Composers and songwriters Books

Book SynopsisBritten''s Children confronts the edgy subject of the composer''s obsessional yet strangely innocent relationships with adolescent boys. One of the hallmarks of Benjamin Britten''s music is his use of boys'' voices, and John Bridcut uses this to create a fresh prism through which to view the composer''s life. Interweaving discussion of the music he wrote for and about children with interviews with the boys whom Britten befriended, Bridcut explores the influence of these unique friendships - notably with the late David Hemmings - and how they helped Britten maintain links with his own happy childhood. In a remarkable part of the book Bridcut tells for the first time the full story of Britten''s love affair in the 1930s with the 18-year-old German Wulff Scherchen, son of the conductor Hermann Scherchen. As Paul Hoggart of The Times commented, ''this type of love belonged to an emotional landscape that has vanished for ever, and we are the poorer for it''. Since m

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhether recalling Philip Glass experiences working at Bethlehem Steel, traveling in India, driving a cab in 1970s New York, or his professional collaborations with the likes of Allen Ginsberg, Ravi Shankar, Robert Wilson, Doris Lessing, and Martin Scorsese, this book affirms the power of music to change the world.

Read more less

Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE ROYAL PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY AWARD FOR STORYTELLINGClaude Debussy was that rare creature, a composer who reinvented the language of music without alienating the majority of music lovers. He is the modernist everyone loves. How did he manage this? Was it through the association of his music with visual images, or was it simply that, by throwing out the rule book of the Paris Conservatoire where he studied, his music put beauty of sound above the spiritual ambitions of the German tradition from which those rules derived. Stephen Walsh's thought-provoking biography, told partly through the events of Debussy's life, and partly through a critical discussion of his music, addresses these and other questions about one of the most influential composers of the early twentieth century.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisOne of the most important British bands, the Arctic Monkeys follow up their first two phenomenally successful albums with "Humbug". Influenced by Cream and Jimi Hendrix, "Humbug" features some of frontman Alex Turner's most innovative and profound lyrics yet, whilst also maintaining the Arctic's core sound.Table of ContentsMy Propeller; Crying Lightning; Dangerous Animals; Secret Door; Potion Approaching; Fire And The Thud; Cornerstone; Dance Little Liar; Pretty Visitors; The Jeweller's Hands; I Haven't Got My Strange; Red Right Hand

Read more less

Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE 2025 ABIA BIOGRAPHY BOOK OF THE YEARAt last, the unflinching and unforgettable memoir of music and life from the much-loved Australian legend.Growing up in London and Melbourne, music was always part of John Farnham''s world. But the young John never dreamed of what was to come. Pop stardom in the 1960s. The release of Whispering Jack, the critically acclaimed and highest-selling Australian album of all time. A decades-long touring career. Twenty-one ARIA awards. Australian of the Year. The list of accolades and achievements is long - so, at first glance, the John Farnham story is one filled with remarkable highs.It is, however, so much more than that. It is the story of the resilience John found as his stellar career stalled, record companies turned their backs, and he faced financial ruin. John has never shown how hard he fell and how difficult it was to stay true to himself in an industry that can be ruthless. It is the story of family, friendship and finding your voice.Throughout a lifetime filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, John has remained steadfast, never losing his unique musical talent, creative strength nor his powerful ability to make human connections through his music. After his devastating cancer diagnosis and far too many goodbyes, John is now telling his story, his way.The Voice Inside is like sitting down with an old friend sharing stories that are both deeply personal and wildly entertaining. Written alongside award-winning filmmaker Poppy Stockell, this is a captivating and powerfully honest insight into the man whose music is the soundtrack to so many of our lives.''Honesty, intimacy, vulnerability - these are the traits we tend to crave from this genre. And Farnham, ably assisted by Stockell as both interlocutor and co-writer, succeeds . . . A compelling and complete memoir'' THE AUSTRALIAN''At its heart, John Farnham''s story is one of resilience . . . Moving and at times shocking'' WOMAN''S DAY''Completely compelling. It''s the look inside his life we always dreamt of but never thought we''d get . . . It''s been worth the wait'' ABC NEWS''[A] fascinating and rather brave account that gives us the first real window into the singer''s mind'' THE GUARDIAN

