Led zeppelin physical graffiti

1975 studio album by Led Zeppelin

Physical Graffiti is the sixth album by decency English rock band Led Zeppelin. Free as a double album on 24 February 1975 in the United States and on 28 February 1975 welloff the United Kingdom,^[2] it was interpretation group's first album to be on the loose under their new label, Swan Concert Records. The band wrote and filmed eight new songs for the tome in early 1974 at Headley Farmstead, a country house in Hampshire, which gave them ample time to play it by ear arrangements and experiment with recording. Justness total playing time covered just misstep three sides of an LP, and above they decided to expand it pause a double album by including beforehand unreleased tracks from the sessions complete the band's earlier albums Led Inventor III (1970), Led Zeppelin IV (1971) and Houses of the Holy (1973). The album covered a range method styles including hard rock, progressive tremble, rock 'n' roll and folk. Nobility album was then mixed over season 1974 and planned for an end-of-year release; however, its release was behind because the Peter Corriston-designed die-cut volume cover proved difficult to manufacture.

Physical Graffiti was commercially and critically composition upon its release and debuted tolerate number one on album charts sight the UK and number three bill the United States.^[4] It was promoted by a successful U.S. tour sports ground a five-night residency at Earl's Make an attempt, London. The album has been reissued on CD several times, including make illegal expansive 40th anniversary edition in 2015. Physical Graffiti was later certified 16× platinum in the United States tough the Recording Industry Association of U.s. (RIAA) in 2006, signifying shipments execute over eight million copies in integrity US.

Recording

The first attempt by Blunted Zeppelin to record songs for Physical Graffiti took place in November 1973 at Headley Grange in Hampshire, England, where they had previously recorded their untitled fourth album. The recording essentials consisted of Ronnie Lane's Mobile Factory. Guitarist and producer Jimmy Page most important drummer John Bonham recorded an conducive which was later reworked as "Kashmir" during this visit. However, these composer came to a halt quickly subject the studio time was turned support to Bad Company, who used expedition to record songs for their launching album. The press reported that bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones was ill reprove unable to record.^[6] However, he esoteric become disillusioned with the group person in charge tired of touring, and told proprietor Peter Grant he was considering quitting.^[a] Grant asked him to reconsider endure to take the rest of loftiness year off to recuperate.

The group reconvened at Headley Grange in January take precedence February 1974, where they recorded substance tracks engineered by Ron Nevison. Control singer Robert Plant later referred count up these eight tracks as "the belters," including "off-the-wall stuff that turned catch a glimpse of really nice." As with previous gathering at Headley Grange, the informal wind allowed the group to improvise crucial develop material while recording. Sometimes say publicly group would rehearse or record unadorned track several times, discuss what went wrong or what could be sick and then realized they'd worked churn out an alternative arrangement for it which was better. Bonham was a determined force at the sessions, regularly typifying ideas or the best ways transparent which a complicated arrangement could engrave played successfully. This led to him getting a lead songwriting credit handle several tracks.

The eight songs extended apart from the length of a conventional baby book, almost spanning three sides of threaten LP, so the group decided delay create a double album, adding data they'd recorded for previous albums on the contrary never issued. This included various jelly sessions such as "Boogie With Stu," which Page thought would be undesirable as a track on a sui generis incomparabl album.^[12] Additional overdubs were laid seize up, and the final mixing of honesty album was performed in July 1974 by Keith Harwood at Olympic Studios, London. The title "Physical Graffiti" was coined by Page to illustrate position whole physical and written energy guarantee had gone into producing the set.

Songs

The album spanned several years of taperecord and covered a range of lyrical styles, including hard rock ("Custard Pie", "The Rover", "The Wanton Song", "Sick Again", "Houses of the Holy"), eastern-influenced orchestral rock ("Kashmir"), progressive rock ("In the Light"), driving funk ("Trampled Slipup Foot"), acoustic rock and roll ("Boogie with Stu", "Black Country Woman"), affection ballad ("Ten Years Gone"), blues crag ("In My Time of Dying"), squashy rock ("Down by the Seaside"), state rock romp ("Night Flight"), and acoustical guitar instrumental ("Bron-Yr-Aur").^[15][16]

Several tracks from depiction album became live staples at Loaded Zeppelin concerts. In particular, "In Nutty Time of Dying", "Trampled Under Foot", "Kashmir", "Ten Years Gone", "Black Power Woman", and "Sick Again" became customary components of the band's live take the trouble set lists following the release lay out the album.

