Bew Book Chronicles Zeppelin's Glory Years

[Led Zep Girl]

Meant to put "NEW" instead of "BEW" stupid typo's.

Anyways,

Read about it HERE

Edited October 18, 2010 by Led Zep Girl

[kenog]

Meant to put "NEW" instead of "BEW" stupid typo's.

Anyways,

Read about it HERE

Led Zep Girl,

Unfortunately, the imminent release of this book has already been covered elsewhere. It does get very difficult to know what with the size of the site. I have so often put stuff on here, and simply not known if it has already been posted. LOL

http://forums.ledzep...re-the-75-tour/

[sam_webmaster]

I've been reading the book....

[kenog]

I've been reading the book....

Sam,

You've read it - you are obviously unimpressed. I had a feeling it would be c**p, so I listed my posting about the book under the LZ Trivia site. Are you able to share anything more with us? The pity is that LZ fans will buy it in their droves.

[sam_webmaster]

I've only browsed through it. Here's a sample:

"I was sitting near the front (of the starship) with the other writers. John Bonham was in a booth near the forward bulkhead. He seemed in a sort of stupor. Suddenly, he looked up and growled my name. 'Stephen Davis, eh?' This got my attention, and my blood ran cold for a second. The Beast had crushed that Atlantic Records promo guy's glasses on this plane. The Beast had to be pulled off one of the stews. How did he know me? But then someone brought him a drink and his beastly attentions were diverted elsewhere. I resumed breathing."

[Mattmc1973]

I've only browsed through it. Here's a sample:

"I was sitting near the front (of the starship) with the other writers. John Bonham was in a booth near the forward bulkhead. He seemed in a sort of stupor. Suddenly, he looked up and growled my name. 'Stephen Davis, eh?' This got my attention, and my blood ran cold for a second. The Beast had crushed that Atlantic Records promo guy's glasses on this plane. The Beast had to be pulled off one of the stews. How did he know me? But then someone brought him a drink and his beastly attentions were diverted elsewhere. I resumed breathing."

Seems like a pretty reasonable thing to think, being a journalist on Zep's plane and a drunk Bonham approaches you.

[kenog]

I've only browsed through it. Here's a sample:

"I was sitting near the front (of the starship) with the other writers. John Bonham was in a booth near the forward bulkhead. He seemed in a sort of stupor. Suddenly, he looked up and growled my name. 'Stephen Davis, eh?' This got my attention, and my blood ran cold for a second. The Beast had crushed that Atlantic Records promo guy's glasses on this plane. The Beast had to be pulled off one of the stews. How did he know me? But then someone brought him a drink and his beastly attentions were diverted elsewhere. I resumed breathing."

Thanks Sam. This short excerpt makes my blood boil - repeatedly referring to John Bonham as The Beast:angry: The guy is dead, and it is unfortunate that his family will probably read this. The way it is written is so over-dramatised. I wish Bonzo had punched him .

[MadScreamingGallery]

I've only browsed through it. Here's a sample:

"I was sitting near the front (of the starship) with the other writers. John Bonham was in a booth near the forward bulkhead. He seemed in a sort of stupor. Suddenly, he looked up and growled my name. 'Stephen Davis, eh?' This got my attention, and my blood ran cold for a second. The Beast had crushed that Atlantic Records promo guy's glasses on this plane. The Beast had to be pulled off one of the stews. How did he know me? But then someone brought him a drink and his beastly attentions were diverted elsewhere. I resumed breathing."

Thanks Sam. This short excerpt makes my blood boil - repeatedly referring to John Bonham as The Beast:angry: The guy is dead, and it is unfortunate that his family will probably read this. The way it is written is so over-dramatised. I wish Bonzo had punched him .

As someone who has met and as someone who has friends who both met and worked with LZ and JB, I find it sad and strange that, for all the time that he spent with LZ, Stephen Davis was unable to see Bonzo as the person who he truly was. None of the people I know who had contact (and in some cases sustained professional contact) with the band would agree with Stephen Davis' assessment of John Bonham that you've quoted here. I'm not in any position to speculate about what may have transpired between JB and Stephen Davis that might have led him to write this but it might have had something to do with the grueling pace of the tours and the constant barrage of journalists and others. Or, perhaps it's just that Davis and his publisher believe that this is what will sell more books. I can say that Bonzo could be a gentleman and really such a nice person. His ultimate loyalties were always to his wife and his children. Always. And I don't know anyone who knew Bonzo, the man behind the stereotype and caricature as depicted by some journalists, who would not defend Bonzo. Yes, he drank and could get angry but there were many rockers who behaved in a much worse manner. Much worse. It is unfortunate that his family will read this. And unfortunate that people like Davis will continue to perpetuate this unfortunate one-sided depiction of John Bonham.

Edited October 19, 2010 by MadScreamingGallery

[Alice75]

As someone who has met and as someone who has friends who both met and worked with LZ and JB, I find it sad and strange that, for all the time that he spent with LZ, Stephen Davis was unable to see Bonzo as the person who he truly was. None of the people I know who had contact (and in some cases sustained professional contact) with the band would agree with Stephen Davis' assessment of John Bonham that you've quoted here. I'm not in any position to speculate about what may have transpired between JB and Stephen Davis that might have led him to write this but it might have had something to do with the grueling pace of the tours and the constant barrage of journalists and others. Or, perhaps it's just that Davis and his publisher believe that this is what will sell more books. I can say that Bonzo could be a gentleman and really such a nice person. His ultimate loyalties were always to his wife and his children. Always. And I don't know anyone who knew Bonzo, the man behind the stereotype and caricature as depicted by some journalists, who would not defend Bonzo. Yes, he drank and could get angry but there were many rockers who behaved in a much worse manner. Much worse. It is unfortunate that his family will read this. And unfortunate that people like Davis will continue to perpetuate this unfortunate one-sided depiction of John Bonham.

Thank you so much,MSG!You told what I wanted to say.

I think it's about time for (real)LZ fans to stop to read vulgar muckraking books on them.

I know several fans who research about LZ(especially about Jimmy) without depending on any books or magazines.They really know well about real LZ boys.

[Mattmc1973]

Here's something I find interesting...a LOT of people are down on Stephen Davis for Hammer of the Gods, and now this book, as being sensationalistic, telling the sordid sides of the band, portraying them in a bad light, etc. Yet, I just read "Led Zeppelin: The Story Of The Band And Their Music, 1968-1980" by Keith Shadwick. If you read the reviews on Amazon, almost every one talks about it being a balanced account, free from gossip, and the best bio available. Yet almost every story told by Davis in HOTG is in Shadwick's book! He accounts the same stories about Bonzo's behavior and drinking on the road, on the Starship, and backstage. No one complains about any books but Davis'. Is it because Shadwick addresses the music more, and therefore is more "balanced"? Shadwick says the same things that Davis does: that Bonzo was a great guy and generally very sweet, but when he was away from home and drinking a lot he could be a monster.

I'm not sure what would be worse or more disingenuous, Davis writing a book about LZ on the road in '75 and telling us what he saw - good, bad, and ugly - or whitewashing it and not telling the story or glossing over the behavior, drug use, and violence of the band and its entourage. That wouldn't be very "journalistic" or "balanced" either.

[SteveAJones]

Yesterday author Stephen Davis was scheduled to grant an interview to Steve "The Lemon" Sauer for his Lemon Squeezings website. I submitted a number of very pointed questions for Steve's consideration concerning the author's relationship with the band, journalistic integrity and the business side of book writing. While it remains to be seen if any of those questions were posed Steve undoubtedly made the most of the opportunity. I look forward to his transcription:

http://www.lemonsqueezings.com/