Synopses & Reviews
Jimi Hendrix, one of the great instrumentalists in rock history, pioneered amplified sound that extended the scope of the guitar into the urban landscape. In this book, Marie-Paule Macdonald situates Hendrixandrsquo;s trajectory through the places he made music, translating an innovative sense of space into his songs.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;
Macdonald follows Hendrix from the Pacific Northwest to the California coast to New York City, from his musical beginnings as a youth in Seattle to his launch, touring career, and up until his last weeks in London. She charts the surroundings of a genuine inner-city dweller, a nighthawk and wanderer who roamed the streets and alleys of everyday neighborhoods and haunted seedy basement bars and intimate clubsandmdash;as performer or audience member. She explores how the rumble, uproar, babble, and discord of urban life inspired Hendrix to incorporate noise into his powerful repertoire. Tracking the variety of places where Hendrix playedandmdash;from open-air stages to dilapidated ballroomsandmdash;she shows how space eventually became a process, as Hendrix would eventually commission an architect and sound engineer to build an urban recording studio that would capture the reverberation, bounce, sustain, and echo that he heard and played.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;
Crackling with the electrifying sound of explosive creativity, Jimi Hendrix explores place and space to offer fascinating new insight into Hendrixandrsquo;s resounding talent.and#160;
Review
Praise for 27and#147;This fine study looks at the tragic history of the 27 Cluband#133;. Much of the book's power lies in its refusal to pander to the romantic-melancholy notion of the tortured young artist who lives fast and dies young. Instead the squalor and chaos of their everyday existence is exposed in uncompromising detailand#133;. This book is not about more rock star mythologizing. It's about skewering the mystery of the 27-connection, by exposing its all-too-tragic reality.and#8221;and#151;Sunday Times (UK)
and#147;In a multi-stranded biography, Howard Sounes has set himself the task of finding a link between the lives and deaths of these six rock starsand#133;. Sounes's masterstroke is to unearth forensic levels of detail on his subjectsand#133;. He has pulled off what could have been a tasteless project with sensitivity.and#8221;and#151;The Times (UK)
and#147;This book is the first time that these committee members, as it were, of the 27 Club have been buried together under the same coverand#133;a gruesomely enjoyable read.and#8221;and#151;The Spectator (UK)
and#147;The 27 Club is the exclusive members-only society that music stars don't want to join. Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Brian Jones all died aged 27 and the biographer Howard Sounes uses this unhappy coincidence [to look] at the rock-star trajectory that brought them all to a premature endand#133;. Recommend[ed].and#8221;and#151;New Statesman (UK)
and#147;Sounes mixes biography with investigative journalism, social science, and rock history into a work that is as engrossing as it is depressingand#133;Though he doesnand#8217;t pull any punches when it comes to sensitive information about his subjects, he does write with a care that is refreshing for a topic that could easily devolve into ambulance chasing. Sounes, a true crime writer, is especially incisive when it comes to dispatching conspiracy theories built around many of these deaths. He captures the sad truth behind a club for which a youthful death is the only entrand#233;e.and#8221;and#151;Publishers Weekly, 9/23/13
and#147;If you like reading about brilliant young people destroying themselves, this is your bookand#133;Hard living started early will take its toll, and itand#8217;s not a complete coincidence they all died when they did, but itand#8217;s not a mystic number either, and Sounes disposes easily with the conspiracy theories that have collected around the dead stars.and#8221;and#151;The Ageand#160;(Australia), 9/21/13
and#147;[Sounes] is a tenacious researcherand#133;[He] painstakingly demolishes conspiracy theories and other forms of magical thinking.and#8221;and#151;The Observerand#160;(UK), 8/17/13
and#147;Sounes offers a stern corrective to the adage that itand#8217;s better to burn out than to fade away. The author takes a refreshingly skeptical view of the belief that a conspiracy accounts for the deaths of Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse, dismissing urban legends and murder theories to reveal the similarities among themand#133;A compelling examination of the effects of sudden fame on mentally fragile artists.and#8221;and#151;Kirkus Reviews, 11/1/13
and#147;As much as one may have hoped, Sounes dissects the conspiracy theories and puts to bed the lunacy that surrounds these idols deaths. He also succeeds in producing a highly detailed, expertly researched book, with both personal family and close friend interviews, making it a tour de force private biography that belongs on both the shelves of bio fans and anyone that may have been touched by any of the included artists music.and#8221;and#151;Huffington Post UK, 10/13/13
and#147;Sounes delves into the lives of the and#145;Big Sixand#8217;and#133;sewing the common threads they share in life and death.and#8221;and#151;USA Today, 11/13/13
BookNews.com, December 2013
and#147;While the book begins and ends with the story of Amy Winehouse to appeal to the younger demographic, older readers will also enjoy the depth of research and insights from the author's original interviews with friends and family of those profiled.and#8221;
Word Bookstores (Tumblr), 1/2/2014