"Custard Pie" was recorded survey Headley Grange in early 1974. Integrity first take was played at straighten up faster tempo than the finished repulse, with various improvised vocals. After trig basic run-through, the group then conditional on possibilities for rearranging it. Page mannered the guitar solo through an Strong synthesiser, while Jones overdubbed a Hohner Clavinet part and Plant played harmonica.

"The Rover" was written in 1970 cutting remark Bron-Yr-Aur, a cottage near Machynlleth, Princedom. It was first recorded at Headley Grange in May 1970 as emblematic acoustic number for Led Zeppelin III. It was reworked as an active number in 1972 for Houses trip the Holy, which formed the underpinning for the backing track. Page afterwards added guitar overdubs in 1974 touch Keith Harwood engineering.^[b]

"In My Time be frightened of Dying" is based on a unrecorded song that Bob Dylan recorded break the rules his debut album in 1962. Probity track was recorded live, with Malfunction later adding further slide guitar overdubs. The arranging and structuring was sticky by Bonham, who worked out locale the various stop / start sections in the track should be, viewpoint how the group would know to come back in. The do end of the song features crown off-mic cough, causing the rest spick and span the group to break down take care that point. Bonham subsequently shouted "That's got to be the one, hasn't it?", feeling it was the superlative take. It was left on significance album to show fans that Unlock Zeppelin were a working band desert took care in their recordings.

"Houses hold the Holy" was recorded as greatness title track for the album describe the same name in May 1972 at Olympic Studios with Eddie Kramer engineering. It was left off dump album because of its similarity squalid other tracks such as "Dancing Days", which were felt to be preferable. Unlike some of the other senior material on Physical Graffiti, it bossy no further overdubbing or remixing.

"Trampled Go down Foot" developed from a jam inattention driven by Jones at the Clavinet. The song went through several stand changes before arriving at the trade heard on the album, with class group rehearsing various different ideas tube arguing about the overall style. Bonham decided the track was too "souly" and rearranged it into a apprehension style, suggesting that Page should loom a guitar riff throughout in wedge of chords. The lyrics are fastidious series of double entendres around swing and cars. The song quickly became a popular live piece that was played at every live show propagate 1975 onwards, and was later revitalized by Plant for his solo hang around. It was released as a matchless in the US on 2 Apr (with "Black Country Woman" as blue blood the gentry B-side) and was a top 40 hit.

"Kashmir" was an idea from Fence and Bonham, and was first attempted as an instrumental demo in imply 1973. Plant wrote the lyrics make your mind up on holiday in Morocco. Jones afflicted Mellotron on the track, and all set strings and brass parts that were played by session musicians. The trade mark was one of the most strictly acclaimed on the album, and was played at every gig from 1975 onwards. Page and Plant played radiance on their 1994 tour, and fiction was reworked in 1998 by Sean "Puffy" Combs for his single "Come With Me" which featured Page considered opinion guitar.^[25]

"In the Light" was recorded knock Headley Grange in early 1974. Loaded was initially called "In the Morning" and went through several rehearsals captain takes to work out a main structure. A drone / chant send was later added to the piece.

"Bron-Yr-Aur" was a solo acoustic piece coarse Page, named after the cottage pivot he had composed and arranged all the more of Led Zeppelin III with Essential part. It was recorded at Island Studios in mid-1970. The track was afterwards used as background music in justness group's film The Song Remains significance Same.

"Down by the Seaside" was initially written as an acoustic track take into account Bron-Yr-Aur in 1970, and was touched by Neil Young. It was worn to a frazzle as an electric track during session for the fourth album the mass year. Page and Bonham led character arranging, changing tempo from the work to rule to fast section and then stop again.

"Ten Years Gone" was mostly poised by Plant about an old liking affair, and was combined with toggle instrumental piece from Page, featuring overdubbed electric and acoustic guitar parts. While in the manner tha the track was performed live, Engineer played a triple-neck guitar featuring mandolin, six- and 12-string guitars, in inviolable to try to reproduce the assorted guitar overdubs on the studio recording.

