Stephen Davis (1985) โ Book Review
Author: Stephen Davis
Published: 1985
Genre: Rock Biography / Music History / Led Zeppelin
Riff Report Rating: ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ โ 4/5
There are rock biographies.
There are books about excess.
And then thereโs Hammer of the Gods โ a book that takes the legend of Led Zeppelin, straps it to a Marshall stack, throws it into a hotel corridor and turns the volume up until the wallpaper starts peeling off.
If youโve ever heard one of those Led Zeppelin stories โ the private jets, demolished hotel rooms, drugs, groupies, televisions, motorcycles in corridors and one particularly infamous tale involving a fish โ thereโs a decent chance Stephen Davisโs 1985 book helped cement it into rock mythology.
But hereโs the thing, Riffers.
Hammer of the Gods is a cracking read.
Itโs also a book you shouldnโt necessarily treat as gospel.
And that tension is exactly what makes revisiting it four decades later so fascinating.
Stick on โImmigrant Songโ, prepare the air guitar and keep one eyebrow permanently raised.
Weโre going Zeppelin. ๐คโก
๐ธ BEFORE THE GODS CAME THE YARDBIRDS
To understand Led Zeppelin, youโve got to start before Led Zeppelin.
By the late 1960s, Jimmy Page had already built a formidable reputation.
Heโd been a highly sought-after session guitarist and later joined The Yardbirds, following a lineage that had also included Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck.
Not exactly a bad little guitar club, that.
When The Yardbirds collapsed, Page began assembling something new.
Initially connected to the contractual remnants of The Yardbirds, the new group would eventually become something considerably more powerful.
Page recruited singer Robert Plant.
Plant brought drummer John Bonham.
And bassist/keyboard player John Paul Jones, another hugely experienced session musician, completed the line-up.
Four musicians.
One ridiculous amount of talent.
And absolutely no idea how much havoc they were about to unleash.
๐ฅ LED ZEPPELIN ARRIVES
The bandโs debut album, Led Zeppelin, arrived in 1969.
And bloody hell.
Imagine hearing that record when it was new.
The blues was there.
But everything had become heavier.
Bigger.
Darker.
Sexier.
More dangerous.
Jimmy Pageโs guitar sounded enormous.
John Paul Jones gave the music depth and sophistication.
John Bonham hit the drums like theyโd insulted his family.
And Robert Plant sounded like heโd been summoned from the top of a Welsh mountain during a thunderstorm.
Very Welsh. Very loud. We approve. ๐๐ค
Songs including โGood Times Bad Times,โ โDazed and Confusedโ and โCommunication Breakdownโ announced that something had changed.
Rock music suddenly had a new monster roaming around.
And the monster wasnโt interested in behaving itself.
๐ฅ JOHN BONHAM: THUNDER IN HUMAN FORM
Any book about Led Zeppelin inevitably spends considerable time talking about John Bonham.
And rightly so.
Bonzo wasnโt merely a drummer.
He was weather.
Listen to โWhen the Levee Breaks.โ
That drum sound doesnโt politely enter the room.
It kicks the bloody building over.
Bonhamโs power became fundamental to Zeppelinโs identity, but Davis also explores the darker aspects surrounding life on the road.
The drinking.
The volatility.
The pressure.
The endless touring.
And eventually, tragically, the consequences.
Knowing where the story ends gives many of the earlier tales a darkness they perhaps didnโt possess when they originally happened.
๐ค ROBERT PLANT: THE GOLDEN GOD
Then thereโs our fellow Welshman.
Robert Plant.
Long hair.
Open shirt.
Impossible voice.
Maximum swagger.
If somebody asked an artificial intelligence in 1973 to generate โROCK FRONTMANโ, it probably wouldโve produced Robert Plant.
He possessed the bluesy howl Zeppelin needed but also brought folk influences, mythology and an unmistakable charisma.
And Plantโs Welsh background became part of the bandโs broader fascination with landscape, folklore and mysticism.
For us here at The Riff Report?
Thatโs extra points immediately.
Cymru representing on some of the biggest stages on Earth. Tidy. ๐๐ฅ
๐ธ JIMMY PAGE: THE ARCHITECT
If Plant was Zeppelinโs golden god, Jimmy Page was its architect.
Page wasnโt simply the guitarist.
He produced the bandโs albums and had an enormous influence over the sound and direction of Led Zeppelin.
His use of the studio was crucial.
