Music Books

Book SynopsisDubbed “the industry bible” by the Los Angeles Times, All You Need to Know About the Music Business by veteran music lawyer Donald Passman is the go-to guide for everyone in the music business through ten editions, over thirty years, and over a half a million copies sold. Now with updates explaining why musicians have more power today than ever in history; discussion of the mega-million-dollar sales of artists’ songs and record catalogs; how artist access to streaming media, and particularly TikTok, has completely reshaped the music business; the latest on music created by AI; and a full update of the latest numbers and trends.For more than thirty years, All You Need to Know About the Music Business has been universally regarded as the definitive guide to the music industry. Now in its eleventh edition, Passman leads novices and experts alike through what has been the most profound change in the music business since the days of wax cylinders and piano rolls: streaming. For the first time in history, music is no longer monetized by selling something—it’s monetized by how many times a listener streams a song. And also, for the first time, artists can get their music to listeners without a record company gatekeeper, creating a new democracy for music. The “industry bible” (Los Angeles Times), now updated, is essential for anyone in the music business—musicians, songwriters, lawyers, agents, promoters, publishers, executives, and managers—and the definitive guide for anyone who wants to be in the business. So, whether you are—or aspire to be—in the music industry, veteran music lawyer Passman’s comprehensive guide is an indispensable tool. He offers timely information about the latest trends, including the reasons why artists have more clout than ever in history, the massive influence of TikTok, the mega million dollar sales of artists’ songs and record catalogs, music in Web3 and the Metaverse, music created by AI, and a full update of the latest numbers and practices.

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Book SynopsisAn Independent Best Non-Fiction Book for 2024A vibrant, multifaceted portrait of a music enigma GuardianA powerful portrait of Joni Mitchell Irish IndependentCelebrated music critic Ann Powers explores the life and career of the legendary Joni MitchellWhat you are about to read is not a standard account of the life and work of Joni Mitchell. Instead, it's a tale of long journeying through a life that changed popular music: of a homesick wanderer forging ahead on routes of her invention, and of me on her trail, heading toward the ringing of her voice.One of the most celebrated artists of her generation, Joni Mitchell has inspired countless musicians and writers, while never stopping still herself.In Travelling, celebrated music critic Ann Powers seeks to understand the paradox of Mitchell at once both elusive and inviting through her myriad journeys. Drawing on extensive interviews with Mitchell's peers and deep archival research, Powers takes readers to rural Canada, charts the cours

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Book Synopsis'Wondering and wonderful. The nature book of the year.' JOHN LEWIS-STEMPEL'This lovely book is almost as thrilling as the bird's immortal song - balm for a troubled soul and a glimpse of paradise.' JOANNA LUMLEY______________________________Come to the forest, sit by the fireside and listen to intoxicating song, as Sam Lee tells the story of the nightingale.Every year, as darkness falls upon woodlands, the nightingale heralds the arrival of Spring. Throughout history, its sweet song has inspired musicians, writers and artists around the world, from Germany, France and Italy to Greece, Ukraine and Korea. Here, passionate conservationist, renowned musician and folk expert Sam Lee tells the story of the nightingale. This book reveals in beautiful detail the bird's song, habitat, characteristics and migration patterns, as well as the environmental issues that threaten its livelihood.From Greek mythology to John Keats, to Persian poetry and 'A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square', Lee delves into the various ways we have celebrated the nightingale through traditions, folklore, music, literature, from ancient history to the present day. The Nightingale is a unique and lyrical portrait of a famed yet elusive songbird.______________________________'Sam Lee has brought the poetic magic that has long enchanted so many of his musical fans into the written word. Allow yourself to glimpse the world Sam sees, to be part of his love affair with the nightingale, and you will no doubt be delighted.' LILY COLE'A wonderful book.' STEPHEN MOSS'A magical marriage of the lyrical and practical: a book that makes us want to seek out the nightingale and then reveals how we can.' TRISTAN GOOLEYTrade ReviewThis lovely book is almost as thrilling as the bird's immortal song - balm for a troubled soul and a glimpse of paradise -- Joanna LumleyWondering and wonderful. The nature book of the year.A wonderful book. -- Stephen MossA magical marriage of the lyrical and practical: a book that makes us want to seek out the nightingale and then reveals how we can. -- Tristan GooleyA beautiful, lyrical, heartfelt book ... Certainly my appreciation of however many nightingalers are left to me will be for ever heightened by the time I've spent with this generous, sensitive book about our most glorious songbird -- Alex Preston * Observer *

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Book SynopsisThe moving, Pulitzer Prize-winning coming-of-age memoir of music, outsiders and the relationships that make us.Trade ReviewAt once a coming-of-age memoir, a devastating elegy for a departed friend, and a mixtape of all the music and other shards of culture and experience that coalesce into an identity, Stay True is wildly original . . . A glorious, unforgettable book -- Patrick Radden Keefe, author of Empire of Pain and Say NothingImpossible to put down . . . profoundly moving . . . a work of intellect, honesty and love * The Guardian *A remarkably moving account of male affection and grief * The Observer *A quiet, occasionally hilarious, ultimately devastating book . . . the most moving and memorable piece of autobiography I read this year. * The Independent, 'The Ten Best Books of 2023' *An exceptional portrait of male affection and a young life senselessly cut short * The Independent, 'Best Memoir: 2023' *A powerful and beautifully written meditation on guilt, memory and male friendship * The Guardian, 'Best Books of the Year' *Quietly wrenching . . . This is a memoir that gathers power through accretion — all those moments and gestures that constitute experience, the bits and pieces that coalesce into a life * The New York Times *A beautiful memoir that goes deep into the heart of friendships * The Financial Times *A luminous and tender-hearted story. . . Stay True is a nuanced and beautiful evocation of young adulthood in all its sloppy, exuberant glory * The Wall Street Journal *[Hsu writes] with devastating emotional precision, questioning the possibility of meaning in tragedy and the value of the stories we tell while attempting to find it . . . an extraordinary, devotional act of friendship * The Washington Post *This book is exquisite and excruciating and I will be thinking about it for years and years to come -- Rachel Kushner, author of The Mars RoomRemarkable . . . an evocative coming-of-age story about the formation of identity, friendship, and grief * AnOther Magazine *This is writing at its best . . . one of those books that is the sum total of a writer’s life in thinking, craft, and curiosity, made felt at last, so that when the sentences come, they come with a deliberate, patient, and precise force -- Ocean Vuong, author of On Earth We're Briefly GorgeousI was softly heartbroken by Stay True . . . [A] once-in-a-lifetime book -- Jia Tolentino, author of Trick MirrorNot since Ann Patchett wrote about her friend Lucy Grealy in Truth and Beauty has there been such an achingly tender book about a platonic friendship * Los Angeles Times *Funny and wise . . . What a gift it is to remember the people you loved, and who loved you, while you were busy becoming yourself * The Atlantic *Stay True is about the beautiful, unpredictable alchemy of how friendship—particularly male friendship—forms in the first place * GQ *A moving portrait of a persona undone by tragedy * Vogue *This book is going to break your heart. * The Australian *

