Book review: Richard Houghton – LED ZEPPELIN – Whole Lotta Love – A People’s History

April 11th, 2025 by alanjones

Spenwood Books [Publication Date: 01.12.24]

We’ve all heard or read about the history of one of the greatest rock bands to bestride the world through film, television and a number of mighty tomes over the years.

From “Hammer Of The Gods” to “The Song Remains The Same” we’ve been regaled by tales of amazing gigs, shocking revelations, drunkenness and revelry on an epic scale.

But these tales have always been produced by film-makers and journalists – this particular mighty tome is, as the name suggests, a collection of stories from the fans, the people who actually paid to see them from their very beginnings as solo artists in 1965, to their first gig as Led Zeppelin at the University Of Surrey in 1968 to their one-off reunion at the O2 Arena in 2007.

Richard Houghton, (author of many musical books including the likes of Jethro Tull, Simple Minds, OMD, etc.) with the assistance of Dave Lewis (a world-renowned chronicler of all things Zeppelin) has done a splendid job in assembling a redoubtable collection of every gig the band ever played during their twelve year career and the reminiscences of those who were there.

Of course, the first thing everyone will do (as I duly did) is leaf through the chronological pages to find the gigs you went to yourself – in my case both Liverpool University Mountford Hall (where we all sat cross-legged on the floor (!) and Liverpool Stadium in 1971 and the Empire Theatre, also in Liverpool, in 1973.

Sure enough, all three gigs were there and the fan’s accounts pretty much tallied in with my experience – especially at the Empire Theatre where the bouncers were particularly aggressive towards anyone either taking pictures or standing up. Of course they were knocked aside when we all ‘rushed’ the stage at the end.

There are over 750 accounts of fans’ experiences and what strikes you is just how much time Led Zep spent in America – sure there were European tours, and loads of gigs in the UK but America had the lion’s share – no doubt as a result of Peter Grant’s ‘moneyball’ management.

If there is a downside, it is that it can get a bit repetitive. After all we all pretty much had the same experience, give or take – queueing for tickets, the excitement of seeing what would eventually become the biggest band in the world, the “bacon and eggs” in your ears for days afterwards, and, of course, the absolute privilege of being blown away by four musicians at the top of their game.

However, there is sufficient variety in the stories to encourage repeat visits to its 368 pages and, for anyone who saw them, rekindled memories of seeing, live, a band that have passed into legend. ****

Review by Alan Jones

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