Composers and songwriters Books

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Book SynopsisSammy Hagar—legendary lead singer of Van Halen, founder of the Cabo Wabo Tequila brand, and one of rock music’s most notoriously successful performers—tells his unforgettable story in this one-of-a-kind autobiography of a life at the top of the charts. From his decade-long journey alongside Eddie Van Halen to his raucous solo career with Chickenfoot and everything in between—the drugs, groupies, and excesses of fame, the outrageous stadium tours, and the thrill of musical innovation—Hagar reveals all in this treasure trove of rock-and-roll war stories. Red is a life-changing look at one of music’s biggest talents—an essential read for music fans and anyone dreaming of becoming rock’s next number one star.Trade Review"Sammy's no bullsh*tter. If Sammy says it happened, it did. There's nobody else anywhere like him." -- Michael Anthony "Sammy has maintained his all-star success no matter where his Red Rocker career has taken him. He still can't drive fifty-five, but hey, he's the one driving the Mustang. So site back and ride." -- Toby Keith "Nobody had to explain the American dream to Sammy. He knew in his gut that there was a better life available to him if he refused to accept the status quo. It's all here in Sammy's new book." -- Ted Nugent "I'll admit it: I've been a Sammy Hagar wannabe since I heard his voice on a Montrose album...I'm proud to call him a rock star hero, a friend, and a brother in the sun. Rock on, Red Rocker!" -- Kenny Chesney "Sam's the man. Tequila, fast cars, rock 'n' roll-my kind of guy." -- Jimmie Johnson, five-time NASCAR champion "There are not a lot of people I would drop whatever I'm doing to go and see, but Sammy Hagar is one of thouse people...The man rocks his ass off, and vicariously through him so do I. My man-Sammy Hagar." -- Whoopi Goldberg "Over the many years I've known Sammy, his Red Rocker passion in music has always inspired me. But it's also his love of cooking great food and sharing a good bottle of wine that has been at the core of our friendship for so long. -- Emeril Lagasse "There are tell-all books. And then there are tell-all books written by Sammy Hagar. The 63-year-old ex-Van Halen frontman holds back nothing -- and I mean absolutely nothing -- in his autobiography...the Red Rocker's life look-back doesn't skimp on the details." -- Associated Press

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

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Book SynopsisAcclaimed cultural critic Greil Marcus tells the story of Bob Dylan through the lens of seven penetrating songsTrade Review“The most interesting writer on Dylan over the years has been the cultural critic Greil Marcus. . . . No one alive knows the music that fueled Dylan’s imagination better. Marcus just published Folk Music: A Bob Dylan Biography in Seven Songs. It’s [an] ingenious book of close listening.”—David Remnick, New Yorker“A poignant reminder of everything Trumpism had tried to destroy. His dissections of these songs . . . are thorough and well-referenced.” —Paul Genders, Times Literary Supplement“A book filled with genuine insights. . . . ‘Blowin’ in the Wind,’ the anthem that transformed a little-known folk singer into the conscience of a nation, is exhibit A for Mr. Marcus’s theory of empathy. . . . Mr. Marcus is at his best in exploring this rootedness.”—The Economist“Marcus . . . has written more and better about Dylan than just about anyone, most recently in Folk Music.”—Carl Wilson, Slate“Marcus keeps chasing America’s greatest songwriter down the highway. It’s cultural criticism as a long-running detective story—and a musical love story.”—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, “Best Music Books of 2022”“The book’s openness restores a sense of existential unity, of a whole in which everything has a place and plays a part.”—Devin McKinney, Critics at Large“A perfect storm of things to love: American history, music history, Dylan’s music and beautiful writing. The style is colloquial, but not informal; informative but not didactic, and downright seductive to follow. . . . His in-depth analysis of the songs themselves is unmatched.”—Anne Margaret Daniel, SpectatorFeatured in Globe and Mail’s “Best Books to Gift This Year”“Marcus tends to a hyperbolic style, producing a slightly febrile mood, appropriate to the events being related. He also uncovers, or produces, hidden connections between apparently disparate things.”—David McCooey, New Daily“Marcus’ profound expertise in the American cultural landscape blasts open new fissures in our understanding of this most mythologised of singer-songwriters. . . . The reader comes away marvelling at what Bob Dylan has done with such a violent cultural inheritance, and also at how enmeshed the beauty of the songs are with the brutality in life.”—Gregory Day, Sydney Morning Herald“In elaborating Dylan’s musical journey Marcus puts on display a vast knowledge of America’s popular culture and a sardonic recognition of the flaws in our national character—flaws such as racial injustice and wealth inequality that folk music tries to address. The book is fast-paced, like a song, and hip. . . . [Marcus] closes on an elegiac note punctuated with love. ‘What will go out of the world with him?’”—Arthur Hoyle, New York Journal of Books“The biography, Marcus seems to reason, must emerge prismatically, if at all, through Dylan’s core achievement: the songs themselves. . . . It might be his most resonant tribute to His Bobness: a primer in how seriously to take major art and how to live alongside it in real time, delivered with an idiosyncrasy and crooked grace worthy of its subject.”—Martin Herbert, Art Review“This is an absorbing overall read and Greil Marcus is arguably the best rock culture writer around.”—Tony Jasper, Methodist Recorder“[A] joyously circumlocutory voyage around the Bard of Hibbing.”—Danny Eccleson, MOJO“Greil Marcus tells this great artist’s story through seven of his most transformative songs—a selection that will inevitably cause much debate amongst Dylanophiles.”—Choice“In Folk Music’s interpretative brilliance, boundless energy and moral rage, Marcus honours his source. The discursive Dylanologist par excellence, the freewheelin’ Greil Marcus.”—Joseph Marlow, The Critic“This is the good stuff: the stuff you can’t usually get in books. Greil Marcus is already the most important chronicler of Dylan. But here he outdoes himself. This book is rich with deep understanding, with caustically funny commentary, and a psychoanalysis, much needed, of Bob Dylan and of America.”—Rachel Kushner“Decade after decade, Greil Marcus has proven himself to be not only a brilliant cultural critic about the music, lives, and stories that have helped shape contemporary American consciousness; he has also done much to articulate why our music has always stood at the axis of sound and politics. This book is not only a valuable addition to the canon, it further elevates Marcus to what he has always been: a supreme artist-critic.”—Hilton Als“Here is Greil Marcus at his most brilliantly insightful, eloquent, persuasive, brimming with information about Bob Dylan and his music, unique in his ability to combine the most candid sort of memoirist prose with truly inspired commentary. As Dylan ‘sees himself’ in his subjects, so Greil Marcus ‘sees himself’ in Dylan, the most original musical genius of our time, the perfect subject for the most original music critic of our time.”—Joyce Carol Oates“Greil Marcus’s writing on Dylan constitutes one of the great living bodies of work by one mold-breaking creative mind interpreting the art and meaning of another. Dylan’s multitudes find their champion in Marcus’s critical exuberance.”—Todd Haynes“Marcus is unsurpassed in showing how Dylan reflected the cultural moment even as he changed it. This moving, personal, compelling book traces Dylan’s complex relationship to American culture through some of Dylan’s most iconic songs, enabling us to understand these songs in fresh ways while also giving us a profound history of how we understand ourselves.”—Dana Spiotta “Greil Marcus’s writing on Bob Dylan is as essential as Dylan himself. Through the prism of Dylan’s visionary genius, Marcus unveils a fascinating history of the soul of modern America.”—Olivier Assayas

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Book SynopsisA compelling biography of Frank Sinatra - warts and all, from 1915 to Sinatra's death in 1998. This fast-paced chronicle details the superstar's music, films, romances, personality traits and questionable exploits! A wonderful addition to the library of any Frank Sinatra fan or any fan of the big band era or popular music in general.Trade Review'I have known and admired Spencer Leigh's work as a music historian for many years. When he describes music and musicians of a bygone age, we become aware of so much more than the songs and performers - the era itself returns to life and we are reminded that all art, notably popular art, is inspired by, and inseparable from, its time and place, and if we don't understand that background, the story is far from complete... In Spencer Leigh's mammoth and wonderful tome on Frank Sinatra, he has superbly given us Americana through the long life and career of his subject which began way before his did. Sinatra's agents, lovers, dodgy associates, show biz friends and enemies, passions, hatreds, bravery and recklessness, finesse and crudity, worldly wisdom and naivete, are all part of the complex all and Leigh captures them all. Whether there has been a better telling of the Frank Sinatra story than Spencer Leigh's version only someone who has read all the myriad other attempts can say. I can say for sure that after reading FRANK SINATRA: AN EXTRAORDINARY LIFE you may want to read more about him, but you won't need to.' SIR TIM RICE; 'There will be no better book on Sinatra's career than this. The detail is superb. It was wise to embrace it all - the music, the films, the politics, the hoodlum exploits, the cheating and chancing, and the seemingly endless sex and booze.' LIVERPOOL ECHOTable of ContentsForeword by Sir Tim Rice Introduction: Set 'em up, Joe Chapter 1: New York, New York. Chapter 2: You must be one of the newer fellas Chapter 3: Start spreadin' the news Chapter 4: Getting sentimental Chapter 5: The house I live in Chapter 6: Kissing bandits Chapter 7: I'm a fool to want you Chapter 8: From here to eternity Chapter 9: Call me irresponsible Chapter 10: Game changers Chapter 11: Election Chapter 12: War games Chapter 13: Making it with the moderns Chapter 14: The first goodbye Chapter 15: Intermission Chapter 17: They can't take that away from me Appendix 1: To Think I Did All That - A Frank Sinatra Discography Appendix 2: One of Those Bells that now and then Rings - Frank Sinatra on film Appendix 3: Makin' Whoopee Index

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Book SynopsisA biography of Maurice Ravel (1875-1937), by one of the leading scholars of nineteenth- and twentieth-century French music, that is based on a wealth of written and oral evidence, some newly translated and some derived from interviews with the composer's friends and associates.Trade Review"'An insightful biography.' (Michael Downes, Times Literary Supplement) 'A quite superb book, simply entitled Ravel, written by the Englishman who knows his work better than any other, Roger Nichols.' (Simon Heffer, The Sunday Telegraph) 'reliable and agreeably readable.' (Norman Lebrecht, New Statesman) 'To anyone with a special interest in Ravel, this book will be essential reading... Surely the composer's most comprehensive and authoritative English-language biography.' (Daniel Snowman, Literary Review) 'A compelling new biography unravels the mysteries surrounding Ravel... Mysterious to the end, the fascination of its subject remains fresh throughout this thorough and sympathetic account.' (Robert Maycock, BBC Music Magazine)"

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Book Synopsis'Just a city boy. Born and raised in South Detroit...' so begins the iconic 'Don't Stop Believin'' heard in countless karaoke bars and classic rock stations around the world. It is one of over 250 tracks discussed in Journey: On Track, which covers 50 years of recordings.

