The Cavern
Rock & Words
PHYSICAL GRAFFITI (Led Zeppelin, 1975)
Artist: Led Zeppelin (B+)
Recording Dates: Mar ’71 – Feb ‘74
Release Date: February 24th, 1975. UK
Record Label: Swan Song
Producer: Jimmy Page
Rating: 9.5
Era: Hard Rock (1968-???)
Subgenre: Hard Rock
Best Song: Kashmir, or The Rover
Tracklist: 1) Custard Pie; 2) The Rover; 3) In My Time Of Dying; 4) Houses Of The Holy; 5) Trampled Under Foot; 6) Kashmir; 7) In The Light; 8) Bron-Y-Aur; 9) Down By The Seaside; 10) Ten Years Gone; 11) Night Flight; 12) The Wanton Song; 13) Boogie With Stu; 14) Black Country Woman; 15) Sick Again.
Once again, the complications of double albums arise. This album has received VERY mixed reviews. Most critics tear it apart, while most Zepsters consider it one of the band's best, if not the best.
Once again, I must fall into the cliché of saying that both sides have their merits. To begin with, as I mentioned, double albums are generally works that catch a band at a creative peak, when they have more than enough material for a single album and feel capable and confident enough to fill four sides with good stuff. Often, the band is riding high and ends up producing something very pompous and convoluted, overly pretentious, sometimes conceptual, and which invariably ends up having filler. With very few exceptions, double albums are rarely true works of art. This includes, for example, the Beatles' White Album , which, while still a fantastic album , I don't know anyone who prefers to Revolver or Abbey Road, since it also has its share of filler.
That also applies to the Physical Graffiti , which isn't immune to having some leftover tracks, or songs that fall short of the standard the band had previously maintained. That's not the only problem; most of the good songs are excessively long, giving the impression that, lacking enough material to fill the four sides, they stretched them out as much as possible, completely unnecessarily. Thus, we have seven songs that exceed five minutes, and even though they might have colossal riffs like "Kashmir" or "In My Time of Dying ," their length can make them somewhat suffocating. Yes, I know it's not the first time they've released songs longer than five minutes, but somehow it seems like their arsenal is running dry. As much as I love the atmosphere of "Kashmir," and it still seems to me to be the best track on this album, there's no truly creative use of resources here, like in the middle section of " Whole Lotta Love," for example. And simply repeating a good riff ad infinitum doesn't seem to be enough this time.
When George Starostin mentions that Led Zeppelin sounds like a generic band here, I think this is what he means. The band isn't finished; instrumentally, they're perhaps at their peak. They're still capable of spectacular things, incendiary riffs. This is perhaps Bonzo's best album. Jonesy is increasingly focused on keyboards, and the only one whose performance is clearly declining is Plant. In that respect, the fans are absolutely right about the album's greatness. Some songs are downright spectacular before becoming repetitive. And because of its length, it's one of the band's most varied albums, but with the virtue of not experimenting with reggae as they did on the previous record (not that I have anything against D'yer M'aker). Since many tracks are outtakes from previous album sessions, some dating back to 1971, it presents the band at different points in their careers, but somehow the album feels cohesive, with all the songs forming a whole, raw and powerful, sometimes featuring Jones' keyboard textures, but overall it doesn't sound like an album recorded haphazardly over four years. But they seem to have lost the element of surprise, that fresh, creative spark of their early albums. And don't get me wrong. Here we have a devastating catalog of riffs, some of the wildest and most powerful. But as I said, that seems to be all there is to it: good riffs that are repeated, unnecessarily drawn out, and become studio jams . It's not that there aren't any solos, but they aren't particularly memorable.
And filler. On five previous albums, we only had two songs in blue. Here we have at least four! And that can't be good. Perhaps that's why people consider it the turning point for Led Zeppelin. I think both fans and critics of the album agree on that, regardless of whether they consider it better or worse than Houses of the Holy or Physical Education. Graffiti is universally considered the point after which their creative decline began, culminating in a crash and burn. The difference is that , for some, this album already shows signs of exhaustion and a lack of creativity. For others, myself included, it's the band's last great work. Strictly speaking, stripping away the superficial layers and ostentation—that is, without the flashy riffs—one would have to agree with their detractors. But I like to see the glass half full, and Bonzo's riffs and drumming seem good enough to salvage the album and even forgive them for stretching it out to an absurd length when they didn't have enough material to fill it.