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Book SynopsisT. E. Carhart is an American who lives in Paris. The Piano Shop on the Left Bank is his debut novel. His second book, Across the Endless River, was published in 2009.Trade ReviewQuirky and tender...beguiling -- Rose Tremain * Sunday Telegraph *A love affair with the piano... A minor classic * Times Literary Supplement *Captivating...full of knowledge...suffused with Parisian sensations...he can choose words that make us feel and hear the instruments he plays...when you close it you feel you have been on holiday * Sunday Times *Charming...a cool, autumnal breeze of a book...written out of love * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisCello Time Sprinters is the third book in this hugely successful series, building on the firm technical and stylistic foundations of Joggers and Runners by featuring extended pieces in first position, and fourth position pieces. The book includes original pieces in different styles, pieces by a range of composers, and duets with parts of equal difficulty, together with performances and backings available to download from a Companion Website.Trade ReviewWhat I like about this volume is that the music composed especially or selected and arranged will elicit a distinct emotional response from the player and from any audience they might play to . . . The piano parts in the accompaniment volume that is available separately are readily playable and cleverly written . . . The whole thing is well organised without seeming unduly didactic. * Robert Max, Music Teacher March 06 *Table of ContentsCarnival jig ; Spic and span ; Out of the question ; Stop-start ; River song ; Overture: A Baroque celebration ; Going fourth ; City streets ; Minuet ; Metro line ; Falling leaves ; Holiday in Havana ; Swing low, sweet chariot ; Night shift ; Le Tambourin ; Scarborough Fair ; Beyond the horizon ; Sto me ; Bourree ; Andante (Elgar) ; Joker in the pack ; Sarabande ; Comin' home ; Sprint finish ; In memory ; Some day ; Wild West ; Je pense a toi ; Russian wedding ; Two songs from Dichterliebe ; Latin nights ; 4th dimension ; Fifth Avenue ; Seventh heaven ; Jubilate Deo ; Banuwa

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Book Synopsisfor SATB, piano, and optional bass and drum kit ad lib.A highly original and effective concert setting of the Latin Missa brevis in which the various movements embrace a variety of jazz styles. The characterful piano accompaniment can be played as written or serve as a guide, and bass and drums can join in ad lib. The bass part is available on sale (ISBN 978-0-19-335655-9). Also available in an SSA version.Trade ReviewChilcott's is a remarkable achievement in that he has written music that is approachable but never sugary, and jazz-infused but in no way irreligious. Doubtless there will be some who will consider a Jazz Mass inappropriate for liturgical use, but that number will surely diminish upon hearing either of Chilcott's . . . The Kyrie from the Little Jazz Mass and the Agnus Dei from the Nidaros Jazz Mass is where to start if you need to be convinced of this genre. * Jeremy Summerly, Choir & Organ November 2012 *Chilcott's Little Jazz Mass employs a creative and engaging musical language right from the start . . . The writing is largely intuitive and straightforward, although singers will have to be prepared for plenty of stylish jazz crunch-chords . . . Highly recommended for choirs of mixed-ability upwards. * Tom Wiggall, Music Teacher July 07 *There are plenty of highlights . . . from the Gloria's opening swing bass and final dramatic cut-off to the concluding moody, bluesy Agnus. Although ostensibly a concert piece, it wouldn't take a huge leap of imagination to see this work in a liturgical context, while the piano part is so well written that effective performance requires only a moderate level of improvisational skill, if any. * Matthew Greenall, The Singer June 07 *As an ex-singer himself (in both King's College Chior and the King's Singers), Bob Chilcott knows what works vocally. You can hear this particuloarly in A Little Jazz Mass, where he perfectly fits the words of the Latin text to the whippy, upbeat syncopations of the Kyrie and Gloria . . . The work could have easily been kitschily condescending but actually works excellently. * Terry Blain, BBC Music Magazine, June 2013 *Table of ContentsKyrie ; Gloria ; Sanctus ; Benedictus ; Agnus Dei

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Book Synopsisfor SATB soloists, SATB choir, and orchestraThere is no single definitive version of Messiah. Handel continued to make revisions to the score throughout his life either to improve it or to suit the abilities of individual performers or the needs of an occasion. This edition presents the standard version (with which most people are familiar) complete with a new, practical piano reduction. The appendix contains most of Handel''s alternative movements and transpositions. The full score includes all the alternative movements and transpositions in their correct sequence and all material is signposted clearly and cross-referenced with the vocal score. Clifford Bartlett provides a text that is as close as possible to the sources, yet is presented with performers'' needs in mind. Both full and vocal scores provide guidance on performance practice, and the vocal score includes ance piano/organ reduction suitable for both rehearsal purposes and performance without orchestra. Complete orchestral Trade ReviewBartlett's line on performance practice is sensible and non-didactic . . . The result is an edition that's clean and unfussy, refreshingly uncluttered by superfluous grace-notes or odd-looking demi-semiquaver ornaments . . . Bartlett's edition, however, makes it perfectly possible to reconstruct the 1742 Dublin, 1743 London, or 1750 revised Messiah, according to taste, which should afford music directors hours of innocent fun. * The Singer December 98 *The players loved the parts - clear and clean, and I loved the edition; almost everyone in the Hall (the sell-out audience of 1200+ and all the performers) had a marvellous evening . . . I know Clifford and like his work very much indeed - please convey my congratulations to him and the setters and printers, and yourselves, of course, as publishers, for doing everyone such a great favour in producing this wonderful new edition - it's the one for me!! * Colin Touchin, Director of Music, University of Warwick *The stated purpose of the edition is to present a score in modern notation that represents what Handel wrote, doing so with the minimum of editorial interference in order to allow performers to make thier own decisions about how to interpret it . . . The result of this editorial restraint is a refreshingly uncluttererd score which can be used by experts and non-specialists alike . . . The music is clearly drawn and printed on good quality paper with no perceptible show-through. Where movements occupy more than a single page the title and number is shown in small print on each page, and the initial page number for each item in the vocal score is printed in the full score for ease of cross-referencing. * Choir & Organ Jan 99 *Such simple practical aids will save much rehearsal time: one hopes that other publishers of choral works will follow suit . . . The text is an eminently practical one, not least in the keyboard reduction which lies easily under the fingers. Rapid semiquaver runs in thirds and sixths are avoided wherever possible, yet the essentials of the orchestral texture are always present in an effective transcription for piano or organ which can be used both for rehearsals and for performances without orchestra. * Choir & Organ Jan 99 *In the succinct comentary to the full score, there is a useful guidance over rhythmic conventions and a heartening open-mindedness about the validity of a wide variety of interpretations . . . The printing and layout are examplary, and the vocal score is very competitive in price. The full score is exceptional value and is extremely practical. * Martin Neary, Early Music Review Dec 98 *Indeed the OUP version is notable for its economy. It is clear, uncluttered and as near as possible to what Handel wrote . . . All users will find the Introduction to the vocal score interesting. The choral conductor will find additional information and helpful, practical guidance in the full score . . . Mention of orchestral parts brings me to an important characteristic of the whole of this edition - clarity, and a felling of spaciousness. Players welcome this, and for the orchestral librarian of the Northern Sinfonia, the orchestra in the Huddersfield launch the parts are the clearest he has worked with in 35 years experience. . . . This is undoubtedly a quality production. If a choir is contemplating a new set of Messiah (and the scores and parts are readily compatiible with other editions) this one must be at the top of the shortlist. * Howard Layfield, Mastersinger Spring 99 *What is impressive is the breadth of information that is presented in user-friendly terms . . . This is certainly an extremely helpful and practical edition which will serve as a very useful resource for performer and scholar alike. * Early Music May 99 *. . . provides the musician with a reliable, well-edited score of a performing version, I cannot imagine this could be bettered . . . Not before have all the rich additional material and revisions been included so accessibly in a single edition . . . They also have some hugely useful suggestions for performance and information about conventions and textual history from the editor. . . For organists/pianists who have for many years done battle with various versions of the accompaniment to Messiah . . . Timothy Morris's piano reduction will be eagerly scrutinized. This is clearly not a 'made easy' version, not a simple reduction to a skeleton of Handel's lively orchestral textures, but it is a lot more playable than commercially available adaptations hitherto . . . Publishing standards are high, clarity ideal, cost (of the vocal score at least) extremely good. In short, this is an excellent new performing score of a key choral work, edited in the light of modern performance practice influenced but not overwhelmed by the authenticity movement. A most finished piece of Musick indeed. * Organists Review May 99 *[Clifford Barlett's] new edition of Handel's Messiah. . . scores high marks for the care taken to present what Bartlett describes as a 'standard version of the work . . . The practical advantages of the full score derive mainly from the clarity of its typography, the economy of sides occupied by what elsewhere often involves a succession of irritating page turns, and a sense that the whole enterprise has been coaxed through the press with maximum care. Likewise, the vocal score is uncluttered and easy to use. * Early Music Today Aug 99 *

