When Led Zeppelin broke up, I assumed Jimmy Page would have the most interesting solo career. Wrong! Robert Plant has had the most interesting post-Zep career. Early in his solo career, Plant tried to distance himself from Zeppelin by reinventing his sound and refusing to play Zeppelin songs in concert. But by Now and Zen, his fourth album and a decade removed from his famous band, he embraced Zeppelin (“Tall Cool One” has a Led Zep vibe and Led Zep samples from “Whole Lotta Love,” “Black Dog,” and “Communication Breakdown”); the tour (I witnessed it) included songs from the Led Zeppelin catalog. Jimmy Page plays on a couple of Now and Zen tracks.

I orginally purchased this album on CD when it came out in 1988. CDs were a shiny new thing in the late 80s, as CD players and albums released in CD format hit the North American market in the spring of 1983. I got my first CD player around 1985. When Now and Zen was released, CD sales were surging worldwide and ultimately overtook vinyl LP sales for the first time that same year. However, cassettes were the dominant format in 1988 (about 55% of sales); CDs didn’t become the dominant format until 1992. Pre-recorded cassettes were convenient, but they had poor audio quality for several reasons (they were duplicated at 32x to 64x normal speed, used poor-quality tape stock, used slow playback, and used narrow tape). CDs were becoming the preferred choice for audiophiles.

When I bought Now and Zen, part of the novelty was that it was a “full digital recording” (as noted on the back of the album cover), although that would become the industry standard within the next year. Dire Straits Brothers in Arms (1985) was my first all-digital album (designated DDD for digital recording, digital mixing, and digital mastering). Most of the CDs I bought in the 80s were AAD (Analog recording, Analog mixing, Digital mastering) or ADD (Analog recording, Digital mixing/mastering). Brothers in Arms was tailored specifically for the CD format and became the first CD in history to sell over one million copies, single-handedly convincing millions of listeners to upgrade to CD players. I remember being as excited by the Now and Zen’s sonics as I was by the musical content.

Many years later, I picked up a used vinyl LP of Now and Zen (an original, not a reissue), and I recently accidentally bought a second vinyl edition (a mistake I used not to make – I must be getting old LOL). That second purchase has me revisiting Now and Zen. The vinyl edition omits “Walking Towards Paradise,” and the outro is slightly trimmed on “Tall Cool One” and “Helen of Troy” to keep the side length under 22 minutes (a common practice back in the day as CDs could hold more content than vinyl). The vinyl version sounds very similar to the CD; however, it is a touch warmer and has a less punchy low-end. The vinyl version is less fatiguing on the ears. Lossless streaming services have a Redbook (16-bit/44.2 kHz) of the 2006 remaster (with bonus material) that sounds better than both the original CD and LP. The remaster boosts the low end (bass and kick drum) and smooths out high-end digital harshness for more analog warmth.

Well enough of the audiophile nerd talk, what about the songs and performance? Despite revisiting the Zeppelin vibe, including some big guitar, the most distinctive texture is the synth and gated drums. Now and Zen is very much a product of its time: think In Through the Out Door meets Pet Shop Boys. Keyboardist Phil Johnston co-wrote 7 of the 10 tracks with Plant, and his keys play a major sonic role on the album. Lyrically, Plant pokes fun at his past and aging rock-god status on “Tall Cool One.” He contemplates mid-life romance on several songs. He trades rock-star swagger for middle-aged vulnerability on the gorgeous ballad “Ship of Fools.” Finally, he pokes fun at 80s consumerism on a few songs. It is an impressive album sonically and lyrically for an aging rock star (although he was only 40), especially given how many of his peers struggled in the 80s. Plant had more in common with Phil Collins in the 80s than with the rest of his classic rock class – those two managed to grow with the times. Plant fully embraced the era without seeming like he was trying to be hip – it came naturally to him. He kept reinventing himself throughout the rest of his career. Now and Zen is a standout in Plant’s post-Zeppelin career and an adventurous 80s pop-rock.

CD track list

1. “Heaven Knows” (4:06)

2. “Dance On My Own” (4:30)

3. “Tall Cool One” (5:12)

4. “The Way I Feel” (4: 07)

5. “Helen of Troy” (5:06)

6. “Billy’s Revenge” (3:34)

7. “Ship of Fools” (5:01)

8. “Why” (4:14)

9. “White, Clean and Neat” (5:28)

10. “Walking Towards Paradise” (4:40) (CD & Cassette Bonus Track)

Vinyl track list

Side A:

1. “Heaven Knows”

2. “Dance On My Own”

3. “Tall Cool One” (Slightly edited outro)

4. “The Way I Feel”

 Side B:

5. “Helen of Troy” (Slightly edited outro)

6. “Billy’s Revenge”

7. “Ship of Fools”

8. “Why”

9. “White, Clean and Neat”

