Rock Historian Posted September 8, 2008 Author Share Posted September 8, 2008 It is fun to hear how other people heard of Zeppelin for the first time....I can remember highscholl 1975..my older brother Dean loved Led Zeppelin and it would be blasting in his car every single time you got in....I loved it....I knew every song..and the memories are endless to this day ....I dont think there is and ever will any music that can make me as happy as Zep...I was never able to go to a concert when I was younger....so when I heard about the o2 reunion..I knew I had to be there...I was incredibly lucky....We went there with no tickets from Illinois to London. I have never wanted anything so bad in my life...well we happened to meet a ticket broker in london from chicago...and at the second he got off the phone from someone that could not make the concert ...we were at the right place and the right time.......I cant even describe to you the feeling I had.... My older brother that gave me the joy of led zeppelin music had died a couple of years ago in a tragic atv accident...but I know he was with me in spirit as I walked into that 02 arena..they played all Deans favorite songs.........The most incredible experience of my life...................................... Great story man! I enjoyed that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esraym Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 Some great stories in this thread, very nice to hear... Rock Historian; nice music man, good luck with it! As for me... I'm 17 Only really discovered Zeppelin about a year ago.. It was a revelation. I had never really got into music before, and the first song I heard, Kashmir, blew my mind. Second was Black Dog; amazing stuff. Both on Youtube, after my Beatles infatuated dad decided he wanted to get the led out... The pop stuff of today just doesn't really o it, but Led Zeppelin is masterful. So diverse, so damn good. Music for every occsaion, every emotion. Have been getting into some of the live/bootleg material, and love what I see =) Great stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonOfDarkness Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 Good to hear esraym. You give old farts like me hope for the future. Glad your aboard! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggie29 Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 What do I love about Led Zeppelin? Two things, first and foremost the music and then the performances. Forget the hype and all the other "mystical" bullshit, nothing else matters. I was fifteen when I first heard them and eighteen when I finally saw them live. Been listening to and watching them ever since. Prior to that I was into Cream, Donovan, Hendrix, Them, and The Yardbirds (all the line ups), I always loved the things that Jimmy played on during his session years but was not aware of at the time. Oh yeah, they inspired me to write and play my own music too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfred Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 Great stories !!! I'll be concise with mine... It was my Gramma's doing. For my 6th birthday ( 1969 ) my mother bought a cheap turntable that plays 45's & 33's ( center ring was affixed and would depress & slow rpm when a 33 was placed on it ). Gramma bought me Led Zeppelin II ( God Bless Her Soul )... Even as a youngen I couldn't believe my ears !!! I would listen and try to imagine what these guys looked like while playing the songs over & over . Fast forward 2008 I am now 45 , hold a Director's position in my career , happily married 25 yrs, 2 great sons ( one who plays a Gibson amazingly well ) and my addiction to Led Zeppelin has never been more powerful !!! If you were to look in my truck or in my Sprinter Van you will only find Zeppelin Cd's. My colleagues refer to me as the biggest Zeppelin Fan they have ever known and can't imagine how I can listen to the same music every day. It has evolved to the point whereby friends will be in their car and a Led Zeppelin tune will come on the radio and they will call me and say " the song came on and made me think of you " can you hear it ? , can you name it? I am one of those people who shows up at work happy & upbeat every single day !! ( that also freaks people out ) I attribute this to our friends , Led Zeppelin. They were a comfort & inspiration to me during many years of hard ship as a child , and for that I am eternally greatfull !!!! Bless the Mighty Zeppelin & all of us Fans !!