Composers and songwriters Books

2629 products


  • Philip Lynott Renegade

    Sonicbond Publishing Philip Lynott Renegade

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisPhilip Lynott: Renegade is the story of a pioneering Irish musician. From his early days on his beloved Dublin music scene through the adventurous days of Thin Lizzy, the band he led for thirteen years, Philip himself reveals in song the ebb and flow of his public and private life.

    1 in stock

    £17.09

  • Kate Bush The Dreaming Rock Classics

    Sonicbond Publishing Kate Bush The Dreaming Rock Classics

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisYou could consider Kate Bush's The Dreaming to be her finest moment, depending on whether you value the rejection of compromise and see that as a sign of authenticity.Ultimately, The Dreaming is just art. .

    1 in stock

    £11.69

  • Albion’s Glory: A Celebration of Twentieth

    Troubador Publishing Albion’s Glory: A Celebration of Twentieth

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisWhat is meant by the term ‘English Music’? After discussing the definition and factors for identification involved, Stephen H. Smith explores the shortlist of composers who should be considered, as well as any omissions from such a selection. The book then gives a short history of English music from the nineteenth to twentieth century. The main body of the book – the composer survey – is divided into three subsections: Progenitors of the English Musical Renaissance (Parry and Stanford); Ten of the Best (the author’s choice of England’s “top” twentieth-century composers); and The Best of the Rest (fifty entries on other English composers, in alphabetical order, including several overlooked ones with a nevertheless powerfully distinctive musical voice). A final section explores alternative ways of accessing the music along with their pros and cons. With a bibliography and discography to accompany each entry, a general bibliography and an appendix on the mystery surrounding the fate of E.J. Moeran’s ‘Second Symphony’, Albion’s Glory gives a complete overview of the history of English music and the composers who brought it to life.

    1 in stock

    £13.49

  • The Beatles in Perspective: A Carnival of Light

    Equinox Publishing Ltd The Beatles in Perspective: A Carnival of Light

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe Beatles’ lives and work continue to delight fans and influence musicians half a century since their heyday. Yet their contribution to contemporary culture and their relationship to social change remain controversial topics in need of reappraisal. This collection brings together fourteen leading scholars of The Beatles to examine their origins, output and legacy. Interdisciplinary in its approach and international is its outlook, The Beatles in Perspective showcases the latest research by historians, literary critics, musicologists, sociologists, poets and cultural critics bringing new perspectives on The Beatles and their milieu which will interest academics and fans alike. This book explores the relationship between The Beatles and their times, situating them in the changing class, gender and ethnic dynamics of postwar Britain, and considers them as Liverpudlians, Orientalists, and creative pioneers.Table of ContentsIntroduction Culture and History 1. “Where You Once Belonged”: Class, Race and Liverpool Roots of Lennon and McCartney’s Songs James McGrath 2. Notes on the Beatles from a Black Liverpudlian Perspective Mark Christian, Lehman College (CUNY) 3. From Liverpool to Tibet: “Tomorrow Never Knows” and the Troubled Path to the East Sharif Gemie, University of South Wales 4. Magical Mystery Tour: Suburbia and Utopia in Music and Films of The Beatles Jon Goss, Clarkson University, New York 5. The Bohemian Beatles Colin Campbell, University of York 6. Interlude 1: Growing up with The Beatles Russell Reising (University of Toledo), Peter Mills and James McGrath Audience, Fanhood, Interpretation 7. “My Name’s Ringo and I Play the Drums”: Being a Beatles’ Fan in the Age of Interactivity Stephanie Fremaux, Birmingham City University 8. The Beatles and Fandom Richard Mills, St Marys University, London 9. “Some kind of innocence...”: The Beatles Monthly and the Fan Community Mike Kirkup, Teesside University 10. “Misunderstanding all you see”: Charles Manson Reading the Beatles at the End of the World Gary Carlin and Mark Jones, both at University of Wolverhampton 11. Interlude 2: The Beatles, Interpretation and Influence Russell Reising, Peter Mills and James McGrath Savoy Truffles: Further Perspectives 12. Paul in the Picture: Anatomy of a Snapshot Martin Malone, Aberdeen University 13. The American Beetles: How a Fake Beatles Band Defined a Movement, Changed a Culture, and Beat The Beatles at Their Own Game Ed Prideaux, journalist 14. Listening and Remembering Russell Reising, Peter Mills and James McGrath

    1 in stock

    £25.60

  • The Little Guide to Elton John: Wit, Wisdom and

    Headline Publishing Group The Little Guide to Elton John: Wit, Wisdom and

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisSir Elton Hercules John has enjoyed a phenomenal career filled with success, excess and achievement. His farewell tour was announced as more than 300 dates across all corners of the glode for years. Illness, Covid-19 and other extenuating circumstances conspired to prolong it, but the Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour concerts have sold out everywhere as fans take their opportunity to see this unique artist for possibly the last time live on stage.The Little Guide to Elton John celebrates the career, music and character of one of the most interesting, colourful, engaging and interesting popular musicians ever. The book reviews his career and countless highs, and recognizes his many record-breaking achievements, in music, in his charity work and farther afield.Table of ContentsFrom Reg to Elton: facts and quotes from his early career • Rocket Man: with Bernie Taupin and global success • The Bitch is Back: life after retirement • The Wonderful World of Elton: celebrating over 50 years • Famous Friends: collaborations, charity and football • Your Song: the singles and the albums.

    2 in stock

    £5.99

  • The Beatles by Terry O'Neill: Five decades of

    Headline Publishing Group The Beatles by Terry O'Neill: Five decades of

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis'An incredible photographer and good friend' -RINGO STARR The definitive collection of the breathtaking Beatles photographs of Terry O'Neill.Iconic photographer Terry O'Neill worked with the Beatles across five decades, capturing the band at the beginning of their rise to the top and the solo years beyond.From recording sessions, rehearsals and larking around town at the height of Beatlemania, to intimate shots at weddings, at home and on tour in the solo years after the band had split, O'Neill captured countless photographs – many of which are being published for the very first time here.With more than 300 photographs and including quotes from Terry collecting his personal memories of working with the band, The Beatles by Terry O'Neill is a unique visual portrait of the story of John, Paul, George, Ringo and the music they made.

    1 in stock

    £24.00

  • Situation Vacant: The Sex Pistols & Malcolm

    Herb Lester Associates Ltd Situation Vacant: The Sex Pistols & Malcolm

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £10.80

  • Bob Dylan: What the Songs Mean

    Troubador Publishing Bob Dylan: What the Songs Mean

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe meaning of Bob Dylan’s songs has long been debated by fans, critics and academics. When, in 2016, Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, the significance of his songs was confirmed. Yet their meaning has never been demonstrably explained. Dylan himself has said that people can learn everything about him through his songs: “if they know where to look.” This book shows his millions of fans exactly where that is. Dylan has written hundreds of songs, many of which are acknowledged masterpieces. “Blowin’ in the Wind”, “Like a Rolling Stone”, “Mr.Tambourine Man”, the list goes on. In the 1960s, he was hailed as a prophet. Since then, he’s generally been considered a genius. One thing he’s always been, though, is an enigma. In Bob Dylan: What the Songs Mean, critic Michael Karwowski analyses the lyrics. In the process, he opens up all sorts of avenues into philosophy, mysticism, religion, literature, art, and, of course, music. This is a “must read” book for anyone who wants to learn more about the meaning behind the songs or anyone interested in understanding how a genius sees the world. It also considers the impact Dylan’s words have had - not only on his fans, but on the worlds of popular music, culture and beyond.

