Released in early 1976, this recording was done while Robert Plant was recovering in his Malibu digs from serious injuries resulting from an auto accident the previous summer. Page and Plant, material in hand and Plant in a wheelchair, returned to Germany to finish the recording. While the recording did not contain any hit singles, Zeppelin fans took a liking to the adventurous hard rock music that was presented, including the 10-minute-plus "Achilles Last Stand" which contains, to many guitar afficianados, some of Page's best solo work.
The album went on to top the Pop Album charts and helped the band's fans stay close to their favorite rockers while they got their lives back in order.
The cover design shows a family sitting around a small table admiring a small, indescribable black object (known as "The Object") that sits in the middle of the table. The strange object-based motif continues on images found inside the package, but don't ask me what it all means...
