Biography: arts and entertainment Books
HarperCollins Publishers Inc A Little Thing Called Life
Book SynopsisTrade Review"Courageous and passionate enough to always embrace change, Linda has infused her life, love, and creativity with spirituality and a truly open heart." -- Jane Seymour, actress "Linda and Elvis sitting in bed doing [Monty] Python sketches in shrilt middle-aged women's voices was something I found hard to believe. I love this woman. You will too." -- Eric Idle, comedian "Linda has led an extraordinary life filled with both blessings and challenges, but she has met them both with grace and kindness." -- Roma Downey, actress "From Graceland's Jungle Room to the beaches of Malibu, my dear friend Linda shares her incredibly interesting and emotional journey, where she never once lost her sense of humor or maiden name." -- Kevin Nealon, comedian "Once in a while a memoir comes along that will change your life. This is not that book, but it is a fascinating inside look at pop-culture history from the nicest, most beautiful woman in the world." -- Jon Lovitz, comedian "Linda Thompson has had quite a life, and she's quite a woman. She is sweet, gentle, articulate, and loving. She's glamorous, so fun-and she's a mom. As her song says, this is all 'a little thing called life' but her life was no little thing." -- Tony Danza, actor "A funny thing happened on the way to Linda's life, namely Elvis, Bruce/Caitlyn, David Foster, and a rock star son. I was mesmerized by the front row seat 'behind the curtain.' A must-read!" -- Sela Ward, actress "Linda is loving, full of spirit, and always makes you feel as if you are the most important person in the room." -- Tim Allen, comedian "Words are the voice of the heart, and with Linda's Southern grace, she speaks with the tenderness, strength, and resilience of a true Steel Magnolia." -- Billy Ray Cyrus, musician "What amazes me about Linda goes far beyond her ridiculous talents for writing lyrics-it is that amidst the interesting and seemingly overwhelming and unique life she's led, she has remained the same beautiful human being she has always been." -- Brooke Shields, actress
£13.00
Michael O'Mara Taylor Swift Era by Era
Book SynopsisCelebrate the incredible career of pop music’s biggest star in this sparkling biography.We’re all living in the Taylor Swift Era. Since her 2006 debut album she’s sold more than 200 million records, sold out countless arenas and become one of the most influential artists of her generation. Her Eras Tour is on track to gross more than $1 billion by the time it concludes in December 2024, and her most recent studio album hit No. 1 in more than 25 countries. In this revealing and entertaining biography, author and music journalist Caroline Sullivan charts Taylor’s journey from budding country starlet to pop music phenomenon, encompassing her evolution as an artist, her high-profile relationships and the stories behind her songs. Each of Taylor’s Eras is explored in depth, detailing her influences, her collaborators and the aesthetics that have become such a crucial part of her performance. Featuring a stunning photographic se
£13.49
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Down the Rabbit Hole Curious Adventures and
Book SynopsisTrade Review"Reads like a celebrity memoir infused with The Bell Jar and Going Clear." -- Buzzfeed
£16.49
Random House USA Inc Greenlights
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£24.00
Simon & Schuster Thelonious Monk
Book SynopsisFrom the mind of brilliant historian Robin Kelley comes the first full biography of legendary jazz musician Thelonious Monk, including full access to the family''s archives, dozens of interviews, and an afterword for Monk’s 2017 centennial.Thelonious Monk is the critically acclaimed, gripping saga of an artist’s struggle to “make it” without compromising his musical vision. It is a story that, like its subject, reflects the tidal ebbs and flows of American history in the twentieth century. To his fans, he was the ultimate hipster; to his detractors, he was temperamental, eccentric, taciturn, or childlike. His angular melodies and dissonant harmonies shook the jazz world to its foundations, ushering in the birth of “bebop” and establishing Monk as one of America’s greatest composers. Elegantly written and rich with humor and pathos, Thelonious Monk is the definitive work on modern jazz’s m
£20.70
Hodder & Stoughton Madonna: A Rebel Life - THE ULTIMATE GIFT FOR
Book Synopsis*A SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR A GUARDIAN MEMOIR OF THE YEAR A TELEGRAPH BEST MUSIC BOOK OF THE YEAR *'Chronicles, in enthralling detail, Madonna Louise Ciccone's path from terrifyingly ambitious trainee dancer to pop colossus, all the while placing her in a wider social and cultural context.' GUARDIAN MAGAZINE'Gabriel charts her extraordinary life, right through to pop icon. She deserves a biographer as meticulous, intelligent and insightful as Gabriel.' DAILY MAIL'Madonna built the house in which nearly all female artists now live . . . A Rebel Life brings home not just her obvious willpower and strength, but her fearlessness and sheer intelligence' DAILY TELEGRAPH'A fascinating take on one of music's greatest icons' BELFAST TELEGRAPH'It's a mark of Gabriel's skill that she has managed to wrestle this complex, sprawling, eventful life into a book that rarely flags and conveys its subject's wider significance without tipping into hagiography. We come to understand Madonna the person as well as Madonna the concept: a woman who, for a generation, embodied female artistic, sexual and financial liberation.' GUARDIANIn this exceptional biography, Pulitzer Prize finalist Mary Gabriel chronicles the meteoric rise and enduring influence of the greatest female pop icon of the modern era: Madonna.With her arrival on the music scene in the early 1980s, Madonna generated nothing short of an explosion - as great as that of Elvis or the Beatles - taking the nation by storm with her liberated politics and breathtaking talent. But Madonna was more than just a pop star. Everywhere, fans gravitated to her as an emblem of a new age, one in which feminism could shed the buttoned-down demeanour of the 1970s and feel