Reviews (page 7 of 14)
ok i fully forgot that i actually do know every song on this album. and it’s very very good, but it’s too long. the last three tracks could have been left off and then it would have been more or less a perfect record. alas… fav tracks: kashmir; trampled under foot; the houses of the holy; in my time of dying; down by the seaside; ten years gone
I enjoyed this a lot. I always like how much I can hear the blues influence on rock and roll in Led Zeppelin’s music; I feel like it’s an education on where the genre came from because you can so clearly hear the lineage (the rhythms of the main riffs in “Custard Pie” and “Boogie with Stu” in particular). I found this really engaging the whole time despite it being pretty long. Fav tracks: Custard Pie, Trampled Under Foot, Bron-Yr-Aur, Ten Years Gone
Heard this album so many times as a kid. It stands the test of time. Led Zeppelin explore their sound so much in this album and deliver songs that are groovy, some a little folksy, some hard af. It’s the range that sets them apart — and that they deliver so well in everything they do. The fact that the same band performs Kashmir and Down by the Seaside and then The Wanton Sobg in one album, and it all sounds so cohesive! Also had a fuckass day yesterday so it really hit to have this be the soundtrack.
Cerramos la semana con Led Zeppelin, puntualmente con un clásico de su discografía. Comienza a notarse a partir de éste álbum un cambio en la voz de Robert Plant, seguramente como fruto del no cuidado vocal de esos años, ya sea por consumos, ya sea por falta de técnicas preventivas. Al margen, es un gran trabajo de Led Zeppelin. Hasta el lunes, gente.
A classic.
Non è il mio album preferito del led zeppelin però è comunque un grande album.
There are some songs on here such as Custard Pie and Sick Again that are too sexually charged for my taste(I don't like these type of Zeppelin songs) but the rest of these songs are incredibly well written and have great, intricate creative storytelling that soars above and beyond what most rock bands have attempted.
It's Zeppelin. The bangers are there but not quite 5 stars
han ebe schono gern bier. ääh led zeppelin. custard pie tönt guet aber isch etz nüt meega speziells. the rover chli herter und bonham groove suuuper. in my time of dying SLAPPT INSANE. liebs houses of the holy kenni de isch soo heil ich halt als teenie glost. trampled under foot kenni? aber isches es cover? es tönt wie doobie brothers? KASHMIIIIR FUCK YES. ich hass die dudes sie sind so tuble aber ich lieb die dudes. has irgendwie scho so lang nüm ghört dasis andersch im chopf gha han. aber de song isch chrank guet. titel und melodie slightly orientalist aber fuuucking geil. de phaser uf de drums mann. in the light isch jo au de hammer de hani nöd kennt fuuuck. huere schöni giti melodie. bon yr aur isch de acoustic type aber mit halt stereo shit drin. down by the sesaside chli meh generisch chönt au en stones track sii oder so? nöd schlecht aber hittet halt nöd esoo fest. sehr happy. ten years gone au viel ruhiger, aber isch wenigstens e meeega cooli bridge wo d gitarrene soo warm töned. was het de jimmy alles für weirdi sache gmacht? und de JPJ isch am tschutte uf dem. he ich finds fast alles meeeega guet, zum teil chli filler tracks. und s isch afoch z lang eigentli. so sie hetted es paar chöne kicke und es 50 minute album mache. ich check dass z viel gueti tracks gha hend für es 40 minütigs album. aber jo 80 minute fülleds denn doch nöd mit premium material. nöd ihres beste aber das heisst bi zeppelin immerno es starchs vieri.
ohh das album hani glaub nie glost, finds so es cools cover! SOOO ENDLICH hmm die erste zwei lieder hani jz zwar cool und typisch led zeppelin gfunde aber böö au in my time of dying isch eaaasy aber 11 min? weissnichdigga bi trampled under foot erinneret mich d bassline ah superstition hahaha om JA KASHMIR voll vergesse AHH und songhoy blues hets coveret hahaha han denkt ich han auscho e anderi version glost nvm han die glaub nanie ghört hahahah in the light findi e suuper atmosphäre down by the seaside RIESE TAKTWECHSEL hmm es macht spass, es isch led zeppelin, aber eifach z lang und nüt megaaa speziells? hans gfühl sie sind au vill weniger unhinged als uf ältere albe isch vlt chli asi das mit anderne led zeppelin albe z vergliche aber jo EDIT 4 ICH HANS BEREUT
So many of my favorite tunes from this band - "In My Time of Dying", "Kashmir", "Houses of the Holy"...this album really shows off their stylistic range and their fantastical side.
Good album. I don't know what else to say, it's just some good old rock music.
Great guitar, great songs, not so great singing/voice
Almost top notch Zep. Kashmir is among my favorite hooks of all time. Much love ❤️
This might be my favorite Zeppelin album.
Outside of the hits, I don't know this era of LZ as well as the first 4 albums. Liked this a lot more than I expected. Still heavily blues based and continuing to expand and innovate on that sound, while maintaining an obvious reverence for it. Really liked the smattering of psych peeking out on here, especially heard on In The Light.
Pretty good, but kind of a mixed bag. Yes, Kashmir is still amazing. The song Ten Years Gone is an odd one because it has the biggest ratio of great riffs to meh song I can think of.
This has some really great Zeppelin songs and some pretty good ones. Not necessarily essential but I do dig it as a fan.
Wow. Maybe it's because I've been drinking, but this is actually great. For coming so late in Zeppelin's career, Physical Graffiti, made up of songs from various periods of their career, turns out to be their most listenable. Most of my complaints about LZ go out the window here. Most of their negative tendencies are gone, the songwriting is focused, the variety of songwriting is good, and even songs I though I disliked ("Kashmir") are brought to life in the context of Physical Graffiti.
Second Zeppelin album in a row and third double album during this experience. I think this is the best double album I've heard so far. It doesn't feel like its super long, even though its an almost an hour and a half. I think the first album is better than the second one but there aren't any songs I would get rid of to make this album better.
Nooit gedacht dat twee Led Zeppelin albums - vrij kort achter elkaar - zouden bevallen. Ik sta er vaak bij LZ hetzelfde in als jou, en kan me bij veel werk van ze echt vinden in je comments. Maar 'Physical Graffiti' slaat wel aan hier. Het was een hele zit, maar door de variatie in tracks was het geen zware bevalling. Tuurlijk zijn de ellelange hardrock ballades daar, maar de wat snellere songs zijn speels en zelfs zo nu en dan funky ('Trampled Under Foot'). Normaal heb ik bij LZ dat de nummers die me minder aan staan ook wel direct de ondergrens aantikken, maar de 'fillers' zijn eigenlijk allemaal wel behapbaar. Consistentie is key, en dat op een album van bijna anderhalf uur. Door de variatie en speelduur, met veel roots invloeden, moest ik vaak denken aan 'Exile On Main St.', wat natuurlijk een compliment is. Dit vond ook plaats rond dezelfde fase van de carrière. Maar nu is Keith Richards niet the star of the show, maar Jimmy Page. Ik snap de hype wel rond hem. Door hem was ik zelfs na een uur nog niet klaar met Robert Plant. 8,5/10 Highlights: The Rover Trampled Under Foot Kashmir Down by the Seaside Ten Years Gone
A double album in one day can be hard work, but the absolute top tier musicianship helped a lot.
