No Quarter

October 31, 2016
Power's staggeringly deep history will likely stand as the definitive tale of the man who founded Led Zeppelin. Drawing on a series of new candid interviews (but none with Page himself), Power (Hot Wired Guitar: The Life of Jeff Beck) traces the guitarist's work back to his session days with the Who and the Kinks. Tired of doing session work, Page joined the Yardbirds in 1966. The Zeppelin years make up the large middle section of the book, and though longtime fans are familiar with the band's by-now mythical status and Page's obsession with the occult, Powers provides a fresh voice in the retelling. Considerable space also is allocated to Page's postâLed Zeppelin career, which began on Dec. 4, 1980, three months after drummer John Bonham died. Powers, who keeps much of the focus on music, adds a "fourth life" to Page's story with a coda about the 2016 lawsuit claiming the band plagiarized "Stairway to Heaven.". A jury cleared the band of any wrongdoing, but the case demonstrates how, almost a half-century on, Led Zeppelin still matters. A select but detailed discography puts Page's body of work into context for both new and experienced listeners.

November 1, 2016
He is a rock god, the epitome of the rock 'n' roll guitarist. In this effusive, almost glowing (and hefty) volume, journalist Power chronicles the life of Jimmy Page, the affable founder of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. Like every other teenager in Britain at the time, he was a fan of skifflea combination of country blues and Appalachian bluegrass, until he fell hard for Elvis. Power writes about Page's membership in various preLed Zeppelin bands, none more famous than the Yardbirds. But when that group broke up, Page wanted to form his own band, one that combined light and shade with mystery and power, that is, a union of hard rock, blues, and acoustic music. And when he met Robert Plant, Page knew he had found his lead singer. Power offers detailed descriptions of the band's releases as well as its endless touring and gift for partying. He also covers the 2007 Zeppelin reunion tour and Page's many post-Zeppelin projects. With loads of fun details and disclosures, Power's portrait of Page will thrill rock fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)