The recording sessions were tumultuous. After the 1973 world tour, considered by many to be the band's best and perhaps the best ever, the group was exhausted and worn out. This was particularly true of John Paul Jones, who had never been involved in the party scene and groupie culture of the other three, who single-handedly left a trail of destruction in every city they landed in. After the tour ended, the band decided to go straight into the studio to record their next album in November . The problem was that Jones was so exhausted after the '73 tour that they hadn't even started the sessions at Headly Grange when he announced to the others that he was leaving the band, because he was planning to accept a position as choirmaster at Winchester Cathedral, which would give him more time to be near his family and lead a quieter life. The sessions were suspended, and Peter Grant, the band's astute manager , had long talks with Jones until he convinced him to simply take a few months' break to recharge. So, they returned to the studio in February of '74, with John Paul in a more energized mood, and the others willing to give him more creative responsibility, particularly on the keyboards. During these sessions, they recorded eight of the album's core tracks, most of which are the longest and most elaborate songs on the record. But just as in previous sessions, they also recorded takes they hadn't planned to include, studio jams , and other recordings . They suddenly realized they had 60 minutes of material, which exceeded the conventional 40-minute limit for a vinyl record. Not wanting to discard a single song, they decided it was a good time to repurpose some of those jams and outtakes from previous albums to complete the double album.
For example, “Bron- Yr - Aur ” was recorded in 1970, during the same sessions as “Bron-Y- Aur Stomp,” with which it is often confused. “Night Flight” was rejected for being considered too weak for Led Zeppelin IV, and “ Boogie With Stu” was a jam session during those same sessions, where they were playing with Ian Stewart, “The Sixth Rolling Stone,” on piano. “Black Country Woman” was another minor track rejected for Houses of the Holy, recorded in 1972 during the same session as “ D'yer M'aker.” And the song “ Houses of the Holy” itself ended up being cut from the album of the same name, in one of the most curious cases in history. They took all these minor tracks and strung them together to fill the 82 minutes of the album. During 1974, they finished polishing the details, mixed it in October , and the album was released in February 1975.
As I was saying, it's a very varied album without being as experimental as its predecessor. And since it includes recordings from different periods, it's a kind of summary of all the band's styles, while they're still at their peak. So we have explosive hard rock with incendiary riffs, like "The Rover" or "Custard Pie"; there's a very well-constructed pop song with " Houses of the Holy"; and a funk rocker with " Trampled. " " Underfoot "; a jam that ended up being " Boogie With Stu"; "Black Country Woman," which is an acoustic country song; "Kashmir," which has a strong Eastern influence; there are love ballads like "Ten Years Gone"; a good blues track with "In My Time of Dying ," which is also a kind of enhanced "Moby Dick" showcasing Bonzo's vocals; and even instrumentals like "Bron- Yr - Aur ." We certainly can't complain about the variety! And the best part is that they don't stray from the Led Zeppelin sound; everything sounds cohesive and as if they recorded it all in the same week. Page himself would say that this is his favorite album, as it captured them at their creative peak and perfectly encapsulates the entire Zeppelin sound. Furthermore, according to him, "Kashmir" is the best song they ever recorded.
The album opens with “Custard Pie”, a furious rocker with some funk touches, continuing their tradition of opening albums with incendiary songs. The riff is good, weaving together the guitars and bass, which manages to create an even more complex riff with a crunchy sound that steals the show and features off -beats that are undeniably danceable. At 1:40, we get a ferocious solo from Page with the wah pedal and distortion cranked up (processed through an ARP synthesizer), with hints of almost metal, although after the power metal sections The chords return to the blues influence combined with a good riff. The problem is that Plant is already starting to sound excessive, and he struggles with the high notes he used to reach effortlessly. This is partly understandable. Robert sacrificed his voice between 1969 and 1972 during world tours, reaching impossible notes. Afterward, his voice began to decline, and to compensate, he filled the gaps with increasingly theatrical and exaggerated babbling. At 2:45, a harmonica enters that is somewhat reminiscent of " When The Levee Breaks ," rounding out the atmosphere during the long coda. Perhaps this is the song's problem. The last minute feels unnecessary, as the riff hardly changes throughout the entire song. "Custard Pie" is good; it makes a good first impression with its killer riff and fulfills its purpose as a good opener. But in the end, one is left with the impression that it falls far short of other legendary openers like “Good Times Bad Times,” “ Whole Lotta Love,” “ Immigrant Song,” and “Black Dog.” It's no wonder it never appears on compilations.
