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Jimmy Page: The Definitive Biography

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Founder of one of the most influential and successful rock bands of all time, legendary Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page has nevertheless remained an enigma. In this definitive and comprehensive biography of his life so far, Chris Salewicz draws on his own interviews with Page and those closest around him to unravel the man behind the mystery.

Having sold over 300 million copies worldwide, Led Zeppelin was the biggest band of the ’70s and has been loved by the legions ever since. From his own conversations with Jimmy, the rest of Led Zeppelin, old girlfriends, tour managers and session musicians to name but a few, Salewicz reveals the many trials and tribulations which transformed the middle class boy from the Surrey suburbs into one of rock’s most enigmatic frontmen.

Detailed, thrilling and expertly researched, Salewicz discovers a man who was prepared to die for his art; who justified heroin use so he could harness its narcotic focus whilst making albums, and who overcame numerous death threats during this time. A warrior magician, Salewicz delves into the many skeletons and eccentricities in Page’s closet, contextualising him against a background of London gangsters, deaths, and power struggles which Page has continued to rail against to this day, even within his own band.

As entertaining as it is insightful, and from a writer who experienced first-hand the Led Zeppelin furore, this promises to be as close to a Jimmy Page autobiography as fans can get.

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Critic reviews

‘[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

‘A hard-riffing new book that reveals how Jimmy Page became the dark heart of Led Zeppelin’
The Mail on Sunday

‘[Salewicz] lovingly records all the highs and bathetic lows of the rock-star afterlife’
The Sunday Times

All stars
Most relevant
The author is too kind to JP by half here. What’s worse is the poor reading of the story, with weird intonations and words ‘carried over pages’ to the point where it sometimes feels it’s being read by a speech synthesis program.

A hagiography, badly told.

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the book is GREAT but the person reading is awful. No flow at all. hard to listen to. the guy seems to miss the punctuation.

the reader is terrible

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Lacks inside access, otherwise great insights. Also lacked something about the movie Page did with the Edge and Jack White.

Nice

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A great biography let down by poor natration. Quite off putting at times. A real shame.

Dreadful Narration.

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A fine biography of the king of the riffs - Jimmy Page. Entertaining all the way through. Jimmy Page has lived the archetypal rock star life - music, women, drugs, alcohol and scandal. Full coverage is given to his guitar playing starting as a young teenager playing skiffle; becoming the best session guitarist in the business and then onto the Yardbirds and of course, one, if not the greatest rock and Heavy Metal band - Led Zeppelin. Page was famous for combining the blues with innovative riffs (especially on Physical Graffiti) and also playing folk songs on the acoustic guitar, notably on Led Zeppelin 3 and No Quarter. Without doubt, the legendary guitarist is a strong contender for the No 1 spot - only Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton can make a similar claim. It is clear that Jimmy Page is proud of his Led Zeppelin legacy and so he should be but perhaps he has spent too much time on that golden period, sacrificing time that could have been used coming up with something fresh that could have competed with the standards he set with Led Zeppelin. It is clear how important Robert Plant has been to him and not being able to find a suitable replacement has been the biggest problem he has faced post-Led Zeppelin days. Out of respect for the great man, I will skate over the scandalous and dark side of his character, which is explored in the book. Whatever his demons, it appears that Jimmy Page has come out through the other end and is one of rock’s great survivors - which is great for his fans. I had the pleasure of seeing Page & Plant at Glastonbury in 1995 - a brilliant performance. I still believe he has more to give and a solo tour would be welcome. I for one will be there subject to ticket availability. This biography is recommended. Nevertheless, an autobiography from Jimmy Page himself would also be appreciated.

King of the Riffs

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