Presence

The seventh album by Led Zeppelin, 'Presence' tends to suffer from being the one straight after the masterpiece that was 'Physical Graffiti'. While it doesn't match up to that album it is still an essential listen. Known to be the favourite of Jimmy Page, it's important to recognize the circumstances in which it was made. Recorded during a particularly difficult time for the band, and for Robert Plant especially, it is for this reason that Page in particular regards this album as a triumph against adversity. The production is deliberately hard and loud and is Zeppelin going back to basics. No keyboards or orchestras on the final track listing, just guitar, bass and drums played by musicians at the top of their game. The new deluxe edition continues the good work done by Jimmy Page and John Davis, with the welcome return of the longer mix of 'Nobody's Fault But Mine' that appeared in 1990 and was then ditched for all subsequent re-issues which reverted the track back to it's original vinyl length. Note also a longer fade out on the monumental opener 'Achilles Last Stand'. As for the bonus disc, it must be said that for an album with so little outtake material there is actually some essential stuff here. Zeppelin forums are already full of discussion about the alternate mix of 'Royal Orleans', containing as it does a bizarre vocal that appears to be John Bonham (Jimmy Page has said it's Plant but that can't be the case) and the mysterious '10 Ribs & All/Carrot Pod Pod (Pod). This latter track is a huge surprise - A beautiful, piano-led instrumental that sounds like it belongs on the end credits of a movie (If it isn't used soon I'd be very surprised) it's worth the price of the deluxe edition alone. The other alternate mixes are interesting but not radically different. Still great to have though. As pointed out earlier, some Zeppelin fans find 'Presence' a tough listen and tend to dismiss it rather too easily. It deserves better. Certainly, John Bonham drums superbly throughout, John Paul Jones uses his newly-acquired 8 string bass to great effect and Jimmy Page gives possibly his best ever solo's in 'Achilles Last Stand' and 'Tea For One'. Of course, Robert Plants' vocals are rather strained at times but then again he was confined to a wheelchair for the sessions and his anger and unhappiness are clearly evident - Emotional on 'Tea For One', railing against the whole LA drug/groupie scene in 'For Your Life' and having a pop at some of his fellow band members and management in 'Hots On For Nowhere'. ("Now I got friends who will give me their shoulder/ When I should happen to fall/ With time and his bride growing older/ I got friends who will give me f*** all"). The only expletive ever used in the whole of the bands recorded output, it shows just how low he had sunk. Of course, further tragedy and trouble would strike Plant personally and he continued his diatribe on the groups final album 'In Through The Out Door'. (the track 'Carouselambra' is widely believed to be a bitter attack on Jimmy Page). That's not to say there isn't some lighter moments here. 'Candy Store Rock' features Page pulling out as many rockabilly licks as he can muster, complete with 50's style slapback echo and although the track doesn't really go anywhere it's not that bad. Elsewhere, 'Royal Orleans' is a short and snappy groove that's said to be about a true-life incident involving the normally reticent John Paul Jones and a 'female' conquest who wasn't all 'she' appeared to be! To sum up, I regard this album as a fantastic statement and the companion disc and improved sound are the icing on the cake. Don't leave this out of your Zeppelin library.

THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE 2 CD DELUXE EDITION RELESED IN 2015. There has been much written about this penultimate Led Zeppelin album so the review is concentrating on ther sound quality. This is an album I first bought back in 1980 and had always been blown away with the sheer energy and dynamism contained I’m very pleased to say there ain’t a single bad track on the album. Anyway, this was of course available on vinyl back in 1976, I had a so-so version in 1980 from WH Smith’s . Then of course it was released on CD with little consideration to the finished sound making it a near sonic disaster. Jimmy Page was not impressed and back in the 1990s it was remastered by the man himself with a huge jump in sound quality and a lot of the more subtle sound audible on the vinyl release being restored. Still, technology marched on and there’s been some exceptional audiophile vinyl releases including a 45rpm Super Analogue Master which I’ve been informed is the ultimate version. However many of us mere mortals won’t have a 2 grand turntable based hifi system. Nor will we have days to track down this version with hundreds of pounds to spend on it. so we have to rely on a Cd. But what a CD though. This has easily got to be the ultimate remaster ever obtained via Mr Page or anyone else for that matter. The level of detail presentedis simply a quantum leap over and above anything available. I’ve listened to lots of different versions of various Led Zeppelin albums on CD, first CD’s ,remasteres, Japanese CD, Japanese SHM-CD and this version trumps the lot. If you want to hear Led Zeppelin at their very best on the CD format look no further. Utterly recommended !