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Book SynopsisTo absorb Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash is to be taken on a wild voyage with a cast of downtrodden revolutionaries. Despite this notion, the epic themes of the Pogues' second full length record have been overlooked by both critics and biographers. This book discusses the record's articulation of what it is to be magnificently downtrodden.Trade Review"It was only a matter of time before a clever publisher realized that there is an audience for whom Exile on Main Street or Electric Ladyland are as significant and worthy of study as The Catcher in the Rye or Middlemarch...The series, which now comprises 29 titles with more in the words, is freewheeling and eclectic, ranging from minute rock-geek analysis to idiosyncratic personal celebration--The New York Times Book Review Ideal for the rock geek who thinks liner notes just aren't enough - Rolling Stone One of the coolest publishing imprints on the planet--Bookslut A brilliant series...each one a word of real love - NME (UK) Religious tracts for the nock 'n' roll faithful - Uncut (UK)"

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

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Book SynopsisExplore the seductive story of the unique artist that was Prince through this stunning collection of rarely seen items and photographs. Prince: A Portrait of the Artist in Memories & Memorabilia is a beautifully illustrated biography of a musician of unparalleled talent. Featuring a foreword by Susan Rogers, the fascinating story of Prince and his music is told here through beautiful photographs, exclusive interviews and rare items of facsimile memorabilia, documents, posters, and concert tickets that are meticulously reproduced on the page.Author and Prince expert Paul Sexton brings the story to life through a compelling narrative, touching on the various elements that made Prince such a singular musical force. These words, including original interview material from Prince's friends and collaborators, along with photographs of custom-built guitars, beautifully crafted clothing and rare personalised recordings, combine to create an exceptional portrait – one which no fan of the artist should be without.Table of ContentsForeword by Susan Rogers • Introduction • The Pre-Teen Prince • Baby I'm A Star: Prince, The First Time • Becoming Prince • Prince and the Penguin • The Family That Plays Together • Sign O' The Genius • My Name Is Prince, His Name Was Luka • The Prince and the Mermaid • Hats Off To Larry • High On Life • Memos From Paisley Park • The Public Prince • 21 Nights With Prince • Prince's Award (K)night • Down On The Farm • A 2020 Vision • Purple In Perpetuity.

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Book SynopsisThis informative work tells the story of the famous Liverpool musicians, from the band's formative days in Hamburg and Liverpool to the split in 1970. General Editor Brian Southall has gathered a team of experts to write about each era of the band's existence, examining what they were doing for each of their original 12 UK-release albums, from the simple, bouncy Please Please Me to the heavyweight double Let It Be. Further chapters cover the US and foreign releases, which were significantly different in the early days.Table of Contents• Tony Bramwell: Childhood friend of the Beatles who became CEO of Apple Records. • Ray Connolly: A British writer who was very close to the Beatles. • Tristan Fry: A drummer and percussionist, who played on Abbey Road. • Per Gessle: Singer/songwriter, lead singer of Swedish band Gyllene Tider and half of Roxette. • Graham Gouldman: English singer, songwriter and musician. • Steve Harley: English singer/songwriter who was frontman of Cockney Rebel. • Gered Mankowitz: High profile photographer of many famous musicians. • Diederik Nomden and Bart Van Poppel: Founders and performers in the band The Analogues. • Sir Tim Rice: English author and lyricist. • Paul Sexton: Journalist and broadcaster. • Tom Robinson: English singer/songwriter and presenter. • Chris Thomas: Co-producer of The White Album and Abbey Road. • Ken Townsend MBE: Sound engineer who worked at Abbey Road Studios. • Johnnie Walker MBE: A hugely popular and influential radio DJ. • Kenneth Womack: Professor of English and Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Monmouth University, N.J.

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Book SynopsisThe J. Geils Band were the original Bad Boys from Boston, getting down to it and blowing your face out every night. With classic albums like Full House, Bloodshot, Love Stinks, and the massively successful Freeze-Frame, Geils have been nominated for the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame no fewer than five times since 2005.

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Book SynopsisA Sunday Times, Times, Irish Times and Mojo Book of the YearRough Trade #1 Book of the YearResident Music #1 Book of the Year''Were you there? Well this is as close as it gets! Thurston Moore's compelling and spirited account of the streets, the songs, the clothes, the clubs and the contenders! A sensitive and authentic testimony to Moore's life lived through art and music. Beats with the heart of a true artist and mutineer.'' Viv Albertine''Downtown scientists rejoice! For Thurston Moore has unearthed the missing links, the sacred texts, the forgotten stories, and the secret maps of the lost golden age. This is historyscuffed, slightly bent, plenty noisy, and indispensable.'' Colson WhiteheadA music-obsessed retrospective, beginning with his childhood epiphany of rock 'n' roll in the early 1960s into an infatuation with the subversive world of 1970s punk and no wave blasting forth from New York Cit

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"[An] irresistible outing . . [Nelson's] intelligence and wisdom shine through . . . Fans will relish these insights into the singer-songwriter's many avatars: the kid growing up poor with close ties to his church and family; the political activist who wrote “Vote ‘Em Out” for Beto O’Rourke’s 2018 senatorial campaign; and the enigmatic, sui generis artist. This is a treasure." — Publishers Weekly "In a wry narrative shot through with a loopy, stoner spiritualism, the great songwriter and outlaw country artist takes a ramble through his back pages. . . . A lively accompaniment to Nelson's sprawling, genre-crossing, delightful catalog of recordings." — Kirkus Reviews "[Willie Nelson's] songwriting has consistently been indicative of a born storyteller. It’s fun and, at times, illuminating to read about where some of those stories stemmed from. The photos are great too. . . . A sweet and intimate retrospective of a long and prolific career. This book will make readers feel like they’ve sat down with Nelson, who has just regaled them with tales." — Library Journal "Throughout this lovely act of looking back and moving forward, Nelson wears his well-worn heart on his sleeve. . . . Willie Nelson's many admirers cross myriad lines, and they will eagerly pursue this chance to get close to their idol." — Booklist "[R]eflective and thoughtful . . . [Nelson's] commentary is clear, introspective, patient and wise—showing how his 90 years have funneled into a new perspective on his lyricism and canon. The stories read like Willie himself is sitting across the dinner table from you, regaling you of his best stories from years past." — The Tennessean

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Book SynopsisThe Oxford Companion to Music is one of the most famous music reference works of all time. This invaluable Companion now reappears in a completely new edition. Over a million words in length, it is the biggest, most authoritative, and most up to date single-volume music reference book available. The new edition draws on both the classic Oxford Companion to Music by Percy Scholes, first published in 1938, and the two-volume New Oxford Companion to Music, edited by Denis Arnold (1983), but is thoroughly revised and reimagined for the 21st century. Alison Latham has assembled a distinguished team of over 120 international contributors, bringing their distinctive voices to an exceptionally broad sweep of musical subjects ranging from composers, performers, conductors, individual works, instruments and notation, and forms and genres, to music scholarship and aesthetics, music education, broadcasting and publishing, all aspects of music theory, and performance practice, as well as jazz, popuTrade ReviewA well-loved friend returns ... The latest incarnation is in one volume, sports a stellar contributors' list and more than matches the authority of its immediate predecessor ... probably the best one-volume music reference book going. * Times Educational Supplement *Table of ContentsPreface ; Acknowledgements ; Contributors ; Abbreviations ; Oxford Companion to Music ; Index of people

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Book SynopsisCarole King's Tapestry is both an anthemic embodiment of second-wave feminism and an apotheosis of the Laurel Canyon singer-songwriter sound and scene. And these two elements of the album's historic significance are closely related insofar as the professional autonomy of the singer-songwriter is an expression of the freedom and independence women of King's generation sought as the turbulent sixties came to a close.Aligning King's own development from girl to woman with the larger shift in the music industry from teen-oriented singles by girl groups to albums by adult-oriented singer-songwriters, this volume situates Tapestry both within King's original vision as the third in a trilogy (preceded by Now That Everything's Been Said and Writer) and as a watershed in musical and cultural history, challenging the male dominance of the music and entertainment industries and laying the groundwork for female dominated genres such as women's music and Riot Grrrl punk.Trade ReviewIn providing an effective history of King’s career and influence, Glass helps to make clear why the anniversary of Tapestry is worthy of celebration. * Spectrum Culture *As with much of the series, the personal is interwoven with the prevailing moods of the era. Still, Glass succeeds in telling us much more about Tapestry itself. * The Irish Times *An easy and enjoyable read… A must-have for fans but also for the interested reader as the book examines the times and the context of a seminal album. * Americana UK *Published to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Carole King’s album Tapestry, Loren Glass makes the case for the record heralding a wave of female singer-songwriters that challenged not just a male-dominated music industry but also outdated notions of how ‘the chicks’ should and could express themselves. * Choice Magazine *Table of ContentsIntroduction – The Mother of Us All 1. Maturity 2. Trilogy 3. Celebrity 4. Legacy Acknowledgments Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThe publication of Martin Popoff’s Uriah Heep: A Visual Biography is something of a bitter-sweet pill given recent events. Following the sad loss of Lee Kerslake in September 2020, Popoff — having interviewed various band members over the past few years — was all set to conduct another interview with Ken Hensley in mid November when the tragic news of Ken’s sudden departure reached Heep fans around the world. Undeterred, the decision that had already been made to immortalise Uriah Heep with a comprehensive visual biography remained. Popoff’s celebrated and detailed timeline takes us through more than fifty years of massive rock history from this much-loved band. From the early days with legendary front man David Byron, through the John Lawton years; the John Sloman and Pete Goalby fronted periods and from 1986 with Bernie Shaw taking centre stage; all eras are comprehensively covered. This differs from previous Uriah Heep books through the inclusion of so many previously unpublished photos, along with rare memorabilia and artefacts that makes this an indispensable addition to the vast Uriah Heep catalogue.