relevant to a new generation. Amid the scourge of AIDS, she brought queer identities into the mainstream, fiercely defending a person's right to love whomever - and be whoever - they wanted. Despite fierce criticism, she never separated her music from her political activism. And as an artist, she never stopped experimenting. Madonna existed to push past boundaries by creating provocative, visionary music, videos, films and live performances that changed culture globally. Deftly tracing Madonna's story from her Michigan roots to her rise to super-stardom, master biographer Mary Gabriel captures the dramatic life and achievements of one of the greatest artists of our time.Trade ReviewMary Gabriel has dared to write a biography of a woman with whom the entire world is on a first-name basis. Here, she reveals Madonna as a rock-and-roll suffragette, managing the stress test of her personal life and using the power of music to bring about social change. Exquisitely detailed in her storytelling, Gabriel convinces us that we all still vogue in the House of Madonna -- Brad Gooch, author of CITY POET: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF FRANK O'HARAMary Gabriel's astonishing book with its pointillist detail feels fresh, surprising, vital, and necessary. It's thrilling to be reminded of how brave Madonna has been-to a fault! It doesn't matter where it springs from, because the results are the same: a singular, towering career that changed the culture -- Jonathan Van Meter, author of THE LAST GOOD TIMEMary Gabriel eloquently tells the engrossing story of how Madonna combined music, dance, art, fashion, theater and pop stardom to develop a completely contemporary way to be an artist. It chronicles how her embrace of the artistic vanguard transformed popular culture -- Jeffrey Deitch, author of ART IN THE STREETSMadonna built the house in which nearly all female artists now live . . . A Rebel Life brings home not just her obvious willpower and strength, but her fearlessness and sheer intelligence -- Suzanne Moore * Daily Telegraph *This meticulous study puts the shape-shifting star in proper context . . . It's a mark of Gabriel's skill that she has managed to wrestle this complex, sprawling, eventful life into a book that rarely flags and conveys its subject's wider significance without tipping into hagiography * Guardian, *Book of the Day* *
£18.04
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Grant Green Rediscovering the Forgotten Genius of
Book SynopsisGRANT GREEN REDISCOVERING THE FORGOTTEN GENIUS OF JAZZ GUITAR
£18.57
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers The Yardbirds
Book SynopsisTHE YARDBIRDS THE BAND THAT LAUNCHED ERIC CLAPTON JEFF BECK AND JIMMY PAGE SFTCOVER
£21.53
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc Gang of Four's Entertainment!
Book SynopsisFollowing hard on the explosion of British punk, in 1979 Gang of Four produced post-punk’s smartest record, Entertainment! For the first time, a band wedded punk’s angry energy to funk’s propulsive beats—and used that music to put across lyrics that brought a heady mixture of Marxist theory and situationism to exposing the cultural politics of everyday life. But for an American college student from the suburbs—and, one expects, for many, many others, including British youth—Jon King’s and Andy Gill’s mumbled lyrics were often all but unintelligible. Political rock ‘n’ roll is always something of an oxymoron: rock audiences by and large don’t tune in to be lectured to. But what can it mean that a band that made pop songs as political theory actively resisted making that theory legible? Coming to terms with the impact of Entertainment! requires us to take the mondegreen—the misunderstood lyric—seriously. The old joke has it that the title of R.E.M.’s debut album should have been not Murmur, but Mumble: true, so far as it goes. But that’s the title, too, of rock ‘n’ roll’s Greatest Hits compilation—and that strategic inarticulateness itself, which creates such an important role for the listener, has an important politics.Trade ReviewKevin Dettmar, having been an American college student in the '70s, is-in an odd way-the ideal author to write the 33 1/3 series volume #91 about British post-punk band Gang of Four's album Entertainment! (1979). In addition to being well-versed to discuss the cultural and musical implications of such a band steeped in leftist and “Situationist” political theory, in the book's introduction, he also proclaims the band to be his “favorite of all time.” This is the kind of mixture of knowledge and fervor that has made the series a great addition to the literature about pop music. Dettmar tends to beat us over the head with the Marxism and Situationism in the British band's lyrics and approach, the way their lyrics make sharp social commentary in counterpoint to their equally jagged yet seductive dance rhythms. It's a bit of a stretch, the case he makes for each of the songs as a “think piece,” but it may help the casual listener to give the band another spin to listen for what is hidden subversively in their sound. * SLUG Magazine *There are not many great Marxist/feminist rock bands, but Gang of Four have a strong claim of being among them. Entertainment was their first album, released in 1979, is innovative both musically and with its lyrics; it was a time of many great albums … Kevin Dettmar aims to address the power of the Gang of Four in his short book on their album Entertainment … The text refers to many different figures and ideas, including Emerson, Don Delillo, James Joyce and Engels. Mostly, his approach is plausible and clever, although he is occasionally eccentric … this book is worthwhile. -- Christian Perring, Dowling College, USA * Metapsychology Online Reviews 19:8 *Words are at the very heart of Kevin Dettmar’s affectionate retrospective of the Leeds quartet’s first and best-known album, 1979’s Entertainment! - not only because Dettmar is a professor of English but because Gang of Four’s debut is a veritable treasure trove of punning, word play and semantic dissonance. -- Houman Barekat * The Quietus *Table of ContentsIntroduction Keywords Ideology Nature Theory Alienation Consumer Sex Back to the Gutters
£9.49
