The Principle of Moments
1983 studio album by Robert Plant
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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 on five of the album's eight songs (as he did on Pictures at Eleven). On two tracks former Jethro Tull drummer Barriemore Barlow performed and on the closing track, "Big Log", Gerald Woodroffe programmed a Roland TR-808 drum machine.
| The Principle of Moments | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 15 July 1983[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1983 | |||
| Studio | Rockfield Studios (Monmouth, Wales) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 38:50 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
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| Robert Plant chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Principle of Moments | ||||
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| Review scores | |
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| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Rolling Stone | [3] |
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. 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.
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
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Other Arms" | 4:20 | |
| 2. | "In the Mood" |
| 5:19 |
| 3. | "Messin' with the Mekon" |
| 4:40 |
| 4. | "Wreckless Love" |
| 5:18 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5. | "Thru' with the Two Step" |
| 5:33 |
| 6. | "Horizontal Departure" |
| 4:19 |
| 7. | "Stranger Here... Than Over There" |
| 4:18 |
| 8. | "Big Log" |
| 5:03 |
| Total length: | 38:50 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9. | "In the Mood" (Live) |
| 7:35 |
| 10. | "Thru' with the Two Step" (Live) |
| 11:11 |
| 11. | "Lively Up Yourself" (Live) | Bob Marley | 3:04 |
| 12. | "Turnaround" |
| 4:55 |
- Live tracks: recorded at The Summit in Houston, Texas on 20 September 1983.
Personnel
- Robert Plant – vocals
- Jezz Woodroffe – keyboards, synthesizers, Roland TR-808 (8)
- Robbie Blunt – guitars
- Bob Mayo – guitars (9–11)
- Paul Martinez – bass guitar
- Phil Collins – drums (1–3, 5, 6, 8, all bonus tracks)
- Barriemore Barlow – drums (4, 7)
- John David – backing vocals
- Ray Martinez – backing vocals
Production
- Robert Plant – producer, mixing
- Benji Lefevre – producer, mixing
- Pat Moran – producer, mixing, engineer
- Storm Thorgerson – sleeve design
- APP – sleeve design
Remastering credits
- Dan Hersch – remastering (1–8)
- Bill Inglot – remastering (1–8)
- Raj Das – remastering and renovating (9–12)
- Nicola Powell – supervision
- Bill Curbishley – management
- Ed Vulliamy – liner notes
- DigiPrep (Hollywood, California, USA) and RAK Studios (London, UK) – remastering locations
Chart performance
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[11][12] | Gold | 35,000^ |
| Canada (Music Canada)[13] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[14] | Platinum | 15,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[15] | Gold | 100,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[16] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
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^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||