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Jimmy Page: The Definitive Biography

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Jimmy Page: The Definitive Biography

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Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780306845383
Publisher:	Hachette Books
Publication date:	04/02/2019
Pages:	536
Sales rank:	434,862
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 6.10(h) x 1.90(d)

About the Author

Chris Salewicz'swriting on popular music culture has appeared in publications around the globe. He is the author of more than a dozen books, including Bob Marley: The Untold Story and Redemption Song: The Ballad of Joe Strummer. He lives in London.

Preface 1

Introduction 3

1 Spanish Guitar in Surrey 19

2 From Nelson Storm to Session Player 34

3 She Just Satisfies 66

4 Beck's Bolero 79

5 Blow-Ups 98

6 'You're Going to Kill Me for a Thousand Dollars?' 113

7 'Like a Lead Zeppelin' 130

8 American Advances 148

9 'Whole Lotta Love' 167

10 Led Zeppelin II 181

11 'Do What Thou Wilt' 203

12 The Beast 666 217

13 All That Glitters 226

14 The Legend of Zoso 237

15 City of Angels 260

16 The King and Jimmy Page 291

17 Cocaine Nights and Haunted Houses 306

18 An Accident in Exile 324

19 The Kenneth Anger Curse 341

20 Face to Face 354

21 The Rules of Engagement 376

22 Bonzo's Last Stand 398

23 The Hermit 431

24 Middle-Aged Guitar God 442

25 The Sorcerer's Apprentice 464

20 Phoenix Rising 487

Sources 501

Acknowledgements 505

Index 507

From the B&N Reads Blog

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Editorial Reviews

01/31/2019
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. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

"[An] ever-readable tome... Anyone intrigued by how a soft-spoken boy from the west London suburbs became one of the world's most famous musicians won't be disappointed."—The Times (London)

"A hard-riffing new book that reveals how Jimmy Page became the dark heart of Led Zeppelin"—The Mail on Sunday (London)

"[Salewicz] lovingly records all the highs and bathetic lows of the rock-star afterlife."—The Sunday Times (London)

"A must-read for die-hard Zeppelin fans."—Kirkus Reviews

"[An] engrossing read."—Vintage Guitar

"[A] must-have for fans of Led Zeppelin."—The Houston Press

"[A] perceptive look back at a great musician, a troubled man and a checkered era."—Shepherd Express

From the Publisher

2019-01-06
A full-length biography of Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page (b. 1944), whose reclusive habits have only added to his mythic status.
London-based music journalist Salewicz (Dead Gods: The 27 Club, 2015, etc.), who has interviewed his subject many times over the decades, chronicles Page's rise from working-class London roots. Like many of his generation, Page went to art school on the way to finding a musical career. Inspired by American rockabilly records, Page became proficient enough at a young age to find work as a studio guitarist, making good money backing up popular acts. As the British blues revival flowered, he became the lead guitar player for the Yardbirds, following Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck. When that group broke up, Page formed Zeppelin, mapping out the band's path with iron control. Salewicz follows the group through recording sessions and world tours—Zeppelin was especially popular in the United States—with attention to the band's excesses, which included destruction of hotels along with other violent outbursts, heavy use of drugs and alcohol, and sexual encounters of all sorts. The author also devotes considerable attention to Page's mystical side, especially his fascination with Aleister Crowley, perhaps giving it more credence than it deserves. Salewicz delves into Page's battle with drugs, especially heroin and cocaine, and includes copious reminiscences from groupies who linked up with Page over the years, along with plenty of quotes from interviews with the famously reticent musician and with others who were part of the scene. With the band's dissolution, Page's hermetic tendencies became more pronounced. Salewicz chronicles the solo projects, the reunions with singer Robert Plant, and the painstaking project of reissuing Zeppelin's recorded legacy. Dedicated listeners may want more analytical explorations of the music, and, like many rock journalists, the author tosses around superlatives with a free hand. Still, the book is a must-read for die-hard Zeppelin fans.
This close look at one of the ultimate guitar gods should find plenty of readers interested in 1960s and '70s rock.

Kirkus Reviews

Jimmy Page: The Definitive Biography

Jimmy Page: The Definitive Biography

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