Musicians, singers, bands and groups Books

Book SynopsisThe first detailed study of the working relationship and productive friendship between Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) and Adrian Boult (1889-1983). From 1918 onwards, Boult became one of Vaughan Williams's most important interpreters, giving the world premieres of the Pastoral, Fourth and Sixth Symphonies, performing almost all his major works (not only at home but with some of the world's greatest orchestras), and working in close collaboration with the composer on major projects including the first complete recording of Vaughan Williams's symphonies. Boult continued to be the most devoted advocate of Vaughan Williams's music to the end of his long career. As this book shows, Boult's scores include numerous annotations derived from conversations and correspondence with Vaughan Williams and these provide important evidence of the composer's wishes including adjustments to orchestration, comments on interpretation, dynamics, phrasing and revisions to Vaughan Williams's notoriously unreliable metronome marks. The evidence of these scores is considered alongside the extensive correspondence between Vaughan Williams and Boult, Boult's private diaries and other relevant documents including contemporary press reports. The book includes three substantial supplements: a detailed description of Boult's marked scores, a comprehensive list of Boult's Vaughan Williams performances and a discography including surviving recordings of unpublished broadcasts. It will be indispensable reading for scholars and students of Vaughan Williams and historical conducting, Vaughan Williams enthusiasts and those interested in the history of recorded music.Trade ReviewAnother new book Vaughan Williams and Adrian Boult, by Nigel Simeone, analyses the crucial creative partnership Vaughan Williams had with Boult, who conducted the premieres of three of his symphonies, and recorded the first cycle of them. The collaboration continued posthumously: throughout the 1960s and 1970s Boult recorded and performed his friend's works, conducting his centenary concert in 1972. Simeone's achievement is to have analysed the scores Boult used when conducting, and the annotations he added following conversations with the composer. -- Simon Heffer * The Telegraph *In Simeone's hands, Boult's commitment to his composer and Vaughan Williams' rugged, self-deprecating character tell an enormously valuable story -- Sir Mark Elder, conductorIt is the revelation of the interaction between these two towering figures in British music that makes this such an important book -- Sir Andrew Davis, conductor[T]he much-respected musicologist Nigel Simeone has provided a definitive account of the relationship between the two men which throws much light on their working practices. One might have thought that such an examination had appeared before, but ... the level of attention and scholarship given here is unprecedented.... Simeone's is perhaps one of the most valuable books on the composer to appear in some time.... It goes without saying that any admirer of Vaughan Williams should have Simeone's study on their shelves; his reserves of insight and elegantly expressed enthusiasm are to be found in abundance here. -- Barry Forshaw * Classical CD Choice *Simeone's exploration of the intensely nourishing relationship between these two giants of British music-and Boult's characteristically selfless dedication and steadfast commitment to this repertoire right to the end [...]-makes for consistently absorbing reading. As an unabashed RVW/Boult obsessive, I devoured this book and unhesitatingly recommend it to anyone of a similar mindset. -- Andrew Achenbach * Gramophone *Well written and eminently readable, this book will take its place on the shelf of classic Vaughan Williams literature. * Fontes Artis Musicae *Table of ContentsPrologue 1. First Encounters and A Sea Symphony 2. A London Symphony 3. A Pastoral Symphony and Boult on Conducting in the 1920s 4. Job: 'To Adrian Boult' 5. Symphony No. 4 in F minor 6. Wartime Tensions 7. Symphony No. 5 in D major 8. Symphony No. 6 in E minor 9. Sinfonia antartica and the Last Two Symphonies 10. Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis and Other Orchestral Works 11. Choral and Vocal Works 12. Vaughan Williams, Boult and The Pilgrim's Progress Appendix 1: Annotations on Boult's Working Scores Appendix 2: Boult's Vaughan Williams Performances: A Chronology Appendix 3: Discography Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe full range of traditional fiddle repertoire is now at your fingertips! Using these generous collections, you can create your own ceilidh, barn dance, jazz club or Sarajevo street-café. Some of this music is familiar, some more exotic, but all of it is absolutely authentic, faithfully arranged and, above all, hugely enjoyable.Each title in the series is available in two formats: the Violin Edition (with an optional easy violin part and guitar chords); or the Complete Edition, which also includes both keyboard and violin accompaniments. Either format is hugely flexible, which means the music can be played as solos, duets or trios as well as with larger ensembles.Edward Huws Jones has travelled extensively researching fiddle-playing traditions. In each book he explains the background of the particular musical style, giving his own suggestions for a lively performance.Instrumentation:violin (2 violins) and piano, guitar ad libitum

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Book SynopsisRead the definitive biography of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, whose music and career illuminate the legacy of 1960s counterculture.Between 1969 and 1974, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young were the most successful, influential and politically potent rock band in America. More than any of their peers, they channelled and broadcast all the radical anger, romantic idealism and generational angst of their era. The vast emotional range of their music, from delicate acoustic confessionals to raucous counter-culture anthems, was mirrored in the turbulence of their personal lives.Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young is the first major biography of a band whose first two albums are undisputed rock classics, and which continues to attract a large and loyal following to their sporadic reunions. At the same time, Peter Doggett illuminates the pivotal years of 1960s counterculture through the story of four of its key protagonists, whose music, beliefs and relationships with each other chronicle both its trajectory and its legacy.'A fascinating, rip-roaring and timely re-telling of a corner of music history' Frank TurnerTrade ReviewPeter Dogett's book is a fascinating, rip-roaring and timely re-telling of a corner of music history that was hugely important but is all too often forgotten. The rehabilitation of Crosby, Stills and Nash's reputation (and of Young's contributions here) is long overdue -- Frank TurnerEngaging… [Doggett] use[s] the saga of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young as a metaphor for the Woodstock generation and their doomed mission to return to the garden -- Will Hodgkinson * The Times, *Book of the Week* *[A] meticulous chronicle of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young… Doggett carefully charts the stalled sessions and schemes caused by this alpha-male jostling… For fans who want detailed chronology, it will be a joy, but Doggett’s book is also a deft portrait of a golden age tarnishing even as the band sang -- Victoria Segal * Sunday Times *Especially good on the musicians early lives and early Seventies peak * Choice *Doggett… presents a solid, steady, evenhanded portrait. He loves the music without being slavish, and pays each of the musicians their due -- Anthony Quinn * Mail on Sunday *Exhaustively researched… If you think you know the history of CSN&Y then read this and, like me, you will be surprised at what you learn -- Tom Povey * RNR *Doggett…treasure[s] the band’s early oeuvre and writes with empathy about the group -- Holly George-Warren * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisThe tale that follows is not another cliched collection of rock'n'roll debaucheries (sorry) nor is it another tired fable of triumph over adversity (you're welcome). It's the story of a half-deaf kid from a tiny, remote village in South Wales who was hailed as a genius by the UK's biggest radio station and headhunted by major record labels, only for the music industry to collapse. It crashed hard, taking with it an entire generation of talented artists who would never now get their shot. CNN called it 'music's lost decade'. Along the way, there are goodies, baddies, gun-toting label execs, life-saving surgeons, therapy, true love, loyalty, hope, breakdowns, suicidal managers, betrayal, drummers and way too many hangovers. James Kennedy shows that the best lessons are to be learned from good losers. It really is all about the journey. Part memoir, part expose of the music world's murky underbelly, Noise Damage is emotional, painfully honest, funny, informative and ridiculous. It's also a celebration of the life-changing magic of music.Trade Review‘History, it’s said, is written by the winners, but this insightful, candid autobiography from Kyshera’s James Kennedy suggests otherwise. A journey through disillusion, the machinations of the music industry and hard-won self-acceptance, it's required, revelatory reading’ - Metal Hammer, ‘The indefatigable Welsh misfit’s entertaining memoir of underachievement – ebullient writing style and hard-earned hungover wisdom’ - Classic Rock, 'Both Adrian Smith's autobiography and Rob Halford's tome are good, but neither match the raw passion of Noise Damage. A splendid read about the trials and tribulations of trying to break into the music stratosphere, it's a book that every aspiring musician or band leader should own' - Metal Talk, 'A refreshingly different addition to the crowded shelves of rock autobiographies. This is partly because James tells the familiar booze-fuelled-tour-antics story from a different perspective; he tells the story of the ninety-nine percent of bands that don't make it. But Noise Damage also stands out because it is remarkably well-written, with humour, humility and insight' - Catherine Fearns, V13, 'A wonderful volume that does unique things with so many familiar genre tropes. I ended the book feeling I'd read of a life worth living, been encouraged to live my own, and wanting to wish Kennedy all the luck in the world: anyone who lives this hard, works this hard, and writes this well, deserves it' - Nick Soulsby, Trebuchet Magazine, 'An absolute must-read for anyone attempting a career in music. A genuinely powerful testimony' - Darren Johnson, Get Ready to Rock!

