Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti Limited Celebration Day Version (2CDS) [Japan LTD CD] WPCR-14848

...I wouldn't say that like a new record, but slighty better than the same remaster pressed everywhere else since the 90s. Of course it has a miniature everything too...and yes, "the cough" is there.

Met all my expectations! Loving it.

Love it.

I was slow to warm to this album. When I first discovered Led Zeppelin in high school, I raced through their discography and was in constant anticipation of this record, which is considered by many to be one of their finest albums, if not their absolute finest. When I finally listened to it, though, I was a little disappointed. Perhaps my expectations were too high, but despite a handful of songs that I genuinely loved, I mostly found this album to be bloated and overrated.Time marched on, and I continued to love many other Zeppelin albums (their untitled fourth record reigned supreme, though I also had a soft spot for their first album, which I regard as one of the all-time great debuts). Eventually, I became curious about Physical Graffiti: How would it sound after all these years? Was my initial assessment correct, or was I too harsh? The only way to answer these questions with any degree of objectivity was to give it another spin.After re-listening to it recently, I now find myself completely converted; Physical Graffiti is an amazing album. As far as Led Zeppelin albums go, I would rank it just behind Led Zeppelin IV and their eponymous debut, and in terms of records from 1975, I would rank it just behind Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks and Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run. It's both essential listening for Led Zeppelin fans *and* essential listening for people who want to familiarize themselves with the best albums of the 1970s, an era that in some respects was even better for popular music than the 1960s were. The 1970s were an era of experimentation and eclecticism—both of which are words that perfectly encapsulate this record.In a sense, the story of how Physical Graffiti came to be is nearly as interesting as the album itself. It's well known that Led Zeppelin had recorded a follow-up album to Houses of the Holy and discovered that it was too long for one LP and too short for a double LP. They didn’t want to cut anything, so they combined the new material with outtakes from Led Zeppelin III, Led Zeppelin IV, and Houses of the Holy to form this album. Some have commented that the new songs are not on the level of songs from previous albums and that the old songs were rightly left off past albums, resulting in a patchy and flawed double album. Though I think I understand where this argument comes from, I disagree strongly.To be fair, the opening track "Custard Pie" (with its none too subtle sexual innuendos) is simply not on the level of "Good Times, Bad Times" or “Immigrant Song,” but it's still a great way to start the album, and many of the other new tracks (like "Trampled Under Foot," "Kashmir," and "Ten Years Gone") stand as some their best work. Several of the songs here that were previously left off other albums (like "Houses of the Holy" and "The Rover") are among the best tracks on this album; it’s shocking to me that both of those songs were left off Houses of the Holy, but I’m glad they had a chance to see the light of day on this album. Three outtakes from Led Zeppelin IV ("Down by the Seaside," "Night Flight," and "Boogie with Stu") appear here and while they probably wouldn’t fit particularly well into the continuity of that record (their masterpiece), they're still perfectly good songs and they really work in the context of this album. They’re not filler; not at all.If they had released this material as two separate albums—an overstuffed record with the new pieces and a lovable but disjointed collection of unused old stuff—it probably would have been a little disappointing. Blending all this stuff together, though, they were able to somehow make something really special. Though it wasn’t initially intended to be this way, there is a real genre-bending feel that recalls other great double albums like London Calling, The White Album, and Sign o' the Times. As a result of the different sources for these songs, the album has a wonderful eclecticism that keeps things fresh and exciting, even at 82 minutes. It could have felt like a total mess, sure, but it comes across as remarkably cohesive.Led Zeppelin took an “everything and the kitchen sink” approach on this record, and while it can feel a little bombastic at times, it’s also a really lovable and exciting record from start to finish. There are rockers (like “Houses of the Holy”), great epics (like “Kashmir”), and soft and acoustic tracks (like “Bron-Yr-Aur”); it feels balanced and diverse in very organic ways, even if that wasn’t the plan from day one. Of the outtakes from Led Zeppelin IV featured here, “Boogie With Stu” is especially great. With a sort of muddy, murky tone that recalls albums like Exile on Main St and The Basement Tapes, the track stands out as a highlight from the latter portion of the album. Jimmy Page puts down his electric guitar to play mandolin, and Ian Stewart (longtime keyboardist for The Rolling Stones) plays piano; there’s a kind of “Sweet Virginia”-like vibe that really works.I don't write this review as a Led Zeppelin fanboy. I regard them as a great band, but most great bands—even bands as great as Led Zeppelin—have a few albums that stick out as being subpar. Their final three albums (Presence, In Through the Out Door, and Coda) have always felt like a bit of a letdown to me, and they’re not the only amazing band to eventually disappoint. The Smiths recorded a straight-up masterpiece with The Queen Is Dead, but before they did that, they delivered a sermonizing bore with Meat Is Murder. CCR and Talking Heads are two of my favorite bands, but Mardi Gras and Naked are pretty dismal ways to finish a career, and let’s not forget the fact that The Clash—who made albums as perfect and timeless as London Calling—ended their career with the flawed Combat Rock and the lousy Cut the Crap.On Physical Graffiti, though, Led Zeppelin found a way to make two brilliant records that could have felt pompous and excessive in lesser hands. It’s easily their last great record and arguably my favorite; Led Zeppelin IV is more perfect and flawless, but Physical Graffiti is more epic and challenging. If there is a flaw, I suppose it’s that a few of these tracks (like “Sick Again”) are not exactly gems in and of themselves, and that both “In My Time of Dying” and “Kashmir” are very solid songs that go on for a bit too long. Like The White Album, though, Physical Graffiti’s overall quality is unaffected by its weak spots and rough patches; by the end, everything feels essential, warts and all.A note on where the old material comes from:From the Led Zeppelin III sessions: "Bron-Yr-Aur"From the Led Zeppelin IV sessions: "Down by the Seaside," "Night Flight," and "Boogie with Stu"From the Houses of the Holy sessions: "The Rover," "Houses of the Holy," and "Black Country Woman"

