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From the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Physical Graffiti

Led Zeppelin

1975

Buy At Rough Trade
Physical Graffiti
Album Summary

Physical Graffiti is the sixth studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. It was released as a double album on 24 February 1975 by the group's new record label, Swan Song Records. The band wrote and recorded eight new songs for the album in early 1974 at Headley Grange, a country house in Hampshire, which gave them ample time to improvise arrangements and experiment with recording. The total playing time covered just under three sides of an LP, so they decided to expand it into a double by including previously unreleased tracks from the sessions for the earlier albums Led Zeppelin III, Led Zeppelin IV and Houses of the Holy. The album covered a range of styles including hard rock, progressive rock, rock 'n' roll and folk. The album was then mixed over summer 1974 and planned for an end-of-year release; however, its release was delayed because the Peter Corriston-designed die-cut album cover proved difficult to manufacture. Physical Graffiti was commercially and critically successful upon its release and debuted at number one on album charts in the UK and number three in the US. It was promoted by a successful US tour and a five-night residency at Earl's Court, London. The album has been reissued on CD several times, including an expansive 40th anniversary edition in 2015. Physical Graffiti was later certified 16× platinum in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2006, signifying shipments of over eight million copies.

Wikipedia

Rating

3.93

Votes

12241
Genres
Metal
Hard Rock

Reviews

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Tue Apr 27 2021
4

First half of the album is as good, if not better than any other Led Zep album. Every song is a heavy hitter culminating in the colossus that is 'Kashmir'. Disc 2 doesn't quite pack the same punches but does contain 'In The Light', 'Ten Years Gone' and 'The Wanton Song' which are the picks of the second half.

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Thu Jul 01 2021
5

'Physical Graffiti' is a Zeppelin album that I've had to warm up to over the years. The diversity of musical styles on this album is just unreal, with each track hitting you in its own unique way. At first, it didn't grab me the same way Led Zeppelin II or IV did, but as time has past, it has come to be, for me, Zeppelin's greatest accomplishment. These songs just feel like the culmination of Zeppelin's unparalleled songwriting ability and overall musicianship.

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Mon Jun 21 2021
3

This another one where the first half is full of great stuff and the longer it goes on, the more I wish it had stopped. This is a ten song album in a fifteen song sack. still, pretty listenable.

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Tue Jan 26 2021
5

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.

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Sat Apr 09 2022
5

Led Zeppelin is probably the group I most wanted to experience when embarking on this listening project. Not ever exploring any of their works beyond the occasional hits was a huge deficit in my musical experience. I love this album, a sprawling collection of eclectic songs that showcase incredible diversity in song construction. I was only familiar with the relentless “Kashmir” that churns like a black hole in this album’s heart. Spiraling around it is a galaxy of songs covering a wide range of styles. How consistently great it all is serves as a testament to Led Zeppelin’s incredible talent. I expected Led Zeppelin to be awesome. On this album they exceeded my expectation.

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Mon Feb 08 2021
5

It’s a good Led Zeppelin album. It has some prog rock elements on songs like In the Light which is cool. For the most part it’s what I would expect from one of the best Led Zeppelin albums. There are a bunch of good guitar riffs and Robert Plant’s vocals are iconic. This is not a perfect album however. Although I appreciated some of the strange choices such as The Beach Boys-esque Down by the Seaside, other songs such as Boogie with Stu feel out of place to me. It’s not that they’re bad but they just seem like filler to bring the album to its double-album length. Still, this is one of the best albums on the list so far. Favorite Songs: The Rover, In My Time of Dying, Trampled Under Foot, Kashmir, In The Light, Down by the Seaside, The Wanton Song, Sick Again Least Favorite Songs: Boogie with Stu, Black Country Woman Light 9/10

