Composers and songwriters Books

Book SynopsisThe Times Book of the Year 'There’s no tougher a mind, no more tender a voice than Paul Simon, and there’s no better man than Robert Hilburn to decipher the hardwiring of this hyperintellect...great songs can never be fully explained, but the great man on his way to find those songs surely can.' — Bono Through such hits as “The Sound of Silence,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Still Crazy After All These Years,” and “Graceland,” Paul Simon has spoken to us in songs for a half-century about alienation, doubt, survival, and faith in ways that have established him as one of the most honoured and beloved songwriters in American pop music history. Yet Simon has refused to talk to potential biographers and urged those close to him to also remain silent. But Simon not only agreed to talk to biographer Robert Hilburn for what has amounted to more than sixtyTrade Review'There are two great storytellers colliding here. There’s no tougher a mind, no more tender a voice than Paul Simon, and there’s no better man than Robert Hilburn to decipher the hardwiring of this hyperintellect. From the prologue I was sucked in, suckered into a sense that I too might discover the genetic code of some of the greatest songs of any century. By the epilogue, you realize the great songs can never be fully explained, but the great man on his way to find those songs surely can.' -- Bono'When it comes to writing songs, no one does it better than Paul Simon. Robert Hilburn’s is a wise and winning account of our most nimble, nuanced, and numinous poet-musician.' -- Paul Muldoon'A tantalizing look into the mind and writing process of the man who is arguably the finest craftsman of the American popular song since the Gershwin brothers, this book will delight any Paul Simon fan or student of popular culture.' -- Linda Ronstadt‘this stately biography does capture the tension between the focused, ambitious songwriter and his dreamy, unreliable former partner’ * The Times *'This definitive biography tells the stories behind the hits - and of his fiery relationship with Art Garfunkel.' * Mail on Sunday *'The first officially-sanctioned biography of the great singer-songwriter. It is everything fans could have hoped for, including valuable insights into Simon's life and art, and the cause of what appears to be his final personal rupture with Art Garfunkel.' * Choice magazine *'Hilburn...ably demonstrates the respect in which Simon his held by fellow songwriters' * Spectator *

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Book SynopsisGlobal iconSix-time Grammy winnerHeadline-makerThe most talented recording artist of her generationMuch has been said about Amy Winehouse since her tragic death aged just 27. But who was the real Amy?Amy Winehouse: In Her Words shines a spotlight on her incredible writing talent, her wit, her charm and lust for life. Bringing together Amy's own never-before-seen journals, handwritten lyrics and family photographs together for the first time, this intimate tribute traces her creative evolution from growing up in North London to global superstardom, and provides a rare insight into the girl who became a legend.*The Estate of Amy Winehouse will donate 100% of the advance and royalties it receives (net of agency fees charged) from the production and sale of this book to The Amy Winehouse Foundation (registered charity number 1143740). The minimum donation will be 70,000. These funds will assist the charity in continuing their vital work helping thousands of young people to feel supported in managing their emotional wellbeing and making informed life choices. Initiatives include Amy's Place, which provides addiction recovery housing for young women; resilience-building programmes in schools and music therapy programmes supporting children with special educational needs and life-limiting conditions. More information can be found at https://amywinehousefoundation.org.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Twenty years after his death, River Phoenix remains as enigmatic and elusive as ever. Last Night at the Viper Room tells the heart-shredding story of how this haunted actor left such a big impression in such a brief time." -- Rob Sheffield, New York Times bestselling author of Love Is a Mix Tape "What Edwards does do impeccably is reveal the life of an extraordinary young man, whose idealism and dedication to his family, despite crippling childhood conditions, set him apart from the rest of the rising star pack." -- USA Today

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Book Synopsis**Winner of the American Book Award (2023)** ​**Longlisted for the PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award (2023)** The long-awaited first full biography of legendary jazz saxophonist and composer Sonny Rollins  Sonny Rollins has long been considered an enigma. Known as the “Saxophone Colossus,” he is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest jazz improvisers of all time, winning Grammys, the Austrian Cross of Honor, Sweden’s Polar Music Prize and a National Medal of Arts. A bridge from bebop to the avant-garde, he is a lasting link to the golden age of jazz, pictured in the iconic “Great Day in Harlem” portrait. His seven-decade career has been well documented, but the backstage life of the man once called “the only jazz recluse” has gone largely untold—until now.  Based on more than 200 interviews with Rollins himself, family members, friends, and coll

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Book SynopsisAn insightful biography of one of the world’s greatest musicians, Bob Dylan, by bestselling author Paul Morley. As one of the world’s greatest musicians, Bob Dylan has enriched the American song tradition for over 50 years. With a talent that has been proven in the worlds of music, radio, art and poetry, Dylan is a man of many personas. From defying pop music conventions with protest songs such as “The Times They Are a-Changin’” to releasing three of the most influential rock albums of the 60s, he has not only extended the parameters of music genres but has also showed us the fluidity his craft. To mark Bob Dylan’s 80th birthday and 60 illustrious years in the arts, this insightful biography by bestselling author Paul Morley will explore the many voices of the folk icon.

