"Big Log" by Robert Plant

Song#:  1556
Date:  08/06/1983
Debut:  86
Peak:  20
Weeks:  16
Genre:  Rock



Pop Bits:  Plant kicked off his post-Zeppelin career with his debut solo effort Pictures at Eleven. The album was a solid hit reaching #5 and going platinum. Pop singles were hard to come by ("Burning Down One Side" at #64 and "Pledge Pin" at #74), but Rock radio embraced several songs. It set the stage for his second album The Principle of Moments. This first single was another Rock hit for him reaching #6. At Pop, the languid ballad was a better fit than his previous rock singles and it became Plant's biggest hit reaching #20. It would help the album become another platinum success reaching #8.

ReduxReview:  I found this to be an odd song when it came out. I didn't like it all that much, but I didn't hate it either. If its slinky groove came on the radio, I'd listen. However, there was nothing that enticed me any further. I think the most memorable part of the song is the guitar melody, which is pretty sweet. I can get into it more these days as it does set a mysterious mood quite well. It's a good midnight, top-down, cruising song on a hot summer night on an empty road - all along and thinking of past loves...

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) Six of the eight tracks on The Principle of Moments featured Phil Collins on drums, including this track. When Plant toured the US in the fall of 1983, Collins went along with him and played drums in the band. Despite have major success at the time with Genesis and as a solo act, Collins remained simply as the hired drummer and did not perform any of his own material during the tour.  2) So, what's with the title? It doesn't appear in the song nor does it seem to relate to the lyrics in any way. One interpretation is that the title comes from the term used for the log book that truckers used to record their hours on the road. With lyrics that open as "My love is in league with the freeway," it seems there is a correlation between time spent on the road and time spent in a relationship and Plant is reflecting on the time spent with his former love - via the big log.

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