Led Zeppelin: Good Times, Bad Times, A Visual Biography of the Ultimate Band [Abrams; October 2009; hardcover], by Jerry Prochnicky and Ralph Hulett, with a foreword by Anthony DeCurtis, captures the public and private lives of the legendary band through rare and iconic photographs, accompanied by insightful commentary. The book arrives in the 40th anniversary year of the group’s first two albums, Led Zeppelin I and Led Zeppelin II, as well as their first four U.S. tours.
More than any other band, Led Zeppelin embodied the fabled rock star lifestyle of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, but much more than that, they came to define the music and culture of the 1970s. Now, four decades later, Led Zeppelin—Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham (1948-1980)—continue to draw the fascination, admiration, and awe of legions of fans, young and old.
A general overview of the band’s history leads readers into the core of the book, a collection of 200 striking photographs, more than half of which are rarely or never before published. These images offer views of the band onstage, backstage, recording in the studio, on tour, and at home.
From their very first performance in Denmark on September 7, 1968 (as the New Yardbirds) to their last performance in London 2007, this volume captures Led Zeppelin in all their electric glory. It will remind fans and curious newcomers alike why the group became, and remains, one of the greatest and most influential bands in the history of rock and roll.
