Composers and songwriters Books

Book SynopsisArguably the greatest of all piano virtuosi, Liszt was one of the few composers of his day who had the technique to perform his own compositions. A child prodigy pianist who could read music before he could recite the alphabet, Franz Liszt is one of the most outrageously gifted and most controversial figures in classical music. Unconventional in both his approach to composing and his personal life, he had a reputation for courting hostility and riding rough-shod over other people's feelings, particularly those of his musical peers. This lavishly illustrated book chronicles Liszt's life and times with the help of many rare photographs and contemporary prints. With numerous quotations from the people who knew him best, extracts from personal letters and diaries, this remarkable book gives an intimate picture of the composer's private life, and also investigates the complex religious and emotional forces which inspired his music. Includes a CD featuring a selection of recordings by the composer.

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Book SynopsisFrom humble beginnings Adele has come to be a globally recognised icon. Her first album shot her to fame and the second consolidated her position as a singing/songwriting superstar with lasting, global appeal. She has already won more than 40 industry awards, including 11 Billboard Music Awards, a BRIT award, and eight Grammy awards. She has broken record after record: first artist to sell more than 3m albums in a year in the UK, first living artist to have two top five hits in both the UK singles and albums charts simultaneously since the Beatles, the first artist in history to lead the Billboard chart concurrently with three number ones, 21 is the longest running number one album by a female solo artist on the UK chart and in the US it held the top position for longer than any other album since 1993.

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Book SynopsisIn Waiting For The Man, Jeremy Reed focuses on Lou Reed as rock's principal literary avatar, paying special attention to his controversial lyrics and prototypical garage sound. Lou Reed influenced generations of copyists that took note of his outlaw status, ambiguous sexual orientation characterised by his seventies relationship with the transvestite Rachel, his implacable mystique, cool and defiant attitude as the narrator of subcultures. Finally the book examines the transcendent, if reluctant calm, that Reed arrived at in later life. Taking in the sweep of Reed's career from Velvet Underground to the variants of forty years of resistant solo pioneering, Waiting For The Man accesses the man and his music, with the extraordinary perception and attention to detail.Trade Review"All the books about me are bullshit except Jeremy's" - Lou Reed

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Book SynopsisWith a career spanning more than four decades, Loudon Wainwright III has established himself as one of the most enduring singer-songwriters who emerged from the late sixties. There is probably no singer songwriter who has so blatantly inserted himself into his songs, about parents, grandparents, children, siblings, and wives. As he puts it in "So Many Songs": It's taken so long to finally see / My songs about you are all about me. The songs can be laugh out loud funny, but they also can cut to the bone. In his memoir, Wainwright continues to emphasize the personal: he details the family history his lyrics have referenced and the fractured relationships in the Wainwright family throughout generations: the alcoholism, the infidelities, the competitiveness -- as well as the closeness, the successes, and the joy. Wainwright reflects on the experiences that have influenced his songwriting, including boarding school, the music business, swimming, macrobiotics, sex, incarceration, and something he calls Sir Walter Raleigh Syndrome. Liner Notes is very much about being a son - a status that dominates many of Wainwright's songs. But it is also about being a parent, a brother, and a grandfather. Wainwright's song lyrics are represented throughout the book, amplifying his prose and showing the connections between the songs and real life. He also includes excerpts and selections from his father's brilliant Life magazine columns - and, in so doing, re-establishes him as a major essayist of his era. A funny and insightful meditation on family, inspiration, and art, Liner Notes will thrill fans, readers, and anyone who appreciates the intersection of music and life.Trade Review"Liner Notes is, unsurprisingly, as good as its author's songs, with moments of sharp humour alternating with real-life pain, and vivid reflections on love, death, and the whole damn thing. Loudon Wainwright is a true original: not like anyone else, just as he set out to be." Salman Rushdie "An excellent book. 8/10." Uncut Magazine

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Book SynopsisMetallica's ascension from thrash metal obscurity to becoming arguably one of the greatest rock bands the world has ever known, can be directly attributed to its lead singer and guitarist, James Hetfield. Having sold 110 million records worldwide and with an impressive eight Grammy Awards to their name, Metallica is undoubtedly a commercial triumph, but what of the man behind the music? Of Metal and Man is the newly revised biography of this rock legend, offering an exclusive insight into the life and career of one of Metallica's founding members. Author Mark Eglinton charts the hidden complexities of the relationships within the band, exploring the effects that global fame has had on Hetfield and his cohorts. Eglinton sheds light on both the highs of worldwide success and the lows of addiction and alcohol abuse, giving details of exclusive first-hand interviews with key figures from the band's inner circle. Dramatic and compelling, and now with newly updated material, this is the definitive biography of James Hetfield - singer-songwriter, guitarist and co-founder of a band which has changed the face of rock, the world over.

