tyedye Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Anyone currently reading or have read this book? I got it as a late Christmas pressie, and wow. I can't hardly put it down! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninelives Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 See this thread: http://forums.ledzeppelin.com/index.php?showtopic=8867 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyedye Posted January 12, 2009 Author Share Posted January 12, 2009 Thanks 9. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glicine Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 The more I read this stuff the more pissed i get at Robert Plant. Page made him He should make some time for Jimmy and us Led Zeppelin fans that supported him. He can take Allison and send her to the hillbilly country music hee haw fans that want to hear it. Bring back Led Zeppelin. How strange that people who are pissed at Robert Plant still want him to do this and that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninelives Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 The more I read this stuff the more pissed i get at Robert Plant. Page made him He should make some time for Jimmy and us Led Zeppelin fans that supported him. He can take Allison and send her to the hillbilly country music hee haw fans that want to hear it. Bring back Led Zeppelin. Page did not make Robert. His talent was there. The FOUR of them made amazing music together. I happen to like Alison's music as well as a myriad of other genres. It's a bit offensive to label people hillbillies who like Americana/bluegrass or roots music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninelives Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Nothing against her really. Except for the fact that she has a hand in a Led Zeppelin tour not happening. Id rather see Robert Plant with Jimmy Page than with her any day! But she doesn't! I think Robert's decision has nothing to do with her specifically but the fact he's not interested in reuniting with Zep period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninelives Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 I just think there are things going on behind closed doors none of us know about. I certainly hope that the relationship between Jimmy and Robert is ok? But I just cant imagine that Jimmy doesnt have some of the feelings being expressed here by us Zeppelin fans who want to see them play together again. We don't know what goes on behind closed doors that is true. Really probably not for us to know despite understandable curiosity and such. I would say after the 02 Jimmy was pretty fired up and ready to get out and play again - was he totally set on it being Zep or just getting out with a band? That only he can answer. I really just want to see him out there in some form. Though I wasn't at the 02, it was really amazing to see the video and see him where he so clearly belongs - on stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zanadu Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 We don't know what goes on behind closed doors that is true. Really probably not for us to know despite understandable curiosity and such. I would say after the 02 Jimmy was pretty fired up and ready to get out and play again - was he totally set on it being Zep or just getting out with a band? That only he can answer. I really just want to see him out there in some form. Though I wasn't at the 02, it was really amazing to see the video and see him where he so clearly belongs - on stage. Is there really much doubt that Jimmy truly hoped to tour and/or record with Jones, Plant, and Jason? After all, he could have easily formed a new band any time and get to call the shots, but he elected not to. I think it should tell us something about his situation, and that view is about feeling empathy instead of mere curiosity. Maybe the silver lining here then could be, that now as the band finally has decided to stop working on reunion or some other project, Jimmy is free again to start developing new dreams and plans, or to negotiate with Plant what they could do after RS 2. I agree with you that Page absolutely thrives when he gets to play in front of a live audience, and believe he will do that eventually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hot dog Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Plenty of Robert bashing threads elsewhere... I'm about halfway through the book and enjoying it more than I anticipated. I think Mick Wall has done a decent job really, even if I don't agree with everything he says... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ledzeppelinrock Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Just past the first lot of pictures... I only tend to read books on the john, so i dont get through them quickly enough, but the book is very educating so far, and im enjoying it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZepFanatic Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 I am going to buy this book and read it for myself to make up my own minds...but it looks great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valhalla53 Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 I am going to buy this book and read it for myself to make up my own minds...but it looks great! I've just read it and have been looking on the forum to see if there was a thread about it. I thought the book started off well and on the whole was written well....until the last couple of chapters. At