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List Price: $29.95 | | Publisher: Backbeat Books
Salesrank: 71513
Released: June 15, 2002 |
| Our Price: $17.49 |
| Used Price: $14.41 |
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| Media: Paperback |
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Editorial Review:
Led Zeppelin was the biggest band of the 1970s and a key contributor to the history of rock. Though the group disbanded after the 1980 death of drummer John Bonham, its stature among fans and its influence on musicians has continued to grow. Despite the band's prominence, no book has fully explored this beloved band’s incredible musical legacy — until now. Led Zeppelin is a detailed and insightful look at the how, where, and why of Led Zeppelin’s greatness. The band is examined within the historical context of the 1960s and '70s. Also examined are the musical and cultural events during all stages of each member's career, providing fascinating details about how the band created its revolutionary music.
Led Zeppelin: 1968-1980 (Book) Reviews:
Four Sticks (Stars) 
2008-10-29 - There are many Led Zeppelin biographies out there, some good and some downright awful, but this one by Keith Shadwick is easily the most heavily researched and journalistic. Shadwick largely avoids the sordid tales of touring exploits and personal lives that populate many inferior Zep biographies, and focuses on the musical and business sides of the band. Even fans who have read most of the other biographies will pick up many new details here. Shadwick digs up long-lost period interviews (including invaluable tidbits from the historically under-quoted John Paul Jones and John Bonham), and finds some useful source material on the operations of Swan Song Records and everything that went wrong creatively and businesswise with the film "The Song Remains the Same."
Here the studious Zep fan will find a great deal of insight on what matters most now - the music, not to mention a great many photos that you may not have seen before (although the designers should have used a much better pic for the cover). But despite its great insight and attention to detail, this book suffers from some important structural weaknesses. One technical problem is that Shadwick relies way too much on discredited tour manager Richard Cole as a source for happenings on the road, even while mostly avoiding Cole's well-known weakness for distorted tales of drunkenness and debauchery. See a plethora of latter-day interviews by Page, Plant, and Jones for their opinions on the usefulness of Cole's memories.
But the biggest underlying problem here is Shadwick's musical snobbery. While he usually analyzes the songs from a useful technical standpoint, other reviewers are justified in questioning whether Shadwick is really a sincere Zep fan or if he is just a frustrated jazzbo trying to show off his technical knowledge. Especially annoying examples include "Friends" and "Black Dog" - first praised by Shadwick as unappreciated masterpieces (true) before complaints about how the band screwed up those songs' conclusions. He even says that "Stairway to Heaven" could have been even more glorious if the band had only done the conclusion slightly differently. Shadwick also shoots down fan favorites like "Thank You" and "All My Love" for being heartfelt and simplistic, and fully dismisses other unique and intriguing tracks like "Four Sticks" and "Carouselambra" for not displaying his own sense of musicianly chops.
Despite these flaws, the faithful and knowledgeable Zep fan will appreciate the strong research focus of this book but is likely to become disillusioned when Shadwick whips out his often condescending opinions about the songs, which is frustrating because he mostly keeps his opinions to himself otherwise. Regardless, this biography is at or near the top of the heap for useful info on Led Zep's business and musical sides. For a less overwhelming treatment of those same topics, I also recommend the out-of-print "Led Zeppelin: Heaven and Hell" by Charles Cross. [~doomsdayer520~]
The guy doesn't like the band 
2008-09-03 - With all due respect to the late author, you get the sense that he wrote this book to settle some kind of score. He was in his 20s in the 1970s playing sax in a jazz-rock group you've never heard of, probably cursing Led Zeppelin's success. His constant belittling of the band's work comes off as petty, gratuitous, and bizarre. He really doesn't like the band at all. Why write such a thoroughly researched, seemingly definitive book on a band you disdain? Ultimately, the book's tone of dispassionate history belies a very condescending review, bordering on a cool hatchet job of the group's work that just isn't fitting of the band's standing.
Oh my gosh..... 
2008-02-02 - I love Led Zeppelin, but not this much.
The effort and studious detail is immense, but it was like reading a book about Gettysburg where every platoon, scout, and man was detailed to the privy level.
To be fair if you are a musician this book might make more sense. Alot of the detail had to do with music at a level I don't understand. My love of Zeppelin is visceral, so alot of this is lost on me.
If you are looking for a book that details the musical side of this band, this is the book for you.
The best book on Led Zeppelin currently available
2007-12-30 - Balanced, informative. Told me a lot I did not know, and after following Led Zep from their first album, I already knew a good deal about the band. If you are interested in the seedier, sensational side of things, get "Hammer of the Gods but if you want a balanced account, this is the book IMHO. It does not shy away from the negative stuff, far from it, it just doesn't dwell there.
Rick
excellent history of the band
2007-12-21 - This is an excellent history of the band. Not only is it well written but it also goes into extensive details "behind the music." It is well sourced, stays away from the "shock" stories, and gives excellent information on what the band was feeling as the albums were created. excellent.
