The album was a stylistic turning point for the band. The composition and production laid foundations for subsequent releases. According to the band's biographer Dave Lewis, "while the barnstorming effect of the early era was now levelling off, and though devoid of the electricity of
Zeppelin I and
II, the sheer diversity of
the third album, and lacking the classic status of
the fourth,
Houses of the Holy nevertheless found its rightful niche." The album largely abandoned their previous music's weighty, dark
blues rock distortion in favor of a clean, expansive rock sound—as evinced by Page's sharper, brighter guitar tone. It was also likely the most eclectic musically of their albums, in the opinion of
Consequence of Sound writer Kristofer Lenz, who observed
swing rhythms on "Dancing Days", and experiments with
reggae and
psychedelic music on "D'yer Mak'er" and "No Quarter", respectively.
Side one The album's opening track, "
The Song Remains The Same", was originally a Page-composed instrumental called "The Overture". Plant added lyrics that referred to the group's experiences on tour, and it was given a working title of "The Campaign". His lead vocal was sped up slightly in the final mix, while Page played an electric
twelve string guitar and a six-string electric. For live performances, he used the
Gibson EDS-1275 double-neck guitar that was also used for playing "
Stairway to Heaven" in concert. "
The Rain Song" was composed at Page's home studio, including the entire arrangement and the vocal melody. He was inspired to write the song after
George Harrison complained that Led Zeppelin "never did any ballads". The opening chords are the same as Harrison's song "
Something" from
the Beatles'
Abbey Road. The backing track was recorded at Olympic, with a working title of "Slush". Plant added some sensitive lyrics which matched the music, Jones added a string section played on the
Mellotron, while Page played acoustic and
Danelectro electric guitars in various different tunings. The song was regularly performed live, with Page using the Gibson EDS-1275.
Page and Plant revived the track for their 1994–95 tour. "
Over the Hills and Far Away" was written about the hippie lifestyle, including references to the "open road". The song was developed in two halves, with a quiet acoustic section leading into a livelier electric one. The song was one of the first to be introduced into Led Zeppelin's live set, being first played in mid-1972. "
The Crunge" was written by Bonham and developed out of a jam at Stargroves. He decided to create a funk beat that stepped on and off the beat, making it impossible to dance to. Plant improvised a set of lyrics in the manner of
James Brown over the music, parodying Brown's "Take it to the Bridge" vocal style towards the end of the track. To further show that the song was a tongue-in-cheek joke, the group considered putting "dance steps" to the song on the cover at one stage. The track was occasionally performed as an impromptu piece in concert, usually in the middle of another song such as the fast guitar solo section in "
Dazed and Confused".
Side two "
Dancing Days" was inspired by the enjoyable sessions at Stargroves, and the lyrics show a general optimism to life. Kramer recalled the group dancing around in the garden at Stargroves, listening to the playback of the final mix. A promotional copy of the track was sent out by Atlantic for radio play in March 1973, as a preview for the album. "
D'yer Mak'er" originated with Bonham trying to combine
reggae with 1950s
doo-wop by leaving a short
off-beat. Jones later disapproved of the track, saying it was treated as a joke and not thought out well, but Plant thought it could be a hit and suggested it should be released as a single. Led Zeppelin's general policy was to not release singles in the UK, and though test and promotional pressings were produced there, the rest of the group vetoed the idea. In the United States, it became a top 20 hit. "
No Quarter" was composed by Jones. An early arrangement of the song was attempted for their fourth album, but abandoned. Jones reworked the track to add acoustic and electric piano, and various synthesizers. The track quickly became a live favourite, and was featured at every show from 1973 through 1979, providing Jones with an extended solo showcase in the middle, and a jam session with a variety of different styles. Plant revived the song for his 1990 tour, and it was performed by Page and Plant in 1994. Jones performed a solo instrumental performance on tour in 1999, and Plant performed it solo again in 2005. It was part of the set at the
Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert in 2007. "
The Ocean" began with Bonham shouting "We've done four already but now we're steady and then they went, one, two, three, four," referring to the number of takes already recorded. The title and lyrics refer to the group's fans and their devotion to the band. The middle of the track features an a cappella vocal break sung by Plant, Bonham and Jones, while the ending was another pastiche of the doo-wop style.
Unreleased material The album's
title track was recorded at Olympic and mixed at Electric Lady. It was ultimately left off the album, as there were enough tracks to fill two sides of an LP, and was released on the follow-up,
Physical Graffiti in 1975. That album also included two other songs from ''Houses of the Holy's'' Stargroves sessions, "
The Rover" and "Black Country Woman" (the latter recorded in the outdoor garden). Another track from the Stargroves sessions, "
Walter's Walk", was eventually released on
Coda in 1982. ==Packaging==