Tuesday 2/21/23 11pm ET: Feature LP: Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti (1975)

Physical Graffiti is the sixth studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. It was released as a double album on February 24, 1975 by the group’s new record label, Swan Song Records.

The band wrote and recorded eight new songs for the album in early 1974 at Headley Grange, a country house in Hampshire, which gave them ample time to improvise arrangements and experiment with recording. The total playing time covered just under three sides of an LP, so they decided to expand it into a double by including previously unreleased tracks from the sessions for the earlier albums Led Zeppelin III, Led Zeppelin IV and Houses of the Holy. The album covered a range of styles including hard rock, progressive rock, rock ‘n’ roll and folk. The album was then mixed over summer 1974 and planned for an end-of year release; however, its release was delayed because the Peter Corriston-designed die-cut album cover proved difficult to manufacture.

Physical Graffiti was commercially and critically successful upon its release and debuted at number one on album charts in the UK and number three in the US. It was promoted by a successful US tour and a five-night residency at Earl’s Court, London, and has since been viewed as one of the group’s strongest albums and the artistic peak of their career. The album has been reissued on CD several times, including an expansive 40th anniversary edition in 2015. Physical Graffiti was later certified 16x platinum in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2006, signifying shipments of over eight million copies.

1. “Custard Pie” 4:13
2. “The Rover” 5:36
3. “In My Time of Dying” 11:04
4. “Houses of the Holy” 4:01
5. “Trampled Under Foot” 5:35
6. “Kashmir” 8:37
7. “In the Light” 8:44
8. “Bron-Yr-Aur” 2:06
9. “Down by the Seaside” 5:14
10. “Ten Years Gone” 6:31
11. “Night Flight” 3:36
12. “The Wanton Song” 4:06
13. “Boogie with Stu” 3:51
14. “Black Country Woman” 4:24
15. “Sick Again” 4:43
16. “Brandy & Coke” (“Trampled Under Foot”) (Initial/Rough Mix) 5:38
17. “Sick Again” (Early Version) 2:20
18. “In My Time of Dying” (Initial/Rough Mix) 10:45
19. “Houses of the Holy” (Rough Mix with Overdubs) 3:51
20. “Everybody Makes It Through” (“In the Light”) (Early Version/In Transit) 6:29
21. “Boogie with Stu” (Sunset Sound Mix) 3:36
22. “Driving Through Kashmir” (“Kashmir”) (Rough Orchestra Mix) 8:33

John Bonham – drums, percussion
John Paul Jones – bass guitar, keyboards, mandolin, acoustic guitar, string and brass arrangements
Jimmy Page – electric, acoustic, lap steel and slide guitars, production
Robert Plant – lead vocals, harmonica
Ian Stewart – piano on “Boogie with Stu”

Friday 1/6/23 1am ET: Feature Live LP: Led Zeppelin – The Song Remains The Same (1976)

The Song Remains the Same is the live soundtrack album of the concert film of the same name by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. The soundtrack was recorded July 27–29, 1973 and released on September 28, 1976 on Swan Song Records. The recording of the album and the film took place during three nights of concerts at New York’s Madison Square Garden, during the band’s 1973 North American tour. All songs were recorded by Eddie Kramer using the Wally Heider Mobile Studio truck, and later mixed at Electric Lady Studios in New York and Trident Studios in London.

1. “Rock and Roll” 3:56
2. “Celebration Day” 3:37
3. “Black Dog” 3:46
4. “Over the Hills and Far Away” 6:11
5. “Misty Mountain Hop” 4:43
6. “Since I’ve Been Loving You” 8:23
7. “No Quarter” 10:38
8. “The Song Remains the Same” 5:39
9. “The Rain Song” 8:20
10. “The Ocean” 5:13
11. “Dazed and Confused” 29:18
12. “Stairway to Heaven” 10:53
13. “Moby Dick” 11:02
14. “Heartbreaker” 6:19
15. “Whole Lotta Love” 13:51

Robert Plant – vocals
Jimmy Page – guitars, Theremin
John Paul Jones – bass guitar, Fender Rhodes, Mellotron
John Bonham – drums, percussion, backing vocals

Friday 12/30/22 11pm ET: Feature LP: Led Zeppelin – Houses of The Holy (1973)

Houses of the Holy is the fifth studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. It was released on March 28, 1973 by Atlantic Records.

