What do you think?
Rate this book
LZ-'75: The Lost Chronicles of Led Zeppelin's 1975 American Tour
A revealing account of Led Zepplin's 1975 North American tour including all- new interviews with-and insider information about-the band, from the bestselling author of Hammer of the Gods .
As a young music journalist in 1975, Stephen Davis got the opportunity of a an invitation to cover the sold-out 1975 North American tour of Led Zeppelin, the biggest and most secretive rock band in the world, for a national magazine. He received a backstage pass, was granted interviews with band members, and even got a prized seat on the band's luxurious tour jet, The Starship. While on duty, he chronicled the Zeppelin tour in three notebooks, but after writing his article in 1975 he misplaced them. After three decades of searching, in 2005 he finally found the notebooks, on the covers of which he had scribbled the words "LZ-'75," and unearthed an amazing amount of new information from the tour
• Lost interviews with canny vocalist Robert Plant and the brilliant guitarist Jimmy Page
• Information on the rock icon who moonlighted as a heroin dealer
• Revelations about the identity of the lover about whom Robert Plant sings in "What Is and What Should Never Be" and "Black Country Woman"
• A detailed chronicle of each performance from a musical perspective, and a vivid account of the band members' extravagant, and often troubled, lives on tour
Tied together by Davis's entertaining narrative, and including more than forty never-before-published photographs, LZ-'75 is an unprecedented and comprehensive personal portrait of the greatest (and most notoriously press-shy) rock band in history at its apex.
Watch a Video
As a young music journalist in 1975, Stephen Davis got the opportunity of a an invitation to cover the sold-out 1975 North American tour of Led Zeppelin, the biggest and most secretive rock band in the world, for a national magazine. He received a backstage pass, was granted interviews with band members, and even got a prized seat on the band's luxurious tour jet, The Starship. While on duty, he chronicled the Zeppelin tour in three notebooks, but after writing his article in 1975 he misplaced them. After three decades of searching, in 2005 he finally found the notebooks, on the covers of which he had scribbled the words "LZ-'75," and unearthed an amazing amount of new information from the tour
• Lost interviews with canny vocalist Robert Plant and the brilliant guitarist Jimmy Page
• Information on the rock icon who moonlighted as a heroin dealer
• Revelations about the identity of the lover about whom Robert Plant sings in "What Is and What Should Never Be" and "Black Country Woman"
• A detailed chronicle of each performance from a musical perspective, and a vivid account of the band members' extravagant, and often troubled, lives on tour
Tied together by Davis's entertaining narrative, and including more than forty never-before-published photographs, LZ-'75 is an unprecedented and comprehensive personal portrait of the greatest (and most notoriously press-shy) rock band in history at its apex.
Watch a Video
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
20 people are currently reading
273 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Davis
248 books128 followersStephen Davis is is a rock journalist and biographer, having written numerous bestsellers on rock bands, including the smash hit Hammer of the Gods. He lives in Boston.
Librarians note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarians note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
May 2, 2016
Growing up a huge fan of Led Zeppelin in the pre-Internet age, there were few sources of detailed information on the band who had a notoriously poor opinion of the press to start with, which certainly added much sheen to their mystique. I read and re-read my copy of Stephen Davis' biography of the band Hammer of the Gods almost to tatters during high school.
When I tripped across this book on a bookstore shelf, I immediately scooped it up. Davis, friends with the group's publicist, had accompanied the band from the start of their ill-fated 1975 tour to finish, but after writing an article as an assignment for the Atlantic Monthly which had never been published, he misplaced the notebooks detailing the experience for decades: essentially, these are lost chapters of Hammer ... or so it seems, going in.
Anyone expecting to see more outrageous salacious tales of the debauchery of the earlier years of Zeppelin on the road that were in covered infamously in Hammer will be disappointed: this is a more mature band that have become accustomed to their superstar status and less wild-eyed youth given the keys to pillage America. The '75 tour was plagued from problems from the start: the album they were supporting, Physical Graffiti, was delayed, meaning they were playing unfamiliar songs to audiences not sure what to make of them and, as audiences are wont to do, would much rather hear the well-worn hits than new efforts. Before they took to the stage for the first time Jimmy Page had badly injured his hand and Robert Plant was battling a persistent case of the flu. Despite the staggering amount of money involved, none of the band members really wanted to be on tour in the first place, but as tax exiles dodging an insanely high British tax rate on parts of their income (as high as 95% in some cases), they couldn't stay home, and if you can't be with your family and enjoying the spoils of your success, might as well put some more coins in the coffers, right?
This book shows the more human side of rock gods, the downside of the fortune and fame: the show must go on, despite if you're playing guitar with badly mangled fingers or trying to sing with the flu, because no one wants to have to refund all those sold-out seats. It's not all bad -- eventually the band does get it together (despite, sometimes, their best efforts to not do just that) and get into their groove, but the book provides a fascinating look at the day-to-day grind where being performers is a job, albeit a very high-profile and lucrative one, from a bygone era when fans still mobbed box offices in person for tickets rather than pick them up online. The members of Zeppelin come across as more definitely human than in any other account of the band I've read: sometimes petty and spoiled, sometimes charming, still struggling and concerned with having their art recognized by critics and silencing detractors despite the fact that they sold out entire arenas on every stop along the way.
LZ-'75 serves as less 'lost chapters' from Hammer of the Gods and instead presents that band in a different light, neither as the wildman rock Vikings screaming the battle cry from the Immigrant Song, rolling into town with a circus of drugs, booze, and groupies in tow, or as brilliant geniuses of their craft, but as four musicians who had unparalled success early on and came to understood that sometimes the simple joy of making music had very little to do with being a rock star. In light of the long-standing reunion rumors recently being put finally to rest, LZ-'75 has a certain powerful resonance: perhaps not wanting to return to this sort of pressure cooker madness made even the mountain of riches the surviving members had certainly been offered to give it one more go worth it.
When I tripped across this book on a bookstore shelf, I immediately scooped it up. Davis, friends with the group's publicist, had accompanied the band from the start of their ill-fated 1975 tour to finish, but after writing an article as an assignment for the Atlantic Monthly which had never been published, he misplaced the notebooks detailing the experience for decades: essentially, these are lost chapters of Hammer ... or so it seems, going in.
Anyone expecting to see more outrageous salacious tales of the debauchery of the earlier years of Zeppelin on the road that were in covered infamously in Hammer will be disappointed: this is a more mature band that have become accustomed to their superstar status and less wild-eyed youth given the keys to pillage America. The '75 tour was plagued from problems from the start: the album they were supporting, Physical Graffiti, was delayed, meaning they were playing unfamiliar songs to audiences not sure what to make of them and, as audiences are wont to do, would much rather hear the well-worn hits than new efforts. Before they took to the stage for the first time Jimmy Page had badly injured his hand and Robert Plant was battling a persistent case of the flu. Despite the staggering amount of money involved, none of the band members really wanted to be on tour in the first place, but as tax exiles dodging an insanely high British tax rate on parts of their income (as high as 95% in some cases), they couldn't stay home, and if you can't be with your family and enjoying the spoils of your success, might as well put some more coins in the coffers, right?
