Led Zep's entourage...

[Cactus]

Sorry to burst your bubble guys, and no offense to Steve, but it takes more than a broad and detailed knowledge of someone's life to write a good bio. I am not saying Steve wouldn't be able to do it justice, all I am saying is that just being well researched is not in itself enough.

One of the biggest difficulties facing a potential biographer is finding common ground and even establishing a friendship with the subject. If they don't like and trust you, they won't open up.

[SteveAJones]

Sorry to burst your bubble guys, and no offense to Steve, but it takes more than a broad and detailed knowledge of someone's life to write a good bio. I am not saying Steve wouldn't be able to do it justice, all I am saying is that just being well researched is not in itself enough.

One of the biggest difficulties facing a potential biographer is finding common ground and even establishing a friendship with the subject. If they don't like and trust you, they won't open up.

No offense taken. You are absolutely correct.

[Gainsbarre]

I'd love to see John Baxter write a biography on Led Zeppelin.

John usually writes film biographies of directors such as Kubrick, Woody Allen, Fellini etc, and his biographies are really absolute top-of-the-game, they're personal without being gossipy while providing a good balanced analysis of their lifee and their work. I seriously recommend any book by John Baxter.

[Cactus]

What needs to be written now is not a broad overview of Zeppelin - that book has been written by several people over the years (Yorke, for example).

What is needed is some decent and reliable personal accounts from those who were involved - Page's authorised bio pr autobiography would be the Mothership of all of them. But as I said what it would take is someone who was able to gain Page's trust and really work it all out - the man is such a mystery, and usually isn't too keen on illuminating much at all.

[StringBender]

One of the biggest difficulties facing a potential biographer is finding common ground and even establishing a friendship with the subject. If they don't like and trust you, they won't open up.

You are precisely correct.

And since Steve doesn't personally know Jimmy and certainly does not have a close relationtship with him you can very well take it to the bank, there will never be a collaboration between the two.

And Steve, once again if I am on your "ignore" list it is very odd that you post your lame IGNORED line (like a whiny little crybaby on a playground) only after posts in which I mention you - but on my other posts on the board I don't get the same stupid-lame line.

Guess I'm not being IGNORED after all.

[Stargroves Tangie]

Sorry to burst your bubble guys, and no offense to Steve, but it takes more than a broad and detailed knowledge of someone's life to write a good bio. I am not saying Steve wouldn't be able to do it justice, all I am saying is that just being well researched is not in itself enough.

One of the biggest difficulties facing a potential biographer is finding common ground and even establishing a friendship with the subject. If they don't like and trust you, they won't open up.

You're right Cactus- I didn't think of the rapport issue. I have read interviews where the subject seems to be annoyed or angry at the interviewer (for whatever reason), and the interviews usually turn out to be pretty bad.

So, I guess if Jimmy decides to have someone write his biography, it most likely would be someone from the press that he has given interviews to before, like Dave Lewis, Chris Welch, Ritche Yorke, Howard Mylett, etc. (Ross Halfin can take the cover photo!)

[SteveAJones]

'Stringbender' date='Jul 6 2008, 02:20 PM' post='213498']

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

IGNORED.

Edited July 7, 2008 by SteveAJones

[SteveAJones]

So, I guess if Jimmy decides to have someone write his biography, it most likely would be someone from the press that he has given interviews to before, like Dave Lewis, Chris Welch, Ritche Yorke, Howard Mylett, etc. (Ross Halfin can take the cover photo!)

Howard's a close friend of mine. Unfortunately, he's no longer actively writing books.

The other authors you mentioned are certainly worthy of consideration.

[StringBender]

IGNORED.

Thanks for taking the time to inform me once again that you are ignoring me.

[beatbo]

i think steve could do it. while it's true that a page autobiography would be the ideal book (in my opinion)his input could be culled from the decades of interviews. it wouldn't be the ideal situation, but it may not happen otherwise. i don't think page will let someone else do it for him-authorized.

what would make the book (unauthorized) stand out over most of the crap on the shelves would be the positioning of the subject.

to wit:

'jimmy page-magus, musician, man' by george case

i asked for referrals before buying this book because i have a peculiar habit of buying EVERYTHING that has jimmy page's picture on it. steve (and others here) told what it weighed and recommended it on that qualification (i.e. 'lightweight unauthorized'). the author positioned his subject by leading the reader into believing he had some inside look at jimmy's occult opinions. not so. everything else was non-threatening and pretty much rote. of course, i would have been dissappointed had i not asked opinions beforehand.

if a new book on page took a stance that zeppelin is a music torchbearer and cultural definer like the beatles and set out to demonstrate the impact of the band with page as it's architect, i believe the going (and the reading) would be better for everybody-author and audience alike. and steve is not only a fine researcher but a writer of no little skill (despite what you think of his attitude or opinion).

just my opinion.....

oh, before i forget...

(beatbo reverts to hometown chicago accent)

i could give two fucks about any asskissing on this forum. steve don't give me no magic zeppelin tokens for saying nice bullshit about him.

i say bullshit about him for nothing.....

