My conclusion is Led Zeppelin Presence my #1

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Scott Sheagren, Nov 10, 2018.

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  1. mx20

    mx20 Enthusiast

    Location:
    Raleigh, NC
    Love it. My favorite Zeppelin album .
     
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  2. 007james

    007james Forum Resident

    Location:
    nyc
    It's good but it's over-dub city ...........
     
  3. bostonscoots

    bostonscoots Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston, MA
    Not my favorite Zeppelin album, but I've always appreciated the album's attack - no acoustic interludes, no folksy sing-a-longs, not even a single piano or keyboard. Presence just comes right at you - all muscle and riffs. The only real breather comes at the very end, with the blues of "Tea For One"...

    There's a - desperation - in the album's attack. Maybe it's Robert Plant in a wheelchair, maybe it's the addictions weighing the band down, but the songs explode off the album as if they - and by extension the band - are rushing to be heard against the march of time, fate, whatever...
     
  4. stax o' wax

    stax o' wax Forum Resident

    Location:
    The West
    Yep, anyone really familiar with the album and the circumstances under which it was made knows there's a gritty determination by Page on this to overcome adversity and keep standing and punching through the late rounds to remain champion at the end.
    I really admire Page and the album.
     
  5. joethomas1

    joethomas1 Forum Resident

    Location:
    West Yorkshire, UK
    I do like LZ. I don't listen to them as much as some other artists but I've heard all the studio albums at some point over the years.

    Presence is the album I most often listen to these days, although I still occasionally listen to Physical Graffiti. I think the reason for this is I love the guitar sound Page got on this album. And the riffs are sublime IMO.
     
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  6. markbrow

    markbrow Forum President

    Location:
    Denver
    I'd call it Zep's most underrated album. Even ITTOD had a hit single. Presence was pretty strictly an album-rock staple, not a Top 40 staple.

    I enjoy listening to it the most these days of all their albums because while I love it, it's the one I've heard the least. If I'd never heard IV and suddenly heard it new tomorrow, it would immediately go to the top spot. But like many of us I'm burned out on the big hits. So exploring Page's guitar nuances on Presence (along with everything everyone else does) is fun.

    I did recently buy The Obelisk replica that appears to be made by a 3-D printer. Looks damn fine in my classroom.
     
  7. ohnothimagen

    ohnothimagen "Live music is better!"

    Location:
    Canada
    Boy, how the mighty fell after those two records, though. The '77 tour had its moments, but In Through The Out Door, Knebworth and the 1980 tour were all kinda iffy...
    No keyboards on Presence, either. It's more or less buried in the mix, but Page did overdub a lone acoustic guitar chugging away in the background on "Candy Store Rock".
    That's one of the things I love about it. Jimmy Page did all those overdubs in one undoubtedly crazy, drug fuelled two day session. Only minor quibble I have with that methodology is some of the guitar tracks end up taking on a similar type sound. Compare, for example, the guitar tones on the solos on "Achilles" and "Tea For One" -practically identical. I wouldn't be surprised if they were recorded back to back, even, and Jimmy returns to a similar tone on the solo from "Upon A Golden Horse" on Walking Into Clarksdale. I call it "The Presence Tone":D
     
  8. California Couple

    California Couple dislike us on facebook

    Location:
    Newport Beach
    That will keep those kids in line!
     
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  9. jpmosu

    jpmosu a.k.a. Mr. Jones

    Location:
    Ohio, USA
    This captures my feelings exactly!
     
  10. audiotom

    audiotom I can not hear a single sound as you scream

    Location:
    New Orleans La USA
    Robert's heart was in it
    This album was recorded after his car wreck and before his son's tragic death in 1977.

    He nearly re-injured himself when he jumped up to the sound console to hear the stunning results of Achilles

    I think For Your Life and Tea for One are hidden gems
     
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  11. moople72

    moople72 Forum Resident

    Location:
    KC
    He was unhappy to be separated from his injured wife.

    The album just feels rushed......but by no means bad........if someone said Achilles was their finest moment, I wouldn't argue!
     