the end of the book I was left feeling that had I not known so much about the band, I would think that Jimmy was a broken down embittered ex-junkie brooding like a spoilt schoolboy coz he couldnt have his band back!! Robert, on the other hand gets plenty of praise for his achievments,what a marvellous musical career he has now,how fulfilled his life is and how mature he is now etc etc. (Jonesy as usual barely gets a mention!!!) What about Jimmy's achievments? What about the way he has come back from serious addictions and is now considered in many circles to be a highly accomplished and mature musician. Just because he's not in the limelight and the media all the time it doesnt mean his sitting on the couch watching football. He does a lot of work for charity as well (the street children of Brazil) and has several more children now and a beautiful young wife. His daughter Scarlett is an accomplished professional photographer. And many other interesting things which he's doing now. These are the things I was looking forward to reading about in the book, more of what the band are doing now individually,most of us know what they did then!!! I do think Wall came down heavily in favour of Robert, even though I love all the members of Zep......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BUCK'EYE' DOC Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 One of my favorite passages in the book is when Jimmy went to David Bowie's house on 20th Street in New York City and Jimmy psyched David out with his aura, "leaving Bowie quaking in his boots". After this incident: "David had his house on 20th Street exorcised 'because of the belief it had become overrun with satanic demons whom Crowley's disciples had summoned straight from hell...'" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glicine Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 I do think Wall came down heavily in favour of Robert, even though I love all the members of Zep......... Go read a few newest articles on Mick Wall's blog, you'll be surprised how he talked about Robert. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zanadu Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 One of my favorite passages in the book is when Jimmy went to David Bowie's house on 20th Street in New York City and Jimmy psyched David out with his aura, "leaving Bowie quaking in his boots". After this incident: "David had his house on 20th Street exorcised 'because of the belief it had become overrun with satanic demons whom Crowley's disciples had summoned straight from hell...'" OMGG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillsy Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Anyone currently reading or have read this book? I got it as a late Christmas pressie, and wow. I can't hardly put it down! I got it christmas day and had it read by the 28th! it interested me to hear it was Robert who said no to any improvisation at the o2 show. Bit of a shame for me, maybe they could have used dazed for a one off jam. Also, Wall reckons Zep made a mistake not doing TV or releasing singles in the UK. This to me was one of the masterstrokes, and one of the many reasons i love them so much. I mean, it hardly effected them in a negative way did it? Freddie Bannisters horrific treatment at the hands of Peter Grant made me shudder. The meeting with Page and Bowie made me chuckle and just proves how much class A's can fuck the brain up! Overall an excellant read, for the most part, Wall gets it right. He makes it clear when Zep were firing on all cylinders they were by far the greatest on the planet and thats good enuf for me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr E Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Also, Wall reckons Zep made a mistake not doing TV or releasing singles in the UK. This to me was one of the masterstrokes, and one of the many reasons i love them so much. I agree. It's one of the things that makes them so unique and special. Although perhaps it would have been nice if they did a couple more TV appearances, it's a shame there's not more visual documents of the band. I reckon they should have played on The Old Grey Whistle Test. There's some great footage of Lynyrd Skynyrd performing on the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1975, like a mini concert. Led Zep could've done a similar thing, I don't think it would have damaged their image. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craven morehead Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 I agree. It's one of the things that makes them so unique and special. Although perhaps it would have been nice if they did a couple more TV appearances, it's a shame there's not more visual documents of the band. I reckon they should have played on The Old Grey Whistle Test. There's some great footage of Lynyrd Skynyrd performing on the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1975, like a mini concert. Led Zep could've done a similar thing, I don't think it would have damaged their image. They did the 'old grey whistle test'. Get the Led Zeppelin DVD. It has 5 hours of footage of the boys including some early TV appearances one of which is at OGWT. Superb historic document, this DVD btw, highly recommended. And much, much better thatn TSRTS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillsy Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 They did the 'old grey whistle test'. Get the Led Zeppelin DVD. It has 5 hours of footage of the boys including some early TV appearances one of which is at OGWT. Superb historic document, this DVD btw, highly recommended. And much, much better thatn TSRTS. They only did interviews for Whistle test (Robert & Peter Grant). They never played on any British TV shows. The TV clips are fom Europe and the French footage pretty much sums up why they never went on the TV again!