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Tue Mar 30 2021
2

I do not particularly like Led Zeppelin but relatively recently I have come to appreciate the bass playing of john paul jones and drumming of john bonham through some suggested listening by friends. Was going to do an episode of my one track mind with someone on a Zeppelin album but pulled the plug before I got to it. I wish I had. As is common, it might come down to a general distaste for the vocals of Robert Plant for me. This is a long and relatively indulgent album in my opinion and it began to grate on me. They never manage to surprise me. Had to crank the bass up on the EQ to give it the right umph. I feel like this is relatively weak as an album overall. With Zeppelin I feel like there are sort of diminishing returns from their first album onwards. I like much more material from any album of theirs previous to this one. Kashmir and the wanton song are alright but that's about it for me here. Honestly I had to skip some tracks. I much prefer Jack White's stripped down impression of Led Zeppelin to Led Zeppelin itself.

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Fri May 07 2021
5

A masterpiece from the peak of one of the most talented bands ever. Also, probably the best double album ever.

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Wed May 12 2021
2

Eh…. Led Zeppelin isn’t my favorite. A lot of the music on this albums feels the same to me. Listening to it felt long and as if it dragged on. Once again, nothing jumped out to make me want to add it to a playlist. With that being said, I enjoyed the beats and instruments for many of the songs, but the singing makes every song sound really redundant to me.

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Mon Jan 11 2021
5

I was a bit sceptical going in, did I really want two LPs of Led Zeppelin back to back? Turns out I did. Some incredible drumming powers the album, there is plenty of variety and the run of epics in the middle have such great melodies and ideas that they never get boring. Super enjoyable!

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Fri Jan 15 2021
5

So gooood. I ended up dancing hard in my room and triggering my dislocated shoulder 😂 Its that good.

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Thu Mar 25 2021
5

I have to give one Led Zep album a great rating and I can still stomach this one as it's only overplayed rather than massively overplayed. I never owned this although it was around the house for a while - perhaps  borrowed  long term?  I'm kinda shocked that every song is familiar. Started thinking 5 but paused when I  listened to the lyrics more purposely - they're a little fluffy for a 5. Led Zep is on the map because of Jimmy. Yeah JPJ and JB can play and Plant is an adequate front man but they would be lucky to play Massey Hall if it weren't for Page's magic on the ole 6 stringer. Side 3 is where you typically encounter excess filler on double (studio) LPs. What's impressive is that Jimmy can make the filler good. eg he saves the day quite nicely on Bron-Yr-Aur and Ten Years Gone. OK for Jimmy we bring out a 5.

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Wed Jun 16 2021
5

When aliens land and demand to hear our “rock and roll,” cue it up.

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Wed Feb 15 2023
3

Hailed as one of the greatest (if not the greatest) double albums of all time, I can’t help but wish this record was actually a single LP. …but that’s me, I don’t like most double albums. They’re almost always bloated, pat-on-the-back affairs and they usually start running out of gas about an hour in. So here’s my re-imagined, single disc version of Physical Graffiti; I like to call it the “John-Paul-Jones-Was-The-Best-Member-Of-This-Band Edition”. Sorry if you think this is sacrilege, but you’ll get over it one day: In the Light Bron-Yr-Aur Trampled Under Foot Houses of the Holy The Wanton Song Down By the Seaside Ten Years Gone Boom! A 5 star, classic mid-70’s record, clocking in at just under 40 minutes, so it’ll fit on one slab of vinyl. In fact, it would probably have a legitimate shot at best Led Zep record, or, at least, the one that hardcore fans recognize as the best, like Vol. 4 or Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. I know…you’re sitting there saying, “bu-but…what about Kashmir.” You can keep it, that’s what. Put it on your own single disc version of Physical Graffiti…the one with all the scraps I’ve left behind.

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Sat Mar 13 2021
2

Sorry, only got 3 tunes in and not my cup of tea at all!

