Musicians, singers, bands and groups Books

Book Synopsis“The Beatles will be remembered, and rightly so, as the sociological phenomenon of the Sixties…but if you’re talking about music, it has to be Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys. That’s who they’ll be studying.” (anonymous fan) The Beach Boys are one of the most celebrated bands in the history of pop music. In a career that began before the Beatles and lasted long after their demise, they were responsible for almost single-handedly spearheading a new music genre, and along the way creating what is still referred to as one of the greatest albums of all time, and another cited as one the greatest albums that never was. Over the subsequent years, the band has been the subject of countless books and essays by some of the most esteemed writers in the business, with both words and music scrutinised in the most finest of detail. But what of the stories behind the songs? This is a book that tells you all you need to know about what I consider to be their finest recordings - their inspiration; the writing and recording; the squabbles and controversies, and their ultimate success or failure. But most of all, it takes you inside the mind of one man, the band’s legendary leader, Brian Wilson, and a journey that began a little over half a century ago and now, and forevermore, is rightly acknowledged as a genius of his chosen art, and a man who truly “just wasn’t made for these times.”

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Book SynopsisThroughout a long and sometimes turbulent career let us not forget that from the release of the debut album in early 1970 through to Never Say Die! in 1978, the classic line-up of Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward virtually created the blueprint for heavy rock. With eight albums plus hundreds of concerts across the globe, this was the defining decade for Sabbath that saw them rightly earn their place as one of the most iconic bands off all time. With photos spanning the decade, this beautifully presented book is a celebration of Black Sabbath in all its glory. Containing many previously unpublished shots of the band in the USA and Europe.

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Book SynopsisWith Genesis having formed over fifty years ago this photographic book celebrates the family of bands from the seventies to the present day. As well as being crammed full of images of Genesis from the days with Peter Gabriel through to the 2007 reunion, this book includes photos from the solo careers of Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Steve Hackett, Mike & The Mechanics, Ray Wilson and Anthony Phillips. Beautifully designed it includes previously unpublished concert photos stretching back in time from the Lyceum, London in 1971; Plymouth, 1972; Brighton, 1973 and unique photos taken at Headley Grange, Hampshire in 1974 during the recording of The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway - the last album with Peter Gabriel. The journey continues with never before seen photos from the first tour after Gabriel's departure as well as from Gabriel's first solo tour. Following Steve Hackett's departure in 1977 the band is captured at the massive Knebworth concert of `78. There are also photos of Hackett, Gabriel from their appearances at the Reading Festival where the later was reunited with Phil Collins. Moving into the next decade and beyond there are plenty of shots of the band during the hugely successful period with Phil Collins at the helm and even the brief period with his successor Ray Wilson is covered as well as the one off reunion with Gabriel and Hackett at the Six Of The Best concert at Milton Keynes in 1982. Additional imagery from the solo tours of Collins and Mike Rutherford's band Mike & The Mechanics help to round off the book along with plenty of photos that continue to document the solo careers of Hackett and Gabriel in recent times, as well as paying homage to the band's original guitarist Anthony Phillips that ensures all facets of the band are covered.

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Book SynopsisRock City, Narita, Fire Down Under, Restless Breed, Born in America... These are the pioneering, superlative heavy metal records that represent the classic first decade of Brooklyn’s Riot’s, before the band would break up, eventually storming back with Thundersteel and The Privilege of Power, existing to this day as Riot V after the shocking death from Crohn’s disease of guitarist and leader Mark Reale. Riot’s is a tale of opportunities missed, of a band ahead of the curve, and of a band from which both its classic era lead singers — Guy Speranza and Rhett Forrester — are now dead, as is, of course, Mark Reale, a quiet man who, fatefully, wanted to leave the business to others and just play his heavy metal. But this book is not just about the ’75 to ’85 period of the band that spawned one of the finest metal records of all time, 1981’s Fire Down Under. Even if the classics framed by those ten years get the full, dedicated chapter, track-by-track Popoff treatment, the subsequent rich and substantial catalogue of the band is discussed as well, right up to the present day where Riot shines on. But still, the focus is on songs like `Warrior’, `49er’, `Road Racin’’, `Outlaw’, `Don’t Hold Back’, `Altar of the King’, `Violent Crimes’, `Vigilante Killer’ and of course the insanely anthemic `Swords and Tequila’, as we celebrate a New York institution that is perhaps the shining example of the term, “honorary New Wave of British Heavy Metal” band.

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Book SynopsisThe year 1972 saw the release of Jethro Tull's iconic album, Thick As A Brick. A song spanning two whole sides of the LP with no gaps in between, Thick As A Brick was unusual even by so-called progressive rock standards at the time. Ironically, even though band leader Ian Anderson joked that the album was intended as "a bit of a spoof", it has gone on to be remembered as a masterpiece of the genre nearly fifty years later. In this book, music author Laura Shenton MA LLCM DipRSL offers an in depth perspective on Thick As A Brick from a range of angles including how the album came to be, how it was presented and received at the time (live as well as on record), and what it means in terms of Jethro Tull's legacy today. As the author explains: "Basically, the book covers how the album was made, what was going on with the music in terms of the artist's intentions, how it did musically and commercially and what happened next." The narrative is essentially driven by contemporary interviews with the artists with small bits of music theory where relevant... in some cases they delve into the structure / key signatures / time signatures, based on the original sheet music without straying away from being an engaging read for non-musicians.

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Book SynopsisIn 1983, Tears For Fears' debut album, The Hurting, was released after the success of their iconic single, 'Mad World'. Whilst embracing the popularity of synth pop, Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith created an album that had a darker edge to it. Commercially it was a bold move but with memorable melodies and catchy rhythms, it paid off - all whilst making reference to the work of psychologist Arthur Janov. In this book, music author Laura Shenton MA LLCM DipRSL offers an in depth perspective on The Hurting from a range of angles including how the album came to be, how it was presented and received at the time (live as well as on record), and what it means in terms of Tears For Fears' legacy today. As the author explains: "Basically, the book covers how the album was made, what was going on with the music in terms of the artist's intentions, how it did musically and commercially and what happened next." The narrative is essentially driven by contemporary interviews with the artists with small bits of music theory where relevant... in some cases they delve into the structure / key signatures / time signatures, based on the original sheet music without straying away from being an engaging read for non-musicians.