    1 in stock

    £14.39

  • The Rite of Spring

    Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Rite of Spring

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe story behind the scandalous first performance of one of the most influential works in the history of music, as part of the stunning Landmark Library series. On 29 May 1913, at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, a new ballet by Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky, received its premiere. Many of the cultural big names of Paris were there, or were rumoured to have been there: Debussy, Ravel, Proust, Gertrude Stein, Picasso. When the curtain rose on a cast of frenziedly stamping dancers, a near-riot ensued, ensuring the evening would enter the folklore of modernism. While it was the dancing that triggered the mayhem, Stravinsky's score contained shocks enough, with its innovations in form, rhythm, dissonance and its sheer sonic power. The Rite of Spring would achieve recognition in its own right as a concert piece, and is now seen as one of the most influential works of the 20th century. Gillian Moore explores the cultural climate that created The Rite, tells the story of the creation of the music and the ballet and provides a guide to the music itself, showing how a scandalous novelty of 1913 became a 21st-century concert staple. As well as considering its influence on 20th-century classical composers, she probes The Rite's impact on film music (including scores for Star Wars and Jaws); its extensive influence on jazz musicians (including Charlie Parker) and by artists as diverse as Weather Report, Joni Mitchell, Frank Zappa and The Pet Shop Boys.Trade ReviewGillian Moore's succinct, lucid and beautifully illustrated book explains the history of this unique musical phenomenon with a keen sense of its broader significance * Literary Review *[Gillian Moore] offers a stylish and concise account of the event... It's one of the strengths of Moore's finely illustrated monograph that it supplies chapter and verse, not only on the score's background and artistic context but also on the amazing subsequent reach of music whose ancestry was so esoteric that Stravinsky could claim it had virtually no tradition behind it and had come to him out of the blue' * Guardian *With its fascinating illustrations and welcoming tone, this is a non-specialist guide by a writer who tells a rattling good tale... Moore's musical and choreographic commentaries are jargon-free and accessible, and her judgments adroit, 5*' * BBC Music Magazine *In her excellent, lavishly illustrated The Rite of Spring, Gillian Moore explains what all the fuss was about, how music and ballet were created, and why Stravinsky's music has had such an enduring influence * Choice magazine *If Moore doesn't convince you of the epochal significance of Stravinsky's brilliant, outrageous fire-starter, you must be damn hard to please. With an intoxicating tone which combines academic authority, rich, detailed description and pure thrill, she explains the history of the piece, the wild myths and characters which come with it, and the explosive impact of its first riotous performance in Paris, 1913 * Big Issue *From a Cocteau line drawing to a Roerich imagined portrait of prehistory to Walt Disney, illustrations consistently stimulate and illuminate; Moore's enthusiasm and trademark clarity are everywhere * Classical Music *[A] compact, beautifully designed and expertly written vade-mecum to The Rite * The Oldie *What Gillian Moore offers is something rather different from these earlier books. Hers is a thoroughly approachable study of The Rite which can readily be enjoyed by readers without technical knowledge [...] but who are seeking a deeper understanding of this pivotal work in the history of music * Gramophone *Though only 208 pages long, it's a more complete picture than usual, written in a clear style, with useful references and footnotes. The handsome, artfully done book includes many photos and colorful images to add to the pleasure of reading... Moore recalls a time when audiences for ballet, opera and classical music felt free to become more visibly involved in a performance. It's a time worth remembering, and Gillian Moore, award winner and Director of Music at the Southbank Centre, describes it well' * Classical Music Daily. *

    1 in stock

    £11.69

  • The Vivaldi Compendium

    Boydell & Brewer Ltd The Vivaldi Compendium

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe Vivaldi Compendium represents the latest in Vivaldi research, drawing on the author's close involvement with Vivaldi and Venetian music over four decades. The Vivaldi Compendium will serve as the most reliable and up-to-date source of quick reference on the composer Antonio Vivaldi and his music. This takes the form of a dictionary listing persons, places, musical works and many other topics connected with Vivaldi; its alphabetically arranged entries are copiously cross-referenced to guide the reader towards related topics. The Vivaldi Compendium also provides a gateway to further reading via an extensive bibliography, to which reference is made in most of the dictionary entries. These two sections are complemented by a biography of the composer and a carefully organized list of his works. Knowledge about Vivaldi and his music is still advancing at an incredible rate - many discoveries occurred while the book was in preparation - and every effort has been made to ensure that The Vivaldi Compendium represents the latest in Vivaldi research, drawing on the author's close involvement with Vivaldi and Venetian music over four decades. MICHAEL TALBOT is Emeritus Professor of Music at the University of Liverpool and a Fellow of the British Academy. He isknown internationally for his studies of late-baroque Italian music, which include recent books on Vivaldi's chamber cantatas [2003] and the same composer's fugal writing [2007].Trade Review[A] a musicological masterpiece. It is also one of the most practical books ever published, a book that enables anyone [.] to find reliable and detailed information on almost every subject connected with Vivaldi within seconds. One cannot be grateful enough to the author for this painstaking and most helpful publication. * EARLY MUSIC *This fact-packed reference book incorporates the latest research on Vivaldi's life and music and is written in a terse, yet engaging, style. [...] this is an impressively wide ranging guide. * EARLY MUSIC TODAY *This amazingly comprehensive volume packs a huge amount of expert scholarship [...] into an extraordinarily small space. [...] an indispensable addition to the shelves of anyone with an interest in Vivaldi, whether scholar, student, performer or music lover. * THE CONSORT *[Ein] vorteffliches Buch [...], das durch Klarheit und Verstädlichkeit in bester Angelsächsischer Wissenschaftstradition besticht. * CONCERTO *It's called a compendium, but it could also be termed a dictionary or pocket (almost) encyclopedia dedicated to a composer whose present popularity worldwide far exceeds the actual knowledge of his life and works. The completeness of this realization [...] is praiseworthy. * MUSICA *[T]here is nobody internationally as well-placed as Talbot to provide such a versatile and friendly guide to Vivaldi [...] The Vivaldi Compendium will become an indispensable companion. * GRAMOPHONE *This compact volume by Talbot provides an excellent orientation and quick reference to the state of scholarship on the life and music of Antonio Vivaldi. [...] The scope of this bibliography is impressive [...] Highly Recommended. * CHOICE *[Talbot] is, at least as far as the Anglophone world is concerned, THE expert. ... I am sure that I will consult the Compendium frequently. * EARLY MUSIC REVIEW *The Vivaldi Compendium is an extremely useful encyclopaedia [...] All the subject matter is dealt with in a scholarly and expert way. It will provide the reader with an exhaustive and informative one-stop source for Vivaldi's life, music and world. The production of The Vivaldi Compendium, too, is well up to Boydell's high standards [...] For Vivaldi collectors and specialists The Vivaldi Compendium is almost a required item. Its scope exceeds anything otherwise currently available and is managed extremely well by an expert. Strongly recommended. * CLASSICAL.NET *