Layered guitars.
Acoustic textures.
Massive riffs.
Atmosphere.
Light and shade.
Thatโs the part of Led Zeppelin occasionally lost beneath all the stories about hotel destruction.
These four musicians were astonishingly inventive.
For every โWhole Lotta Loveโ, there was a โGoing to Californiaโ.
For every โImmigrant Songโ, there was a โThe Rain Songโ.
Heavy riffs could sit alongside acoustic folk.
Blues could collide with Eastern influences.
Progressive structures could suddenly emerge from straightforward rock.
Zeppelin didnโt simply play loudly.
They understood dynamics.
๐น DONโT FORGET JOHN PAUL JONES
Poor John Paul Jones.
The bloke could be standing next to a burning hotel while Jimmy Page wrestled a dragon, Robert Plant rode past on a unicorn and Bonzo drove a tank through receptionโฆ
โฆand somehow heโd still be described as:
โThe quiet one.โ
๐
But musically?
Absolutely essential.
Jones brought bass, keyboards, arranging ability and considerable studio experience to Zeppelin.
Listen carefully to the bandโs catalogue and his contribution is everywhere.
The heaviness doesnโt work without the groove.
The experimentation doesnโt work without the musicianship.
And Zeppelin simply isnโt Zeppelin without John Paul Jones.
๐ AMERICA GOES ABSOLUTELY MENTAL
This is where Hammer of the Gods becomes the book most people remember.
Led Zeppelinโs tours of America became legendary.
The band got enormous.
And then bigger.
And then absolutely bloody ridiculous.
Stadiums.
Limousines.
Hotels.
Security.
Private aircraft.
Money.
Groupies.
Drugs.
Alcohol.
Chaos.
Zeppelin werenโt merely successful.
For a period, they operated on an almost mythical level.
The book portrays the bandโs travelling entourage as something resembling a medieval invading army equipped with amplifiers and unlimited room service.
And naturallyโฆ
this is where things get messy.
โ๏ธ THE STARSHIP
Few things scream 1970s ROCK EXCESS quite like Led Zeppelinโs private jet.
The Starship became part of the bandโs mythology.
Rather than travelling commercially between shows, Zeppelin could effectively take the party into the sky.
And Hammer of the Gods revels in these stories.
For readers fascinated by the golden age of ridiculous rock-star excess, itโs catnip.
But it also feeds into one of the bookโs biggest problems.
Sometimes the mythology becomes so enormous that separating documented history from legendary storytelling becomes difficult.
๐ YESโฆ THAT STORY
Right.
You knew weโd get here.
The fish story.
One of the most notorious tales in rock history became heavily associated with Led Zeppelin and their entourage.
Weโre not going into graphic detail because, frankly, this is a respectable Welsh establishment.
Wellโฆ
semi-respectable.
๐
The important point is that stories like this became central to Zeppelin mythology partly through books such as Hammer of the Gods.
And over decades, anecdotes get repeated.
Then repeated again.
Then embellished.
Then treated as established fact.
Thatโs why modern readers need to approach the book carefully.
Itโs a biography.
But itโs also part of the machinery that created the Led Zeppelin legend.
๐งโโ๏ธ MYSTICISM, MAGICK & ALEISTER CROWLEY
Another irresistible part of the Zeppelin mythology surrounds Jimmy Pageโs fascination with occultist Aleister Crowley.
Page collected Crowley material and purchased Boleskine House, the Scottish property once associated with him.
Naturally, this sent rock mythology into overdrive.
Suddenly every tragedy surrounding Zeppelin could be connected by someone somewhere to:
THE OCCULT!
Cue dramatic thunder.
โก๐โก
Hammer of the Gods leans enthusiastically into the darker atmosphere surrounding Page and the band.
Itโs fascinating stuff.
But again, readers should distinguish Pageโs genuine interest in Crowley and esoteric subjects from the more sensational idea that Led Zeppelin were wandering around conducting supernatural ceremonies between soundchecks.
Sometimes a strange bloke with an interest in occult history is simplyโฆ
a strange bloke with an interest in occult history.
๐ช STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN
Then thereโs โStairway to Heaven.โ
What can you even say at this point?
Released on the bandโs untitled fourth album in 1971, the track became one of the defining songs of classic rock.
Quiet acoustic beginning.
Gradual build.
Bonham enters.
Everything expands.
Page delivers that solo.