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Book SynopsisFor Kate Bush, and indeed many in her strong fanbase, The Kick Inside is the album that started it all. Her 1978 debut was certainly attention grabbing; it propelled her to fame and got the ball rolling for a phenomenal career as a much appreciated musician and admired female talent. With the iconic 'Wuthering Heights', the young Kate had captured people's imagination with her original songwriting style and of course, her unique voice. In this book, music author Laura Shenton MA LLCM DipRSL offers an in depth perspective on The Kick Inside from a range of angles including how the album came to be, how it was presented and received at the time (live as well as on record), and what it means in terms of Kate Bush's legacy today. As the author explains: "Basically, the book covers how the album was made, what was going on with the music in terms of the artist's intentions, how it did musically and commercially and what happened next." The narrative is essentially driven by contemporary interviews with the artists with small bits of music theory where relevant... in some cases they delve into the structure / key signatures / time signatures, based on the original sheet music without straying away from being an engaging read for non-musicians.

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Book SynopsisWhen Kate Bush shot to fame in 1978, her public image was that of a sweet young woman who sang about Cathy out on the windy moors, full of melancholy and yearning for Heathcliff. It was charming, inoffensive and, although eccentric, subtle enough to come across as endearing or at least, not challenging. When Kate’s fourth studio album, The Dreaming, was released in 1982, all of that changed. It is an album that some critics loved to hate — and that’s why it matters. In this book, author Laura Shenton MA LLCM DipRSL offers an in-depth perspective on The Dreaming from a range of angles including how the album came to be, how it was presented and received at the time, and what it means in terms of Kate Bush’s legacy today.

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Book SynopsisThis biographical work spans Duran Duran's career from their beginning in 1978 until the present day. Having sold over 100 million albums, Duran Duran's story is one of both success and durability. Despite a few line-up changes throughout the years, the band has kept faithful to its ideals and continues to sell records and fill large concert arenas wherever they tour. From the classic years of the early eighties with hits such as "Planet Earth", "Girls on Film", "Hungry Like the Wolf", "Save a Prayer" and "Rio", through the late eighties and the nineties with guitarist Warren Cuccurullo and back again with the classic "Fab Five" line-up, right through to the present day and the most recent album release, Paper Gods, Reach Up For The Sunrise chronicles all the highs and lows of this hard-working and still hugely popular band.

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Book SynopsisWhen Peter Gabriel left rock royalty Genesis in 1975 for personal reasons, his musical future was full of uncertainty. But within 18 months he returned in style with his debut solo album and a hit single ‘Solsbury Hill’. It set him on a path that has allowed his talent to blossom through the decades. Never one to stand still, Gabriel has constantly reinvented himself, never afraid to experiment and explore new musical avenues. His willingness to collaborate with all manner of people has also resulted in film scores and joint projects with a diverse range of artists from Kate Bush to Martin Scorcese, as well as Sinead O’Connor, King Crimson’s Robert Fripp and Coldplay’s Chris Martin. His passion for World Music has seen his long-standing commitment to the WOMAD Festival and outside of music political activism and humanitarian issues have played a big part in his life. With Gabriel now in his seventh decade A Life In Vision is a chronological, visual biography of his extraordinary and colourful career. From the early days of Genesis through to the present day it is crammed full of glorious photography, much of which is previously unpublished, along with a timeline narrative by Genesis aficionado Alan Hewitt.

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Book SynopsisFor Jethro Tull, 1975 would prove to be a fascinating year. With Aqualung and Thick As A Brick behind them, and with A Passion Play and War Child having been met with a mixed critical reception, their next album, Minstrel In The Gallery is the product of a band who kept on going and who weren't afraid to explore. Minstrel In The Gallery is abundant in innovative musical ideas and insightful lyrics. Recorded in sunny Monte Carlo and described by Sounds as "a pleasant surprise", the album is a fascinating combination of acoustic and heavy rock teamed with a strings section, and of course, flute. In this book, author Laura Shenton MA LLCM DipRSL offers an in-depth perspective on Minstrel In The Gallery from a range of angles including how the album came to be, how it was presented and received at the time (live as well as on record), and what it means in terms of Jethro Tull's legacy today.

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Book SynopsisTime marches on: by 2022 it will have been fifty years since the release of the Rolling Stones' Exile on Main St. and the epic, infamous American tour the band undertook to promote that album. 2022 also marks the 60th anniversary year of the formation of the band. The Rolling Stones In America is published in time to mark both of these anniversaries. Why were the Stones so successful in the States when so many other English bands failed to make their mark? Why was the band so drawn towards American blues music? What was their relationship with the burgeoning American counter-culture? What really happened at Altamont, and why? It could be argued that a marker for the end of the Sixties era might be the Stones' infamous 1972 American tour. So much had changed in the three years since their last American tour that the 1972 tour might deserve deeper attention than it had previously been given; perhaps it might even be as significant as other events that cultural historians traditionally identify to mark the end of the long 1960s - such as Richard Nixon's re-election for a second Presidential term in November 1971, the Watergate scandal and impeachment of 1973 that ended Nixon's presidency, or the American military withdrawal from Vietnam in 1973, with the war ending in defeat in 1975. This hugely detailed tome addresses those questions, making this a unique addition to the Rolling Stones' bibliography.

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Book SynopsisA glorious pictorial celebration of the band's full career. This visual biography timeline acts as a reference book, including the side-projects, and documents the parallel career paths of UFO and Michael Schenker since 1980, along with Waysted. Covering it all in one mighty tome, crammed full of stunning visuals including many previously unpublished photos.

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Book SynopsisThe album that made a huge star out of David Bowie in 1972 and introduced his Ziggy Stardust persona, The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars is iconic for many reasons. Featuring the much-loved ‘Starman’, ‘Moonage Daydream’ and ‘Five Years’, the story of Bowie’s fifth studio album is one that needs to be told in detail. In this book, author Laura Shenton MA LLCM DipRSL offers an in-depth perspective on The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars from a range of angles including how the album came to be, how it was presented and received at the time (live as well as on record), and what it means in terms of Bowie’s legacy today.

