Reviews (page 13 of 15)
Great album!
Not my favourite of theirs, but, like pizza, even bad pizza is really funking good.
Decent album with a couple of good songs
This is somehow different from the other Led Zeppelin albums I've heard already. More funk? Less hard hard rock? I can't quite put my finger on it. The middle of the album (songs 6-8) felt like it went back to older Zeppelin, but then the songs went back to this newer unplaceable sound
This is Led Zeppelin's Exile on Main St. They aren't trying to take over the world like on Zeppelin II and it isn't some Epic tale with Hobbits like Zeppelin IV. They are just playing fast and loose, doing what they do best and it works so well. Tons of great songs here but even the simple ones like The Wanton Song and Boogie with Stu are awesome. Then you have the likes Ten Years Gone and Kashmir which take everything to another level. I really believe that Kashmir will be remembered as the Led Zeppelin song with the greatest cultural influence. It has been sampled over and over. I think there is an argument it is more popular now than Stairway. Great album
Though sometimes scarce, there’s some greatness on every Led Zeppelin album. Often in awe at some of the drumming exhibited on their tracks. Some songs were just okay, and some dragged on. Sorry to criticize the great zep. But…not a perfect band by any means. A little bit overrated in my books.
Incredible album
4 legends in their prime here. Not much else needs to be said. Vocals, guitar, bass, drums and even keyboards are next level here. Stopped short of giving this five stars because of the deplorable Boogie with Stu. I have to say it. Kashmir should’ve stopped at the four minute mark. No need to go for four more minutes when you’re just recycling the same parts again.
Huge fan of the first half of the album. So many hits! Great songs. Second half... Definitely lost me a little with the deep tracks. If the album had ended at kashmir, would have been much better! Because of the second half, I'd rate it 3.5 if I could do half stars, but I can't so I'll round up.
I have never given this one a full listen through. I am familiar with Kashmir of course. I didn't realize Trampled Under Foot was a Zeppelin song! Robert Plant makes a lot of "WHUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!" sounds on this record and I think it might be his trademark. Also a trademark of Zepplin: beautiful guitar parts. They have some really great range in sound. One detail that I especially enjoyed was Bonham playing the absolute shit out of his drums for most of these tracks. It's timeless. It's one of a kind. I look forward to more Led Zeppelin records on this list!!
Slaps
Led Zeppelin are commonly known to be a pretty good band and one of the pioneers in the rock and roll and even hard rock space. I've listened to most Led Zeppelin albums and I don't know what it is but this one doesn't hit it for me like say I or II do. Custard Pie is an alright opener - very straightforward stuff that for me doesn't really get me tappin until I hear that harmonica. Things start getting better with The Rover. In My Time of Dying is good but could be half the length. Then we get to for me the highlights of the album, Trampled Under Foot and Kashmir. The second half of the album it starts to get a little boring. Bron-Yr-Aur is a nice little ditty and Down By The Seaside is nice - but nothing here is really memorable for me except The Wanton Song. Anyways it's a solid 3. If I wanted to listen to some Led Zeppelin I'd choose another album.
Ah yes, the band that has ripped off tons of songs from other artists. This album is perfect for re-varnishing the vintage boat that your elderly father passed down to you. Been a good ten years (gone) since I sat down and listened to some Zep. Surprisingly, I haven’t really cared to dive into their stuff at any point. Seeing this album in the light, however, gave me some good perspective on why they get the legendary status they do. The musicianship is tight, and when they lay down a tasty rock riff, the songs are excellent. Trampled Under Foot has been and will always be my favourite song of theirs, period. The clavinet keyboard at the beginning is *chefs kiss*. Once they get bluesy, like at the tail end of this record, it’s kinda weak and doesn’t hold interest. Without surprise, the guitar takes centre stage in this one, much like their others, as Jimmy is one of the best to ever do it. However, they lose me on some of their going-nowhere songs that surpass the 8-minute mark. I could have considered a 5, but peep the bizarre lyrics from Bobby Plant in the last song of the album talking about a specific teenage girl he had an eye for. Kind of made me sick (again) to my stomach.
It's Led Zeppelin, what more does one really have to say? Absolutely a classic album with top notch musicianship. Brought me back to my late teens/early 20s. These days I find I'm rarely turning back the Page and listening to Zep, this re-listen reminded me why. They've become a band that I get excited about when I hear a random song in the wild, but am not getting my rocks off while listen to a full (double) LP. Biggest complaint about this album is that its SO long winded. Most of the songs are longer than they have to be and there are some filler songs in the back half. In My Time of Dying is a great song but 11 minutes is a bit much. In The Light could end at 6 minutes but drags for another 2. I could go on. Favourites are The Rover and Trampled Under Foot. Overall, I'm slightly disappointed but still a solid album.
Buckle up. This is not Led Zeppelin's best offering. But that's not saying much. This album is awesome. There are so many good tracks throughout. It's later Led Zeppelin's more raunchy feel but with all the recognizable hallmarks of their sound including sloppily awesome guitar work, virtuoso-tier bass full of counter melodies, insane energetic drumming full of fantastic fills, Robert Plant's classic singing, and a smattering of wailing harmonica and delicate mandolin. A UK rock radio station once did a poll that asked listeners to create the greatest rock superband in history by holding separate votes for the greatest rock singer, guitarist, bassist and drummer. The poll simply produced Led Zeppelin. I wouldn't quite go as far as the poll does, but surely these four each deserve to be in the conversation for the GOAT of rock musicians at their respective posts. We lead in with Custard Pie, whose guitar and keyboard riff gives us a taste of that crunchy rock we are in for a double album of. The Rover is great but amongst the caliber of this album I find it to be one of the more forgettable tunes. In My Time of Dying has a phenomenal hook as all the instruments are introduced one by one. It's a very long song but has so many tempo and dynamic changes that it doesn't really grow old on me. Next is a block of classics. Houses of the Holy is classic Led Zeppelin sound. Trampled Underfoot is one of my favourite songs by them, that keyboard/guitar riff just charging ahead through these hilarious lyrics, with the cherry on top that is the keyboard solo. What more can be said about Kashmir. A definite departure from their typical sound, it is somehow something different from Led Zeppelin's normal sound while at the same time being so classically them. The contrast of the haunting verse progression with the breakthrough into the triumphant chorus progression. Throw in strings, horns, and an excellent bridge, and baby you got a stew cooking. Disc 2 is less hit-heavy, but contains some of my favourite Zeppelin deep cuts off any of their albums, specifically all of the first 5 songs here. In the Light molds together weird atmospheric stuff with some amazing rock riffs into such an awesome track. The vocals are amazing. This song is long but it is great and I wouldn't lose a second of it. Bron-Yr-Aur is a beautiful instrumental. Down by the Seaside's guitar tone makes you feel like you're underwater. Ten Years Gone is so nice and has an excellent solo. Night Flight is one of my favourite Zeppelin songs. My favourite small moment of the album is on that track, a small and simple drum fill that strikes me as being just absolutely perfect, I think of it whenever I think of the best fills (timestamp about 0:58). The band cuts out and the gap is filled beautifully by just 5 hits. The final four tracks are a bit weaker by this album's very high standards, but the outer two are still two good rockers and the inner two are fun acoustic jam songs featuring some tasty mandolin. I love this band and this album. Talent just dripping off of them. As much as I wrote here I could have written three times as much. What I wouldn't give to have been a fly on the wall while they composed, recorded and produced these tracks.
This album was great.
Just not a fan. Star rating has on bearing on anybody's reality but mine
A masterclass in rhythm. Arguably In My Time of Dying is greater than the eponymous Kashmir. Not the same standard as 1-4, but a great album overshadowed.
Good shit, like a zeppelin victory lap
One of Led Zeppelin’s best albums. The guitar work is the part the stands out the most to me. Cool riffs.
