Album Reviews
View Physical Graffiti was a penultimate of sorts ("Trampled Under Foot" was the hardest rock ever played by humans, while "Kashmir" must be the most pompous) and the new record certainly tries to keep up. The opening track, "Achilles Last Stand," could be the Yardbirds, 12 years down the road. The format is familiar: John Bonham's furiously attacking drum is really the lead instrument, until Jimmy Page tires of chording under Plant and takes over.
Although Page and Plant are masters of the form, emotions often conflict and the results are mixed. A few bars from one piece convince the listener he's hearing the greatest of rock & roll, then the very next few place him in a nightmarish 1970 movie about deranged hippies.
Actually there is some fine rock on Presence. "Nobody's Fault but Mine" is strong, while "Candy Store Rock" perfectly evokes the Los Angeles milieu in which the Zep composed this album; it sounds like an unholy hybrid in which Buddy Holly is grafted onto the quivering stem of David Bowie.
Zeppelin's main concern here is to establish a reliable riff and stick to it, without complicating things too much with melody or nuance. At their best, the riffs are clean and purifying. The two dreary examples of blooze ("Tea for One," "For Your Life") may stretch even the diehards' loyalty, but make no mistake: Presence is another monster in what by now is a continuing tradition of battles won by this band of survivors.
Share
Email
AIM
Del.icio.us
DiggThis
Fark It!
Advertisement
News and Reviews
Advertisement
Your Turn
Review 1 of 3
imnottaduck writes:
First Zeppelin song I ever heard was Achilles last Stand. It felt as if I had until that moment, never really heard any true rock music. For that song alone I would buy the album, but there are plenty other gems in Presense too.
Jun 7, 2007 11:58:51
Review 2 of 3
DocRon writes:
One of my personal favorite Zeppelin hits graces this album: "Tea For One". Although it doesn't boast as many decibles as their previous classics such as "Immigrant Song", "Whole Lotta Love", or "Dazed and Confused", I find the light side a refreshingly-welcome change. On the other hand, "For Your Life" shows us that Page can still unleash a great solo, even if it is more tame than seen previously. Don't get me wrong, Led Zeppelin has changed my life; I own every album and video Zeppelin has released to date and they will always be my favorite band, but as the atom-splitting energy just doesn't show its face quite like it has before, this album sometimes leaves me craving more along the lines of "The Ocean". In addition, I'm left wishing there was a little more than 7 tracks, as the album that preceeded it boasted 14. But, as for this and every other Led Zeppelin album, it is different and fresh in its own right.., and is a must-have for any collection.
Jan 1, 2007 02:34:58
Review 3 of 3
ledhead1979 writes:
Without a doubt one of their best! Very similar sound to their first two. Loved it ever since it came out.
Aug 3, 2006 20:24:29
Previous Next
Advertisement
©RealNetworks, Inc. All rights reserved.
©Copyright 2008 Rolling Stone
- Portions of Album Content Provided by All Music Guide © 2008 All Media Guide, LLC.
Get RS Mobile
RSS