  12. audiotom

    audiotom I can not hear a single sound as you scream

    Location:
    New Orleans La USA
    Page claims they did the album in 18 days with all the guitar overdubs done in one night


    then again he was in a drug induced haze
     
  13. Scott Sheagren

    Scott Sheagren I’m a Metal,Rock,Jazz Fusion,Gaga type of guy. Thread Starter

    Location:
    06790
    just favorite zep album overall lp would probably be a rush album
     
  14. stax o' wax

    stax o' wax Forum Resident

    Location:
    The West
  15. markbrow

    markbrow Forum President

    Location:
    Denver
    Do you have a definitive list of overdubs? I know Page replicated his guitar lines time after time, but anything else?
     
  16. doity

    doity Forum Resident

    Yeah, most definitely my favorite also. It really rocks and has a real loose vibe going on. I do like a lot of PG but Presence is my overall fave as they seemed to have deviated a bit from their usual formula. I guess I am kinda strange because like Presence, my favorite Pink Floyd album is Animals and I always loved Aerosmith “Night In the Ruts” also which was basically forgotten. Sometimes you gotta follow your ears and not the crowd!
     
  17. ohnothimagen

    ohnothimagen "Live music is better!"

    Location:
    Canada
    Jimmy Page has said "Achilles Last Stand" is his favourite Zeppelin song. I can see why, it's the Guitar Army in full force!
    Recorded, overdubbed and mixed in eighteen days. According to the legend, the Stones were due into Musicland following Zeppelin to do some touch up work on Black And Blue. Page called Mick Jagger, and said, look, we're almost finished, I just need three more days. Mick said fine. When Jagger got to Munich he asked Jimmy how they'd made out: "We're finished." "What, the basic tracks?" "No, the whole album, mixed and everything!". Mick was suitably gobsmacked...
    Nope, just tons of guitars. Obviously Plant added some additional vocals and whatnot, but some of those Presence tracks have ridiculous amounts of guitar overdubs in places. Which is part of the reason why I love it.
     
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  18. Thievius

    Thievius Blue Oyster Cult-ist

    Location:
    Syracuse, NY
    I remember reading publications back in the 70s and the Page overdubs being a major point of contention, not just on Presence, but as a general criticism. I never took issue with it, he was the sole guitarist afterall. And since then I've heard very little of that sort of commentary. I agree that Presence took overdubs to a new level, but it gave the album a charm of its own, at least in part.

    But its ok to have an underappreciated title in any given discography. They tend to be the records that benefit from under exposure, an album you're less likely to be burnt out on. Kind of like The Who with "Who By Numbers." Or Pink Floyd and "Obscured By Clouds."
     
  19. clhboa

    clhboa Forum Resident

    Took me a while to warm up to this album. Then in the late 80's I was hanging out at a guy's house where he played this regularly. The light eventually came on. I really like Robert's nods to Elvis. That's what sold me on the album. Not their best, but I really dig it. Plus it hasn't been pounded into the ground by Classic Rock radio either!
     
    Last edited: Nov 16, 2018
  20. douglas mcclenaghan

    douglas mcclenaghan Forum Resident

    Exactly. I think it has worn very well and its stature has increased. Overshadowed somewhat by their other stunning albums (except for ITTOD) but with its own unique identity. Just hate the cover image though. That has seriously dated, and always looked pretty crappy to me.
     
  21. California Couple

    California Couple dislike us on facebook

    Location:
    Newport Beach
    Steve Tyler says Night In The Ruts is his favorite Aerosmith alum and No Surprise is his favorite song of theirs.
    So you're cool.
     
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  22. jeffd7030

    jeffd7030 I can't complain, but sometimes I still do.

    Location:
    Hampden, ME
    A stone cold classic...1,000,000 other bands would have had an album like this as their masterpiece...but its Zeppelin...great but not best.
     
  23. sunking101

    sunking101 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Yorkshire, England
    I tend to play Presence quite a lot these days purely because I never played it all that much back in the day. It's lower tier Zep for me, but crucially it hasn't been overplayed.
     
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  24. Oliver

    Oliver Bourbon Infused

    I'm a huge Zeppelin fan but to me Prescence for me is just meh.
    Achilles Last stand is an all time classic but after that a lot of songs to me that don't really go anywhere and the riffs themselves are pretty weak comparatively speaking to their "classics"
     
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  25. Llyrren

    Llyrren Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Europe
    For me, ALS is an emotion, tension and despair. Led Zeppelin never had a similar song. I get goosebumps every time I listen to the guitar solo.
     
    Last edited: Nov 17, 2018
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