    1 in stock

    £23.74

  • Uncommon

    Collective Ink Uncommon

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisIf we remember them at all, the Sheffield pop group Pulp are remembered for jolly class warfare ditty 'Common People', for the celebrity of their interestingly-named frontman, for the latter waving his arse at Michael Jackson at the Brit awards, for being part of a non-movement called 'Britpop', and for disappearing almost without trace shortly after. They made a few good tunes, they did some funny videos, and while they might be National Treasures, they're nothing serious. Are they? This book argues that they should be taken seriously - very seriously indeed. Attempting to wrest Pulp away from the grim jingoistic spectacle of Britpop and the revivals-of-a-revival circuit, this book charts the very strange things that occur in their records, taking us deep into a strange exotic land; a land of acrylics, adultery, architecture, analogue synthesisers and burning class anger. This is book about pop music, but it is mainly a book about sex, the city and class via the 1990s finest British pop group.Trade ReviewThis book is a small marvel. Even within the most ambiguous cultural flowering, something transcendent is cached. Owen Hatherley knows this. Possessed of an architect's clarity and a modernist's astringent vision, he draws forth the the paradoxical and brilliant core of Britpop, and restores Pulp's contradictory genius to its proper place in history. Behind the Blairite swagger of Cool Britannia and the spackle of commercial spectacle, Hatherley finds the truth of pop culture and social antagonism, entangled with the glory and oddity of Pulp's musical career and evanescent fame. Elegant about the songs, lucid about the band's warped trajectory, and incisive about the politics of daily life coiled within the sound and lyrics and moment, Hatherley chronicles the adventures of the Sheffield gang and their "class war casanova" who came forth as the truth of a deeply false moment, bad faith you could dance to, a dialectical verdict on a singular passage in time. (Joshua Clover)

    1 in stock

    £9.49

  • From The Ground Up: U2 360° Tour Official

    Cornerstone From The Ground Up: U2 360° Tour Official

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisU2 360° BY NUMBERS7,100,000 fans saw the show; 10 million people watched a live stream of U2 360° at the Rose Bowl on YouTube; 320,000 fans saw 360° in Mexico City; 9,760 guitar strings utilized; 7,100 miles – approximate distance travelled by space station while talking with U2; 5,200 years – collective touring experience of U2 tour personnel; 400 tons – weight of the fully loaded claw; 134 crew members; 126 truck drivers; 110 concerts; 53 gigs attended by a single fan; 7 astronauts attended.U2 360°, the most successful concert tour of all time, came to an end in Moncton, Atlantic Canada on July 30, 2011. The massive 26 month undertaking by Live Nation Global Touring saw U2 play 110 concerts in front of more than 7.1 million fans in 30 countries across five continents.From the Ground Up is the inside story of U2 360° with exclusive contributions from the band, manager Paul McGuinness, world-renowned set designer Willie Williams and exclusive photographs from photographer Ralph Larmann and written by Dylan Jones who was given complete access, including behind the scenes at Glastonbury 2011.

    1 in stock

    £21.25

  • On Raglan Road

    Gill On Raglan Road

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisLife is an ocean and love is a boat, In troubled waters that keeps us afloat ...This lively collection uncovers for the first time how the best Irish love songs came to be. This is for anyone who ever wondered who the 'Galway Girl' was, or if there was a real-life 'Nancy Spain'. Learn the often surprising, sometimes bittersweet, but always absorbing stories of the real women who inspired some of the world's finest love songs.Trade Review'Fascinating insight.' * Books Ireland *'A worthy and recommended book.' * Irish Examiner *Table of Contents1 'Una Bhan' - Tomas Laidir Costello 92 'Danny Boy' - Blind Rory O'Cahan (Ruaidhri DallO Cathain) and Frederick Edward Weatherly 253 'Down by the Salley Gardens' - W. B. Yeats 414 'Gortnamona' - William Percy French 655 'On Raglan Road' - Patrick Kavanagh 816 'Nancy Spain' - Barney Rush 957 'Sarah' - Phil Lynott 1118 'Grace' - Sean and Frank O'Meara 1319 'Past the Point of Rescue' and 'Crusader' -Mick Hanly 16110 'The Voyage' - Johnny Duhan 17911 'After All' - Frank and Walters 19712 'To You I Bestow' - Mundy 20713 'Galway Girl' - Steve Earle 22114 'You Raise Me Up' - Brendan Graham 235

    1 in stock

    £15.19

  • Still on the Road: The Songs of Bob Dylan Vol. 2

    Little, Brown Book Group Still on the Road: The Songs of Bob Dylan Vol. 2

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis is the second volume in Clinton Heylin's magisterial survey of the songs of Bob Dylan. The first volume - Revolution in the Air which is now available in paperback - charted the rise of Bob Dylan from his first jottings to the full expression of genius in songs such as 'Hard Rain Gonna Fall' and 'The Times They Are a Changin''. Still on the Road begins in 1974 with "Blood on the Tracks", the album filled with masterworks such as 'Tangled Up in Blue' and 'Simple Twist of Fate' that heralded a watershed in Dylan's creative journey, and continues to chart his never-ending fascination with music and the art of song up to 2006's "Modern Times". Praise for Revolution in the Air:'Beg, steal, borrow ... a compelling history of Dylan's mercurial song writing.' Mojo, 5-star review'Better than any biography could ever be, and a crucial Dylan book' Jonathan Letham'Valuable resource' Observer'A gripping new book by Dylan scholar Clinton Heylin so is so far in the deep end that its borderline insane . . [yet] has been devoured with a ravenous, insatiable appetite, and I have even made notes in the margin.' Mark Ellen, Word.'Terrifically interesting for Dylan nuts' Sunday Herald'Manna for completists' Metro 'True to form, Heylin digs deep-way deep-into the songs, mixing cold hard facts with illuminating anecdotes.' - Mark Smith, managing editor, Acoustic GuitarTrade ReviewClinton Heylin, master explicator of the Dylan canon, has however improbably, sorted it all out for us through the tangled '80's and beyond, completing what he started in Revolution in the Air. The book is essential. -- Jonathan LethemRarely does and author put an artist's creative process under such forensic scrutiny-and stitch his findings together with such success * Metro Herals Ireland *Highly recommended. * Choice *Highly recommended. * Choice *

    1 in stock

    £14.24

  • The Gig Book: Bob Dylan

    Hal Leonard Europe Limited The Gig Book: Bob Dylan

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis(Lead Sheets: Melody line, lyrics and chord symbols). Never be stumped by a Dylan request again! Perfect for gigs, this book includes 100 Bob Dylan hits in melody line arrangements with complete lyrics, chord symbols, and guitar chord boxes. Tunes include: All Along the Watchtower * Forever Young * Hurricane * Just Like a Woman * Knockin'' on Heaven''s Door * Lay, Lady, Lay * Like a Rolling Stone * Mr. Tambourine Man * Not Dark Yet * Tangled Up in Blue * The Times They Are A-Changin'' * and more. 5-3/4 x 8-3/8