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joey123 Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 Great stories !!! I'll be concise with mine... It was my Gramma's doing. For my 6th birthday ( 1969 ) my mother bought a cheap turntable that plays 45's & 33's ( center ring was affixed and would depress & slow rpm when a 33 was placed on it ). Gramma bought me Led Zeppelin II ( God Bless Her Soul )... Even as a youngen I couldn't believe my ears !!! I would listen and try to imagine what these guys looked like while playing the songs over & over . Fast forward 2008 I am now 45 , hold a Director's position in my career , happily married 25 yrs, 2 great sons ( one who plays a Gibson amazingly well ) and my addiction to Led Zeppelin has never been more powerful !!! If you were to look in my truck or in my Sprinter Van you will only find Zeppelin Cd's. My colleagues refer to me as the biggest Zeppelin Fan they have ever known and can't imagine how I can listen to the same music every day. It has evolved to the point whereby friends will be in their car and a Led Zeppelin tune will come on the radio and they will call me and say " the song came on and made me think of you " can you hear it ? , can you name it? I am one of those people who shows up at work happy & upbeat every single day !! ( that also freaks people out ) I attribute this to our friends , Led Zeppelin. They were a comfort & inspiration to me during many years of hard ship as a child , and for that I am eternally greatfull !!!! Bless the Mighty Zeppelin & all of us Fans !!!! Alfred.............I totally relate to having nothing but zep cd's in my vehicle...I could drive forever listening to them...there is no doubt the music makes you happy....my daughter loves them tooooo Sometimes I wonder ...what is wrong with me ..thats all I listen too...I guess stick with what makes you happy....I told my husband I will be 90 years old some day and will have zep hooked up to my walker somehow..............the music is addictive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperDave Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 Some great stories in this thread, very nice to hear... Rock Historian; nice music man, good luck with it! As for me... I'm 17 Only really discovered Zeppelin about a year ago.. It was a revelation. I had never really got into music before, and the first song I heard, Kashmir, blew my mind. Second was Black Dog; amazing stuff. Both on Youtube, after my Beatles infatuated dad decided he wanted to get the led out... The pop stuff of today just doesn't really o it, but Led Zeppelin is masterful. So diverse, so damn good. Music for every occsaion, every emotion. Have been getting into some of the live/bootleg material, and love what I see =) Great stuff. Welcome Esraym, This board is a great community. A lot of knowledgeable people here. You'll feel at home in no time with one common interest. Remember: Led Zeppelin...there is no equal! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_baker Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 It's interesting hearing about all the stories about people who grew up in that era, or shortly there after. I was born in 87 and I wasn't really into music at all as a kid, mostly began when I got my license, when I started listening to classic rock and it was awakening. All the 90's stuff I didn't care for, I still can't get into the grunge stuff, all I listen to was 20 years before my time. I think my first eye opener was when a friend/cutomer at the bike shop I was working at through in a cd of his, I remember him saying listen to the bass in this song. The song he played was the Lemon song. I heard about Zep before but never really knew alot of there stuff and couldnt pick out one of their songs. That was the end of that. Now a little different then most of the stories of going and buying lp's or cassettes, I went home and downloaded a bunch of Zep songs and I immediately fell in love with the typical singles like Black Dog, Communication, Immigrant, Kashmir...ironically the first time I listened to Stairway I didnt know where the hype came from, but after listening to it a few times more, it came to me. I then went and bought the early/latter days cd's but I needed more. I would then go on a spree of searching for zep cd's, buyin IV first then I ordered I think I, II AND III off ebay and then searched all over music stores for any others I didnt have. I completed my collection, buying the TSRTS and How the West was Won DVD's which were mesmerizing and finally completing it with BBC sessions which is one of my fav to listen to. I think of all Zep's songs, the one's I enjoy most aren't the ones you hear on the radio all the time, and I just love the live versions, it was like listening to a whole new song. I've listened to all the classic rock, having Pink Floyd phases, The Beatles, Dylan, Hendrix, the Doors, Young...I can't care to listen to much new music, and for the past 2 months all I've played on my ipod was my Zep library. I gave up arguing with friends cause they just don't understand. I won't even try to get into it with one of my best friends who is in love with Cobain, we just leave it be, it is what it is. Zeppelin got me into music, and showed me that music wasn't about fame and fortune like it is today. That at one point in time people played music because thats what they loved to do and didn't care about everything that came with it. It showed me what music really was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Equinox73 Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 RH, that's great story man. I felt like I was there with you. I have similar memories of how I got hooked on Zep, but that's for another time. Zeppelin are the foundation for which all other rock bands are be measured. Stop and think-they never wrote a bad song. That's amazing! almost scary You can't say enough about thise guys. They just had all the right numbers. There influence on music is un-matched. 