Album
Presence
1976 · Rock
130 collectors on Gatefold own this

Presence is a Rock album by Led Zeppelin, originally released in 1976. On Gatefold: 379 pressings tracked, owned by 130 collectors.
About
Cut in 18 days as Robert Plant recovered from a serious car accident — he was forced to sing from a wheelchair — <i>Presence</i> is the most underappreciated of Led albums but nonetheless shows that even a rushed Zep could turn in convincingly soaring (“Achilles Last Stand”), thumping (“Nobody’s Fault But Mine”) and playful (“Royal Orleans”) stuff. Jimmy Page’s guitar solos, especially on the opening “Achilles,” are among his most urgent and driven, while Robert Plant appears more angst-ridden than he would until his solo days. Presence is ultimately proof that the most minor Led Zeppelin album could go head to head with many other bands’ most important ones.
via Apple Music
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Tracklist
Side A
- A1Achilles Last Stand10:26
- A2For Your Life6:21
- A3Royal Orleans2:58
Side B
- B1Nobody's Fault But Mine6:15
- B2Candy Store Rock4:10
- B3Hots On For Nowhere4:42
- B4Tea For One9:27
Sound DNA
- Rock
- Hard Rock
- crunchy
- driving
- cinematic
Presence is the seventh studio album, released by Swan Song Records on 31 March 1976.
The cover, inside sleeve and back of the album feature various images of people with a black obelisk-shaped object. Inside the album sleeve the item is referred to simply as "The Object" aka "The Obelisk". It was intended to represent the "yforce and presence" of Led Zeppelin.
Jimmy Page explained: "There was no working title for the album. The record-jacket designer said 'When I think of the group, I always think of power and force. There's a definite presence there.' That was it. He wanted to call it 'Obelisk'. To me, it was more important what was behind the obelisk. The cover is very tongue-in-cheek, to be quite honest. Sort of a joke on [the film] 2001 A Space Odyessy. I think it's quite amusing."
Jimmy Page made the decision to record the album after Robert Plant sustained serious injuries from a car accident on the Greek island of Rhodes on 5 August 1975, which forced the band to cancel a proposed world tour that was due to commence on 23 August.
At this point, Led Zeppelin were arguably at the height of their popularity. When he was taken to a Greek hospital after the accident, Plant recalled: "I was lying there in some pain trying to get cockroaches off the bed and the guy next to me, this drunken soldier, started singing "The Ocean" from Houses of the Holy."
The background used in the cover photograph is of an artificial marina that was installed inside London's Earl's Court Arena for the annual Earl's Court Boat Show that was held in the winter of 1974–75. This was the same venue where the band played a series of concerts a few months after the boat show, in May 1975.
In 1977 Hipgnosis and George Hardie were nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of best album package.
Credits
The people behind it.
Performers
- John BonhamDRUMS, PERCUSSION
- John Paul JonesBASS GUITAR, PIANO
- Robert PlantLEAD VOCALS, HARMONICA
130 collectors on Gatefold own this · 379 pressings tracked on Gatefold
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