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Book Synopsis___________________6 JULY, 1972David Bowie appears on Top of the Pops for a third time.His quiff is big, bold, and the colour of fire. His make-up is lavish. His jumpsuit is a wild burst of colourful patterns, like a fluorescent fish skin. He carries a brand-new blue acoustic guitar. There's excitement, mixed with incredulity. And then he begins to play.It's a moment that will change the world of music forever.This is Ziggy Stardust, what would become Bowie's most famous persona. It's an instant seismic shift in the zeitgeist. This one performance embeds Ziggy Stardust into the nation's consciousness, and music will never be the same again.In When Ziggy Played Guitar, Dylan Jones looks back at one of the most influential moments in pop history,the birth of an icon, and the myriad unexpected ways that David Bowie reshaped pop culture.Trade ReviewThe best music book I have ever read, dislodging Revolution in the Head and England's Dreaming. Superb in every way. -- Matthew d'AnconaHis blow-by-blow account of the performance is breathless in its fan-boy enthusiasm and much of the rest of When Ziggy Played Guitar is rooted in its personal impressions. “The by-product of Ziggy’s success was the validation of identity, our identity”, Jones writes, and it’s hard not to be moved by his hero worship. * New Statesman *Jones is a wonderfully fluent writer, with a terrific knack for atmospheric phrasemaking, period detail and juicy factoids. * Daily Telegraph *Dylan Jones’s account of David Bowie’s rise to superstardom. We’ll eat up anything about the greatest pop star who ever walked this planet. * The Herald Magazine *This excellent book looks at the background to that memorable TV event, and its enduring legacy. * Choice Magazine *

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Book SynopsisIn her intense, brief life, Amy Winehouse's music spoke directly to millions. And since her death, her fans have only increased.Amy Winehouse is one of those pop stars that comes along so rarely we're not sure we knew what we had when we had her. Her story speaks to us not because the relentless tabloid coverage of her darker days unfolded in real time, but because she tapped into deeply personal yet universal feelings and displayed them to us in all their painful, raw glory. She turned our demons into something we could dance and sing to, and she skewered those who wronged her in ways we could only dream of.

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Book SynopsisAmidst the chaos that was the Sex Pistols, it’s often forgotten just what a powerful band they were, and what great records they made. The Sex Pistols were no ordinary group. Their story might be short, and not without its casualties, but their legacy is undoubted; one listen to their ferocious, raw rock and roll will soon tell you that. No British band since the Beatles has done as much to shape the nation. Musically, the Pistols’ impact was enormous and continues to resonate; they didn’t just kick down doors; they trashed the music industry’s house. For a band who (really) only released one album and four incandescent singles – “Anarchy in the U.K.,” “God Save the Queen,” “Pretty Vacant” and “Holidays in the Sun” – they gave birth to a sea of imitators and inspired a DIY aesthetic still alive today. Not bad for a band that ‘couldn’t play.’ Despite claims from New York, the Sex Pistols were the true originators of punk; no one else had their attitude, balls, or honesty – as inspired by anger and poverty, as art and poetry. There was the Sex Pistols and there was the rest. The Sex Pistols ARE punk; the rest are ‘punk rock.’Trade Review'Excellent, eminently readable...superb.' * God is in the TV Zine *'Chronicled in detail... a solid snapshot of the iconoclastic quartet and an equally explosive era of rock and roll.' -- Vintage Guitar Magazine

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Book SynopsisPink is one of the most trailblazing artists of our time. Her breakthrough album, Missundaztood, was released to critical acclaim in 2001 and showcased her unique, powerhouse pop vocals, as well as her rebellious style. In the two decades since, she has remained firmly in pop’s upper echelons, despite her refusal to conform. She consistently out-sings her contemporaries with hit songs such as, “Get the Party Started,” “Just Like a Pill,” “So What,” “What About Us,” and “Beautiful Trauma,” while her willingness to speak frankly about difficult topics has made her a relatable role model. She is an outspoken animal rights activist, and has been vocal about women’s rights, LGBT rights, and her support of same-sex marriage. Away from the studio, Pink’s live shows are nothing short of phenomenal; her jaw-dropping acrobatics mark her out as a truly spectacular performer. Loved by fans and revered by the music industry, Pink continues to enjoy global success and substantial airplay. Her accolades are numerous and include, three Grammys, a Daytime Emmy Award, and seven MTV Video Music Awards—the prestigious Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award among them. In 2019, she was honoured with the Outstanding Contribution to Music Award at the Brit Awards, and in 2021 she accepted the Icon Award at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards. Pink: Raise Your Glass is a celebration of one of pop’s longest reigning rebels. Beautifully illustrated with essential images, this book is a fitting tribute to an undeniably, remarkable pop artist.

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Book SynopsisIn Jimi Hendrix: The Stories Behind the Songs, music journalist and author David Stubbs provides the definitive companion to Hendrix's recorded output, from the early years, including 'Hey Joe' and 'Purple Haze' through to his posthumously released trilogy that concluded with Both Sides Of The Sky. Quite possibly the greatest solo rock artist of all time, Jimi Hendrix was the supreme physical and musical emblem of rock music. And although he was an immense guitarist, he also connected with audiences as a performer and a songwriter. Songs like 'Voodoo Chile' and 'Third Stone From The Sun' were the brilliant products of a dazed yet expanded consciousness, full of casual epithets which illuminated the era: 'May you never hear surf music again'; ''Scuse me while I kiss the sky'; 'Gonna raise my freak flag high'. Each one of them is explored, dissected and celebrated. Table of ContentsIntroduction • Are You Experienced • Axis: Bold As Love • Electric Ladyland • Band Of Gypsys • First Rays Of The New Rising Sun • South Southern Delta • The Jimi Hendrix Experience • Loose Ends and Live Albums • Valleys of Neptune • People, Hell And Angels • Both Sides Of The Sky • Epilogue • Discography • Index.

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Book SynopsisPaul McCartney's songwriting output as a member of the Beatles, mainly with his co-writer John Lennon, has been exhaustively documented over the years. Now, taking 50 key songs from his five-decade career since the break-up of the Fab Four, Paul McCartney: The Stories Behind 50 Classic Songs takes an in-depth look at the post-Sixties work of one of popular music's most versatile and prolific composers and performers.Paul McCartney has been a genuine pop idol, a cutting-edge experimenter, and in later years recognized as an international musical treasure. The 50 selections from his vast songwriting catalogue highlighted in Paul McCartney: The Stories Behind 50 Classic Songs mark half a century of musical creativity by a true icon of popular music.Each song includes full session details, personnel lists and chart data and is described in detail, from original inspiration to the final release. Quotes from session musicians and studio personnel – and star guests such as Stevie Wonder, Elvis Costello and Kanye West – bring the making of every song to life, alongside a wealth of related photographs in and out of the studio.Table of ContentsEach song includes full session details, personnel lists and chart data and is described in detail, from original inspiration to the final release. Includes quotes from session musicians and studio personnel, and photographs both in and out of the studio.

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Book SynopsisJohn Lennon, 1980: The Final Days in the Life of Beatle John tells the story of the legendary musician’s incredible last year. For Lennon, 1980 had begun as a ceaseless shopping spree in which he and wife Yoko Ono fell into the doldrums of purchasing blue-chip real estate and indulging their every whim. But for John, that pivotal year would climax in several moments of creative triumph as he rediscovered his artistic self in dramatic fashion, only to be cut down by an assassin’s bullets on Monday, December 8th, 1980, in the prime of a new life that was only just beginning to blossom.

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Book SynopsisDavid Toop has become one of our most significant touchstones of contemporary music writing and reportage. Employing intensified studies into World Music in relation to popular (as well as marginalized) contemporary trends, Toop has created one of the most distinctive publishing histories of modern music thinking for our times. Flutter Echo is his memoir of a life enchanted with all aspects of music both composed and abstract. Toop's personal growth as a practicing musician, visual artist, and witness to some of the most significant events in modern music history is a completely fascinating view into a world of considered thought and random access. From recording for Brian Eno's Obscure Records imprint in 1975 to co-publishing the radical music magazines Musics and Collusion to developing music programming for BBC to releasing recordings he personally made of Yanomami Shaman rituals to working with artists such as creative pop icon Bjoerk and Jamaican dub pioneer Prince Far-I, Toop has experienced one of the most interesting and dynamic timelines in the dynamic world of our contemporary sound world. Player, listener, scholar, reporter, communitarian, parent, iconoclast - David Toop brings his own life in music to focus in a remarkable, wonder-filled, engaging read.

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Book Synopsis2021 marks Bob Dylan''s 80th birthday and his 60th year in the music world. It invites us to look back on his career and the multitudes that it contains. Is he a song and dance man? A political hero? A protest singer? A self-portrait artist who has yet to paint his masterpiece? Is he Shakespeare in the alley? The greatest living exponent of American music? An ironsmith? Internet radio DJ? Poet (who knows it)? Is he a spiritual and religious parking meter? Judas? The voice of a generation or a false prophet, jokerman, and thief? Dylan is all these and none.The essays in this book explore the Nobel laureate''s masks, collectively reflecting upon their meaning through time, change, movement, and age. They are written by wonderful and diverse set of contributors, all here for his 80th birthday bash: celebrated Dylanologists like Michael Gray and Laura Tenschert; recording artists such as Robyn Hitchcock, Barb Jungr, Amy Rigby, and Emma Swift; and ''the professors' who all like his looks: David Boucher, Anne Margaret Daniel, Ray Monk, Galen Strawson, and more. Read it on your toaster!

