Jimi Hendrix Lyric Book to be Published

Michael Leonard

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07.18.2012

Jimi Hendrix: The Ultimate Lyric Book is a new 304-page hardcover book to be published in November 2012. It is compiled by Jimi’s sister, Janie Hendrix, president and CEO of the family-run Experience Hendrix company that oversees the use of Jimi’s music and image. It is due on November 13 via Backbeat.
The official book description says: “Jimi Hendrix was such an extraordinary guitarist, it can be easy to forget that 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 hitherto unexplored within the realm of pop music. From the existential euphoria of ‘I Don’t LiveToday’ 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),’ his lyrics remain among the greatest in the pantheon of rock, infused with the same inventiveness, virtuosity, and courage that informed his guitar playing.
“Here are all the words to the Hendrix classics you've rocked along to for years, as well as unpublished songs from Valley of Neptune and other hitherto undiscovered sources, have been gathered together.
“Jimi Hendrix: The Ultimate Lyric Book, compiled by Janie L. Hendrix, is extraordinarily personal. It includes numerous examples of Jimi’s handwritten lyrics, often scribbled on hotel stationery, as well as photos of Jimi to accompany every song. Much of this material has never been seen before. [It] will give you a glimpse of the lyricist behind the songs, a songwriter whose words were just as searing as his solos.”
Jimi Hendrix: The Ultimate Lyric Book is available for pre-order now for $40 at BackbeatBooks.com. Is there guitar tab? No.