Customer Reviews

Whole Lotta Led: Our Flight with Led Zeppelin

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I am a huge Led Zeppelin fan, but even I was tired of reading about the Shark Episode. So, at first, I thought, "Not another sensationalistic tell-all!" Well, no. Whole Lotta Led is one of the few books about Zeppelin that focuses solely on the music and on the times. Forget about sharks, pacts with the devil, lemon squeezing, alleged teenage groupie abuse and hotel room vandalizing. This book is about four incredibly talented musicians who came together at the right time to form one of music's greatest bands of all time. Mixed with the story of Led Zeppelin are some personal experiences from the authors' life themselves, which contribute to establish the mood of that era quite efficiently and make this a more intimate read. Moreover, it is quite apparent that careful research was made to verify the facts about Zeppelin. I even learned a couple of things I had never known about those guys!
If that were not enough, there were several pictures of the band members I had never seen before, which only added to the overall experience. Reading one of the writers' discovery of the first Zeppelin album brought me back to my own very first time listening to the band, totally stunned by the power of the music, in complete awe of the artistry of these musicians and thoroughly captivated by that unique, extraordinary voice that could cry out, croon, moan, scream madly and whisper softly all with the same vibrant quality.
Reading Whole Lotta Led took me back to my early teens, and brought back fond memories of an incredible period, of friends long gone, of insouciance and fun. The authors did a wonderful job of capturing the essence of that era through Zeppelin's music and one cannot but picture girls with flowers in their hair and long-haired and bearded guys wearing hippy clothing and jewels lost in a hazy cloud of smoke, listening to some of the greatest rock songs ever written. This book is about the joy and carelessness of the seventies, about groovin'. If, like me, you're old enough to remember those times, you will love Whole Lotta Led. If you are younger (like A LOT of people!), pick it up to discover what a great time this was and, most of all, what a unique and extraordinary band Led Zeppelin was. I guarantee the good read either way.

This book doesn't pretend to be anything other than what it is. And what it is is a fascinating and enjoyable story of a period in time that can never be duplicated; different from any other Zeppelin book that's out there. If you grew up in this era (as I did), then this will bring back some great memories of your own, as you relate to the author's experiences. It's their life, as it revolved around Led Zeppelin.

If you're looking for facts & figures, this is not the book to get, but those books are already out there. This is more like sitting down to watch a period film. As each chapter moves along, it will make you want to put on the next Zep album, crank it up, and go back in time with the authors.

And yeah, what about those pictures! There's even one of Jimmy's guitars lined up from a concert I myself was at!

This book is written by fans, for fans. It's a time travel trip through rock history, giving us an insight into the authors lives as they witnessed the birth and rise of such legendary bands as The Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin. For the younger fan it is an exciting tale of days past, for the older fan it's a walk down memory lane.

If you are looking for fresh, juicy (tabloid style) bits about Led Zeppelin, this isn't one of "those" books. That approach has been done, to death. Instead, the authors give some very interesting stories on the band and you'll find rare photos, little known quotes from the band members, and a good description of what it was like to be just the right age as Led Zeppelin climbed its stairway to heaven.

Having ran the online Led Zeppelin fan club for the last 7 years I'm somewhat jaded when it comes to new books about Led Zeppelin. I found this book to be a refreshing read, one I thoroughly enjoyed. It takes on a whole new angle as compared to other books on the band, an angle I'm sure most fans will understand and appreciate. There are already some good books published that cover virtually all of the known info about the band, this book never tries to rehash worn out anecdotes and stays true to the authors intent.

Kudos guys, for delivering something fresh and interesting!

It's evident that the authors worked hard on presenting where they were at in life, at the time that the Mighty Zeppelin were rising. It's refreshing to read about Led Zeppelin from the fans' perspective. I particularly enjoyed the anecodtes about how some people scurried into concerts; chance encounters with the members, and what it was like to see them perform, be around them, etc. And let's not forget the photos, AWESOME!!

This is a book that I recommend to any hard-core Led Zeppelin fan. I'm sure that a die-hard Zep fan can appreciate all of the perspectives and intricacies that this book has to offer.

I've read the other reviews here and clearly the people speaking negatively of it are not approaching it with the spirit intended. I recommend you read S.Zokowsky, L. Gonzales, Bud and Zeppland's reviews here. I cannot improve on what they wrote.

That said, I have darn near every book published on the band and I found this a breath of fresh air. As a Zeppelin fan of 30+ years, I can absolutely relate to what's here. The book brought back many of my own personal memories of similar times.

Ralph Hulett & Jerry Prochnicky lead us down a road that we all would have loved to be a part of. The writing is great & the story telling is something that pulls you in and doesn't let up. I learned still more about the group and as individuals along with stories about Peter Grant. I have no less that 3 dozen books on Zeppelin and this is by far one of the best I have gotten. I read this thing in 4 sittings. When I finished it I wanted more of the same. What was really refreshing about this book is that the Authors are fans, pure & simple. It wasn't written by critics or just your average writer looking to do a rock book. The photos in the book are also something I haven't seen before. Great book! I would recommend it to anyone that likes the band or music in general. Well Done.

As a die hard Zep fan for the past 22 years, I am always thrilled when a new product comes on the market about Led Zep. Sometimes the thrill gets chilled when the product doesn't quite meet your expectations. This book is one of those moments!! It is nothing more than a bland autobiography of the author's life during the Zep era!! There are NO significant insights into the band given that haven't been exposed before in better works. With all that said, there are a couple bright moments which prevented me from giving ony one or two stars. However, if you are a new Zep fan and are starting to collect a library of material, DON'T start with this book!!!!

Short review: Awful. Just awful.

Longer review: The marketing and descriptions of this book mislead the would-be reader into thinking that its authors had something to do with band Led Zeppelin. Let me clear that up right now. No. They did not know or have any cotact with Led Zeppelin. It seems that both authors did listen to the band's music, and I'm sure that must count for saomething. Beyond that, this is the story of two guys (and some of their friends) who thought Led Zeppelin was this really awesome band. Some of the friends even went to see Led Zeppelin in concert! Many articles were read. Some articles are quoted in an "if you didn't know better you might think this quote was actually given to the author," sort of way. Very little time or attention was given to the quality of the writing. I would guess there was no money left over for an editor either.

Funniest moment: A photo of one of the author's dressed up as a "wizard" in a cloak he made for himself from a converted air force surgical gown. Dude! Awesome! What a jackass!

What I like right off was the book was just not another book of facts or fiction neatly written. This is a book told in the eyes of fans as you and I only these fans were up close and personal; on the outside looking in! Lots of new info as well as the feel of the times, the music, the teen and the whole music era of the seventies and how great it was to be a teen in the 70's and especially to see one of the greatest bands of all time! Excellent photos, some that I haven't seen in my many other books i own. Thanks guys for a refreshing read and different insight to the Zep Phenomenon.

Having been a long time fan of Led Zeppelin, it is wonderful to read a book that has a personal look at the times. There are many books out there that contain history, but this book is a look at the era through the eyes of the writers that lived it. To capture that special magic is indeed wonderful, as are the photographs included in this book. Alot of heart and soul was put between the pages of this book. I am thrilled to see the stories being told and happy that the authors of this book continue to carry the torch and tell the stories of such a special time in music.