Zeppelin's double album is double the fun. The innovators of heavy metal or hard rock, whichever moniker you prefer, are decidedly less in the mood to riff about medievalisms than they are to groove, funk, and activate that blues muscle that dips into gospel - 'It's got to be, it's got to be my Jesus' - while maintaining a fidelity to nightlife festivities and goofy relaxation. A track like 'Houses of the Holy,' which has the nominal makings of a weary trip into British lore, is nothing more than a warm invitational: 'So let me take you, let me take you to the movies.' Even 'Kashmir,' the hit featuring that slow and fertile drumming from Bonham, is somehow not the synthetic thing it could be. In short, no Zeppelin record makes me feel so good as it.
Now this is rock music
oh this is goated but sorry melon
This felt all over the place theme-wise, but I don't care, I really enjoyed this. I wasn't familiar with this album (outside of Kashmir) but I enjoyed every song. Just incredibly high quality everything... Drums, bass, guitar, vocals, production. The sound is amazing...I'm a fan!
Great, especially the first half, but as many double albums, it falls a bit flat in the second half.
Another banger.
Such a classic
Led Zeppelin is good. Groundbreaking.
Not my favorite from Led Zeppelin but still good
Custard Pie and Trampled Under Foot - love the hook and drumming. In My Time of Dying - love the riff. Kashmir - yet another great hook ruined by its use in uncool things being my introduction to it (if I try and forget that I've heard it for cheesy ads etc I can recognise it's good - wish I could apply this effectively for the Requiem for a Dream theme). Sexy song though. In The Light - great hooks in this. Love the nostalgic turn of the second half, leading in to the gorgeous folksy end. Boogie with Stu - blues not normally my thing but this was such an unexpected direction so was fun.
Gotta love some Zep. Lots of banger but it does drag on toward the end unfortunately.
Yup
One of the greatest bands ever
Lowkey epic.
Double album, leftovers, worked their craft Whole lotta love Houses of the holy Kashmir
This album is like ordering a 30” supreme pizza. At first you’re like fuck yeah, this pizza is delicious, but then 2 slices in you realize 30” is too much pizza. Physical Graffiti is, in fact, too much pizza.
This has some absolute classic tracks on it, but some of the others are skippable.
Every song feels crafted. Keeps you engaged with all the unique twists and turns in songs. Hadn't really listen to Led Zeppelin before this project but can definitely see why they are as loved as they are.
Pretty good for Leed Zeeplin
This is a hard one. I thin on an earlier review for a Led Zep album I said this was their best. I waa wrong. I forget about the second half because despite listening to this album a LOT I always forget half the second half as some of it is so forgettable. If they included only half the songs after Kashmir (Bron au Yr, Ten Years Gone, Sick Again) this would be a 5. Hell, probably if they stopped at Kashmir too. The Rover and In My Time are probably in the top 5 best Led Zep songs.
Ich mag so lange Alben nicht
Starts off with a run of worldies but loses steam a bit for me after that, still good though
Not the greatest Led Zeppelin album, in my opinion. But it is damn good.
One of their better albums. Some of the songs were really innovative for their time. Many others copied what was done on this album.
Kashmir remains one of the greatest songs of all time. Feel like some of these songs meander a bit, I’m not a big fan of them just fading out instead of actually ending. Feels like Zep doing prog rock and it definitely feels a bit more ambitious then even Led Zeppelin IV and houses of the holy.
Led Zeppelin, no hay mucho más que decir.
I forgot how good this album is. Holy mother. Added to Liked Songs: Custard Pie, The Rover, In My Time of Dying, Houses of the Holy, Trampled Under Foot, Kashmir, In the Light, Ten Years Gone, The Wanton Song, Boogie with Stu, Black Country Woman.
An album with Kashmir on it has to get a 4
Not my favorite Led Zeppelin album but still a banger
Come back to this later
I wasn't expecting it to be so... Funky!
brabo
One of the instances where to maintain artistic integrity Led Zeppelin put the songs on the album they wanted and then filled it with extras, and it works. Similar to the Beatles and Abbey Road side 2, Physical Graffiti's composure of some filler tracks right next to freaking KASHMIR just keeps the ship floating. John Bonham really shines on hear with his comoposition on tracks. 4/5
Trampled Under Foot is so good I almost started swinging
4 star
Lyssnat alldeles för lite på Led Zeppelin. När de är bra är det otrolig rivjärnsriv. Här får man väldigt mycket av det. Gillar att de inte går in i sina långa jam. Jimmy Paige med en av de skönare gitarrljuden man hört. En gnutta för lång men inget som skadar. Denna måste in i skivsamlingen!
I found this album much more enjoyable and approachable than the other two Led Zeppelin albums so far on this list. Very smooth and listenable.
Good
One of the best
this album is very good, it has something going on that really captures the essence of the 70's in terms of rock. I liked it but it also has some mid songs
80 minutes of Zeppelin deep cuts and Kashmir works for me. Bron-Yr-Aur is beautiful - I remember getting the tab for that in a guitar magazine long before I heard the song and even with my imperfect playing it was great just based on the sheet music. Some slogs for sure but they are solid slogs.
Great. But not my favorite Zeppelin album
# 104/1001. I thought I was going to listen to some Led Zep, which I didn't know so well beforehand (I have I, II and III in my shelf) but turns out I knew every song, and most of them are still bangers. Apparently my distraction from rock and blues and boogiewookiehonkytonk diddidii hasn't distracted me from this teenage favourite. The length is long, yes, but the material stays great apart from a song or two (jammings etc in the D side), and the talent is there. So, well, it still rocks.
very high energy
Like most double albums, it's a little bloated. I very much appreciate that they were trying a lot of different stuff in their later albums, but little of it is actually nearly as good to me as when they just allow themselves to be the Hammer of the Gods. And the God-Hammerin' on this album is great ("Trampled Under Foot" "Houses of the Holy" "The Wanton Song" "The Rover"), as is a lot of the blues-ier stuff ("Custard Pie"). It's a little too overstuffed to rank with their very best, but a great rock record by one of the great rock bands.
Loved the guitar. Listened before and after shooting a 78 at the Ranch so probably bumped the rating.
Fantastic and triumphant album all the way through.. Except for the intro to in the light is about a minute and a half too long. Would have been 5 stars otherwise. Pairs best with singing in the shower or air guitar.