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Book SynopsisEric Clapton is acknowledged to be rock''s greatest virtuoso, the unrivalled master of its most essential tool, the solid-body electric guitar.Clapton transfigured three of the 1960s'' most iconic bands - the Yardbirds, Cream and Blind Faith - walking away from each when it failed to measure up to his exacting standards. He was the only outsider be an honorary member of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, and the studio musician of choice for solo superstars from Bob Dylan to Aretha Franklin. No life has been more rock ''n'' roll than Clapton''s in his epic consumption of drugs and alcohol, his insatiable appetite for expensive cars, clothes and women - most famously revealed when he fell in love with Pattie Boyd, the wife of his best friend, George Harrison, and the inspiration for ''Layla''.With the benefit of unrestricted access to family members, close friends and fellow musicians, and his encyclopedic knowledge of Sixties music and culture, Philip Norman has creTrade ReviewSlowhand reads like a textbook account of all the pathologies of the rock-star life: promiscuity, infidelity, heroin addiction, alcoholism -- Victoria Segal * SUNDAY TIMES *It has taken a biographer as perceptive and clear-sighted as Philip Norman to do Clapton justice ... Despite everything, you end up liking Clapton, and feeling as if you know and understand him. It is proof that Norman's biography has done its work -- Will Hodgkinson * THE TIMES *As usual, the masterful biographer Philip Norman has unearthed countless fascinating details -- Mark Mason * DAILY MAIL *On a mission to expose the music of the US south to a new audience in as pure a form as possible, [Clapton] captured the raw emotion of the sound he loved enough to transfix his young listeners. A generation was discovering an alien language with which they instinctively felt at home. That cultural leap - which began with conversations in record shops, coffee bars and art schools, and eventually swept the world - is one of the key stories of the last century and is always worth re-examining, as Philip Norman does in this biography of one of the movement's pioneers * THE GUARDIAN *Solid and sad -- Helen Brown * DAILY TELEGRAPH Music Books of the Year *Lucid -- Peter Aspden * FINANCIAL TIMES *Many unexpected details have been unearthed by an author painting a vivid picture of a man whose extraordinary career has been carved out of his ability "to conjure magic from a slab of electrified wood" -- Russell Newmark * THE BEAT *Extraordinary stories ... the entire tale, including how, miraculously, late in life Clapton learned to function as a normal, civilised person, enjoying a long and apparently faithful second marriage, is told with wonderful vividness -- Trevor Hodgett * ROCK N REEL *

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Book SynopsisHe is known as the Mark Twain of American songwriting, a man who transformed the everyday happenings of regular people into plainly profound statements on war, industrialization, religion, and the human condition. Marking the 50th anniversary of the album's release, John Prine chronicles the legendary singer-songwriter's Middle American provenance, and his remarkable ascent from singing mailman to celebrated son of Chicago.Illegal Smile, Hello in There, Sam Stone, Paradise, Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore, Far from Me, Donald and Lydia, and Angel from Montgomery are considered standards in the American Songbook, covered by legions of Prine's peers and admirers. Through original interviews, exhaustive research, and incisive commentary, author Erin Osmon paints an in-depth portrait of the people, places, and experiences that inspired Prine's landmark debut.After exploring his roots in rural Western Kentucky and suburban Maywood, Illinois, the book takes readers oTrade ReviewErin Osmon’s new book on John Prine, his eponymous 1971 debut, is a gift for fans of the plainspoken singer and this career-making album. * Chicago Reader *Osmon writes about the history of Prine's musical beginnings right up to when his debut was released and how the importance of that record has grown, establishing Prine as one of America's great songwriters. * BETA - Wisconsin Public Radio *Extensively researched while economically written, you couldn’t ask for a better literary guide to an Americana classic. * Spectrum Culture *Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments 1. Ten Miles West 2. Down by the Green River 3. We Come for to Sing 4. A Winning Hunch 5. The Singing Mailman 6. And Then He Has You 7. The Earl 8. The Best Damned Songwriter 9. The Bitter End 10. Thinking and Feeling 11. Midwestern Mindtrips Notes Bibliography

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Book SynopsisImagine being alongside one of the greatest bands in the history of rock, touring the world and being there as they perform at some of the best and biggest music venues in the world. Peter Hince didn't have to imagine: for more than a decade, he lived a life that other people can only dream of as he worked with Queen as head of their road crew. In 1973, Queen was the support act for Mott the Hoople, for whom Peter was a roadie. Back then, Queen had to content themselves with being second on the bill and the world had not yet woken up to the flamboyant talent of Freddie Mercury. Peter started working full time for Queen just as they were making A Night at the Opera, the album which catapulted them to international stardom. In this intimate and affectionate book, Peter recalls the highlights of his years with the band. He was with Freddie when he composed 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love'; he was responsible for making sure that Freddie's stage performances went without a hitch - and was often there to witness his famed tantrums! He was also party to the sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll which are invariably part of life on the road with a rock band.Trade Review'Will satisfy the curiosity of anyone wanting to know what it was really like to work with a famous rock band' - MOJO

