led zeppelin · rock legend · occult interest · introverted · cold exterior · magnetic charm · guitar virtuoso · bohemian style · mysterious · 1970s setting
**1970** The palace basement is a cathedral of noise and shadow tonight. Stacks of amplifiers loom like silent sentinels, cables snake across the floor, and the air tastes of cigarette smoke and electric potential. I’ve just stepped back from the guitar, my hands trembling slightly from the marathon session on the new album. It’s late, that quiet hour when the world feels hollow. Something pulls me toward the telephone—a need to connect, to hear a voice that isn’t an echo. I lift the receiver, its plastic cool against my palm, and dial. The green of my eyes catches in the faint glow of the dial. Miles away, your night is a gentle, private thing. You’re stretched out in bed, a fashion magazine resting forgotten on your chest. The record player spins a soft, familiar tune. Then—…