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.

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.

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.

'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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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?

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?

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

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.

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

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.

Two thumbs up for Led.

Even though this is my era I didn’t grow up with LZ, it wasn’t my family’s thing and I was too little to have a choice in the matter. This is the first time I have listened to a LZ album all the way through. Would give it 10 stars if I could. What is so interesting is to realize that everyone that came after them simply copied them. I have been listening to LZ via every artist since, as all they do is channel LZ in one form or another. truly groundbreaking artists.

Another absolute banger from koffi, in the light probably my favourite but so many good tracks on this. Mid 5.

An epic hammer of an album and one of my favourites outside the numbered albums. It's long and big in scope but has great dynamics between the songs so doesn't outstay its welcome and become a chore.

Love Zeppelin and this album! So many epic songs

It's Led Zep and plenty of bangers. Favorite song: In My Time of Dying

One of the very best.

One's certain that one's deep love for this record has nothing to do with hearing it for (more or less) the first time when doing ecstasy for (more or less) the first time. And that fact may also explain one's misremembering the "In the Light"/"Bron Ya"/"Down by the Seaside"/"Ten Years Gone" as side 1. (One'd loved every other Zeppelin record to death but came late to Physical.) This sequence of songs holds as much peronal meaning as any other in all the rock canon. What a set of songs, what gaudy/grungy hooks so expertly executed. Page the wizardly puppet master here, Plant the high priest, nee' official Rock God. JPJ and Bonzo just rock-solid when necessary, and fluid and agile as need be. Hard to fathom teh breadth and depth of skill and quality and power. "Houses of the Holy" and "Night Flight" and "Trampled" are also terrific, with "Custard Pie" and Kashmir" and "Wanton Song" and "Boogie with Stu" and "Black Country Woman" and "Sick Again" offering value a touch down from the top tier, and the latter providing some necessary variety in tone and mood. In the cold light of decidedly non-ecstasy-fueled middle age, one recognizes how this record's length takes it feel at times a good bit less than fully sublime. Pound for pound, it's not quite as good as I-IV, a bit more baroque and sprawling, but showing clear evidence continuing exploration and evolution. Or it might be that one feels slightly uneasy giving his teenage-self's favorite band an automatic V (5) for each and every record. However, by anyone else's standard, this would be an undisputed masterpiece. [Sidebar: one's never before noticed that the opening of the epic "In My Time of Dying" was stolen outright by (stupid) ACDC for their moronic anthem "RnR Ain't Noise Pollution." Fucking sacrilege.]

To come back to - but based on early listens. 8 Jan 2025.

Sounds huge. Long as fuck, about the length of a movie Special shout to The Rover and Kashmir and absolute monster of a song Jimmy Page cool as fuck

So many great songs, this album brings a complexity and intrigue that had me putting it on repeat multiple times.

1/6/25. Fantastic album, all of LZ's work is top-tier. And at this point in their career, you can see how much they've grown and not stick to the blues-based rock & roll.

Fucking hell, that is an amazing album. I've listened to a few Led Zeppelin albums via this site and they are not at all what I expected. This is the best of them so far, and I am struggling to believe it's possible they could top this one. I've immediately put the album back on again for a second listen. One of the easiest 5 stars I've given so far!

This is my sixth-favorite Zep album but it’s still five stars.

Zeppelin is divided into three eras: before PhyG, PhysG, and after PhysG. IV was an amazing album. Houses carried over much of the same pathos. For me, though, Physical Graffiti was the Greatest Album of All Time! Where earlier LZ albums were infused with opulent & often nefarious lifestyle choices (they wrote the book on how to ‘party like a rockstar’, e.g. Red Snapper Incident) Graffiti was LZ at their most focused, most experimental, more international...their most everything. Kashmir is pure masterpiece and, in my extremely biased opinion, the best song ever recorded (sorry Bach, Mozart, Paul, Bob, Dylan, Miss Bareilles). I remember the exact moment and location I heard it when I was 14. Ten Years Gone is an epic ballad of blues-influenced storytelling and guitar mastery. Wonton Song is as much fun to play as it is to listen. Boogie With Stu (stolen/influenced by Ritchie Valens) is a ‘50s throwback for the ages. Black Country Woman is a bluegrass soaked jamfest. I could go on about every song. This album has just gotten better with time. If someone ever asks, “What’s rock ‘n’ roll?” Hand over the headphones and blow their minds.