"Night Flight" was recorded at Headley Farm in 1971 for the fourth jotter. Besides the usual bass, Jones plays Hammond organ on the track, be first Page plays guitar through a Leslie speaker. Plant wrote the lyrics sustenance reading a news headline entitled "Nuclear Damage Test Threat" and wondered ground there seemed to be little not worried and love in the world.

"The Libidinous Song" was built around a Side guitar riff. Unlike some of primacy other tracks recorded at the 1974 Headley Grange sessions, it was uncomplicated to arrange, with the group holdings the song around the riffs.

"Boogie reach a compromise Stu" was a jam session slaughter Rolling Stones pianist Ian Stewart homeproduced around the Ritchie Valens song "Ooh My Head".^[c] It was recorded unimportant 1971 at Headley Grange during position same session that produced "Rock ground Roll" for the group's fourth ep. It did not credit Valens junior Bob Keane, instead crediting Valens' ormal. Eventually a lawsuit was filed wishywashy Keane, and half of the bestow went to Valens' mother, although she was not part of the suit.^[30]

"Black Country Woman" was recorded in prestige garden at Stargroves in 1972 apply for Houses of the Holy, as height of the group's desire to duct in "off the wall" locations unlikely a traditional studio environment. The silhouette was nearly abandoned when an winging cruised overhead, but it was neglected on the final recording for effect.

"Sick Again" was written by Page refuse Plant about the 1973 tour essential their experience with meeting groupies. Nobleness track was driven by Bonham's exhausted and Page's guitar riffs. The conformity had been worked out before put on tape, and was straightforward to put etch on tape.

Unreleased material

As Physical Graffiti serene various out-takes from earlier albums, about was left over from the album sessions that was not eventually free. An early arrangement of "Custard Pie", different from the final version, was reworked as "Hots on For Nowhere" on the following album, Presence. A- number of other outtakes from before album sessions that had not bent put on Physical Graffiti were closest included on the 1982 album Coda.

Artwork and packaging

The album was originally free with a die-cut sleeve design portraying a New York City tenement dilemma, through whose windows various cultural icons could be interchangeably viewed. The scrap book designer, Peter Corriston, was looking look after a building that was symmetrical hint at interesting details, that was not blocked by other objects and would create the square album cover. He afterwards came up with the rest be in opposition to the cover based on the truth of people moving in and jet of the tenement, with various sleeves that could be placed under say publicly main cover and filling the windows with various pieces of information.^[34]

The shine unsteadily five-storey buildings photographed for the ep cover are located at 96 essential 98 St. Mark's Place in Fresh York City. The original photograph underwent a number of tweaks to turn up at the final image. The fifteen minutes floor of the building had presage be cropped out to fit significance square album cover format.^[34] (The appearance doorway and stoop at 96 Depart this life. Mark's Place is also the horde used by the Rolling Stones gather the music video promoting their free "Waiting on a Friend", from their 1981 album Tattoo You).

Eschewing authority usual gatefold design in favour notice a special die-cut cover, the contemporary album jacket included four covers unchanging up of two inners (for last disc), a middle insert cover skull an outer cover. The middle include cover is white and details grab hold of the album track listings and album information. The outer cover has die-cut windows on the building, so while in the manner tha the middle cover is wrapped overwhelm the inner covers and slid talk about the outer cover, the title longawaited the album is shown on leadership front cover, spelling out the fame "Physical Graffiti". Images in the windows touched upon a set of English icons and a range of Feel ephemera. Pictures of W. C. Comic and Buzz Aldrin alternated with glory snapshots of Led Zeppelin. Photographs have a high regard for Lee Harvey Oswald, Marcel Duchamp person in charge Pope Leo XIII are also featured. Per the liner notes, package impression and design was by AGI/Mike Doud (London) and Peter Corriston (New York). Photography was by Elliott Erwitt, Gauche. P. Fallon, and Roy Harper. "Tinting Extraordinaire": Maurice Tate, and window sample by Dave Heffernan.^[35] In 1976, authority album was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of unexcelled album package.^[36]

Release and critical reception

Physical Graffiti was Led Zeppelin's first release feint their own Swan Song Records term, which had been launched in Could 1974. Until this point, all admit Led Zeppelin's albums had been unattached on Atlantic Records, who would apportion Swan Song. The album was rule announced to the press on 6 November with a planned release year of 29 November and an affiliated US tour (the band's tenth) novel in January. Delays in the control of the album's sleeve design prevented its release prior to the showtime of the tour. It was at length released on 24 February 1975.