Chicago Review Press Im with the Band
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£15.29
Ballast Books Reality Check: Making the Best of the Situation -
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£23.69
Rowman & Littlefield Let's Go!: Benjamin Orr and The Cars
Book Synopsis“When Ben got out of the hospital he said, ‘When I fall down and can’t pick myself up we’ll know it’s over. Until then, we rock!’” – Jeff CarlisiBenjamin Orr was the co-founder, co-lead singer, and bassist for the platinum-selling rock band The Cars. Often considered the band’s heartthrob, Orr possessed an incredible voice, diverse musical talent, and rare stage presence, all balanced by an enigmatic personality and a relentless determination to reach rock stardom.Selling over 30 million albums worldwide with fifteen Billboard Top 40 hits, The Cars certainly achieved success. Within a decade of the debut album, though, Orr found himself adrift and without a band. Veteran music journalist Joe Milliken draws together interviews with over 120 family members, friends, bandmates, and music associates from Orr's life, as well as many unpublished and never-before-seen photos from private collections, to reveal an intimate portrait of one of classic rock’s greatest talents. From Orr’s first performances as a house-band musician for the TV show UpBeat through his creation of The Cars with Ric Ocasek to Orr’s eventual rebirth with the supergroup Big People, this definitive account of Orr’s life is a rollercoaster ride that sheds new light on the history of The Cars.Orr is no longer able to rock with The Cars, but the music he made with them continues to attract new generations of fans. Coinciding with the band’s 2018 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, this first-ever biography of Benjamin Orr immortalizes his legacy as a deeply kind-hearted and exceptionally talented musician who would stop at nothing to live his rock and roll dream.Trade ReviewIf rock star genetics truly exist, Benjamin Orr was certainly born with the gene. His persona and his talent came naturally, without trying to play the role. His generosity and love are a big part of his legacy and that comes through beautifully in Milliken’s book. -- Jeff Carlisi, guitarist for 38 Special, Big PeopleMilliken lifts the veil on the ice-cool demeanor of Ben Orr, the languid rocking voice at the center of The Cars' classic pop-rock sound, uncovering details behind his musical journey. I'm very glad that such an informative and insightful book has finally been written about Ben since his contribution to classic rock music is vast and cannot be ignored. -- Pat Travers, rock guitaristI find it fitting that my talented friend Joe would write a book about another friend, Benjamin Orr. Ben was a fantastic singer and musician, and a gifted writer - another thing Ben had in common with Joe! -- Charlie Farren, vocalist, guitarist for FARRENHEIT, Joe Perry ProjectTo know Ben was an honor and a pleasure. He could go from ‘rock god’ to ‘bro’ in seconds, ready to go hang with the boys, but usually be a magnet for the girls. There was no pretense, just talent and good nature. Hats off to Joe Milliken for making sure his story is remembered. -- Bill Gerber, film producer and formerly of Lookout ManagementThis book is a roller-coaster ride through the 60s and 70s with the movers and shakers of the Cleveland music scene, where Ben Orr grew up! -- Walt Masky, Cleveland television and record producerMy adventures with Ben before, during and after The Cars and pop stardom, were always marked with mischief and an effortless connection. He was a delightful, generous, magnetic and down-to-earth guy, with one of the greatest voices I’ve ever heard. I’m so glad Joe Milliken is telling Ben’s story. -- Fuzzbee Morse, multi-instrumentalist, film and music composer, producer
£27.03
Hal Leonard Corporation Leonard Marianne and Me
Book SynopsisIn 1973, Judy Scott was intent on traveling to Istanbul, but serendipitously she stumbled onto the incomparable Greek island of Hydra and the people who would continue, over many subsequent visits, to enhance and influence her life ever after.This memoir, based on notebooks and journals Scott kept during various times and visits to her favorite place on earth, recounts in very intimate detail her interactions and developing relationships with singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen and his beautiful muse and love of his life Marianne Ihlen. As Leonard himself observed of this book when Scott sent the manuscript to him for his approval: I particularly admire the detail and honesty of the piece. One of the more unique features in this recounting is the emerging acknowledgment the author confronts of her own sexuality, as she recounts: It did not take long for Leonard to recognize that I was more attracted to Marianne than I was to him, though I came to love him too in the end. <
£17.99
The History Press Ltd The Invisible Man: The Story of Rod Temperton,
Book Synopsis‘My favourite moment is when I finish a song, that is the moment I cherish.’ – Rod TempertonThe Invisible Man tells the remarkable story of how Rod Temperton worked his way up from a Grimsby fish factory to become one of the most successful songwriters of all time.Born in Cleethorpes in 1949, Temperton embarked on a career in music with the funk band Heatwave, for whom he wrote the international hits ‘Boogie Nights’ and ‘Always and Forever’, before his songwriting talent caught the attention of Michael Jackson’s legendary producer, Quincy Jones.For Jackson’s Off the Wall album, Temperton penned both the hit ‘Rock with You’ and the album’s title track. Three years later, he started work on what would become the best-selling album of all time – Michael Jackson’s Thriller – writing three songs, including the now legendary title track. And yet despite collaborating with some of music’s biggest stars, including Donna Summer and Michael McDonald, Temperton was famously reclusive and seldom gave interviews. Having enjoyed unprecedented access to the great man for his Sony Award-winning radio documentary on Temperton, Jed Pitman presents the fully updated, definitive story of one of music’s most talented individuals.