    1 in stock

    £16.14

  • Breaking Stones

    ACC Art Books Breaking Stones

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis"I was impressed by The Stones. They were dressed casually, had mischief in them and were different to other bands." Terry O Neill In July 1962, a group of young men played a gig at The Marquee Club on Oxford Street, London. They called themselves 'The Rollin' Stones' and little did they know they would soon be making music history. This evocative new book captures the youth, the times and the spirit of The Stones' formative early years. And documenting 1963-1965 were two young photographers just starting out in their careers. Terry O'Neill, aged just 25, had a few years' experience photographing musicians and knew that this group had the same magic as another British phenomenon that just recently started to chart, The Beatles. As the band was starting to record and tour, Gered Mankowitz came along. His first shoot, the now famous Mason's Yard session, was so fruitful, Gered was asked to tag along on tour to America. Gered was a mere 19 when he picked up his camera and joined the band on stage in 1965. Between these two legendary photographers, they chronicle the band's beginnings and these indelible images are forever placed in music's consciousness. The photography throughout this book is embellished with various memories and interviews, celebrating the early days and giving an insight into what it must have felt like to go from a small club in Soho with no record deal to touring the world a few years later with a number one record. Terry O'Neill and Gered Mankowitz, two of the most respected, collected and exhibited photographers in the world were sitting in the front-row. 2016 is set to be a huge year for the Rolling Stones, as London's Saatchi Gallery hosts the first ever major exhibition dedicated to the band: Exhibitionism, a career-spanning, museum-style display of Stones artefacts and memorabilia. ACC Editions' publication of this book is due to coincide with the opening of this ground-breaking exhibition.Trade ReviewA brilliant new book reveals candid photos of Mick, Keith, and the Stones on the cusp of international fame, taken at work, rest, and play by photographers Terry O'Neill and Gered Mankowitz.--Mail on Sunday "Daily Mail, March 20, 2016 " The photography throughout this book is embellished with various memoires and interviews, celebrating the early days and giving an insight into what it must have felt like to go from a small club in Soho with no record deal to touring the world a few years later with a number one record. Terry O'Neill and Gered Mankowitz, two of the most respected, collected and exhibited photographers in the world were sitting in the front-row. "L'Oeil de la Photographie"

    1 in stock

    £23.96

  • Homeground: The Kate Bush Magazine: Anthology

    Crescent Moon Publishing Homeground: The Kate Bush Magazine: Anthology

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisHOMEGROUND: THE KATE BUSH MAGAZINE: ANTHOLOGY ONE: ''WUTHERING HEIGHTS'' TO ''THE SENSUAL WORLD'' HomeGround is a magazine devoted to Kate Bush (born in 1958), a British pop star best-known for hits such as ''Wuthering Heights'', ''Wow'', ''Hounds of Love'' and ''Running Up That Hill''. This book is pure heaven for music fans. The HomeGround anthology includes material inspired by all periods of Kate Bush''s musical progression. It is a book about the reaction to her work and how her unique music has touched the lives of so many people. This is a unique book, a labour of love for hundreds of music fans who have contributed to HomeGround over its thirty-year existence. The book includes an enormous amount of information about Kate Bush, accounts of every release, album, single, pop promo and appearance, as well as memories and accounts of music fandom (such as conventions, meetings, hikes, stage door encounters and video parties). It also includes material on many other pop acts and events. It features poetry, stories, letters, reviews, interviews, memoirs, cartoons, drawings, paintings and photographs. This is the first book of a two volume set, totalling over 1200 pages. The first book covers Kate Bush''s career from ''Wuthering Heights'' to ''The Sensual World'' (from the late 1970s to the late 1980s). The second book runs from ''The Red Shoes'' album to the present day. The first issue of HomeGround appeared in 1982, four years after Kate Bush''s dramatic debut with ''Wuthering Heights''. Starting with an ancient manual typewriter, and a pot of glue paste, the editors mounted articles on recycled backing sheets and added hand-drawn artwork to fill the gaps. The first issue was photocopied, the pages hand-stapled together and twenty-five copies were given away to fans they knew. Only later did they discover the magic of word processing, and desktop publishing. From those beginnings HomeGround became a cornerstone of the ''Kate-speaking world'', the editors going on to organise four official fan events at which Kate Bush and members of her family and band appeared, arrange at Bush''s request a team of fans to be extras in two of her videos and organise informal fan gatherings at Glastonbury and Top Withens, the storm-blown ruin on Haworth Moor. Years before the internet, HomeGround became a place where fans could discuss Bush''s music, and a place where they could publish creative writing and artwork that music inspired. Fully illustrated with hundreds of images, including rare photographs and original artwork. Includes a timeline of Kate Bush''s career, index and a who''s who. ISBN 97818617147945. 648pp. Volume Two of HomeGround, covering Kate Bush''s career from ''The Red Shoes'' to the present day, is also available: ISBN 9781861714817 (Pbk) and ISBN 9781861714824 (Hbk). www.crmoon.com (see for offers on buying both books together). Katebushnews.com - the website of HomeGround, the international Kate Bush magazine.

    1 in stock

    £33.24

  • The Beatles in Hamburg

    Reaktion Books The Beatles in Hamburg

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis'The Beatles are coming! The Beatles are coming!' While the chant will be familiar to any Beatles fan, there was a time before the band took the world by storm, when they were little more than an inexperienced, though talented, semi-professional group of musicians in dire need of practice. Their agent Allen Williams first sent them to Germany in August 1960 and through their experiences and difficulties in Hamburg, the Beatles not only became proficient musicians, but more importantly began to build the reputation that would eventually make them the most popular band in the world. The Beatles in Hamburg is the first detailed, objective analysis of the events and personalities that shaped the Beatles as performers, composers and musicians, and the role that Hamburg itself played in their remarkable story. Ian Inglis illuminates this obscure period in Beatles history, providing a revealing view of a crucial, formative period for the group. Written by one of the world's leading scholars of the Beatles and their music, the book will be of immense interest to fans of the group, as well as those interested in the history of popular music and the social history of the 1960s.Trade Review'Inglis is at his best when summarizing the environmental forces and personal relationships that fostered the intense level of artistic growth the group achieved during their time in that city. In his chapter on the Beatles' musical influences, he adeptly summarizes, in a short space, the unusual variety of musical currents that entered into their repertoire, including rhythm and blues, rockabilly, doo-wop, and Brill Building pop.' - The Weekly Standard

    1 in stock

    £13.46

  • The Smile File: The Precursors of Queen

    Aureus Publishing The Smile File: The Precursors of Queen

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £14.24

  • Judas!: From Forest Hills to the Free Trade Hall:

    Route Publishing Judas!: From Forest Hills to the Free Trade Hall:

