Billy F. Gibbons

Billy F Gibbons: Rock + Roll Gearhead is a combination of three books really, a short biography of BFG and the band, a look at some of his legendary car collection, and a glimpse at some of his also legendary guitar collection.

For me, this is a case of the sum being greater than the parts. I enjoyed the short bio/memoir section. It is short but is full of fun and interesting stories. If you've followed the band for close to 50 years you've likely heard most of it, but a nice walk down memory lane. Then the cars (and a motorcycle). If you were mostly interested in this part you may be a little disappointed. the pictures are nice but not particularly flashy. The short descriptions are kinda fun though. I did like that some of the pictures included interiors and engines instead of just the cool exteriors. Then the guitars. I think this section will appeal to guitarists more than the car section will appeal to gearheads, mainly because the photographs show the details of most of the guitars better than the car section does for the cars. The photography isn't over the top but there are some wonderful guitars here. If you want the unusual, they're here. If you want classic examples of older guitars, they're here.

Separately, each section might have registered as three stars for me. But having them together gave me just enough of a glimpse of how they connect and support each other that I like the overall book better. The book is nice enough to serve as a coffee table book, especially in a room where you might sit around with friends listening to music (do people still do that?).

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.… (meer)