Robert Plant: A Life

I bought this profile having been so impressed by Robert’s Digging Deep podcast (and as a 16 year old many years ago getting ready for Saturday nights out with Led Zeppelin music firing me up in the background).

Rees has done his research, read the articles and spoken to people on the periphery and, in later years professionally interviewed the man himself. But I found the first half covering the Led Zeppelin years disappointing, not getting much of a sense of Robert at all. Rees says that the end days of Zeppelin were ‘dark’ but doesn’t exactly shed much light. And of the hundreds of females Robert had sex with at the time, surely one could have been found to give her impression.

However the second half is more enlightening and show more Rees discovers a man at once proud of his past in such a juggernaut of a band whilst always feeling unwillingly chained by the ankle by his reputation and people’s expectations. Someone charismatic, controlling, sociable, weak for women, who is also constantly striving for the next thing and ruthlessly prepared to drop lovers and colleagues as the whim and inspiration takes him.

So Robert Plant remains an enigmatic figure, a man as happy to play in the local pub quiz as to play to adoring crowds, above all someone in love with music, both listening to & creating.

In a recent interview during Lockdown he confessed that not since school-days had he ever spent so much time in one place. For such an articulate, amusing, intelligent and enthusiastic guy I hope that he spent some of the time writing his autobiography and revealing exactly what it’s been like being Robert Plant, to have experienced so very much, but Robert being such a discrete man I rather doubt it. show less

An important bit of information is missing from this book's description, which is that it's an unauthorized biography. Robert Plant refused to take part in the writing of this book. Consequently, the content is absent any insight into his thoughts, emotions, and motivations in both his career and his personal life.

The first few chapters track Plant's childhood, but this is told from the perspective of outsiders and long ago school friends. While interesting, conclusions reached are strictly supposition. The rest of the book mostly tracks his recording career, his life story told in terms of his musical evolution.

For the most part, everything here is lifted from old interviews, articles, and books already published on Led Zeppelin. The show more author did not speak to anyone close to Plant for this book, including his surviving band members. If you've read a good book on the band (not Hammer of the Gods), then you probably already know most of what's written in this biography.

I didn't feel there was much effort to supply readers with depth. Early in the book, the author states that, since Plant is not a musician, he has difficulty expressing what he wants musically to the band. Later, we find him strumming the tunes on a guitar. As a fan, I know that he does now play guitar, though I don't think he did early in his career. I have no idea when he picked up the instrument. The author apparently doesn't know either, and he made no attempt to find out or clarify such a simple fact.

Another problem I have with this book is that there are at least a couple glaring factual errors. The most prominent of these is the author's claim that Plant's son Karac died at the age of seven. He was, in fact, five years old when he died. Another oddity comes with Plant's youngest son, Jesse. The author claims his birth mother is shrouded in mystery, despite most everyone knowing his mother is the sister of Plant's ex-wife.

I grew up loving Led Zeppelin, and have followed Robert Plant's career since. I was excited to see a biography had finally been written about him, and was hoping for something that would go deeper than his sexcapades and the turmoil of the Zeppelin days. In that respect, this book is a disappointment. What we have is more a chronology of events, rather than a biography. Still, Robert Plant remains a powerful figure in the musical world and I'm happy one author has finally attempted to commemorate that journey. show less

Robert Plant: A Life by Paul Rees is a Harper Collins/ IT books publication. This book was released in October 2013. I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

This is a pretty straightforward account of the life of Robert Plant, front man for Led Zeppelin and a solo artist in his own right.
The book begins with a bit of Robert's background, his parents, school, influences and his attitude during those days.
Robert's teen years, his discovery of Elvis and the blues, his first group, how he met Bonzo and the formation of Led Zeppelin.
Of course, the author takes us inside the group's rocky beginnings to the peak of their success as a band, to the incredible tragedies that struck one show more right after another.
Once the group disbanded, Plant found he had a whole second career as a solo artist. Then once more he found himself walking in the ever present shadow of Led Zeppelin. Sometimes, Robert gave in to the pressure and sometimes he ran away from many request and offers regarding a reformation of the group.
But, Robert seems capable of finding a niche for himself repeatedly. His work with Alison Kraus is especially impressive.
As for Robert's personal life, I admit I knew very little. Robert's personality, even as a boy, was filled with confidence, bordering on cocky. As he became successful in his career that part of him became even more pronounced.
Robert's love life has been a little complicated as well. Robert' escapades were typical of many rock stars, especially on tour, but when he was not touring, he seemed to have a good solid marriage. However, there were some rather strange happenings, even while he was married, that would raise eyebrows even today.
Robert still maintains a larger than life personality and may always carry with him a piece of his "Rock God" status. I think now he seems to have found some stability, both in his career and in his personal life.
This was an informative book, an entertaining walk down memory lane and an introspective look into the private life of a rock star. For me, I admire his ability to try new things and to make mistakes. His career after Led Zeppelin was up and down, but he has had much more longevity than many other musicians of that era. I think some of that success comes from a willingness to take risk, and some of it goes back to all that confidence.
Yes, this book would appeal to all Led Zeppelin fans, and there are still many, many of you out there. But, Robert's career and life was so much more than just his work with Zeppelin.
Overall this one gets an A. show less

Reasonable overview of a long and varied career. Very patchy depth of coverage and pacing. Comically irrelevant context setting and ludicrous assessment of the albums and music. Just about worth the price of admission.

A well-rounded account and, importantly, much more than the Led Zeppelin experiences.

Lots of interesting stuff about Robert Plant's life before, during, and after Led Zeppelin.