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Book SynopsisDmitri Shostakovich was the most popular Soviet composer of his generation. Internationally esteemed, he is widely considered to have been the last great classical symphonist, and his reputation has continued to increase since his death in 1975. Shostakovich wrote his First Symphony aged only nineteen and soon embarked on a dual career as concert pianist and composer. His early avant-gardism was to result in the triumph of his 1934 opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. Though at first highly praised by Stalin, Shostakovich would later suffer from a complex and brutalising relationship with the Soviet dictator and the governments that followed him. In spite of this persecution, his Seventh Symphony was embraced as a potent symbol of Russian resistance to the invading Nazi army in both the USSR and the West. Though his later years were marked by ill health, his rate of composition remained prolific. His music became increasingly popular with audiences as he established himself as the most popular composer of serious art music in the middle years of the twentieth century.Trade Review'Brian Morton has composed a model biographical sketch buttressed by a sympathetic exegeses of the most important thing: the work.' - Guardian.

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Book SynopsisPacked with rare photographs and stunning on-the-page facsimile memorabilia, this book provides an insight into the unique journey of one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century - Elvis Presley. Follow the incredible story of the man they call the ?King of Rock and Roll." Elvis Presley?s life and career are shown, from his carefree beginnings at Sun Records in the 1950s to global superstardom. In addition, the book features rare interviews with the legendary Elvis guitarist Scotty Moore, Drummer DJ Fontana, and Elvis?s loyal backing singers the Jordanaires. To bring you even closer to the King the book features a wide variety of superb on-the-page rare memorabilia and documents from the archives, including tour posters, personal letters, publicity material, and fascinating items and tickets from his greatest gigs and best albums.

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Book Synopsis This is the first full-length biography of Keith Relf, frontman for the Yardbirds and one of the great tragic characters in rock history. Keith''s moody vocals and harmonica helped to define the Yardbirds'' sound on a string of innovative hit records in the 1960s that influenced garage rock, psychedelia, blues rock, hard rock and heavy metal. Numerous books have been written about the Yardbirds'' famous guitarists--Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page--yet Keith has remained a mysterious and elusive figure since his death by electrocution at age 33. A deeply private person, prone to depression and poor health, Keith was ill-suited to the life of a rock star. In the years following the Yardbirds'' breakup, as the band''s guitarists became household names playing blues-based rock, Keith insisted on pursuing new musical paths, always searching for something new and trying to extend the Yardbirds'' spirit of curiosity and innovation. By the time of his death in 1976, KeithTable of Contents Table of Contents Acknowledgments—ix Foreword by Alice Cooper—1 Preface—3 Introduction—5  1. Richmond Upon Thames—9  2. Ready, Steady, Go!—20  3. Emotional Experiences in Sound—39  4. Invaders—50  5. Pop Art—62  6. Blow Up—81  7. Dazed and Confused—99  8. A Fresh Start—119  9. The Good Life—134 10. The Human Element—142 11. A Place in the Sun—147 12. The Battle of Light and Dark—155 13. Farewell—167 Epilogue—175 Selected Discography—177 Chapter Notes—185 Bibliography—193 Index—195

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Book SynopsisBobby Womack was born on 4 March 1944, and died on 27 June 2014, aged 70. In a career that spanned two centuries and seven decades, the soul singer, songwriter and guitarist carved a niche for himself that has rarely been equalled, and never surpassed. He is, quite simply, irreplaceable. A phenomenally gifted musician, his incredible talent helped him to escape the ghetto and become a star, with 30 million record sales to his name. Yet behind his beautiful music lay a life scorched by tragedy. Having trod the harsh edge of the music business for decades, he finally told his explosive story in Midnight Mover. From finding success with his family gospel group The Valentinos and being whipped into shape by James Brown and Jimi Hendrix on the chitlin circuit , to recording with Wilson Pickett, Eric Clapton and Elvis Presley, Womack s stellar career wove a colourful path through the history of soul, rock and R&B music. His collaborations with other musicians read like a roll of honour, from Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles to The Rolling Stones and Damon Albarn. Success came at a price, however. Womack lost his friend and mentor Sam Cooke when the soul star was gunned down in a motel. A doomed marriage to Cooke s widow followed, which severely damaged his reputation in the music business. Tragically, he lost two sons, one to suicide, as well as his brother Harry to a brutal murder. His escape was to turn to drugs. Years of riotous abuse took their toll on Womack and those closest to him including Janis Joplin, who spent her last night drinking with the singer. But Womack s talent, searing guitar and soulful voice always survived. Cited as an influence by myriad musicians, even in death he remains the epitome of cool. Honest, insightful and unflinching, this is the authentic voice of the Midnight Mover, a supremely talented legend of music whose every day was lived to the full.

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Book SynopsisThis intriguing book examines the greatest Beatles mystery, which has caused endless speculation over the years - why was Pete Best sacked just as the Beatles stood on the threshold of stardom?Trade Review'Remarkable. It has been a great pleasure reading your book.' David Charters, Liverpool Echo. 'A wonderful book!' --Harold Kramer, The Beatles Museum, Siegen, Germany. 'An accomplished writer of musical biographies, this is a typically authoritative book.' Choice magazine, Book of the Month

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Book SynopsisBon Scott was once asked if he was AC or DC. 'Neither,' he grinned, 'I'm the lightning flash in the middle.' And that's how he lived his life.No one had the same skill with lyrics as Bon, who called his words 'toilet poetry', his 'dirty ditties'. He could also vividly depict life on the road, best heard in the AC/DC classics 'Long Way to the Top' and 'Highway to Hell'.When Bon appeared on Countdown in March 1975, the impression he left was indelible. The ugliest schoolgirl to ever grace the small screen, Bon was a mess of tattoos and pigtails, wearing an awkwardly short skirt, all the while puffing on a ciggie. His bandmates, not just the audience, were in hysterics. The video quickly became part of Oz rock folklore.Bon was always the joker in the AC/DC pack. He'd happily pose for a photograph with a joint dangling from his lips or be interviewed in cut-off shorts with a banana provocatively stuffed into his waistband. Anything to elicit a laugh. The off-stage stories surrounding Bon are legendary. After spending a lively couple of days with Bon, Ol' 55 singer Jim Manzie said, 'My rock-and-roll education was pretty much complete.'Bad Boy Boogie is the first biography to focus on Bon's remarkable gifts as a lyricist, frontman and rascal. In short, the real Bon Scott.

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Book SynopsisThis is the powerful, detailed and enlightening biography of the iconic composer, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist - the inimitable Prince.Prince was an icon. A man who defined an era of music and changed the shape of popular culture forever. There is no doubt that he was one of the most talented and influential artists of all time, and also one of the most mysterious. On 21st April 2016 the world lost its Prince; it was the day the music died.This book will open a door to Prince''s world like never before - from his traumatic childhood and demonic pursuit of music as a means of escape, to his rise to superstardom, professional rivalries and marriages shrouded in tragedy, internationally bestselling music writer Mick Wall explores the historical, cultural and personal backdrop that gave rise to an artist the likes of which the world has never seen - and never will again.Mick, a lifelong Prince fan, was one of the first UK journalists

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Book SynopsisBorn Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, George Michael was raised in a family of Greek Cypriot immigrants in North London, and dreamed of stardom when he was a little boy. At just twelve years old he met Andrew Ridgeley and the two of them went on to achieve stunning success in the early 1980s with Wham!, creating music that remains popular to this day. Yet despite the enormous success of Wham!, George wanted more, and so set about recreating himself as a serious solo artist, reaching heights of even greater success. Ironically, however, even from the early days he was plagued with insecurity about his sexuality, which, combined with the calamity of losing his first lover to AIDS and his mother to cancer, plunged him into a lifelong struggle with drug addiction. He died, at the tragically early age of just fifty-three, on Christmas Day 2016. George Michael's life and career brought him international fame, and his sudden and unexpected death shocked the world. His unrivalled popularity as an artist, however, and the music he made, have turned him into one of the immortal greats of pop music. As Emily Herbert shows in this new biography, his legacy is not just his music, but his many extraordinary, and often anonymous, acts of charity.

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Book SynopsisAt the height of Tim Maia's soaring fame, he joined a radical, extraterrestrial-obsessed cult and created two plus albums of some of Brazil'sand the globe'sbest funk and soul music. This book explores the career of the man often hailed as the James Brown or Barry White of Brazil, and the time of his radical transformation from a musician notorious for hedonistic living to a devoted follower of Manoel Jacinto Coelho's Rational Culture.After suddenly joining Coelho's cult in 1974 (which started first as an offshoot of the mystical Afro-Brazilian religion Umbanda), Maia gave up drugs and alcohol, threw away his material possessions, and released Racional Vols. 1 & 2 in the attempt to convert the entirety of Brazil and the world to the revelation of Rational Culture. Thayer explores this strange, brief, yet incredibly prolific period of Maia's life wherein the reigning soul and funk artist of Brazil produced two albums, an EP, and a recently unearthed tape containing almost another Trade ReviewLeave it to [33 1/3 Brazil], just launched last year, to weave what may be one of the most page-turning titles in their roster. Pull up a chair; with Tim Maia’s Tim Maia Racional Vols. 1 & 2 , Allen Thayer has a helluva story to tell. * Spectrum Culture *Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Tim Maia Irrational, 1942-1973 2. The Band, the Shed and Fatherhood, 1974 Interlude: Seu Manoel & Rational Culture 3. 50 Mescaline, Aliens and Seu Manoel, 1974 4. Tim Maia Racional Vol. 1 (Late 1974) 5. Rational Friends & Family (Early 1975) 6. Tim Maia Racional Vol. 2 (Early-Mid 1975) 7. Tim Maia Racional Vol. 3 and The End of Rationality 8. The Disenchantment 9. Irrational and Loving It 10. Rational Legacy 11. The Rescue and Reconstruction of Tim Maia Racional Vol. 3 Interlude: Carmelo, Tell Me What to Do Conclusion: Tim Maia, a Man in Search of Answers List of Interviews Works Cited Notes Index

