Starting at Zero: His Own Story

Starting at Zero is the story of Jimi Hendrix in the legendary rock guitarist's own words. Compiled from interviews and the lyrical content of his songs by filmmaker Peter Neal, it offers a perspective on Hendrix rarely seen in books about superstars, an intimate portrait that reveals much more about his inner motivations than any historical biography.

Hendrix speaks of his life with a quiet grace that seems at odds with his noisy stage persona, beginning with his childhood in Seattle and his early love of poetry "mostly about flowers and nature and people wearing robes."

He took his band, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, to London in the mid-1960s, paying dues and earning a reputation for brilliant improvisation and musical talent. He also began to resent the fans who wanted him to do the same thing every night, smash his guitar over and over, play the same hits.

Soon, however, he becomes exhausted from touring, his words creating increasingly bizarre imagery, his songs turning trippy and vague. The last four years of his life are turbulent and confusing, as Hendrix retreats further into his music, his own solitude and--though never directly mentioned--drugs.

Starting at Zero is a beautiful tribute, all the more compelling for its lack of biographical or historical context. There are just the words of Jimi Hendrix, a brilliant and tragic guitarist with the soul of a poet. --Rob LeFebvre, freelance writer and editor

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