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £14.24

  • The Chameleon Poet: Bob Dylan's Search for Self

    Route Publishing The Chameleon Poet: Bob Dylan's Search for Self

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £18.00

  • In Search of Plainsong: 2022

    Route Publishing In Search of Plainsong: 2022

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £14.24

  • What's She Like: A Memoir

    Route Publishing What's She Like: A Memoir

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £18.00

  • Deep Purple: A Matter of Fact

    Wymer Publishing Deep Purple: A Matter of Fact

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisA Matter Of Fact is the perfect companion to Deep Purple's music. Full of bizarre, obscure and amazing facts that have surrounded the band throughout its career of over forty years. If you have ever had disagreements with fellow fans about various facts or want to test the biggest fan on just how good their Deep Purple knowledge is, then this is the book for you. * How did Ian Paice and Rod Evans end up supporting Deep Purple? * Why did Ritchie Blackmore's country and western guitar playing save him from a beating? * Why did Dire Straits' Mark Knopfler review a Purple gig? * Who first recorded versions of several Deep Purple songs, complete with an orchestra? * Did Deep Purple's explosive performance at Plumpton really prevent Yes from performing? * Who did Deep Purple sue for selling bootlegs? * Which big rock star did the band get in a spat with at Knebworth? * Why did the Bee Gees receive Purple's lifetime achievement award? * What was Deep Purple's involvement with a film about a sixteenth century naval explorer that never got produced? * Why were some of Deep Purple's recent gigs illegal? The answers to all these questions, and many more amazing facts are revealed in this captivating book. Based on interviews with band and road crew members, contemporary press articles, and drawing on management files, A Matter Of Fact helps to clarify the truth behind several stories. It also dispels some untruths once and for all, as well a few previously un-revealed new stories that will appeal to even the most diehard fans.Trade ReviewJerry Bloom does an amazing job of collecting a collage of information and stories of the band members when they were in and out of their various bands before, during and after Purple. The stories will keep any Deep Purple fan enthralled. As anyone in showbiz will tell you there's always a whole lot more going on than it appears. This book is not just about the rock 'n' roll lifestyle but an insight in to the tough day to day grind of a group of amazingly talented artists all with differing personalities. Pat Cash (Foreword writer)

    1 in stock

    £14.24

  • Goin' Home With The Rolling Stones '66

    Reel Art Press Goin' Home With The Rolling Stones '66

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisGoin' Home With the Rolling Stones '66 is a beguiling collection of images, shot with incredible skill, that offers that rare gem in Stones photography.

    1 in stock

    £16.96

  • Mozart in Paris

    SelfMadeHero Mozart in Paris

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisIn 1778, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart leaves Salzburg for Paris. The French capital promises to liberate the 22-year-old from the suffocating grip of his father, and from a city that is unable to accommodate his genius. But there is no grand entrance for the former child prodigy. When Mozart arrives in Paris, he is cash-strapped, unknown and his French is poor. His mentor, the critic Baron von Grimm, introduces him to a number of Parisian nobles. But recognition is hard-won, and at times the French court appears indifferent to Mozart's talents and disapproving of his spontaneity. Tracing the composer’s six-month stay in the city of lights, Mozart in Paris dramatizes the confrontation between a sparkle-eyed genius and mundane reality. Frantz Duchazeau spotlights a frustrating yet formative period of the composer’s life — and in doing so creates a living, breathing portrait of a man whose music, as Einstein famously said, “was so pure that it seemed to have been ever-present in the universe, waiting to be discovered by the master.”

    2 in stock

    £13.49

  • Perfect Day: An Intimate Portrait Of Life With

    Outline Press Ltd Perfect Day: An Intimate Portrait Of Life With

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisIn this intimate and revealing memoir, Lou Reed s first wife finally tells the full story of her five-year relationship with the legendary New York singer and songwriter. Bettye met Lou in 1968 as a nineteen-year-old Columbia University student; they were married, briefly, in 1973. Their relationship spanned some of the most pivotal years of his life and career, from the demise of The Velvet Underground to the writing and recording of his seminal solo masterpieces Transformer, for which Lou wrote 'Perfect Day about an afternoon they spent together in the park, and Berlin, which draws on tales from Bettye s childhood. Here, Bettye looks back on their initially idyllic life together on the Upper East Side; Lou s struggle to launch a solo career after leaving perhaps the most influential rock band of all time; his work and friendships with fellow stars David Bowie and Iggy Pop; and his descent into drink and drug abuse following the success of Transformer, which sent him spinning out from gentle soul to rock n roll animal and brought a swift and calamitous end to their relationship. A powerful and poignant meditation on love, loss, and music, Perfect Day offers a fascinating new perspective on the life and legend of one of rock n roll s finest sons.

    1 in stock

    £13.46

  • I Scare Myself: A Memoir

    Outline Press Ltd I Scare Myself: A Memoir

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis'Dan is a national treasure and one of America s great songwriters. Elvis Costello. 'Dan s songs were funny, serious, and entertaining, and the combo of old-timey folk, country, and jazz knocked me out. Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons. 'Dan Hicks is like lightning in a bottle. Bette Midler. Dan Hicks didn t have his heart set on a career in music. It all just sort of happened to him. It didn t hurt, of course, that he was in the right place at the right time San Francisco, 1966 and had a front-row seat for the birth and death of the counterculture. Among other things, this is a classic story of the 60s. More importantly, it s a story of musical genius. By the time the Summer of Love limped to a close in the fall of 67, Hicks had quit the Charlatans the pioneering psych-rock band with whom he played the drums and turned to jazz, the music he d secretly loved all along, as he began building his own band, the Hot Licks. 'I just started taking ingredients I liked and putting them together to see what came out, Hicks writes. What came out was an amazing blend of complex time signatures, unusual instrumentation, and intricate vocal harmonies that took him to the top of the 70s rock world but also into a downward spiral of drink and drug abuse. Emerging from a long wilderness, which he writes about here with wit and candour, the man described by Tom Waits as 'fly, sly, wily, and dry eventually returned to recording and performing, making a number of acclaimed albums, including Beatin The Heat, a set of duets with Waits, Costello, Rickie Lee Jones, and more. Along the way, his music continued to subtly permeate the culture, turning up everywhere from The Sopranos to commercials for Levi s and Bic. Hicks passed away in early 2016, but his music, and the stories he tells here, remain as fresh and irresistible as ever. I Scare Myself takes readers on a journey behind the music, and into the life and mind of the fantastic artist who created it.