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Book SynopsisDaphne Oram (1925–2003) was one of the central figures in the development of British experimental electronic music. Having declined a place at the Royal College of Music to become a music balancer at the BBC, she went on to become the co-founder and first director of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Oram left the BBC in 1959 to pursue commercial work in television, advertising, film and theatre, to make her own music for recording and performance, and to continue her personal research into sound technology – a passion she had had since her childhood in rural Wiltshire. Her home, a former oasthouse in Kent, became an unorthodox studio and workshop in which, mostly on a shoestring budget, she developed her pioneering equipment, sounds and ideas. A significant part of her personal research was the invention of a machine that offered a new form of sound synthesis – the Oramics machine.Oram’s contribution to electronic music is receiving considerable attention from new generations of composers, sound engineers, musicians, musicologists and music lovers around the world. Following her death, the Daphne Oram Trust was established to preserve and promote her work, life and legacy, and an archive created in the Special Collections Library at Goldsmiths, University of London. One of the Trust’s ambitions has been to publish a new edition of Oram’s one and only book, An Individual Note of Music, Sound and Electronics, which was originally published in 1972. With support from the Daphne Oram Archive, the Trust has now been able to realize this ambition.An Individual Note is both curious and remarkable. When commissioned to write a book, she was keen to avoid it becoming a manual or how-to guide, preferring instead to use the opportunity to muse on the subjects of music, sound and electronics, and the relationships between them. At a time when the world was just starting to engage with electronic music and the technology was still primarily in the hands of music studios, universities, and corporations, her approach was both innovative and inspiring, encouraging anyone with an interest in music to think about the nature, capabilities and possibilities that the new sounds could bring. And her thinking was not limited to just the future of the orchestra, synthesizer, computer and home studio, but ventured, with great spirit and wit, into other realms of science, technology, culture and thought. An Individual Note is a playful yet compelling manifesto for the dawn of electronic music and for our individual capacity to use, experience and enjoy it.This new edition of An Individual Note features a specially commissioned introduction from the British composer, performer, roboticist and sound historian Sarah Angliss.

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Book SynopsisThe successor and companion to Devinâs autobiography, this collection of personal and professional photographs trace Devinâs journey from childhood in Canada through to international infamy in 2024. Extended captions by Devin recall memories and stories about people, places, haircuts, and strange happenings from way back when and not so long ago.

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Book SynopsisAn insightful biography of one of the world’s greatest musicians, Bob Dylan, by bestselling author Paul Morley. As one of the world’s greatest musicians, Bob Dylan has enriched the American song tradition for over 50 years. With a talent that has been proven in the worlds of music, radio, art and poetry, Dylan is a man of many personas. From defying pop music conventions with protest songs such as “The Times They Are a-Changin’” to releasing three of the most influential rock albums of the 60s, he has not only extended the parameters of music genres but has also showed us the fluidity his craft. To mark Bob Dylan’s 80th birthday and 60 illustrious years in the arts, this insightful biography by bestselling author Paul Morley will explore the many voices of the folk icon.

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Book Synopsis*Featured in The Times'' ''Best Books of the Year So Far''*What do you do when you realise you have everything you think you''ve ever wanted but still feel completely empty? What do you do when it all starts to fall apart? The second volume of Moby''s extraordinary life story is a journey into the dark heart of fame and the demons that lurk just beneath the bling and bluster of the celebrity lifestyle. In summer 1999, Moby released the album that defined the millennium, PLAY. Like generation-defining albums before it, PLAY was ubiquitous, and catapulted Moby to superstardom. Suddenly he was hanging out with David Bowie and Lou Reed, Christina Ricci and Madonna, taking esctasy for breakfast (most days), drinking litres of vodka (every day), and sleeping with super models (infrequently). It was a diet that couldn''t last. And then it fell apart. The second volume of Moby''s memoir is a classic about the banality of fame. It is shocking, r

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Book SynopsisIn Eminent Hipsters, musician and songwriter Donald Fagen, best known as the co-founder of the rock band Steely Dan, presents an autobiographical portrait that touches on everything from the cultural figures that mattered the most to him as a teenager, to his years in the late 1960s at Bard College, to a hilarious account of a recent tour he made with Boz Scaggs and Michael McDonald.Fagen begins by introducing the ''eminent hipsters'' that spoke to him as he was growing up (and desperately yearning to be hip) in suburban New Jersey in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The figures who influenced him most were not the typical ones Miles Davis, say, or Jack Kerouac but rather people like Jean Shepherd, whose manic, acidic nightly radio broadcasts out of WOR-Radio had a tough realism about life and enthralled a generation of alienated young people'; Henry Mancini, whose chilled-out, nourish soundtracks, especially to films by Blake Edwards utilised the unconventional, spaTrade ReviewNerdishly clever, entertainingly original and even a moving reconfiguration of the memoir format. -- Bernadette McNulty * Sunday Telegraph *Fagen, as you might expect, is an elegant and erudite writer. -- John Mulvey * Uncut *If you're a Dan fan you should read this book. If you're not a Dan fan you should read it anyway. * The Afterword *Part memoir, part personal dissertation, and it makes for an enjoyable, if brief, read. -- Dylan Jones * GQ *A curious little autobiographical volume by another hero of long ago, Donald Fagen, once and again of Steely Dan. * Spectator *Eminent Hipsters is regularly funny and insightful. * Sunderland Echo / Dorset Echo *I would like to be given Eminent Hipsters. -- Sebastian Faulks * Observer *An excellent, albeit slim, collection of essays about the Steely Dan singer’s formative teenage influences as "a subterranean in gestation with a real nasty cast of otherness". -- Andy Gill * Independent *A memoir of inspired essayism and darkly comic recollection which barely touches on Steely Dan yet utterly satisfies. -- Mat Snow * Mojo *This is moaning of the highest order — jazz moaning, you might call it — and Fagen keeps it up for 70 brilliant, hilarious pages. For the intelligent, grumpy old music fan, only one of these books needs to be bought as a present this Christmas, and it’s not Morrissey’s. -- Markus Berkmann * Spectator *Eminent Hipsters is regularly funny and insightful…whether you know who Fagen is or not, it’s still worth anyone’s time. * Yorkshire Evening Post *The writing is sharp, wry and elegant, without a single wasted word. -- Aidan Smith * Scotland on Sunday *This book is a piece of pure bliss. -- Anthony Quinn * Guardian *An unalloyed joy. -- Les Gofton * Times Higher Education *Constantly surprising, and recalled with great elegance. * Financial Times *A terrific and easy read. -- Jonathan O'Brien * Sunday Business Post *Wry, funny and forensically observant. * Saga *A terrific music memoir. -- Tony Clayton-Lea * Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisA biography of Elton John, fully updated up to the end of 2017 to include his time as an LGBT and equal rights champion.Table of ContentsMAKING OF A SUPERSTAR 1947-1974: Inanimate Objects as My Friends; Hardly a Hero; One Room; It's a Little Bit Funny; A New Messiah in Town; A Cat Named Hercules; E-L-T-O-N. THE BREAKING OF A SUPERSTAR 1974-1987: Elton is Two Percent of the World; The First Final Curtain; A Single Man; New York Sunset; I Wanna Kiss the Bride. FINDING ELTON JOHN 1987-2018: My Farewell Letter to Cocaine; King of the Jungle; Celebricide; Musical Rehab.

