The best songs in an artist’s repertoire are always a work in progress. Everyone from Brian Wilson to Pete Townshend has seen some of their best material left on the cutting room floor because they couldn’t get it together. It’s always difficult to get the sounds you’re hearing in your head onto the vinyl, no matter how many overdubs they put on the final track. Robert Plant believed that “Carouselambra” was one of Led Zeppelin’s greatest lost opportunities. He was proud, however, that the song had at least been released.
However, Zeppelin had already transformed In Through the Out Door. They had started eschewing many of their operatic sounds for something different since Physical Graffiti. Following “Achilles Last Stand,” it seemed inevitable that the band’s heyday would take a different turn.
It was evident that the group was working on two different pages when creating this album, even though Presence caught everyone off guard. Jimmy Page’s guitar remains a prominent feature on songs like “Fool in the Rain.” However, in the final mix, John Paul Jones plays a synthesizer known as “The Dream Machine.” It is far more dominant and provides the main solo in the middle of the song “All My Love.”
The enormous production didn’t have to end just because they had a new toy. Yes, there have been many instances that have infuriated fans of Led Zeppelin, such as “Hot Dog.” However, songs like “In the Evening” demonstrated that combining the two styles was successful. And since “Carouselambra” was supposed to be this enormous composition, it would have been much simpler to combine all of the group’s musical elements into one cohesive whole, right?
Yes and no, then. Because although the song is passable for what it is, their two distinct sounds don’t always complement one another. Page’s guitar solos on “All My Love” were excellent. However, throughout the song’s ten minutes, it feels like the instruments just stand awkwardly next to each other. They don’t seem to work together harmoniously.
The inability to stand out from the mix like on the previous albums, in Plant’s opinion, was the greatest sin. He stated, “There were some excellent parts of ‘Carouselambra,’ especially the dark minor dirges that Pagey developed.” The lyrics were about that setting and circumstance, so I regret it now. That song tells the whole story of Led Zeppelin in its later years, and I can’t even make out the lyrics.”
Even though it’s easy to overlook a few mediocre vocals on the previous album when Plant was performing from a wheelchair, leaving him out front feels like a huge step backward. The performer in question is the same one who delivered those incredible yelps in the middle of “How Many More Times.” However, all the other instruments in the mix appear to bury his voice.
“Kashmir” gradually brought attention to each instrument, showcasing Led Zeppelin’s evolving sound. However, it also marked the beginning of the band’s later challenges. Led Zeppelin’s production quality on some albums is debatable. However, their legacy is likely stronger because they disbanded after John Bonham’s death.