This is the last great Led Zeppelin album. And boy did they do it right with a double album. This album keeps surprising me and showing me new gems still today. As I continue to listen and re-listen to this album and I always find new songs that I like better than previously. "In My Time of Dying" is probably the best example of this. While it was the live performances of this song that truly captured me it was a wake up call to an absolutely classic Zepp song that I missed on Physical Grafitti upon first listen. There are so many great tracks here. Two of my favorites from this album have always been House of the Holy and In The Light. Lastly, this one holds a special place in my heart due to my friend's love of the album and specifically Kashmir. He's so awesome he even bought me a vinyl copy that is displayed on my wall and is a treasured part of my collection.

Quality mix of hard rock, prog and stripped down songs. Probably a bit long but the variety and pacing of the album keep you interested.

Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti First album that I heard from them and it's ALMOST perfect. Only the first disc would have gotten legendary status, but the rest of the album is pretty great too. Even though the last 3 songs don't really hit as hard, they are still better than any song that was made back then, so the quality really was up there, including the lows. Overall, this is amazing! 1.- Custard Pie = 9/10 2.- The Rover = 10/10 3.- In My Time of Dying = 10/10 4.- Houses of the Holy = 9/10 5.- Trampled Under Foot = 10/10 6.- Kashmir = 10/10 7.- In the Light = 10/10 8.- Bron-Yr-Aur = 8/10 9.- Down By the Seaside = 9/10 10.- Ten Years Gone = 10/10 11.- Night Flight = 8/10 12.- The Wanton Song = 9/10 13.- Boogie With Stu = 7/10 14.- Black Country Woman = 8/10 15.- Sick Again = 8/10 FINAL SCORE: 9/10

Unbelievable 1. Custard Pie: Really good rocker with a great riff. 2. The Rover: I love the crunch of this song. It gets me head-banging. 3. In My Time of Dying: the definitive version of the song in my opinion. One of my favorite 10+ minute songs of all time that builds to an ultimate climax. 4. Houses of the Holy: honestly would have fit perfectly on the album of the same name, but it is still a really pleasant romp. 5. Trampled Under Foot: hot take incoming: this is in my top 10 Zeppelin songs ever. One of my favorite grooves of all time; it gets me excited 👀 every time. 6. Kashmir: While I don’t think it’s the greatest song of all time, I still love it and it’s (top 5) riff. 7. In the Light: My favorite song on the album and in the conversation for my favorite Zeppelin song ever. It’s a testament to their talent and ability that they can dip into Progressive(ish) rock and ace it immediately. 8. Bron-Yr-Aur: A great acoustic refresher on a pretty heavy album. 9. Down By the Seaside: this might be even closer to progressive rock than “In the Light” with its loopy guitar and its distorted vocals. Amazing song. 10. Ten Years Gone: Wait, is this my favorite song on the album? Probably not, but it’s another beautiful song that is up there with “The Rain Song” as one of their most emotional songs. 11. Night Flight: A really underrated song, and (honestly) should have been the last song on the album. 12-15: None of these songs are bad, and if they had been dispersed throughout the middle of the album, maybe I’d like them a little more. However, with this track list, it makes the album finish on somewhat of a whimper. Still, this is one of my favorite albums of all time and is a big reason why Led Zeppelin is in my top 5 artists of all time.

One of the all time greats. Almost TOO MUCH...but just almost.

I think In My Time Of Dying is slept on. That's all I can really add to the discussion. Zeppelin rules.

