Hendrix

I've always wanted to know more about Jimi Hendrix, only being about 10 years old when he passed. This illustrated book about him was an enchanting way to learn about his life, filled with lots of colorful pictures, posters, old concert tickets, records, and album covers. It was a time machine back to the 60's giving a broad stroke look into Jimi's life from start to sad early finish. It tells how he became interested in playing guitar, his various bands in all of their formations. Along with the many gigs they played, people they jammed with, sessions they worked at recording, and eventual records they put out. Oh my, and all of the women around. He sure played a lot of places, all over the US and Europe, constantly moving around. And women following everywhere. A very hardworking, driven man with a lot of passion for his music. Enjoyable for any Hendrix fan wanting to learn about his life and career, there's also a discography. I was given an ARC by NetGalley and the publisher for review.

Given his early death, a mystique has grown up around Jimi Hendrix that he was a tortured, tragic soul. ‘Hendrix The Illustrated Story’ puts the lie to that image by providing abundant photographic evidence of Jimi laughing and smiling, although there are also plenty of facial contortions as he plays guitar.

This book is apparently the first full-blown illustrated book telling the story of Jimi’s life and is certainly an appealing volume, featuring many pictures of Jimi and those who played a significant part in his life, as well as many reproductions of associated memorabilia, such as posters, records and record sleeves.

There are, however, some surprising omissions. Jimi’s father Al is pictured twice, as a young and an old man but there’s no photo of Jimi’s mother. Yes, it was Al who really raised him but it would still have been nice to include Lucille. Similarly, although there are several photographs of Jimi playing in various bands or supporting various singers, one is sometimes provided with pictures of these without Jimi himself present. Paul McCartney is also pictorially absent, although the text mentions him championing Hendrix, most notably in recommending him to play at the Monterey International Pop Festival.

In general the text, supplemented by a list of selected live appearances 1966-1970, a select discography and a bibliography, does a very good job of explaining how Jimi came to be a towering figure in 1960s popular culture without having an ego to match, and how he could be self-deprecating in private conversation but supremely confident on stage.

Thus notwithstanding its limitations this is a volume which should delight Hendrix fans.

Well researched. Learned a lot about Hendrix that I didn't know.

The illustrations in this book are fantastic, so it would appeal to a teenager. I doubt if someone that age though would spend much time reading the text. I would still like to purchase it for a gift.

I loved this book and learned a lot about Hendrix that I didn't know.

Even if you have never listened to Rock and Roll you know who Jimi Hendrix is and have heard at least some of his music. Jimi Hendrix was one of the greats. More so after his death September 18, 1970, then before. His music is still played all over the world to this day, 47 years after his death. Jimi is a self taught guitar player who many musicians after years of training will never accomplish what he did.

This amazing book takes you on a tour through Jimi's early life to his death. The pictures and there are a lot of them are amazing. There is a discography towards the end of the book showing all of his albums which are still being released to this day.

The story of Jimi's life was very well written. There are some little known facts as well as things everyone knows. I was very happy to have been given a copy of this book from Netgalley. I really enjoyed this book.

I found this to be a very informative book about Jimi Hendrix life. From his early child hood, through his time in the service and then into the music business. You totally get the behind the scenes of just how it is a business. His early beginnings playing back up and being fired, from one band to another. I did not know that his first producer was one of the former member of the group “Animals”. I did know about the Isley Brothers, but not all of the other bands which he did get credit for of course until after he died, and then some of those groups would put together bad music just to have his name. When I first heard him I was ten, and I had to sneak the record from my mother. I listened to it with my head phones knowing my parents would not like the music or album cover. I did not even let my younger sisters know I had his music for fear they would tell my parents. I still have all of those albums plus more, and I remember hearing as a kid his rendition of the star spangle banner and still being blown away by it today. Buying the 45, yes 45 from soda bottles even my friends didn’t get his music. This book puts it all together. You have drummer Buddy Miles who is a great rock and funk drummer who played drums and cox. You find out that his records at first sold more in the U.K. than over here and even his shows had more people over there as well. The author takes you through his drug problem, and women that leads up to his death. Then the last part goes into all of the legal happenings after he past and went on for many years. I found this to be a very good book and worth the read.

Very interesting and informative book on Jimmy Hendrix.

This is a good illustrated biography of Jimi Hendrix. The illustrations are really good. Tracing his life from his humble beginnings in Washington State to his way too early death. It also includes his everlasting influence on music today. There is not a lot of new information and some areas are a skimmed over. This book will appeal to anyone who wants to learn more about Hendrix and his place in the history of the music. Enjoy this with some Hendrix on the headphones.

While I was very much so looking forward to reading and reviewing this book, it unfortunately was archived by the publisher before I was able to read it.