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Book SynopsisPatrick 'Paddy' Reilly is an Irish folk singer and guitarist. Born in Rathcoole, County Dublin, he is one of Ireland's most famous balladeers and is best known for his renditions of "The Fields of Athenry", "Rose of Allendale" and "The Town I Loved So Well". Reilly released his version of "The Fields of Athenry" as a single in 1983; it was the most successful version of this song, remaining in the Irish charts for 72 weeks. After years a solo performer, he joined The Dubliners in 1996 as a replacement for long-time member Ronnie Drew. He played with the group for nine years before leaving for New York City. In this memoir, Paddy is gracious and generous about sharing his memories, good and bad, with the readers who have helped make him Ireland’s best loved balladeer for almost 60 years.Trade Reviewvery enjoyable … great memories … wonderful -- Michael Lyster in Ireland's Owntop class from start to finish -- Irish Daily StarTable of ContentsChapter 1 Good Old Days My Arse! page 7 Chapter 2 From Pat to Paddy Reilly 24 Chapter 3 Life and Love in America and Ireland 40 Chapter 4 Highs and Lows in London and Elsewhere 58 Chapter 5 North America, Ted Kennedy and Brushes With the Law 73 Chapter 6 ‘The Fields of Athenry’ Found Me 89 Chapter 7 Paddy in the Lands Down Under 111 Chapter 8 The Dubliners Years 126 Chapter 9 Paddy Through the Eyes of Others 142 Chapter 10 Irish Sports Stars Sing Paddy’s Praises 162 Chapter 11 Retirement, Racing, Reminiscing and Beating Cancer 174

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Book Synopsis'[An] astute reckoning with modern celebrity' - The Times'A wild read' - The Guardian'A well-researched, measured account' - The SunPart biography, part social history, Being Britney pieces together a collage of stories, interviews, legends and fan experiences to construct a definitive portrait of one of the biggest stars in recent history.In her unique narrative, acclaimed music author Jennifer Otter Bickerdike provides a sympathetic yet objective re-examination of Britney's trajectory from girl next door to woman trapped by fame. Being Britney is the compelling account of a talented, troubled and talked-about modern icon, whose life, work and individual significance will be recognised for many decades to come.'After years of being framed as a victim, Britney deserves to be celebrated as the fighter, inspiration and enigma she truly is.' - Jennifer Otter BickerdikeTrade Review'This shocking biography details the misogyny and exploitation that have scarred the singer's life ... Bickerdike is on a mission to free Britney by restoring her reputation as a cultural icon ... [An] astute reckoning with modern celebrity.' -- The Times'Being Britney gathers up fragments of news stories, fan gossip, documentaries, chat forums, opinion pieces and more ... this fragmented style is fitting for the digital age in which we live. The book sets up the star as a blank canvas on to which audiences can project whatever they like ... its broad brushstrokes make for a wild read.' -- The Guardian'A well-researched, measured account about one of the world's most recognisable singers.' -- The Sun'A great, thorough piece of work from a Britneyologist.' -- Pandora Sykes'Britney is blessed to have such a talented writer and perceptive mind broaching the complexities of her story thus far.' -- Shirley Manson, Garbage'Yassss! At last, a book that truly celebrates the queen that is Britney Spears. Bickerdike goes deep in Being Britney: Pieces of a Modern Icon to reveal a unique, heartbreaking and funny perspective on Spears.' -- Big Freedia'Jennifer Otter Bickerdike's book on Britney Spears is a masterclass in analysis and an insight into one of the most intriguing and fascinating cultural icons of our time. Essential reading.' -- Stuart Brathwaite, Mogwai'Jennifer is smart and insightful. Being Britney offers a thorough look at Britney's life, including the fraudulent conservatorship that stripped her of her human rights and her fight for freedom.' -- Megan Radford, #FreeBritney campaigner

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Book Synopsis'You want it all? There's not much missing here. 9/10.' - Classic Rock'An engaging mix of humour and detailed critical analysis ... great fun. 4/5.' - MojoFrom award-winning author Mark Blake comes Magnifico! The A to Z of Queen.Addressing the phenomenal cinematic success of Bohemian Rhapsody, acclaimed music journalist Mark Blake builds on the legend of Queen and their enduring audience appeal.Providing a fresh, unparalleled take on Queen's music, story and legacy, Blake's complete portrait covers not only the major hits and bestselling albums, but also the inside stories behind the music.Via a series of essays, interviews and biographies, the author shares a wealth of lesser-known details - gained from over thirty years of original material - and explores what the songs of Queen say about their creators.Trade Review'A royal banquet of Mercury and co. morsels ... Blake has enough knowledge and research in his locker to take us on a deep dive into lesser-known corners of the band's history ... there's something here for casuals and obsessives alike ... You want it all? There's not much missing here. 9/10.' -- Classic Rock'An engaging mix of humour and detailed critical analysis, delving fathoms deep into the before and after of the band's classic line-up and generally leaving no scara unmooshed ... great fun. 4/5.' -- Mojo

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Book Synopsis"Often, we just see the byline of the photographer next to a picture. In this collection, we now learn insider information about the Rolling Stones from the contributors who carried cameras." — Reader's Digest "On the heels of the Rolling Stones' latest album, "Hackney Diamonds", a new coffee-table book collects rare and never-before seen images of the band." — Airmail Weekly Instagram "Perhaps the most interesting of the crowd is the man on the inside, founding member and bassist Bill Wyman...His photos have rawness and vulnerability. From Keith Richards with the black eye he got from Chuck Berry to Mick Jagger reading the Bible, Wyman’s giving us truth." — Airmail The Rolling Stones: Icons brings together the greatest photographs ever taken of the greatest rock ’n’ roll band of all time. The result is the most important anthology of The Rolling Stones’ images ever compiled, featuring the iconic, the awe inspiring and the surprising. Spanning six heady decades, and countless tours and album covers, this thrilling portfolio features imagery from some of the most eminent names in photography, alongside the photographers’ own memories and reflections. From Terry O’Neill’s images of the young, uncompromising new band taken in Tin Pan Alley, through Michael Brennan’s photos of their creative peak in the '70s, and on to the stadium tours of the 21st-century, as shot by Greg Brennan, The Rolling Stones: Icons captures many of the milestone moments of the band’s remarkable career. Includes photographs by: Terry O’Neill, Michael Ward, Gered Mankowitz, Linda McCartney, Michael Joseph, “Spanish Tony” Sanchez, Dominique Tarlé, Ed Caraeff, Barry Schultz, Al Satterwhite, Michael Brennan, Ken Regan, Brian Aris, Denis O’Regan, Douglas Kirkland, Greg Brennan and founding member, bassist and photographer, Bill Wyman.Trade Review"Often, we just see the byline of the photographer next to a picture. In this collection, we now learn insider information about the Rolling Stones from the contributors who carried cameras." - Reader's Digest"The band are celebrated in a photobook aptly titled The Rolling Stones: Icons, with some super rare shots. Here’s a taster of 10 lesser-spotted Rolling Stones photos." - WhyNow"The Rolling Stones: Icons arrived in the U.K. just days before the group’s first album of new material in 18 years, Hackney Diamonds." - Best Classic BandsGuest host Ian Punnett and rock journalist Harvey Kubernik discuss the history of the Rolling Stones, the band's new album and the influence of recording in Hollywood, and how the young band was once upstaged on a famous TV special by James Brown. - Coast to Coast fm"Perhaps the most interesting of the crowd is the man on the inside, founding member and bassist Bill Wyman...His photos have rawness and vulnerability. From Keith Richards with the black eye he got from Chuck Berry to Mick Jagger reading the Bible, Wyman’s giving us truth." - Airmail"Images of the band taken in Tin Pan Alley when they were young, through to their creative peak in the Seventies and stadium tours of the 21st century." - The Times"RCN’s head of editorial Harvey Kubernik wrote the introduction to The Rolling Stones: Icons, edited by ACC Art Books. Includes rare and unseen images of the band from photographers who offer text about their time working with the group." - Record Collector"On the heels of the Rolling Stones' latest album, "Hackney Diamonds", a new coffee-table book collects rare and never-bef-reseen images of the band." - Airmail Weekly Instgram"By giving both The Rolling Stones and the photographers that, quite literally, captured their rise, these tales became their origin stories, respectively. Although they showcase the band inevitably becoming the greatest rock band on the planet, they also show the things audiences and fans weren’t exactly privvy to — until now." - 1883 Magazine"The collection is intimate, stunning and a comprehensive visual history of the band." - Goldmine Magazine"The sheer amount of photographic talent on display in these pages is prodigious, and features contributions from the likes of Terry O’Neill, Linda McCartney and Denis O’Regan." - InsideHook"Fans of the legendary rockers will get plenty of satisfaction with this love letter to the Stones featuring rare and never before seen photos." - NewsdayOne of Airmails best coffee-table books of 2023 - Airmail"The Rolling Stones: Icons... It's something you're gonna pass on, generation to generation." - Richard Syrett's Strange Planet

