ABSTRACT
Few bands can claim to have influenced the course of rock music as much as Led Zeppelin, and lead singer Robert Plant’s voice is typically cited as a primary driving force in the band’s music. While often sexualised, the way he used his voice was actually far more nuanced and expressive than any single descriptor can convey. In addition, the well-noted diversity of the band’s repertoire created opportunities for Plant to develop a wide range of vocal techniques to suit the particular style of each song. Combining musical, textual, spectral and vocal analyses, this chapter will take an interdisciplinary approach in exploring the various ways in which Plant’s vocal part contributes to climactic moments in a few of the band’s iconic songs. The aim is to provide some systematic methods for both identifying and appreciating the complexity and expressiveness of vocal distortion in general as well as understanding the many important roles the voice plays in defining climactic moments of Led Zeppelin’s music.