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Book SynopsisBryan Waterman teaches American literature and culture at New York University. His previous books include, with Cyrus R. K. Patell, The Cambridge Companion to the Literature of New York City.Trade ReviewPenned by Bryan Waterman, the book focuses much of its attention on the four years leading up to the recording of the record in 1977...it offers amazing insight into one of rock's most unsung masterpieces. * Montreal Mirror *Waterman [has done] extensive research, culling from NYU's archive of Richard Hell's papers, rock journalist reviews from the era (Christgau, Bangs, Kent, et al.), and extensive interviews, making sure to maintain the composure of an academic thesis, and not a fan boy rag... what happens when you pull back all the layers of flashbacks and reminiscence is an extensive true story that is still interesting, and echoes long down the volleys of rock history. * Crawdaddy! *[Waterman's book] will delight both Television fans and nostalgists of seventies punk-era New York. * The East Village Local *The New York punk scene of the 1970s doesn’t lack for documentation … That Bryan Waterman still finds something new to say is impressive enough, but he expertly expands the context for Television’s debut album and for the Bowery punk movement within New York’s larger arts scene. At more than 200 pages, it’s one of the longest titles in the series, but each page seems to contain some new idea or discovery. -- Stephen M. Deusner * Pitchfork *Table of Contents1. Biography; 2. The "downtown scene" pre-CBGB; 3. The emergence of the CBGB scene; 4. The Album.

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Book SynopsisJohn Lennon was a rock star, a school clown, a writer, a wit, an iconoclast, a sometime peace activist and finally an eccentric millionaire. He was also a Beatle - his plain-speaking and impudent rejection of authority catching, and eloquently articulating, the group''s moment in history.Chronicling a famously troubled life, Being John Lennon analyses the contradictions in the singer-songwriter''s creative and destructive personality. Drawing on many interviews and conversations with Lennon, his first wife Cynthia and second Yoko Ono, as well as his girlfriend May Pang and song-writing partner Paul McCartney, Ray Connolly unsparingly reassesses the chameleon nature of the perpetually dissatisfied star who just couldn''t stop reinventing himself.Trade ReviewConnolly, the author of Being Elvis, takes a sensible route down the path dividing the saint and the monster inthis careful, thoughtful biography. It's a well-told story, but Connolly has a substantial advantage: as a journalist for the Evening Standard and the Sunday Times, he came to know Lennon well enough to be invited repeatedly to his Berkshire house, Tittenhurst Park ... Yet Connolly wears his acquaintance lightly, never forcing himself into the narrative or sinking into the hideous mateyness that can blight rock biographies ... For Connolly, it is Lennon's insecurities that are ultimately most revealing, rooted in an unsettled childhood in Liverpool's postwar suburbs ... Connolly does all this with quiet expertise, an understated writer who collates all the details into a vivid whole ... [N]either hatchet job nor hagiography, Being John Lennon swerves dead-hero worship. What survives is the complicated, enduringly fascinating man -- Victoria Segal * Sunday Times *Connolly draws on his archive conversations with the Beatles to give a superb portrait of a dissatisfied star who couldn't stop reinventing himself * Daily Telegraph *Connolly tells the story with a fitting, powerful sense of drama. * DAILY MAIL *Connolly perfectly captures the shabby conformism and deference of post-war Britain that the Beatles would help to overturn. He handles their much-told tale with welcome concision ... He deals with the difficult subject of Yoko deftly ... there was never a Saint John - the man in Ray Connolly's account is much more human, and much more lovable * Observer *'[John Lennon] would probably enjoy this very fair biography... Connolly's book presents him as neither saint nor sinner but captures with honesty a complex and fascinating character. Lennon's is an oft-told story but Connolly still unearths nuggets about the insecurities that shaped his life, and the collaboration and rivalry with Macca that created magic * The Sun *An intimate biography that finds much to say that is new about the head Beatle * Choice Magazine *Excellent -- Helen Brown * Daily Telegraph Music Books of the Year *Ray Connolly's Being John Lennon is an excellent portrait of the man. * CHOICE MAGAZINE *

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Book SynopsisAn exploration of Radiohead's game-changing album. Rather than simply reinforcing Kid A's canonical status, it situates the album in the temporal, examining it from various philosophical and cultural interpretations of time in order to arrive at its political and social stakes.Trade Review"A growing Alexandria of rock criticism - Los Angeles Times, 2008 Ideal for the rock geek who thinks liner notes just aren't enough - Rolling Stone One of the coolest publishing imprints on the planet - Bookslut"Table of ContentsKid Aesthetics; Kid Advertising; Kid Apolitical; Kid Association; Kid Ascension.

