In this exhaustive and insightful reference text, rock writer and cultural critic George Case details the key names, dates, figures, and features of one of the biggest and most mythologized rock-and-roll groups of all time: Led Zeppelin. Here, finally, are the answers to the puzzles that have haunted fans for over four decades – puzzles such as the meaning of Led Zep's enigmatic album covers; the truth about leader Jimmy Page's involvement with the occult; a breakdown of the sometimes murky roots of their greatest songs; firm data on their musical instruments, live performances, and studio productions; and sordid specifics of the band's infamously debauched private lives.
But here, too, is a deeply reflective analysis of why Led Zeppelin's music has endured as long as it has, and of how Led Zeppelin's mystique has only grown in the years since their official disbanding. Placing the group in the context of their time and place, Case scrupulously compares and contrasts their achievements with those of their influences, rivals, and followers. Led Zeppelin FAQ is not only an indispensable listener's companion to a classic rock act, but a considered history of rock and roll as a business, an art form, and a worldwide social phenomenon.