Read more less

Book SynopsisExplodes the myths surrounding the death of Brian Jones, founder of the Rolling StonesTrade ReviewThis well-researched biography . . . thoroughly explores the murder and manslaughter angles * PAPERBACK OF THE WEEK, OBSERVER *if Mick Jagger is the beating heart of the Rolling Stones, Brian Jones was the brain . . . Jackson's examination of his life shows that, without him, Jagger and his snake hips may never have happened * SHORTLIST *Where Jackson excels is in bringing Jones's early years to life, tracking his path from scholarly pupil to rebellious teenager to gifted, influential musician, through letters and interviews with his teachers, friends, girlfriends, sons and fellow musicians * CLASSIC ROCK *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn intimate collection of fond memories, personal letters, good songs, and bad jokes from a true American legend.This is your old friend, Willie, sending a note to see how you''re doing and to say I''m doing fine.In this series of short letters straight from the heart, Willie sends his thanks and his thoughts to everyone from his family, his fellow musicians, his heroes, and his guitar Trigger.These letters, written in the straight-shooting, heart-rending, and profound style of his songs are a lyrical homage to all Americans—past, present, and future. From his opening letter Dear America to his epilogue, Willie digs deep into his heart and soul—and his music—to lift us up in difficult times, and to remind us of the endless promise and continuous obligations to ourselves, to one another, and to our nation.These pages are also filled with the moving lyrics to some of his most famous and insightful songs, including Let Me BTrade Review'In Willie Nelson's recent memoir Willie Nelson's' Letters to America, the country music icon bares his most personal epistles to the country he loves, his heroes and influences, stories behind the songs and the creative (and life) lessons he's learned along the way.' * American Songwriter Magazine *'Partly autobiographical, often funny, and entirely insightful from a cannabis-loving man who's fully experienced every one of his 88 years, Willie Nelson's Letters to America is a beautiful read for all.' * New York Journal of Books *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA biography of the musician and composer Arthur Russell, one of the most important but least known contributors to the downtown New York music scene during the 1970s and 1980s. It traces Russell's odyssey from his hometown of Oskaloosa, Iowa, to countercultural San Francisco, and eventually to New York, where he lived from 1973 until his death.Trade Review“[A] sensitive and thorough biography. . . . In a sense, Arthur Russell was so much a part of his times that he tended to disappear into them, blending in with so many different scenes that the camouflage seemed at times to have taken over. Lawrence notes, for example, how many previous accounts of the New York downtown scene fail to notice him at all. With Hold On to Your Dreams, the outline of an outstanding and prescient artist can now be more clearly made out.” - Ken Hollings, The Wire“[W]hat makes this book valuable is that Russell’s shadowy ubiquity turns an ostensible biography into a first draft of that elusive comprehensive history of the downtown performing arts. Hold On to Your Dreams has to go everywhere, because that’s where Russell went. . . . [E]ven if you didn’t know about Russell and are not yet persuaded to pursue him further, this is still a book worth reading. . . . Psychologically, Russell emerges as indeed fascinating, more fascinating than his music, as a maverick without, Lawrence notes, the feisty self-righteousness such figures often embody. . . . Russell has inspired a book that helps us understand a thrilling twenty-five years of American cultural history.” - John Rockwell, Bookforum“[An exhaustive, often spellbinding account of the life of one of music’s true maverick enigmas. . . . While the book provides many fresh insights into the 80s downtown hotbed, Russell emerges as a strange, fragile figure, in a monumental work. Hold On To Your Dreams is a captivating record of a true original’s all-too-brief life.” - Kris Needs, Record Collector“The passionate, revelatory anecdotes collected here follow Russell through those liminal downtown nightclubs, loft spaces, and recording studios that made his life and music possible.” - Carol Cooper, Village Voice“[A]n exemplary demonstration of exactly what a biography should do. In his rigorously researched investigation of musician and composer Arthur Russell, cultural theory lecturer Tim Lawrence effortlessly explores his subject and in so doing shines fresh light on the darkened recesses of both New York's downtown music scene and the popular cultural landscape of Russell's times. And despite Russell's relative obscurity, the book leaves you in no doubt as to how influential this maverick music figure has been.” - Martin James, Times Higher Education Supplement“Hold On to Your Dreams tells the story of an artist whose life becomes more intriguing with every turn. Inspiring and written with love, this book takes us to the roots of Arthur Russell’s music, from the streets of New York to the cornfields of Iowa.”—Jens Lekman, musician“Tim Lawrence has written a fascinating and insightful biography of a sensitive and searching soul. Arthur Russell was a personal artist whose musical vision led him to coexist in seemingly incompatible worlds. Through the lens of Arthur Russell’s life (never clouded with material success or celebrity), Tim Lawrence gives us a sharp and singular portrait of late-twentieth-century American life. A fine read, with a depth and detail that resonate with Arthur Russell’s sparkle and wit.”—Peter Gordon, Love of Life Orchestra“With rich and animated detail, Tim Lawrence tracks Arthur Russell’s insatiable drive to integrate so-called serious music and pop. This definitive biography is both an engrossing record of Russell’s musical ambitions and a compelling account of the fertile downtown scene that supported his admirable dreams.”—Matt Wolf, director of Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell“[A] sensitive and thorough biography. . . . In a sense, Arthur Russell was so much a part of his times that he tended to disappear into them, blending in with so many different scenes that the camouflage seemed at times to have taken over. Lawrence notes, for example, how many previous accounts of the New York downtown scene fail to notice him at all. With Hold On to Your Dreams, the outline of an outstanding and prescient artist can now be more clearly made out.” -- Ken Hollings * The Wire *“[A]n exemplary demonstration of exactly what a biography should do. In his rigorously researched investigation of musician and composer Arthur Russell, cultural theory lecturer Tim Lawrence effortlessly explores his subject and in so doing shines fresh light on the darkened recesses of both New York's downtown music scene and the popular cultural landscape of Russell's times. And despite Russell's relative obscurity, the book leaves you in no doubt as to how influential this maverick music figure has been.” -- Martin James * Times Higher Education *“[An exhaustive, often spellbinding account of the life of one of music’s true maverick enigmas. . . . While the book provides many fresh insights into the 80s downtown hotbed, Russell emerges as a strange, fragile figure, in a monumental work. Hold On To Your Dreams is a captivating record of a true original’s all-too-brief life.” -- Kris Needs * Record Collector *“[W]hat makes this book valuable is that Russell’s shadowy ubiquity turns an ostensible biography into a first draft of that elusive comprehensive history of the downtown performing arts. Hold On to Your Dreams has to go everywhere, because that’s where Russell went. . . . [E]ven if you didn’t know about Russell and are not yet persuaded to pursue him further, this is still a book worth reading. . . . Psychologically, Russell emerges as indeed fascinating, more fascinating than his music, as a maverick without, Lawrence notes, the feisty self-righteousness such figures often embody. . . . Russell has inspired a book that helps us understand a thrilling twenty-five years of American cultural history.” -- John Rockwell * Bookforum *“The passionate, revelatory anecdotes collected here follow Russell through those liminal downtown nightclubs, loft spaces, and recording studios that made his life and music possible.” -- Carol Cooper * Village Voice *Table of ContentsIllustrations xi Preface xv Acknowledgments xxiii Introduction 1 1. Formations (1951–1973) 11 2. Explorations (1973–1975) 47 3. Alternatives (1975–1977) 83 4. Intensities (1977–1980) 125 5. Variations (1980–1984) 179 6. Reverberations (1984–1987) 247 7. Tangents (1987–1992) 293 Epilogue 341 Notes 359 Discography 377 Bibliography 387 Index 393

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn 2008, Tosh Berman—author and publisher of TamTam Books—got on a plane with a single motive: Sparks Spectacular. It had been announced that the band Sparks would perform all twenty-one of their albums in a succession of twenty-one nights in London...a monumental experience for any Sparks fanatic, which Tosh certainly is. Part travel journal, part personal memoir, Berman takes us through the streets of London and Paris, observing both cities'' history and culture through the eye of an obsessive Sparks fan. Including album-by-album reviews of all twenty-one shows and beyond, Sparks-Tastic defines a place and time in music history that''s too defining to be ignored.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAfter Nirvana, everything changed. Kurt Cobain and his band ushered in a new era in music, bringing the authenticity of US underground punk to mainstream rock audiences. Award-winning biographer and music critic Marc Burrows dives into the world of Nirvana, providing an exhaustive day-by-day account of the lifespan of the band, from their early days touring the dive bars of the Pacific North-West through the release of 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'' and Nevermind, the dark masterpiece of In Utero and Kurt Cobain's tragic death in 1994. The timeline is augmented by hyper-detailed footnotes, diving deep into the songs and albums, the impact and the fascinating unexplored corners of one of the most exciting and impactful bands that have ever been.

Read more less

Book Synopsis''The thought behind this book is not just me wanting to tell my story in the standard autobiographical fashion but to create a kind of self-help book that includes my story. There are many things people don''t know about me and maybe when they read about those things they will have an understanding of the journey I have been on, why I''ve made the mistakes I have and hopefully help other people overcome their adversities.''Life has presented its fair share of setbacks for James Arthur, from his disrupted childhood - during which he felt like a stray and a misfit, entering the care system in his teens - to a very public fall from favour just at the point when all his dreams should have been coming true. With an extraordinary comeback in 2016, starting with No. 1 single ''Say You Won''t Let Go'' and his Platinum album Back From The Edge, Back To The Boy shows the British singer and songwriter reflecting not only on his past but also on his retu