    1 in stock

    £13.46

  • Relax Baby Be Cool: The Artistry And Audacity Of

    Outline Press Ltd Relax Baby Be Cool: The Artistry And Audacity Of

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisWhy has Serge Gainsbourg crossed over to the English-speaking world when so many of his contemporaries have remained largely confined to the Francosphere? What is it about this unshaven provocateur that so appeals to us? And who was the real Serge Gainsbourg anyway? Was he the sensitive seducer and songwriting colossus of the 60s and 70s? Was he Lucien Ginsburg, the son of Russian Jewish refugees who had to wear a yellow star during the Nazi Occupation of Paris? Or was he Gainsbarre, the deplorable, attention-seeking drunk who shamelessly propositioned Whitney Houston on live TV? Gainsbourg s cult has only grown since his death in 1991, and Histoire de Melody Nelson is now regarded as a classic in France and internationally. The 1971 album had only sold eighty thousand copies by 1986 when it finally went gold fifteen years after its release; its canonical elevation is a remarkable story, and there are many more remarkable stories attached to all of Gainsbourg s genre-defying, transgressive long-players. In Relax Baby Be Cool, writer Jeremy Allen takes each studio album in turn while exploring themes pertinent to Gainsbourg s life and music: jazz, performance, provocation, appropriation, postmodernism, aesthetics, metamorphosis, muses, Nazis, film and TV, Surrealism, fame, and decline. French pop music is more popular than it s been since the mid-90s, when the French touch was breaking. Gainsbourg s influence has also been huge on alternative music: from Pulp to Massive Attack, De La Soul to Danger Mouse, Black Grape to Iggy Pop, Luke Vibert to Die Antwoord, Air to Kylie Minogue. This book is full of new interviews from people who knew him, as well as younger artists who ve discovered him long after his death. Contributors include Jane Birkin, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Jacqueline Ginsburg (Gainsbourg s sister), Anna Karina, Mike Patton, Etienne Daho, Sly Dunbar, Alan Hawkshaw, Alan Parker, Jean-Claude Vannier, Tony Frank, Tony Allen, Mick Harvey, Bertrand Burgalat, Acid Arab, Jehnny Beth, Alain Chamfort, Metronomy, David Holmes, Blonde Redhead, Air, Sparks, Will Oldham, and many more.Trade ReviewSerge is a deep inspiration to me and my music: the combination of compositional eclecticism, his constant state of evolution, his wonderful sense of provocation, and of course his otherworldly, penetrating, and intimate voice. A giant figure in my life, and a magical guiding light from an era I was born in now, and forever. Mike Patton

    1 in stock

    £13.46

  • Two Steps Forward, One Step Back: My Life In The

    Outline Press Ltd Two Steps Forward, One Step Back: My Life In The

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisMy real story starts with a disaster, an unmitigated, pull-the-rug-from-under-you, clean-out-the-bank-account disaster. But had it not happened, The Police would never have risen to become the biggest rock band in the world; Jools Holland would not have ended up on TV; The Bangles, The Go-Go s, R.E.M., and many other music stars might never have made it either. It s strange how a fluke, a disaster, an unlikely event can lead to incredible results. But that is in essence what happened to me . . . Two Steps Forward, One Step Back tells the extraordinary story of a maverick manager, promoter, label owner, and all-round legend of the music industry. It opens in the Middle East, where Miles grew up with his father, a CIA agent who was stationed in Syria, Egypt, and Lebanon. It then shifts to London in the late 60s and the beginnings of a career managing bands like Wishbone Ash and Curved Air only for Miles s life and work to be turned upside down by a pioneering yet disastrous European tour. From the ashes of near bankruptcy, Miles enters the world of punk, sharing office space with Malcolm McLaren and Sniffin Glue, before shifting gears again as manager of The Police, featuring his brother, Stewart, on drums. Then, after founding IRS Records, he launches the careers of some of the most potent musical acts of the new wave scene and beyond, from Squeeze and The Go-Go s to The Bangles and R.E.M. Finally, the story comes full circle as Miles finds himself advising the Pentagon on how to win over hearts and minds in the Middle East and introducing Arabic music to the United States. Never let the truth get in the way of a good story, his father would tell him. Sometimes, though, the truth is all you need.

    1 in stock

    £13.46

  • Revolutionary Spirit: A Post-Punk Exorcism: The

    Outline Press Ltd Revolutionary Spirit: A Post-Punk Exorcism: The

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisPart memoir, part social history, Revolutionary Spirit is the poignant, often hilarious story of a cult Liverpool musician s scenic route to fame and artistic validation. If Morrissey was the Oscar Wilde of the 1980s indie scene, Simpson was its William Blake, a self-destructive genius so lost in mystical visions of a new arcadia that he couldn t meet the rent. Simpson s career begins alongside fellow Liverpool luminaries Julian Cope, Ian McCulloch, Bill Drummond, Ian Broudie, Will Sergeant, Pete Wylie, Pete Burns, and Pete de Freitas at the infamous Eric s club, where, in 1976, he finds himself at the birth of the city s second great musical explosion. Along the way, he co-founds and christens the neo-psychedelic pop group The Teardrop Explodes, shares a flat with a teenage Courtney Love, and forms The Wild Swans, the indie band of choice for literary-minded teens in the early 1980s, who burn bright and brief, in the process recording one of the all-time great cult hit singles, Revolutionary Spirit . Marriage, fatherhood, and tropical illness follow, interspersed with artistic collaborations with Bill Drummond and members of The Brian Jonestown Massacre, among others. Following an onstage reunion with Cope at the Royal Festival Hall, Simpson discovers that seven thousand miles away, in the Philippines, he is considered a musical god. Presidential suites, armed guards, police escorts . . . you couldn t make it up, and, incredibly, he doesn t need to. Revolutionary Spirit marks the arrival of an original literary voice. It is the story of a musician driven by an unerring belief that artistic integrity will bring its own rewards, and an elliptical elegy to the ways it does.Trade ReviewReads like a book that is already a Penguin Modern Classic. And not in a Morrissey way but a proper way.' - Bill Drummond, The KLF

    2 in stock

    £15.26

  • Tony Christie: DER SAENGER

    Great Northern Books Ltd Tony Christie: DER SAENGER

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisTony Christie hat mit "Is This The Way To Amarillo", "I Did What I Did For Maria", "Avenues & Alleyways" die Charts in Landern auf der ganzen Welt angefuhrt und fur seine jungeren Arbeiten mit Richard Hawley und Jarvis Cocker auch von anerkannten Kritikern hoechste Anerkennung erhalten. Tonys Alben haben mehrere Gold- und Platin-Auszeichnungen erreicht, und er war der einzige Sanger im Jahr 2005, der in England gleichzeitig eine Single und ein Album auf Platz 1 der Charts hatte. Tony ist einer der beliebtesten Sanger Deutschlands und Mitteleuropas. Sein Album "Welcome To My Music", das erste einer ganzen Reihe von Alben mit dem legendaren deutschen Produzenten Jack White, verkaufte sich uber 450.000 Mal fur den Mann, der als "Gentleman of Pop Music" bezeichnet wird. Er ist immer noch regelmassig in Carmen Nebels TV-Shows zu sehen, und spielt auf seinen Tourneen vor ausverkauften Hausern. Songs wie "Sweet September", "I Did What I Did For Maria" und naturlich "Amarillo" sind bei seinen deutschen und mitteleuropaischen Zuschauern, fur die er zu einem der Lieblingskunstler des Schlagers aller Zeiten wurde, so beliebt wie eh und je. Jetzt erzahlt Tony zum ersten Mal von seiner illustren, farbenfrohen Karriere, die in der kleinen Stadt Conisbrough in South Yorkshire begann, und ihn zu einem heute noch als Sangerlegende mit Fans auf der ganzen Welt gefeierten Kunstler werden liess. Es ist eine Geschichte voller emotionaler und finanzieller Hoehen und Tiefen, fantastischer Charaktere und Tonys tief verwurzelter Liebe zur Familie. Wenn Sie dachten, dass Sie Tony Christie kennen, werden Sie es jetzt tun, wenn er uber seine Lieben, seine Sorgen und sein erstaunliches Leben spricht! TONY CHRISTIE: Der Sanger ist die offizielle Autobiografie einer Ikone in der Popmusik, deren Stimme heute so gut klingt, wie als er 1971 zum ersten Mal in die Charts kam.