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Book SynopsisAn extraordinary selection of revealing letters to and from one of the titans of 20th-century musicTrade Review“With their intellectual brilliance, humour and wonderful eye for detail, Leonard Bernstein’s letters blow all biographies out of the water. His galaxy of correspondents includes Stephen Sondheim, Boris Pasternak and Jacqueline Kennedy. Full of fresh information and the authentic voice of a constant seeker.”—The Economist (named a 2013 Book of the Year)“His collaborator Betty Comden once noted, in a letter to Bernstein, that he saved ‘every scrap of correspondence.’ You will be grateful . . . a rich collection of letters to and from Bernstein, filled with revelations about his musical and personal lives.”—James R. Oestreich, New York Times“Bernstein’s versatility and ambition were such that he spent a lot of time trying to figure out who he was—which also meant searching for American music and for the future of music generally. This book doesn’t resolve Bernstein’s quest. But it’s an invaluable resource, and the quest itself continues to fascinate and to matter.”—Joseph Horowitz, Wall Street Journal“A rich selection of letters to and from Bernstein, meticulously edited by Nigel Simeone. . . . Alive with spontaneous intelligence, Leonard Bernstein’s letters display exactly this unforced intimacy, though there were moments when he no doubt knew that posterity was listening in.”—Morris Dickstein, Times Literary Supplement“His letters have a tremendous zest, and a good journalistic eye, too, and since he was often at the right place at the right time, at some of the key moments in his 20th-century history, this gives them a wider interest.”—Christopher Hart, Sunday Times“The correspondence from and to the remarkable conductor is full of pleasure and insights.”—New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice)“This volume has been handsomely edited, and the decision to include letters from Bernstein’s correspondents results in a rich portrayal of a particular age of privilege.”—Philip Hensher, The Guardian“Like Britten, Bernstein was an assiduous correspondent, and The Leonard Bernstein Letters is a vast, absorbing canvas of a life lived at full speed, with a cast list that reads like a who’s who of American cultural life in the 20th century.”—Adam Lively, Sunday Times“Simeone’s choice of letters [are] superbly amplified by his exhaustively researched footnotes, which manage to identify and flesh out even the most obscure of his subject’s multifarious correspondents.”—Stephen Walsh, The Spectator“For . . . eloquent and moving testimony read the entry for 25 November 1963 in The Leonard Bernstein Letters edited by Nigel Simeone, the contents of which give an . . . overview of a liberal American century.”—Chris Ford, The Guardian“[A] fascinating selection of correspondence edited by Nigel Simeone. . . . The Leonard Bernstein Letters is indeed a written reflection of the man himself—fascinating, discursive, frequently brilliant.”—Ken Smith, Fontes Artis Musicae“A marvelously entertaining new book. . . . The Leonard Bernstein Letters makes it possible to take stock of Bernstein’s weaknesses—his enthusiasm could lead to sentimentality, and clearly his fame became a kind of bubble. But these pale in comparison with his energy, joy, and absolute dedication to music. It’s sad to think that our culture will probably never produce someone like him again.”—Adam Kirsch, Tablet magazine“It is a major, highly accomplished piece of work in its own right.”—Illtyd Harrington, Camden New Journal“The Leonard Bernstein Letters . . . contains so much that is startling and unknown that all past books, including his own, become instantly inadequate. Don’t take my word for it. On the jacket, Bernstein’s official biographer, Humphrey Burton, declares that, with this book in hand, ‘I want to start all over again.’”—Norman Lebrecht, Standpoint Magazine“In Nigel Simeone’s editorial labour of love The Leonard Bernstein Letters some of the most entertaining letters come from Bernstein’s correspondents.”—Sameer Rahim, Sunday Telegraph“Opinions [are] expressed with force and often with elegance in his correspondence with performers, composers, publishers, promoters and many other else, as revealed in The Leonard Bernstein Letters, edited by the eminent Bernstein scholar Nigel Simeone.”—Christopher Morley, Birmingham Post“The Leonard Bernstein Letters will be pounced upon by aficionados. . . . Christmas reading doesn’t come any better.”—International Record Review“[The] extraordinary archive, The Leonard Bernstein Letters, [is] edited meticulously by Nigel Simeone.”—Jenni Frazer, Jewish Chronicle“[H]ats off to Nigel Simeone for his painstaking research into the myriad references in Bernstein’s correspondence. Concerts, recordings, broadcasts, travel dates, parties, you name it, they are all meticulously recorded in the brilliant footnotes to this large collection of letters. . . . A magisterial survey.”—Fiona Clampin, Classical Music“Top of my list for music books this Christmas has to be the new compendium of Leonard Bernstein’s collected letters which are brilliantly written, seriously engaging, and strangely contradictory, in the way that Bernstein was himself a mass of fascinating contradictions—egocentric/loving, boastful/blisteringly honest, gay/straight; with a curious ambivalence, for a Jew, towards the remnants of the Third Reich.”—Ham & High“[W]hat emerges is an absorbing and highly readable portrait of a complex, larger-than-life character nicely described by a fellow-composer as ‘one of the blessed ones who make everything they encounter come alive.’”—Anthony Burton, BBC Music Magazine“The . . . mainly unpublished correspondence both from and to Bernstein, between 1932 and 1990, shines a light on this unique figure’s thoughts, work and passions, his voice ringing clear with warmth and candour. . . . He was a remarkable artist and human being—elusive in his complexity, yet evoked, through these letters, with undeniable presence.”—Teresa Levonian Cole, Country Life“Offering 650 letters, this book is a major event in the documentation of the life and work of one of the greatest American musicians, who still exercises an enormous influence through his revelatory records.”—Peter Dickinson, Gramophone Magazine“What terrifying letters you write: fit for the flames is what they are. Just imagine how much you would have to pay to retrieve such a letter forty years from now when you are conductor of the Philharmonic.”—Aaron Copland to Leonard Bernstein in 1940“This incredible collection of letters gives us a glimpse into the depth and breadth of Bernstein’s world. The sheer volume of correspondence, all beautifully presented and annotated by Nigel Simeone, shows us that Bernstein loved the written word as much as the musical word!”—Marin Alsop, musical director, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra“With their intellectual brilliance, humour and wonderful eye for detail, Leonard Bernstein’s letters blow all biographies out of the water. His galaxy of correspondents includes Stephen Sondheim, Boris Pasternak and Jacqueline Kennedy. Full of fresh information and the authentic voice of a constant seeker.”—The Economist (named a 2013 Book of the Year) * The Economist *“His collaborator Betty Comden once noted, in a letter to Bernstein, that he saved ‘every scrap of correspondence.’ You will be grateful . . . a rich collection of letters to and from Bernstein, filled with revelations about his musical and personal lives.”—James R. Oestreich, New York Times -- James R. Oestreich * New York Times *“Bernstein’s versatility and ambition were such that he spent a lot of time trying to figure out who he was—which also meant searching for American music and for the future of music generally. This book doesn’t resolve Bernstein’s quest. But it’s an invaluable resource, and the quest itself continues to fascinate and to matter.”—Joseph Horowitz, Wall Street Journal -- Joseph Horowitz * The Wall Street Journal *“A rich selection of letters to and from Bernstein, meticulously edited by Nigel Simeone. . . . Alive with spontaneous intelligence, Leonard Bernstein’s letters display exactly this unforced intimacy, though there were moments when he no doubt knew that posterity was listening in.”—Morris Dickstein, Times Literary Supplement -- Morris Dickstein * TLS *“His letters have a tremendous zest, and a good journalistic eye, too, and since he was often at the right place at the right time, at some of the key moments in his 20th-century history, this gives them a wider interest.”—Christopher Hart, Sunday Times -- Christopher Hart * The Sunday Times *“The correspondence from and to the remarkable conductor is full of pleasure and insights.”—New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice) * New York Times Book Review *“This volume has been handsomely edited, and the decision to include letters from Bernstein’s correspondents results in a rich portrayal of a particular age of privilege.”—Philip Hensher, The Guardian -- Philip Hensher * The Guardian *“Like Britten, Bernstein was an assiduous correspondent, and The Leonard Bernstein Letters is a vast, absorbing canvas of a life lived at full speed, with a cast list that reads like a who’s who of American cultural life in the 20th century.”—Adam Lively, Sunday Times -- Adam Lively * The Sunday Times *“Simeone’s choice of letters [are] superbly amplified by his exhaustively researched footnotes, which manage to identify and flesh out even the most obscure of his subject’s multifarious correspondents.”—Stephen Walsh, The Spectator -- Stephen Walsh * The Spectator *“For . . . eloquent and moving testimony read the entry for 25 November 1963 in The Leonard Bernstein Letters edited by Nigel Simeone, the contents of which give an . . . overview of a liberal American century.”—Chris Ford, The Guardian -- Chris Ford * The Guardian *“Exhaustive, thrilling [and] indispensable.”—Elysa Gardner, USA Today, starred review -- Elysa Gardner * USA Today *“Energetic, intimate . . . an eye-opening volume: a glimpse into the personal life of a legend.”—Jeff Lunden, NPR “Weekend Edition Sunday” -- Jeff Lunden * NPR "Weekend Edition Sunday" *“Bernstein emerges as highly literate, compassionate, astonishingly busy and gifted almost beyond measure.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review) * Kirkus Reviews *“A hugely entertaining chronicle of a enviable life, and a trove of musical and show-business gossip.”—Adam Kirsch, New Republic -- Adam Kirsch * The New Republic *“[It’s] full of both serious and gossipy correspondence between the musical genius and such friends as Stephen Sondheim, Betty Comden and Aaron Copland.”—Joe Meyers, CTNews.com -- Joe Meyers * CTNews.com *“A document of a golden age.”—Jimmy So, Daily Beast -- Jimmy So * The Daily Beast *“The book—consisting of 650 letters both from and to Bernstein, dated between 1932 and 1990—is not merely interesting. It is fascinating, enlightening and a veritable page-turner that will keep you up nights, ruin your sleep and wreak all sorts of havoc for 600 pages.”—Steve Suskin, Playbill -- Steve Suskin * Playbill *“Magnificent and long-awaited.”—Maria Popova, Brain Pickings -- Maria Popova * Brain Pickings *“Simeone has managed to encapsulate a central tradition in the history of music of the last century as seen through the correspondence of one of its most important exponents.”—Paul Seydor, Absolute Sound -- Paul Seydor * Absolute Sound *“This anthology of Bernstein’s correspondence, assembled by Nigel Simeone, shines a light on the famous conductor and composer’s private thoughts.”—WQXR.org * WQXR.org *“Time and again, The Leonard Bernstein Letters demonstrate how the composer and conductor lived in overdrive.”—Carol Oja, Harvard Magazine -- Carol Oja * Harvard Magazine *“[Bernstein’s] manifold legacy, including these letters, lives on.”—John Simon, Weekly Standard -- John Simon * Weekly Standard *“Opens a window into the world of one of the most accomplished and brilliant artists of the 20th century.”—Irene Javors, Harvard Gay and Lesbian Review -- Irene Javors * Harvard Gay and Lesbian Review *“A marvelously entertaining new book. . . . The Leonard Bernstein Letters makes it possible to take stock of Bernstein’s weaknesses—his enthusiasm could lead to sentimentality, and clearly his fame became a kind of bubble. But these pale in comparison with his energy, joy, and absolute dedication to music. It’s sad to think that our culture will probably never produce someone like him again.”—Adam Kirsch, Tablet magazine -- Adam Kirsch * Tablet magazine *“It is a major, highly accomplished piece of work in its own right.”—Illtyd Harrington, Camden New Journal -- Illtyd Harrington * Camden New Journal *“The Leonard Bernstein Letters . . . contains so much that is startling and unknown that all past books, including his own, become instantly inadequate. Don’t take my word for it. On the jacket, Bernstein’s official biographer, Humphrey Burton, declares that, with this book in hand, ‘I want to start all over again.’”—Norman Lebrecht, Standpoint Magazine -- Norman Lebrecht * Standpoint Magazine *“In Nigel Simeone’s editorial labour of love The Leonard Bernstein Letters some of the most entertaining letters come from Bernstein’s correspondents.”—Sameer Rahim, Sunday Telegraph -- Sameer Rahim * The Sunday Telegraph *“Opinions [are] expressed with force and often with elegance in his correspondence with performers, composers, publishers, promoters and many other else, as revealed in The Leonard Bernstein Letters, edited by the eminent Bernstein scholar Nigel Simeone.”—Christopher Morley, Birmingham Post -- Christopher Morley * Birmingham Post *“The Leonard Bernstein Letters will be pounced upon by aficionados. . . . Christmas reading doesn’t come any better.”—International Record Review * International Record Review *“[The] extraordinary archive, The Leonard Bernstein Letters, [is] edited meticulously by Nigel Simeone.”—Jenni Frazer, Jewish Chronicle -- Jenni Frazer * Jewish Chronicle *“[H]ats off to Nigel Simeone for his painstaking research into the myriad references in Bernstein’s correspondence. Concerts, recordings, broadcasts, travel dates, parties, you name it, they are all meticulously recorded in the brilliant footnotes to this large collection of letters. . . . A magisterial survey.”—Fiona Clampin, Classical Music -- Fiona Clampin * Classical Music *“Top of my list for music books this Christmas has to be the new compendium of Leonard Bernstein’s collected letters which are brilliantly written, seriously engaging, and strangely contradictory, in the way that Bernstein was himself a mass of fascinating contradictions—egocentric/loving, boastful/blisteringly honest, gay/straight; with a curious ambivalence, for a Jew, towards the remnants of the Third Reich.”—Ham & High * Ham & High *“[W]hat emerges is an absorbing and highly readable portrait of a complex, larger-than-life character nicely described by a fellow-composer as ‘one of the blessed ones who make everything they encounter come alive.’”—Anthony Burton, BBC Music Magazine -- Anthony Burton * BBC Music Magazine *“The . . . mainly unpublished correspondence both from and to Bernstein, between 1932 and 1990, shines a light on this unique figure’s thoughts, work and passions, his voice ringing clear with warmth and candour. . . . He was a remarkable artist and human being—elusive in his complexity, yet evoked, through these letters, with undeniable presence.”—Teresa Levonian Cole, Country Life -- Teresa Levonian Cole * Country Life *“Offering 650 letters, this book is a major event in the documentation of the life and work of one of the greatest American musicians, who still exercises an enormous influence through his revelatory records.”—Peter Dickinson, Gramophone Magazine -- Peter Dickinson * Gramophone Magazine *“What terrifying letters you write: fit for the flames is what they are. Just imagine how much you would have to pay to retrieve such a letter forty years from now when you are conductor of the Philharmonic.”—Aaron Copland to Leonard Bernstein in 1940 -- Aaron Copland“This incredible collection of letters gives us a glimpse into the depth and breadth of Bernstein’s world. The sheer volume of correspondence, all beautifully presented and annotated by Nigel Simeone, shows us that Bernstein loved the written word as much as the musical word!”—Marin Alsop, musical director, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra -- Marin Alsop