I’m not saying anything that hasn’t been said before and said better. Led Zeppelin is one of the most solid rock and roll bands to ever exist. It’s like they captured lightning in a bottle with all of their individual talents coming together in an explosion of sound and style. No disrespect to Plant or Jones, but it sounds like a competition between Bonham and Page on who could ultimately sound the damn coolest. For me, they tied. Bonham’s percussion on this album blew my mind while Page’s guitar work blew up my skirt! Plant’s vocals are just the icing on the decadent, absolutely delicious cake.
A very strong collection of songs, it suffers from its own eclecticism
One of my favorite Zeppelin albums, but often overlooked.
A bit more simple than other zeppelin albums but great
Доведеться зруйнувати ідеальну оцінку від групи. Це безумовно хороший альбом, проте на мій смак з філерами. І особливо не чіпляє оця супер драматичність та епічність Kashmir з оркестровками.
Quality stuff. 4 stars. One new song added to favorites though. Already had Kashmir added Bron Yr Aur
It's not as strong as other Zeppelin albums, but it does have 3 good tracks: Houses of the Holy, Trampled Under Foot, Kashmir. Interesting that they are all bunched together in the early/middle as tracks 4-6. The rest of the album has the Zeppelin bluesy-rock sound, but the songs are "meh". It's still a 4, but just barely.
really dynamic stuff in this album, what a band
I'm a biased Led Zeppelin fan, I have every album downloaded to my phone, and consider them all to be mostly no-skip albums. However, PG is one of the weaker entries, despite hits like Kashmir, so it would be unfair to call it a 5.
Overall, solid album. Very blues driven. Can’t go wrong with LZ. Fave song was Bron-Yr-Aur, the instrumental was nice!
I loved the creativity of the sound, especially for it's time. Definitely making waves. It was surprisingly lengthy. I would definitely classify it as relaxing enough to listen to while studying or just vibin'.
nothing crazy good but good to chill out to if you’re in a zeppelin mood
Album No. 0009 on my list. I’ve listened to some of the songs before (if anybody has ever listened to Led Zeppelin, it’s hard not to have listened to “Kashmir”, but I knew some of the other songs before). After listening to the album in full, I gotta say it’s pretty good! Solid hard rock, but a little more relaxed and tame than the previous Led Zeppelin albums. Cool guitar parts, cool lyrics, some very nice drumming by Bonham! I’ve found that beyond “Kashmir”, there are not too many outstanding all time favorites on here for me, but there are still plenty of other good songs and all in all this is a very good album - 4/5 stars!
Doesn't hit nearly as hard as it once did. Amazing album but wtf. Am I spoiled? Felt bored most of the time. Picked up a bit at the end and on the second listen. I think anytime I listen to Zeppelin I just want it to be as hard and raw as 1 and I'm not completely stroked to max satisfaction. Fav track- in my time of dying The wanton song
most of the songs are very similar
High 4, close to being a 5 but not quite. Most of the album was terrific, but the last 3 songs were kinda mid and tonally different than the rest of the album. It also made the album longer than it needed to be, and man that was a long album. Fave song: In My Time of Dying Honorable Mention: Kashmir
Incredible music but second half clearly not as good as the first. Favourite Song: Kashmir Honourable Mention: In My Time of Dying
Really good album, "Kashmir" and "in my time of dying" are incredible. giving this a 4 for now but may come back and change to a 5 after letting it simmer for a bit
I had never listened to a Led Zepplin album before, but I am glad I did. This was a massive double album and not a bad song on it.
This album had Kashmir. While I don't typically love long songs I did feel like these were easier to absorb.
Some of their most interesting and experimental work included (“Kashmir” and “In the Light” to name two giants) but very shaggy as a unit. Which makes sense since it’s both a new studio album and a collection of outtakes smashed together. I also think by the time you get to ‘75, Zeppelin’s iconic riff ratio takes a slight dip, but they’re still mainly on the mark.
Though the last few songs are a bit weak it is still a banger of an album
It is bloated. A double album always seems either an extravagance or a lack of a good production team who were willing to whittle it down to an appropriate number of tracks. The guitar seems to be grooving very nicely in the first half and, as some other reviews seem to have noted, became less enamouring in the last portions. Still, it's Zeppelin.
This would likely get 5 stars if LZ III & IV didn't exist.
legendary
Based on the way my dad thinks of and remembers his experience with Led Zeppelin, I was sure that nobody really cared about their output after the untitled album. I thought it was universally considered to be less popular and less significant than their earlier work. I remember once hearing him actually claim Kashmir was not a good song and being shocked. My suspicions started there. I see now that he is officially wrong about their later work being insignificant. I got this album and then happened to see Danny Carey call it his favorite LZ album. I didn't know Trampled Under Foot and Kashmir were from this album. It's confusing that Houses of the Holy is from this album and not the one before. It's interesting how much context can change things. If I had been a teenager when this came out, this album might have been a foundational work for me. As it stands, it's very good, but I'm not obsessing over it. It does feel like some songs are unfinished and I think it runs a little too long, but there are no bad songs (like on LZIII) and the highs are so high.
Kashmir is such an epic song. Led Zeppler is cool as balls in my book. Custard pie…..naughty naughty. Night flight and wanton song stand out to me.
Pretty awesome Led Zep album. Is it their best? Nope, but it's right up there. Still think on a whole album basis, Led Zep 2 is their best one. I'd rate this probably 3rd best with Led Zep 1 being 2nd best. Great songs on here though, just solidifying Led Zep as the masters of blues rock/hard rock. 4/5
Una genialidad de uno de los grupos mas importantes de la historia del Rock.
I've felt like there's something wrong with me because nearly all the Led Zeppelin albums have been and gone, and each one bored me. Great musicianship, but it wasn't clicking? Finally! A Led Zep album I genuinely liked! :) It was bloated and samey but I did like it.
Fav: Kashmir Least Fav: Black Country Woman I wrote them off but they’ve continued to impress me so my bad sorry for that. A double album with no bad songs is a great feat and is quite rare too
Led Zeppelin’s probably the band I’ve enjoyed the most so far since starting this project. While this is still a solid album in general, I don’t enjoy it as much as their earlier albums. I found a lot of these songs to be nothing special. I also found that I’m in the minority in that I enjoy the second disc more than the first. In any case, to me it’s a fine album but an okay Led Zeppelin album.
Great album
i really love led zeppelin. even though they are my parents' generation of music, my parents weren't the hugest fans of theirs, and so when i discovered them in middle school, they felt like my band. all that said, i've never really gotten the hype on this one. there's some great stuff on here! don't get me wrong. i think you could've cut a lot of this album and made a killer single disc and you probably wouldn't have missed a lot of the stuff. i just don't view this one as highly as other people do or as highly as other people rate it. and like, i get it. robert plant is a great as always, john paul jones, john bonham, and jimmy page all have terrific performances here. i just think it's a little bit uneven of a record. maybe led zeppelin's white album. i dunno. i like it, it's just not one of my favorites of theirs.
Really enjoyed that. Who knew?
