Led Zeppelin FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Greatest Hard Rock Band of All Time

by George Case

In this exhaustive and insightful reference text, rock writer and cultural critic George Case details the key names, dates, figures, and features of one of the biggest and most mythologized rock-and-roll groups of all time: Led Zeppelin. Here, finally, are the answers to the puzzles that have haunted fans for over four decades - puzzles such as the meaning of Led Zep's enigmatic album covers; the truth about leader Jimmy Page's involvement with the occult; a breakdown of the sometimes murky roots of their greatest songs; firm data on their musical instruments, live performances, and studio productions; and sordid specifics of the band's infamously debauched private lives. But here, too, is a deeply reflective analysis of why Led Zeppelin's music has endured as long as it has, and of how Led Zeppelin's mystique has only grown in the years since their official disbanding. Placing the group in the context of their time and place, Case scrupulously compares and contrasts their achievements with those of their influences, rivals, and followers. Led Zeppelin FAQ is not only an indispensable listener's companion to a classic rock act, but a considered history of rock and roll as a business, an art form, and a worldwide social phenomenon.

Genres: Music

384 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2011

Reviews

[Randall Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just wanted to know more musical info about this band and this book had good stuff. it talks about their influences, info on the actual songs, jimmy going over acoustic songs until they were just the way he wanted them, john paul jones playing bass on "to sir with love", specific instruments LZ used, etc. but the best info of all that no one discusses is that the drums on when the levee breaks weren't just recorded in a large staircase where you'd of course get a "big sound" (most books dwell on this) but they were also compressed, then run through a binson echorec (what david gilmour ran his guitar through for delays) and then the track was slowed down to make it sound even heavier!

this book includes a collected guide to led zep guitar tunings on page 99 - very helpful for students. all in all some very good musical info amongst the pages and pages of bland conjecture about which were their most underrated songs, and true or not aspects of the their personal lives.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mercy. If there’s a detail the author has missed, I don’t want or need to know about it! It's an exhaustive and (mostly) interesting account, including detailed deconstructions of songs and albums, including those Led Zeppelin ripped off from other artists and those ripped off from Led Zeppelin by other artists. I tried reading another book, but it was too tabloid-y for me, too soft. This one may have leaned a little far towards Papa Bear’s bed, but the completeness was what I was looking for, anyway. My goal was to fill in the gaps in my musical education, and learn something about the musicians at the same time. This did the job admirably.

[Rob Branigin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great nightstand reading. A fascinating collection of lore, equally recommended for neophytes and longtime fans. One of my favorite Zeppelin books.