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Whole Lotta "Led Zeppelin": The Illustrated History of the Heaviest Rock Band of All Time (Hardback) - Common
This second edition of the history of rock's heaviest band gives you even more reasons to rock!
This all-star tribute features many of today's top rock journalists from Rolling Stone, CREEM, Billboard, and more, as well as reflections on the band from some of rock's greatest performers, including members of the Kinks, Aerosmith, Heart, Mott the Hoople, the Minutemen, the Hold Steady, and many more.
Glorious concert and behind-the-scenes photography cover the band from the first shows in 1968 as the New Yardbirds through today. More than 450 rare concert posters, backstage passes, tickets, LPs and singles, t-shirts, buttons, and more illustrate the book. A discography and tour itinerary complete the package, making a book as epic as the band it documents.
Created from the ashes of the Yardbirds by guitarist and session wizard Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin featured virtuoso bass player John Paul Jones, gonzo drummer John Bonham, and Robert Plant, a vocalist like no other before him. The band single-handedly defined what rock 'n' roll could be, leaving in their wake tales as tall or as real as we wanted them to be.
All of that, plus exclusive commentary from Ray Davies of the Kinks, Steve Earle, Kid Rock, Ace Frehley of Kiss, Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty, Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, Lenny Kravitz, Dolly Parton, and many more make this book one that no fan of Led Zeppelin will want to miss!
This all-star tribute features many of today's top rock journalists from Rolling Stone, CREEM, Billboard, and more, as well as reflections on the band from some of rock's greatest performers, including members of the Kinks, Aerosmith, Heart, Mott the Hoople, the Minutemen, the Hold Steady, and many more.
Glorious concert and behind-the-scenes photography cover the band from the first shows in 1968 as the New Yardbirds through today. More than 450 rare concert posters, backstage passes, tickets, LPs and singles, t-shirts, buttons, and more illustrate the book. A discography and tour itinerary complete the package, making a book as epic as the band it documents.
Created from the ashes of the Yardbirds by guitarist and session wizard Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin featured virtuoso bass player John Paul Jones, gonzo drummer John Bonham, and Robert Plant, a vocalist like no other before him. The band single-handedly defined what rock 'n' roll could be, leaving in their wake tales as tall or as real as we wanted them to be.
All of that, plus exclusive commentary from Ray Davies of the Kinks, Steve Earle, Kid Rock, Ace Frehley of Kiss, Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty, Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, Lenny Kravitz, Dolly Parton, and many more make this book one that no fan of Led Zeppelin will want to miss!
256 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2008
19 people are currently reading
350 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
December 6, 2013
This book contains quite a few errors (wrong years for tours/songs/albums, typos, etc.) and a surprising amount of material excerpted directly from discredited (by most serious Zeppelin fans, anyway) works by Stephen Davis and Richard Cole, and then includes a section about how Page and Plant have dismissed those accounts.
On the other hand, there are some interesting short quotes and a couple longer pieces with various musicians relating their feelings about Led Zeppelin, from Joe Perry of Aerosmith to Chester Bennington of the loathsome (to me anyway) Linkin Park and Tad Kubler of The Hold Steady. There is also a great essay from Charles Shaar Murray that I had not previously read (many of the other magazine excerpts were not new to me).
It's an 'Illustrated History' - so I suppose the main point of the book is the photos, which are nice, although most are fairly common if you have a few other Zep tomes.
On the other hand, there are some interesting short quotes and a couple longer pieces with various musicians relating their feelings about Led Zeppelin, from Joe Perry of Aerosmith to Chester Bennington of the loathsome (to me anyway) Linkin Park and Tad Kubler of The Hold Steady. There is also a great essay from Charles Shaar Murray that I had not previously read (many of the other magazine excerpts were not new to me).
It's an 'Illustrated History' - so I suppose the main point of the book is the photos, which are nice, although most are fairly common if you have a few other Zep tomes.
April 3, 2019
I give 2 1/2 stars. This review is for the Kindle first edition. I don't know if any changes were made, but I wouldn't think they would be very substantial.
At 49%, I finally gave up. This is not the type of book I was expecting; it's more a glorified scrapbook than anything else. It's a collage of quotes and full-length articles from previously published sources, all duly acknowledged. I'm positive that a lot of Zeppelin fans out there might have done something similar at home, or even better. It's informative in a very superficial way; in what I've read so far, I learned that John Paul Jones seemed like a very nice man; the band members got along well (which is unusual), and that Jimmy Page liked very young girls (ugh!). Oh and everything about Page's guitars - in yet another article - which didn't interest me in the least.
