"Candy Store Rock" is a song by English

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

band

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...

, released in 1976 on their album '' Presence''. It was also released as a single in the United States, but it did not chart.

Recording

The band recorded the song at

Musicland Studios Musicland Studios was a recording studio located in Munich, Germany. It was established by Italian record producer, songwriter and performer Giorgio Moroder in the early 1970s.

in Germany. Plant sang from a wheelchair because he was recovering at the time from a car accident he had sustained in Greece. Plant considers "Candy Store Rock" to be one of his favourite songs from ''Presence''. Jimmy Page's guitar solo is short and measured, coming in halfway through the song.

Live renditions

"Candy Store Rock" was never performed live by the band at

Led Zeppelin concerts From September 1968 until the summer of 1980, English rock band Led Zeppelin were the world's most popular live music attraction, performing hundreds of sold-out concerts around the world. History Throughout the late 1960s and 1970s, Led Zeppeli ...

,Dave Lewis (1994), ''The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin'', Omnibus Press, . except for a brief riff by Page at Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati, Ohio, on 20 April 1977. However, a one-minute improvisation was played live in concert by

Page and Plant Page and Plant (also known as Jimmy Page & Robert Plant) was an English rock band active between 1994 and 1998. The group consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page and vocalist Robert Plant (both formerly of English rock band Led Zeppelin), accompanied ...

as a " Black Dog" introduction on 26 July 1995 at

Wembley Arena Wembley Arena (originally the Empire Pool, now known as OVO Arena Wembley for sponsorship reasons) is an indoor arena next to Wembley Stadium in Wembley, London, England, used for music, comedy, family entertainment and sport. The 12,500-s ...

. The song was also played live in

Montreux Montreux (, , ; frp, Montrolx) is a Swiss municipality and town on the shoreline of Lake Geneva at the foot of the Alps. It belongs to the district of Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland, and has a population of approxima ...

by Page and Plant on 7 July 2001.

Reception

In a contemporary review for ''Presence'', Stephen Davis of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' described "Candy Store Rock" as "perfectly evoking the

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

milieu in which the Zep composed 'Presence''" He further described the song as sounding like "an unholy hybrid in which Buddy Holly is grafted onto the quivering stem of

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

." '' Record World'' said that Led Zeppelin " eviatesfrom the rigid demands of top 40, but the sound is coordinated to stand up to repeated listenings" In a retrospective review of ''Presence (

Deluxe Edition The terms special edition, limited edition, and variants such as deluxe edition, or collector's edition, are used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as books, prints, r ...

)'', Andrew Doscas of ''

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

'' described "Candy Store Rock" as sounding like "the prequel to 1971's "

Rock and Roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm a ...

"" from their fourth album. Singer Robert Plant later described "Candy Store Rock", along with "

Achilles Last Stand "Achilles Last Stand" is a song by the English rock group Led Zeppelin released as the opening track on their seventh studio album, '' Presence'' (1976). Guitarist Jimmy Page and singer Robert Plant began writing the song during the summer of ...

", as the "saving grace of ''Presence''". Plant said the song's rhythm section was inspiring to him, partly due to the album's tumultuous recording sessions.

References

{{Authority control Led Zeppelin songs Songs written by Jimmy Page Songs written by Robert Plant 1976 singles Song recordings produced by Jimmy Page Swan Song Records singles British rock-and-roll songs