My Review of Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti! Is it as good as The Beatle’s White Album? 

Ten Years Gone is one of my favorite songs by them. It might just be my favorite! Love this album. Led Zeppelin is my favorite band of all time. You have a new subscriber :)

“A magnificent piece of artwork” - what an apt description…

The EMS VCS3 of In the Light. The organ of Night Flight and the Hohner Electra piano of Down by the Seaside. JPJ just keeps on giving.

The plane and banter at the beginning of Black Country Woman was completely intentional and mimics an almost identical into of a Yardbirds tune.

I got PG when it first came out. Rush's first album came out the same week because I remember seeing posters for it with the big pink album cover hanging from the ceiling and I knew they were all outtakes and that they were really good for simple "outtakes" because these songs weren't just simple throwaways and besides which Led Zeppelin never made the same album twice and Physical Graffiti is totally different from the rest of the Zeppelin catalog and I agree the spontaneity of BWS and BCW make PG a joy to listen to. My favorite cuts? Pretty much all of them. Years later Kashmir becomes pretty much an FM staple now.

I agree that to a newbie Zep listener, Zep IV & Zep II would probably rise to the top due to their more radio-friendly songs on there. But as a longtime Zep fan of 40+ years, Physical Graffiti is by far my favorite Zep album for its sheer depth & breadth of material. Side 3 on the LP tends to be the mellower sleeper side as most would gravitate to Side 1 & 2 with Kashmir and the faster songs. But again, as my appreciation deepened thru the years, songs like Ten Years Gone, In The Light, Down By The Seaside rise to the top to counter balance the sheer epicness and energy of Kashmir, In My Time of Dying, and Trampled Underfoot. Best Album Ever!

I agree that this is truly is a great double album. Kashmir is one of my favorite LZ songs. Also, Mike Noland should be called Magnificent Mike due to his usage of that word numerous times.

Mike, I find absolutely NO competition here, either from first imperssion gut feeling or by cold number driven analysis. I set up a rating chart for each song: 1 - Forgettable, 2 - Not good, but f it means something special to you at least, 3 - Keep if there is room, 4 - Winner!, 5 - Indespensible. The Beatles gathered 73 total points for a 2.43 average, while I gave Zep 52 points for a 3.71 average. Therefore, I rated Zep's average song 52.7% higher than The Beatles average tune. Of course, other factors come in to play, like the more songs the harder it is to keep a super high level... But this just really backed up my first thoughts. The main reasons are twofold - one is that there are no 5's on the White Album and a bunch of 1's while Graffiti has several 5's and no 1's. Didn't bother with Standard Deviation, it's obviously much lower in Graffiti. I guess you could say that Graffiti is extremely expansive with high quality, while The White Album is more all over the place and maybe unfocused. All IMHO, of course.

I go through phases of which albums I listen to regarding Zeppelin. I will focus on one for a while then switch to focusing on another album from them. Right now I listen to Houses of the Holy and Physical Graffiti a bunch. Before that it was Zeppelin 2. On PG, I really enjoy The Rover but must say that Ten Years Gone is one of my favorite Zepoelin songs ever. No matter how many times I hear it I get these emotions just like the first time I heard it. To me it is a very powerful song that really moves me every time I hear it.

I saw Robert Plant in Chicago around 1984 or so and he sang Black Country Woman. I forgot about that as I just listened to it. It was a greta show, but the first 3 songs they did the monitors going out to the lawn were not working. I loved lawn seats. 5 bucks, maybe 10 back then.

My brother H.R. brought home this album when it came out in 1975 and had me, his 8 year old little brother, slap on headphones and listen to it with him (dual headphone jacks back then, remember those?) I laid on that floor, played with that oh so cool cover, looking in all the little windows at the strange pictures In each little window, not realizing that my whole life was being changed. That was the first time I'd really HEARD Led Zeppelin. I have been a Zeppelin fan, and, moreso, a fan of each artist in the group, ever since. H. R. was murdered in 1987, but I will always remember that day, laying on the floor, hearing what I consider the greatest double album EVER. I play guitar because of THIS album. I don't karaoke (and, VERY well, as noted by the karaoke contests I've won) because of THIS ALBUM. THIS was my baptism into MUSIC. THANKS, H.!!! See you soon, brotha!!! I love you!!!

The majority would say for first place is the White Album. It reaches and connects to a wider audience. Kids, elderly's, folkies and rocker's. Something for everyone. In second is Physical Graffiti. It's fun, spiritual, dark and bluesy. Varity. Exile on Main it is an amazingly great. Like walking through a culturally strange party. Not everyone will be comfortable. But it's so unique. The Wall. It's dark humor while having psychological sit on a couch.

