Re: Jimmy Page's biography/Books on Rock (SZC)

[Steve Thomson <zeppelin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Josh Mooney wrote:
> Thanks for your take on the Jimmy Page book, Steve.
> Well done. Though to be honest, it hasn't made me
> want to run out and buy it! I'm betting the things
> about Case's writing style that irritate you would
> annoy me as well. Anyway, yours was a big
> improvement on the "book review" that was recently
> posted here. I'm not familiar with its author, Ed
> Driscoll, but he didn't review the book so much as
> offer his take on Page. Which is all well and good,
> but not the point of a book review. I got zilch from
> him on what Case's book is actually like. So I look
> forward to your final take, once you've finished
> reading it.

I’ve read a bit more into Case’s book (Beck just left the Yardbirds), 
and the annoying comments have diminished somewhat. It’s actually a 
fairly straightforward account of events and occasionally an interesting 
read. I do get the feeling he’s rushing through and not getting to the 
heart of the topic in several points. Although the book is fairly well 
researched, it’s only a “surface” research of information that’s been 
readily available. As such, it’s a credible starting point for newcomers 
to the topic of Page and Zeppelin, but for those of us who’ve read other 
material, there’s a lot of déjà vu.

In addition, although I’m not looking for the “dirt” or gossip, as a 
biography, the book doesn’t delve very deeply into the why of things. 
For instance, Jimmy’s relationship with Jackie DeShannon is introduced 
and they’re depicted as somewhat of a hot yet stable, couple of 1965 
amid all the bed-hopping of swinging London but then Case never even 
bothers to mention that the relationship ended. He simply talks about 
Jackie’s encouraging Jimmy to record “She Just Satisfies” then mentions 
that DeShannon had a hit with “What the World Needs Now”, another in ’69 
with “Put A Little Love in Your Heart” and then wrote Bette Davis Eyes 
in 1981. There’s no account of any break-up with Page, or even a mention 
that they ended, be it on friendly terms or otherwise. Not that big a 
deal perhaps but it just seems like he brings up subjects but then 
doesn’t explore them. He talks about Page getting to know Clapton after 
the DeShannon section and mentions the recording with Clapton that Page 
was forced to release, and that it caused bad blood, but that's it, just 
a quick mention.

I also feel he’s not been at all critical or complete in his discussions 
of the musical “borrowings” from  Bert Jansch, Davey Graham or Jake 
Holmes (I haven’t gotten to discussions of Stairway so I don’t know if 
Spirit’s Taurus will come up). As a fan, I tend to go into defense mode 
when this subject comes up on some other forums, etc., but I do 
recognize why some people feel that some form of credit should have been 
given. I’d at least like to see the controversies mentioned in something 
purporting to be a serious biography. Instead Case calls them all 
“adaptations” of the earlier works and leaves it at that. Fair enough, 
but at least he could acknowledge that was controversy.

So, all in all, thus far, there’s quite a bit of interesting surface 
info but no real meat on the bones here. It’s not a bad read, and it 
gives you a taste for more but it’s not “full meal deal” in itself!


> It's true that "Tangents Within a Framework" can be
> a bit of a cut-and-paste job, but I've always
> enjoyed it. (Have you read it, Steve?) Howard
> Mylett's a good writer, with a lot of knowledge
> about, and passion for, Mr. Page.

No I never did get Tangents. I did buy Mylett’s “In The Light” back in 
the early 80’s and enjoyed it, just as I still have Richie Yorke’s 
seminal Led Zeppelin Biography around here somewhere too.

Another Zep-related book I received for Christmas last year and never 
got around to mentioning on the list is Barney Hoskyns’ “Led Zeppelin 
IV.” I found this to be somewhat like Case’s book in that it didn’t 
reveal anything too startling on unknown to fans who’ve done their 
homework. I also found he was a bit overly critical of Bonzo, focusing 
on his personality and basically characterizing him as something akin to 
a mindless thug at times. What this had to do with something billed as 
an in-depth book on Led Zeppelin’s 4th album is a bit of a stretch. In 
fact, the book spends more time talking about the rest of the band’s 
work and career than it does on the actual album. Yes, it can be argued 
that the album was influenced by what came before it, but to spend some 
much time on subjects unrelated to the album at all makes the whole 
exercise a bit misleading.

Thanks for the book suggestions you brought up and for actually sparking 
the discussion of other books. One thing Case’s book has done (along 
with a Record Collector magazine article I read yesterday on the Stones’ 
problems in 1967) is to whet my appetite for reading more about the 
background to the music, especially the 60’s in England and America 
before the whole transformation of rock music into corporate property.

Regards,
Steve.