Led Zeppelin's fifth studio album was their first to contain entirely original material. Houses Of The Holy hit record store shelves in March of 1973 and marked a turning point for the band. During the recording process they had started to explore different production techniques, using more layering and working in their newly acquired home studios. Both Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones would record demos in their home studios, allowing them to complete arrangements of material that was previously recorded. This is most notable on "The Rain Song," "Over the Hills and Far Away" and "No Quarter." The music was a departure from the blues influenced material of earlier albums. The opening track, "The Song Remains The Same," showcased Page's layering while evincing a change in Robert Plant's lyrical subject matter. Many of the songs drew influence from genres outside of rock; "D'yer Mak'er" being a reggae based track, while "The Crunge" is a funk tribute to James Brown. Perhaps this is why the album is filled with some of the band's best known material. Then there's the iconic cover art, inspired by the ending of Arthur C. Clarke's novel Childhood's End. The collage of images captured at the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland was designed by Aubrey Powell of rock cover art gods Hipgnosis. High quality pressing of one of Led Zeppelin's most classic albums.

• remastered by Jimmy Page
• 180 gram pressing
• housed in a gatefold sleeve
• textured paper inner sleeve
• paper obi with the band name and album title
• music label: Atlantic 1973 / 2014

reviewed by Hank Ohs 11/2014