Out now – Modern Listener Guide: Jimi Hendrix; Foreword by Derek Trucks Afterword by John McLaughlin

I am beyond thrilled to announce the publication of my 15th nonfiction book, and the one that is surely closest to my heart – Modern Listener Guide: Jimi Hendrix, with a foreword by Derek Trucks and an afterword by John McLaughlin. After five years spent writing this book, I’d be grateful if you’d read the following brief media release and consider stopping by the book’s website to learn more. Cheers!


“There are some guys who continue to write out of a true passion for real rock music, and Frank Moriarty is one of this select bunch.”

- Brian May, founding guitarist, QUEEN


Acclaimed author and musician Frank Moriarty brings to life the world of Jimi Hendrix in his new book Modern Listener Guide: Jimi Hendrix, with a foreword by Derek Trucks and an afterword by John McLaughlin.


With informed commentary and spirited critical perspective, Moriarty expertly leads the way through the studio sessions, live concert recordings, and myriad album and box set releases that comprise the imposing legacy of one of the world’s great guitarists and musical personalities.


Exhaustively researched and fully illuminating in both detail and critical analysis, Modern Listener Guide: Jimi Hendrix comprises over 150,000 words spanning 260 pages with more than 180 images, most in full color, ranging from unpublished photographs to historical documentation.


By balancing a colorful, up-to-date and historically accurate portrait of Jimi's life and career interspersed with insightful commentary on dozens of significant releases that stand as cornerstones of his creativity, Modern Listener Guide: Jimi Hendrix will be invaluable to readers just discovering Hendrix, and will also appeal to those already familiar with Jimi's compelling music and unforgettable life.


Please visit www.ModernListenerPublishing.com for more information, free sample material from the book, and special limited time savings of 20% off the print edition and 10% off eBook editions…

 

Good luck with the book !

 

You do a great job of integrating photos. I like.

 

Thank you kindly...

 

The cover photo, by the way, is Jimi Hendrix Experience lineup 2 with Billy Cox, shot on May 16, 1970 in Cheltenham, just outside Philadelphia. Temple University Stadium is no longer in existence. This photograph - and three others in the book - were shot by Michael McGettigan.

 

Downloaded and reading now Frank. Thank you.

More later when I can pull myself away from reading the book

 

Thank you very much! It took me five years to write it - hopefully the reading will come along at a quicker pace

 

btw, I should point out that though the last release covered in detail within the book pages is Both Sides of the Sky - though the imminent arrival of the 50th anniversary Electric Ladyland set is referred to in several places - I intend to continue the book with all future releases on the website. Access to that material is free and open to all. I'm finalizing my work on the 50th ELL now, and that will be the first entry of this ongoing content at www.modernlistenerpublishing.com - I'll post when this is available for consumption Meanwhile, please do drop by the website for a good look at the book and sample material, etc.

Cheers!

 

Cool. I checked out the site, poked around a bit. Good stuff!
I look forward to getting and reading the book. Thanks for the heads up and good luck, I hope the book does well.

 

Thank you for the kind words. It was such a push to get the website development wrapped up that I'm just coming to terms with the realization that the book is actually released!

 

Was that the show with Steve Miller Band supporting? I remember Steve saying how unwell, deathly Jimi looked.

 

This looks really good, nice work man, I'm probably going to have to get it. Can it be read on a Kindle? I'm assuming so.

 

I grabbed a "straight" download late last night. I think I noticed a kindle version in the selection of types of download options once bought.

 

Congratulations! Writing 15 non-fiction books is very impressive. Not that I'm dissing fiction but you don't have to deal with footnotes and references haha. All the best

 

Yes, it was, but I was at this show and Jimi was in fine form. My friend Michael McGettigan, who shot the cover photo, was extremely close to the stage (see the image on my monitor here, also in the book's pages: The Look of the Book - Modern Listener Publishing ) and he thought he was in good spirits as well.

