Peter Grant
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'Provides an illuminating read for anyone wondering about the ravages of rock supremacy. It's particularly good on the subject of Zep's peculiar movie, The Song Remains the Same. With the details of Zep's rise and fall receding into history, their legend and influence secure. this story's medley of tragic endings reminds us that no one is so powerful as to be immune to power's consequences.' MOJO
Product Description
Wrestler turned rock manager, the late Peter Grant made his name as the manager of Led Zeppelin, helping to turn them into rock's biggest attraction by the mid Seventies. The book reveals the facts about his suspended prison sentence, his dispute with the group over unpaid royalties and his retiring from the music industry , and his rumoured heroin addiction.Written with the full co-operation of Grant's family and friends to give a unique access into the most fabled and feared man in the music business.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Three stars may seem a bit harsh, as the book itself, is well written , and obviously Chris Welch has a love for Grant, and Zeppelin. He had quite a bit of access to the band, relatively compared to other journalists, from early on, even accompannying the band on tour.
The facts early on in the book are fascinating and contributions from Micky Most in particular, shed a great light on early rock and roll tours, which Grant, drove for, and became tour manager to a number of legendary performers of questionable mental stability.
The fact that Mickie and Peter shared an office, but different clients, reveals many a comic moment, and obviously fueled Peter's knowledge for the job of handling Led Zeppelin.
From here on in, more than half the book really just covers familiar ground for Zep fans with an already bulging bookshelf of Zep titles, including Chris' own Zep biography, save for a more detailed account of the infamous Bill Graham incident, revolving around Grant's son.
My main disappointment, arises with the post Zep years, barely given any space, briefly mentioning his activities in and around his home town, baring in mind that this covers more years than his piloting of the Zeppelin ascent. Surely this was a real opportunity to read more of the man and not necessarily the beast of legend, stories of this time, from only colleages such as fellow managers who only touch on superficial matters.
It would have been so much better, if Welch could have got more contributions, from his family for a more balanced account of the man away from the industry, and most noticably Page and Plant who could have really illuminated the personality of the man, and contradicted the more gratuitous stories that have surrounded the myth of the band thus far.
For the people new to Zeppelin story though, this is as good a place to start as any, with some wonderful anacdotes, especially the one about John Bonham and the midnight sandwich!
I suppose we must wait for Robert's and Jimmy's own revelations to appear, I for one though, am not holding my breath, a sadly missed opportunity this time out!
The facts early on in the book are fascinating and contributions from Micky Most in particular, shed a great light on early rock and roll tours, which Grant, drove for, and became tour manager to a number of legendary performers of questionable mental stability.
The fact that Mickie and Peter shared an office, but different clients, reveals many a comic moment, and obviously fueled Peter's knowledge for the job of handling Led Zeppelin.
From here on in, more than half the book really just covers familiar ground for Zep fans with an already bulging bookshelf of Zep titles, including Chris' own Zep biography, save for a more detailed account of the infamous Bill Graham incident, revolving around Grant's son.
My main disappointment, arises with the post Zep years, barely given any space, briefly mentioning his activities in and around his home town, baring in mind that this covers more years than his piloting of the Zeppelin ascent. Surely this was a real opportunity to read more of the man and not necessarily the beast of legend, stories of this time, from only colleages such as fellow managers who only touch on superficial matters.
It would have been so much better, if Welch could have got more contributions, from his family for a more balanced account of the man away from the industry, and most noticably Page and Plant who could have really illuminated the personality of the man, and contradicted the more gratuitous stories that have surrounded the myth of the band thus far.
For the people new to Zeppelin story though, this is as good a place to start as any, with some wonderful anacdotes, especially the one about John Bonham and the midnight sandwich!
I suppose we must wait for Robert's and Jimmy's own revelations to appear, I for one though, am not holding my breath, a sadly missed opportunity this time out!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a straight-down-the-line account of Peter Grant, excusing nothing, presenting the man for who he was -- fiercely loyal to his bands, a bully to everyone who got in their way. It's impossible to read without recognising that today's world would have no place for Peter Grant. He broke a fair few laws in a fair few countries, and by and large got away with it. But he also stood up to the recording and promoting dinosaurs which were simply not ready for the changes in popular music that took place at the end of the sixties and into the seventies.
The writing is refreshingly iconoclastic. This is not a reverent account for devoted fans. In telling the story of Grant, the author gives us the story of the band, but from a purely non-musical point of view. It's a story of law-suits, dodgy deals, punch-ups, sharp negotiation, and incredibly astute marketing. It's also the story of people who did successfully take Grant and Zeppelin for a ride, including the people who persuaded them they could make a film of the band without any relevant experience. If you've ever wondered why the 'Song Remains the Same' is so - well - bitty, this book will tell you why.
If you are a compulsive collector of Zeppelin ephemera, this book will probably give you little in the way of extra facts and anecdotes. But if you want to understand Peter Grant the human being, or if you want to take a ride through a unique and unrepeatable piece of rock history, I believe you will find it a compelling read.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I was very impressed with this book. Usually books on Zep and their entourage (though it is probably the same for any band!) fall into two categories - the overly sychophantic or the scurrilous. Welch's book on Grant avoids both. While he is obviously a huge fan of the band, he judiciciously quotes some less than complementary observations about the band made at the time by those who got to know them 'up close' and just lets the reader make up his or her own mind.
But, of course, the main focus of the book is Grant himself, a physically huge, hard-headed bully in a number of respects but a manager who did geneuinely care for his artists. The material on Grant's post Zeppelin period - his long depression and reclusiveness followed by the healing relationship he developed with the former manager of Dire Straits in the years just before his death, is quite moving and provides some genuine insight into a complex character. If you are a Zep fan, you should not be without this biography of the man who clearly made them what they were (for better or worse).
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
great book
I love chris welchs books gives you a great image of the real person. Peter grant was a larger than life bloke and this book goes into great detail of this man from his wrestling... Read more
Published 18 months ago by lee moran
Great
I loved this book. Being brought up as a big Zeppelin fan, this books summed it up. I loved the atmosphere created, very funny parts, very shocking parts, very interesting. Read more
Published on 29 May 2004 by "drummermcd"
Superficial!
What do you learn on reading this? If you are a Led Zeppelin fan, as I am, I suspect nothing, if you are new to the group you will get to know the basics of the Peter Grant legend... Read more
Published on 10 Sep 2003 by Mr. Neil R. J. Saint
Grant deserves much better
Peter Grant was a genius, a sweeping comment admittedly, but true in my opinion. He was the first manager who both understood the changing dynamics of popular music culture and... Read more
Published on 10 April 2002
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