The album benefited from two band members installing studios at home, which allowed them to develop more sophisticated songs and arrangements and expand their musical style. Several songs subsequently became fixtures in the group’s live set, including “The Song Remains the Same”, “The Rain Song” and “No Quarter”. Other material recorded at the sessions, including the title track, was shelved and released on the later albums Physical Graffiti and Coda. All instruments and vocals were provided by the band members Robert Plant (vocals), Jimmy Page (guitar), John Paul Jones (bass, keyboards), and John Bonham (drums). The album was produced by Jimmy Page, and it was mixed by Eddie Kramer.

The cover was the first by the band to be designed by Hipgnosis and was based on a photograph taken at Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland.

Although critical response was mixed, Houses of the Holy became a commercial success later receiving a Diamond (over 10-million albums sold) certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 1999. In 2020, the album was ranked at number 278 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

1. “The Song Remains the Same” 5:32
2. “The Rain Song” 7:39
3. “Over the Hills and Far Away” 4:50
4. “The Crunge” 3:17
5. “Dancing Days” 3:43
6. “D’yer Mak’er” 4:23
7. “No Quarter” 7:00
8. “The Ocean” 4:31

Robert Plant – lead vocals
Jimmy Page – guitars, production
John Paul Jones – bass guitar, piano, electric piano, Mellotron, organ, synthesizer, synthesized bass, backing vocals on “The Ocean”
John Bonham – drums, backing vocals on “The Ocean”

Thursday 11/24/22 3pm ET: Feature LP: Led Zeppelin – Mothership (2007)

Mothership is a compilation album by English rock band Led Zeppelin, released by Atlantic Records and Rhino Entertainment on November 12, 2007 in the United Kingdom, and November 13, 2007 in the United States. It was released on the same day that Led Zeppelin’s entire catalogue became available in digital stores, including the iTunes Store. The cover was designed by artist Shepard Fairey.

The songs included were chosen by the surviving members of Led Zeppelin, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, and represent the band’s eight studio albums. In addition to a two-disc set, the album is also available in both “deluxe” and “collector’s” editions with a DVD featuring varied live content from the previously released Led Zeppelin DVD (2003). A 4-LP vinyl package was also released on August 28, 2008. On November 6, 2015, the album was reissued using the audio from the band’s 2014–15 remaster campaign.

1. “Good Times Bad Times” 2:48
2. “Communication Breakdown” 2:29
3. “Dazed and Confused” 6:28
4. “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” 6:42
5. “Whole Lotta Love” 5:33
6. “Ramble On” 4:28
7. “Heartbreaker” 4:16
8. “Immigrant Song” 2:27
9. “Since I’ve Been Loving You” 7:24
10. “Rock and Roll” 3:41
11. “Black Dog” 4:55
12. “When the Levee Breaks 7:10
13. “Stairway to Heaven” 8:02
14. “The Song Remains the Same” 5:32
15. “Over the Hills and Far Away” 4:49
16. “D’yer Mak’er” 4:24
17. “No Quarter” 7:00
18. “Trampled Under Foot” 5:36
19. “Houses of the Holy” 4:04
20. “Kashmir” 8:35
21. “Nobody’s Fault but Mine” 6:30
22. “Achilles Last Stand” 10:23
23. “In the Evening” 6:51
24. “All My Love” 5:54

John Bonham – drums, percussion
John Paul Jones – bass guitar, keyboards, mandolin, recorders
Jimmy Page – acoustic and electric guitars, production
Robert Plant – vocals, harmonica
Ian Stewart – piano on “Rock and Roll”

Monday 8/1/22 10pm ET: Feature LP: Led Zeppelin – III (1970)

Led Zeppelin III is the third studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released on October 5, 1970. It was recorded in three locations. Much of the work was done at Headley Grange, a country house, using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio. Additional sessions were held in more traditional recording studios, such as Island Studios and Olympic Studios in London. As with the prior album, the band eschewed the use of guest musicians, with all music performed by band members Robert Plant (vocals), Jimmy Page (guitars), John Paul Jones (bass, keyboards), and John Bonham (drums). The range of instruments played by the band was greatly enhanced on this album, with Jones especially emerging as a talented multi-instrumentalist, playing a wide range of keyboard and stringed instruments, including various synthesizers, mandolin and double bass, in addition to his usual bass guitar. As with prior albums, Page served as producer on the album, with mixing done by Andy Johns and Terry Manning.