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Book SynopsisYes: A Visual Biography II: 1982 – 2022 documents the progressive rock pioneer’s career from the eighties to the present day. Popoff takes you on a journey built around his interviews with Anderson, Bruford, Howe, Squire, Wakeman, Downes, White and many others, the tale unfolds via an exhaustive chronology designed to satisfy the most knowledgeable of Yes fans. Not content with charting the band’s history, Popoff covers the major projects outside of the Yes umbrella, such as Asia, GTR and Rick Wakeman’s extravaganzas, to paint the whole picture. If you’ve been moved by albums such as Fly from Here and Heaven and Earth, you’ll love this book, which perfectly captures the spirit of progressive rock’s first and biggest and best act of crack musicians bent on bending your perceptions of what rock can be. Throughout the book Popoff draws on his own interviews conducted with various band members throughout the last two decades, leaving much of the story to be told in their own words, along with a smattering of album reviews by the author and others. This large format coffee table book is fully illustrated throughout, documenting the story visually from 1982. As well as an abundance of concert images the stunning photographic content is topped off with many off stage shots.Yes A Visual Biography II: 1982 – 2022 will augment any Yes fan’s collection.

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Book SynopsisRichard and Fred Fairbrass, better known as Right Said Fred, scored a global Number 1 hit in 1991 with their debut single 'I'm Too Sexy', selling 30 million albums, being showered with industry awards, and earning plaudits from admirers such as Madonna and Prince. Before that breakthrough, though, the brothers spent over a decade in London and New York, trying to make it in the music industry. Fred played guitar with Bob Dylan and Richard played bass in several David Bowie videos, with the brothers appearing on stage with Joy Division and Suicide, and on film with Mick Jagger. Once fame hit, the good times rolled, the substances mounted up and the groupies formed an orderly queue, but it wasn't long before the brothers realised that fame and fortune is not for everyone. Still Too Sexy is their story, with a foreword by the legendary stunt motorcyclist Eddie Kidd, OBE.Trade Review'Salacious, candid, funny and shocking. The book captures the anarchy of sudden celebrity' The Independent

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Book SynopsisWith a foreword by Simon Reynolds, Neon Screams explores the plethora of new street genres that have emerged at the turn of the 2020s. Neon Screams is a manifesto, a rallying cry for the new musical futurism. Taking street music’s embrace of Auto-Tune in the late 2000s as his starting point, Kit Mackintosh launches you through a whirlwind tour of the last decade of cutting-edge music, championing the modern genres still uncovering the sonic impossible, from mumble rap to drill to Afrobeats, bashment and beyond. Beginning where most future music chronicles end, Mackintosh establishes a new pantheon of pioneers and innovators. Offering dizzying insights into the likes of Future, Young Thug, Migos and Vybz Kartel, Neon Screams is conceptual weaponry to use against all those who say music isn’t what it used to be. Part polemic, part synesthetic possession, Neon Screams is essential reading for everyone eager to uncover the new frontiers of future music.Trade Review"The best music book I've read in years.”

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Book SynopsisFrom Kate Bush to Nicki Minaj, from Janet Jackson to TLC and Taylor Swift, pop's greatest female pioneers are simply strange: smashing notions of taste and decorum, and replacing them with new ideals of pleasure. Instead of rehashing biographies, Lesley Chow dives deep into the music of these groundbreaking performers, identifying the ecstatic moments in their songs and finding out what makes them unique. You’re History is a love letter to pop’s most singular achievements, celebrating the innovations of women who are still critically underrated. It's a ride that includes tributes to Chaka Khan, Rihanna, Neneh Cherry, Sade, Shakespears Sister, Azealia Banks, and many more...Trade Review"Lesley Chow is the best and rarest kind of critic—one who loves to be surprised, and can always surprise you in turn… The emphasis is firmly on aesthetic pleasure, and the book itself is a unique pleasure to read: joyful, witty, knowledgeable, intensely observant, and indifferent to received ideas.""By embracing pop's sonic artifice, its vocal textures and its wordless moments of rapture – toooften ignored by other critics – Lesley Chow constructs a new version of pop history. Her assemblageof pop's 'hybrid girls' and wayward women is a sly, original analysis."“Lesley Chow's sparklingly written book is full of whip-smart wit and electric prose. You're History isn't just a work of great criticism: it will make you rethink your understanding of pop music and the strange, sublime sounds of its creators.”“Lesley Chow explores the alchemy of pop that comes from breath, sound and lyrics. Her deep dive into these extraordinary women made me feel their music all over again.”“A constantly surprising and thought-provoking book tracing... non-verbal bliss, irruptive sensuality, and mouth-music magic — a counter-canon of oozy oohs and sweet nothings that takes in Chaka Khan, Janet Jackson, TLC.”“The slim, sharp book considers a range of female artists from Janet Jackson and Taylor Swift to TLC and Nicki Minaj, a group that the Australian cultural critic Chow views as ‘outliers, marking moments where the culture might have swerved to incorporate their influence, but somehow contrived not to.’”“You’re History is the ideal book for anyone who thinks a great song is like a puzzle, with every individual component its own unique mystery worth investigating.”

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Book SynopsisThe Beatles are not only a rock n' roll group, but a social and cultural phenomenon that have captivated music fans for decades. For many, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr changed everything. This guide distils their amazing story into 101 informative and entertaining chapters, taking you from their rough and ready early Liverpool days through their world-shattering success in sound, stage and screen, to an afterlife that could never have been predicted when they first started out. Here, you'll find facts and figures about their chartbusting songs, albums and films, meet the people that helped them along the way, and visit milestones and controversies such as their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan show, meeting Elvis Presley, John Lennon’s ‘Bigger than Jesus’ comments, experimenting with drugs and the avant-garde, and starting up Apple. The Beatles 101 is a perfect introduction for new fans, a refresher for superfans, and ideal reading for quizmasters everywhere.