This book shows the more human side of rock gods, the downside of the fortune and fame: the show must go on, despite if you're playing guitar with badly mangled fingers or trying to sing with the flu, because no one wants to have to refund all those sold-out seats. It's not all bad -- eventually the band does get it together (despite, sometimes, their best efforts to not do just that) and get into their groove, but the book provides a fascinating look at the day-to-day grind where being performers is a job, albeit a very high-profile and lucrative one, from a bygone era when fans still mobbed box offices in person for tickets rather than pick them up online. The members of Zeppelin come across as more definitely human than in any other account of the band I've read: sometimes petty and spoiled, sometimes charming, still struggling and concerned with having their art recognized by critics and silencing detractors despite the fact that they sold out entire arenas on every stop along the way.
LZ-'75 serves as less 'lost chapters' from Hammer of the Gods and instead presents that band in a different light, neither as the wildman rock Vikings screaming the battle cry from the Immigrant Song, rolling into town with a circus of drugs, booze, and groupies in tow, or as brilliant geniuses of their craft, but as four musicians who had unparalled success early on and came to understood that sometimes the simple joy of making music had very little to do with being a rock star. In light of the long-standing reunion rumors recently being put finally to rest, LZ-'75 has a certain powerful resonance: perhaps not wanting to return to this sort of pressure cooker madness made even the mountain of riches the surviving members had certainly been offered to give it one more go worth it.
June 25, 2012
When I first heard about Stephen Davis' new book, LZ -'75: THE LOST CHRONICLES OF LED ZEPPELIN'S 1975 AMERICAN TOUR, I was very anxious to read it. My imagination ran wild about what kind of interesting stories I would find in the book. Despite the fact that Davis published the scandalously sleazy Zeppelin bio HAMMER OF THE GODS in the mid-80's, I was still looking forward to what the publishers promised would be a "detailed chronicle of each performance from a musical perspective, and a vivid account of the band members' extravagant, and often troubled, lives on tour." Apparently, Stephen Davis claims to have only recently found a large set of spiral notebooks filled with notes chronicling his experiences on the fabled 1975 tour while writing a piece for Atlantic Monthly (which was never even published). So what does Davis recall from his memory, and his meticulous notes? Not very much actually.
First off, the book is the size of a large pamphlet, with snippets of random paragraphs disguised as book chapters. The writing is terrible, as if Davis literally phoned it in. Worse, it became very clear to me as I went through each page that Davis didn't really know, nor understand anything about Led Zeppelin, and their music. Sure, he saw them back in 1969, caught a number of shows in 1975, met the band briefly while on tour, and later reviewed their 1976 album Presence for Rolling Stone (his review is absurd)...yet Davis never seemed to ever grasp the majesty, the wonder, and the brilliance of the band. He wasn't even a fan...preferring the reggae sounds of Bob Marley instead. So to, it just seems that he wrote his two Zeppelin books to cash in make a quick buck. Worse, for a book that supposedly is about Davis' own experience with Led Zeppelin, at least half of the book covers concerts and events he only heard or read about. Otherwise, we get to read how Davis struggled to get an extensive interview with guitarist Jimmy Page (which he never got)...how he was afraid to even look at drummer John Bonham, and how he didn't even have any interest in talking with bassist John Paul Jones. No, he was only interested in Jimmy Page, and vocalist Robert Plant. He does get to interview Plant, yet it's not particularly revealing.
As far as the "detailed chronicle of each performance from a musical perspective"...all we get are short, vague comments about each show...that are definitely NOT from a musical perspective. Davis obviously has no clue how to play a musical instrument. No, instead we got to hear how certain numbers put the audience to sleep, how Davis was bored at some concerts, how the band played poorly at this or that show, and did well at another show. Amount of insight gained? Zero. Sure, if you don't care for Led Zeppelin's music, and have to attend a dozen Zeppelin concerts for work...it should be of no surprise to anyone if you're bored. Yet who cares? I thought the book was supposed to be about Led Zeppelin's 1975 tour? Not Stephen Davis' personal likes or dislikes. Yet he insists on filling some pages with stories about his personal life...detailing who he slept with, how much pot he smoked, etc...Needless to say, by the time I finished reading LZ -'75: THE LOST CHRONICLES OF LED ZEPPELIN'S 1975 AMERICAN TOUR, I had no respect for Stephen Davis, nor his embarrassing excuse for a book. Shame on everyone...
First off, the book is the size of a large pamphlet, with snippets of random paragraphs disguised as book chapters. The writing is terrible, as if Davis literally phoned it in. Worse, it became very clear to me as I went through each page that Davis didn't really know, nor understand anything about Led Zeppelin, and their music. Sure, he saw them back in 1969, caught a number of shows in 1975, met the band briefly while on tour, and later reviewed their 1976 album Presence for Rolling Stone (his review is absurd)...yet Davis never seemed to ever grasp the majesty, the wonder, and the brilliance of the band. He wasn't even a fan...preferring the reggae sounds of Bob Marley instead. So to, it just seems that he wrote his two Zeppelin books to cash in make a quick buck. Worse, for a book that supposedly is about Davis' own experience with Led Zeppelin, at least half of the book covers concerts and events he only heard or read about. Otherwise, we get to read how Davis struggled to get an extensive interview with guitarist Jimmy Page (which he never got)...how he was afraid to even look at drummer John Bonham, and how he didn't even have any interest in talking with bassist John Paul Jones. No, he was only interested in Jimmy Page, and vocalist Robert Plant. He does get to interview Plant, yet it's not particularly revealing.
As far as the "detailed chronicle of each performance from a musical perspective"...all we get are short, vague comments about each show...that are definitely NOT from a musical perspective. Davis obviously has no clue how to play a musical instrument. No, instead we got to hear how certain numbers put the audience to sleep, how Davis was bored at some concerts, how the band played poorly at this or that show, and did well at another show. Amount of insight gained? Zero. Sure, if you don't care for Led Zeppelin's music, and have to attend a dozen Zeppelin concerts for work...it should be of no surprise to anyone if you're bored. Yet who cares? I thought the book was supposed to be about Led Zeppelin's 1975 tour? Not Stephen Davis' personal likes or dislikes. Yet he insists on filling some pages with stories about his personal life...detailing who he slept with, how much pot he smoked, etc...Needless to say, by the time I finished reading LZ -'75: THE LOST CHRONICLES OF LED ZEPPELIN'S 1975 AMERICAN TOUR, I had no respect for Stephen Davis, nor his embarrassing excuse for a book. Shame on everyone...
February 13, 2024
First of all, don't judge me. It was a rough weekend and last night was beyond all imagining... ( Have been rereading Susan Cooper quintet, as well).
