Artist: Led Zeppelin
Title: Houses Of The Holy
Release: 1973
Format: LP
Label: Atlantic Records
Catalog# ATL 50014
“Houses Of The Holy” is the fifth studio album by British rock band Led Zeppelin, released by Atlantic Records on 28 March 1973. It is their first album composed of entirely original material, and represents a musical turning point for the band, who had begun to record songs with more layering and production techniques.
This album was a stylistic turning point in the lifespan of Led Zeppelin. Guitar riffs became more layered within Page’s production techniques and departed from the blues influences of earlier records. In the album’s opening opus, “The Song Remains the Same”, and its intricate companion suite, “The Rain Song”, Robert Plant’s lyrics matured toward a less overt form of the mysticism and fantasy of previous efforts. Houses of the Holy also featured styles not heard on the first four Led Zeppelin albums. For example, “D’yer Mak’er” is a reggae-based tune (the name of the song being derived from the phonetic spelling of the British pronunciation of “Jamaica”); “No Quarter” features atmospheric keyboard sounds and an acoustic piano solo from Jones; “The Crunge” is a funk tribute to James Brown; and “The Rain Song” is embellished by Jones on his newly acquired mellotron. The album’s closing song “The Ocean”, which features an a cappella section and a doo-wop influenced coda, is dedicated to “the ocean” of fans who were massing to Led Zeppelin concerts at this point of the band’s career.
In 2012, it was ranked #148 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The title track was recorded for the album, but was delayed until the band’s next release, Physical Graffiti, two years later.
Side one
1. The Song Remains the Same (5:32)
2. The Rain Song (7:39)
3. Over the Hills and Far Away (4:50)
4. The Crunge (3:17)
Side two
1. Dancing Days (3:43)
2. D’yer Mak’er (4:23)
3. No Quarter (7:00)
4. The Ocean (4:31)
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