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Book SynopsisForeword by Martin Freeman Whether flying across a screen or lighting up the stage, Madness' wild, energetic sax player has always been hard to miss. For Lee 'Kix' Thompson, life is for having as much fun as possible. Growing Out of It is the tale of one 'nutty boy' not really growing out of it at all. From getting up to no good as a teenager to his many musical (mis)adventures in the 1970s, Lee's memoir of his formative years captures his enduring love for his north London stomping ground, where he first met the other members of Madness. This is a story of growing up in a certain time and place when anything felt possible, even a bunch of north London lads forming a ska revival band - and becoming one of Britain's best-loved groups.Trade Review'A revealing, deeply personal book but also an excellent band memoir. Recommended.' HiFi World ‘Hyperactive saxophonist’s ripping yarns – from approved school to Top of The Pops … his is undoubtedly a brilliant and unusual story’ Mojo

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Book Synopsis"This historically important tome is a stunner from the off, the resplendent glittery hardback exterior merely teasing at the delights within... 'The End Is Near' is an indispensable collection of images from a unique rock 'n' roll moment, beautifully presented." - Phil Singleton. God Save the Sex Pistols. Christmas Day 1977, a day to be spent with family and loved ones, unless of course you'd decided to spend it with The Sex Pistols. The punk band, at the centre of a tabloid frenzy and banned from just about every venue in the country, had booked themselves into a small club in Huddersfield to perform a benefit in support of striking West Yorkshire fire fighters. That evening, the band took to the stage to perform what would become their final UK gig. There to capture the chaos was photographer Kevin Cummins. No stranger to The Sex Pistols, he'd been there at that gig at Manchester's Lesser Free Trade Hall just 18 months previously. Kevin incurred the fury of his own family to forgo Christmas in order to travel across The Pennines to document the event. Every frame Kevin shot is here, for the first time, in this book of more than 150 colour and black and white photographs, each beautifully capturing Johnny Rotten, Sid Vicious, Steve Jones, and Paul Cook as they play together for the last time in their home country. Just weeks later The Pistols would break up and a year later, Sid would be dead. "You've had the Queen's speech. Now you're going to get the Sex Pistols at Christmas. Enjoy." - Johnny RottenTrade Review"A book filled with 150 colour and black and white photographs, in which Cummins expertly captures the passion and power of Johnny Rotten, Sid Vicious, Paul Cook, and Steve Jones." -- Far Out Magazine"It was a gig that now sounds unlikely. Britain’s most notorious punk band, the Sex Pistols, performing at Ivanhoe’s nightclub in Huddersfield on Christmas Day, 1977…There to photograph the Pistols that evening for weekly music magazine the NME was Kevin Cummins." -- Yorkshire Post

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Book SynopsisAlthough his activity as a recording artist spanned a period of just three years, from 1967, the year of his arrival in England from America to 1970, the year of his death, Jimi Hendrix created a body of work that has exerted a significant influence on a number of artists in the 20th century and beyond. A headline-grabbing, explosive performer, he is widely recognized as an innovative guitarist who broadened the vocabulary of his instrument through both his technique and daring use of technology. For several generations of critics and audiences, he remains the archetypal rock star who framed his immeasurable talent with lifestyle excesses inherent to his profession. Hear My Train A Comin' seeks to appraise Hendrix's legacy in different terms. His ability as a soloist is undeniable, but it is not necessarily the defining aspect of his genius. This book focuses on Hendrix the songwriter, a superlative storyteller who was able to combine melody, lyric and arrangement in order to create pieces that take pride of place in the pantheon of post-war popular music. Why do anthems such as Crosstown Traffic, The Wind Cries Mary, Little Wing, Voodoo Child [Slight Return] Purple Haze or Foxy Lady still affect us today? They alchemize word and sound. These are just a few examples of Hendrix crafting a composition in the most complete sense of the term, making judicious decisions with regard to mood, texture, contrast and overall orchestral richness, looking at his basic resource, the guitar-bass-drums set up as a unit to be enhanced by a range of other instruments and studio production. This book investigates the artist's immense creativity, and the intriguing relationship he had with the art of song, a platform for a multitude of ideas and improvisation.Table of ContentsIntroduction Part 1: The Song And Jimi Hendrix Part 2: The Songs Of Jimi Hendrix Part 3: The Songs From JImi Hendrix

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Book SynopsisTakes key elements and subjects surrounding 'DC and presents them in alphabetical order, with each entry illustrated accordingly.