Next up is “The Rover”, which in my opinion is a strong contender for the best song on the album. Pure, tremendous, incendiary, overwhelming hard rock, with a dense intro built from power chords that even Townshend would envy, which then morph into a powerful, venomous, addictive riff. The guitar uses a phase effect. Shifter is key to achieving that spectacular sound. Bonzo sounds phenomenal, and the drums steal the show from the very beginning, pounding away at the drums like their lives depended on it. The bass is cohesive, picking out the tones in true Hard Rock style so as not to overpower the guitars. Incidentally, Jones added a guitar here in addition to Page's, which made it very difficult to play live. The way they combine and interweave the instruments to achieve the song's complex yet perfect structures is masterful. The backing vocals are exquisite, lowering the intensity and featuring the guitars playing a wonderful descending scale, followed by some flourishes before returning to the riff and verses. Even Robert sounds spectacular, and all his gear fits perfectly with the song's raw yet powerful tone. The solo at 3:15 is the best on the album, with an almost clean guitar and memorable guitar riffs unlike any other on the record. The song is colossal, overwhelming, with a majestic aura that always leaves me speechless. It was initially recorded in 1972 for the Houses of the Holy sessions, but that was an acoustic version. The song evolved and gained power until this final take. Dream Theater would later use it for a remarkable Zeppelin tribute medley on their 1995 album A Change of Seasons, without making too many changes to this gem of a song.
“In My Time of Dying” is a powerful Delta Blues with those exquisite slides The guitars , which begin almost minimalist, laden with echo as if in a cavern, then unleash a display of pedal effects, shifting voices and tones with each solo. The riff is also colossal, like a train gathering momentum before crushing everything in its path. Bonham once again steals the show, delivering one of his best studio performances, surpassing even "Moby Dick." The tempo changes work brilliantly, with pauses, bursts, and abrupt shifts, like the new riff at 3:45 that makes the song more aggressive and furious. Follow Bozo from here on; the double bass fills are simply spectacular, and the song itself serves as one enormous drum solo with a great display of tricks, but unlike "Moby Dick," he's driving the rhythm here, making it much more enjoyable and challenging. Around the 5-minute mark, the solo builds to a powerful climax, delivering a masterclass in blues. Plant sounds great in the first half, even engaging in one of those legendary guitar duels, but after the 5 or 6 minute mark, his guitar playing starts to sound excessive and his babbling begins to overwhelm the song. We almost forget about Jonesy, who also delivers a masterful bass performance, especially in the extended sections of the solo where the song remains in a single key, managing to create incredibly complex and wonderful lines that constitute a solo in themselves. The song is 11 minutes long, the longest Zeppelin ever recorded in the studio. Admittedly, it's excessive, and could easily be half that length, but the solos and the technical display of the three instruments make it well worth the wait. Personally, I prefer this kind of epic track to "Moby Dick" or " Toad ." And it's definitely THE drum track that should cement John Bonham's place as one of the greatest of all time. A fascinating instrumental display, certainly worth highlighting despite its excesses and the fact that it becomes overwhelmingly repetitive towards the end.
Then we have “Houses of the Holy”, which, incredibly, was left off their own album. Because of this, it's brighter and lighter, with more pop and funk influences , and a very lively, playful riff. The vocal line is also... It's incredibly catchy , and the band seems to be having a blast performing it. The bass line follows the guitar riff, giving it depth, and Robert doesn't sound bad at all this time, clearly enjoying himself as he plays with the melody. It's a good song, but that's about it—nothing spectacular or complicated. Even though I like it and enjoy it, I don't understand why it gets so much airplay and appears on compilations, unlike the vastly superior "The Rover." Besides , it fits much better on "their" album, which is lighter than this one. Even so, a bit of pop amidst all that hard rock power isn't unwelcome .
We continue with “Trampled Underfoot", a powerful, heavily funk-influenced song, was born in 1972 when the band was jamming with Robert Johnson's " Terraplane Blues." John Paul Jones steals the show with a colossal bass line that gives it tremendous depth and creates the song's danceable structure. At 2:05, Jones adds a clapper solo that highlights the song and maintains its playful yet dark spirit. At the end of this solo, Page also engages with some incredibly powerful slides , and the song explodes. There's a brief pause where only the keyboards and a heart-wrenching " Uuuuhhhh " from Plant remain before it returns with the powerful riff. This song boasts a tremendous variety of influences. Many criticized Zeppelin for straying towards their disco sound, but the truth is, it has a much stronger blues and funk influence. Jones himself would say that much of the sound owes more to Stevie Wonder's " Superstition ." In short, a very... rare, which may well be danceable, but which does not lose an iota of power and maintains a certain malevolence or darkness.
