Composers and songwriters Books
Arsenal Pulp Press Talk - Action = Zero: An Illustrated History of
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£24.29
RLPG Liszt
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£25.00
Hal Leonard Corporation Afternoon of a Faun: How Debussy Created a New
Book SynopsisClaude Debussy was the father of the modern era in classical music. His innovations liberated Stravinsky Schoenberg and Bartìk to write their iconoclastic works and his harmonic inventions are still heard in American jazz. Though he was among the most compelling figures of the Belle »poque his life is little known to all but scholars; and of his considerable musical output only ÊPrelude to the Afternoon of a FaunÊ ÊLa merÊ and ÊClair de luneÊ are widely known.ÞHarvey Lee Snyder addresses this cultural neglect by presenting the composer and his music without jargon or biographical trivia in a richly detailed accurate narrative that reads like a novel. Here is the story of a poor unschooled Parisian boy swept by odd coincidences to the Paris Conservatory at age ten. Here is a brilliant man struggling to invent a tonal language capable of expressing his unique musical vision finding inspiration not in Bach and Beethoven but in Mallarm©'s poetry and the paintings of Whistler and Turner; a man determined to end two centuries of Germanic domination of European music. Here is a reclusive gentle man whose misguided love affairs ended in scandal and scorn. His hard work failed to end decades of poverty and debt but when he died in 1918 he was and has remained the foremost French composer of the twentieth century.
£30.00
Hal Leonard Corporation Behind the Baton: An American Icon Talks Music
Book SynopsisTo speak of Gerard Schwarz ä musician conductor festival organizer gig hopper educator television personality patron and proselytizer of the arts ä is to tell an exemplary American story.ÞYou could convey it exclusively in clich©s from his industrious ©migr© parents to his precocious childhood from his ardor and diligence as a prodigy trumpeter to his meteoric rise as a conductor from his unforeseen cross-country migration to the gradual construction of a world-class orchestra in a city formerly regarded as a cultural backwater from the halls of New York City's High School of Performing Arts to the digital instructor's chair of the All-Star Orchestra's Khan Academy course series.ÞYou could simply recite the numbers: over 300 new works premiered over 350 recordings in his discography 14 GRAMMY nominations five Emmy awards six ASCAP Awards and hundreds of other honors and laurels.ÞYou could dazzle and festoon and bewitch with talk of truth and beauty and the pursuit of ever-higher forms of artistic expression.ÞOr you could tell it Jerry's way.ÞÊBehind the BatonÊ is a quintessentially Schwarzian memoir: intrepid forthright risible subtly self-assured and entirely unpretentious. It offers an intimate inside look at a man whose immense talent is rivaled only by his humility and work ethic ä a man who for nearly fifty years has strived to leave every orchestra and musician he touched better than when he found them. Whether you're a classical music aficionado an orchestra initiate just cutting your teeth or an everyday reader interested in the remarkable story behind an extraordinary man ÊBehind the BatonÊ belongs on your nightstand.
£31.56
Africa World Press Eastern African Popular Songs
Book SynopsisAn illuminating study of the relationship between African songs and the literature of Eastern Africa.
£29.71
PM Press The World Turned Upside Down: Rosselsongs
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£44.36
Petrucci Library Press Gloria in Excelsis Deo, BWV 191: Vocal score
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£9.21
Insight Editions Keeping Time: The Photographs of Don Hunstein
Book SynopsisFrom journalist and Grammy®-nominated music producer Leo Sacks, and New York Times chief popular music critic Jon Pareles, Keeping Time places Hunstein’s photos in the context of musical and social change, adding an untold chapter to the cultural historyDon Hunstein’s images of music’s most influential artists are unforgettable. As Columbia Records’ staff photographer for more than four decades, Hunstein earned the trust and confidence of the most celebrated singers, songwriters, composers, and musicians of our time, including Bob Dylan, Miles Davis, Johnny Cash, Simon & Garfunkel, Aretha Franklin, Leonard Bernstein, Dave Brubeck, Tony Bennett, and Thelonious Monk, to name a few. Hunstein photographed these greats with noticeable informality, demonstrating a perpetual ease with his subjects. With his relaxed approach, he was able to glean private moments from public lives filled with fascinating, telling, and intimate details. Logging his daily assignments, Hunstein created an archive of profound images that parallel the soundtracks to our lives. To this day, his work exists as a unique record chronicling the creative efforts and energies of the world’s greatest musicians. Edited by journalist and Grammy®-nominated music producer Leo Sacks and with text by New York Times chief popular music critic Jon Pareles, Keeping Time places Hunstein’s photos in the context of musical and social change, adding an untold chapter to the cultural history of the second half of the twentieth century.
£42.50
Hal Leonard Corporation Billy Joel: The Life and Times of an Angry Young
Book SynopsisÊBilly Joel: The Life and Times of an Angry Young ManÊ is a look at the superstar's entire career including his troubled youth as a gang member; the controversy surrounding his first hit Captain Jack ; his legal problems; his storied marriage with Christie Brinkley; and his continued artistic frustration. The Beatles did 'Michelle' and 'Yesterday ' he has said. They also did 'Revolution' and 'Helter Skelter' and they weren't pegged as balladeers. But because I had hit singles that were ballads I became known as a balladeer. I've always resented it. ÞÞJoel ä one of the top ten touring takes of the decade ä has continued his standing road date with Elton John on the never-ending Two Pianos tour. It was one of the world's top-grossing tours in 2009 just behind U2 and Bruce Springsteen.