Apart a few pages, Jon Bream (whom I shall not refer to as the author, since he "authored" very little) also includes some of his own articles, again previously published. It makes for disjointed and uneven writing. With all the quotes taken from Hammer of the Gods by Stephen Davis, I should have picked up that book instead.
WHOLE LOTTA LED ZEPPELIN is slightly more interesting when it comes to the music and the recording process. Even though some books about bands and rock stars are poorly written, I had never come across one that was so uninteresting. It was a chore to read; I kept picking up other books, not wanting to continue with this one. I'm not quite sure how such an influential band could be written into such a dull book, but there you have it. I started the book in early January, read several other books in between, didn't touch it in March, and I figured I was done with it. At least, for now; maybe I'll try to finish it eventually. Hopefully, the second half is better, but somehow I doubt it.
At 49%, I finally gave up. This is not the type of book I was expecting; it's more a glorified scrapbook than anything else. It's a collage of quotes and full-length articles from previously published sources, all duly acknowledged. I'm positive that a lot of Zeppelin fans out there might have done something similar at home, or even better. It's informative in a very superficial way; in what I've read so far, I learned that John Paul Jones seemed like a very nice man; the band members got along well (which is unusual), and that Jimmy Page liked very young girls (ugh!). Oh and everything about Page's guitars - in yet another article - which didn't interest me in the least.
Apart a few pages, Jon Bream (whom I shall not refer to as the author, since he "authored" very little) also includes some of his own articles, again previously published. It makes for disjointed and uneven writing. With all the quotes taken from Hammer of the Gods by Stephen Davis, I should have picked up that book instead.
WHOLE LOTTA LED ZEPPELIN is slightly more interesting when it comes to the music and the recording process. Even though some books about bands and rock stars are poorly written, I had never come across one that was so uninteresting. It was a chore to read; I kept picking up other books, not wanting to continue with this one. I'm not quite sure how such an influential band could be written into such a dull book, but there you have it. I started the book in early January, read several other books in between, didn't touch it in March, and I figured I was done with it. At least, for now; maybe I'll try to finish it eventually. Hopefully, the second half is better, but somehow I doubt it.
February 18, 2014
I would give this a higher rating if all the text of the book hadn't been copied from every other biography & article published elsewhere. Nothing in this book was original to it, even most of the photos were reprints from elsewhere. However, these were the best quality images & tons of them. If a Zeppelin fan wanted to buy just one book that collated everything together, I'd recommend this one to replace all the others. But if a fan already owns the rest, this won't add anything new. That lack of originality is the main reason for the lower rating.
April 18, 2016
Great Photos! I learned more than I thought I ever knew about Zeppelin. It's fascinating to hear about their lives, and what they were going through during the 70's and 80's. Life was just different then, the world was different. Of course, I was fascinated by Robert Plant, he was Rock n' Roll! But, learning more about Jimmy Page, that was interesting, to say the least. Led Zeppelin definitely surpassed anyone of their time, and continue to be an influence on the business.
May 31, 2016
3 1/2 stars
Was hoping for more history of the band, rather than testimonials from other musicians.
It is also quite disingenuous to not mention all of Zeppelin's plagiarism. Their ripping off Whole Lotta Love is mentioned, but most of the lifted songs aren't mentioned until the Discography in the back of the book--and even then, the Dazed and Confused steal isn't talked about at all. You can read all about that here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dazed_a...
Was hoping for more history of the band, rather than testimonials from other musicians.
It is also quite disingenuous to not mention all of Zeppelin's plagiarism. Their ripping off Whole Lotta Love is mentioned, but most of the lifted songs aren't mentioned until the Discography in the back of the book--and even then, the Dazed and Confused steal isn't talked about at all. You can read all about that here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dazed_a...
August 15, 2013
Led Zeppelin and I go way back so what can I say about this book? I really enjoyed the pictures, can't have enough pictures, and read some of the summaries about the members of the group and the albums they produced and concert tours.
October 6, 2009
Definitely just for fans of the band. I enjoyed reading the reviews of their albums, and about the band's tour exploits. It made "This is Spinal Tap" seem all the more brilliant in retrospect.
January 22, 2018
Complemento perfecto de “El martillo de los dioses” la biografía no autorizada. Es un libro de gran formato, visualmente espectacular, en pasta dura, papel fotográfico plagado de fotos de conciertos con sus respectivas entradas y posters, portadas alternativas, fechas de conciertos (todas), camisetas, pases de backstage, entrevistas, comentarios de otros músicos, críticas de sus discos, crónicas de conciertos de la época… absolutamente todo, una edición épica y ahora mismo a un precio escandaloso, ¡seis euros en la casa del libro! Una rebaja del 80%.