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Book Synopsis''The ideal interpreter of the Ring ... a fascinating and valuable study ... absorbing and convincing'' Sunday TimesThe Ring of the Nibelung is one of the greatest works of art created in modern times. Roger Scruton''s brilliant and passionate exploration of the drama, music, symbolism and philosophy of Wagner''s masterpiece - with its themes of love, death, sacrifice and freedom - shows how, ultimately, it expresses the truth about the human condition. ''Highly original and penetrating ... tremendous'' Tim Blanning, Literary Review''A rich, historical account ... After reading this book, only the most unadventurous reader would turn down the chance to see Wagner''s masterpiece'' Economist''A brilliant gallop through the master''s religious, musical and philosophical contexts'' Sue Prideaux, Spectator''Scruton is one of the finest philosopher-musicians since Schopenhauer'' Jonathan Gaisman, StandpointTrade Reviewa masterpiece, all told the best book on Wagner I have ever read -- Michael Tanner * Literary Review *After reading this book, only the most unadventurous reader would turn down the chance to see Wagner's masterpiece. * Economist *Roger Scruton is in many ways the ideal interpreter of the Ring -- Adam Lively * The Sunday Times *Highly original and penetrating ... he writes about the music authoritatively but comprehensibly... lucidly, cogently and even entertainingly -- Tim Blanning * Literary Review *Admirably lucid ... a perceptive and detailed account ... constantly enlightening commentary -- Lucy Beckett * Tablet *

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Book SynopsisINCLUDES COMPLETE JOHN LENNON LYRICS FOR THE FIRST TIMELennon's life after the Beatles was eventful and fascinating. He moved from stardom in the world's biggest pop group to global peace campaigner and figurehead for radical causes. He left England for a new life in the USA with Yoko Ono. He later abandoned public life and retired to his New York apartment to raise their son and live the life of a recluse. In 1980 he re-emerged with a new album, but the plan to resume his career was cruelly curtailed on a fateful night outside the Dakota Building when he was murdered.Upon first publication, this book was the first to examine and assess all of John Lennon's solo work. This updated edition includes lyrics and is released on the 40th anniversary of his death and the 80th anniversary of his birth.Table of ContentsIntroduction • Shining On • John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band • Imagine • Some Time in New York City • Mind Games • Walls and Bridges • Double Fantasy • Milk and Honey • Long Lost John • Discography • Index.

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Book SynopsisFrom Prince's superstardom to studio seclusion, this second book in the award-winning Prince Studio Sessions series spotlights how Prince, the biggest rock star on the planet at the time, risked everything to create some of the most introspective music of his four-decade career. Duane Tudahl takes us on an emotional and intimate journey of love, loss, rivalry, and renewal revealed through unprecedented access to dozens of musicians, singers, studio engineers, and others who worked with him and knew him best—with never-before-published memories from the Revolution, the Time, the Family, and Apollonia 6. Also included is a heartfelt foreword by musical legend Elton John about his time and friendship with Prince.Trade ReviewIn this second Prince Studio Sessions series, Tudahl continues to explore the annals of Prince’s voracious creative drive, even while touring the Purple Rain album at a pinnacle of his stardom. Working day-by-day and session-by-session, Tudahl meticulously recreates Prince’s daily timeline in 1985 and 1986 while layering in a heap of technical information about the production process, equipment, and mixes that were created (many vaulted, still unheard). Brief snippets of information provide context for Prince’s surroundings, the people he worked with, and concurrent events, but the focus remains on the music and how it poured out of Prince wherever he was, whether on the road or back at the studio. While these years weren't all glory—Prince sustained blows like the failure of his directorial debut Under the Cherry Moon, his decision not to participate in the “We Are the World” recording, and wavering public opinion after strutting around with his bodyguards at awards shows—it seems to have had little effect on his creativity and productivity. Compulsively readable and hugely useful to researchers, this dense chronology will command the rapt attention of casual fans and scholars alike. -- Booklist (starred review)In this second Prince Studio Sessions series, Tudahl continues to explore the annals of Prince’s voracious creative drive, even while touring the Purple Rain album at a pinnacle of his stardom. Working day-by-day and session-by-session, Tudahl meticulously recreates Prince’s daily timeline in 1985 and 1986 while layering in a heap of technical information about the production process, equipment, and mixes that were created (many vaulted, still unheard). Brief snippets of information provide context for Prince’s surroundings, the people he worked with, and concurrent events, but the focus remains on the music and how it poured out of Prince wherever he was, whether on the road or back at the studio. While these years weren't all glory—Prince sustained blows like the failure of his directorial debut Under the Cherry Moon, his decision not to participate in the “We Are the World” recording, and wavering public opinion after strutting around with his bodyguards at awards shows—it seems to have had little effect on his creativity and productivity. Compulsively readable and hugely useful to researchers, this dense chronology will command the rapt attention of casual fans and scholars alike. * Booklist, Starred Review *Tudahl continues his Prince saga in this laudatory book, which is a meticulously researched day-by-day account of Prince’s songwriting, recording, and live performances during 1985 and 1986. It chronicles the making of the film Under the Cherry Moon and the albums Around the World in a Day, Parade, and Sign o’ the Times. Using interviews with Prince’s fellow musicians and studio engineers, Tudahl painstakingly describes the importance of each stage rehearsal, concert, and song mix, and creates an intimate portrait of the singer, songwriter, and actor. Prince emerges as a controlling, sometimes generous, many times denigrating, wildly creative workaholic who became increasingly imperious after his Purple Rain stardom. The second installment in Tudahl’s Prince chronology is a treasure trove for fans. * Library Journal *The 600-plus-page tome captures Prince’s arguably most creative era in fascinating detail. More than anything else in Prince’s life, the recording sessions and tour dates — i.e. the music — provided the framework for everything else in that life, and Tudahl expertly weaves the details into the music that was made at the time. This book is something fans can savor for months on end. * Variety *Duane Tudahl's work has now become must-reads for Prince aficionados. Prince may be the most important musical artist of the latter half of the twentieth century and this book underlines this with zero fanfare. Just read the magic, as it rolls from day to day. Amazing stuff. * The Aquarian Weekly *A new book by Duane Tudahl, Prince and the Parade & Sign O’ The Times Era Studio Sessions: 1985 and 1986, provides a definitive account of two heady years that followed Prince’s Purple Rain breakthrough, climaxing with his completion of a mammoth three-record set that would be pared down into Sign o’ the Times. * Washington Independent Review of Books *[A] thick daily chronicle of Prince's recording sessions in those two years, which means it's essentially a daily chronicle of Prince's life. As Tudahl documents here (and in his equally essential predecessor volume focusing on the Purple Rain era), days when Prince was in no way involved in a recording project were rare for his entire adult life.... Tudahl's book is a sizable tome, but it's readable throughout: you're left thinking that there are few better ways to understand Prince than to see his life through the lens of the recording studio, which was always his temple. * The Current *For a second time, author and Prince historian Duane Tudahl set out to do something that could never be questioned or contradicted when it came to telling Prince‘s real story. Painstakingly digging through hundreds, if not thousands, of studio work orders, interviews with band members who were there (print and audio), and cross-referencing notes and statements. Then he put it all in chronological order and arduously documented the sources to alleviate any questions any naysayers may have.... The details of Prince‘s work ethic and recording habits are mind boggling and staggering. Even people who claim to know even the smallest details of Prince‘s life have to hand the crown to Duane Tudahl. His exhaustive and comprehensive research was poured over in order to verify and check every detail for authenticity and become the undisputed document of record of Prince‘s life both in and out of the studio.... It is by far the most entertaining and thorough history of Prince that has or will ever exist. Duane Tudahl has accomplished the impossible by capturing lightning in a bottle twice. Through hard work and commitment to honor the legacy of Prince, his in-depth knowledge and storytelling mastery shines on every page. These two books are now the standard by which all books about Prince will be judged. Every Prince fan should add this book to their collection now. * Funkatopia *Presented in diary form across the two years in question, we're granted access to concerts, video shoots, studio sessions and soundchecks, which allows us to track Prince's creative progress. We see in detail how songs grow from a germ of on idea recorded on tape during a soundcheck to becoming some of the most recognizable tracks of oil time. Every recording session is documented, songs taking on various forms, held in the vaults until they find a home on a project. Compiled from hundreds of interviews with a dream wishlist of Prince's closest collaborators, including Wendy Melvoin, Lisa Colemon, Brownmark and Bobby Z, arranger Clare Fischer, sound engineer Susan Rogers, Sheila E and Eric Leeds, Tudahl's book is on access-all­-areas pass to the star's creative hub and the closest thing to being in the studio with him. Contributions from Susannah Melvoin (Prince's girlfriend at the time) offer a rare, more personal side to the star and illustrate how he was impacted by his relentless work ethic and rarely switched off. Meticulously researched, superbly presented - the day-by-day format really is akin to having a peek at Prince's diary. With a handful of previously unpublished photographs, this is on indispensable addition to the collection of any fan of the Purple One. A fascinating insight into the elusive world of Prince during one of his most creative periods, this meticulously researched and respectful account includes insights from hundreds of his collaborators and closest confidantes, resulting in an immersive experience that’s as close to being in the studio with the Purple One as it’s possible to have * Classic Pop Magazine *Duane Tudahl's in-depth research combined with the vast number of people interviewed for this stunning series makes this new book, about perhaps Prince's artistically most interesting time of his career, another must-read. -- jooZt Mattheij, editor of PrinceVault.comThe only thing better than reading about Prince’s music is listening to it. Duane Tudahl inspires us to do both. -- Alan Leeds, tour manager, production manager for PrinceDuane is the quintessential Prince historian. This book will definitely give you accurate insight into his creative process. -- Matt "Dr. Fink" Fink, member of The Revolution, Prince’s keyboard playerDuane Tudahl set the bar high with his previous book. I’m glad to say that the sequel, Prince and the Parade and Sign “O” the Times Era Studio Sessions: 1985 and 1986, is even better. The book contains many interesting musical and lyrical observations by Duane, providing undisputed proof that he is the leading scholar of Prince’s work. -- Per Nilsen, author of The Vault and Dance, Music, Sex, RomanceAn excellent and thorough account of the creative process. A must read for anyone interested in understanding the complexities and vicissitudes of Prince’s musical journey. -- Albert Magnoli, writer and director of Purple RainHistorians and scholars will have Duane Tudahl to thank for the meticulous effort he has brought to understanding Prince Rogers Nelson through the lens of how he spent his days. -- Susan Rogers, Prince's recording engineer (1983-1988)I have often wondered if the legacy of Prince would remain in good hands. After reading Duane Tudahl’s works, I am sure it is. -- Levi Seacer Jr., member of the New Power Generation, Prince’s bass player and guitaristThe work coming from Duane Tudahl is top notch. It’s a singular and superlative work. -- Wendy Melvoin, member of The Revolution, Prince’s guitaristPrince and the Parade and Sign “O” the Times Era Studio Sessions is such an invaluable resource that you'll wonder how you ever tried navigating this transformative period of Prince's work without it. -- Andrea Swensson, host, Minnesota Public Radio's The CurrentThank you Duane for keeping Prince and all of our hard work and legacy’s alive. -- Bobby Z, member of The Revolution, Prince's drummerDuane is the one person who has managed to pull all of the different threads together and represent Prince's work in the best possible way. -- Craig Mortimer-Zhika, Prince MuseumTable of ContentsPrefaceJanuary 1985February 1985March 1985April 1985May 1985June 1985July 1985August 1985September 1985October 1985November 1985December 1985January 1986February 1986March 1986April 1986May 1986June 1986July 1986August 1986September 1986October 1986November 1986December 1986Epilogue