£12.34
Globe Pequot Press American Standard
Book SynopsisYOU''LL NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU''LL CATCH: CHEAP TRICK FROM THE BARS TO THE BUDOKAN AND BEYOND
£17.99
Globe Pequot Press Infinite Dreams
Book SynopsisBest known for co-founding the early punk duo Suicide, Alan Vega lived a complex and labyrinthine life, driven by a desire to express himself uncompromisingly through art. From his first sketch in art class at Brooklyn College to the 2021 release of the album Mutator five years after his death, Vega continues to shock and inspire.This first-ever biography of Vega tells the story of the man's life and art, beginning with his early attempts to live a normal life and his epiphanic encounter with Iggy Pop in 1969. Although becoming a performer on stage had been at the bottom of Vega's list of lifetime ambitions, Iggy changed his mind: he needed music to truly express his vision. Radical Dreams goes on to describe Vega's many experiments across a variety of media, including the partnership with Marty Rev that became Suicide, which challenged audiences to look deep inside themselves and to not settle for distractions.Written by Vega's widow Liz Lamere in collaboration with a
£25.50
HarperCollins Brothers
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£20.95
Whitefox Publishing Ltd Cedric Morris: A Life in Art and Plants
Book SynopsisCedric Morris (1889-1982) was an accomplished painter of flowers and landscapes, and a plantsman whose irises are an enduring legacy. This is a timely study of a man whose stock has risen appreciably in recent years, with two London exhibitions, a stand at the Chelsea Flower Show and a surge in prices for his paintings. With his lifelong partner, Arthur Lett-Haines, Cedric Morris set up the East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing in Suffolk, where students included the young Lucian Freud and Maggi Hambling. Drawing on archive material and extensively illustrated with the work of Morris as well as artists who became part of his circle, this book explores Morris's family roots in South Wales, follows his travels in Europe and beyond in the 1920s, and evokes the singular camaraderie of the East Anglian School.
£999.99
Temple University Press,U.S. Whisper Not
Book SynopsisOne of the greatest artists our country has is Benny Golson. He is not only a great musician, but an original and fabulous composer. He is inventive and creative and his work is loved the world over. Benny is a rare, creative genius. All I would like to say is THREE CHEERS for Benny Golson!Tony BennettComposer supreme, tenor man supreme, jazz man supreme, good guy supreme: that's BENNY GOLSON!Sonny RollinsBorn during thede factoinaugural era of jazz, saxophonist Benny Golson learned his instrument and the vocabulary of jazz alongside John Coltrane while Golson was still in high school in Philadelphia. Quickly establishing himself as an iconic fixture on the jazz landscape, Golson performed with dozens of jazz greats, from Sonny Rollins, Coleman Hawkins, and Jimmy Heath to Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard, and many others. An acclaimed composer, Golson also wrote music for Hollywood films and television and composed such memorable jazz standards as Stablemates, Killer Joe, and Whisper NTable of ContentsPreface, by Jim Merod IntroductionPart I John Coltrane Chapter 1 One of a Kind: John Coltrane Chapter 2 John and I Meet Diz and Bird Chapter 3 John Becomes a Dynamo Part II The ’Hood and Youthful Reckonings Chapter 4 Uncle Robert and the Man Chapter 5 Two Heroes and a Night at Minton’s Chapter 6 Early Tragedies and Victories Chapter 7 Welfare Days, Hard TimesPart III Great People Chapter 8 No One Else: Bobbie Hurd Chapter 9 Moose and Bostic Chapter 10 Art Blakey’s Neophytes and Tadd Dameron’s Luck Chapter 11 Further Adventures with Tadd and an Evening with Louis Armstrong Chapter 12 The Duel: Clifford Brown and Fats Navarro Chapter 13 Wonder and Beauty: Betty Carter and Art Farmer Chapter 14 Genius Squared: Jimmy and Percy Heath Chapter 15 Unrivaled Aces: Sarah Vaughan and Bill Evans Chapter 16 Four "Brothers": Mulgrew Miller, Woody Herman, Henry Brant, and George RussellPart IV Hollywood Chapter 17 Starting Over Chapter 18 Gettin’ My Mojo Workin’ Chapter 19 M*A*S*H Chapter 20 Movie Stars Like Jazz, TooPart V Amazing Friendships Chapter 21 Quincy Jones Chapter 22 Sweets and Diz Chapter 23 Philly Joe Jones Chapter 24 Monk, Max, and Dinah Chapter 25 Curtis Fuller and The JazztetPart VI Music and Writing Chapter 26 Writing Chapter 27 Lessons Chapter 28 "Stablemates": My First Recorded Song Chapter 29 "Along Came Betty" Chapter 30 "I Remember Clifford" Chapter 31 The Ballad and "Weight"Part VII Icons Chapter 32 Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks Chapter 33 Duke and Strayhorn Chapter 34 Coleman Hawkins Chapter 35 Art Blakey and Thelonious Monk Chapter 36 Blakey and The Jazz Messengers Chapter 37 Kenny Dorham and Lee Morgan Chapter 38 Sonny Rollins Chapter 39 Great Performances: Oscar Pettiford, Ron Carter, Billy Higgins, Billy Taylor, and Walter Davis, Jr. Chapter 40 Charles Mingus, Benny Goodman, Gigi Gryce, and Horace Silver Chapter 41 Peggy Lee and Diana Ross Chapter 42 Milt "Bags" Jackson, Larry Young, Joe Farrell, and Tony Williams Chapter 43 Wynton Kelly and Chick Corea Chapter 44 Miles Davis and Geoffrey Keezer Chapter 45 Mickey Rooney, Redd Foxx, Jersey Joe Walcott, and Muhammad AliPart VIII Verses and a Coda Chapter 46 Notes on Starting Over Chapter 47 The Blues Chapter 48 Brielle Coda: A New Way of Life Acknowledgments Index
£29.45
Hal Leonard Corporation A Third Face: My Tale of Writing, Fighting and
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£21.53
Random House USA Inc Clint Eastwood A Biography
Book Synopsis'Authoritative . . . highly nuanced . . . gives the reader a palpable sense of Mr. Eastwood's career.'--The New York TimesFrom the moment The Man With No Name first fixed the screen with his murderous squint, from the first time audiences heard Dirty Harry Callahan growl 'Make my day,' Clint Eastwood has been an icon of American manhood in all its coolness and ferocity. But that icon is also an actor of surprising subtlety, a filmmaker of vast intelligence and originality--and an intensely private man who eludes the stereotypes with which his fans and critics try to label him.In this in-depth biography, the distinguished film critic Richard Schickel talks with Eastwood's family, friends, and colleagues--and, above all, with his notoriously reticent subject--to produce a portrait more astute and revealing than any we have ever had. Following Eastwood from his unstable childhood through his turbulent love affairs, assessing films from A Fistful of Dollars to t