Plant unleashes the final vocal.
And somewhere, decades later, a guitar-shop employee hears the opening notes and quietly loses the will to live.
๐๐ธ
But the song represents something important about Zeppelin.
They werenโt successful simply because they were outrageous.
They were successful because they made extraordinary music.
Thatโs the bit the sensational stories can sometimes obscure.
๐ฟ THE ALBUMS KEEP COMING
Zeppelinโs run through the early and mid-โ70s remains staggering.
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin II
Led Zeppelin III
Led Zeppelin IV
Houses of the Holy
Physical Graffiti
Thatโs not a bad run, is it?
Good grief.
The band could deliver monumental riffs like โBlack Dogโ and โWhole Lotta Loveโ, then turn around and create something as delicate as โThatโs the Way.โ
Then theyโd unleash โKashmirโ and make it sound like an entire civilisation was marching through your speakers.
This is why Led Zeppelinโs reputation survived long after the circus disappeared.
The songs were bloody brilliant.
๐ WHEN EVERYTHING STARTED GOING WRONG
Eventually, though, the Zeppelin story becomes increasingly tragic.
Robert Plant suffered serious injuries in a car accident in 1975.
Then came an unimaginable personal tragedy when his young son Karac died in 1977.
Suddenly all the stories about money, private jets and rock-star invincibility seemed meaningless.
Real life had smashed through the fantasy.
And Zeppelin increasingly began to feel like a band surrounded by darkness.
Whether you interpret that through simple human tragedy or the more mystical lens encouraged by some Zeppelin mythology is up to you.
But the tone of the story unquestionably changes.
The fun disappears.
The consequences become increasingly severe.
๐ฅ THE DEATH OF JOHN BONHAM
Then came 25 September 1980.
John Bonham died following heavy drinking.
He was only 32.
And Led Zeppelin made the decision that there could be no Led Zeppelin without him.
In December 1980, the surviving members announced the band was finished.
No replacement drummer.
No attempt to pretend everything could continue normally.
They were done.
Considering how frequently enormous bands continue after losing key members, Zeppelinโs decision remains remarkably powerful.
Bonham wasnโt simply the drummer.
He was one quarter of the chemistry.
Remove him and you had something else.
Not Led Zeppelin.
๐ฐ SOโฆ HOW RELIABLE IS HAMMER OF THE GODS?
Hereโs the big question.
Because this matters.
Hammer of the Gods has become one of the most famous rock biographies ever written.
But its accuracy has been challenged over the years, and members of Led Zeppelin have criticised aspects of the book.
Stephen Davis drew on interviews and existing material, including recollections connected to the bandโs touring world.
But the book was not an authorised Led Zeppelin biography.
And some stories should absolutely be treated cautiously.
Thatโs why weโre knocking a guitar off the rating.
As entertainment?
Five guitars easily.
As an unquestionable historical source?
Not so fast, butt.
๐ค DOES THAT MAKE IT A BAD BOOK?
Absolutely not.
In some ways, it makes the book even more fascinating.
Because Hammer of the Gods isnโt merely documenting Led Zeppelin mythology.
It became part of that mythology.
Thatโs enormously important.
Millions of fans learned about Zeppelinโs supposed backstage insanity through books and articles repeating stories popularised here.
The image of the untouchable, decadent 1970s rock gods became almost inseparable from the music.
So even where the book becomes sensational, it tells us something important about how rock legends are manufactured.
A band does something ridiculous.
Someone tells the story.
Someone else exaggerates it.
A journalist writes it down.
Fans repeat it.
Thirty years later itโs accepted as fact.
Welcome to rock history. ๐
โ ๏ธ READING IT IN 2026
There is another unavoidable issue.
Some behaviour described in Hammer of the Gods lands very differently today.
Stories once presented as examples of outrageous rock-star behaviour can now appear disturbing, exploitative or downright grim.
And thatโs worth acknowledging.
You donโt need to sanitise history.
But you donโt need to celebrate every part of it either.
Thereโs a huge difference between:
โThis happened.โ
and
โWasnโt this brilliant?โ
Some of it wasnโt.
Rock history is messy.
Pretending otherwise doesnโt make us better fans.
It just makes us worse historians.
๐ THE WRITING
Stephen Davis knows how to tell a story.
That is undeniable.
Hammer of the Gods moves.
Thereโs momentum.
Drama.
Characters.
Excess.
Tragedy.
