Led Zeppelin – Presence
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| Artist | Led Zeppelin |
| Title | Presence |
| Label | Swan Song Records |
| Year | 1976 |
| Design | Hipgnosis and Hardie |
| Music | Heavy rock |
| Notes | I was a big Zep fan. I still am, though less actively so these days. There I sat in or near the back row of the local Odeon watching The Song Remains The Same for the umpteenth time while soaking in the fragrant smell of weed smoked surreptitiously in the darkness. I love every Zep album, but Presence always seemed their most intriguing. That impression certainly had something to do with the enigmatic illustration that adorned the gatefold sleeve – as well as the extended majesty of tracks like Achilles Last Stand.
I vaguely recall hearing it declared by a party connected to Hipgnosis or the band that it was easy enough to work out what the ‘object’ represented. Colour me dense. Perhaps someone will enlighten me. Except I prefer not knowing if it really is explicable. It’s always struck me as a very modern design: absolutely no type except on the spine. Just ten beautifully composed stock images of couples, individuals, families, teenagers et al engaged in relationships with a black as pitch, somewhat phallic object. |
| Listen | |
| Also | – Designer page: Hipgnosis – Peter Gabriel – 1 |