£15.29
HarperCollins Publishers Inc The Art of Archer
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£28.25
University of Texas Press Dwight Yoakam A Thousand Miles from Nowhere
Book SynopsisAward-winning music journalist Don McLeese offers the first musical biography of the electrifying artist who has most successfully bridged the disparate worlds of commercial country and alternative/Americana/roots music, Dwight Yoakam.Trade ReviewThis lovingly crafted and compulsively readable biography is essential for fans of Yoakam and lovers of good music writing. * Library Journal *Table of Contents Introduction: A Thousand Miles from Nowhere 1. How Far Is Heaven? 2. Readin', Rightin', Rt. 23 3. South of Cincinnati, West of Columbus 4. Corvette Cowboy 5. From Kentucky Bourbon to Babylonian Cowboys 6. Who You Callin' Cowpunk? 7. Honky-Tonk Man 8. "It's Jes' Ol' Hillbilly Stuff" 9. Hillbilly Deluxe 10. Streets of Bakersfield 11. Bonus Cut 12. "Well, I'm Back Again . . ." 13. Wild Ride 14. Gone, Real Gone 15. Act Naturally 16. The Same Fool 17. Playing Out the String 18. South of Heaven, West of Hell (and Off the Charts) 19. Splitsville 20. Produced by Dwight Yoakam 21. The Buck Stops Here 22. "I Wanna Love Again, Feel Young Again" Appendix. The Dwight Dozen: A Selected Discography Acknowledgments
£15.19
Plexus Publishing Ltd The Ramones
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£12.34
Disney Editions Art and Flair of Mary Blair TheUpdated Edition
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£29.46
HarperCollins Publishers Hardcore Troubadour: The Life and Near Death of Steve Earle
Book SynopsisA biography of a legendary singer and song-writer, written with his exclusive and unfettered cooperation, this is the life behind the award-winning and bestselling albums of Steve Earle, rebel, rocker, Nashville legend. Steve Earle is the musicians’ idol – ‘my hero’ to Emmylou Harris – who has said of his life that ‘If I’d known I was going to live this long I’d have taken better care of myself.’ He was taking heroin at thirteen, and by the age of forty was mired in a seemingly permanent ‘vacation in the ghetto’ as he described his life then. In and out of jail for a variety of offences, Earle seemed determined to make good on his boast that when the end of the world came (and it seemed pretty close at times) only he, Keith Richards and the cockroaches would be left standing. Not yet fifty, he has been married six times, twice to the same woman, and amazingly forgiven by almost all of the ex-wives. In moments of consciousness he has, through sheer musical ability, shared a stage with, among others, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Sheryl Crow, the Pogues and Bob Dylan. He’s a legend, and one of the most gifted songwriters of his generation. He has poured a lot of living into those songs. Nashville just wouldn’t be the same without him.Trade Review‘A fascinating book…utterly compelling…heartfelt… insightful… and much recommended.’ Time Out London ‘A sensitive and amusing book…the Earle material is particularly entertaining, confessional and full of wicked one-liners.’ Sydney Morning Herald ‘An intimate and intelligent biography of an artist who–like all the greats–ain't ever satisfied.’ Eric Alterman ‘Brilliant…St. John manages to demythologize a man whose life often threatens to overshadow his music.’ Publishers Weekly ‘Harrowing and inspirational.’ Maxim ‘If you love Steve Earle, you'll buy this book. If not, get it anyway. It's one helluva story.’ Uncut ‘Meticulously researched and well–written…captures the heart and soul of one of America's most talented, troubled, and controversial songwriters.’ Charles R. Cross, author of Heavier tha Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain ‘Shockingly honest.’ Q Magazine
£12.34
HarperCollins Publishers This is a Call The Life and Times of Dave Grohl
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£6.74
Dean Street Press Getting High: The Adventures of Oasis
£14.24
Hachette Books Sell It Like Serhant
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£21.75
Orion Publishing Co Serving The Servant Remembering Kurt Cobain
Book SynopsisIn early 1991, top music manager Danny Goldberg agreed to take on Nirvana, a critically acclaimed new band from the underground music scene in Seattle. He had no idea that the band''s leader, Kurt Cobain, would become a pop-culture icon with a legacy arguably at the level of John Lennon, Michael Jackson, or Elvis Presley. Danny worked with Kurt from 1990 to 1994, the most impactful period of Kurt''s life. This key time saw the stratospheric success of Nevermind turn Nirvana into the most successful rock band in the world and make punk and grunge household names; Kurt met and married the brilliant but mercurial Courtney Love and their relationship became a lightning rod for critics; their daughter Frances Bean was born; and, finally, Kurt''s public struggles with addiction ended in a devastating suicide that would alter the course of rock history. Throughout, Danny stood by Kurt''s side as manager, and close friend.Drawing on Danny''s own memories of KurtTrade ReviewInsightful, passionate, and clear-eyed, Goldberg's account of his personal and professional relationship with Kurt Cobain is required reading. It is essentially the story of two men, a generation apart, who became unexpected friends and a contemplative requiem to losing someone you love who immeasurably touched the entire planet with a singular magic. * THURSTON MOORE, SONIC YOUTH *As soon as I started reading , I got sucked in, and I couldn't put it down... any music fan should want this book. Any Nirvana fan "must" have this book. * JOAN JETT *Serving The Servant is a clear, straightforward look into a gifted artist's struggle to balance integrity with ambition. Danny