Physical Graffiti it was 47 years ago…

It’s been a week of here of celebrating the 47th anniversary of  Physical Graffiti  and I’ve been playing various versions of the album and rounded up the reviews and wallowed in the sheer nostalgia of such a great period so here’s various snapshots of what I have felt and still feel about my favourite album of all time – and maybe yours too…

First to back track seven years to the 40th anniversary and the 2015 reissue…

So some DL thoughts:

To  backtrack 47 years: My Physical Graffiti:

Physical Graffiti. The very title indicated something mysterious and special when I first saw it announced in the NME in late ’74. Then there was the waiting. Ah yes the waiting. Initially it was set for November 29th 1974. That date passed and nothing. Then it was going to be January 10th 1975 and so it went on until finally on a grey February morning, I took receipt of the record boxes delivered that day at WH Smith where I worked. And there in a parcel marked WEA/CBS Distribution was a box full of that beautiful double album. Had it out of the box immediately –took it down the pub lunchtime to show Dec, oh yes this was the big one – a massive outpouring of new Zeppelin music.

It ushered in a memorable year that would peak with those five glorious days in May. Since then Physical Graffiti has been a constant in my life. Not long after its release, the WEA rep kindly gave me the original sleeve artwork mock up which still takes pride of place in my collection. On holiday in Spain that year I could not resist handing over a pocket full of pesetas for the Spanish pressing. I have it on cassette and 8 track cartridge. When I first got a CD player in 1988 it was the first CD I purchased.  The emergence of the Tangible Vandalism rehearsals bootleg in the early 80’s was a shot in the arm in a less than vibrant Zep period, and the first time I heard the 33 minutes of outtakes that surfaced in 1997 remains one of my most memorable listening experiences.

Then there have been the numerous live Graffiti moments -selections from Physical Graffiti played live over the years have also provided some of my all time fave gig going moments.

Ten Years Gone and Sick Again at Knebworth, Trampled Underfoot at Leicester University in ’88, Kashmir at MTV Unledded, The Wanton Song at Later With Jools, Night Flight at the ULU in ’98 , In My Time of Dying at the 02 Reunion.

On Saturday February 22nd 1975  Alan Freeman previewed five tracks from the album. The previous night I’d had the Old Grey Whistle Test taped on a cassette to hear the previews of Houses Of The Holy and Trampled Underfoot. I was out at the Rainbow grooving to Black Oak Arkansas at the time.

On that Saturday Alan aired Custard Pie, Night Flight, The Wanton Song, Down By The Seaside and Sick Again in that sequence with no break. As Robert uttered the opening line ‘’I received a message from my brother across the water he sat laughin’ as he wrote the ends in sight’’ I remember exclaiming ‘’Oh that voice!’’ in excited wonderment.

In today’s internet driven world of instantly accessible everything, it’s easy to forget the impact a mere record could have.

A mere record? Physical Graffiti was and could never be a mere anything.

It’s a living breathing masterpiece.

So happy 47th birthday Custard Pie, The Rover, In My Time Of Dying, Houses Of The Holy, Trampled  Underfoot, Kashmir, In The Light, Bron Yr Aur, Down By The Seaside, Ten Years Gone, Night Flight, The Wanton Song, Boogie With Stu, Black Country Woman and Sick Again.

These 15 performances continue to enrich my life and thousands of others across the globe.

To backtrack 47 years: Their Physical Graffiti:

In the scheme of things the timing on the recording of this album was just so right.

There was nothing like the pressure they had in following Zep IV with Houses Of The Holy. The lukewarm press reaction to Houses would only spur the four  to greater on stage heights. The touring period from March in Europe through to the lengthy US jaunt in the summer of ’73 saw Led Zeppelin perform to overflowing audiences with increasing confidence.

There may have been a period of burn out following the US tour – the initial sixth album sessions were scrapped due to John Paul Jones illness/reticence – but it can be clear that the vigour and vitality they displayed during that US tour was more than in evidence when they came to park Ronnie Lane’s mobile studio outside Headley Grange in early 1974.

The decision to work at their own space with no pressure of a tour to prepare was a crucial one. Jimmy’s wry comment that ‘’1974 didn’t really happen’’ was a something of a smokescreen – as creatively it very much did happen and it would set the seal on a six month period in 1975 that would see them conquer America yet again and present five shows at London’s Earls Court that really did capture them at the peak of their powers.