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Book SynopsisIn Why Beethoven Threw the Stew, renowned cellist Steven Isserlis sets out to pass on to children a wonderful gift given to him by his own cello teacher - the chance to people his own world with the great composers by getting to know them as friends. Witty and informative at the same time, Isserlis introduces us to six of his favourite composers: the sublime genius Bach, the quicksilver Mozart, Beethoven with his gruff humour, the shy Schumann, the prickly Brahms and that extraordinary split personality, Stravinsky. Isserlis brings the composers alive in an irresistible manner that can''t fail to catch the attention of any child whose ear has been caught by any of the music described, or anyone entering the world of classical music for the first time. The lively black and white line illustrations provide a perfect accompaniment to the text, and make this book attractive and accessible for children to enjoy on their own or share with an adult.

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Book SynopsisA new edition of Humphrey Burton''s celebrated biography of Leonard Bernstein, published to coincide with the centenary of his birth. With a new introduction by the author.Humphrey Burton''s biography remains the essential account of American music''s dominant figure.' Alex RossComposer, pianist, author, television teacher, Harvard lecturer, cultural icon, humanist and conductor without peer, Leonard Bernstein''s versatility was legendary. He captivated Broadway with such hits as On the Townand West Side Story and introduced middle America to classical music with his Young People''s Concerts on television. He composed three symphonies and a full-length opera, and he inspired the world''s leading orchestras to give some of the most memorable performances of the twentieth century.Humphrey Burton was given exclusive access to Bernstein''s rich legacy of letters and papers, and the book draws on hundreds of interviews with family, frie

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Book Synopsis* The sensational autobiography of Sharon Osbourne - the First Lady of Rock - an icon for our times with an amazing story to tell - from an often shocking childhood, through a rollercoaster marriage, and still hitting the headlines today.Trade ReviewI have been kept awake for the past two nights, utterly gripped by Sharon's story . . . She makes Keith Richards, Kurt Cobain et all look like kiddies at a tea party, overdosing on fizzy drinks . . . she is radiant, confident, assertive and glamorous. And enormously successful, having turned Ozzy's career into a multimillion-dollar global industry, having recovered from colon cancer herself, and having finally seen her husband do a year without a drink. She is totally phenomenal * SUNDAY INDEPENDENT (IRELAND) *An emotional roller-coaster read. If you thought you'd already had a warts-and-all look at the Osbournes, think again. Sharon's frank memoirs lift the lid on what really goes on in their crazy house. Her wickedly infectious sense of humour sparkles on ev * B MAGAZINE *Sharon has beaten cancer, starred in the X Factor, and been the steely heart of The Osbournes, that jaw-dropping real-life soap opera of a genuinely loving family . . . vividly captured here in this pungent and distinctive autobiography * SUNDAY TIMES *She is currently scaling the heights of a career that has now surpassed her famous husband, and this is Sharon's story. Explicit in detail with her characteristically fruitful turn of phrase, this book will have you laughing out loud * WOMAN’S WAY *

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Book Synopsis"Songs in the Key of Life" is different from the four albums that preceded it; it's a maddeningly ambitious encapsulation of all the progress Stevie Wonder had made in that short space of time. This work covers Stevie Wonder's excessive work habits and recording methodology, his reliance on synthesizers, and other aspects.

