GeorgeC Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 George (or anyone else)- Have you read "When Giants Walked the Earth" and if so, can you give us a similar review? I did read this just recently - got it at my local library. It's certainly a big effort, and a big book, and Mick Wall did come up with some fresh tidbits on Page's Occult interests: new quotes from fellow Crowley buffs who had met Page in the 1970s. Like others who've read it, however, I did find the italicized "first person" passages pretty affected. I was also interested to note that Magus, Musician, Man was listed in Wall's bibliography, and in fact there were a few parts where I could tell he'd pulled his info straight from my own book! (I'm thinking particularly of when Page "reminisces" about first hearing "Baby Let's Play House.") Wall's no plagiarist, but like any Zeppelin biographer he's had to go over a lot of familiar material and try to make it sound fresh - that's a challenge. It's also pretty much confined to the years 1968-1980, which leaves significant amounts of pre- and post-Zep history uncovered. Overall, though, I'd commend the author for coming up with something as substantial as WGWTE. Hardcore Zepheads won't find a lot new therein - where have I heard that before? - but casual readers should get a thorough account. If you want to shell out for the heavy hardcover, by all means pick it up - if you're down to your last $20, best put it on MMM. I can't stop talkin', I can't stop talkin', I can't stop talkin', I can't stop talkin'... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 Book Review Guitar Hero Tom Van Riper, 07.05.07, 6:00 AM ET Forbes.com Jimmy Page: Magus Musician Man By George Case $25, Hal Leonard Books, 2007 Baby boomers have their Beatles, Gen-Xers have Nirvana and Gen-Yers have their hip-hop. The way that music fans are typically divided into clunky generational groups can leave some feeling left out. Some narrow age groups tend to find themselves caught in between -- like those who were toddlers during the Beatles heyday and pushing 30 by the time Kurt Cobain had Nirvana smelling like teen spirit. Born during the early to mid-1960s, call them the last boomers or first Gen Xers. And their music was '70s album rock. The first anti-disco warriors, these folks threw high school parties that blared the vinyl recordings of Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, Emerson Lake & Palmer, and the Allman Brothers. And, of course, Led Zeppelin. The English foursome set a new course for rock music in the '70s, pumping up the volume with a blend of hard, loud energy and acoustic subtlety that was unique for its time. Zeppelin was the quintessential '70s rock group, born in 1968 and folding in 1980 upon the drug-induced death of drummer John Bonham. The band was also the first to produce a leader and main man who didn't sing, ushering in the era of guitar as star. Young boomers (or old Gen-Xers, take your pick) spent plenty of hours twiddling their fingers air-guitaring to the plucks of Jimmy Page, a rock force who, unlike Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton or Stevie Ray Vaughan, didn't need a voice or a solo act to achieve legendary status. So points out essayist and guitar enthusiast George Case in his new book Jimmy Page: Magus Musician Man ($25, Hal Leonard Books, 2007), an unauthorized biography of Page's life. A serious student of the guitar from an early age, Page jammed with fellow prodigy Jeff Beck as a teenager in Heston, a London suburb. He perfected his craft as a studio hand in and around London, his riffs heard on many hit records of the early 1960s. His first working band gig was with a short-lived quartet called Neil Christian and the Crusaders. Page caught his first break when he was recruited into the Yardbirds in 1966 (he followed Beck, who had succeeded Eric Clapton, as lead guitarist). When the end came thanks to disagreements over the band's direction, Page didn't look around for another group. With a clear idea of what he wanted to do, he formed his own. In doing so, he made history. Case recounts how Page essentially hand-picked his band mates--Bonham, singer Robert Plant and bassist John Paul Jones from the worlds of session work and small-time club gigging. All had the qualities he wanted for the group he envisioned, from Plant's unique voice to Bonham's raw drumming power to Jones' solid time keeping that had appeared on many prior hit records during his days as a studio session man. Page set the course as composer, producer, lead guitarist and all-around brains behind the group's music (though Plant contributed more and more lyrics as the band evolved while Jones' influence gained steam in its later recordings), which became the foundation of the power rock trend that permeated much of the 1970s and '80s. "I would like to be remembered as someone who was able to sustain a band of unquestionable individual talent and push it to the forefront during its working career," Page told Guitar World magazine in 1998. Case recounts an impressive list of guitar players who cited Page as among their main influences, including Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Alex Lifeson of Rush and Slash Hudson of Guns 'n Roses. For better or for worse, the biography is a work written by a hardcore guitar fan for hardcore guitar fans. The level of detail Case gives to Page's musical experiments with Les Pauls, telecasters, double necks and Stratocasters is fascinating stuff for serious musicians, though it may induce some glaze over the eyes of casual fans. There's also the predictable story arc (probably unavoidable given the topic) that reads like a VH1 Behind the Music episode--musician hones his craft, starts a band, reaches the big time, overdoes it with drugs, alcohol and women, then eventually cleans up his act. But for those who fall into the category of being familiar with Led Zeppelin but not necessarily its components, Magus Musician Man is a nice education on what went into the group's music and the influence it had on what came later. Now worth some $70 million and with homes around the world, Page is still Led Zeppelin's man in charge, these days as guardian of its legacy. He handled the re-mastering of the band's music onto CDs in the 1990s, producing a high-quality box set that set the standard for other oldies acts to follow. The group has been a hold out on the Internet, its music still unavailable for downloads. To date, a single deal with Cadillac provides the only forum to hear a Led Zeppelin studio recording without buying a CD. The young boomers don't mind spending the money. They'd rather hear their Jimmy Page guitar licks on a stereo with big speakers than on an iPod any day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evster2012 Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 The young boomers don't mind spending the money. They'd rather hear their Jimmy Page guitar licks on a stereo with big speakers than on an iPod any day. Amen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Page Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 Its a good read even though its not a true Jimmy page bio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evster2012 Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 Its a good read even though its not a true Jimmy page bio. How do you mean, if I may ask? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom kid Posted September 1, 2009 Share Posted September 1, 2009 How do you mean, if I may ask? The fact it is unauthorised maybe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Masson Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 A biography doesn't have to be authorized to be a biography, or a "true" biography. When this book came out I think I was really hoping to see a lot of new info, which really wasn't the logical thing to expect, because after all it's based on the available literature, interviews and other sources. Hence my initial reaction was partly colored by disappointment on that score. When I leafed through parts of it again a little later I saw it differently. It's a really good attempt, especially considering the many (and sometimes surprising) holes in our knowledge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted October 23, 2010 Share Posted October 23, 2010 'Jimmy Page: Magus, Musician, Man' by George Case is now available in the Japanese language. I picked up a copy in a Tokyo bookstore earlier tonight. The front cover is different. I will post a photo later. It's probably available online thru amazon.com.jp (Amazon Japan). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeC Posted October 23, 2010 Share Posted October 23, 2010 'Jimmy Page: Magus, Musician, Man' by George Case is now available in the Japanese language. I picked up a copy in a Tokyo bookstore earlier tonight. The front cover is different. I will post a photo later. It's probably available online thru amazon.com.jp (Amazon Japan). Indeed, MMM was translated into Japanese in 2008 by the publishing company Toho Shuppan Ltd. (I'm assuming it was translated; for all I know my copy may be a car manual, as I can't read Japanese.) It is available on the Japanese Amazon as well as in Japanese bookstores. Banzai, Steve, and Sayonara. Good lord, is there anything Zeppelin-related you don't collect? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Pre-Order Now / Available Next Month - In this exhaustive and insightful reference text, rock writer and cultural critic George Case details the key names, dates, figures, and features of one of the biggest and most mythologized rock-and-roll groups of all time: Led Zeppelin. Here, finally, are the answers to the puzzles that have haunted fans for over four decades - puzzles such as the meaning of Led Zep's enigmatic album covers; the truth about leader Jimmy Page's involvement with the occult; a breakdown of the sometimes murky roots of their greatest songs; firm data on their musical instruments, live performances, and studio productions; and sordid specifics of the band's infamously debauched private lives. But here, too, is a deeply reflective analysis of why Led Zeppelin's music has endured as long as it has, and of how Led Zeppelin's mystique has only grown in the years since their official disbanding. Placing the group in the context of their time and place, Case scrupulously compares and contrasts their achievements with those of their influences, rivals, and followers. Led Zeppelin FAQ is not only an indispensable listener's companion to a classic rock act, but a considered history of rock and roll as a business, an art form, and a worldwide social phenomenon. http://www.amazon.com/Led-Zeppelin-FAQ-Thats-Greatest/dp/1617130257/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_3 More about the author: http://www.facebook....9873796?sk=wall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireOpal Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Congrats to George C. on the award from the Association of Recorded Sound Collections! Incidentally, how *do* British people celebrate Halloween? Your kiddies don't go Trick-or-Treating I don't think. Do lots of people dress up in costumes, decorate their homes/offices, go to parties, watch classic Hammer films? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bong-Man Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Congrats to George C. on the award from the Association of Recorded Sound Collections! I thought he wrote a book ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireOpal Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 I thought he wrote a book ? Why, yes: the award was for Best Research in Recorded Rock Music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slave to zep Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 Why, yes: the award was for Best Research in Recorded Rock Music. hi fireopal i hadn't heard about george getting this award, go george! but why was he awarded it so long after he wrote the book? and to answer your question about halloween ( well, i'm not from the uk, but i think it's the same as here in oz ) it's getting bigger and bigger here every year. the shops are full of costumes and party stuff for halloween, even though we haven't a clue what it's all about, lol. any excuse for a party ....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom kid Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 hi fireopal i hadn't heard about george getting this award, go george! but why was he awarded it so long after he wrote the book? and to answer your question about halloween ( well, i'm not from the uk, but i think it's the same as here in oz ) it's getting bigger and bigger here every year. the shops are full of costumes and party stuff for halloween, even though we haven't a clue what it's all about, lol. any excuse for a party ....... Its origins lie with the Scottish iirc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeC Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 hi fireopal i hadn't heard about george getting this award, go george! but why was he awarded it so long after he wrote the book? Thanks for the congrats... The award was bestowed in 2008, after the hardcover edition came out. The paperback (released in 2009) mentions this on the back cover. The Association for Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC) is an American group that specializes in archiving and preserving a wide range of 78s, LPs, 45s from the Nineteenth and Twentieth centuries, but they also review books and music. I'll be posting more as Led Zeppelin FAQ is slated for official release on November 1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slave to zep Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 Thanks for the congrats... The award was bestowed in 2008, after the hardcover edition came out. The paperback (released in 2009) mentions this on the back cover. The Association for Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC) is an American group that specializes in archiving and preserving a wide range of 78s, LPs, 45s from the Nineteenth and Twentieth centuries, but they also review books and music. I'll be posting more as Led Zeppelin FAQ is slated for official release on November 1. oh ok. i thought it must have been awarded to you this week or something Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strider Posted October 14, 2011 Share Posted October 14, 2011 I received George's book as a birthday present last year...but I haven't had time to read it yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoSo1960 Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 I received George's book as a birthday present last year...but I haven't had time to read it yet. I loved this book its one of my favorites. When Giants ....- Mick Wall another fav. Keith Shadwicks book on Zeppelin for detail is also amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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