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Book SynopsisRemembered in his native Ireland primarily as a harpsichordist and interpreter of Bach’s music, and in the UK as a conductor of the ground-shaking early music group Musica Reservata, John Beckett also composed avant-garde incidental music, performed on several instruments and was an authoritative, if controversial, conductor. Music was not his only passion: he was interested in films, the theatre, art and pottery, and loved to travel. His varied career included devising music programmes for Radio Éireann, writing for The Bell magazine, working in Dublin’s Pike Theatre, presenting and performing for the BBC Third Programme, composing music for his famous cousin Samuel Beckett, founding Musica Reservata, conducting Bach cantata concerts in Dublin over a ten-year period, and working as a producer and presenter for BBC Radio 3. Despite his reputation as a gruff, confrontational individual with a fondness for Guinness, whiskey and garlic, he made many friends and was familiar with Dublin’s intellectual, musical and bohemian milieu, such as the writers Aidan Higgins, Anthony Cronin, Patrick Kavanagh, Brendan Behan and James Plunkett, composers E.J. Moeran and Frederick May, counter-tenor Alfred Deller, musician John O’Sullivan, Desmond MacNamara, Ralph Cusack, singer and sculptor Werner Schürmann, publisher John Calder and musician David Cairns. Complex, self-deprecating and private, John’s character and achievements are examined with detail garnered from information both published and in archival collections in Ireland and the UK. Recollections from those who knew him at different stages of his life enliven this fascinating biography. The book also examines the development of Musica Reservata, and contains excerpts from unpublished letters written by Samuel Beckett. Extracts from correspondence between John and James Plunkett, Aidan Higgins, Arland Ussher and music critic Charles Acton are also included.

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Book SynopsisBrian Wilson is a musical genius. Ever since British press agent Derek Taylor launched a publicity campaign with that theme to promote the landmark LP Pet Sounds in 1966, some variation of that claim has been obligatory when discussing the significance of the Beach Boys' founder and chief composer. Originally designed to liberate Wilson from his outmoded image as a purveyor of sun-and-surf teen pop so the symphonic sophistication of his music might be properly appreciated, the assertion has been repeated so often in the forty-plus years since as to render it virtually meaningless. Indeed, if anything, the label today seems an albatross around the man's neck, inasmuch as Wilson's slow-but-steady reemergence as a working musician since 1998 after three decades of mental illness and drug abuse, has been freighted with expectations that he again produce something as epochal as Good VibrationsA" to justify the adoration he inspires in impassioned defenders. Brian Wilson interrogates this and other paradigms that stymie critical appreciation of Wilson's work both with the Beach Boys and as a solo artist.This is the first study of Wilson to eschew chronology in favor of a topical organization that allows discussion of lyrical themes and musical motifs outside of any prejudicial presumptions about their place in the trajectory of his career. The meanings of Brian Wilson's work have tended to be determined by the well-known storyline of his rise, fall, and redemption.A" From abused child to seemingly unstoppable hit-maker to eccentric with a living-room sandbox to the 300-pound Orson Wells of rockA" to the heavily medicated Icarus figure with the full-time Svengali psychiatrist to his current incarnation as a fragile, elder-statesman survivor, Brian Wilson has, quite simply, lived the most celebrated bizarre life in pop music. Its sheer Shakespearean proportions have overshadowed a beauty and gentleness of spirit that is as vibrant in Farmer's DaughterA" (1963) as it is in recent efforts such as Live Let LiveA" (2008).While no one would disagree that Wilson peakedA" in 1966 with Pet Sounds his current CD, That Old Lucky Sun (2008), finds him creating beautiful music steeped in Americana that deserves discussion on its own terms rather than as a coda to the accomplishments of his gold-record youth.Table of ContentsPreface Abbreviations Introduction: Beyond Biography, Beyond Superlatives Chapter One: 'I Hear the Sound of a Gentle Word': Lyrical Themes and Gestures Chapter Two: 'A Companion for Your Lonely Soul: Musical and Sonic Motifs Chapter Three: 'I'm the Pied Piper: The Peculiar Appeal of Brian Wilson Notes Discography Works Cited

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Book SynopsisThis book explores how funk emerged in the mid-1960s at the very apex of the civil rights movement and shows how this music mirrored the broader changes taking place within the African-American community at a crucial political time and continues to this day to underpin remix culture. It traces the extent of the Brown legacy, musically, culturally and otherwise articulating decisive links between Brown's work and the DJ culture that embraced it so emphatically that Brown is now considered to be the most widely sampled African-American recording artist in history; indeed, we seem to have reached a point where many of Brown's refrains - the screams, the horn stabs, the "funky drummer" breakbeats - have been sampled so often as to have seemingly become part of the public domain. Traversing the past forty years of popular music, the book explores how the ubiquitous presence of Brown's groove, the affective and transformative capacities of a grunt or a well-timed "Good God" or punctuating scream take over where language fails and compel even the most sedate listener to take to the floor.Table of Contents1. A Musical Future 2. The Early Years 3. The Soul Era 4. The Foundations of Funk 5. The Godfather of Post-Soul

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Book SynopsisPresents a collection of some thirty profiles which have appeared periodically in "Ireland's Own". This book aims to give readers an overview of some of the most interesting and important figures in Irish music. It can be used as a work of reference, for writing or preparing programme notes for a concert, or, simply to be read from cover to cover.

