Re: Cole

[Weiser <weiser@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 11:11 AM 6/8/01 -0400, Pale Rider wrote:
>There is a congruence in Hammer of the Gods, Stairway to Heaven, and 
>Led
>Zeppelin The Definitive Biography where Jimmy and Crowley and the 
>occult are
>concerned.
>I have read all three. If Richard Cole was just lying about Jimmy 
>Page and
>the band, why was there no slander suit?
>
>If I was going to read about WWII, I would trust Audie Murphy over 
>someone
>who was not there.
>
>If I was to read about the Manson family, I would trust Vincent 
>Bugliosi
>over someone who was not involved in the investigation.
>
>Putting your trust in the "expertise" of people on FBO, who DID NOT 
>travel
>with Led Zeppelin for thirteen years, who don't have written 
>documentation
>to refute Richard Cole, is like putting your trust in the National 
>Enquirer.

Why you want to bother to bring up Page's interest in Crowley is 
beyond me.
It's common knowledge that Page was interested in collecting 
memorabilia from
Crowley's life. You might want to try a mailing list that deals with 
Thelema.
It might be more to your liking.
Page's interest in alternative religion is basically a private matter 
in my
opinion. What Mr. Page does to engage in "the search for the truth" is
basically his business, not ours. While we may be inspired or reviled 
by
his reputed interest in the Victorian Golden Dawn member who started 
up his
own shebang, there are many more facets to Led Zeppelin that have 
nothing
to do with the fact that Page had admitted at least once, of having an
interest in the late occultist.
There are a number of websites that are directly related to the second
edition version of the OTO, with direct links to contacts within 
those camps.
What happens within those camps is again a private matter, between 
those
who choose to travel that path and those who have attained a degreed 
status
within the camps to assist others who aspire to follow the tenets and
programs offered by the order to discover and achieve their own 
personal
religious goals.
General organizational information about this religious order is 
publicly
available through search engines on a fairly substantial number of 
web sites.

There are a number of biographical sketches and many of Crowley's 
works
have been reprinted within the last ten years. These would likely 
prove to
be more useful resources for you to obtain information about the OTO. 
This
forum is focused on Zeppelin's music more than Jimmy's past religious
interests.
I'm not a member of that organization, I find my own spiritual path 
lies
elsewhere.

In addition there's another point at issue:
 I beg to differ with you.

Richard Cole's biography of Led Zeppelin is not accurate. Actually 
being
there is no guarantee that a storyteller will accurately report the
happenings he or she is party to.
Although there are a number of instances where some of the 
information may
approximate what went on, there are many instances that are either
exagerrated or underplayed. I think the exaggerations were inserted in
order to make the book more appealing to those who thought they would 
get
the real 'lowdown' on the off-stage touring antics of Led Zeppelin. I 
think
the underplayed incidents belied the fact that Peter Grant, Cole 
himself or
Zep may have come close or crossed over taboo social boundaries or in 
some
cases possibly the occasional legal boundary that could have led them 
into
extremely difficult situations.
Many of Cole's inaccuracies are bound to be due to the fact that he 
did not
stay straight during his period of employment. He fell prey to illicit
recreational substances at a level that would have precluded his 
remaining
objective in his recollections. The fact that he highly angered Jimmy 
with
the publication of the book remains. I don't think any 
member of the band felt that the content of Richard Cole's book had 
done
them real justice.
I agree that other authors have played it safe and stuck with other 
forms
of reporting the activities of the band. As far as what's been stated 
on
this list, I wouldn't compare what most of us have written as being as
God-awful low as The National Enquirer level of fabricated 
sub-journalistic
spew you're alluding to. Lay-off and grow-up.
There's only been a couple of instances where extremely questionable
material has been published that may have been put forth with ill 
intent on
this list, and you'd have to take the time to search the archives for 
the
posts.
Other material that has appeared on the list over the years may not be
entirely accurate but when most of us have made errors we have 
retracted or
modified our statements.
Many posts are concerned with critiques, opinions and speculations 
about
Led Zeppelin, none of which require support by factual accounts.
When any of us who've given our posts any thought have had access to
published interviews we've tried to refer to those in an attempt to 
give
credence to our statements. Since this is an unmoderated forum 
instead of a
post-graduate university list that requires bibliographies and Lists 
of
Works Cited, footnotes, etc., we can expect that the level of 
participation
in the list is going to run the gamut from mundane to sublime.
If you impose an impossibly high standard of participation you'll get
really quality material, but the quantity of it might be so low as to
render the list
worthless over the long run.
I think it's fun to read lots of different kinds of commentary and 
reports
from 
all different kinds of people who are intererested in Led Zeppelin.
If you don't then perhaps you might find it more to your benefit to 
look
elsewhere for the facts. If you have something useful and pertinent 
to let
us in on, we'd all be happy to know what kind of constructive content 
you'd
grace us with, I'm sure.
For you to sanction the quality of Mr. Cole's published work does not
necessarily make him gain any esteem in my eyes.
I say Hammer of the Gods is not totally accurate and can only be 
assessed
in the light of other biographies of the group and or it's music.
I certainly would never rely on "Hammer of the Gods" as a tome, but 
instead
I treat it with a healthy amount of skepticism.

Shar


>----- Original Message -----
>From: "David and Holly Turngren" <dahtcom@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>To: <zeppelin@xxxxxxxx>
>Sent: Friday, June 08, 2001 9:19 AM
>Subject: Cole
>
>
>> "2.  What drugs was the band into and how can I find out more about
>> them?
>> Ans:  Read "Hammer of the Gods" (available in paperback, also on
>> Amazon.com
>> or ABEbooks.com websites)  It's an excellent book"
>>
>> Richard Cole was nothing more than a "bottom feeder".  His 
>> exaggerated
>> image of self importance and mythological tales are not worth 
>> lining a
>> birdcage.  If you enjoy this kind of mendacious fable and 
>> hormonally
>> unbalanced journalism you will also enjoy "Trips: Rock Life in the
>> Sixties" by Ellen Sander. This self absorbed fantasy filled 
>> depiction of
>> traveling with rock bands in the 60's is oozing with mystical 
>> tales,
>> satanic blood sucking rituals, knights in shinning spandex, and 
>> farm
>> animal filled orgies. Of course, if you enjoy crap, then the 
>> nearest
>> privy and anything involving Richard Cole should more than satisfy 
>> you.
>>
>> However, if you should find yourself suffering from the need for 
>> good
>> journalism supported by fact, and written from a genuine interest 
>> and
>> knowledge in the subject, try "The Led Zeppelin Biography" by 
>> Ritchie
>> Yorke, an Australian born journalist. There are several versions 
>> of the
>> same book available. They all have essentially the same 
>> information. All
>> versions are "out of print" but, you can find them through the 
>> usual
>> used book resources.
>>
>> I sent this once before and I don't know what happened to it, but 
>> here
>> it is again.
>>
>> The "Tribute To Sun Records" at Montreux has added Bill Wyman and 
>> his
>> Rhythm Kings along with Brain May. Should make for quite a jam 
>> with Page
>> and Plant.
>>
>> I received my confirmation in the mail the other day. I will see 
>> Page &
>> Plant on the 7th, Dylan on the 8th, and Neil Young & Crazy Horse 
>> and the
>> Black Crowes on the 11th. I don't tape, but I'll let you know how 
>> it was
>> and what they play if you can't be there.
>>
>> Regards,
>> David