Immortal Axes

Description

"What a beautiful book...a great presentation and wonderful insight into these historic guitars." -Nils Lofgren on 108 Rock Star Guitars From the photographer of the critically acclaimed 108 Rock Star Guitars comes a new collection of guitar photos, including B.B. King, Kurt Cobain, and Prince as well as more than one hundred legendary rock icons. Lisa S. Johnson's journey into the world of rock and roll photography began more than seventeen years ago when she photographed the legendary Les Paul and his beloved Gibson during one of his famed sets at the Iridium Club in New York City. Ever since then, Johnson has had access to legendary rock icons around the globe, all of whom have shared some of their most intimate and treasured secrets: the guitars that they have loved and cherished. When 108 Guitars was published in 2013, Johnson hit a winning formula, igniting praise from critics and musicians alike with glowing reviews in USA Today, Associated Press, Guitar Player as well as effusive praise from noted musicians such as Slash, Nils Lofgren and Ian Hunter. Now, in Immortal Guitars, Johnson focuses on more than a hundred new musicians, a list of heavy-weight guitar aficionados who will not disappoint any guitar lover, including Dave Grohl, Elvis, Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Guy, Lita Ford, Prince, Eddie Van Halen, and BB King, to name a few.

Lisa S. Johnson (Malibu, CA, and Las Vegas, NV) grew up in an artistic family, where she fell in love with melody and imagery and pursued a career in photography. After a successful ten-year stint working at Eastman Kodak Co., she met the owner of a vintage guitar shop in Memphis, Tennessee, and began to exclusively photograph guitars. Lisa S. Johnson's stunning photos and her body of work have led to collaborations with the Malibu Guitar Festival, Museum of Making Music, and Museum of Design Atlanta. She collaborated with former Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine and author Brad Tolinski for Immortal Axes. Johnson lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with her partner and two boxer dogs. Les Paul (1915-2009) was a guitar player, inventor, and recording artist. In 1941, he built his first solid-body electric, helping to shepherd into existence rock music as we know it today.

"Johnson's latest large-format photo book covers guitars of 150 stars, from Eldon Shamblin to John 5, Jimi and Duane to Susanna Hoffs. It's big, impressive, and packed with 350 pics." - Vintage Guitar "The guitars featured in photographer Lisa S. Johnson's new book Immortal Axes aren't immortal just because they belonged to timeless stars, from Elvis to Chet Atkins to Eric Clapton. Many of the instruments themselves defied the odds, surviving fire, flood, theft, even a plane crash." - The Wall Street Journal, "This is a beautiful book that simply celebrates the classic instruments used by the great masters - Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Joan Jett, and so many more - but the wealth of the beautiful photos implies so much more." - Goldmine, "Guitar geeks get their gear on in this coffee table photography book about celebrity axes....Once you get your hands on this book, you will want to get your fingers on these strings." - Den of Geek, "Guitar porn is the best phrase for this photographer's eye-popping immersions into 160 instruments, complemented with text by former Guitar World editor (and Eddie Van Halen biographer) Brad Tolinski." - Oakland Press, "It's impossible to casually flip through this collection without taking notice of the colors, the layout and the overall essence of these instruments showcased in their element. Music fans, instrument aficionados, guitar players, fans of photography and individuals who appreciate style and content will love the gift of Immortal Axes: Guitars That Rock for the holidays or anytime of the year." - Vintage Rock, "The hands down winner of our Guitar Book of the Year 2021 goes to Lisa S. Johnson's beautiful book, Immortal Axes - Guitars That Rock, a tome that took significant research, miles on the road to meet with guitarists, guitar techs and other guitar gurus, and a magnificent photographic "eye" to capture the spirit and the beauty of our favorite instrument." - Guitar International, "Weapons-grade guitar porn. Photographer Lisa S. Johnson has passed this way before with 108 Rock Star Guitars , but it's a treat to see more of her museum-quality photography portraying the musical instrument as historical artefact." - Classic Rock, "[A] glossy guitar museum in print form, perhaps one of the most comprehensive photographic guitar books ever published....If you're a guitar player, a guitar lover, or maybe just a musician who appreciates the artistry of a classic looking instrument alongside the history that goes with them, then this is your next coffee table book." - Holy City Sinner, "Immortal Axes: Guitars That Rock is the undisputed champion of photo books. It clocks in at a little over five pounds and packs a powerful punch as it documents the instruments of B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix, and more than 150 music legends....[P]erfect for any music lover. It's a great conversation starter, whether you're debating the coolest guitar or discussing the important music history they hold in their strings." - The Aquarian Weekly, "[A] suitably hefty, weighty homage to what is arguably the most versatile of all musical instruments....Immortal Axes: Guitars That Rock is a feast for the eyes. In fact, it's well nigh impossible to direct the attention away from the stunning color photos and read the accompanying text authored by Johnson, related to the history of the objects as well as her photo shoots." - All About Jazz, "An elegant...tribute to nature...Beautifully written and illustrated." - Publishers Weekly, "Metalheads and acoustics, rejoice. The arrival of Lisa S. Johnson's new, image-driven book Immortal Axes: Guitars That Rock may prove to be something akin to your greatest, nerdiest fantasy....Johnson doesn't just showcase the beauty and texture of the electric guitar models themselves, she also highlights the personal histories behind each of them." - VENTS Magazine, "Photographer Johnson (108 Rock Star Guitars) delivers another eye-popping coffee-table tome that presents the instruments of musicians as diverse as B.B. King, Kurt Cobain, St. Vincent, the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Keith Richards, Dave Grohl, Nancy Wilson, Tom Petty and many more. Johnson's passion for these artists and their instruments veers into the abstract, yet possesses a sensual and ethereal aura, illustrating the intimate wear of each guitar." - Music Connection, "This book isn't simply a collection of photographs of guitars with or without their owners, oh no, this is 'guitar art', carefully constructed and created artistic photos of some of rock's (and other genres too) most iconic instruments....And you don't simply get a photo or two of the instrument being highlighted, you get stories of their creation, the year, make and model and the part they played (pun intended) in the artist's history. You also get some front and back photos and closeups of the headstock and pickups, again, all masterfully and artistically laid out by the author." - KNAC.com, "[M]usic fans will find much to entertain them in Immortal Axes: Guitars that Rock....Many legendary instruments are lovingly displayed in this coffee table book, including Jimmy Page's 1968 Double Neck of "Stairway to Heaven" fame. Oddities include Jerry Garcia's pretzel-shaped 1981 Alembic." - Shepherd Express, "In this sequel to 108 Rock Star Guitars, photographer Johnson examines 160 guitars (mostly electric) belonging to legendary musicians in a variety of genres: rock, country, blues, and jazz....For each lavishly and lovingly photographed axe (vintage and newer models), she lists the make, model number, and sometimes the luthier; includes a story about photographing the instrument; and discusses the importance of the guitar and its player in rock history....Johnson enthusiastically reminds readers about the dominance of raging, explosive electric guitars and the fiery guitarists who helped define music during the last half of the 20th century." - Library Journal STARRED REVIEW,