Of course, we saw him on stage - it's possible backstage Jimi didn't look so good, and it was a grey and rainy day anyway. Perhaps bolstering Miller's impression, Jimi cancelled his gigs the next weekend (at this point he'd negotiated with manager Mike Jeffery to play long weekends gigging with most weekdays dedicated to the studio) - he next stepped on stage on May 30 at the stunning Berkeley shows. No details exist detailing Jimi's illness, if in fact he actually was ill.

 

Yes, all eBook editions are available - you can check out the eBook purchase links off www.modernlistenerpublishing.com

If you do decide to buy a copy (and if so, thank you!) be sure to use the coupon code MLGJH when checking out - 10% off list for eBook editions, 20% off on the print edition.

Thank you all for your interest - it was quite the journey to get this book out. I had a lot of help ranging from the great guitarists who provided the foreword and afterword to people like John Storyk, who designed Electric Lady Studios, and Roger Mayer, who invented now-legendary guitar effects and toured the US with the Experience...

 

Sounds and looks very interesting. I want a printed copy and will order one. Always more room for another book about Hendrix. I hope this is the best, it looks like a very nice publication. Good luck with the sales. Hope you sell a million copies.

 

I will order the ebook. As a Jimi Hendrix fan and collector I enjoyed the sample section about Jimi's performance at Woodstock. As a reader I am always interested in learning new things about Jimi.

 

Thank you Reader and ranasakawa!

Though I had offers from some book entities and was even sent a contract by one publisher in the UK, I’ve written enough books to know the dangers of losing creative control – much like what happened with Jimi’s careful instructions about how he wanted Electric Ladyland to look, which the labels immediately ignored. By retaining all control, my book is as long as I wanted and needed, has all the images I wanted to use, and is laid out in the manner I envisioned – all framed within a beautiful interior by book designer Gina Stewart, and a dynamic cover by Dale Sprague at Canyon Creative. And when the author’s happy, hopefully the readers are, too!

 

By the way, from a Google search: “The average nonfiction book, if such a thing exists, runs about 50,000 words; longer books run about 75,000 words.” Modern Listener Guide: Jimi Hendrix is twice the long book figure, weighing in at more than 150K words. And I think every single one of them is important

 

I downloaded the book a little earlier, and just started reading it. I really enjoyed your writing style in the Woodstock "sample" on your website, so just had to buy the download.

Will it be possible to edit in your subsequent words about the 50th anniversary Electric Ladyland?

Have you considered putting up a Spotify (or Tidal) playlist on your website (or does this cost money?)

 

Thank you for the complement - it is appreciated...

I'm actually working on the 50th anniversary Electric Ladyland content right now, which will soon be posted on the website for free access by anyone. As far as editing it into the eBook content, I have absolutely no idea how that might work. Getting the text formatted for the eBook editions was an eye-opening experience, as I'd never issued an eBook before to complement a print edition. Fortunately (for me and readers, ha ha ha) the production staff at BookBaby were first rate in accomplishing this. BookBaby handles all of the production and order fulfillment for this book. They are headquartered near me and I was able to tour their facilities several times - the quality of their work and the technology at their disposal is just amazing.

Is that what you were asking, serendipitydawg - about actually editing the upcoming Chapter Twenty-One into the eBook source file?

 

Yes Frank, exactly that.

As there will inevitably be more releases that you will inevitably write about, this facility would mean that your book never goes out of date.

If the book takes off you could sell subscriptions

 

Well, that's an approach I hadn't thought of Of course, then there'd be the administration and marketing of the subscription list, as well as distribution, although I suppose a "come and get" download site with a fully updated e-text would make the most sense.

For now, though, I think I'll hang with the plan of just making the new chapters free on the website as individual entities. Even if we get ten new releases over the next few years (probably dreaming there ) that total content will be a small percentage compared to the entire total of the book as published today.

Please do let me know how you like the book itself, though!

 

I have got as far as Chapter 5, listening to Jimi as I read. Haven't listened to Monterey or Stages 67 for ages! Your inputs from a musician's perspective are educational. A couple of times I have listened to a track twice in an attempt to hear exactly what you are describing.

Is there a test at the end of the book?