This was actually breezy and fun. In 1975 Davis was writing an article for The Atlantic magazine, but lost his three original notebooks from the the tour in a house move. He went on to write Hammer of the Gods, but 30 years later found the lost notes. This is them. Like a long Special Edition of Creem or Rolling Stone that I would have snatched off of the 7-Eleven magazine rack and read all night in 1975. Includes the "I am a Golden God" moment.
This was actually breezy and fun. In 1975 Davis was writing an article for The Atlantic magazine, but lost his three original notebooks from the the tour in a house move. He went on to write Hammer of the Gods, but 30 years later found the lost notes. This is them. Like a long Special Edition of Creem or Rolling Stone that I would have snatched off of the 7-Eleven magazine rack and read all night in 1975. Includes the "I am a Golden God" moment.
September 25, 2019
Като голям фен на Цепелин, мога да кажа че книгата носи чудесно усещане за онова турне което ги качва на трона завинаги .
February 18, 2025
Not the best written book I've ever read, but an entertaining read. Physical Grafitti is my favorite Led Zeppelin album, so I liked the info on how the album was made and the author's take on how he first heard the album and what it sounded like. The descriptions of the concerts are okay, but some of the analogies of how the band played its instruments were kind of corny. Hammer of the Gods, also by Stephen Davis, is a better book and this seems like a little side book of that one. I recommend reading Hammer of the Gods first, if you like it, check this one out. It's very small, only a tad over 200 pages so it's a quick read. P.S.-I can't get over the fact that the author's favorite Led Zeppelin album is Presence. Without a doubt in my mind it's their worst album, although better than most shit put out today.
June 4, 2024
Loved this. Led Zeppelin is the band I'd go see if I could time travel. It was great to dive back into their chaotic tumultuous world once more. Davis explains to us what he went through during his stay with the press entourage. It was a good quick read, loved it. There could have been some statistics for me, the static freak. But other than that I absolutely recommend this, great pictures, too!!
December 15, 2018
This is a one-star book to be honest, but because I enjoy the topic so much I bumped it up to two.
How Davis managed to stretch this out to 200+ pages is quite impressive, there's about 40 pages of relevant content here, at a push.
Sadly, there's nothing really new or interesting to gain from reading this - if you're a Zep fan you'll already know it all.
The description of every concert was more or less the same - yes, No Quarter, Dazed and Confused, and Moby Dick can drag on, we get it!
Much like the book itself, I've not much to say here so I'll leave it at that.
I'd recommend it for Zep fans who need a quick, easy read and need to pass a couple of hours.
How Davis managed to stretch this out to 200+ pages is quite impressive, there's about 40 pages of relevant content here, at a push.
Sadly, there's nothing really new or interesting to gain from reading this - if you're a Zep fan you'll already know it all.
The description of every concert was more or less the same - yes, No Quarter, Dazed and Confused, and Moby Dick can drag on, we get it!
Much like the book itself, I've not much to say here so I'll leave it at that.
I'd recommend it for Zep fans who need a quick, easy read and need to pass a couple of hours.
September 21, 2020
Absolutely surprised to discover that a book about Led Zeppelin is actually rather boring. This book by the author of Hammer of The Gods is a little bit of a "lost tapes" sort of bio.
Nothing to see here.
Brief. Feels culled from notes. Not Recommended
Nothing to see here.
Brief. Feels culled from notes. Not Recommended
July 18, 2014
Truly one of the worst books I've ever read!
August 13, 2022
Got it for £2 in a bookshop. I am glad I didn't pay more.
November 28, 2020
"You just had to be there...."
Anyone with half a brain would look at the vast expanse of my musical influences, history and background, record collection and would take a careful look at my 'taste resume', especially any experts. And they would probably go,
"I don't get it, where are Led Zeppelin?"
Well, first of all, the very few songs I have heard of theirs over the years, I really didn't like. I have never heard a whole album of theirs (don't shoot me) and I suspect I wouldn't be that impressed. I first heard 'Stairway to Heaven', which is a load of noodly, wanky, self-indulgent, bollocks. But, let's face it, 'Wayne's World' probably didn't help.
But hear Farley out.
I was lucky enough to grow up in a very musical household in the late 70's and early 80's at a very good time for music.
Yeah, I'm that old. I know with this smoking hot body, I don't look it.
Vinyl abounded and there was always music playing. Whether it be the chart run down or that sad Sunday lunchtime tragedy show on the radio or Top of the Pops on the telly, everything 10 years old and below for Farley was a constant, influential soundtrack for the future.
We had a lock of glam rock (mother), we had a lot of Motown (father) and some punk and alternative (both) and we had an abundance of all of this but no Zeppelin. Now this may have had to do with the fact, at the time (and now obviously bollocks), they and the likes of Black Sabbath were seen as a bunch of Satanists and this is probably why (like the Zep), I didn't hear anything about these people until much later. But despite this, what I heard... wasn't that fussed about.
Quick note: If this is true, my grandparents were down on the whole Satan thing but tolerant of the androgyny and cross dressing of Marc Bolan and David Bowie.
So why am I reading LZ-75? Again, hear me out.
Well, it's a gap in my knowledge and (specifically) a glaring omission from a knowledge of music that I pride myself upon having. So that's why I picked this up. That and the guy has credibility and 'he was there' chops. It's really quite well written and has massive 'Almost Famous' vibes about it and for many reasons. Because this was a very specific tour, a VERY young reporter called Cameron Crowe, was allowed upon to document the very insane debauchery and excess that his suburban parents would never let him allow otherwise.
There is a great cast of characters here. From roadies and management to hangers on and groupies, it's a balls to the wall tale of absolute carnage that I found really entertaining to read, despite only knowing like, three of their songs.
I may be wrong. At some point I might sit down and listen to I-VI and have an epiphany, but in 2020 and my record collection now, I very much doubt it. But I appreciate the absolute influence they have had in the towers of CDs that I now own.
My overwhelming guess and assumption is that Led Zep were there at the right place and at the right time to grasp a certain zeitgeist and change in the psyche of the young people desperately clawing for something else, deals with the devil aside.
Fate, tragedy and inevitability eventually caught up with the band, as they all do. This may have been part of the aforementioned deal or just the sheer consumption of narcotics and the toll it takes upon ones body, let alone four, to keep that up and constantly tour and be successful.
We will never know the heights the band would have achieved over time, like such world leaders of the tour circuit like U2 and Metallica have done, but they certainly have some sort of DNA implant that is embedded in everything you have played on your stereo recently.
I thought this was great. I would definitely read his best-seller, 'Hammer of the Gods' after this. It's just a shame his coke-addled brain lost the journals about this particular tour he actually had all the time.
Rock N'Roll!
Anyone with half a brain would look at the vast expanse of my musical influences, history and background, record collection and would take a careful look at my 'taste resume', especially any experts. And they would probably go,
"I don't get it, where are Led Zeppelin?"