As a huge Zeppelin fan who had the opportunity to discover all of their catalog at one time, I find it kind of funny how my appreciation for the albums grew alongside the length of time I'd been a fan. When I first discover them the first 2 albums were like sermon to me compared to anything else, but as time passed I started to really gain the appreciation for the latter albums and realize their masterpieces, like achilles last stand. That's the big one I didn't pay much attention to after initially hearing it

In the Light fav ..Saw Led Zep 3x times "live" 75 msgnyc 7th row 1st time 77 2x Great Band live & will never forget 70s concerts "Good video review" ..

Your right about ranking led zep albums their all outstanding pieces of work I also consider physical graffiti a must have and also the remastered edition along with the alternate cuts of songs in the album are a must to listen to

This was the 2nd LZ album I have gotten as a hand me down. I believe I was around 9 or 10. And I can remember like yesterday standing in front of my mother's dresser mirror playing air guitar "In my Time of Dying". I just recently voted that being my all time favorite

Great album, Kashmir is my favourite Led zeppelin track.

Thank you : )

My favourite album. Hard to believe some of these songs were leftovers from previous albums.

"Physical Graffiti" is a great hot summer day album.

Thanks for the video. IMO this is the greatest record every made.

I get your comparison to The Beatles' "The Beatles" (White Album.) "Physical" being my #1 Zeppelin album and ranking it as their masterpiece, I've always thought of it as their "Pepper." My friends and I had just seen them weeks before the release at MSG. The first tune I heard off this was "In The Light" and I was hooked!! (Listening to Page discuss the making of "Kashmir" on "It Might Get Loud" with Jack White and Edge, he gives a great insight into the song.) Headly Grange was not only perfect for its structure for recording but also perfectly located. No outside distractions. A retreat where a group can literally eat, sleep, drink, and make music. Like you, I also like jam songs. I've heard that "Rock and Roll" was inspired by a "jam" between Jones and Bohnam after chatting over Little Richard's "I Hear Ya' Knockin'." Do you know if that's true? **On a personal note: Three weeks after seeing this band AND my first concert is when we bought "Physical Graffiti." The album was released AFTER that concert. Imagine hearing, "Trampled Under Foot," "In My Time of Dying," AND "Kashmir" for the very 1st time... LIVE!! I'm tellin' you the place exploded after our virgin ears were popped! When they finished "Kashmir," I so vividly recall my late friend Tex with literal tears in his eyes, drawing me in by the lapel and asking, "What the 'F' was THAT??!!" Best band ever!

Four master musicians working together , you get the master album physical graffiti that changes rock n roll history forever . Plant Page Jones Bonham Thanks Michael, another great video on the mighty Led Zeppelin . Keep pumping out those videos brother 🤣.

I have to say that, Zeppelin fan that I am, PG isn't one of my favorites. To me it's a bit bloated, and Robert Plant often feels, to me at least, detached on the is album. Having said that, 'Ten Years Gone' is absolutely my favorite Zeppelin track ever. I can't think of any rock song that is 100% a ROCK song but with this kind of emotional complexity. It's not really a sad song, it's not exactly a love song when you think about it, or maybe its both of those things and a lot more. Not to mention what is, in my opinion, maybe Page's most emotional guitar work.

i got that album on vinyl. ten years gone great song. peter grant great manager smart guy and big guy which helped.

This is a masterpiece every song. 1975 was the greatest rock tour year in America so zeppelin supported it well with a 3 hr show. The who, stones , Dylan Yes, all toured that year so Zeppelin played the songs on this very well to show a jaded concert audience why Zeppelin was the best live show there was, these songs played well live.

Down By The Seaside was always my favorite on this LP for some reason. People are like "Huh? Which one is that?" I really like songs with sudden changes. Probably why I liked Zappa so much and many others. Old Genesis as well.

All I've got to point out right at this moment is that wondrous guitar solo in 'Ten Years Gone'. I love the entire album ( minus 'Houses Of The Holy' which just hasn't done anything for me still). But side 3 is the best part of the LP in my opinion. In The Light, Bron Yr Aur (could listen to just that on a loop all day long), the mid section of Down By The Seaside, and of course, Ten Years Gone. And that's just side 3! 🔥👍 Other than 'HOTH', this album is a perfect beauty in my opinion. The end.

For me, it's the best album of Led Zeppelin.

Absolutely love this masterpiece. It's #2 for me next to led Zeppelin III.

Physical graffiti along with exile on main Street are the two greatest albums of all time. Physical graffiti is my fav.zeppelin album. Kashmir is my favorite track. Led zeppelin 3 is my second favorite zeppelin album.

This is my Desert Island album. Ten Years Gone is a masterpiece.

