Jimmy Page
The Definitive Biography
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4.2 • 19 Ratings
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
An in-depth biography of Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page by the acclaimed biographer of Bob Marley and Joe Strummer, based upon the author's extensive research and interviews
The original enigmatic rock star, Jimmy Page is a mass of contradictions. A towering presence in the guitar world and one of the most revered rock guitarists of all time, in private he is reclusive and mysterious, retiring and given to esoteric interests. Over the decades he has exchanged few words to the press given the level of his fame, and an abiding interest in the demonic and supernatural has only made the myth more potent.
But in the midst of this maelstrom, who was Jimmy Page? Rock journalist Chris Salewicz has conducted numerous interviews with Page over the years and has created the first portrait of the guitarist that can be called definitive, penetrating the shadows that surround him to reveal the fascinating man who dwells within the rock legend.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Salewicz (Bob Marley) sketches an exciting portrait of the rise to fame of Led Zeppelin guitarist and songwriter Jimmy Page. Salewicz takes readers through Page's childhood in 1950s Feltham, England, where he picked up a Spanish guitar when he was eight; by age 15, Page formed a rock group called Jimmy Page and the Paramounts. In the mid-'60s, Page played with guitarist Jeff Beck, pianist Nicky Hopkins, and drummer Keith Moon on Beck's album Bolero. Soon after, Page, looking for a lead singer, met Robert Plant, who introduced him to drummer John Bonham and bassist John Paul Jones, which led to the formation of Led Zeppelin in 1968. Salewicz takes readers through to the early 1980s and explores the significance of the band's music (he describes "Stairway to Heaven," for example, as a "kind of blues lament against selfish gold-digger females"). Salewicz also chronicles Page's drug use, his attraction to the occult and the writings of Aleister Crowley, as well as the band's infamous infighting and aggressive behavior, especially toward women and journalists ("Do not make any eye contact with John Bonham," stipulated written rules for interviewers). This is an excellent biography of Page, evenhanded and exhaustive.
Customer Reviews
Tangents
For some reason, maybe to pad the book with more pages, the author goes off on tangents that are really annoying. When you read a biography, it should be about the person. I thought that was self-evident.