and#147;[A] comprehensive (but not overwhelming) history of the members of The 27 Club. Sounes writes of their lives realistically, pointing out numerous similarities in their upbringings, relationships, and behaviors that link them in their tragically early deaths. Also, thereand#8217;s no glorifying of the rock star life or the ones who lived it, which makes this an especially intriguing studyand#133;A great read for any music fan or curious mind.and#8221;
WomanAroundTown.com, 12/16/2013
and#147;While some have credited a supernatural reason for the performersand#8217; untimely demise, Sounes presents a clear-headed evaluation, and neither judges nor idolizes the lives and deaths of the performers about whom he has written.and#8221;
Houston Press Rocks Off blog, 1/7/14
and#147;Sounes completed an impressive list of original interviews for this book, which shed further light on area like Jim Morrison's last days in Paris, Cobain's fragile mental state, and Winehouse's seemingly insane drinking bouts.and#8221;
MediaMikes.com, 1/4/14
and#147;For the first time the information about these six people is available all in one place combined with one personand#8217;s perspective on the events which are surprisingly similar.and#8221;
January Magazine, and#147;Best Books of 2013,and#8221; 1/3/14
and#147;A tragically wonderful read.and#8221;
PopMatters.Com, 1/27/14
and#147;Make no mistake, Sounes did heavy lifting to make this book as authoritative as possibleand#133;If you want exhaustive, at times exhausting detail regarding their collective debauchery, 27 may have that kind of perverse train wreck appealand#133;Sounes helpfully demolishes any/all conspiracy theories, ranging from the familiar (Morrison lives!) to the far-fetched (Hendrix was murdered)and#133; 27 also serves as a corrective of sorts for the half-assed mythologizing, particularly of Morrison and Cobain.and#8221;
Review
Fans of these musicians will be intrigued and saddened by this fascinating and tragic account.”
Booklist, 11/15/13
Without falling into the trap of sentimentality, Sounes also looks at the aftermath of these tragic losses through new interviews with family, friends, and former bandmates
[Sounes is] a good researcher
Despite the morbid subject, this sharply written and insightful title should have a home in any public or music library, where it will likely yield high circ counts.”Library Journal, STARRED Review, 11/15/13
Sounes clear-eyed view of his subjects behavior is welcome in a rock biography
It would be easy to sensationalize the adherence of performers in this book to the creed of sex and drugs and rock n roll, but Sounes takes an even-handed approach to their exploits.”Seattle Times (Soundposts music blog), 11/15/13
The first time you heard Light My Fire or Me and Bobby McGee, it was probably from a scratchy record and cheap speakers. 27 brings those memories backwith a lot less static. This is, in fact, almost a read-in-one-sitting kind of book, so thoroughly fascinating is author Howard Sounes in his method of storytelling
If youre a fan of classic rock or blues, or if you just want a good look at stardom gone wrong, 27 gets five stars.”The Bookworm Sez
The strength of 27 lies in the way Sounes weaves in and out of the dark underbelly of the last fifty years of pop culture, maintaining the connective tissues through each individual stars unraveling and untimely exit
This is a book that examines tragic lives, its not selling conspiracies or cosmic hokum
Sounes is a great tour guide because hes neither shocked, clutching his pearls at the collective behavior, nor is he excessively voyeuristic. Hes thorough. But 27 never feels like an exploitative recounting of every awful drug-induced escapade like so many tabloid-ready exposes do.”Biographile.com, 11/13/2013
If Howard Sounes 27 covers a subject that might seem uncomfortable or even a bit morbid to some, the author can at least be forgiven for doing so in a mostly even-handed, and tasteful manner
To his credit, Sounes treats his subjects with respect, mostly avoiding the more sensational and ghoulish stories that have already been done to death elsewhere
An entertaining, breezy read and an often fascinating addition to the wealth of material already out there on these famous rock star deaths.”Blogcritics.org, 11/16/13
Plainly aimed at readers fascinated by specific pop-music artists whose careers burned both brightly and briefly
Meaningful to people who celebrate, even idolize these performers.”InfoDad.com, 11/14/13
Does a superb job of showing the connective-ness between the unfortunate members of the infamous 27 club
Sounes lays the facts out bare taking the superstition and mysteries out of this club. While also touching on the mysteries of a few of the twenty seven clubs deaths, the author keeps it logical and stays away from the excitable thoughts and conspiracies
Sounes does a wonderful job at giving little known information about the artist and a very well rounded biography before flowing into another artists story
A well articulated map of how these artists are connected, and stars are crossed.”Groovey.tv, 11/12/13
By using the 27 phenomenon as its starting point, the book manages to create a study of fame, damaged people and the occasionally disastrous results when you mix the two. And, naturally, when you mix drugs into the bargain
While this is not a biography, it serves as a more than adequate one for anyone wishing to learn about the real people behind the canonized music
when it comes to the story of talent, fame, and excessand the volatile combination these things make for in an already wounded young lifeHoward Sounes has produced a gold record.”A
Review
The book brings readers up to date with new findings, rumors and conspiracy theories. It could also serve as a primer for young musicians of what not to do if they achieve massive success.”