Primary Band

 Robert Plant: Lead Vocals

 Doug Boyle: Guitars

 Phil Johnstone: Keyboards, Synthesizers & Programming

 Phil Scragg: Bass

 Chris Blackwell: Drums & Percussion

Guest Musicians & Additional Personnel

 Jimmy Page: Guitar Solos on “Heaven Knows” and “Tall Cool One”

 Kirsty MacColl: Backing Vocals

 Toni Halliday: Backing Vocals

 Marie Pierre: Backing Vocals

 David Barratt & Robert Crash: Additional Programming

 Jerry Wayne: Spoken Voice-Over on “White, Clean and Neat”

 Charlie Jones: Bass (Bonus live tracks on 2006 remaster) 

Although I am not much of a Genesis or Phil Collins fan, “In the Air Tonight” is one of my favorite songs. Although I have owned the Face Value LP since the early 80s, I have never explored the rest of the album. Bob Lefsetz recently wrote about the album, and his enthusiasm motivated me to give it a serious listen.

This is an amazing album, and I can’t believe I haven’t fully enjoyed it. In hindsight, it is an important record that rivals other great albums of the 80s.

The album was written during the breakup of his marriage and a Genesis hiatus. Genesis had already started to pivot from prog to pop with 1980’s Duke, but on Face Value, Collins went full-on pop. The album marked the start of ten years (the 80s) when you couldn’t get through a day without hearing Collins’ voice, either as a solo artist or with Genesis. He was a peer of other 80s icons like Michael Jackson, Prince, Madonna, and Bruce Springsteen.

The album opens with “In the Air Tonight,” which has one of the most famous drum parts in pop/rock music. The drum sound is called gated reverb. Hugh Padgham, a legendary English record producer and recording engineer, invented the sound by compressing an ambient drum mic to an extreme degree and using a noise gate to abruptly cut off the reverb tail. It first appeared on Peter Gabriel’s 1980 self-titled album (often called Melt), where Collins played drums. “In the Air Tonight” brought the sound to the masses. Lyrically, “In the Air Tonight” explores anger, betrayal, heartbreak, and emotional isolation. The vocal performance and music perfectly match the darkness of the lyrics. It is an atmospheric, moody masterpiece.

“This Must Be Love” is a ballad about new love. It has a prominent jazzy bass courtesy of Alphonso Johnson (Weather Report). A sweet contrast to “In the Air Tonight“

Collins covers himself by reimagining the prog opening track from Genesis’ Duke, “Behind the Lines,” as funk. It is a brilliant repurposing. It features The Phenix horns (Earth, Wind & Fire’s horn section) and Alphonso Johnson’s funky side.

“The Roof Is Leaking” changes the mood with Collins’ take on acoustic blues. Lyrically, a farm family struggling in a dilapidated house mirrors Collins’ failing marriage.

“Droned” is an atmospheric transitional instrumental to the upbeat instrumental “Hand in Hand” featuring a children’s choir and Phenix horns to close side one.

Side two opens with Phenix horns-driven R&B “I Missed Again” – A punchy, horn-driven R&B track. This was a top 20 hit for Collins. Collins is poking fun at messing up his marriage.

“You Know What I Mean” is a sparse, heartbreaking piano ballad that avoids being schmaltzy.

“Thunder and Lightning” is an upbeat R&B number with the Phenix horns. Lyrically, it captures the excitement of a relationship and contrasts it with when that same relationship falls apart.

“I’m Not Moving” is an atmospheric, synth-driven number with highly processed vocals.

“If Leaving Me Is Easy” – A gorgeous but heartbreaking ballad with a light jazz vibe, featuring prominent sax and bass. It expresses the exhausted acceptance that a relationship is over.

“Tomorrow Never Knows” is an experimental, heavily tape-looped cover of the Beatles classic (which was pretty experimental in its own right).

This is an impressive debut and set the table for Collins 80s superstardom. Collins took a low point in his life and transcended it with an amazing piece of art. I am embarrassed that I did not dive into this album properly 45 years ago.

The 2016 24-bit/96 kHz remaster on Tidal sounds fantastic, as does my original vinyl.

Elektra/Musician was a short-lived jazz label in the early 1980s, led by Bruce Lundvall (previously at Columbia; he later revived Blue Note). I have about a third of their catalog.

Steps Ahead was an acoustic-electric jazz-fusion supergroup co-founded by vibraphonist Mike Mainieri and legendary tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker.

Another find from the “new used” bin at Dusty Groove. It was graded Very Good+, but is closer to Near Mint and is fairly priced at $5.99 (the median sales price on Discogs is $6.68).

