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Physical Graffiti | 
| Artist: Led Zeppelin
Label: Warner
Category: Music
List Price: £16.99
Buy New: £11.98
You Save: £5.01 (29%)
New (56) Used (12) Collectible (1) from £5.65
Rating:  47 reviews
Sales Rank: 1102
Format: Original Recording Remastered
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 2
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 4.9 x 0.5
MPN: 075679244222
UPC: 075679244222
EAN: 0075679244222
ASIN: B000002JSN
Release Date: August 25, 1997
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Tracks:
| • | Houses of the holy | | • | Trampled underfoot | | • | Kashmir | | • | Custard pie | | • | Rover | | • | In my time of dying | | • | In the light | | • | Bron Y Aur stomp | | • | Down by the seaside | | • | Ten years gone | | • | Night flight | | • | Wanton song | | • | Boogie with Stu | | • | Black country woman | | • | Sick again |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
This 1975 release came smack in the middle of a long and nearly mythic career. Physical 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 blues-metal. Playfully experimenting with new sounds, the band blended Middle Eastern rhythms, folk-stylings, heavy blues, and deeply impassioned rock riffs into a two-disc set that sounded as if they were still enjoying their place in the rock pantheon. As sprawling and adventurous as this collection is, there are some tracks so tightly focused--so ultra-Zeppelinesque--that it's tempting to name this as a number one or number two must-have. "Trampled Underfoot" and "Custard Pie" alone are almost worth the double-disc price tag. --Lorry Fleming
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| Customer Reviews: Read 42 more reviews...
 Worth buying just for "In My Time Of Dying" alone.... June 13, 2008
my personal Zep favourite....and then you get the rest of this excellent double album for free, what a bargain!!! I bought the original vinyl on the day of release and even now, over 30 years on, I still pick it out of the rack (now on cd) anytime I require a blast of musical genius.
Serious contender for best double album ever April 25, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
When Led Zeppelin went into the studio to record Physical Graffiti in early 1974 there was no intention to record a double album. The band eventually produced eight songs from the sessions at Headley Grange but somewhere along the line the band decided to include songs from previous album sessions and re-record them. Songs were taken from the sessions for Led Zeppelin 3 & 4 and from "Houses Of The Holy" -including the title track which was, rather oddly, never included on that album .
Now the greatest double album ever debate is , of course , entirely subjective. I would hurl The Beatles "White Album", XTC,s "English Settlement" , Husker Du,s "Warehouse Songs And Stories" , Frank Zappa,s "You Are What You Is", The Swans "White Light From The Mouth Of Infinity", The Tindersticks second album and Isaac Hayes "Black Moses" into the debate . Yet what could not be argued about what so ever is that Physical Graffiti is a serious contender. It is one of the truly great rock albums, double or otherwise.
It seems incredible listening to this album that songs on here were deemed superfluous to requirements for other albums. "Bron -Yr-Aur" the instrumental originally slated for Led Zeppelin III is a terrific little track, and i am usually scathing about instrumental tracks on albums as they are usually lazy filler material. "Night Flight" , "Boogie With Stu" and the gorgeous lilting "Down By The Seaside" were originally recorded for Led Zep 4 while "The Rover" , "Black Country Woman" along with the subsequently discarded rollicking title track were for "Houses Of The Holy".
Of the eight new tracks surely everyone has heard the magnificent "Kashmir" with it,s distinctive dramatic eastern flavoured strings. Side two of the old double vinyl version must be a contender for one of the best sides of a rock album ever. "Trampled Under Foot" has a truly riotous riff as has the opening track the almost rabid "Custard Pie" complete with almost hysterical Plant vocal. There is also the moody epic "In My Time Of Dying ", the only song on the album where the writing credits are given to all four band members apart that is from "Boogie With Stu" which is also credited to Ian Stewart who played piano on the track and Richie Valens because the track was heavily influenced by the late rockers "Oohh My Head".
Add in the gruff rock blues of "Sick Again" and and Ten Years Gone", the swelling rock chords of "The Rover" and the boogie woogie romp of "Black Country Woman" and you have a surprisingly diverse album. A message underlined by the spectral liquid tones of "In The Light" , arguably the most purely beautiful track they ever wrote.Rolling Stone wrote at the time that Physical Graffiti was the bands "bid for artistic respectability". Putting aside the fact that the band had undoubtedly already achieved that end long before the release of this album in 1975( It,s release was delayed by an illness to John Paul Jones) Physical Graffiti is a monumental achievement by a band at the height of their considerable powers. Robert Plant has stated that this is his favourite Led Zeppelin album. Who am i to argue with him.