Read more less

Book SynopsisNow with an afterword covering his final years, John Prine traces the crooked road traveled by the brilliant songwriter responsible for “Angel from Montgomery,” “Sam Stone,” “Paradise,” and “That’s the Way That the World Goes ’Round”.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisMaria Sonevytsky is Associate Professor of Anthropology and Music at Bard College, USA. She is the author of Wild Music: Sound and Sovereignty in Ukraine (2019), winner of the 2020 Lewis Lockwood Award from the American Musicological Society, and is currently writing a book about Soviet Ukrainian children's music.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Note on Translation and Transliteration Timeline: 1985-1989 1. Intro: There Will Be Dances 2. Tusovka: Ad Hoc Infrastructures and the Kyiv Rock Scene 3. Total Stiob: Irony vs. Hypocrisy 4. Sex, Drugs, and Komsomol 5. Conclusion: Tantsi Forever Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisOne hundred years after the singer’s birth, Peggy Lee: A Century of Song brings to life the eventful career of an iconic performer whose contributions to the Great American Songbook, jazz, popular music, and film music remained unparalleled.Lee stood out among her peers as an exquisite singer possessing a cool vocal style, a songwriter frequently collaborating with leading composers of American jazz and film music, and a globally-loved entertainer with star quality. Tish Oney sheds new light upon this Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner’s impressive musical talents while guiding the reader through the best of Lee’s fifty-plus albums, radio and TV performances, creative contributions to the film industry, and over half a century of finely-polished live performances.Oney focuses on the evolution of Peggy Lee’s recorded music, vocal development, artistic achievements, and contributions to American music while interviews with Lee’s family, friends, and music colleagues reveal new insights and memories of this musical icon. Peggy Lee enables readers to discover a brilliant artist’s inimitable legacy in the history of American popular music.Table of ContentsIntroductionThe International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel resounded with cascades of applause and loving affirmation of a timeless music legend on May 11, 1994. Peggy Lee was honored that evening with a gala tribute event in Beverly Hills by the Society of Singers, and as a fitting gesture of appreciation for their financial support as well as for the public honor, Lee performed a touching, heartfelt rendition of her original song, “Here’s To You,” melodiously wishing those in attendance “good luck” in several languages before closing with her favorite blessing, “angels on your pillows…” The masterful timing, declamatory phrasing and gentle, musical delivery that were Peggy’s alone shone through one of the last performances this remarkable artist would share with her adoring public…The highly diverse, six-decade catalog of music created by vocalist/songwriter Peggy Lee—a globally beloved singer, composer, lyricist, voiceover artist, actress and entertainer—represents one of the greatest singular contributions by anyone to the oeuvre of American music. Lee’s remarkable work in big band swing, popular music, jazz, blues, the “cool” school, film music, radio, television, and crossover styles forever changed the landscape of American music as well as the role and society’s expectations of the female vocalist. Hailing from rural North Dakota nee Norma Delores Egstrom, she was first nicknamed “Peggy Lee” by a radio DJ. Deciding to keep the new stage name, Peggy moved to Los Angeles and continued to sing, being fortuitously heard and hired by Benny Goodman shortly after his band’s vocalist, Helen Forrest, resigned. Peggy would soon prove that she could not only successfully replace Forrest, but also carve her own path as a force to be reckoned with in 1940s American popular music.Chapter 1The Goodman BandAt the beginning of her career, the newly monikered Peggy Lee may have seemed to be just one of many attractive “chick” singers fronting important big bands of the 1930s. During the Goodman years, she was relegated to sing songs in other singers’ keys, causing her high-pitched, youthful tone to match that of many other leading big band vocalists. When finally given opportunities to show off her lower, sultry, softer, bluesy approach via arrangements in lower keys, Lee began to come into her own signature style. Early hits propelling Lee to the top of the pop music charts began with “Somebody Else Is Taking My Place” from 1941 (peaking at #1) and “Why Don’t You Do Right?” which rose to #4 in 1942. “We’ll Meet Again,” which topped at #16 that same year, became a song long associated with Lee. Meeting her first husband, Dave Barbour, through association with Goodman’s band proved to be doubly advantageous for Peggy—Barbour also became her first collaborative composer with whom she wrote several hit songs. Chapter 2A Capitol IdeaFollowing her split with the Benny Goodman Orchestra, Lee pursued a wildly successful career as a solo artist with Capitol Records. Recording sessions and hits were plentiful for Lee throughout the 1940s and 50s, and she proved to be a public favorite with her cool, seductive delivery, musical phrasing and magnetic sex appeal. The Barbour/Lee songwriting team churned out dozens of great songs over the next few years while Lee also continued to record songs by other composers. At Capitol, record executives began to encourage Lee to focus on recording songs they provided her, rather than on writing her own material. Fortunately, she managed to find time to be successful at both ventures.Chapter 3The Peggy Lee ShowRadio shows were all the rage in the mid-1940s through the 1950s, and were hosted by famous entertainers including Bing Crosby, Jimmy Durante, Woody Herman and eventually, Peggy Lee. Highlights from Lee’s show were often created when she brilliantly performed songs normally associated with other artists (“Somewhere Along The Way,” a Nat Cole hit, and “A Kiss To Build A Dream On,” associated with Louis Armstrong). Performances from hosted radio programs represented a crucial connection between leading pop musicians and their adoring American fans during this period. These shows finally gave way to widely popular television variety shows filmed before a live studio audience (hosted by Dean Martin, Judy Garland, Ed Sullivan and many others). Among a slew of interesting skits and other acts, these variety shows broadcast hundreds of impromptu performances showcasing the top entertainers of the day. Lee made history when she sang the Academy Award-nominated song, “Zing a Little Zong,” from Just For You at the first-ever televised broadcast of the Oscars.Chapter 4The Decca YearsIn 1953 Lee turned to the Decca label to record what jazz history scholars have ranked as one of the top ten vocal jazz albums of all time: Black Coffee. This important Decca recording reveals Lee to be no less than a serious jazz artist, capable of text-based improvisation bathed heavily in the blues. Her characteristic skills in backphrasing, understatement, unprecedented use of soft dynamics and astounding vocal control are readily apparent on this recording. Although Lee was criticized for sounding a bit like Billie Holiday here, her original approach to this material makes itself apparent to the discriminating listener. This decade also birthed a Capitol hit single most associated with Lee (“Fever,” in 1958) as well as a highly controversial rendering of the formerly innocuous Rodgers and Hart composition, “Lover,” which caused a public outcry in 1952 due to its vividly sensual, emotionally intense interpretation. Chapter 5A Flair for FilmLee contributed music to fourteen films throughout her storied career. Two of the most notable include Disney’s Lady and the Tramp, for which she served as both lyricist for all the songs in the film and voiceover artist for all female characters, and Pete Kelly’s Blues, in which she attained a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her acting role as an alcoholic nightclub singer. Both films feature Lee’s singing as well as her original songs. Several other films include songs co-written by Lee, showcasing her innate ability to adapt lyrics to a variety of storylines and film scores. For these and other projects, Lee collaborated with A-list composers Sonny Burke, Duke Ellington, Johnny Mandel and Henry Mancini. Film dramas including Johnny Guitar, The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! and Anatomy Of A Murder boast Peggy Lee’s songs in their soundtracks. Chapter 61960s Jazz and BluesThe 1960s found Lee as prolific and focused as ever, and eager to collaborate with some of the most talented young musicians in the business. Mink Jazz, another exquisite straight-ahead jazz album showcasing Lee’s jazz sensibilities, was a successful venture with trumpeter Jack Sheldon, reinforcing Lee’s rightful place in the circle of top jazz vocalists. Blues Cross-Country was a songwriting collaboration with a young Quincy Jones, proving Lee’s fearless willingness to foray into the blues--a genre for which her voice was uniquely suited. In 1965 Lee recorded Cy Coleman’s bluesy classic, “Big Spender,” from his new musical, Sweet Charity. Lee obtained special permission to record the song before the original cast recording was made, releasing her version upon the premiere of the Broadway production in January 1966 to become an instant hit.Chapter 7Live at Basin Street EastThis historically important recording of a live New York performance in 1961 offers a rare glimpse into the extraordinary “live” Peggy Lee concert experience during the height of her career and worldwide fame. This recording best exemplifies Lee’s artistry as the masterful performing artist that she was, capable of casting a musical spell and holding an audience in the palm of her hand for an entire evening. The full show includes various hits, originals and three multi-song medleys. Lee’s former bandmates claim that Lee loved to program medleys into her show songlists as a preferred way to present related material to a live audience while adding to the flow and unpredictability of the music. One such related group on this recording is a Ray Charles tribute medley connecting four of Ray’s signature songs together.Chapter 8Leiber and StollerThe songwriting team that is often identified with Lee’s 1960s work is the duo that penned two of her signature songs in that decade—Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. While the later ubiquitously known “I’m a Woman” never charted when it was released in 1963, “Is That All There Is?” earned Lee and the songwriting duo their only Grammy awards (1969). Mirrors, a problematic album collaboration in 1975, was irreparably plagued by poor recording quality, and never managed more than a lukewarm album remodeling project in recent years. Still, the Leiber and Stoller period in Lee’s total output represents a particular sound and genre exemplifying the aging persona of Peggy Lee.Chapter 9The Late AlbumsLee managed to snag not one, but two Grammy nominations for albums she recorded in her late 60s—Peggy Lee Sings the Blues (1988) and The Peggy Lee Songbook: There’ll Be Another Spring (1989). These records (released on the MusicMasters label) featured a young, very talented combo of jazz instrumentalists who would go on to become jazz masters themselves (Mike Renzi and Emilio Palame, piano, John Chiodini, guitar and Mark Sherman, drums). While these albums revealed a very different vocal quality than heard in Lee’s early work, her timing, phrasing and storytelling capabilities were still intact.Chapter 10That’s Not All There IsThe long, successful musical career and extensive song catalog of Peggy Lee, totaling several hundred recorded covers and 270 originals, boasts the productivity of a truly universal woman capable of singing and recording at a level that shattered most of her competition. Not only this, but Lee’s ability to write artistically viable lyrics and music at a highly prolific clip despite incessant discouragement from record label executives continued throughout her career. Moreover, her ventures into performing a wide variety of genres with relative authenticity and courageous, inspiring voraciousness illuminates a comparatively boundless creative spirit. Several albums of Lee’s previously unreleased work have been made public since her death in 2002 including “lost” Capitol masters and several original songs. Lee’s ongoing commitment to musical excellence, artistic integrity and the protection of intellectual property for songwriters serve as timely reminders for today’s artists about the importance of contributing something positive and enduring to the body of art in our current musical culture.

