Synopses & Reviews
There are lots of wild stories about Led Zeppelin—some true, some false. Led Zeppelin on Led Zeppelin dishes up the facts, in the bands own words, as they saw them. It shoots down the folklore and assumptions about Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham and presents the bands full history, from when Jimmy Page was playing skiffle to the day the band was honored by the Kennedy Center for their contribution to American and global culture.
Any band is an amalgam of the players, but in very special cases, those players form an entity unto itself. Led Zeppelin on Led Zeppelin captures the ideas of all of the bands members at the time they created classics like “Whole Lotta Love,” “Stairway to Heaven,” and “Kashmir” but also encapsulates the idea of the band itself as it crafted the music that changed pop culture. In the process, the book offers insight into what made Led Zeppelin tick—and what made it the most popular band in the world.
In a series of over fifty interviews from 1957 to 2012, many never before seen in print, this is the story of Led Zeppelin, as it happened, told by the people who knew it best—the members of the band.
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“Bordowitz brings CCRs complex story to life. . . . [He] never takes sides or passes judgment yet brilliantly illuminates the tragedy of CCRs lost potential.” —Library Journal on Bad Moon Rising
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“If Bad Moon Rising isnt ‘the saddest story in rock n roll, . . . it certainly comes within kissing distance.” —USA Today on Bad Moon Rising
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“Bordowitz provides evenhanded treatment of highly charged issues . . . persuasively demonstrating that CCR has earned their reputation as one of the most important bands in rock history.” —Publishers Weekly on Bad Moon Rising
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“A very thorough book.” —Mojo on Bad Moon Rising
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“A great read for casual readers and longtime fans.” —Library Journal on Every Little Thing Gonna Be All Right
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“An intriguing collection . . . absolutely fascinating. . . . Every entry tells the reader something of interest.” —Goldmine on Every Little Thing Gonna Be All Right
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“Offers a rich variety of angles on the Marley legend.” —Relix on Every Little Thing Gonna Be All Right
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“Often illuminating . . . never dull or boring.” —Nashville City Paper on Every Little Thing Gonna Be All Right
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"I still remember listening to Led Zeppelins debut album for the first time, the same year we recorded “Spirit In The Sky”. We knew it was a game changer. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this collection of interviews with Led Zeppelin band members. Highly recommended."— Russell DaShiell, writer, producer, lead guitarist
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"When Hank first approached me about my Led Zeppelin coverage from 1973 -- back when their gig at Tampa Stadium was crowned the biggest show by a single band in rock history -- I knew this wasn't gonna be just another Zep potboiler. Hank is a tenacious researcher, an obsessive rock fan, and serves a mean lunch. It's all good." --Arthur Levy, rock historian and archivist
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“You'll find a trove of interviews with guitarist Jimmy Page, singer/lyricist Robert Plant, bassist John Paul Jones and the late drummer John Bonham going back to 1957, and covering every phase of the band's evolution…Readers, even hard-core Ledheads, will likely learn much that is new from "Led Zeppelin on Led Zeppelin."” —The Record & Herald News
Synopsis
Billy Joel: The Life and Times of an Angry Young Man is a look at the superstar's entire career, including his troubled youth as a gang member; the controversy surrounding his first hit, Captain Jack; his legal problems; his storied marriage with Christie Brinkley; and his continued artistic frustration. The Beatles did 'Michelle' and 'Yesterday, ' he has said. They also did 'Revolution' and 'Helter Skelter' and they weren't pegged as balladeers. But because I had hit singles that were ballads, I became known as a balladeer. I've always resented it. Joel - one of the top ten touring takes of the decade - has continued his standing road date with Elton John on the never-ending Two Pianos tour. It was one of the world's top-grossing tours in 2009, just behind U2 and Bruce Springsteen.
About the Author
Hank Bordowitzs books include Bad Moon Rising: The Unauthorized History of Creedence Clearwater Revival; Billy Joel: The Life and Times of an Angry Young Man; Every Little Thing Gonna Be Alright: The Bob Marley Reader; The U2 Reader: A Quarter Century of Commentary, Criticism, and Reviews; Turning Points in Rock and Roll; Dirty Little Secrets of the Record Business: Why So Much Music You Hear Sucks; and The Bruce Springsteen Scrapbook. He has written for Spin, Playboy, Jazziz, and hundreds of other publications and is an itinerant professor of music, the music business, and writing