Led Zeppelin reached a new range of creativity with the release of their monstrous sixth album, Physical Graffiti. Entering a new dynamic by embracing the hard rock scene of the mid 70’s, the band made a prominent adaption that enhanced their traditional sound.
This record had a very different impact than the group’s previous album, Houses Of The Holy. After a bombarding production with the quartet’s fourth release, Houses Of The Holy was an impressive followup featuring larger than life acoustic numbers such as The Rain Song, hard hitting blues tunes like The Ocean and folk rock tracks like Over the Hills and Far Away. Many of these same compliments fit the profile of Zeppelin IV.
From this perspective, Zeppelin IV and Houses Of The Holy bridge smoothly together. However, this also allows Physical Graffiti to stick out like a sore thumb. While it does stay true to the band’s blues roots, Physical Graffiti stems beyond the accustomed folk element from previous releases.
Beginning with a few punchy riffs from hard rock riveters, Custard Pie and The Rover, the LP also ends in the same fashion with a heavy side four featuring notable tracks like The Wanton Song and Sick Again. That is not to say this album doesn’t share familiar attributes from past records.
There is a significant amount of diversity in this album as if they are trying to one up themselves after an outstanding attempt at doing so in Zeppelin IV. Spanning from rock to blues and funk as well as everything in between, Physical Graffiti covers a lot of ground like you’d expect from a double album by Zeppelin.
There are three tracks in particular that serve as grandiose epics. The first appearing on side one, In My Time Of Dying, displays the group’s mastery of another blues cover. On the flip side, Kashmir earns its notoriety of being an orchestral masterpiece and overall great anthem. The final abstract number is the space rock tune, In The Light which proved to be another genre that Zeppelin could triumph in.
The quartet even left room for funk and boogie shuffles such as Trampled Under Foot and Boogie With Stu. Meanwhile, Down by the Seaside and Black Country Woman offer a slice of the band’s talent in the folk department.
As a whole, the focus on a heavier tone with an aggressive attitude is what makes this record stand out from the rest. Zeppelin drove themselves in a direction that challenged the hard rock competition of the era and created an evolution in their catalog.
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