Received early and is in excellent condition

After the release of Physical Graffiti, the band were at the peak of their commercial powers, but a series of unfortunate events and run of bad luck meant that their final two studio albums would be a mixed bag of quality. With little planning compared to what the band were used to, and an incredibly rushed recording schedule, many of the ideas present were forged in the studio, and with Plant in a wheelchair recovering from a serious car crash, there was notable angst, anger, and depression during the process. With all of this going on, the band were still able to record a hit record which saw them returning to a more straightforward rock approach, although one which presents all of the tricks and gifts which the band had picked up in the last few years. Presence sees moments of genius, moments of spontaneity, and moments which will be forgotten by all but the most hardened fans. ‘Achilles Last Stand’ is, for my money, the best opening track the band ever wrote, and may be my favourite Led Zep song. It is a maddening, utterly brilliant epic, with machine gun drumming and guitar duels which would go on to inspire essentially every metal band who came after, with seemingly hundreds of intricate overlaying parts, and with so many ideas and stunning moments that you’ll be finding something new for years after your first listen. At almost 10 and a half minutes, not a second goes to waste, and the song never drags or slows – it’s played with fury from almost the first second, and it never lets up. Wonderful poetic lyrics, more expressive, but with no less mystique than those on Stairway To Heaven, a superb performance by all four members, it is the most quintessential Led Zep song that no-one outside of the main fanbase knows. ‘For Your Life’ starts like a regular blues rock song, heavy drums, and clanging guitars in a simple sequence. Plant’s vocals are strained here, but if anything it adds to the anger of the lyrics as the band vented about the way drugs had ruined a number of their peers. More overdubbing is the order of the day, there’s a lot of string bending and tremolo action which is rare for the band, but there isn’t too much which makes it standout. ‘Royal Orleans’ is a funky, short track led by yet another Page riff. Bonzo pops about on bongs as well as the standard drums, and the song has plenty of funny lyrics surrounding an incident which took place in a hotel room with JPJ and a ‘friend’. It’s a simple enough, fun track, but not one that many will remember or hold in particularly high regard. ‘Nobody's Fault But Mine’ is probably the most famous track from the album, one which the band played live on many occasions. The song’s famous primary riff is a fine example of how the band worked together to compliment each other, Plant has an epic harmonica solo, and the lyrics subvert the Gospel, blues origins with Plant making them reflect his personal turmoil at the time, believing the negative energy and furor surrounding the band, attempting to exorcise them through song. A catchy song, mainly thanks to that riff, it’s not one of my favourites, but it’s one you can’t help but sing and tap along to. ‘Candy Store Rock’ is a straight-forward rock song – Page riff, bluesy vocals, and thunderous rhythm work from Bonzo and JPJ. Plant’s vocals again sound strained, yelping rather than his usual dragon-like shrieks – another decent song, but not one which is likely to be high on many ‘favourites lists. ‘Hots On For Nowhere’ contains the word ‘fluck’. That’s a bonus. A stuttering song which replaces a standard chorus with some ‘la la la’ sounds from Plant – an angry lyric, decent rhythm work, and some okay riffs from Page, mean this sounds more like a rehearsal exercise than a full song. It’s an average rock song ‘Tea For One’ opens with almost a slower version of the riff from the previous song. It seems like it’s going to be another basic rock song, but it suddenly shifts and slows and turns into Since I’ve Been Loving You Part Two. The verses are deliberately dreary, but I feel they would have been strengthened by more pieces by Page – it’s more of a vocal piece, followed by chord, instead of the band playing over each other. There are also moments which sound like Achilles Last Stand where the band chaotically come together. A fine epic, there are memorable moments, but too much empty space for my liking – you’re on edge, waiting for some huge Plant vocal or Page blast which never comes. Page though, always admitted that this was the point. After the size of Physical Graffiti, and the experimentation and high quality of previous albums, this can seem a little underwhelming on first listen. On further listens it’s much easier to find those qualities, but also becomes easier to find faults, or at least things you may not like. It’s Led Zep at their most stripped-back, but also at their most tired. It shows Page arguably pushing his guitar orchestration to the limits, but also shows that those riffs, while still coming, were not as impactful, while the rest of the band are frustrated by feelings of isolation. The band had become that foreign object on a table, that thing which was stared at from all corners and comers. It is an unusual album, not due to any shift in approach or sound, but because of its many contradictions. It would be three years before the band released their next, and final studio album.

