When Robert Plant made his first solo album, I didn’t know what to think. I was expecting Zeppelin, but he threw a curve. Something that grew on me, and later I realized if Plant went back to Zeppelin style music, he wouldn’t have lasted long. I got my first car in 1983, and I was riding in style in my 1966 Mustang. Big Log is one of the first songs I remembered playing in that car. I have followed Plant ever since the Pictures at Eleven album.
This song came out in 1988 on the album Now and Zen, a record that gave Plant a major commercial comeback in America after a few years of uneven sales. The song was built around a rocking riff and a big arena-rock sound, but Plant and producer Tim Palmer also loaded it with Zeppelin history. He was trying to combine modern production with older rock influences.
I thought at the time, he was finally embracing his history and adding it to his approach. The music video made that clear by mixing old clips of Led Zeppelin with new footage of Plant performing. It shocked some fans because he had spent years distancing himself from Zeppelin. Sampling music was huge at this time, and the lawsuits were flying from older bands that were sampled. Plant didn’t have to worry about that in this one. He sampled his own Led Zeppelin catalog, including Black Dog, Whole Lotta Love, Dazed and Confused, Custard Pie, and The Ocean.
MTV played the clip constantly, and the song became one of Plant’s biggest solo hits, helping Now and Zen climb up the charts. The album peaked at #6 on the Billboard Album Charts, #4 in Canada, #7 in New Zealand, and #10 in the UK in 1988. The song peaked at #1 on Billboard Mainstream Rock Charts, #25 on the Billboard 100 Charts, and #87 in the UK, and #22 in New Zealand.
Long Cool One
Like a cat running in the heat of the night
Got a fire in my eyes, got a date with delight
Some kinda moaning in the heart of the storm
I’m gonna love you so hard, if you want your loving done
Lighten up baby I’m in love with you
With my one hand loose I am to satisfy
You like my loving machine, I like your bloodshot eyes
Real gone girl jumping back with the beat
I’ll be your tall cool one with those crazy feet
Lighten up baby I’m in love with you
I’m so tall and you’re so cute, let’s play wild like wildcats do
You’re gonna rock your tall cool one
I’m gonna say that – you’re gonna say – aaah
You stroll, you jump, you’re hot and you tease
‘Cause I’m your tall cool one, and I’m built to please
M-m-move over mister step on back in the crowd
‘Cause she’s a whole lotta sister ’bout to drive me wild
Lotta place I’ve seen, lotta names lotta words
No one compares to my real gone girl
Lighten up baby I’m in love with you
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Wow, unlike “Big Log,” I didn’t know “Tall Cool One!” It sounds interesting and definitely a combo of ’80s sound production and Plant’s classic rock roots with Led Zeppelin. As somebody who considers Zep as one of their favorite bands, I really should know more about Plant’s solo output. I’ve primarily listened to some of his excellent work with Alison Krauss and some of his other later catalog.
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I liked his earlier solo/Honeydrippers material better but this one still is ok, it was just a little too gimmicky for me with the samples and all. Seems like it would’ve been an alright song for the Honeydrippers to have given their stylings too
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Stylings ‘to’ that should be
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I like the fact he brought in some Zeppelin instead of ignoring that part of his past. The reason he put those samples in were because other artists were doing it without paying the original artists at that point. That would change though.
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somehow, given LZ’s history, it’s kind of fitting he didn’t give Page any songwriting credit for the parts that he sampled
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Yea…because I don’t think Robert would have held back credits like Page did. They called Page “Led Wallet”
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I like the song, but I don’t think I would like to be at a concert where the audience was line dancing
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Yea that was strange!
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I quite liked this album, it’s tighter than his first two which I felt were a bit scattershot (I liked Shaken ‘n Stirred but it’s got a very dated 80s sound). Ship of Fools is a lovely track too.
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I agree with you with Shaken n’ Stirred…it’s too much of that over production that the 80s were known for.
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I pretty much like everything he’s done. Including this one. Plant doesnt stand still. Putting out consistent quality music.
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Yes he does…it was hard deciding on one…If I Was A Carpenter almost won out. I like his version and Bob Segers version of the song. So many good ones to pick from.
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I can pretty well pick any album he’s done and find so many gems. The guys got it happening. Doesnt seem to have any dry spells.
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I also like that rockabilly stuff he has done…and this song is rooted in it.
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tall cool one fits into a lot of the playlists I put together, it’s just such a cool mix….it seems that since Zeppelin Plant has been looking for something….exploring….like the work he’s done with Alison Krauss ‘killing the blues’ ….just thinking, wasn’t Plant more of a folk singer at one point before Led Zeppelin?
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Yes he was more of a California style folk for a while in the Band of Joy I believe.
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