28 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Something smells here, February 16, 2006
This review is from: Stairway to Heaven: Led Zeppelin Uncensored (Paperback)
Another beach read, I picked this one up because I had left the book I had planned to take at home, and pickings were slim on the island where we stayed. In retrospect, I feel pretty bad about lining Richard Cole's pockets, but at the time it seemed like an entertaining enough subject. Within a few pages I had it pegged for what it was; a cash grab by someone who had pissed away the fortune that they'd made in their glory days. While I'd recommend "Hammer Of The Gods" for those interested in the Zeppelin story, I'd have to say this one should be avoided.
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50 of 63 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Nasty, brutish, and therefore probably true, May 29, 2001
I very quickly came to the conclusion, reading this book, that I didn't like Richard Cole at all. Nor did I like the members of Led Zeppelin, with the possible exception of John Paul Jones, for having the sense to stay clear of the rest of the band between gigs.
But this is an interesting book about what stardom can do to people. I'm not expressing any sympathy, here; the Roger Waters/Billy Corgan school of "life's awful for rich and famous rock stars" whining is beneath contempt, basically. If they have a problem with being rich and famous, they can cure beng rich with a five-minute phone call to any charity, while fame takes, oh, six months to cure. By "what stardom can do to people" I am talking about turning people who are initially no worse than most of us into brutalised, narcissistic morons, too drugged and too stupid to know how ugly they are becoming.
Cole's book is from the inside of that culture in every sense; he actually expects us to laugh along with the band and their hangers-on, when "losers" get beaten up, when people who aren't rich have their property smashed and Bonzo laughs at the promise to pay for the damage, making it clear that the payment won't happen.
The treatment of young women is one of the least of the band's appallingnesses; mostly groupies got more or less the experience they came for, and where there is informed consent there is no abuse. This goes even for Page's interest in underage girls and whips, usually the focus of most moral condemnation of this band; but Page emerges as a relatively gentle soul, and at least one of the girls as a rather stronger personality than him.
On the other hand, Cole expects us to share his amusement about kidnapping a group of underage girls and flying them interstate without their consent, or their parents' knowledge or consent, leaving them to find their own ways home. The point was to have a joke on Plant. Cole warned the girls not to talk to Plant, and then watched Plant fail to seduce the terrified girls, and wonder what had happened to his charms. (Plant didn't wonder long; in no time he'd concluded they were all lesbians.) What a laugh, Cole expects us to think: but this is creepy, skin-crawling stuff.
But it's still a compelling book. The waste of Led Zeppelin's astonishing talent was a tragedy. Sure, the talent that produced the first five albums, bits of _Physical Graffiti_ and most of _In Through the Out Door_ was not entirely wasted; that's a respectable body of work that is still exciting to hear 30-odd years later. But the potential that was thrown away in smack, booze and ego-driven excess is far greater than the achievements. Anyone who was wondering how come _Presence_ and much of _Physical Graffiti_ is so uninspired, and how come such a bountiful well ran dry so fast, need only read this book.
It is, of course, abysmally badly written, but that's part of its authenticity, if you like.
Cheers!
Laon
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70 of 90 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
An Embarrassment For Everyone Involved, September 17, 2002
This review is from: Stairway to Heaven: Led Zeppelin Uncensored (Paperback)
There is little reason for this book to exist except for Richard Cole to make money. Sure he was Led Zeppelin's trusty road manager for many years, but this is little justification for him to spend the next several decades rehashing the band's sordid past for his own gain. He did this previously by being the key contributor to Stephen Davis' inferior Zep biography "Hammer of the Gods." Cole should be grateful to Zep for employing him for so many years, and should value their friendship enough to let the past stay in the past. The surviving members of the band are now mature older men, and while they surely have fond memories of their glory days, they probably know it's time to lead respectable middle-aged lives. Why can't Cole do the same? The guy is pushing sixty. Should he still be going on and on about his wild days with his crazy pals three decades ago?
Yes, Zep was the wildest party band ever. Yes they consumed gigantic amounts of illicit substances. Yes they trashed hotel rooms. Yes they degraded women. Yawn. This is all common knowledge. The amount of time Zep was on tour was probably less than 25% of their overall working time as a band. The time they spent writing and recording their incredible music was much greater, and that's what matters now. Their music is timeless and is their true legacy, while their touring exploits are vaguely funny stories at best. Granted, Cole shows some empathy in his treatment of John Bonham's exploits, gaining some insight into the inner weaknesses that drove the drummer to an early grave. On the other hand, his treatment of John Paul Jones is sheer vindictiveness, trying to cut Jones' image as the levelheaded member of the band down to size. Cole's coverage of Page and Plant is merely elaboration on what is already known, purely for profit.
Do not buy this book. If you do, you're encouraging Cole to make more money by living in the distant past, using his fortunate connection with famous people for his own gain. In this book Cole has embarrassed himself by stabbing his old friends in the back for some easy money. He has embarrassed the reader by assuming that this sordid material is useful or funny to the faithful Zep fan. Worst of all, he has embarrassed Led Zeppelin. Fortunately, the music will remain long after this useless book is forgotten.
P.S. The use of Led Zeppelin's most famous and brilliant song for the title of this atrocious book is a travesty.
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