Masterpiece: Physical Graffiti

[Editor's note: the 'Masterpiece' series is a 200 words-or-so look at some of the albums that have changed the way I hear music. Today I get Physical with Led Zeppelin...]

The term paganism is generally (and for the most part incorrectly) used to describe black magic or occult practices, but the original Latin meaning of its root word is “of the country, rustic”. On Physical Graffiti, Led Zeppelin traded in the Hobbit-esque mysticism and Alastair Crowley darkness of earlier albums for a broad look at the enchanting beauty and power of the physical world.

In 1975 they were coming off an 18-month hiatus neccesitated in part by a Robert Plant broken ankle. The album contains many songs that had been recorded in sessions for earlier albums, but rather than feeling uneven, the four sides of this album show off all that the band was capable of. In many ways, this is Zeppelin’s White Album. And you heard it here: Side 3 might just be the finest single album side of the modern rock era – it’s a 23 minute tour de force that boomerangs from the heavy metal of ‘In The Light’ to the gentle folk of ‘Bron Yr Aur’ and ‘Down By The Seaside’ back to the alluring bombast of ‘Ten Years Gone’.

In spite of its hard rock flourishes, this might be the most organic Led Zeppelin album. The first title to appear on the Swan Song label was Led Zep’s last perfect album, and one of the very best ever.

Tags: Led Zeppelin, Masterpiece, Physical Graffiti