Physical Graffiti

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.

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.

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.

'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.

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.

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

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

Boring white man rock.

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.

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

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.

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.

«I have two sides» moment. Шестой студийный альбом группы Led Zeppelin содержит всё то, за что эту группу любят и уважают: фирменное звучание, концептуальность альбома, запоминающиеся рифы, невообразимой красоты и уникальности вокал и великие треки. Physical Graffiti состоит из двух контрастирующих частей: в первой представлены композиции в жанре хард-рок, где барабаны в совокупности с гитарой выдают знакомое всем звучание Led Zeppelin. В ней же встречаются такие шедевры, как Kashmir (та самая песня из CS), 11-минутная In My Time Of Dying и заглавная Custard Pie. Переходной становится первая песня со второй части альбома In The Light, которая бодро начинается, но спокойно заканчивается, давая тем самым начало новой, более спокойной акустической части альбома. Следующие за ней треки Bron-Ur-Aur и Down by the Seaside показывают Led Zeppelin совсем с другой стороны, давая слушателям насладиться акустической гитарой и мелодичными ритмами. Альбом можно назвать слегка затянутым, в особенности из-за длинных треков, которых на нем предостаточно. Но это не мешает насладиться его атмосферой и красотой исполнения песен. Крутецкие 5/5.

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

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

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.

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!

Alright, who was gonna tell me that Zep’s best song was a random deep cut from Physical Graffiti called “In The Light”? Great variety of songs compared to some of the earlier Zeppelin albums.

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.

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

Kashmir is an all time best song, sadly nothing else on this album quite lives up too it. There are other great songs here though like Bron-Yr-Aur, Trampled Under Foot, and Houses of the Holy (which always bugged me that it was on this album). My biggest problems with this album are that I am just not crazy about In My Time Of Dying, and In The Light and they are so long they just take up such a large chunk of the album. Also the second half has a lot of filler that are throwaway songs. High 4.

I can feel the duration of this double album and some songs are a bit chore to go through but it's not without some awesome Zeppelin classics. Highlights: "The Rover", "Kashmir", "In the Light" & "The Wanton Song". 4 stars.

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.

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

Before: If I'm being completely honest here, I fucking hate Led Zepplin. I don't think they're as good as everyone makes them out to be. It also doesn't help that every music class I had for two years, this one boy wouldn't stop playing Stairway to Heaven on the guitar. So I'm going in extremely biased but I'll give it a go After: It's nice to know I'm right about something, though I'll admit I didn't expect to be extremely bored during this album. All of the songs sounded almost identical to each other, why is this album rated as highly as it is?

There are very few double albums that make me smile when they come up here: this is one, and also my favourite LZ album. Funky, diverse and weird, it’s all over the place like their hair, and is similarly majestic.

Oooh, yes. A member of my exclusive *good double album* club. Really shows what a powerful creative bunch the Zep were in this period; half of it is reheated left-overs albeit from the sessions of some incredible albums. I'll eat microwaved LZIII, LZIV and Houses of the Holy dog ends all day long ("The Rover", fuck yeah). And, of course, "Kashmir", a monster riff even P. Fiddler couldn't ruin. Any more commentary feels glib, this is a massive album with some massive tunes, appropriate for the stately homes it was recorded in. '70s rock excess at its finest.

This record is so long and unwieldy that’s I’ve never been able to sink into it as much as some other zeppelin, so I’m glad I got this chance to really sit with this. It really is flawless and while it doesn’t have quite the same peaks as other zeppelin (at least to me in this moment) it’s an amazing listen. 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!!!

One of my all time favorites. Five stars.

This was the last of their truly great albums.

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

All timer

It certainly is an album by Led Zeppelin!

There are some really classic Led Zeppelin radio staples on Physical Graffiti. And there are plenty of great album cuts. But on the whole, Physical Graffiti suffers from double-LP bloat. As a set of recordings, it doesn't feel as unified in sound or theme as the Zeppelin LPs that came before it. And there are enough lesser tracks present to make me wish that they'd trimmed about 20-minutes off of this 80+ minute double album. It would have been a stronger album. The core songs here are excellent.

Didn't blow me away.

Not my favourite Zepplin album

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.

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.

it's not that it's too long, although that's part of it. it's not the terrible funky Clavinets on "Custard Pie" and "Trampled Under Foot", although that didn't help. it isn't that they make "In My Time of Dying" 11 minutes long and really sexual about Jesus in the last third, it isn't the stupid wedding music in the middle of "In the Light", and that boring final stretch that REALLY makes you tired of hearing Jimmy Page say "mama". it's that Physical Graffiti exists as a gluttonous object. we get to see the band's typical "more misses than hits" style now applied to the double album, and we see that nothing has changed. there is enough good music here for an OK album, but for some reason or another, they put out a tiring, exhaustive double album. it's like if you didn't cook enough food for a potluck, so you rummage through your fridge and bring a wagon full of leftovers. then the guests praise this "dish" as your best yet. i mean it's 84 minutes long... and it's got "Kashmir" and "The Rover"! what stick in the mud hates "Kashmir" and "The Rover"? this is a filedump -- and in 1975, a filedump cost $35 dollars in today's money. have you ever seen a classic inaugurated into the canon by sunk cost fallacy?