£14.24
Hal Leonard Corporation Mambo Diablo: My Journey with Tito Puente
Book SynopsisCountless stories have been written about Tito Puente's percussive musical abilities but never before have his talent and intuition as well as the mishaps and controversies surrounding him been presented with such vivacity and love chronicling the popular and combative King of Latin rhythm who climbed from El Barrio to international fame and recognition influencing multiple generations of jazzers and Latin rockers from Dizzy Gillespie to Santana.ÞTito Puente was more than a flamboyant percussionist; he was a multi-instrumentalist and gifted composer. Despite the importance and popularity of Tito's music his contributions are too often ignored ä witness Ken Burns' television documentary about jazz which he virtually ignores Afro-Cuban jazz ä this book reclaims Tito's rightful place in the history of music.ÞAuthor Joe Conzo was Tito's confidant and chronicler for nearly 40 years ä no one was closer to Tito or knew him better. Joe tells the story of Tito's intensity for perfection and describes Tito's musical brilliance in a manner that is as exciting a rapid-fire explosion on the timbales as it is deeply personal.ÞÊMambo DiabloÊ is like no book before it a must-read for all music fans and for anyone who loves New York. Famed author and journalist Pete Hamill sets the stage for the journey with a loving preface.
£22.50
Hal Leonard Corporation KISS FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the
Book SynopsisSince 1973 KISS has recorded over 20 studio albums; been recognized as an innovator in rock presentations; witnessed a firestorm of rumors and controversies; remained a thorn in critics' sides; and continues to surprise its massive fan-following the KISS Army with various career twists and turns. Moreover many television shows movies toys and even comics have kept KISS a bigger-than-life name in entertainment for decades.ÞYet with all that has been written over the years there are subjects that fans have never put to rest when it comes to the hottest band in the land : What were the most significant concerts? Why did ÊPhantom of the ParkÊ turn out that way? What were the best ä and worst ä album covers? How did the comics come about? And what the heck is a deuce?ÞThese subjects and more appear in ÊKISS FAQÊ ä showcasing the good bad and the weird that has made KISS the legendary ultimate rock-and-roll party band still going strong after 40 years. Accompanying this entertaining work of solid rock scholarship are dozens of rare images ä from posters to live shots and beyond. Also included is a foreword by Bill Starkey the creator of the original KISS Army.
£17.09
Hal Leonard Corporation Robert Plant: The Voice That Sailed the Zeppelin
Book SynopsisÊRobert Plant: The Voice That Sailed the ZeppelinÊ follows the iconic singer through his heights of fame with classic rock giant Led Zeppelin his second life as a multimillion-selling solo artist and his more idiosyncratic pursuits. A wealth of former associates lend their voices and recollections to an account that steps far beyond the tried and tested tales of Zeppelin's life and times.ÞThis all-new biography details Plant's early years as an unknown in Birmingham England with fresh depth and insight. It likewise tells the Zeppelin story from new and unexpected angles focusing on Plant's contributions to the band's success and on the toll/effect of that success on him as a performer and an individual.ÞAfter drummer John Bonham died in 1980 and Zeppelin broke up Plant went solo two years later in time becoming the only former band member to maintain an unbroken career to this day. His single-mindedness in meeting this challenge might well be his greatest personal attribute enabling him to push forward without regard for his past or any related expectations. Dave Thompson shows how it is Plant's determination alone that ensured Zeppelin reunions would not become a routine part of the classic rock furniture as he created a body of work that in so many ways artistically rivals what he recorded with the band.
£17.99
Hal Leonard Corporation Bob Dylan FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the
Book SynopsisIn October 2016 the Swedish Academy finally conceded to a quarter-century's worth of clamorous petitions and sustained lobbying enacted by a chorus of poets novelists songwriters and academics. At long last Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature his vast corpus spread out like Highway 61 behind him. How is a Dylan debutante to make sense of the song and dance man's six decade career? How might a diehard Dylan fanatic stumble upon something they didn't know they didn't know? Why with award-winning journalist Bruce Pollock's ÊBob Dylan FAQÊ of course!ÞÊBob Dylan FAQÊ the latest installment in Backbeat's FAQ series condenses the life and times of America's premier songster into an addictively vivacious 400-page brick jam-packed with critical analysis minutiae photographs ephemera and period history. Every aspect of Dylan's life and career from his ever-expanding discography touring history fallow periods literary and visual artistic efforts peers influences and legacy to his devoted fanbase is explored. Best of all the book's structure invites perusing at any random point as each chapter serves as a freestanding article on its subject. Dive into Dylanana with ÊBob Dylan FAQÊ!