I love this album. It has lots of Page's fun recording tricks on it and the strings and horns in Kashmir crush it.
Not bad but not great either. I like certain songs a lot, but there also feels like a lot of filler on there, and there's no reason for it to be a double album. 3.5/5
(Yes Page is a sex pest but) Like many kids who discovered guitar music, I had a big Zeppelin phase and just don’t listen to them as much any more. Music has come a long way since their heyday, and even some of their contemporaries have really cool stuff that deserves the attention instead. I can talk UFO or Thin Lizzy all day. But putting one of these albums back on just proves how Zeppelin were IT, and how strong of a double album this is. Just about everything they try out, they succeed with as the band branches out of their blues staples with the occasional nods to their roots. Still highly essential. A
A nice listen but not to the same level as their earlier albums Kashmir not withstanding. It felt a bit disjointed and cobbled together a Frankenstein's monster if you will. Not likely to listen to this whole album again for a long time.
A non essential led zeppelin album. Lots of self indulgent guitar tangling and Kashmir
It's not that I just couldn't get into this album, I actively disliked most of the songs. I couldn't even listen all the way through most of them. Two stars because Puff Daddy was able to make something great from one of the riffs, so I guess there's something good in here that I'm not hearing.
Classic. All time. Cool 102.
Love the mixing on this album. Lots of classic songs on this one.
i don’t really listen to rock
fun time
De belles tentatives mais préfère plus péchu
PREFS : Custard Pie, The Rover, In My Time of Dying, Houses of the Holy, Trampled Under Foot, Kashmir, In the Light, Down by the Seaside, Ten Years Gone, Night Flight, The Wanton Song, Sick Again MOINS PREF : Boogie with Stu
It's good but damn is it too long.. The passage of In My Time of Dying, Houses of the Holy, Trampled Under Foot and Kashmir is some of the best rock ever. The groove is just amazing, makes my head bop like crazy, the rythmic section on this album is something else. But then... it just drags on, repeating itself over and over again. Too bad, because it largely diminishes the awe generated from these four songs (as well as some other gems here and there). 4/5
i mean it’s classic led zeppelin of course it’s gonna be good. rush still clears though
It's Led Zeppelin, what do you expect?
I’ve listened to a lot of Led Zeppelin in hopes of appreciating them, but it just never connects for me. I listened to this album in 2020 and my feeling then was the same as today. I don’t really care for this but I don’t mind the second half. “Kashmir” is probably the only Led Zeppelin song I can honestly say I like.
The music was fine, just not my genre.
Loop zoop, nuff said.
I don't think I have a single original thing to say about Led Zeppelin. They are ketchup. Everyone knows what ketchup is. Most people like it. Some folks don't care for it, or even avoid it. The people that REALLY like it, are a bit weird. This album is a Zeppelin album. It is a pretty good in fact. Although "Kashmir" gets all the love, almost every song on this album is well done. I stopped putting on entire Led Zeppelin albums to listen to a long time ago. I am not in the "REALLY like ketchup" club. The one song on this album that stood out on this listen was "Trampled Under Foot". It will be going into my "get up and get down" playlist. 4 stars.
Just a solid solid album. Down by the seaside is one of my favorite Zeppelin tunes . Just about every song is a gem in one form or another.
Good sounds, but none of it particularly stood out. The vocals all sounded the same and kind of muted. Would listen to it though as background music, but I wouldn't jam out to it.
So many killer songs on here. Really only a few filler tracks, which is rare for a double LP. 9.5/10
Huh turns out I don't like Led Zeppelin
Some real highlights such as The Rover, In My Time of Dying, Ten Years Gone. Not a big fan of the funk-inspired Trampled Under Foot and Kashmir is a little overrated. Side 4 is also fairly weak.
Id only listen to Kashmir, otherwise I'm pretty bored
Great riffs. Great drums. Not great songs.
Maybe too much of a classic rock album for my taste, but it had some great songs like The Wanton Song or The Rover
Mulla on aina ollut pelko, että tykkään Led Zeppelinistä. Ja niinhän mä tykkään. Tarpeeks pre-stoner-jyystöä.
Raskasta. Monessa mielessä. Ei silti pelkästään puuduttavaa.
Led Zeppelin are one of the all-time greats, and I’m sure they’ll have a 5-star album down the line, but this is too long. I feel like this would have been a great 10 song or so album, but there was too much here. ‘Kashmir’ is an all-time great, however.
Score: 50 I was ready to give this album an 80. Then the last 3 songs played and it occurred to me. I really dislike a lot about this album. Instrumentally great, some catchy songs and riffs for sure. A major problem I have is the writing and the vocals. I don't dislike the vocals when they are sung at a normal cadence and volume, but a lot of the time it's so much louder than that. I don't need to hear high pitched wailing lyrics that are sometimes mixed so loud that I literally can not hear the instruments anymore. It doesn't help that a lot of them are generally vapid and generic and are often repeated over and over. I don't really love the country influence and the funk influence is fun but I do wonder how much of it is just stolen from other artists. It wouldn't be a classic rock album without having an entire song about how hard it is not to instantly bust a nut at the sight of a 15 year old girl, and unfortunately on this album it's the very last song. Hearing a whining douche bag for an hour and a half to have it end with him desperately grooming children lowered the score immensely for me. I don't care what anyone says this shit is dated as fuck and with so much better music out there I don't feel the need to ever ever return to this mediocre pedophile music
This is a classic white guy rock album. Super talented musicians bring a long ass double album filled with plenty of variety. It probably should be shorter but there are some great songs on here. Robert Plant's voice does get a little grating after a bit, as he loves 'singing' ooh and ahh a lot.. but the other guys carry this shit so hard, as they have through every album.
Overall, I liked the album a lot. I liked that the album had several different styles, which gave it some nice variety. The song I liked the most was Trampled Under Foot and Down by the Seaside, but I also thought Bron-Yr-Aur was very interesting (and Kashmir reminded me of Goldeneye)
I honestly put off listening to this album for a while and for some reason, I was expecting it to be a lot better than it actually was. It starts out with some of Led Zep's best tracks but it just kind of fizzles out going into the last third. Still, it has some interesting tracks sprinkled throughout that last third where they go outside of their comfort zone and I can definitely see the appeal of some of those tracks as well. Still, I was expecting this to be their "The Wall", but it's more like their White Album.
Geweldige plaat waarop je goed hoort hoe Them Crooked Vultures aan hun sound komen.
Vet hor! Hier gingen ze al wat meer de prog hoek op. Helemaal in mijn straatje!
4 sterren, gewoon omdat Led Zeppelin altijd tof is. Al hadden ze van dit album wel een minuut of 25 kunnen schrappen en er een nog veel puntiger geheel van te maken.
Ik houd er niet van, maar vind het best goed 😊. Vooral ‘Kashmir’ uiteraard.
One of the greats in rock. Masterpiece.
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.
Would give it more than 5 if I could.
Yea the guitar riffs do it for me here.
Tens Years Gone is such a great song. Take my five stars.
Kashmir. Nuff said.
I just don't care for the vocals.
Some great songs on here. Would have given a 4, but it went on a little long for me.
Pretty damn great. Band sounds awesome, really showcasing their immense musical talent across a range of genres (never expected them to sound so funky) and Plenty truly has one of the best rock voices. And whilst occasional tracks feel a bit cut and paste or unfulfilled, The rest especially the majestic Kashmir make up for it.
High 4. Great album.
YOOOO! ROCK! I like it. I like the length of the album. A high 4.
Still burnt on Zeppelin. That was long.
Full of bangers, razor sharp riffing and playing across the board, no one does this better than LZ
No need to even listen to this album - I listened to it a hundred times before. If only for Kashmir, this would be a classic. Of course, there is much more than Kashmir on this classic rock album.