    1 in stock

    £16.19

  • Lenny Kravitz: The Life The Genius The Legend

    New Haven Publishing Ltd Lenny Kravitz: The Life The Genius The Legend

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisLenny Kravitz has been at the top of the music world for over 30 years, showing no signs of slowing down. A multi instrumentalist, songwriter, actor, and record producer his signature retro sound has incorporated all of the unique style's of the very best in music history, rock, blues, soul, R&B, funk, jazz, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, pop, folk, and ballads. Lenny Kravitz more than any other musician has seamlessly blended these styles into his own, creating a musical fusion, a melting pot of past influences that he continues to efficiently MASTER and PRODUCE with every album. A multiple Grammy award winner Lenny won the Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance four years in a row from 1999 to 2002, breaking the record for most wins in that category. He also set the record for the most consecutive wins by a male. He has been nominated for and won numerous other awards ranging from American Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, Radio Music Awards, Brit Awards, and Blockbuster Entertainment Awards. He has achieved sales in excess of 40 million records and counting and continues to create UNIQUE albums in his own sound, a sound created and nurtured over 3 decades developing 11 studio albums producing hits all over the world. He has written and produced alongside Mick Jagger, Madonna,Michael Jackson, Prince and many others. Lenny Kravitz stands as one of only a handful of individual Rock Stars that CONTINUOUSLY tourS with sell out concerts in Arenas all over the world. A truly global rock star with a talent for writing, producing and performing that is extremely rare in modern day music. THIS book examines his rise to fame and his constant successes', his albums, his tour's and his incredible musical ability. James Court brings the second book in the series following on from Prince The Life The Genius The Legend in 2018. Lenny Kravitz, The Life, The Genius, The Legend leaves no stone unturned and follows the life of this extraordinary Rock Star who first came to our attention in 1989 and has remained on the Music scene, producing quality songs and albums ever since. Through his own individual talent Lenny Kravitz has risen to become one of the most esteemed, admired, illustrious and respected Musicians in Rock music over the past 30 years. The Book highlights and reveals every part of this unique musical Genius, his rise to the top of Rock and Roll prominence, his life within music, his countless achievements on and off the stage, and ultimately, his legend.

    1 in stock

    £15.19

  • Bob Dylan: Surviving in a Ruthless World: Bob

    Red Planet Publishing Ltd Bob Dylan: Surviving in a Ruthless World: Bob

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £18.00

  • Black Sabbath Through The Seventies

    Wymer Publishing Black Sabbath Through The Seventies

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThroughout a long and sometimes turbulent career let us not forget that from the release of the debut album in early 1970 through to Never Say Die! in 1978, the classic line-up of Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward virtually created the blueprint for heavy rock. With eight albums plus hundreds of concerts across the globe, this was the defining decade for Sabbath that saw them rightly earn their place as one of the most iconic bands off all time. With photos spanning the decade, this beautifully presented book is a celebration of Black Sabbath in all its glory. Containing many previously unpublished shots of the band in the USA and Europe.

    1 in stock

    £21.24

  • The Genesis Family Photo Album

    Wymer Publishing The Genesis Family Photo Album

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisWith Genesis having formed over fifty years ago this photographic book celebrates the family of bands from the seventies to the present day. As well as being crammed full of images of Genesis from the days with Peter Gabriel through to the 2007 reunion, this book includes photos from the solo careers of Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Steve Hackett, Mike & The Mechanics, Ray Wilson and Anthony Phillips. Beautifully designed it includes previously unpublished concert photos stretching back in time from the Lyceum, London in 1971; Plymouth, 1972; Brighton, 1973 and unique photos taken at Headley Grange, Hampshire in 1974 during the recording of The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway - the last album with Peter Gabriel. The journey continues with never before seen photos from the first tour after Gabriel's departure as well as from Gabriel's first solo tour. Following Steve Hackett's departure in 1977 the band is captured at the massive Knebworth concert of `78. There are also photos of Hackett, Gabriel from their appearances at the Reading Festival where the later was reunited with Phil Collins. Moving into the next decade and beyond there are plenty of shots of the band during the hugely successful period with Phil Collins at the helm and even the brief period with his successor Ray Wilson is covered as well as the one off reunion with Gabriel and Hackett at the Six Of The Best concert at Milton Keynes in 1982. Additional imagery from the solo tours of Collins and Mike Rutherford's band Mike & The Mechanics help to round off the book along with plenty of photos that continue to document the solo careers of Hackett and Gabriel in recent times, as well as paying homage to the band's original guitarist Anthony Phillips that ensures all facets of the band are covered.

    1 in stock

    £21.24

  • Swords & Tequila: Riot’s Classic First Decade

    Wymer Publishing Swords & Tequila: Riot’s Classic First Decade

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisRock City, Narita, Fire Down Under, Restless Breed, Born in America... These are the pioneering, superlative heavy metal records that represent the classic first decade of Brooklyn’s Riot’s, before the band would break up, eventually storming back with Thundersteel and The Privilege of Power, existing to this day as Riot V after the shocking death from Crohn’s disease of guitarist and leader Mark Reale. Riot’s is a tale of opportunities missed, of a band ahead of the curve, and of a band from which both its classic era lead singers — Guy Speranza and Rhett Forrester — are now dead, as is, of course, Mark Reale, a quiet man who, fatefully, wanted to leave the business to others and just play his heavy metal. But this book is not just about the ’75 to ’85 period of the band that spawned one of the finest metal records of all time, 1981’s Fire Down Under. Even if the classics framed by those ten years get the full, dedicated chapter, track-by-track Popoff treatment, the subsequent rich and substantial catalogue of the band is discussed as well, right up to the present day where Riot shines on. But still, the focus is on songs like `Warrior’, `49er’, `Road Racin’’, `Outlaw’, `Don’t Hold Back’, `Altar of the King’, `Violent Crimes’, `Vigilante Killer’ and of course the insanely anthemic `Swords and Tequila’, as we celebrate a New York institution that is perhaps the shining example of the term, “honorary New Wave of British Heavy Metal” band.

    1 in stock

    £14.24

  • Tears For Fears The Hurting: In-depth

    Wymer Publishing Tears For Fears The Hurting: In-depth

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisIn 1983, Tears For Fears' debut album, The Hurting, was released after the success of their iconic single, 'Mad World'. Whilst embracing the popularity of synth pop, Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith created an album that had a darker edge to it. Commercially it was a bold move but with memorable melodies and catchy rhythms, it paid off - all whilst making reference to the work of psychologist Arthur Janov. In this book, music author Laura Shenton MA LLCM DipRSL offers an in depth perspective on The Hurting from a range of angles including how the album came to be, how it was presented and received at the time (live as well as on record), and what it means in terms of Tears For Fears' legacy today. As the author explains: "Basically, the book covers how the album was made, what was going on with the music in terms of the artist's intentions, how it did musically and commercially and what happened next." The narrative is essentially driven by contemporary interviews with the artists with small bits of music theory where relevant... in some cases they delve into the structure / key signatures / time signatures, based on the original sheet music without straying away from being an engaging read for non-musicians.