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Book SynopsisHis name was Prince, and he was funky. He was also inspiring, infuriating, visionary and otherworldly. Channelling contradictions in search of his own unique truth, he eventually changed his name to an unpronounceable glyph that merged the male and female symbols in an outward expression of his inner dualities. Gifted with the ability to play almost every instrument on his records, and shifting between musical styles as much as he switched-up his looks, he refused to acknowledge boundaries. Instead, he brought opposing forces together in a life-long quest to reconcile a dirty mind with a love for God. In doing so, the mini Minneapolis genius became a world-conquering icon whose towering legacy continues to shape pop culture.

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Book SynopsisTonight It's a World We Bury is a radical re-writing of the history and politics of black metal music. Challenging the commonly-held perception that black metal is a genre of the right - full of wannabe Vikings, Nazis, skinheads and other unsavoury characters - Tonight It's a World We Bury looks at an array of black metal artists to re-affirm the genre as radically anticapitalist, revolutionary and left-wing. Utilizing an eclectic range of black metal bands, including Darkthrone, Burzum, Liturgy and Deathspell Omega, and taking in the works of Marx, Nietzsche, Deleuze and more, Tonight It's a World We Bury is a book on black metal like no other.Trade Review"Peel incisively juxtaposes disturbing examples of metal culture and capitalist excess with one hand, and offers black metal assemblage with the other. This work is an exciting addition to metal studies for its focus on the culture's non-musical potential." "As bone-shakingly impactful and brutally straight to the point as one's first exposure to Mayhem's Chainsaw Gutsfuck (although slightly more theory heavy)... Bill Peel asks us to reconsider our entire world view when it comes to black metal." "This book is not just for the true believers, but for the sincere heretics: those who recognise that there is something both destructive and beautiful beneath the noise. An astounding read!" "With Tonight It's a World We Bury, Bill Peel has produced a lucid, briskly written and eminently readable manifesto for the present and future of metal's darkest extremes." "Black metal today is a hotly contested cultural battleground, and a musical genre that must be reclaimed from the far right. As this brilliant book ingeniously argues, black metal is also a tool that can be used against the greatest enemy of our time: capitalism."

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Book SynopsisHomemade records, tape-hiss worship and a taste for a very peculiar kind of psychedelia have carved themselves a weird niche in the contemporary musical landscape under the name of lo-fi. This genreless genre, characterized by poor recordings and rough sounds, spanning from the most extreme heavy metal to the sweetest ear-candies pop can offer, has become a solid presence in our collective sensibility. And yet, it has largely been neglected: this staunch refusal of anything hi-fi and hi-tech has fallen under the radar of the categories we use to analyse ourselves and our times. The Great Psychic Outdoors, dedicated to the most interesting and controversial artists in this movement, will rectify this injustice and vindicate the revolutionary potential of lo-fi music, engaging with this weird genre on its own terms and facing head on the contradictions and possibilities of this multi-faceted phenomenon. Confronting the aesthetic and conceptual stakes of this sonic craft, The Great Psychic Outdoors shows what lo-fi says about us, our lives under capitalism and the strange ways we cope with pain, madness and beauty.Trade Review"Enrico's doting warmth for all things Lo-fi will surely enchant you. Expect to find yourself perusing the dusty shelves of your local charity shop for a half working cassette deck the moment you close this book. Do you want to know why 'bad' is really good? Start reading!""Many will buy this book for the sonic adventures it promises, only to find themselves down unexpected rabbit holes of radical politics and philosophical inquiry. It is an experience to be cherished. We don't tend to write books about music like this anymore. But we should."Through the pioneers of recording sabotage, this book punches aseries of holes on Pop music’s silhouette to drag you through the joys and curses of sonic interzones, obsolete technologic patchworks and outcast techniques. For those who dwell in the uncertain fields of broken frequencies and hijacked transducers, this is it."The Great Psychic Outdoors is today’s bible of outsider glam... Read about lo-fi as a sovereign act of slackerdom. Ride waves of foggy meanings, where music drifts off into noise, cut-ups, soundscapes, echoes, feedback and other imperfections—and listen how poetry derails.""A well written and informed intro into the world of lo-fi interweaving politics, philosophy... From Monacelli’s bedroom, listening to Smog, to the cult of R. Stevie Moore, the mystical Daniel Johnston and many more. A great overview for those new to the genre and a must read for anyone wanting to know more.""When the world is too much, when everything is just too slick, too smooth, too processed - that is when lo-fi music, thanks to its very subtractions, can take us someplace else, someplace new. In this book, Enrico Monacelli guides us through the surprising varieties of lo-fi experience."“I’m so glad someone has finally written a book like this. It helped me realize all the reasons why I love lo-fi music — why it’s been so important to me in my life, and why it deserves greater attention and recognition.”"The Great Psychic Outdoors is not only a history and theory of Low Fidelity. It is the most urgent aesthetic treatise of our century.”

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Book SynopsisWith riots, prison sentences and equipment stolen, 1980 and the earlier part of 1981 was an incredibly turbulent time for The Stranglers. Their misfortune provided the press with excellent stories but rarely was their music written about. Understandably, with its paranoid exploration of extraterrestrial themes, The Gospel According To The Meninblack hadn’t really caught on. With everything to play for when it came to making the next album, La Folie – and indeed the hit single, ‘Golden Brown’ – it would see The Stranglers back at the top of their game. In this book, Laura Shenton MA LLCM DipRSL offers an in-depth perspective on La Folie from a range of angles including how the album came to be, how it was presented and received at the time (live as well as on record), and what it means in terms of The Stranglers’ legacy today.

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Book SynopsisDeep Purple In Rock is, as its iconic cover suggests, a landmark in rock music. From its opening moments of mayhem to its final crash into incoherent noise, it is a fuzzbox fuelled masterpiece with not a single wasted moment. Its release was also a watershed moment for the band, a defiant and irrevocable statement that they were going in a different direction from that followed on their first three albums. It would be wrong, however, to suggest that the album came from nowhere. Not only was it one side in a musical debate that had been raging within the band, but its antecedents can be traced through both Deep Purple's earlier releases and those of some of the source bands from which the principal players were drawn. Sculpting In Rock takes up that challenge, exploring the roots of the album, placing it into its proper context to consider how it was produced as well as why it was produced. Part history, part essay, part memoir, the book is essential reading for any fan of Deep Purple, In Rock or the exciting, uncompromising, genre of which it is arguably the masterpiece.

