Vinyl Reports

For some fans, it was no less than Led Zeppelin’s White Album (I’m referring to, of course, The Beatles’ eponymously titled and fan-dubbed landmark November 1968 2LP set on Apple). For others, it marked a point of departure, the end of one era and the start of something new for the hard-rocking blues-metal titans. Regardless of which side of the fence you are on, the ongoing impact and popularity of Led Zeppelin’s February 1975 epic 2LP set Physical Graffiti is undeniable. In celebration of that album’s 50th anniversary, the mighty Zep have deemed today, September 12, 2025, as the day to reissue a deluxe remastered 3LP edition of that all-important core album in addition to a separate, companion four-song Live EP that you may want to pick up sooner than later.

I’ll get to the Live EP — which features four songs never before released officially on vinyl — in just a bit, but let’s look at the main album first. A massive hit upon its release on Swan Song on February 24, 1975, the original 2LP Physical Graffiti collection has long since been certified as a 17x platinum-selling album (which translates to 17 million copies sold, in layperson speak). A commercial and critical success, Physical Graffiti is often listed among the greatest double albums of all time, a creative masterwork representing Zep’s full musical vision from blistering metal-leaning hard rock to acoustic instrumentals, Indian-inspired raga, and even raw funk!

Before I get into reviewing the expanded 3LP edition of Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti and the Live EP, let’s dive into the underlying DNA behind both this most excellent and welcome reissue and the new EP. (You can also glean additional deep-background details about them both from AP editor Mike Mettler’s New Releases report that posted here back on August 8, 2025. Mike will also share his impressions of both releases in his extended Footnotes section following my portion of this review.)

We reached out to the Led Zep PR team to get all the vinyl-centric specifics we audiophiles like to know about for such important releases. The team confirmed with us that the lacquers were cut by Felix Davis at Metropolis Studios in London, and the 180g vinyl was pressed at Optimal in Germany. The 50th anniversary edition of Physical Graffiti is, quote, “exactly the same as the (2015) 40th anniversary edition, using the same audio.” The only difference is the packaging, which now includes a poster. Meanwhile, the audio for the Live EP was remastered by Jimmy Page and Felix Davis at Metropolis.

Since this is a confirmed repress of the 2015 40th anniversary edition of Physical Graffiti, we went back to the press materials about that particular version — which arrived 40 years to the day after the original 2LP set debuted on February 24, 1975 — to affirm, “As with the previous deluxe editions, Physical Graffiti has been newly remastered by guitarist and producer Jimmy Page and is accompanied by a disc of companion audio comprising previously unreleased music related to the original release. The companion audio disc that accompanies the deluxe edition of Physical Graffiti has seven unreleased tracks, including rough mixes of ‘In My Time of Dying’ and ‘Houses of the Holy,’ as well as an early mix of ‘Trampled Under Foot’ called ‘Brandy & Coke.’ All the unreleased companion tracks offer fans a chance to hear well-known songs from a different perspective, including the Sunset Sound mix of ‘Boogie With Stu’ and ‘Driving Through Kashmir,’ a rough orchestra mix of the band’s eight-minute opus ‘Kashmir.’ Also featured is ‘Everybody Makes It Through,’ a strikingly different early version of ‘In the Light’ with alternate lyrics.”

I’m happy to report that the deep, dark 180g black vinyl pressings for both the Physical Graffiti reissue and the new Live EP are indeed excellent, well-centered, and quiet, so the music just emerges naturally and transparently from the grooves. Speaking of the latter, here’s a clip of “Trampled Under Foot” live from Earl’s Court, 1975 to further whet your whistle for what’s to come.

The packaging faithfully recreates the look and feel of the original edition of Physical Graffiti for the most part, including the die-cut windows on the front and back covers for the core 2LP set. The inner sleeves for Physical Graffiti are thinner than what I have seen (and owned) on domestic U.S. pressings, but they also allow the discs to slip in and out very easily without scuffing issues. That said, I do wish the set’s producers had gone the extra few steps to include audiophile-grade plastic-lined inner sleeves on this Physical Graffiti release, something they do rightly include for the separate Live EP.

Speaking of that Live EP, it could almost be considered an album in its own right. Even though there are just four songs on it, each side runs circa 15-20 minutes each. As to where these four live tracks were culled from, we learn from the more current official press materials that the “live recordings of ‘In My Time of Dying’ and ‘Trampled Under Foot’ [are] from Earl’s Court, 1975, alongside ‘Sick Again’ and ‘Kashmir’ from Knebworth, 1979. These live performances were originally released on the 2003 Led Zeppelin DVD.” This is also the first time all four songs have officially appeared on vinyl.