Read more less

Book SynopsisInternational best-selling rock band Garbage presents its own autobiography, a gorgeous, full-color coffee-table book with text and images galore.

Read more less

Book SynopsisQueen and Philosophy: Guaranteed to Blow Your Mind is a collection of cutting-edge philosophical essays on the rock group Queen, founded in 1970 and originally featuring lead vocalist Freddie Mercury. Queen’s reputation and fan following continue to grow in the twenty-first century. These insightful and provocative chapters include:● uncover the origins of Queen’s unique style in prog rock, vulgarity, and lower versus higher Romanticism● examine Queen’s view of love and friendship● draw upon three timeless Queen songs, “We Will Rock You,” “We Are the Champions,” and “Don’t Stop Me Now” and Socrates’s behavior in the Apology, to understand the “rocking” nature of philosophy● identify the connections between ancient matriarchal religion and Queen’s love for strong female imagery● explore how Brian May’s astrophysics brings to bear the issues of absolute versus relative spacetime and how the philosophies of Newton, Mach, and Einstein contribute to Queen’s creative output● analyze the structure of Queen’s sound to answer the inevitable question, How can four people make all that music?● expose what Queen’s songs tell us about the contemporary theory of mental illness and therapy● scrutinize Roger Taylor’s stark impressions of ordinary life and death, and their alignment to the cynical musings of Diogenes of Sinope and Seneca’s blunt observations on the shortness of life● look at the movie Highlander through the music of Queen and reveal how both song and cinema convey the philosophy of bushido, the soul of the samuraiTable of ContentsIntroductionPart I: My Fairy Kings1. Side White: Worshiping the White Queen (As it Began)Jared Kemling 2. Side Black: Master Stroke of a Fairy FellerJared Kemling 3. Queen, Prog, and Vulgar RomanticismJan Olof Bengtsson Part II: A Night at the Concert4. Be Free with Your Tempo: Freedom, Individuality, and Nonconformity in InnuendoDouglas Rasmussen 5. Let Me Entertain You: Performance as a Tour de Force (Of Course)Julie Kuhlken 6. Freddie’s Left Hand: Queen and the Order of MusicRandall E. Auxier Part III: The Show Must Go On7. Is Adam Lambert a Killer of Queen, or Somebody to Love?Megan Volpert 8. Instrumental Instrumentalism: Is Red Special a Member of Queen?Steven Gimbel Part IV: Made in the Heavens9. Hot SpacetimeKristina Šekrst 10. Tie the Cosmos Down: Brian May’s Astrophysics and MusicRandall E. Auxier Part V: I’m Going Slightly Mad11. Stone Cold Crazy: Queen, Mental Disorder, and SufferingSnita Ahir-Knight 12. Hitting Rock BottomRobert S. Vuckovich Part VI: Sheer Head Attack13. Hammer to Fall in the Shadow of DeathRobert DeVall 14. Don’t Lose Your Head: The Interconnectedness of Queen and HighlanderKevin Taylor 15. We Want to Love Forever, Forever is Ours TodayJohn Shook Part VII: Some Body to Love16. Freddie and Mary: A Single Soul Dwelling in Two BodiesAndrew Kaplan 17. Good Old-Fashioned Lover BoyDarci Doll Part VIII: Supersonic Men18. Queen and My Uncle’s Delicacy of Taste and PassionChristopher M. Innes 19. He Will Rock You: Socrates was the Most Rock and Roll of MenMichael F. Patton References (I Want it All) Bohemian Biographies Index (Now I’m Here)