This is one of their most controversial albums given its extensive use of synths. I am a big fan of Michael Brecker, and his tenor is a brilliant foil to the synth textures. The instrumental album is deceptively light jazz, but Brecker’s sax and Mainieri’s vibes soar throughout. It has a strong 80s pop vibe (the jazzier side of Prince or Phil Collins), but I dig that rather than find it dated. This isn’t challenging jazz (think the lighter side of Weather Report), nor is it smooth jazz. Enjoy it for what it is: tastefully arty musical wallpaper.

Streaming platforms feature the Warner Music/Rhino remastered master, derived from the 2005 24-bit digital archives (presented in CD quality).

I was in Chicago, stopped by Dusty Groove, and found this album in the “new used” crate. With tenor saxophonist Houston Person, the provocative cover art (by Hal Wilson), the Muse label, the sidemen, and the reasonable price ($8.99-$9.36 is the median price on Discogs), I snatched it up. Based on the album art, the era (1977), the players, and the label, I assumed it would be soul jazz (it is). Turns out it is a well-regarded album and was never reissued digitally (on CD or streaming), so it is a nice find. It is in very good condition as advertised (plays without skipping, but features noticeable cosmetic wear and audible surface noise).

I really like the album as it is smooth without being smooth jazz. Houston Person always has a great tone, and it really shines on this album, backed by a soulful rhythm section: organist Sonny Phillips, drummer Idris Muhammad, and guitarist Jimmy Ponder. Person is underrated in the jazz world, but I’ve liked everything I have ever listened to. He has a unique ability to be a legitimate jazz cat while still being approachable and easy to listen to, without being easy listening.

Per the liner notes (Russ Chase, Record Review Editor, IAJRC JOURNAL):

Whether you hear Houston Person in person or via recordings, the first reaction is to marvel at the glorious floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall sound that he generates, apparently effortlessly. It is one of the more awesome that you are likely to ever hear, filled with the explosive power and, to use an old but appropriately descriptive phrase, the bursting-at-the-seams emotion that evokes the jazz sound. Once you have assimilated his tone, you’ll be boggled by the prodigious technique.

Players:

Houston Person – Tenor Saxophone  

 Bill Hardman – Trumpet  

 Sonny Phillips – Organ  

 Jimmy Ponder – Guitar  

 Idris Muhammad – Drums  

 Larry Killian – Congas, Percussion  

Produced by Houston Person and recorded September 12, 1977, at Van Gelder Studio (engineered by Rudy Van Gelder).

Tracklist:

Side A

1. “Preachin’ and Teachin‘” (Sonny Phillips) — 7:40

2. “Dameron” (Tadd Dameron) — 7:30

Side B

1. “Wildflower” (Doug Edwards & Dave Richardson) — 6:50

2. “Ain’t Misbehavin’” (Fats Waller, Harry Brooks, Andy Razaf) — 6:00

3. “My Romance” (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) — 5:30

Not available on streaming services.

In the 70s, you often found a “loudness button” on integrated amps, receivers, and preamps (like the one on my entry-to-the-hi-fi-world receiver above).  I always thought the term “loudness” was odd because the loudness button was meant to enhance the equipment’s sound at lower volumes.  Back then, I didn’t know the purpose of the loudness button; I could tell it made things sound better at low volume, so I was using the feature correctly by accident.

I’ve been thinking about loudness recently, since the Schiit Mimir DAC I bought included a digital tone-control plug-in (Forkbeard) with a loudness feature.  Now that I am a more experienced audiophile, I understand the purpose of loudness, and it is a really important feature to me, as I like to listen to music at low volumes.  The loudness feature on my Schiit Mimir is wonderful; it makes my stereo sound much fuller at the lower volumes I enjoy.  The fact that it is adjustable is even better; I usually set it to 50%, since 100% is way too much bass for my ears. 

But I really had no idea why loudness is pleasing.  I assume it was just a random equalizer curve designed to enhance the bass.  Out of the blue, Arizona Audio Visual Club member David Snyder texted me about a project to add a loudness feature to his DIY digital streaming solution. David provided me with a link to the project (here is an additional link to the companion web app David published). The documentation included a technical explanation of loudness.  He also included a video by the successful (nearly half a million subscribers) audiophile YouTuber Randy Parker (whose YouTube channel is cheapaudioman) on the subject.  David also has an article on the subject in a reputable audio magazine.

Loudness isn’t random; it’s intentional and backed by science.  I won’t duplicate what David’s documentation and the YouTube video say. Still, the short explanation is that loudness is designed to counteract the human ear’s natural loss of sensitivity to low and high frequencies at lower volumes (based on the Fletcher-Munson/ISO 226 curves – see image below).  Mastering engineers generally use a reference level of 83-85 dB when assessing tonal balance and EQ in the studio. To hear what they intended, we must either use the same reference level for playback (which is loud) or compensate for how human hearing perceives sound at low volume. If you’re interested in learning more, I recommend watching the video and reading David’s document.