Just finished a few months travelling and suddenly I have a need to write again, I hope you all enjo...
Just finished a few months travelling and suddenly I have a need to write again, I hope you all enjoy
Member since:14.01.2002
Reviews:63
Members who trust:20
A double album of complete and utter bona fide quality. This is arguably Zeppelins finest piece of studio work; only Led zeppelin II comes close really. It has an abstract quality, but yet has the simplest riffs and words. This is a fine blend of the bands various talents; it truly is their version of Frankenstein’s monster, an assortment of good parts used to create a perfect lasting imprint on music history. Few of the songs let down the album, which is blessed with one of zeppelins finest pieces 'Kashmir'. Can you get better than this... well yes in the form of the who's, 'who's next' but this truly was a masterpiece, as is physical graffiti, just to a partially lower extent. If you want a led zeppelin album to kick-start your collection, start with the best.
This album is one of those rare albums that encapsulates everything a musician is attempting to convey. The album has every type of music that Zeppelin had the ability to play, from the softest blues melodies to the heaviest hard rocking riffs. Here is Led Zeppelin coming back from some less memorable albums to remind everyone what they are really about.
Songs Disc1
Custard Pie This has one of the most bizarre rhythms and beats that Led Zeppelin have ever mustered. It is extremely (for want of a better word) ‘groovy’ and 1970’s I can’t help but love it. It of course contains some excellent hard rock riffs by the maestro Jimmy Page, and of course some completely undistinguishable words and lyrics by monsieur Plant. An entertaining start to the album.
The Rover This song also has that same 70’s beat introduced John Bonham’s hefty introduction, and backed up by some of the best guitar riffs on the
album. The words are once again pretty irrelevant, mainly because they are so obscure and undistinguishable. A really great rock song, with rhythm and riffs.
In my time of dying A darkly humoured song that begins slowly and progresses into a fully-fledged Zeppelin rock song including of course superb musicianship and rather obscure squawky singing. Don’t get me wrong though I love Robert Plants singing it does add a certain defined characteristic, essential for all great groups. The song itself is long and winding its tempo keeps on increasing, the beat gets louder as do the guitars, a superb addition to the album.
Houses of the Holy This song shares the title of the previous Led Zeppelin offering, it is as with most of the songs on side 1 a very upbeat song, with a very 1970’s rock theme. This song helps to really define this album as a 70’s hard rock masterpiece. Lyrics once again favour the obscure and delve into some very odd drug related insinuations. A fine rock song that keeps that psychedelic groove going strong.
Trampled under foot When Led Zeppelin try and create a love song you know its going to be a little different well here they have. This song has one of the best beats of the whole album; it has a certain black American funk to it, a side that I have rarely seen to Zeppelins talents. A thoroughly enjoyable piece of musical wizardry. Kashmir One of Led Zeppelins most memorable masterpieces, Kashmir is a rock classic. The song has a very distinct stringed instrument accompaniment and it even includes some intelligible lyrics. Like a lot of classic Led Zeppelin music, and like a lot of the things on this album, the song builds up from slow beginnings into a fully-fledged rock song. The actual song and it’s moody lyrics are quite obscure and haunting, but they blend to create a wonderful masterpiece worthy of any classic rock act.
Disk 2 In the light An extremely bizarre song, which delves into the deep depths of the bands psyche. Not so much of a song like the first disks offerings, it begins with the most obscure and inaccessible introduction. You finally break through this obscure squeaking noise and echoed orgasmic nonsensical lyrics into a more distinct Zeppelin rock song. But then as soon as the normality back comes that rather unintelligible introduction, it makes way for more conventional rock again. An extremely bizarre offering, entertaining and thought provoking, but still thoroughly frustrating to get through. So many styles have intertwined there are sounds that could have come from the Beatles, strange searing high pitched notes and good old fashioned rock music.
Bron-Yr-Aur A very simple, but yet extremely successful acoustic guitar solo, presumably by Jimmy Page. Very melodious and relaxing, it is the kind of tune you would expect to find on a programme about art. It is simplicity itself, but a thoroughly entertaining and involving piece.
Down by The Sea side There is quality there undoubtedly but this is just a little too slow and downbeat for my liking. I am always weary of Led Zeppelin songs that rely on singing to carry the song. The song does eventually pick up into a heavy blues song, a common characteristic of Zeppelin, but I prefer the good old heavy rock any day. Not the greatest song on this album by far, well at least not in my opinion anyway.
Ten years gone This is another slower offering, possibly a more reflective and thought provoking piece, but really this is a winding down type of song. I would perhaps put this on at the end of party or a very hard night to wind everything down. It becomes quite an uplifting and self-satisfying piece towards the middle, in a brief foray back into the realms of all out rock music.
Night Flight Back to the up-beat Led Zeppelin, there is also a return to the more obscure side of the band. A very psychedelic ‘tripped out’ song, which combines rather odd lyrics with the music to match. Crazy.
The Wanton song Here we go back to the ‘groovy’ 1970’s rock Led Zeppelin as seen on side one. A slightly less successful and enjoyable foray into this department, but by anyone else’s standards it is still a very enjoyable and entertaining song.
Boogie with Stu I really can’t understand where the inspiration for this one came from. As the title suggests it is on the extreme side of odd. There is a very unsettling distance about the lyrics and a style of musicianship I have rarely heard. This is a real obscurity some days it can be entertaining and sometimes it is just too much of a complicated mess to unravel.
Black country woman Going back to their routes with this one, it seems a very personal song especially with the general chitchat between band members prior to the songs beginning. This is quite a simple song, which grows to encompass the usual range of instruments and sounds. A more enjoyable vocally based song than many previous offerings.
Sick again The music is back to its best for this conclusion to the song. However what is going on with Robert Plants vocals? He has got to be either drunk or stoned, everything that he says is just completely nonsensical. This song does encapsulate a lot of the moods that have been portrayed on this album; it has the rock, the slow build up and the overall obscurity that makes Led Zeppelin so good.
Conclusion
This album is a real rockers collector’s item; it is an absolute gem from the vaults of Led Zeppelins history. The fact that it is necessary to have two albums to contain the amount of material created, and further more that this is all of the highest standard and quality is truly a testament to the quality of this great British band. In retrospect it would have been a really great place to finish their career, before going on to create all that mess with albums such as Coda.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that Led Zeppelin are the greatest rock band this world has ever seen. No other band could have survived the traumas and the addictions, but still continually come back and create music of the highest standard. This album epitomises what Led Zeppelin were about through my personal perceptions, it also represented the pinnacle in their career, a position they would never really be able to sustain. The greatest album by the greatest commercial rock band ever this is physical graffiti.
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Good opinion. I'm a Led Zeppelin maniac since discovering this particular album amongst my dads record collection. Thought you should have mentioned the excellently designed cover. Light years ahead . . . .
incubus 29.01.2002 23:22
You have one hell of a artist here as Wanton Song is truly a masterpiece. The coolest of cool guys, with no mistake.
Wayne10ch 29.01.2002 14:15
Crikey you are going to be one very fast blue! Well done. Regards >> Wayne
This 1975 release came smack in the middle of a long and nearly mythic career.Physical ... more
Graffitiis the last great Led Zeppelin title, recorded before the influences of the day (synthesizers, disco) ended Zeppelin's reign as the kings of loud and sexy bl...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
This 1975 release came smack in the middle of a long and nearly mythic career. Physical ... more
Graffiti is the last great Led Zeppelin title, recorded before the influences of the day (synthesizers, disco) ended Zeppelin's reign as the kings of loud and sexy ...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
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