An excellent LZ album. Song highlights are Kashmir (the sexiest song of all time according to Robin Quivers), In My Time Of Dying, Houses Of The Holy (the name of their previous album) and Ten Years Gone, which is the first song on my famous Curtis' Outright Jamskis playlist on Amazon Music. Bonzo's drums just thunder on this whole record, too. Love it!
Not their best, but pretty close. Kashmir is worth it by itself. Also fun hearing the extra "b-sides" they threw in to flesh out the album.
I appreciate Zeppelin more as I listen to more Zeppelin.
Great
I forgot how good this album is. The variety of styles of music is impressive. The placement of the songs keeps you shifting gears, from a rocker like the Rover to the haunting In My Time Of Dying So many rockers, and ballads throughout It’s amazing how many songs became concert staples, Kashmir, etc
Favorites: Kashmir, Down by the Seaside,
ZEPPELINO
Immense double album
I didn't need to listen to this album again to know it was going to be a 5 star rating. One of my favorites, I just listened to this a couple of weeks ago in fact. To me, this is peak Led Zeppelin. The songs are great, the sound is great, John Bonham's drumming is amazing, there are really no flaws in this album. Highlights for me: Kashmir )one of the greatest songs ever recorded), The Rover, In the Light, Bron-Yr-Aur, Ten Years Gone. Are there a couple of filler songs here? Yeah, but I could see the quandary - enough amazing material to fill three sides but not enough to fill four. I'm glad they made the decision they did instead of cutting some of the great material they had. 5 stars.
Rating: 8/10 Best songs: In my time of dying, Kashmir
Masters!
A truly, truly great album.....allegedly from stuff they had laying around, if you can believe it, and threw together into an album. My folks gave me this album for Christmas one year, ( if you can imagine that....) and it has a special place in my heart....The guitar work, by Page....chills.
Solid blues-y rock album, fell off towards the end
Sublime album…
Led Zeppelin is always good, but this isn't my favorite of theirs. Kashmir however might be my favorite of their songs. Tough one to rate.
listened to again still very underrated as a later album
I really like this album, it's really nice to listen to
It’s a very good album. Solid tracks and excellent musicianship.
misleading title; doesn't go well with toks overall, a solid album, 1/5
I love Zeppelin, but this album has never been my favorite. Aside from a few good tunes like Houses of the Holy and Ten Years Gone there isn't much to gain here. There are definitely better Zep albums. That being said still enjoyable.
The start of In The Light was dope but otherwise not much to note some "classics" like Kashmir that everyone has heard but not my style
Still not a Led Zep fan after all these years.
Just the second side.
Does he actually fully hit a single note on 'The Rover'? Wasn't super happy to see a Zeppelin double record to show up, but here we are. Also disappointed that the only word you can spell out downwards on the sleeve is PIG. I guess it'll have to do.
This might be heresy, but I found it to be a pretty weak album. Only liked Kashmir and maybe one or two other tracks out of 15.
Probably a band that’s best of is one of the best out but this is a lot of Led.
When this album came out, I am mediately bought it. I probably went right home put it on the turntable and put on my headphones and listen to it front to back. Looking at the liner notes and album jacket. I remember thinking that about half of it was really good and that the other half was just pieced together and just unfinished and under produced. Thinking about it now, I enjoy hearing stuff that's unfinished and under produced, as well as finished products. Kashmir, ten years gone, rover, trampled, so many good songs. It would probably be easier to list the few songs that I don't like.
So so good. Might be their best album.
It's good. Just a little overplayed by this time. Kind of sick of a lot of these songs. 10 years gone was great
Great album. Not my bag.
Might just be my favourite LZ album. Definitely has some of my favourite songs on it. I think Kashmir might just top the list
Like earlier work better, but still a great album
Classic Led Zeppelin album, which used to be my favourite. First half 5: Second half: 4. Overall 4.5 -> 4.
Quite reasonable effort though too long.
Sona bé, poc dur i més rock
Did not get to really listen to this album from what I heard it was okay.It’s really long at an hour and 12 mins.I’ll listen to it another time
An iconic album that showed even more depth and extended jam ability from one of rock's most iconic groups. With the longer tracks like "Kashmir", "In My Time of Dying", and "In The Light" we begin to see the evolution and growth of Led Zeppelin from shorter more rock forward pieces.
Album went a bit too long. The number of songs was correct, lots to get lost in, and they go a lot of different places, but the songs mostly overstayed their welcome. c. 2012 I was using Pandora a lot, and for some reason it was absolutely obsessed with serving me up instrumental covers of “Kashmir”. Which I guess was fine, just confusing.
fav tracks: the rover, kashmir,
Known artist! Not for me! 1,5/5
banger
This one has some obvious classics and merit. Waaaahahay too long for me to ever want to listen to it in its entirety again but an impressive exposition nonetheless 🧐🤌
Very long. A lot of the songs sounded similar.
Can’t believe I never listened to this one! The guitar riffs are unreal. 4.5/5. Just a tad too long.
Masterpiece. Houses of the Holy, Ten Years Gone, Kashmir are the standouts
I've been looking forward to my first Led Zeppelin album in this series, as I'm sure there is more than one!! And what an album to start off with! Trampled Under Foot, Houses of the Holy, Kashmir, Custard Pie, The Rover, Black Country Woman; there's something for everyone! As this is a double album, you really get to experience the gamut of influences and sounds that Zeppelin had to draw from. Everything from folk rock, to psychadelic rock, to prog rock, funk/disco (Boogie With Stu) and even the real heavy stuff! Robert Plant is a master of his craft. The way his voice can soar over every instrument is amazing. Jimmy Page is a phenomenal guitarist, and really shows his chops on pieces like Trampled Under Foot and In My Time of Dying. Overall, thoroughly enjoyed this album, and can't wait for the next one! Almost every song on this double album is gold, and that is generally unheard of. Usually one whole side suffers with filler, but not this album!! Not my first time listening to this album, and it won't be the last!! Favourite songs: Trampled Under Foot, Houses of the Holy, Kashmir, Custard Pie, The Rover, Black Country Woman, Bron-Yr-Aur, The Wanton Song, Sick Again, In My Time of Dying Least favourite songs: If forced to pick, In the Light 5/5
Fun to listen to this again. Better than I remembered. Need to keep revisiting old classics
5/10 meh
One of my favorite zeppelin records. Never loved them as much as most do but I can still appreciate what they did for music.
Led Zeppelin is een goede band. Maar dit album is niet persé hun beste werk
Not their best album, but any collection of songs which includes "Kashmir" is fine by me! Plenty of other crackers too, with plenty of miscial light and shade, and loads of lyrical variety.
I’ve always enjoyed Led Zeppelin. I think my fav on this album is Night Flight. I will revisit this album!
whirl, teeter east, west, up and down gentle brawn
What other kind of graffiti is there
LP
This was the last of their truly great albums.
Never listened to this one all the way through before. Lots of cool stuff that I wouldn't really expect from Zeppelin.