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Book Synopsis''The best non-fiction book I''ve ever read. It''s magical. Stunning'' Dan Schreiber, No Such Thing As a Fish''A pop biography for people who don''t read pop biographies'' Dorian Lynskey, Guardian''Brilliant, discursive and wise'' Ben Goldacre''Utterly irresistible and totally brilliant'' The Quietus''A thing of endlessly fascinating, utterly demented genius'' Alexis PetridisThey were the bestselling singles band in the world. They had awards, credibility, commercial success and creative freedom. Then they deleted their records, erased themselves from musical history and burnt their last million pounds in a boathouse on the Isle of Jura. And they couldn''t say why.This is not just the story of The KLF. It is a book about Carl Jung, Alan Moore, Robert Anton Wilson, Ken Campbell, Dada, Situationism, Discordianism, magic, chaos, punk, rave, the alchemical symbolism of Doctor Who and the special power of the number twenty-three. Wildly unauthorised and unlike any other music biography, THE KLF is a trawl through chaos on the trail of a beautiful, accidental mythology.10th ANNIVERSARY EDITION UPDATED WITH NEW MATERIAL

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Book SynopsisBorn the son of Scotland''s last telescope-maker, Stuart Braithwaite was perhaps always destined for a life of psychedelic adventuring on the furthest frontiers of noise in MOGWAI, one of the best loved and most ground-breaking post-rock bands of the past three decades.Modestly delinquent at school, Stuart developed an early appetite for ''alternative'' music in what might arguably be described as its halcyon days, the late ''80s. Discovering bands like Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine, and Jesus and Mary Chain, and attending seminal gigs (often incongruously incognito as a young girl with long hair to compensate for his babyface features) by The Cure and Nirvana, Stuart compensated for his indifference to school work with a dedication to rock and roll . . . and of course the fledgling hedonism that comes with it.Spaceships Over Glasgow is a love song to live rock and roll; to the passionate abandon we''ve all felt in the crowd (and some of us, if lucky enough, from the stage) at a truly incendiary gig. It is also the story of a life lived on the edge; of the high-times and hazardous pit-stops of international touring with a band of misfits and miscreants.

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Book SynopsisDuring the five years it has taken to collate this work, authors Weird and Gilly have spoken to over fifty family members, close friends and colleagues including exclusive interviews with Suzi Ronson, David and Maggi Ronson (brother and sister), Minnie Ronson (mother), Steve Popovich (manager), Lou Reed, Mick Jones, Ian Hunter, Chrissie Hynde, Glen Matlock, Cherry Vanilla, Steve Harley, Bob Harris, Joe Elliott and a host of others. As a result, this book provides a deeply intimate and compelling insight into the life and times of an extraordinarily talented guitarist. A man who was tender and caring off the stage, yet fierce and electrifying on it. Jeff Beck, David Bowie, Ian Hunter and Annette Peacock are just a few of the names that were to become associated with the Mick Ronson legend. He toured with Bob Dylan, played with Mott The Hoople, worked with Lou Reed and produced an impressive number of albums with arresting originality. From his days as a mobile grocer to his performances at Wembley Stadium, this minutely detailed biography also includes scores of unpublished photographs and unseen rarities including: a hand-written six-page autobiography by the man himself, love letters to his first girlfriend, family album photographs and an exhaustive discography. After losing his battle with cancer, Mick passed away in the spring of 1993 at the young age of 46. This book is a salute to his remarkable music and legacy. Fully revised and updated with scores of new unpublished photographs and even more rare memorabilia.

