Light and Shade
Brad Tolinski
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Brad Tolinski is the editor of the legendary music magazine Guitar World. Over the years, he has interviewed Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page on several occasions, and
this book is made up almost entirely of those conversations. Tolinski first interviewed Page back in 1993, and though the Zeppelin mastermind can be notorious when it comes to talking with the press, the pair got on quite famously.
These interviews with Page are some of the most enlightening and insightful ever compiled. In Light and Shade, Jimmy talks about life as a session guitar player; what he thought Led Zeppelin could be; writing "Stairway to Heaven"; Zep's dark side; and working with singer Robert Plant post- Zeppelin. Here, he talks about his role in Zep:
"Many people think of me as just a riff guitarist, but I think of myself in broader terms. As a musician I think my greatest achievement has been to create unexpected melodies and harmonies within a rock-and-roll framework.
As a producer, I'd like to be remembered as someone who was able to sustain a band of unquestionable individual talent and push it to the forefront during its working career."
Tolinski's interviews are invaluable in dissecting who Jimmy Page was and how he was able to create one of history's greatest rock bands. There are also auxiliary interviews with key figures like Jeff Beck, Jack White and Paul Rodgers. If you're a Zeppophile, you need to read this.
Originally published on Curled Up With A Good Book at www.curledup.com. © Steven Rosen, 2013
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