Classic Songs: ‘Big Log’ by Robert Plant.

The death of John Bonham in 1980 brought an end to one of hard rock’s greatest bands. The surviving members of Led Zeppelin, which included frontman Robert Plant, all decidedly went their own seperate ways. Maybe out of necessity, though it was something that Plant had toyed with for some time, embarked on a solo career releasing his debut solo album, Pictures at Eleven (1982), which featured amongst other Phil Collins on drums. Collins was apparently instrumental in encouraging Plant to pursue a solo career following the tragic demise of Led Zeppelin. (Collins commenced his own solo career in between duties with Genesis in 1981.)

When listening to Plant’s early solo material it’s easy to hear his willingness to experiment with new sounds and incorporate genres like folk and world music. For some hard core Zeppelin fans, it was a rude awakening to hear that Plant had all but abandoned the hard rock leanings of his former band. But while some preferred the Zeppelin sound, they also realised Plant was entitled to do as he pleased. Eventually respect grew for his independent artistry.

His career across some four decades since his ascendancy as a solo artist in 1982 has been hit and miss. That said, there is definitely more of an up side to his unapologetic reinvention. If anything, Plant has showed he could go it alone as he could with Zeppelin behind him. Along the way he pulled in some heavy hitters like his good mate Jimmy Page, Phil Johnstone, Robbie Blunt and Alison Krauss. Notable albums worth celebrating include The Principle of Moments (1983), Now and Zen (1988), Manic Nirvana (1990), Mighty ReArranger (2005) and Raising Sand (2007), his Grammy award winning collaboration with Alison Krauss.

You can’t talk about Plant’s solo career without mentioning his most celebrated songs. If we were to dig deep into his catalogue, the first of many that comes to mind is the vocally restrained, atmospheric ballad Ship of Fools (taken from 1988’s Now and Zen). In The Mood (taken from 1983’s The Principle of Moments) also stacks up capturing the seemingly effortless slow-burn jam between Plant’s go-to collaborators guitarist Robbie Blunt, bassist Paul Martinez and Phil Collins on drums. A track that also screams worthiness is the When The Levee Breaks-inspired sounding Shine It All Around (taken from 2005’s Mighty ReArranger). It received a Grammy nomination for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance and still feels every bit today like a lighthouse shining its light out on to a lost ship at sea as a symbol of hope and guidance as it did twenty years ago. Plant’s collaboration over the years with Alison Krauss has in addition produced an array of stunning arrangements maybe no more so than the Grammy winning Please Read Me The Letter (taken from 2007’s Raising Sand). Here Plant shows us how unafraid he is at entering country territory. But the song which brings most Robert Plant fans to his body of work is Big Log (taken from 1983’s The Principle of Moments) about a road-weary and love-sick traveller.

“My love is exceedingly vivid/ Red-eyed and fevered with the hum of the miles/ Distance and longing, my thoughts do provide/ Should I rest for a while at the side?”

Interestingly, Plant often writes songs wherein the title is not found anywhere in the lyrics. Big Log is one of those songs. Jim Beviglia from American Songwriter once wrote, “The title might bring to mind some innuendo, but it was actually a reference to the fireplace in action while Plant and company put the song together.” 

The trust Plant puts into his key collaborations doesn’t always pay off, but Big Log proves otherwise. It was co-written with guitarist Robbie Blunt and keyboardist Gerald Woodroffe. Plant once said in jest that Big Log was about his “torrid love affairs.” While there is no specific reference to any particular failed relationship, he instead leaves the song’s interpretation open- as a metaphor for lost love or possibly loneliness and even displacement. What isn’t up for debate is the slow atmospheric (somewhat melancholic) mood of the song, wrapped up for the most part in a restrained vocal performance. 

Reminiscent of what was good and bad about the early 1980s, there is no getting away from Big Log being a product of its time. Gerald Woodroffe’s Roland RM-808 programmed drum machine and handclap for instance might sound a little dated now, but for the most part it largely still works as a great synth-infused rock track. While it was only a modest hit in 1983, peaking at #20 on the Billboard Hot 100, its enduring appeal meant Plant could focus on a career away from his Zeppelin fame. 

For the record Big Log is often cited as Plant’s best solo effort. Still today fans are talking about not only his impressive bluesy vocal performance, but Robbie Blunt’s haunting Spanish-tinged guitar work which almost steals the show. Even the music video which accompanied its release was inviting enough for a generation of new fans to jump on board. In 1983, a twelve year old Alison Krauss and her younger brother Viktor, who both loved the song when it came out on MTV, would later in life record Big Log on Viktor’s 2004 album Far from Enough. The attention it received upon release did not escape the man himself. Plant once said, “I couldn’t believe that anybody could take my [solo] songwriting seriously, so I was just amazed. I used to play it over and over again, saying, ‘Look, people know me out there.’ And as we know, one thing would lead to another, and the two luminaries would eventually collaborate together in 2007, and again in 2021 on Raise the Roof.