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Book SynopsisThe hidden history of the women who dared to write music in a man’s world. ‘Lucid, engaging and exuberant... [Sounds and Sweet Airs] is terrifically enjoyable and accessible, and leaves one hankering for a second volume.’ The Sunday Times Francesca Caccini. Barbara Strozzi. Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre. Marianna Martines. Fanny Hensel. Clara Schumann. Lili Boulanger. Elizabeth Maconchy. Since the birth of classical music, women who dared compose have faced a bitter struggle to be heard. In spite of this, female composers continued to create, inspire and challenge. Yet even today so much of their work languishes unheard. Anna Beer reveals the highs and lows experienced by eight composers across the centuries, from Renaissance Florence to twentieth-century London, restoring to their rightful place exceptional women whom history has forgotten.Trade Review‘Beer’s writing is lucid, engaging and exuberant, strongly evoking the cultures and atmospheres that surrounded her subjects…the book in general is terrifically enjoyable and accessible, and leaves one hankering for a second volume.’ * Sunday Times *‘A meticulously researched, engrossing read, vividly bringing its eight subjects to life. It should appeal not only to music connoisseurs but to anyone interested in social and cultural history – and women’s place in it.’ * Financial Times *‘Such traits, as Beer laments, are still with us…All the more important, then, for excellent books like this one to remind us of what we are all missing’. * Catholic Herald *'Offers vivid, colourful context on a situation that is echoed back through the centuries…Readable and wide-ranging, Beer's deft sketches are an elegant introduction to their subjects'. * Spectator *'Never less than highly readable'. * Classical Music *‘Rewarding…insightful…Beer conveys the sexism and lifelong frustrations some immensely gifted creative artists encountered.’ * New York Times *'Beer's meticulously researched book is a vital step in the battle to overturn that ultimate injustice'. * Observer *'Beer has an eye for detail, and gives us a vivid sense of the stratagems these gifted, determined women had to employ'. * Sunday Telegraph *'In this riveting book Anna Beer wades through centuries of prejudice from the fear of women composing at all…to the persistent unwillingness to perform, discuss or distribute their music'. * BBC Music Magazine *''[A] stimulating and engaging book, written with passionate enthusiasm and a light touch'. * Literary Review *‘I am constantly in search of books that explore the lives of women who have been dismissed or overlooked by history, and this is what makes Anna Beer's latest book a total godsend. Sounds and Sweet Airs is an intoxicating historical examination of the way gender has shaped what we consider to be canonical... Beer’s impassioned overview delves into the hopes, motivations, and struggles each woman faced as she attempted to pursue her vocation while coping with the “boys club” mentality of their respective music communities.’ Lenny Letter’s Lit Thursday * Lenny Letter’s Lit Thursday *‘Books could be written about composers denied a place in the classical canon because of ethnicity or class or religion, but that doesn’t negate the truth and importance of Sounds and Sweet Airs’. * Gramophone *‘Beer’s snapshot lives of women composers are savvy, sympathetic... [an] essential and insightful study of a woman’s unsung place in the closed world of classical music.’ * Wall Street Journal *‘An engaging read and…contains a powerful and timely message’. * History Today *‘This is a truly inspiring and fascinating book... Female composers today no longer need to feel there is anything to stop them creating music and forging a career as a composer – if there is still any doubt, then just read Sounds and Sweet Airs.’ -- Debbie Wiseman MBE – Classic FM’s Composer in Residence‘A rich, revealing study of the lives of eight outstanding female composers...Long overdue, this book includes a list of recommended listening for each composer, a glossary of musical terms, and suggestions for further reading.This important work furthers cultural understanding of the history of female composers.’ * CHOICE magazine *‘A fascinating and refreshing rescue of a few well-chosen exemplars from the worthy but dull hands of musicologists... Thrilling.’ -- Natalie Wheen, former presenter on BBC Radio and Classic FM‘Both feminist analyst and fluent biographer, Beer makes engrossing and cogent cases for her subjects. She concludes that the proof of their art lies in the hearing and recommends recent recordings.’ * Booklist *‘This book is a delight. Eight striking composers are reinstated in musical history, thanks to Anna Beer’s energetic research and lively writing.’ -- Nicola LeFanu, composer and Professor Emeritus, University of York‘A fascinating glimpse into the world of the women whose music we should know and be hearing in the canon.’ -- Charlotte Bray, winner of the Lili Boulanger Memorial Prize 2014 and composer of At the Speed of Stillness‘Elegantly written, Sounds and Sweet Airs offers compelling evidence of the prejudices against women composers’ aspirations across the centuries.’ -- Rhian Samuel, Composer and Professor Emeritus, City University London‘An important book... groundbreaking and entertaining... This book should be required reading not just for those interested in cultural history, but for anyone wishing to understand the perception of women in the modern era.’ -- Professor Steven Parissien – Director, Compton Verney‘Anna Beer’s eloquent and passionately argued narrative builds on the most up-to-date scholarship and makes an irresistible case for listening again to the work of women who were among the most admired musicians of their age. Much more than simply an attempt to balance the historical record, Sounds and Sweet Airs is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand music’s power and the politics of gender and sexuality that promoted, shaped and silenced women’s compositional careers from the Renaissance to the twentieth century.’ -- Professor Daniel Grimley, Merton College, Oxford‘Absorbing ... [Beer] writes with rich detail and sympathetic insight about [these women's] ambitious, adventurous battles to overcome barriers to creativity.’ * Publishers Weekly *‘Serious students of music and women's history will want to add this title to their required reading lists.’ * Library Journal *

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Book Synopsis'Utterly absorbing and deeply affecting' – The GuardianAs a Spice Girl, TV talent show judge and Broadway star, Mel B a.k.a Scary Spice, has been a global icon since her twenties. But behind the glittering façade of fame, the struggles and pain of this working-class, mixed-race girl from Leeds are laid bare in her critically acclaimed best-selling memoir, Brutally Honest. With deep personal insight, remarkable frankness and trademark Yorkshire humour, the book tells how she went from Girl Power to girl powerless during her ten-year emotionally abusive marriage. Tracing a path through the key moments in her life, she reflects on her childhood, rise to fame and her chilling downward spiral before she finally broke free. In this expanded edition, written with Louise Gannon, Mel brings her story up to date. With her trademark honesty, she tells the unfiltered story of piecing herself back together, dealing

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Book SynopsisThe Jam - Paul Weller, Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler - were the ultimate 'angry young men' of pop. Leading the Mod Revival of the 1970s in thrilling new directions, their tight live shows, razor-sharp style and perfectly crafted songs earned them a devoted following and a string of number one hits. By 1982 The Jam were bigger than ever, but the pressure of success was taking its toll. At the peak of their powers, Paul Weller made the shock decision that was far from welcomed by the rest of the group, let alone the fans: The Jam were to split up and go their separate ways. This richly illustrated and revealing oral history of their final year, led principally by the voice of drummer Rick Buckler, contains a number of previously unseen images and untold stories, taking us from the recording and release of their final studio album, The Gift, to The Jam's last appearances together. In addition to Buckler's memories of the time, The Jam 1982 also brings together testimonies from Gary Crowley, producer Peter Wilson, A&R manager Dennis Munday, photographer Neil ‘Twink’ Tinning, Eddie Piller, Paolo Hewitt, Mat Osman, Belle Stars singer Jennie Matthias (‘The Bitterest Pill’), touring musicians Jamie Telford and Steve Nichol and others, to tell the tale of a single, fateful year: the year The Jam, for better or worse, went out at the very top of their game.