All this and Physical Graffiti too. A double album idea that Page had been eying for some time  as he commented recently:‘’ I hoped it was going to be a double album because other people had put out double albums and I thought it would be good to do that. I knew that we already had material left over the material was coming out and it was clear that we were working towards a double. I did want to do a double album that would really show a working band at a really creative process”.

The eight recordings honed at Headley Grange were merged within seven older tracks held over from previous albums. We now know that had been the clear intention with Houses Of The Holy as Page recently revealed ‘’ It was left off the Houses Of The Holy album on purpose. It was saved for whatever the next album was going to be which turned out to be Physical Graffiti’’. The rest…they were never mere leftovers as such a thing did not exist. These were quality ideas ready to be unleashed

All that was required was a final mix and a song selection and sequencing. This is where Physical Graffiti really triumphs

You could just never envisage Physical Graffiti not being played in the sequence that Jimmy Page prepared back in 1974. .

It’s akin to a whole symphony greater than the sum of its parts – take any song away and it loses its thread.

So let’s be under no illusion, the arrival of this new remastered reissue is principally all about those 15 tracks – the Companion Disc is of course a very  welcomed dessert but the main course kicks right off with track one side with a chew of the Custard Pie and closes with the brutal last gasp salute of Sick Again.

And that my friends, is the way to listen to Physical Graffiti – there’s no cherry picking required. It’s the whole first course in one sitting and no messing. That is the way it should be.

This is no mere 46 year nostalgia trip. Physical Graffiti could be no mere anything. It’s a living breathing beautiful sounding testament to the sheer greatness of Led Zeppelin.

Every facet of the spectrum beautifully detailed – every moment wonderfully sequenced.

Moments to marvel at ….

Custard Pie

Just so much raunch to the riff and John Bonham’s jigging hi hat driving it all the way through… and the solo cuts in across the speakers with so much verve and swagger.

The Rover

Utterly fucking sensational. The drum sound – on first play it took my breath away simple as that.

In My Time Of Dying

The forcefulness of that opening drum part…it has to be heard to be believed. The clarity of the bottleneck parts – we are right there in that hall in Headley. The echo on the first solo…glorious.

Houses Of The Holy

So much brightness and colour in the lyrics and performance.

Trampled Under Foot

Jones’s clavinet all the way through – pure musical arranging brilliance.

Kashmir

The moment they come out of the middle sequence and that elongated Plant howl…oh yes!

In The Light

We now know how much work went itto n this with varying tempo changes. The closing two minutes with Page’s multi overdubbing cascading around Bonzo’s drumming might be the best two minutes of their recorded career – here it sounds utterly sensational. As does the opening drone.

Bron Yr Aur

Acoustic perfection…

 Down By The Seaside

Love the keyboard sound from JPJ, now even more accented.

 Ten Years Gone

The intro – totally stunning…

 Night Flight

”Oh mama well it must be time….”  what a vocal.

 The Wanton Song

The way they come back from the Leslied guitar effect solo back into the riff.. masterful.

 Boogie With Stu

The percussion at the beginning now more powerful than ever.

 Black Country Woman

The mandolin so precise.

Sick Again

The final onslaught from John Bonham ..oh yes!

The Companion Audio Disc:  

Brandy & Coke (Trampled Under Foot – Initial Rough Mix) 5.39:

To me this has the feel of of a radio friendly single mix – and hearing Brandy & Coke aka Trampled Underfoot in this way makes  Zep sound like the greatest singles band ever. Imperious funk meets revved up riffing with refreshing clarity…

Sick Again (Early Version) 2.22:

There’s a also a delightful ‘’wooshing’’ effect on the riff at 0.55. Overall this flexing of the riff foundation brings out the melodic tendencies of Page’s plangent riffing. You really want this to go on for another ten minues. Wonderful work in progress riff exercise for a sometimes underrated part of the Graffiti wall..not anymore..

In My Time Of Dying (Initial Rough Mix) 10.48:

A cleaner intro – the vocal coming in with added clarity to the version we know. Double tracked at times. The delicacy of the bottleneck parts are more evident. Jonesy’s bass accentuated behind the bottleneck riff parts is also high in the mix. As it moves into it’s stride, Robert’s vocal are striking clear and crisper providing a real live in the studio atmosphere. Mesmerisingly spacey mix of a towering performance…

Houses Of The Holy (Rough Mix With Overdubs) 3.51:

What we have here is a rough mix with overdubs and it’s a fascinating listen – Robert’s initial vocals have less echo and are pleasingly upfront and clear. Bonzo’s cowbell is much more pronounced in this mix.  The backing vocal ”oooh oooh” is also higher in the mix and you can clearly hear a tambourine as additional percussion towards the close. Jimmy had yet to layer on his solo and it fades at 3.51. Bright and breezy mix of one of their most commercial outings…

Everybody Makes It Through (In The Light Early Version/In Transit) 6.29:

The complete alternate version that was previously bootlegged on the Physical Graffiti outtakes that surfaced in 1997.