Well, first of all, the very few songs I have heard of theirs over the years, I really didn't like. I have never heard a whole album of theirs (don't shoot me) and I suspect I wouldn't be that impressed. I first heard 'Stairway to Heaven', which is a load of noodly, wanky, self-indulgent, bollocks. But, let's face it, 'Wayne's World' probably didn't help.
But hear Farley out.
I was lucky enough to grow up in a very musical household in the late 70's and early 80's at a very good time for music.
Yeah, I'm that old. I know with this smoking hot body, I don't look it.
Vinyl abounded and there was always music playing. Whether it be the chart run down or that sad Sunday lunchtime tragedy show on the radio or Top of the Pops on the telly, everything 10 years old and below for Farley was a constant, influential soundtrack for the future.
We had a lock of glam rock (mother), we had a lot of Motown (father) and some punk and alternative (both) and we had an abundance of all of this but no Zeppelin. Now this may have had to do with the fact, at the time (and now obviously bollocks), they and the likes of Black Sabbath were seen as a bunch of Satanists and this is probably why (like the Zep), I didn't hear anything about these people until much later. But despite this, what I heard... wasn't that fussed about.
Quick note: If this is true, my grandparents were down on the whole Satan thing but tolerant of the androgyny and cross dressing of Marc Bolan and David Bowie.
So why am I reading LZ-75? Again, hear me out.
Well, it's a gap in my knowledge and (specifically) a glaring omission from a knowledge of music that I pride myself upon having. So that's why I picked this up. That and the guy has credibility and 'he was there' chops. It's really quite well written and has massive 'Almost Famous' vibes about it and for many reasons. Because this was a very specific tour, a VERY young reporter called Cameron Crowe, was allowed upon to document the very insane debauchery and excess that his suburban parents would never let him allow otherwise.
There is a great cast of characters here. From roadies and management to hangers on and groupies, it's a balls to the wall tale of absolute carnage that I found really entertaining to read, despite only knowing like, three of their songs.
I may be wrong. At some point I might sit down and listen to I-VI and have an epiphany, but in 2020 and my record collection now, I very much doubt it. But I appreciate the absolute influence they have had in the towers of CDs that I now own.
My overwhelming guess and assumption is that Led Zep were there at the right place and at the right time to grasp a certain zeitgeist and change in the psyche of the young people desperately clawing for something else, deals with the devil aside.
Fate, tragedy and inevitability eventually caught up with the band, as they all do. This may have been part of the aforementioned deal or just the sheer consumption of narcotics and the toll it takes upon ones body, let alone four, to keep that up and constantly tour and be successful.
We will never know the heights the band would have achieved over time, like such world leaders of the tour circuit like U2 and Metallica have done, but they certainly have some sort of DNA implant that is embedded in everything you have played on your stereo recently.
I thought this was great. I would definitely read his best-seller, 'Hammer of the Gods' after this. It's just a shame his coke-addled brain lost the journals about this particular tour he actually had all the time.
Rock N'Roll!
November 7, 2022
This was not only one of the WORST books on this band, it's hands down the WORST rock bio I have ever laid my hands on. Bad writing, (the author manages to actually repeat himself constantly, re-introducing terms and defining them for a second time, saying things like "girl drummer", "black journalist".... ewwwww.)
But, rather than be about Zep, it was all about him and how cool he thinks he was. During the free junket he was given to travel with the band and see them behind the scenes for a few weeks, he avoided two of the band members (our of fear or out of not thinking the musician was interesting), so what he know of them was hearsay... and he craved interviews with the other two who were seriously not interested, but only one dutifully acquiesced (and who both later said his more famous book, The Hammer of the Gods, was completely inaccurate, which is pretty believable given that his information gets passed to him down the grapevine). He actually WALKED OUT of concerts during what he considered "boring" solos, tried to score drugs and what he calls "sluts" as if he were a rock star, and generally was obnoxiously disinterested in anything or anyone but himself.
I also got the feeling that he really didn't understand much about music and had a strong distaste for music consumers (always referred to as kids or teens and almost always described negatively. It's clear to anyone that Zep hated the press and with press like this in their sphere, it's no mystery why.
But, rather than be about Zep, it was all about him and how cool he thinks he was. During the free junket he was given to travel with the band and see them behind the scenes for a few weeks, he avoided two of the band members (our of fear or out of not thinking the musician was interesting), so what he know of them was hearsay... and he craved interviews with the other two who were seriously not interested, but only one dutifully acquiesced (and who both later said his more famous book, The Hammer of the Gods, was completely inaccurate, which is pretty believable given that his information gets passed to him down the grapevine). He actually WALKED OUT of concerts during what he considered "boring" solos, tried to score drugs and what he calls "sluts" as if he were a rock star, and generally was obnoxiously disinterested in anything or anyone but himself.
I also got the feeling that he really didn't understand much about music and had a strong distaste for music consumers (always referred to as kids or teens and almost always described negatively. It's clear to anyone that Zep hated the press and with press like this in their sphere, it's no mystery why.
December 4, 2021
Picked up the book because I recognized the author from his works reporting reggae history, and I always liked his frequent photojournalist collaborator Peter Simon's insider style photos, so no brainer when you add authors you like to a band that has a mythic tour history, must grab, must read.
Glad I did, we are invited inside a very specific 1975 American Tour, one that could be called the Exile Tour, when LZ was hiding out from British Bursar's chase for their cut of the cash and they had to be outside the borders for most of the year.
I like the band, I recognize the problems with the band, but its a fun history of a time touring and a mode of music that is not really a part of the modern tour scene. The debauchery, the gangsterism of management (now just corporate crooks and cronies, no more fun tour managers and shakedown venue owners) the industry has changed, the fans have changed, the whole rock scene was cresting a nostalgic wave of popularity coming out of the 60's, and this was one of those last massive tours, those last liminal spaces of chaos before the suits came in and tightened down all the screws on what would just become, "The Entertainment Industry"...think old Vegas versus modern Vegas.
It was a fun fast read, the journalism was great, the pictures were on point, great, if you like LZ or rock history of that era of change.
Glad I did, we are invited inside a very specific 1975 American Tour, one that could be called the Exile Tour, when LZ was hiding out from British Bursar's chase for their cut of the cash and they had to be outside the borders for most of the year.
I like the band, I recognize the problems with the band, but its a fun history of a time touring and a mode of music that is not really a part of the modern tour scene. The debauchery, the gangsterism of management (now just corporate crooks and cronies, no more fun tour managers and shakedown venue owners) the industry has changed, the fans have changed, the whole rock scene was cresting a nostalgic wave of popularity coming out of the 60's, and this was one of those last massive tours, those last liminal spaces of chaos before the suits came in and tightened down all the screws on what would just become, "The Entertainment Industry"...think old Vegas versus modern Vegas.
