sâmbătă, 16 februarie 2019

Led Zeppelin - Presence (Full album 1976)

“Presence” is the seventh studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released by Swan Song Records on 31 March 1976. While the album was a commercial success, reaching the top of both the British and American album charts, and achieving a triple-platinum certification in the United States, it received mixed reviews from critics and was the lowest-selling studio album by the band while they were still active.
The album was written and recorded during a difficult time in the band's history, as singer Robert Plant was recuperating from serious injuries he had sustained earlier that year in a car accident. This led to tours being cancelled and the band booking studio time to record “Presence” instead. The entire album was completed in a few weeks, with guitarist and producer Jimmy Page putting in several long shifts to complete recording and mixing. The title came from the strong presence the group felt working together, and the album's artwork from Hipgnosis featured several photographs centred round a mysterious black object, called "The Object".
The album is dominated by Page and Plant compositions, with only one track credited to the entire group, and unlike other Zeppelin albums features no keyboards and little acoustic guitar. Because Plant was still recuperating, the band could not tour to capitalise on the album's release and only two tracks, including ten-minute opener "Achilles Last Stand", were performed live. However, the album has been re-appraised in retrospective reviews for its hard rock dynamics and simplicity compared to the group's other work.

“Presence” este al saptelea album de studio al trupei engleze de rock Led Zeppelin, lansat de Swan Song Recordss la 31 martie 1976. In timp ce albumul a fost un succes comercial, atingand locurile 1 in ambele clasamente din Marea britanie si Statele Unite si primind certificare tripla de platina in Statele Unite, recenziile criticii au fost mixte si a fost albumul cu cele mai mici vanzari ale trupei din perioada lor de activitate.
Albumul a fost scris si inregistrat intr-o perioada dificila din istoria trupei, deoarece vocalistul Robert plant era in recuperare dupa serioasele raniri pe care le avusese mai la inceputulul anului intr-un accident de masina. Aceasta a dus la amanarea turneelor si in loc de asta s-a inregistrat “Presence”. Intregul album a fost complet in cateva saptamani, cu chitaristul si producatorul Jimmy Page pus sa lucreze schimburi mai lungi pentru a termina inregistrarea si aranjamentul. Titlul a venit de la sentimentul puternic de prezenta simtit de membrii grupului cat au lucrat impreuna si coperta realizata de Hipgnosis, cuprinzand cateva fotografii, e centrata pe imaginea unui obiect negru, misterios, numit “Obiectul”.
Albumul e dominat de compozitiile lui Page si Plant, cu o singura piesa compusa de intregul grup si neplacut, fata de celelalte albume Zeppelin, fara claviaturi si mica chitara acustica. Deoarece Plant era inca in recuperare trupa nu a putut capitaliza momentul lansarii prin turnee si numai doua piese, incluzand-o sip e cea de deschidere, de 10 minute “Achilles Last Stand”, au fost cantata live. Totusi albumul a fost reapreciat in recenziile de retrospective pentru dinamica sa hard rock si simplitate, comparative cu celelalte lucrari ale trupei.

List of tracks
Side 1
1.       "Achilles Last Stand"      10:30
2.       "For Your Life"      6:22
3.       "Royal Orleans" (John Bonham, John Paul Jones, Page, and Plant)    2:58

Side 2
1.       "Nobody's Fault but Mine"        6:16
2.       "Candy Store Rock"         4:10
3.       "Hots On for Nowhere"    4:44
4.       "Tea for One"         9:27

Personnel
Led Zeppelin
John Bonham – drums, percussion
John Paul Jones – four and eight-string bass guitars, piano (Deluxe Edition only)
Jimmy Page – guitars, production
Robert Plant – lead vocals, harmonica on "Nobody's Fault but Mine"

Others
Peter Grant – executive producer
Jeremy Gee – tape engineering
George Hardie – sleeve design
Keith Harwood – engineering, mixing
Hipgnosis – sleeve design
George Marino – remastered CD release