Love the classic 70s melodies with unexpected changes throughout songs. My favorite being 10 years gone.
What is there to say about Led Zeppelin that hasn't been said? They have been one of my top 3 bands for what feels like forever and it's probably the same for many rock and roll fans. The amount of influence they have had on rock/hard rock/metal is basically unmatched outside of maybe The Beatles. I know when I was in middle/high school, all of my rock instrument playing friends listed Led Zeppelin as their favorite band and main influence and I'm not a boomer so Zep wasn't brand new and trendy by that time. It was firmly "Classic Rock" and still being blasted in the school parking lot. That said, Physical Graffiti isn't my favorite album of theirs. That's not to say it isn't incredible-because it is-but I just prefer some of their other albums, personally. "Led Zepplin", "Led Zepplin IV", and "Houses of the Holy" are my personal favorites and are all easily 5/5. This one probably gets a very high 4/5, though "Houses of the Holy" (song) and "Kashmir" are obvious standout songs to me.
Kashmir <3
8.5/10 I listened to this maybe 3 months ago and loved it. Not my favorite of theirs but definitely a banger. Some filler present in the second half
Excellent album. Not the best from Zeppelin, but it’s very good. Easy 4 of 5
Physical Graffiti is Led Zeppelin at their most sprawling, indulgent, and often brilliant — a double album flex that throws everything at the wall: hard rock, acoustic mysticism, funk experiments, blues epics, and the occasional stoner fever dream. When it hits, it really hits — “Kashmir” is a monolithic masterpiece, “Ten Years Gone” is heartbreak wrapped in haze, and “In My Time of Dying” is eleven minutes of slide guitar exorcism. There’s a wild freedom here that feels like the band knew they’d earned the right to do whatever they wanted, and for the most part, they cash that check with style. But for every mind-blower, there’s a track that feels like filler jammed in to justify the double LP runtime. “Boogie With Stu” and “Black Country Woman” might be fun in the studio, but they wobble next to the thunderous heights of the album’s best material. It’s not that any of it’s bad — Zeppelin’s floor is higher than most bands’ ceilings — but the sprawl dilutes the impact. Still, Physical Graffiti stands as a towering showcase of their range and power, even if it could’ve used a little more restraint and a little less “hey, let’s include everything.” A majestic mess, and a glorious one.
Probably a 4.5 for me. Some super tracks on this album. A peeling album that I've not listened to a whole let. I think it's more the production and how Robert Plant's voice sounds on this album that just bothers me a little to drop it to a 4...
Probably Led Zeppelin at the top of their form, this album covers every genre the band could really nail, there’s so much on offer here. Quite self-indulgent at times and I think it would have been a stronger album if they cut it down to the one disc, but you can’t deny tracks like Trampled Under Foot and Kashmir don’t just remind you why you like rock music in the first place.
LedZep at their height trying to prove they lived up to the hype. Had they just picked the best 12 songs, this would be an epic 5-star classic. Bonham pounds the skins so hard. How many did he break during recording?! It’s not hard to distinguish all four musicians so independently. They took their craft so seriously and tried hard to be artistes. The overindulgence on the lesser songs lowers this to a 4/5 for me.
Purer Rock mit genug Drogeneinfluß und einer ordentlichen Portion Blues um wirklich abwechslungsreich zu sein. Viel Energie. Gute Gitarrenarbeit!
70s UK rock. Pretty epic, as always for LED Zep. Very diverse, all high-quality.
It’s a bit bloated, but there’s a lot to like here. Very eclectic, like a sample platter of Led Zeppelin.
Zeppelin is remembered for their hits, but when you listen to a full album you get the full experience of their wild tastes. It's easy to remember them for their rock and forget the blues.
Could be a 5 if the second half were as strong as the first. All in all, one heck of an album
Great overblown, heavy rock. Contains some of their classic tracks. Definitely one of the outstanding albums of its time and of the rock genre
yeah honestly its pretty good. weird to think i had some assumption of led zep being so abrasive when its honestly very enjoyable and palatable rock. had a similar experience with black sabbath tbf, and im assuming that this was considered quite abrasive for the time. Really the only thing holding it back for me personally is that it is a tad long for my personal tastes. solid 7.2/10
Am I putting this at a four? Maybe......... It's not my favourite Led Zeppelin album but I really enjoyed it and Kashmir elevates anything. Fuck it, FOUR STARS!
Physical Graffiti sees Led Zeppelin at the peak of their infamy, proving their capability and creativity across two albums' worth of bangers. Mostly bangers - if it were the length of the previous two albums, then it'd be an easy 5! Favourite songs: The Rover, Houses of the Holy, Kashmir, Ten Years Gone, Night Flight
Good album that I’ll definitely want to dive into again. "Kashmir" is an absolute standout, and each listen reveals something new. It’s a rewarding experience that keeps you coming back for more!
Drags a little bit towards the end, but this is full with some of their strongest work
Really incredible, very consistent double album, more so than I remember.
Great album! I can't believe that Kashmir isn't influenced by the James Bond theme.
IMHO, Led Zeppelin was the greatest true rock band to ever have lived. So, this album is solid, and there are some absolutely phenomenal tracks here. I do think it's a much bigger listening commitment than other albums of theirs, and certainly not as instantly palatable. I feel like a lot of the songs (and, truthfully, the album as a whole) kind of overstay their welcome. But at the end of the day, it's still Led Zeppelin, and it's still a triumph. Fave songs: - Literally ALL of side 1 - Ten Years Gone
Classic old-school rock. Not one of my every day bands but definitely something I like and listen to from time to time.
This might be my favorite led Zepplin album so far. Funk pops up, and the inspiration for the white stripes is here as well. They keep the riffs coming. My only critique is that it is long. I felt little besieged by the end of it.
It drags a little bit at the end. But overall it's probably my favorite Zep album. It brings everything you want from them.
Overall good, but a bit long in the tooth for songs that generally sound a bit samey. Still, good instrumentals meet good vocal work here. 'Kashmir' was my fave.
Not my favourite Led Zeppelin album, but has some bangers.
The first half of this album contains some of the greatest tunes I've ever heard, genuinely masterful. Robert Plant's voice is remarkable and distinctive, perfectly complemented by the band's stellar performance. Unfortunately, the second half didn't hold my attention as much. The songs shift toward experimental styles that stray from the band's usual approach, feeling more like an unnecessary extension rather than a worthy continuation of an otherwise brilliant start.
Overall a solid album, but most of the good songs were in the first half, with my favorites being The Rover and the classic Kashmir. In general I think most songs were a little too slow, a little too long, and could have used some more dynamic drum parts, but the guitar solos made up for it.
Never listened to LZ, so I was glad when it popped up. I was expecting something a little bit more metal. Didn’t love it on the first listen, but it grew on me. I know they’re a foundational rock group, but it doesn’t sound like it. Lots of jams, but how did they decide one song was 8 minutes and another was. 4?