As to the entry fees for these important new editions, the 50th anniversary edition Physical Graffiti 180g 3LP set carries an SRP of $64.99, which feels very fair for a triple-vinyl set that includes a bonus reproduction of a 1975 promotional poster for the album not available in other editions (as seen below). You can obtain this version from Music Direct here, as well as via the MD link graphic at the end of this review, following the tracklisting. The Live EP (shown above) has an SRP of just $19.99, and it too is available at Music Direct here, as well as well as via its own separate MD link graphic at the end of the review.

I must now share some personal perspective before I move into the heart of this review. For years, I’ve owned different versions of Physical Graffiti, and none of them have been especially satisfying to my ear. I’m not sure what the issue was, but my benchmarks of Led Zeppelin fidelity are definitely among the hallowed first five releases, from January 1969’s eponymous debut to March 1973’s Houses of the Holy (both released on Atlantic, before the Zep Swan Song imprint was initiated for Graffiti).

I liked much of the music just fine, but, overall, Physical Graffiti never knocked me out sonics-wise like the earlier albums did — and in that sense, it failed to engage me fully. My most recent copy is a near mint 1975 U.S. pressing, from the Specialty plant. It sounds clear and clean, just not super-punchy. This detail flies in my face when I contrast it with the burning fire I hear when spinning my Robert Ludwig-mastered first press of Led Zeppelin II — my current Zep audio benchmark. I should also add that my Monarch pressings of both Houses of the Holy and November 1971’s Led Zeppelin IV (a.k.a. Zoso) also rock pretty darn hard.

Given the way that Physical Graffiti was recorded — in multiple locations, via several different mobile recording studios with as many engineers — it is amazing that the band was able to achieve as much continuity for the album as they did. When prepping for this review, I played my 1975 copy of Physical Graffiti, and was again underwhelmed. Even when I turned up the volume, it felt thin.

At this point, my reviewer’s gut started to churn, worrying a bit about how this post might play out, especially as I remember hearing some grumbles from buyers of the earlier remasters of the first run of Zep LPs. Eventually, I just crossed my fingers, dove in head first, and hoped for the best that this new 3LP edition would remedy my concerns. In fact, it did — and then some!

I was immediately taken with how much richer and fatter this new remaster of Physical Graffiti sounds than my 1975 version. The drums are bigger, the bass is rounder and more distinct, and Robert Plant’s lead vocals are warmer overall. And, finally, I can feel Jimmy Page’s guitar soaring. (Footnote 1)

It’s hard to pinpoint current new favorite tracks and sides, but I definitely found myself connecting strongly with LP2, Side One, which includes the lovely acoustic “Bron-Yr-Aur” (Track 2) and “Ten Years Gone” (Track 4).

Sidenote: The latter track resonated particularly strongly, as I recently saw the excellent new It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley documentary, and I was taken with some of the interview comments revealing just how big an influence Led Zeppelin had on him. Without dropping spoilers (you may still be able to catch it in theaters, or find it for rent on Amazon Prime), I always knew that there was a Zep influence in Jeff’s music, but I hadn’t considered it quite as fully as I have at this moment coming full circle with “Ten Years Gone.” In it, I immediately recognized Page playing guitar chords and patterns that clearly pre-echo the flavors Buckley chose to explore, especially on his debut LP on Columbia, August 1994’s still incredible Grace. It was one of those “ah-hah!” moments of musical puzzle pieces coming together!

That said, many of the classic bangers for which Physical Graffiti is renowned now slapped me in the face with a power and drive only hinted at on my 1975 pressing, such as “In My Time of Dying” (LP1, Side One, Track 3), “Trampled Under Foot” (LP1, Side Two, Track 2), and, of course, the epic “Kashmir” (LP1, Side Two, Track 3). “The Wanton Song” (LP2, Side Four, Track 2) also sounds pretty badass now as well!

The bonus disc in this 3LP set — subtitled Companion Audio on the back cover, but dubbed The Companion Disc on both its LP labels — includes tracks that are far from throwaway and afterthought takes. Even though they are listed as “rough mixes” and “early versions,” these recordings have a lot of power, and they shed additional light into the evolution of this music. (Footnote 2)

Likewise, the separately released Live EP is a fine snapshot of how good the band could be when firing on all cylinders. I admit to having been something of a snob about those classic BBC broadcasts from the dawn of the band’s career — a good number of which were released formally on November 1997’s outstanding BBC Sessions 2CD set on Swan Song, which eventually made their way onto multidisc vinyl and into an expanded 5LP box set called The Complete BBC Sessions almost a decade later in 2016. I never really gave as fair a listen to later-period live Zep things I’d heard, as I’d been underwhelmed by October 1976’s The Song Remains the Same 2LP soundtrack on Swan Song, as well as many bootlegs of theirs circulating over the years.