£14.24
Hal Leonard Corporation My Years with Townes Van Zandt: Music, Genius,
Book SynopsisOther people locked themselves away and hid from their demons. Townes flung open his door and said, 'Come on in. So writes Harold Eggers, Townes Van Zandt's longtime road manager and producer, in My Years with Townes Van Zandt: Music, Genius, and Rage a gripping memoir revealing the inner core of an enigmatic troubadour, whose deeply poetic music was a source of inspiration and healing for millions but was for himself a torment struggling for dominance among myriad personal demons. Townes Van Zandt often stated that his main musical mission was to write the perfect song that would save someone's life. However, his life was a work in progress he was constantly struggling to shape and comprehend. Eggers says of his close friend and business partner that like the master song craftsman he was, he was never truly satisfied with the final product but always kept giving it one more shot, one extra tweak, one last effort. A vivid, first-hand account exploring the source of the singer's prodigious talent, widespread influence, and relentless path toward self-destruction, My Years with Townes Van Zandt presents the truth of that all-consuming artistic journey told by a close friend watching it unfold.
£22.50
Hal Leonard Corporation Antonio Carlos Jobim: An Illuminated Man
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£31.56
Hal Leonard Corporation Shell Shocked: My Life with the Turtles Flo and
Book SynopsisTwo full-color eight-page photo inserts
£26.92
Microcosm Publishing The Prodigal Rogerson
Book SynopsisA compelling narrative woven out of interviews with who knew him, The Prodigal Rogerson, explains what happened to Rogerson against the backdrop of Los Angeles punk scene in its prime.
£7.59
PM Press Stealing All Transmissions: A Secret History of
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£14.39
PM Press Looking For Freedom: A Celebration of the Music
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£16.75
WW Norton & Co Words Without Music: A Memoir
Book SynopsisPhilip Glass has, almost single-handedly, crafted the dominant sound of late-twentieth-century classical music. Yet in Words Without Music, his critically acclaimed memoir, he creates an entirely new and unexpected voice, that of a born storyteller and an acutely insightful chronicler, whose behind-the-scenes recollections allow readers to experience those moments of creative fusion when life so magically merged with art. From his childhood in Baltimore to his student days in Chicago and at Juilliard, to his first journey to Paris and a life-changing trip to India, Glass movingly recalls his early mentors, while reconstructing the places that helped shape his creative consciousness. Whether describing working as an unlicensed plumber in gritty 1970s New York or composing Satyagraha, Glass breaks across genres and re-creates, here in words, the thrill that results from artistic creation. Words Without Music ultimately affirms the power of music to change the world.Trade Review"Illuminating…[Glass] is always vigorous in defending his artistic choices and aesthetics. Glass's music may sound simple, but it revels in subtle complexity." -- Sudip Bose - Washington Post"Glass, a key figure of musical minimalism, was one of the first composers to reject a distinction between 'ethnic' music and Western classical music, and in this memoir he explains how he came to view a composition not as a linear narrative but as progressive rhythmic sequences." -- The New Yorker"Essential reading for anyone remotely interested in the evolution of the avant-garde during the past half-century…Words Without Music [is] an important contribution to cultural history." -- Steven G. Kellman - Dallas Morning News"Lively and colorful…. Glass is one of the most articulate composers around. Insight and practical common sense pervade his new book…. With a composer’s sense of form, Glass returns, in the final pages, to his youth, the subject that elicits his most evocative writing." -- Kyle Gann - New York Times Book Review"Well-supplied with droll observations and plainspoken assessments regarding the details of a career that has been as remarkable and noteworthy as any in American music—indeed, in American culture…. Honest and candid." -- Steve Smith - Boston Globe"Readers don’t have to like Glass’s music to find pleasure in this warm, unaffected, and deeply human book, but they may come away with an improved understanding of and a greater appreciation for both the music and its composer…. If a listener’s view of a composer is one of the things that shapes his or her perception of the music, an autobiography that alters the composer’s image should have the potential to change the way the music comes across. Words Without Music has done precisely that for me." -- David Hajdu - The Nation"Philip Glass has written a fascinating account of his life with recollections of family, teachers, and friends. From his childhood in Baltimore to his studies with Ravi Shankar and Nadia Boulanger and the collaborations with Robert Wilson, Allen Ginsburg, Godfrey Reggio, and Martin Scorsese, among others, Glass offers insights to his music and personal life. Words Without Music will be a pleasure to read, not only for musicians (although they will particularly enjoy it) but for anyone interested in the world of art." -- Paul Simon"I came to Philip Glass’s music very simply, without any critical prodding or guidance. I listened and was transfixed. I was excited to work with Philip on Kundun, and he exceeded my wildest expectations giving us a score that was genuinely transcendent. He’s exceeded my expectations again with this rich and beautifully written memoir. Who knew that he was as good a writer as he is a composer?" -- Martin Scorsese
£12.16
MA Music, Leisure and Travel Gramophone Presents My Classical Music: In
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£9.99
Hardie Grant Explore The Unofficial Taylor Swift Eras Tour Map
£11.24
Allen & Unwin Friday On My Mind
Book SynopsisGeorge Young wasn't so much on the charts for the best part of three decades: he and his musical partner Harry Vanda were the charts. George's journey began with the trailblazing Easybeats and continued, alongside Harry, as producer/songwriter for hire with John Paul Young, The Angels, Rose Tattoo, Cheetah, Ted Mulry, Stevie Wright and, most crucially, AC/DC. George and Harry also struck gold with Flash and the Pan, almost by accident.George Young helped create such classics as 'Friday on My Mind', 'Sorry', 'Love is in the Air', 'Evie', 'Yesterday's Hero', 'Down Among the Dead Men', 'Hey, St. Peter', 'Bad Boy for Love', 'Jailbreak' and 'It's a Long Way to the Top'. In 2001, APRA voted 'Friday on My Mind' the best and most significant Australian song of the past 75 years.In this long-overdue book, the first to focus exclusively on the life and work of George Young, writer Jeff Apter explores George's long and fruitful association with Harry; his rare ability to maintain a stable married life with his wife Sandra; and his handshake deal with Ted Albert that helped create a music empire. The book also reveals such little-known events as the accident that almost killed off 'Hey, St. Peter' before its release, and the tragedy that bonded George and Harry for life.