A totally different work in progress arrangement with John Paul Jones’ Elizabethan harpsichord keyboard sequence being later replaced by the drone links.  The closing moments from 5.42 to 6.29  with John Bonham’s relentless drum fills are some of the very best applied to any Led Zeppelin track. Those that have heard it before already will know this is a phenomenal piece – those that haven’t… well the pleasure will be all yours -it’s just sensational. An unabashed joy from start to finish – this pleasingly inventive initial arrangement adds new colour to the canvas of one of their finest achievements …

Boogie With Stu (Sunset Sound Mix) 3.39:

The mandolin is well to the fore in this mix – you can hear the precise plucking right from the off while the piano and vocals are both further back in the mix. A barrelhouse of mandolin and piano led fun…

Driving Through Kashmir (Kashmir Rough Orchestra Mix) 8.41:

That intro is immediately grandiose -the vocal remains in the centre of the mix while in the riff parts and the  strings are more prominent. From 4.06 to .25 it sounds altogether crisper and chunkier and all beautifully dramatic and the closing orchestral overdubs are clearer going into the fade. Progressive rock in the true sense of the word and this mix is further confirmation of the fact that this composition remains the pride of Led Zeppelin…

Summary:

Put simply – the paintwork on this particular piece of graffiti remains as fresh as ever… 47 years on it sounds magnificent…

Dave Lewis -February 23,2021

LZ News:

Here’s the latest round up from LZ News:

Bonham – Bullick latest news: 

This from Pete and Deb…

https://boxoffice.mandolin.com/…/winter-blues-bonham…

Physical Graffiti Week – my Facebook posts:

Tuesday February 21:

Kicking off a week here of celebrating the 47th anniversary of the release of Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti – my all time favourite album.

So on the player the Tangible Vandalism double album bootleg which has various rehearsals from the recording sessions at Headley Grange in early 1974.

When I first got this in the early 1980s it opened up a new level of appreciation for Physical Graffiti. You can clearly hear the seeds of greatness being planted…what a creative Zep period it was….more celebrations of Physical Graffiti to follow…

Tuesday February 22:

DL/TBL Physical Graffiti throwback…celebrating the release of Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti 47 years ago this week…

On the player – Mojo proudly presents Physical Graffiti Redrawn…

The excellent various artists album made available to mark the 40th anniversary and reissue of Physical Graffiti in the April 2015 issue of Mojo as a cover mount CD or mail order 2 LP set – the vinyl version is superbly packaged and includes a repro Zep Earls Court 1975 poster.

The entire double album is re- presented in full with performances from White Denim, Blackberry Smoke, The Temperance Movement and Laura Marling and more …all adding to the celebration of my favourite album of all time…

Tuesday February 22:

DL/TBL Physical Graffiti throwback…celebrating the release of Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti 47 years ago this week… retro advert – ‘’Zeppelin Crazy’’ – what a headline – I vividly remember buying this issue of Melody Maker – the anticipation was building….

DL/TBL Physical Graffiti throwback…celebrating the release of Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti 47 years ago this week…

Wednesday February 23:

DL/TBL Physical Graffiti throwback…celebrating the release of Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti 47 years ago this week…

On the player –the brilliant Companion Audio LP from the Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti 40th anniversary super deluxe box set. This includes Everybody Makes It Through the fantastic early version of In The Light…

Wednesday February 23:

DL/TBL Physical Graffiti throwback…celebrating the release of Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti 47 years ago this week…

It was seven years ago today – the release of the fantastic Physical Graffiti 40th anniversary reissue on Monday February 23 ,2015 and I spent the day in London reveling in it all…

Here’s the scene in HMV in Oxford Street with my very good friend Dec.

It was fitting he should be there on the day of this reissue appearing as 40 years back in 1975 almost to the day, I was with Dec when the Physical Graffiti album was released.

