Organic Music Society

Now and Zen is the most conspicuously '80s-sounding album of all of Robert Plant’s solo works. (For one, the moody, atmospheric ballad “Ship of Fools” was the soundtrack for Crockett and Tubbs’ last speedboat ride on the finale of TV's Miami Vice in 1988.) On the other hand, it's also the solo album most closely tied to Led Zeppelin's legacy, as Jimmy Page appears on “Heaven Knows” and “Tall Cool One,” the latter of which incorporates samples of “Whole Lotta Love,” “The Ocean,” “Black Dog," and “Custard Pie.” Both songs were No. 1 hits in the U.S., and Plant found himself suddenly relevant again at a time when INXS and Guns ‘N Roses ruled the airwaves. Though the layered, synthesizer-heavy production may seem dated, it works exceedingly well on catchy tunes like “The Way I Feel,” “Helen of Troy," and “Why,” any one of which might have been a hit single had they been recorded by anyone but the former lead singer of Led Zeppelin. Among the bonus tracks is a steamy, extended concert recording of “Ship of Fools” that lives up to Zeppelin’s legendary live jams.