Led Zeppelin Commemorates 50 Years of “Physical Graffiti” with a Commemorative “Live EP”

A full Earls Court ‘75 release? Nope, just rehashing what’s already out!

The lack of archival Led Zeppelin releases in recent years makes the divided 2014-15 remaster campaign, complemented with unreleased studio rarities, a treasure trove in hindsight. Scholarly knowledge of seasoned collectors on what’s presumed to exist in the archives and what’s leaked in bootleg circles makes the group a no-brainer candidate for being one of rock’s most preserved acts. Nonetheless, Jimmy Page’s itch for perfectionism has left so little released in the years since Zeppelin’s disbandment. 

In the past, nothing more than a social media post of recognition or a merchandise line has commemorated the anniversaries of Led Zeppelin albums. An album spared from minimal ignorance and celebration is Physical Graffiti. Shifting between moments of foundational blues (“In My Time of Dying”), swaying country folk (“Down By The Seaside”), dance floor-driven funk (“Trampled Under Foot”), meat-and-potatoes hard rock (“The Wonton Song”), and what Robert Plant describes as ‘the definitive Zeppelin song’ (“Kashmir”), it’s Zeppelin’s most varied work that displays the wide scope of their artistic abilities. This year, its 50th anniversary is commemorated with the newly released Live EP.

Live EP consists of “In My Time of Dying” and “Trampled Under Foot” from Led Zeppelin’s five-night residency at Earls Court in May 1975, followed by “Sick Again” and “Kashmir” from Knebworth Festival in August 1979. Aside from these shows being major facets of the group’s history, footage from these performances became officially immortalized on the 2003 Led Zeppelin DVD. Kevin Shirley’s stereo remixes for the project are the basis of this EP, which is the first time select tracks have received an audio-only release. Considering the looming absence of a complete official Earls Court release or a non-circulating soundboard recording from this era, Jimmy Page’s choice of rehashing what’s been out before is rather dubious. 

Live EP’s artwork is as bare bones as its contents. Four windows from the tenement on 96 & 98 St. Mark's Place in New York, as featured on the cover of Physical Graffiti, spell out the word ‘LIVE’ against a tan background. A nice design element on the back cover is how the stylized typography of each track is taken from the middle insert cover of the original album. In line with every post-1975 Zeppelin release, the Icarus-inspired Swan Song label appears on heavyweight vinyl. 

The selections on Live EP place the listener in the middle of the indoor arena or open field, specifically how John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page are panned according to their respective left and right stage positions, and Robert Plant and John Bonham are primarily centered. One of Kevin Shirley’s mixing trademarks is the modern sheen he applies to these vintage recordings. It makes these tracks sound similar to other Zeppelin albums he had a hand in, namely How the West Was Won and the 2007 remix of The Song Remains the Same.

One of Jimmy Page’s advantages as Led Zeppelin’s de facto producer was his hands-on approach to his guitar style, offering plenty of textural layers and effective ambiance. The stark environment of the live stage, where intricate productions can be replicated to an extent, allows his full-bodied guitar work to shine throughout this pressing. John Paul Jones’ bass tone is at its slickest when he copies the root of Page’s riffs and complements the bottleneck frenzied solo on “In My Time of Dying.” Whether it's belting out banshee-esque howls or expressing the richer nuances of his register, Robert Plant’s vocals provided plenty of forceful conviction.

As much as the studio versions are straightforward and have become ingrained for devoted listeners, Led Zeppelin in concert was a liberating force, exploring open-ended instrumental vamps in the middle and closing sections of “Trampled Under Foot.” The opening chord accents of “Sick Again” give way to a relentless rendition of the track, arguably Led Zeppelin at their sleaziest. Bonham’s phased drums, the symphonic touch of Jones’ Yamaha GX1 synthesizer, Page’s drone-like guitar tuning, and Plant’s atmospheric vocals make this rendition of “Kashmir” the ultimate amalgamation of Zeppelin at their most potent. 

The performances are electrifying, but they have some sonic demerits. John Bonham’s drums on “In My Time of Dying” are applied with enough compression to deflate the dynamics of his groove-centered style, not to mention the displeasing distortion during the heaviest cymbal crashes. His playing is more forward-sounding on “Trampled Under Foot,” leaving John Paul Jones’ Clavinet, the song’s driving force, buried in the mix. 

Considering Live EP is a collection of what’s been out for over 20 years, albeit on a different medium, it’s fortunate for fans to receive a ‘new’ Led Zeppelin release rather than none at all. If this becomes a standardized practice going forward and Page shies from the ‘commemorative EP’ format, the wonder that’s the Royal Albert Hall show from 1970 deserves the ‘rip-the-audio-from-the-DVD’ treatment.