Led Zeppelin: The Biography

Awesome read, any led zeppelin fan would enjoy the book

Bob Spitz has done a commendable job of capturing the story of one of the greatest Rock and Roll Bands that ever existed: Led Zepplin. Four men from England, took the blues and injected their own brand of electric mayhem into the mix, and rocked the world. I can recall being fascinated by the cover of Physical Graffiti when I saw it in the record store. It's not like now when thousands of reviews are available through the internet. No, back then there were a few reliable sources that published reviews, most notably Creem magazine, and you were lucky to have bought the latest issue off the newsstand. Otherwise, you paid your money and took your chances. I am happy to say that I still have the album on vinyl and that it still rocks just as hard as when I first played it. This book is thorough and covers the band from the beginning all the way to the tragic demise after the death of drummer John Bonham. An interesting insightful look at one of the major forces in music. Rock On!

After reading Bob Spitzer’s Beatles bio, I turned to this one. Led Zeppelin has always been one of my favorite bands and the bio was a testament to their greatness. We learn the backstory of the band, a brain child of guitar prodigy Jimmy Page who brought together three other uniquely talented musicians. The bio then swings back-and-forth between the making of their legendary albums and their equally legendary tours and concerts. We follow with fascination and disgust as this phenomenal quartet conquers the world, only to fall prey to all of the vices and clichés that characterize rock ‘n’ roll bands. They wallow in drugs, sex, alcohol, and pure unadulterated narcissism. We learn a great deal about band manager Peter Grant, a mafioso type figure who managed to keep the band together and on tour by assembling a cast of villains to support their drug habits and strong arm anybody who was in their way. The bio is terribly bloated with repetitive descriptions of overindulgence in cocaine, sex and ultraviolence. But in between these are marvelous passages illuminating the genius of the band as they cut album after album. Finally there is the inevitable break up after a long slide into the sewer of drug abuse and alcoholism ending with John Bonham’s untimely and sad death. Page also ends up a sad parody of himself unable to maintain the high standards of his guitar playing after many years of drug abuse. Meanwhile Robert Plant and John Paul Jones watch as the band descends and their partners struggle with their abusive behaviors. Plant especially comes out as a lyrical and vocal genius, while Jones is the musical genius behind the orchestration of some of the band’s best songs including Kashmir. He’s also the mastermind behind the most underrated album In through the out door, which in my opinion is far better than it is given credit for. While as bloated as the band itself, this bio is a worthy slog through the career of the best rock band ever.

Really a great read that explores the stories behind many of the myths and behind the scenes, shenanigans and teeth knashing and egos of the entire Zepplin history. Well worth it!

Great read if you love Zep!

Very thorough. It ended too short. I thought it would cover more of the post led Zeppelin career. Still the best LZ biography yet.

I honestly could not get through the entire book although it was well-written, seemingly well-researched, and included plenty of stories of their sometimes shocking behaviors. I tried twice, but finally gave up. I was a fan of theirs back in the day, but not THAT big of one so I think their really ardent fans will enjoy this book all the way through.

Amazing story! A must for Zep fans.

Bob Spitz is in a league by himself when it comes to his bios of legends. He is meticulous in presenting all the facts, good and bad, in an entertaining fashion. Well worth the read.

Notizie che non sapevo: zero ....notizie che non avevo letto in altri monografici: zero ....Tenevo tutto questo ma che fai non la compri l'ultima uscita sugli Zeppelin? Astenetevi se non avete mai letto nulla di loro e ne scegliete uno tra i tanti ...ci sono titoli (un paio) più illuminanti di sicuro

En lysande biografi över ett av världens bästa band. Allt man kan tänkas behöva veta om Zeppelin.

Great read, full of information, dealt with the myths and legends, only downside is the darkside wasn't addressed enough. That doesn't diminish the quality of the delivery though.

Ich habe es verschenkt! Keine negative Rückmeldung bekommen.