One of the world's greatest rock bands, Led Zeppelin was the product of inspiration from many sources and collaborations, and in their turn they influenced countless others. This useful book for Zeppelin fans goes through the story of what they were listening to, who they were talking to, and how they managed their phenomenal public success. From 1968, when they rose from the ashes of the Yardbirds, to 1980 when the death of drummer John Bonham brought down the curtain on the band, they established themselves at the pinnacle of rock perfection. Led Zeppelin moved away from the time-honoured method of breaking into the mainstream with a hit single, even though their American label did issue singles from their albums. In 1968 the Beatles' "Sergeant Pepper" had opened up the future of the LP. The Who were working on "Tommy", while Cream's "Wheels of Fire" was a brilliant album that stood uneasily between sharp, tight rock songs and sprawling jams. The Kinks, Byrds, and Jefferson Airplane were already part of the scene, the Blues explosion at the end of the 60s was about to happen, songwriter Graham Gouldman was penning hits like "Heartful of Soul", and Hendrix, Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page were the succeeding era's great guitarists, with the last three originating from the Yardbirds. Like Bowie, Ferry and Lennon, Led Zeppelin soon left behind their audience's expectations and played only for themselves. Their rendering of "Shakin' All Over", the 1960 no.1 for Johnny Kidd and the Pirates, was a natural for Plant's voice, with echoes of Cliff Richard on the same album. This book is a goldmine of recommendations, and also covers the reunion of Page and Plant in 1994. 188pp, paperback, photos.
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