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Book SynopsisOrnette Coleman’s career encompassed the glory years of jazz and the American avant-garde. Born in segregated Fort Worth, Texas, during the Great Depression, the African American composer and musician was the zeitgeist incarnate. Steeped in the Texas blues tradition, Ornette and jazz grew up together, as the brassy blare of big band swing gave way to bebop, a faster music for a faster, post-war world. At the dawn of the Space Age and New York’s 1960s counterculture, his music gave voice to the moment. Lauded by some, maligned by many, he forged a breakaway art sometimes called `the new thing’ or `free jazz’. Featuring previously unpublished photographs of Ornette and his contemporaries, this is the compelling story of one of America’s most adventurous musicians and the sound of a changing world.Table of ContentsIntroduction Part One: Coming Up Part Two: Ignition Part Three: Atmospherics Part Four: Transmissions Epilogue

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Book SynopsisOrnette Coleman’s career encompassed the glory years of jazz and the American avant-garde. Born in segregated Fort Worth, Texas, during the Great Depression, the African American composer and musician was zeitgeist incarnate. Steeped in the Texas blues tradition, Ornette and jazz grew up together, as the brassy blare of big band swing gave way to bebop, a faster music for a faster, post-war world. At the dawn of the Space Age and New York’s 1960s counterculture, his music gave voice to the moment. Lauded by some, maligned by many, he forged a breakaway art sometimes called ‘the new thing’ or ‘free jazz’. Featuring previously unpublished photographs of Ornette and his contemporaries, this is the compelling story of one of America’s most adventurous musicians and the sound of a changing world.Trade ReviewFittingly unconventional . . . Ornette Coleman: The Territory and the Adventure is an atlas in prose, a guide to the territories of varied sorts – social, racial, aesthetic, economic and even geographic – that Coleman came out of, traveled through, lived near, occupied, left behind or transformed . . . Golia covers a lot of territory in tight, direct language that illuminates Ornette Coleman’s life and work . . . Most impressively, perhaps, she devotes a sizable section to Coleman’s cryptic and elliptical philosophy of music, which he called Harmolodics, without straining to defend it with academic triple-talk or dismissing it.', David Hajdu, New York Times Book Review 'Ms. Golia aptly outlines the aesthetic dilemma, when “jazz had become aware of itself and its strengths” . . . [and] writes with demystifying clarity about the manifestations of compassion and rigor behind Coleman’s search for “unison” and the musical system he called “harmolodics.” . . . She notably grounds Coleman’s identity in his hometown, reconstructing an“idiosyncratic collage of radio broadcasts from Harlem, Western Swing fiddlers, Tejano two-steps, high-school marching bands, and the rhythm and blues that issued from storefront churches” . . . [Ornette Coleman: The Territory and the Adventure] opens ears yet further to the transformative power of Coleman’s music.', Larry Blumenfeld, Wall Street Journal 'Maria Golia's well-researched volume paints a portrait of a man who looked different, ate differently (being a vegetarian in Texas was no joke), and, of course, played differently . . . we learn a great deal about Coleman's musical beginnings, his subsequent motivations, and the broader landscape of which he was a part.', Record Collector 'The freedom that Golia describes is the freedom and openness to form friendships with artists from other areas of the arts. It is the freedom of someone who would go off to Morocco to seek out the musicians of JouJouka. These musicians had a profound effect on the way that Coleman developed multiple unisons and the harmolodic melding of the blues to create the Prime Time band . . . The research that Golia has done is impressive and her book will be essential.', Jazz Views 'Following Ornette's departure from the planet, his presence in the world only seems to increase and his music’s influence will no doubt continue far into the future. The poetic conception of music, sound, and life in the broadest sense that Ornette embodied is addressed here through the terrific writing of Ms. Golia. This volume is an excellent addition to the ongoing study of one of the greatest improvising musicians of all time.', Pat Metheny, musician, composer, educator 'It’s always good to learn more about one of America’s greatest musicians, and Golia’s work has much that is new, especially (at last) a proper overview of Ornette’s experience in his hometown of Fort Worth, both in his youth and the 1980s. Ornette Coleman: The Territory and the Adventure is the best book on Ornette Coleman yet.', Ethan Iverson, musician and music critic 'The history of jazz is often told as a geographical adventure in which a great art enlightens and assimilates a chain of territories in the course of world conquest. Maria Golia revitalizes that narrative in exploring the life and genius of Ornette Coleman. This is the most incisive portrait we have of him – a joyous addition to the literature of music.', Gary Giddins, music critic, author and biographer 'A giant step in the right direction and the first significant book on Ornette Coleman since John Litweiler's Ornette Coleman: The Harmolodic Life was published in 1992…. Golia is very good at contextualising and explaining… and succeeds in exploring in a non-systemically musicological way the mysteries of harmolodics by shedding light on the more arcane side of Ornette's vast artistic curiosity. Ornette Coleman: The Territory and the Adventure also is excellent in enhancing our biographical knowledge of Ornette's early life in a very considered way.', Stephen Graham, Marlbank.net 'There are lots of fascinating anecdotes, stories and previously unpublished photographs in Golia’s book . . . She has compiled a detailed, interesting story of his career.', Martin Chilton, udiscovermusic.com 'One of the finest books on the power of place and influence in a musician's life.', Andrew Male, Mojo 'Golia offers a wide-ranging biography of the great saxophonist, writing less about the man himself than about the people, places, and musical tendencies that converged to make him the "patron saint of all things dissonant and defiant." The approach suits Coleman, who was soft-spoken despite his stubborn nonconformity, and unaffected by the larger-than-life egotism of contemporaries such as Charles Mingus or Miles Davis.', Julian Lucas, Harper's Magazine 'Maria Golia eloquently describes the Ornette phenomenon in a book laden with musical and social insights.', Chris Searle, The Morning Star 'The book is much more than a conventional biography — you learn a lot about his childhood and artistic development, particularly the early years when he was wrestling with the blues and conventional R&B forms, and you learn about the whole Texas milieu he emerged from. But there’s also a great deal of discussion of his music and life philosophy, including extensive quotes from people in his bands, so if you’re at all a fan of his work and want to gain some real perspective on it, it’s pretty much a must-read. Highly recommended.', Stereogum.com 'Ornette Coleman was the shock of the new . . . Golia writes scenically about Coleman’s birthplace, Fort Worth, Texas, where Jim Crow and music were everywhere . . . With a pointillist’s talent for detail, [she] shows how Coleman’s origins in Texas blues gave way to abstraction on landmark records . . . ultimately leading him to create the musical paradigm he called “harmolodics.” . . . The “free” in [Coleman’s] “free jazz” is an ambivalent word. It doesn’t refer to the absence of oppression or musical rules, but instead the struggle to imagine a place beyond them both. In that sense, Coleman’s definition of freedom was radically inclusive, both politically and musically.', Josephine Livingstone, The New Republic 'Golia takes a broader approach, situating the great saxophonist and composer in his cultural, social and geographical contexts. Each of the four sections pivots on a particular time and place, establishing the territory then striking out on an adventure in a manner akin to a Coleman solo . . . By deftly tracing these connections and transformations, Golia has created a valuable and highly engaging survey of Coleman’s harmolodic life.', The Wire '[A] compelling and rewarding new book.', Jerry Jazz Musician 'A marvelous and unique biography of an equally unique artist. Maria covers his entire life in vivid detail with emphasis on the man, his associations and his artistic methods. It is the perfect companion to John Litweiler’s Ornette Coleman: A Harmolodic Life written in 1994.', Mosaic Records’ Daily Jazz Gazette 'Maria Golia’s forensic, scholarly, original Ornette Coleman: The Territory and the Adventure is a very welcome book . . . Golia – perfectly placed to write this book as one-time manager of the Caravan Of Dreams – expertly outlines Ornette’s place in a distinctly Texan musical heritage . . . a fascinating, formidable study of Ornette, with all the seriousness and rigour his life and music deserve.', Sounds of Surprise 'Golia takes us on a guided tour, not just of Coleman’s mind and music but of the country and state that birthed him and made him into a permanent outlaw and outlier. She clearly designates the framework of the biography of this titanic figure, demonstrating that the individuals who may be said to define an era have generally distilled its characteristic forces and possibilities into a consistent body of work that has in turn transformed the times in which they lived and worked. In other words, Ornette is a mirror of the very America which often found it so hard to incorporate him into its artistic, musical and cultural fabric.', Donald Brackett, Critics at Large 'Author Maria Golia’s depiction of the mise en scene of Ornette Coleman’s life, and her insights into his persona, provide ample material to understand the saxophonist’s initial disruption and his long-term influence.', The Arts Fuse 'A professional account of a heady dude, without cosmic junk and jargon.', Colin Fleming, Jazz Times 'A spectacular new biography . . . Golia has penned a labor of love and a thoroughly researched, righteous homage. Best of all, in my view, Golia gets Coleman’s ravenous intellectual curiosity. Her prose is sometimes dense with context, sometimes poetic and exalted, sometimes punchy ("Jim Crow could not dictate what kind of music a person listened to.") She gets that Ornette was never only a jazz musician. He was a thinker, a futurist, a cultural revolutionary . . . Refreshingly, Golia describes references that informed Ornette’s voracious curiosity, like Derrida, Buckminster Fuller, Maya Angelou, the later Krishnamurti, and Guy Debord.', Los Angeles Review of Books 'Golia contends that Coleman's particular vision of music, what he called Harmolodics, affected not only the shape of jazz but also that of other musical genres as well as poetry, visual art, film-making, and even architecture. It's a compelling argument, and Golia's book offers much interesting information concerning Coleman's upbringing and early music apprenticeship in his hometown of Fort Worth, TX, not generally considered a jazz capital but in these pages comes across as much more than a backwater.', Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 'Lauded by some, maligned by many, Ornette Coleman forged a breakaway art sometimes called "the new thing" or "free jazz." At the dawn of the Space Age and New York's 1960s counterculture, his music gave voice to the moment. Featuring previously unpublished photographs of Ornette and his contemporaries, this is the compelling story of one of America's most adventurous musicians and the sound of a changing world.', Rough Trade, Books of the Year 2020 'In this book Maria Golia has succeeded in celebrating Coleman’s life of musical ‘adventure’ and arguing his status as a modern master.', Centrepiece 'a book with superbly reproduced photographs . . . Ornette Coleman did his own thing with graceful ease. This comes across strongly in the story of his life as told by Maria Golia and she is good at contextualising the different phases of his musical career.', The Prisma 'Coleman’s status as a larger-than-life icon has tended to eclipse the soft-spoken, often enigmatic artist himself. Opposing this tendency is Maria Golia’s wide-ranging new biography . . . One of the book’s virtues lies in its foregrounding of Coleman’s own voice and the voices of his con-temporaries, with ample quotations throughout, many drawn from the author’s own interviews . . . Golia’s book is scholarly and well researched, but it is not written exclusively or even primarily for academics and should be welcomed by fans and general reader-ship.', Jazz and Culture 'Fascinating . . . There is a great deal of new information in her book about Coleman, particularly about his later nonmusical artistic activities, his general philosophy, and the way that that he influenced other artists including from very different fields. Even those who consider themselves experts on the altoist will find much to learn from this well-written and scholarly book . . . The Territory And The Adventure has many bright moments, fresh stories, and fascinating information about the life and times of Ornette Coleman.', LA Jazz Scene 'An invaluable contribution not only to Coleman scholarship but also to the history of African-American music, culture, and commerce of mid-twentieth-century Fort Worth.', Alan Schaefer, Journal of Texas Music History