£13.49
Allen & Unwin Keith Urban: His amazing journey from daydreamer
Book SynopsisFour Grammys. 20 US Number Ones. A Hollywood marriage. Who wouldn't want to be Keith Urban?Keith Urban came from humble origins. His father worked at the local tip and Keith was a high school dropout. But Keith had a plan: conquering Nashville. 'It's my destiny,' he said. And Keith was hell-bent on scaling that musical Everest. Whatever it took.It didn't come easy. Keith served his apprenticeship in the beer barns of Australia and his early trips to America were disastrous. But he never gave up, settling in Nashville in the 1990s and forming The Ranch. When the band fell apart, so did Keith, ending up in rehab (not for the last time). But Keith did eventually reach the top, through a combination of talent, charisma, sex appeal, dogged perseverance-and skin thick enough for a rhino. And along the way he married Nicole Kidman.As Keith has said, 'All those detours, especially the really dark ones, got me to where I am now. I would not want to change one leaf on any tree in the whole journey.'Keith Urban is the definitive biography of an Australian superstar.
£15.29
ECW Press,Canada You Should Be Dancing: My Life With the Bee Gees
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£16.19
ECW Press,Canada Working For The Man, Playing In The Band: My
Book SynopsisA white rock 'n' roll guitarist on stage with the Godfather of Soul.
£19.79
ECW Press,Canada Far And Wide: Bring That Horizon to Me!
Book Synopsis35 concerts. 17,000 motorcycle miles. Three months. One lifetime. Now in paperback.
£22.94
ECW Press,Canada Anthem: Rush In The '70s
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£17.09
ECW Press,Canada Songbook
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£18.89
Omnibus Press New Illustrated Lives of Great Composers: Mahler
Book SynopsisMahler's life was a remarkably complex one, his success as a conductor continually overshadowed by his craving for recognition as a composer. Recognition which never came in his lifetime. In this biography, the author reveals how Mahler's personality, his extraordinary life and his music are inseparable. New light is shed on his strange relationship with Alma Mahler, his wife, and on his turbulent love affairs. In Vienna, where he directed the Opera, Mahler was a prime target for rumour mongers. Nothing he did, whether private or public, escaped the attention of a Vienna avid for details of his personal life. The author portrays vividly the conflict which arose from the demands made on Mahler by his enormously successful career, and his desperate desire to pursue the creation of great music. Illustrated with portraits of the people who made up Mahler's world and photographs of places associated with him, this book unfolds Mahler's story with impressive psychological insight. Includes a CD featuring a selection of recordings by the composer.
£12.30
Omnibus Press Illustrated Lives of Great Composers: Liszt
Book SynopsisArguably the greatest of all piano virtuosi, Liszt was one of the few composers of his day who had the technique to perform his own compositions. A child prodigy pianist who could read music before he could recite the alphabet, Franz Liszt is one of the most outrageously gifted and most controversial figures in classical music. Unconventional in both his approach to composing and his personal life, he had a reputation for courting hostility and riding rough-shod over other people's feelings, particularly those of his musical peers. This lavishly illustrated book chronicles Liszt's life and times with the help of many rare photographs and contemporary prints. With numerous quotations from the people who knew him best, extracts from personal letters and diaries, this remarkable book gives an intimate picture of the composer's private life, and also investigates the complex religious and emotional forces which inspired his music. Includes a CD featuring a selection of recordings by the composer.
£12.30
Headline Publishing Group Adele
Book SynopsisFrom humble beginnings Adele has come to be a globally recognised icon. Her first album shot her to fame and the second consolidated her position as a singing/songwriting superstar with lasting, global appeal. She has already won more than 40 industry awards, including 11 Billboard Music Awards, a BRIT award, and eight Grammy awards. She has broken record after record: first artist to sell more than 3m albums in a year in the UK, first living artist to have two top five hits in both the UK singles and albums charts simultaneously since the Beatles, the first artist in history to lead the Billboard chart concurrently with three number ones, 21 is the longest running number one album by a female solo artist on the UK chart and in the US it held the top position for longer than any other album since 1993.