30 -40 years latr the music is just as strong. That's speaks volumes. I left you a comment about your band too. You guys have some serious material. You don't hear people making music like that anymore. Good work! Equinox73 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonzo1026 Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 Forget seeing ancient Rome or the building of the Great Wall in China, when time machines are built, Ill be in the 70's at a Zeppelin concert. But with today's weed! LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronniedawg Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 But with today's weed! LOL Ahhh the days of Columbian and Acapulco Gold.....when music was great and the only crime associated with weed was the possible theft of your Oreo's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joey123 Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 RH, that's great story man. I felt like I was there with you. I have similar memories of how I got hooked on Zep, but that's for another time. Zeppelin are the foundation for which all other rock bands are be measured. Stop and think-they never wrote a bad song. That's amazing! almost scary You can't say enough about thise guys. They just had all the right numbers. There influence on music is un-matched. 30 -40 years latr the music is just as strong. That's speaks volumes. I left you a comment about your band too. You guys have some serious material. You don't hear people making music like that anymore. Good work! Equinox73 Wow...nicely said.....that is right .......what other band can keep a couple generation in awe......................they are incredible.......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Equinox73 Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 This topic should stay on the top of the list-at all times. Everyon can relate to this sort of story and we all feel the power of zeppelin in a similar way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lzzoso Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 I got turned on to the "mighty Led Zeppelin" when I was 13 years old (I am 38 now) by some stoner dude I knew who lived a couple of streets over from me in the suburbs of Saint Louis. He was about 18 at that time. Once I got to know him, everyday after school me and another friend of mine would go by his house and he would give us a few bong hits off of his 6 foot Graphix. We would give a few dollars for the hits. He would then put on some of his records and we would listen to the music. He had at least 200 albums and quite a few bootlegs to choose from. This was back in 1984. However, whenever he put on a certain record I would be completely mesmerized. Of course these were the lps of Led Zeppelin (although I barely knew that at the time). He had them all (plus some bootlegs). Of course Led Zeppelin was his favorite band too. After the bong hits and while these great songs were playing he would tell us these stories about Zeppelin and anything we wanted to know about them. Combine all that, at that age of 13, you had some pretty powerful influences going on in my head. To this day, I still thank him for turning me on to Led Zeppelin. Sometimes I wonder if his favorite band happened to be Thin Lizzy, UFO, Supertramp, Uriah Heep and the hundreds of other albums he possessed, then anyone of those groups could have ended up being put on his turntable after those afternoon "sessions" and my whole life might have ended up with me being a die-hard fan of some other "lesser" known group. You know what I mean? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrzepbonham Posted June 22, 2009 Share Posted June 22, 2009 my mom went to a robert plant concert when she was pregnent with me, and when i was a baby she dident no what 2 sing 2 me so she would just sing stairway 2 put me 2 bed, that might have sumthing 2 do with it. but i have ben around zep fore as long as i can remeber cuz my mom lisons to them. but when i was about 13 was the first time i REALLY "listened" to zep. i was a drumer in school but dident really car 2 much about music, but the it was as if the hevons oped and i becam upsesd with bonham. i studed moby dick and atempted to do his fills evin thou back the i sucked (i split my hand open secral times trying 2 play with my hands) and now i can bacicly play evry fill that he uses in moby dick but just not at the same speed, but im working on it lol. and plus thar music is