First Led Zeppelin Stories

[Oblong]

For me it was because of my friend's brother. He was a guitar player in a band. In 1990 he finally got a CD player and made a tape of Led Zeppelin II for me. Until then I just new the basic radio staples, Whole Lotta Love/Heartbreaker/Stairway/Black Dog/etc. But they were just another band from the 70s.

once I listened to that tape it was all over. I became hooked and an obsession was born. The Boxed Set came out right after that so I bought that, then some individual albums to fill in the gaps. I bought the other boxed set to complete the catalog.

That friend makes fun of me because before I got hooked on them I once shut off Whole Lotta Love in the middle where Page starts playing with the knobs and feedback. "What the heck is this crap?"

I can't think of a better Zeppelin album to get hooked on. If it were any other one that he copied for me it may not have happened.

[guitarmy]

That friend makes fun of me because before I got hooked on them I once shut off Whole Lotta Love in the middle where Page starts playing with the knobs and feedback. "What the heck is this crap?"

Yeah I get the weirdest looks when I try to play Whole Lotta Love for someone who hasn't heard them before, probably similar to your reaction at the time.

I think there is a large portion of their music that is like this, that requires the listener to have patience.

This didn't really mesh with the times before they made their mark and it doesn't really mesh with the times now!

It's part of their style to make you wait for all hell to break lose. Don't get me wrong, they can power on through a whole song just as good as anyone.

But it's the gradual buildup that a lot of their songs have that make you feel like you weren't listening to music, and that you were experiencing it.

If you invest the time to listen to the part you think is just silly, just wait for the whole thing to complete itself. Then we'll see how silly it was after all.

By the end of the middle of Whole Lotta Love, it feels like I just warped to another planet, and then that riff comes back...ooh so good.

[Soccerzubs]

The next day, the detective at work stopped me, and said hey Pauline, you were in the concert last night, I said oh ok yes I was, he then said, Shame you did not tell me you were going, why I said, because if you had, you could of attended, the aftershow party and met them, and with that he walked off with a stupid grin on his face, GUTTED TO THIS DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Omg, I am so sorry, that must suck so much

[Laughter]

I've always HEARD Zep, but a couple years ago I looked them up and fell in love. Back when singingfish was around I searched and found most songs I knew where them. Two songs stood out to me and reeled me in In The Evening and No Quarter. From then on I just looked up everything on the net.

[Del Zeppnile]

First time I heard them was in late 1969 or early 1970 I think. I recall the song Whole Lottla Love being played on the FM station because of it's distinctive audio pans and the thermemin part. That song along with Heartbreaker got the most airplay at the time and I really liked it.

I had not heard anything from Led Zeppelin One played until I was at my cousin's house and saw a copy of that album. My uncle had lots of albums, mostly jazz and blues stuff, but I guess he really didn't like the Led Zeppelin album so he gave it to my cousin. I was then able to offer a Beachboys album as a trade and for my the rest is history. I was a fan at the early age of 10 (1970).

Growing up in Southern California (Los Angeles area) all I can say is that Led Zeppelin was huge. Especially with the white stoner surfer types like me. I also remember waiting in line for hours to buy Physical Graffiti the day it went on sale at the Tower Records store on Sunset Blvd.

In 1975 I missed the chance to see Led Zeppelin in concert because my parents found out about me going and would not allow me to be out that late being that I was 15 and going to the concert with people that they did not really approve of. (sort of like that scene in Detroit Rock City with the mom finding out about her son going to the KISS concert)

The next time Zep came around to Southern Calfornia in 1977 I did not make the same mistake and made sure that I got to go. I was working by then and had my own car... so they never were the wiser. I think the band played something like five or six sold out shows at the Inglewood Forum for that leg of the tour and I was lucky to get a chance to see them.

[bouncing~ship]

Hollywood anybody?

[bouncing~ship]

Yeah I get the weirdest looks when I try to play Whole Lotta Love for someone who hasn't heard them before, probably similar to your reaction at the time.

I think there is a large portion of their music that is like this, that requires the listener to have patience.

This didn't really mesh with the times before they made their mark and it doesn't really mesh with the times now!

It's part of their style to make you wait for all hell to break lose. Don't get me wrong, they can power on through a whole song just as good as anyone.

But it's the gradual buildup that a lot of their songs have that make you feel like you weren't listening to music, and that you were experiencing it.