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Book SynopsisJon Lord will forever be immortalised as a musical pioneer. His attitude towards his art form - "It's all music" ensured that he embraced his joint passions for rock 'n' roll and orchestral music, along with other genres, throughout his career. Having initially found his feet in sixties r'n'b group The Artwoods, the formation of Deep Purple with co-conspirator Ritchie Blackmore escalated Jon to huge success with one of the biggest bands of the seventies, and again in the mid-eighties when the band reformed. In between, several years spent in Whitesnake added to his portfolio. Outside of his commitment in both these rock bands, Lord produced many albums under his own name, fusing his various musical interests, producing some sublime work in the process. Eventually deciding that his desire as a composer required more time and commitment than his day job with Deep Purple would afford, he eventually left the band he had helped to create, in 2002. For the next decade, Jon engrossed himself in his composing - producing monumental works such as Durham Concerto that became a firm favourite on Classic FM radio - and Boom Of The Tingling Strings, a four movement piano concerto. All aspects of Jon's long and illustrious career are plotted throughout this book, accompanied by numerous photos, many previously unpublished that help to emphasise the incredibly colourful career of this extraordinarily talented musician.

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Book SynopsisPink Floyd author Glenn Povey delves deep into Floyd’s history within the biggest music market in the world. This book not only charts the concerts they played and records that Floyd released in the USA and Canada from 1967 through to 1983 but it also looks in great detail at the band’s relationship with their American record company; the promotional aspects (or lack off!) that propelled Floyd to stadium status, and extensive details of TV and radio appearances, along with band interviews and much more. With loads of new information unearthed, Pink Floyd In North America shines new light on these crazy diamonds from their days playing small clubs right through to superstar status as one of the world’s biggest bands.

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Book SynopsisThroughout the 1970s, Emerson Lake & Palmer were phenomenally prolific. Not only that, but each of their albums brought something new and innovative to the minds of their many fans. From the early days of the band and their iconic performance at the Isle of Wight Festival in August 1970, to Love Beach and beyond, this book documents the amazing journey of a band whose legacy not only continues to attract a loyal following, but who are still held in high regard by their peers. Historic documentation of some of the band’s under-reported gigs, and context surrounding each of their albums throughout the seventies – it’s all in here as Laura Shenton MA LLCM Dip(RSL) offers a detailed and comprehensive exploration.

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Book SynopsisThis illustrated biography celebrates Taylor Swift''s many hits and achievements Taylor Swift''s discography spans multiple genres, and her narrative songwriting, which is often inspired by her personal life, has received widespread media coverage and critical praise. She has scored eight Billboard Hot 100 number-one songs, and won 11 Grammy Awards (including three Album of the Year wins), an Emmy Award, 34 American Music Awards. She featured on Rolling Stone?s 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time (2015) and Billboard?s Greatest of All Time Artists list (2019). Having sold over 200 million records around the world she is one of the best selling music artists of all time. Named the Woman of the 2010s Decade by Billboard and the Artist of the 2010s Decade by the American Music Awards, Swift has been recognized for her influential career as well as advocacy of artists? rights and women?s empowerment in the music industry. This is her story.

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Book SynopsisAfter the breakup of the Beatles in 1971, Paul McCartney formed Wings with his wife Linda on keyboards, ex-Moody Blues guitarist Denny Laine, and American session drummer Denny Seiwell. For ten dramatic and turbulent years, the band weathered the critics, endured drug busts, survived a harrowing recording session in Nigeria, changed drummers constantly, and produced a great deal of remarkable music. One of the most successful bands of the seventies?this post-Beatles years book tells the stories behind the #1 hits "Listen To What the Man Said," "My Love," "Band on the Run," "Jet," "With a Little Luck," and "Coming Up." Pete Chrisp reveals the band''s inner dynamics and Paul''s determination to pursue a new sound, the criticisms Linda initially got from fans and bandmates, and the character conflicts that kept the lineup changing. With a feature on Wings guitarist Henry McCullough, the book features a complete discography, a list of singles and albums also includes a treasure chest of Wings promotional material?album covers, posters, ads, and photos of the band on tour.

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Book SynopsisPhoto journal from a crucial stage in Nirvana's development. Photos taken by Bruce Pavitt, founder of SubPop records, the most influential company in the grunge scene.