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Book SynopsisPaul Kildea's Benjamin Britten: A Life in the Twentieth Century is the definitive biography of Britain's greatest modern composer - now in paperbackBenjamin Britten was Britain's greatest twentieth-century composer, who broke decisively with figures such as Elgar and Vaughan Williams and recreated English music in a fresh, modern, European form. Paul Kildea's biography has been acclaimed as the definitive account of Britten's extraordinary life, exploring his deeply held and controversial pacifism; his complex forty-year relationship with Peter Pears; and his creation of an artistic community in Aldeburgh. Above all, however, this book helps us understand the relationship of Britten's music to his life, and takes us as far into its unique alchemy as we are ever likely to go.PAUL KILDEA is a writer and conductor who has performed many of the Britten works he writes about, in opera houses and concert halls from Sydney to Hamburg. His previous books include Selling Britten (2002) and (as editor) Britten on Music (2003). He was Head of Music at the Aldeburgh Festival between 1999 and 2002 and subsequently Artistic Director of the Wigmore Hall in London, and lives in Berlin.'Must now rank as the standard work' Financial Times'Indispensable ... This is a masterly, highly readable account and the most comprehensive to date of the life and work of one of the 20th century's great musical figures' Barry Millington, Evening Standard'[A] wise, cautious, challenging book ... Kildea's verbal explorations of the music are done with level-headed sensitivity leavened by a quirky lightness of touch' Alexandra Harris, New StatesmanTrade ReviewIndispensable ... This is a masterly, highly readable account and the most comprehensive to date of the life and work of one of the 20th century's great musical figures -- Barry Millington * Evening Standard *[A] wise, cautious, challenging book ... Kildea's verbal explorations of the music are done with level-headed sensitivity leavened by a quirky lightness of touch -- Alexandra Harris * New Statesman *

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Book SynopsisA complete new edition of Beethoven's conversation books, now translated into English in their entirety for the first time, covering a period associated with the revolutionary style of what we call "late Beethoven". Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) is recognized the world over as a composer of musical masterpieces exhibiting heroic strength, particularly in the face of his increasing deafness from ca. 1798. By 1818, the Viennese composer hadbegun carrying blank booklets with him, for his acquaintances to jot their sides of conversations, while he answered aloud. Often, he himself used the pocket-sized booklets to make shopping lists and other reminders, including occasional early sketches for his compositions. Today, 139 of these booklets survive, covering the years 1818 up to the composer's death in 1827 and including such topics as music, history, politics, art, literature, theatre, religion, and education as perceived on a day-to-day basis in post-Napoleonic Europe. An East German edition, begun in the 1960s and essentially complete by 2001, represents a diplomatic transcription of these documents. It is a masterpiece of pure scholarship but is difficult to use for anyone who is not a specialist. Moreover, Beethoven scholarship has moved on significantly since the long-ranging genesis of the German edition. These important booklets arehere translated into English in their entirety for the first time. The volumes in this series include an updated editorial apparatus, with revised and expanded notes and many new footnotes exclusive to this edition, and brand newintroductions, which together place many of the quickly changing conversational topics into context. Due to the editor's many years of research in Vienna, his acquaintance with its history and topography, as well as his familiarity with obscure documentary resources, this edition represents an entirely new venture in source studies - vitally informative for scholars not only in music but also in a wide variety of disciplines. At the same time, these oftenlively and compelling conversations are now finally accessible for the English-speaking music lover or history buff who might want to dip into them and hear what Beethoven and his friends were discussing at the next table. THEODORE ALBRECHT is Professor of Musicology at Kent State University, Ohio.Trade Review[T]hese volumes are welcome additions to the literature. They contain much of value for those interested in the last decade of Beethoven's life, particularly concerning his social circle, his daily routine, and his ideas and beliefs. One can only hope that the remaining ten volumes are published soon. -- Marten Noorduin * NOTES, THE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE MUSIC LIBRARY ASSOCIATION *Featured in the10 must-read books for Beethoven 250, * BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE *There are several more interesting musical jottings.including several sketches for parts of the Missa Solemnis as well as numerous canons, often to scurrilous lyrics...Another rather poignant aspect of volume 2 is the appearance in the conversation books of Beethoven's poor nephew Karl...monologues also show that Beethoven was extremely interested in contemporary European politics and events...Boydell Press are again much to be thanked for their involvement in the publication of these fascinating documents which reveal so much about the composer. * THE CONSORT *A heroic feat of scholarship...these truncated conversations are extraordinary revealing. * BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE *A brilliantly accessible piece of scholarship. . . . As they flash from scene to scene, with a huge cast of characters taking turns in the spotlight, these extraordinary little books read like a film script, with a laconic but massive presence at its heart. It's a goldmine for music historians, and a riveting saga for the rest of us. -- Michael Church * BBC Music Magazine *Table of ContentsHeft 9 (March 11, 1820 - March 19, 1820) Heft 10 (March 20, 1820 - ca. April 1, 1820) Heft 11 (April 1, 1820 - April 14, 1820) Heft 12 (ca. April 18, 1820 - April 29, 1820) Heft 13 (May 1 or 2, 1820 - May 10, 1820) Heft 14 (ca. June 2, 1820 - ca. July 4, 1820) Heft 15 (ca. July 7/8, 1820 - August 19, 1820) Heft 16 (ca. August 25, 1820 - mid-September, 1820) Appendix A: Descriptions of the Conversation Books in Volume 2 Bibliography

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Book SynopsisRichard Wagner is one of the influential and also the polarizing composers in the history of music. Over the course of his long career, he produced a stream of spellbinding works that challenged musical convention through their experimentation, paving the way for modernism. This title offers an overview of Wagners life, work and times.Trade Review'An excellent book … lavishly illustrated, with photographs and portraits of the leading participants in Wagner’s astounding life … this book should be on every budding Wagnerian’s shelves' - Opera Now'The Wagner book of the bicentenary … sumptuous … If you only read one book about Wagner, make it this one … Puts the great man into context and perspective, and this is a wonderfully readable book about a musical genius. Simply fantastic' - Books Monthly'A balanced and beautifully illustrated compendium of life and works, written in Millington’s easy-to-read style' - Financial Times (Best Books of 2012)'Exemplary lucidity whether outlining an opera plot or musical structure, unravelling a complex philosophical argument or adjudicating a contentious socio-political issue' - Opera'The most readable of books, engagingly presented and beautifully produced - with striking illustrations on good paper that make it a pleasure to turn the pages' - Ham & HighTable of Contents1. Father of the Man: Paternity and Childhood • 2. Learning the Craft: Youthful Apprenticeship • 3. Earning his Keep: First Professional Appointments • 4. Under the Yoke: Kapellmeister in Dresden • 5. The Eternal Wanderer: Der fliegende Holländer • 6. Desperately Seeking Venus: Tannhäuser • 7. Swansong to Traditional Opera: Lohengrin • 8. Revolutionary Road: Uprising in Dresden • 9. The Zurich Years: Wagner’s Exile in Switzerland • 10. The Rise and Fall of Valhalla: Der Ring des Nibelungen • 11. ‘Most Excellent Friend': Franz Liszt • 12. Muses, Mistresses and Mother-Figures: Wagner’s Women • 13. The Behemoth of Bayreuth: Wagner’s Personality • 14. Always Short: Wagner and Money • 15. In the Pink: The Role of Silks and Satins in Wagner’s Life • 16. ‘My Adored and Angelic Friend’: Ludwig II • 17. Fatal Attraction: Tristan und Isolde • 18. ‘Art is What Matters Here’: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg • 19. Grit in the Oyster: Anti-Semitism in Wagner’s Life and Work • 20. Creative Spark: Sources of Inspiration in Wagner’s Work • 21. The Silent Sufferer: Cosima Wagner • 22. Tribschen Interlude: The Lucerne Years • 23. A Home for the Gods: The Bayreuth Project • 24. Wagner’s Last Card: Parsifal • 25. Death in Venice: The Events of Wagner’s Last Days • 26. Perfect and Imperfect Wagnerites: The Spread of the Wagner Cult • 27. Panning for Gold: Wagner and Cinema • 28. Swastikas Over Bayreuth: Wagner and the Third Reich • 29. Regime Change: The Grandsons Usher In the Era of New Bayreuth • 30. Renewing the Legacy: Bayreuth Today and in the Future • Family Tree

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

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Book SynopsisThe Rolling Stones have long been considered one of the greatest rock-and-roll bands of all time. At the forefront of the British Invasion and heading up the counterculture movement of the 1960s, the Stones' innovative music and iconic performances defined a generation, and fifty years later, they're still performing to sold-out stadiums around the globe. Yet, as the saying goes, behind every great man is a greater woman, and behind these larger-than-life rockstars were four incredible women whose stories have yet to be fully unpacked. . . until now.In Parachute Women, Elizabeth Winder introduces us to the four women who inspired, styled, wrote for, remixed, and ultimately helped create the legend of the Rolling Stones. Anita Pallenberg, Marianne Faithfull, Marsha Hunt, and Bianca Jagger put the glimmer in the Glimmer Twins and taught a group of straight-laced boys to be bad. They opened the doors to subterranean art and alternative lifestyles, turned them on to Russian literature, occult practices, and LSD. They connected them to cutting edge directors and writers, won them roles in art house films that renewed their appeal. They often acted as unpaid stylists, providing provocative looks from their personal wardrobes. They remixed tracks for chart-topping albums, and sometimes even wrote the actual songs. More hip to the times than the rockers themselves, they consciously (and unconsciously) kept the band current--and confident--with that mythic lasting power they still have today.Lush in detail and insight, and long overdue, Parachute Women is a group portrait of the four audacious women who transformed the Stones into international stars, but who were themselves marginalized by the male-dominated rock world of the late '60s and early '70s. Written in the tradition of Sheila Weller's Girls Like Us, it's a story of lust and rivalries, friendships and betrayals, hope and degradation, and the birth of rock and roll.

