Led Zeppelin, biography and discography

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IV was certified as having sold 16 million copies in the USA by March 1996. However, the effusive praise this album generated was notably more muted for Houses Of The Holy. Critics queried its musically diverse selection - the set embraced folk ballads, reggae and soul - yet when the accustomed power was unleashed, notably on "No Quarter", the effect was inspiring. A concurrent US tour broke all previous attendance records, the proceeds from which helped to finance an in-concert film, issued in 1976 as The Song Remains The Same, and the formation of the group's own record label, Swan Song.


Bad Company, the Pretty Things and Maggie Bell were also signed to the company, which served to provide Led Zeppelin with total creative freedom. Physical Graffiti, a double set, gave full rein to the quartet's diverse interests, with material ranging from compulsive hard rock ("Custard Pie" and "Sick Again") to pseudo-mystical experimentation ("Kashmir"). The irrepressible "Trampled Under Foot" joined an ever-growing lexicon of peerless performances, while "In My Time Of Dying" showed an undiminished grasp of progressive blues. Sell-out appearances in the UK followed the release, but rehearsals for a projected world tour were abandoned in August 1975 when Plant sustained multiple injuries in a car crash.

A new album was prepared during his period of convalescence, although problems over artwork delayed its release. Advance orders alone assured Presence platinum status, yet the set was regarded as a disappointment and UK sales were noticeably weaker. The 10-minute maelstrom "Achilles Last Stand" was indeed a remarkable performance, but the remaining tracks were competent rather than fiery and lacked the accustomed sense of grandeur. In 1977 Led Zeppelin began its rescheduled US tour, but on 26 July news reached Robert Plant that his six-year-old son, Karac, had died of a viral infection. The remaining dates were cancelled amid speculation that the group would break up.
They remained largely inactive for over a year, but late in 1978 they flew to Abba's Polar recording complex in Stockholm. Although lacking the definition of earlier work, In Through The Out Door was a strong collection on which John Paul Jones emerged as the unifying factor. Two concerts at Britain's Knebworth Festival were the prelude to a short European tour on which the group unveiled a stripped-down act, inspired, in part, by the punk explosion. Rehearsals were then undertaken for another US tour,
but in September 1980, Bonham was found dead following a lengthy drinking bout. On 4 December,
Swan Song announced that the group had officially retired, although a collection of archive material, Coda, was subsequently issued.
Jones went on to become a successful producer, notably with the Mission, while Plant embarked on a highly successful solo career, launched with Pictures At Eleven. Page scored the movie Death Wish 2 and, after a brief reunion with Plant and the Honeydrippers project in 1984, he inaugurated the short-lived Firm with Paul Rodgers. He then formed the Jimmy Page Band with John Bonham's son, Jason, who in turn drummed with Led Zeppelin on their appearance at Atlantic Records' 25th Anniversary Concert in 1988.

Despite renewed interest in the band's career, particularly in the wake of the retrospective Remasters, entreaties to make this a permanent reunion were resisted. However, in 1994 Page and Plant went two-thirds of the way to a re-formation with their ironically titled Unledded project, though John Paul Jones was conspicuous by his absence (for want of an invitation).
The duo cemented the relationship with an album of new Page And Plant material in 1998.
The discovery and release of live tapes and video footage in 2002 carried the Led Zeppelin phenomenon over into the new millennium. Decades after their demise, the triple-live CD How The West Was Won entered the Billboard chart at No 1 in June 2003. [COLOR=blue]Although their commercial success is unquestionable, Led Zeppelin are now rightly recognized as one of the most influential bands of the rock era and their catalogue continues to provide inspiration to successive generations of musicians.
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DISCOGRAPHY:
Led Zeppelin (Atlantic 1969)****, Led Zeppelin II (Atlantic 1969)****, Led Zeppelin III (Atlantic 1970)****, Led Zeppelin IV (Atlantic 1971)*****, Houses Of The Holy (Atlantic 1973)****, Physical Graffiti (Swan Song 1975)****, Presence (Swan Song 1976)***, The Song Remains The Same film soundtrack (Swan Song 1976)**, In Through The Out Door (Swan Song 1979)***, Coda (Swan Song 1982)**, BBC Sessions (Atlantic 1997)****, How The West Was Won 3-CD live set (WEA 2003)****.


COMPILATIONS: Led Zeppelin 4-CD box set (Swan Song 1991)****, Remasters (Swan Song 1991)****, Remasters II (Swan Song 1993)***, Early Days: The Best Of Led Zeppelin Volume One (Atlantic 1999)****, Latter Days: The Best Of Led Zeppelin Volume II (Atlantic 2000)****, The Very Best Of Led Zeppelin: Early Days & Latter Days (Warners 2003)****

VIDEOGRAPHY: The Song Remains The Same (Warner Home Video 1986), Led Zeppelin (Warner Music Vision 2003), Inside Led Zeppelin: 1968-1972 (Classic Rock Legends 2004).
taken from mystrands.com/artist