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Book Synopsisfor soprano or mezzo-soprano solo, SATB chorus and either full orchestra or chamber orchestraMinimum recommended string forces for the chamber ensemble are 2.2.2.1.1.Full scores, vocal scores, and instrumental parts are available on hire.Magnificat is a joyous celebration of the Virgin Mary, inspired by feast-day festivities in countries such as Spain, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Following the example set by Bach, the Magnificat text is extended, incorporating the fifteenth-century English poem ''Of a Rose'', the prayers ''Sancta Maria'' and the ''Sanctus'' (set to the Gregorian chant of the Missa cum jubilo).Table of ContentsMagnificat anima mea ; Of a Rose, a lovely Rose ; Quia fecit mihi magna ; Et misericordia ; Fecit potentiam ; Esurientes ; Gloria Patri

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Book Synopsisfor SSA soli, SATB and chamber orchestraThe memorable tunes and infectious optimism of Vivaldi''s Gloria have made it one of the most popular choral works in the repertoire. For this edition, the distinguished Vivaldi scholar Paul Everett has returned to the autograph manuscript as the most authoritative source. Both full and vocal scores make clear distinction between original and editorial markings, and information on performance practice is relevant without being prescriptive. The vocal score includes an orchestral reduction for rehearsal purposes, and the full score is supplemented by a comprehensive critical commentary and continuo realization. It also includes a unique transcription of Ruggieri''s ''Cum Sancto Spiritu'', on which Vivaldi based his own setting.Complete orchestral material and vocal scores are available on hire/rental, and full and vocal scores are also available on sale.

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Book SynopsisThis book contains 59 of the finest examples of the secular choral repertoire, ranging from the late 15th to the 20th century and spanning all the major European countries. All the pre-twentieth-century pieces are in completely new editions going back to the earliest and most reliable sources. Includes English translations and playable keyboard reductions.Some items from this volume are available separately in the Oxford Choral Classics Octavo series.Trade ReviewOUP goes from strength to strength with its Choral Classics catalogue. With a huge repertoire, ranging from the fifteenth to the twentieth centuries from which to choose, Clifford Bartlett has clearly spent a great deal of time and effort, not only in selecting what to include, but also what to exclude . . . All of this in one volume, bound and presented in the excellent format which we have come to know and expect from OUP. What more can I say, except "More please". Very highly recommended. * Henry Howell, Australian Music Teacher, September 2003 *Table of ContentsDindirin, dindirin ; Il bianco e dolce cigno ; Of all the birds that I do know ; All creatures now ; Nachtwache No. 1 ; The Evening Primrose ; Never weather-beaten sail ; So weich und warm ; Trois chansons de Charles d'Orleans ; Two Unaccompanied Partsongs ; Come, heavy sleep ; Can she excuse ; Weep you no more, sad fountains ; As torrents in summer ; My love dwelt in a Northern land ; There is sweet music ; Fair Phyllis I saw ; My spirit sang all day ; Since first I saw your face ; Lieto godea ; Amor vittorioso ; Ah, dear heart ; The silver swan ; What is our life? ; Tanzen und springen ; Ach, Weh des Leiden ; Die Harmonie in der Ehe ; Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen ; Revoici venir du printemps ; Farewell, dear love ; Mille regrets ; Chi chi li chi ; La nuit froide et sombre ; Bonjour mon coeur ; Matona, mia cara ; Crudel perche mi fuggi ; Scaldava il sol ; O Mirtillo, Mirtillo, anima mia ; Ohime se tanto amate ; Lamento d'Arianna ; My bonny lass she smileth ; Now is the month of maying ; Music, when soft voices die ; Il est bel et bon ; Lay a garland ; Rest, sweet nymphs ; Ancor che col partire ; Douce memoire ; Der Tanz ; Ach Elslein, liebes Elselein ; Au joli bois ; The blue bird ; Heraclitus ; The long day closes ; Three Shakespeare Songs ; Sweet Suffolk owl ; Thule, the period of cosmography (The first part) ; The Andalusian merchant (The second part) ; Draw on, sweet Night ; Weep, weep, mine eyes

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Book Synopsis10 SATB carols, accompanied and unaccompaniedFull of joy and tenderness, John Rutter's carols illuminate and celebrate the Christmas story in works of great imagination and variety. This selection of his most popular carols forms an essential collection for all choirs. Instrumental material for individual carols is available on hire.Table of ContentsAngels' Carol ; Candlelight Carol ; Dormi, Jesu ; Love came down at Christmas ; Mary's Lullaby ; Nativity Carol ; Shepherd's Pipe Carol ; Star Carol ; There is a flower ; What sweeter music

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Book SynopsisA fascinating study in sexual psychology and sexual politics, the novel focuses on Hélène Grandjean, a widow, and her shifting emotional states. This is the eighth novel in Zola's Rougon-Macquart series, and the first modern translation for more than fifty years.Trade ReviewA Love Story was such a joy to read... This is the type of book I would like to leisurely read while sitting in a Paris café, maybe that is how I will re-read A Love Story. * Michael Kitto, Knowledge Lost *There's so much to love and admire about this novel, which has rarely appeared in an English translation. * Harriet Devine, Shiny New Books *

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Book SynopsisThe book that set the standard for orchestration texts.

