I knew LZ from the time I was pretty young. My mom was a hippie and listened to lots of late 60's and early 70's stuff. Born in 1973 (my favourite live LZ year) I got great vibes from my parents and their music collection and was around for hearing "Fool In The Rain" on Casey Kasam's weekend show. It wasnt until my 7th grade year I had made friends with a stoner aptly named Jimmy in a class where we did little but listen to Houses Of The Holy endlessly on a cassette player that you could plug many sets of headphones in. I had a home ec class that same year and the desk I sat in had notes passed between girls the previous hour, I responded and a girl named Mona Lisa and I became great friends. One night in 1986 while on one of the endless phone chats I was describing my moms LP collection. As I got to LZ I she yelled "Oh put I Cant Quit You Baby on!!!". I did as was totally blown away!! Roberts cry of love at the beginning is a life changer for me but not the defining moment that set me on the course to obsessive.
My mother and I had a very disgruntled relationship. The summer after 8th grade grad (1987) she decided I was a horrible kid and had me thrown in a hospital for "bad" kids. . 3 months in a kind of jail for kids with problems. Long story short, my rommie was John, a punker who at 13 had a horrible coke problem. As crazy as they come he listened to all kinds of music and after a weekend furlough with his dad he brought in a couple of tapes to enjoy. The Dead Kennedy's "Bedtime for Democracy" and LZ IV. The moment I heard "Black Dog" I have not been the same since. I went out on my next furlough and bought Physical Graffiti and LZ I and havent looked back.
Through the good times and the bad times in my life this band has been there for me. A cache of wonderful memories blasting this band from one time to another and more still to come.