Read more less

Book SynopsisA no-holds-barred memoir that charts the rise and fall - and rise - of one of Australia's most iconic music performers.You think you know Deborah Conway? You think seeing her scowling and striding and smouldering in her music videos over the years means you know who Deborah Conway is? She figures you probably don't know the half of it. If you have listened to any of Deborah's iconic songs and were curious about their origins; if you ever wondered what happened to that chick who covered herself in Nutella and was photographed shovelling cream cakes into her mouth; if you gave a nanosecond's thought to whose bare arse adorned the giant billboard ads for jeans in the 1980s and how much someone got paid to do that; if you liked Tracy Mann's vocals in Sweet and Sour but asked yourself, 'did she really sing them?'; if you thought Running On Empty was a classic before it became a cult phenomenon and need behind-the-scenes gossip, now's your chance to find out all this and so much more.Conway pulls back the curtain on the fevered world of 1980s post-punk and the spectacular rise and fall and rise of one of the more obstreperous women in Australia's music industry, a woman who has straddled the high arts and the low without losing her footing or her mind. A woman who said no to the system and whose fierce independence has seen her produce her best work.Welcome to the good, the bad and the ugly of an extraordinary life from the vantage point of a music insider (and outsider) with a deep need to tell the truth about it all.'An enthralling, unputdownable read.' Toni Collette'A witty, searingly honest testimony of what it really took to become one of Australia's most beloved storytellers.' Clare Bowditch'Candid and revealing, witty, wise and full of wonder.' Brian Nankervis'I appreciated every honest, emotional, human page.' Sofie Laguna'A wild ride through sex, love, birth, death, business, friendship, creativity and the magic of song. She is as sharp, honest, brave, funny and brazen on the page as she is on stage or at her table, offering nourishment for all comers.' Ramona Koval'Deborah has been surprising me since she was 13. This brave and passionate book has done it yet again.' Caroline Wilson

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Idiosyncratic, humorous, enlightening and written by one of the finest conductors alive ... This is the book to buy if you are going to see Wagner or listen to him at home' LITERARY REVIEWOver a distinguished career conducting some of the world's finest orchestras, Christian Thielemann has earned a reputation as the leading modern interpreter of Richard Wagner. MY LIFE WITH WAGNER chronicles his ardent personal and professional engagement with the composer whose work has shaped his thinking and feeling from early childhood.Thielemann retraces his journey with Wagner - from Berlin to Bayreuth via Venice, Hamburg and Chicago. Next he takes each opera in turn, his appraisal illuminated by a deep affinity for the music, an intimate knowledge of the scores and the inside perspective of an outstanding practitioner. And yet for all the adulation Wagner's art inspires in him, Thielemann does not shy away from unpalatable truths about the man himself, explaining why today he is venerated and reviled in equal measure. The result is a richly rewarding read for admirers of a composer who continues to fascinate long after his death.Trade ReviewMy Life with Wagner is a professional's manual for approaching Wagner ... Thielemann's musical explorations ... are wonderful ... [His] writing also achieves something notoriously difficult, the evocation of music in prose ... In the end, My Life with Wagner has that peculiar, confidential value of a work written not by an academic, but by an artist submerged in the music. -- Jonathan McAloon * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *[E]xceedingly valuable ... Thielemann is fascinating on the thought processes and working practices of a musician coming to terms with Wagner ... this is a book with flashes of great insight, in which connoisseurs of the unsaid will find a good deal to ponder. -- Philip Hensher * SPECTATOR *Thielemann is a passionate advocate for the music of Wagner, which has obsessed him since childhood. Where this book really works is in its focus on the minutiae of performance. It viscerally exposes the levels of perfectionism required in the virtuoso. Without alienating the lay reader ... it gets across the complexity of a Wagner score and the infinite interpretation possibilities out of which the conductor has to produce a narrative. -- Lucasta Miller * INDEPENDENT *[Thielemann's] book is an act of homage, part revealing autobiography ... and part informative guide to the Wagner oeuvre, describing the plots and performances of all the operas ... His enthusiasm breathes life into them. * ECONOMIST *The most rewarding and intimate section of the book concerns Thielemann's life as acolyte at Bayreuth - a place that Thielemann describes a 'temple, a workshop and a place of pilgrimage'. -- Neil Fisher * THE TIMES *A sensitive and revealing book, worth reading as a document of how Western art reflects on itself, its achievements and its anxieties[.] This is the book to buy if you are going to see Wagner or listen to him at home ... It's idiosyncratic, humorous, enlightening and written by one of the finest conductors alive[.] Every aspiring conductor should read this book ... Every aspiring singer should read it too[.] -- Gulliver Ralston * LITERARY REVIEW *In one broad but illuminating sweep, Mr Thielemann surveys everything from Wagner's distinctive use of orchestration to the schemas of his operas: from the approach of different conductors to the Wagnerian Walhalla of Bayreuth ... Mr Thielemann's skill lies in conveying the power of music in words. -- Teresa Levonian Cole * COUNTRY LIFE *Thielemann's insights into Wagner's operas, together with his career narrative, including the personalities he has met along the way, deepen our fascination with his My Life with Wagner. -- Ira Lieberman * WAGNER NOTES, THE WAGNER SOCIETY OF NY *

