Jimi Hendrix - The Lyrics [Hardcover]

Janie L. Hendrix (Author), Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation (Author), Jimi Hendrix (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2003

Jimi Hendrix was such an extraordinary guitarist, it can be easy to forget that just as much passion, soul and precision went into his lyrics. Inspired by Bob Dylan, Hendrix was a fearless lyrical innovator, willing to let his imagination guide him to landscapes of words hitherto unexplored within the realms of pop music. This extraordinarily personal book includes numerous examples of Jimi's handwritten lyrics, often scribbled on hotel stationery, and photos of Jimi accompanying every song. From the existential euphoria of "I Don't Live Today" to the elusive beauty of "Little Wing" to the psychedelic blues of "My Friend" to the otherworldly "1983 (... A Merman I Should Turn to Be)," the lyrics of Jimi Hendrix remain among the greatest in the pantheon of rock, infused with the same inventiveness, virtuosity and courage that informed his guitar playing. Readers will of course also thrill to see such Hendrix classics as "Purple Haze," "Foxey Lady," "Voodoo Chile," "The Wind Cries Mary," "Dolly Dagger" and "Are You Experienced?". Jimi Hendrix: The Lyrics is sure to be one of the leading gift books of the season and a perennial favorite for Hendrix fans for years to come. Hardcover with full-color and b/w photos and illustrations throughout.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Janie L. Hendrix is President and CEO of Experience Hendrix, LLC, the official Jimi Hendrix Family Company, and sister of the legendary guitarist. As head of the family company, her mission is to continue Jimi's legacy and preserve the integrity of his artistic contributions to musical history.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 186 pages
• Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation (November 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0634049305
• ISBN-13: 978-0634049309
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 8.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #571,831 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars ~ Yet another missed opportunity ~, January 25, 2004

By 

Gayle Hansen "mikola18" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jimi Hendrix - The Lyrics (Hardcover)

This is yet one more addition to the long list of missed opportunities the "author" & cohorts have committed.

There are typos on nearly every single page, which a professional proofreader should/would have spotted.

Also there are many lyrics with no written verification in Jimi's own hand, so we're left with the "authors" translation which, of course, are full of typos or "misheard" words.

It's a shame more than a few trees had to give their very all for this one.

On the positive side, the layout is nice, even though it features many already seen photographs, and some unpublished ones as well.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Nice photos, but printed lyrics are often wrong, September 14, 2007

By 

Eric James (Winston-Salem, NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jimi Hendrix - The Lyrics (Hardcover)

I think the book has value if you enjoy seeing reproductions of Jimi's lyric writing - stuff in his own hand. I also enjoyed the many nice photos. I am irritated at the poor quality of the printed lyrics - lots of mistakes. Example: Burning of the Midnight Lamp. At one point the printed lyrics say "About the surface in the wishing well, and a couple lines later the word "bale" appears instead of bell. If you look across the page at Jimi's very legible handwritten version you will see "about the circus in the wishing well" and also "someone to toll my bell" - not bale! My recollection was that Jimi sang the words circus and also bell. There are many other similar mistakes. So I believe the printed lyrics are worthless. I bought a used copy and I am happy with the photos of Jimi and his original lyrics. I'd be upset if I paid full price for the book with all those incorrectly printed lyrics. A revision is in order.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Package, January 13, 2004

By 

Mad Dog "maddog6969" (TimbuckThree, Tennessee) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jimi Hendrix - The Lyrics (Hardcover)

I like the look and feel of this book. Loads of excellent photos, page after page of lyrics, wonderful paper used, all lovingly assembled. In the past, I haven't really searched out the written lyrix to Jimi's tunes very often, and in reading these, I came across a few surprises. That's not really surprising, because many tunes were released after his death and of those, no doubt some had only a working vocal track that probably would have been re-recorded had he lived. As an example, the lyrics to Hey Baby. So I found myself pulling out disc after disc to listen intently to hear the words I'd missed previously. In some instances, the words in my mind sounded closer than those in the book. Some of the book lyrics are reproductions of Jimi's handwritten lyric sheets, so those are about as definative as it gets. Also, I have a nit to pick and that is how Amazon portrays Janie Hendrix as a co-author. If I remember right, the book gives her credit as compiler.

The bottom line is hinted at above - reading this book will motivate you to play the music and listen to the words. That's not a bad thing! In fact, the sum total Experience of it all is most excellent. Where did those Easter Eggs get off to?