The subjective nature of music is vividly showcased by how what one person dislikes about an album might be precisely what another person admires. For instance, while some may dismiss a record for being too heavy, others might perceive that heaviness as integral to its brilliance. This phenomenon extends beyond mere listening experiences. In the case of a Led Zeppelin album, what fulfilled Jimmy Page was precisely what caused Robert Plant to resent it.

One of the things that stands out the most about Led Zeppelin is the different ways they approached making an album. They were willing to travel and experience different cultures to understand sound better. They also used various recording techniques when putting a record together. However, this attitude towards embracing multiple styles of music and the different ways of putting it together was often a double-edged sword.

The band’s taste varied, which was reflected massively in their live shows. They would change the setlist around frequently, as popular songs like ‘Whole Lotta Love’ and ‘Stairway To Heaven’ were dismissed from their sets as soon as the band had decided they’d had enough of them. The differences in taste also meant that when albums were made, friction was caused by the sound some members were going for and how that sound was being created.

This is reflected perfectly in the creation of Presence. After releasing Physical Graffiti in 1975, the band were praised for their willingness to create experimental sounds and expand the scope of their music. Led Zeppelin wanted to continue on this trajectory, so they dived head first into the creation of the album Presence.

Before recording could get underway, though, Robert Plant was involved in a severe car accident in Rhodes. Doctors didn’t think he would be able to walk again, and he had to record the entire album using a wheelchair. Jimmy Page didn’t let the accident get in the way of the recording too much, though. Before long, the band were heading off to California, and the creative process was put into full swing. It was an intense period that Plant and Page looked at differently.

Plant wasn’t happy throughout the recording process. The intense days that Page and their manager implemented, plus having to be away from his family for such an extended period, led to bitterness. So much so that Plant worked in lyrics criticising the band’s behaviour. In ‘Hots on for Nowhere’, he says, “Now I’ve got friends who will give their shoulder / When I should happen to fall / I’ve got friends who will give me fuck all.”

On the other hand, Page loved the intensity of the creative process and revelled in how much work the band put into the album. “That was the ultimate test of that whole… lifestyle,” he said. “I mean, that was 18 hours a day at a real intensity every day. You just plunge in and, I mean, you don’t start thinking about three meals a day.”

He continues by saying that Presence is the band’s best album, “Or at least the one which, when I think back on the sessions, I consider the most fulfilling. I mean, but maybe that’s a rather bad yardstick to use for what one’s favourite album is. Every record has had its moments.”

The views of the creator often trickle down into the thoughts of the consumer. While we have varying opinions on the same piece of music, so do the people responsible for putting it together. Presence is an excellent example of this, as whilst the process was frustrating for Robert Plant, Jimmy Page has never felt more fulfilled when writing an album.