Whole Lotta Led: Our Flight with Led Zeppelin

by Ralph Hulett, Jerry Prochnicky

In September 1968, four English lads gathered together for the first time in a small, stuffy London rehearsal room in a basement filled with wall-to-wall amplifiers. It was their first big tryout as musicians, and each of them was nervous. Would they come together as a band? Or would they crash and burn, becoming nothing but a rock footnote? Then the room exploded, with wailing chords, howling vocals, and a locked-tight rhythm sectionâ a sonic assault of heretofore unknown power. Here for the first time was Led the screaming rock guitar of Jimmy Page, the scorching blues vocals of Robert Plant, the driving jazz bass of John Paul Jones, and the power drumming of John Bonham. The session was amazing, electrifying, and stunning. The Zepp had arrived. There was no turning back. And rock entertainment would never be the same again.Told by the band, the musicians, the groupies, and the fans themselves, this chronicle of one of rockâ s greatest and most innovative bands comes alive with the hiss of turntables, the sweat of the crowd at the Fillmore East, the hustle and bustle of backstage life, and the electricity of small clubs where rock history was about to be made. Itâ s a story about a bandâ s influence on two impressionable guys, and the countless others who came to get the Led out and stayed to become part of rock â nâ roll legend. With exclusive and rare photos

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

260 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Ralph Hulett grew up in the Los Angeles area with parents who were in the arts. As a teenager in the 1960s, Ralph saw many rock bands like the Doors and Led Zeppelin, and music became a big part of his life. During the 1970s, he began photographing concerts and writing about music. His photographs and articles have appeared in Relix, Goldmine and Vintage Guitar magazines, and on the television programs VH 1 - Behind the Music and ABC News Downtown. He has also taught Language Arts and World History at MacArthur Fundamental School in Orange County for thirty years. He is the co-author, with Jerry Prochnicky, of Led Zeppelin: Good Times Bad Times (Abrams). His website combines his passions for rock and photography: www.rockretrospect.com.

Reviews

[Rosebud · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good read.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

insider details on the Zep