£12.34
Omnibus Press Waiting for the Man: The Life & Career of Lou
Book SynopsisIn Waiting For The Man, Jeremy Reed focuses on Lou Reed as rock's principal literary avatar, paying special attention to his controversial lyrics and prototypical garage sound. Lou Reed influenced generations of copyists that took note of his outlaw status, ambiguous sexual orientation characterised by his seventies relationship with the transvestite Rachel, his implacable mystique, cool and defiant attitude as the narrator of subcultures. Finally the book examines the transcendent, if reluctant calm, that Reed arrived at in later life. Taking in the sweep of Reed's career from Velvet Underground to the variants of forty years of resistant solo pioneering, Waiting For The Man accesses the man and his music, with the extraordinary perception and attention to detail.Trade Review"All the books about me are bullshit except Jeremy's" - Lou Reed
£17.95
Omnibus Press Liner Notes: On Parents, Children, Exes, Excess,
Book SynopsisWith a career spanning more than four decades, Loudon Wainwright III has established himself as one of the most enduring singer-songwriters who emerged from the late sixties. There is probably no singer songwriter who has so blatantly inserted himself into his songs, about parents, grandparents, children, siblings, and wives. As he puts it in "So Many Songs": It's taken so long to finally see / My songs about you are all about me. The songs can be laugh out loud funny, but they also can cut to the bone. In his memoir, Wainwright continues to emphasize the personal: he details the family history his lyrics have referenced and the fractured relationships in the Wainwright family throughout generations: the alcoholism, the infidelities, the competitiveness -- as well as the closeness, the successes, and the joy. Wainwright reflects on the experiences that have influenced his songwriting, including boarding school, the music business, swimming, macrobiotics, sex, incarceration, and something he calls Sir Walter Raleigh Syndrome. Liner Notes is very much about being a son - a status that dominates many of Wainwright's songs. But it is also about being a parent, a brother, and a grandfather. Wainwright's song lyrics are represented throughout the book, amplifying his prose and showing the connections between the songs and real life. He also includes excerpts and selections from his father's brilliant Life magazine columns - and, in so doing, re-establishes him as a major essayist of his era. A funny and insightful meditation on family, inspiration, and art, Liner Notes will thrill fans, readers, and anyone who appreciates the intersection of music and life.Trade Review"Liner Notes is, unsurprisingly, as good as its author's songs, with moments of sharp humour alternating with real-life pain, and vivid reflections on love, death, and the whole damn thing. Loudon Wainwright is a true original: not like anyone else, just as he set out to be." Salman Rushdie "An excellent book. 8/10." Uncut Magazine
£18.00
John Blake Publishing Ltd Of Metal and Man: The Definitive Biography
Book SynopsisMetallica's ascension from thrash metal obscurity to becoming arguably one of the greatest rock bands the world has ever known, can be directly attributed to its lead singer and guitarist, James Hetfield. Having sold 110 million records worldwide and with an impressive eight Grammy Awards to their name, Metallica is undoubtedly a commercial triumph, but what of the man behind the music? Of Metal and Man is the newly revised biography of this rock legend, offering an exclusive insight into the life and career of one of Metallica's founding members. Author Mark Eglinton charts the hidden complexities of the relationships within the band, exploring the effects that global fame has had on Hetfield and his cohorts. Eglinton sheds light on both the highs of worldwide success and the lows of addiction and alcohol abuse, giving details of exclusive first-hand interviews with key figures from the band's inner circle. Dramatic and compelling, and now with newly updated material, this is the definitive biography of James Hetfield - singer-songwriter, guitarist and co-founder of a band which has changed the face of rock, the world over.
