Led Zeppelin: The Press Reports [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

by Robert Godwin (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Outrageously exhaustive." —Guitar World

"Exceptional . . . a marvel of meticulous research."  —FMBQ

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Description
In July of 1968 the British blues band The Yardbirds had played their last concert, leaving newcomer guitarist, Jimmy Page with a manager, some contracts and a name. Page and manager Peter Grant determined to create a new band - a phoenix of gargantuan proportions - Led Zeppelin.

From their first concerts in Scandinavia to their final sad seprartion, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, John Bonham and manager Peter Grant proved themselves to be consummate professionals, especially in the way they presented themselves to the media.

For twelve years the music tabloids and mainstream press followed the band's every move, extracting interviews at any opportunity.

Thousands of fans around the world kept abreast of their movements through the press, especially in the United Kingdom where radio was still a government monopoly.

In "Led Zeppelin - the Press Reports" noted Led Zeppelin expert Robert Godwin has collected and reviewed over a thousand articles from around the globe. Reports of the band's activities from Tokyo to New York and from Sydney to London are compiled and collated in chronological order.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 504 pages
• Publisher: Collector's Guide Publishing Inc; 2nd edition (June 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1896522416
• ISBN-13: 978-1896522418
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,777,503 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful read for any Led Zeppelin fan!, April 8, 1999

By	Bruce A. Deerhake (Dayton, OH, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Mr Godwin does a great job here in compiling countless newspaper and magazine articles from throughout the world. It is so interesting to read about the band in articles that are from the various years. Some articles even reveal mysteries that have been around concerning concert dates, and other facts. If you are a Led Zeppelin fan - this book is a must!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Information, March 30, 2000

By A Customer

This book reveals a lot, good and bad, about Led Zeppelin. The multitude of interviews provide great insight into the state of the band at that time. Wish there were more pictures, though. A must for all Led-Heads.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Decent, but disappointing, May 26, 2005

By	Sean Tanner (Berkeley, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The Good: It has lengthy interviews with the band, tour dates (and maps!), and press releases from Atlantic and Swan Song.

The Bad:
1) The album reviews and general criticism are never printed, but rather summarized (usually very briefly) by Godwin. He claims that copywrite law prevents such things, but books like Racing In The Streets and All Yesterday's Parties, on Springsteen and The Velvet Underground respectively, have re-printed articles in their entirety. Perhaps it is less profitable to do so? At any rate, this significantly reduces the value of the book as it obscures a crucial history of how their albums were perceived by critics.
2) As the 1970s wear on, it becomes clear that Godwin falls into a familiar trap as regards positive and negative reviews of the band. The positive reviews receive very little qualification while the negative reviews (especially toward the decade's end) are accompanied with statements about how it was fashionable to hate Zeppelin in punk-era Britain. The idea is that Zeppelin deserved the good reviews, but the bad reviews were merely a result of bandwagon journalism and not reflective of a decline in Zeppelin's music. This is so biased that it calls into question the objectivity of the entire book, a fact that might be mitigated if the articles were re-printed in full instead of us having to rely on Godwin's summaries and editing.

Overall, I'm glad I read it as some information is better than none. I do, however, hope a better book comes along someday, one with a better eye for historical detail and accuracy.