The Bottom Line
Author, journalist, and Led Zeppelin fan George Case has pieced together the best "unauthorized biography" of British blues-rock guitar legend Jimmy Page that you're likely to find. In this paperback edition of the best-selling hardback, Case recounts Page's life and career from his post-WWII childhood days through the 2007 Led Zeppelin reunion and his performance at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. Along with the vast quantity of information provided, Case brings no little amount of insight into the guitarist's music and contributions to rock 'n' roll.
Pros
- Well-researched biography, assembled from a wealth of previously published material.
- Great selection of B&W and color photos document Page's life.
- A "select discography" covers Page's non-Zeppelin session work and recordings in exhaustive detail.
Cons
- Author's lack of access to his subject unfortunately limits the scope of book.
Description
- Paperback, 308 pages, Color and B&W photos
- Thirty-two rare photos feature Jimmy Page and Led Zeppelin as well as friends and family
- Author's detailed accounting of Page's life and career outlines the guitarist's importance and influence on rock music
Guide Review - George Case's Jimmy Page: Magus, Musician, Man (2009)
British blues-rock guitarist Jimmy Page - former Yardbirds member and founder of Led Zeppelin - is both one of the best-known, and yet one of the most enigmatic figures in rock music. Page rarely, if ever, gives interviews, and the many rumors that swirl around him and his bandmates are the stuff of legend.
Case opens with Page's early years, doing an admirable job of describing the guitarist's happy childhood and initial interest in playing guitar. Page's talent was apparent at an early age, and he began performing in his first bands while still a teen. He quickly jumped into session work, and earned a reputation as a consummate pro, lending his skills to recordings by a number of British pop artists.
It is Page's involvement with blues-rock band the Yardbirds where the story picks up, and Case does the dirty work of sorting through the bruised egos and internecine squabbles to provide an accurate picture of that band's last days. From there, we jump to Led Zeppelin, and Page's role in forming the band and shaping its unique sound.
Most of Page's post-Led Zeppelin accomplishments are a mere footnote in many fan's eyes, but Case doesn't skip over this sporadic, but often brilliant coda to the guitarist's career. Page's later works, and contributions to other artist's recordings, are covered in detail.
Because this is an "unauthorized biography," Case didn't have access to his subject, so he relied on published interviews and articles to piece together the story. Luckily, Led Zeppelin was, perhaps, the most-documented band in rock history. Case has assembled a compelling tale of talent, tragedy, and triumph, Jimmy Page: Magus, Musician, Man an informative, entertaining biography, and essential reading for any fan of Page, Zeppelin, or British blues-rock in general. (Backbeat Books, release April 15, 2009)
