The group’s previous record ‘Four Symbols’, now one of the highest grossing rock albums of all time, featuring the ubiquitous ‘Stairway to Heaven’, was already 18 months old. ‘Houses…’ was a marked stylistic turning point in the lifespan of Led Zeppelin; Jimmy Page’s raw blues grit that dominated earlier works was replaced by carefully interwoven layers while Robert Plant’s overt folk mysticism had matured gracefully – particularly on ‘The Rain Song’.
Preparations for the album had begun in 1972; the band embarked on an Australasian tour which included a single show in New Zealand, and a landmark performance at Sydney Showground on February 27th to an estimated 26, 000-strong audience. As John Bonham [Drums] and John Paul Jones [Bass/Keys/Mandolin] headed home to London, Page and Plant continued their overseas dalliance. Flying to Bombay for some relaxation and musical experimentation, the pair – Page in particular – had become fascinated with East-West musical fusions. This would be no loose affair with the locals however; renewing their acquaintance with Ramzan, owner of the famous Bombay Slip Disc disco to organise a series of live performances.
Jimmy Page had several run-ins with phenomenally talented Bombay-based musicians, including a still unnamed guitarist who, according to Page, frightened him to death when he said ‘I practice for at least eight hours every day’; this steely determination must have rubbed off on the gunslinger, returning to Britain with a pool of new ideas.
Engineered by veteran studio hand Eddie Kramer, the band attempted to inject the same level of spontaneity into ‘Houses…’ as their impromptu Eastern sessions. Several tracks were resurrected from previous sessions, including the fiery rocker ‘Walter’s Walk’ [from Coda] which for the second time was rejected from the final cut. Others such as ‘D’yer Mak’er’ and ‘Dancing Days’ began incorporating the doo-wop and reggae influences that would eventually consume later records, while the band’s tried-and-tested folk and blues-rock were indulged on ‘Over the Hills and Far Away’ and ‘The Ocean’.
Packaged in a lavish gatefold sleeve designed by Hipgnosis’s Aubrey ‘Po’ Powell, its Arthur C. Clarke-inspired abstraction has more in common with progressive rock peers Gentle Giant than other swaggering blues peddlers.
While successful commercially, reaching number one on both sides of the Atlantic, ‘Houses of the Holy’ received mixed reviews from the press; shot down for its off-beat nature and trying experimentation. As such, ‘Houses…’ represents a real curio in the Zeppelin catalogue, often overlooked by all but the most dedicated of rock anoraks.
Source: Shadwick, K. (2005) Led Zeppelin: The Story of a band and their music, 1968 -1980. Outline Press Ltd: London
Various internet sources were also used, with conflicting dates here and there, so artistic licence has been used where needed. Feel free to send corrections.
Born on this day:
Stephanie ‘Lady Gaga’ Germanotta, the American singer-songwriter responsible for your daughter’s discovery of all things sparkly - the kooky electro-pop starlet shocked both mainstream and alternative music press when she announced that she would be assisting Iron Maiden on their ‘Final Frontier’ tour as a roadie. Waiving the £90-a-day roadie pay packet, it more or else cemented Germanotta as the contrary character she has worked so hard to maintain, declaring herself a ‘massive Maiden fan’. Perhaps an electro-metal record is in the pipeline…
