Presence (album)
Led Zeppelin's seventh album, recorded in 18 days during crisis.
Presence is the seventh studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released on 31 March 1976 in the United States and on 2 April 1976 in the United Kingdom. It reached number one on both the British and American album charts and received a triple-platinum certification in the United States, though it is the band's lowest-selling album. The record was written and recorded during a difficult period in late 1975, while singer Robert Plant recovered from serious injuries sustained in a car accident.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Led Zeppelin
- Released
- 31 March 1976
- Recorded
- November 1975
- Studio
- Musicland
- Munich
- West Germany
- Genre
- Hard rock; blues rock
- Length
- 44:47
- Label
- Swan Song
- Producer
- Jimmy Page
Facts from the source article.
Track listing
Side one
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Achilles Last Stand | 10:26 | |
| 2 | For Your Life | 6:21 | |
| 3 | Royal Orleans | Page, Plant, John Paul Jones, John Bonham | 2:58 |
Side two
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nobody's Fault but Mine | 6:27 |
| 2 | Candy Store Rock | 4:10 |
| 3 | Hots on for Nowhere | 4:42 |
| 4 | Tea for One | 9:27 |
| Total length | 44:19 | |
Deluxe edition bonus disc (2015)
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Two Ones Are Won (Achilles Last Stand) | 10:28 | |
| 2 | For Your Life | 6:28 | |
| 3 | 10 Ribs & All/Carrot Pod Pod (Pod) | Jones, Page | 6:49 |
| 4 | Royal Orleans | Bonham, Jones, Page, Plant | 3:00 |
| 5 | Hots on for Nowhere | 4:44 | |
| Total length | 31:32 | ||
Track listing from the source article.
Recording
The group recorded at Musicland Studios in Munich, Germany, which Jimmy Page considered state-of-the-art. Robert Plant sang his vocals from a wheelchair while still recovering from his accident, and Page assumed most session responsibilities. Keith Harwood engineered and mixed the album. The entire recording and mixing process took 18 days, finishing on 27 November, making it the band's fastest turnaround since their debut. The rushed schedule partly resulted from Led Zeppelin booking the studio just before the Rolling Stones, who arrived to record Black and Blue. Page negotiated two extra days from the Stones to complete all guitar overdubs in one marathon session. Page and Harwood worked nearly non-stop on mixes, with whoever woke up first continuing at the desk; Page later said he worked 18–20 hours daily. Plant found the basement studio claustrophobic and missed his family, and he began re-evaluating his priorities. The album was completed one day before Thanksgiving; Plant suggested calling it Thanksgiving, but the title Presence was chosen to represent the powerful force the band felt.
Songs
Six of the seven songs are credited to Page and Plant; the exception is 'Royal Orleans', credited to all four band members. Most songs were formulated in Malibu, where Page joined the recuperating Plant. Page's playing dominates the album, which was planned as a return to hard rock with greater complexity. The album marks a shift toward straightforward, guitar-based jams, with no keyboards and, except for a rhythm track on 'Candy Store Rock', no acoustic guitar. Page said the music came from spontaneity; Plant described it as 'a cry of survival'. The ten-minute opener 'Achilles Last Stand' was first recorded on 12 November; John Paul Jones played an Alembic 8-string bass, and Page added six guitars during his overdubbing session. 'For Your Life' was developed mostly in the studio, with Page using a Fender Stratocaster lent by former Byrds guitarist Gene Parsons. 'Royal Orleans' was written about an incident involving Jones at the Royal Orleans Hotel in New Orleans and includes a reference to soul singer Barry White. 'Nobody's Fault but Mine' was inspired by the Blind Willie Johnson song 'It's Nobody's Fault but Mine', first recorded in 1928. 'Candy Store Rock' was inspired by 1950s rock 'n' roll.
Packaging and artwork
The album's cover and inner sleeve, designed by Hipgnosis and George Hardie, show people interacting with a black obelisk called "The Object." It was meant to symbolize Led Zeppelin's "force and presence." Storm Thorgerson of Hipgnosis said the obelisk stood for the band's power, explaining they were "so powerful, they didn't need to be there." Jimmy Page and Robert Plant both noted that the object in the photos made viewers question reality, mirroring the music. The cover's background is a fake marina built in London's Earl's Court arena for the 1974–75 Boat Show; the band performed there in May 1975. Inner sleeve images came from stock photos, styled like a National Geographic article. The back cover girl, Samantha Gates, also appeared on the Houses of the Holy cover. Hipgnosis and Hardie received a Grammy nomination for Best Album Package in 1977.
Release and reception
The album was released on 31 March 1976, delayed by completion of the sleeve. In Britain it had one of the highest advance orders ever, shipping gold on release day. It entered at No. 2 and peaked at No. 1 on the US Billboard Pop Albums chart. It was the band's lowest-selling album, overshadowed by the release of the film and soundtrack The Song Remains the Same. 'Candy Store Rock' was released as a US single but did not chart. Contemporary reviews were mixed: Stephen Davis in Rolling Stone called it 'another monster' and said it 'established Led Zeppelin as the premier heavy metal act', while Robert Christgau in The Village Voice found much of it 'consistent but unnecessary'. Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph gave it two stars out of five, calling it 'Zeppelin at their most blunted'. A Q critic wrote, 'Presence sounds as rushed as it was.' Journalist Dave Lewis believed the album was underrated, noting its music 'packs a considerable punch'. Mick Wall said it 'pulled Led Zeppelin back from the brink of crisis'. A remastered version was reissued on 31 July 2015 in six formats, with deluxe editions including bonus material and a previously unreleased instrumental, '10 Ribs & All/Carrot Pod Pod'.
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