On their surface, Led Zeppelin are as far from nerdy as you can get. They have the most respectable mainstream pedigree of any classic rock band, partially by turning a good-time genre into something deeper and more literate. A closer look at their lyrics, and a basic knowledge of fantasy literature, will help explain why. Led Zep is well-known for borrowing much of their sound and even lyrical content from American blues players like Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. They were also big fans of J. R. R. Tolkien. "Ramble On" is the most overtly Tolkienesque of the band's catalog, beginning with a nod to his poem "Namarie." It's also notable for its references to Lord of the Rings characters Gollum and Sauron, who apparently take off with Robert Plant's girlfriend. Plant being Plant, he vows to "keep on ramblin'." There was always the next town. Led Zeppelin borrowed liberally from Tolkien. Songs like this one, "The Battle of Evermore" and "No Quarter" were among the first to inspire rock fans to seek out their literary inspiration. Sure, it led to a lot of acid-heads convinced they could visit Mordor in their sleep, but it also widened the fan base for high fantasy.
Check out "The Champ" by my alter ego, Greg Forrest, in Heater #12, at http://fictionmagazines.com.
I used to do a mean Glenn Danzig impression. Now I just hang around and co-host The Workprint podcast at http://southboundcinema.com/.
