Room Full of Mirrors: A Biography of Jimi Hendrix 
asked by reviewer on November 2, 2006 6:24 PM
On the 35th anniversary of his death comes the definitive biography of rock 'n' roll legend Jimi Hendrix-by the New York Times bestselling author Charles R. Cross oinciding with the 35th anniversary of Jimi Hendrix's tragic death in 1970, Room Full of Mirrors is the definitive biography of rock 'n' roll's greatest guitarist. Meticulously researched and based on more than 300 interviews with those who knew him best-more than half of whom have never spoken about him before-this landmark book recounts the entire arc of Hendrix's life, from his troubled childhood in Seattle's projects and the early loss of his mother to his struggles against racial prejudice as a young musician and his rapid ascent to the top amidst the swinging London scene, and finally to the apex of his career headlining Woodstock in 1969, with his death occurring a year later.
Reviews
0%
0%
i'm sorry but this is one of the weakest biographies i have ever read (and yes, i have read more than one). the writing is very poor, it reminds me of a grade 8 essay where you can easily see the way the facts have been jotted down in point form and then strung together to form sentences and paragraphs. i feel like half the time the author was simplky reciting a stat or tidbit jotted down on a cocktail napkin.
hendrix never comes alive in this book, you never get a feel for who the man was or where his genius came from and took him. it all feels very quick and breezy, little commentary or insight and more just a retelling of facts long since comitted to the annals of rock legend.
i daresay that the author would have done well to read the few cover stories on jimi put out over the years by britain's mojo magazine. these manage, in their few short pages, to tell the same story in a far deeper and more meaningful way.
when one compares this with - for example - neil young's biography 'shakey' by jimmy mcdonough, one can immediately see the difference between a well written biog and a poorly written one. icons are always a tough creature to dissect, there are layers and layers of worship and legend to get through to get to the real facts and paint a glimpse of the real person. but this also involves good writing; a biographer cannot simply write as a journalist, reciting facts and taking a time-out from any sort of personal insight or commentary. ultimately a good biographer seeks to explore the individual, to journey through their life and vividly assemble and comment on the facts, events, rumours, heresay, and legends that create that persona.
that is rarely done in this biog. this is a safe, conservative, backseat look at an artist who was rarely anything other than a complex genius who truly needs to be looked at with a critical as well as factual eye to fully understand.
not so the case here. skiiiiiiiiip it.
hendrix never comes alive in this book, you never get a feel for who the man was or where his genius came from and took him. it all feels very quick and breezy, little commentary or insight and more just a retelling of facts long since comitted to the annals of rock legend.
i daresay that the author would have done well to read the few cover stories on jimi put out over the years by britain's mojo magazine. these manage, in their few short pages, to tell the same story in a far deeper and more meaningful way.
when one compares this with - for example - neil young's biography 'shakey' by jimmy mcdonough, one can immediately see the difference between a well written biog and a poorly written one. icons are always a tough creature to dissect, there are layers and layers of worship and legend to get through to get to the real facts and paint a glimpse of the real person. but this also involves good writing; a biographer cannot simply write as a journalist, reciting facts and taking a time-out from any sort of personal insight or commentary. ultimately a good biographer seeks to explore the individual, to journey through their life and vividly assemble and comment on the facts, events, rumours, heresay, and legends that create that persona.
that is rarely done in this biog. this is a safe, conservative, backseat look at an artist who was rarely anything other than a complex genius who truly needs to be looked at with a critical as well as factual eye to fully understand.
not so the case here. skiiiiiiiiip it.
reviewed by success06 on November 8, 2006 12:53 PM
0%
0%
Symbolic of how he set the world of rock and roll on fire with his free feeling music, Jimi Hendrix often closed a performance by setting his guitar on fire. Charles Cross does an admirable job of unpeeling the many complex layers of the legend to reveal the poverty and neglect that shaped the human behind the hype. Cross details how Hendrix pushed and ignored boundaries of music and musicianship in a demand that the world take notice of him. His remarkable talent is undeniable-entirely self taught, his first guitar was resurrected from the trash and only had one string. That ignoble start produced the brilliance of a left handed man who could play any guitar by simply flipping it upside down.
