Led Zeppelin All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track
£35.40
Fifty years after their first practice in a Soho basement, Led Zeppelin continues to fascinate new generations of listeners. While their back-stage debauchery has been the focus of other books, All the Songs is about the music, detailing the Page’s studio magic and inspiration that made all nine albums go platinum, including Led Zeppelin IV which was certified x23 platinum and has sold more than 37 million copies worldwide.
Studio stories will include their productive time at Headley Grange in Wales, a poorly-heated former poorhouse where they recorded parts of Led Zeppelin III, Led Zeppelin IV, Houses of the Holy and Physical Graffiti. And how the first album was recorded in three weeks but their second took six months, done while the band was on a world tour. They carried the masters of the recording session in a steamer trunk wherever they went. Out of these chaotic sessions came the “Whole Lotta Love,” which was finished in New York with Hendrix engineer Eddie Kramer helping create the psychedelic middle part, as well as “The Lemon Song,” which was cut live in the studio. Page worked feverishly with Kramer to mix the LP on a primitive 12-channel Altec board in a two-day span.
Fans will also learn the genesis of their lyrics, the inspiration for their album covers, the instruments used, and the contributions of engineers such as Andy Johns, who helped create the iconic drum sound on “When the Levee Breaks” by recording Bonham at the bottom of a stairwell.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Black Dog & Leventhal, Illustrated edition (15 Nov. 2018) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Hardcover | 608 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0316448672 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0316448673 |
| Dimensions | 22.86 x 6.03 x 28.26 cm |
by F. A. Stoop
Brilliant Read
by Angela Sellick
Great book in a great series on the story of every song the band ever recorded.
by Clive
A great book on the descriptions of each song Led Zeppelin wrote , and why. Brilliantly written . Wonderful book.
by Lennart Johnzon
This is a great book that explains the background to Led Zeppelin and their songs
by University
This hardback colossus is lavish and printed on fabulous quality paper. There’s an abundance of photographs and information relating to the influences and recording processes behind all Led Zeppelin’s tunes*, though it’s unclear if and how the instrumentation, amplification and effects data for every studio creation 1968-79 has been verified or how that might be possible. One’s confidence in the accuracy of such information is eroded by a host of errors and contradictions in the more tangible data. For example: ‘Heartbreaker’ came after, rather than before, ‘Immigrant Song’ in ‘live’ performances; ‘Hey Hey, What Can I Do?’ was not performed during Page and Plant’s ‘Unledded’ TV special; there was no American tour in 1980; and (in connection with ‘Candy Store Rock’) Ral Donner could not have mimicked Elvis Presley’s version of ‘The Girl Of My Best Friend’ in 1959 because the King recorded it in Nashville the following year. Moreover, the writers accurately cite the date of the Royal Albert Hall ‘DVD’ gig as 1970 but later move it forward a year, then correctly date the 1979 Knebworth concerts before moving them back twelve months. I found the reams of gushing admiration for the musicians and their talents twee and repetitious and it further detracted from my sense that I was reading a serious reference work. Though the analysis of the compositions, arrangements and production is generally excellent, the writers patronise their readership somewhat by suspending their critical faculties when evaluating the end-product. The unfunny funk spoof ‘The Crunge’, the frivolous jam session ‘Boogie With Stu’ and other forgettable album fillers such as ‘Royal Orleans’ are commended well beyond their credibility. We are told also that there’s “a slight drawback” in ‘Fool In The Rain’ insofar as Robert Plant “occasionally lacks accuracy in his intonation.” Since when was singing out-of-tune “a slight drawback”? (And, incidentally, what were Led Zeppelin thinking allowing a tuneless, flat vocal to pass as a satisfactory master take?) Though the book is unfailingly passionate, it would have been punchier and grittier had the writers taken their courage in their hands and made observations such as: “Led Zeppelin III’s album closer ‘Hats Off To (Roy) Harper’ is misconceived, mistitled and tarnishes a great album” – we can handle the obvious truth. It’s unarguable that Led Zeppelin, toweringly good from their 1968 inception through 1975, were pretty much artistically spent thereafter, and that a tragic bereavement in the Plant family – coinciding with the ascendancy of punk and new wave in 1977 – totally derailed them. Their penultimate album, 1976’s ‘Presence’, opens with the epic final hurrah ‘Achilles’ Last Stand’ but then loses its way hopelessly and its successor, ‘In Through The Out Door’, is notorious for weak songwriting, muddy production and erratic musicianship. (This is unsurprising because a schism had occurred between the two members nursing serious addictions and the two that wanted to write songs and make music). Yet, rather audaciously, we’re asked to believe that during those 1978 recording sessions “the four musicians were at the pinnacle of their talent.” Again, we’re adults and we can handle the truth – the pressures and lifestyle associated with the rock industry had exhausted Led Zeppelin by the end of their 1975 world tour, though nobody could bring themselves to say so, and the outcome was debilitating personal problems, impaired judgment, writer’s block and a steep and irreversible decline – in a word: chaos. After finishing the book’s 595 pages most devotees of Jimmy Page and his gang will have greatly enhanced their knowledge. But I feel the book would benefit from an earthier tone and, sad to say, more corrections than should be necessary in a reference source. [* There are no overviews of ‘live’ or BBC Sessions versions of songs that had already appeared on Led Zeppelin studio albums, but original titles – such as ‘Baby, Come On Home’, ‘Sweet Mama’ and ‘Travelling Riverside Blues’ – are discussed].
by Rob P.
What a great surprise this is! At last a thorough and proper analysis of all the studio work Led Zeppelin ever released. There have been “all the songs” type of books before by ex-journos, dedicated fans and an ignorant Canadian, but they’ve been lame and one-dimensional, missing the most important aspects of Led Zeppelin in the studio: the music, the musicianship and the production that created the infinite magic. You’ll find all that here, because this tome is the real thing even for us hardcore fans.
The analysis goes very deep inside the songs, sometimes proceeding almost second by second whenever needed. Next time listening to Led Zeppelin, you’d better be reading this book, because you’ll find lots of minute and/or effective details in the music. You’ll be hearing Led Zeppelin’s music in a different way and understanding that Led Zeppelin was not a typical hard rocking band. What I also found very pleasing was the way the authors lifted the musicianship of John Paul Jones and John Bonham to the fore. Great analysing!
There are lots of photos in the book and many of them were new to me. With some photos years and dates were unfortunately inaccurate. Sometimes the authors also seem to be even too sure about the instruments used on certain tracks. Was it really “Number One Les Paul” or “Fender Jazz Bass” this time? Minor things.
A magnificent tome! I believe that Jimmy Page himself couldn’t have put a better review together. This is for everyone interested in the magic of Led Zeppelin’s music.
by Mike Reader
I didn’t like the fact that the book weighs almost 3kg. It will cost well above the price of the book to post it on to the intended recipient! It should carry a warning ????
by University
This book is pre heaven for Led-heads!