Stephen Davis's 'Hammer of the Gods' on Led Zeppelin Published in French

Christophe Kihm reviews the French edition of Stephen Davis's 'Hammer of the Gods,' a biography of Led Zeppelin originally published in 1985. The book chronicles the band from its formation in 1968 to its final years, blending biographical anecdotes, mythical episodes, comedic moments, and human tragedies. It recounts the band's conquest of America, including a California state commission investigation into alleged satanic messages in their music via backward masking. The narrative features encounters with Elvis Presley at his Bel Air home, where the King, in pajamas and slippers, engaged in a frenzied gift exchange. The review highlights themes of luxury, technical innovation, megalomania, and heroism under the sign of debauchery as a force for emancipation and self-invention. Kihm notes that these picaresque fables also serve as moral coming-of-age stories. The review was published on artpress.com on January 20, 2012.