There is a difference between bands that follow trends, create music and get famous and those who gather together as musicians and create something new and original. The latter makes a sensational uprising in the music industry where they start ruling a particular genre and are listened to by other musicians that come after them. One of those bands is Led Zeppelin, who contributed to heavy metal and hard rock genres with their original mixture of folk, mysticism, power chords, and distortion elements.
The band is considered very innovative, and even after years of its disbandment, it is still regarded as one of the best and most famous rock bands of all time. Their fame and fortune were always about the music they created, even though they only lasted for 12 years. Before their disbandment following the death of their beloved drummer in 1980, the band released a unique album called ‘Presence’ in 1976. The frontman Robert Plant had a few words to say about the record made during a challenging period.
About Led Zeppelin’s Album, ‘Presence’
‘Presence’ is Led Zeppelin’s seventh album, released by Swan Song Records in 1976. The album’s creative process was challenging for the band, but they got the response they deserved later on. It was a commercial success and was on the top of British and American charts. The album also collected three platinum certifications.
Zeppelin’s sound had changed until that album, where they would mainly have electric sounds and complicated musical arrangements. However, they returned to their instrumental roots with this album that includes more simple guitar-based tunes. As a result, they aimed to have a record that resembled their debut album with an elevated complexity.
Why Did Led Zeppelin Change Their Style With ‘Presence?’
In 2006, Robert Plant admitted that the album was ‘a cry of survival’ and explained why. The album was created during a stressful time in the band’s career. Plant was still suffering from an injury, so he sang his vocals in a wheelchair. Therefore, Jimmy Page put in more hours personally to get the record done. The title was also inspired by how the band stuck together to create the album and held on tight.
The singer stated that there would never be an album like it, describing it as a unique work of Zeppelin. He indicated that the band reflected their struggles through their music in ‘Presence.’ The album included seven tracks, and the first track is 10 minutes and 26 seconds long. All the songs are credited to Jimmy Page and Robert Plant except ‘Royal Orleans,’ created by the entire band.
According to Rolling Stone, Plant said:
“It was really like a cry of survival. There won’t’ be another album like it, put it like that. It was a cry from the depths, the only thing that we could do.”
You can listen to the entire album below.