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Book SynopsisThe extraordinary story of Malcolm Williamson is one of rare musical talent combined with outrageous behaviour. An Australian, Williamson was the first non-Briton to hold the post of Master of the Queen's Music. He was appointed in 1975 and looked set to embellish his already illustrious career as a composer. By the time of his death in 2003 he was unproductive and largely forgotten. Authors Anthony Meredith and Paul Harris tell his bizarre story unflinchingly, sifting fact from fiction and offering a strong case for re-evaluating this flawed man and multi-talented musician. An investigation of the myths, rumours and half truths surrounding this controversial and misunderstood figure. The authors reveal the rift between Williamson and the Royal family. He was pointedly not invited to contribute to several high profile occasions including the wedding of Charles and Diana. They discuss if his failed marriage and open bisexuality was deemed beyond the pale at the Palace.Trade Review'Out of tune with his private life, Williamson's work was also out of tune with the orthodoxy of his era, which decreed that only bands and shrieks could be inflicted on the public. Let's hope this marvellous book will provoke a Williamson revival.' Daily Telegraph

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Book SynopsisThis superb new collection of photographs shows a fascinating variety of blues, folk and rock performers as they appeared at events across North America during the second half of the 20th century. The pictures were all taken by Herb Wise, a man who learned his craft from his friend David Gahr, the revered photographer of American folk music performers. Gradually Herb Wise too became a fixture at many of the leading music festivals and, over the years, his easy, unobtrusive style resulted in a wealth of revealing and affectionate photographs. Bob Dylan, Frank Zappa, David Bowie, Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Joan Baez, Taj Mahal, John Lee Hooker, Ray Charles, Steve Winwood, Blondie and many more are all featured, performing or relaxing, onstage and off.Trade Review"In vivid portraits and powerful performance shots, Wise seized moments with some of the best-known artists in the folk, pop, rock, jazz and blues worlds." - Professional Photographer

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Book SynopsisThe biography of French composer, Halevy. The book contains excerpts from his diary, and also correspondence and photographs. Halevy is the composer of La Juive.

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Book SynopsisAll the sonatas, fantasies, rondi, as well as the most important variation sets and assorted pieces are included. Michael Davidson guides us through each composition addressing specific aspects and problems, offering practical advice and interesting alternatives as well as historical background and formal analysis when relevant to interpretation.Table of ContentsIntroduction: The need for this Guide; 1. Using This Guide; 2. Traditions, Myths, Fashions, Some Conclusions; 3. Mozart's First Compositions for Piano; 4. Sonatas in C (K279), in F (K280) and B-flat (K281); 5.Sonatas in E-flat (K282) and G (K283); 6. Sonata in D (K284); 7. Sonatas in C (K309) and D (K311); 8. Sonata in A minor(K310); 9. Mozart in Vienna - Variation sets written before 1785; 10. Sonata in C major (K330); 11. Sonata in A major(K331); 12. Sonata in F major (K332); 13. Sonata in B-flat major (K.333); 14. The Fantasies (K394, K397 and K475); 15. Sonata in C minor (K457); 16. The Rondi (K485, K494 and K511); 17. Sonatas (K533 and K545); 18. 1789: Sonatas in B-flat (K570) and D (K576); 19. Four Assorted Pieces for Piano; Epilogue; Notes; Bibliography; Index