I don't know my opinion of Led Zeppelin. Do I love them? Do I hate them? Not either of those two extremes, but I cannot work out where I sit between the poles. It may very well be the case that I like exactly half their songs and dislike the other half, with most congregating around the central meh axis and vanishingly few entering the territory of either adoration (I revel in the riff to Babe I'm Gonna Leave You) or contempt (I recoil at the riff to You Shook Me). In the past, I have tried to delude myself that I thought of Led Zeppelin more worshipfully that I actually did, since they were historical totems of rock; indeed, I gave Led Zep III 4 stars in this generator, when the folky nonsense spread over side 2 made it a definitive 3 and not a crumb beyond. But, in part thanks to this quest, I have realised that I'm not required to venerate Led Zep, just as I'm not required to crucify them. But calling them average seems to miss significant points. Surely a group with such mystique, such ambition and such notoriety, by sheer dint of such a legacy, could never be considered boilerplate? I can accept that point, but only somewhat. Yes, I can grasp the outré fascination of, say, the red snapper incident, but such bacchanalia also begat more pitiful anecdotes. I feel utterly miserable writing this, but John Bonham's alcoholism had left him incontinent aged 26, requiring the roadies to carry around a supply of adult nappies. Still, there's always the music. But as I said, large portions of the music leave me, if not quite cold, then indifferent. And with Physical Graffiti, we have Led Zep being their most Led Zep. Recorded after a sabbatical to allow John Paul Jones some R&R, Physical Graffiti emerged from numerous jam sessions that solidified into concrete songs. These songs took up more space than a single album allowed, so the group padded it out to a double with the help of previously disregarded material from earlier albums (is that ominous?). So, we have Led Zep going XXL and attempting all the genres they knew. Well, all the genres they felt most comfy adopting, or rather individual aspects of genres that didn't remotely jar with their established template. It all basically revolves around the Led Zep locus of heavy blues rock, only sometimes they add a bit of folk to their heavy blues rock, or they try a proggy heavy blues rock number, or they plant in some country licks to a song that's heavy blues rock. The result is that the promoted epicness of Physical Graffiti feels restricted, as if it's just an album consisting of one track and its remixes. Couple that identikit style to such corpulently long songs, and the effect on the listener isn't inspiration or ravishment, it's burnout. Of course, Physical Graffiti has a few cracking riffs, and those already persuaded by Led Zep should find this to be exactly what they want from Led Zep (friends of mine who are Led Zep fans proclaim this a masterpiece to me). But we Led Zep agnostics will find nothing to reverse either our lack of faith or our lack of disbelief. And we're allowed to hold such positions in liberal democracy. You lot should salute us moderates. We're the ones keeping National Zeppelism at bay. Also, is there any graffiti that isn't physical? Can you get metaphysical graffiti? Can you paint a big hairy cock and balls on a synthetic a priori concept? NoRadio, signing off.
Would be a 5 if not for the radio ruining so many of these songs. Well put together double album
I have never listened to a Zep album post the numbered ones. So this will be new to me, with the exception of the hits, obviously Kashmir and Bron Yr Aur are known to me! This is a case of a band having too much money and too much freedom. It's still Zep, but it's a bit too bloated and excessive. Obviously there are all time bangers, but there's also a lot of overlong, overproduced stuff on here.
Technically proficient session men jamming in search of an idea. For a brief run of three tracks over an hour into this bloated fucker, they actually hit upon the idea of writing songs, which made this easier to get through than expected. They aren't particularly good songs, but it's something they ought to have built on.
Même si Led Zeppelin ne fait pas partie de mes favoris, je respecte leur influence et j’aime que leur musique soit « lourde » (pas dans le sens de musique heavy, mais de vraiment pesante)
Some absolute bangers are found on this album.
Lots of great songs with a handful of duds. Still a classic.
The best or second best Zep record.
Cool alternate tunings, slide guitar, time signatures, tempo changes. Trippy. Kashmir is a banger. Bron Yr Aur is nice. Ten years gone good too. 4
Siendo el sexto álbum de Zep podemos decir que fue su proyecto más ambicioso hasta el momento, y posiblemente, de su carrera. Viéndose muy inmersos en su composición, tuvieron una suerte de juego en el cual iban improvisando y sumando sonidos nuevos a las canciones, nunca dejando de lado su estilo. Con temas que hacen alusión al blues, folk, progresión, y orquestación, hicieron una mezcla muy rica que hace de su escucha una amplia gama de géneros y la cual, por momentos, se hace densa de escuchar. La extensión del proyecto por momentos es algo que juega en contra. Cómo imponiendo un largo innecesario a las canciones, hacen que algunas se vayan más allá de los 8 minutos, haciéndolas algo repetitivas. Pero como podemos hablar de eso, también podemos hablar de lo bien que están usados los tiempos en composiciones como "Kashmir", que hacen de cada tramo, un momento sonoro increíble.
Great.
ok
No sé por qué nunca le di una oportunidad a Led Zeppelin, I like it
Pretty catchy
It's definitely a great album with some essential material ("Trampled Under Foot", "Kashmir"), but as an album listen it's too long. Since its a double album, it does have some logical breaks which helps out. I think this comes from the history, it seems like they had enough material for 1.5 records so they added in b-sides/outtakes from earlier recording sessions. All of the songs hold up, but its definitely overstuffed.
A classic
While sporting some of my favorite Led Zeppelin songs, "Physical Graffiti" also boasts an unfair share of boring blues.
What a genius idea Page, Plant, Jones and Bonham had when they decided to complete their sessions for this album with outtakes from *III*, *IV* and *Houses Of The Holy*. This idea resulted in one of the best double albums of all time. Because apart from two obvious "fillers" on side D, everything else is just pitch perfect, resulting in a tracklisting that naturally flows from one gem to the next, in spite of its versatile contents and some subtle differences in sound between the different sessions. And those two fillers I've just mentioned still manage to do their moody job right--in modern times, unburdened by the constraints of duration for vinyl records, those two tracks would be what is now known as "bonus tracks". Take them out, and you'd have a stellar double album anyway. All of this is already a good reason to have *Physical Graffiti* on your shelf, but even if you dismiss everything I've just said in my first paragraph here, this record would still get a 5/5 grade from me (and obviously be part of my most essential albums of all time). And this thanks to four absolute bangers: " In My Time Of Dying", "Trampled Underfoot", "Kashmir" and most especially "Ten Years After", the best ballad Led Zep have ever penned and recorded. Yeah, yeah, I know, "Stairway To Heaven" is not so bad, as overplayed as it is. But it is still a notch under "Ten Years After". And this, my fellow music nerds, is worth the ticket of admission here... Number of albums left to review: 746 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 125 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 63 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 67
This was a really unfortunate day to get an 85 minute album as the rush I was in yesterday will continue until Tuesday. Somehow I was able to listen to the whole thing and it did not live up to any of the self titled albums that preceded it. Kashmir is still good but otherwise it just felt like more of the same I guess. The same is still good and maybe it was just the circumstances of the day but I wasn’t a huge fan.
Pretty good.
Standard rule applies. A double album that could have been a better single album.
y no led zep VI tho
This album travels through both time and space, when moving through Kashmir
Unlike the previous 5 Led Zep albums I had to think before giving it 5 stars. Then I listened closely and realised that comparing Led Zep with other bands is unfair. A pity they didn't make this a single disc, then Presence could have been Achilles, Nobody's Fault and a bunch from Physical Graffiti.
It’s Zeppelin
I think Kashmir kind of carries this album but it is still absolutely supreme. Gotta drop a star because, you know, they stole all these songs from Black people. But what a great album.
Solid rock but this pedophilia lyrics are a major turn off.
Riktigt bra klassisk rock album. Lite för långt men fortfarande fantastiskt.
Decent album, but not my favourite Zeppelin by far.
The review that said 10 songs in a 15 song bag is pretty accurate. Disc 1 is solid top to bottom (though In My Time of Dying starts to wear out its welcome a bit), but Disc 2 starts to get repetitive and and side 4 is underwhelming. The Rover is the underrated track on this album, Kashmir is the climax, and In the Light is experimental but still Zepplin-y.
Have never sat down and listened to a zeppelin album straight through but this was great. Kashmir is an obvious standout. Ten Years Gone reprises the same chord motif from Kashmir before sailing into a delicious guitar solo.
It was ok, but now Spotify things I really love Led Zep
not my kinda thing
Ok - I've heard a little bit of Led Zeppelin, thought there were going to be a soft-rock easy listening band. Instead - they rock hard, love it. really brilliant riffs and vibes. Added bonus - these guys led me on to giants like Freddie King.
