Modern Listener Guide: Jimi Hendrix

The question arises in online music forums, is asked in the pages of guitar magazines, is debated among countless music fans: "People say Jimi Hendrix was a genius, but where do I start with his music?" After all, as the iconic status of Hendrix looms larger with each passing year, there is a continual generation of new listeners just discovering his work. They may know he is important by how often he is name-checked by today's top musicians and by the near-constant presence of his image across all forms of media, but they soon discover there is a complicated and confusing body of material spread across many titles and record labels. Now acclaimed author and musician Frank Moriarty brings to life the world of Jimi Hendrix in Modern Listener Guide: Jimi Hendrix. With informed commentary and spirited critical perspective, Moriarty expertly leads the way through the studio sessions, live concert recordings, and myriad album and box set releases that comprise the imposing legacy of one of the world's great guitarists and musical personalities. In the wake of Jimi Hendrix's brief, mercurial career, books about this legendary musician tend to offer simple platitudes, casually proclaiming various works to be Hendrix's masterpieces. But they offer little or no context communicating why these recordings are masterpieces and through what means Hendrix realized his musical vision. Accordingly, Modern Listener Guide: Jimi Hendrix takes on its subject in a way that has not been successfully accomplished, with insight and analysis given life by a vibrant approach. The music appears largely in chronological format, surrounded by events within the life and career of Jimi. This provides a colorful, up-to-date and historically accurate framework. What was it like to be on tour in 1968? How is it that the biggest rock star in the world lived a life of chaotic day-to-day logistics? How did Hendrix's creative instincts clash with "the way pop music is done?" The answers to these questions and many more complement the critical reviews of Jimi's music, giving readers a revealing and complete picture of this musical legend. By balancing accurate portraits of Jimi's career interspersed with insightful commentary on the dozens of significant releases that stand as cornerstones of his creativity, Modern Listener Guide: Jimi Hendrix will be invaluable to readers just discovering Hendrix, and will also appeal to those already familiar with Jimi's compelling music and unforgettable life.