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Book SynopsisThe works of Edgard Varèse (1883-1965) represent the most radical expression of 20th-century Modernism in music. Not only did he create such orchestral showpieces as "Ameriques" and "Arcana" and such mainstays of the instrumental repertoire as "Octandre" and "Density 21:5"; he also pioneered works for percussion ensemble and electronic music, both on tape and using electronic instruments. Yet books about Varèse are few. Either they are biographical studies by non-musicians, or severely analytical treatises beyond the reach of the majority of music lovers who are likely to hear his works in concert. This book takes a different approach. Within a chronological scheme, its core is a series of descriptive analyses; accessible to any literate music-lover, of all Varese's available works. Malcolm MacDonald relates them to the ideas, both aesthetic and scientific, which underlay Varèse's boldly original view of sound and musical structure.He shows how Varèse's conception of a music that "explodes into space", of "intelligent sounds moving in space" arose from 20th-century man's expanding consciousness of his place in the universe, but also from the esoteric philosophies of late 19th-century Paris, inspired by Renaissance alchemists such as Paracelsus. Much of Varèse's output is destroyed, but it is possible to infer much about his lost early works, his vast stage of composition about communication with the star Sirius, and the unachieved choral symphony "Espace", designed to be performed simultaneously in the various capitals of the world. This is also the first book to discuss the previously unpublished Varèse scores released for performance in 1998 by Varèse executor, Chou Wen Chung. An extensive bibliography is included.Trade Review'...exactly the sort of general book which every modern master needs…' - Hugh Wood, Times Literary Supplement; '...an essential acquisition for any library…' - Nigel Simeone, Musical Times; '… an indispensible book on essential music …' - Max Harrison, Musical Opinion; '… eloquent in style and powerful in argument …' - Arnold Whitall, GramophoneTable of ContentsIntroduction, Part One - The Past, 1. The lost memory: the enigma of the early music, 2. 'Further and beyond': aspects of Varèse’s developing aesthetic, 3. 'All'illustro futuro': Wronski to Busoni, Part Two - New Worlds, 4. From the Seine to Brooklyn Bridge, 5. Flowering crystals, 6. A new star and a new heaven, Part Three - Microcosm and Macrocosm, 7. Nova and Ion, 8. Path of the lightning, 9. Lost in space, Part Four - All alone in the night, 10. Deserts of the mind, 11. Inquisition, 12. Beyond the night, Bibliography, Index

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Book SynopsisDeals with the lieder which Schubert set to the poetry of Mayrhofer.

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Book SynopsisA brand new insight into R.E.M.'s early years.

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Book Synopsis"Bob Dylan" provides a short introduction to the music of Bob Dylan including an examination of the impact of his work over time and key critical responses. This book starts by locating Dylan's work within a much broader context of the history of the American popular song and its various antecedents, examining how his music draws on a rich heritage of folk, blues, country, r'n'b as well as ballads, standards, nursery rhymes and pop tunes. Focusing on a selection of songs, it examines how his use of words, voice, instruments, melody and timbre, can be understood within the context of various traditions.Much of the writing about Bob Dylan tends to privilege a few recordings, and a limited range of recurring stylistic themes, placing considerable emphasis on Dylan's early career as a 'protest' singer, and then his surrealistic, stream of consciousness mid-1960s music. Yet, the vast majority of Dylan's musical output has been somewhat less radical (but not necessarily less imaginative) and concerned with questions of romantic desire, lust and loss.Negus shows how these thematic concerns are frequently woven into a narrative style that draws from a range of storytelling traditions as diverse as broadside ballads, modern novels and Hollywood cinema. Negus then considers Bob Dylan's enduring impact on new generations of artists in various musical traditions and different parts of the world as well as the influences upon Dylan's changing style and performing identity, from the turn to electric guitars in the 1960s, to the embracing of Christianity and gospel influences in the late 1970s, and increasing explicit use of folk, ballad, blues and country styles in his later work. In assessing some of the key critical responses to Dylan, and in considering his canonisation within a specific popular music tradition, Negus finally asks how claims for Bob Dylan's genius might be assessed. Why is Dylan's work accorded so much value within the popular music canon, and is this justified?Trade ReviewKeith Negus new book is an indispensable primer on Dylans art. Its original, smart, finely written, and concise (but not slight). Highly recommended. Gerry Smith, The Dylan DailyTable of Contents1. Surroundings2. Chronologies3. Traditions4. Lyrics5. MusicAlbum Discography

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Book SynopsisWhen Cream broke up in 1968 it was by no means a foregone conclusion that it would be Eric Clapton who would enjoy continued commercial success. After all, it was Jack Bruce who had the looks, and who co-wrote and sang all the band's major hits, including "Sunshine of Your Love", "I Feel Free" and "White Room". But he was a singular talent who wanted to be a pioneer, not just a pop star, and he was never happy resting on his reputation. Cream split in their prime but their influence endured, and when they reformed in 2005 tickets were selling for nearly GBP 2000 on e-bay. In the 40 years since Cream split Bruce has continued his musical adventures with the likes of John McLaughlin, Billy Cobham, Carla Bley and Mick Taylor, never quite achieving the success and recognition he deserves. It has been an often troubled life - heroin addiction, management rip-offs, family tragedy, and a failed liver transplant, all of which he speaks about frankly in this book, telling a story that is sometimes funny, sometimes bleak, and always honest.