The depth of the research and interviews Cross conducted is evident in his descriptions of Hendrix'early years. A typical lost soul during his teenage years, music became the centering force of Hendrix' life. He gave himself over so completely that the music owned the man-in his too short life of 27 years, music was the only thing he never quit. Cross captures the intensity of Hendrix' determination to be a star.
Through his carefully researched descriptions, Cross helps us to put into perspective the personal excess which led to Jimi's death,leaving us with the legacy of his haunting lyrics and amazing guitar playing. Cross makes no attempt to romanticize the drug use and blatant disregard for women displayed by Hendrix. He touches on any conflict Hendrix felt over the segregation in the music industry, but doesn't explore it with any depth.
I can't help but wonder how this creative genius who never knew there was a box to think out of would have reacted to the technology and electronics available to musicians today. I would like to believe that he wouldn't have given in completely to his outrageous theatrical streak and allow his performances to degenerate to all flash and no substance. The ultimate tragedy is that the man who refused to accept boundaries for his music lived every aspect of his life with the same disregard.
The depth of the research and interviews Cross conducted is evident in his descriptions of Hendrix'early years. A typical lost soul during his teenage years, music became the centering force of Hendrix' life. He gave himself over so completely that the music owned the man-in his too short life of 27 years, music was the only thing he never quit. Cross captures the intensity of Hendrix' determination to be a star.
Through his carefully researched descriptions, Cross helps us to put into perspective the personal excess which led to Jimi's death,leaving us with the legacy of his haunting lyrics and amazing guitar playing. Cross makes no attempt to romanticize the drug use and blatant disregard for women displayed by Hendrix. He touches on any conflict Hendrix felt over the segregation in the music industry, but doesn't explore it with any depth.
I can't help but wonder how this creative genius who never knew there was a box to think out of would have reacted to the technology and electronics available to musicians today. I would like to believe that he wouldn't have given in completely to his outrageous theatrical streak and allow his performances to degenerate to all flash and no substance. The ultimate tragedy is that the man who refused to accept boundaries for his music lived every aspect of his life with the same disregard.
reviewed by vern on November 12, 2006 5:34 PM
0%
0%
Charles Cross does a wonderful job of capturing the complex life of Jimi Hendrix.After reading his book I come away with one thought that kept nagging at me and that was that Jimi Hendrix was decades ahead of his time.Anyone curious about the inner workings of Rock stars and all the touring that ends up draining their energy will not be disappointed in this book.One of the most profound things I have ever read occurs On page 225 where Jimi is quoted as saying one time..."When the power of love overcomes the love of power...the world will know peace."
There are no boring sections in this book....quite the contrary as I found myself resentful of anything or anyone that got in the way of my reading time.I highly recommend this book to those like me who came of age in that wonderful time of the 60's and also to those younger who want to gain some insight into what makes a Rock n roll legend like Jimi Hendriks tick and whose life was snuffed out way too soon.
There are no boring sections in this book....quite the contrary as I found myself resentful of anything or anyone that got in the way of my reading time.I highly recommend this book to those like me who came of age in that wonderful time of the 60's and also to those younger who want to gain some insight into what makes a Rock n roll legend like Jimi Hendriks tick and whose life was snuffed out way too soon.
reviewed by reader99 on November 14, 2006 12:20 PM
0%
0%
I'm very glad I read this biography. By focusing sympathetically on Jimi Hendrix's early childhood, Charles Cross gives you a greater understanding of Hendrix's remarkable artistry.
I flat-out don't understand some of the vitriol some reviewers have expressed.
I flat-out don't understand some of the vitriol some reviewers have expressed.
reviewed by stonefox on November 24, 2006 11:24 PM
0%
0%
Cross is a good writer but like his Kurt Cobain book "Heavier than Heaven" the focus tends to be more on the drama and less on the tunes. I'm sorry if I'm not excited reading Jimi lied about being homosexual to get out of Vietnam and his sexcapades. Material like that is well past cliche at this point. There are plenty of solid interviews with people who knew Jimi and that's a good thing. It would have been better if they'd taken a harder look at the music.
reviewed by selena on November 26, 2006 1:16 AM