If you invest the time to listen to the part you think is just silly, just wait for the whole thing to complete itself. Then we'll see how silly it was after all.

By the end of the middle of Whole Lotta Love, it feels like I just warped to another planet, and then that riff comes back...ooh so good.

Money shot

[bouncing~ship]

Q107

[guitarmy]

I had not heard anything from Led Zeppelin One played until I was at my cousin's house and saw a copy of that album. My uncle had lots of albums, mostly jazz and blues stuff, but I guess he really didn't like the Led Zeppelin album so he gave it to my cousin.

Oddly enough, the first copy of Led Zeppelin I that I listened to was my uncle's.

Let's just say he's not missing it.

[SunChild]

I think there is a large portion of their music that is like this, that requires the listener to have patience.

This didn't really mesh with the times before they made their mark and it doesn't really mesh with the times now!

It's part of their style to make you wait for all hell to break lose. Don't get me wrong, they can power on through a whole song just as good as anyone.

But it's the gradual buildup that a lot of their songs have that make you feel like you weren't listening to music, and that you were experiencing it.

Love it! That's so true.

Maybe it's because they don't "mesh with the times", they'll always be around. What they do is, mesh with individuals at certain times in their lives.

[SunChild]

(Incidentally, four days later Lennon got shot. 1980 sucked. )

Oh man, that's exactly right. Now I remember why I just gave up on rock in the 80's.

[Chrestus]

1978, I was 14. Orcherstra class ( I played viola). Our teacher was a young guy, a lot more hip than the usual orchestra leaders. One day, he decided that instead of rehearsing he was going to treat us to a mini-concert of him on guitar. So he plays "Love Potion #9" (and sings it as well) and a few others. Then he plays the opening part of "Stairway To Heaven."

I thought, "Wow, that's a great piece." Very pretty and kind of meloncholy. What was magical about it was I didn't know the song and yet it sounded familiar to me. So I asked what it was and someone told me. I had just started getting into The Beatles; within a year my two best friends at the time would introduce me to The Rolling Stones and The Who.

Anyway, I went to a Brook Mays shop (American piano company) and bought the piano sheet music for Stairway, then a week or so later went out and bought Zep 4. Played Stairway first and was mightily impressed. But the real magic moment was after listening to Stairway I started the record from the beginning, and "Black Dog" just floored me. It was the heaviest thing I had ever heard. That riff, it was a strange form of rock and roll. I was hooked right there on the spot and like GetTheLedOut put it, I've never looked back. Had to have every album from then on out and was never disappointed.

There have been 4 songs in my life that were epiphianic for me musically, that completely redefined for me what you could classify as music, from a rock perspective.

The first was "Hound Dog" by Presley when I was 12.

Second was "I Am The Walrus" by The Beatles, about a year or so later.

Third was "Black Dog."

Fourth was "Melt The Guns" by XTC, around 1983.

[guitarmy]

But the real magic moment was after listening to Stairway I started the record from the beginning, and "Black Dog" just floored me. It was the heaviest thing I had ever heard. That riff, it was a strange form of rock and roll. I was hooked right there on the spot and like GetTheLedOut put it, I've never looked back. Had to have every album from then on out and was never disappointed.

Black Dog can really just get your attention, can't it? I know it got mine.

I love how it's the first song on IV. They could have easily made Rock & Roll the first song, just from the "been a long time" lyrics alone, but Black Dog does all that without explicitly stating however long it's been.

It's there, it's in your face, and it's now!

It's kind of like making the statement, "Excuse me, we're going to rock your ass off" and it all starts with "HEY HEY MAMA...".

It's enough to keep an old listener happy and a new listener intrigued.

Back and forth, back and forth, lull and explode.

It's like they can pause time in the middle of a nuclear explosion, rewind, and play it all over again.

[zero]

i was incredibly drawn to the band as if by force before i even heard them. when i was a kid i seen their tapes and things in stores and would stare at them for hours wanting them i don't know if it was the packaging the song titles or the name of the band but whatever it was i knew i had to get my hands on it. i wasn't allowed to buy their music which peaked my interest more. "it's evil" "it's too heavy" i was told. around the same time i heard a few songs over the radio which really set me off. then a bit later fortunately one late night when i was in the 4rth grade my local radio station aired every single zeppelin album/cd. i had some cheap blank tapes and got me some led zeppelin finally. didn't do to well in school the next day since this "album rock block" lasted till like 6 am. anyways , that's more or less the way it started and further blossomed for me.