It's painful for me to give Led zeppelin a 4, but besides Kashmir this album was really dragged and repetitive.
Genuint bra med flertalet låtar som man ville lyssna på!!
Some great rock tuneage
Hab ich auf Vinyl, re-listen nicht notwendig
i’m not really a big fan of Led Zep, but there are some songs i end up enjoying. some notes; “trampled under foot” - did franz ferdinand get their inspiration for “take me out” from this song? very similar in style either way. “kashmir” - yeah i enjoy this one. g’wan. disc 2 is much nicer for me so far than disc 1. “in the light” has been my fave track so far. very prog rock and i do love that here! “ten years gone” - really enjoying this one! fave songs; kashmir, in the light and ten years gone.
Wanton
I truly enjoy Led Zeppelin, but 1 hour and 22 minutes is just too damn long. Could have cut this under an hour and been a much better overall experience.
Some really great songs on here but classic rock isn’t my favorite. My favorite song was “Kashmir”
Electrifying, with so many gems in the album.
Der zweite Teil ist besser.
01) Custard Pie - 8,5 02) The Rover - 9,0 03) In My Time of Dying - 9,0 04) Houses of the Holy - 8,5 05) Trampled Under Foot - 9,0 06) Kashmir - 10,0 07) In the Light - 8,5 08) Bron-Yr-Aur - 9,0 09) Down by the Seaside - 8,5 10) Ten Years Gone - 8,5 11) Night Flight - 8,0 12) The Wanton Song - 8,0 13) Boogie with Stu - 8,0 14) Black Country Woman - 8,0 15) Sick Again 8,0 TOTAL: 8,57 (86/100) Current ranking: 94/581
Pretty dang good. Kashmir is an all-time hit.
Siiick. Really liked this one. favorite tracks were Ten Years Gone, In my time of dying, and The rover. This is my first LED Zeppelin album I’ve listened too and I’m a big fan. I’d give it a 4.5/5 or a 9/10. I prefer it over Tracy Chapman from yesterday just because it was much more energetic and funner to listen to compared to the slower and more emotional Tracy Chapman. All great stuff
Good album, great classic/heavier rock. Longer songs than I thought it would have tbh but none of them dragged or felt too long
Not their best, but nvm that, still great. Kashmir is a delight as always
My 2nd favorite Zep album.
4/5
Solid rock album. I don’t know if it’s just me but I can’t understand him lyrically and that brings my score down because I can’t connect to the artist in that way. Everything else is on point and it’s a great listen musically, just no personal connection to it. I noticed that the streaming service has a lyrics section so maybe I will give it another listen in the future and look at the lyrics. Definitely worth multiple listens.
ten years gone, houses of the holy, in the light
"One day soon you're gonna' reach sixteen" 🤨🤨🤨 banger though
Zed Leppelin 🔥🔥
Solid Rock
Really cool listen. For how varied the album is, it feels incredibly bloated. Still an awesome listen and definitely up there when it comes to Led Zeppelin albums.
i do really like led zeppelin but there is just no compelling reason for this to be 80 minutes long. there's a fantastic 50 minute album in here but instead it just sort of meanders and repeats itself
In my time of dying Want nobody to mourn All I want for you to do Is take my body home
First time hearing the full album. Solid outside the hits.
Slaps
Another Led Zeppelin album, another positive review from me. "Physical Graffiti" doesn't get boring despite being nearly 1 1/2 hours long. Only very few albums have achieved this. But it's not enough for a perfect score. The second half could've been a bit better. 4 stars for "Physical Graffiti".
Overall: 8/10 Anyone who's ever read my reviews for double albums has likely picked up on the fact that I really don't like the concept of a double album. There's only so much time in a day and I don't like having to make room for such lengthy projects. However, this is Led Zeppelin. I will make an exception. The first half of this album would probably be my favourite Zeppelin album if it was it's own thing. Songs like In My Time of Dying and Kashmir are epic and tickle my brain in ways most other artists can't. The song Houses of the Holy, named after my personal favourite Zeppelin album, is also a favourite of mine. I adore Bonham's drumming so much. The second half isn't as good sadly. It's good enough that I can still give this a high rating, but the first half is better. I still really enjoy stuff like The Wanton Song and Ten Years Gone. Those songs are rockers. This was the last truly great album from Zeppelin. They had other great moments in the end of their career together but this is their swan song (how appropriate) in my opinion. It shows how great of a band they are that this is one of my least favourite of their albums. Fav Song: In My Time of Dying Least Fav Song: Boogie with Stu
Who knew I was a Led Zeppelin fan.
Kult album. Definisjonen på 70-talls rock. Startet greit, avsluttet på topp.
Good but all the songs were really long
good album, just a little long winded
Favorite Song: Kashmir
This band really tests my patience sometimes. Just because you can doesn't mean you should. They rock. It's undeniable, but diminishing returns are a concept gentleman. 7.8/10
First half is one of the all time greats, back half hits a lot less often for me. Favorite track: “Houses of the Holy” Least: “In the Light”
I really liked the variety of sounds on here. Album got noticeably better when I swapped from my car audio to my ear buds. Will be trying to listen in my ear buds moving forward.
4.5 stars. A bloated masterpiece. Undeniable classics on here, but a bit too much excess. Record 1 alone is a 5 star record if released on its own.
Weird album as I find I love it but peppered with weaker songs. Still great but only just makes the 4 for me.
Great opportunity to listen to this album critically in it's entirety although I already know many of the tracks. First disk absolutely rocks and is banging from start to finish. A real microcosm of Led Zep. I was reminded at how rhythmically complex a lot of led zeppelin tracks are, where phrases seem to overflow the bar and give a frenetic energy. The second disk I found to drag a bit more and by the end of it was ready for it to finish. Still a classic.
4+
Really good music, but 1h30 is a lot to ask and it didn't quite catch my attention throughout. Never a good sign when you keep checking how many songs are left.
It’s Led Zeppelin. It will never not be good.
This was a big one for me growing up and I consider it one of Zep's best. Some fillerbthere, especially towards the end (or side 4 as I think of it), but some of their best songs throughout, especially "The Rover," "Trampled Under Foot," and, of course, Chase Utley's walk up song "Kashmir." The last great album from the mighty Zep
Great classic rock here. Houses of the holy - trampled - kashmir is an elite run. It does drag for me towards the end and the last side is really weak. But overall, awesome listen, sits below Led Zeppelin IV for me but still one of the band's best. Will round up from 3.5 to 4
I enjoyed the entire album
One of those great examples of a double/triple album that would have been an amazing single. The highlights - Kashmir, In the light, Custard pie, trampled - are incredible, but there's a few dull little boogie extras that don't seem to add much. A much wider range of tones and textures than their early stuff, and still an incredible album, but you can sense they're starting to run out of ideas.
Man, oh man! Sometimes I’m guilty of forgetting how great Led Zeppelin were! This album is absolutely exquisite.