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Book Synopsis‘Ours is music with built-in hatred.’ – Pete Townshend A Band with Built-In Hate pictures The Who from their inception as the Detours in the mid-sixties to the late seventies, post-Quadrophenia. It is a story of ambition and anger, glamour and grime, viewed through the prism of pop art and the radical levelling of high and low culture that it brought about – a drama that was aggressively performed by the band. Peter Stanfield lays down a path through the British pop revolution, its attitude and style, as it was uniquely embodied by The Who: first, under the mentorship of arch-mod Peter Meaden, as they learnt their trade in the pubs and halls of suburban London; and then with Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp, two aspiring filmmakers, at the very centre of things in Soho. Guided by contemporary commentators – among them George Melly, Lawrence Alloway and most conspicuously Nik Cohn – Stanfield describes a band driven by belligerence, and of what happened when Townshend, Daltrey, Moon and Entwistle moved from back-room stages to international arenas, from explosive 45s to expansive concept albums. Above all, he tells of how The Who confronted their lost youth as it was echoed in punk.Trade Review‘This superb volume . . . A Band with Built-in Hate feels fresh and without precedent, a scholarly yet thrilling studyof the paradoxes that made The Who the most vital band of the '60s, and the cultural backdrop against which their initial impact was played out.’ — Shindig!; ‘Eloquently framing their success as the only successful 1960s UK pop/rock group that didn't want to be either The Beatles or The Rolling Stones, Stanfield locates The Who (and crucially their peak years, during which they were, he writes "not copyists but innovators") at a boundary-breaking intersection of pop and art-rock.’ — Tony Clayton-Lea, Irish Times; ‘Stanfield’s masterful new book on the Who, A Band with Built-In Hate, charts their perfect trajectory from pop art to punk with the serious tone their cultural rage deserves. And he does it with a verve that properly situates creative powerhouse Townshend in a practically ideal collaborative arc . . . Stanfield has produced a valuable document, the accurate archive of a uniquely revolutionary band driven forward by belligerence.’ — Critics at Large; ‘There’s some very perceptive writing on the influence the Who had on the wider scene . . . essential reading for anyone who’s ever loved the Who, or wants an insight into the Sixties’ music scene that goes beyond greatest hits compilations and easy generalisations.’ — Louder Than War; ‘If Roger Daltry's 2018 autobiography was a prosaic foot soldier's telling of the Who story, here is a view from the high plains . . . . The best parts of the book mirror the best of The Who, fizzing with ideas and connections . . . This book vividly reanimates the nasty, transgressive, scene-shaping thrill of their beginnings.’ — Mail on Sunday; ‘[An] ear for apt detail enriches Stanfield's account. He plumbs archives for ephemeral magazines and forgotten interviews to reveal more than the standard recitals of the works.’ — Popmatters; ‘Another example of popster intellectualism from this year comes from Stanfield who tackles the overlap of pop music and pop art at the height of the 1960s in A Band With Built-In Hate. This account of The Who up to the arrival of punk concentrates on Pete Townsend’s ideas rather than Keith Moon’s treatment of TVs and cars and is the better for it.’ — 'Music Books of the Year', The Herald, Glasgow; ‘Stanfield has masterfully identified the mod, pop art, and art rock stages of the Who’s career for rock fans and general readers alike.’ — Library Journal; ‘A Band With Built-In Hate: The Who From Pop Art To Punk is an easy but by no means breezy read, well researched and notated, and illustrated throughout in black and white. It brings together some significant criticism of The Who, connecting them with all manner of cultural references, and is a valuable addition to my ever-expanding Who library. That The Who continue to be so well-served by knowledgeable authors is a tribute to their importance.’ — Chris Charlesworth, Just Backdated; ‘While the death of Keith Moon effectively put to bed the essential meaning of their opposition, the push-back of their music and lives, A Band with Built-In Hate can now address with minute clarity and put-right connections how it all started and for the others that followed in their tidal-wave wake, and for the lows and the highs of the cultural innovators that are collectively engraved as the Who. I give this book 4 out of 4 beetles!’ — beatles-freak.com; ‘This definitely is not the kind of book on The Who you expected. A Band with Built-In Hate is an unusual title, very well done and enlightening.’ — www.popcultureshelf.com; ‘A Band With Built-in Hate reaffirms the Who's importance to the rock and pop revolutions of the sixties and seventies’ — Choice magazine, UK; ‘With impressive eloquence, A Band with Built-in Hate situates '60s Britain's most volatile and incendiary group at the heart of pop's wild vortex, its sonic assaults on the class system and the cultural status quo. Stanfield digs brilliantly into the Who's transgressions, their up-ending of entertainment, their transmuting of pop music into art-rock and proto-punk. He can see for miles.’ — Barney Hoskyns, author of Lowside of the Road: A Life of Tom Waits and Major Dudes: A Steely Dan Companion; ‘The best book on the Who. Stanfield understands that they were built entirely around opposition - they didn’t want to be the Beatles or the Stones; they didn’t even want to be the Who most of the time. He smartly states the case for peak Who as transgressive, how their clashing obsessions with primitive rock’n’roll and sociological statements made them so exciting. He also wisely concentrates on their peak years, before pop solidified as rock, when the Who were the closest thing to pop art British music has ever produced.’ — Bob Stanley, founding member of St Etienne and author of Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop; ‘That The Who’s image was constantly shifting according to whatever they thought would best promote their music in the moment is the focus of Peter Stanfield’s new book A Band with Built-In Hate. Stanfield examines how The Who took in disparate influences from outside the rock world—influences flying in from the fine and pop arts, youth culture, and so-on – and shipped them back out to be co-opted by everyone from The Creation to The Sex Pistols. It is the first deep, book-length look at an important aspect of The Who’s persona and art that is an integral portion of every book on the band . . . fills in the gaps of an important area of Who history.’ — Mike Segretto, The Who FAQ: All That's Left to Know About Fifty Years of Maximum R&B

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Book SynopsisThe Monkees represent a vital problem for rock and pop, and perhaps the major question: is it the music that matters or the personality and image of the performers? This book explores the system behind the Monkees, the controversial made-for-tv band that scored some of the biggest hit records of the 1960s. The Monkees represent the cumulative result of a complex coordination of talented individuals, from songwriters to studio musicians to producers – the system of the 1960s Hollywood music industry. The new rock criticism bewailed the fake band, while fans and audiences made the Monkees a major commercial success. More than any other band in the 1960s, the Monkees illustrate the genius of the system and its role in popular music.