Die-hard fans de Led Zeppelin: comprad o morid.
Die-hard fans de Led Zeppelin: comprad o morid.
September 30, 2025
This book concludes the “double shot” of Led Zeppelin books for the month. A coffee table book with various pictures, posters, backstage passes, etc. with short articles written by various music journalists and famous musicians who all to varying degrees pay homage to the band. A cool collection for sure, but this kind of thing is really for super fans only.
April 19, 2019
Molto bello e ricco di immagini
January 30, 2010
This book is truly great! For anyone interested in a band that really made its own rules while creating some timeless and never equaled rock music, this large book will satisfy you on many levels.
This is a comprehensive, lavishly illustrated history with all the bases covered; tour diaries and dates, memorabilia shots, complete reviews of their recordings by various writers, interviews, timelines, recollections and fascinating stories. The band members certainly have their say through various excerpted interviews as well.
The picture of Jimmy Page ordering at a Howard Johnson’s restaurant circa ‘68 is priceless alone, but this book also filled in many gaps in my Zep knowledge, including manager Peter Grant’s involvement in many incidents, the source of their early bluesy material, and how their music continued to evolve up through 1980. It also includes a close look at their film The Song Remains the Same and covers their 2007 London reunion performance with Jason Bonham on drums as well as an extensive discography.
I can remember when an older brother put headphones on me around 1973 and boggled my mind with the solo from “Heartbreaker” when I was about 10 years old. While we can’t go back in time this book will take you through the years with many excellent guest writers and critics, sound engineers and fellow musicians who share personal recollections. Like the band and their career, an enthralling tour de force!
This is a comprehensive, lavishly illustrated history with all the bases covered; tour diaries and dates, memorabilia shots, complete reviews of their recordings by various writers, interviews, timelines, recollections and fascinating stories. The band members certainly have their say through various excerpted interviews as well.
The picture of Jimmy Page ordering at a Howard Johnson’s restaurant circa ‘68 is priceless alone, but this book also filled in many gaps in my Zep knowledge, including manager Peter Grant’s involvement in many incidents, the source of their early bluesy material, and how their music continued to evolve up through 1980. It also includes a close look at their film The Song Remains the Same and covers their 2007 London reunion performance with Jason Bonham on drums as well as an extensive discography.
I can remember when an older brother put headphones on me around 1973 and boggled my mind with the solo from “Heartbreaker” when I was about 10 years old. While we can’t go back in time this book will take you through the years with many excellent guest writers and critics, sound engineers and fellow musicians who share personal recollections. Like the band and their career, an enthralling tour de force!
December 18, 2012
Lots of good pictures but if you are already a big fan of Zeppelin I don't think you're going to find much new information. The best for me were the pictures of the Plant and Page today and where they are at now. Ideally they would be holding a Zeppelin reunion tour but.......... we can always hope.
Lots of interviews both with band members and critics alike but again if you've been a follower of Zep you've probably read this stuff before. It does make a good blast from the past though and overall the book is worth taking the time to read.
Lots of interviews both with band members and critics alike but again if you've been a follower of Zep you've probably read this stuff before. It does make a good blast from the past though and overall the book is worth taking the time to read.
May 6, 2019
Visuaalisesti upea kirja huikeasta bändistä. Paljon hienoja kuvia soittajista ja oheissälästä. Teksteissä ei paljon mitään uutta tullut, kirja kun on enimmäkseen koottu muista Zeppelinistä kertovista opuksisa. Mutta silti... pidin tosi paljon.
May 3, 2012
i love this book because the pictures during the years of lead zeppelin is great. they show tickets and concerts during the years and also they have stories about them. its great book to have for any zeppelin fan.
February 28, 2013
Big coffee table book about Led Zep--lots of great photos and memorabilia. Much of the text can be found in other books, such as Stephen Davis' or Richard Cole's. But any LZ fan will want this for their collection.
May 9, 2009
http://greenmanreview.com/book/book_b...
My review of this one at Green Man Review.
My review of this one at Green Man Review.
September 10, 2012
An amazingly illustrated book on the band. Lots of great photographs, though nothing much new as far as information goes. A welcome addition to the libraries of all Zeppelin fans.
January 8, 2014
Essential reading for all Led Zeppelin fans. Features rare photos and interviews with the band. I highly recommend it!
April 23, 2015
Fascinating, of course.
November 3, 2015
I hope to win, read it and enjoy the story ... If I win, the review will be updated once I finish the book :)
January 14, 2016
Beautifully done...a must read for Zep fans.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews