Joe Schmo Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 I am looking to find out more about Zep's history and the stories behind their songs. 1. Is there a website where I can get the two paragraph explanation about what each song means and what its origins are? 2. What are some good books to read that will tell me about Zeppelin's history? The stories of their glory years? The breakup? Oh and one more question: Like everyone, I read "Hammer of the Gods" by Stephen Davis. From what I've heard the band members HATE that book and denouce it as trash. Why is that? Is it because the books contents are FALSE or because they're TRUE? (if you know what I mean) Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Honeydripper Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 The overall jist of the "story" of the band is a commen one and can be read in just about any book with the name Led Zeppelin on the cover. As for the details, accounts given by "insiders" such as Cole.....who apparently glorified, and then sold the stories to the writer, can be taken with a grain of salt. What you really should get into are the facts and if you are into reading about backstage romps and hotel parties, these books are'nt for you. These are however considered "bibles" amongst the hardcore fanatics. The Concert File.....Dave Lewis w/ Simon Pallet....Omnibus Press (the admin of this board has a mention in the credits ) The Press Reports....Robert Godwin....Collector's Guide Publishing Inc. The Illustrated Collector's Guide To Led Zeppelin...Robert Godwin....Collector's Guide Publishing Inc. (for the collector of all things audible by LZ. ) For stunning eyecandy. Led Zeppelin, A Photographic Collection......Neal Preston.........Vision Publishing Co The Photographer's Led Zeppelin........Ross Halfin............(?) can be found at online auction sites, (I think it's out of print...came in a nice hardback cover in 95) some other notables Peter Grant, The Man Who Led Zeppelin.........Chris Welsh......Omnibus Press John Bonham, The Powerhouse Behind Led Zeppelin......Mick Bonham.......Southbank Publishing Led Zeppelin, A Visual Documentary.....Paul Kendall.........Putnam Publishing Group Led Zeppelin, In The Light........Howard Mylett/Richard Bunton Power and Glory, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page..........Chris Welsh......Cherry Lane Books ....I have many more but many are'nt really worth mentioning. All the little "private" stuff many other bands don't mind telling the press and their fans, Zep likes to keep private. Zep also keep at bay from the press after being jilted early on by them. What is left is 99% speculation, folklore, and hearsay. That's why they are to this day one of the most rumor filled bands in history. Best to stick to the facts IMO. And as far as the meaning of the lyrics.....they are meant to be whatever you take from them. Everbody "thinks" they know..... there are many interpretations, very few are confirmed by the band,.....and oftentimes lyrics are nothing more than words that rhyme and then people make up some deep crap about them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zepyep Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 Hi all, I would also recommend: "Led Zeppelin: A Celebration" by Dave Lewis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Schmo Posted December 4, 2007 Author Share Posted December 4, 2007 Nice post, HD. Thanks for the tips. So, in your opinion, was Hammer of the Gods one of those books full of exaggerated and embellished folklore? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whyalla Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 For 'speculative' explanations as to the meanings of the songs you can try songfacts.com. But I totally agree with what Honeydripper said they are meant to be what YOU take from them. Heres the link: Songfacts link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Honeydripper Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 Nice post, HD. Thanks for the tips. So, in your opinion, was Hammer of the Gods one of those books full of exaggerated and embellished folklore? Here's a quote by Page himself....."There's a book written by our former road manager, Richard Cole that has made me completely ill. I'm so mad about it that I can't even bring myself to read the whole thing. The two bits that I have read are so ridiculously false, that I'm sure if I read the rest I'd be able to sue Cole and the publishers. But it would be so painful to read that it wouldn't be worth it." This was about Cole's own book, Stairway To Heaven......but it was he that provided that lore and stretched tales to Stephen Davis. I guess he figured after being payed for stories by Davis that there was a market for it and wrote a book of his own. I would'nt read either of them to tell the truth! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
59LesPaul Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 I've read them;and they're bullshit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve The Lemon Sauer Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 When I interviewed John Paul Jones six years ago this month, "Hammer of the Gods" by Stephen Davis was brought up. "You see, the only trouble with that book, that stupid book, was that it got all its facts wrong," Jones told me. "It got all the stories the wrong way around. Apart of that, it wasn't funny. I mean, some of the stories were actually hilarious, but the way the book reads is: 'What a bunch of miserable bastards we are!'" It was the 30th anniversary of a stretch in the middle of Led Zeppelin's 1973 tour when I was writing about that in my online newsletter "On This Day In Led Zeppelin History." You can read the full entry from 5/13/03 here. Archives of the newsletter from March 2002 are up, and I revived its distribution as a mailing list in August of this year. Today was another anniversary: 27 years since Led Zeppelin announced it was disbanding after the death of John Bonham. You can read all about that, and how it ties in with everything happening today, here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Masson Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 I am looking to find out more about Zep's history and the stories behind their songs. 1. Is there a website where I can get the two paragraph explanation about what each song means and what its origins are? 2. What are some good books to read that will tell me about Zeppelin's history? The stories of their glory years? The breakup? Oh and one more question: Like everyone, I read "Hammer of the Gods" by Stephen Davis. From what I've heard the band members HATE that book and denouce it as trash. Why is that? Is it because the books contents are FALSE or because they're TRUE? (if you know what I mean) Thanks. As for your first question, there are two quite useful books where you can look up individual songs and get at least the elementary information. One of them is by Chris Welch, Led Zeppelin: Dazed and Confused, and the other is by Dave Lewis, Led Zeppelin: The Complete Guide to Their Music (the latter volume is based on an older draft earlier published in Lewis' fanzine Tight But Loose and also in the earlier mentioned Celebration volume). And as for overviews on the band's trajectory I'd recommend Keith Shadwick's Led Zeppelin: The Story of a Band and Their Music 1968-1980 - which is an excellent book. Also still pretty good is Ritchie Yorke's little paperback history of the band, Led Zeppelin: The Definitive Biography (several editions, and the older have a different title). Hammer of the Gods should be used with a great deal of caution as others have pointed out. It's not accurate and hence for most things isn't directly useful as a source. All members of the band detest the book, and not really because the stories he's telling are embarrassing, but rather because of several inaccuracies and because Cole intently makes it all look extremely sordid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Schmo Posted December 4, 2007 Author Share Posted December 4, 2007 It seems that much of the content from HOTG came from their manager, Richard Cole. But it also seems, from what i have heard, that the content is blatantly inaccurate. Cole was their manager and (at least at some point) their friend. That begs the question, Why, oh WHY, would Cole make up such numerous and blatant lies about the guys who made him rich? What motive would he have? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Masson Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 It seems that much of the content from HOTG came from their manager, Richard Cole. But it also seems, from what i have heard, that the content is blatantly inaccurate. Cole was their manager and (at least at some point) their friend. That begs the question, Why, oh WHY, would Cole make up such numerous and blatant lies about the guys who made him rich? What motive would he have? Thanks. The best guess is: he needed to create a sensationalist account to make money. He was an addict and certainly needed money. Not only was it blatantly sensationalist, it was obviously a rushed affair. There are some stupid mistakes in the book that contradict other available sources at the time, one of which greatly pissed Jimmy Page off (the account given of Robert's first visit to Pangbourne, when they listened to Joan Baez's version of 'Baby, I'm Gonna Leave You', etc.). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 It seems that much of the content from HOTG came from their manager, Richard Cole. But it also seems, from what i have heard, that the content is blatantly inaccurate. Cole was their manager and (at least at some point) their friend. That begs the question, Why, oh WHY, would Cole make up such numerous and blatant lies about the guys who made him rich? What motive would he have? Thanks. Stephen Davis only paid him $1,500 which is why seven years later Cole essentially republished the stories as "Led Zeppelin Uncensored: Stairway to Heaven". Personally, I think most of what is in HOTG is accurate, generally speaking, although Cole seems to have taken the liberty of placing himself at the center of everything that went on from 1968-80. As road manager, he was certainly there, but his memory has been proven to be wrong in many instances insofar as dates and sequence of events. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desirezep Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 Tangents within a framework Jimmy Page by Howard Mylett. traces the history of Jimmy Page from as far back as The Yardbirds, the only thing is it is rare now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Masson Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 The best guess is: he needed to create a sensationalist account to make money. He was an addict and certainly needed money. Not only was it blatantly sensationalist, it was obviously a rushed affair. There are some stupid mistakes in the book that contradict other available sources at the time, one of which greatly pissed Jimmy Page off (the account given of Robert's first visit to Pangbourne, when they listened to Joan Baez's version of 'Baby, I'm Gonna Leave You', etc.). I stand by my earlier post as written, but as for the passage I mentioned last, that was in Stairway to Heaven, I'm pretty sure, and not Hammer of the Gods. Sorry about that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Masson Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 Tangents within a framework Jimmy Page by Howard Mylett. traces the history of Jimmy Page from as far back as The Yardbirds, the only thing is it is rare now. I've always liked that one, but it's mainly quotes. There is a good biography out now by George Case, called Jimmy Page: Magus, Musician, Man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeTheDuke Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 The Illustrated Collector's Guide To Led Zeppelin...Robert Godwin....Collector's Guide Publishing Inc. (for the collector of all things audible by LZ. ) may I add my website too? it's the most comprehensive discography on line about led zeppelin (worldwide) and members ... official releases only, no bootlegs (www.vjez.com/zeppelin) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Schmo Posted December 5, 2007 Author Share Posted December 5, 2007 Can anyone quote specifics of HOTG that are untrue? Specific events, etc. that Cole blatantly lied about? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Masson Posted December 6, 2007 Share Posted December 6, 2007 Can anyone quote specifics of HOTG that are untrue? Specific events, etc. that Cole blatantly lied about? Thanks. Why is that suddenly so important? I've never understood why some people keep harping on that book - I read it about 20 years ago, and I'm certainly not going to read it through now to make a compendium of the errors in it. In any case it's not so much a case of outright lies as of a lot inaccuracies and presenting everything in a very sinister light. Mind, none of the band members deny the hedonism - and Robert Plant has even verified that the famed mud-shark incident did take place - but all of them have an intense dislike for Cole's version of it. But, hey: it simply doesn't matter. Because there are much better and more reliable books out there, and trust me, they are not about portraying the band as a quartet of innocent angels. They even use Cole's narrative for some details. In other respects Cole's books are just a waste of time by now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeTheDuke Posted December 6, 2007 Share Posted December 6, 2007 Why is that suddenly so important? I've never understood why some people keep harping on that book - I read it about 20 years ago, and I'm certainly not going to read it through now to make a compendium of the errors in it. .... But, hey: it simply doesn't matter. Because there are much better and more reliable books out there, and trust me, they are not about portraying the band as a quartet of innocent angels. They even use Cole's narrative for some details. In other respects Cole's books are just a waste of time by now. I agree, 100%! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Honeydripper Posted December 6, 2007 Share Posted December 6, 2007 What did you think of "Hammer of the Gods"? I kept a copy just for the picture section.....otherwise, I'd use it to line the cat box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ledded1 Posted December 7, 2007 Share Posted December 7, 2007 This is my book collection to date, something in there for everyone methinks This is my book collection LED ZEPPELIN BOOKS 1. CHRIS WELCH. DAZED AND CONFUSED. 2. ROBERT GODWIN. THE ILLUSTRATED COLLECTORS GUIDE TO LED ZEPPELIN. 3. ROBERT GODWIN. THE ILLUSTRATED COLLECTORS GUIDE TO LED ZEPPELIN.CD EDITION. 4. ROBERT GODWIN. THE ILLUSTRATED COLLECTORS GUIDE TO LED ZEPPELIN.VOL 2. 5. ROBERT GODWIN. LED ZEPPELIN. THE PRESS REPORTS. 6. ROBERT GODWIN. THE MAKING OF LED ZEPPELIN FOUR. 7. RICHARD COLE. STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN. 8. LOUIS REY. LED ZEPPELIN LIVE. 9. RICHIE YORKE. THE LED ZEPPELIN BIOGRAPHY. 10. RICHIE YORKE. THE DEFINITIVE BIOGRAPHY.2ND ED. 11. ALAIN BLAIS. THE LED ZEPPELIN SCRAPBOOK OF OFFICIAL CONCERT PROGRAMMES. 12. STEPHEN DAVIS. THE HAMMER OF THE GODS. 13. CHRIS WELCH. LED ZEPPELIN. 14. HOWARD MYLETT. LED ZEPPELIN x 3 COPIES. 15. HOWARD MYLETT. JIMMY PAGE. TANGENTS WITHIN A FRAMEWORK. 16. HOWARD MYLETT. LED ZEPPELIN. IN THE LIGHT. 17. HOWARD MYLETT. ON TOUR WITH LED ZEPPELIN. 18. DAVE LEWIS. THE FINAL ACCLAIM. 19. DAVE LEWIS. THE CONCERT FILES. 20. DAVE LEWIS. A CELEBRATION. 21. ONGAKU SENKA. LED ZEPPELIN. (JAPAN) 22. WARNER BROS. THE COMBINED LED ZEPPELIN 1&2. 23. NEAL PRESTON. PORTRAITS. 24. ROCK FUN. LED ZEPPELIN. (JAPAN) 25. ROSS CLARKE. MAKING AND BREAKING RECORDS. 26. WILLIAM RUHLMANNN. LED ZEPPELIN. 27. C. CROSS & E.FLANNIGAN. HEAVEN AND HELL. 28. PAUL KENDALL. A VISUAL DOCUMENTARY. 29. EDDIE MCSQUARE. GOOD TIME BAD TIMES. 30. ROSS HALFIN. THE PHOTOGRAPHERS LED ZEPPELIN. 31. LAURANCE RATNER. LIVE DREAMS. 32. MICK BONHAM. BONHAM ON BONHAM. (PHOTOS). 33. SWAN SONG RECORDS. IN THROUGH THE OUTDOOR. 34. G.CHATTEAU/S.RAPPALLO. THE MONTREUX CONCERTS. 35. CHRIS WELCH. PETER GRANT. THE MAN WHO LED ZEPPELIN. 36. CHRIS WELCH. JOHN BONHAM. A THUNDER OF DRUMS. 37. CHRISTOPHE LE PABIC, BENOIT PASCAL. HEXAGONAL EXPERIENCES. 38. LED ZEPPELIN OVER EUROPE. JEAN-PIERRE LELOIR 39. SUZY, LED ZEPPELIN AND ME. MARTIN MILLAR 40. NEAL PRESTON. LED ZEPPELIN. THE PHOTOGRAPHS 41. BONHAM BY BONHAM. MICK BONHAM. 42. ROBERT GODWIN. THE MAKING OF LED ZEPPELIN 4. (MINI BOOK) 43. CHRIS WELCH. LED ZEPPELIN. (MINI BOOK) 44. SUSAN FAST. IN THE HOUSES OF THE HOLY. THE POWER OF LED ZEPPELIN AND ROCK MUSIC. 45. R. HULETT & J PROCHNICKY. WHOLE LOTTA LED. OUR FLIGHT WITH LED ZEPPELIN. 46. SHADWICK, K. LED ZEPPELIN. THE STORY OF A BAND AND THEIR MUSIC 1968-80 47. NIGEL WILLIAMSON. THE ROUGH GUIDE TO LED ZEPPELIN. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPFan-Kimberly Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 It seems that much of the content from HOTG came from their manager, Richard Cole. But it also seems, from what i have heard, that the content is blatantly inaccurate. Cole was their manager and (at least at some point) their friend. That begs the question, Why, oh WHY, would Cole make up such numerous and blatant lies about the guys who made him rich? What motive would he have? Thanks. Money, Money, and more Money! It's all about the money! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunray782 Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 Here's an interesting biographical article on Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstor...of_led_zeppelin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slave to zep Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 The overall jist of the "story" of the band is a commen one and can be read in just about any book with the name Led Zeppelin on the cover. As for the details, accounts given by "insiders" such as Cole.....who apparently glorified, and then sold the stories to the writer, can be taken with a grain of salt. What you really should get into are the facts and if you are into reading about backstage romps and hotel parties, these books are'nt for you. These are however considered "bibles" amongst the hardcore fanatics. The Concert File.....Dave Lewis w/ Simon Pallet....Omnibus Press (the admin of this board has a mention in the credits ) The Press Reports....Robert Godwin....Collector's Guide Publishing Inc. The Illustrated Collector's Guide To Led Zeppelin...Robert Godwin....Collector's Guide Publishing Inc. (for the collector of all things audible by LZ. ) For stunning eyecandy. Led Zeppelin, A Photographic Collection......Neal Preston.........Vision Publishing Co The Photographer's Led Zeppelin........Ross Halfin............(?) can be found at online auction sites, (I think it's out of print...came in a nice hardback cover in 95) some other notables Peter Grant, The Man Who Led Zeppelin.........Chris Welsh......Omnibus Press John Bonham, The Powerhouse Behind Led Zeppelin......Mick Bonham.......Southbank Publishing Led Zeppelin, A Visual Documentary.....Paul Kendall.........Putnam Publishing Group Led Zeppelin, In The Light........Howard Mylett/Richard Bunton Power and Glory, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page..........Chris Welsh......Cherry Lane Books ....I have many more but many are'nt really worth mentioning. All the little "private" stuff many other bands don't mind telling the press and their fans, Zep likes to keep private. Zep also keep at bay from the press after being jilted early on by them. What is left is 99% speculation, folklore, and hearsay. That's why they are to this day one of the most rumor filled bands in history. Best to stick to the facts IMO. And as far as the meaning of the lyrics.....they are meant to be whatever you take from them. Everbody "thinks" they know..... there are many interpretations, very few are confirmed by the band,.....and oftentimes lyrics are nothing more than words that rhyme and then people make up some deep crap about them. thanks for this list, i shall try my best to find as many as i can....dont like my chances here in australia though. unfortunately i dont have the funds to buy at any price though. they are very popular here, but not in the numbers of us and europe, so things are scarce. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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