This sucks man! Today is my birthday and I had to sit here and listen to the most overrated group of thieves.

This album is a damn adventure. It has so many great songs and as a whole it's a perfect artistic statement from Led Zeppelin.

Some great Led Zeppelin tracks in Houses of the Holy and Trampled Underfoot, but the piece de resistance is the powerful, persistently building masterpiece of exotic mood and music, Kashmir.

iconic. A few proper hit on it

"Physical Graffiti" is one of my favorite albums. "Kashmir" was the first song I knew, and I was hooked. Then I got my hands on the album, and the artwork was amazing, as were the other songs on the album. What else can I say other than this album will always end up on my turntable. Highly recommended.

5 stars no notes, probably. It’s a whole lot of Led. The double album has some lulls, but the highs are too high to penalize that.

I own this album on vinyl but have only listened to it a couple time so far. I love all of the tracks and would listen to them again in a heartbeat. Five stars.

I enjoyed it a lot

My second Led Zeppelin album and it once again blew me away. A real muscular piece of work and a real journey.

A little bloated, but fuck, it's Led Zep. "Kashmir," "Houses of the Holy," "Ten Years Gone," what more do you want?

On average I’d say the longer the stronger on this album (theres other good songs like the groovy trampled under foot) but I love in the time of dying, kashmir, in the light, 10 years gone. All some of their strongest. I’d honestly rather an album of these stronger songs in a typical led zep, 8 song format and then maybe an outtakes LP as that is what a huge chunk of physical graffiti is. The outtakes one will probably still be good but keeps it tighter. And yeah I mentioned Kashmir earlier and I don’t care that it’s overplayed I love it

Such a great listen while studying. Essential rock album from the 70s

Classic album!

I really like this album. It’s very typical zepplin and I absolutely love some of these songs. In the light is kind of insane sounding but is my favourite. And obvs Kashmir. Not to be woke but some of these lyrics are sketch. But if I ignore that then yeah this is like a perfect classic rock album. (I actually rate this 9/10 but I don't think I can give half stars)

Proper tunes

Як я вже неоднарозово казав - із творчістю Zeppelin бажано знайомитись по порядку, бо саме так найкраще відчувається їх "музична прогресія". І хоча ми вже раніше знайомились з їх другою (https://t.me/community_didko_music/242)та четвертою (https://t.me/community_didko_music/174) роботою, перед прослуховуванням Physical Graffiti дуже важливо звернути увагу на Houses of the Holy. Саме на Houses of the Holy, гурт зробив найбільший крок у сторону максимальної різноманітності, та зробили шикарний "танцювальний" мікс із хард року, фанку, блюзу та навіть реггі. Чи вийшло у них краще ніж на 4-му альбомі? На мою думку, "епічність" 4-го альбому, хоч і була доволі амбітною, все ж вийшла надмірною. За усією його складністю та "багатошаровостю" - важко було розгледіти фірмовий "вайб" Zeppelin, есенцію якого ми отримали на їх 3-й роботі. На Houses of the Holy - цей вайб заграв новими, різнокольоровими, фарбами, а на Physical Graffiti - ці фарби перетворились у більш структуровану та стильну мозаїку жанрів. Physical Graffiti став компіляцією 8 нових + 7 раніше невипущених треків із сесій для 3, 4, та Houses of the Holy. Що в цьому альбомі найбільш цікаво, так це те, що треки хоч доволі сильно і відрізняються один від одного - не перетворюють альбом "збірна солянка". Навпаки, все відчувається як гарно спланована подорож "музичним світом" Zeppelin, в якій кожен трек показує нам різні аспекти творчості гурту, додаючи необхідного забарвлення у загальний наратив усього альбому. Саме через такий "кінематографічний, сценарний" підхід, величезний альбом на 15 пісень, ні в якому разі, не набридає. Більш того, експерименти із східними оркестровими аранжуваннями - підбадьорюють слухати альбом без перерви, та ще більше підсилюють допитливість: що ми ще можемо почути далі? В цьому сенсі, всім відома, пісня Kashmir, яку багато хто вважає верхівкою композиторської майстерності гурту - займає у трек-лісті, найкраще для себе місце.

Hell yes!

This album is great. The development of Led Zeppelin's skills really shows when compared to Led Zeppelin 2.

Double Track Album from the Best Hard Rock Band of all time. Every Track is a classic, not a single miss.

When I was 16, I was listening II and IV non-stop and then a friend gave me the box set that came out in 1992, which I listened to further before just checking out. That was the extent of my Led Zeppelin experience. So I was excited to this appear on my list....I was only familiar with a few of these songs (Custard Pie, In my Time of Dying, Bron-Yr-Aur, Kashmir) but dang, the rest of these songs are solid. I don't give out a whole lot of 5s but this earned it.

Brilliant.

Not their best, a bit plodding at times, and some padding added to make it a double, but all blown away by Kashmir. What a song. WHAT a song.