It was also our last meet in London before Dec moved to Ireland…a day of high emotion all round…

Wednesday February 23:

TBL Physical Graffiti throwback…celebrating the release of Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti 47 years ago this week… it was seven years ago today – the release of the fantastic Physical Graffiti 40th anniversary reissue Monday February 23 2015.

Part of the record company promotion for the reissues was to create strategic stencils advertising the albums on random pavements around central London.

Seven years ago today it took a fair bit of walking before I came across the Physical Graffiti stencil just off Wardour Street – fittingly really as it was not far from the old Marquee club where Zep played some of their earliest gigs in 1968…

Wednesday  February 23:

DL/TBL Physical Graffiti throwback…celebrating the release of Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti 47 years ago this week…

It was seven years ago today – the release of the fantastic Physical Graffiti 40th anniversary reissue Monday February 23, 2015.

I spent the day in London reveling in it – I decided to take in a couple of Zep London landmarks – this is in Gerrard Street where the four members who would become Led Zeppelin convened at number 39 in August 1968 to conduct their first rehearsal…

Wednesday February 23:

DL/TBL Physical Graffiti throwback…celebrating the release of Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti 47years ago this week…

It was seven years ago today – the release of the fantastic Physical Graffiti 40th anniversary reissue Monday February 23 2015.

I spent the day in London reveling in it all and I decided to take in a couple of Zep London landmarks.

This is in Windmill Street off Tottenham Court Road where in early December 1968, the four members of Led Zeppelin convened for a photo session at the offices of the Impact Agency.

The photographer Dick Barnatt also took a photo of them leaning against a Jaguar car. When I interviewed Dick for the TBL mag in 2013, he thought the car may have belonged to John Bonham but he wasn’t sure.

It’s an iconic group photo and it was great to be in such an historic Zep landmark on the day of the 40th anniversary reissue of Physical Graffiti 6 years ago today…

Thursday February 24:

On the player loud and proud ..what else…Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti as released 47 years ago today. I purchased it from WH Smith’s where I worked on the record department – and got to keep the press release we had sent to the shop as well

This is the original copy I purchased back in 1975 and It still sounds amazing – as it would – it’s my favourite album of all time. A few pops and crackles only adding to its authenticity

Over the 15 tracks this double album contains every aspect that made Led Zeppelin so special…then, when I was 18 years old and now  I am 65… for me they are, were and always will be the best…

Thursday February 24:

DL/TBL Physical Graffiti throwback…celebrating the release of Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti 47 years ago this week…

Loading up the 2 CD edition of Physical Graffiti in the double jewel box. This was one of the first Zep CD transfers by Barry Diament at Atlantic Studios.

I have a bit of an affinity for this version as it was one of the first CDs I ever purchased after I got a CD player in 1988.

Back then I was very excited to be playing my fave album of all time on this new compact disc format.

However, it was not the greatest quality transfer and I was a bit disappointed to say the least to find the studio dialogue segment after In My Time of Dying (‘’Cough’’) completely omitted – it’s been reported that Diament has claimed he was not responsible for the edit and worked from the tapes Atlantic supplied at the time.

These early transfers were done without any band involvement and Jimmy would take control again in May 1990 when he began a remastering project at Sterling Sound with George Marino engineering – the initial results being the Remasters and 54 track box set issued in October of that year.

I did a feature on the Led Zeppelin catalogue on CD published in July of that year for Record Collector, unbeknown that Jimmy was working on the remastering – my review of Physical Graffiti was quite kind to the 1987 version awarding an eight rating for CD sound quality.

There would be better versions on CD ahead but back in 1988 it was a thrilling novelty to hear Physical Graffiti on the new digital format…

Thursday  February 24:

DL/TBL Physical Graffiti throwback…celebrating the release of Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti 46 years ago today…

You can never have too many copies of Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti …and I have a few…

TBL Led Zep ’75 Snapshot: 

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 27 ,1975

HOUSTON, TEXAS

SAM HOUSTON COLISEUM

Set: Rock And Roll/Sick Again/Over The Hills And Far Away/In My Time Of Dying/The Song Remains The Same/The Rain Song/Kashmir/No Quarter/Trampled Underfoot/Moby Dick/Dazed And Confused (inc. Woodstock)/Stairway To Heaven/Whole Lotta Love – The Crunge – Black Dog.

This one from our TBL friend and associate Mark Bowman – he also took the pics here from that night.

