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'''''Now and Zen''''' is an album by the former [[Led Zeppelin]] singer [[Robert Plant]], released in 1988 via the record label Es Paranza. The album spawned two [[Mainstream Rock Tracks|mainstream rock]] hits, "Heaven Knows" (Number 1 for six weeks) and "Tall Cool One" (Number 1 for four weeks).
'''''Now and Zen''''' is an album by the former [[Led Zeppelin]] singer [[Robert Plant]], released in 1988 via the record label Es Paranza. The album spawned two [[Mainstream Rock Tracks|mainstream rock]] hits, "Heaven Knows" (Number 1 for six weeks) and "Tall Cool One" (Number 1 for four weeks).


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Now and Zen
NZalbum1988.jpg
Type Studio album
Artist Robert Plant
Release Date 29 February 1988
Recorded October - November 1987 at
Swanyard Studios, London
Marcus Studios, London.
Mixed at Swanyard Studios, London.
Genre Hard rock, rock
Language English
Length 46 min 59 sec
Label Es Paranza Records
Catalogue Es Paranza 90863-1 (US), Es Paranza 790 863-1 (UK)
Producer Robert Plant, Tim Palmer, and Phil Johnstone
Engineer Rob Bozas & Martin Russell

Now and Zen is an album by the former Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant, released in 1988 via the record label Es Paranza. The album spawned two mainstream rock hits, "Heaven Knows" (Number 1 for six weeks) and "Tall Cool One" (Number 1 for four weeks).

Overview

With a new band and a new perspective on his music, Plant returned in late 1987 with more of the sound that had previously defined him in Led Zeppelin. Although Plant continued to utilise computerised audio technology in a similar fashion to his previous solo albums, for this album Plant re-integrated blues-rock that had all but been deserted on his previous release Shaken 'n' Stirred (1985).[1] Plant, who often uses mysterious and mystical lyrics, writes some of his most direct songs, and the way in which the lyrics complement the melodic arrangements are partially responsible for the commercial success of Now and Zen. A prominent guitar and an exotic texture to the recordings also marked another transformation in Plant's sound, who now added Middle Eastern colouration in compositions like "Heaven Knows". This is a musical direction that he would eventually return to in the mid-1990s with the Page and Plant project.

This album is also notable in that it marks his first collaboration with keyboardist Phil Johnstone, who would continue to play and write with Plant on subsequent albums. The tracks "Heaven Knows" and "Tall Cool One" featured Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page (On the liner notes, Page's participation on the recordings were noted with a ZoSo symbol).[2] In response to the Beastie Boys' unauthorised sampling of Led Zeppelin songs on their 1986 album Licensed to Ill, Plant also sampled Led Zeppelin songs ("Whole Lotta Love", "The Ocean", "Black Dog", and "Custard Pie") on "Tall Cool One", additionally singing lyrics from "When the Levee Breaks".[3] "Walking Towards Paradise" was originally a bonus track available only on CD versions of the album. Rhino Entertainment eventually released a remastered edition of the album, with bonus tracks, on 3 April 2007.

Plant performed "Ship of Fools", "Tall Cool One" and "Heaven Knows" at the Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary concert in 1988. "Ship of Fools" was also featured on the final two-hour episode of Miami Vice titled "Freefall".

In an interview he gave to Uncut magazine in 2005, Plant commented:

“ By the time Now and Zen came out in '89, it looked like I was big again. It was a Top 10 album on both sides of the Atlantic. But if I listen to it now, I can hear that a lot of the songs got lost in the technology of the time.[4] ”
Album information

1988 Track listing:

  • Side 1:
  1. "Heaven Knows" (Phil Johnstone, David Barrett) – 4:02
  2. "Dance on My Own" (Robert Plant, Phil Johnstone, Robert Crash) – 4:31
  3. "Tall Cool One" (Robert Plant, Phil Johnstone) – 4:37
  4. "The Way I Feel" (Robert Plant, Phil Johnstone, Doug Boyle) – 5:39
  • Side 2:
  1. "Helen of Troy" (Robert Plant, Phil Johnstone) - 5:03
  2. "Billy's Revenge" (Robert Plant, Phil Johnstone) – 3:33
  3. "Ship of Fools" (Robert Plant, Phil Johnstone) – 4:59
  4. "Why" (Robert Plant, Robert Crash) – 4:12
  5. "White, Clean and Neat" (Robert Plant, Phil Johnstone) – 5:28

Chart positions

Album

Chart (1988) Peak Position
Norwegian Albums Chart[5] 12
UK Albums Chart[6] 10
Swedish Albums Chart[7] 18
Canadian RPM Top 100 Chart[8] 4
US Billboard The 200 Albums Chart[9] 6
Australian ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart[10] 27
German Albums Chart[11] 48
New Zealand RIANZ Top 40 Albums Chart 7