Led Zeppelin Presence Deluxe Edition 2 CD Box Set with Amazon AutoRip released Friday 31st July 2015. Jimmy Page has achieved great clarity in his deluxe re-mastering. The sound is dynamic and breathes. Presence is a 7-song hard-driving rock album of electric guitars, with the exception of the blues song Tea For One, which is similar in style to Since I’ve Been Loving You. The album has an urgency, because Led Zep considered that it may be their last. The album is both a triumph, and testament to, the will-power of Jimmy Page. Jimmy’s guitar-playing had never been better. The album title of Presence, was suggested to Led Zep, because they were considered to have an “Aura/Presence” about them. The album commences with the epic Achilles’ Last Stand. The galloping bass-line of John Paul suggests urgency. It has brilliant arrangements, and orchestration. Jimmy employees his guitar-army, Robert’s singing is sensational, and all is held together by the out-standing drumming of John. The 10.22 minutes make it an epic, and one in which the listener can immerse themself in, but it is all over before you know it, and it leaves you wanting more! The lyrics are autobiographical, and reference the broken ankle of Robert Plant (Achilles’ heel), the yearning of Robert and Jimmy to travel to the East, with the hope that the West (Albion) would return to its origins, and that the album may be their last-ever, that is, Led Zeppelin’s last-stand. The beginning and end are the same, which gives Alpha and Omega, but the end overdub suggests a cycle, that is, moving forward, rather than circling. Jimmy plays the Fender Stratocaster, so that, the bass-drum of John Bonham can clearly be heard, this also allowed the bass of John Paul Jones to shine through. The band are firing on all cylinders, and Robert’s vocals are exceptional. Achilles is my personal all-time favourite Led Zep composition (my others are Stairway To Heaven, and, Kashmir). For Your Life is funky with dance-qualities, with great guitar, and is a good-time track. The guitar-tones are awesome, and the drumming is great. Royal Orleans is funky, with dance-qualities, and pairs-well with For Your Life. Royal Orleans offers the advice of: “If you take your pick – careful how you use it”. Nobody’s Fault But Mine is hard-blues and hard blues-rock, which is used as a confessional. It is funky, with great arrangements, great orchestration, with both an harmonica, and, a guitar solo. Candy Store Rock is funky blues, with hints of rock’n’roll. It is a fun-track, with a skipping and bopping-beat. Hots On For Nowhere is funky, and Jimmy hints at The Faces (he had been jamming with Ron Wood) , and is another fun track, with great guitar and drumming. Tea For One reminds one of Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac in its use of beautiful blues guitar-tones from the Gibson Les Paul. Robert is in autobiographical mood once again, and the lyrics are both plaintive and reflective. It ends with a beautiful minor 9th chord (suggests both blues and jazz). It is a totally electric album, with no acoustic instruments, except for the harmonica, which is used once, and also has no keyboards. Jimmy had never played with such feeling, such emotion, such maturity, such majesty, and excelled himself with the light and shade. Jimmy makes great use of the B-Bender on the Fender Telecaster. Jimmy Page honours Peter Grant, by giving him credit as Executive Producer. The Swan-Song Records logo is of Apollo (The Sun, The Truth, Music, and, Healing). The Companion Disc has five tracks: 1) Two Ones Are Won (Achilles Last Stand) (Reference Mix), 2) For Your Life (Reference Mix), 3) 10 Ribs & All/Carrot Pod Pod (Pod) (Reference Mix), 4) Royal Orleans (Reference Mix), 5) Hots On For Nowhere (Reference Mix). The accompanying 16-page booklet is also excellent, with lots of photographs in both colour, and, black-and-white. Presence was recorded and mixed in the November and December of 1975 at Musicland Studios, Munich, Germany, and originally released on the 23rd March 1976. Presence is my personal favourite Led Zeppelin album. Award 5 Stars!

Incredible album with some belting blues hard rock bangers. The original album is sublime and the companion demo disc provides us Led Zeppelin fans with a little more from the mysterious music vaults to get out fingers into. As for the vinyl, it is faultless in my opinion with a sturdy weight - 180g is written but it feels heavier. The sound quality is also remarkable for both LP1 (original album) and LP2 (companion demos). The price is quite steep, however with any deluxe edition you do not know for how long these items will be available for. Avoid missing out now and then 2 years time finding it online 4 times the price because it is out-of-print!

