More than thirty years after disbanding in 1980, Led Zeppelin continues to be celebrated for its artistic achievements, broad musical influence, and commercial success. The band's notorious exploits have been chronicled in bestselling books; yet none of the individual members of the band has penned a memoir nor cooperated to any degree with the press or a biographer. In Light and Shade, Jimmy Page, the band's most reticent and inscrutable member, opens up to journalist Brad Tolinski, for the first time exploring his remarkable life and musical journey in great depth and intimate detail. Based on extensive interviews conducted with the guitarist/producer over the past twenty years, Light and Shade encompasses Page's entire career, beginning with his early years as England's top session guitarist when he worked with artists ranging from Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey, and Burt Bacharach to the Kinks, The Who, and Eric Clapton. Page speaks frankly about his decadent yet immensely creative years in Led Zeppelin, his synergistic relationships with band members Robert Plant, John Bonham, and John Paul Jones, and his notable post-Zeppelin pursuits. While examining every major track recorded by Zeppelin, including "Stairway to Heaven," "Whole Lotta Love," and "Kashmir," Page reflects on the band's sensational tours, the filming of the concert movie The Song Remains the Same, his fascination with the occult, meeting Elvis Presley, and the making of the rock masterpiece Led Zeppelin IV, about which he offers a complete behind-the-scenes account. Additionally, the book is peppered with conversations between Page and other guitar greats, including his childhood friend Jeff Beck and hipster icon Jack White. Through Page's own words, Light and Shade presents an unprecedented first-person view of one of the most important musicians of our era.
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“Light and Shade illuminates the haunted genius of Jimmy Page in an original and completely satisfying way. The conversational dynamic between the author and the subject reveals a wealth of info about the man, the music, and the magick.”
— Kirk Hammett, Metallica
“Jimmy Page…the one and only! From mild to wild, Jimmy [says] it all. This fine work will rock you!”
— Billy Gibbons, ZZ TopAn effective, comprehensive account in the guitarist’s own words of his life and music…Keep a copy near the records—and your guitar.”
— Rolling Stone“This book shows the serious artistic side of Jimmy Page. A must-have item for rock music collections.”
— BooklistBy shining a light on the shadowy Page, Tolinski has created a must-have for any Led Zeppelin fan or guitar player.
— Publishers WeeklyBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Brad Tolinski has been the editor-in-chief of Guitar World, the world’s bestselling magazine for musicians, for more than two decades. He has interviewed and profiled most of popular music’s greatest guitarists, including Eric Clapton, B. B. King, Eddie Van Halen, Jack White, and Jeff Beck. He is also the author of Classic Hendrix: The Ultimate Hendrix Experience and The Faces: 1969–75.
Robert Fass is a veteran actor and twice winner of the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. He has earned multiple Earphones Awards and been named in AudioFile magazine’s list of the year’s best narrations for six years.
John Lee is the winner of numerous Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration. He has twice won acclaim as AudioFile’s Best Voice in Fiction & Classics. He also narrates video games, does voice-over work, and writes plays. He is an accomplished stage actor and has written and coproduced the feature films Breathing Hard and Forfeit. He played Alydon in the 1963–64 Doctor Who serial The Daleks.