"Physical Graffiti" - Led Zeppelin

In many ways, "Physical Graffiti" is the ultimate Led Zeppelin album. It has the winsome Folk ("Black Country Woman"), the heavy, heavy Rock ("Custard Pie"), the world music experimentation ("Kashmir") and much more. The album is a long one, originally released as a double LP and clocking in past 80 minutes, too much to fit on just one CD (though when I bought the album in the mid-90s, it did fit on one cassette!). This might sound like it screams "70s excessive album length", but really there are no weak tracks here - the album is consistently great throughout. Unfortunately this would be it for great Led Zeppelin albums, as their last two studio albums which proceeded this are not terribly strong or consistent.

As with any Led Zeppelin album, there will be some Blues reworks/covers/ripoffs. On this album, we have the 11 minute plus "In My Time Of Dying," which was originally a Gospel song called "Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed" and was recorded by Blind Willie Johnson among others. The fourth track, the swinging "Houses Of The Holy" oddly has the same title as there preceding album from 1973 (more cassette info - I managed to melt my parents copy of "Houses Of The Holy" on a hot dashboard. True story). The band is clearly having a ball on this album, you can hear their banter at the end (and start) of a number of songs, such as the previously mentioned "In My Time Of Dying," as well as "Black Country Woman".

It is certainly one of Led Zeppelin's most well known albums; the cover is a famous one and the track"Kashmir" has been much sampled (Godzilla soundtrack anyone?) and much heard. It probably would make a good starting point for anyone who is not yet familiar with Led Zeppelin (really?), though the same could be said for Led Zeppelin I and Led Zeppelin IV. So, get it and listen to it!

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