So happy to see this as my album of the day. Timeless

Classic Led Zeppelin wonderful guitar playing a powerful vocals and experimental with instruments

The peak of Led Zeppelin! Classic rock at its finest. “Kashmir” is a crowd pleaser and immediate 5, but there are so many other great tracks here. When “Custard Pie” starts and you get that “ooooOOOH”… unmistakable!

Learning this album is going to be gratifying. Maybe too long, some songs drag but wow this is loaded with outstanding music. First pass through it is a 4 but as I listen more and grow more familiar with it, i have no doubt this will be a 5. Rover, Houses of the Holy and Trampled Under Foot really stand out thus far

can't really say much except I liked it (7,5/10 committing sins in the daylight)

Can listen to this over and over again.

I feel like I’ve always seen talk about some numeral album of theirs. They all sleepin on this banger.

Just awesome. Not necessarily my favourite album of theirs. But really enjoyed my entire experience listening to it this time round.

Optimal Subliminal Rock hard Rock 3 times 5 stars in a row Only an album from Queen can stop that flow

Good rocker

10/10. "Kashmir" is a masterpiece!!! :)

Listened to so much zeppelin in high school there’s just no possible way to be unbiased

I forgot how good this one. First disc builds and intensity leading to the epic Kashmir. But 2nd disc is sneaky good. Ten Years Gone and Wanton Song are particularly excellent

I LOVED this album so much, really gave me the right vibe of high energy and not giving a fuck I really needed to get through that essay. Was never the biggest fan of Led Zeppelin before, but for some reason this time it really just hit right

Honestly, this record feels like a "greatest hits" for Zep. It's one of the greatest albums of all time, and a really good example of how some double albums are not indulgent... they can be fantastic!

Once again prog rock stuff that I enjoy in the moment but don’t hold onto - maybe I’m just a pop boy

Perhaps, one of my overall top 20 albums. Not a single throwaway song in the bunch.

This starts so strong it blows through the slightly weaker section halfway straight through to the killer end

Ihan pätevää Zeppeliiniä, laittoi pään nyökkymään. Tosi pätevää oikeastaan. Ei tuntunut yhtään pitkälle. Kashmir ainoa tuttu biisi, mutta oli kyllä tasaista Zeppelinin laatua koko levy. Parhaat: Kashmir, The Rover, Trampled Under Foot, The Wanton Song

Crazy good songs here. In The Light, Kashmir

superb. Really enjoyed

Great album

My all-time favorite Zeppelin album!

Best Zeppelin album? Best double album of all time? Physical Graffiti is absolutely in the conversation. Perfect album. No notes.

Not my favourite Led Zeppelin album (IV) but it’s definitely second.

In my opinion, one of the greatest rock albums of all time. LZ is so good. Each one of these dudes was at the top of their game. They're like an all star team of musicians. One of only a few bands where the "deep cuts" might be even better than the classics.

2nd best Zep lp. More of a slog to get thru now than it was then, but every song is great

vibes

Led Zeppelin’s double album, and it’s a good one. Some of the fat could have been trimmed to make it a bit tighter, particularly in the back end, but there is some really interesting work here.

My favorite album by the mighty Mighty. One of my ten dessert island albums.

Fantastic album that I've listened to many times before. Just about every song on here is amazing and has something new to share. It's a long album but it shows the band spreading out creatively and bringing their own signature to a number of genres. But also, Bonham is such a beast I'd probably give an instrumental drum version of this album 5 stars as well

I LOVE LED ZEPPELIN!

Yeah this album was what I expected. Nothing but heaters. Normally on an album, there's a song or 2 that are meh or bad, but this album was just good or great all around. Favorite Song: Trampled Under Foot

Aquí no puedo ni podré ser neutro. Son la banda por antonomasia, y jamás podré dejar mi ingreso por su puerta a su musica

Led Zeppelin has a seat at the head table, always have, always will. And there is a reason for that. I am NOT in love with classic rock and yet I love this. This band is, was, and always will be fantastic across the boards. Very rarely do bands like this come along and we are, collectively, as music lovers, better off for them. Even if you, like me, are not a huge fan of their genre.

Wth is he saying at the end of in my time of dying? I've often wanted to look up the lyrics but I'm going to keep it a mystery 😉🤣🤘🏻. This album has always meant a lot to me... And I've discovered different tracks through the years. Kashmir was always a favorite of mine, and I love the guitar riff in the opening song, custard pie was always a not so famous favorite of mine. Disc 2s the Wonton Song is another one with an exceptional riff that is a hidden gem.

I understand the hate for it being long but just at least acknowledge that the skill that they all possess is ridiculously good.

I'm shocked I loved this as much as I do. Normally I'm pretty opposed to albums over an hour long and this one was pushing hour and a half territory. But they make it work and work well. They all sound incredible and I think track 3 showcases it the best. Just phenomenal. The variety is really what helps this album, it is all over the place. So many different styles and feels to each song. Without all the variety there's no way this would be getting as high of a score as it is. Loved this, much better than their debut (which is the only other album I've listened to). Great album.