so good i still get chills durring sertent songs sory 4 the spelling i have dyslexia, dysgraphia, and adhd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FDARI Posted June 22, 2009 Share Posted June 22, 2009 I used to be a strange kid who wouldn't quite admit his liking for rock - mainly because all the people who liked that catchy music were nasty (in an evil way) while my father played piano in a swing orchestra and my mother played the violin as a freelance philharmonic. That, and some of the first related material I heard was Metallica, which sounded noisy, messy and not very musical. Enter Sandman did not appeal to me at the time. Two songs I heard without knowing what they were, when they were made or that there had ever been a Curt Cobain: Enter Sandman, and Lithium (which I liked). Both were eventually rediscovered in meaningful contexts as a result of Led Zeppelin being introduced into my life. My first musical interest was The Beatles. I learned of Status Quo (liked On The Level) and Lynyrd Skynyrd. I digged some ZZ-Top on the radio, and my mother corrected me when I was wrong about them. I had yet to realize that the rebellion of rock'n'roll belonged to people slightly older than my father. One day my father came back from a business trip with a gift for me. It was a CD. I took a look at the cover and was not quite thrilled. It looked boring. And I couldn't figure out what the album was called. I give the grey thing a puzzled look, while my father suggests I might want to thank him - so I do. And when he leaves I put the CD on. It was a strange experience for me. I dig The Blues Brothers, and I've got a tape full of shuffle rock. I put this thing on, and I am greeted by a few tentative noises that end in nothing? And then a voice calls out. And then there is music. And then the voice calls out. I couldn't make it work, I couldn't hear the music when the guitar stopped playing. Then came Rock and Roll. An appropriate footnote: Black Dog is fantastic, although a challenging introduction to any kind of music, and the less obvious and immediate (easily grasped) a song is, especially on that album, the better and more durable it turns out to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djzoso Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 I was 10 when I visted my father by this time my parents have spilt up about 7 times and my father was getting used to single life and me and him were not that close I would only visit out of being nice this one time I visit him and we go out to rent movies I get the usual comedy and he buys a dvd titled "the song remains the same" I thought it was some concert he would watch while I'm asleep but this I decided to drink coffee for the first time I drank 4 cups.so we watch my movie then we watch this concert film I first heard rock and roll and it blew me away after the song I screamed PAUSE! He stopped the film and said dad how long have you know about this thing called led zeppelin he says when I was 14 they were the biggiest band ever so I said tell me more then he said just look at the screen and I did 4 times the next morning he wakes up to me eating pudding still watching the film he makes some breakfeast and I listen to him while he talks about his teenage years listening to zeppelin and I guess zeppelin helped me and my dad became closer after that week I went back home bragging about this band I discovered I quickly became a outcast except for my friends who had open minds now for 6 years me and my father got closer till christmas two years ago my father passed away and no one got how crushed I was all I did was climb atop my roof listen to zeppelin and the next day I was able to face the world Thank you Led Zeppelin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deborah J Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 I discovered Led Zeppelin around the age of 14. My neighbor (Brian) who was about 10 or 12 years older than me was into music heavily. Every weekend he would be outside washing his new truck, and I would offer to help him. It started to become a weekly ritual, and when I was finished helping him, he would take me around the area we lived and just cruise around. He would turn me on to all this music I had yet to discover. He always had something new playing in his tape deck. My first memories of The Who, Iron Maiden, Rush, Jethro Tull, Motley Crue, Ratt and many others came from the speakers of his truck. I'd always ask ,"who's this??" and he'd tell me the bands name usually followed by a little bit of info on the group. I thought this guy was the coolest. You have to keep in mind that this was the mid-to late 80's and Hair Metal ruled MTV and pop-culture. One day he put a tape in and didn't say a word......."Hey, hey mamma said the way you move, gonna make you sweat, gonna make you groove" poured from the speakers followed by this massive riff that could destroy Satan himslf. I instantly new this was different from anything I had heard in