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Book SynopsisBrian Wilson is a genius. Ever since British press agent Derek Taylor launched a publicity campaign with that theme to promote the landmark LP Pet Sounds in 1966, some variation of that claim has been obligatory when discussing the significance of the Beach Boys' founder and chief composer. Originally designed to liberate Wilson from his outmoded image as a purveyor of sun-and-surf teen pop so the symphonic sophistication of his music might be properly appreciated, the assertion has been repeated so often in the forty-plus years since as to render it virtually meaningless. Indeed, if anything, the label today seems an albatross around the man's neck, inasmuch as Wilson's slow-but-steady reemergence as a working musician since the mid-nineties after three decades of mental illness and drug abuse, has been freighted with expectations that he again produce something as epochal as "Good Vibrations" to justify the adoration he inspires in impassioned defenders. Brian Wilson interrogates this and other paradigms that stymie critical appreciation of Wilson's work both with the Beach Boys and as a solo artist.This is the first study of Wilson to eschew chronology for a topical organization that allows discussion of lyrical themes and musical motifs outside of any prejudicial presumptions about their place in the trajectory of his career. The chapter on lyrics explores questions of quality, asking why the words to Wilson's songs are often considered a detriment, before surveying such tendencies as melancholy and introspection, the conceit of childlike wisdom, his depiction of women, and Americana/nostalgia. The section on music focuses on his falsetto, the famous harmonies, the peculiar whiteness of the Beach Boys' sound, as well as song structure. A final chapter on iconicity asks how rock criticism's investment in auteurship both maintains and limits his reputation. Finally, Curnutt examines what Brian Wilson means to his most fervent fans. Together, these issues emphasize the often overlooked point that, despite his status as a "living legend," Brian Wilson does not always fit neatly into the paradigms of taste and value by which critics grant certain artists entry into the pantheon of pop and rock importance.Table of ContentsPreface Introduction: Beyond Biography, Beyond Superlatives Chapter One: 'I Hear the Sound of a Gentle Word': Lyrical Themes and Gestures Chapter Two: 'A Companion for Your Lonely Soul': Musical and Sonic Motifs Chapter Three: 'I'm the Pied Piper': The Peculiar Appeal of Brian Wilson Discography

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Book SynopsisFor ten years between 1965 and 1975, James Brown was the most popular and cutting-edge of any black artist. As one journalist put it, "before Brown, there was music with a beat. After Brown music had found a groove." The drawing out of this "groove," leveraged on "the one," - or the first and third beats of a 4/4 bar, - would provide the key to much of Brown's subsequent musical success and instil within popular music an unprecedented drive that would characterize not only the funk style, but also provide the rhythmic blueprint for dance music up to the present day. This book explores how funk emerged in the mid-1960s at the very apex of the civil rights movement and shows how this music mirrored the broader changes taking place within the African-American community at a crucial political time and continues to this day to underpin remix culture. It traces the extent of the Brown legacy, musically, culturally and otherwise articulating decisive links between Brown's work and the DJ culture that embraced it so emphatically that Brown is now considered to be the most widely sampled African-American recording artist in history; indeed, we seem to have reached a point where many of Brown's refrains - the screams, the horn stabs, the "funky drummer" breakbeats - have been sampled so often as to have seemingly become part of the public domain. Traversing the past forty years of popular music, the book explores how the ubiquitous presence of Brown's groove, the affective and transformative capacities of a grunt or a well-timed "Good God" or punctuating scream take over where language fails and compel even the most sedate listener to take to the floor.Table of Contents1. A Musical Future 2. The Early Years 3. The Soul Era 4. The Foundations of Funk 5. The Godfather of Post-Soul

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Book SynopsisFrom 1958 to 1963, Neil Sedaka sold 25 million records - more than anyone except Elvis Presley. He thought he could do no wrong, but a year later he was all but off the charts, swept away by The Beatles and the British Invasion - a blow he never saw coming. The deejays stopped playing his records, and the public stopped buying them. For 12 agonizing years, Sedaka battled to get back on the charts-back to respectability. He tried everything: working with hip, young songwriters, playing on demo sessions, and even enduring the rough and tumble of working men's clubs in remote corners in the UK. Then, one magical night, he performed at the Royal Albert Hall in London. His new songs, including 'Solitaire,' were greeted with thunderous applause. Shortly thereafter, Elton John, the biggest rock'n'roll star of the decade, stopped by to see him and offered to sign Neil to his new label, Rocket Records. And that was it. In October 1974, 'Laughter In The Rain' showed up at number 95 on Billboard-Sedaka's first appearance on the charts in over a decade. Sixteen weeks later it reached number one, sealing one of the most amazing comebacks in music history. This vivid and authoritative book, written with full access to Sedaka and those closest to him, tells the absorbing story of how he overcame one obstacle after another to become the ultimate rock'n'roll survivor.