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Fri Feb 26 2021
5

Masterpiece. One of my Top 10-20 albums of all time. Second best Led Zeppelin album to IV. 10/10 1. Ten Years Gone 2. Kashmir 3. In My Time of Dying

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Mon Oct 25 2021
5

I went through a couple of years back in my thirties when I was deep into Zeppelin. They were practically the only thing I listened to. Back then, I think I favored the first two albums and Houses of the Holy. Coming back at it now, Physical Graffiti has so much to offer as well. If you asked me now to recommend just one Zeppelin album, I think this might actually be it because it’s such an expansive work. Yes, this album suffers maybe a little from double album syndrome. It’s all over the place stylistically. But the songs are undeniably excellent. This is the work of four artists at the top of their game, flexing their creative muscles. It's a joy to listen to. There isn't really another album like this, but the closest I can approximate is The White Album, sans the internal turmoil. Apparently John Paul Jones was tired and disillusioned with his role in the band, and things could have played out quite differently. But he was given more creative control and the benefit to the band is palpable on this album and their sound moving forward. This by the way is what should happen in a band when this sort of thing happens. The diversity of styles covered, the creative dalliances, the range of feeling, it's all here. You’ve got everything from heavy rockers like "Trampled Under Foot" and "In My Time of Dying" to the ambitious anthem "Kashmir" and the lovely acoustic instrumental "Bron-Yr-Aur." You’ve got blues, you’ve got prog, you’ve got good old-fashioned rock and roll. “Boogie with Stu” is full on just for fun. The musicianship as always is ridiculously good. I feel dumb even talking about it because... just listen. Page, Plant, Bonham, Jones, ‘nuff said. This is an album pack with songs that are soulful, sexy, beautifully crafted, and heavy as a hammer when they feel like it. Oh and also, they freaking rock. 5 easy stars… you know-oooh-ohh-oh. Fave Songs: Houses of the Holy, Trampled Under Foot, Bron-Yr-Aur, Down by the Seaside, Ten Years Gone, Kashmir, In the Light, In My Time of Dying, Custard Pie

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Tue Dec 07 2021
5

I could gush for pages (no pun intended) about this band and this album. So much love for both Led Zeppelin and this amazing work. For example, it doesn't matter that I've heard 'Ten Years Gone' hundreds of times; as soon as the very opening chords are strummed, I'm moved. It should get old, right? But it never does. My son, currently in his early teens, is a drummer, loves this band, and thinks John Henry Bonham is one of the greatest of all time. I do not disagree. I'm not even a drummer and I know I could listen to the isolated drum tracks from this album (and all his work) and be blown away. Jimmy Page is one of my all-time favorite guitarists. What a writer, player, and performer (and producer, too, while we're at it). John Paul Jones is to me one of the most underrated and overlooked artists in rock history. He's worth getting to know. I get that Robert Plant's voice isn't for everyone, but I like it. Goes well with their style. To be honest, though, other than letting the melody soak in when he's singing, he's the member of the band I pay the least attention to when I listen to Zeppelin. Just persona preference. I've even imagined an instrumental trio comprised of Bonham, Jones, and Page -- okay, whilst we are in fantasy mode, let's have two John Paul Jones so we can have one on bass and the other on keys -- and I love traveling to the play where they play together and let their talents just soar.

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Tue Nov 29 2022
5

This was the last of their truly great albums.

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Tue Dec 12 2023
5

One of my all time favorites. Five stars.

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Thu Dec 14 2023
5

Another Zeppelin classic. There's a reason they were the biggest band of the 70's. 5 star classic all the way.

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Thu Dec 14 2023
5

Wow! What a powerhouse album! Starts kicking with \"Custard Pie\" and doesn't let up ) Kashmir, The Wonton Song, etc. Bought this album when it first came out [cool album sleeves you don't get with CDs or downloads] To me this is one of their best albums - better than Houses of the Holy (since this is a double) and Led Zeppelin. Enjoy!!!

