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Burning Down One Side
Rock · 1982

Burning Down One Side

Robert Plant

Sharp, rhythmic rock marking a legend's solo rebirth. Phil Collins' powerhouse drumming meets Plant's restrained, tense vocals in a sleek eighties production.

September 1982 · Swan Song

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Burning Down One Side represents the sound of a man shedding the weight of a massive legacy to find a new, leaner pulse. Released as the lead single from his debut solo album, Pictures at Eleven, it is a masterclass in early eighties studio craft. The track is propelled by a muscular, precise drum performance from Phil Collins, which provides a stark contrast to the heavy, swinging thunder of Plant's previous band. This is rock music that has been tightened, polished, and stripped of its mystical excess, replaced by a nervous, driving energy that feels both sophisticated and urgent.

Moments Worth Listening For
The explosive entry of the drums after the initial guitar lick which signals a clean break from the past
Plant's sudden, sharp vocal yelp that bridges the middle eight and the final chorus
The way the guitar solo mirrors the vocal melody with a glassy, chorus-drenched tone that defines the early eighties aesthetic
Where This Album DepartsEach spoke is a trait. The orange shape shows where this album pulls away from — or holds to — the rest of the artist’s catalogue. Tap for more.

How does Burning Down One Side sound next to the rest of Robert Plant's catalogue?

Defiant+3.2σ

Defiant saturates this record far more than the artist's norm.

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