Goldberg shows us how Cobain dealt with sudden, massive acclaim while continuing to hone his unique creative vision. There has been a lot of mythologizing and deification of Cobain, but Goldberg humanizes him. * JULIANA HATFIELD *There have been many portraits of Kurt Cobain, but none as warm and clear-eyed as this one. Danny Goldberg has always been one of my favorite observer/journalist/architects of popular culture. It's no surprise that his deeply personal memoir does what Cobain's best work does. It burrows in deep, and sticks around. Add this to the rich sonic legacy of Nirvana - Goldberg's soulful account of Cobain as a close friend, gone way too soon, yet vividly alive on every page of this remarkable book. * CAMERON CROWE *People always ask, "What was Kurt really like?" That's probably not a question that any one person can answer about anybody, but anyone who knew Kurt will tell you that this book sends you vividly back to that person, in that time, at those places. Serving the Servant contributes an invaluable piece to a complicated collage. * MICHAEL AZERRAD, author of Come as You Are *A deeply honest book that provides crucial insight into a brilliant life and a death that broke all of our hearts. * ANN POWERS, author of Good Booty *Goldberg's portrait of Cobain is loving, intimate, and three-dimensional. We feel the pain of Cobain's loss anew, palpably - as we do the indelible power of the great gift of his music. * ANTHONY DECURTIS, author of Lou Reed *As a fan and onetime rock journalist, Danny Goldberg treasures Kurt Cobain as an artist. As Nirvana's manager, he witnessed the ambition and empathy that drove Cobain toward stardom. As an activist, he admires Cobain's courageously explicit politics. As Cobain's shrewd advisor and fond friend, he misses him even more acutely than the rest of us. * ROBERT CHRISTGAU, author of Is It Still Good to Ya? *
£8.79
Mandrake of Oxford Pans Daughter: The Magical World of Rosaleen
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£999.99
Simon & Schuster JFK Jr.
Book SynopsisINSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The first oral biography of John F. Kennedy Jr. is an extraordinarily intimate, comprehensive look at the real man behind the myth. Sharing never-before-told stories and insights, his closest friends, confidantes, lovers, classmates, teachers, and colleagues paint a vivid portrait of one of the most beloved figures of the 20th century, revealing how the boy who saluted became the man America came to know and love who still captures public imagination twenty-five years after his tragic death.Born into the spotlight, John F. Kennedy Jr. lived a short but remarkable life filled with expectation, ambition, family pressures, love, and tragedy. JFK Jr. dives deep into his complicated psyche and explores the what-ifs, illuminating both the cultural and political moment he inhabited and the way this son of a president, so full of promise and possibility, embodied America’s most cherished hopes.
£20.00
Scheidegger and Spiess HR Giger
Book SynopsisHR Giger (19402014) is one of the outstanding figures in Swiss art and design history, celebrated around the world for his design of the fantastic creatures and eerie environments that terrified moviegoers in Ridley Scott's 1979 science fiction film Alien. Yet very little is known about Giger''s childhood and youth in his native town of Chur. A trove of photographs, drawings by the young boy Hansruedi, and early art works that already reveal the future HR Giger's artistic force, recently unearthed in the Giger family's former holiday home in the Grisons, now offer intimate insights into his early years until the early 1960s.Richly illustrated with more than 230 images from that collection, HR Giger: The Early Years tells, for the first time, the story of those two decades before Giger decided to move to Zurich and train as an architect and designer in 1962. Supplemented by brief texts as well as by statements from his schoolmates, friends, a
£35.70
Princeton University Press Isabella Stewart Gardner
Book SynopsisTrade Review"[Isabella Stewart Gardner] shed[s] light on this complex woman and cut[s] through the misconceptions that have grown up around her."---Michael Patrick Brady, WBUR"A fascinating life story of a woman who defied convention to create an enduring legacy."---Sarah Cascone, ArtNet"Nathaniel Silver and Diana Seave Greenwald...have drawn on the personal archive of the celebrated philanthropist and collector, bringing to light new details about her art tastes and collecting activities along with her vision for her palazzo-style museum."---Gareth Harris, The Art Newspaper "As befits an official biography, Silver and Greenwald approach their subject with decorum and respect: they neither hide nor emphasize potentially controversial elements, carefully outlining the sources of money in Isabella’s family and the old Boston Brahmin fortune of her devoted husband."---Peter Walsh, Arts Fuse
£19.00
Atlantic Books Gwyneth
Book Synopsis
£16.08
Abbeville Press Inc.,U.S. Passion by Design
Book Synopsis An attractive new hardcover edition of the classic biography of Tamara de Lempicka, whose paintings defined Art Deco and whose life epitomised the Jazz Age. As F. Scott Fitzgerald portrayed the mad glories of the 1920s on the printed page, Tamara de Lempicka (1898-1980) captured them on canvas. A seductive Garbo-esque beauty with an irresistible force of personality, this refugee of the Russian Revolution successively conquered Paris, Hollywood, and New York with coruscating portraits of the world''s rich and famous. Her Art Deco paintings earned for her a life more fabulously excessive than anything Fitzgerald dreamed of. Passion by Design, authored by Tamara de Lempicka''s own daughter, is an intimate look at a fascinating personality, and remains the best account of her life and work. This new edition is illustrated with vibrant colour reproductions of her finest paintings, as well as exclusive photographs from family albums. An additional chapter by Victoria de Lempicka, the artist''s granddaughter, explores the ever-evolving legacy of Tamara de Lempicka, from the record eight-figure price fetched by her painting La Tunique Rose in November 2019 to the new musical based on her life.