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Book SynopsisThe romantic musical comedy-drama film La La Land is the winner of six Oscars, seven Golden Globes and five BAFTAs. This artist-approved selection of 10 songs from the Oscar-winning music by Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul has been expertly arranged for intermediate solo piano, including the Oscar winning City of Stars.Table of ContentsAnother Day of Sun; Someone in the Crowd; Mia & Sebastian's Theme; A Lovely Night; City of Stars; Planetarium; Start a Fire; Engagement Party; Audition (The Fools Who Dream); Epilogue

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Book Synopsis***NOMINATED FOR THE NME BEST BOOK AWARD 2017 *** The first and only OFFICIAL book from ZAYN, for his ultimate fans. Zayn''s autobiography features exclusive, never-before-seen photographs alongside his story. -------------------------------- ''This book is my diary of a period that I would like to share with you all. I hope that there are things in the book that contextualise some of the moments and memories we have all shared together. There are things I address in the book that are very personal to me, things that I have never told anyone, things I still find hard to talk about. It''s a part of a journey I''m still on'' - ZAYN ZAYN opens up with this collection of thoughts, inspiration, and never-before-seen personal photographs. After five years of massive success with One Direction, ZAYN launched his career as a solo artist with Mind of Mine, becoming one of the most successful artists in the world. NowTrade ReviewThe first and only official book from ZAYN. Global superstar ZAYN shares a photographic journey of his life since leaving One Direction. from the publisher's description

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Book Synopsis''The definitive story of the Rolling Stones'' HEATIn this remarkable book, the Stones themselves reveal the story behind the legend, getting right to the heart of what makes the group tick. It''s the band''s-eye view of their history, punctuated by pithy comments on album and single releases, on memorable performances and on the ups and downs of their private world, and also includes stunning illustrations, many from their own personal archives. The book begins with their roots and what brought them together. It then charts their rise from playing in tiny clubs to their success as ''the greatest rock ''n'' roll band in the world''. They describe how their music has evolved and how it has changed their lives.''It wasn''t so much a question of being a wizard on the guitar. You also had to be quite a magician to live with the Stones'' Ronnie WoodTrade Review'Their often blunt recollections make fo ra hugely entertaining slice of rock 'n' roll history. As producer Don Was puts it:"whatever else is happening in the world, you can always count on the Rolling Stones to show up and play the shit out of 'Satisfaction'". Amen to that'. -- Simon Beckett Observer

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Book Synopsis''Unflinching, forthright and full of wry humour as the man himself, and there''s little praise greater than that'' CLASSIC ROCK''Wall''s vision of Lemmy as a Rock''n''Roll stalwart who made no concessions is vivid to the last'' GUARDIANIn ''The Ace of Spades'', Motörhead''s most famous song, Lemmy, the born-to-lose, live-to-win frontman of the band sang, ''I don''t want to live forever''. Yet as he told his friend of 35 years, former PR and biographer Mick Wall, ''Actually, I want to go the day before forever. To avoid the rush...''. This is his strange but true story. Brutally frank, painfully funny, wincingly sad, and always beautifully told, LEMMY: THE DEFINITIVE BIOGRAPHY is the story of the only rock''n''roller never to sell his soul for silver and gold, while keeping the devil, as he put it, ''very close to my side''. From school days growing up in North Wales, to first finding fame in the mid-60s with the Rockin'' Vicars; from being JimTrade ReviewWall's vision of Lemmy as a Rock'n'Roll stalwart who made no concessions is vivid to the last * GUARDIAN *'Lumme! Who is this lovely, likeable Lemmy?' * MAIL ON SUNDAY *LEMMY is as unflinching, forthright and full of wry humour as the man himself, and there's little praise greater than that. * CLASSIC ROCK *

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Book Synopsis''Nobody owes us anything, but the Simple Minds story has been too condensed. After Live Aid and ''Don''t You (Forget About Me)'' there hasn''t been quite the credit for those first few records. I think they contain some really special music. I can hear the flaws but there''s something about the spirit and imagination in them that feels good. They draw from such a wide range of influences . . . but the spirit of it was always Simple Minds.'' Jim Kerr, to the author An illuminating new biography of one of Britain''s biggest and most influential bands, written with the full input and cooperation of Simple Minds, shedding new light on their dazzling art-rock legacy. Themes for Great Cities features in-depth new interviews with original band members Jim Kerr, Charlie Burchill, Mick MacNeil and Derek Forbes, alongside key figures from within their creative community and high-profile fans such as Bobby Gillespie, James Dean Bradfield and Mogwai''s StuTrade ReviewA deep and thrilling dive into some of the greatest musical minds to have come out of Scotland in modern times * Ian Rankin *The definitive biography of this most mercurial of bands. Thomson knows how to take it apart - without demystifying the mystery, he gives us the art school band that never had an art school, but went instead on an endless adventure and took a bit of all of us with them * Alan Warner *A biography that gives the group its long-overdue credit. Thomson's exquisitely written account reaches poetic levels . . . An eye-opening work throughout, Themes for Great Cities may be the final word on Kerr and Co's legacy * Classic Pop *Brings fresh insight into the early albums in particular. Any music biog which sends you straight to the records themselves is doing its job * Alistair Braidwood, Scots Whay Hae *For anyone who is newer to the Simple Minds fold or hasn't explored their back catalogue extensively, I implore you to read this book. For the die hards - you need this book! It is a fast and exhilarating ride * Larelle Read, Priptona Weird (Simple Minds fansite) *[The] mission here is to "remystify" Simple Minds. It's a wholly successful endeavour . . . Thomson's enthusiasm for tracing the cultural and geographical roots of Simple Minds is infectious, and the result shines a bright light into the forgotten corners of the band's story -- Tom Doyle * MOJO *Excellent . . . shows how the five-piece Simple Minds found their place -- Jim Wirth * Uncut *Thomson expertly handles proceedings . . . best of all is the coverage of the epic early albums, which all too often seemed to be forgotten as soon as the mega stardom called * Electronic Sound *Music has such a capacity to uplift, to inspire, to recognise, to connect, and Graeme Thomson's latest book explores how the work of Simple Minds captures those possibilities * Books From Scotland *In focusing largely on their pre-stardom records ... Thomson elegantly reminds us how Simple Minds influenced Primal Scream, Manic Street Preachers and contemporaries U2. **** * Mail on Sunday *An essential read * Echoes & Dust *An engaging, insightful, and welcome biography and history of one of Scotland's greatest bands ... it'll make you return to those glorious early albums and fall in love with them all over again - the ultimate accolade for any music biography * Product *One of the (many) pleasures of ... Themes for Great Cities is its desire to be an act of reclamation. Thomson wants to challenge the lazy cliches that have attached to the band's reputation, to complicate the story, to, as he says in his introduction, "remystify" his subject * The Herald *Themes for Great Cities is so taut and so full of cliff-hangers, that it reads more like a thriller. It's exactly the sort of book that Simple Minds deserve. * Prog *Thomson's thesis is sound: for about five years, Scotland's biggest ever band made exceptional music, and there's no better man to tell you all about it. * Hot Press, Music Book of the Month *Truly a story of 'ambition in motion' . . . There are a number of passages that almost uncannily mirror the music, where the narrative and inner vision perfectly align . . . In some ways Simple Minds' early music is a perfect secret waiting to be rediscovered. * Quietus *I couldn't read this book without digging out my old vinyl and listening as I read. It was like listening with new ears . . . utterly inspiring. * Louder Than War *

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Book Synopsis''An inspired and intuitive navigation of the drone continuum . . . with a compass firmly set to new and enlightening psychedelic truths'' BECKMonolithic Undertow alights a crooked path across musical, religious and subcultural frontiers. It traces the line from ancient traditions to the modern underground, navigating archaeoacoustics, ringing feedback, chest plate sub-bass, avant-garde eccentricity, sound weaponry and fervent spiritualism. From Neolithic beginnings to bawdy medieval troubadours, Sufi mystics to Indian raga masters, cone shattering dubwise bass, Hawkwind''s Ladbroke Grove to the outer reaches of Faust and Ash Ra Temple; the hash-fueled fug of The Theatre of Eternal Music to the cough syrup reverse hardcore of Melvins, seedy VHS hinterland of Electric Wizard, ritual amp worship of Earth and Sunn O))) and the many touch points in between, Monolithic Undertow explores the power of the drone - an audio carrier vessel capable of evoking womb Trade ReviewAn inspired and intuitive navigation of the drone continuum, MONOLITHIC UNDERTOW maps the heavy underground with a compass firmly set to new and enlightening psychedelic truths -- BECKThis is a masterpiece, heavy, fun, mad, wild, inspiring, mind-blowing, massively deep though never precious, so many tangents somehow brought together with clarity and vision, love the idea of a left-hand path history, and the connections between the beginnings of the universe, ritual music and modern electronic rock is jaw-dropping. I love it, this is the music book of the year and the ultimate book on the sound of the eternal now. This is going to drop like a true fucking monolith from the skies. -- DAVID KEENANEvery now and then a book comes out that redefines a form, creates the narrative and is a startling jolt to the culture fabric . . . [MONOLITHIC UNDERTOW] is thrilling, inspiring, informative and makes you jump all over the internet looking for the soundtrack. The book is a game changer and you will never listen to music in the same way again -- John Robb * LOUDER THAN WAR *Sword is a deeply knowledgeable and perceptive advocate for a vast range of often esoteric, sometimes challenging, always extraordinary music * Quietus *Monolithic Undertow searches for our relationship to drone music: an epic playlist that begins in the womb, then criss-crosses an exhaustive thread across the lo-fi Verdantic cassettes of Alice Coltrne, the 'true British blues' of Black Sabbath, infrasonic weaponry and the gritty doom-clouds of The Velvet Underground -- ART REVIEWAddictive . . . Sword's is an impressively global ear * IRISH TIMES *Verbose and effusive when assessing recordings, Monolithic Undertow's scope is large enough that any reader will likely discover something * BUZZ *

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Book SynopsisAs heard on BBC 6 Music with Shaun Keveny, BBC Radio 5 Live and Talk Radio with Eamonn HolmesThe age of the rock star, like the age of the cowboy, has passed. Like the cowboy, the idea of the rock star lives on in our imaginations.What did we see in them? Swagger. Recklessness. Sexual charisma. Damn-the-torpedoes self-belief. A certain way of carrying themselves. Good hair. Interesting shoes. Talent we wished we had.What did we want of them? To be larger than life but also like us. To live out their songs. To stay young forever. No wonder many didn’t stay the course.In Uncommon People, David Hepworth zeroes in on defining moments and turning points in the lives of forty rock stars from 1955 to 1995, taking us on a journey to burst a hundred myths and create a hundred more. As this tribe of uniquely motivated nobodies went about turning themselves into the ultimate somebodies, they also shaped us, our real lives and our fantasies. Uncommon People isn’t just their story. It’s ours as well.Trade ReviewMarvellous . . . The age of the rock star is over, and Hepworth’s never-less-than fascinating book is a more than fitting farewell -- Dylan Jones * GQ *David Hepworth is such a clever writer . . . Uncommon People is a gorgeous read, celebratory and bittersweet, both pep rally and memorial, throbbing with insight and incident -- Julie Burchill * Spectator *This book is a kind of elegy for a glorious but passing phase in entertainment history . . . brim[s] with insight, humour and a certain genial astringency -- Stuart Maconie * Mail on Sunday *[A] wonderful portrait of rock stardom . . . Hepworth’s writing is sublime * Daily Mail *The effect is that of faded, evocative, partisan Polaroids scattered from the memory of one obsessive music fan . . . Uncommon People emerges as part of the drive to capture, analyse and archive key moments in musical history that might otherwise vanish from popular memory before we know it * Observer *

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Book Synopsis***'A wonderful document of the last great gathering of the pre-internet age. No camera phones, no social media, just a band and its fans as one' -NOEL GALLAGHER On 10th and 11th August 1996, Oasis played the concerts that would define them, a band at the height of their powers playing to over 250,000 people.Twenty-five years on, this is the inside story of those nights, told through the breathtaking photographs of Jill Furmanovsky, granted unprecedented access to Oasis throughout that summer. Also includes newly obtained first-hand accounts from the people who were there - including Noel Gallagher and Alan McGee - in text by award-winning author Daniel Rachel. From relaxed rehearsals and warm-up concerts to Knebworth itself - backstage, onstage, flying high above the site - many of the stunning photographs in this book have never been seen anywhere before.This the definitive account of two nights that a generation will never forget.

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Book SynopsisThis is an A-Z collection of some of Liverpool FC's fans' favourite chants. Including timeless tunes and clever or funny lyrics, this book will gladden the hearts of Reds fans of any age.

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Book SynopsisHow can thoughtfully and intentionally listening to our world expand and inform our creative practices? What insights can we gain when we delve into the immersive world of sound, which permeates our every moment? In Transcendent Waves, sound healing practitioner, meditation teacher, and artist Lavender Suarez outlines how listening can unlock moments of creative spark, self awareness, and calm in a work that is equal parts how-to guide and contemplative artist’s workbook. Suarez's illustrated meditations follow in the artistic tradition of Yoko Ono’s Grapefruit and the creations of the Fluxus group, but also offer a modern take on listening in a world that gets louder every day. Covering everything from the noise of everyday life to musical compositions, Transcendent Waves compiles scientific evidence, anecdotes, and thoughtful prompts to spark a sense of wonderment and appreciation for the intricacies of sound and the new perspectives it can bring to our daily creative worlds.Trade ReviewLavender Suarez beautifully details the ideas behind how sound affects the world we live in. - Selective Memory Magazine (Dec. 2020)Transcendent Waves is a delightfully experimental new book which pays homage to the creative power of deep listening and the potential for sound to serve as a gateway towards transcendence. - Redefine Magazine, Jan. 2021Virtually every page of this book features a concept that forces you to reconsider your approach to listening, to music and the world around you. For Suarez, listening is an active mode rather than a passive one; by focusing on it, sound can spark your imagination and kickstart your creativity. There are countless waves waiting to be caught. - Aquarium Drunkard, Book Club Selection, Jan. 2021

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Book SynopsisThe story of a remarkable time and place: Los Angeles from the dawn of the singer-songwriter era in the mid-Sixties to the peak of The Eagles' success in the late Seventies.Hotel California' is an epic tale of songs and sunshine, drugs and denim, genius and greed, and is the first in-depth account of the LA Canyons scene between 1967 and 1976.Hoskyn''s history of this vital period in the development of today''s great musical influences spans the rise of Joni Mitchell, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, The Eagles, James Taylor and Jackson Browne, and focuses on the brilliance and determination of David Geffen, the man who linked them all.Covering genius, drug-crazed disintegration, and the myriad relationships between these artists and the songs that issued from them, and drawing on extensive interviews with countless stars, singers, writers, managers, executives and scenesters, Hotel California' is a pop-culture classic.Trade Review‘Hoskyns impresses with the sheer weight of testimony he has amassed and the skill with which he has woven it into a tightly coiled and elegiac narrative.’ Christopher Silvester, Sunday Times ‘A terrific account of the interface between idealism and squalor, art and commerce.’ Guardian ‘The author skillfully teases out the complex web of relationships between the artists, managers, and record executives who made up the West Coast’s self-styled bohemian elite.’ Ben Thompson, Independent ‘if you are looking for the ingredients traditionally required of a good rock'n'roll story, then “Hotel California” has got the lot… An ambitious and authoritative account which makes overdue sense of a spectacularly decadent period of pop history’ David Sinclair, Guardian

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Book Synopsis'An absolutely masterly work' Stephen FryAlex Ross, renowned author of the international bestseller The Rest Is Noise, reveals how Richard Wagner became the proving ground for modern art and politicsan aesthetic war zone where the Western world wrestled with its capacity for beauty and violence.For better or worse, Wagner is the most widely influential figure in the history of music. Around 1900, the phenomenon known as Wagnerism saturated European and American culture. Such colossal creations as The Ring of the Nibelung, Tristan und Isolde, and Parsifal were models of formal daring, mythmaking, erotic freedom, and mystical speculation. A mighty procession of writers, artists, and thinkers, including Charles Baudelaire, Virginia Woolf, Isadora Duncan, Vasily Kandinsky, and Luis Buñuel, felt his impact. Anarchists, occultists, feminists, and gay-rights pioneers saw him as a kindred spirit. Then Adolf Hitler incorporated Wagner into the soundtrack of Nazi Germany, and the composer came to be defined by his ferocious anti-Semitism. His name is now almost synonymous with artistic evil.Wagnerism restores the magnificent confusion of what it means to be a Wagnerian. A pandemonium of geniuses, madmen, charlatans, and prophets do battle over Wagner's many-sided legacy. The narrative ranges across artistic disciplines, from architecture to the novels of Philip K. Dick, from the Zionist writings of Theodor Herzl to the civil-rights essays of W. E. B. Du Bois, from O Pioneers! to Apocalypse Now. In many ways,Wagnerism tells a tragic tale. An artist who might have rivalled Shakespeare in universal reach is implicated in an ideology of hate. Still, his shadow lingers over twenty-first century culture, his mythic motifs coursing through superhero films and fantasy fiction. Neither apologia nor condemnation, Wagnerism is a work of intellectual passion, urging us toward a more honest idea of how art acts in the world.Trade Review‘Ross does a good and very full job in tracing the obsession of different times and places, and the intellectual flavour each wave took … excellent, and extraordinarily thorough’ Philip Hensher, Spectator ‘An absolutely masterly work … A miraculous synthesis. Ross’s writing is an art that conceals art, propelling the reader on and on’ Stephen Fry “Wagnerism is as magnificently realized as it is monumentally ambitious, a cultural history of the modern world that Richard ‘Wagner and his protean art helped mightily to create … Ross is the ideal guide: lucid, astoundingly erudite, scrupulous, generous, profound, objective and engaged, and enormously entertaining’ Tony Kushner, playwright of Angels in America ‘With rhetorical flourishes and an eye for detail Ross extols the art made by Wagnerians who were able to meet “the Meister” on their own terms’ The Times ‘Wagnerism is a hugely exhilarating read, and a virtuoso feat of scholarship and supple writing: Ross is such a companionable guide, connecting ideas so casually and unspooling stories so fluidly that you can almost lose sight of the ferocious erudition that undergirds every page. I can’t think of a better or more profound work about the long, complicated shadow of cultural influence’ Patrick Radden Keefe, author of Say Nothing ‘Goes far beyond the man himself, using its subject to springboard into a breathlessly entertaining and dizzyingly diverse survey of art, politics and culture over the past century and a half. Ultimately, it’s a book about how humans are inspired by art, and like all of Alex Ross’s writing, it bottles that strange lightning and inspires us in turn’ Rian Johnson, director of The Last Jedi and Knives Out ‘Love him or hate him, Wagner has been unavoidable … By presenting an honest assessment of the problem, Wagnerism supplies, if not answers, then at least the right questions.’ Economist

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A rueful, battle-scarred, darkly witty observer of his own life and times." -- New York Times "In his poetic memoir, I Dreamed I Was a Very Clean Tramp, Hell takes us on a tour of a lost world and stakes out his place in cultural history." -- Los Angeles Times "Hell brings to his new autobiography more literary experience than your typical rock memoirist...I Dreamed I Was a Very Clean Tramp ultimately celebrates passion, in all its complicated, sometimes dangerous forms." -- USA Today "This valuable book... is not only an absorbing cultural history but also a clear-eyed story that superbly channels the attitude expressed in the first blurt to his best-known song 'Blank Generation': "I was saying let me out of here before I was even born." -- Boston Globe "Mr. Hell has an excellent new memoir, I Dreamed I Was a Very Clean Tramp, that describes that wild, reckless and important era in downtown Manhattan with candor, wit and reverence." -- The Observer "His book shines its own dirty light. Which means it has lots of sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll. Pick up I Dreamed I Was a Very Clean Tramp, if you want poetry and insight." -- Spin "There are many shivery, illicit pleasures in this louche memoir... Hell was a virtuoso of taste, a critic with a sensibility so fine and unconventional it bordered on its own form of art... weird and singular and superbly self-aware." -- BookForum "Hell is an enthusiastic reporter of the critical artistic crossover of the avant-garde art scene and the world of punk rock... his account rings true and it entertains... a treasure both to those present during gritty, heady '70s NYC and to those not." -- Time Out New York (4 Stars) "Hell brings his searingly honest songwriting style to this candid and page-turning memoir... [Hell's] portrait of the artist searching for himself offers a glimpse into his own genius as well as recreating the hellishness and the excitement of a now long-gone music scene in New York City." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) "A skilled writer...In recalling the days when love came in spurts, Hell is precise, telling a lot without ever seeming to tell too much. He nails the essence of both scenes and people, from rock peers to exploitative record producers...A deft, lyrical chronicle." -- Kirkus "Hell is a fine writer and full of self-knowledge, and part of the pleasure of this randy, drug-addled memoir are his descriptions of New York during the bad old days when crime was rampant and the streets filthy. A compelling and entertaining memoir." -- Booklist "[Hell] almost single handedly created 'punk' as we know it... Few people have been as important--yet as underappreciated as Richard Hell. Poet, musician, fashion icon and terrific, terrific writer. Chances are, you have been deeply influenced by Richard Hell your whole life. You just didn't know it." -- Anthony Bourdain "Richard Hell designed and executed a sustained performance of rock stardom as if he had invented the concept himself. Radically self-aware, he wields prose keen as a diamond knife, sharpened by the light of the moon." -- Luc Sante, award winning author of Low Life "An exquisite snapshot of early punk possibility--that so beautifully captures the exuberance of starting a band!" -- Legs McNeil "Charming and impossible, Hell is the first (and best!) name in punk rock. His insights are informed by the romance of running away to the mystery heard in the rowdy grooves of a dirty LP or in the pages of a thumbed book of verse." -- Thurston Moore "Tramp gave me the same feeling I had as a kid... I cozied up and fell in love with a world that wasn't mine. There are very few books that make me want to start writing my own; this is one of them." -- Kathleen Hanna "Other rock bios are tasteful and cautious - you feel the writer take you to a certain point but then pull back... Hell will take you right there, and that is why this book is an honest and special treat." -- Dean Wareham

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Book SynopsisIn this first of a groundbreaking multivolume set, THE MCCARTNEY LEGACY, VOL 1: 1969-73 captures the life of Paul McCartney in the years immediately following the dissolution of the Beatles, a period in which McCartney recreated himself as both a man and a musician.Trade Review"Volume 1 of The McCartney Legacy by Allan Kozinn and Adrian Sinclair, arrives like a well-planned encore a year after the publication of The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present by Paul McCartney. Influenced by the methods of Mark Lewisohn, the exacting Beatles historian currently at work on the second volume of a trilogy about the group (the first was 900 pages, and that was an abridgment)... in a way The McCartney Legacy out-Lewisohns Lewisohn, taking almost 700 pages to cover only five years." — The New York Times Book Review “This is the comprehensive, painstaking, dazzling and definitive chronicle of rock’s strangest story: how Paul McCartney refused to go quietly after the Beatles, and how he kept his genius moving forward into another day. An amazing, inspiring trip.” — Rob Sheffield, author of Dreaming the Beatles “No maybe – I’m plain amazed at this real reveal of Paul McCartney with his decades of artful creativity. Through these pages is the accurate biography of a universal explorer.” — Mark Lewisohn, world renowned Beatles expert "Allan Kozinn and Adrian Sinclair's The McCartney Legacy: Volume 1, 1969-73 is a triumph... their masterful study of the artist's spectacular rise from the ashes of the Beatles, Kozinn and Sinclair bring McCartney's comeback story vividly to life." — Salon "Anybody in the future who wants to know anything about the subject will find the information here. Allan Kozinn and Adrian Sinclair, a former New York Times music critic and a documentary maker respectively, have entirely succeeded in the task they set themselves — to find out and inform the reader of everything there is to know about the life of Paul McCartney between 1969 and 1973." — The Times (UK) "If the devil is in the detail the The McCartney Legacy is positively satanic." — The Mail on Sunday Book Review "Setting the story between The Beatles’ demise and 1973 offers Kozinn and Sinclair a compelling redemptive narrative arc... Choosing to tell their story without foreknowledge, the authors allow it to unfold as if it’s happening in real time and without looking ahead to the outcome of any particular actions. It’s an often breathless and riveting read." — Reader's Digest "One thing that really sets this book apart is Kozinn and Sinclair’s unprecedented amount of detail on every single Paul McCartney solo recording session: dates, places, songs worked on, remembrances from those in the room, and lots of equipment detail." — Houston Press Book Review "A gold mine for avid fans." — Kirkus Reviews

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Engrossing…a rigorously researched look at how labels targeted bands and fought to sign them.” — Jim Ruland, Los Angeles Times “[Ozzi] looked at the major label debuts of different bands in this genre, tracing a music industry in flux, fans betrayed by their idols, and bands trying to navigate the machine.” — NPR’s All Things Considered “A forensic and uniquely sympathetic dive into one of the most uncouth actions for an artist—selling out, baby.” — Jeff Rosenstock “Fascinating… When it comes to the topic of punk, or more specifically, the iteration of the genre that existed during the last era of the traditional music industry, Dan Ozzi’s Sellout is poised to serve as a definitive text.” — San Francisco Chronicle “Based on a trove of original interviews and personal stories from band members and other crucial players, Ozzi examines how 11 groups grappled with the tension between punk’s core tenets and major label possibilities, and parses what success and failure looked like in this fraught realm.” — Rolling Stone

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Music journalist Azerrad provides an electric revision to his 1993 account of the defining band of the grunge movement. (...) The band’s myriad fans will be rapt." — Publishers Weekly (starred review) Thirty years after its original publication, rock writer Azerrad (Our Band Could Be Your Life) updates and nearly doubles the number of pages of his groundbreaking Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana. The author intersperses hundreds of new, detailed paragraphs throughout the original text to amplify and clarify the earlier material. Most satisfying, he adds a lengthy epilogue which deals with events that happened after the 1991 release of the album Nevermind, including Kurt Cobain’s last months and tragic death in 1994. New material includes the Nirvana tours and practice sessions that Azerrad attended; Cobain’s meeting with one of his heroes, William Burroughs; the telltale signs that pointed to Cobain’s self-destructive impulses and his eventual death; and the utter remorse that Azerrad and other insiders felt after Cobain’s suicide at age 27. VERDICT (...) Nirvana fans will want to read it. — Library Journal (starred review) "Michael Azerrad has always demonstrated a passionate feeling for the ideas, the ambitions, that drive the notable moments of recent musical history. But this annotated edition of his earlier book, which was already a very successful biography, breaks out even further into high art. He's the perfect narrator, now, for a very important question, perhaps increasingly forgotten: why was punk important and how do we talk about it now? The urgencies of this question are everywhere in this powerful, uncertain, and profoundly human work. Azzerad's restless plunging onward, represents the further entanglement in deep, fraught, endangered wisdom." — Rick Moody, bestselling author of The Ice Storm and Hotels of North America “Enriched with new anecdotes, insights and info-morsels, this super-expanded Michael Azerrad classic is a great story made even more gripping. Nirvana’s underground-overground arc becomes a prism for understanding an entire era of rock music and pop culture.” — Simon Reynolds, author of Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-84 "Essential for Nirvana fans." — Kirkus Reviews "A fascinating examination of a band's rise and demise; life and death, personality flaws and mistakes and the ways in which someone in the public eye deals with them" — Culture Catch “Veteran music scribe Michael Azerrad’s absorbing, admirable and deeply personal sequel to his acclaimed 1993 bio Come As You Are: The Story Of Nirvana. (...) [This] might be the most fully rounded portrait of the artist to date” — Tinnitist

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Book SynopsisThe definitive biography of the celebrated composer, published in English to coincide with the centenary of his deathTrade Review“Sympathetic . . . evocative . . . original and refreshingly opinionated.”—John Adams, New York Times Book Review -- John Adams * New York Times Book Review *"[A] superb, multi-faceted biography. . . . Fischer's superb study does full justice to the complexity of its subject."—Adam Lively, The Sunday Times -- Adam Lively * The Sunday Times *

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

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Book SynopsisHow to get a good sound, read music, and master a variety of styles-including classical, pop, jazz, and LatinListening to a trumpet trilla series of high notes during a military march or wail longingly during a blues rendition-is a pleasure second to none.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 Part I: Ta-Da! A Prelude to Trumpet Playing 7 Chapter 1: The Instrument of Royalty 9 Chapter 2: How the Trumpet Works 23 Chapter 3: Choosing Your Weapon 35 Chapter 4: A Primer on Music Notation 51 Part II: The Noble Sound of the Trumpet 69 Chapter 5: Making Buzzing Beautiful 71 Chapter 6: Sound the Trumpet! 83 Chapter 7: Adding More Notes, Making More Music 99 Chapter 8: Becoming Articulate on the Trumpet 113 Chapter 9: Warming Up for Greater Success 125 Part III: Developing Your Technique 139 Chapter 10: Lower! Slower! 141 Chapter 11: Higher! Faster! 153 Chapter 12: Arpeggios: Leaps of Faith 167 Chapter 13: Developing Strength and Endurance 177 Chapter 14: Becoming More Articulate 191 Chapter 15: The Different Characters of the Trumpet 217 Part IV: The Complete Trumpeter: Knowledge and Skills for the Advancing Player 231 Chapter 16: A Practice Routine for Success 233 Chapter 17: Becoming More Versatile 269 Chapter 18: Valves, Slides, and Leadpipes: The Greasy Side of Trumpet Playing 293 Chapter 19: Collecting Stuff for Your Trumpet 309 Chapter 20: Studying with a Teacher 325 Chapter 21: Get ting in the Game 333 Part V: The Par t of Tens 345 Chapter 22: Ten Trumpet Kings and Queens 347 Chapter 23: Ten Bad Habits to Avoid 353 Chapter 24: Ten Ways You Can Be Your Best 357 Appendix: About the CD 361 Index 369

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Book SynopsisPersonally compiled and curated by Yoko Ono, Imagine John Yoko is the definitive inside story told in revelatory detail of the making of the legendary album and all that surrounded it: the locations, the creative team, the artworks and the films, in the words of John & Yoko and the people who were there. Features 80% exclusive, hitherto-unpublished archive photos and footage sequences of all the key players in situ, together with lyric sheets, Yoko's art installations, and exclusive new insights and personal testimonies from Yoko and over forty of the musicians, engineers, staff, celebrities, artists and photographers who were there including Julian Lennon, Klaus Voormann, Alan White, Jim Keltner, David Bailey, Dick Cavett and Sir Michael Parkinson. A lot has been written about the creation of the song, the album and the film of Imagine, mainly by people who weren't there, so I'm very pleased and grateful that now, for the first time, so many of the participants have kindly Trade Review'A luxurious scrapbook … Beatles geeks will salivate over it' - Observer'Gorgeous' - i newspaper'Wonderful' - Choice'Tells their love story like never before' - Rolling Stone'Deeply desirable … especially for [those] who covet the rare and beautiful … to see how this avant-garde duo lived and created art is powerfully inspiring' - Harper's Bazaar Australia'A Lennon fan could hardly ask for more' - Washington Post'Fans will be particularly enchanted' - USA Today'This book is near perfect' - Spill'Here, in a new book of interviews past and present, we see how their love affair, the making of the album and their pacifism intertwined' - Financial TimesTable of ContentsPreface • 1. Tittenhurst • 2. Recording Imagine • 3. Album Artwork • 4. Filming Imagine • 5. This Is Not Here • 6. Legacy

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Book SynopsisLRB BOOKSHOP'S AUTHOR OF THE MONTH ONE OF THE GUARDIAN'S BEST BOOKS OF 2019'If you haven't read Bernhard, you will not know of the most radical advance in fiction since Joyce ...

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Book SynopsisAcclaimed scholar rethinks the nature and meaning of music.

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Book SynopsisTeach yourself the essential piano chords plus many more! Organized as a chord per spread, for the left and right hands, this is a handy, comprehensive reference for jazz, pop, rock and soul musicians playing the piano or keyboard at any level. This no-nonsense, easy to carry, wiro book will fit on a stand and into a music bag or hand bag with the minimum of fuss.Revised and updated version, replaces ISBN-13 9781844517152Trade Review5.0 out of 5 stars | Easy Use Chords | By Roy Eldridge | I am self taught on music and I find this very helpful. It is a lot quicker to find the chords compared to my other chord lists. * Amazon *5.0 out of 5 stars | Piano and Chords Books | By Mr G Honey | BRILLIANT little book showing you all the chords you would ever need! The left page shows you the left hand chord structure, and the right hand page shows you the right hand chord structure like fingering etc. A must for reference and ideal when you forget what a chord is made up of. Every music class should have one and I got it at a bargain price from amazon!! * Amazon *5.0 out of 5 stars | This is just great… | By Wayno | For a budding piano great like myself this is an enormous help. Nice big diagrams and text, ring bound, fab. Have also ordered the guitar version as well, this book that good. * Amazon *

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Book SynopsisHow Music Works is David Byrne''s bestselling, buoyant celebration of a subject he has spent a lifetime thinking about. Drawing on his own work over the years with Talking Heads, Brian Eno, and his myriad collaborators - along with journeys to Wagnerian opera houses, African villages, and anywhere music exists - Byrne shows how music emerges from cultural circumstance as much as individual creativity. It is his magnum opus, and an impassioned argument about music''s liberating, life-affirming power.Trade ReviewIt was wildly ambitious to try and turn this galaxy of theory into a readable work of scholarship but Byrne has done it, and done it with style. Brian Eno might as well cancel that book deal now -- Mark Ellen * * The Observer * *As well as being an investigation into the context in which music is made, How Music Works is an accomplished celebration of an ever-evolving art form that can alter how we look at ourselves and the world -- Fiona Sturges * * Independent * *Brilliantly original * * New York Times Book Review * *As accessible as pop yet able to posit deep and startlingly original thoughts and discoveries in almost every paragraph . . . this book will make you hear music in a different way -- Oliver Keens * * The Sunday Telegraph * *A very involving read - Byrne is good company - he has a gift for a telling analogy that makes complex points easily grasped -- Keith Bruce * * The Herald * *How Music Works is a melange of bookish musings on how music is shaped by the places it is played and the technology used to create and disseminate it -- Danny Eccleston * * MOJO * *An entertaining and erudite book . . . this is a serious, straight-forward account of an art from that also manages to be inspiring -- Peter Aspden * * Financial Times * *Given the vastness of the subject, calling a treatise How Music Works seems intellectually arrogant, but it could also be seen as disarmingly frank, a fresh perspective from a down-to-earth mind. David Byrne's book, although a self-conscious art object (backwards pagination, upholstered cover and so on) contains plenty of plain-spoken, sensible observations: a dichotomy typical of the man * * Guardian * *Incisive and intriguing -- Nick Curtis * * The Evening Standard * *How Music Works is not just a noticeably handsome book but a beguiling and hugely perceptive one too -- Jonathan O’Brien * * Sunday Business Post * *The finest music book of the year . . . Handsomely bound, beautifully printed, wittily illustrated, it would make a beautiful collector's item but there is much more going on between the covers . . . bursting with a sense of free-flowing curiosity -- Neil McCormick * * The Daily Telegraph * *Creators of all stripes will find much to inspire them in Mr Byrne's erudite musings on the biological and mathematical underpinnings of sound. . . His observations on the nature of pattern and repetition, and on people's neurological response to aesthetic experience, apply to all creative fields * * The Economist * *It's a great book to pick up and start at any chapter, a hugely rewarding and enriching read. A fascinating look at music from many angles, I would receommend it to anyone who plays or simply has an interest in the history and evolution of the musical form, the culture of music, both as a well of inspiration and as a simple commodity * * Irish Times * *By investigating how music works, Byrne shows us how best it can be used. We are all the richer for his effort -- Yo Zushi * * New Statesman * *Fascinating look at music's power to move -- Alexis Petridis * * The Guardian * *A big beautiful work of art. . . As you might expect from someone as intelligent and open-minded as Byrne, How Music Works is a far ranging and astute look at all the facets of music -- Doug Johnstone * * The Big Issue * *Disarmingly frank, a fresh perspective from a down-to-earth mind -- Michel Faber * * The Guardian * *Inspiring * * Financial Times * *An ambitious attempt at understanding a phenomenon to which the former Talking Head has dedicated his life's work -- John Doran * * Quietus * *Extraordinary * * Guardian * *Unique among a deluge of music biographies and autobiographies coming out this Christmas, this wildly ambitious book breaks the mould -- Arthur House * * The Sunday Telegraph * *Byrne is a crisp and enthusiastic guide -- Rob Fitzpatrick * * The Sunday Times * *Absorbing * * Independent * *[A] wide-ranging tome -- Geeta Daval * * Wired Magazine * *A fluid, intelligent analysis -- Patrick Freyne * * The Irish Times * *Satisfying * * MOJO * *

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Book SynopsisApplies musical principles to gain insight into the structure and development of the human body, and explores the cosmic origins of human beings.

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