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Book SynopsisIt contains love songs, work songs, songs about the pains and anxieties of existence, songs of consolation, songs about various kinds of spiritual quest and the realms of the mystical, and songs which deal with healing and reconciliation, both with the self and with others.

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Book SynopsisSelf-described as a 'spotty, chubby, ginger teenager' with a love for Damien Rice and Nizlopi, Ed Sheeran was never an obvious bet to become a global superstar. And yet that's exactly what he's achieved, winning plenty of awards (and hearts) along the way. But how did a young musician go from selling CDs from his rucksack to becoming the millennial record-breaking international stadium act? Tracing his story from his bohemian childhood in Yorkshire and Suffolk to the release of his third album Divide, music journalist David Nolan chronicles Sheeran's musical life and times. Featuring exclusive interviews with friends, relatives, musical collaborators and key figures in his rise to stardom, Divide and Conquer tells the story of how Ed Sheeran went from school drop-out to one of the world's most successful musicians.

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Book SynopsisThe Doors were arguably the most important rock-and-roll band of the 1960s, unquestionably a catalyst for American music as we know it. Ray Manzarek and Jim Morrison were both UCLA Film School graduates, best friends and rarely apart until Morrison moved to Paris shortly before his death in 1971.Trade Review[The] jewel-like passage (a description of Manzarek and two young buddies who manage to gain entrance to a black juke joint to hear blues singer Muddy Waters) is one of the most moving and exhilarating portraits of white boys succumbing to the power of black music this reviewer has read, worthy of Kerouac's stunning prose on jazz clubs... [An] engaging read. * The Washington Post Book World *The best book yet about The Doors * Booklist *

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Book SynopsisWagner was one of the few major composers who studied philosophy seriously. Bryan Magee places the composer''s artistic development in the context of the philosophy of his age, and gives us the first detailed and comprehensive study of the close links between Wagner and the philosophers - from the pre-Marxist socialists to Feuerbach and Schopenhauer. Magee explores the relationship between words and music, between the conscious and the unconscious mind, between art and philosophy. It tackles soberly and judiciously the Wagner whose paranoia, egocentricity and anti-semitism are repugnant, as well as the Wagner of artistic genius. The resulting text illuminates Wagner and the music-dramas in altogether new ways.

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Book SynopsisTelling Stories by Tim Burgess of The Charlatans is one of the decade''s most revealing rock books ''Clear, honest. An unusually frank and well-written rock memoir'' The TimesThe Charlatans. Madchester. Britpop. Taking on the world. Here are the highs, the lows, the joys, the agonies, and the stories of what it''s like to be in a rock band, as told by front man and survivor, Tim Burgess. ''Like the best bits of every cautionary rock star tale . . . there is armed robbery and smuggling. There''s serious fraud. There are near and actual death experiences, divorce, industrial cocaine consumption and magnificent cameos from Madonna, Alan McGee, Ronnie Wood, Joe Strummer, LA drug dealer Harry The Dog, and Joaquin Phoenix. A minor classic'' QFor readers who enjoyed Life by Keith Richards and Bit of a Blur by Alex James, Telling Stories is one of the finest music books of recent times. It''s a story of achievement and survival, from London to LA. ''A vivid read'' Independent on Sunday''The Charlatans'' frontman recalls the heyday of Britpop and Madchester with endearing exuberance. He''s unflinchingly honest about the bad times but also peppers his story with anecdotal nuggets about the pitfalls of rock ''n'' roll excess'' Metro''Burgess keeps a level head, a sharp eye and a nice turn of phrase'' Independent''Written with the stylish flow of a novel - light and dark, hilarious and melancholic'' Emma Forrest''For a man whose behaviour borders on the suicidal, Timothy Burgess, the people''s friend, is what you call a life enthusiast. He is also mad. It''s a much-abused word, mad . . . but he really is proper coo-ee clouds pan-dimensional mad mad'' Syliva Patteerson, SkyTim Burgess was born in Salford but grew up in a village near Northwich, Cheshire. Leaving school at 16 to work at ICI, his real love was music and soon afterwards he was invited to join new band The Charlatans. For twelve years Burgess lived in Los Angeles but he has recently returned to the UK.

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Book SynopsisThe first full-length narrative biography of Led Zeppelin''s John Bonham, considered by many to be one of the greatest drummers in rock history, and a genuine wild man of epic (and sadly fatal) proportions. Beast: John Bonham and the Rise of Led Zeppelin is the first-ever biography of the iconic John Bonham, considered by many to be one of the greatest (if not THE greatest) rock drummer of all time. Bonham first learned to play the drums at the age of five, and despite never taking formal lessons, began drumming for local bands immediately upon graduating from secondary school. By the late 1960s, Bonham was looking for a more solid gig in order to provide his growing family with a more regular income. Meanwhile, following the dissolution of the popular blues rock band The Yardbirds, lead guitarist Jimmy Page sought the company of new bandmates to help him record an album and tour Scandinavia as the New Yardbirds. A few months later, Bonham was recruited to join