£10.79
Omnibus Press Growing Out Of It: Machinations before Madness
Book SynopsisForeword by Martin Freeman Whether flying across a screen or lighting up the stage, Madness' wild, energetic sax player has always been hard to miss. For Lee 'Kix' Thompson, life is for having as much fun as possible. Growing Out of It is the tale of one 'nutty boy' not really growing out of it at all. From getting up to no good as a teenager to his many musical (mis)adventures in the 1970s, Lee's memoir of his formative years captures his enduring love for his north London stomping ground, where he first met the other members of Madness. This is a story of growing up in a certain time and place when anything felt possible, even a bunch of north London lads forming a ska revival band - and becoming one of Britain's best-loved groups.Trade Review'A revealing, deeply personal book but also an excellent band memoir. Recommended.' HiFi World ‘Hyperactive saxophonist’s ripping yarns – from approved school to Top of The Pops … his is undoubtedly a brilliant and unusual story’ Mojo
£12.74
ACC Art Books Sex Pistols: The Last UK Performance. 25 December
Book Synopsis"This historically important tome is a stunner from the off, the resplendent glittery hardback exterior merely teasing at the delights within... 'The End Is Near' is an indispensable collection of images from a unique rock 'n' roll moment, beautifully presented." - Phil Singleton. God Save the Sex Pistols. Christmas Day 1977, a day to be spent with family and loved ones, unless of course you'd decided to spend it with The Sex Pistols. The punk band, at the centre of a tabloid frenzy and banned from just about every venue in the country, had booked themselves into a small club in Huddersfield to perform a benefit in support of striking West Yorkshire fire fighters. That evening, the band took to the stage to perform what would become their final UK gig. There to capture the chaos was photographer Kevin Cummins. No stranger to The Sex Pistols, he'd been there at that gig at Manchester's Lesser Free Trade Hall just 18 months previously. Kevin incurred the fury of his own family to forgo Christmas in order to travel across The Pennines to document the event. Every frame Kevin shot is here, for the first time, in this book of more than 150 colour and black and white photographs, each beautifully capturing Johnny Rotten, Sid Vicious, Steve Jones, and Paul Cook as they play together for the last time in their home country. Just weeks later The Pistols would break up and a year later, Sid would be dead. "You've had the Queen's speech. Now you're going to get the Sex Pistols at Christmas. Enjoy." - Johnny RottenTrade Review"A book filled with 150 colour and black and white photographs, in which Cummins expertly captures the passion and power of Johnny Rotten, Sid Vicious, Paul Cook, and Steve Jones." -- Far Out Magazine"It was a gig that now sounds unlikely. Britain’s most notorious punk band, the Sex Pistols, performing at Ivanhoe’s nightclub in Huddersfield on Christmas Day, 1977…There to photograph the Pistols that evening for weekly music magazine the NME was Kevin Cummins." -- Yorkshire Post
£25.50
Chrome Dreams Ac/dc: The Encyclopaedia
Book SynopsisTakes key elements and subjects surrounding 'DC and presents them in alphabetical order, with each entry illustrated accordingly.
£12.34
The Lilliput Press Ltd John S. Beckett: The Man and the Music
Book SynopsisRemembered in his native Ireland primarily as a harpsichordist and interpreter of Bach’s music, and in the UK as a conductor of the ground-shaking early music group Musica Reservata, John Beckett also composed avant-garde incidental music, performed on several instruments and was an authoritative, if controversial, conductor. Music was not his only passion: he was interested in films, the theatre, art and pottery, and loved to travel. His varied career included devising music programmes for Radio Éireann, writing for The Bell magazine, working in Dublin’s Pike Theatre, presenting and performing for the BBC Third Programme, composing music for his famous cousin Samuel Beckett, founding Musica Reservata, conducting Bach cantata concerts in Dublin over a ten-year period, and working as a producer and presenter for BBC Radio 3. Despite his reputation as a gruff, confrontational individual with a fondness for Guinness, whiskey and garlic, he made many friends and was familiar with Dublin’s intellectual, musical and bohemian milieu, such as the writers Aidan Higgins, Anthony Cronin, Patrick Kavanagh, Brendan Behan and James Plunkett, composers E.J. Moeran and Frederick May, counter-tenor Alfred Deller, musician John O’Sullivan, Desmond MacNamara, Ralph Cusack, singer and sculptor Werner Schürmann, publisher John Calder and musician David Cairns. Complex, self-deprecating and private, John’s character and achievements are examined with detail garnered from information both published and in archival collections in Ireland and the UK. Recollections from those who knew him at different stages of his life enliven this fascinating biography. The book also examines the development of Musica Reservata, and contains excerpts from unpublished letters written by Samuel Beckett. Extracts from correspondence between John and James Plunkett, Aidan Higgins, Arland Ussher and music critic Charles Acton are also included.
£28.50
Equinox Publishing Ltd Brian Wilson
Book SynopsisBrian Wilson is a musical genius. Ever since British press agent Derek Taylor launched a publicity campaign with that theme to promote the landmark LP Pet Sounds in 1966, some variation of that claim has been obligatory when discussing the significance of the Beach Boys' founder and chief composer. Originally designed to liberate Wilson from his outmoded image as a purveyor of sun-and-surf teen pop so the symphonic sophistication of his music might be properly appreciated, the assertion has been repeated so often in the forty-plus years since as to render it virtually meaningless. Indeed, if anything, the label today seems an albatross around the man's neck, inasmuch as Wilson's slow-but-steady reemergence as a working musician since 1998 after three decades of mental illness and drug abuse, has been freighted with expectations that he again produce something as epochal as Good VibrationsA" to justify the adoration he inspires in impassioned defenders. Brian Wilson interrogates this and other paradigms that stymie critical appreciation of Wilson's work both with the Beach Boys and as a solo artist.This is the first study of Wilson to eschew chronology in favor of a topical organization that allows discussion of lyrical themes and musical motifs outside of any prejudicial presumptions about their place in the trajectory of his career. The meanings of Brian Wilson's work have tended to be determined by the well-known storyline of his rise, fall, and redemption.A" From abused child to seemingly unstoppable hit-maker to eccentric with a living-room sandbox to the 300-pound Orson Wells of rockA" to the heavily medicated Icarus figure with the full-time Svengali psychiatrist to his current incarnation as a fragile, elder-statesman survivor, Brian Wilson has, quite simply, lived the most celebrated bizarre life in pop music. Its sheer Shakespearean proportions have overshadowed a beauty and gentleness of spirit that is as vibrant in Farmer's DaughterA" (1963) as it is in recent efforts such as Live Let LiveA" (2008).While no one would disagree that Wilson peakedA" in 1966 with Pet Sounds his current CD, That Old Lucky Sun (2008), finds him creating beautiful music steeped in Americana that deserves discussion on its own terms rather than as a coda to the accomplishments of his gold-record youth.Table of ContentsPreface Abbreviations Introduction: Beyond Biography, Beyond Superlatives Chapter One: 'I Hear the Sound of a Gentle Word': Lyrical Themes and Gestures Chapter Two: 'A Companion for Your Lonely Soul: Musical and Sonic Motifs Chapter Three: 'I'm the Pied Piper: The Peculiar Appeal of Brian Wilson Notes Discography Works Cited