Next up is a killer track , the best on the album and one of the band's best. “Kashmir”, with its majesty, its oriental touches, its mid-tempo rhythm, and that iconic riff—a combination of ascending guitar and Jones's Mellotron —is, according to Jimmy Page, their best song. With Moroccan, Indian, and Arabic influences, the song is epic, monumental, with a riff that creates tension on its own, giving a dizzying feeling, always on the verge of exploding, despite its mid-tempo pace. The song took three years to develop, with Page beginning work on it in 1972 during the sessions for “Black Mountain Side ” and “White Summer,” which had Indian influences . They gradually built it up until they reached a final version for the Page sessions. Despite the ongoing debate about whether it features synthesizers or orchestras, what you hear in the ascending riff is a Mellotron , but the bridges include wind and brass sections added to highlight its elegance. Live, Jonesy would handle everything with the Mellotron and synthesizers. The song is gigantic, a colossal monster that knocks you to the ground from the very first notes. The drums have a phasing effect that gives it that apocalyptic, echo-filled feel, making us jump with every bass drum hit. The ascending riff is perhaps one of the simplest, most memorable, and most powerful in history. The descending fills in the bridges between verses contrast with the ascending scale of the vocal parts and serve as small climaxes or explosions of the tension generated by the riff itself. The bass line is simple, staying practically on the same note, but John Paul Jones's work on the keyboards is worth three orchestras. Then we have the verses, where they change the rhythm for the " Oooh , baby I've" section. been " flying ," where they again build a meticulous explosion. Then another bridge at 3:20, darker and more malevolent, where the incorporation of the orchestra becomes more evident as Plant sings " All I see " turns to Brown…". Anyway, the song stretches to 8:30, but it's wonderfully perfect, with a breathtaking, majestic atmosphere that takes us back to ancient times, and which still retains a certain mysticism and darkness. A gem. It's a shame that Page himself devalued that monstrous riff with Puff Daddy. There's a version for No Quarter from 1994, where the Eastern influences are more prominent. The drums are sorely missed, and the keyboards are replaced by an orchestra and Egyptian instrumentation. That's why I say John Paul Jones is worth more than three orchestras.
“In The Light” is still a good track, with a hypnotic intro, again reminiscent of Eastern sounds, created by Jimmy with a violin bow and an acoustic guitar with effects. After the majestic, cosmic-tinged intro , which lasts 1:45, the song finally explodes with a powerful riff featuring John Paul Jones' synthesizer arrangements. Then the vocals enter, rhythmic and in mid-range tones, while Page plays another dark and very powerful riff, finished with slides that sweep across his guitar. At 4:10, there's a pause, Jones plays a harpsichord arrangement, and the song loses all its malevolence; the tremendous effect it had created is ruined by more cheerful and luminous arrangements. After a while, the band returns to the beginning, with that sitar-like drone in the background, and they repeat the same tricks. The song is very good in itself , but this time they go too far by stretching it to 8:45 when it no longer had any reason to exist after the 4-minute mark.
From this point on, the album begins to gradually decline, reaching lamentable levels towards the end.Next up is “Bron-Y- Aur”, a two-minute acoustic instrumental piece, originally from the LZIII sessions and from the same period as “Bron-Y- Aur Stomp,” with which it is often confused. It’s nice, but that’s about it. It’s not particularly impressive like “Black Mountain Side .”
“Down By The Seaside” is a simple, light ballad with a very pop-oriented chorus. I find the song rather weak, with a forced vocal melody and uninspired guitar work. It has a certain charm, but it's not particularly memorable. Perhaps the best moment is the tempo change at 2:05, which gives it a more dynamic, rock-oriented feel, without ever quite exploding, but which substantially improves the song, before returning to the hippie ballad section . The song lasts a total of 5:15 , and this time I think the first two minutes are superfluous. If only the rock section had remained , it would have been spectacular. But it's not particularly offensive, just occasionally cloying.