It was a fun fast read, the journalism was great, the pictures were on point, great, if you like LZ or rock history of that era of change.
Read
December 1, 2020There are no spoilers for this review, instead this is mostly a collection of notes so I don't forget how much I disliked this book in case I forget. If you like this book great, I'm happy you got enjoyment out of it. If you think I'm crapping on Led Zeppelin, keep it to yourself.
This book is mostly a collection of notes the author lost 20+ years ago and tried to go back and write a book on it. The memory is not there. Neither is the prose.
The autobiographical stuff is real, total ego trip stuff.
Every paragraph has a note about how great the performance of "Kashmir" was.
Every paragraph has some variation on the description of the band being indifferent, out of sorts, generally disappointed, angry, about being on tour in America at that moment.
Every paragraph has a note about how bad Robert Plant's voice has become.
Every third paragraph is a description of John Bonham, wildly inebriated, doing something completely inappropriate (and sometimes violent) to some poor woman or man.
Every fifth paragraph is a reference to Jimmy Page's heroin addiction.
Every five pages or so we get a reminder that John Paul Jones exists and is not happy people keep forgetting.
Got to page 90. Maybe it gets better but I won't be finding out.
This book is mostly a collection of notes the author lost 20+ years ago and tried to go back and write a book on it. The memory is not there. Neither is the prose.
The autobiographical stuff is real, total ego trip stuff.
Every paragraph has a note about how great the performance of "Kashmir" was.
Every paragraph has some variation on the description of the band being indifferent, out of sorts, generally disappointed, angry, about being on tour in America at that moment.
Every paragraph has a note about how bad Robert Plant's voice has become.
Every third paragraph is a description of John Bonham, wildly inebriated, doing something completely inappropriate (and sometimes violent) to some poor woman or man.
Every fifth paragraph is a reference to Jimmy Page's heroin addiction.
Every five pages or so we get a reminder that John Paul Jones exists and is not happy people keep forgetting.
Got to page 90. Maybe it gets better but I won't be finding out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 16, 2017
This is a great book, it gives you a feel of the time of writing and is much more than just Led Zeppelin worship!
The writer has put a lot of himself in the story putting his own experiences in to which adds to the feel of the book and makes it more than just a show by show account of the tour. The shows described are great and have lots of detail but it also shows the workings of the worlds biggest rock band. I must read for music lovers.
The writer has put a lot of himself in the story putting his own experiences in to which adds to the feel of the book and makes it more than just a show by show account of the tour. The shows described are great and have lots of detail but it also shows the workings of the worlds biggest rock band. I must read for music lovers.
March 27, 2019
If you have been on a zep binge lately you should read this! Do your self a favor and go on a Zeppelin vision quest. Listen to their entire catalog and stop after houses of the holy. Better yet, spin that black magic on delicious vinyl then... Start reading this book with physical graffiti revolving in the background and enjoy. This is a fast captivating read that you can crank out in 2-3 days. Go on tour with zeppelin on the star ship and... buckle up.
January 19, 2020
As a fan of the group and after hearing all the stories of their antics, I found this book pretty poor really. It laboured over the setilsts of each and every gig they performed, detailing how the band played each song, with which instrument tuber used. Yet all the meat and bones of their drug taking, fighting and debauchery was left lacking.
April 14, 2021
A speedy, entertaining read. As a young journalist Stephen got to go on the band’s 1975 tour. He may not have had much close access to the band, but was able to soak up the carnival in the hotels, limousines & concerts. He describes the music well, and reports the magic & mayhem with a clear eye.
August 2, 2011
Rock Gods displayed as Rock Clods?, December 24, 2010
Arguably, one of the most influential bands in rock and roll history, no group seemed to mesmerize fans in the manner Led Zeppelin did. There is an undefined mystery/aura associated with Zeppelin that generates interest in the band, beyond its music. While Stephen Davis' "Hammer of the Gods" was a much anticipated and appreciated look into the band, its tale of debauchery only added to Zeppelin's mysterious lore. With LZ-75, Davis returns to give us a closer look at the band during its 1975 American Tour. Based notes and memorabilia that were "lost" for almost 35 years, Davis serves-up a close look at the band that somewhat diminishes the mysterious sheen that has cloaked the band throughout its history.
Halfway through the book, I was ready to pan Davis' work as it appeared Stephen Davis had a grudge against the band. The Godfathers of the heavier version of rock and roll seemed to be finally exposed as ... well ... mere humans. As a lifelong fan of the band, I was not sure if I was ready to have its image decimated by a series of somewhat embarrassing tales that amounted to nothing less than "too much information". However, as I pressed on, I began to appreciate Davis' recollection of the band as an exclusive insider's-view of Led Zeppelin in an era where rock stars enjoyed their decadent lifestyle in relative secrecy.
"LZ-75" starts with Davis discovering an old box full of memorabilia collected from an assignment covering Led Zeppelin during its 1975 American tour. From this point he takes us to the beginning of his adventure trying to secure such an assignment (made difficult by the negative press the band couldn't escape from most traditional music sources like "Rolling Stone" magazine). His early reporting of the band's performance, let alone its members, is less than flattering. Rather than Rock Gods staging yet another blitzkrieg across the United States, we see a group of spoiled prima donnas as unhealthy, homesick, and belligerent drunks with a penchant for drugs and groupies. The performances at the start of the tour are characterized as tepid, not torrid, as one concert in Texas included Robert Plant pleading with an unimpressed audience for some sign of appreciation. Unlike previous tours that followed the release of a new album, this tour featured the band trying to introduce music from an album ("Physical Graffiti") whose release was delayed. The lackluster fan enthusiasm for the new music (including iconic gems like "Kashmir" and "Trampled Underfoot") in addition to Robert Plant's lingering influenza and Jimmy Page's injured hand seemed to cast a funk on the band and its burgeoning tour. The rhythm section of the band (John Paul Jones and John Bonham) weren't devoid of problems either as one became the subject of constant ridicule on stage (Jones) and the other (Bonham) turned into his violent, alcohol-fueled alter-ego, "the Beast". While Davis' main goal was to land a rare interview with the reclusive Page, it began to appear that the futility in getting that interview started to sour Davis' opinion of Led Zeppelin altogether. After all, how many fans really need to know about Bonham's need to wear diapers on stage due to alcohol-induced incontinence or the repeated need to compare Jones' hair to that of Liberace and his keyboard playing as "cheesy lounge music"?