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Book SynopsisAs featured in Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, The A.V. Club, Consequence, Mashable, Mental Floss, Book Riot and more!“Weird Al” Yankovic continues as one of our most beloved comedians, actors, and musicians. A skilled accordion player and lyricist, the California native not only crafts meticulous parodies, but also creates hilarious originals and pop culture-themed polkas. Now in his fifth decade of recording and performing, Al has maintained a career that has outlasted many of the artists that he has lampooned.Since 1980, Al’s drummer Jon “Bermuda” Schwartz has been by his side, photographing and documenting his career. Jon has taken more than 20,000 images of Al in his element: on tour, in the studio, on video sets, and backstage.Lights, Camera, Accordion! presents over 300 images of Al, culled from Jon’s personal collection of color photography, all restored from the original negatives. This exhaustive volume represents the 25 years that Jon shot Al on 35mm color film, from 1981 to 2006, before switching to digital photography. Jon additionally provides previously unheard stories and anecdotes throughout.From “Eat It” and “Like a Surgeon” to later classics such as “Smells Like Nirvana,” “Amish Paradise,” and the Star Wars parody “The Saga Begins,” Lights, Camera, Accordion! showcases a body of work that spans ten albums, five Grammys, and nearly 2,000 concerts to millions of fans – and is packed with the weirdness and fun that always surrounds the undisputed king of comedic music.Trade Review"One of the 10 books to read this month [November, 2022]. Longtime drummer and band archivist Jon 'Bermuda' Schwartz is back with a color counterpart to Black & White & Weird All Over, having whittled down the thousands of 35mm images he took over 25 years. Chapters, organized chronologically by album and tour, open with short contextualizing intros peppered with behind-the-scenes memories (the one touring rule: 'no number two' allowed on the bus!), followed by images of Al on tour, on set, on stage, backstage, and just generally hamming it up. As the pages turn, you see Al and the band grow into a national sensation." – The A.V. Club"Holiday Gift Guide selection / 2022. More than 300 color photos represent 25 years of touring, filming, and recording with Alfred Matthew Yankovic, aka Weird Al, taken by [Jon "Bermuda"] Schwartz, his longtime drummer. This is a treat for fans." – Publishers Weekly"An entertaining pictorial tribute to a one-of-a-kind musician by someone who knows him better than most [Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz]. It’s also proof that the weirdness doesn’t stop as soon as Weird Al leaves the stage.” – Mental Floss"Lights, Camera, Accordion is a visual Weird Al time machine." – Bleeding Cool“There are shots of Al in the studio. Eating pizza. Having fun with his friends. Recording the ‘Amish Paradise’ video. Performing ‘Like a Surgeon.’ When I first saw it, I thought ‘Wow. He looks like he’s having fun with his life.’ And because I know him just well enough to write the foreword to this book for free, I can tell you that he’s always like that. He IS the greatest.” – comedian Drew Carey“Jon ‘Bermuda’ Schwartz has been at Weird Al's side from the beginning and when not holding drumsticks has been holding a camera. Jon’s hobby and Al’s exercise in tolerance are now our joy.” – comedian, UHF co-star (and current tour opener) Emo PhilipsTable of ContentsChapter 1: DebutChapter 2: In 3-DChapter 3: That Stupid YearChapter 4: Polka Party/Even Worse/UHFChapter 5: Off The Deep EndChapter 6: AlapaloozaChapter 7: Bad Hair DayChapter 8: Running With ScissorsChapter 9: Poodle HatChapter 10: Straight Outta Lynwood

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Book Synopsis“An expedition into the troubled soul of one of the world’s greatest songwriters.”—Haaretz “A fascinating and intense account of Leonard Cohen’s time in Israel during the 19-day Yom Kippur War of 1973. A must for any Leonard Cohen completist.”—Suzanne VegaA Vanity Fair Best Book of 2022 * Mosaic Magazine Best Book of 2022The untold story of Leonard Cohen’s concert tour to the front lines of the Yom Kippur War, including never-before-seen selections from an unfinished manuscript by Cohen and rare photographsIn October 1973, the poet and singer Leonard Cohen—thirty-nine years old, famous, unhappy, and at a creative dead end—traveled to the chaos and bloodshed of the Sinai desert when Egypt attacked Israel on the Jewish high holiday of Yom Kippur. Moving around the front with a group of local musicians, Cohen sang for hundreds of young soldiers, men and women at the worst moment of their lives. Those who survived never forgot the experience. And the war transformed Cohen, reigniting his creativity and inspiring him to compose some of his most memorable songs. Who by Fire provides a riveting account of those weeks in the Sinai, drawing on Cohen’s previously unpublished writing and original reporting to create a kaleidoscopic depiction of a harrowing, existential moment for both a young country at war and a singer at a crossroads.