my 14 years of life. I shouted over the music,"Who is this?" Brian answered,"Led Zeppelin, one of the greatest bands ever". I was hooked. He then played The Rover and once again, the riff blew me away. It was so heavy and musical. I subscibed to one of those music companies that sold tapes and cd's (BMG music). You paid for the first tape and then the others were free and you paid for shipping. Anyone remember? I ordered a few from Rush and ZZ Top and Led Zeppelin IV. I recieved them in the mail a week later and played the hell out of Zep IV until the felt started to fade on the bottom of the tape. Brian also gave me Led Zep II on vinyl around this time. I didn't have a state of the art record player, but there was my little brothers Fisher Price record player with a mini speaker in it, used for playing childrens records, etc. Once I put on the first track I was hooked. The Fisher Price record player was transformed into my own personal escape. Markings of "Zeppelin Rulez" were written all over the tiny white record player. It was now mine. My friends at the time were all into the fad, fashion and music of the day. I tried to turn them on to Zeppelin, but it was over their heads. They didn't understand the musicality of this new band I was introduced to. I slowly became an outsider to my pack of friends and was lightly joked uopn because of my taste in music. But I knew deep down that what I liked was truly music. I knew it was good and it had meaning, passion and soul-which the music of the day lacked completely. Zeppelin was like a revelation to me. Soon after I started to study and read about them through books and magazines. I would travel 5 miles round trip on my bike to the closest music shop called Acorn Records and Tapes. Every week I would by a new Zeppelin or Zep related album unil my collection was complete. I became obsessed with Zeppelin. They were all I listened to. My parents told me it was okay to listen to music but to be that much into just one band all the time was little over the top. I didn't care. I couldn't get enough of them, and with each album and song I became more fixated on their whole purpose. I bought Hammer of the Gods like every other fool and believed it all, until I realised it was mosltly bullshit years later. With all of this going on at one time, I took an interest in playing guitar. My mom bought me a $99 guitar with a built-in speaker from Sears or something. It took one 9V battery. I joined a music class as an elective in High School and met a bunch of cool guys who were moslty into the same stuff as myself. There were a few Hair Band activist, who I was cool with but never had any real communication with. They didn't like Zep a whole lot, so I didn't care much for them. It's almost as if I didn't really trust or respect them because they didn't like Zeppelin. How could these guys not care for Zeppelin??? Were they insane?. We would have arguments about who was the best band and all that jazz - and at times I became very defensive. I held Zeppelin very close to my heart. They were in a way my savior from all the trash on the radio/TV. I soon noticed that my talent for playing guitar came very natural to me. I never learned to read music, but I could hear something once or twice and figure out the chords and play it. I formed a band with two other classmates and ironically called the band "Achilles"...go figure. After playing the guitar for a few months , I gained interest in the drums and managed to get a hold of an old Rogers drum set. This was my position in the band. Again, my co-ordination was natural. I became quite good in a short period of time. We wrote our own music, which to this day sounds pretty good. It was more on the metal side of things - like Metallica or Iron Maiden. Achilles did a few talent shows for school and a few parties here and there. It was now 1989. There were two Classic Rock radio stations at this time who basically played the same stuff. 92.3 "Classic Rock" and WRNO 99.5 "The Rock of New Orleans" On weekends and school nights when I had nothing to do, I would glue myself to the radio and just listen, I would spend hours engulfed in the music coming into my room. As time passed, I was able to name any song on the radio, the artist, the year, the album, etc. You name it, I knew it. This was my HOMEWORK. A few years passed, as the routine continued. Around the age of 19 or 20 I started to collect bootlegs and managed to aquire a nice size collection. I had boots from every year. Probably 40 concerts in all. By this time my entire room was covered with Zep posters, memorabilia, etc. (which I have all lost since then, due to Hurricane Katrina in 2005) My band had split up and I was looking for a new project to get into. I knew my talents would take me somewhere, and most of all I enjoyed it. A friend of mine was looking to join a group but they needed a bass player, not a drummer. I had always had an interest in bass and now was a good time to try it out. I borrowed