[SevenThunders]

For years all I thought led zeppelin had done was whole lotta love, which I didn't really like at the time. I was kind of musically clueless in my teens being a huge beatles fan at the time. Then one day I was listening to KTIM in the SF bay area and they starting playing kashmir. I was blown away. Who does that? I wondered. I soon found out and bought physical graffiti. I think I wore out the grooves on that album and was hooked ever since. I eventually bought all their studio releases up until 1979's in through the out door.

I never got to see them play unfortunately missing their 1977 North American tour that featured the Bill Graham pummeling. After that things kind of went downhill for the band and they never toured north America again

[Francita]

I CAN NOT SAY EXACLTY WHEN IT WAS, but... my mum was 21 yrs old when i was born, and she didn't know how to sing a lullaby for me, so she used to sing stairway to heaven... that was the first time i guess, and i grew up listening LZ, the whole time, with my parents... I can say i had a good "musical school"... and i hope i'll do the same for my children (if i have some)

[MadScreamingGallery]

Wonderful stories! Kids growing up in different places, during different times, and under different circumstances, but we all found our way to Zep. I especially like the school stories. They remind me that, even back in the Zep days, not everyone was a Zep fan. When Zep was in town, and their concerts coincided with the school year, I would cut class and skip school. During one Zep tour, I remember coming back to one class after an absence that lasted several days. When I walked in the teacher glared at me and said, “MISS Gallery” (with an emphasis on the MISS). I tried to mumble an excuse but he just waved his hand at me at said, “I know, I know. The ROLLING Stones are in town.” (with an emphasis on the ROLLING). At that point, the two or three kids in the class (stoner kids in the back of the room) who actually knew what was going on started to crack up, laughing and trying to suppress it. At the same time, kids who didn't get it were turning around giving the laughing kids weird looks. The kids were laughing partly because none of us called the Stones anything but the Stones (no one ever added the Rolling), partly because the teacher confused Zep and the Stones (who I never skipped school for), and partly because the teacher (and the rest of the kids) had no absolutely no idea about what was going on, which made the whole thing seem even funnier. The 70’s. Don't think I will live long enough to see another decade like it.

[guitarmy]

I tried to mumble an excuse but he just waved his hand at me at said, “I know, I know. The ROLLING Stones are in town.” (with an emphasis on the ROLLING). At that point, the two or three kids in the class (stoner kids in the back of the room) who actually knew what was going on started to crack up, laughing and trying to suppress it.

I love this type of tone that teachers take when they pretend to know about something in this manner.

classic.

[drrobert]

I was with my friend Jeff when he bought the Fourth Album back when it came out in '71. I was all of eleven years old at the time and Jeff was a few years older. I remember him talking on the phone with a friend of his, telling him he had picked up the new Led Zeppelin album.

"Yeah, I got it. Yeah, it's f**king wicked!"

I was staying at his family's house in Hayward, California and we listened to it all weekend long. The songs that stood out for me at the time was Black Dog (with that insane monstrous riff) and of course, Stairway to Heaven. I remember pouring over those lyrics printed on the album sleeve, wondering what they all meant.

Jeff was a real Rock 'n Roll uncle. He turned me on to the Beatles, Creedence and of course Zep. He signed up for the Coast Guard in '76 and tragically drowned during basic training. But his spirit is always near every time I "Rock and Roll".

[the piper]

I was doing research in a lab at the University of Iowa during the summer after 10th grade. One of the graduate students had on II and I loved "Whole Lotta Love"- I think it was my first time ever hearing Led Zeppelin, although I knew about them. I remember I was in 8th grade when Bohnam died, and I expected everyone to be wearing armbands the next day, but they were not. Actually, I probably heard Zeppelin at my friend's house, but did not know much about rock n roll- I was born in India, although I grew up here. Anyway, back in the lab, I would blast Zeppelin whenever I got the chance. People thought it was cute-- I must have been very innocent back then. When I returned back to New York for 11th grade, a person I knew--was not really my friend yet, made me a mix of Zeppelin songs. Well, I learned to sing them--wanted to imitate the voice of Plant, and in 12th grade began to sing for a couple of friends who played guitar. I remember doing the talent show in 12th grade with a close friend--we lost touch. The songs we did at the show were Going to Cal, Over the Hills and Far Away, and That's the Way- And yesterday I saw you standing by the river, and weren't those tears that filled your eyes, And all the fish that lay in dirty water dying, Have they got you hypnotized. And yesterday I saw you kissing tiny flowers, but all that lives is born to die, And so I say to you that nothing really matters, and all you do is stand and cry. As you can tell, Zeppelin is part of me.

