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Showing reviews 1-5 of 27
 Hmmmmmm July 24, 2010
N. DAVIES (Manchester, England)
Another bio of Led Zeppelin has a mountain to climb to add any significant value to the already massive volume of material on undoubtedly the greatest rock band of all time, and Mick Wall doesn't climb that mountain here. It's an impossible feat because the author wasn't there so relies on the testimony of others to create this tome. The book is also flawed by the constantly antagonistic tone that pervades the material; the author always trying to find friction in relationships and adversity where there isn't necessarily any. For example, John Bonham is portrayed as referring to Jimmy Page as a "soft, bloody Southerner" when there is nothing in the history of Led Zeppelin to suggest he had such an opinion. Another: Jeff Back is criticised by the author for "not being able to write a tune to save his life" which is like complaining that Leonardo da Vinci couldn't plumb a bathroom - neither were their vocations.
The most egregious failing though is the italicised pieces where the author invents viewpoints, incidents and dialogue. Although he has a disclaimer at the front of the book acknowledging that these passages are mereley a "product of my imagination" they have no credible place atall in a book that claims to be a factual biography of the band. As these passages are characterised by needless profanity and abuse they are a dismal addition that principally tarnishes the book.
Some interesting insights into the tracks, their origins and the latter days of the band and characters, but ultimately not a giant of a book in the Led Zeppelin canon.
Good, a bit IV Form, but no Ian MacDonald this.... May 24, 2010
Mikeonfreeserve (England)
What this book does convey is the absolutely massive impact Zeppelin achieved very early, and very quickly, in the US. I would have liked a few more personal insights and impressions from the author. There is very little for the muso and no indication other than the author just likes what hears. That's where Ian MacDonald, god bless him, excelled with Revolution in the Head.
But a very enjoyable read.
 The secretly authorised biography of Led Zeppelin May 11, 2010
J. A. Harvey (Lincolnshire, UK)
Nobody could say Jimmy Page had an obvious narcissistic streak could they? I mean he could have taken a leaf out of Jeff Beck's book and named The New Yardbirds after himself. But he was much too clever for that; had he done so he may have lost his own talented front man just like Beck would lose Rod Sterwart. But that doesn't mean Jimmy, like any Rock legend, didn't have an ego the size of China, and unlike other rock legends, an uncanny talent for controlling everything without drawing attention to the fact. This book is perhaps testimony to that ability.
Like the other well known Zep biography 'Hammer of the Gods' Wall's offering paints Page as a flawed genius with the charismatic charm of a Dickens character (it doesn't dwell on the flaws to quite the same extent 'Hammer' did). Also like the original Zep biog, Robert Plant is depicted as a talented but oafish midlander, initially awestruck by the bright lights of fame; Bonzo is seen as the greatest of skinsmen but a brutish drunk with a soft heart when sober, and John Paul Jones is no more than chopped liver. I would have liked a more insightful examination.
Strange that the Plant/Page chemistry (or alchemy if you prefer) is not contemplated to any great extent in either book because these two colossal talents contributed equally to the most briillianty synegetic partnership in rock history. Robert Plant was to Zeppelin what Jagger was to The Rolling Stones or Strummer was to The Clash, but unlike Plant, the Jaggers and Strummers of the rock world wrestled control of their respective bands away from their founders. Robert's astonishing voice and charismatic presence would influence generations of rock singers, his look adopted by established front men like Roger Daltry, and cloned by an army of David Coverdales, yet Jimmy's control of the band throughout its twelve year history was never questioned.
There isn't really much in this book that 'Hammer of the Gods' didn't have, but if like me you're a hopeless Zep nutter, it's still necessary reading. The first half is great, I enjoyed the first person italics as a vehicle for telling each band member's story individually, even though it eventually becomes tiresome. On the downside, halway through Wall suddenly dedicates a whole chapter to Aleister Crowley, even endorsing some of his views. A few pages would have been fine for those curious about Jimmy's interest in Crowley and the occult, but after the first twenty I thought I was reading a different book to the one I'd started. But more significantly, I sensed the subtle influence of Page, and I suspected that an 'arrangement' had been struck betwixt him and the writer. Of course Page would never admit it, and he must have baulked at aspects of the book; but the truth is, it isn't cool to authorise a rock biography, even though rock stars want them out there, so they are forced into clandestine semi-deals with talented rock writers.
The book is predictably well written and manages to pack in all the juice without burdening the reader with so much detail it becomes a choir, like 'Shakey' Jimmy Mcullock's overly insightfull authorised biography of Neil Young; or leaving the reader wanting more like Joe Jackson's brilliant and charming autobiography of life before success 'A Cure for Gravity'. Whether or not you've read 'Hammer of the Gods', you should read this, it is marginally better, slightly less bitchy, but it must be said, dissapointingly similar.
Hammer of the who? April 21, 2010
Charlie Seisay-heald (Stockport, England.)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Forget about Hammer Of The Gods, this is the only Zeppelin biography worthy of the title. Lucidly yet playfully written, excellently sourced and uniquely formatted, this book offers first hand accounts of the formation, ascent, shenanigans and turmoil of Led Zeppelin, through the good times and bad times. A heartbreaker in places, this read is a thriller sure to leave you trampled under foot.
Led Zeppelin - In The Light March 19, 2010
Simon F. (Hertfordshire, England)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Out of the three Zeppelin biographies that I have read, this is by far the best. Diligently researched, and well written it keeps you wanting to return to the albums (always a sign of a good music book) with each record being examined in great detail, which led to me purchasing Moby Grape's "Grape Jam" (1967) [[ASIN:B000UVPJS2 Grape Jam] album after discovering that the roots to Zep's "Since I've Been Loving You" lay with Grape.
I also enjoyed the somewhat controversial `flashback' sequences. They add to the story, but without interrupting the flow, and also saves the reader from having to plough through acres of pre-Zep history at the beginning. Using this method, Wall is able to bring the five (LZ plus manager Peter Grant) protagonists together very quickly and thus get on with the main story. His research on Jimmy Page's fascination with the occult and Aleister Crowley is also excellent, devoting as he does an entire chapter to this subject. This is important stuff in understanding the band from "Led Zeppelin IV" (1971) onwards, and I've never come across such in-depth knowledge of Crowley in a Zeppelin book before.
Another standout section is Wall's revelations about the 1979 Knebworth gigs. Far from being the triumphs that they are made out to be, Wall reveals the horrendous mess and disasters that dogged these two concerts from the start. Led Zeppelin should of got the message there - you're time is up!
Unfortunately things do unravel slightly in the final two chapters; Wall seems obsessed with the idea of a Led Zeppelin reunion almost to the extent of everything else, and the various 80's, 90's and 00's album releases are dealt with in a rather offhand manner.
There is no explanation about why the "Remasters" (1990) Led Zeppelin Box Set Vol.1 box set had to happen, and apart from one brief mention early on, the highly acclaimed "BBC Sessions" (1997) BBC Sessions album is ignored altogether!
Even the excellent double DVD (2003) [[ASIN:B00008PX8P Led Zeppelin: DVD (2DVD) [2003] is given short shrift; very strange since Wall penned the liner notes for this set.
Finally whilst Robert Plant's award of the CBE in 2008 for services to music is covered, there is no mention of Jimmy Page's OBE in 2005 for his long time charity work helping to improve the lives of Brazil's impoverished street children. I know that Page likes to keep this work out of the media spotlight, but it does seem extraordinary to not mention it at all.
Despite these few errors this book remains well worth perusing.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 27
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