Physical Graffitti

tremors

I believe it is the 35th anniversary of Physical Graffitti looming (either that or the magazine headlines are lying!)

I love this album so much it's hard to know where to begin - been listening for 21 years and counting......!

I've sometimes heard it described though as something like 'an ill-conceived and lazy collection of rejected songs and outtakes'

Other times like 'Led Zeppelin's 'Crowning Glory' - a masterful and eclectic collection of impeccable tunes from a band at the height of their powers'

Am wondering what people here mainly think - obviously I'm in the latter camp - Sides one and two on the vinyl contain both some of the most 'Epic' songs ever recorded- Kashmir, In my TIme of Dying, the Rover; as well as some of the most innovative or unusual songs in 'heavy rock' / metal (Custard Pie, Houses of the Holy, Trampled Underfoot....).

Sides 3 and 4 take more listens but contain real amazing moments, sometimes unexpectedly like Night Flight, which I loved long before Jeff Buckley covered it at Sin-E, but which I love even more after hearing him sing it. For years side 4 was my most played side of this record - the songs are less 'spectacular', but it has a kind of soothing and 'forget-everything' sort of vibe.

I'm not a musician, but it seems there are some very unusual time signatures and interesting playing throughout this album, and I think if punk hadn't come along, a lot more bands would have picked up where this left off.

To my mind this is amongst the greatest 'heavy rock' records of all time. Anybody else here know it, like it or hate it??

ed243421

love it
haven't heard it in years
grew up on it
kasmir in the tape deck every trip to the beach in high school

presence is just as good, just shorter

marcos

This was the first album I owned, an older cousin told me to pick an album from their collection, it was a little beat up a few years old, but I was only a child at the time and was mainly attracted to the album cover, but my ears were never the same as I played it over and over.

tremors

marcos wrote:

This was the first album I owned, an older cousin told me to pick an album from their collection, it was a little beat up a few years old, but I was only a child at the time and was mainly attracted to the album cover, but my ears were never the same as I played it over and over.

Good training!! I think if you can appreciate Physical Graffitti you are able to turn your ear to a lot wider range of music. It's different

Thierry Henry

Fantastic album.

I go to St Marks when im in New York to pay my respects to the album cover!

Newch91

Love the album, as with most of theirs.

DewieCox

The perfect 6th album, imo. The rest of their album were trimmed back, but this has the kitchen sink and everything is still fantastic.

Don't see what's innovative about Custard Pie, but Kashmir, In the Light, Ten Years Gone, The FUCKIN Rover!!!!!....Come on...rock and roll just doesn't get better than Zep and they're still at the height of their powers.

This vinyl is gettin some love, soon.

tremors

DewieCox wrote:

The perfect 6th album, imo. The rest of their album were trimmed back, but this has the kitchen sink and everything is still fantastic.

Don't see what's innovative about Custard Pie, but Kashmir, In the Light, Ten Years Gone, The FUCKIN Rover!!!!!....

Custard Pie, maybe not innovative - but certainly 'different'. I remember when I first heard it I thought 'this is fucking weird!!' - I think it's the beat and the bassline - it still seems quirky to me. Actually when I first heard tremor christ I thought it had a physical graffitti type sound to it, in the same way... Custard Pie also has some of Robert Plant's smuttiest lyrics imho (and there are a lot to choose from!)

"This vinyl is gettin some love, soon."

Yes I had it playing earlier on the old vinyl - hence the post I guess. Some of the sounds coming off those guitars are enough to make you run out and celebrate or something! Long live rock n roll

keeponrockin

'Ten Years Gone' is one of my favourite songs ever.

tremors

keeponrockin wrote:

'Ten Years Gone' is one of my favourite songs ever.

Indeed! the 'Did you ever really need somebody' lines - if they don't send shivers up and down your spine, you are probably dead

Of The Aggie

Don't have the vinyl of this one...CD only

Disc 1, awesome and gets played quite frequently
Disc 2, not so much

In fact I might have to queue up disc 1 on my iPod as I sit here at work.

DewieCox

Of The Aggie wrote:

In fact I might have to queue up disc 1 on my iPod as I sit here at work.

You should cue up disc 2 instead and give it a good listen.

Newch91

Saw a couple extra copies of this at my record store. Might have to go pick one up before they're gone.

keeponrockin

tremors wrote:

keeponrockin wrote:

'Ten Years Gone' is one of my favourite songs ever.

