The early days (1968-1970)

In 1968, while bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones still dominated the charts on both sides of the Atlantic, newer, heavier styles of rock and roll were being played by groups like The Who, The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Cream. In that same year, a new British band, Led Zeppelin, began to form their own distinctly thunderous sound, and would play a critical role in the creation of a new musical genre, hard rock.

The formation/The New Yardbirds

The beginnings of Led Zeppelin can be traced to Jimmy Page, who had joined the rock band The Yardbirds in 1966, to play bass guitar after bassist Paul Samwell-Smith quit the group. Shortly after, Page switched from bass to lead guitar creating a lineup that featured both Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck playing dual lead (Chris Dreja moved from rhythm guitar to take over on bass). Following the departure of Jeff Beck in October 1966, The Yardbirds, tired from constant touring and recording, were beginning to wind down. Page discussed forming a supergroup with himself and Beck on guitar, and The Who's Keith Moon and John Entwistle on drums and bass, respectively.^[4] Vocalists Donovan, Steve Winwood and Steve Marriott were also considered for the project.^[5] The group never formed, although Page, Beck and Moon did record a song together in 1966, "Beck's Bolero", which is featured on Beck's 1968 album, Truth. The recording session also included bassist John Paul Jones, who told Page that he would be interested in collaborating with him on future projects. ^[6]

Led Zeppelin (the first album)

Led Zeppelin II

The immediate success of the first album kick-started the band's career, especially in the United States. The second record, titled Led Zeppelin II, followed similarly later that year. The second album was an even greater success than the first and reached the number one chart position in the US and the UK. ^[14]

Led Zeppelin III

“The biggest band in the world” (1971–1975)

The success of Led Zeppelin's early years would be dwarfed by this five year period in which the band would release their most famous albums and ascend to the very peak of musical success in the 1970s. The band's image also changed as members began to wear elaborate, colorful clothing and jewellery similar to other popular performers of the era such as Liberace. If the band's popularity on stage was impressive, so too was its reputation for off-stage wildness and excess. Led Zeppelin began travelling in a private jet airliner (nicknamed The Starship), rented out entire sections of hotels (most notably the Continental Hyatt House in Los Angeles, known colloquially as the "Riot House"), and became the subject of many of rock's most famous stories of debauchery. One escapade involved John Bonham throwing televisions out of the windows of the Riot House during a drunken rampage and then blaming the damage on Led Zeppelin groupies. But perhaps the most notorious story of Led Zeppelin excess was the infamous Shark episode, which took place at the Edgewater Inn in Seattle, WA, on July 28, 1969.

The fourth album (officially untitled)

Houses Of The Holy

The band's next studio album, 1973's Houses of the Holy, featured further experimentation, with powerful melodies, longer tracks and expanded use of synthesisers and Mellotron orchestration. The album exhibits fewer blues influences than any of Led Zeppelin's other albums, instead turning to jazz and classically-inspired riffs. In particular, the multi-layered guitar symphony of "The Song Remains the Same", the atmospheric keyboards of "No Quarter", and a moody ballad about a pagan ritual, "The Rain Song", demonstrate a greater willingness by the band to explore new sonic territory. The album also included the explosive ballad "Over the Hills and Far Away", which remains an FM radio staple, and "The Ocean", written largely by John Bonham. The song "Houses of the Holy" does not appear on its namesake album, even though it was recorded at the same time as other songs on the album. It eventually made its way onto the 1975 album Physical Graffiti.

Physical Graffiti

The latter days (1976-1980)

By 1975, Led Zeppelin was a household name in both the United States and Europe, perennially topping the charts on both continents, as they would continue to do throughout these years. Their live shows would increase even further in theatricality, featuring larger stage areas and complex lightshows that were popular with other bands of the era, such as Pink Floyd. While there were musical and commercial successes for Led Zeppelin during this period, problems such as the tragic death of Robert Plant's son, a car crash, Jimmy Page's heroin use and heavier smoking, changing musical tastes, and finally John Bonham's alcoholism would ultimately bring an end to Led Zeppelin.

Presence

The concert film (The Song Remains The Same)

In Through The Out Door

The summer of 1978 saw the group recording again, this time at ABBA's Polar Studios in Stockholm, Sweden. The resultant album was In Through the Out Door. After a decade of recording and touring, Led Zeppelin was now considered to be obsolete in some quarters, as mainstream musical tastes had moved in favour of disco, and the college audience momentarily turned to punk rock. Perhaps in response to shifting trends, In Through the Out Door features a great deal of sonic experimentation, making much use of Jones' well wrought keyboard skills, notably in synthesiser driven sections of the ten-and-one-half minute long "Carouselambra", and in "Fool in the Rain", which exhibits a Latin feel. These departures from the band's usual style once again drew mixed reactions from fans and critics. Nevertheless, the band still commanded legions of loyal fans, and the album easily reached #1 in the UK and the US (where it became the first album by a rock band to debut at #1 on the Billboard album chart). Other highlights include, "In the Evening", which includes a downbeat interlude which would predate a similar technique used by later grunge bands such as Nirvana, and "All My Love", Robert Plant's tribute to his late son.

"A tragic end"

On September 25, 1980, John Bonham was picked up by Led Zeppelin assistant Rex King to attend rehearsals at Bray Studios for the upcoming tour of the United States, the band's first since 1977. During the journey Bonham had asked to stop for breakfast, where he downed four quadruple vodkas (roughly sixteen shots (~8dl) of vodka), with a ham roll. After taking a bite of the ham roll he said to his assistant "breakfast."

Reunions and ongoing success

1980s

In 1982 the surviving members of the group released a collection of out-takes from various sessions during Led Zeppelin's career, entitled Coda. It included two tracks taken from the band's performance at the Royal Albert Hall in 1970, one each from Led Zeppelin III and Houses of the Holy sessions, and three from the In Through the Out Door sessions. It also featured a 1976 John Bonham drum instrumental with electronic effects added by Jimmy Page, called "Bonzo's Montreux". In the years that followed, a steady stream of boxed sets, never previously-released material, and greatest hits collections kept the band on the charts along with their major albums, which perennially sell in the millions. Led Zeppelin continues to garner heavy radio airplay. Because of the band's popularity many FM stations around the United States, have developed a "Get the Led Out" segment (usually occurring around 6 P.M.), during which Led Zeppelin songs are played back to back.

1990s

On June 30, 1990, while Plant was touring in support of his album, Manic Nirvana, Page joined him for a brief set at the Knebworth music festival. The set included "Wearing and Tearing", "Misty Mountain Hop" and "Rock and Roll". The concert was broadcast by radio stations around the world, and highlights of the event, including the entire Page/Plant set, were later shown on MTV. On other dates of the tour, Plant performed wearing a Jimmy Page t-shirt.

2000s

On May 30, 2000, Atlantic released a single edit of "Whole Lotta Love" in the US, making it the only Led Zeppelin CD single. The band have never released a single in the UK. In October 2002, the British press reported that Robert Plant and John Paul Jones had reconciled after a 20-year feud which had kept Led Zeppelin apart, and rumours surfaced of a reunion tour in 2003. ^[28] This was later denied by Plant and Page's management company. ^[29]

Legacy and Criticism

Filmography

• The Song Remains the Same (1976)
• Led Zeppelin DVD (2003)

Sources

• Electric Magic: Led Zeppelin fan site
• Bron-Yr-Aur: Italian Led Zeppelin fan site
• Achilles Last Stand: Led Zeppelin fan site
• Led Zeppelin – East Grinstead Hall of Fame
• Tight But Loose: Led Zeppelin fan magazine
• Classic Led Zeppelin photos by photographer Chris Walter
• 100 Greatest Guitar Solos
• The Garden Tapes - An indepth study of Led Zeppelin live releases.