a bass from a musical friend and it was just as natural as any other instrument. I was new to the instrument, so I wasn't all that flashy yet, but I knew the notes, which was good enough for now. I was also singing a bit at the time. After a few jam sessions, a new band was formed called "DeJa Vu". We played top 40 classic rock and a few originals. My love for Zeppelin was still strong, even though I had managed to appreciate other great bands like Rush and Pink Floyd, none of the new music was of interest. Everything I liked was considered "old". (Classic Rock) I also aquired a love for the blues, which again was inspired by my love for Zeppelin. Zeppelin opened my eyes to how music should be composed and arranged- not only how to play. I was born on October 23rd, 1973. The year Houses of the Holy was released, almost to the day. What better way to celebrate my love, than a permanant mark? Me and a few buddies of mine decided to get a tattoo one evning...Mine.....We'll I had the indide cover of HOTH engraved on my left arm. You know, the pic of the guy holding the adolecent child over his head. Looks exactly like it, except bigger. I brought the album with me that night so the artist couls sketch it out on paper...It looks beautiful to this day...Another reminder of The Zeppelin..... In 1997, I formed a trio with my brother on drums, a guitar player and myself on bass/vocals called "Three Piece White Meat". The name was hilarious, but we were hungry musicians who played around town consistantly. We did originals with a mix of Zeppelin, Rush and Black Sabbath. We were all heavy into Zeppelin and the guitar players father owned a record shop. The next few years of my life would be spent in and out of this shop, buying anything available from Zeppelin. My collection was getting bigger and bigger. It was good to finally realise at this point that the path I had chosen (musical preference) was indeed a good one, because my like-minded friends all had good taste and had been through that same phase in life. My friends had good taste, and I suppose so did I. It all made sense. All the years I had been teased because of what I had listened to, didn't matter anymore. I knew from an early age that what I embraced was going to shape my life and it did. In 2000, I had the pleasure of meeting one of my idols. Mr. JPJ at the HOB in New Orleans. He was supporting his Zooma LP. After a fantastic show, I waited outside for 3 hours to meet him. As he came out, I got nervous. I didn't know what to say!!!! After he signed a few autograph I asked him to take a few pics with me and sign a few things. I told him what an impact he had on my life growing up and he seemed really humbled by my comments. He was very polite and easy going. After the pics he said to me "good luck with your music, I hope you do well out there" and he disappeard into the dark ally. I was speechless for days. I couldn't believe I actually met JPJ. It was incredible. My brother and some friends (who also met him that night) were all in a daze for a week or so. Did we just meet The Master of Bass??? Yes, we did. A year or so later, I formed another Trio called "Endora's Mask" which still exist to this day. You can check out a few tunes at: http://www.myspace.com/endorasmask Our Zeppelin influence in subtle but obvious in certain phrasings and arragements. It's very tasteful and unique, which is hard to come by these days. I wouldn't say that we sound like any one band, really. It's a good mix of classic vs. modern. See for yourself. So If you are wondering..... What does Zeppelin mean to me?............. Everthing. They are the most influential rock band of all time. They have shaped my past, present and future. And for that, I am very grateful to be who I am today. Zeppelin Rulez! What a phenomenal story. I also grew up in The Big Easy (loved that a lot of our music influenced LZ). My Dad would take me down to the Quarter and I was 9 when I heard my 1st LZ song. My Dad was in a pub and I was standing outside and I was hooked. I went to see them in 73 and 75. To me they took my breath away. And with all the great bands from that time, it's saying a lot. I had moved back to New Orleans in 2004 (my Mom had fallen ill)..then in 2005 "The Levees Broke". We had made sure that the family was evacuated. I had packed up for what we thought was only going to be a few days (little did we know). I had clothes, my dogs and their stuff, my personal papers, my computer, personal pictures and my LZ albums. Mind you I have over 2000 vinyls from that time, but the LZ had to come with me. I remember thinking that as I looked at what was of value to me and that I had chosen to bring those vinyls...it was an emotional realization as to how much this band had influenced my life. I remember WRNO and 92.3--great stations! Any way...thanks for the memories and the story and for listening to mine:-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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