Reading about the legendary Earl’s Court shows from 1975, I went into the first side of my Live EP listening session with more informed and open ears. And again, I’m pleased to hear much of that early fire burning brightly on those two mid-career recordings. As good as the Earl’s Court material is, I do think I prefer the performances on the slightly thinner sounding 1979 Knebworth recordings on the second side, especially “Kashmir” (Side B, Track 2). And, as I noted earlier, even though the Live EP comprises just four songs, it amounts to essentially a standard-length single-disc LP — so, in my book, this one feels like a bonafide album in that regard.

On a related note, I’m not sure if they’ll ever issue the whole Earl’s Court show on vinyl, as it’d likely be at least an 8LP set, given its 3-hours-plus length — but maybe someday, we’ll at least get to see high-quality official video of the entire show. In fact, Zep has teased this idea with restored video for the Earl’s Court tracks “In My Time Of Dying” and “Trampled Under Foot,” both looking and sounding way better than versions fans have uploaded over the years. We embedded “Trampled” earlier in this review, so now let’s check out “In My Time of Dying” below.

After viewing both clips, both myself and AP editor Mettler wonder if the Zep team might be working on an upgraded, remastered edition of the aforementioned live 2003 Led Zeppelin DVD set, a 13x platinum seller that includes these particular tracks. If so, I suspect we might have to wait until 2028, for that which would be its 25th anniversary, the next natural anniversary celebration point for that release — but we’d both gladly take it earlier than that, of course!

Anyhow, to wrap up my portion of this review, if you’ve been looking to upgrade your copy of Physical Graffiti, the new 180g 3LP 50th anniversary edition might well be just the version you’ve been seeking. And, while you’re at it, grab the Live EP too, as it is a relative bargain that sounds quite good.

As for my ratings, I am happy to give the 50th anniversary edition of Physical Graffiti a solid 9 for both Music and Sound, the latter accounting for its likely digital mastering stage. Regardless of that —and to be quite clear — this new edition sounds much better than my 1975-era pressing. In fact, I like it so much more that I can now fully appreciate what a fine album it really is after all! Maybe someday, I’ll be able to get my hands on an original UK pressing or a U.S. Monarch to compare/contrast it with — but for now, I am very pleased with this reissue. (Footnote 3)

And as far as the Live EP goes, I rank it a solid 8 for the Music and the performances themselves, and 7.5 for the Sound. All things considered, the band and the recordings sound pretty great (but perhaps still not as great as my beloved benchmark BBC broadcast performances I referenced earlier). Nonetheless, for about $20, this one is pretty much an essential EP-cum-LP to add in to your Led Zeppelin collection without breaking the bank. And in this day and age, how often can you say that about a new release?

Over to you now, Mike, for your extended footnoted review comments!

Footnote 1: AP editor Mike Mettler here: Thanks, Mark! It’s always interesting to see where fellow Zep fans land in various stages of the catalog. Unlike my esteemed colleague, I was sold on the aural merits of Physical Graffiti right out of the 2LP box, as it were, and I would give its Music a 9.5 rating overall. Because of the album’s admittedly demanding length, at least for those days — 83 minutes all in, across four sides — I freely admit that it did take some time to properly absorb it all. Besides the indisputable FM favorites, I especially gravitated toward the understated textures of “Ten Years Gone” (LP2, Side Three, Track 4) — perhaps an antecedent of sorts to “I’m Gonna Crawl,” the deeply moving final track on August 1979’s swan song on Swan Song, In Through the Out Door — as well as the sheer dynamic power of “In My Time of Dying” (LP1, Side One, Track 3), a track that certainly foreshadowed some of the longer, “grandeur” pieces on the studio followup, March 1976’s Presence. I also continue to headbang to the punishing sneer of the album-closing “Sick Again” (LP2, Side Four, Track 5), a lyrically unrelated song title that, like “Trampled Under Foot” and a few others on that last album side, presages Plant’s penchant for coming up with, shall we say, elusive names for a number of tracks on ensuing Zep releases that would also spill over into his solo career output.

I also agree with Mark that they could have gone with plastic-lined inner sleeves for the trio of LPs, but perhaps the powers that be also had to be mindful of the physical width and presentation of this collection overall, since they’re now accounting for 3LPs instead of 2LPs in essentially the same space. At least the die-cut tenement windows are intact and sturdy enough to avoid wearing and tearing, and I also appreciate the retention of the original’s toploader entry point as well.

