( 10 reviews )
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Posted: Apr 20 2009
I consider myself a bit of a music historian, particularly as it relates to Rock Music of the late sixties and early seventies. I have certainly read everything ever written regarding Led Zeppelin and have some personal experiences with the band in various capacities. The "Tight But Loose" Files, is an amazing resource for those interested in a detailed, first hand experience, related to the inner workings of the band during their heyday and well after. This is certainly an excellent read, and is obviously a source for other writers who have published books on the band.
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Posted: Oct 29 2008
For anyone who has a modest size Zeppelin collection of live recordings this book is a must, It has an incredible breakdown of hundreds of shows including track lists and commentary on the play quality as well as remarks on Robert Plants witty commentary between songs. I found myself going back and listening too many of my bootlegs to see how the author's opinion of concerts compared to mine. It was also nice because it helped straighten out some of the songs from the compellation discs I have, correcting the perpetrators generally incorrect slip-sheet's and liner notes. Fans today have the distinct ability that people like me did not have in the past where you can go online and download a show to see if you like them. If you are `old school' and still hunt out Led Zeppelin CD's of perhaps illegally recorded concerts and sold without the bands permission, this book is an absolute must have. I still use it as a cross reference for online research. The one and only complaint that could be leveled against this book is its format. I think the original format (size of the book) was better than the updated reprint, but my eyes are not yet bad enough to deduct a star for the fine print. Even if you are not a collector of rare Led Zeppelin recordings this book will at least be interesting and entertaining if you are a fan of the band. Good luck and enjoy.
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Posted: Jul 29 2008
as an avid fan of led zeppelin, i treasure this book. dave lewis has put both tremendous time and effort to create an exhausting encyclopedia of led zeppelin concerts throughout their history. the concerts are broken down chronologically, by tour. listed are the dates, locations, venues and songlists (in order) with plenty of interesting tidbits of information regarding each show (when available). lewis offers a synopsis of each tour and details changes in songlists, equipment ... and even attire. my favorite part is the listing of the songs within songs (the changing melodies w/in marathon songs like "dazed and confused" and "whole lotta love"). if that isn't enough, there are several informative articles that detail specific topics from the construction of "stairway to heaven", john paul jones' mellotron to zep's touring plane, the "starship" (it even has a cutaway diagram of the interior). if you are a serious collector of led zeppelin's live music and want a definitive resource, i heavily recommend this book. if you just plain enjoy the band and its music, this book will provide you plenty of entertainment. for serious fans, i'd also recommend dave lewis' other zeppeling books: "Celebration" and "Celebration II" ... nothing i've found encompasses the band, it's music and history like these books.