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Book SynopsisPairing history’s 100 greatest rock stars with recipes for their iconic drink of choice, How to Drink Like a Rock Star is the perfect guide to summoning the muse for music fans, rock and roll bartenders, and cocktail enthusiasts.Have you longed for a taste of the rock and roll lifestyle without the trashed hotel rooms, constrictive leather pants, and weeks lost on a cramped tour bus? Whether you want to know what fueled Ozzy Osbourne’s bat-biting Prince of Darkness persona, quaff a Jack and Coke like Motörhead’s Lemmy, or learn Madonna’s recipe for a perfect dirty martini, How to Drink Like a Rock Star will delight fans of all genres of rock and roll and anyone searching for the perfect cocktail.From AC/DC to ZZ Top, this lavish illustrated follow-up to How to Drink Like a Writer offers 100 spirited drink recipes, fascinating rock star profiles, a special sections dedicated to epic rock clubs to drink, dance, and perform in, and even unusual hangover cures and favorite food pairings, all accompanied by original illustrations of ingredients and finished cocktails, and a wealth of photographs. This remarkable book, the result of a deep dive into interviews, backstage tour riders, and much more, is sure to inspire, impress, and inebriate. Sure, becoming a rock legend takes dedication, connections, and talent, but it also takes vodka, gin, tequila, and whiskey.Trade Review“A perfect holiday present.” —Liquor.com Praise for How to Drink Like a Writer: “There’s something for everyone in this book, no matter what you like to drink or how much time you’re willing to devote to crafting the perfect cocktail.” —Mental Floss “A witty literary dive into the favored libations of scribblers.” —Wine and Whiskey Globe “There’s guaranteed to be a soon-to-be favorite drink for you within these pages.” —Woman's Day “In this book, you will learn everything you need to know about the personal relationship between all-time reputed authors and their liquid courage. . . . Prepare to visit some of the most famous writerly haunts . . . and to become part of this eclectic, phenomenal bunch of misfits every time you fix a cocktail.” —New York for Beginners “Everyone knows Ernest Hemingway leaves a namesake daiquiri as a legacy but do you know how to make Edgar Allan Poe’s family recipe for eggnog? Or how Jack Kerouac took his margarita? You will after you read this book.” —Forbes “If you’re ready to break new ground with some of the greatest of all time, and enjoy some delicious cocktails in the process, it’s time to crack open this recipe book and start mixing up the secret ingredient to your next masterpiece.” —SPY.com “A fun read for those who like books and an occasional sip.” —Cleveland.comTable of ContentsIntroduction Bar Tools Stocking the Cabinet Buddy Holly’s American Pie Jimi Hendrix’s Purple Haze Janis Joplin’s Southern Nectar Jim Morrison’s Boilermaker Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s Brown Derby Elvis Presley’s Banana Peanut Butter Shot John Lennon’s Brandy Alexander Bob Marley’s Jamaican Irish Moss Freddie Mercury’s Bohemian Vodka Tonic Frank Zappa’s Coffee and Fried Spaghetti Jerry Garcia’s Rum Screwdriver The Ramones’s Tanqueray and Tonic Joe Strummer’s Hard Cider Johnny Cash’s Dark ’n’ Stormy Michael Jackson’s Jesus Juice Simon & Garfunkel’s Vodka Gimlet Amy Winehouse’s Rickstacy Whitney Houston’s Champagne Lemmy Kilmister’s Jack and Coke David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust Bombay Sapphire Martini Prince’s Purple Rain Sangria Chuck Berry’s Orange Blossom Fats Domino’s Heineken and Red Beans Aretha Franklin’s Whiskey Ginger Little Richard’s Tutti Frutti David Lee Roth’s Schlitz Malt Liquor Jerry Lee Lewis’s Whiskey Talkin’ Grace Slick’s Mulled Wine Tina Turner’s Red Wine and Fine Chocolate Neil Diamond’s Love On the Rocks Bob Dylan’s Bourbon Served Neat Carole King’s Champagne Cocktail Paul McCartney’s Clementine Maccarita Mick Jagger’s Tequila Sunrise Roger Waters’s Dark Side of the Moon Beer Cocktail Joni Mitchell’s Lemon Sake Keith Richards’s Nuclear Waste Jimmy Page’s Swig of Jack Diana Ross’s Coffee with Cognac Rod Stewart’s Rum and Coke Eric Clapton’s Vodka Lager Ritchie Blackmore’s Purple Whiskey Pete Townshend’s Rémy Old Fashioned John Fogerty’s Lagerita Carly Simon’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape Debbie Harry’s White Wine Spritzer Cher’s Strawberry Daiquiri Jimmy Buffett’s Margarita Patti Smith’s Americano Elton John’s Johnnie and Lemon Don Henley’s Scotini Ian Anderson’s Screwdriver Donald Fagen’s Piña Colada Alice Cooper’s Velvet Hammer and Tuna Fish Malted for Hangovers Steven Tyler’s Rusty Nail Stevie Nicks’s Rémy Sidecar Ozzy Osbourne’s Breakfast Brandy Hangover Helper Billy Joel’s Soda Highball Gene Simmons’s Milk and Cereal on the Rocks Bruce Springsteen and Clarence Clemons’s Kahuna Punch Billy Gibbons’s The Gibbons Peter Gabriel’s Red Rain Spritzer Suzi Quatro’s Château Margaux Ann Wilson’s White Lightning Sangria Chrissie Hynde’s Talk of the Town Tequila Sting’s Fine Red Wine John Mellencamp’s Big Red Pat Benatar’s Strawberry Italian Soda Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Want to Have Organic Wine David Lee Roth’s Schlitz Malt Liquor John Lydon’s Red Stripe Madonna’s Dirty Martini Belinda Carlisle’s Greyhound Joan Jett’s Cherry Ale Susanna Hoffs’s Coffee with Clouds Morrissey’s Peroni Negroni Bono’s Jack on the Rocks The Beach Boys’s Frozen Bahama Mama Kim Deal’s Gin Fizz Jon Bon Jovi’s Hampton Water Rosé Lenny Kravitz’s Dom Pérignon Courtney Love’s Pétrus Eddie Vedder’s Pinot Noir Björk’s All Is Full of Love Spritz Janet Jackson’s Grapefruit Cosmo Three Dog Night’s Mighty Fine Wine and Cheese Chicago’s Saturday Cabernet Epic Rock Clubs to Drink, Dance, and Perform In: CBGB, Whisky A Go Go, and the 100 Club Dave Grohl’s Deer and Beer Gwen Stefani’s Hugo Journey’s Orange Creamsicle AC/DC’s Chocolate Milk Martini Squeeze’s Brandy Sour Fergie’s Fergalicious Shakira’s Green Berry Smoothie Karen O’s Patrón and Tonic Pink’s Jameson McCree Beyoncé’s Armand de Brignac Metallica’s Crown Royal and Ginger Guns n’ Roses’s Vodka Cranberry Lady Gaga’s Jameson Mule Notes

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Book SynopsisCheck out Little Voice on Apple TV+! Little Voice is inspired by a lost song from Sara Bareilles’s first studio album. This updated New York Times bestselling collection of essays by seven-time Grammy nominated singer songwriter Sara Bareilles “resonates with authentic and hard-won truths” (Publishers Weekly)—and features new material on the hit Broadway musical, Waitress.Sara Bareilles “pours her heart and soul into these essays” (Associated Press), sharing the joys and the struggles that come with creating great work, all while staying true to yourself. Imbued with humor and marked by Sara’s confessional writing style, this essay collection tells the inside story behind some of her most popular songs. Well known for her chart-topper “Brave,” Sara first broke through in 2007 with her multi-platinum single “Love Song.” She has since released seven albums that have sold millions of copies and spawned several hits. “A breezy, upbeat, and honest reflection of this multitalented artist” (Kirkus Reviews), Sounds Like Me reveals Sara Bareilles, the artist—and the woman—on songwriting, soul searching, and what’s discovered along the way.

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Book SynopsisPerson und Musik Mozarts faszinieren bildende Künstler bis heute. Zum 100-jährigen Jubiläum des Mozartfests Würzburg gehen eine Ausstellung im Museum im Kulturspeicher Würzburg und der begleitende Katalog dieser langen Wirkungsgeschichte nach. Neben originalen Zeugnissen Mozarts spannen rund 60 Kunstwerke – unter anderem von Chagall, Klee und Slevogt – einen Bogen von Porträts und Denkmälern, die das Bild des Komponisten nachhaltig bestimmen, über Bühnenbilder zur Zauberflöte bis hin zur abstrakten Malerei. Die Ausstellung legt einen besonderen Akzent auf die schöpferischen Energien, die Mozarts Schaffen freisetzte und den Wandel von der Darstellung beliebter Opernszenen und -figuren seit dem frühen 19. Jahrhundert hin zur Reflexion von Kompositionsprinzipien im 20. Jahrhundert und der Gegenwart. Blick ins Buch https://issuu.com/deutscher_kunstverlag/docs/9783422986411_imagine_mozrat_blick-ins-buch

