – The Principles Of Moments". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  15. "American album certifications – Robert Plant – The Principle of Moments". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved 5 April 2021.