4/5. Mostly the songs are really good but near the end they start to sound similar and don’t stand out enough. A shorter album would have been better.
Loved it. The guitar was awesome and the singing was great, I knew I liked Led Zeppelin, but I wasn’t expecting to like this album.
Not the most iconic album. Still really good, but I don't resonate with the reception at the time when comparing it to the other standout albums.
Back when I was in school, Kerrang did a four-part booklet for the '100 greatest heavy metal albums of all time', with this surprisingly coming out at No. 1. https://www.facebook.com/rockcandymag/posts/in-january-1989-kerrang-came-up-with-100-greatest-heavy-metal-albums-of-all-time/689402001261021/ At the time of the list I don't think I had a copy, at least not an original and it was a bit of a holy grail for a time. It's a strange album. I love it, it has some of their best songs and it's incredible that so much of it is cast offs from other albums. It's not perfect, there is filler, especially towards the end, and I often skip the last few songs.
How do you top the first four of their albums? With this one: indulgent as fuck but still great.
Custard Pie is a bit crap (the song, not the pie), and I can take or leave everything after Ten Years Gone, but most of the rest is excellent, in different ways. Bron-Yr-Aur & Down by the Seaside were lovely new discoveries, and Kashmir alone is worth a couple of stars, I reckon.
Awesome
Transcendent. 5/5
Good guitar and vocals.
tight, tight, tight!
Great album, loved the vocal performances.
I had never listened to a LZ album before. I’m impressed by the polyphonic nature of their music: voice, bass, guitar and drums each playing independently but coherently together. Something classical too in their tempo and volume changes, their exploration of orchestration, their variety of style. Despite myself, I’m impressed!
Hmmmmm, well, not really my kind of thing. I do love some Zeppelin songs, but this album is just caveman rock. When they are melodic and singing about interesting things I like them a lot.
If this was just the first half of this double album, it would've been a full 5* album. Unfortunately the second half doesn't have the impact of the first half.
So much incredible material, when they're on they're really on. But like any double album, also a fair amount of filler. In particular the whole 2nd half outside of "Ten Years Gone" and "The Wanton Song" is pretty dudly. Which overall means this has a lower hit rate than either I-IV or Houses of the Holy. This might be the best double album ever made, but that is to say that there aren't any double albums that aren't loaded with filler, certainly nothing as tight as II or IV. But this is close, and if they had cut this down to a single album it might be their best, and one of the best ever made.
Always loved this double
Not as good as some other Zep but it's hard to deny that it's still awesome.
bra shit
Sometimes could be hard to listen but it's an ellaborated album
Sonically really good, songs just dragged on too long
One or two of my top 20 songs on here, but also a few that are very prone to be skipped
The album is pretty good and has several well known songs. It is long and it does not need to be this long. Some of the songs could be cut down by several minutes or even in half. The second disc is different from the first disc and isn't as good as the first.
Noen utrolig gode sanger på slutten; men første halvdel minner om et kissalbum
Custard Pie - solid opening track. The Rover - not my favorite but not bad. I didn't recognize the title but definitely knew it as it continue to play. In My Time of Dying - love the long jam. Houses of the Holy - meant to be the title track of their last album, fun groove and a nice light feel after the longer previous song. Trampled Under Foot - not a big fan of the clavinet bluesy main groove. Kashmir - a classic. In the Light - cool trippy instrumentation half way through. Didn't know this one beforehand but like it. Bron-Yr-Aur - beautiful acoustic guitar instrumental. I'm guessing this was originally the end of the first LP. Down By the Seaside - haven't heard this one before. A nice laidback vibe but then about 2/3 through breaks into a different bluesier song, which I ended up liking. Then, goes back to the laidback verse. Ten Years Gone - I don't remember this one specifically but has that classic Zeppelin feel. I like it. Night Flight - I haven't heard this one before. Not bad but not amazing. The Wanton Song - I didn't recognize the name but a classic Zeppelin song. Boogie With Stu - Really fun song, sounds familiar but not sure if I knew it beforehand or not. I guess it's a cover of a Ritchie Valens song. Black Country Woman - Decent foot stomping acoustic bluesy song. Nice pick up on the drums about half way through. Not a big standout for them, sounds like an easy one for them to kick out. Sick Again - Weird lyric about 16 year old right off the bat which always takes me out of it, though it sounds like maybe he wasn't trying to glorify that based on an interview quote from Robert Plant. Very standard Zeppelin style song, cool heavy drums but pretty forgettable.
What an album. Classic double album that never drops the ball and shows such a wild variety, displaying Zeppelin's dominance as a force of gargantuan 70s rock. Gorgeous production, the band are so focused and tight and numerous showstoppers. I will say I've heard this album before, as with all zeppelin albums, so I may be biased, but this is nonetheless the absolute highlight of their career
A little long but some bangers Kashmir obviously a classic, I loved In the Light right after it and Custard Pie was a really strong start Might be unfair but think they have multiple better albums than this Soft 4
a good one
The penultimate rock band, plus really solid production value to boot. While the first disc alone puts it on the all time greats, the second disc was more subdued rock that held up against and surely influenced some of the best indie rock of the recent years.
I don't really care for Led Zep and this album is a bit too long
More interesting than other Led Zep i've listened to but a bit too long for me.
Great music throughout lot of great songs but the album is a bit overfilled and some song run longer than necessary making the album as a whole very impressive but not as great as its height's.
For me, the first disc used to be miles better than the second. But then after listening a number of times, I really got to appreciate the second disc. Still not a big fan of "Down By The Seaside," but it's listenable. Usually when bands do that double album, it's hard to recover. It's overblown and critics call them out on it. But this doesn't feel like it. It's got a lot of great stuff on it, and is probably my second favorite LZ album.
Eventually I will run into a Led Zeppelin album that I can't give a 5 to. Is this it? This would've been another masterpiece if they just stuck with the 8 original tracks. Conventions and run time be damned. The first two sides kick serious ass, even with a couple tracks not from the original 8 - Houses of the Holy (really should've put it on that album, it is great and that album needs more greatness) and The Rover (my least favorite on the first two sides). Trampled Under Foot has so much boogie (Custard Pie too), it's one of my faves. And then In My Time of Dying and Kashmir are epics; never have I ever wondered when those two tracks would end despite their almost 20 minutes of playing time. But I sort of shrug from time time listening to the last two sides, especially for the tracks not from the original 8 - Down by the Seaside, Night Flight, and Black Country Woman. Bron-Yr-Aur has some deft musicianship though and Boogie with Stu is also a nice jam but the recording quality is a bit weak. They just don't have the same energy and fit as the songs originally intended for this album, like The Wanton Song (similar boogie as Trampled Under Foot) or Sick Again. Granted, In the Light falls a bit flat for me, though I like the somber musical stylings in Ten Years Gone. This just feels like one of those times where a single album would've been better (super tight) than a double one (stretched a bit thin). I hate to do it, but can't give it a 5 - very close though.
This album would get a 5 just for including Kashmir - another candidate for the best song of all time. But then add the fact that there's not a weak song on this double album, not to mention it includes many other amazing songs (e.g., Custard Pie, In My Time of Dying (slide-guitar extraordinaire!), Houses of the Holy, Trampled Under Foot, Bron-Yr-Aur, Ten Years Gone, The Wanton Song). Probably the only questionable part is the lyrics of Sick Again. Yeah, um, no. In the Light has some great moments, but drags on a little. I find it funny that we had the five Led Zep albums in the 1001 Albums randomly appear in order (not one after the other of course). So, this one completes the Zep albums on the list for our group and each was a perfect 5. That's more than half their 9 studio albums and it's 5 out of their first 6 (and frankly Houses of the Holy would have gotten a 5 also - they probably couldn't include it in the 1001 albums because they needed room for another Tom Waits album). It's all been a great reminder of why they're one of the greatest bands of all time.
