My conclusion is Led Zeppelin Presence my #1

Agreed, and this was what made their preceding efforts so strong, that stylistic variation. Barring "Achilles", Presence lacks really memorable stand out tracks, IMO. There's a reason why it's one of their least well loved studio albums, along with In Through The Out Door.

 

There's some great stuff on that record and some not so great, but the drumming is stellar all the way the way through.

 

Good to see some love for Presence! While not my fav, I wouldn't want to be without it!!!

 

I listen to Presence and ITTOD more than anything else by them these days.

 

Clearly one of their very best.

 

Presence is great. In my top five LZ albums. One of the best things about it is that it isn't overplayed in the slightest. I've personally never heard a song from Presence on the radio. That's a shame because there are many great songs on this album (with Achilles being one of their best songs ever, IMO) but also kind of good because it has kept Presence a little bit of a hidden gem.

It sounds fantastic in the car. Really heavy. Reviewer John McFerrin said he appreciates how Robert Plant kind of lost his voice at this point in their career, but he found a way to sing in a really interesting and compelling way even without the range he had on the first couple of records. I'd agree with that.

 

I think you're right on both counts, there.

There is a pervasive chill to the album which will work against it being most peoples' default choice.

However, I like it for its status as the band's 'unknown' album. Lots of deep cuts on there; and it contains my favourite Zip track of all time (ALS, if you're asking - though even I might concede it's about a minute too long).

Sometimes, I say it's my favourite LZ album - usually when I'm looking for an argument.

 

I think you're right. While I still think the album is still pretty varied, I think the more "2-D" style of the album is why it gets put in the "lost classic" camp.

It seems that those who particularly favor Zeppelin for their pure hard rock qualities really gravitate to this album, while others don't as much (or they just find it great but not as "typical" of the band). I'm a bit closer to that latter view. I agree with a comment above that John Paul Jones could have added an extra dimension or two. Nonwithstanding his rollicking bass lines which are always top notch! But one reason I really love the next album, In Through The Out Door, is it remedied that situation - Jones really shines on it, and all four are really on center stage again.

Then again, I'm a huge Jones fan. I find that many of my all-time favorite songs have prominent contributions from him. Well, from all of them really. But a prominent presence of Jones (pun unintended) is always a good thing in my book.

 

Love Presence and In Through the Out Door for the simple fact that they are both albums of relative deep cuts that offer a welcomed diversion from their previous albums, which tend to be over experienced by most people. Presence is probably their technically most perfect offering as well.

I note that both Presence and ITTOD in some ways mirror the path that Black Sabbath was travelling at the time with their albums Technical Ecstacy and Never Say Die, both of which are brilliant statements, but tend to be critiqued for the same reasons that Presence and ITTOD are. Presence is a solid 8/10 for me.

 

I have tried to get into it, but just can't for some reason. "Achilles' Last Stand" is my favorite, but I can't come up with any criticism of the rest without resorting to "it's not to my taste". Compared to, say, their second album, I guess I would say it lacks "warmth" (whatever that means); it also lacks those moments of greatness that LZ is certainly capable of--where you go, "Here comes my favorite part!" I can't even remember how most of those songs even go, though that could be because I have only listened to it maybe 20 times instead of "hundreds" for their other albums.

 

III
I
Physical
Houses
IV
II
Coda
BBC
Plant Page Live
Presence
Door

Very difficult on the order. Houses and III are just so good! It can change.

 

It seems to me that I've heard "Hots on for Nowhere" mentioned as "one of Zep's worst," or some such. To me it's always been a highlight. I used to rewind my cassette and listen to that bad boy again and again! That and "Nobody's Fault But Mine" are probably in my Top 5 or 10 of all of Zeppelin's songs.

For me, it's two up all day long, every day.

 

Def my fave

 

I like, Tea for One!

 

Well said.

I've come to learn that I'm often an "odd man out" in loving all these Zeppelin songs that frequently get singled out as awful or subpar. It doesn't matter if it's Hot Dog, Moby Dick, Hats Off To Roy Harper, Stairway To Heaven, The Crunge, D'yer Mak'er, Down By The Seaside, Boogie With Stu, Hots On For Nowhere, etc. They are all great to these ears. Heck, that's an all-time greatest hits album in itself! Let alone other tracks by the band that I often like even better. I wish I could write "duds" like these for my discography!

 

I like this song WAY better then the Crunge or hats off to Roy Harper.or hot dog or boggie with stu.

 

Led Zeppelin album

 

I have decided that I don't have a favorite LZ record. I like them all for different reasons.

 

Great song!

 

It's great. They're all great.

 

That’s what I don’t agree with.your opinion is the majority I love every song off it.

 

Sax-son
Another favorite band of mine IS Saxon!
If you know who they are anyway

 

Same.

 

Great post... I will say that I did hear “ Nobody’s Fault...” on the FM in the car when it first came out, and I almost wrecked. I hear it as “When the Levee Breaks” pt 2. It’s a brilliant LP and I agree it’s great in the car!

 

Love it. Never understood the criticism... only PG is better