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Tue Mar 30 2021
3

I think what I learned listening to this is that I thought I liked Led Zeppelin more than I do. Apparently I more like to hear some of their epic jams every once in a while. Listening to all this as a double album I really got bored before I was even halfway through. Some exciting moments here and there.

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Sat May 22 2021
3

This was a little on the disappointing side for me. I absolutely love Kashmir, what a classic song. But everything else missed the mark and this album was a bit too long. Some of the songs were long for no reason.

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Wed May 03 2023
3

Listening to the first few songs here I was wondering why I hadn't listened to this album in so long. The first disc is solid gold, especially the incredible "Kashmir". But then I got to the second disc, and that's a completely different story. Apart from the excellent "Ten Years Gone", the second disc is mostly forgettable. No wonder I couldn't remember it! Bit of a mixed bag overall really, and way too long. A 3 seems harsh, but this doesn't really hold up to III, IV, or Houses of the Holy to me.

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Fri Nov 13 2020
5

Incredible Album Led Zep's best

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Wed Dec 23 2020
5

Great, underrated Zeppelin album, more mature song writing and lyrics.

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Fri May 14 2021
5

Man I forgot about into the light.

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Mon Jan 25 2021
5

Robert Plant sure likes his oooohhsss. I actually really liked the acoustic in this album. It's not very controversial to say Led Zeppelin is very good.

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Wed Jan 27 2021
5

Some really good turn up the volume style songs. Obviously Kashmir is a classic. A good album overall

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Thu Feb 25 2021
5

holy fuck! my favorite led zeppelin album and it's really not even close. bluesy and powerful and huge and perfect. fav track: boogie with stu

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Sat Mar 13 2021
5

Better than yesterday’s led zep 3. A little long at places but really shines where it does

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Wed Mar 10 2021
5

No lo había escuchado completo y podría decir que el mame de que es la banda mas grande del rock es por éste disco en gran parte, completito directo a la playlist. Tienen un gran manejo de los ritmos y las situaciones por instrumento. Gran Gran disco aunque al final ya creo que tiene varias rolas de relleno (todo el lado D)

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Wed Mar 03 2021
5

Visar varför dom en av de stora

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Thu Feb 04 2021
5

Love this album! Forgot all of these tracks were on this album.

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Mon Jul 12 2021
5

Very very good. The "cough" in "My Time of Dying" has a Charlie Lions vibe

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Wed Mar 10 2021
5

Para 1975 Zeppelin llevaba 7 años de haber iniciado, iniciando en 68 a la par de Black Sabbat todavía no se daba el salto propio a lo que sería el metal que habrían de originar entre las dos bandas; en estos momentos no había banda más grande y pesada que Led Zeppelin. Después de unos primeros 4 discos espectaculares, uno muy bueno y siendo una banda enorme sacan un disco doble, de hora y media de duración que, a mi parecer, es el mejor de todos (y quizá el último de sus discos que realmente vale la pena completo). Con una simple pasada lo primero que salta es una producción impecable y trabajadísima; canciones llenas de sonidos, capas y experimentos sonoros que en prácticamente todos los casos funcionan. Lo que más llama la atención es la amplísima gama de ritmos y estilos que usan. Podría uno pensar que esto haría un disco discordante o que no tiene cohesión pero en este caso es muy por el contrario; el disco se siente como un gran ejemplo de toda la obra del grupo y de lo versátiles y talentosos que podían ser. Mucho más allá de hacer más hard-rock simple para estadio con los ritmos que habían perfeccionado se permiten experimentar e innovar, nos dan un rocanrol básico y clásico en Boogie With Stu, una miniatura folk en Bron Yr Aur, un extraño pero excelente... "funk-metal" en Trampled Underfoot, progresivo en In the Light, pop con Down by the Seaside. Ten Years Gone muestra incluso que la banda puede ser sentimental y hacerlo bien. In My Time of Dying, quizá mi canción favorita del disco, muestra lo virtuoso de Jimmy Page y con 11 minutos de duración no cansa. Como si no fuera suficiente, a la mitad de todo esto dejan caer Kashmir, como bestia exótica de todo el misticismo oriental de Plant y Page, las cuerdas elevan la canción mientras que la batería le terminan de dar forma a una canción que solo podría llamársele "monolítica" en mi opinión. En mi opinión Physical Graffiti es el último gran disco de Led Zeppelin y el mejor. A más de 46 años de salir es impresionante lo fresco, pesado e innovador que todavía se siente.

