12 '70s Hard Rock Albums All Fans Should Own
5. Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti
Most of Zeppelin’s ‘70s output would be more than worthy of inclusion on this list, but for sheer heft as well as ambition, their 1975 double album takes some beating. Holed up in Hampshire, the band found themselves in unusually productive form, and came out with four sides’ worth of often experimental, always interesting tracks.
Opener “Custard Pie” sets things off on the right note: gone are the pastoral influences and lyrics about goblins, this is pure weird riff rock with a great vocal take from Plant. These were songs written and arranged in the studio, and you can hear that in “In The Light”, an unusual track made up of many segments which is clearly the result of lengthy freewheeling jams.
The LP’s second side might be the heaviest of the band’s catalogue, with “Houses Of The Holy”, “Trampled Under Foot”, and the colossal “Kashmir” making up a diverse but consistent trilogy.
The instrumentation (John Paul Jones enjoys a number of vintage synths) and influences (lots of Eastern stuff) makes this one of the most fascinating albums the band ever made. It’s not as tight as some earlier entries, but it has perhaps the most to offer.