A seminal release March 10, 2008
An album that catches Led Zeppelin at the peak of their creativity, there is a timelessness about Physical Graffiti that makes it as relevant today as it was in 1975. This relevance comes in the complexity of the arrangements, and in the breadth of song styles, and ultimately in the untrammelled joy the musicians capture. Bonham's drumming on In My Time Of Dying has a precision and feel unrivalled before or since, whilst Jimmy Page pulls the full range of tonality and texture from his guitar, from the sleazy riff of Sick Again to the lightness of touch of In The Light. And whilst Stairway To Heaven might be popularly recognised to be their crowning glory, the real majesty and mystery of Zeppelin is captured beautifully on Kashmir, where Plant in particular adds a lilting gravitas to the lyric which is achingly beautiful. Do not be fooled into thinking Led Zeppelin were merely a rock group or (heaven forbid) a heavy metal band - Physical Graffiti set a creative benchmark that still awaits serious competition. Buy immediately and enrich your life forever.
Rock Gods in Their Prime December 13, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
All the hoop-la surrounding the mothership of all reunions had me delving back into my vinyl collection try to recall the impact of the Zep behemoth on an impressionable teenager. Zep I and II set the template, Led Zep III took off in another direction to remind everyone that the band had too much imagination to be ghettoised under the label `heavy metal'. Zep IV then fused the hippie/folk/blues/metal elements into a rock masterclass that would render any attempt at emulation hopeless. Houses of the Holy followed up in the only way possible, by experimenting in new directions/arrangements.
So, by Physical Graffiti the band had scaled the heights and were already gazing down from the rock pantheon - where to go from there? This is where I came in. Of course I'd heard the Top of the Pops theme tune but back then, unless you had an older brother, it was quite possible to never hear or see Led Zeppelin - no singles meant no radio play (unless you knew about John Peel), videos hadn't been invented. So it was purely on seeing a strange but inspired film clip of some 1920s dancing girls flapping to some American singer (as I then thought) wailing away over the megariff of Trampled Under Foot (see YouTube) that prompted me to shell out on a double cassette without having heard of Led Zeppelin. Slapping it into my mono tapedeck, the sublime noise that was Custard Pie cast a spell that has lasted 30 years. The downside is - nothing is ever going to sound that good again. The combination of raw power and stunning musicianship was just irresistible. With twelve rock classics on one album this was the high water mark. Presence had a couple of tracks (Nobody's Fault and Achilles Last Stand) that would hold their own on a `best of', but never again would they be able to compete with a back catalogue that included Custard Pie, In My Time of Dying, Trampled Underfoot, Kashmir, Ten Years Gone. The range of Plant's vocals, Page's riffing, Bonham's murderous drumming and JPJ's bass/keyboard work on this album has no equal.
You'll never spend under a tenner more wisely.
The Best's Best November 16, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
In my opinion the high water mark for the greatest rock band. They were clearly at their peak when this was made, creatively bold and exciting.
This sprawling set starts with a straight up riffy rocker Houses of the Holy, title track on the wrong album.
Trampled underfoot is simlarly rocky but Percy comes on all Noddy Holder with his roughest vocal, a really stirring track.
Kashmir, Zeppelins most epic epic. Perennial poll topper on Tommy Vance's Friday Rock show (remember when BBC used to play rock). Whilst the motif is repetetive, it never feels like a repetetive song because it is one hell of a riff. Bonzo's thumping driving drum track as ever is relentless in its intemsity. Exotic, thumping, massive classic. Possibly their finest hour (or 9 minutes anyway), a true ensemble piece.
Custard pie stomps away in a similar fashion to Trampled Underfoot, great rocker.
The Rover is a hidden gem, as with all Zeppelins rock songs driven by great riffs and impossibly tight rhythms.
In My Time of Dying is an old Delta blues reworked, no one does blues rock like these boys. Overlong? I really don't think so. I love it right up to Percy's dying cough at the end. Ace.
In the Light's, multitracked opening vocal and reedy organ sounds otherworldly, but it opens out into a beautiful rock song.
Bron Y Aur Stomp is Jimmy Page showing his virtuosity in a terrific acoustic piece, a change down in gear from the monster riffs that cram this album.
Down by the seaside has a ethereal, trippy quality which belies a melodic beauty. Another of the Zep songs which builds.
Ten Years Gone is another lengthy blues rock work out, beautiful riff.
Night Flight is a return to more straight forward rock, more melodic than the Wanton Song which follows.
Boogie with Stu is a boogie woogie work out with erstwhile "6th Stone" Ian Stewart at the piano. Sounds like a great after hours sing song.
Black Country Woman continues the boogie woogie styling, nothing earth breaking but a good tune nonetheless.
Sick Again a big, blues rocker like no other closes the greatest of albums
This is not to everybodys taste but I never tire of it, in cd form I miss the original New York brownstone building package with the windows, although I have the Japanese replica, it is too small. The remaster is excellent, the original cd release was a little tinny. Everything about this album is epic, the riffs on here would fill most player careers.
Enjoy.
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