I heard that 'Trampled underfoot' was inspired from 'Superstition' by Stevie Wonder. Very similar clavinet intro/riff. Apparently John Paul Jones was a fan of that song and took inspiration from it.

The Wanton Song is the baddest ass song on Physical Graffiti! Love live the Mighty Zep 🎸🎶🎸🎶

I'm not sure why but side 4 reminds me of Exile on Main Street's loose sound.

Ten Years Gone

Physical Graffiti is my favorite Led Zeppelin album and my 2nd all-time favorite album behind Abbey Road.

The first time I heard Physical Graffiti I thought it was Led Zeppelin worst album. I thought it was complete crap. I bought the CD back in the early 90’s and would only play it when my beer drinking buddies came over. Needless to say it grew on me. It grew on me big time. By the time I heard it for the tenth time or so I was convinced that it was one of the greatest albums in the history of mankind. Good god, “In The Light” and “Ten Years Gone” in particular are two of the best songs in the history of everything. That was 30 years ago and I’m still loving it.

Okay... Maybe fightin' words, but here we go: 1. III 2. Houses of the Holy 3. II 4. Untitled/IV 5. Physical Graffiti 6. Led Zeppelin 7. In Through the Out Door (straight up *love* Fool in the Rain) 8. Presence You can tell they were working though some stuff on Presence, which has always made it a difficult listen for me. Conversely, a friend of mine lists it as his favourite Zeppelin album. But Physical Graffiti is an odd album for me. It's like they drew a line under everything they'd done, while also putting some pointers for where they were going.

Michael did u know that the rolling stones video...waiting on a friend..was filmed in front of the actual building of the led Zeppelin cover of physical graffiti which is an actual building

An excellent pair of albums, indeed. It oozes class. 'Kashmir' was my hands-down favorite on this one; but all the material is solid, and the band's respectability just kept on going up. I cannot help but wonder what Rush would have been like had they followed Zeppelin's lead and released a double LP of their own 'White' album of original material. Fortunately--or unfortunately, depending on your perspective--they were so eager to 'evolve' away from the progressive songs to the more commercially 'relevant' material. Sadly, we'll never know.

I agree, awesome album. My top five double albums would be: Blonde on Blonde Exile on Main St White album Tommy Physical Graffiti Unbelievably Electric Ladyland doesn’t quite make it!!

Hey Mike, did you ever see Led Zep live ?

''Is it as good as The Beatle’s White Album?'' In one word...: YES

Depends what you're listening for in my view when it comes to Led Zep. ''LZ 1' and '2' were proto LZ, raw and still feeling their way. As a popular party album, Houses of the Holy from '73 is full of great dance tracks as well as some slow move dark theater. 'LZ3' ...mellow and folkie for the most part and breathing room for the band to create a contrast of light and shade but overall still heavy. 'LZ 4' is an album that starts a conscious change to the way I listened to albums in general. (as an aside, ''Four Sticks'' is a criminally underrated track by my standard). Physical Graffiti is definitely a swan song and a culmination of the era of the bands most refined work. It's a full immersion experience. Not so much a concept album as a best of and a tour de force of a band at their height. LZ are still very cohesive and there are no tensions or fragmenting apparent. Track highlights off Physical Graffiti for me would be ''The Wanton Song'' at the top, ''Kashmir'' of course, ''The Rover'' and ''In my time of dying'' The Beatles 'White Album' for me is almost totally chalk and cheese if I was to compare it and Physical Graffiti back to back, though I appreciate the White Album as the Beatles best of. I'm wondering if we have grown used to the strong solo careers of John, Paul and George in the apparent fragmented feel on the White Album. You can definitely see the Plastic Ono band, Wings and All things must pass on the W.A. To me Physical Graffiti is a far superior enterprise than the White Album, in both production and musical content. Both groups in my view however cannot be compared or contrasted to any other release from any other band or sound in that era or any other. (...the exception perhaps being the White Album and anything by John, Paul and George in their solo careers and of course ELO).

I was 12 years old and my grandmother asked me what do you want for Christmas I said "PHYSICAL GRAFFITI" true story!!! My favorite track"IN TIME OF DYING"

I was turned onto this lp, by accident, took it on my head phones on a long bike ride in 84 and was stunned, i will never hear a better non Beatles album. This is their White album, wise comment on here.

Hard to beat tracks like Down by the Seaside and The Wanton Song

Physical ' is a mini-box set before it became fashionable, WHILE THEY WERE ACTIVE, decades before they're time

double albums are usually an artist best work☝🏻

All I can say is this is my favourite Zeppelin album.

My fave Zeppelin

Michael do u like down by the seaside