very nice as described

If you've just heard of Led Zeppelin and you want to get an idea of what they are about, get this album. Some have said if they were deserted on a desert isle and could only have one album with them, this is the album they would choose. This album has it all. From my perspective, this album borders on "perfection" when it comes to hard rock. The mixing of the drums, guitar, vocals and John Pauls work on the keys and bass are near perfect. No other band in the history of rock has had this breadth of musical talent, and it is on full display here . This album opens wth the straight ahead, almost 1950's rocker, "Custard Pie". You get gentle rockers with songs like "Ten Years Gone" and "Night Flight". Folk with songs like "Bron-yr-aur", "Black Contry Woman" and the near comedic "Boogie with Stu". Straight up fist in the air rockers like the truly bombastic "The Wanton Song" and "Trampled Underfoot", and of course. the anthemic "Kashmir".The sound quality on this CD is superb. You can hear the gentle bombast with which John Bonham played drums. Some said they way he played was like a "hippo in a tutu". Odd imagery, yet it works. The way the cymbal crashes fade in "The Wanton Song" are almost spine tingling.Arguably, short "Stairway", this is Zeps best work. Much of the album was recorded while the band was at it's most relaxed and content at Headley Grange. You can hear interplay between the band members between songs, and even hear a prop ariplane flyover with the engineer asking to re-record, with Jimmy Page responding, "Naw, leave it. Yea."No rock band preceding, or succeeding, Led Zeppelin has this breadth of musical talent. Not even the Beatles or Stones. Get it. You won't be disappointed, Oh, and, turn it up!

When I have discussions with people about the greatest album in rock history, this is the album I always pick. When you are talking about picking the best from tens of thousands of releases, it can be a huge task. Physical Graffiti is simply a true masterpiece! If you don't own this or if (God forbid) you have never heard this before, you are missing out on the finest moment in classic rock history. It's truly hard to put into words...just buy it!

Editions note:Great album but beware of the European cd reissue (German perhaps) with catalogue number 7576-90302-2. This old cd issue has really not done justice to original classic sleeve artwork. It has bizarrely reduced the size of the famous image, giving it a great big border. Design madness! What's more, it comes in one of those super clunky double cd jewel cases, making it almost the width of 3 cds, taking up too much shelf space. I know it all about the music, but its also about the great artwork that came with it, which is totally integral to the album.

2014リマスターのアルバムの中でこのリマスターは最悪です。兎に角音がショボい。私はカーオーディオにそこそこ拘ってますが今回の2014リマスターのこのアルバムだけボリュームを上げた時に音が乗ってこない。売ってしまった1994年ジョージマリノのリマスターをまた買わねば…

あのYMOの坂本龍一教授もツェッペリンで一番好きなアルバムとかたった名盤です!映画でつかわれてたbron yr aurが好きでした！しかも最新リマスター!!

此れはレコードで持っているのですが出先で聞く為に買いました。個人的には「フィジカルグラフィティー」zeppの最高傑作だと思っています。

A definitive classic masterpiece from the monsters of rock - Led Zeppelin...5 stars for the other-worldly artistic quality of the 2 CD material !I consider this the best Led Zeppelin album of all time ! The blend of Oriental flavours with Zepp's own magic and the natural landscapes the songs paint are perfect !However...I bought the Japanese Edition - 2005 Remaster of this album last week (the one with "Forever Young" printed on the OBI strip)...While the remastering and sound quality on CD 2 are flawless, on CD 1 there is a slight crackling and pitching on Plant's voice and Page's guitar (ironically, since HE did the remaster) on all the songs except "Kashmir", I don't know if this is Page's fault or the Japanese Label's mistake...On the other hand, the drums are Heavy, RAW like a huge hammer hitting hard straight from the height of the attic - just speechless ! A great tribute from Page on the remaster to the great John Bonham, I believe !Also, JPJ's bass on "Ten Years Gone" is pure joy and talent, this song is perfect all the way through !!!"Down by the Seaside" - a great story about man living together with nature and finding the secret balance of things...And what more could I add about "Kashmir", "In my time of dying" and "In the Light" ? These are some highlights but all the songs are great !All in all, I can forget about the little production/remastering mistakes on CD-1, the album is great !Like a previous reviewer said so well...If you only buy One Zepp album, it should be "Physical Graffiti" !Now come on with the 3-CD Box Set Remaster which will be released tomorrow (23rd of February 2015)! I'm looking forward to comparing the two remasters and I'm very curious about the Album-Art and CD-3, especially "Driving through Kashmir" !!!