£18.00
Surrey Books,U.S. Martha Stewart: In Her Own Words: In Her Own
Book SynopsisGet inside the head of one of the most influential women in the world, one who has penetrated almost every media space with her unique combination of savvy business sense, practical homemaking advice, and good humor. This collection of quotes has been gathered from Martha Stewart’s numerous public statements—interviews, op-eds, television appearances, books, and more. It’s a comprehensive picture of her business empire, her advice for life and the home, and her comeback after scandal and imprisonment. Martha Stewart has called herself a “late bloomer,” but after she published her first book, Entertaining, at the age of 49, she rapidly built on that first success, launching magazines, television shows, retail lines, and more books to establish a media empire. Her name is synonymous with tasteful decor, delicious from-scratch foods, and the covetable estates she keeps in upstate New York, the Hamptons, and Maine. Even after the insider trading scandal that threatened to derail her career in 2004, Stewart was able to rebuild her image of classic domesticity matched by a tireless work ethic. New ventures like “Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party” have added a sense of playfulness to her personal brand and introduced her to new audiences. A winner of multiple Emmys and James Beard Awards, and the chairperson of her own media conglomerate, Stewart has proven she has staying power across generations. She’s a true icon, not just for fans who learned how to cook and keep house from her books and television shows, but for audiences who associate her name with taste, simplicity, and style.
£12.62
Hal Leonard Corporation Fifty Shades of Crimson
Book SynopsisFeatures interviews with Bill Bruford, Peter Giles, Gordon Haskell, Judy Dyble and more . . .In 1969 five young Englishmen calling themselves King Crimson altered the course of rock music, and despite a revolving-door lineup, the band has continued to innovate and inspire for more than fifty years. Fifty Shades of Crimson tells the story of this legendary band and of the unique English guitarist Robert Fripp it revolves around. With a deep passion for the music, author Pete Tomsett celebrates the achievements of Fripp and the array of incredible talent that has passed through Crimson, while not shying away from the many behind-the-scenes difficulties.Getting signed after supporting The Rolling Stones at Hyde Park, Crimson shot to fame with their debut album, In the Court of the Crimson King, becoming one of the most influential bands of that era and triggering the rise of prog rock. While going through countless personnel, including Greg Lake, Bill Bruford and John Wet
£22.50
Kahn & Averill Bach: Chorale Harmonization and Instrumental
Book SynopsisFollowing methods known to have been adopted by Bach himself, the exercises provided in chorale harmonization are graded in such a way as to encourage the student to develop both technique and imagination within a closely-defined framework. The instrumental counterpoint section is based on Bach's two-and three-part Inventions. By close analysis the author helps the reader to recognize the procedures Bach adopted in various musical situations. The exercises are taken largely from Bach's keyboard works.Trade ReviewMalcolm Boyd's lucid text investigates how often various chords and progressions occur, in what contexts and (where possible) for what reasons. Following methods known to have been adopted by Bach himself, the exercises are graded in such a way as to encourage the student to develop both technique and imagination within a closely defined framework. Recommended for all music students.Table of ContentsPart One - Chorale Harmonization: Introduction, 1. Melodic Characteristics of the Chorale, 2. Cadences, 3. Harmonic Resource, 4..Unessential Notes, 5. Consecutives, 6. Textures, 7. Modal Chorales, 8. Exercises, Appendix, Part Two - Instrumental Counterpoint: 1. Introduction, 2. Melodic Characteristics, 3. Harmony, 4. Rhythm and Texture, 5. Musical Forms, 6. Exercises
£14.95
Equinox Publishing Ltd The Last Miles: The Music of Miles Davis,
Book SynopsisMiles Davis was one of the musical giants of the twentieth century. In a career that spanned more than five decades, Miles transformed the face of jazz four or five times, and his music resonates far beyond the bounds of his genre. Miles made the most famous album in the history of jazz, "Kind of Blue", formed one of the greatest jazz quintets in the 1960s and fused jazz with rock. Including unique interviews with dozens of Miles' closest colleagues, many of whom have never before been interviewed about their time with him, "The Last Miles" concentrates on the final period of Miles' life, after he had emerged from a five-year lay-off from the world of music. Right up until the end of his life, he was still searching, still exploring and still refusing to play it safe. The focus is on the music Miles recorded and played, and how it evolved in the eyes of the musicians he played with. Those interviewed include, George Duke, Teo Macero, Tommy LiPuma, Marcus Miller, Darryl Jones and Easy Mo Bee. There are also interviews with musicians who played with Miles before the 1980s, including Dave Liebman, Pete Cosey, Michael Henderson and Mike Zwerin, who give their own assessment of the music Miles played during the final period of his life. Cheryl Davies, Miles' only daughter, is also interviewed. "The Last Miles" is full of fascinating new facts and stories about Miles. For the first time, every member of the group of young musicians from Chicago who helped bring Miles back into the music scene gives their story. Music journalist George Cole also reveals for the first time the full story behind a lost Miles