£21.80
Equinox Publishing Ltd James Brown
Book SynopsisThis book explores how funk emerged in the mid-1960s at the very apex of the civil rights movement and shows how this music mirrored the broader changes taking place within the African-American community at a crucial political time and continues to this day to underpin remix culture. It traces the extent of the Brown legacy, musically, culturally and otherwise articulating decisive links between Brown's work and the DJ culture that embraced it so emphatically that Brown is now considered to be the most widely sampled African-American recording artist in history; indeed, we seem to have reached a point where many of Brown's refrains - the screams, the horn stabs, the "funky drummer" breakbeats - have been sampled so often as to have seemingly become part of the public domain. Traversing the past forty years of popular music, the book explores how the ubiquitous presence of Brown's groove, the affective and transformative capacities of a grunt or a well-timed "Good God" or punctuating scream take over where language fails and compel even the most sedate listener to take to the floor.Table of Contents1. A Musical Future 2. The Early Years 3. The Soul Era 4. The Foundations of Funk 5. The Godfather of Post-Soul
£21.80
The History Press Ltd Masters of Irish Music
Book SynopsisPresents a collection of some thirty profiles which have appeared periodically in "Ireland's Own". This book aims to give readers an overview of some of the most interesting and important figures in Irish music. It can be used as a work of reference, for writing or preparing programme notes for a concert, or, simply to be read from cover to cover.
£16.19
Omnibus Press Malcolm Williamson: A Mischievous Muse
Book SynopsisThe extraordinary story of Malcolm Williamson is one of rare musical talent combined with outrageous behaviour. An Australian, Williamson was the first non-Briton to hold the post of Master of the Queen's Music. He was appointed in 1975 and looked set to embellish his already illustrious career as a composer. By the time of his death in 2003 he was unproductive and largely forgotten. Authors Anthony Meredith and Paul Harris tell his bizarre story unflinchingly, sifting fact from fiction and offering a strong case for re-evaluating this flawed man and multi-talented musician. An investigation of the myths, rumours and half truths surrounding this controversial and misunderstood figure. The authors reveal the rift between Williamson and the Royal family. He was pointedly not invited to contribute to several high profile occasions including the wedding of Charles and Diana. They discuss if his failed marriage and open bisexuality was deemed beyond the pale at the Palace.Trade Review'Out of tune with his private life, Williamson's work was also out of tune with the orthodoxy of his era, which decreed that only bands and shrieks could be inflicted on the public. Let's hope this marvellous book will provoke a Williamson revival.' Daily Telegraph
£17.95
Omnibus Press People You'd Like to Know: Legendary Musicians
Book SynopsisThis superb new collection of photographs shows a fascinating variety of blues, folk and rock performers as they appeared at events across North America during the second half of the 20th century. The pictures were all taken by Herb Wise, a man who learned his craft from his friend David Gahr, the revered photographer of American folk music performers. Gradually Herb Wise too became a fixture at many of the leading music festivals and, over the years, his easy, unobtrusive style resulted in a wealth of revealing and affectionate photographs. Bob Dylan, Frank Zappa, David Bowie, Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Joan Baez, Taj Mahal, John Lee Hooker, Ray Charles, Steve Winwood, Blondie and many more are all featured, performing or relaxing, onstage and off.Trade Review"In vivid portraits and powerful performance shots, Wise seized moments with some of the best-known artists in the folk, pop, rock, jazz and blues worlds." - Professional Photographer
£21.21
Kahn & Averill My Viola and I: A Complete Autobiography
Book SynopsisLionel Tertis was internationally recognised to have been perhaps the greatest viola player of all time. That the viola is today an important solo instrument and orchestral unit is entirely his achievement, and his design of a large but easily manageable viola - the Tertis Model - has laid the foundations for a standard-sized instrument. The author describes his prodigious career with vigour and a remarkable recall of detail. The musicians and composers, many of them his close friends of whom he writes, include some of the most important in twentieth century music. A comprehensive bibliography of works written for solo viola is included as is a complete discography of the author's solo recordings.Trade Review"This will not only become the bible for all viola players, but an historic document for all musicians and music lovers, covering as it does three-quarters of a century of music making all over the world." Gramophone; "Lionel Tertis was a legend in his own lifetime - he stood shoulder to shoulder with Ysaye, Kreisler, Casals, Cortot, Rubinstein and a galaxy of stars in the first four decades of the 20th century. He was the first great virtuoso of the viola and arguably the best, and [his] recordings bear testament to one of Britain's finest musicians." John White, Classic Record CollectorTable of ContentsList of Illustrations; Preface by Lillian Tertis: Acknowledgements; Author's Note; Foreword; 1. Formative Years; 2. Student Days; 3. Back Desk to Front Desk; 4. Hobbies; 5. The Young Mr Beecham- and New English Composers; 6. 1914-18; 7. American Tours; 8. Fruitful Years; 9. The Elgar Viola Concerto; 10. Heyday in the Thirties; 11. A Dark Cloud; 12. Collaboration with Beecham 1938-9; 13. Return to the Concert Platform - and America; 14. Octogenarian Activity; 15. Revolutionary Seating Plan for a Symphony Orchestra; 16. Nonagenarian Activity; 17. Reflection; Essays for the String Player: Beauty of Tone in String Playing; The Art of String Quartet Playing; Hints to Composers; The Tertis Model Viola; Appendices: Violin Craftsmen who make The Tertis Model Viola; Works for Viola Solo; Discography - Recordings by Lionel Tertis; Index
£16.95
Kahn & Averill Fromental Halevy: His Life and Music, 1799-1862
Book SynopsisThe biography of French composer, Halevy. The book contains excerpts from his diary, and also correspondence and photographs. Halevy is the composer of La Juive.
