April 26, 2019 - A Double Dose Of Physical Graffiti... or ...Cashmere In Kashmir

Hello and happy Friday rockers, rollers, and hop-lovers!  Your pal the Meista here starting off the weekend right with a pairing of the brilliant "Physical Graffiti" by giants of the hard rock / proto-metal world, Led Zeppelin and a Physical Graffiti Pale Ale from Fisher Brewing Company!! 


Album Info:

• Artist: Led Zeppelin
• Title: "Physical Graffiti"
• Recorded: November 1973 through July 1974 at Headley Grange in Hampshire, England (with previously unused material from 1970 through 1972)
• Release date: February 24th, 1975 (6th studio album by Led Zeppelin
• Record company: Swan Song Records
• Production: Jimmy Page
• Album cover art: Peter Corriston and Mike Doud
• Personnel: John Henry Bonham "Bonzo" (drums and percussion), John Paul Jones (bass, keyboards, Mellotron, mandolin, acoustic guitars, and string and brass arrangements), Jimmy Page (acoustic, electric, lap steel, and slide guitars), and Robert Plant (lead vocals and harmonica)
• Additional musician: Ian Stewart (piano on "Boogie With Stu")
• Musical style: Hard rock / heavy blues rock with elements of progressive rock and folk rock
• Sound: Their most ambitious album and quite possibly my favorite of the mighty Zep, with "Physical Graffiti", the band laid down a sonically massive and richly diverse album!  The band was already big, but this album launched them into super stardom partly because they gel so well as a band on the album.  Each member is firing on all cylinders!
• Major themes: Life, death, love, lust, sex, loss, the blues, isolation, the ancient world, spiritualty, mysticism, rock and roll, etc.
• Tracks:   

1. "Custard Pie"
2. "The Rover"
3. "In My Time Of Dying"
4. "Houses Of The Holy"
5. "Trampled Under Foot"
6. "Kashmir"
7. "In The Light"
8. "Bron-Yr-Aur"
9. "Down By The Seaside"
10. "Ten Years Gone"
11. "Night Flight"
12. "The Wanton Song"
13. "Boogie With Stu"
14. "Black Country Woman"
15. "Sick Again"

    Brew Info:

• Brewery: Fisher Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: http://fisherbeer.com/
• Brew: Physical Graffiti Pale Ale
• Style: American Pale Ale (APA)
• Serving: 32 ounce crowler can
• ABV: 4.0%
• Ingredients: Cashmere hops
• Pour: The Physical Graffiti pours a golden-orange with a 1-finger, eggshell white, creamy head with good retention and intricate, layered lacing.
• Nose: The nose is malty, earthy, grassy, citrusy, floral, and piney.  There are sweet aromas of caramel and doughy bread, earthy aromas of pine resin and cedar as well as herbs and wild flowers, citrusy aromas of lemon zest, grapefruit, lime, and tangerine, and summer grass.
• Taste: Lots of toasted malt, earthiness, and citrus in this taste of this one.  There are notes of grapefruit, orange, lime, tangerine, melon, pine, and more subtle notes of black tea, orange tea, and grassy hops.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is crisp,  with a dry, slightly bitter finish.

Overall pairing: Although I'm not sure any brew can truly do this album justice, the Physical Graffiti from Fisher Brewing Company with all it's complexity and balanced flavors, does a pretty fine job of accompanying the swinging grooves, heavy-duty punch, the multilayered depth, and the sheer brilliance of "Physical Graffiti"!  'Nuff said!

Cheers!!