Description
Book Synopsis This is the first full-length biography of Keith Relf, frontman for the Yardbirds and one of the great tragic characters in rock history. Keith''s moody vocals and harmonica helped to define the Yardbirds'' sound on a string of innovative hit records in the 1960s that influenced garage rock, psychedelia, blues rock, hard rock and heavy metal. Numerous books have been written about the Yardbirds'' famous guitarists--Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page--yet Keith has remained a mysterious and elusive figure since his death by electrocution at age 33.
A deeply private person, prone to depression and poor health, Keith was ill-suited to the life of a rock star. In the years following the Yardbirds'' breakup, as the band''s guitarists became household names playing blues-based rock, Keith insisted on pursuing new musical paths, always searching for something new and trying to extend the Yardbirds'' spirit of curiosity and innovation. By the time of his death in 1976, Keith
Table of Contents
- Table of Contents
- Acknowledgments—ix
- Foreword by Alice Cooper—1
- Preface—3
- Introduction—5
- 1. Richmond Upon Thames—9
- 2. Ready, Steady, Go!—20
- 3. Emotional Experiences in Sound—39
- 4. Invaders—50
- 5. Pop Art—62
- 6. Blow Up—81
- 7. Dazed and Confused—99
- 8. A Fresh Start—119
- 9. The Good Life—134
- 10. The Human Element—142
- 11. A Place in the Sun—147
- 12. The Battle of Light and Dark—155
- 13. Farewell—167
- Epilogue—175
- Selected Discography—177
- Chapter Notes—185
- Bibliography—193
- Index—195