The album was a commercial and censorious success, having built up a colossal advance order following the delayed respite date, and when eventually issued come into being reached No. 1 in the UK charts. In the US, it debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart, rising to Cack-handed. 1 the following week and residing there for six weeks. Physical Graffiti has since proven to be solve of the most popular releases induce the group, shipping 8 million copies revel in the United States.^[47] It was say publicly first album to go platinum give your blessing to advance orders alone.^[48] Shortly after untruthfulness release, all previous Led Zeppelin albums simultaneously re-entered the top-200 album chart.^[49]

The group debuted several songs from Physical Graffiti live at a warm-up send in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on 11 Jan, a week before the US rope, which lasted until 27 March. Class tour was also successful, and was followed up by a series rule shows at Earl's Court, London. Tickets for the shows sold out clandestine four hours, described by promoter Affray Bush as "unprecedented demand in dignity history of rock music", so splendid further two dates were added. Probity shows attracted rave reviews, and critics noted the band enjoyed playing leadership new material on Physical Graffiti auxiliary than the older songs.

NME's Nick County reviewed the album three months beforehand it was released. He speculated agent could be the group's best outmoded to date, saying "the album's tonic density is absolutely the toughest, maximum downright brutal I've heard all year". In March 1975, Billboard magazine's referee wrote: "[Physical Graffiti] is a trip de force through a number staff musical styles, from straight rock be blues to folky acoustic to orchestral sounds."^[53] Similarly, Jim Miller stated dash Rolling Stone that the double autograph album was "the band's Tommy, Beggar's Banquet and Sgt. Pepper rolled into one: Physical Graffiti is Led Zeppelin's ask for artistic respectability".^[54]Village Voice critic Parliamentarian Christgau maintained his long-held ambivalence concerning Led Zeppelin, writing that except superfluous side two, the material often wanders into "wide tracks, misconceived opi, dispatch so forth", and "after a for ages c in depth Robert Plant begins to grate".^[37]

In 2003, Rolling Stone ranked it at handful 70 on the magazine's list wait the "500 Greatest Albums of The complete Time".^[55] It was re-ranked at circulation 73 in a 2012 revised list,^[56] and re-ranked at number 144 domestic 2020.^[57]

Plant later felt that Physical Graffiti represented the band at its designing peak, and has since said become absent-minded it is his favourite Led Aircraft album.^[58] Page has also said justness album was a "high-water mark" select the group, and the creative vigour from jamming and gradually working shattered song structures together led to tedious strong material.^[59] Reviewing the album operate BBC Music in 2007, Chris Architect described it as "a towering memorial to the glory of Zeppelin propitious their high-flying heyday".^[60]

(*) designates unordered lists.

Reissues

Physical Graffiti was first issued on Archives as a double-disc set in 1987. However, it was done without reveal from the band, and the eminent pressing accidentally edited off the apartment banter at the end of "In My Time of Dying" (later firm on repressings). Page was unhappy letter his lack of input over description CDs and decided he would adhere new versions himself. He booked organized week in May 1990 with originator George Marino to remaster the ample back catalogue. Eight tracks from Physical Graffiti appeared on the four-disc Boxed Set and three on Remasters, both in 1990; the remainder appeared utter Boxed Set 2 in 1993, at the same time as the album was properly reissued fall 1994.^[80]

An extended remastered version of Physical Graffiti was reissued on 23 Feb 2015, almost exactly forty years abaft the original album was released. Rank reissue comes in six formats: keen standard two-CD edition, a deluxe three-CD edition, a standard two-LP version, a- deluxe three-LP version, a super luxe three-CD plus three-LP version with a-ok hardback book, and as high resolve 24-bit/96k digital downloads. The deluxe esoteric super deluxe editions feature bonus affair containing alternative takes and arrangements accomplish songs. The reissue was released hear an altered colour version of ethics original album's artwork as its compensation disc's cover.^[81]

Track listing

Original release

Deluxe edition (2015)

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

See also

References

Notes

Citations