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Book SynopsisFor the last 50 years, Clive James has been writing remarkable songs – witty, moving, sometimes satirical, often thrillingly poetic – with his musical partner, Pete Atkin. They’ve written more than 200 together, releasing the first album of their work in 1970 and the last in 2015. John Peel loved them. So did Kenny Everett. Stephen Fry is a huge fan. And Clive himself believes these songs are the best things he’s ever done. Loose Canon explores the sparkling lyrics and brilliantly memorable tunes that have won Clive and Pete a fanatical cult following but still managed to remain the British music industry's best-kept secret. Stephen Fry has written an incredibly generous and enthusiastic foreword.

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Book SynopsisIt was never easy for Professor Green. Born into a tough Hackney estate and raised by his grandmother, the rapper was always learning the hard way - whether at school, on the streets of east London or on stage during impromptu freestyle battles. Indeed, life and music have always been intertwined for the young rapper, but it wasn't until he was 24 that the two were brought into focus by the suicide of his father - and his emotions, ever since, have been reflected in the raw and often passionate lines of his lyrics. In this wonderful autobiography, Professor Green - a.k.a. Stephen Manderson - reflects on his life so far and how his upbringing and encounters - both good and bad - shaped the person and musician he is today. Passionate, raw and totally open, Lucky is the story of a boy's journey, from life close to the streets, all the while working towards becoming a successful musician, achieving that dream and eventually gaining that success, only to realise it wouldn't quite solve all of his problems...Lucky is accompanied by the exclusive Mix Tape app, which takes you closer to Professor Green and his story.With exclusive digital content for readers to enjoy, this is a rare insight into one of the most exciting and controversial musicians working in music today.

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Book SynopsisAs humanly possible, this book attempts to evaluate every track that Paul McCartney has released on a major label. Thus, the premise of this book: to sift the gems from the chaff and examine what's driven McCartney up and down for fifty years. There are plenty of tracks suitable for casual fans, adolescents, even pre-schoolers. But there are tracks for an older audience too, tracks so good they can supply grown-ups with a rewarding soundtrack for a lifetime. It's these that make for a playlist worth keeping. From 1970 and beyond, the songwriting McCartney seemed to be saddled with a rickety who-cares system that generated iffy results. Gone were ‘Eleanor Rigby’ and ‘Penny Lane’. Instead, came the thought-free ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’ and ‘Bip Bop’, songs The Beatles wouldn't have considered for a second. Troubles swarmed around him as he searched for his place. The Beatles had theirs - where was his? Was he overly obsessed with perfection? Maybe. Or was it insecurity? His next record couldn't be a forward-thinking experiment, with sales falling wherever they may. It had to - had to - be a chart topper adored all over the world.

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Book SynopsisIn 1994, Korn’s self-titled debut album marked their arrival. It was dark and brash and it demanded attention, as did their second album in 1996, Life Is Peachy. Good going for a new band, but in 1998, Follow The Leader saw Korn’s success and notoriety accelerate exponentially. With constant demand for the singles, ‘Got The Life’ and ‘Freak On A Leash’ on MTV, Korn exceeded their own expectations. For both the band and their fans, this was the start of something exciting, albeit turbulent. In this book, author Laura Shenton MA LLCM DipRSL offers an in-depth perspective on Follow The Leader from a range of angles including how the album came to be, how it was presented and received at the time (live as well as on record), and what it means in terms of Korn’s legacy today.

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Book SynopsisSpanning more than half a century Pink Floyd has rightly earned its place as one of the greatest rock bands of all time. From the early, experimental and often whimsical days with band leader Syd Barrett to the more expansive style with Dave Gilmour onboard, leading to the masterpiece Dark Side Of The Moon that elevated Floyd into the stratosphere. But success came at a price as personal relationships suffered, culminating in break-ups as eventually Roger Waters departed. But stadiums and huge arenas continued to welcome Floyd through the eighties and nineties with a brief reunion with Waters for 2005's Live 8 event. Captured Through Time is a photographic celebration of this truly iconic band that takes you on a journey from the psychedelic, avant-garde sixties to the present day including off stage shots of all band members during the 2000s including Syd Barrett! Many of the photos have never been published before, including a sequence of shots from the Animals tour in 1977 that were developed from the original negatives and digitally restored for this publication — over 100 glorious images of Floyd both on and off stage through the decades are included

