Led Zeppelin, a name attributed to Keith Moon—who reportedly remarked that Jimmy Page’s new band would crash like a “Lead Zeppelin”—never attained the level of critical acclaim or mainstream popularity enjoyed by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, or Queen during their peak in the 1970s. Nevertheless, their impact was as significant as that of The Beatles in the 1960s and beyond. As this book (Led Zeppelin – Whole Lotta Love: A People’s History) indicates, the admiration and reverence they garnered from fans around the globe rivaled that of any other group. This is particularly noteworthy considering they were primarily an albums-oriented band and played a pivotal role in shaping hard rock and heavy metal music. Consequently, their esteemed position within the musical landscape of that era is indisputable.
It’s interesting to consider how Led Zeppelin garnered the acclaim they did, especially when one can argue that the Jeff Beck Group—featuring a young Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood before their Faces days—pioneered this sound first and, in the eyes of some, executed it even more effectively. Their fusion of blues and hard rock set a precedent; however, it’s often said that Zeppelin took that foundational approach and propelled it further.
Led Zeppelin produced some remarkable albums, with their fourth release, Led Zeppelin IV, achieving sales of approximately 37 million copies. However, the band’s reputation over the years has primarily been built on their prowess as a live act; it was during performances that they truly shone. This book captures the essence of Led Zeppelin through the eyes of around 700 fans who can proudly say, “I was there,” witnessing the legendary band in action. Their electrifying concerts often lasted up to three hours or more and featured extended drum and guitar solos (including those played with a violin bow). As their manager Peter Grant famously remarked, “When Led Zep took the stage, it wasn’t just a concert; it was an event.” Even George Harrison from The Beatles commented after seeing them perform: “When Led Zep peaks, kiss your skull goodbye.”
This book charts the rise of Zeppelin from their early tours of America when initially they were the opening act for bands like Spirit, Iron Butterfly and Vanilla Fudge. They usually blew the headline act offstage with their onstage power, to the amazement of fans who’d not seen anything like this before. When Zep’s star began to rise and headliners began to feel threatened, on one occasion, Spirit and Vanilla Fudge even surrendered half their fees so they could continue touring as the headline act. Fans responses to these early gigs were mostly one of sheer incredulity, as most had never seen a rock band generating this much excitement and power before, and they were blown away by what they’d seen and heard. One interesting fact was how easy it then was to go to a gig featuring Led Zep, Vanilla Fudge and Spirit and just buy tickets from the box office beforehand, or at the door on the night if any were left. Imagine this now at a time when Ticketmaster and others have a stranglehold on tickets and are gradually choking fans with their outrageous pricing and booking fees. [Let’s call it what it really is, it isn’t ‘dynamic pricing,’ it’s ‘legalised extortion.’]
This book charts fan reactions through their rise to being 1970 rock overlords, taking in early US gigs and amazed fan reactions to this new rock phenomenon; and their landmark appearance at events like the Bath festival 1970, when Zep became superstars in their own country. But probably the two most fascinating sections of this very entertaining read are fans reactions to Led Zep playing at Earls Court, London in 1975, and Knebworth Park in 1979. Earls Court is felt by many to be Zep’s peak, when they were better than they ever would be again, and fan stories about how they got to London and back are equally as entertaining as their views of the show itself. Whereas Knebworth was where many fans felt Zep were now past their best, still good though the flame wasn’t burning quite as bright. But then, in the years between the two events, much had happened to the band. Plant laid up for some while after being badly injured in Greece following a car crash, deaths of people close to the band etc.. so perhaps this isn’t surprising.
Interest declared .. I was at Earls Court and Knebworth and am in broad agreement with many fans’ views .. Zep were stunningly good at Earls Court but, at Knebworth, I felt they’d lost their edge and, for me, Todd Rundgren’s Utopia were the band of the day.
After this, there’s one last tour in Germany, 1980, before Bonham sadly dies in September and the band call it a day. Since then, Plant and Page have toured together .. it’d be charitable to forget their ‘Live Aid’ performance, with Phil Collins on drums. Plant has played with other bands but the reunion fans have hoped for for years is never to happen, with their 2007 one-off O2 performance (one fan paying £1550 for a ticket!) the final closing of the door. Several fans who were there noted Plant’s voice wasn’t anything like what it once was, but then Plant was 59 in 2007, and his decision to stand aside from the Zep juggernaut makes perfect sense.
This is a book which should appeal to fans and non-fans alike because it’s fans giving their views of seeing Led Zep. Amusing anecdotes abound, including one from Jo Foster who, when Zep played at the Argus Butterfly pub, Peterlee, in 1969, was only 9 months old and, while the band played directly underneath her bedroom, she slept soundly through it. If you were lucky enough to see Led Zep ‘live’ .. and unless you were at the O2 in 2007, few fans under 60 will have seen them .. you did indeed witness something special and unrepeatable. The 700 fans in this book certainly did.
Led Zeppelin – Whole Lotta Love: A People’s History by Richard Houghton is out now released via Spenwood Books.
