PHYSICAL GRAFFITI

More than the Kashmir album, in fact.

And here we are. This is my fifth entry in the catalog of Led Zeppelin, and this time they are already one of my favorite bands for a long time. Seeing the ratings here, he is the second best rated behind the band IV, but there is so much controversy surrounding it, especially with many questioning the real need for this to have been a double album - especially the D side, which is considered much weaker than the other. This is something that I'll talk later, but first let's deal with the context in which Physical Graffiti was released .

In 1975 Led Zeppelin was probably the greatest band in the universe. They were on top of the world, and the bands that arose wanted to be like them. Remember that the NWOBHM had not yet arisen, and prog was about to face the menace of punk. At this point Page, Plant, Bonham and Jones had already consolidated their careers, then came up with his most ambitious project: a double album where almost half of the songs had been planned (but not placed) on the previous albums.

The result? Another masterpiece. But the question I want to put out is that Physical Graffiti gathers everything the band has done so far - and with "everything", I mean all the sounds that had already been tried by the quartet. Here are the blues rock, psychedelic music, hard rock and metal raw, pompous progressive rock and even different elements such as oriental music and boogie-woogie. Not to mention its iconic case full of mysterious elements.

Maybe in the end is the fact that so distinguished a release from the band that has made me love this album . I mean, all the members are great as usual ( despite feeling that Plant 's voice seems more tired than on previous albums ) , but if I could choose two prominent figures would surely Jones and Bonham . Bonzo is a god of drums, it can not be denied , and for me he was always a man ahead of his time, both in terms of style, technique and methods of recording your instrument. I love the things he does on songs like In My Time of Dying ( in the middle section , where it doubles the speed compass on cymbal ) and Houses of the Holy , where we can hear a cowbell - beyond the anthology issue of The Rover (a song that I first met in the version of Dream Theater before hearing the original). And Jones... as a bassist he is truly phenomenal ( how its bass contrast with the guitar Page in In My Time of Dying is one of the great things that album ) , but for me it's like multi - instrumentalist he highlights . Just see how there is a strong use of clavinet on some songs like Custard Pie and Trample Under Foot , enriching the band's music .

But the thing that surprised me most was to see me postivamente here as there are plenty of songs that stand out far beyond Kashmir always cited . I am not denying the epicidade this song, but the question is ... Physical Graffiti is not limited to it alone ! Since opening Custard Pie , with killer riffs of Page blending the clavinet and bass Jones , I knew this was going to be a new experience . This is a song along the lines of the band , including up wah-wah solo and harmonica Plant. The Rover is another highlight , especially the melody of the chorus , absolutely unforgettable. So once we got the "pièce de résistance" of this album, the epic In My Time of Dying , the longest song the band has ever recorded - and like the other two above 10 minutes ( Achilles Last Stand and Carouselambra ) , is one of their best . It is interesting to see how their longer songs escape the usual prog "standards" . In My Time ... for example , is heavily planted in the blues rock , the plaintive vocals accompanied by slide guitar Plant Page, the contrasting Jones' bass and Bonham initially restrained drums . When this song explodes... wow . It is one of the best things I've ever heard of these guys , seriously. I feel a chill down my spine when the guitar tone of Page changes on your killer solo. After 7 minutes the music back to its initial theme , and at 8 we are presented with the following lyrics: "Oh my Jesus, oh my Jesus...", and the song explodes again, heading for his extended final ( Plant is having an orgasm here? haha ) . The song ends in a relaxed way , with the voice of Plant disappearing in the words "Oh, do not you make it my dying, dying, dying..." to reveal Bonham Robert coughing and then completing the last sentence: "cough". An epic classic.

Side B opens with Houses of the Holy, a direct and accessible metal. Funny that this song was rejected for the album which was intended - one that takes its title (a situation similar to the song Sheer Heart Attack by Queen, which is on the album News of the World). Trampled Under Foot is the weakest song on this first album, although containing a remarkable solo clavinet Jones. And Kashmir... what to say beyond what has already been said thousands and thousands of times? The classic opening, with powerful instrumentation strings accompanying the band in weight, creating this unique atmospheric and mystique that accompanies the rest of the song. A classic that speaks for itself.

Ok , everything is going well... but I have to say, C side of the album is actually my favorite . In my view it is completely flawless, with three of its four songs remain among my favorites of the whole discography of the band. It opens with the mystical introduction of In The Light , the band probably proggiest here (I thought that there was a synthesizer being used here, but is actually Page playing guitar with violin bow ). This song is quite slow , the vocals of Plant contributing even more to the mystical atmosphere of the song, while Jones performs a synthesizer. The structure will repeat it yet again, although in the end the extended solo Page is accompanied by the letters " In the light, everybody needs the light ." Bron - Yr- Aur is an acoustic piece beautifully performed by Page, who reminds me a lot Black Mountain Side 's first album (although without the tabla drum ). Down By the Seaside became a personal favorite of mine. I have this habit of loving the understated ... had never heard this song until you hear the album, and yet it was love at first sight. . The guitar effects used by Page are among some of my favorite moments of this guy, and for some reason always associate this song to something that the Queen could do (must be because of Seaside Rendezvous). It's an admittedly soft rock music, and we could tell that there is a ballad on this album, it would be her. Ten Years Gone was the second song of this album that I met after Kashmir, and since then I have been quite fond of it. Again Page is the star here, appropriating the electric sitar in the main parts of the song, while the lyrics about a relationship that Plant had. Even having heard other pearls of this album, this song is still signed as one of my favorites of all time.

And here we come... in the cause of discord. It is true that D side does not equal to others , and is in fact the weakest here - but not nearly the tragedy painting. Okay , I could live without Night Flight and Black Country Woman, which in my opinion are the weakest on the disc, but the rest I like (although admits Boogie With Stu is a guilty pleasure ). But The Wanton Song and Sick Again are some of the strongest records here, deliciously heavy songs showing the band in their full powers. The issue is not the songs that make up the D side - that is, in my view, it really sounds anticlimactic after everything we hear. I think if he had been traded to the B side things would have been better - agree, Kashmir would have been an even better closure to the album than Sick Again.

In the end, putting everything in balance, but this album is a masterpiece , but even with songs that have become some of my favorite of the group, not seen as superior to IV and Houses of the Holy. 4.5 stars, rounded up.

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