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Book SynopsisIn 1970, In Rock marked the studio arrival of Deep Purple MKII. When it came to making a follow-up, times were turbulent and divisive, so much so that there were doubts as to whether Deep Purple would even last! Sandwiched between In Rock and Machine Head, it is hardly surprising that Deep Purple's 1971 album, Fireball, is so often overlooked in comparison. It wasn't an easy time for the band; with demand for more concerts following the success of In Rock, the making of Fireball took over a year and yet, it is an essential album - both in terms of how it documents Deep Purple's progression as a band and in terms of what it offers overall musically. In this book, author Laura Shenton MA LLCM DipRSL offers an in-depth perspective on Fireball from a range of angles including how it came to be, how it was presented and received at the time (live as well as on record), and what it means in terms of Deep Purple's legacy today.

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Book SynopsisAn absurdist buddy story from anonymous collective The Residents.

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Book SynopsisGo behind the scenes with the musician The New York Times called "a guitar God!"Oft-hailed as the Jimi Hendrix of his generation, living guitar legend Joe Satriani has long transcended stylistic boundaries with a sound that raises the bar like a new horizon for the broader genre of instrumental guitar rock. Joe's 6-string secrets have astounded listeners around the world for nearly 30 years.In Strange Beautiful Music: A Musical Memoir, Satriani and coauthor, music biographer Jake Brown, take fans on their first authorized tour of the story behind his climb to stardom and the creative odyssey involved in writing and recording a storied catalog of classics including "Surfing with the Alien," "Summer Song," "Satch Boogie," "Always With Me, Always With You," "The Extremist," "Flying in a Blue Dream," "Crowd Chant," and more.Featuring previously unpublished photos and hours of exclusive, firsthand interviews with Satriani, Strange Beautiful Music offers a unique look inside the studio with Joe, giving fans a chance to get up close and personal like never before. With insider details about his collaboration with multi-platinum supergroup Chickenfoot, exclusive interviews with Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony of Van Halen and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, commentary from fellow guitar legends such as Steve Vai, Metallica's Kirk Hammett, Primus's Larry LaLonde, and legendary music producers including Glynn Johns and the late Andy Johns, this memoir offers a rare inside look for die-hard Satriani fans, guitar enthusiasts, and anyone who loves to rock.Trade Review"Joe has refined his own style of playing to a point where he's forever up there in the stratosphere of excellence that is reached by very few musicians."—Brian May"Every time Joe puts his fingers on a guitar, what comes out sounds like inspired music, even if its just a finger exercise. He created and branded a niche with his own voice and in so doing he wielded an entire genre."—Steve Vai"After all the times I had been on stages with Joe, been on the side of stages watching and listening to Joe, and all the times I have been in the audience cheering for Joe, I continue to have no idea how Joe does what he does."—Robert Fripp"Joe Satriani's my favorite guitar player."—Sammy HagarTable of ContentsForeword Chapter 1: The Hendrix Experience Chapter 2: High School Confidential Chapter 3: Learning Curves Chapter 4: Satch Goes West Chapter 5: Twists of Fate—The Joe Satriani EP, 1983–1984 Chapter 6: Not of This Earth—1985–1986 Chapter 7: Relativity Chapter 8: Surfing with the Alien—1987 Chapter 9: Launching the Silver Surfer Chapter 10: Flying in a Blue Dream—1989 Chapter 11: The Bearsville Experiment Chapter 12: The Extremist—1992 Chapter 13: Eponymous—1995 Chapter 14: G3/Crystal Planet—1997 Chapter 15: Engines of Creation—2000 Chapter 16: Strange Beautiful Music—2002 Chapter 17: Is There Love in Space?—2004 Chapter 18: Super Colossal—2006 Chapter 19: Professor Satchafunkilus and the Musterion of Rock—2008 Chapter 20: Chickenfoot I—2009 Chapter 21: Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards—2010 Chapter 22: Chickenfoot III—2011/2012 Chapter 23: Unstoppable Momentum—2013 Chapter 24: Shockwave Supernova—2016 Conclusion: 2017 and Beyond The Gear: Album by Album Acknowledgments Index

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Book SynopsisThis is a gripping read that works on several levels. It''s the sliding-door story of someone who might have become a world-famous pop star had he not suffered from a severe phobic disorder.It''s the story of an assortment of young musicians trying to find their feet as bands in the late 70s and early 80s with the associated euphoria and craziness of that life.It''s Mike''s story of struggling with agoraphobia and eventually finding a way through. Told in Mike''s own words this is also a loving evocation of a 50s and 60s New Zealand childhood, and a beautifully written memoir that will resonate with anyone who loves a well-told story.

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