Physical Graffiti [Deluxe Edition]

Physical Graffiti [Deluxe Edition]

by Led Zeppelin

Overview

Led Zeppelin returned from a nearly two-year hiatus in 1975 with the double-album Physical Graffiti, their most sprawling and ambitious work. Where Led Zeppelin IV and Houses of the Holy integrated influences on each song, the majority of the tracks on Physical Graffiti are individual stylistic workouts. The highlights are when Zeppelin incorporate influences and stretch out into new stylistic territory, most notably on the tense, Eastern-influenced "Kashmir." "Trampled Underfoot," with John Paul Jones' galloping keyboard, is their best funk-metal workout, while "Houses of the Holy" is their best attempt at pop, and "Down by the Seaside" is the closest they've come to country. Even the heavier blues -- the 11-minute "In My Time of Dying," the tightly wound "Custard Pie," and the monstrous epic "The Rover" -- are louder and more extended and textured than their previous work. Also, all of the heavy songs are on the first record, leaving the rest of the album to explore more adventurous territory, whether it's acoustic tracks or grandiose but quiet epics like the affecting "Ten Years Gone." The second half of Physical Graffiti feels like the group is cleaning the vaults out, issuing every little scrap of music they set to tape in the past few years. That means that the album is filled with songs that aren't quite filler, but don't quite match the peaks of the album, either. Still, even these songs have their merits -- "Sick Again" is the meanest, most decadent rocker they ever recorded, and the folky acoustic rock & roll of "Boogie with Stu" and "Black Country Woman" may be tossed off, but they have a relaxed, off-hand charm that Zeppelin never matched. It takes a while to sort out all of the music on the album, but Physical Graffiti captures the whole experience of Led Zeppelin at the top of their game better than any of their other albums.

Product Details

Release Date: 02/24/2015
Label: Atlantic
UPC: 0081227957957
catalogNumber: 535339
Rank: 14559

Tracks

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Led Zeppelin   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Jimmy Page   Composer,Producer
Robert Plant   Composer
John Paul Jones   Composer
John Bonham   Composer
Keith Harwood   overdub engineer
Eddie Kramer   Engineer
Ron Nevison   Engineer
Mike Doud   Original Design Concept
Peter Corriston   Original Design Concept
Dave Heffernan   Illustrations
George Chiantz   Engineer,overdub engineer
Maurice Tate   Photo Tinting
Peter Grant   Executive Producer
Mrs. Valens   Composer
Andrew Johns   Engineer

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Physical Graffiti [Remastered] 4.8 out of 5 based on 0 ratings. 5 reviews.
Anonymous More than 1 year ago
love zeppelin, this is a nice album.
Guest More than 1 year ago
This album is definitely thier best along with IV, if not a little better. Custard Pie is an excellent hard rock opener with blues influences. The rest of the album follows the same routine. The Rover is one of their memorable epics. In My Time of Dying is a long blues epic that will blow you away. Houses of the Holy is one of the best songs on the album and is very memorable. But why isn't it on the houses of the holy album? Trampled Under Foot is a funky tune. Kashmir, with a middle eastern flare, is Zeppelin's second best song and is the best synth song along with Carouselambra. The second disc might even be better than the first. In the Light sounds middle eastern as well. It would have been much better if they took the keyboard gallops out in the beginning. It is the weakest song on the album. Bron-Yr-Aur is the second best song on the album and is a highly underrated lyricless folk tune. It would have been even better if it was about 10 minutes long instead of 2. Down By the Seaside is one of the best country songs ever written. Ten Years Gone is one of their best, but is very depressing. Night Flight is a very catchy and inspirational rock song. Boogie With Stu is an excellent reincarnation of '50s rock. Black Country Woman is often considered filler, but I think it is an excellent acoustic blues/folk ballad. Sick again is an excellent closer. It sure is a good, mean rock song, and it showed the band's great depth when you compare it to Bron-Yr-Aur. This is a very ambitious album that any Zep fan should own. I am only 15, but I show how timeless Zep is.
Guest More than 1 year ago
This is Led Zeppelin's equivalent to the Rolling Stones' Beggars Banquet the the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper. Although IV will probably always be the Led Zeppelin album that will be known as their defining album Physical Graffiti is really much creative and experimental. This is Led's finest acheivement. It is also they're most experimental. The Eastern flavored "Kashmir" is maybe their best. This is quite possibly one of the greatest double albums ever made it may be a bit critically underrated despite it's monstorous album sales..... quite entertaining. Although, rightly so, Led Zeppelin will never be considered as great as Bob Dylan, Muddy Waters, the Beatles, or the Rolling Stones but Led Zeppelin has stood the test of time with and now deserves a place in rock n' roll history if not at least the greatest heavy-metal band.
Guest More than 1 year ago
I am a big Zeppelin fan. I have all their studio albums and I think this is definitly the best. IV is good but not all the songs on that album are good compared to Stairway to Heaven. All songs on this slbum are good. So just buy this album and you will probably love it.
Guest More than 1 year ago
Yeah, it's a sprawling double album. But so what? This still stands as one of Led Zeppelin's most ambitious works. Songs like Custard Pie and The Rover imply that Zep haven't deviated from their course, but the middle-eastern Kashmir and the funky Trampled Underfoot show that the band has begun to travel into unexplored ground. Personally, I prefer the first CD to the second, because there's not a bad song on it. The second has a couple of clunkers, but on the whole, it's pretty good too. A must-have for any true Zep fan.