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Physical Graffiti




  Type Double Album
  Artist Led Zeppelin
  Cover LedZeppelinPhysicalGraffitialbumcoverjpg
  Released February 24 , 1975
  Recorded <small>July 1970 May 1972 January–February 1974 October 1974 at Headley Grange , Hampshire , with Ronnie Lane 's Mobile Studio<br> Stargroves , England , with Rolling Stones Mobile Studio <br> Olympic Studios , London <br>Island Studios, London <br>Mixed at Olympic Studios , London <br> Electric Lady Studios , New York <small>
  Genre Hard Rock , Blues-rock , Folk Rock , Heavy Metal
  Length 82:15
  Label Swan Song
  Producer Jimmy Page
  Last Album '' Houses Of The Holy ''<br />(1973)
  This Album '''''Physical Graffiti'''''<br />(1975)
  Next Album '' Presence ''<br />(1976)


''Physical Graffiti'' is the sixth album, a Double Album by the English Hard Rock band Led Zeppelin . It was released on February 24 , 1975 (see 1975 In Music ) and was the band's first release on its own Swan Song Records label.


RECORDING HISTORY

The recording sessions for ''Physical Graffiti'' took place in January and February 1974 at Headley Grange in East Hampshire , England . Several of the songs on the album, however, were recorded during the sessions for previous Led Zeppelin albums. The instrumental " Bron-Yr-Aur " was recorded in July 1970 at Island Studios, London , for '' Led Zeppelin III ''. " Night Flight " and " Boogie With Stu " were recorded at Headley Grange and " Down By The Seaside " at Island Studios, all for '' Led Zeppelin IV ''. " The Rover " and " Black Country Woman " were recorded at the same sessions as " D'yer Mak'er " at Stargroves using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio in May 1972. " Houses Of The Holy " was also recorded in May 1972, but at Olympic Studios . The group's fifth album '' Houses Of The Holy '' took its title from this song, despite the decision not to include the song on that album.

The remaining eight songs were all recorded during the sessions for ''Physical Graffiti'' in early 1974. Additional overdubs were added and the final mixing was performed in October 1974 by Keith Harwood.


ALBUM COVER

The original album jacket for the LP included die-cut windows on the building shown on the cover. As the inner sleeves for the discs were inserted in different orientations, various objects and people would appear in the windows, including photos of the band members in drag. The two buildings photographed for the album cover are located at 96 and 98 is in front of in the Rolling Stones music video " Waiting On A Friend ".


SALES AND INFLUENCE

A review in '' readers voted ''Physical Graffiti'' the 28th greatest album of all time; in 2000 ''Q'' placed it at number 32 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever; and in 2001 the same magazine named it as one of the 50 Heaviest Albums Of All Time. In 2003 the TV Network VH1 named it the 71st greatest album ever. '' Rolling Stone '' ranked it #70 on their list of the 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time .


TRACK LISTING


Side one

#" Custard Pie " ( Jimmy Page , Robert Plant ) – 4:13
#" The Rover " (Page, Plant) – 5:37
#" In My Time Of Dying " (Page, Plant, John Paul Jones , John Bonham ) – 11:05


Side two

#" Houses Of The Holy " (Page, Plant) – 4:02
#" Trampled Under Foot " (Page, Plant, Jones) – 5:36
#" Kashmir " (Page, Plant, Bonham) – 8:29


Side three

#" In The Light " (Page, Plant, Jones) – 8:46

#" Ten Years Gone " (Page, Plant) – 6:32


Side four

#" Night Flight " (Jones, Page, Plant) – 3:36
#" The Wanton Song " (Page, Plant) – 4:07

#" Sick Again " (Page, Plant) – 4:42

  • Some cassette versions of the album place "Bron-Yr-Aur" immediately after "Kashmir", presumably to make each side of the cassette last approximately the same amount of time.


  • --- Credited to "Mrs. Valens, mother of Ritchie Valens". According to Jimmy Page, since the jam leaned heavily on "Ooh My Head" by the late Ritchie Valens, it was decided to give credit to his mother "because we heard she never received any royalties from any of her son's hits, and Robert did lean on that lyric a bit. So what happens? They tried to sue us for all of the song! We had to say bugger off".http://www.turnmeondeadman.net/Zep/BoogieWithStu.html


  • "In My Time Of Dying" contains significant similarities to a track of the same name on Bob Dylan's first album. Dylan credits this tunes composition to "Traditional" while taking credit for its arrangement.



MISCELLANEOUS

  • ''Physical Graffiti'' contains both the longest and shortest studio recordings by Led Zeppelin. "In My Time of Dying" clocks in at 11 minutes 5 seconds and "Bron-Yr-Aur" is 2 minutes 6 seconds.

  • Although it is arguably the centerpiece of the album, "Kashmir" was never released as a single.

  • Philadelphia comedy-punk band the Dead Milkmen spoofed the album cover and title on their 1990 album '' Metaphysical Graffiti ''



PERSONNEL



Additional personnel

  • George Chkiantz – engineer

  • Peter Grant – producer, executive producer

  • Keith Harwood – engineer, mixing

  • Andy Johns – engineer

  • Eddie Kramer – engineer, mixing

  • George Marino – remastering

  • Ron Nevison – engineer

  • Ian Stewart – piano on "Boogie with Stu"

  • Mike Doud – artwork, design, cover design

  • Peter Corriston – artwork, design, cover design

  • Elliot Erwitt – photography

  • Dave Heffernan – illustrations

  • B.P. Fallon – photography

  • Roy Harper – photography



CHARTS


Album



Singles



CERTIFICATIONS



REFERENCES