[Michelle of Los Angeles CA]

Pray do tell...please...please. Why? Is the story too raunchy? Were you lumberin-n-sluttin?

Sorry, I'm just catching up with old posts. I can only do a few at a time. I noticed that I was beginning to be a Led-Zeppelin-Website-Junkie.

Now I have to go to a Led-Zeppelin-Website-Junkie Anonymous.

[Jacob wolf]

Well i was in a music store in the old parts of South Carolina(I'm from there and live there right now) i went to a record store looking for a particular Joe Satriani cd that just came out.

so i found it and my step dad said"nah. i want to show you a great band. not that satch is bad."(he bought me to "surfing with the alien" album) and we found the live version of "how the west was won" and we popped it in the cd player in the suburban and i started to a little beat with my feet to the "Immigrant song". so i listened to the whole thing on the way home till we got to STH.

And i started liking them from then.

[Jacob wolf]

I was doing research in a lab at the University of Iowa during the summer after 10th grade. One of the graduate students had on II and I loved "Whole Lotta Love"- I think it was my first time ever hearing Led Zeppelin, although I knew about them. I remember I was in 8th grade when Bohnam died, and I expected everyone to be wearing armbands the next day, but they were not. Actually, I probably heard Zeppelin at my friend's house, but did not know much about rock n roll- I was born in India, although I grew up here. Anyway, back in the lab, I would blast Zeppelin whenever I got the chance. People thought it was cute-- I must have been very innocent back then. When I returned back to New York for 11th grade, a person I knew--was not really my friend yet, made me a mix of Zeppelin songs. Well, I learned to sing them--wanted to imitate the voice of Plant, and in 12th grade began to sing for a couple of friends who played guitar. I remember doing the talent show in 12th grade with a close friend--we lost touch. The songs we did at the show were Going to Cal, Over the Hills and Far Away, and That's the Way- And yesterday I saw you standing by the river, and weren't those tears that filled your eyes, And all the fish that lay in dirty water dying, Have they got you hypnotized. And yesterday I saw you kissing tiny flowers, but all that lives is born to die, And so I say to you that nothing really matters, and all you do is stand and cry. As you can tell, Zeppelin is part of me.

Dude!!!!!! that was suuch a great post!!!

[shredder]

Hi, well...greetings that is really interesting, the first time you heard Zeppelin!!! well I was staying at my grandparents house, listening to AC/DC, "Highway to Hell" in the front porch this was back in 1980...Bohnam had just passed away, and well my soon to be bestfriend was walking by with a little radio listening to Led Zeppelin II. We became best friends up to this day...each of us has gone there way, but we will always remember that ROCKING DAY in the summer of 1980. and well, I've seen Page and Plant during different periods in the nineties, and oh well, could not make the London show, but I have a hunch I'll get my chance in New York, that would be fitting for this type of show and band that holds a special place in my life. Greetings and Salutations KEEP ROCKING!!! And I forgot: It's been Nobody's Fault but Mine jajaja

[Michelle of Los Angeles CA]

Wonderful stories! The kids were laughing partly because none of us called the Stones anything but the Stones (no one ever added the Rolling), partly because the teacher confused Zep and the Stones (who I never skipped school for), and partly because the teacher (and the rest of the kids) had no absolutely no idea about what was going on, which made the whole thing seem even funnier. The 70’s. Don't think I will live long enough to see another decade like it.

I miss the old psychedelic-mushroom days.

I know what you mean by 'stoners.' Yeah they were always at the back of the class rolling their joints, taking Qualudes (I forgot the spelling) walking around like red-eyed zombies in bell-bottom jeans.

I know why the kids were laughing. The teachers were so ignorant about the drugs kids took at that time. You could pop an ampethamine tab in front of the teachers, and they thought it was cough medicine.

Yeah I remember.