Led Zeppelin: The Biography
Product ID: 305973877
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“In this authoritative, unsparing history of the biggest rock group of the 1970s, Spitz delivers inside details and analysis with his well-known gift for storytelling.” — PEOPLE From the author of the iconic, bestselling history of The Beatles, the definitive account of arguably the greatest rock band of all time. Rock star. Whatever that term means to you, chances are it owes a debt to Led Zeppelin. No one before or since has lived the dream quite like Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham. In Led Zeppelin , Bob Spitz takes their full measure, separating myth from reality with his trademark connoisseurship and storytelling flair. From the opening notes of their first album, the band announced itself as something different, a collision of grand artistic ambition and brute primal force, of English folk music and African American blues. Spitz’s account of their artistic journey, amid the fascinating ecosystem of popular music, is irresistible. But the music is only part of the legend: Led Zeppelin is also the story of how the sixties became the seventies, of how innocence became decadence, of how rock took over. Led Zeppelin wasn’t the first band to let loose on the road, but as with everything else, they took it to an entirely new level. Not all the legends are true, but in Spitz’s careful accounting, what is true is astonishing and sometimes disturbing. Led Zeppelin gave no quarter, and neither has Bob Spitz. Led Zeppelin is the long-awaited full reckoning the band richly deserves. Review: Great book - Awesome read, any led zeppelin fan would enjoy the book Review: A tale of excess and rock n roll - 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!
C**H
Great book
Awesome read, any led zeppelin fan would enjoy the book
D**H
A tale of excess and rock n roll
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!
A**D
The rise and fall of the world’s greatest rock band
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.
C**R
He knows where all the bodies are buried
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!
H**N
Great read.
Great read if you love Zep!
K**R
The Biography
Very thorough. It ended too short. I thought it would cover more of the post led Zeppelin career. Still the best LZ biography yet.
J**E
Comprehensive and detailed
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.
A**R
Everything you wanted to know about Led Zeppelin
Amazing story! A must for Zep fans.
J**M
Led Zeppelin: The biography
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.
D**.
Tanto per completare la collezione....
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
C**E
En lysande biografi.
En lysande biografi över ett av världens bästa band. Allt man kan tänkas behöva veta om Zeppelin.
D**G
This is a story of the greatest Rock band...ever.
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.
C**5
Fan Buch
Ich habe es verschenkt! Keine negative Rückmeldung bekommen.
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