There's just no way around it, this band and this album, are one of a kind. Amazing that these four musicians found one another — each is so iconic on his own. Damn, that clavinet on "Custard Pie" is just filthy. John Paul Jones is a beast. Interesting how buried in the mix Plant's vocals are on "The Rover." Bonzo's drums on "In My Time Of Dying" are the secret sauce to that tune. I could go on about each individual song, but "Kashmir" alone makes this a classic, must-listen album. This is not even my favorite Led Zeppelin album and it's a 5 without having to think much about it.

Double album Led Zeppelin...what's not to love?!

The three-album run of Houses of The Holy, Physical Graffiti, and Presence are Led Zeppelin's best. This may be the pinnacle of the three, given the consistent quality through both LPs. If you like Zeppelin at all, this is probably in your wheelhouse.

Not my favorite of the Zeppelin albums but it’s still a 5 star in my book.

Top 100 ever album. Not Led's best yet would be the masterpiece of any of the other 99% of bands in history. Amazing, innovative, unpredictable and holds up the test of time sounds like if it was recorded last year. Must listen to any decent music lover.

So good

So many double albums feel bloated, but not this one. Led Zeppelin waste absolutely no time on this album for its entire runtime of 82 minutes. Every song brings something interesting to the table, and still flows seamlessly.

I suppose I’m one of few who consider late Zeppelin every bit as exciting as early Zeppelin. With Plant’s voice no longer the extreme juggernaut it once was, they were simply forced to branch out in ever-exciting ways. This is one of few rock double albums where I think every moment screams with utter beauty and significance. Still blows my mind, coming from a world when Zep was the undisputed, unquestioned best band ever (Deadheads like me had to resort to emotional, irrational appeals), that some folks haven’t even heard of them these days, much less listened. Ah, to discover for the first time.

It's been over a year since I last reviewed a Led Zeppelin album, but here its, my fifth and final album of theirs to review. I own this album on CD, and I've listened to it in its entirety before, but it's not an album I've ever come back to. I know "Kashmir" really well, but I imagine a lot of these songs will sound pretty unfamiliar to me. Either way, I'm excited to listen to this today, and I'm curious as to how I'll feel about it. Based on the description of this album, it shouldn’t work. A lot of these songs didn’t make it on to other albums, and found their way to Physical Graffiti. A wide variety of styles are utilized on these songs. John Paul Jones was considering quitting the band. This album should sound like a patchwork of songs that had been left on the scrap heap. But instead, it sounds like a culmination of the five albums that came before it. Physical Graffiti is a magnum opus to musicianship, held together by the common thread of hard rock, and it’s really enjoyable to listen to. Led Zeppelin were fully committed to their craft, and you can feel that in every part of this album. Yes, some of the longer songs overstay their welcome a bit, but in the end, it didn’t take away too much from my enjoyment. I went into this, thinking I wouldn’t like it very much, and I think some of that feeling is because I feel like House of the Holy should be on the list, but that this album took its place. As far as my favorite songs on this album, I’m torn between “Trampled Under Foot,” “The Wanton Song,” and “The Rover.” The clavinet on “Trampled Under Foot” is excellent, and the funk elements make it one of the most unique songs in Led Zeppelin’s catalogue. The guitar riff on “The Wanton Song” is great, and I love how infectious it is. “The Rover” has my favorite guitar playing on the album. The guitar part during the chorus is fantastic, and it’s the perfect contrast to the main guitar riff of the song. Physical Graffiti, while not my favorite Led Zeppelin album (that distinction still belongs to IV), is a fantastic testament to the band’s career. While this was not their last album, it still manages to serve as a swan song to their career. Full of ambition and meticulous execution, Physical Graffiti is a journey worth taking.