Next up is “Ten Years Gone”, a superb ballad that begins acoustically, showcasing their high level of musicianship and excellent riffing . The song is deceptively simple, with a crystalline riff that is later augmented by distortion and a bass line during the lengthy intro . The vocals don't enter until after 1:10, delivered with heartfelt emotion and sounding sincere. After the first verse, the drums kick in, followed by a barrage of distorted guitars. The song is melodic, with variations, featuring a decent guitar solo at 2:30, after which there's another bridge with a tempo change at 3:20. The song continues to lengthen, but this time they manage to incorporate enough variations to create a memorable and well-constructed ballad, layering guitars and showcasing a vast array of riffs. Plant dedicated the lyrics to a girlfriend he had in 1965, and they speak of the moment he had to choose between staying with her or pursuing his music career, only to find her again 10 years later. Perhaps that's why it sounds so emotional. The song is good, although they could have easily cut a couple of minutes from it.
Now, from this point on, we could disregard what would be side 4 of the double album. “Night Flight” is generic rock, with a bland riff and an intro that sounds like something from a morning news program. Even Bonzo's beat sounds cheap and vulgar. Page again goes overboard, and the atmosphere they create is utterly forgettable.
“The Wanton Song” is equally lamentable. A riff that attempts at some power, but sounds just as bland as the previous one. They'd never done this before. Riffs that sound like an average, listless band, just throwing in songs to fill space. In fact, it's a blatant self-copy of “Custard Pie,” but without that song's positive impact. It also becomes far too repetitive; the riff is repeated ad nauseam with a horrible vocal melody, and the few changes they attempt in the bridges sound misplaced and like they belong to a different song. At least Bonzo sounds spectacular again here, and his drumming is one of the few redeeming qualities.
Then there's "Boogie With Stu", a jam session recorded with Ian Stewart, considered the sixth Stone. First of all, it 's another rip -off of Richie Valens' " Ooh , My Head." At least I think they actually credited him this time. But it's a jam session. I know it's lighthearted and just for fun, and shouldn't be taken too seriously... but this doesn't belong on an album. You jam with your friends, have fun, and that's it. You should actually make sure there's no recording equipment running. It's fine for hanging out with friends and relaxing between songs in the studio, but DON'T PUT JAM SESSIONS ON YOUR albums if you want to be taken seriously. It's insulting. Period.
“Black Country Woman” is a slight improvement. At least it's a bit more interesting with the tonal variations of that acoustic riff. The vocal melody is also curious and striking, and Plant's intonation, feigning tears, is quite comical. The song has a strong country influence, a genre they hadn't explored before. At 1:30, Bonham joins in solely with his pedal, keeping the rhythm, before finally coming into full swing at 2:10, along with the bass. It's more entertaining, but it sounds a bit out of place, and I'm sure that if it hadn't been there, no one would have missed it.
Finally, we have "Sick Again", which is another clear example of generic rock. Riffs that try to be powerful through layers and distortion, but they lack the spark of the early albums. It's obviously filler, not even like the good filler on Legends Zone II or III, but more like a song from any mediocre hard rock band of the time. Deceptive, fake, and impressionistic. And nothing makes me sick more than that. Plus, it's almost 5 minutes long! Every time I listen to it, it makes me feel exactly what the title suggests.
In short, this last side is a bad omen of what's to come. A band already creatively exhausted, further battered by the tragedies that would befall them. But the rest is of a very high standard. Explosive riffs, the musicians at the pinnacle of their technical ability, a masterclass in incendiary riffs that many bands would envy for their entire discography, and Bonzo at a brutal and apocalyptic level—perhaps their best album. The problem is that there are clearly excesses, and if they had previously made cuts, here too they should have kept a two-sided album, with 8 or 10 tracks (if they cut a couple of minutes of excess from some songs) that would have been THE best album of their careers, eliminating the existing controversy between albums I and IV. Can you imagine ? An album with only “Custard Pie,” “The Rover,” “In My Time Of Dying,” “Houses Of” The Holy”, “Trampled Underfoot”, “Kashmir” “In The Light” and “Ten Years Gone”???
In any case , it's a good album, not nearly as catastrophic as many of its detractors claim, and it can easily be enjoyed in one sitting despite its excesses. But it doesn't reach the level of gems like Led Zeppelin I, II, and IV. The last great Led Zeppelin album. And, upon reflection, perhaps the last great album of the original Hard Rock Era, which from then on would enter a period of decline.
By Corvan
Sep/16/2011