It is once the tour heads to Los Angeles that Davis' reporting of events become more interesting and the band begins to enjoy itself and perform as expected. For it is the city of Los Angeles, with its abundance of drugs and loyal groupies, that traditionally served as Led Zeppelin's life support during American tours. The mood is more relaxed, the album is finally released, the band is happier and the audience begins to appreciate the performances. It is at this point where the reader is given a much appreciated fly-on-the-wall perspective of the band's stay at the Continental Hotel (the "Riot House") and on board the legendary "Starship" (the band's plane). We are exposed to the various people and activities that comprise the burden of that 1975 tour: the hand-assembled, 500 light bulb "Led Zeppelin" sign present at each show, the thuggish antics of band manager Peter Grant and tour manager Richard Cole to the workaholic Danny Goldberg. One interesting moment includes the possibility of Davis witnessing Manson follower Squeaky Fromme's attempt to contact Jimmy Page about a pending omen. Davis finally eases up on Jones' by acknowledging the importance and need of his bass-playing skills and thankfully, the almost daily account of Bonham's diarrhea, comes to an end. With the tour drawing to a close there is a melancholy sense that the author realizes the band's best days may be a thing of the past.
"LZ-75" is actually pretty good reporting, in my opinion. Throughout the book, Davis displays an honest view of what he sees (good and bad) and overall, he comes across as objective. The book is probably best served to Led Zeppelin fans. Although some fans may believe Davis aims to tarnish the band's image, many fans may appreciate a peek behind the mysterious veil that has surrounded the band for so long, exposing its members as mere mortals after all.
Arguably, one of the most influential bands in rock and roll history, no group seemed to mesmerize fans in the manner Led Zeppelin did. There is an undefined mystery/aura associated with Zeppelin that generates interest in the band, beyond its music. While Stephen Davis' "Hammer of the Gods" was a much anticipated and appreciated look into the band, its tale of debauchery only added to Zeppelin's mysterious lore. With LZ-75, Davis returns to give us a closer look at the band during its 1975 American Tour. Based notes and memorabilia that were "lost" for almost 35 years, Davis serves-up a close look at the band that somewhat diminishes the mysterious sheen that has cloaked the band throughout its history.
Halfway through the book, I was ready to pan Davis' work as it appeared Stephen Davis had a grudge against the band. The Godfathers of the heavier version of rock and roll seemed to be finally exposed as ... well ... mere humans. As a lifelong fan of the band, I was not sure if I was ready to have its image decimated by a series of somewhat embarrassing tales that amounted to nothing less than "too much information". However, as I pressed on, I began to appreciate Davis' recollection of the band as an exclusive insider's-view of Led Zeppelin in an era where rock stars enjoyed their decadent lifestyle in relative secrecy.
"LZ-75" starts with Davis discovering an old box full of memorabilia collected from an assignment covering Led Zeppelin during its 1975 American tour. From this point he takes us to the beginning of his adventure trying to secure such an assignment (made difficult by the negative press the band couldn't escape from most traditional music sources like "Rolling Stone" magazine). His early reporting of the band's performance, let alone its members, is less than flattering. Rather than Rock Gods staging yet another blitzkrieg across the United States, we see a group of spoiled prima donnas as unhealthy, homesick, and belligerent drunks with a penchant for drugs and groupies. The performances at the start of the tour are characterized as tepid, not torrid, as one concert in Texas included Robert Plant pleading with an unimpressed audience for some sign of appreciation. Unlike previous tours that followed the release of a new album, this tour featured the band trying to introduce music from an album ("Physical Graffiti") whose release was delayed. The lackluster fan enthusiasm for the new music (including iconic gems like "Kashmir" and "Trampled Underfoot") in addition to Robert Plant's lingering influenza and Jimmy Page's injured hand seemed to cast a funk on the band and its burgeoning tour. The rhythm section of the band (John Paul Jones and John Bonham) weren't devoid of problems either as one became the subject of constant ridicule on stage (Jones) and the other (Bonham) turned into his violent, alcohol-fueled alter-ego, "the Beast". While Davis' main goal was to land a rare interview with the reclusive Page, it began to appear that the futility in getting that interview started to sour Davis' opinion of Led Zeppelin altogether. After all, how many fans really need to know about Bonham's need to wear diapers on stage due to alcohol-induced incontinence or the repeated need to compare Jones' hair to that of Liberace and his keyboard playing as "cheesy lounge music"?
It is once the tour heads to Los Angeles that Davis' reporting of events become more interesting and the band begins to enjoy itself and perform as expected. For it is the city of Los Angeles, with its abundance of drugs and loyal groupies, that traditionally served as Led Zeppelin's life support during American tours. The mood is more relaxed, the album is finally released, the band is happier and the audience begins to appreciate the performances. It is at this point where the reader is given a much appreciated fly-on-the-wall perspective of the band's stay at the Continental Hotel (the "Riot House") and on board the legendary "Starship" (the band's plane). We are exposed to the various people and activities that comprise the burden of that 1975 tour: the hand-assembled, 500 light bulb "Led Zeppelin" sign present at each show, the thuggish antics of band manager Peter Grant and tour manager Richard Cole to the workaholic Danny Goldberg. One interesting moment includes the possibility of Davis witnessing Manson follower Squeaky Fromme's attempt to contact Jimmy Page about a pending omen. Davis finally eases up on Jones' by acknowledging the importance and need of his bass-playing skills and thankfully, the almost daily account of Bonham's diarrhea, comes to an end. With the tour drawing to a close there is a melancholy sense that the author realizes the band's best days may be a thing of the past.
"LZ-75" is actually pretty good reporting, in my opinion. Throughout the book, Davis displays an honest view of what he sees (good and bad) and overall, he comes across as objective. The book is probably best served to Led Zeppelin fans. Although some fans may believe Davis aims to tarnish the band's image, many fans may appreciate a peek behind the mysterious veil that has surrounded the band for so long, exposing its members as mere mortals after all.
October 21, 2017
Enjoyable but ultimately insubstantial overview of 1975 - the pinnacle of Zeppelin's success.
Davis was a journalist that accompanied the US tour in the first quarter of the year but the remainder of the year is commented on from afar.
Davis was a journalist that accompanied the US tour in the first quarter of the year but the remainder of the year is commented on from afar.
April 26, 2019
This book written from a lost and found diary of the journalist who followed Zep on their tour of America in '75. It doesn't really add much to our knowledge of the band, felt just like outtaked that didn't make it into his other, more famous book.
April 17, 2018
A quick read. Delivers the gossip and the mid-'70s rock journalism vibe.
August 23, 2019
Great Rock Writing
For any Zeppelin can this is a must read. An absorbing account from someone who witnessed the tour first hand. Definitely recommended.
For any Zeppelin can this is a must read. An absorbing account from someone who witnessed the tour first hand. Definitely recommended.
September 25, 2019
Obviously interesting, but unfortunately not very well written and therefore not a very exciting or compelling/memorable read.
November 1, 2023
A solid 4 stars.
February 3, 2025
If you're a Led Zeppelin fan, this is not quite the Holy Grail (that would be Hammer of the Gods, by the same author) but it's still a hell of a cup to drink from
August 22, 2022
literally so boring…he was basically just explaining each individual show he attended. somehow I managed to finish after like 6 months of dread.