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Book SynopsisThe first book-length study in English of composer Mathias Spahlinger, one of Germany’s leading practitioners of contemporary music. One of the most stimulating and provocative figures on the new music scene on Germany, he has long been a touchstone for leftist, ‘critical’ composition there, yet his work has received very little attention in Anglophone scholarship until now. Born in 1944, Spahlinger has risen only gradually to prominence in his native Germany and for many years was considered an outsider within the contemporary music scene. Yet, his position as one of the most venerable exponents of post-WWII modernism in his homeland is now undeniable: his music is regularly performed, he has received commissions from many of the major orchestras and new music groups in Germany, and in 2014 he received the Großen Berliner Kunstpreis (Berlin Art Prize – Grand Prize) from the city’s Akademie der Künste (Academy of Arts). Spahlinger is, however, becoming increasingly known as a significant figure within later twentieth-century music – in 2015, a festival in Chicago focused exclusively on his music, and he was a keynote speaker at a conference on Compositional Aesthetics and the Political at Goldsmiths, University of London. This new book provides an essential reference for scholars of new music and twentieth-century modernism. There are no other book-length studies of Spahlinger in English, though there is a monograph and a book of essays in German, and books of interviews. This original work promises a more critical perspective upon the composer and his aesthetics and political ideas compared to previous publications. The illustrations include musical examples. Its primary market will be a specialist musicological readership, including academics, researchers and composers, but the writing style such that it could be accessible also to undergraduates interested in the field. The discussion of aesthetic debates in post-war Germany, and the interesting reading of the work of Jacques Rancière, means that it could also have significant appeal across the disciplines of philosophy and critical theory.Trade Review'While on the one hand, Neil Thomas Smith succeeds in filling up a void in academic literature on Spahlinger in English, his writing exceeds that purpose by bringing Spahlinger’s work into a general cultural and political context.[...] What is perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Smith’s book is the detailed analysis of many notable works of Spahlinger, which generations of composers will find very useful after listening to the music. On the whole therefore, this very enlightening book illustrates how one of the most influential composers at the dawn of the 21st century put thought and sound into the wholeness of his unique works that continue to intrigue the global artistic community.' -- Jonas Baes, Popular MusicTable of ContentsIntroduction Part 1 Modernism Underestimated Biography and Context: Spahlinger and Twentieth-Century Germany Part 2 Musique Concrète Instrumentale Order Open Form Perception Conclusion Mathias Spahlinger: List of Works

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Book SynopsisLate on 8 December 1980, the world stopped turning for millions when news broke that its best-loved rock star had been gunned down in cold blood in New York City. But who, or what, really killed him? And when did the 'real' John Lennon die?Peeling back the layers, acclaimed music biographer and journalist Lesley-Ann Jones tracks the highs and lows that led Lennon to relocate to New York, where he was shot dead on the street outside his apartment building that fateful winter night. Using fresh first-hand research, unseen images and exclusive interviews with those who knew Lennon best, the author's search for answers in this enthralling exploration offers a gripping, 360-degree view of one of our most iconic music legends, four decades on from his tragic death.There have been countless books about the Beatles and John Lennon. There has never been one quite like this.

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Book Synopsis'However much you thought you knew about The Stones before you read it, afterwards you'll know more. It's glittering' - Simon Napier-Bell'Special [...] it's brilliant' Johnnie WalkerFrom Sunday Times bestselling author Lesley-Ann JonesOn 12 July 1962, the Rollin' Stones performed their first-ever gig at London's Marquee jazz club. Down the line, a 'g' was added, a spark was lit and their destiny was sealed. No going back.These five white British kids set out to play the music of black America. They honed a style that bled bluesy undertones into dark insinuations of women, sex and drugs. Denounced as 'corruptors of youth' and 'messengers of the devil', they created some of the most thrilling music ever recorded. Now, their sound and attitude seem louder and more influential than ever. Elvis is dead and the Beatles are over, but Jagger and Richards bestride the world. The Stones may be gathering moss, but on they roll. Yet how did the ultimate anti-establishment misfits become the global brand we know today? Who were the casualties, and what are the forgotten legacies? Can the artist ever be truly divisible from the art? Lesley-Ann Jones's new history tracks this contradictory, disturbing, granitic and unstoppable band through hope, glory and exile, into the juggernaut years and beyond into rock's ongoing reckoning . . . where the Stones seem more at odds than ever with the values and heritage against which they have always rebelled. Good, bad and often ugly, here are the Rolling Stones as never before.

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Book SynopsisFew, if any bands, have been as prolific or consistently creative as Genesis were in the 1970s, both together and apart. Across that decade, the mothership released eight studio and two live albums, played a thousand concerts and launched the solo careers of four of its members. Through it all, they weathered the departures of Anthony Phillips, Peter Gabriel and Steve Hackett, ending the decade as a self-contained trio of Tony Banks, Phil Collins and Mike Rutherford, one that was about to become the biggest band in the world. For many though, the 1970s represents their artistic peak as a hothouse for incredible songwriters. It made for a combustible, heady brew when those talents were all harnessed in the service of the band, helping create the progressive rock genre, pioneering the multimedia concert experience, as well as making a rakishly worn daffodil the headgear of choice for the cognoscenti. Genesis began the decade by playing before an audience of one and asking if he had 'any requests?' and ended it by headlining the Knebworth Festival in front of 80,000 fans. This book tells the whole story of that tumultuous decade, on record and on stage, together and apart.

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Book SynopsisEveryone loved The Hollies. They were the 'group's group'. Never confrontational or rebellious, always smartly suited, always smiling. The band had an unbroken run of immaculate pop singles which, while they seldom had that must-buy factor of the latest Rolling Stones or Beatles record, was hallmarked by tight harmonies and unfailing chart sensibility. Throughout the sixties and well into the seventies, everyone had - own up - at least one or two Hollies singles in their collection. No-one begrudged The Hollies their hits. When 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother' and 'Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress' became global million-sellers, The Hollies were inducted into The Rock 'n' Roll Hall Of Fame. Graham Nash - by then deep into his second career as part of Crosby, Stills and Nash - was reunited with other members of the outfit, all on stage together in the March 2010 ceremony. This book tells the full story, from the band's origins in Manchester, through the full arc of hits, and the albums - track-by-track, into the twenty-first century, then... now... always

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Book SynopsisLong, unfurling tracks; huge stacks of gear; music like that of no other group; trailblazing live gigs based on improvisation. This is the legacy of Tangerine Dream, the legendary German group piloted by Edgar Froese, whose impact on music, and electronic music in particular, has been profound. Formed in the Summer of Love, and at the beginning a group of rock musicians who liked to improvise, they went on to record and release a series of ground-breaking synthesiser albums with their native Ohr Records and with Richard Branson's fledgling Virgin Records. With the support of underground DJ titan John Peel, their star ascended through the seventies. This book covers that glorious, extraordinary decade, focusing on the music but also telling the group's tale. Albums recording by the band included the classic Phaedra, it's hugely popular follow up Rubycon and they ended the decade with the powerful Force Majeure. The book includes new interviews with Steve Jolliffe and also with early member Steve Schroyder, who was there alongside Froese in those very early days.

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Book SynopsisBest known for a string of 1980s pop soul classics such as 'Private Eyes', 'Maneater', and 'Out Of Touch', Daryl Hall & John Oates are far more than the much caricatured image of the tall blonde one and the short one with the moustache. Through peaks and troughs of the preceding decade, their Philly soul sound twisted and turned, with forays into psychedelic rock with Todd Rundgren and an embracing of new wave tunes as the 1970s progressed. Their records are full of luscious harmonies and catchy melodies, but with an experimental side that's often been overlooked by those who know them principally from 'Rich Girl' or 'I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)'. This book unpicks the multiple facets of the best-selling musical duo act of all time, recounting the stories behind the songs, and charting the myriad paths they've taken, to reveal a very different Hall & Oates behind their popular image. Hall & Oates on track, the first critical exploration of their work in book form for over thirty-five years, examines their entire output, from Whole Oats to Do It For Love, taking in bonus tracks, compilations, covers and live albums, to give the reader a proper overview of their fifty year career.

