7/5/2023 0 Comments Physical graffitiAnd there are a pair of tracks rooted in metaphor that put the earlier referenced “The Lemon Song” to shame, musically and lyrically.įirst is the opening track of Physical Graffiti, “Custard Pie”. Instead, Plant’s squealing admonitions that he “don’t want no tutti-frutti, no lollipop, come on baby just rock” make it one of the highlights of the LP’s final side. In the hands of a lesser singer, “Boogie with Stu” would be a forgettable Ritchie Valens-indebted, boogeyin’ jam session. The swaggering glam blues of “Sick Again” is about some groupies the guys, ahem, knew from Los Angeles. In fact, if there’s one lyrical thread that runs through Physical Graffiti, it’s just how libidinous Plant was between the years 19 and the truly awesome and awesomely unsubtle lengths he was willing to go to ascribe words to it. Page uncorks one of his most torrid riffs, the rhythm section hits you in the gut, and Robert Plant’s screaming vocals are godlike. Then there’s “The Wanton Song”, a blistering four minutes of Zeppelin firing on all cylinders. “The Rover” is anchored by one of Jimmy Page’s crunchiest guitar grooves and a pummeling beat from John Bonham. You’ve got the relatively straightforward rockers that first brought Zeppelin to prominence. Over the course of 15 tracks, the band showcase the full range of their capabilities, interests, and ambitions. But when you’re Led Zeppelin, an act that had already spent half a decade cohesively weaving together strands of hard rock, blues, country-folk, and funk into your sound, a double album is an ideal outlet to cut loose.Īnd that’s what makes Physical Graffiti so special, so quintessentially Zeppelin. But in recording one, an artist runs the risk of their ego inspiring boredom and diminishing what could have been a great single LP by tacking on a bunch of filler. It lends itself to stylistic detours and sonic experimentation. A double album, by its very nature, is exactly that. At its best, the group went for grand, sprawling artistic statements, sometimes to the point of excess. My (100 percent correct) answer: Physical Graffiti, the double LP that celebrates its 45 th anniversary today. Sure, you could play it safe, pick Led Zeppelin IV and feel confident in your decision. You also get the folkie side with “Going to California”, two more brilliant Lord of the Rings homages in “Battle of Evermore” and the trippy “Misty Mountain Hop”, plus it closes out with the swaggering blues metal of “When the Levee Breaks”. Has all the staples of classic rock radio, like “Black Dog”, “Rock and Roll”, and “Stairway to Heaven”. The safest, and arguably the most popular, choice.
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