Leuk, wat lang maar meer aansprekend op twee listens dan de vorige LZ albums die ik heb geluisterd
A long record, but has some big hits and great guitar work and vocals.
overlong
The first ten songs are nearly perfect. Of the last five songs, "The Wanton Song" has some really sick guitar riffage, and the rest can be for the most part discarded. I get why they were added - physical constraints definitely played into making many albums less perfect. But it is what it is. Still one of Led Zeppelin's best ever collections; I prefer it over 4, Houses, and maybe even 1. Must-listen #141.
will listen again
Four
One of my favourite double albums - each track is cohesive and doesn't outstay it's welcome (impressive with the behemoths of 'Kashmir' and 'In My Time Of Dying'). This is Led Zeppelin at their songwriting peak - the highlights of the album are so high, where not one member misses even a quarter of a beat. The lows right at the end of the album are relatively unimpressive given the first hour. Best Tracks: - Trampled Under Foot - Kashmir - Night Flight Worst Tracks: - Boogie With Stu - Sick Again Rating: 8.5/10
👌👌👌
Not as good as their earlier stuff but still class
Saved by the third side - listening as though this were the first, as advised in a few places and this actually improves the album.
Superb. Could be a 5.
Owned this as a kid but would rank it third behind the other two LZ albums I owned: I and IV. Listening to it today, man, if it were just disc one and “ten years gone,” we’d all remember this as one of the greatest rock albums ever. If my math is right, that’s about a 50-minute album chock full of bangers. Instead the second disc is so bloated. At least on streaming, you don’t have to remove disc one just to play the one song on disc two that’s any good.
this is like pre divorce dad rock solid dad rock/10 get these damn kids off my fuckin lawn
one thing I've learned from this list is that Led Zep is very consistent
Some real good timeless singles, like Kashmir, on this one. But also some faceless and anonymous sengs that fill the album. Over all there is to many of them, and I became tired of listening to this album at the end. Will still watch Kashmir over and over as a single. One of the best sengs that is ever made!
7.5/10 Easily the best LZ I’ve heard so far. High quality, tight, good production. Vocals didn’t annoy me unlike previous albums. But there is a ceiling of how much I liked it. Waaaay too long, both in some individual songs and the length of the album overall. And there is the fact that, at best, this album heavily relies on American and black artists and feels like cosplay or tourism. There is something inauthentic about people from the midlands playing delta blues. Best: In My Time of Dying
Took me back a few years.
A whole lotta Led Zepp.
It's a good Zep album, but I really feel this could be much shorter.
Yet another LedZep album. This is outstanding, though.
jako dobro! raznovrsno a dosljedno kvalitetno
Early on in my music discovery I got my hands on the complete Led Zeppelin box set, containing every studio album. I think I got a wicked deal from Columbia House or another 'buy 1 CD get 10 free' type mail order company, which was a godsend to help build my early collection. In a way, getting the box set was kind of a preview of what was to come with streaming; getting instant access to an entire band's discography. I got real cozy with these CDs in my high school years, and grateful for the early exposure to the entirety of their studio output. They were never my favorite band, or really even that close to it, but those albums certainly influenced me quite a bit at the time. On Physical Graffiti, I think I was more impressed with many of the individual songs rather than the album as a whole, compared to other Zep records. It is a great album, no doubt, but sort of lacks cohesion because of the addition of so many outtakes from years prior. The second half does lag behind the first as well, so it's really not a great double album when it comes down to it, despite having some really strong songs, and overall being an enjoyable listen. Besides the brilliance of "Kashmir", the songs that I gravitated towards the most were "Trampled Under Foot" and "Ten Years Gone". I'm sure my actual favorite Zep albums will eventually appear on this list (Houses of the Holy, IV, I), or at least they certainly would belong. I don't have a problem with the inclusion of Physical Graffiti on this list, because it is still a very solid and of course influential album, but it just doesn't feel like as much of an "all timer" like the others I mentioned.
It’s Led Zeppelin. Great sound. Lots of fun. Not ground breaking now but likely was at the time.
Un pò lungo ma mi è piaciuto parecchio
Great album! Definitely something I want to listen to more.
Interesting
Can’t go wrong with Led Zeppelin, some iconic songs and vibes.
Great album! First Led Zeppelin, wasn't their most popular but it was a good one! They were good at just rocking out!
Very mature zep. Love that the song “houses of the holy” was chosen for this album.
Solid effort. Also has my favorite song by them "Trampled Underfoot". Great groove. Not their very best LP but not far off.
Not my favorite Led Zep
Physical Graffiti is a project which has given me a taste of Led Zeppelin so strong that it has stayed with me throughout the weekend. I really appreciate it being my first weekend album, meaning I could spend more time on it than other albums, and I have taken full advantage of it, going back to it again and again whenever I have had time to listen to any music. I really enjoyed this album; it categorises this era's rock music genre as a whole for me. I have in the past heard the song “Kashmir”, and the song remains my favourite on the album, even though there is so much power and passion behind each and every song. The raw static of the guitars, which sometimes comes through the production, is such a beautiful show of age. As an electric and rock guitar enthusiast, I like it more than anything I have come across recently. Love, love, love it! The sound is not totally unique for me; I have heard similar works from other bands, artists and even Led Zeppelin themselves in the past, but it does not take away from the fact that I feel so much appreciation for the entire body of work from start to finish. This is an album I will keep coming back to, and I am beyond excited to visit other works by them. The final rating completely based on my current music taste: 8/10 - 20 April 2025
Amazing but mix is missing SO much low end
The album is too long and they can’t hold it interesting enough to carry that length. Led Zeppelin just hasn’t held up for me overall. Like it’s better than a lot of these 3/5 “fine” albums here but I’m not likely to go back to it any time soon
Sprawling, slithering, and sacred. This is Zeppelin at full power; blues thunder, mystic haze, and swagger carved in stone.
Partially listened before Fav tracks: Kashmir, In My Time of Dying
ZEEEP
Very solid, no stand out songs from me but that’s not a bad thing.
It was physical. There was graffiti.
love it
First few songs sound the same
Some songs are long indulgent jams, and some others are genius like Kashmir or sound way ahead of their times like the wanton song. Good variety and verve overall 3.9
Kashmir is such a masterpiece... But it's the only song that really stand out
Great album by one of the greatest rock bands ever. They are at full strength with their original, familiar sound before they started experimenting and branching out. That said, the album seems to become a bit repetitive/formulaic which causes a bit of a drag. I'm sure when it was new and fresh it didn't feel like that, but for today, it doesn't quite hold up as well as some of the previous, tighter LZ albums.
Great album to zone out to, a couple of stand out songs. Awesome guitar
More sophisticated zep, needs another listen.
9/10
Album 1 is a classic rock masterpiece- Album 2 feels more like a passion project where they dig in to their blues preferences.
Another great Zeppelin album.