£25.00
Kahn & Averill Mozart and the Pianist: A Guide for Performers
Book SynopsisAll the sonatas, fantasies, rondi, as well as the most important variation sets and assorted pieces are included. Michael Davidson guides us through each composition addressing specific aspects and problems, offering practical advice and interesting alternatives as well as historical background and formal analysis when relevant to interpretation.Table of ContentsIntroduction: The need for this Guide; 1. Using This Guide; 2. Traditions, Myths, Fashions, Some Conclusions; 3. Mozart's First Compositions for Piano; 4. Sonatas in C (K279), in F (K280) and B-flat (K281); 5.Sonatas in E-flat (K282) and G (K283); 6. Sonata in D (K284); 7. Sonatas in C (K309) and D (K311); 8. Sonata in A minor(K310); 9. Mozart in Vienna - Variation sets written before 1785; 10. Sonata in C major (K330); 11. Sonata in A major(K331); 12. Sonata in F major (K332); 13. Sonata in B-flat major (K.333); 14. The Fantasies (K394, K397 and K475); 15. Sonata in C minor (K457); 16. The Rondi (K485, K494 and K511); 17. Sonatas (K533 and K545); 18. 1789: Sonatas in B-flat (K570) and D (K576); 19. Four Assorted Pieces for Piano; Epilogue; Notes; Bibliography; Index
£18.00
Kahn & Averill Varese: Astronomer in Sound
Book SynopsisThe works of Edgard Varèse (1883-1965) represent the most radical expression of 20th-century Modernism in music. Not only did he create such orchestral showpieces as "Ameriques" and "Arcana" and such mainstays of the instrumental repertoire as "Octandre" and "Density 21:5"; he also pioneered works for percussion ensemble and electronic music, both on tape and using electronic instruments. Yet books about Varèse are few. Either they are biographical studies by non-musicians, or severely analytical treatises beyond the reach of the majority of music lovers who are likely to hear his works in concert. This book takes a different approach. Within a chronological scheme, its core is a series of descriptive analyses; accessible to any literate music-lover, of all Varese's available works. Malcolm MacDonald relates them to the ideas, both aesthetic and scientific, which underlay Varèse's boldly original view of sound and musical structure.He shows how Varèse's conception of a music that "explodes into space", of "intelligent sounds moving in space" arose from 20th-century man's expanding consciousness of his place in the universe, but also from the esoteric philosophies of late 19th-century Paris, inspired by Renaissance alchemists such as Paracelsus. Much of Varèse's output is destroyed, but it is possible to infer much about his lost early works, his vast stage of composition about communication with the star Sirius, and the unachieved choral symphony "Espace", designed to be performed simultaneously in the various capitals of the world. This is also the first book to discuss the previously unpublished Varèse scores released for performance in 1998 by Varèse executor, Chou Wen Chung. An extensive bibliography is included.Trade Review'...exactly the sort of general book which every modern master needs…' - Hugh Wood, Times Literary Supplement; '...an essential acquisition for any library…' - Nigel Simeone, Musical Times; '… an indispensible book on essential music …' - Max Harrison, Musical Opinion; '… eloquent in style and powerful in argument …' - Arnold Whitall, GramophoneTable of ContentsIntroduction, Part One - The Past, 1. The lost memory: the enigma of the early music, 2. 'Further and beyond': aspects of Varèse’s developing aesthetic, 3. 'All'illustro futuro': Wronski to Busoni, Part Two - New Worlds, 4. From the Seine to Brooklyn Bridge, 5. Flowering crystals, 6. A new star and a new heaven, Part Three - Microcosm and Macrocosm, 7. Nova and Ion, 8. Path of the lightning, 9. Lost in space, Part Four - All alone in the night, 10. Deserts of the mind, 11. Inquisition, 12. Beyond the night, Bibliography, Index
£20.85