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Mon Feb 01 2021
5

Four sides of pure Zeppelin goodness - if I were being honest, probably 4 stars compared to Led Zeppelin III or Houses of the Holy, but the extra star for nostalgia as this just BARELY fit on a 90 minute Maxell cassette - it was my first cassette on my St Louis-to-New Jersey roadtrips in my college years going home - got me halfway across Illinois.

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Wed Mar 03 2021
5

The product of seasoned great musicians, rock at its peak

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Mon Jul 12 2021
5

Has a spicy light affair with this album in 2006 ovoid with Shane. Great album

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Mon Jan 18 2021
5

In de auto geluisterd met Eva, vonden we allebei tof.

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Tue Apr 27 2021
5

Zeppelin will always be around the top of my list of favorite bands of all time. I could go on all day about how much I love their music and how distinct each of their albums are

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Wed Jan 20 2021
5

Really good, lots of bangers. Probably on par with Houses of the Holy for me in terms of having those long tracks that you can sit with for a while

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Sat Jun 19 2021
5

Obsesionado con el sonido de la pata de la bateria. En general, el nivel de producción es brutal. Comparen con otros discos de la época que suenan a cartón, esto suena en vivo y brutal.

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Mon Feb 01 2021
5

My favorite Zepp album that has 2 of my favorite Zepp songs “Sick Again” & “10 Years Gone” Awesome album

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Fri Jul 16 2021
5

F19 workout sessions w Brandon, Summer 2019 forever

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Thu Feb 11 2021
5

So many good songs! It’s been too long since I’ve listened to this album! Saved to favs!

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Tue Feb 09 2021
5

LOVED. Surprised I only knew one song on the album prior. Added lots of songs to my senior year playlist which inspired me to make more playlists. 9/10.

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Tue Mar 09 2021
5

L’ultimo grande disco degli Zeppelin

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Tue Apr 06 2021
5

Love this album. On display is a mastery of a wide range of styles.

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Thu May 06 2021
5

We were surprised how many great songs were on this album.

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Fri May 07 2021
5

Great album. Can't go wrong with Zeppelin.

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Fri May 21 2021
5

I've listened to and enjoyed this album before. Kashmir is probably my all-time favourite song so that was an obvious highlight. I think most of the tracks are very well put together, with exciting, dynamic drumming and some amazing riffs. It's long, and at times is just plain old blues rock, but I still think the album is worthy of 5 stars.

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Fri Jul 30 2021
5

Surpreendente ainda não ter escutado o álbum. Referência da força sublime do rock.

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Mon Sep 13 2021
5

Really like the keyboard, wonder what sybrh they used. Somewhat classical in arrangement. Surprisingly wide variety of styles. And really impressive technically!

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Wed Sep 22 2021
5

Led Zeppelin is beloved for a reason. I think legalization will help resurrect them a little.

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Tue Oct 05 2021
5

Really looked forward to listening to this one, as I never have before.....and it delivered!!!! Will listen to more Zeplin!!!

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Tue Oct 19 2021
5

This album is maybe the purest expression of the Led Zeppelin sound. It's unique and catchy and damn good.

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Thu Oct 21 2021
5

Not my absolute favorite LZ album, but it's a close second. This thing rules man, and even though it's a long double album it doesn't overstay its welcome, due to the band mixing up the style of song so often. Fantastic classic rock record.

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Thu Oct 21 2021
5

It's Led Zeppelin. It's perfect.