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidLed Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 If you are a true Zep fan you wouldnt read this piece of garbage that rips Jimmy. Robert is better than Jimmy because he released a bunch of sub-par albums? C'mon. Nobody even bought the last one before raising Sand! This guy is just another media loser sucking off someone else. I wouldnt come within 10 ft of that literary garbage. Its the new Hammer of the Gods, trash! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glicine Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 If you are a true Zep fan you wouldnt read this piece of garbage that rips Jimmy. Robert is better than Jimmy because he released a bunch of sub-par albums? C'mon. Nobody even bought the last one before raising Sand! This guy is just another media loser sucking off someone else. I wouldnt come within 10 ft of that literary garbage. Its the new Hammer of the Gods, trash! Oh god, not this again. Is it so dead neccesary to step on Robert Plant to express your dislike of this book? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninelives Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 If you are a true Zep fan you wouldnt read this piece of garbage that rips Jimmy. Robert is better than Jimmy because he released a bunch of sub-par albums? C'mon. Nobody even bought the last one before raising Sand! This guy is just another media loser sucking off someone else. I wouldnt come within 10 ft of that literary garbage. Its the new Hammer of the Gods, trash! :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicago Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 I received this book from my daughter as a Christmas gift. A different angle at times from Wall, but way too much Crowley and occult blather. When it comes to that topic it's a real snoozefest. The negativity in regards to Jimmy builds toward the end of the book, portraying him as some puzzled demon chaser. Nothing about raising his family, barely a sentence about the Page/Plant project or The Firm. It could have been much better if he didn't have an agenda. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cashmere Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 tyedye, I too bought the book recently and same as you- couldn't put it down! I had no great expectations, in fact the contrary- I was quite prepared to dislike it. At first the 'italicised' sections (i.e the bits written as if in the words of the main players (Jimmy, Robert, John Paul, John and Peter Grant) irked me... but then I found that this 'stylistic device' worked well in terms of setting in context the LZ story. I think there were some really interesting sections, for example the author's detailed examination of Zep's borrowing/stealing from their early influences (depending on your point of view) on the first three or four albums. I do agree with the poster who said the section on Jimmy's so-called "occult interests" was much too long. As far as the whole debauched sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll thing that was talked about in great detail I'm not bothered either way. That angle has been discussed and dissected elsewhere, suffice to say I was already familiar with this stuff and knew that Zep were red-blooded lads etc. Same goes for the much-discussed fearsome managerial style of Peter Grant. One bit I really enjoyed (and I wish I had written down the page number) is the anecdote about one of their early shows in which the audience demanded so many encores they literally ran out of stuff to play. Then, when they got off stage, Peter Grant in tears of joy embraced each of them. Whatever has been said about PG there seems little doubt that he truly cared about Zeppelin as a band and as people. Regarding the latter sections of the book (leading up to the death of John Bonham) I felt the author showed a bit of guts in expressing the view that Bonzo's death did not in itself mean the end of Led Zeppelin, but was the last in a series of events leading to it (and I cannot help but agree with the author's view that relatively speaking, In Through The Out Door was a weak album). And as far as the author being 'anti-Jimmy' and 'pro-Robert'? I did not think he tried to portray that at all. There are countless references to Jimmy being the musical/conceptual genius of LZ and the man who masterminded it. Interesting how often a "Jimmy v. Robert" thing crops up on this forum- as a Floyd fan I have become very weary of Gilmour v. Waters on various forums!! Ultimately I take the view that the author (who has interviewed the members of Zep on a good few occasions) knows a fair bit more about them than me (who has never met them). Therefore Mick Wall is entitled to his view! All in all, I highly recommend this book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZepFanatic Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Great post, Cashmere...even though I haven't read this book (yet!) I feel the same way about Zep's history that you articulated... Can't wait to read this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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