December 24, 2011
I read Stephen Davis' most well known book, Hammer of the Gods, back in high school. There, along with every other 15-19 year old male, I went through the "Zep" phase. I could quote most songs, staunchly defended John Bonham as "the greatest drummer of all time" and thought Robert Plant was a D-Bag because of the Honeydrippers. I thrilled to the accounts of groupies being violated by dead sharks (made famous by the Frank Zappa song, "Mud Shark"), TVs being thrown off balconies and general mayhem. Zep were, no doubt, misogynistic, booze addled creepshows, but....chicks loved them!
That book caused a lot of consternation with the surviving members of Zeppelin because Davis got most of his info from the sleazebag that sold heroin to the band and the groupies. The 1975 tour was the only one that Davis went on with Zeppelin, and he says at the beginning of LZ-'75 that "around then (2007) I began to look through my notes of the '75 tour" which he claims he had not looked at for 30 years. (4-5) Maybe Plant and Paige were right when they claimed he did not know what he was writing about in 1985.
Anyway, perhaps it is because I am old. Perhaps it is because I am much more fascinated by the likes of Bukka White of the original "Shake 'em on Down" or The Jeff Beck Group or The Yardbirds. Perhaps I agree with Pete Townshend's assertion that Zep was "just not a very good band." Well, not really. Zeppelin III is still one of my favorite albums, and "The Ocean" from Houses of the Holy is still one of my favorite songs. While this book presents much about the trials of Arena Rock Gods of the 1970s, there is too much of the author. I am on the waiting list at my local library for a copy of Davis's book about the Rolling Stones, Old Gods Almost Dead, and I might change my mind.
Throughout, the author cannot mention any woman without some comment on her "attributes". The name dropping is almost as bad; I mean, who could not be reduced to swooning over "Mrs. Todd Rundgren". You know who that is, right kids? Bebe Buell? Ring a bell? In Playboy back in the 1970s? Well known to most CBGBs bands? Friend of Patti Smith? Wait a minute...what's that? Who the fuck is Todd Rundgren? You commies.
Zep was awash in "chicks", "groupies", "bimbos", "slutty girls" and "local talent", as well as heroin, coke, liquor, kimonos, bowler hats. Bonham was usually awash in stomach ailments, gas and unwanted turds. Could it be because he was drinking nearly a fifth of whiskey a day? In one chapter, entitled the "Prairie Princess", Davis scores a groupie who "looked like Mrs. Nebraska, only more wholesome." (138). Awwwwwwwww, that makes me feel all warm. She was pissed not to get Plant, but had to settle for a Feisty Rock Critic writing for....The Atlantic Monthly? She put out, but....The Atlantic Monthly? Were The Carpenters busy? Was The Kingston Trio on hiatus?
I kept track through this book about which shows Davis said were "shit hot". I took this to mean warm to the touch, somewhat mushy, steamy and more than a little uncomfortable to be around because of the stink. There were about 6 or seven, most toward the end of the tour. One cool item: Zep played on a good night for 3-4 hours. Yes, yes, there was the obligatory 30 minute drum solo on "Moby Dick", the obligatory John Paul Jones 20 minute keyboard jazz experiment, and Jimmy Page playing a guitar with a violin bow, rubber chicken, his own penis and a cast of Aleister Crowley's johnson. All this could be yours for...$10. Nowadays, that is about $35, or roughly $15 less than most Sheryl Crow Concerts.
I don't know. It is easy to make fun of bands like Zeppelin for their antics and hotel destruction, but they were an incredibly influential band. And, like it or not, Page, Jones and Bonham were very strong musicians. Plant's voice by '75 could not hit high notes because of throat surgery in 1973, but he could still belt it out. I would have liked more about the music and less about the author, who manages to track down an old girlfriend "who he never saw again" (155). This book, like many on the subject of Old Gods Long Dead, is a maudlin exercise. I wasn't there, and one gets the feeling through most of the book that the boys in the band did not want to be there either. The excess and the drinking and wanton sex were for the entourage.
That book caused a lot of consternation with the surviving members of Zeppelin because Davis got most of his info from the sleazebag that sold heroin to the band and the groupies. The 1975 tour was the only one that Davis went on with Zeppelin, and he says at the beginning of LZ-'75 that "around then (2007) I began to look through my notes of the '75 tour" which he claims he had not looked at for 30 years. (4-5) Maybe Plant and Paige were right when they claimed he did not know what he was writing about in 1985.
Anyway, perhaps it is because I am old. Perhaps it is because I am much more fascinated by the likes of Bukka White of the original "Shake 'em on Down" or The Jeff Beck Group or The Yardbirds. Perhaps I agree with Pete Townshend's assertion that Zep was "just not a very good band." Well, not really. Zeppelin III is still one of my favorite albums, and "The Ocean" from Houses of the Holy is still one of my favorite songs. While this book presents much about the trials of Arena Rock Gods of the 1970s, there is too much of the author. I am on the waiting list at my local library for a copy of Davis's book about the Rolling Stones, Old Gods Almost Dead, and I might change my mind.
Throughout, the author cannot mention any woman without some comment on her "attributes". The name dropping is almost as bad; I mean, who could not be reduced to swooning over "Mrs. Todd Rundgren". You know who that is, right kids? Bebe Buell? Ring a bell? In Playboy back in the 1970s? Well known to most CBGBs bands? Friend of Patti Smith? Wait a minute...what's that? Who the fuck is Todd Rundgren? You commies.
Zep was awash in "chicks", "groupies", "bimbos", "slutty girls" and "local talent", as well as heroin, coke, liquor, kimonos, bowler hats. Bonham was usually awash in stomach ailments, gas and unwanted turds. Could it be because he was drinking nearly a fifth of whiskey a day? In one chapter, entitled the "Prairie Princess", Davis scores a groupie who "looked like Mrs. Nebraska, only more wholesome." (138). Awwwwwwwww, that makes me feel all warm. She was pissed not to get Plant, but had to settle for a Feisty Rock Critic writing for....The Atlantic Monthly? She put out, but....The Atlantic Monthly? Were The Carpenters busy? Was The Kingston Trio on hiatus?
I kept track through this book about which shows Davis said were "shit hot". I took this to mean warm to the touch, somewhat mushy, steamy and more than a little uncomfortable to be around because of the stink. There were about 6 or seven, most toward the end of the tour. One cool item: Zep played on a good night for 3-4 hours. Yes, yes, there was the obligatory 30 minute drum solo on "Moby Dick", the obligatory John Paul Jones 20 minute keyboard jazz experiment, and Jimmy Page playing a guitar with a violin bow, rubber chicken, his own penis and a cast of Aleister Crowley's johnson. All this could be yours for...$10. Nowadays, that is about $35, or roughly $15 less than most Sheryl Crow Concerts.