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Tue Oct 26 2021
5

A lot of new Led for me b/c there are a ton of less popular songs on this album. All of them are fantastic.

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Tue Nov 02 2021
5

The Rover In my time of dying Kashmir In the light Bron Yr Aur Voilà comment choper 5 étoiles Adele

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Wed Nov 10 2021
5

Overall: Excellent. Relisten? Yes

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Wed Nov 10 2021
5

Some real classics. A few bits of filler

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Thu Nov 11 2021
5

Kashmir is a classic, Trampled Under Feet is a genuine funk banger and House of the Holy is southern toe tapping swamp rock at it's best. An album that surprised me!

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Thu Nov 11 2021
5

Way better than i even remember. Solid through.

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Sun Nov 14 2021
5

A masterpiece. Love the band. Love the album.

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Mon Nov 15 2021
5

Even though this album has Kashmir, this is probably my least favorite Led Zeppelin album. But the least favorite among greatness is still great!

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Mon Nov 22 2021
5

I just bought it on eBay. So, yeah, it's good...

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Wed Dec 01 2021
5

holy shit man why did they have to give me an album so late it their career? I’d feel like an asshole if I just jumped in that late, so I listened to their five prior albums all in one day and each and every one of those six albums were beyond incredible, greater than a 10/10, they were all too good to give a simple rating to and it felt like they kept getting better after each one? but then like listening to the older stuff again felt just as amazing as the late stuff I couldn’t tell you what my favorite album of the six were, hell I can’t even say what my favorite song from this album was like Led Zeppelin I & II we’re both pretty incredible hard rock albums, and they both had some really fun blues songs for some spice and then I think they really stepped up in LZ-III with all these amazing experimental sounds that I couldn’t get enough of and then they moved it in a very beautiful direction with LZ-IV, it’s still definitely hard rock, but a lot more acoustic, gentle, spiritual and celtic a very nice laid back album and then you got Houses of the Holy which is beyond words honestly, like every album is my favorite but I think this one has just the right kind of songs to cater to my specific tastes just a hair above the others with its beautiful usage of electronic and reggae, it’s something I can’t put into words and then I listened to Physical Graffiti and like, man, this one was too fucking amazing too, I can’t fucking tell if I like this one the most or not like I just got so lost in wonder listening to each and every one of these six spectacular albums I really can’t pick a favorite here, they’re all tied for being my favorite Led Zeppelin album I’m a little tired after listening to six albums in a row but I’m glad I did, that was such an amazing experience now I gotta listen to Presence, In Through the Out Door, Coda, and their Live albums, plus anything else I might have missed holy shit seriously listen to all their stuff, it’s too fucking good

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Tue Dec 07 2021
5

The best Led Zeppelin album. Innovative and lively tracks all over. Absolutely great rock.

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Mon Dec 13 2021
5

Solid! Was listening to this on my last day at SRU with Raymond. Good music; good memories.

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Sat Dec 18 2021
5

I got this album several days ago and I'm just now getting around to listening to the ones I've gotten in the interim because this has been on repeat. Just incredible. Best track: Kashmir

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Mon Dec 20 2021
5

Great album. A few classics I recognized and a few I hadn’t heard.

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Fri Jan 07 2022
5

Another great album by Led Zep. A double album that doesn’t drop off at any point.

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Sat Jan 08 2022
5

My favourite led zeppelin album at the moment, all the tracks on the first half are classics. The songwriting is just so good, and there are so many excellent memorable riffs. The second half of the album is a bit long and less exciting but the first half is good enough on its own to make this a 5

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Fri Feb 04 2022
5

Can a double album be good enough to get 5 stars? You wouldn't think so. Jimmy Page begs to differ.

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Wed Feb 09 2022
5

Led Zep complexifie sa proposition tout en préservant son ardeur rock and roll ; des incursions funk et protométal s’ajoutent à la recette gagnante alliant psychédélique, blues et riffs rocks désarmants.

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