Led Zeppelin IV

by Barney Hoskyns

Led Zeppelin IV, often called heavy metal's greatest album, kicks off an exciting new series that takes a fresh, in-depth look at some of the greatest works from the most influential artists of the rock era. Fans may know the songs, but wait until they hear the stories behind them!

The music contained in Led Zeppelin IV is part of the soundtrack to a generation. Released in 1971, it rocks, stomps, glides, and shimmers as it covers all the bases the band had mastered: heavy blues, barroom rock and roll, mandolin-driven folk, epic Tolkien-infused mysticism, acoustic Americana, and more. Certified gold one week after its release, the album went to #2 on the U.S. charts and #1 in the U.K. It remained on U.S. charts for 259 weeks.

There probably isn't an aspiring rock guitarist anywhere who hasn't plucked out the notes and chords to "Stairway to Heaven" or "Black Dog," and yet many music lovers are unaware of the intriguing backstory to this genre-defining work.

To this day there is confusion about what is the actual title of the album. And what about those mysterious symbols? Barney Hoskyns pierces those veils and more as he tells the fascinating story of the evocative set that cemented Led Zeppelin's standing as the biggest, baddest, loudest band in the world—and that remains today the apex of their art.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Biography

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Simon Sweetman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A perfectly fine little account of Led Zep’s biggest album. Barney does a good job of backgrounding, and his analysis of the music is fine enough too.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

As much overall light biography of the band as a detailed production history of the fourth album. While there are some odd errors in the text (the VCS3 synthesizer is referred to as a VCR synth at one point, and there are other errors that look like auto-correct amusements) the book overall is a quick, interestiung read, tending very much towards an unsentimental view of the band. For me it serves very well to inspire me to break out the records again, and give them a detailed listening.

[Steve Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another solid offering from Barney Hoskyns. This is far more concise than most of his other work, but then again, the subject is much more concentrated. Mr. Hoskyns provides a brief biological sketch of the band before and after their fourth album. It is on the fourth record where he takes a deeper dive into to the conception and creation of Led Zeppelin IV. Lots of good information for the true music geek who likes to know how the sausage gets made.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to expect from this one, but it was a pretty good read. Given the size and length, this is basically a 33 1/3 book without actually being in the series. Not a bad thing. While I can't say there were any real revelations for me, I thought this did a good job of placing ZOSO in the overall context of Zep's career and the album's overall impact.

[MikeBy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite interesting, although nothing particularly eye-opening. It's a short, quick read, but doesn't really offer any insights as to the "meaning" of the songs, artwork, or anything, except to say that the meanings that the religious nutcases find are not really there, according to the artists. Unless you are a real Led Zep fanatic I think just listening to the album would be more fun.

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short read probably meant for more of a guitar/producer as there was a lot of reference to the technical aspect of achieving the LZ sound. Did afford a little glimpse into the group dynamic of coming together as a group, finding their stride and the process they went thru to produce their first 3 albums. And being a fan certainly enjoyed a glimpse back in the day.

[Jason Koivu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice examination of the band with a focus on their fourth album.

[Marcie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a synopsis of Led Zeppelin. It is well crafted and a quick interesting read. I did not know about how the albums came together and the feeling behind their making. I have a better sense of the process now and a deeper appreciation for the spirit behind it.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book on Led Zeppelin's fourth album, often referred to as "Zoso". I really liked reading about Page's production techniques.

[Karl Øen · Rating 3 out of 5]

An alltogether allright read, but I found it inferior to Andy Fyfe's 'When The Levee Breaks', which covers the same ground, but in greater depth.

[Jacqueline McNulty R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Libro prestado ... de uno de mis grupos musicales favoritos , historias secretas del magnífico álbum...