The Rough Guide to Jimi Hendrix (Rough Guide Sports/Pop Culture Series) »

Richie Unterberger is an established music journalist & frequent contributor to the All Music Guide, MOJO, and Record Collector

The Rough Guide to Jimi Hendrix is a thorough reference book about the life and music of the greatest rock guitarist of all time. It covers all the key events throughout his metamorphosis; from a misfit youngster growing up in poverty to his rise to international stardom, and from his days as a starving backup musician in the early 1960s to his triumphant appearances at the Monterey Pop and Woodstock rock festivals, not to mention his mysterious and sordid death in 1970. Special chapters are devoted to vivid description and critical evaluation of all his important studio and live albums and best thirty songs, as well as all major live and documentary Hendrix videos; his myriad musical influences from blues, soul, rock, and jazz; Hendrix-related sites and shrines; and his spectacular arsenal of guitar techniques and effects. Also including special features on overlooked aspects of his art ranging from his love of Bob Dylan''s music to his relationship with the Black Power movement, The Rough Guide to Jimi Hendrix documents all dimensions of this one-of-a-kind musical genius.

Diane Fulkerson - Library Journal

More focused on the life than Ultimate Hendrix(above), this is an excellent chronicle of Jimi Hendrix from his days as a problem teenager in Seattle to his rise as a rock star. Unterberger, rock historian and author of Unknown Legends of Rock'n'Roll, notes that Hendrix's guitar playing skills, musical innovation, and showmanship are still idolized but have never been replicated. The book includes numerous photos and side bars of information about Hendrix's life and career and chronicles everything from his early days performing as a musician in a band backing the Isley Brothers to his rise to stardom as a headline act at the Monterey Pop Festival. The book is divided into three sections, with the first section covering Hendrix's life, career, and untimely death and Part 2 covering the albums, both studio and live, and top 30 songs of his career. The final section provides a list of documentaries, web sites, films, and books about Hendrix and an overview of the musicians and musical styles that influenced his music. BOTTOM LINE This resource is more than a story of a great musician's life and his lasting legacy; it is also a revealing glimpse into the music of the 1960s. A nice addition to any public or academic library looking to expand its music collection and where other Rough Guides have proven to circulate well. Diane Fulkerson, Univ. of West Georgia Lib., Carrollton