Product Description

Robert Plant is a genuine rock legend. The tumultuous but endlessly fascinating tale of Led Zeppelin is central to his life, but that twelve-year period ended with the sad and premature death of drummer John 'Bonzo' Bonham in 1980; in the twenty-five years since, Plant has been recording new music almost constantly. For the first time, his solo years - famously working with his former Led Zep cohort Jimmy Page, numerous guest appearances and his own material - are covered in depth. This complete rock biography reveals how he teamed up with Jimmy Page in 1994 only to see their two-album partnership come to an abrupt and controversial end in 1998 and Plant's earliest and ongoing influences and passions such as Southern American blues and classic fifties R&B.Neil Daniel's also delves into the likes of his revered solo album Dreamland, consisting of a relatively obscure batch of cover songs and places Plant's later work in the wider context of both Led Zep's own legacy and the broader history of modern music. Full up to date, covering his latest album Raising Sand with the revered bluegrass singer Alison Krauss and the highly-publicised Led Zeppelin reunion in December, 2007, this is the compelling story of an enthusiastic young kid from the West Midlands who belied his humble blues roots and defied his stern parents by becoming one of the world's most recognisable and iconic rock superstars.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #257390 in Books
• Published on: 2008-01-31
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

About the Author
Neil Daniels is the author of The Story Of Judas Priest: Defenders Of The Faith (Omnibus Press.) He has written extensively about classic rock and heavy metal for a wide range of webzines and fanzines. He currently contributes to Record Collector, Rock Sound, Powerplay and Fireworks.

Customer Reviews

interesting, but poorly presented
The idea of a book about Planty's solo career is admirable, but the whole thing is cobbled together from limited internet research (how valid is what a fan thought about an album from 1971 lifted off a website in 2003?) and old issues of Classic Rock .... No interviews or quotes from any of the key players.

But it's the minor errors that give him away as not really knowledgable on his subject - LZ track titles spelt wrong ("Candy Rock Store", anyone?), the fact he can't spell (Long John) Baldry consistently within the same paragraph and that The Song Remains The Same only gets a mention in the chapter notes as a feature length film and double live album - let alone reference to Plant's vocals on Black Mountain Side (an acoustic instrumental). Come on. Even if the factual errors persist, get a decent proof-reader ( a "duel-CD" anyone??).

Oh, and Kidderminster isn't a rural town on the English/Welsh border....

ok, but essentially a collection of magazine extracts
It's very challenging to write an unauthorised biography based on a cross-section of magazine articles over 4 decades and interviews with work acquaintances. That said, its an interesting compendium of snippets - but its not very enlightening. The main focus of the book is intended to reflect the musical development of a singer beginning from a particular place and time. What the book lacks is criticial insight into the changing kaleidoscope of influences which created the musical twists and turns visible from album to album, comparison with the career of contemporaries, and a lot more quotes to tell the story. Its an ok book for the beach, but you're not going to be pushed if the tide takes it away before you're finished.

No wonder the rear of this book says: ''Unofficial & Unauthorised''
How this appalling book managed to get into print amazes me! I agree with the first reviewer who suggested that it must have been based on internet browsing because the author has made no effort to interview anyone of any significance and simply recycles the work of others. The fact that it was also cobbled together from the left overs of another Daniels book (on Judas Priest) suggests that might be another one to avoid!

Daniel's incoherent punctuation, typos and mind-numbing writing style suggests that it was thrown together in haste, presumably to cash in on the recent publicity surrounding the Led Zeppelin reunion and the superb Plant & Krauss recordings.

It would far better to wait for Robert Plant to produce a biography (even if it does take him 10 years!)than to waste money on this garbage.