Indeed! the 'Did you ever really need somebody' lines - if they don't send shivers up and down your spine, you are probably dead

I LOVE the version with the Black Crowes as well.

DewieCox

keeponrockin wrote:

tremors wrote:

keeponrockin wrote:

'Ten Years Gone' is one of my favourite songs ever.

Indeed! the 'Did you ever really need somebody' lines - if they don't send shivers up and down your spine, you are probably dead

I LOVE the version with the Black Crowes as well.

meh...It's ok b/c it's such a nasty version, but it coulda been so much more. Sick Again reigns supreme on that album though.

Save Me

This & Presence are my 2 favorite Zep albums. The musicality on this album is through the roof. I love every song and they're so diverse. Boogie With Stu, baby!

DiRtyFranK38

incredible album.
in the light, the rover, in my time of dying, ten years gone, wanton song .. nuff said

tremors

Save Me wrote:

The musicality on this album is through the roof.!

hehehe - yes it really is!!

Was listening to black country woman earlier and thinking - 'how the hell is it possible to make a song like this that fucking heavy? John Bonham's playing on this album is beyond superlatives - I can hardly think of better drumming. It is so good at times it makes me grin from ear to ear!

craigb

tremors wrote:

keeponrockin wrote:

'Ten Years Gone' is one of my favourite songs ever.

Indeed! the 'Did you ever really need somebody' lines - if they don't send shivers up and down your spine, you are probably dead

"Ten Years Gone" is my absolute favorite song in history. I'm glad to see it getting some love.

Kloddz

Definitely one of my favorite Zep albums! And you got me to listen to it right now.

Get_Right

One of the best hard rock records of all time.
Page on the rover=Id like to see them put THAT on those silly guitar games

tybird

keeponrockin wrote:

'Ten Years Gone' is one of my favourite songs ever.

Yup.....I give big props to "Night Flight", "In the Light" and "Down by the Seaside" too. This album merits much acclaim in my book. :ugeek:

Edved82

Get_Right wrote:

One of the best hard rock records of all time.
Page on the rover=Id like to see them put THAT on those silly guitar games

That riff is the dirtiest, filthiest, most awesome guitar riff i have ever heard. Physical Graffiti showcases Led Zeppelin for what they were, I think, the heaviest yet most diverse rock band of all time. Presence and ITTOD are also great, and extremely underrated.

Get_Right

Edved82 wrote:

Get_Right wrote:

One of the best hard rock records of all time.
Page on the rover=Id like to see them put THAT on those silly guitar games

That riff is the dirtiest, filthiest, most awesome guitar riff i have ever heard. Physical Graffiti showcases Led Zeppelin for what they were, I think, the heaviest yet most diverse rock band of all time. Presence and ITTOD are also great, and extremely underrated.

totally agree

although, Led Zep II is what got me hooked-and that record is my number one rock record of all time
what is and what should never be
well the wind wont blow....................
the tracks on that record rival anything done by any rock band-including the beatles

by far the best hard rock band of all time IMHO

StevieG

Without a doubt, one of the greatest albums of all time. I can listen to it from start to finish over and over again!!!

DewieCox

Roger Glover said, and I'm paraphrasing here, "Heavy wasn't music style, it was an attitude" That is PG in a nutshell to me.

tremors

DewieCox wrote:

Roger Glover said, and I'm paraphrasing here, "Heavy wasn't music style, it was an attitude" That is PG in a nutshell to me.

Yeah, I had some C60 tapes of a 4hr led zep radio special, and it had an interview with Page where he was saying 'Heavy metal? we're just folk musicians really - it's only the instruments that have changed - you don't need an electric guitar to be heavy - 'Babe I'm gonna leave you' is one of the heaviest songs we wrote'

Agree about the Rover being superb- 4 amazing players, playing beyond belief, all working perfectly together, and the sum being so much greater than the parts. Goes for the whole album really

cutz

Not only my favorite LZ album, but one of my AL-TIME favorites, by ANY band. I got this album in the late 70's, and i STILL play a mean air guitar to The Rover>

Newch91

That solo on Ten Years Gone!!!! Gives me chills everytime!! A sad solo that accompanies the song very well. Thank you Jimmy Page.

Tangerine

keeponrockin wrote:

'Ten Years Gone' is one of my favourite songs ever.

Me too.

tremors

Tangerine wrote:

keeponrockin wrote:

'Ten Years Gone' is one of my favourite songs ever.

Me too.

Second only to 'Tangerine'!