70's rock, a.k.a. white men play The Blues (tm). There are a few tracks that do not adhere to that (e.g. Kashmir), and in these cases the music becomes better immediately, but the basic formula holds true, making this not a very enjoyable album. 2/5
Led Zeppelin is just such a solid band! While it might not be their best album, I vibed with every song and there was great variety!
While this was a good album I don't think it lived up to the other Zeppelin albums we've had. I still really enjoyed it though.
While this album maybe doesn’t contain their absolute greatest hits, I still love it. Heavy beats and still ridiculous musicality.
Good album. Heard a lot of Zeppelin I hadn't before and was not disappointed.
Jimmy Paige is a talented thief. Great at arrangements of songs. Even better at passing them off as originals. Fuck this group.
It's absolutely outstanding and has aged beautifully.
Tough one to rate, this. There are some brilliant songs there, really good bluesy-rock, and Kashmir just sounds incredible. On the other hand, almost every track is long-winded to the point of self-indulgence, and an hour and 20 is just too long for an album. There's a fair bit of variety in style from song to song, which in most places works well but occasionally feels a bit jarring. Loses its way towards the end as well, not much there after Ten Years Gone. Despite all those flaws, I think it does just about merit a 4 - the highs are so high.
Another one I started but didn't finish but will go back to.
Found this a tricky listen, I’m very familiar with LedZep I - IV but I’ve never listened to this before. First two songs didn’t grab me at all but ‘In my time of dying’ got me and took me back to what I love about them. It’s not their best in my opinion but it’s enjoyable and definitely has a more mature sense of songwriting
This has got to be one of the top 10 albums of all time.
This list make me realise how many classic bands/artists I've never really listened to. I actually enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. Especially the first half.
The first half is full of great solid rock songs and would be a 5. Kashmir I knew before but I also really liked Trampled Under Foot and In My Time of Dying. The second half is where the mark drops. There are some good songs like Ten Years Gone and the acoustic Bron-Yr-Aur, but you also get annoying segments of music during In the Light and Down by the Seaside.
Solid album would listen again.
One of the best records from Zeppelin. The first side of the record is better than the second side. The climax of Kashmir really makes the end of that first side so special. Reminiscent of I Want You (She's So Heavy) ending the first side of Abbey Road. The second half still has really good songs and the band shows a massive improvement from their first records in terms of songwriting and simply their sound. This record has so many different sounds and styles but still feels very Zeppelin. Favorite Track: Kashmir Least Favorite Track: The Wanton Song
Didn’t really stand out in any way.
Guitar
4.5
Led Zeppelin's best album - period!
Excellent, a classic and you can hear influence in all modern rock music
Awesome!
4.5/5
Good Led Zeppelin.
Finally listened though a Zeppelin album for the first time. As classic rock as you can get. Great sound. Felt long, but I read it’s a double album. Really enjoyed it. Made me want to be in the 70s
Showed me the genesis of some of the songs I grew up listening to in Mom's mini van, specifically, Kashmir and Ten Years Gone. I wound up actaully really liking some of the track songs as well. I added "Bron-Yr-AUr" and "Boogie with Stu" to some playlists.
Great tracks on this one
Led Zeppelin is a great band of Rock'n'Roll. In this album I prefer "Houses of the Holy" and "Kashmir".
I do enjoy listening to the old Zep.
I don't think I've listened to this one much, actually, so it was nice to build up some familiarity with it. Absolutely solid Led Zep - at the top of their game! Loses a star for being unnecessarily a double album - there's definitely some filler that could be dropped, although arguably Zep's filler is up there with most bands' killer... Fave track - well, "Kashmir" has long been a fave, awful Godzilla movie notwithstanding. On this play through "In The Light" takes the title....
Not crazy about it
From Kashmir to Ten years gone were perfect. But goes pretty wobbly towards the end. I probably have to go back and listen a few times but I didn’t sign up to this to do that. 6/10 much better than that Rush album
It's a rocker! Here's the thing - I love rock and roll, but I don't really vibe with the blues. Even still, this album cannot be denied.
Some great shit
🤘🤘 A classic. Some underdogs I liked were Houses of the Holy and In the Light.
Great album. Went on a little long and it's not my favorite Zep album. But still. Really stong.
inherited vinyl (good quality)
Strong Zeppelin record, albeit a bit too long. If they had disregarded the need for adding material in order to make it a complete double album, this might had been in the discussion for their best. The run of 'Houses of the Holy', 'Trampled Under Foot' (if only they had recorded many more funk-inspired tracks!) and 'Kashmir' is incredible, even for them.
Led Zeppelin at the peak of their creativity. There is an abundance of legendary tracks on this and side two (Houses through Kashmir) is absolutely ridiculous. It might have proven better had they left the 4th side blank, but this is nonetheless a show of sheer strength. Also, how beautiful is Page’s playing on “The Rover”?
Great album. A must listen for anyone that likes good ol rock n roll
This is top shelf rock. Funny thing about this album by the greatest rock band of all time. The first track sucks. But after that... We are off and the redemption is immediate with The Rover. In My Time of Dying is a slow start and then leaps into the tight little guitar spins and quick tempo interchanges. Drums are slammin. Eventually we wend our way to Kashmir which could very well be my favorite song by my favorite band. It's an anthem and I love the Tolkien imagery as well as the strings. Legendary stuff of rock. Disc 2 is off with a bang as In the Light hits us with the heavy guitars and the total optimism halfway through. This song brings hope. Bron Yr Ar takes me back to my early teenage years, eyes full of hope and trepidation. And we swing into the hazy lazy Down By the Riverside. Ten Years Gone reminds me of my dead best friend (we used to listen to Zeppelin all the time for years before he was swept away). The backs of so many cars. So many basements. Campfires. All the excellent nights. "Rivers always reach the sea".
I've been to more than a couple of weddings that have played Bron-Yr-Aur in advance of the ceremony which translates to 'Breasts of Gold.' I always wonder if the groom that chose that song becuase he thought it'd be cool to play a Led Zep his wedding or if the bride did because she thinks her boobs are seriously golden...? On a similiar subject 'Whole Lotta Love' is the worst song that LZ ever recorded. "Shake for me girl, I wanna be your backdoor man... way down inside you need ... gonna give you every inch of my love...' Sure, not as bad as 'Come on Eileen' but still icky. But whatevvs, Led Zeppelin is pretty fuckin' rad and this Physical Graffiti is proof. With the exception of three consecutive songs (In the Light, Bron-Yr-Aur and Down by the Seaside) this album kicks ass all the way thru. Some fans might describe this album with two words: 'Pidyn Aur' while others might say it's 'quite lovely' with a wink and a smile. What I wanna know is why don't they make music like this anymore?
There has never been another Led Zeppelin. I mean, obviously. Anyone trying to name their new band Led Zeppelin would be faced with copyright issues. And be laughed at. Though there have been two bands with the same name before. Apparently there was a British psychedelic group in the 60s named Nirvana. But words can't really explain how distinctive and unrepeatable Led Zeppelin were. They are the best rock band in history (you could disagree or dispute this, but you'd be wrong), and even on "Physical Graffiti," one of their lesser albums, they are beyond 5 stars.
I am less familiar with this Led Zeppelin album compared to their earlier albums but that is an oversight I plan to rectify. The four song progression from the bluesy slide guitar of In My Time of Dying, to the rock of Houses of the Holy, to the more funky sound of Trampled Under Foot, to the classic opening of Kashmir (even my 4 year old can’t help but bob her head along to this guitar riff) shows all that Led Zeppelin has to offer. Y’all know how I feel about Led Zeppelin 😉 and this album is no different.