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Book SynopsisBetween 1972 and their first break-up in 1976 (and then again following their 1979 reunion), Roxy Music were arguably the most exciting, ambitious and vivacious bans in the land - a core four piece of vocalist Bryan Ferry, guitarist Phil Manzanera, horn player Andy Mackay and drummer Phil Thompson (but also featuring, at different times, Brian Eno and Eddie Jobson) who emerged during 1972's long, hot summer of glam rock, but who could never be readily pigeonholed. The greatest records they made became, in turn, some of the greatest records of the age. 'Virginia Plain,' 'Pyjamarama,' 'Street Life,' 'All I Want Is You,' 'Love is the Drug,' 'Trash' and 'Dance Away' were the hits, but even the deepest cuts on the band's first five albums became anthems for a generation. Roxy were no ordinary band in other ways, too, as Ferry, Manzanera, Mackay and Eno all embarked upon solo careers - which, between them, were responsible for a complex catalogue of songs that stretches from the ballads of the 1930s to the electronica of the distant future, from Wagner's Valkyries to David Bowie's Low. This book encompasses all of that, documenting the histories of both band and band members, while analysing and detailing every album and single released by the Roxy family throughout the decade.

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Book SynopsisSheffield in the late-1970s was isolated from what was happening in London in the same way that Liverpool had been in 1963. A unique generation of electro-experimental groupings evolved in the former Steel City around Cabaret Voltaire and The Future. The Future split into two factions, Clock DVA and The Human League. Then The Human League split into two further factions, Heaven 17, and The Human League as we now know them, fronted by Philip Oakey with Joanne Catherall and Susan Sulley. Dare became one of the most iconic albums of the eighties; the album by which Human League are most instantly recognised. It is a musically ambitious album, both driven and voracious album, with giddy grenades of shared inventiveness. A triumph of content over considerable style, at once phenomenally commercial and gleefully avant-garde. The American success of 'Don't You Want Me', accelerated by the high-gloss movie-quality video, exploiting the band's extreme visual appeal, heralded what was soon termed the Second British Invasion. It was the first of two Human League singles to top the American charts. This book tells the full story, from the band's origins in Sheffield, through the full arc of Human League and the very early Heaven 17 hits, and the albums - track-by-track, into the twenty-first century...

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Book SynopsisCreedence Clearwater Revival were a San Francisco band of the 1960s that had nothing to do with Human Be Ins, Timothy Leary, or the Summer of Love. They were, for a time, the most popular band in the US but never scored a number one hit. They were headliners at Woodstock but didn’t appear in the film or on the soundtrack LP. They shared a radical ‘back to basics’ sensibility with The Band but were not embraced by the emerging rock press with anywhere near the same enthusiasm. When the punks were hunting dinosaur bands to extinction in 1977, Richard Hell covered one of their songs on his debut album. In the 1980s, as their songs became staples of ‘classic rock’ radio, they were revered by underground bands like The Gun Club, The Minutemen and The Scientists. As Butch said to Sundance, ‘Who are those guys?’ In this book, a track-by-track analysis of all the band’s recorded output, Tony Thompson rolls up the sleeves on his plaid shirt and prepares to answer the big questions. Who’s Jody? What is ‘chooglin’? Where is Green River? Why can’t the singer leave Lodi? Who was the fortunate son? Is the bathroom on the right?

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Book SynopsisBrian Eno is arguably one of the most influential musicians working in rock music. Starting out as synthesizer peacock of the early glam rock era Roxy Music, Eno not only changed his look but his musical style throughout the seventies and moved from foot-stomping proto-punk anthems to the quiet introspection and inventor of ambient music. Along the way, he became a much in demand producer working with Ultravox! and Talking Heads and also collaborated with David Bowie on three of the most important albums of his career. He also managed to blur the boundaries between rock music and modern avant-garde classical music with the founding of his 'Obscure Records' label. Eno began this decade strutting his stuff onstage to Bryan Ferry's songs and finished it with the serene melodies of Music For Airports and, along the way, managed to squeeze in a couple of albums with King Crimson's Robert Fripp as well as being part of the krautrock scene. This is Eno’s journey through the highs and lows of the seventies.

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Book SynopsisNot many artists can boast a career like Nick Cave, which has gone from strength to strength since the debut album from his band The Bad Seeds in 1984. Most musicians in their 60s are relegated to the periphery as the quality of their output becomes tired and predictable and they fail to match the success of their earlier offerings - Nick Cave is an exception to this. His 2019 album Ghosteen may arguably be his best, still sounding as potent as those Old Testament, drug-fuelled 80s albums or the mid-90s streak of classics that the band are most renowned for. Cave's eclectic career has been fruitful, not only as a musician but as a literary mastermind whose lyrics have been analysed and theorised on countless occasions, as he consistently and compellingly mulls over themes of religion, love, redemption, loss and death. This book delves into the music and lyrics of every track in The Bad Seeds' current back-catalogue, starting with their post-punk beginnings on From Her To Eternity right the way through to the ambient synth-driven soundscapes of Ghosteen. Hidden gems from the band's two B-sides compilations, as well as their thrilling live albums, are also be included in this appraisal of a band that are still very much alive and kicking.

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Book SynopsisStatus Quo are a British institution - a multi-million selling band of epic proportions and while their career was in it's hey day during the 1970s, the hits kept coming through the 1980s along with breakups, lawsuits, line-up changes, substance abuse and a high-profile, highly successful comeback after calling it a day in 1984. While much has been written about the 'glory years', Quo's difficult but triumphant struggle through the 1980s is a much more exciting story with twists, turns and a sense of peril that feels like it could go either way. This is a celebration of Quo's music at its most vulnerable and experimental, at a time when the band lost old fans, gained new ones and made some of the most varied and creative recordings of their career. No stone has been left unturned with several members of the band contributing stories and anecdotes from their own perspectives that should leave even the most knowledgeable of fans feeling like they've learned something.

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Book SynopsisThere were a lot of very different bands peddling their wares in the progressive rock 'golden age' of the 1970s - some tending toward symphonic grandeur, other towards jazz fusion, and others still ploughing the more immediate end of the spectrum. There were the left-field eccentrics and the tricky 'difficult' bands. Apart from it all, however, there were Van Der Graaf Generator. In a decade stuffed with a wild array of influences, styles and instrumental line-ups, there can be few tending quite so near to the definition 'unique' as the four musicians who made up the 'classic' line-up of Van Der Graaf. For a start, there was the astonishing songwriting and vocals of generally accepted 'leader' Peter Hammill, but there was much more behind that to set these men apart. Their unparalleled instrumental make-up saw little or no guitar and no bass guitar, while organist Hugh Banton handled the bass parts on pedals, David Jackson pioneered an astonishing saxophone style, playing two instruments at once, electric rather than miked up, and using a full effects pedalboard. Drummer Guy Evans filled in - well, everything else. It was and remains a sound quite like no other. This book documents their incredibly influential first decade as prog's ultimate 'outsiders'. It's quite a ride.

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Book SynopsisIt may have taken them a few years to achieve a stable line-up, but Faith No More did just that with the arrival of enigmatic frontman, Mike Patton in 1988. By 1990, the San Francisco quintet were flying high on the back of their third album, The Real Thing, and the influential anthem for a generation, 'Epic'. Becoming a household name and mainstream chart botherers with colourful and diverse songs ranging in style from heavy metal to jazz, and rap rock to lounge music, Faith No More refused to follow trends and instead pushed forward with a gung-ho attitude and a talent for songwriting built around sonic experimentation. The band released the critically acclaimed Angel Dust, as well as King for a Day...Fool for a Lifetime and the ironically titled Album of the Year records, before stunning fans by parting ways in 1998. Faith No More in the 1990s is the story of a largely rewarding but tension-filled decade for rock music's greatest underdogs. Providing a detailed timeline of events, frenetic touring schedules, and most importantly- the songs, this book documents the rise and progression of one of the most distinctive bands of all time

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Book SynopsisOut of the dozen different line-ups since Fleetwood Mac formed in 1967, there's only one incarnation that truly matters for most listeners. During their time together, Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Christine McVie, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham created some of popular music's most enduring records, including 1977's Rumours. Written and recorded as multiple relationships within the band were collapsing, the landmark album became a worldwide hit that still attracts new fans. Disbanding might have been the rational response to the turmoil surrounding the making of that album, but they continued touring and recording even as tensions within the group continued to accumulate. Although Fleetwood Mac only recorded two albums together in the 1980s, four of the five members released solo albums that brought their individual contributions to the band into focus. After the group splintered in the late-1980s, it took a request from a US President to fix it, if only temporarily. The underlying tension between the band members' individual and group efforts - the truth that they worked best together but could only do so for limited periods - continues to the present day and reflects that even more so than the 1970s, the 1980s were the pivotal decade for Fleetwood Mac.