My 1975 Swan Song original is well-played out by this point, so I’ve long preferred cueing up the vinyl that’s in the mondo February 2015 Super Deluxe Edition box set instead, the masters of which from whence this new edition was sourced. I have seen the complaints out there on the interwebs about a skip in “Houses of the Holy” (LP1, Side Two, Track 1), but that doesn’t occur on my copy. Yes, there was slight surface noise as the needle hit the wax before the song took off, but nothing encroached during its actual playback. (And there were no skips in the “Rough Mix With Overdubs” version of “Houses” on the third LP either, btw.)

Footnote 2: Mettler again: As I’ve heard truly rough mixes from many other artists both officially and unofficially, the various tracks Page deems as being an “Initial Rough Mix” on The Companion Disc sound pretty bleepin’ accomplished to me. If you don’t have any version of these Zep catalog reissues on vinyl that include “roughs” like these, you are in for a treat whenever you come across them. (Sidenote to this footnote: In the 2015 Super Deluxe Edition, The Companion Disc is indeed housed in its own plastic-lined inner sleeve while the first two LPs are not, in keeping with the sleeve style that mirrors the original release. More real estate to account for inside the 2015 box is likely the reason for LP3’s lined presentation, as it is also not tucked inside the replicated die-cut cover there like it is in the 2025 edition.)

Sound ratings now. The 2015 3LP version of Physical Graffiti rates a solid 8.5 overall to me, but I’d take this new 2025 3LP edition up to a 9 akin to Mark’s rating, and even to 9.5 in spots, as a decade in between how it’s been pressed and remastered does make a difference. Ten years done gone good, you might even say.

Footnote 3: Mettler yet again, to finally wrap it up: My ratings for the Live EP — which is now officially sans the periods in the abbreviated word “EP” that was indicated as such on the original press release — are a bit higher: I’d go 9 for the Music, as they come from two of Zep’s rightly acknowledged most legendary in-the-groove performances, and 8 for the Sound. You can indeed hear the limitations of the source material that prevents it from being rated higher than that, but what you get on the Live EP is still better than any bootleg “soundboard” you’ll ever come across, and it’s also a slight notch up from what’s on the Led Zeppelin DVD too, as much as I love hearing/watching it. I also second Mark’s future-upgrade video wishes, with an added touch — I say, let’s get that top-tier video release upgraded, expanded, reissued, and renamed as Led Zeppelin BD as soon as possible, o mighty Zep team!

Mark Smotroff is an avid vinyl collector who has also worked in marketing communications for decades. He has reviewed music for eCoustics, among others, and you can see more of his impressive C.V. at LinkedIn.

LED ZEPPELIN
PHYSICAL GRAFFITI – 50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
180g 3LP (Swan Song)
MUSIC: 9
SOUND: 9

Original album produced by Jimmy Page
Remastered by Jimmy Page and Felix Davis at Metropolis Studios, London
Vinyl lacquers cut at Metropolis Studios, London
Vinyl pressed at Optimal in Germany

LP1, Side One
1. Custard Pie
2. The Rover
3. In My Time Of Dying

LP1, Side Two
1. Houses Of The Holy
2. Trampled Under Foot
3. Kashmir

LP2, Side Three
1. In The Light
2. Bron-Yr-Aur
3. Down By The Seaside
4. Ten Years Gone

LP2, Side Four
1. Night Flight
2. The Wanton Song
3. Boogie With Stu
4. Black Country Woman
5. Sick Again

LP3, Side Five – Companion Audio
1. Brandy & Coke (Trampled Under Foot) (Initial Rough Mix)
2. Sick Again (Early Version)
3. In My Time Of Dying (Initial Rough Mix)

LP3, Side Six – Companion Audio ctd.
1. Houses Of The Holy (Rough Mix With Overdubs)
2. Everybody Makes It Through (In The Light) (Early Version / In Transit)
3. Boogie With Stu (Sunset Sound Mix)
4. Driving Through Kashmir (Kashmir) (Rough Orchestra Mix)

LED ZEPPELIN
LIVE EP
180g 1EP (Swan Song)
MUSIC: 8
SOUND: 7.5

Music produced by Jimmy Page
Remastered by Jimmy Page and Felix Davis at Metropolis Studios, London
Vinyl lacquers cut at Metropolis Studios, London
Vinyl pressed at Optimal in Germany

Side One: Earl’s Court – 1975
1. In My Time Of Dying
2. Trampled Under Foot

Side Two: Knebworth – 1979
1. Sick Again
2. Kashmir