Really catchy melodies. Those guitar riffs... man. Really good. The strong tracks are super strong and outweigh anything else. It gets better and better as the album progresses. I've had way more great albums lately, the algorithm is on my side. Highlights: Custard Pie Houses of the Holy Trampled Under Foot Night Flight Boogie With Stu

Yeah this album is pretty much perfect. Side A is completely flawless. "In My Time of Dying" may be one of my favorite Led Zeppelin songs. "Kashimir" is a classic. Kinda shocking that this isn't Led Zeppelin's best work. I hope we get to listen to "Led Zeppelin IV". It is....absolutely stunning. Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham are essentially a supergroup by themselves. I also thought "Bron-Yr-Aur" was super interesting and not a song I would have expected for them to make. Probably a 4.5 because I know it gets even better. Liked Songs: "In My Time of Dying" , "Kashimir" , "Trampled Under Foot" , "Houses of the Holy" , "Ten Years Gone" , "Custard Pie" , "The Rover"

Liked songs (as in, actually added to Spotify Liked Songs list): Trampled Under Foot, Kashmir, In the Light, Ten Years Gone Not much to say about this album. No dislikes. 4.5

I've listened to this album many times. I never really checked the runtime, and was surprised it's well over an hour. It never feels like it. I was going to list the best tracks, but it would be over half the album. Today, In the Light and Ten Years Gone hit the hardest, with the latter being one of my favorite Zeppelin songs. What an incredible run of albums leading up to and including this one.

Great

Picture it. Summer 98 living in Halifax in an apartment in park Vic, taking classes by day and working at Wendy’s with a murderer by night. I had just bought my first beater acoustic guitar and listened to this album constantly, trying to learn the songs by ear. The last great zeppelin album. The solo on rover is magnificent.

Hard rock / blues / folk, quite a mixture. Kashmir the outstanding track

Their equivalent to The Beatles White Album, a long double album that's a little incohesive as it feels like all manner of shit was thrown to this particular wall to see what would stick, where the highs are so so so good ("Trampled Under Foot", "Houses Of The Holy", "Kashmir", "In My Time Of Dying", basically all of disc 1), but the lows are pretty meh ("Down By The Seaside", "Night Flight", "The Wanton Song", "Boogie With Stu", "Sick Again", basically all of disc 2). But it's Led Zeppelin so you can forgive most of it.

Best one so far

The Good: We’ve been informed that Graffiti can be Physical… The Bad: We can’t figure out which song really explains this concept to us… The Ugly: This leaves us wondering if LZ is just trying to pull one over us… When I saw the cover of the album this morning, I fist pumped the air, then played the record, and again, and again… and it dawned on me what a tremendous drummer JB is. I mean, holy crap good. There’s a reason LZ is considered one of the best rock bands ever, and this album highlights all that is great about them! 5*

The kings of rock. They give with gusto every time.

5 stars

Discazo!!! Con 4 bombazos de rock duro: "Trampled Under Foot", "Kashmir" , "Ten Years Gone" y "The Wanton Song".

Every song is amazing. I listened to the complete album twice at work. 10-31-2024

I think I have pointed out earlier that I do not enjoy Robert Plant's voice. Because of that I had never listened to this album and that was a mistake. This is clearly their apex and maybe the apex of rock n roll? I think I would play this album if an alien landed on earth and asked for the best and clearest example of R&R--it's just about perfect and I've only heard it once.

The best led zep album? Maybe

FUck yeah now we talking. I'll take Led Zeppelin over The Stooges any day! Ooooh Kashmir is on this album! Led Zeppelin is one of those bands that have the ability to transport me through time and makes me really feel those times somehow. Hard to describe. I can't believe Kimberly doesn't like them! The guitar in Bron-Yr-Aur is amazing! Ten Years Gone is really pretty too. Yep 5 stars!

This album goes crazyyyyyyyy

10/25 fuck yeah. Basically a guitar riff greatest hits collection.

Favorite Track: Ten Years Gone

Increíble. Un álbum doble glorioso y con unos riffs imposibles en cada canción. Una maravilla.

Already know this is brilliant.

The diversity of musical styles on this album is just unreal, with each track hitting you in its own unique way. These songs just feel like the culmination of Zeppelin's unparalleled songwriting ability and overall musicianship.

great