The three song run of Houses Of The Holy, Trampled Under Foot, and Kashmir is just fantastic. Brown-Yr-Aur is a beautiful guitar piece, and I’m into the vibe on the laid back Ten Years Gone. Boogie With Stu is also fun. There are some flat numbers…for Led Zeppelin. The opening 3 minutes of In The Light is a bit bizarre. And the second half of Down By The Seaside is much better that the first. Black Country Woman and Sick Again are just OK. Just OK for Led Zeppelin is still pretty damn good. The 1001 list done fucked up though by putting this album, and not Houses Of The Holy, on the list. BIG oversight. I wish I could make it so when you read BIG the letters get bigger and bigger until they consume the entire screen while an alarm sounds and an ominous voice says, “big, Big, BIG!!!” BIG OVERSIGHT!!!
Not a good album
una bocha de amor
I love the signature Led Zeppelin sound - hard rock with a blues influence, a lot of times tipping into heavy metal territory. "In My Time of Dying" is such a good example of it. I guess it's a blues number at its core but it's heavy, man. Those drums sound huge! The appeal for a lot of these songs for me is the way the band slips into a groove and stays there. The beat and rhythm are so important to their music. A lot of great songs here, including some real epic ones ("In My Time of Dying," "Kashmir," "In the Light," "Ten Years Gone") but I think my favorites are "Custard Pie," "Trampled Under Foot" and "The Wanton Song." Those three capture that rhythm and groove feeling I love about Led Zeppelin. And the riff on "The Wanton Song" is insane.
Another true great Zeppelin album. There's times where this one rambles and jams a bit, like "In My Time Of Dying" is a great song but it's 11 minutes and it almost feels like something you just kind of have to get through because after it is three incredible tracks in a row- "Houses of the Holy", "Trampled Under Foot", and "Kashmir". "Kashmir" is probably the highlight of the album. That riff is so perfectly Led Zeppelin. It's catchy, groovy, a little bit rough around the edges, and impressively cool at all times. I really love all the interstitial musical elements in this song, like that one random meter or feel change at around the 2:15 mark, those strings that come in between Robert Plant vocal phrases, the chamber brass parts.. it's just awesome. Gotta be a 5/5. It's not my favorite Zeppelin album, but it's really really good and these songs are too good.
i didn't know Robert Plant sounded like that. great fun.
Classic
Strange - I'm pretty familiar with albums 1 - 4 , but for some reason have never listened to this one. It's pretty good, but not sure it contains the hits the other ones do.
I’m sorry. I just can’t find it in my heart to give Zep any of the shit they often receive from the haters. I love their albums, and I love what they did with their “borrowed” material. I guess I just let the music be my master. The band has so much raw sexual energy that as a man I just can’t resist them. The opening of “Kashmir” gets me every time, like something big is coming and I better get ready!
There’s definitely a feel here if later Zep. While not my favorite still some great tunes on this album. Always a good day when Zep or a similar artist pops up. You know what you’re getting and it’s usually pretty good
8/1/2022 - ALBUM #186 Today's Album: "Physical Graffiti" by Led Zeppelin - As someone who knows the popular hits from most of Led Zeppelin’s catalog, but have only fully listened to Zeppelin 1, I feel a bit strange jumping all the way forward in their career to this point. However, this album really impressed me with it’s variety and consistency throughout it’s double LP runtime. To me, it doesn’t have the super hit potential of an album like Zeppelin 4 or even Zeppelin 1, but I think for what it lacks in straight hits, it makes up for great solos, killer bass progressions, and powerful drums. In terms of what it does serve out in terms of hits, the track Kashmir is an all time Zeppelin classic and even it still has far more subtlety to it than many of the other hits by the band. The track Houses Of The Holy is also a stands out among the track-list for it’s traditional rock and roll sound and smooth vocal performance. If I am being honest though, reviewing a Led Zeppelin album sort of feels like reviewing the Bible: anyone who likes this music knows why it fucking rules and doesn’t really need to have that explained to them and anyone who doesn’t already know how much they rule is not about to be convinced by me talking about ‘traditional rock sound’ or whatever tf. I know for how highly I am about to rate this album, I should have more to say to justify the claim that it's good, but I feel like music history already knows Zeppelin rules and I am sure there is someone more qualified than me to tell you exactly why each of these tracks is legendary. Overall, I think this is a fantastic album for Led Zeppelin and stands as a monument of creative output and instrumental prowess for the band at this point. It’s runtime makes it a little bit difficult for any one song to jump out at me as important over the rest or a standout hit to add to my playlist, but as you can see from the highlights, almost every track on here was good enough for me to vibe with it at one point or another and the overall album listening experience is incredibly rewarding. Give this one a listen if you dig Led Zeppelin. They’re great. Highlights: Custard Pie, The Rover, In The Time of Dying, Houses of the Holy, Trampled Under Foot, Kashmir, In The Light, Bron-Yr-Aur, Down by the Seaside, Ten Years Gone, The Wanton Song, Boogie With Stu, Black Country Woman, Sick Again Score: 8.5/10 It’s a goddamn Led Zeppelin album ofc it’s gonna be good like…???
Zep's equivalent of the White Album. Many of these songs feel like them at their most focused in their identity, being Led Zeppelin at their Led Zeppeliniest, but many others offer refreshing variety. This also has two of my absolute favorites from them: Kashmir and Ten Years Gone. Overall another classic from my former favorite band lol.
There are a lot of Gems here, Kashmir and In the Light really shine back to back for me. There is a hair of bloat, if they could have brought this down to like an hour it would have felt a lot better, but it still earns a strong spot in the 5.
Probably one of the greatest albums ever made. Can hear the Beatles and blues influence. Best musicians in the world too
Unreal
Easily their most underrated album
Classic Led Zeppelin, I love Bron-Yr-Aur from this album, such a catchy little guitar song. Big fan of this band and heard the album before
It's led zep. Kashmir is the standout track. Rest of the album is good, but Kashmir takes the cake.
Discazo de una de las mejores bandas de rock. Auténticas canciones setenteras guitarreras con excelente batería y voz inconfundible. Imprescindible
Why is there no low-end on this record? Even on the remastered lossless release... Regardless, the music is not Zepp's most inventive, but it rocks just as hard, if not harder, than the rest.
Not a fan of Robert Plant on a good day. Today was not one of those
Wasn't in the mood
Excellent.
Un po' sottotono devo dire.
My god, this thing is sooooo looooong. I have a bias coming into this record about being lukewarm on Zeppelin, but man is 80min of Zeppelin *a lot* for me. Most of the songs, they find one or two grooves and latch on for sometimes 11 minutes(!!). I'm also not entirely convinced that Robert Plant is singing, mostly just moaning sexually. And hey, I don't really mind if stuff gets sexual, but Christ do I not like Plant on this record. Luckily, a few songs later in the album prevent this from being a one-star, but man, was it close. Favorite tracks: "Ten Years Gone", "The Wanton Song"
Ok holy fuck, I've slept on Zeppelin wayyy too long! I've listened to their first, thought it was meh and dismissed the rest. But wow, this album has blown me away. It is very consistent, fine as fuck rock! I think I might give it 5/5 simply because it proves me wrong about my opinion on Led Zeppelin! Ofc I wouldn't do that if the songs wouldn't back it up! Glad my journey through this book starts with this album!
Didn't finish, life's too short to listen to music you aren't feeling. Tried a bunch of times to get in to led zep but they've never stuck with me just like this time
Not the best Led Zep, but funky as hell—way funkier than it has any right being! I forgot how much I liked "The Wanton Song".
