George Case (1)

In this book, author George Case proclaims that in the 1970s stories about Led Zeppelin were passed “through word of mouth…Repeated and exaggerated, the stories grew into scary tales.” What an ironic statement, considering that Case’s book relies heavily on oft-repeated and exaggerated tales from dubious third-parties. Newsflash: just because something got published in a memoir does not make it true or accurate. Relying on Richard Cole, self-aggrandizing groupie memoirs, and the vile show more “Hammer of the Gods” to flesh out a manuscript is a trend seen over and over in recent Zeppelin books like it is here. Repeated and exaggerated, the same content is recycled over and over like a game of telephone.

In addition, the oft-used quotes that recent authors pull from Brad Tolinski’s book on Page appear in Case’s book as well. Most readers can probably recite these overused quotes by heart at this point. At least those snippets come from direct interviews with Page himself.

Readers will be better served by seeking out some of the books in the author’s bibliography from Chris Welch, Dave Lewis, Ritchie York, or Howard Mylett. Written in the 1970s and 1980s with direct interviews with the group members, they are original works that many subsequent books are based off show less

I don't usually read biographies, but when I saw this one on the shelf at the library, I grabbed it. Jimmy Page is my all-time-favorite guitarist, and was part of my all-time favorite band, Led Zeppelin. (Plus, I had a mega-crush on him when I was in high school). :D I really enjoyed this book. Back in the day, I read a lot of books about Led Zeppelin, but this one covered a lot of things I hadn't read before. (Plus, it covers Page's life after Led Zeppelin, most of which happened after the show more reading I did in the 80s).

One of the unique things about this book, compared to others I read, is that the author obviously knows the music inside and out; there were lots of interesting musical details, like how Page tuned his guitar for certain pieces, and the evolution/inspiration for certain riffs. Really interesting. I thought the book was well-written and respectful, obviously written by someone who appreciates both the music and the man. It wasn't fannish or sensationalized (things I have encountered in the past). I enjoyed this book quite a bit, and would recommend it to fans of Page and his music. show less

Far too technical and not gossipy enough for the likes of me. If you understand guitar, by all means read it. If you want an understanding of what life looked like to a rock god of the 70s, you won't find it. I did find myself marveling at the intricacies of guitar stuff that I'd never even thought about. I'm a musical dunderhead and this was so far over my head that I got dizzy.

Basically a hard-bound pamphlet.