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Book SynopsisPresents an examination of the classic "Pavement" album, including interviews with band members and record label staff. This book pays attention to Malkmus' growth as a musician and songwriter, both of which are evident everywhere on Wowee Zowee.Trade ReviewCharles puts himself in the center of the book—we read about his aimless college years in Michigan and his discovery of Pavement, whose songs initially seem half hearted, even bratty, but actually contain an undertow of emotion that's hard to articulate. Charles' writing is the same way. He succinctly captures the flavor of being in one's late teens and early 20s without going into unnecessary detail. Finishing school, he undergoes that arduous, interminable crisis of figuring out what to do with life, discovering that one of the only things that still makes sense is Pavement. Charles returns to the band time and again, the music weaving a thread through his life. The book includes unvarnished interviews with members of the band, providing an honest, first-person account of the making of the record. But the heart of the book isn't Pavement; it's Charles, and novelist or no, he has turned in one of the best pieces of rock journalism in recent memory—a no-bullshit, heartfelt manifesto of fandom. * The Portland Mercury *At the core of every 33 1/3 book is the question of roping in readers who may be unfamiliar with the band or album, but Charles is able to resituate Pavement as the everyman band they were during the 90s payday. From tales of major label flirtations (which the band is quick to dismiss as nothing more than random dalliances with the powers-that-be) to the band's reputation as slackers (which finds Stephen Malkmus tossing aside by pointing out the band's relentless touring schedule), Charles covers much more than the time period of Wowee Zowee without abandoning the album's specific importance in their catalog. Part history lesson, part fanzine love letter, Bryan Charles has written a book that is as ambitious and yet as untethered as his subject matter. * Tiny Mix Tapes *[Charles has written] an oral history about the genesis and recording of Pavement's Wowee Zowee album that is infused with his own personal fandom of the band. Charles paints a vivid picture of the band as it wrote and recorded the album through interviews with band members and the creatives who surrounded the production of the album, all the while sharing his own experiences with the album and as a Pavement fan.Mixing the album's history with Charles' own works exceedingly well, and captures not only the essence of Pavement when they recorded Wowee Zowee, but also the indie rock culture of the time. * Largehearted Boy *Pavement’s third album isn’t the most obvious choice for a 33 1/3 book … But the series is more concerned with telling new stories than in re-telling old ones, and Bryan Charles relishes the opportunity to argue for a personal favorite. Wowee Zowee may have been a flop (he even admits a ‘lack of excitement’ when he first heard it), but he shows how the album has gradually revealed a new cohesiveness governing its scattershot aesthetic over the last two decades and how it is now revered by the same listeners who initially shrugged their shoulders. -- Stephen M. Deusner * Pitchfork *

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

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Book Synopsis(Percussion). Neil Peart''s ten appearances on the cover of Modern Drummer magazine span the years 1980, when he was five albums and several tours into his historic run with the Canadian progressive rock band Rush, and 2020, the year of his passing. No other drummer has come close to appearing so many times on the front of a drum publication, certainly not the world''s most recognized one. This, the first installment in Modern Drummer magazine''s Legends book series, collects all nine of Peart''s cover stories, plus the complete contents of his May 2020 Modern Drummer tribute issue. Highlights include analyses of Neil''s performances on every Rush studio album, a survey of the evolution of his famous live drumkits, transcriptions of deep Rush cuts, dozens of photos, and much more.

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Book Synopsis2019 marks the golden anniversary of the mass musical gatherings that saw the hippie generation at their 1969 zenith. Two events stand out, staged within days of each other that magical August: in the United States, there was Woodstock, and in the UK the Isle of Wight Festival of Music. Woodstock drew 400,000 fans and a quality bill that was a Who's Who of contemporary talent - all bar the main man the organisers hoped to lure on the doorstep of his home, Bob Dylan. Instead, Dylan opted to headline at the Isle of Wight, in front of close to 200,000 adoring fans. Here Bill Bradshaw celebrates the events of that summer 50 years on... and how the Isle of Wight, off England's southern coast, staged what was then the nation's biggest festival - and how it pulled off such a huge coup. Eye-witness accounts from fans, artists and the promoters bring alive that gilded summer and how it influenced both Dylan and the rock festival movement for generations to come.

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Book SynopsisA compelling portrait of composer-performer Julius Eastman's enigmatic and intriguing life and music. Composer-performer Julius Eastman (1940-90) was an enigma, both comfortable and uncomfortable in the many worlds he inhabited: black, white, gay, straight, classical music, disco, academia, and downtown New York. His music, insistent and straightforward, resists labels and seethes with a tension that resonates with musicians, scholars, and audiences today. Eastman's provocative titles, including Gay Guerrilla, Evil Nigger, Crazy Nigger, and others, assault us with his obsessions. Eastman tested limits with his political aggressiveness, as reflected in legendary scandals like his June 1975 performance of John Cage's Song Books, which featured homoerotic interjections, and the uproar over his titles at Northwestern University. These episodes are examples of Eastman's persistence in pushing the limits of the acceptable in the highly charged arenas of sexual and civil rights. In addition to analyses of Eastman's music, the essays in Gay Guerrilla provide background on his remarkable life history and the era's social landscape. The book presents an authentic portrait of a notable American artist thatis compelling reading for the general reader as well as scholars interested in twentieth-century American music, American studies, gay rights, and civil rights. This Life of Sounds: Evenings for New Music inBuffalo received an ASCAP Deems Taylor Award for excellence. Mary Jane Leach is a composer and freelance writer, currently writing music and theatre criticism for the Albany Times-Union.Trade ReviewJulius Eastman enjoyed the admiration of peers such as Morton Feldman, Meredith Monk and Pierre Boulez. Here, highly engaging essays by those who knew Eastman well recall him as a person and assess his brilliance. While there are amusing anecdotes about his more madcap moments...the overall message is that he was an artist deserving of significant respect. * BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE *[Eastman's work] effectively rewrote the history of post-war American New Music, restoring to its narrative a gay black voice creating a liberating, high-energy form of organic minimalism. * THE GUARDIAN *It is eminently readable throughout. * JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC STUDIES *[The book will be] a starting point for others who want to engage with Julius Eastman as a performer, scholar, or composer. * ARSC JOURNAL *A picture of [Eastman]--charismatic performer, magnetic personality and emotional escape artist--that puts his work in a context larger and more representative. * BAY AREA REPORTER *A composer of visionary power, a singer with a cavernous bass voice, a collaborator with the diverse likes of Meredith Monk and Pierre Boulez, Eastman had long been a fixture of the New York Music scene....Part of the pleasure of Eastman's rediscovery has been the belated, deserving reinsertion of a black, gay figure into music history. * THE NEW YORK TIMES *Outspoken about his own identity as a black queer man...Eastman was ahead of his time. His music is politics by other means, in search of a form, alighting toward a future that could grant him dignity, when he could be something other than an abstraction. * THE NEW YORKER *A fascinating new collection of essays exploring the life and work of the enigmatic composer Julius Eastman...who worked fluently in jazz, improvisation and acoustical experiments. An indication of his impact is the very fact that so many people have come together [in this book] to remember him and are actively championing his music. * ALBANY TIMES-UNION *The publication of this rigorously researched, lovingly produced, multidimensional study of a singular artist will surely be met with joy by those of us who remember Julius Eastman--the inspired creator, the sly provocateur and martyred saint of the avant-garde. For those who are interested in iconoclasts of whatever stripe, this volume will be a revelation and an invitation to rethink what composition, performance, and life at the precipice of madness can be.-- -- Bill T. Jones, choreographer and dancerThis book has arrived just in time for Black Lives Matter and gets my deepest praise. This important volume of essays brought forth by two brilliant women who have long championed Eastman's music, belongs in every music conservatory library and beyond.-- -- Pauline Oliveros, composerTable of ContentsForeword by George E. Lewis Acknowledgments Introduction: Julius Eastman and His Music - Renee Levine Packer Julius Eastman, A Biography - Renee Levine Packer Unjust Malaise - David Borden The Julius Eastman Parables - R. Nemo Hill Julius Eastman and the Conception of "Organic Music" - Kyle Gann Julius Eastman Singing - John Patrick Thomas An Accidental Musicologist Passes the Torch - Mary Jane Leach A Flexible Musical Identity: Julius Eastman in New York City, 1976-90 - Ryan Dohoney Evil Nigger: A Piece for Multiple Instruments of the Same Type by Julius Eastman (1979), with Performance Instructions by Joseph Kubera - David Borden A Postminimalist Analysis of Julius Eastman's Crazy Nigger - Andrew Hanson-Dvoracek "The Piece Does Not Exist without Julius": Still Staying on Stay On It - Matthew Mendez Connecting the Dots - Mary Jane Leach Gay Guerrilla: A Minimalist Choralphantasie - Luciano Chessa Appendix: Julius Eastman Compositions - Mary Jane Leach Chronology Selected Bibliography List of Contributors Index

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