The album showed a progression from straightforward rock towards folk and acoustic music. While hard rock influences were still present, such as on “Immigrant Song”, acoustic-based songs such as “Gallows Pole” and “That’s the Way” showed Led Zeppelin were capable of playing different styles successfully. The band wrote most of the material themselves, but as with prior records, included two songs that were re-interpretations of earlier works: “Gallows Pole”, based on a traditional English folk song, by way of American singer Fred Gerlach; and “Hats Off to (Roy) Harper”, a reworking of a blues song by Bukka White. The acoustic material developed from a songwriting session between Plant and Page at Bron-Yr-Aur cottage in Wales, which influenced the musical direction.

The album was one of the most anticipated of 1970, and its shipping date was held up by the intricate inner sleeve design based around a volvelle, with numerous images visible through holes in the outer cover. It was an immediate commercial success upon release and topped the UK and US charts. Although many critics were initially confused over the change in musical style and gave the album a mixed response, Led Zeppelin III has since been acknowledged as representing an important milestone in the band’s history and a turning point in their music.

1. “Immigrant Song” 2:26
2. “Friends” 3:55
3. “Celebration Day” 3:29
4. “Since I’ve Been Loving You” 7:25
5. “Out on the Tiles” 4:04
6. “Gallows Pole” 4:58
7. “Tangerine” 3:12
8. “That’s the Way” 5:38
9. “Bron-Y-Aur Stomp” 4:20
10. “Hats Off to (Roy) Harper” 3:41
11. “The Immigrant Song” (alternative mix) 2:25
12. “Friends” (backing track – no vocal) 3:43
13. “Celebration Day” (alternative mix) 3:18
14. “Since I’ve Been Loving You” (rough mix of first recording) 7:16
15. “Bathroom Sound” (“Out on the Tiles” backing track – no vocal) 4:00
16. “Gallows Pole” (rough mix) 5:17
17. “That’s the Way” (rough mix with dulcimer & backwards echo) 5:22
18. “Jennings Farm Blues” (“Bron-Y-Aur Stomp” rough mix of all guitar overdubs that day) 5:54
19. “Key to the Highway”/”Trouble in Mind” (rough mix) 4:05

John Bonham – drums, percussion
John Paul Jones – bass, Hammond organ, Moog synthesizer, mandolin, double bass in “Bron-Y-Aur Stomp”, string arrangement in “Friends”
Jimmy Page – guitars, pedal steel guitar, banjo, backing vocals in “Tangerine”, bass on “That’s the Way”, production
Robert Plant – vocals

Thursday 7/21/22 11pm ET: Feature LP: Led Zeppelin II (1969)

Led Zeppelin II is the second studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released on October 22, 1969 in the United States and on October 31, 1969 in the United Kingdom by Atlantic Records. Recording sessions for the album took place at several locations in both the United Kingdom and North America from January to August 1969. The album’s production was credited to the band’s lead guitarist and songwriter Jimmy Page, and it was also Led Zeppelin’s first album on which Eddie Kramer served as engineer.

The album exhibited the band’s evolving musical style of blues-derived material and their guitar riff-based sound. It has been described as the band’s heaviest album. Six of the nine songs were written by the band, while the other three were reinterpretations of Chicago blues songs by Willie Dixon and Howlin’ Wolf. One single, “Whole Lotta Love”, was released outside of the UK (the band would release no UK singles during their career), and peaked as a top-ten single in over a dozen markets around the world.

Led Zeppelin II was a commercial success, and was the band’s first album to reach number one on charts in the UK and the US. The album’s cover designer David Juniper was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Recording Package in 1970. On November 15, 1999, the album was certified 12× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales passing 12 million copies. Since its release, various writers and music critics have regularly cited Led Zeppelin II as one of the greatest and most influential albums of all time.

1. “Whole Lotta Love” 5:34
2. “What Is and What Should Never Be” 4:46
3. “The Lemon Song” 6:20
4. “Thank You” 4:50
5. “Heartbreaker” 4:14
6. “Living Loving Maid (She’s Just a Woman)” 2:39
7. “Ramble On” 4:34
8. “Moby Dick” 4:20
9. “Bring It On Home” 4:18

John Bonham – drums, backing vocals
John Paul Jones – bass guitar, organ, backing vocals
Jimmy Page – guitars, theremin, backing vocals
Robert Plant – lead vocals, harmonica

Thursday 6/16/22 10pm ET: Feature LP: Led Zeppelin – Houses of The Holy (1973)

Houses of the Holy is the fifth studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. It was released on March 28, 1973 by Atlantic Records.