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Book Synopsis''Almost as miraculous as the songs it exists to celebrate.'' PETE PAPHIDES''The only ABBA book that the world will ever need.'' TONY PARSONS''Writing perfection on musical perfection: book heaven.'' CAITLIN MORANThrough exclusive interviews and over a decade of deep research, renowned music journalist Jan Gradvall explores the secrets to ABBA''s success.More than half a century after their songs were recorded, ABBA still make people the world over dance and sing their hearts out. After interviewing the four members for an article in 2013 at which time the band had not been interviewed for over thirty years Jan Gradvall was granted unique access to them for the next decade. In The Book of ABBA, the band share their thoughts and opinions more openly than ever before, while Jan reveals the context in which their sound developed and shows how the story of ABBA is also the story of Sweden and the globalisation of pop culture.From their chart-topping ABBA Voyage their first album in forty years to the two-million-ticket-selling concert-experience of the same name, it is undeniable that, in the history of pop culture and music, there has never been a group like ABBA. With remarkable intimacy, Gradvall''s book brings readers closer than ever to one of the world''s most notoriously private music icons.

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsThe Greys; Music Now; Yawns; Be Less Rude; Go-Go Girls; Behave!; Square 9; Snake; It’s Christmas So We’ll Stop; The Modern Leper; I Feel Better; Good Arms vs Bad Arms; Fast Blood; Old, Old Fashioned; The Twist; Head Rolls Off; My Backwards Walk; Keep Yourself Warm; Poke; Floating In the Forth; Who’d You Kill Now?; Don’t; Soon Go; Things; Swim Until You Can’t See Land; The Loneliness and The Scream; The Wrestle; Skip The Youth; Nothing Like You; Footshooter; Not Miserable; Living In Colour; Yes, I Would; Fun Stuff; Learned Your Name; Scottish Winds; Fuck This Place; The Work; State Hospital; Boxing Night; Home From War; Off; Wedding Gloves; Acts of Man; Backyard Skulls; Holy; The Woodpile; Late March, Death March; December’s Traditions; Housing (In); Dead Now; Nitrous Gas; Housing (Out); The Oil Slick; If You Were Me; Snow Still Melting; Escape Route; Today’s Cross; Architect; Default Blues; Radio Silence; Candlelit; Death Dream; Get Out; I Wish I Was Sober; Woke Up Hurting; Little Drum; Still Want to Be Here; An Otherwise Disappointing Life; Break; Blood Under the Bridge; 400 Bones; Lump Street; Die Like a Rich Boy; The Wreck; Wait ‘Til the Morning; A Lick of Paint; Roadless; How It Gets In; Rained On

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Book SynopsisTrade Review" One strongly recommends this detailed and finely sympathetic biography, very well-written and produced, of arguably Britain's greatest composer of the twentieth-century. " * Musical Opinion Quarterly *

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Book SynopsisThe powerful and bestselling memoir of a young Jewish pianist who survived the war in Warsaw against all odds. Made into a Bafta and Oscar-winning film.''You can learn more about human nature from this brief account of the survival of one man throughout the war years in the devastated city of Warsaw than from several volumes of the average encyclopaedia'' Independent on Sunday''We are drawn in to share his surprise and then disbelief at the horrifying progress of events, all conveyed with an understated intimacy and dailiness that render them painfully close - riveting'' Observer''A book so fresh and vivid, so heartbreaking, and so simply and beautifully written, that it manages to tell us the story of horrendous events as if for the first time'' Daily TelegraphTrade ReviewVivid and anguished . . . compulsive reading -- Richard Overy * Sunday Telegraph *You can learn more about human nature from this brief account of the survival of one man throughout the war years in the devastated city of Warsaw than from several volumes of the average encyclopaedia -- Gerald Jacobs * Independent on Sunday *We are drawn in to share his surprise and then disbelief at the horrifying progress of events, all conveyed with an understated intimacy and dailiness that render them painfully close . . . riveting -- Lisa Appignanesi * Observer *This memoir of a Jewish pianist who survived the war in Warsaw is one of the most powerful accounts ever written * Sunday Tribune *A compelling, harrowing masterpiece * Independent *A book so fresh and vivid, so heartbreaking, and so simply and beautifully written, that it manages to tell us the story of horrendous events as if for the first time . . . His account is hair-raising, beyond anything Hollywood could invent . . . Everything that has been most horrific in life in 20th-century Europe is encompassed in this exquisite memoir * Daily Telegraph *What really stays with the reader is the chilling, almost naive immediacy with which the story is told . . . The Pianist is an icy, nerveless but remarkably readable memoir that takes us as close as we are ever likely to travel to the day-to-day reality of living through terror * Sunday Times *The images drawn are unusually sharp and clear, but its moral tone is even more striking: Szpilman refuses to make a hero or a demon out of anyone * Literary Review *

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Book SynopsisA comprehensively illustrated reference to musical instruments and the history of the orchestra, and a guide to 100 classical composers from Bach to Xenakis, in a newly updated large-format edition.

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Book SynopsisThis biography follows Hess's transformation from rebellious young musician to national heroine. With previously unpublished material, it explores her struggles for recognition, her beloved transcription of Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, her collaborations with the musicians of her day and extracts from her postwar American diaries.

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