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Book SynopsisVan Halen are arguably America's greatest ever rock n' roll band. From inauspicious roots as a backyard covers outfit, they went on to revolutionise and revitalise heavy rock, creating a world-conquering blend of heavy metal power, punk energy and pop hooks. Armed with staggering musical virtuosity and irresistible charisma, they sold millions of records and spawned legions of imitators. From their humble origins and meteoric rise, through some dark, troubled years, to their triumphant rebirth, the band produced a remarkable body of work. In this thorough and illuminating book, Morgan Brown guides us song by song through the band's classic albums, charting their development from Sunset Strip upstarts to multi-platinum stadium rockers and beyond. We'll examine the music's ingredients and inspirations, and meet the characters behind the songs, including visionary guitar genius, the late Edward Van Halen, motormouth master showman David Lee Roth, and his replacement, powerful vocalist Sammy Hagar, who ushered in a new era for the band. Equally suitable for inquisitive new listeners or long-time fans, this book is both an in-depth guide to, and an enthusiastic celebration of the career of a truly legendary band. Feel like diving in? Well, as Roth said, go ahead and jump!

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Book SynopsisThe 1980s saw Alice Cooper release arguably his most diverse collection of albums, ranging from new wave to metal to full-on radio-friendly rock. They weren't all commercially successful, but all are worth listening to and some are excellent. This book (which follows on from the author's acclaimed Alice Cooper In The '70s) features all new interview material by the author with 45 musicians and performers who worked with Alice over the decade. Many have never been interviewed before and they offer fascinating insight into working with Alice and each other. Key interviewees include Mike Pinera, Jan Uvena, John Nitzinger, Graham Shaw, Ken Mary, Kip Winger, Kane Roberts, John McCurry and Al Pitrelli. Consequently, the book includes a lot of new facts and information that should please fans. The author adds commentary and opinions on all of the songs from the era, Alice's film work and the five live tours. There is also an appendix on the album that could have been but never was. Alice 'contributes' from the contemporary press of the time are referenced, which became more loquacious as the decade goes on. Alice in the '80s, what a thrill ride that was!

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Book SynopsisOnce, there were four university students who started a rock band named after a firetruck. Five and a half decades later, REO Speedwagon are still going strong, still drawing massive crowds, and, thankfully, still have no plans to stop. With classic albums like the multi-platinum You Can Tune a Piano, but You Can't Tuna Fish and the ten million-selling Hi Infidelity, REO conquered America's heartland, then the nation, and then - as a ten-year 'overnight sensation' - the world. It was the rock tunes like 'Golden Country' and 'Back on the Road Again' that built their reputation before the ballads like 'Keep on Loving You' and 'Can't Fight this Feeling' brought them global fame. REO have sold over 40 million records under their own name and are further featured on the soundtracks to scores of films and television programs, including Supernatural and Ozark. The current line-up with the 'new guys' has been together for more than 30 years. REO Speedwagon On Track shines a light on the band's lengthy career. This book delves into the tracks on each of their 16 studio albums, their official live releases, and several compilations, and provides a glimpse of some of the band members' outside projects,

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Book SynopsisHorslips: arguably the greatest band in Irish rock music history. This five-piece band produced truly special, unique music in the 1970s. By joining literary craft and their cultural heritage with a fusion of traditionally inspired music with rock instrumentation, they created a genre of music which became known as 'Celtic Rock'. Horslips also pioneered an 'in-house' approach to the rock music business, controlling their stage presentation, graphic design, record pressing and concert promotion. Their finest albums - The Tain, and The Book Of Invasions - adapted legendary and historic texts with compelling music. Elsewhere the life and times of Turlough O'Carolan, the famine and emigration provided a conceptual backdrop to Dancehall Sweethearts, Aliens, and The Man Who Built America. But the band broke up in 1980. Reconvening in the next century, after the 'longest tea break in history', they produced a new 'acoustic covers' album, played stadium-filling gigs and television performances, and recorded two live albums. This book celebrates (and sometimes criticises) the creative waves that Eamon Carr, Barry Devlin, Johnny Fean, Jim Lockhart, and Charles O'Connor gave us.

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Book SynopsisSlade were one of the biggest British bands of the 1970s. One of the early pioneers of gl,am rock they enjoyed an incredible run of six number one singles, four top-ten albums and a succession of sell-out tours. However, after a failed attempt at an American breakthrough in the mid-1970s, Slade returned to Britain and faced dwindling record sales, smaller concert halls and a music press that had lost interest in them. By the end of the decade, they were playing residencies in cabaret clubs and recorded a cover of a children's novelty song. But then came a last-minute invitation to play the 1980 Reading Festival, setting into motion one of the most remarkable comebacks in rock history. As we come to the fiftieth anniversary of Slade's 1973 annus mirabilis that saw 'Cum On Feel The Noize', 'Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me' and 'Merry Xmas Everybody' all enter the UK charts at number one, this book celebrates the music of Slade. From the band's beginnings in the mid-1960s through each year of the decade that gave them their biggest successes, every album and single is examined, as well as their raucous live shows and colourful media profile.

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Book SynopsisFrom humble beginnings, as they emerged pimple-popped and sweaty out of a global New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene infiltrating California in the early 80s, through to almost complete world domination, sell out tours and Billboard chart success, Metallica's story is like few others. With an insatiable hunger andhell-for-leatherr attitude, they helped to forge a new direction for metal music across the world, combining progressive anger with, at times, sweeping ballads. In the space of just a few album,s they transformed from thrashing wannabes (Kill 'Em All) into real heavy rock contenders (...And Justice for All) - before unleashing a new blend of chart-topping heavy metal on the masses (Black Album). A band of dogged workers, with twists and turns, heartbreak and line-up changes peppering their more than 40-year career, if they aren't on the road, it seems they're in the recording studio, with an incessant hunt for the next loudest, ground-breaking sound, spurring them on. They rode a wave, then started a tsunami, so prepare to be blown away. Metallica give you 'heavy baby!'

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Book SynopsisSoft Machine are perceived as cold and forbidding. At their peak in the 1970s, they purposefully raised the hackles of pop journalists, the musical establishment, and even their own fans. Their music was designed to exclude all but the most devoted. Their line-up constantly churned, divesting themselves of every player that tried to make a human connection. Instead of the community of live performance, they favoured an abusive blast of ferocious noise that never ceased from the first note to the point you were driven out of the venue in shock. That all this was true only for a short period of their career and is certainly not the case for more recent incarnations is irrelevant if potential listeners are turned away before they've even dared to hear a note of their music. Do so, and an entirely different band emerges: one that is sly, spry, tuneful, trippy, and surprisingly welcoming, merging a glorious melange of prog rock, jazz fusion, and much more and capable of shifting on a unison beat from soul ballad to freeform skronk, from fuzz-driven pounding to aching minimalism. This book guides you through the maze of the band's works, revealing why every album is worthy of re-evaluation, why they're so influential, and why you should rush to assimilate as many of them as you can. It covers the live and studio material released by the parent group, all related projects with a 'Soft' in their name, and the essential extracurricular activities of every member from 1960 to the present day.

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Book SynopsisSince their formation in the early 1970s, Earth, Wind & Fire have been at the forefront of popular music. Led by the fearless Maurice White, the band imprinted their funky style onto the world's psyche, with tracks like 'September', 'Let's Groove', 'That's The Way of The World' and 'Reasons' becoming instantly recognisable in the process, transforming the group into one of the biggest pop acts of all time. Walking the fine line between pop hits, jazz compositions and fusion playing, Maurice surrounded himself with some of the best players of the time in order to realise his vision. Al McKay, Verdine White, Larry Dunn, Andrew Woolfolk and vocalist extraordinaire Philip Bailey were players of the highest order, committing stunning performances to tape and becoming icons in the process. Earth, Wind & Fire On Track gives a complete overview of the group's recorded output. From 1971s self-titled debut to 2014's Holiday, with smash hits like I Am, All 'N All and Spirit in between, here you will find every song delved into with facts and insightful analysis. No stone is left unturned in this career overview, giving both longtime fans and newcomers something fresh to find out about one of popular music's greatest acts.

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Book SynopsisBob Dylan is the magician who sprinkled poetic fairy dust on to the popular music of the early sixties and his songwriting sparked a revolution and changed rock music forever. The diminutive poet/singer claimed he was merely a 'song and dance man' but Dylan altered popular music from intellectually bereft teenage rebellion into a serious adult art form worthy of academic study. Dylan headed for the sixties as a Little Richard rock 'n' roller but soon turned acoustic folkie and after absorbing the music and words of Woody Guthrie, Robert Johnson and Brecht, he became a vagabond social troubadour. Basking in Rimbaud he transformed into a poetic symbolist before later immersing himself in lysergic beat surrealism. The chameleon of Dylan in the sixties was bewildering to his followers. His first album was a raw debut folk/blues. Then followed three acoustic poetic gems, three ground-breaking surreal ,electric wonders and four that were more mundane and country-tinged. But by the mid-sixties he was a strung-out polka-dotted rock star. He crashed (physically and mentally) before leaving the sixties as a clean-cut country crooner. Dylan had mutated more times than a trilobite. Dylan's ground-breaking music changed the world and his amazing story is revealed by exploring the eleven albums that he released between 1962 and 1970.

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