[BIGDAN]

i think steve could do it. while it's true that a page autobiography would be the ideal book (in my opinion)his input could be culled from the decades of interviews. it wouldn't be the ideal situation, but it may not happen otherwise. i don't think page will let someone else do it for him-authorized.

what would make the book (unauthorized) stand out over most of the crap on the shelves would be the positioning of the subject.

to wit:

'jimmy page-magus, musician, man' by george case

i asked for referrals before buying this book because i have a peculiar habit of buying EVERYTHING that has jimmy page's picture on it. steve (and others here) told what it weighed and recommended it on that qualification (i.e. 'lightweight unauthorized'). the author positioned his subject by leading the reader into believing he had some inside look at jimmy's occult opinions. not so. everything else was non-threatening and pretty much rote. of course, i would have been dissappointed had i not asked opinions beforehand.

if a new book on page took a stance that zeppelin is a music torchbearer and cultural definer like the beatles and set out to demonstrate the impact of the band with page as it's architect, i believe the going (and the reading) would be better for everybody-author and audience alike. and steve is not only a fine researcher but a writer of no little skill (despite what you think of his attitude or opinion).

just my opinion.....

oh, before i forget...

(beatbo reverts to hometown chicago accent)

i could give two fucks about any asskissing on this forum. steve don't give me no magic zeppelin tokens for saying nice bullshit about him.

i say bullshit about him for nothing.....

I didn't know you came from Chicago (The windy city) you cover your accent so well. LOL

[beatbo]

I didn't know you came from Chicago (The windy city) you cover your accent so well. LOL

my accent gets mistaken for new orleans or new york down here. new orleans sounds like new jersey (t.v. and movie new york) with a little bit of bronx/midwest trone in...

[beatbo]

One of the biggest difficulties facing a potential biographer is finding common ground and even establishing a friendship with the subject. If they don't like and trust you, they won't open up.

some of the best biographies were written long after the subject was dead.....for obvious reasons.

[AllisonAdler]

What needs to be written now is not a broad overview of Zeppelin - that book has been written by several people over the years (Yorke, for example).

What is needed is some decent and reliable personal accounts from those who were involved - Page's authorised bio pr autobiography would be the Mothership of all of them. But as I said what it would take is someone who was able to gain Page's trust and really work it all out - the man is such a mystery, and usually isn't too keen on illuminating much at all.

I think Mick Wall's book at least has Jimmy's cooperation.

A few years ago, Jimmy did say he was going to write his autobiography, so maybe someday he'll get round to it.

[Lake of Shadows]

It's my way of saying an enormous amount of research work goes into publishing a worthwhile biography. In Pete's case, he himself was incapable of his autobiography. Now, twelve years later:

NEW PETE TOWNSHEND BIOGRAPHY PUBLISHED**** - Q magazine

"Who Are You: The Life of Pete Townshend", an exhaustive, critically acclaimed study of the life and career of the legendary guitarist and composer, has been published by Omnibus Press and within the next few days will be widely available everywhere except the U.S. Author Mark Wilkerson spent ten years researching and writing the 600+ page book, and conducted exclusive interviews with Pete Townshend and several others, including Simon Townshend, 'Irish' Jack Lyons and Jon Astley. Wilkerson's book explores Townshend's West London roots, reminds us of the excitement he generated with The Who in those early days and brings his story right up to date with many fascinating stops on the way. The book includes dozens of photographs and a foreword by Eddie Vedder. It was edited by Anyway Anyhow Anywhere co-author Andy Neill.

-----------------

Insofar as the brown m&m's provision in Van Halen's rider, David Lee Roth discusses it in

greater detail in his exceptional best selling autobiography 'Crazy From The Heat'

published in 1987.

Thanks for the reply. It makes sense now. I think writing an autobiography would be a tremendous challenge for a lot of folks, even if they have a ghost writer or very active editor to help them with the actual writing of it.

Sorry to burst your bubble guys, and no offense to Steve, but it takes more than a broad and detailed knowledge of someone's life to write a good bio. I am not saying Steve wouldn't be able to do it justice, all I am saying is that just being well researched is not in itself enough.

One of the biggest difficulties facing a potential biographer is finding common ground and even establishing a friendship with the subject. If they don't like and trust you, they won't open up.

... unless the subject is already dead. I think would present a different set of challenges though.

I'd love to see John Baxter write a biography on Led Zeppelin.

John usually writes film biographies of directors such as Kubrick, Woody Allen, Fellini etc, and his biographies are really absolute top-of-the-game, they're personal without being gossipy while providing a good balanced analysis of their lifee and their work. I seriously recommend any book by John Baxter.

Those are the kind I like to read. I don't want a dry compendium of dates, etc. which too often read like a very dull 'history textbooks' which serve better as sleep aids, no prescription required. OTOH, there are some details I just don't need or want to know. I can use the gossip rags for that, I just have to thumb past the pieces on How Elvis' Alien Ghost Fathered My Baby, etc.

[Gainsbarre]

Those are the kind I like to read. I don't want a dry compendium of dates, etc. which too often read like a very dull 'history textbooks' which serve better as sleep aids, no prescription required. OTOH, there are some details I just don't need or want to know. I can use the gossip rags for that, I just have to thumb past the pieces on How Elvis' Alien Ghost Fathered My Baby, etc.

The trouble with Led Zep biographies is they can get caught up in the anecdotal stories of wild partying