Led Zeppelin

There have been just a hand full of artists these past forty years that once I  heard them I was forever affected by their power and order of magnitude.

Led Zeppelin was the first English rock band, even more than Cream, to galvanize my interest in rock music, first as a blues rock band, then as progenitors of heavy metal. The first and second Led Zeppelin albums provided the strongest one-two punch I’ve ever heard from evolving rock musicians. There was no sophomore jinx with Led Zeppelin II, which shot to Number 1 on the album charts in 1969.

I was clued into Led Zeppelin early in the fall of 1968. I hung out with several music fanatics in high school. One of these guys had relatives in England who informed us of the sensation Led Zeppelin was causing with their initial British tour. By the time Led Zeppelin’s initial album, Led Zeppelin was released in January, 1969 we readied ourselves for the assault on our senses. We were quite unprepared for the onslaught Led Zep would have on us. They took America, particularly FM radio airplay and rock venues across the US by storm.

If you are passionate about Led Zeppelin I urge you to seek out Uncut Magazine‘s The Ultimate Music Guide, Led Zeppelin. It is a well curated collection of articles, insights about Led Zeppelin, their recordings, the band members and the rock and roll saga we love to hear told.