Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy

Original UK 1st Pressing from 1973. Beautiful & Clean Copy. Glossy & Shiny Disc

Year Released: 1973

Genre: Hard Rock, Art Rock, Progressive Rock, Funk Rock

Description:

Houses of the Holy is the fifth studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released on March 28, 1973. It marks a significant stylistic evolution for the band, moving away from the overt blues and folk influences that had defined their earlier work toward a more eclectic and experimental sound. This was their first album not to be titled after the band, a conscious decision to avoid the self-titling convention of their previous four albums.

The album is a bold and ambitious collection that showcases the band's versatility. Tracks like "The Song Remains the Same" and "Over the Hills and Far Away" are classic Zeppelin hard rock, but the album also ventures into new territory. The reggae-infused "D'yer Mak'er" and the funk-inspired "The Crunge" (a James Brown parody with its famous, non-existent bridge) were polarizing upon release but are now seen as a testament to the band's willingness to experiment. The album also features the dark and keyboard-heavy "No Quarter," a showcase for John Paul Jones's talents, and the epic, string-infused ballad "The Rain Song," which was written in response to George Harrison's comment about the band not having any ballads.

The album's iconic, surreal cover art was designed by the design team Hipgnosis, who were also responsible for many of Pink Floyd's famous covers. The photograph of naked children climbing the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland was controversial and received some mixed reactions, but it has since become a staple of classic rock imagery. The album title itself is a tribute to the band's dedicated fan base, whom they affectionately referred to as the "Houses of the Holy" at their sold-out concerts. It was also the first Led Zeppelin album to have all of the lyrics printed on the inner sleeve