Speaking of dualities, there's the book's cover photo, which shows Page in his infamous Nazi SS cap, grey jodhpurs and riding boots, but this astonishing gesture goes unremarked. And yet, how did Page, who cultivated an image of himself as a thoughtful, educated man, the leader of a group whose singer was obsessed with 1960s "peace and love" lyrics wear an outfit associated with the murder of millions?
There are historical and musical inaccuracies that have crept into the book. Not many whoppers, but I spotted a few: comments such as Page learned pedal steel to play "Tangerine" on the group's third album, when he already played it on two cuts on their first album. There are minor mistakes in some of her musical notation, as well as written errors when she attempts to describe some of the notes played by Page. (She has him playing B to C# on the famous opening riff of "Whole Lotta Love", when it's actually B to D, in order to allow him to double the fretted D note with the open D string of his guitar.)
These errors can be easily cleaned up if there's a second edition of the book. However, in order for that happen, Fast's book needs to sell. And I'm not sure who Fast is aiming at: Do die-hard Led Zep fans want to read references to postmodernism, Michael Foucault and Edward Said? Do musicologists want to read a book that spends far too much time analyzing the band's sociology and not its musicology. What do most academics care about a 1970s hard rock group?
Still, to wrap up what I said at the beginning, fans who want a textbook analyzing Led Zeppelin with a postmodern, radical feminist slant have certainly found the bible they're looking for when worshipping in their own houses of the holy. Hope it's not ten years gone before a better book on this worthy topic appears though.
Article comments
1 - dan walters
Fast's book on Zep stands in stark contrast to all the other monkey crap books written by bald white guys who couldn't make it in their own broke-dick band. She explores theoretical arenas that most others are too chicken to even mention. Most guys reconstruct Zeppelin through their own spooge-tinged glasses...Fast's book is unique, brave, and significant! Don't get hung up on postmodernism; it's just a nerdy conceptual fabrication that rips apart new thoughts and meanings just as quickly as it builds them. Fast's book is fun.
2 - Rich
Your website contains the googlewhack "spooge jodhpurs"
Congratulations
3 - Eric Olsen
thanks I think, what is a googlewhack?
4 - Rich
You type two words into Google and the search results in only one hit.
The words must not be in inverted commas, both words must be shown as underlined in Google to prove they are in www.dictionary.com, and the resulting hit must not be a dictionary, thesaurus or other word-list webpage.
It just so happens that the unlikely pairing of 'spooge' and 'jodhpurs' resulted in my stumbling upon your site!
I believe it is traditional, if 'tradition' could be ascribed to an activity of less than 5 years' history, to now search for your own googlewhack and spread the word/s.
Nice site btw!
Regards
Rich
5 - Ed Driscoll
I want to hear more about these spooge jodhpurs. Did Ron Jeremy start doing ads for Dockers?
6 - Nick
Led Zeppelin remains the greatest rock band ever....
7 - jim
"Houses of the Holy" may have been Zeppelin at its height; the band could have called it quits after this record and still be assured easy classic-rock status. It's simply another great Zeppelin album that adds to a string of greats. The guys kept their style simple, yet branched out a bit and explored new avenues. Some would even say that all Zeppelin albums after this one were pleasant icing on the cake. Of course, the same thing has been said about Pink Floyd after 1973, as well.
8 - chris
It is full of fascinating musicological and sociological insight. But to appreciate the book, those are the things you have to want to get out of it.
For the kind of book it is, it is one of the most READABLE books on a rock band that has ever been published.