The album benefited from two band members installing studios at home, which allowed them to develop more sophisticated songs and arrangements and expand their musical style. Several songs subsequently became fixtures in the group’s live set, including “The Song Remains the Same”, “The Rain Song” and “No Quarter”. Other material recorded at the sessions, including the title track, was shelved and released on the later albums Physical Graffiti and Coda. All instruments and vocals were provided by the band members Robert Plant (vocals), Jimmy Page (guitar), John Paul Jones (bass, keyboards), and John Bonham (drums). The album was produced by Jimmy Page, and it was mixed by Eddie Kramer.

The cover was the first by the band to be designed by Hipgnosis and was based on a photograph taken at Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland.

Although critical response was mixed, Houses of the Holy became a commercial success later receiving a Diamond (over 10-million albums sold) certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 1999. In 2020, the album was ranked at number 278 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

1. “The Song Remains the Same” 5:32
2. “The Rain Song” 7:39
3. “Over the Hills and Far Away” 4:50
4. “The Crunge” 3:17
5. “Dancing Days” 3:43
6. “D’yer Mak’er” 4:23
7. “No Quarter” 7:00
8. “The Ocean” 4:31

Robert Plant – lead vocals
Jimmy Page – guitars, production
John Paul Jones – bass guitar, piano, electric piano, Mellotron, organ, synthesizer, synthesized bass, backing vocals on “The Ocean”
John Bonham – drums, backing vocals on “The Ocean”

Sunday 5/22/22 1pm ET: Feature LP: Led Zeppelin (1969)

Led Zeppelin is the self-titled debut studio album by English rock band Led Zeppelin. It was released on January 12, 1969 in the United States and on March 31 in the United Kingdom by Atlantic Records.

The album was recorded in September and October 1968 at Olympic Studios in London, shortly after the band’s formation. It contains a mix of original material worked out in the first rehearsals, and remakes and rearrangements of contemporary blues and folk songs. The sessions took place before the group had secured a recording contract and totalled 36 hours; they were paid for directly by Jimmy Page, the group’s founder, leader and guitarist, and Led Zeppelin’s manager Peter Grant and cost £1,782 (equivalent to £29,986 in 2020) to complete. They were produced by Page, who as a musician was joined by band members Robert Plant (lead vocals, harmonica), John Paul Jones (bass, keyboards), and John Bonham (drums). Percussionist Viram Jasani appears as a guest on one track. The tracks were mixed by Page’s childhood friend Glyn Johns, and the iconic album cover showing the Hindenburg disaster was designed by George Hardie.

Led Zeppelin showed the group’s fusion of blues and rock, and their take on the emerging hard rock sound was immediately commercially successful in both the UK and US, reaching the top 10 on album charts in both countries, as well as several others, while it reached number one in Spain’s albums chart. Many of the songs were longer and not well suited to be released as singles for radio airplay; Page was reluctant to release “singles”, so only “Good Times Bad Times”, backed with “Communication Breakdown”, was released outside of the UK. However, due to exposure on album-oriented rock radio stations, and growth in popularity of the band, many of the album’s songs have become classic rock radio staples.

1. “Good Times Bad Times” 2:43
2. “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” 6:40
3. “You Shook Me” 6:30
4. “Dazed and Confused” 6:27
5. “Your Time Is Gonna Come” 4:41
6. “Black Mountain Side” 2:06
7. “Communication Breakdown” 2:26
8. “I Can’t Quit You Baby” 4:42
9. “How Many More Times” 8:28

Robert Plant – lead vocal, harmonica
Jimmy Page – electric, acoustic and pedal steel guitars, backing vocal, production
John Paul Jones – bass, organ, backing vocal
John Bonham – drums, timpani, backing vocal
Viram Jasani – tabla on “Black Mountain Side”

Friday 3/4/22 10pm ET: Feature LP: Led Zeppelin – In Through The Out Door (1979)

In Through the Out Door is the eighth and final studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. It was recorded in three weeks in November and December 1978 at ABBA’s Polar Studios in Stockholm, Sweden, and released by Swan Song Records on August 15, 1979. It was the last album released before drummer John Bonham died in 1980, leading the group to disband.

