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''Hammer of the Gods'' is a book written by
music journalist Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on ...
Stephen Davis, published in 1985. It is an
unauthorized biography An unauthorized biography, sometimes called a kiss-and-tell, or a tell-all, is a biography written without the subject's permission or input. The term is usually restricted to biographies written within the subject's lifetime or shortly after ...
of the English
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
band
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...
. Davis travelled with Led Zeppelin for two weeks at the beginning of the band's 1975 U.S. Tour, while he was a music journalist at ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' magazine.Caleb Daniloff,
Rock from Axl to Zep
", ''BU Today'', October 21, 2008.
After its release it became a ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
''
bestseller A bestseller is a book or other media noted for its top selling status, with bestseller lists published by newspapers, magazines, and book store chains. Some lists are broken down into classifications and specialties (novel, nonfiction book, cookb ...
paperback. It has been reprinted three times since its first publication and has been released under the alternative title ''Hammer of the Gods: The Led Zeppelin Saga''. The title is derived from a line in "
Immigrant Song "Immigrant Song" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. It is built upon a repeating riff and features lyrical references to Norse mythology, with singer Robert Plant's howling vocals mentioning war-making and Valhalla. The song was i ...
", a track from the band's third album.


Criticism

''Chicago Tribune'' music reviewer
Greg Kot Greg Kot (born March 3, 1957) is an American music journalist and author. From 1990 until 2020, Kot was the rock music critic at the ''Chicago Tribune'', where he covered popular music and reported on music-related social, political and busines ...
called it "one of the most notorious rock biographies ever written".Greg Kot,
Mystery Man
, ''Chicago Tribune'', October 15, 1999.
All three surviving members of the band have cast doubts on its accuracy, with one article summarising their collective view of the book as a "catalogue of error and distortion".Mat Snow, "Apocalypse Then", '' Q'' magazine, December 1990, p, 79. "I opened it up in the middle somewhere and started to read it, and I just threw it out the window," said guitarist
Jimmy Page James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician and producer who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the Rock music, rock band Led Zeppelin. Page began his career as a studio session musician in Lo ...
. "I was living by a river then, so it actually found its way to the bottom of the sea." "The guy who wrote that book knew nothing about the band," said vocalist
Robert Plant Robert Anthony Plant (born 20 August 1948) is an English singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band Led Zeppelin from its founding in 1968 until their breakup in 1980. Since then, he has had a successful solo ca ...
. "I think he'd hung around us once. He got all his information from a guy who had a
heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a morphinan opioid substance synthesized from the Opium, dried latex of the Papaver somniferum, opium poppy; it is mainly used as a recreational drug for its eupho ...
problem who happened to be associated with us. The only thing I read was the 'After Zeppelin' part, because I was eager to get on with the music and stop living in a dream state." "It's a very sad little book," said bassist
John Paul Jones John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 – July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-born naval officer who served in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. Often referred to as the "Father of the American Navy", Jones is regard ...
. "It made us out to be sad little people. He ruined a lot of good, funny stories." One of the author's primary sources of information was Richard Cole, the band's tour manager. As Plant explained: Former manager Peter Grant told ''Proximity'' magazine that the book was "completely unreliable" and that Davis had asked for money from him over the manuscript, before publication. Grant refused. "There are some very funny stories in that book," Jones conceded, "but oh-so inaccurate. There were other bands that were far worse than us.
The Who The Who are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup (1964–1978) consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. Considered one of th ...
used to blow things up! Most of the towns we played in America in those days, everybody went to bed at 10.30. Everywhere closed around the time we played '
Whole Lotta Love "Whole Lotta Love" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. It is the opening track on the band's second album, '' Led Zeppelin II'', and was released as a single in 1969 in several countries; as with other Led Zeppelin songs, no singl ...
'." The negativity of the book, along with other controversial music biographies by Davis, earned him the industry nickname "Stephen Salacious".Simon Sweetman,
Rock Stars in need of money/therapy
, ''Stuff.co.nz'', January 20, 2011.
Cole subsequently published his own autobiography that included his tenure as tour manager with Led Zeppelin, entitled '' Stairway to Heaven: Led Zeppelin Uncensored'' (1992), which was also criticized by members of the band.


References


External links


WorldCat entry
{{Authority control 1985 non-fiction books Biographies about musicians Led Zeppelin Unauthorized biographies