Read more less

Book SynopsisDavid Bowie: The Golden YearsAuthor Roger GriffinABOUT THE BOOKDavid Bowie's career is defined by the 70s, his golden years. This book chronicles Bowie's creative life during that decade in a year by year, month by month, day by day format, placing his works in their historical, personal and creative contexts. Every live performance: when and where and who played with him. Every known recording: session details, who played on it, who produced it and release details. Every collaboration is also covered, including production and guest appearances. Film, stage and television appearances: Bowie brought his theatrical training into every performance and created a new form of rock spectacle.Follows Bowie on his journeys across the countries that fired his imagination and inspired his greatest work. A detailed illustrated discography documenting every Bowie recording during this period, including tracks he left in the vault. Many of these ended up on reissues and compilations, which are covered comprehensively - an invaluable reference work.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe iconic life and career of the famed guitarist of the Rolling Stones is detailed in this compilation of interviews that spans the last 50 years. Featuring articles from GQ, Melody Maker, and Rolling Stone, as well as interviews that have never previously appeared in print, it charts Keith Richards's journey from gauche, young pretender and swaggering epitome of the zeitgeist to beloved elder statesman of rock. Initially overshadowed by band mates Mick Jagger and Brian Jones, Richards gained popularity as half of the second-most important songwriting team of the 1960s, and in 1967 the drug bust at his house and his subsequent trial and imprisonment made him a household name. His interviews match his outlaw image: free of banality and euphemism, they revel in frank stories of drugs and debauchery. Yet they also reveal an unexpectedly warm, unpretentious, articulate, and honest man. This collection amply illustrates the magic and charm of Keith Richards.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIt's a life of the two of us.' The complete surviving correspondence between Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears. To read these letters is to climb up a wall and peer into the secret garden of two giants.' From the Foreword by FIONA SHAW This volume comprises the complete surviving correspondence between Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears. The 365 letters written throughout their 39-year relationship are here brought together and published, as Pears intended, for the first time. While the correspondence provides valuable evidence of the development of Britten's works, more significant is the insight into his relationship with Pears and their day-to-day life together. Entertaining to read, domestic and intimate, the letters provide glimpses of cultural and artistic life in the twentiethcentury, including pacifism and conscientious objection, critical assessments of music and other artists, transport and communications development in the twentieth century, the 'Aldeburgh corpses', art collecting, gossip, everyday life in an English country house, the development of the Aldeburgh Festival, performance practice in early music, looking after dachshunds, travel, and a host of other topics. Above all, when read together, Britten and Pears's letters allow the clearest possible look 'behind the scenes' of one of the most productive creative partnerships of the twentieth century. VICKI P. STROEHER is Professor of Music History at Marshall University where she isalso Coordinator of the Music History & Literature area. NICHOLAS CLARK is the Librarian at the Britten-Pears Foundation at The Red House, Britten and Pears's home in Aldeburgh, Suffolk. JUDE BRIMMER is an Archivist at the Britten-Pears Foundation.Trade Review[T]his collection of letters between Britten and Pears engages two very different and equally fascinating roles. On the one hand, the book is immensely valuable as a research tool with clues about Britten's compositional process, insights from both men about music and prominent musicians of their day, and poignant, first-hand accounts of history. On the other hand, the letters are so touching and honest that even the most dispassionate researcher might accidentally get lost in the compelling love story and intimate look into a deeply personal, committed relationship. * NABMSA REVIEWS *365 letters - one to read for each day of the year...Here we are allowed into the private world of two of the greatest musicians of their generation. * BRIO *My Beloved Man is, quite simply, a love story...it is fascinating to read. * GRAMOPHONE *Elegantly written and highly informative...a desirable volume for any academic library, and specialists in twentieth-century opera or British music generally will find it a rewarding read. * JNL OF THE SOCIETY FOR MUSICOLOGY IN IRELAND *It is difficult not to be moved by the personal and artistic courage of the relationship of which these letters, and the accompanying texts, present such a vivid...complete, picture. * FONTES ARTIS MUSICAE *Published here in full for the first time, these letters bear witness to a relationship in which love and creativity and romantic and professional lives are so tightly entwined that to try and separate them would make a nonsense of both. * THE SPECTATOR *'To read these letters is to climb up a wall and peer into the secret garden of two giants.' From domestic dramas and dachshunds to ideas for the Aldeburgh Festival, a new book captures the lives of Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears in their own words. [...] While it does feel as if we're steaming open the envelopes and reading the letters while the house is still quiet, the editors of the book make it clear both men wanted their story to be told. * EAST ANGLIAN DAILY TIMES *[...] These are primarily communications by two loving partners who wish to share quotidian details [...] in order to bridge the gap as best they can during times of separation. [...] Still, there are occasional insights into Pears's musicianship, and particularly his and Britten's profound admiration of Bach. * BBC MUSIC AUTUMN *These letters are important. . . [and] have never had quite the impact they do here. * TELEGRAPH *Table of ContentsForeword by Fiona Shaw Introduction: Britten and Pears's 'personal and consistent' correspondence 'When I am not with you..': August 1937 to January 1941 'My life is inextricably bound up with yours': May 1942 to November 1944 'I don't know why we should be so lucky, in all this misery': July 1945 to April 1949 'You are potentially the greatest singer alive': Late 1949 to January 1954 'Why shouldn't I recognise that you are such a large part of my life. ': May 1954 to December 1959 'Far away as you are, at least I feel there is contact!': January 1960 to March 1968 'It is you who have given me everything': January 1970 to June 1975 'My days are not empty': January to November 1976 Personalia List of Works Select Bibliography

Read more less

Book SynopsisHarry Styles is one of – if not – the biggest pop stars in the world right now. From finding fame on The XFactor to his sensational solo success, Harry in 30 Images is a look at Harry Styles’ rise to superstardom.   Harry Styles has earned many accolades and this book will explore 30 of his biggest highlights to date, including his hat trick at the Grammys, performing with Stevie Nicks at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and his sold-out Love on Tour.   Each of the 30 images is accompanied by an explainer on why it’s such an iconic moment in Harry’s life, and is a must-have for any Harry Styles fan.  Harry in 30 Images is a visual history of Harry Styles’ biggest moments to date and proves him as one of the most exciting artists of his generation.  

Read more less

Book SynopsisEagles: Take It To The Limit is the fascinating inside story of one of the greatest rock bands of all time, written by one of music journalism's most influential voices. Ben Fong-Torres was at Rolling Stone magazine when the Eagles were a cover story in 1979. He followed the band's career, interviewed them himself, and even played in the now-famous Eagles vs Rolling Stone magazine softball match. Filled with anecdotes and insights spanning almost 50 years, Take It To The Limit follows the Eagles as the band changed line-up, toured the world, made the best-selling album in American history, split up, and finally reunited. Fully updated in anticipation of their 50th anniversary, this is an exceptional tribute to one of the great American bands. Table of ContentsIntroduction: A Softball Game in Hollywood 1978/Live in New York City 2005 • Live From the Troubadour • Eagles • Debut • Desperado • On the Brink • One of These Fights • Hey, Joe • The Fast Lane • New Sounds • Breaking Point • The Long Wait • Cold Day in Hell • Eagles Today.

Read more less

Book SynopsisUnquestionably one of the most popular composers of classical music, Sergei Rachmaninoff has not always been so admired by critics. Detractors have long perceived Rachmaninoff as part of an outdated Romantic tradition from a bygone Russian world, aloof from the modernist experimentation of more innovative contemporaries such as Igor Stravinsky. In this new assessment Rebecca Mitchell re-situates Rachmaninoff in the context of his time, bringing together the composer and his music within the remarkably dynamic era in which he lived and worked. Both in Russia and later in America, Rachmaninoff and his music were profoundly modern expressions of life in tune with an uncertain world. This concise yet comprehensive biography will interest general readers as well as those more familiar with this giant of Russian classical music.

Read more less

Book SynopsisStatus Quo? All their songs sound the same and they only know three chords' Really? This retrospective of one of Britain's most successful bands takes this lazy criticism and puts it to the sword. Spanning the period 1970 to 1984, the creative peaks and troughs of all the songs recorded by 'The Frantic Four' are examined in detail by a fan who can play guitar a bit, and also knows his Bach from his byte. Francis Rossi, Rick Parfitt, Alan Lancaster, and John Coghlan withstood the slings and arrows of unending criticism to become a national institution, even playing to Royalty along the way. After their early, psychedelic-influenced and fleeting pop success, Quo underwent a dramatic and natural re-invention, unleashing a series of innovative albums and hit singles, such as 'Down Down' and 'Rockin' All Over The World' that established their unique sound and style. Relentless touring, changes in musical direction, unwise choices of producer, substantial substance abuse, and personality clashes, all played their part in the collapse of the classic line-up before a brand re-launch in 1986 that enjoys continued success to the present day. Status Quo - The Frantic Four Years on track examines the band's groundbreaking first era with critical detail and honest opinions.

Read more less

Book SynopsisMost lauded for the gorgeously baroque Odessey and Oracle, and the ageless singles, 'She's Not There' and 'Time of the Season', The Zombies' were at the forefront of The British Invasion, recording music described by Tom Petty as 'so original it hurt'. The Zombies On Track voyages through every release, beginning with their first incarnation in the 1960s and uncovering how a US number one and a film appearance with Laurence Olivier were no guarantees of continued chart success. Poor publicity, unwise management and bad timing almost killed off the band; yet sublime songwriting and a lucky break with Al Kooper reanimated them... The book recounts their many afterlives, including the posthumous RIP; the story behind the 'counterfeit' Zombies; their first reunion album New World; and considers how their later version has sustained success more than the original line-up. Drawing on both archive interviews and new conversations with Argent and Blunstone to mark the release of The Zombies' latest album - the critically acclaimed Different Game - this book proves why The Zombies not only have an immortal back catalogue but are also still making vital music today.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWendy Carlos is one of the most influential electronic musicians of the 20th century, whose ground breaking LP, Switched-On Bach, was pivotal in elevating the Moog synthesizer to iconic status. At the same time, her highly evocative score for Stanley Kubrick's film, A Clockwork Orange, redefined the sound of electronic music.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThestory of the Groundhogs spans the most exciting years British rock will everenjoy. Springing from the same early roots as the Animals, Pretty Things andRolling Stones, they soon garnered a reputation as a blues band backing thelikes of John Lee Hooker and many other giants of the genre.

Read more less

Book SynopsisInspired by a true story, this is a heart-wrenching fictionalised account of piano virtuosa Mosha Gebert's struggles in the Nazi death camp Majdanek.

Read more less

Book SynopsisEverything you need to know about the iconic group that defined the Britpop era.From their meteoric rise with Definitely Maybe to their unforgettable hits like ''Wonderwall'' and ''Don?t Look Back in Anger'', the unofficial and unauthorized pocket book to Oasis delves into the band?s origins, unforgettable feuds and celebrates their lasting impact on rock music.With behind-the-scenes stories and bursting with Britpop nostalgia, it?s a must-read for any Oasis fan, as we gear up for the band?s sold-out 2025 reunion tour.Gemini PocketsFrom little guides to soothe your soul to all-access passes to the lives of pop icons, and from quizzes and puzzles for literature lovers to books on food, nature, fashion and more, Gemini Pockets are the perfect fit for your life and interests.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA musical composer who dabbled in the Dada movement, a Bohemian gymnopediste of fin-de-siecle Montmartre, and a legendary dresser known as The Velvet Gentleman for his sartorial choices, Erik Satie was nearly unprecedented in technique, style and philosophy among European composers in the early twentieth century. Yet his legacy has largely languished in the shadows of Stravinsky, Debussy and Ravel. Mary E. Davis now brings Satie to life in this fascinating new biography that demonstrates that his musical innovations reached as far as his influence. Satie redefined the boundaries of the composer's art, devising new methods of artistic expression that melded ordinary elements and rarefied genres of words, visual art and music. Davis argues that Satie's modernist aesthetic was grounded in the contradictions apparent in his life such as enrolling in the conservative Schola Cantorum after working as a cabaret performer and is reflected in his irreverent essays, drawings and music." Erik Satie" explores how the composer was embraced by both the avant-garde and Parisian elite, an experience that immersed him in the worlds of high fashion and cutting-edge modernist art, and subsequently gave him the aesthetic impetus to create the new musical style of Neoclassicism. Satie also crucially employed the power of the image through his infamous fashion statements, Davis contends, to establish his place in the art world, and in this connection between couture and culture, Satie was at the heart of a nascent celebrity culture. A fascinating and informative portrait, with numerous illustrations that include art by Satie himself, "Erik Satie" reassesses the accepted history of modernist music and restores the composer to his rightful pioneering status.Trade Review'A welcome reassessment of Satie that places him at the hub of radical events' - Classic FM Magazine '[this] slim, yet powerful biography ... Mary E. Davis's fascinating biography adds much to our understanding about this enigmatic yet crucial modernist figure.' -Modernism/Modernity 'a lucid, elegantly written biography and a distinguished addition to the general literature on the composer ... the book's greatest asset is Davis's consistent focus on the complex social milieu of Satie's career and ways that this fertile environment shaped and defined his work. Her exploration of the symbiotic relationship between music, art, and fashion provides a solid foundation for the examination of similar issues with composers from France and beyond. Erik Satie is a welcome step in that direction.' - Notes

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Amadeus Quartet, which was active from 1948 until 1987 when its viola player Peter Schidlof died, is probably the most famous and distinguished string quartet of the 20th century. It played to a wide variety of audiences on innumerable occasions in all the major countries of the world, and produced a galaxy of recordings, many of which are still available. The intensity of its music-making was breathtaking. Muriel Nissel, the author of Married to the Amadeus, is the wife of Siegmund Nissel, the second violinist. Her book tells the extraordinary and moving story of the Quartet, with its many triumphs and its periodic setbacks and traumas, from the inside for the forty years from its inception during the time after the Second World War up to the 1980s. She reveals how it moulded the lives of the four players and their wives and families in unexpected ways, and how they all became inextricably involved in this unique joint enterprise. The fashion in which work and family life interacted was crucial to the Quartet's survival.She returned to her professional life as a statistician when the children went to school and describes how difficult it was in the 1960s for a married woman with children to achieve equal status with men at work; and she tells of the problems she also had to face at home finding satisfactory ways of caring for her family. Remarkably, the four members of the Quartet remained unchanged throughout. They each of them had exceptional qualities. Norbert Brainin, the first violin, Siegmund Nissel and Peter Schidlof, all refugees from Vienna, had first met in internment camps in Britain in 1940. Martin Lovett, the cellist, joined them not long after the war, at a moment when the musical climate was sympathetic to chamber music and the record industry was booming. They never looked back. Nobody who has read Muriel Nissel's absorbing book will ever be able to listen to a string quartet again without being aware of the immense commitment such a group demands of the players and of their families too, and of the longstanding emotional, aesthetic and organizational complexities it entails.Trade ReviewAndrew Green in Classical Music: '...a thoroughly absorbing, well-written account of the Amadeus Quartet story observed from the inside...[It] has the benefit of many penetrating insights - not simply into how wives and families are affected by the lifestyle adopted of necessity by the members of a top-notch ensemble, but into the true nature of that lifestyle itself...It is a book, in truth, about an octet, with all the characters utterly believable, aided by an excellent photographic record, plus an appendix containing not just a complete discography but a list of all the quartets who have benefited from the Amadeus' International Summer Course. Very revealing.' Patrick Carnegy in TLS: 'There are memorable sketches of musician colleagues - Cecil Aronowitz...Alfred Brendel...David Oistrakh... and of the Amadeus playing Britten's Third Quartet privately to the composer only months before his death. The legacy of the Amadeus lives on in their recordings and in the many fine ensembles they have coached. Looking back on the forty years of their pre-eminence in the classic string quartet repertory, it is amazing how much of their reputation was won by the sheer quality of their performances, unaided by the marketing and image-making that is par for the course today...the story of the invisible life of the Wolf Gang is never less than candidly and engagingly told.' Martin Boyd in the Strad: '...the eloquent and cerebral wife of second violinist Siegmund presents us with an engaging account of the Amadeus' rise to pre-eminence...she successfully conveys a sense of how important a stable family life was to her husband and the other members of the jet-setting Amadeus...This book is about the vicissitudes of personal and professional relationships. Muriel Nissel's close proximity to the Amadeus Quartet enables her to give a privileged insight into the workings and group dynamics of this remarkable and long-lasting ensemble.'Table of ContentsForty years playing quartets; early years; marrying the quartet; touring the world; our daughter is born; on tour with the quartet; what happens when you are ill? do you play on a strad? making records; we all go to the United Sates; festivals and summer schools; a change of life-style; I return to work; juggling jobs and family; getting away from it all; staying at the top; the last years of the quartet; teaching - an Amadeus legacy; a dedicated life. Appendices: engagements of the Amadeus Quartet in their Silver Jubilee Year, 197203; engagements of the Amadeus Quartet in their last season, 1986-7; earnings of the Amadeus Quartet in 1972-1986; discography of the Amadeus quartet; quartets attending the Amadeus International Summer Course.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisRonnie James Dio - A Career Through The Lens 1975-2009 is a photographic journey of one of the most admired and respected rock vocalists of all time — Ronnie James Dio. This beautiful collection of photos were all taken by legendary music photographer Frank White from New Jersey. They capture Dio from his first ever US show with Rainbow in 1975 through to 2009 with Heaven & Hell, just a few months before he lost his fight with cancer in May 2010. This is the most comprehensive collection of photos ever compiled into one book that cover the most revered periods of Dio's illustrious career. Throughout the decades Frank White captured Ronnie's career with Rainbow, Black Sabbath, his own band Dio and Heaven & Hell, on stage in the USA, Canada and Europe. From East to West Coast, this collection includes photos of Ronnie in the States playing to huge audiences at venues such as New York's Madison Square Garden as well as tiny intimate club shows. There are also photos from Europe, taken at festivals in Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands. Frank also took many shots of Ronnie relaxing off stage; at TV studios, special events and the like, as well as dedicated, back stage shoots with his band. A Career Through The Lens 1975-2009 also includes White’s recollections of Dio as he recalls the many times shared in his company from the other side of the lens.

Read more less

Book SynopsisSince joining Deep Purple in 1973, David Coverdale has enjoyed a hugely successful career. Having been plucked from semi-professional obscurity by Deep Purple, within months he was cavorting around the globe with one of the biggest rock bands in the world and fronting Purple on its 1974 US tour which included performing in front of one of the biggest audiences ever for a one day concert at the California Jam in front of hundreds of thousands. After three albums the band finally succumbed to the internal frictions and called it a day in 1976. After initially launching himself with two solo albums, Coverdale set about rebuilding his career with his own band Whitesnake. By the early eighties sell out UK tours and hit singles proved that Coverdale was capable of achieving success with his own band and later that decade Whitesnake hit the heights in America, that he had experienced with Deep Purple, with its multi-million selling, eponymous 1987 album. By the early nineties Coverdale put the band on hold whilst enjoying a brief dalliance with Jimmy Page, as well as later finding time for further albums under his own name, but Whitesnake has continued to be at the forefront of Coverdale's career from the mid nineties and onwards and remain relevant in the new millennium. 2019 saw the release of the band's first new album in four years and now with Coverdale in his seventies, retirement is supposdely imminent. As such there is no better time to appraise his career. Beautifully designed and packaged, A Life In Vision documents key moments of David Coverdale's long and illustrious career as one of rock's finest singers with photos from Deep Purple through to the present day Whitesnake, along with stories that chart his career.

Read more less

Book SynopsisCompiled by Blackmore biographer Jerry Bloom this is the perfect companion to his 2006 biography Black Knight, as it portrays Blackmore's career visually with photos and memorabilia from 1958 to the present day. Not only does it feature a large selection of photos, many of which have never been seen before but following years of research by Bloom, it also includes the most comprehensive gig list ever published, for Blackmore's pre-Deep Purple career between 1958-67 with over 400 gigs detailed from his days with The Outlaws - backing Gene Vincent and Jerry Lee Lewis; with Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages; Neil Christian & The Crusaders; and even going back to his earliest bands such as The Vampires and The Condors. Augmented with memorabilia from the time, the book also plots Blackmore's career in photos, through Deep Purple, Rainbow and Blackmore's Night along with narrative by Bloom that puts the visual elements in context.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn Dominance and Submission: The Blue Oyster Cult Canon, three-time BOC book author Martin Popoff turns the microphone away from himself to moderate a gathered and esteemed panel of Cult experts for deep-dive discussions on every Blue Oyster Cult studio album. No stone is left unturned, as we look at the personalities in the band, every song, every album cover, the band's highly regarded lyrics as poetry, their music as ground-breaking and genre-defying. Dominance and Submission is set-up in Q&A format, allowing for pure and piercing prose that is also conversational and easy-access. In the end, the author is confident that the wise words from this cabal of music authorities-with Popoff not pulling any punches either, joining in the fun when the door is opened-will have you playing the band's "canon" with a renewed appreciation as to the complexity laced throughout such albums as Tyranny and Mutation, Agents of Fortune-with its career defining hit "(Don't Fear) The Reaper"-Spectres, Fire of Unknown Origin and the daunting Imaginos. But have no fear, Martin and his team have taken us right up to the band's effusively received comeback album, The Symbol Remains, bringing band and fan full circle-umlauts included, of course. Finally, augmenting the learning (and listening) experience, Dominance and Submission provides a plethora of images that make these essays on the band's fifteen albums that much more visceral. Bottom line: if you thought Martin had covered everything you need to know in his definitive Agents of Fortune: The Blue Oyster Cult Story, think again-the analysis proffered by his panel even sent Popoff back to the sacred texts for a rock 'n' roll re-imagining. If he's been made smarter by what these guys have to say, you will be too.

Read more less

Book SynopsisNEC Arena Birmingham, November 9th 1993. Deep Purple were in crisis. No longer able to tolerate the presence of singer Ian Gillan, Ritchie Blackmore, the ace guitarist, made his displeasure known in a way that would have consequences none present could possibly have predicted. Blackmore's departure soon followed, and a merciful end seemed to have come for a band that had been riven with tensions for years. But then, after a brief dalliance with Joe Satriani, acknowledged six string maestro Steve Morse stepped in and a whole new age began. This book takes a critical look at the so-called 'Morse Era', charting the highs, the lows, the triumphs and the tragedies. It is a compelling story of albums, tours, musicians coming and musicians going, a story of a band that moved forward like few bands ever have, but who, nevertheless, could never completely escape from the shadow of that disastrous night at the NEC...

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Stranglers exploded onto the music scene in 1977 with their iconic debut album Rattus Norvegicus. Lazily classed as a punk band because of their notorious behaviour and outrageous lyrics, the truth was somewhat different. Many books have been written about the behaviour of the band but this book focuses in-depth on the music and lyrics of every song during the years of the original line-up and destroys the myth of mindless musical provocateurs to reveal their brilliance and dark beauty by shining a forensic light on these musical visionaries. For fans of the band, whether musically experienced or not, it is a must-read. And for fans in general of rock music in the 70s and 80s, it will highlight what makes their music stand out as special and result in them dusting down their vinyl copies of the band's records to re-acquaint themselves with their music in a new light.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less