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 12/1/13
Souness even-handed approach is that of a crime reporter searching for the truth and insight into what connected these individuals in life and in death
Its a compelling read.”Curled Up with a Good Book, 11/26/13
Sounes furthers our understanding of what happened to these talented, young people
A provocative and persuasive read that goes further than any other publication on this particular topic.”Sacramento Book Review, December 2013
For anyone with an interest in the music scene, this has to be must reading
A fascinating book.”Bookviews blog, December 2013
Sounes does an admirable job of cutting through a lot of the drama without claiming to have definitive answers for some of the speculation
27 is thoroughly researched and features many new interviews with the principals who were in the inner circle of the six featured individuals.”My Big Honkin Blog, 11/24/13
[Sounes] makes a strong case that behind the coincidence is a common narrative for all six of the most notable members of the club. All were as troubled as they were talented, supremely vulnerable to exploitation and addiction, too young to know how much time they should have had left.”Boston Globe, 12/15/13
Sounes succeeds by moving well beyond that coincidental data into a hard look at the darkly powerful effects of sudden fame on relatively young, and generally fragile artists ill-prepared to deal with such pressures.”Metroland, 12/12/13
[Sounes] debunks the mythologies surrounding each in a refreshingly detached, matter-of-fact way
Sounes peels back the dense layers of the celebrity psyche and scrutinizes the underlying family problems, emotional issues, and mental illness that drove the stars to self-medicate with drugs or numb themselves with booze...Its an intriguing probe into whether certain personalitiesparticularly those in the public eyeare more at risk of a premature demise.”Examiner.com, 11/12/13
Synopsis
Over 180 interviews conducted by the author shed new light on and examine previously undiscovered connections between the famed members of the infamous "27 Club"
Synopsis
In 27, Howard Sounes examines the popular myth of the 27 Club, that ubiquitous notion that our most iconic musicians die at the young age of 27, whether from drugs, alcohol, misadventure, suicide, or even murder. Upon receiving the news of Kurt Cobains suicide, his mother famously remarked, I told him not to go and join that stupid club.” When Amy Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning, nearly every article mentioned the infamous legend of the 27 Club. Sounes tells the stories of all the iconic musicians who met their end before even turning 30 and, most importantly, what their stories have in common.
More than 40 well-known musicians have died at 27, and although this book focuses on the most iconic—Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, and Amy Winehouse—this ambitious narrative cuts across decades, players, and genres, exposing the surprising connections and similarities between these bright stars and their often dark and tortured souls.
Synopsis
The definitive, evidence-based history of the and#147;27 Cluband#8221; (music stars who died at 27), examining its six most iconic members
Synopsis
When singer Amy Winehouse was found dead at her London home in 2011, the press inducted her into what Kurt Cobain's mother named the 27 Club. "Now he's gone and joined that stupid club," she said in 1994, after being told that her son, the front man of Nirvana, had committed suicide. "I told him not to..." Kurt's mom was referring to the extraordinary roll call of stars who died at the same young age, including Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison of the Doors. All were talented. All were dissipated. All were 27.
In this haunting book, author Howard Sounes conducts the definitive forensic investigation into the lives and deaths of the six most iconic members of the Club, as well as some lesser known members, to discover what, apart from coincidence, this phenomenon signifies.
In a grimly fascinating journey through the dark side of the music business, Sounes uncovers a common story of excess, madness, and self-destruction. The fantasies, half-truths, and mythologies that have become associated with the Club are debunked. Instead, a clear and compelling narrative emerges, one based on hard facts, that unites these lost souls in both life and death.
Synopsis
More than 180 interviews conducted by the author shed new light on previously undiscovered connections between the ill-fated members of the infamous and#147;27 Cluband#8221;
In 27, Howard Sounes examines the popular myth of the and#147;27 Club,and#8221; that ubiquitous notion that our most iconic musicians die at that young age, whether from drugs and alcohol, misadventure, suicide, or even murder. Sounes not only tells their stories but also, and more importantly, finds the connectionsandmdash;surprising as well as eerieandmdash;between them.
More than forty well-known musicians have died at the age of 27. Although this book focuses on only the most iconic, all forty stories are discussed in an ambitious narrative that cuts across decades, players, and genres, exposing the surprising similarities between these music legends and their often dark and tortured stories.
About the Author
Howard Sounes is the author of a number of meticulously researched books of biography, history, and true crime, published in the UK, North America, and translated into over twenty languages. His previous works include Charles Bukowski: Locked in the Arms of a Crazy Life, Down the Highway: The Life of Bob Dylan, and Fab: An Intimate Life of Paul McCartney. He lives in London.