Mystery.
Itโs written with the energy of someone who understands exactly why readers are fascinated by Led Zeppelin.
The problem is that sometimes the desire for a cracking story appears stronger than the desire for cautious historical qualification.
But bloody hellโฆ
itโs difficult to put down.
And thatโs why weโre still discussing it more than 40 years after publication.
๐ค WHO SHOULD READ IT?
If youโre fascinated by:
Led Zeppelin
1970s rock culture
Classic rock mythology
Touring excess
The development of hard rock
or simply wondering why every rock band after 1975 apparently thought destroying a hotel room was part of the job descriptionโฆ
Youโll find loads to enjoy.
But weโd recommend reading it alongside more recent and carefully sourced Zeppelin material.
Treat Hammer of the Gods as one perspective.
Not the final word.
๐ธ THE RIFF REPORT VERDICT
Hammer of the Gods remains one of the most entertaining books ever written about rock โnโ roll.
But itโs also a perfect example of why rock biographies need to be read critically.
The Led Zeppelin within these pages are almost supernatural.
Four musicians become conquering gods.
America falls at their feet.
Hotels tremble.
Private jets become flying parties.
Darkness gathers.
Tragedy strikes.
The band disappears.
Itโs an irresistible narrative.
Perhaps too irresistible.
Because the actual story of Led Zeppelin doesnโt need embellishment.
Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham created one of the greatest catalogues in rock history.
They changed how heavy music sounded.
They transformed touring.
They influenced generations.
And they produced riffs powerful enough to keep guitar shops busy forever.
Thatโs already legendary.
No fish required.
โญ RIFF REPORT RATING: ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ โ 4/5
Wildly entertaining, historically significant and absolutely essential for Zeppelin obsessives โ but keep that sceptical eyebrow raised.
Read it for the atmosphere.
Read it for the madness.
Read it because it helped create the modern mythology of Led Zeppelin.
Just donโt automatically assume every outrageous story happened exactly as described.
Because when the legend becomes bigger than the bandโฆ
sometimes somebody needs to turn the amp down and check the facts.
Only slightly, mind.
Itโs still Zeppelin. ๐คโก๐
๐ฌ OVER TO YOU, RIFFERS!
Have you read Hammer of the Gods?
Do you consider it an essential Led Zeppelin book, an entertaining collection of rock mythology โ or a bit of both?
And because weโre Welsh and therefore legally required to askโฆ
Whatโs your favourite Robert Plant vocal performance? ๐๐ค
Get stuck into the comments, mun.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. ๐๐ค
The Riff Report Blog
Louder. Weirder. Always backstage.
Michael is the founder, editor, and chief riff wrangler behind The Riff Report, an independent Welsh rock and metal publication built by fans, for fans. With a lifelong passion for loud guitars, unforgettable live shows, and the incredible community that surrounds rock and metal, he created The Riff Report to celebrate everything that makes the scene specialโfrom legendary headline acts and grassroots venues to rising bands that deserve to be heard.
A familiar face at festivals across the UK, Michael spends much of the year covering events including Download Festival, Bloodstock Open Air, Steelhouse Festival, Firevolt, Plumpton Revival, and many more. Whether heโs battling the Welsh weather on a mountainside, surviving a weekend in a muddy campsite, or squeezed against the front barrier with thousands of fellow fans, heโs always searching for the next great story to share.
As editor of The Riff Report, Michael writes festival guides, breaking news, album reviews, gig reviews, interviews, opinion pieces, nostalgia features, and behind-the-scenes stories from across the rock and metal world. His writing combines honest opinions, humour, and a genuine love for live music, bringing readers closer to the bands, festivals, venues, and people that keep the scene alive.
Michael is particularly passionate about supporting independent artists, local venues, charities, and the wider UK rock and metal community. He believes every band deserves a chance to be discovered and every festival has a story worth telling. Through The Riff Report, he aims to shine a spotlight on both the biggest names in rock and the future stars waiting to break through.
When heโs not writing or interviewing artists, youโll probably find him exploring festival campsites, photographing live shows, chatting with fellow fans over a pint, or planning the next road trip in search of more riffs, bigger crowds, and unforgettable moments.
Above all, Michael believes rock and metal are about more than musicโtheyโre about community, friendship, and creating memories that last a lifetime. Thatโs exactly what The Riff Report exists to celebrate.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Always chasing the next great riff. ๐ค