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Book SynopsisThe ukulele is becoming more and more popular, and more and more guitarists are getting involved with the 4-stringed little sister of the guitar.Especially for this group, the alternative tuning of the ukulele with a low G-string (low G) is interesting, because not only the range is enriched, but also the feeling of playing with a low string is very reminiscent of a guitar.The melody-chord playing in this songbook uses techniques of classical guitar as well as folk guitar and combines chords with the song melody to create rousing arrangements, all of which have proven themselves in lessons and have been written by the experienced author and pedagogue Patrick Steinbach to be easy to moderately difficult.Instrumentation:ukulele (Low G tuning)

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Book SynopsisLet these 20 easy and modern piano pieces from the genres of pop and neoclassicism take you into a romantic dream world. Imaginative titles such as Amélie in Dreamland, In Seventh Heaven, Rainbow Way, Every Cloud a Dream stimulate the imagination and invite to dream and relax.Dreamworld is ideal, varied and fascinating supplementary material for every advanced beginner. The pieces can be mastered quickly and are well suited for lessons, playing in one's free time and first auditions.Instrumentation:Piano

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Book SynopsisMusical scores like literature, poetry, and technical manuals are documents. The central tenet of this book is that musical composition in the digital age is a form of document engineering. In essence, music shares with other forms of creative content generation from poetry to prose, and from science to science fiction the need for structure, flow, and sources for creativity.Musical composition is considered in this book as the creative process of engineering musical documents with regards to its arrangement, form, texture, and instrumentation, etc. This document then instructs a performance or the creation of an alternative document, such as a recording. In this book, the arrangement of phrases, patterns, and structures seen in music will be illustrated to give new composers a starting point to begin planning and making decisions about their own compositions.The book will also guide those who need assistance in completing a piece. While this is a book about musical composition, it is not meant to be a manual on music theory. Instead, the book keeps its focus on the structural elements of a composition. Its aim is to give the audience a structural road map for composing; whether they are starting a piece from the first note, having a melody in mind already, or need help overcoming a creative hurdle. The book examines compositions that clearly define a form or technique. Among the key compositional elements are: Form, Phrase, Period, and Expression in Composition Rhythm/Motive Melody and Harmony Tonal Center Mode Mixture and Modulation Accompaniment/Instrumentation/Orchestration Composition Techniques and Notation Targeted examples cover all stages of writing a piece, helping to build the reader's composition from the first note into a complete work without promoting a style or harmonic practice. Each chapter contains a sidebar addressing helping the composer to add creative sources for the music making process. Finally, the book concludes with a chapter on creativity in terms of how composed music can affect our lives and even our fairy tales.

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Book Synopsis“Nobody knows Dolly like Dolly,” declares Dolly Parton. Dolly’s is a rags-to-riches tale like no other. A dirt-poor Smoky Mountain childhood paved the way for the buxom blonde butterfly’s metamorphosis from singer-songwriter to international music superstar. The undisputed “Queen of Country Music,” Dolly has sold more than 100 million records worldwide and has conquered just about every facet of the entertainment industry: music, film, television, publishing, theatre, and even theme parks. It’s been more than 50 years since Dolly Parton arrived in Nashville with just her guitar and a dream. Her story has been told many times and in many ways, but never like this. Dolly on Dolly is a collection of interviews spanning five decades of her career and featuring material gathered from celebrated publications including Rolling Stone, Cosmopolitan, Playboy, and Andy Warhol’s Interview magazine. Also included are interviews which have not been previously available in print. Dolly’s feisty and irresistible brand of humor, combined with her playful, pull-up-a-chair-and-stay-awhile delivery, makes for a fascinating and inviting experience in downhome philosophy and storytelling. Much like her patchwork “Coat of Many Colors,” this book harkens back to the legendary entertainer’s roots and traces her evolution, stitching it all together one piece at a time.Trade Review" Dolly on Dolly magnificently encapsulates Dolly Parton's career through her own words. It's a must read for fans of all ages." Gary and Larry Lane, actors and filmmakers ( Hollywood to Dollywood )

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Book SynopsisCrosby, Holiday, Sinatra, Fitzgerald, Garland, and Streisand were the major interpreters of the American songbook, and this is the interlocking story of their lives and careers.Here is the epic tale of how these artists dominated American popular music over a fifty-year period, colourfully described like a roller coaster ride that gains momentum through the 1930s and ’40s, reaches a crest of magical creativity in the 1950s and early 1960s, and then crashes down by the early 1970s, a half century when the great American songbook dominated the airwaves and the fight for racial equality came to the forefront.Frank is still the king of the songbook, but Bing’s legacy is just as vital once you start listening to his unprecedented 1930s output. The legend of Billie grows by the year, and the basis of this should be appreciation and wonder for her own great artistry in the 1930s. Barbra is a living legend and still a commercial force to be reckoned with, the last exemplar of the songbook and its glories. All six of these singers reach out to us and show us new ways of expression and new ways to dream. Their song is largely ended but the melody lingers on.Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Democracy of American Music Bing: Out of Nowhere Bing: Just One More Chance Billie’s Blues Frank in Hoboken Ella: You’re Going to Hear From Me Baby Gumm Diana’s Dream Bing at the Top Billie and Ella The Hoboken Four Judy Swings Sweet Leilani and Mexicali Rose Billie Swings Her Way and Ella Finds a Hit Band Canary Frank Judy and Mickey and the Rainbow Bing: Minstrelsy and Father O’Malley Billie and Ella Travel Light Frank: The Voice Judy: The Girl Next Door Barbara and the Mirror Bing: Homecoming and Feet of Clay Billie: Lover Man Ella Bebop Judy and Frank at MGM Bing and Dixie Billie’s Clef Blues Frank’s Fall and Rise Judy on the Comeback Trail Frank and Ella Make Album History Lady in Satin and Billie at the Met Judy and Barbra Ella and Frank Judy: After You’ve Gone Barbra at the Top Frank and Ella at the Crossroads Bing in Winter Movie Star Barbra and Frank and Ella on the Road Coda: Barbra in the 21st Century Index

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