Finally, a cool album! Cool music, great vocals and 2 parts of the record: the first is in the best traditions of Zeppelin, the second is quieter. It's just a pity that the album is rather long, it would have been shorter, and the score would have been higher. And so 7.5 out of 10.
This is #day229 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... yay, my first Led Zeppelin record on the list. I’ve never listened to it front to back before, and, well, I just did, and I have to agree with the consensus about the album's sprawling nature. Clocking in at almost 83 minutes, it’s just so fucking long. But then again, it’s Led Zeppelin—can you ever really get enough of their music? The album features gems like "In My Time of Dying," "Trampled Under Foot" (one my personal favorites), and the pure oral blessing that is "Kashmir." So, at least for this very reason, I can’t give it a 3. Even though I lost focus at times, this is a 4 out of 5. I predict it’s going to be one of my favorite artists. Because, well, there are so many albums of theirs ahead. Looking forward to #day230.
Classic, cool. More Led Zeppelin please
I love Led Zeppelin, So I thought this would be an instant hit. I think the music is incredible, and I know prog rock is criticised for being self-indulgent and you can see why here. This really was just too long for me and took me away from listening because I just couldn't keep my attention.
Good stuff from the masters
these guys get it
I think that Led Zeppelin is a talented band, I don’t ever really listen to their stuff, but the album was good. I think it barely makes 4.
Nigdy nie zrozumiem dlaczego Led Zeppelin jest klasyfikowany jako metal/hard rock. To nie są ciężkie brzmienia (które sobie wyobrażałam widząc ich nazwę na koszulkach i plecakach kostkach), to jest lekkie granie. Melodyjne. Z dużym naciskiem na instrumenty (ten bas! Ta gitara). Wokal nie zdziera sobie gardła, jest ostry jak żyleta, ale brak w nim agresji. To jest bardzo czyste brzmienie dla mnie. Sama płyta się dłuży, wypadałoby ją okroić o kilka kawałków, ale i tak mocne, zasłużone 7.5/10
Great Album
Oh, I really enjoyed this and was NOT expecting to. I don't want to be one of those middle aged men who listen to Led Zeppelin... But I will listen again.
Love Led Zeppelin and this album is a fucking classic
I could almost give any album with Jimmy Page playing on it a 5. And I could almost give this one a 5 just for Kashmir. But it really should NOT have been a double album. Too much filler with songs that hadn't made the cut from previous albums.
This could be a lot shorter but the good parts are very good and the lads are clearly having fun.
Okay. Led Zeppelin made some pretty fantastic music, but they also made some pretty tedious music that's difficult for my ADHD brain to stick with... and yeah, this particular album is nearly impossible for me to get through in one sitting. Good songs individually, but MAN. It's a lot.
The Paul's Boutique of Led Zepp
as I said :D próbáltam megszeretni mert jó zene ez, de nem meeeeegy.
Physical Graffiti It is often said that Physical Graffiti is Led Zeppelin at its peak. Which is interesting because the album is a mixture of new songs and songs created in earlier sessions up through Houses of the Holy. Up through Kashmir (the first disc of a double album) the vibe is much different than what follows. If released separately, the first disc could be titled “Long Songs Where We Repeat Chords and Riffs Until We Get Bored.” This is the rockier disc and the structure of the songs are oddly repetitive. Almost as if there is no true bridge or chorus that we frequently expect in later rock albums. But it works quite well. I think the true hero of this disc is the rhythm section of Bonham and Jones. They provide the soul that holds the songs together in a powerful way. The second disc is almost a startling turn. Here the songs are influenced by different genres. Whereas the first disc provided raw intensity, the second disc allows us to cool down a bit. I enjoy these songs, but they are not frequently played like the first disc. Listening to Physical Graffiti makes me wonder what it was about Led Zeppelin that later 80s bands would cite as one of their biggest influences. These later bands played nothing like LZ. It almost makes LZ misunderstood and mislabeled as merely a hard rock band. But their songs, spanning multiple albums, visited many genres. They weren’t really a metal band in my view. I imagine 80s bands were focused on Plant’s high pitched vocals. But to single Plant out seems to miss the essence of LZ. They are truly a sum of parts. I could easily rate every Zeppelin album from II through Physical Graffiti as “5”. Maybe I should. I am a big LZ fan.
First half absolutely rivals every other LZ project. If it stopped there, it would probably be my favorite all-time album of theirs. But, the second half exists and while still incredible, it does not live up to the promise of the first half. Like I said, still incredible. But there’s a little too much bloat that leaves me wanting to restart the album after Kashmir.
Bardzo przyjemne, ale nie sluchałem uważnie. 4/5
I know this some people's favorite Zeppelin album, but there's quite a bit of filler on here still ("Custard Pie," etc). However, there are some really fantastic songs on here; the album deserves 4 stars for "Kashmir" alone.
Hell yeah. (No other noted needed, its Led Zepplin. What do you expect?)
Very good Zep
I wasn't expecting to, but I actually somewhat enjoyed it. I don't think this subgenre of rock is my thing, but there were a few songs I'll likely come back to, namely "Custard Pie" and "Kashmir."
Night flight, great song that reminds me of college.
Killer. The sound of Bonhams drums alone make this a classic. A bit too long to hit a perfect 5 but a three sided album gets a 4. Kashmir is incredible. Trampled Underfoot the shame
Good album when it’s not fretwanking, which isn’t very often. Kashmir is a great song though. Would it have been a double album in the age of CDs? Not sure I gelled with most of the second disc. Probably worth it to have the 9 minute Kashmir though. Obviously one of the bands Jack White borrowed from.
Like groovy man, pretty much the definition of groovy man!
Not their best, but it does have a couple of jewels, such as Kashmir, Ten Years Gone, Wanton Song, and many songs that are just fine. 7/10
This is a fantastic single album stretched out into an ok double album.
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. Edit: I had issues with this and still gave 5.
Loop Zoop surprised me with this one; I was always a bit annoyed with Plant's vocals (not my style) but the writing and instrumentals on this one are so good that they really do overpower his — for me — unpleasant voice. And even that is really tolerable on this one, unlike the other records it fits the album it's on. Really good stuff - runs a bit too long for me to give it a 5 though. But still, great - especially because and even if the rest of LZ for me is mostly a no. Favorite tracks: In My Time of Dying, Kashmir
It has kasmir which is awesome. The albums too long overall though and I was getting bored.
Going through alot of firsts in this 1001 journey, this was my first Led Zeppelin album and I gotta say I've been missing out a little bit, a more than average lengthy listen here, with its ups and downs, but I'd say solid 4 stars here. I enjoyed it.
I'm enjoying this a lot more than their debut. The songs that stray a bit from pure hard rock are the standouts to me. Also, I feel like I'm walking out onto the pitch listening to Kashmir.
Strong album. "The Rover" is my favourite Led Zeppelin song.