- Love the guitar in the chorus of Rover, and the instruments in Kashmir and In the Light - Most of the instrumental music is great - I do not really enjoy the style of the vocals
Not that big of a fan of the old hard rock but can see it’s influence on lots of music like white stripes
Not my favorite Led Zeppelin album but still has that amazing and classic Led Zeppelin sound
Great guitar riffs, groovy
Tampled Under Foot tem levada em 2:02. Levada de baixo boa. Khshmir é muito boa e tem riff famoso. Ten Years Gone é boa.
I've tried to get into Led Zeppelin but I'm just not into the whole blues/hard rock thing they got going on. I will admit that there was some awesome tracks on here but the rest just don't sound as impressive. I'll be one of the few to admit this didn't need to be so long.
Well. Kashmir is great. But the rest - musically fine but boring as Eric Olthwaite's shovel collection.
Overstuffed - what could’ve been snappy, tight melodic songs are extended well beyond their welcome into 4 or even 5 minute territory. Also a bit confused as to why this needed to be a double album? There’s no major tonal or symbolic shift between discs, leaving this whole thing a structurally and melodically confusing mess.
I don't know, man. I love Led Zeppelin in general, and I'm a sucker for raspy vocals and crunchy guitar but this album just didn't do much for me. I honestly found the whole thing pleasant enough to listen to but very forgettable compared to their others on this list. Fave track: Custard Pie. Even a meh Zeppelin album is guaranteed to have a few killer guitar licks and this is one of them.
I really love some of these songs. Favorites are Trampled under Foot, Kashmir, In the Light, Bron-Yr-Aur, and Down by the Seaside. And that's after only listening once. The music has a driving, rhythmic beat that is satisfying, and I like how some of the songs play a tune for awhile and then veer off in another direction.
Led Zeppelin's sixth studio album, and their sixth hit. Do these guys not know how to miss? The album builds up with some just classic, amazing rock songs, until it gets to 'Kashmir,' which is just on a whole other level. But wait, there's more! That's only record number one, which ends on a fantastic note, and could have been the closer. But Led Zeppelin decided to grace us with another entire record where they proceed to flex for another thirty or so minutes. It's some of the best hard rock and roll you'll hear from a band still in its prime.
One of the great all time groups. Great background rock
It's a great album, make no mistake. It has a distinct vibe that flows throughout the whole album. A vibe that I'm for sure here for. The musicianship on this album, in particular, is exceptional. The best Zeppelin has ever played on an album. It's progressive and thoughtful and skillful. Really great stuff. That said, there aren't really any stand-out tracks. Nothing that makes you sit up and pay attention. "Kashmir" is probably the closest thing to a hit on the album and even that drags on a bit. It's great, don't get me wrong. But it doesn't demand attention the way other Zepp monster hits like "When the Levee Breaks" or "Black Dog" do. I'll listen to this on repeat in the background all day long, but it's just shy of a true 5-star album. 4 and a half stars, for sure.
Groovy album, the kind of expectations one is accustomed to when listening to Led Zeppelin. This is the album that gave us "Kashmir" but this album is also not I, II, III, and IV. That tetralogy stands by itself. "Physical Graffiti" may not have been a departure from that, but the title and change in design would suggest that maybe it was. The music did not seem to hit as hard, perhaps a victim of the remaster or a listen with Sonos instead of headphones. After the tetralogy, this review tends to see LZ's contribution to 1001 as being very obvious, that perhaps any of their catalog beyond that is superfluous, and to give 997 albums a chance. Objectively, the album is Led Zeppelin and there is not much more that can be said about it. In a way that is a testament to their consistency, but also a sign that their star, while still amazingly bright, started to show that slow burn out.
Going to be difficult. This is my desert island Led Zep album..so good.. but it has flaws ...and playyyy. A band at their peak though I'm aware that the recordings were made over a couple of of years. Bonham is the greatest rock drummer. It rocks it rolls.. You could easily make a 5 star single album out of this double but I still give it a 4.5 and round it up! So many highlights. Flaws...? No flaws its a 5.
zep is zep.
3.5 really. Still never as good as the first couple of tracks.
Kashmir aside this record has all the Zeppelin fixin’. The iconic single is not only the best song here but one of the bands better track full stop. A great listen even if a little too long overall.
Probably too 3 Zep albums. So many happy memories listening to this.
Was good! sounded very familiar
Ikkje da besta av led zeppelin, men fortsatt bra
Da e jo bra, men alt for langt
Led Zeppelin’s grandest and most bloated recording, “Physical Graffiti” is their obligatory double album. It’s full of their classic bombastic rock as well as some more ambitious and varied pieces. As with most double albums, it does not need to be the length it is. Many of these tracks feel a bit perfunctory: a 1975 round of Zeppelin by numbers. They could have been doing “Custard Pie”, “The Wanton Song” or the queasy “Sick Again” in their sleep by this point. The acoustic-driven blues numbers (“Boogie with Stu”, “Black Country Woman”) are a bit tired and don’t add much three sides in, and I’ve never got much out of the 11 minute epic “In My Time of Dying”. Popular as it is among Zeppelin fans, it doesn’t take me on the same journey as some of their best songs do. That said, the run of songs from “Houses of the Holy” to “Night Flight” is sheer perfection. It contains the most eclectic mix on the album, from the breathless funk of “Trampled Underfoot” to the exotic grandeur of “Kashmir”, the gorgeous ballads “Down By The Seaside” and “Ten Years Gone”, and one of the most underrated Zeppelin epics “In The Light”. Plants voice is certainly not the powerhouse it was in the band’s early work, but the hoarseness to it works to the benefit of the material. His more melodic, natural range does wonders for tracks like “Ten Years Gone” or “Houses of the Holy”, which work their way up slowly to his trademark howl. Jimmy Page is obviously as deft a guitarist as ever, whether through rip-roaring leads or a lighter touch (lovely open-tuned acoustic instrumental “Bron-Yr-Aur”). John Bonham, of course, is suitably explosive on the drums. But one of the reasons “Physical Graffiti” works so well is in its willingness to push further away from the band’s comfort zone at times. Bassist John Paul Jones is one of the key ingredients here: the band’s most underrated member, he contributes multiple keyboard and string arrangements to give many of these songs an added depth. “Kashmir” and “In The Light” in particular are made by this: it sets them apart nicely from the core Zeppelin combo. It’s a long set, but “Physical Graffiti” more than holds its own six albums into Zeppelin’s career. As a single disc, it could have been their best ever: instead, it settles for very very good.
absolute classic!
Kashmir is epic. Some of the other tracks just sounded like... Led Zeppelin.
Fun listen! Would have been higher if the songs weren't so long
Greta album - there’s just something about his voice
I wasn't a Led Zep fan during their heyday, Robert Plant's voice, but damn this is a good album. Faves: The Rover, In The Light, Bron-Yr-Aur
I can't believe I have never listened to this album before. This is a classic.
Made a terrible mistake of not listening to full albums of Led Zeppelin before. Physical Graffiti is a wonderful journey. It's lengthy, but meaty and full of great sound. Loved the guitar (Jimmy Page checks out). A solid recommendation. Highlights: In My Time Of Dying, Kashmir
Szczerze, druga strona płyty podobała mi się bardziej niż pierwsza z mniej rockową, ale ciekawszą muzyką. Higlight: "In the light", ach ta linia melodyczna.
Zeppelini są świetni jak zwykle. Choć przyznam, że tego albumu nie słuchałem w całości. Bardzo solidny krążek, zarzucający nas bangerem za bangerem. Mi z kolei bardziej podobała się pierwsza część albumu. Jest dosyć spore zróżnicowanie w typach utworów. Riffy są catchy, wokal oczywiście kozacki. Niemniej jednak trzeba przyznać, że ciągnie to się trochę zbyt długo i myślę, że wyrzucenie kilku utworów poprawiłoby przyjemność z słuchania albumu.