    1 in stock

    £13.49

  • Kate Bush The Dreaming: In-depth

    Wymer Publishing Kate Bush The Dreaming: In-depth

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisWhen Kate Bush shot to fame in 1978, her public image was that of a sweet young woman who sang about Cathy out on the windy moors, full of melancholy and yearning for Heathcliff. It was charming, inoffensive and, although eccentric, subtle enough to come across as endearing or at least, not challenging. When Kate’s fourth studio album, The Dreaming, was released in 1982, all of that changed. It is an album that some critics loved to hate — and that’s why it matters. In this book, author Laura Shenton MA LLCM DipRSL offers an in-depth perspective on The Dreaming from a range of angles including how the album came to be, how it was presented and received at the time, and what it means in terms of Kate Bush’s legacy today.

    1 in stock

    £13.49

  • Peter Gabriel A Life In Vision

    Wymer Publishing Peter Gabriel A Life In Vision

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisWhen Peter Gabriel left rock royalty Genesis in 1975 for personal reasons, his musical future was full of uncertainty. But within 18 months he returned in style with his debut solo album and a hit single ‘Solsbury Hill’. It set him on a path that has allowed his talent to blossom through the decades. Never one to stand still, Gabriel has constantly reinvented himself, never afraid to experiment and explore new musical avenues. His willingness to collaborate with all manner of people has also resulted in film scores and joint projects with a diverse range of artists from Kate Bush to Martin Scorcese, as well as Sinead O’Connor, King Crimson’s Robert Fripp and Coldplay’s Chris Martin. His passion for World Music has seen his long-standing commitment to the WOMAD Festival and outside of music political activism and humanitarian issues have played a big part in his life. With Gabriel now in his seventh decade A Life In Vision is a chronological, visual biography of his extraordinary and colourful career. From the early days of Genesis through to the present day it is crammed full of glorious photography, much of which is previously unpublished, along with a timeline narrative by Genesis aficionado Alan Hewitt.

    1 in stock

    £21.16

  • Jethro Tull Minstrel In The Gallery: In-depth

    Wymer Publishing Jethro Tull Minstrel In The Gallery: In-depth

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisFor Jethro Tull, 1975 would prove to be a fascinating year. With Aqualung and Thick As A Brick behind them, and with A Passion Play and War Child having been met with a mixed critical reception, their next album, Minstrel In The Gallery is the product of a band who kept on going and who weren't afraid to explore. Minstrel In The Gallery is abundant in innovative musical ideas and insightful lyrics. Recorded in sunny Monte Carlo and described by Sounds as "a pleasant surprise", the album is a fascinating combination of acoustic and heavy rock teamed with a strings section, and of course, flute. In this book, author Laura Shenton MA LLCM DipRSL offers an in-depth perspective on Minstrel In The Gallery from a range of angles including how the album came to be, how it was presented and received at the time (live as well as on record), and what it means in terms of Jethro Tull's legacy today.

    1 in stock

    £13.49

  • The Rolling Stones in America 1964-1972

    Wymer Publishing The Rolling Stones in America 1964-1972

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisTime marches on: by 2022 it will have been fifty years since the release of the Rolling Stones' Exile on Main St. and the epic, infamous American tour the band undertook to promote that album. 2022 also marks the 60th anniversary year of the formation of the band. The Rolling Stones In America is published in time to mark both of these anniversaries. Why were the Stones so successful in the States when so many other English bands failed to make their mark? Why was the band so drawn towards American blues music? What was their relationship with the burgeoning American counter-culture? What really happened at Altamont, and why? It could be argued that a marker for the end of the Sixties era might be the Stones' infamous 1972 American tour. So much had changed in the three years since their last American tour that the 1972 tour might deserve deeper attention than it had previously been given; perhaps it might even be as significant as other events that cultural historians traditionally identify to mark the end of the long 1960s - such as Richard Nixon's re-election for a second Presidential term in November 1971, the Watergate scandal and impeachment of 1973 that ended Nixon's presidency, or the American military withdrawal from Vietnam in 1973, with the war ending in defeat in 1975. This hugely detailed tome addresses those questions, making this a unique addition to the Rolling Stones' bibliography.

    1 in stock

    £15.29

  • David Bowie The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust

    Wymer Publishing David Bowie The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe album that made a huge star out of David Bowie in 1972 and introduced his Ziggy Stardust persona, The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars is iconic for many reasons. Featuring the much-loved ‘Starman’, ‘Moonage Daydream’ and ‘Five Years’, the story of Bowie’s fifth studio album is one that needs to be told in detail. In this book, author Laura Shenton MA LLCM DipRSL offers an in-depth perspective on The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars from a range of angles including how the album came to be, how it was presented and received at the time (live as well as on record), and what it means in terms of Bowie’s legacy today.

    1 in stock

    £13.49

  • Yes: A Visual Biography II: 1982 – 2022

    Wymer Publishing Yes: A Visual Biography II: 1982 – 2022

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisYes: A Visual Biography II: 1982 – 2022 documents the progressive rock pioneer’s career from the eighties to the present day. Popoff takes you on a journey built around his interviews with Anderson, Bruford, Howe, Squire, Wakeman, Downes, White and many others, the tale unfolds via an exhaustive chronology designed to satisfy the most knowledgeable of Yes fans. Not content with charting the band’s history, Popoff covers the major projects outside of the Yes umbrella, such as Asia, GTR and Rick Wakeman’s extravaganzas, to paint the whole picture. If you’ve been moved by albums such as Fly from Here and Heaven and Earth, you’ll love this book, which perfectly captures the spirit of progressive rock’s first and biggest and best act of crack musicians bent on bending your perceptions of what rock can be. Throughout the book Popoff draws on his own interviews conducted with various band members throughout the last two decades, leaving much of the story to be told in their own words, along with a smattering of album reviews by the author and others. This large format coffee table book is fully illustrated throughout, documenting the story visually from 1982. As well as an abundance of concert images the stunning photographic content is topped off with many off stage shots.Yes A Visual Biography II: 1982 – 2022 will augment any Yes fan’s collection.

    1 in stock

    £44.99

  • Danann Media Publishing Limited Bee Gees: How Deep Is Your Love

    Book Synopsis

    £18.00

  • Whitney Houston: The Greatest Love of All

    Danann Media Publishing Limited Whitney Houston: The Greatest Love of All

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £17.85

  • Queen Live: Collected - Fully Revised Edition

    Danann Media Publishing Limited Queen Live: Collected - Fully Revised Edition

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    2 in stock

    £17.00

  • Danann Media Publishing Limited Harry Styles: Adore You: The Illustrated

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £17.00

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