Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Pages: 200
•
Trim: 6½ x 9⅜
978-0-8108-8915-6 • Hardback • October 2014 • $58.00 • (£45.00)
978-0-8108-8916-3 • eBook • October 2014 • $55.00 • (£42.00)
Gregg Akkerman is a performer, educator, and writer. He served for over a decade as professor of music at the University of South Carolina Upstate before returning to private life in southern California as a working musician and music instructor. He is the author of the biography The Last Balladeer: The Johnny Hartman Story and is editor of Listener's Companion series from Rowman & Littlefield.
Acknowledgments
Timeline
Introduction: Time to Change the Road You’re On
Chapter 1: Beggars and Thieves
Chapter 2: Rambling On
Chapter 3: Sex and Vikings
Chapter 4: One Song to Bind Them All
Chapter 5: The Confounded Bridge
Chapter 6: Twice As Nice
Chapter 7: Feeling the Presence
Chapter 8: Turn the Page
Chapter 9: Leftovers
Chapter 10: New Keys for Old Singers
Epilogue
Selected Listening
Selected Readings
Index
About the Author
Akkerman delivers an excellent look at Led Zeppelin’s music, focusing on each of the band’s nine studio albums between 1968 and 1979, with a song-by-song analysis—with some examples from live concerts—that proves how well the music 'has weathered the passing of the decades.' It helps that Akkerman is a self-professed 'fan but not a Led Zeppelin fanatic.' This allows him to effectively articulate which songs stand out. . . .[E]ach page reveals some new aspect of Zeppelin’s legacy sound—even in 'Stairway to Heaven,' as Akkerman looks at the harmonic importance of the song’s A-minor key. Even the most hardcore Zeppelin critic will listen again when the song is played on the radio for the millionth time.
— Publishers Weekly
Whether you are a musician or not the book is a wonderful addition to your library. It’s fun just to play a tune and read the essay on it and gain a deeper understanding of the song. It is a library quality hardcover, one that you will be proud to have on your bookshelf. … Akkerman has created a must own book for any Zeppelin fan. Check it out, learn a bit more about the songs you have probably heard a hundred times and find some gems you might not have known even existed.
— Scared Stiff Reviews
In Experiencing Led Zeppelin: A Listener's Companion, [Gregg Akkermann] brings a measured fans perspective to listen to the Monolith that is Led Zeppelin. . . .Akkermann first provides a brief introduction to the band and the recent history to its formation in the late-1960s. He then proceeds to take us through each recording, detailing its history and highlighting some of the more provocative songs on each. Of greatest interest to me was the clear fashion Akkermann was able to frame the last two studio albums, Presence (Black Swan, 1976) and In Through the Out Door (Black Swan, 1979), giving me a better appreciation for these recordings.
— All About Jazz