Stretching Back 50 Years to a British Masterpiece
The album, Physical Graffiti, released in February 1975, is Led Zeppelin’s masterpiece. It came to mind because I watched a YouTube video of the surviving three members of the band (at the time) on Late Night With David Letterman after having been honored by the Kennedy Center in 2012.
What happened, well, one of the moments that happened, Letterman asked the three remaining band members, Robert Plant Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, how they would describe Zeppelin’s music. The three sat there for a moment looking at each other somewhat perplexed. The Jones, quite a comedian himself, just acted out — with sound effects — his description of the band’s music … which made me think of their masterpiece, Physical Graffiti. More specifically two songs: “Trampled Under Foot” and “The Wanton Song.” Watch the clip here and you’ll get the picture.
A couple years before I thought their album Houses of the Holy was the masterpiece after their first four equally ground-breaking albums, especially their self-titled debut. When that came out I was 13 and it made a group of us wonder aloud, “Wow! What is that?”
It wasn’t quite like the heavy bands from the West Coast (Blue Cheer, Moby Grape etc.), more bluesy and, if you can go back 56 in your mind years and imagine, louder, like Jimi Hendrix — but different.
About the same time the album Led Zeppelin came out there was a local Milwaukee band I liked called Ox. Bassist Jon Paris went on to play with Johnny Winter. Anyway, Ox was the loudest band I had ever heard up to that point.
Rock’n’Roll is supposed to be played loud — the louder the better. I’m pushing 70 and still believe it needs to be played loud.
Just on a side note I recently saw the 80-year-old Robin Trower in concert and he obviously still believes rock music needs to be played loud.
We can find very thorough descriptions of all the Zeppelin albums on Wikipedia, but those pages don’t say anything about how the albums, and the band, made their fans feel. How hundreds of thousands would flock to see them on every tour, no matter how short or long just to rock with the music and feel the band’s vibe.
Led Zeppelin’s music was new and exciting when it first came out. They released the first two albums in 1969, Led Zeppelin III in 1970, the untitled 4th album in 1971 (with “Black Dog” and “Stairway to Heaven” among other great songs), Houses of the Holy in 1973 and then two years later, Physical Graffiti.
Three more albums followed: Presence in 1975, In Through the Out Door in 1979 and then CODA, an album slung together to satisfy a contract with Atlantic Records.
Lead singer and harmonica player Robert Plant said Physical Graffiti was the last very good Led Zeppelin album. As correct as that statement is, the last three albums are good enough for Zep fans. Everything by their favorite band is good — it’s just that some albums are gooder than others.
That sixth studio album stands out for me because it was released while I was in the U.S. Marines, after I had seen the band in Chicago, on their epic 1971 tour. I was mesmerized. Even listening to all their albums up to that point — including the song “Houses of the Holy” — it was difficult to appreciate the full power of the band until I saw, heard and felt them live.
Three-plus hours they played in a packed arena. I had been to a lot of rock concerts back then (the average ticket price was about $5), but nothing felt quite so intense as Led Zeppelin live. Four guys, with a minimal stage and light show did all that, made that much music, were that loud.
Before Zeppelin, I saw Frank Zappa and the Mothers put on long concerts and create a lot of sound at a loud level — but he would have as many as seven other musicians on stage with him.
Side note Frank Zappa is my all-time favorite musician.
Then I was in the U.S. Marines, listening to all kinds of music with my platoon mates. From Funkadelic to the Grateful Dead and everything else that was put on the various turntables in the barracks, but there were those Led Zeppelin albums. All of them, including Presence in 1976, the Bicentennial year. In those lonely moments while in the service, the pleasure of music we enjoyed was a vehicle to escape the moment and dream about younger days, more care free nights, being around old friends.
Having the pleasure of listening to all my favorite music, while being enriched by the favorite music of others, great for my growing appetite for diversity.
Between my time in Yuma, Arizona and Camps Hansen and Foster on Okinawa, I stopped in Houston, Texas to see my sister Elaine. She and her then boyfriend treated me to a night of Led Zeppelin at the Summit. It was this show that really cemented me as a big fan of Led Zeppelin. Besides some of the earlier hits, the set list the set list included songs from Physical Graffiti and even “Black Dog” from the fourth album.
For that concert I was in a balcony to the right side of the stage, closest to Jimmy Page. The band rocked me to my core. The power coming from the stage — and then the crowd — was overwhelming at times. When they played songs from Graffiti like “Ten Years Gone,” with bassist, keyboardist and guitarist John Paul Jones used all three necks on his acoustic guitar (6-string, 12-string and mandolin), I just swooned. And of course “Black Dog,” one of my favorite Zep tunes, had me jumping around wildly.
Led Zeppelin is second only to The Beatles in my list of favorite bands. Once in a while Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys are second, but for the most part, Led Zeppelin, even 45 years after the death of drummer John Bonham, their music can be heard nearly every day in my home, especially Physical Graffiti. From start to finish, it’s an album without any duds. “Kashmir” sounds great on the album, but I never thought the band could play it live, due to the orchestra, but it was great in concert. And the song “Houses of the Holy” is one of the best songs on Physical Graffiti. For some reason it was left off the album of the same name. Go figure.
All four members of this band, starting with guitarist Jimmy Page, then bassist John Paul Jones, Drummer John Bonham and singer Robert Plant, are all very talented on their instruments and Physical Graffiti puts their abilities, diversity and range on display for us. Jones is playing keyboards on many of the songs, including a great electric piano solo in “Trampled Under Foot.”
There are some great compilation albums out there — plus the live recordings — but to hear a real musical masterpiece by Zeppelin, Physical Graffiti is the one.
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It’s different writing about an album that is 50 years old. It’s been reviewed to death, not always favorably, but still is great listening for me. A great distraction from what is happening around us.
The biggest trouble for me has been looking for the videos to attach to this review. They are not hard to find, but so many other videos grab my attention. Especially those involved with the oceans. Like this one, filmed off San Diego’s coastline. Enjoy.
Tim Forkes started as a writer on a small alternative newspaper in Milwaukee called the Crazy Shepherd. Writing about entertainment, he had the opportunity to speak with many people in show business, from the very famous to the people struggling to find an audience. In 1992 Tim moved to San Diego, CA and pursued other interests, but remained a freelance writer. Upon arrival in Southern California he was struck by how the elected government officials and business were so intertwined, far more so than he had witnessed in Wisconsin. His interest in entertainment began to wane and the business of politics took its place. He had always been interested in politics, his mother had been a Democratic Party official in Milwaukee, WI, so he sat down to dinner with many of Wisconsin’s greatest political names of the 20th Century: William Proxmire and Clem Zablocki chief among them. As a Marine Corps veteran, Tim has a great interest in veteran affairs, primarily as they relate to the men and women serving and their families. As far as Tim is concerned, the military-industrial complex has enough support. How the men and women who serve are treated is reprehensible, while in the military and especially once they become veterans. Tim would like to help change that.