Davis album recorded in 1985, tells you about a song Miles co-wrote for "Mick Jagger", how he worked with Prince, and discovers new and unreleased music that Miles recorded. If you've ever wanted to know how Miles recruited his band members, what it was like working with Miles in the studio or to play with him on-stage, "The Last Miles" has the answers. There is at least one chapter devoted to each album that Miles recorded during this period. Full track-by-track descriptions contain many new and interesting tales behind the songs including how Sting came to record on one of Miles' tracks, why Prince dropped a song slated to appear on the "Tutu" album, how Gil Evans helped Miles compose many of the tunes on the album "Star People", what Splatch means and who Ursula was.Trade Review"'The best Miles Davis book ever.' Randy Hall, singer, guitarist and producer, who worked with Miles in the 1980's 'Engagingly written from start to finish, The Last Miles is an essential portrait of Miles' last decade and a strong argument that his music was both valid and perfectly in keeping with a musical philosophy that would ultimately stretch over six decades.' John Kelman, All About Jazz 'Cole does for Miles' late work what Ian Macdonald's Revolution In The Head does for The Beatles, examining each album in meticulous detail.' John Lewis, Time Out 'Cole's certainly produced a fascinating book.' Chris Ingham, Mojo '[Miles] comes out of Cole's account larger, warmer and if anything even more important than ever.' Brian Morton (co-writer of The Penguin Guide to Jazz), The Wire 'A fantastic book, an amazing insight into Miles.' Guy Barker, jazz trumpeter 'For Miles fans, this book is a must.' Jez Nelson, presenter BBC Radio Jazz on Three 'I really do recommend The Last Miles... It is a fine work.' John Cavanagh, presenter Radio Scotland's Be-Bop to Hip-Hop 'A great book that plays a great tribute to the last years of Miles' life.' Erik Telford, presenter of Miles Radio 'Cole is a persuasive writer: he prompted me to go and dig out albums that I'd dismissed as inconsequential and listen again with fresh ears... A rewarding read.' Charles Waring, Blues & Soul 'The Last Miles needs to be covered by working musicians, producers and Miles' fans alike.' Livingstone Marquis, Straight, No Chaser"Table of ContentsPrelude; Introduction; Miles, the man; Miles - His life and music before 1975; Into the Shadows; The man with the horn; We Want Miles; Star People; Decoy; You're Under Arrest; Aura; The road to Tutu; The road to Tutu: The Rubberband album; The road to Tutu: Miles and Prince; Tutu; Siesta; Amandla; Doo-Bop; Live Around the World; Miles Alive; Miles' other recordings; Miles' guest recordings; The verdict on the music of the 1980s; Notes; References; Compilation albums; Tribute albums; The eighties music - cover versions; Unreleased material; Miles' tunes; Miles' bands; Discography; Books and websites.
£25.00
Globe Pequot Press Shatner
Book SynopsisIn the early months of 1966, a handsome, hardworking thirty-five-year-old Canadian-born actor named William Shatner was cast as Captain Kirk in Star Trek, a troubled, low-budget science-fiction television series set to premiere that fall on NBC. Star Trek struggled for viewers and lasted only three seasons, but it found a huge, rabidly dedicated audience when it premiered in syndication following its cancellationturning Shatner into a pop-culture icon and launching him on a career path he never could have imagined after graduating from McGill University with an economics degree twenty years earlier. As he approaches his ninetieth year, he''s still working at a furious pace as a man of boundless contradictions: by turns one of the most dissected, disliked, revered, respected, mocked, imitated, and beloved stars in the show business firmament. Shatner takes a comprehensive look at this singular performer, using archival sources and information culled from interviews with frie
£16.19
Simon & Schuster Down and Out in Paradise: The Life of Anthony
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£17.09
Dexterity Flying Sideways: The Story of the World's Most
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£26.96
Chrome Dreams Kreature Komforts: The Korn Story in Words and
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£9.49
Cherry Red Books Rockdetector: Ozzy Osbourne
Book Synopsis
£13.49
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Ferber Edna Ferber and Her Circle
Book Synopsis
£18.57
Orion Publishing Co Jimi Hendrix
Book Synopsis
£14.99
Hal Leonard Corporation Ringo: With a Little Help
Book SynopsisÊRingo: With a Little HelpÊ is the first in-depth biography of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr who kept the beat for an entire generation and who remains a rock icon over fifty years since the Beatles took the world by storm. ÊWith a Little HelpÊ traces the entire arc of Ringo's remarkable life and career from his sickly childhood to his life as The World's Most Famous drummer to his triumphs addictions and emotional battles following the breakup of the Beatles as he comes to terms with his legacy.ÞBorn in 1940 as Richard Starkey in the Dingle one of Liverpool's most gritty rough-and-tumble neighborhoods he rose from a hardscrabble childhood ä marked by serious illnesses long hospital stays and little schooling ä to emerge against all odds as a locally renowned drummer. Taking the stage name Ringo Starr his big break with the Beatles rocketed him to the pinnacle of worldwide acclaim in a remarkably short time. He was the last member of the Beatles to join the group but also the most vulnerable and his post-Beatles career was marked by chart-topping successes a jet-setting life of excess and alcohol abuse and ultimately his rebirth as one of rock's revered elder statesman.
£14.24