I don't know. It is easy to make fun of bands like Zeppelin for their antics and hotel destruction, but they were an incredibly influential band. And, like it or not, Page, Jones and Bonham were very strong musicians. Plant's voice by '75 could not hit high notes because of throat surgery in 1973, but he could still belt it out. I would have liked more about the music and less about the author, who manages to track down an old girlfriend "who he never saw again" (155). This book, like many on the subject of Old Gods Long Dead, is a maudlin exercise. I wasn't there, and one gets the feeling through most of the book that the boys in the band did not want to be there either. The excess and the drinking and wanton sex were for the entourage.
April 5, 2013
I approached this book pregnant with feelings of both anticipation and trepidation. The book's concept, a sense of place study of life on tour with Led Zeppelin, intrigued me. Yet, I had read several damning reviews of Davis's book, and had my own negative feelings toward him stemming from his abomination of a biography, "Hammer of the Gods." Nevertheless, I decided to forge forward.
I am happy to say the book passes muster. LZ-'75 is comprised of 5-7 page chapters, snapshots of particular cities, instances, people, concerts, etc. It makes sense, being that Davis spent most his life writing for magazines, but it also works in this case. It gives the book a nice focus on details, not wide-sweeping generalities, that feels real and human scale.
While the book centers on Zeppelin, Davis adds several personal stories that vary in their relevance to Zeppelin. Many reviews of this book fault Davis for this. Surprisingly, I didn't really mind them. Surprising, because I couldn't care less about Davis and it is just the kind of thing that would infuriate me about a biography. But this is no ordinary biography. It is, like I mentioned, a sense of place study, and the author's vantage and place within the story are inextricable. By the end the book is heavy with a tangible sentimentality. Here is Davis reflecting on his experiences covering a band at its musical apex, but writing from hindsight with the knowledge that the band would, almost in an instant, suffer a mind-blowing fall from grace. Davis writes with an emotion concerning these last days of Zeppelin's reign that is captivating and with an ability to draw the reader in. Likewise, he is looking back on his own life to a time when he was much younger, hipper, energetic, naively hopeful. His sentimentality for this special time in his life, colored by all-too-human humble melancholy at realizing his mortality is evident. Anyone over the age of 30 can relate to Davis's writing and I personally found it surprisingly touching.
I say all this with a smile because, of course, the book full of insanity, not the stuff of Shakespearian sonnets. Sex, drugs and rock and roll really happen, I guess.
This is must-reading if you think Zeppelin is the alpha and omega of rock and roll (which, of course, they are). If you don't, I wouldn't bother.
I am happy to say the book passes muster. LZ-'75 is comprised of 5-7 page chapters, snapshots of particular cities, instances, people, concerts, etc. It makes sense, being that Davis spent most his life writing for magazines, but it also works in this case. It gives the book a nice focus on details, not wide-sweeping generalities, that feels real and human scale.
While the book centers on Zeppelin, Davis adds several personal stories that vary in their relevance to Zeppelin. Many reviews of this book fault Davis for this. Surprisingly, I didn't really mind them. Surprising, because I couldn't care less about Davis and it is just the kind of thing that would infuriate me about a biography. But this is no ordinary biography. It is, like I mentioned, a sense of place study, and the author's vantage and place within the story are inextricable. By the end the book is heavy with a tangible sentimentality. Here is Davis reflecting on his experiences covering a band at its musical apex, but writing from hindsight with the knowledge that the band would, almost in an instant, suffer a mind-blowing fall from grace. Davis writes with an emotion concerning these last days of Zeppelin's reign that is captivating and with an ability to draw the reader in. Likewise, he is looking back on his own life to a time when he was much younger, hipper, energetic, naively hopeful. His sentimentality for this special time in his life, colored by all-too-human humble melancholy at realizing his mortality is evident. Anyone over the age of 30 can relate to Davis's writing and I personally found it surprisingly touching.
I say all this with a smile because, of course, the book full of insanity, not the stuff of Shakespearian sonnets. Sex, drugs and rock and roll really happen, I guess.
This is must-reading if you think Zeppelin is the alpha and omega of rock and roll (which, of course, they are). If you don't, I wouldn't bother.
April 16, 2012
Ho appena finito di leggere LZ-'75, il reportage del tour americano del 1975 dei Led Zeppelin scritto da Stephen Davis, già autore de Il martello degli Dei, la biografia definitiva del più grande gruppo rock della storia. Lo so, qualcuno starà già dicendo che il più grande sono i ... (sostituire ai puntini il nome del vostro gruppo preferito), ma secondo me ci sono alcuni parametri di cui tenere conto. Gli Zep hanno esordito al primo posto in America con un disco doppio, proprio nel 1975 (Physical Graffiti), che è rimasto in cima alla classifica per 10 settimane trascinando di nuovo nelle chart più importanti del pianeta l'intera discografia del gruppo... Gli Zep hanno obbligato la RIAA a inventare il Disco di Diamante, per chi vendeva negli USA 10 milioni di copie di un certo disco... e hanno tale certificazione per tutta la loro discografia... Gli Zep hanno tuttora il record di spettatori paganti per un concerto americano sul Guinness dei primati, e vendevano gli stadi del baseball come se fossero palasport di provincia, nel giro di minuti... Gli Zep fecero un concerto per beneficienza nel 2007 a Londra, a quasi 30 anni dal loro scioglimento, e ci furono richieste per venti milioni di biglietti, tanto che dovettero estrarre a sorte i fortunati 20.000...
Mi fermo qui. Torniamo al 1975. Un tour che mette a nudo le debolezze di quattro rockstar, destinate all'inferno. Un libro che racconta le due anime di John Bonzo/La Bestia Bonham, l'amarezza di John Paul Jones, la scimmia sulla schiena di Jimmy Page, che sarebbe diventato un gorilla due anni dopo, e il viso dolce di Robert Plant, che quell'estate rischiò di morire e di perdere la famiglia in un incidente stradale. Il diavolo sarebbe tornato per chiedere la loro anima, che la leggenda vuole vendutagli nel 1969 dal satanista Page... nessuno saprà mai la verità. Ma se Plant preferisce esibirsi davanti a 3.000 persone con un gruppetto invece che davanti a 80.000 in uno stadio, un motivo - oltre alla voce perduta - ci deve essere...
Mi fermo qui. Torniamo al 1975. Un tour che mette a nudo le debolezze di quattro rockstar, destinate all'inferno. Un libro che racconta le due anime di John Bonzo/La Bestia Bonham, l'amarezza di John Paul Jones, la scimmia sulla schiena di Jimmy Page, che sarebbe diventato un gorilla due anni dopo, e il viso dolce di Robert Plant, che quell'estate rischiò di morire e di perdere la famiglia in un incidente stradale. Il diavolo sarebbe tornato per chiedere la loro anima, che la leggenda vuole vendutagli nel 1969 dal satanista Page... nessuno saprà mai la verità. Ma se Plant preferisce esibirsi davanti a 3.000 persone con un gruppetto invece che davanti a 80.000 in uno stadio, un motivo - oltre alla voce perduta - ci deve essere...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews