led zeppelin
Read Me: Bob Spitz’s Led Zeppelin: The Biography
Sparked by the 50th anniversary of Led Zeppelin IV and “Stairway to Heaven,” seasoned, deep-dive journalist and book author Bob Spitz set out to write the ultimate account of one of the most legendary bands of rock ‘n roll. The author of previous bestsellers The Beatles: The Biography, and Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child, Spitz was undeterred by the more than 100 books already out there on the band. And he took his time to get things right. “I spent five years tracking people down and writing this book, following every lead, and there are 35 pages of source notes at the back of the book, so the reader will know exactly where every quote and detail comes from.” I spoke with Bob about the reason his is the essential Zep biography, why they’re not “golden gods”, and why he was, as ...
The 50 Best Live Albums of the 1970s
The concert industry exploded in the 1970s, and the live album, a stopgap project once reserved for only the biggest artists, became a compulsory ritual and a pivotal moment for many artists. Live albums captured legendarily loud bands like The Who and The Ramones in their natural element. Once obscure regional acts like Bob Seger, KISS and Cheap Trick exploded into the mainstream with live albums. The Band, The Stooges, and Velvet Underground put their final gigs on vinyl. Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young (as his ongoing archive series shows), and Jackson Browne recorded entire sets of new songs onstage. The Grateful Dead released several official live albums (and continue to do so) that only made fans want to bootleg shows on their own more. With the 50th anniversary of a landmark live album, Th...
To Live and Die in L.A.: Our 1996 Red Hot Chili Peppers Cover Story
This article originally appeared in the April 1996 issue of SPIN. “Los Angeles is my favorite city in the world!” declares super foxy Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Dave Navarro, offering as proof of his conviction the city’s name tattooed on the back of his neck. “I would never live anywhere else.” Navarro, drummer Chad Smith, and I are wedged into Newsroom, a trendy Beverly Hills restaurant/coffee house/media mill where omnipresent TV monitors serve up the latest from the E! network with your rice-milk cappuccinos. “But I feel like the bad is taking over,” says Smith, an unadulterated rock dude and Detroit native who, Navarro says, wrote the book on that city’s infamous evening of arson known as Devil’s Night. “I wouldn’t want my kids growing up here,” admits Smith, who at age 33 s...
The 50 Best Albums of 1971
It’s become a cliché, even for post-Baby Boomers, to look back wistfully on the early ’70s as some kind of untouchable golden age for popular music. But when you survey all the era’s best albums in list form, it’s hard not to trust that instinct. I mean…holy shit. In 1971, the psychedelic era hadn’t completely wilted; prog was nearing its popularity apex; Motown was still a revolutionizing soul music; the folk-rock movement was in full flight. The possibilities were limitless. You know it’s a banner year when 50 albums don’t begin to scratch the surface — when both John Lennon and Paul McCartney release definitive LPs and neither make the top 10. Was 1971 the greatest album year ever? We’ll save that debate for another time (or maybe another list). For now, we present 50 stone-cold cl...
Nandi Bushell Makes Live Loop of Led Zeppelin’s ‘The Immigrant Song’
Nandi Bushell’s back with another stellar cover, and this time she’s doing things a little differently. Instead of sharing a full performance of a song, she recorded herself making a loop of Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” in celebration of Jimmy Page’s 77th birthday. Like always, she flawlessy executed drums, guitar, and an insane bass line. In the video’s description, the 10-year-old said she first heard the song in School of Rock. Precious. Watch her create the loop below. [embedded content] Bushell said goodbye to 2020 with a sweet sing along accompanied by her family. “I wrote this song for you all and asked my family to jam it with me. I hope it puts a smile on your face even if its a little cheesy!” she wrote, thanking everyone for their support throughout the ye...
The 35 Greatest Concerts of the Last 35 Years
We know, we know — the best concert of all-time is your friend’s obscure indie-punk band playing a sweaty neighborhood basement back in ‘94. We admit that one slipped through the cracks. Maybe it’s a fool’s errand, but this list is our attempt to narrow down three and a half decades of worthy live music events — legendary festivals, headlining tours from major artists, one-off stage collaborations, multimedia spectacles — into an eclectic and satisfying blend. – Ryan Reed 35. Heilung at Castlefest (8/5/2017) CREDIT: Gonzales Photo/PYMCA/Avalon/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Music-related viral clips tend to be silly and easily digestible, like the dude riding a skateboard to Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” while sipping on Ocean Spray. So it’s heartening that Heilung’s debut l...
Led Zeppelin Copyright Suit Won’t Be Heard By the Supreme Court
The contentious back-and-forth suit between Led Zeppelin and the estate of songwriter Randy California won’t be going to the U.S. Supreme Court. On Monday, the Court said that it won’t be hearing the case, leaving in place the March ruling that said that Zeppelin didn’t infringe upon “Taurus,” California’s 1967 song with his band Spirit. The original suit claimed that the intro to Zeppelin’s iconic “Stairway to Heaven” stole from “Taurus.” California, whose real last name was Wolfe, passed away in 1997 and had no hand in the lawsuit. The original lawsuit was filed by journalist Michael Skidmore on behalf of the Randy Craige Wolfe Trust. The Supreme Court didn’t give a reason as to why it was not taking on the case (which is generally pretty normal). The ruling written by the 9th Circu...
Robert Plant’s Absolute, Invaluable Journey
I’ve met Robert Plant four times. First as a punky grade-schooler, sitting cross-legged on my friend’s worn-out shag carpet, carefully slipping LPs out of their dust jackets for fear her older sister will wring our necks for touching her records. Houses of the Holy, Led Zeppelin IV, I, II. Aside from not leaving fingerprints on the pristine black vinyl, there were other rules, too. The music was best played as loud as possible, the lyrics must be memorized and analyzed—“a hedgerow is a row of shrubs…” — and, when we got old enough to have boyfriends, this would be the music we would totally make out to. Not a few years later as a preadolescent, I met Robert Plant again. This time, thanks to MTV. There was no way to make a cognitive connection between this man and the one who screeched abou...
Led Zeppelin’s Celebration Day to Stream This Weekend
Continuing their ongoing series of broadcasting classic shows from the past, YouTube will host a broadcast of Led Zeppelin’s Celebration Day. The show, at least for now, was the last time that Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones (with Jason Bonham filling in for his late father on drums) performed together under the Led Zeppelin name. The concert took place on Dec. 10, 2007 at London’s O2 Arena as a tribute to Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun. It was Zeppelin’s first headlining show in 27 years and the film was released in 2012. The two-plus hour show saw the band stampede through their biggest hits. Celebration Day will air beginning this Saturday, May 30, beginning at 3 pm EST/12 pm PST. It will air, like the previous concert films, for just three days. Chec...
Foo Fighters Stream 2008 Wembley Stadium Concert
For the latest concert to be streamed from their archive, Foo Fighters have shared another classic stadium show from London. Taking place over two nights in 2008 at London’s Wembley Stadium on their Echoes, Silence. Patience & Grace, Dave Grohl and company tore through their usual set of standards, but with a twist. Like their 2006 London show that they shared a few weeks ago, this one featured a pair of guests as well in Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist John Paul Jones. The duo joined them for covers of Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll” and “Ramble On.” As usual, the band is airing the performance as a fundraiser. This week, it’s for indie concert venues. “If you are able, consider supporting the Music Venue Trust during this time and keep the indie venues going,” a caption unde...