Love Led Zeppelin, if if the songs are to long
Like a lot of double albums could do with being trimmed a bit but still some absolute classics here 4.5*
Kashmir. Enough said
I’m slowly but surely becoming a Led Zeppelin fan thanks to this challenge. Physical Graffiti is nothing short of a masterpiece, and I absolutely love it. The guitar work on this album is exceptional, truly some of the best I've heard. The lyrics and vocals are powerful and captivating, adding so much depth to each track. One thing that stood out to me is how much Trampled Under Foot reminds me of Take Me Out by Franz Ferdinand. It feels like the band must have drawn inspiration from this track while crafting that iconic song. Favorite tracks: Trampled Under Foot and Kashmir Least favorite: Honestly, every song is worth a listen—there’s not a bad track on this album. Album artwork: The cover art is brilliant—I love its design.
Great album. Very little "borrowed" music on it. So that's a plus. Lots of great songs and great musicianship.
rock n roll will never die
4/5
Le dernier grand album de Led Zeppelin. Le disque 1 est immense, le 2eme plus inégal mais avec quelques pépites moins connues.
LED Zepplin’s sound has a heavy dark fog that is distinctive and dramatic. Certainly the best at their craft. Could have been a single album, it gets long.
I'm a big Led Zeppelin fan so I'm no stranger to this album, but it's not my favourite of theirs. I've always felt like the back half was way too bloated, unfortunately I usually skip most that comes after Ten Years Gone (with the exception of The Wanton Song), it just feels unnecessary. The album does have some of my all time favourites, though. Favourite song: The Rover Other highlights: Kashmir, Trampled under foot, Ten years gone 4.5 stars
If you haven’t gotten the Led out in a while, I recommend doing so, but I’d put on Houses of the Holy or Led Zeppelin 2 instead. Physical Graffiti obviously has some huge songs on it, but there’s a few I could do without and the band has more thorough albums for me personally.
Despite the length, I am going to go with a 4. Overall, I enjoyed the variety. The guitar, drums, and Plant’s voice were spot on. If the album were about 20 minutes shorter then would be a 5.
(8 known/13 new)
Who would Led Zeppelin be without John Bonham?
Great album from a great band!
Most of the songs on this album are solid-a few that I don’t ever need to hear again (not because they’re bad, but because I maybe played Kashmir one too many times in high school) and a few that feel like a bit of filler, but overall a strong album. 3.5 stars.
These guys rock
If it's Led Zeppelin, it's good.
Something you'd listen to if you're up to no good, must be a classic for many, just not my style
I enjoyed this album, it reminded me of Jack White but more voluminous and detailed
The Rover for the win. Ok this might be my favorite album of theirs. So many good tracks. Kind of crazy cause I think Kashmir is the weakest track. Yeah it’s a landmark but it doesn’t have the spunk or vibe of all these other tracks. Dang what a finish.
Great album. Listened many times with my father in my childhood.
Love the opening half or so. This was first zeppelin album I got into
Dare I say better than IV, Symbols, whatever you want to call it?
Diverse, big rock record. Don’t love every song but the great ones carry it far for me.
There are multiple songs on here to save, will need to come back and listen again
Great album. Kashmir and in my time of dying both killer songs. Some of the lesser songs drag a bit along the way.
it's been a long time since I listened to an album that was just fun
Freaky banging
3.5/5
Classic
Good listen
From the late 60s/early 70s era of rock I feel like most of the notable groups all have a signature feel to their grooves. The Stones at their peak had a kind of sinister edge and forcefulness to their sound, the Beatles at their best sounded precise and measured, CCR had the assured rhythmic chug of an old big band, but my overwhelming sense of Led Zeppelin (no doubt colored in part by my childhood interest in them) is just FUN. They play so loosely around the beat, each little fill or interjection could playfully add triplets or some weird chromatic passing chords. There's an attainable looseness to their sound, a misleadingly relatable and easy sounding approach that makes me want to join in. And while this album is not LZ operating at their songwriting peak, that spirited creativity in their performances just makes this such a pleasing and easy listen. I'm not going to wax poetic about each of the band member's contributions or how John Bonham's feel and sound is still underappreciated, too much ink spilled on those topics already, so the rest of this will just be little observations I've noticed across the songs as I listened (a surprising amount of this album was fresh to my ears, despite being a led zep fan I've only listened to this whole album a handful of times before). Kashmir is really the only song here I've listened to enough to have burned into my brain beyond any ability to listen to it with fresh ears. The sweet little major key phrases over that terrifying chromatic guitar riff still work to this day, and to my mind the song is one of the key tentpole examples of just how flexible mixolydian as a mode is, because this song can run the gamut from terrifying to ecstatic to reflective just by shifting whether it wants to be in D mixolydian, B minor, or G major. I forgot until I was really doing a focused listen through just how flipping long the bridges ("oh, all I see turns to brown...") are in this song, they're almost half the track's runtime! And idk, I get in part that the length and lack of resolution to the song are part of why it has the kind of hypnotic quality that it does, but I'm left feeling more than ready for the next track we'll before it wraps up (with all due respect to a harmonically adventurous classic!) Also this song would have sounded better with well-recorded strings instead of whatever awful synth patch they use In the Light was a new discovery for me on this one, even if the endless major key section at the end wears out its welcome several minutes early. I still have to love and appreciate the unexpected musical pivots throughout the song, and I love when led zeppelin (bands in general) take a stab at writing musical idioms that aren't in their stylistic wheelhouse. The eerie vocal multitrack that robert plant enters on imo makes really interesting choices that set an excellent contrast to the evil sounding blues that follows. And however stiff and awkward the playing was, the synth harpsichord interlude to take us back into the major key vamp is really unique and memorable. Led zep is at their best when they let their cultivated mysticism and love of renaissance musical idioms inflect their hard rock to make something a little richer and more nuanced. Of the "shut off brain and go into minor pentatonic world" tracks, In My Time of Dying was the obvious standout, Bonham's coming in with a half time feel at the end feels like such a proto-metal thing. I'm not even much of a "viscerally rocking out" kind of guy, and by the end of that 11 minutes I'm ready to run through walls. From an objective standpoint a cool document about how playing around the beat on different ways affects the whole tone of whatever you're playing. Just a banger showpiece for how well they fit together as an ensemble I feel like relative to other Led Zeppelin albums I hear more inspirations from music contemporaneous to them, Trampled Under Foot has the obvious Stevie Wonder clavinet as the underlying rhythmic motor of the song, Down by the Seaside has its swooning beach boys qualities to it. It's just especially disorienting with Led Zeppelin for me in particular, which always felt to me when I was young like some platonic ideal of rock that existed perfectly formed and untouched by anything else (save for the blues and roots music it liberally stole from). As double albums go, this sure is a double album. Personally I could lose the first two songs and the last four and not feel like the soul of the album had really been touched at all. This doesn't have the same peaks as Led Zep II or IV of course, but the musical ideas here are immediately memorable and well thought out. A band this good playing off-peak is gonna still be able to put out 4 star quality work like this, and the moments that fully click are just incredible.