Singles

Year Single Chart Position
1988 "Heaven Knows" UK Singles Chart[12] 33
1988 "Heaven Knows" US Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart[13] 1
1988 "Heaven Knows" Canadian RPM Top 100 Chart[14] 65
1988 "Tall Cool One" US Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart[15] 1
1988 "Tall Cool One" UK Singles Chart[16] 87
1988 "Tall Cool One" Australian ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart[17] 47
1988 "Tall Cool One" US Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart[18] 25
1988 "Tall Cool One" Canadian RPM Top 100 Chart[19] 15
1988 "Tall Cool One" US Cash Box Top 100 Singles Chart[20] 31
1988 "Ship of Fools" US Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart[21] 3
1988 "Ship of Fools" US Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart[22] 84
1988 "Dance on My Own" US Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart[23] 10
1989 "Walking Towards Paradise" US Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart[24] 39

Sales certifications

Album

Country Sales Certification
United States (RIAA) 3,000,000+ 3× Multi-Platinum[25]

Credits

Personnel
  • Musicians:
    • Robert Plant - vocals, producer
    • Jimmy Page – lead guitar ("Heaven Knows" and "Tall Cool One")
    • Phil Johnstone - keyboards, producer
    • Doug Boyle - guitar
    • Phil Scragg - bass guitar
    • Chris Blackwell - drums, percussion
  • Additional musicians:
    • David Barrett - programming, keyboards, engineer
    • Robert Crash - programming
    • Marie Pierre - backing vocals
    • Toni Halliday - backing vocals
    • Kirsty MacColl - backing vocals
    • Jerry Wayne - background voice ("White, Clean and Neat")
  • Production:
    • Tim Palmer - producer
    • Bob Bozas - engineer
    • Martin Russell - engineer
    • Jonathan Dee - engineer
    • Michael Gregovich - engineer
    • Tim Burrell - engineer
    • Richard Evans - design, art direction
    • Davies & Starr - photography

Notes

  1. ↑ Daniels, Neil (2008). Robert Plant: Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page & The Solo Years, 1st. Church Stretton, Shropshire: Independent Music Press, 122. ISBN 0-9552822-7-6. 
  2. ↑ Case, George (2007). Jimmy Page: Magus, Musician, Man - An Unauthorized Biography, 1st. New York: Hal Leonard, 174. ISBN 1-4234-0407-1. 
  3. ↑ Lewis, Dave (2004). Led Zeppelin: The Complete Guide to Their Music, 1st Edition. London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 1-84449-141-2. 
  4. ↑ Williamson, Nigel. "Good Times...Bad Times", Uncut, May 2005, p. 62.
  5. ↑ Top 40 Albums - 6 March 1988. norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved on 2009-01-17.
  6. ↑ Top 100 Albums - 12 March 1988. chartstats.com. Retrieved on 2009-01-17.
  7. ↑ Top 60 Albums - 16 March 1988. swedishcharts.com. Retrieved on 2009-01-17.
  8. ↑ RPM Albums Chart - 9 April 1988. RPM. Retrieved on 2009-01-17.
  9. ↑ The Billboard 200 - 21 May 1988. Billboard. Retrieved on 2009-01-17.
  10. ↑ Top 50 Albums - 3 July 1988. ARIA. Retrieved on 2009-01-17.
  11. ↑ Top 100 Albums - July 1988. charts-surfer.de. Retrieved on 2009-01-19.
  12. ↑ Top 100 Singles - 13 February 1988. chartstats.com. Retrieved on 2009-01-19.
  13. ↑ Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks - 20 February 1988. Billboard. Retrieved on 2009-01-19.
  14. ↑ RPM Singles Chart - 9 April 1988. RPM. Retrieved on 2009-01-19.
  15. ↑ Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks - 9 April 1988. Billboard. Retrieved on 2009-01-19.
  16. ↑ Top 100 Singles - 30 April 1988. chartstats.com. Retrieved on 2009-01-19.
  17. ↑ Top 50 Singles - 26 June 1988. ARIA. Retrieved on 2009-01-19.
  18. ↑ Hot 100 Singles - 2 July 1988. Billboard. Retrieved on 2009-01-19.
  19. ↑ RPM Singles Chart - 9 July 1988. RPM. Retrieved on 2009-01-19.
  20. ↑ Top 100 Singles - 9 July 1988. Cash Box. Retrieved on 2009-01-19.
  21. ↑ Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks - 11 June 1988. Billboard. Retrieved on 2009-04-20.
  22. ↑ Hot 100 Singles - 3 September 1988. Billboard. Retrieved on 2009-01-19.
  23. ↑ Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks - 13 August 1988. Billboard. Retrieved on 2009-04-20.
  24. ↑ Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks - 14 January 1989. Billboard. Retrieved on 2009-04-20.
  25. ↑ RIAA.org Now and Zen - 7 September 2001. RIAA. Retrieved on 2009-04-20.
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