Background Details; After Robert and Jimmy spent a holiday in Dominica for 10 days, while Jonesy and Bonzo flew home to their families, a well rested Led Zeppelin, Peter Grant and the crew reconvened in Houston, Texas to start the second leg of the 1975 USA tour on February 27th, 1975.

This night was special as it was the first live show after the US release of the eagerly anticipated double LP, Physical Graffiti.  By all accounts, they played a ferocious show that night that clocked in at nearly 3 hours and 45 minutes.  Reporters mentioned in the newspaper the next day that the “kids went crazy”, and the crowd definitely spurred the band to greater heights that night…   One concertgoer mentioned – “This was the FIRST concert I have ever been to where the live sound in the arena was equal to greater than the sound on the Led Zeppelin studio recordings that were recorded so well…”

Robert mentioned to the crowd that “we were off for a few days, but we’re back, well rested and in our glory.!”  Very prophetic, looking back 40 years later….  Unfortunately, no bootleg recordings have ever surfaced of this particular show to document the power they were playing with that night, so it just will remain a very special evening for the ones who were there….

First Hand View from Mark Bowman:

The beauty of this show – there was none of the violence and aggression from the fans that had marred some of the earlier dates in the Eastern US gigs on the 1st leg.  Robert specifically commented about how the crowd had a “very happy and a good feeling vibe” that night for the band, which kept them focused on the task at hand….which was to rip the roof off the arena that evening.  I only had a little Kodak 110 Instamatic camera with me at the time, so all my photos are grainy and low resolution.  You still get the general idea by looking at them – but what I would have given to have my 35mm with me that night to truly capture this incredible evening.  It turns out to be the only time I ever saw the mighty Led Zeppelin perform live…  As fantastic as it was to attend the reunion O2 show in London in 2007, this gig was the COMPLETE package….  It is burned into my memory banks for life. Mark Bowman

Andy Edwards on The Priory Of Brion… 

This is a great clip of the great drummer Andy Edwards talking about his time with Robert Plant in the Priory of Brion – I was lucky enough to witness some memorable Priory  gigs back in 1999 – 2000…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RK5a3pjaWzA

First set:

Good Times Bad Times / Ramble On, Nobody’s Fault But Mine, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song. The Battle of Evermore, Going to California, Achilles Last Stand,Black Dog.

Second set:

Immigrant Song, Heartbreaker, Since Ive Been Loving You, Kashmir,Stairway To Heaven, Whole Lotta Love, Rock and Roll.

DL Diary Blog Update:

Friday February 18:

Great piece by Charles Shaar Murray on the Memphis Minnie Led Zeppelin When The Levee Breaks link up…it’s part of the excellent Rock’s Greatest Cover Versions feature in the current issue of Classic Rock…

Saturday February 19:

Saturday is platterday..some early morning Led Zep…Led Zeppelin III sounding mighty fine…

Saturday February 19:

I was 14 then I am 65 now and all these years later this band still captivates and enthralls me like no other… for me they are not just a band they are a way of life…simple as that…

Saturday February 19:

Saturday is platterday…with the Coda tribute band gig at Bedford Esquires ahead tonight – on the player appropriately enough the 1982 Led Zeppelin Coda album – getting us in the mood to hear the greatest rock catalogue played live tonight by the excellent Coda tribute….

Saturday February 19:

Getting in the mood for tonight’s Coda Led Zeppelin tribute band gig at Bedford Esquires with our very good friend Ian…

Some particular inspirations this past week…

Spurs amazing 3-2 away win at Manchester City …

Meeting up with many a fellow enthusiast at the Coda Bedford Esquires gig

The arrival of the new issue of Record Collector…

The announcement of this years Record Store Day list …

A catch up on the phone with my very good friend Dec…

Update here…

Well we got through the Coda Bedford Esquires gig – it was always going to be a challenge for Janet with her limited mobility using one crutch but all things considered she did well. Thanks to Steve and Anne Marie, Ian Simon and Jenny for helping us along and sharing a great night.

It’s been back to the workload this week with the writing of a top ten listing for the Classic Rock/Louder website and more collation and prep for the Robert Plant photo book project. Here’s some more record selections providing much needed inspiration…

Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti 2LP

Led Zeppelin – Companion Audio Disc LP

Led Zeppelin – Tangible Vandalism  bootleg 2LP

Led Zeppelin – Swan Song – Tarantura bootleg CD

Steely Dan – Pretzel Logic CD

Dusty Springfield – A Band New Me – The Complete Philadelphia Sessions CD

Thanks for listening – stay safe and well you very lovely people…