The album was a huge commercial success, particularly in the United States where it reached the No. 1 slot on Billboard’s chart in just its second week on the chart. It hit No. 1 in the UK, Canada and New Zealand, and the Top 10 or 15 in several other countries. In Through the Out Door was the band’s final studio release to reach the top of the charts in America.

A remastered version of In Through the Out Door, along with Presence and Coda were reissued on July 31, 2015. The reissue comes in six formats: a standard CD edition, a deluxe two-CD edition, a standard LP version, a deluxe two-LP version, a super deluxe two-CD plus two-LP version with a hardback book, and as high resolution 24-bit/96k digital downloads. The deluxe and super deluxe editions feature bonus material containing alternative takes and alternatively titled tracks, “Southbound Piano”, “The Epic”, “The Hook”, and “Blot”. The reissue was released with a black and white version of the original album’s artwork as its bonus disc’s cover. A replica of the brown bag and the colorable line drawing are included in this edition.

The reissue was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 73, based on eight reviews. Q magazine said “it’s aged remarkably well and ‘All My Love’ is breathtakingly beautiful”, while Tim Batcup from Classic Rock observed in the bonus material “a scruffier, rambunctious ‘Hot Dog’ and a sparser ‘In the Evening’, the drone intro truncated and Jones’s synths high in the mix”.[36] PopMatters reviewer Andrew Doscas was more critical, especially of the bonus disc: “While In Through the Out Door does have some merit, it’s cruel of Led Zeppelin to think that anyone, even a dedicated fan, could muster the strength to listen to the album twice in a row.”

1. “In the Evening” 6:48
2. “South Bound Saurez” 4:11
3. “Fool in the Rain” 6:08
4. “Hot Dog” 3:15
5. “Carouselambra” 10:28
6. “All My Love” 5:51
7. “I’m Gonna Crawl” 5:28
8. “In the Evening” (Rough mix) 6:53
9. “Southbound Piano” (“South Bound Saurez”) (Rough mix) 4:15
10. “Fool in the Rain” (Rough mix) 6:08
11. “Hot Dog” (Rough mix) 3:16
12. “The Epic” (“Carouselambra”) (Rough mix) 10:48
13. “The Hook” (“All My Love”) (Rough mix) 5:51
14. “Blot” (“I’m Gonna Crawl”) (Rough mix) 5:33

John Bonham – drums, percussion
John Paul Jones – bass guitar, keyboards
Jimmy Page – guitars, gizmotron, production
Robert Plant – lead vocals

Tuesday 1/18/22 1pm ET: RadioMaxMusic Special: The Music of 1973 A to Z – Part 16

This RadioMax extended special features our Library of music from 1973 A2Z.

We continue our travels into T.

1pm to 6pm ET

Monday 1/17/22 1pm ET: RadioMaxMusic Special: The Music of 1973 A to Z – Part 15

This RadioMax extended special features our Library of music from 1973 A2Z.

We complete letter S and begin our travels into T.

1pm to 4pm ET

Friday 1/14/22 1pm ET: RadioMaxMusic Special: The Music of 1973 A to Z – Part 14

This RadioMax extended special features our Library of music from 1973 A2Z.

We continue with the letter S.

1pm to 4pm ET

Thursday 1/13/22 2pm ET: RadioMaxMusic Special: The Music of 1973 A to Z – Part 13

This RadioMax extended special features our Library of music from 1973 A2Z.

We continue with the completion of letter R and start with S into T.

2pm to 6pm ET

Wednesday 1/12/22 12pm ET: RadioMaxMusic Special: The Music of 1973 A to Z – Part 12

This RadioMax extended special features our Library of music from 1973 A2Z.

We continue with the completion of letter N and start with O into R and feature music from: Hurricane Smith, Shocking Blue, Rod Stewart, Spinners, America, Three Dog Night, Eagles, Jackson Browne, Led Zeppelin, Ringo Starr, Jim Croce, Lighthouse, Clarence Carter, Allman Brothers Band and many more.

12pm to 6pm ET

Monday 1/10/22 7pm ET: History of Rock and Roll Hour 29