Light and Shade

July 2, 2012
Over the past decade, the enigmatic Page has been sitting down with Tolinski, the editor-in-chief of Guitar World and author of Classic Hendrix and The Faces: 1969–75, to discuss everything from Page’s early years as a session guitarist and member of the Yardbirds to his heyday with Led Zeppelin and his more recent post-Zep projects and plans. The interviews Page gives to Tolinski are enlightening, and while he doesn’t completely open the vault about Zeppelin’s party lifestyle or his interest in the occult, he does speak freely on guitar technique. Sometimes even more informative than the interviews are the pre-q&a introductions, which set up the topics of discussion and allow Tolinski to demonstrate his encyclopedic knowledge of classic rock and guitar history in his fluid prose. Further expanding the book’s scope are the “Musical Interludes” that follow each chapter and feature entertaining asides like “an inventory” of Page’s guitars; he also conducts interviews with some of Page’s former bandmates like John Paul Jones and Paul Rodgers. By shining a light on the shadowy Page, Tolinski has created a must-have for any Led Zeppelin fan or guitar player. 21 b&w photos.