It's Zeppelin - the yardstick against which ALL bands are measured! Achilles Last Stand is one of the most complete pieces of "Rock Music" one will ever hear - listen to all the individual contributions: JPJ's relentless driving bass line, John Bonham's sublime fills & runs, Robert Plant's soaring vocals culminating in lyrical howls which send a shiver down the spine, and the whole lot laid out on a guitar tapestry created by Jimmy God Page. I want to die listening to this track! Tea for One is a "modernised" Since I've Been Loving You and captures a blues feeling I have physically experienced myself - and brings it all back! (Good job I'm over it now, I can listen to this track and smile.) I pick those two tracks as they bookend a wonderful and thoroughly recommended album. (Yes, I am that old I still call them albums!)

Presence is my favourite Zep album containing four of the best tracks they ever recorded. Achilles Last Stand, For Your Life, Royal Orleans and Nobody's Fault But Mine. It's the album that celebrates Page and Bonham coming of age. I don't think I have ever heard John Bonham perform any better than he does on Presence and he is particularly outstanding on Achilles Last Stand and Nobody's Fault But Mine. This is Zep's best produced album, all credit to Jimmy Page, which wasn't as noticeable on the original vinyl 31 years ago but the sound quality on this remastered CD is absolutely stunning. I sometimes wish that Tea For One was the last track on their last album. Representing a symbolic return to their early blues days following a long journey of discovery and re invention. If you are new to Led Zeppelin try this first. It's a rock n roll masterclass. A no frills; guitar, drums and bass classic and you can pick it up on Amazon for less than a fiver.

The name “Led Zeppelin” brings up the idea of “heavy and light”, or of extreme differences in volume level, particularly in the bass region. Much of LZ’s music can be compared to a roller coaster ride, with peaks and valleys, and sudden changes, and such a style may have been magnified by the frustrations and struggles that the band members had when trying to get the success that they wanted. This album, “Presence”, shows that the desired success was achieved. The music is smoother and better-flowing than that in previous albums, and the vocals and instruments are not battling each other for supremacy, but are well-integrated to create seven outstanding hard-rock tracks. This is the only LZ album that I am able to listen to completely, from beginning to end.

Led Zeppelin's another masterpiece. Their 7th studio album. Beautiful gatefold cover by Hipgnosis with the famous 'object'. Wonderful sounding 180 gm vinyl remastered. With songs like 'Achilles Last Stand', 'Nobody's Fault But Mine', 'For Your Life', this isn't to be missed.

Presence es el séptimo álbum de Led Zeppelin, grabado en tan sólo 18 días en los Estudios Musicland de Munich (Alemania). El grupo venía atravesando problemas personales y de salud de varios de sus integrantes. Robert Plant tuvo un terrible accidente automovilístico en Grecia que lo llevó a la silla de ruedas por un largo período; John Bonham recayó en sus problemas de alcoholismo y Jimmy Page lidiaba una dura batalla contra la heroína. Quizás debido a esa problemática, el resultado final no está a la altura de los seis discos anteriores de la banda, de gran calidad todos ellos. Fue sumamente complicado grabar el disco, Plant lo hizo sentado en su silla de ruedas y los demás integrantes de igual modo tuvieron que grabar por separado, complicado panorama. A pesar de lo anterior, el álbum alcanzó el “número uno” tanto en EE UU como en Reino Unido y contiene clásicos imperecederos como “Achilles Last Stand”, un tema de diez minutos y medio que se cuenta entre los mejores de la banda. En el segundo disco de esta nueva edición remasterizada consta de cinco canciones entre las que destaca la instrumental inédita “10 Ribs & All/Carrot Pod Pod (Pod)” y algunas versiones curiosas y alternativas de de “For Your Life” y “Royal Orleans”. Un material que vale mucho la pena tener para verdaderos fans además que la remasterización hace justicia al sonido del disco.

All of these Zeppelin super deluxe editions are a joy to own ; though I only have three and they are mighty expensive. That said, the packaging is superb. It's just great to own and really solidly put together. The album itself is a masterpiece. The only downside to this edition is that the bonus material is barely worth a listen ; alternate and guide tracks with one piano based work in progress being the only one that caught my interest. But I bought it just to own it. I already had the album. Some things are just nice to have, this is one of them.

top