Even considering Zeppelin’s rather small catalog of studio recordings, Presence (1976) rarely makes it high on the list of even the most ardent fans. It should.
True, there are no hits from this album, no doubt due to the longer length of the best songs. Nonetheless, why this work didn’t get more FM airplay when it was released will forever be a mystery to me.
From the slinky rhythm changes of “For Your Life,” to the funky swagger of “Nobody’s Fault But Mine,” and the 50’s jukebox pop of “Candy Store Rock,” this is an album full of energy and rare tightness of playing for this band, particularly between Jimmy Page on guitar and John Henry Bonham on drums.
The gems on Presence, though, are the first and last songs. “Achilles Last Stand” is a fantastic opener, which fades in with a slow, melodic riff from Page, but after twenty seconds Bonham machine guns the song into a breathless pace that runs unabated for ten minutes. Page’s guitar playing is sharp and keeps up with Bonzo’s drumming virtuosity, yet also pleads beautifully but unheeded for the tempo to slacken during his solo. How Robert Plant managed to construct a lyrical melody that didn’t sound like he was trying to catch up to a runaway train is an accomplishment, but he succeeded, and his mystical Celtic muse breathes soul into the song.
Closing the album is “Tea For One,” nine minutes of classic, greasy blues that had been missing from Led Zeppelin’s studio work since III’s “Since I’ve Been Loving You.” It leaves you slightly sweaty and breathing heavy.
Despite the lack of popular appeal, I suspect the band was proud of the effort, because it’s next album, In Through The Out Door, is really Son of Presence in regard to tempo, style and even song order. The fact that that album became wildly popular had to please the band, particularly as it was the band’s last before Bonham died.
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