When the Levee Breaks: The Making of Led Zeppelin IV (The Vinyl Frontier series)

"This compelling story of the writing and recording of Led Zeppelin IV is full of passionate insights into the mayhem, madness, and creative processes behind one of the most influential albums of all time. This book explains how Led Zeppelin, recognized as the first true rock gods with three platinum albums in quick succession, had been shrouded in intrigue, with legendary tales of debauched excesses, orgies, black magic, and satanic pacts. Included are details on how a clever studio deal afforded the band total artistic freedom to create an explosive and massive new sound with a heavy sex groove that would redefine rock music and create an entirely new genre: heavy metal. The exhaustive track-by-track analysis includes commentary on “Stairway to Heaven,” “Black Dog,” and “Rock and Roll.”"

Andy Fyfe is a music journalist who has written for Smash Hits, Total Sport, Select, and Q.