Go Big or Go Home - "Big Log"

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A skilled songwriter can pull a hit song out of any experience, it seems. In his post-Led Zeppelin solo career, vocalist Robert Plant went the trio route, wanting a “big sound without sounding heavy and tough.” Which brings us to “Big Log,” a hit single from his second album, 1983’s The Principal of Moments. So what could “Big Log” be? What metaphor? What an odd name for a song title? The answer is quite simple. Plant and his band, guitarist Robbie Blunt and keyboardist Jezz Woodroffe, were holed up in Monmouth, Wales, working on the album, in the middle of winter. They had run out of firewood, all that was left was a downed tree. They moved the end of the tree into their fire and burned the tree slowly. A Big Log, if you will. Neither “big” nor “log” appear in the lyrics. It’s really not even about the fire, it’s a title only. Furthermore, while Phil Collins played drums on five of the album’s songs, there is no drummer on “Big Log.” The drumming is courtesy of a drum machine, programmed by Woodroffe. The single did quite well, reaching the Top 10 in five countries (Top 5 in four of those,) reached #11 in Plant’s native U.K., and #20 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was Plant’s highest-charting single in the U.S. Fun Fact: In 2004, bassist Viktor Krause covered the song. Three years later, Plant would begin recording with Viktor's sister, Alison (who performed the vocals on the cover.) Put another log on the fire. Link is to the official promotional video: