Music Books
Harvard University Press The Harvard Dictionary of Music Harvard
Book Synopsis
£42.36
Marion Boyars Publishers Ltd From CBGB to the Roundhouse
Book Synopsis
£9.49
Manchester University Press Liszts Chopin
Book SynopsisMeirion Hughes combines a new translation of the first edition with an introduction that places the work in its cultural and political context -- .Table of ContentsList of figuresAcknowledgementsTranslator’s noteLiszt’s ‘Chopin’ Part One: IntroductionI. ‘Comrades’ and ‘Friends’II. ‘Men of the Future’III. Voices IV. Some Contexts and Conclusions Part Two: TextF.Chopin Chapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8Bibliography
£18.99
McNidder & Grace The Mick Ronson Story
Book SynopsisA must have book for fans of Mick Ronson and David Bowie - the Spider from Hull who lit up the fabulous Ziggy Stardust shows with his dazzling guitar playing and powerful stage presence. This is Mick Ronson's story. And it begins in his home-town of Hull.Trade Review'Carefully crafted, it collects anecdotes and insights from family, friends and fellow musicians into his genius - and genial - character... Rupert and Garry charts Ronson's life, from the moment his mother realised the gift he had, through his early struggles to achieve his ambition, the Bowie years, and onwards to the many collaborations with top musicians as producer and arranger.' Yorkshire PostTable of ContentsFOREWARD PREFACE INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1- Childhood and Early Years 1946-1963 CHAPTER 2 - First Bands 1963-1966 CHAPTER 3- The Rats Part One 1966- 1968 CHAPTER 4- The Rats Part Two 1968-1970 CHAPTER 5- Bowie, Hype and the Man Who Sold the World 1970 CHAPTER 6 - From Ronno to Ziggy 1970-1971 CHAPTER 7 - Ziggy Played Guitar 1972 CHAPTER 8 - Ziggy's Rise and Fall 1973 CHAPTER 9 - From Sideman to Frontman 1973-1974 CHAPTER 10 - Musician & Producer for Hire 1974-1977 CHAPTER 11- The Long Road Home 1977- 1993 CHAPTER 12 - The Legacy APPENDICES: Who's Who Mick Ronson Timeline Bands & Artists that Mick worked with as a Musician and/or Producer Mick Ronson Map of Hull Acknowledgements Bibliography Photo Credits Index
£13.49
Orion Publishing Co Two Riders Were Approaching The Life Death of
Book SynopsisJimmy was a down-at-heel guitarist in New York, relying on his latest lovers to support him while he tried to emulate his hero Bob Dylan. A black guy playing white rock music, he wanted to be all things to all people.But when Jimmy arrived in England and became Jimi, the cream of swinging London fell under his spell. It wasn''t that Jimi could play with his teeth, play with his guitar behind his back. It was that he could really play.Journeying through the purple haze of idealism and paranoia of the sixties, Jimi Hendrix was the man who made Eric Clapton consider quitting, to whom Bob Dylan deferred on his own song ''All Along the Watchtower'', who forced Miles Davis to reconsider his buttoned-down ways - and whose ''Star Spangled Banner'' defined Woodstock. And when his star, which had burned so brightly, was extinguished far too young, his legend lived on in the music - and the intrigue surrounding his death. Eschewing the tradit
£10.44
Hal Leonard Corporation Fifty Shades of Crimson
Book SynopsisFeatures interviews with Bill Bruford, Peter Giles, Gordon Haskell, Judy Dyble and more . . .In 1969 five young Englishmen calling themselves King Crimson altered the course of rock music, and despite a revolving-door lineup, the band has continued to innovate and inspire for more than fifty years. Fifty Shades of Crimson tells the story of this legendary band and of the unique English guitarist Robert Fripp it revolves around. With a deep passion for the music, author Pete Tomsett celebrates the achievements of Fripp and the array of incredible talent that has passed through Crimson, while not shying away from the many behind-the-scenes difficulties.Getting signed after supporting The Rolling Stones at Hyde Park, Crimson shot to fame with their debut album, In the Court of the Crimson King, becoming one of the most influential bands of that era and triggering the rise of prog rock. While going through countless personnel, including Greg Lake, Bill Bruford and John Wet
£21.25
Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music Piano Exam Pieces 2025 2026 ABRSM Grade 7
Book SynopsisThis book contains nine pieces from ABRSM''s Grade 7 Piano syllabus for 2025 & 2026, three pieces chosen from each of Lists A, B and C - ideal for both Practical and Performance Grade exams. The pieces have been carefully selected to offer an attractive and varied range of styles, creating a collection that provides an excellent source of repertoire to suit every performer. The book also contains helpful footnotes and, for those preparing for exams, useful syllabus information. Recordings of all pieces are available on all major streaming platforms.
£15.15
Permanent Draft Basta Now
Book Synopsis
£23.75
Velocity Press Synthesizer Evolution Drum Machines Samplers
Book SynopsisFollowing on from his 2021 book, Synthesizer Evolution: From Analogue to Digital (and Back), Oli Freke returns with a Synthesizer Evolution A6 zine series. Drum machines and samplers have something of a shared history and this zine celebrates their invention and by picking out 46 of the most influential, important or most interesting drum machines and samplers from 1949 1996. Explore the most legendary drum machines and samplers ever created, including the Roland TR-808, Roland TR-909, Akai S1000, Fairlight CMI, Akai MPC60 and more, with detailed descriptions and the stories behind their development.
£8.47
Rare Bird Books The Record Store Book: Fifty Legendary and Iconic
Book SynopsisIn 2011, Mike Spitz began photographing dozens of record stores in and around the greater Los Angeles area, rich with old and new record shops, to capture the lively experience of going to the independent record store. Beautifully wrought on color film, his photographs illustrate how each store has a unique and vibrant culture, and the stimulating experience of being in a record store and discovering that rare vinyl record, cassette or 8-track tape, memorabilia, vintage concert poster, turntable, nostalgia, or other music-related gems. The inclusion of in-depth interviews with store owners demonstrates how record stores cultivate a communal gathering place for human interaction, exploration and discovery. In chronological order from the oldest existing stores, such as Canterbury Records that opened in 1956 in Pasadena or Music Man Murray Records that opened in 1962, to the most recently opened stores, The Record Store Book respectfully marks the changing of the guard from the older to the newer generation of stores as each owner shares facts, store history, and distinctive points of view regarding how people search for, find and appreciate music.Trade Review"Spitz's photos showcase the people and products that give each [record store] their distinct personality. He shot exclusively with film, an aesthetic that mirrored the sonic quality of analog music." --Slate
£21.99
teNeues Publishing UK Ltd Vinyl World: You Spin me Right Round
Book Synopsis"...a terrific read for lovers of great music and vinyl" —Ruth O'Connor, Irish Examiner "Peppered with more than 200 colour and black and white images, this book shows off how photogenic the world of vinyl is for photographers." —Amateur Photography "From a recording medium to a cult object - this book is for fans of music and vintage items." —New Design The good old record is still spinning! With its demise predicted over and over, the vinyl has shown itself to triumphant over technology trends, beloved by music professionals and fans, collectors and DJs alike. This richly illustrated photo book celebrates the history of the record with over 200 colour and black and white images, seasoned with essential vinyl knowledge on record magazines, consoles, shops and cafes. From the art legends who shaped the cover art to the LPs that became coveted collector’s items, this is a must-have compendium for all vinyl fans and collectors. Text in English and German.Trade Review"Vinyl World - You Spin Me Right Round is a terrific read for lovers of great music and vinyl. It's the story of the record's place in the history of pop culture, media and technology. There's lots to explore including how records are made, significant album cover art, record stores and record bars around the world." - Ruth O'Connor, Irish Examiner"Peppered with more than 200 colour and black and white images, this book shows off how photogenic the world of vinyl is for photographers." - Amateur Photography"From a recording medium to a cult object - this book is for fans of music and vintage items." - New DesignTable of ContentsForeword Vinyl Lifestyle Hear & Collect How to do a record Pop culture Cover Art Boutique Style Listening Bars Record Shops
£28.45
John Wiley and Sons Ltd Music: Why It Matters
Book SynopsisAs countries went into lockdown in 2020, people turned to music for comfort and solidarity. Neighbours sang to each other from their balconies; people participated in online music sessions that created an experience of socially distanced togetherness. Nicholas Cook argues that the value of music goes far beyond simple enjoyment. Music can enhance well-being, interpersonal relationships, cultural tolerance, and civil cohesion. At the same time, music can be a tool of persuasion or ideology. Thinking about music helps bring into focus the values that are mobilised in today’s culture wars. Making music together builds relationships of interdependence and trust: rather than escapism, it offers a blueprint for a community of mutual obligation and interdependence. Music: Why It Matters is for anyone who loves playing, listening to, or thinking about music, as well as those pursuing it as a career.Trade Review‘A witty, concise, and far-reaching book about music in a global context.’Suddhaseel Sen, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay‘A ringing riposte to the assumption that music has little to say about the critical issues of our time. Cook shows us just a few of the countless ways in which music is an indelible aspect of what it means to be human – most crucially, because music teaches us nothing less than how to live.’George E. Lewis FBA, Columbia UniversityTable of ContentsAcknowledgementsor maybe it doesn’t? music for good or illideology in disguisemusic, race, colonialismafter BLMmusic and asocial individualismmusic, nostalgia, delusionmusic and administered societymusical togethernessmusic, covid, ethicspandemic intimacyNotesFurther Reading
£9.99
Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music Piano Exam Pieces 2025 2026 ABRSM Grade 5
Book SynopsisThis book contains nine pieces from ABRSM''s Grade 5 Piano syllabus for 2025 & 2026, three pieces chosen from each of Lists A, B and C - ideal for both Practical and Performance Grade exams. The pieces have been carefully selected to offer an attractive and varied range of styles, creating a collection that provides an excellent source of repertoire to suit every performer. The book also contains helpful footnotes and, for those preparing for exams, useful syllabus information. Recordings of all pieces are available on all major streaming platforms.
£12.95
Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music Piano Exam Pieces 2025 2026 ABRSM Grade 6
Book SynopsisThis book contains nine pieces from ABRSM''s Grade 6 Piano syllabus for 2025 & 2026, three pieces chosen from each of Lists A, B and C - ideal for both Practical and Performance Grade exams. The pieces have been carefully selected to offer an attractive and varied range of styles, creating a collection that provides an excellent source of repertoire to suit every performer. The book also contains helpful footnotes and, for those preparing for exams, useful syllabus information. Recordings of all pieces are available on all major streaming platforms.
£13.25
Transworld Publishers Ltd Hope I Get Old Before I Die
Book SynopsisDavid Hepworth has been writing, broadcasting and speaking about music and media since the seventies. He was involved in the launch and editing of magazines such as Smash Hits, Q, Mojo and The Word, among many others.He was one of the presenters of the BBC rock music programme The Old Grey Whistle Test and one of the anchors of the corporation's coverage of Live Aid in 1985. He has won the Editor of the Year and Writer of the Year awards from the Professional Publishers Association and the Mark Boxer award from the British Society of Magazine Editors.He lives in London, dividing his time between writing for a variety of newspaper and magazines, speaking at events, broadcasting work, podcasting at www.wordpodcast.co.uk and blogging at www.whatsheonaboutnow.blogspot.co.uk.He says Chuck Berry's 'You Never Can Tell' is the best record ever made. 'This is not an opinion,' he says. 'It's a matter of fact.'
£21.25
Pm Press Orstralia
Book Synopsis
£19.96
WW Norton & Co R. Crumb The Complete Record Cover Collection
Book SynopsisA landmark work that pays splendid homage to a forgotten era of seminal American music.
£19.79
Rizzoli International Publications Jamaica Reggae
Book Synopsis
£35.20
Orion Publishing Co Wildfire
Book SynopsisWildfire tells the story of the first decade of The Prodigy from the perspective of original member Leeroy Thornhill, fully illustrated with entirely unseen photography from the earliest raves, to Japan and the United States in the late ''90s, by which point the band were one of the biggest on the planet.Rave pioneers whose sound also encompassed hip hop, punk and rock, The Prodigy arguably had as much influence on contemporary pop culture as the Sex Pistols and these extraordinary images from Leeroy''s personal archives capture the wild energy, ecstasy and abandon from the moment they dropped their first hit ''Charly'' through the three albums which became the ubiquitous soundtrack to the decade: Experience, Music for the Jilted Generation and Fat of the Land. Beautifully designed in five colours with archival ephemera, and contextualised by Leeroy himself with candid and often hilarious stories describing the band''s wild adventures and eccentr
£28.00
Little, Brown Book Group A Few Words in Defense of Our Country
Book SynopsisThe definitive biography of songwriter Randy Newman, told with his full cooperation, by acclaimed biographer and longtime Los Angeles Times music critic, Robert Hilburn
£18.75
This Day in Music Books Calling All Nations - A Fan History of INXS
Book Synopsis
£31.99
Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music Piano Exam Pieces 2025 2026 ABRSM Grade 3
Book SynopsisThis book contains nine pieces from ABRSM''s Grade 3 Piano syllabus for 2025 & 2026, three pieces chosen from each of Lists A, B and C - ideal for both Practical and Performance Grade exams. The pieces have been carefully selected to offer an attractive and varied range of styles, creating a collection that provides an excellent source of repertoire to suit every performer. The book also contains helpful footnotes and, for those preparing for exams, useful syllabus information. Recordings of all pieces are available on all major streaming platforms.
£11.95
Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music Piano Exam Pieces 2025 2026 ABRSM Grade 8
Book SynopsisThis book contains nine pieces from ABRSM''s Grade 8 Piano syllabus for 2025 & 2026, three pieces chosen from each of Lists A, B and C - ideal for both Practical and Performance Grade exams. The pieces have been carefully selected to offer an attractive and varied range of styles, creating a collection that provides an excellent source of repertoire to suit every performer. The book also contains helpful footnotes and, for those preparing for exams, useful syllabus information. Recordings of all pieces are available on all major streaming platforms.
£18.00
Danann Media Publishing Limited Oasis Dont Look Back
Book SynopsisThis is the incredible story of Oasis in a lavishly illustrated hardback edition. With over 70 million albums sold worldwide, a place in the Guinness Book of Records for achieving 22 consecutive Top Ten singles including such classics as Wonderwall' , Champagne Supernova' , ' Rock n Roll Star' and Don' t Look Back in Anger' - plus a bulging treasure chest of over 30 BRIT, MTV, NME and Q Awards - Oasis were one of the greatest, most successful rock n' roll bands ever to come out of the UK. Formed in Manchester in 1991, by the middle of that decade Oasis had become the defining musical act for a generation and the undisputed kings of Britpop' - their popularity peaking in August 1996 when they played to 250,000 people over two nights at the legendary Knebworth concerts. Over 20 years on, the warring Gallagher brothers continue to enthral although it' s almost a decade since they split. Combining stunning images by top music photographers with a warts-and-all account of what really went on, Dont Look Back' pays tribute to the phenomenon that were Oasis.
£19.12
Danann Media Publishing Limited Mwah Dua Lipa
Book SynopsisThis lavishly illustrated biography tells the story of Dua Lipa who has gone from viral sensation to Grammy award-winning global superstar. In just a few years the British/Kosovan singer-songwriter has established herself as the doyenne of ? dark pop? with a succession of upbeat catchy hit tracks with dark lyrics and undertones. She? s also the queen of collaboration, sought after for her vocals and creative input by the industry? s leading and most dynamic artists, producers and DJs including Cal- vin Harris, Mark Ronson and Diplo as well as long-established legends of earlier eras such as artists Chris Martin and Elton John. Dua Lipa released her self-titled debut album featuring the hit singles, ? Be the One? , ? IDGAF? , ? Hotter Than Hell? and her first UK #1 single ? New Rules? . Her acclaimed fol- low up album, Future Nostalgia, consolidated her status as she continued to provide the soundtrack to the lives of young women the world over with more hit songs includ- ing One Kiss, Levitating, Physical and Don? t Start Now. Every song is a bop and, with her signature disco/pop and R&B sound. She is the real deal - a legitimate pop sensation and this is her story so far.
£19.12
Spenwood Books Cropredy Capers
Book SynopsisCropredy Capers is an oral history of the folk-rock band Fairport Convention and contains over 250 fan memories and 250 photos and items of memorabilia from the band's 57-year career
£27.00
HarperCollins Publishers Living the Beatles Legend
Book Synopsis**MiCannes Award Music Book of the Year**The first full-length biography of Mal Evans, the Beatles' beloved roadie, assistant, confidant and friendA towering figure in horn-rimmed glasses, Malcolm Mal' Evans was an invaluable member of the Beatles' inner circle. Serving as their long-time roadie, personal assistant and protector, he was a sometime lyricist, occasional performer and regular fixer at the height of the group's fame and beyond.But Mal's dedication to his beloved boys' and his own desire for stardom took its toll, leading to the dissolution of his marriage and his untimely death in January 1976.Until now, Mal's extraordinary life has remained shrouded in mystery. Drawing on hundreds of exclusive interviews and with full access to Mal's unpublished archives including his personal diaries, manuscripts and memorabilia renowned Beatles scholar Kenneth Womack paints the first complete portrait of this complicated figure at the heart of the Beatles' story.Living the Beatles Leg
£12.34
The University of Chicago Press The Soul of Mbira
Book SynopsisA scholarly portrayal of Shona musicians and the African Musical tradition. l Berliner provides the complete cultural context for the music and an intimate, precise account of the meaning of the instrument and its music.
£20.00
The University of Chicago Press Blue Notes in Black and White
Book SynopsisCharting the development of jazz photography from the swing era of the 1930s to the rise of black nationalism in the '60s, this title offers an account of the partnership between two of the twentieth century's innovative art forms. It introduces us to the great jazz photographers - including Gjon Mili, William Gottlieb, Herman Leonard, and more.Trade Review"Benjamin Cawthra, writing with grace and a formidable command of jazz history and American culture, makes us see the sounds, the social relations, and the myths of jazz as he ably uncovers the personal and institutional networks of musicians, writers, magazines, and record companies in which jazz photography developed. Even as Blue Notes in Black and White casts a sharp eye on photographic aesthetics, it also works as a groundbreaking history of jazz criticism. At its best, this excellent book serves as a model for a multisensory music criticism: while reading it, I often felt I was hearing the music more deeply." -John Gennari, author of Blowin' Hot and Cool: Jazz and Its Critics"
£37.05
The University of Chicago Press Art of Darkness A Poetics of Gothic
Book SynopsisTable of ContentsPreface 1: Approaching Others (Thoughts before Writing) Anthropology and Its Discontents. Occult Thought and Hegemonic Histories. The Hermeneutic Recognition of Others. The Rehabilitation of Hermeneutic Dialogue. Archaeology, Genealogy, and Hermeneutic History. 2: The Scope of Renaissance Magic The New Magic. The World of the Renaissance Magus. Agrippa versus Foucault. Locating Occult Musics. 3: Modes and Planetary Song: The Musical Alliance of Ethics and Cosmology Structures and Their Reproduction. Structural Transformations circa 1500. Structure and Event. 4: Ficino's Magical Songs Spirit, Soul, Music. Word, Image, Music. Phantasmic and Demonic Song. Substance, Figure, Sound. Seeing and Hearing in the Renaissance. 5: Musical Possession and Musical Soul Loss Possession, Shamanism, and Soul Loss. Musical Soul Loss and Possession: Examples from Nonelite Culture. Possession and Soul Loss in Ficino's Furors. Thoughts on the Politics of Early-Modern Mysticism. 6: An Archaeology of Poetic Furor, 1500-1650 Foucault's Epistemes. Magical Furor. Analytic Furor. Poetic Furor and Archaeological Ambivalence circa 1600. 7: Archaeology and Music: Apropos of Monteverdi's Musical Magic 8: Believing Others (Thoughts upon Writing) Appendix: Passages Translated in the Text Works Cited Index
£26.60
University of Illinois Press Why Suyá Sing
Book Synopsis
£23.39
Indiana University Press MinimalismOrigins
Book SynopsisThe term Minimalism appeared in the mid-1960s, primarily with reference to the stripped-down sculpture of artists like Robert Morris and Donald Judd. Investigating the origins of Minimalism in postwar American culture, the author redefines it as a movement that developed radically reductive stylistic innovations in numerous media.Trade Review... a landmark work, the first attempt to write a pre-history of minimalism that embraces all the arts. Its importance cannot be overestimated." --K. Robert Schwarz, Institute for Studies in American Music "All told, this book is mandatory reading for anyone who wishes to understand the history and nature of minimalism." --i/e NINETable of ContentsPaintSoundSpaceEndBibliographyIndex
£17.09
Yale University Press Stalins Music Prize
Book SynopsisMarina Frolova-Walker's fascinating history takes a new look at musical life in Stalin's Soviet Union. The author focuses on the musicians and composers who received Stalin Prizes, awarded annually to artists whose work was thought to represent the best in Soviet culture. This revealing study sheds new light on the Communist leader's personal tastes, the lives and careers of those honored, including multiple-recipients Prokofiev and Shostakovich, and the elusive artistic concept of Socialist Realism, offering the most comprehensive examination to date of the relationship between music and the Soviet state from 1940 through 1954.Trade Review“A great attraction of the book is the wit and enthusiasm that suffuse its tone. . . A thoroughly engaging style as well as a consummate mastery in handling archival materials makes this book as enjoyable a read for a wide audience as it is indispensable for specialists.”—Michelle Assay, SEER 'Frolova-Walker’s study of the Stalin Prize is permeated with the joy of discovery. Although the subject is tremendous, since it deals with the machinations of power under a dictatorial regime, the author delights in what she calls time travelling and eavesdropping. The amount of sources in which actual conversation had been preserved verbatim enables the historian a fly-on-the-wall perspective that leads her up to Stalin's writing desk.' - Francis Maes, European History Quarterly'Stalin’s Music Prize represents a milestone in the literature on Soviet music and cultural politics.' - Leah Godman, Journal of the American Musicological Society “These books give fuller, finer-grained and better-shaded accounts of Soviet policy ups and downs and their impact on musicians than any previous study.”—Richard Taruskin, TLS“Thanks to Frolova-Walker’s engaging and readable written style, such material is brought to life, providing a rich and engrossing narrative of Soviet cultural history during this turbulent period.”—Erik Levi, BBC Music -- Erik Levi * BBC Music Magazine *'Frolova-Walker’s study of the Stalin Prize is permeated with the joy of discovery. Although the subject is tremendous, since it deals with the machinations of power under a dictatorial regime, the author delights in what she calls time travelling and eavesdropping. The amount of sources in which actual conversation had been preserved verbatim enables the historian a fly-on-the-wall perspective that leads her up to Stalin's writing desk.' - Francis Maes, European History Quarterly -- Francis Maes * European History Quarterly *'Stalin’s Music Prize represents a milestone in the literature on Soviet music and cultural politics.' - Leah Godman, Journal of the American Musicological Society -- Leah Godman * Journal of the American Musicological Society *“These books give fuller, finer-grained and better-shaded accounts of Soviet policy ups and downs and their impact on musicians than any previous study.”—Richard Taruskin, TLS -- Richard Taruskin * TLS *
£30.88
Picador USA The Rest is Noise
Book SynopsisIn this sweeping and dramatic narrative, Alex Ross, music critic for The New Yorker, weaves together the histories of the twentieth century and its music, from Vienna before the First World War to Paris in the twenties; from Hitler's Germany and Stalin's Russia to downtown New York in the sixties and seventies up to the present.
£21.25
WW Norton & Co Music in the Medieval West
Book SynopsisMedieval music in its cultural, social, and intellectual contexts.Table of Contents**Contents subject to change 1. The Making of the Middle Ages 2. The Foundations of the Western Middle Ages: Music and Music Theory in the Late Roman Empire 3. Chant and the Carolingians 4. The Office, the Mass Ordinary, and Varied Practices of Troping 5. Sound and Spaces, Theory and Practice in the Eleventh Century 6. Conquest, Changing Tastes, and Pilgrimage in the Twelfth Century 7. Poet-Composers in an Age of the Individual 8. The Thirteenth Century: "Then Truly Was the Time of Singing Come" 9. Music and Learning in the Thirteenth Century 10. Music and Narrative in Fourteenth-Century France 11. The Fourteenth Century in Italy and England 12. Epilogue: On the Edges
£39.00
University of California Press Experiencing Sound
Book Synopsis
£21.60
Faber & Faber Temperament
Book SynopsisThe piano is the best loved of musical instruments, thanks in part to the elegant symmetrical design of its ivory and ebony keyboard that ensures each pitch is reliably equidistant from the next. But this ''equal temperament'' tuning was once a hugely controversial notion. It is difficult now to imagine the keyboard as other than it is; yet this was precisely what many European musicians practising before the nineteenth century demanded of their instruments. For hundreds of years, musicians, craftsmen, church officials, heads of state and philosophers fought heatedly against the introduction of ''equal temperament'' tuning.Stuart Isacoff hereby recounts this great battle over the best way to create music - a battle that culminated in the destruction of the harpsichord and the emergence, from its flames, of the piano. Why the resistance to equal temperament lasted so long, and how it was finally overcome, is a story that encompasses crucial elements of Western culture - sociaTrade Review"'Isacoff untangles the complexities of this issue with the aplomb of a virtuoso planist.' New York Times"
£10.44
Faber & Faber Reynolds S Energy Flash
Book SynopsisTwenty-five years since acid house and Ecstasy revolutionized pop culture, Simon Reynolds''s landmark rave history Energy Flash has been expanded and updated to cover twenty-first-century developments like dubstep and EDM''s recent takeover of America.Author of the acclaimed postpunk history Rip It Up and Start Again, Reynolds became a rave convert in the early nineties. He experienced first-hand the scene''s drug-fuelled rollercoaster of euphoria and darkness. He danced at Castlemorton, the illegal 1992 mega-rave that sent spasms of anxiety through the Establishment and resulted in the Criminal Justice and Public Order Bill. Mixing personal reminiscence with interviews and ultra-vivid description of the underground''s ever-changing sounds as they mutated under the influence of MDMA and other drugs, Energy Flash is the definitive chronicle of electronic dance culture.From rave''s origins in Chicago house and Detroit techno, through Ibiza, Madchester and the anarchic free-party scene, to the pirate-radio underworld of jungle and UK garage, and then onto 2000s-shaping genres such as grime and electro, Reynolds documents with authority, insight and infectious enthusiasm the tracks, DJs, producers and promoters that soundtracked a generation. A substantial final section, added for this new Faber edition, brings the book right up to date, covering dubstep''s explosive rise to mass popularity and America''s recent but ardent embrace of rave. Packed with interviews with participants and charismatic innovators like Derrick May, Goldie and Aphex Twin, Energy Flash is an infinitely entertaining and essential history of dance music.
£18.00
Faber & Faber Me and Mr Jones
Book Synopsis
£13.49
Faber & Faber Me and Mr Jones
Book SynopsisFrom the stylist behind David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust look, an electrifying peek behind the curtains during a legendary chapter of pop culture history.''Suzi Ronson was there as Bowie transitioned from suburban folkie to world superstar and genius. Few can offer such insight, and tell this fascinating story with such verve.'' HANIF KUREISHI''It's still hard to accept that Ziggy didn't fall from the stars in full makeup to blow our minds. Yes, other people helped create him. One of them was Suzi Ronson.''DEBORAH LEVY, LITERARY REVIEWElectrifying'. MAIL ON SUNDAYRefreshing . . . pulls few punches.' iAn engrossing, raucous read.' SALON***Suzi Ronson was working in a Beckenham hair salon in the early seventies when Mrs Jones came in for her weekly shampoo and set. After being introduced to her son David and his wife Angie, Suzi finds herself at the Bowies' bohemia
£18.00
Faber & Faber Unapologetic Expression
Book SynopsisA CLASH MUSIC BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024A lively, subversive history of the new UK jazz wave, encapsulating its revolutionary spirit and tracing its foundations to birth of the genre itself.''Not solely a book about jazz, or even a nascent cultural shift; it's a record of a pivotal moment in UK history.'' BIG ISSUEBy the end of the last century, jazz music was considered by many to be obsolete and uncool, a genre appreciated only by out of touch white men with deeply questionable taste. And yet, by 2019, a new generation of UK jazz musicians was selling out major venues and appearing on festival line-ups around the world. How has UK jazz rehabilitated its image so totally in twenty-five years? And how did it ever become uncool in the first place?Reaching back to the roots of jazz as the unapologetic expression' of oppressed peoples, shaped by the forces of slavery, imperialism and globalisation, Andre Marmot places this new wave within the wider context of a divided, postcolonial Britain navigating its identity in a new world order. These artists have crafted a sound which reflects the nation as it is today a sound connected to the very origins of jazz itself.Drawing on eighty-six interviews with key architects of this jazz renaissance and those who came before them from Shabaka Hutchings, Nubya Garcia and Moses Boyd to Gilles Peterson, Courtney Pine and Cleveland Watkiss Unapologetic Expression captures the radical spirit of a vital British musical movement.''A breathless run through of an inspiring era in British music, Unapologetic Expression contains deft character sketches and vivid memories, pausing to nail ineffable moments from recording sessions and gigs. Andre Marmot's role as an insider . . . grants the book a degree of intimacy other writers may have lacked.''CLASH
£21.25
Faber & Faber A Year with Swollen Appendices
Book SynopsisThe diary and essays of Brian Eno republished twenty-five years on with a new introduction by the artist in a beautiful hardback edition.''One of the seminal books about music . . . an invaluable insight into the mind and working practices of one of the industry's undeniable geniuses.''GUARDIANAt the end of 1994, musician, producer and artist Brian Eno resolved to keep a diary. His plans to go to the cinema, theatre and galleries fell through quickly. What he did do and write however, was astonishing: ruminations on his collaborative work with artists including David Bowie, U2, James and Jah Wobble, interspersed with correspondence and essays dating back to 1978. These appendices' covered topics from the generative and ambient music Eno pioneered to what he believed the role of an artist and their art to truly be, alongside razor-sharp commentary on his day-to-day tribulations and happenings around the world.A fascinatTrade Review''A Year with Swollen Appendices is by turns fascinating, engaging and wonderfully mundane. Our world has changed in profound ways, but Eno's ideas are remarkably durable, his perspectives still feel fresh with possibility. This writing hasn't lost any of its power to entertain, persuade and inspire.'', Leah Kardos, The Wire'"A cranium tour of one of the most creative minds of our age ... [Eno] delivers razor-sharp commentary with devilish snarkiness and brutal honesty."', Colin Berry, Wired
£15.29
Faber & Faber The Horse
Book Synopsis''Tremendously compelling . . . as succinct and wrenching as a well-honed folk song.'' GUARDIANA bruised and beautiful instant classic.' BEN MYERSWilly Vlautin's most personal novel yet a poetic and deeply moving story about what it really takes to be a musician.There''s a horse'', he whispered. ''An old horse that''s standing in front of my house. He''s blind and he won''t eat and I don''t know what to do.''65-year-old Al Ward is several years into an isolated stint living on old mining land in Nevada left to him by his great uncle. One morning, the horse arrives outside his home, seemingly unable to feed itself or stay safe from coyote attacks. 6000 feet up, 30 miles from the nearest town and broken by alcoholism and anxiety, Al must decide what to do.Intercut with Al's present-day story are episodes from his long life as a songwriter and guitarist. Beginning in Reno, we follow his chequered career
£15.29
Penguin Putnam Inc How to Write One Song
Book SynopsisA thoughtful, counterintuitive book about creativity from celebrated songwriter and Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy.
£17.99
Crown Deliver Me from Nowhere
Book Synopsis
£14.44
Penguin Putnam Inc Music and Mind
Book Synopsis
£26.39
Hal Leonard Corporation The Hal Leonard Pocket Music Theory A
Book Synopsis
£9.89
Harvard University Press Bach and the Patterns of Invention
Book SynopsisIn this major new interpretation of the music of J. S. Bach, we gain a striking picture of the composer as a unique critic of his age. By reading Bach’s music “against the grain” of contemporaries, Laurence Dreyfus explains how Bach’s approach to musical invention posed a fundamental challenge to Baroque aesthetics.Trade ReviewLaurence Dreyfus’s Bach and Patterns of Invention…is the first study in some time to deal above all with the reasons that music lovers ought to listen to him or play him. Dreyfus’s writing is clear and entertaining…and the advantage of [his] approach to Bach is that it makes us listen to his work as he himself listened to the music of his contemporaries, and as they would have listened to his. It does not claim to read the composer’s mind, but it reconstructs some of the processes through which he had to go to compose in each case, and it does so by referring to aural experience, leaving questions of ideology and doctrine temporarily on the side. -- Charles Rosen * New York Review of Books *Johann Sebastian Bach is not the easiest of composers to write about, for his music can often seem so perfect that it renders description irrelevant. But Bach and the Patterns of Invention, by Laurence Dreyfus, a…totally absorbing study of Bach’s processes of composition, is written with a clarity appropriate to a discussion of his music and with an enthusiasm that immediately communicates itself. -- Charles Osborne * Daily Telegraph *An original and detailed appraisal of Bach’s achievement… Much of this book is concerned with detailed analysis that tries to illuminate, and at least to some extent to recreate, Bach’s processes of composition. The result is the uncovering of processes that appear somewhat messy but are convincingly real. This is a fundamentally imaginative approach to analysis, involving as it does speculations about the order in which the inventions of the piece were composed and the role of procedures that were started by the composer but destined for only partial success due to the grammar of tonal music… Dreyfus’s ideas should be of interest to anyone interested in exploring new ways of understanding 18th-century music. -- Barry Mitchell * Times Higher Education Supplement *Dreyfus’s new analytical study of Bach’s processes of composition…challenges received ideas about what constitutes a style, a form and a genre in Bach’s music, showing how the composer’s individuality stems largely from his writing ’against the grain’. Dreyfus’s book is not always easy, and neither is Bach’s music, but few readers—even the more general—of the former will be left without a better understanding of the latter. -- Malcolm Boyd * BBC Music Magazine *[Bach and Patterns of Invention] stands head and shoulders above anything else in the field of post-war Bach criticism… Dreyfus believes that the human side of the compositional process is what must interest us about Bach, the sense of an intelligence adhering strictly to the rules he considered God-given, while freely abusing those that his contemporaries held dear. In this way we might attain a sense of the very historical nature of Bach’s music—not merely the generic and formal similarities within the idioms of his age (often the principal object of modern scholarship), but particularly the way in which the composer went against the grain of his age. -- John Butt * Early Music *Dreyfus is concerned with how Bach thought in music, but from that deduces some idea of how he thought about music. A stimulating book. * Early Music Review *This brilliant book sets out to answer one of the enduring mysteries of music, namely, what was the compositional method that allowed Bach to write such a vast quantity of music of such surpassing quality?… It’s a moving and convincing picture of Bach, and a thoroughly original one, delivered in lucid prose in which close argumentation is often capped by an illuminating metaphor. Like Bach’s music, it is rhetorical in the best sense. -- Ivan Hewett * Music Times *
£25.46
