Musicians, singers, bands and groups Books

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 Featuring previously unpublished photographs of Ornette and his contemporaries, this is the compelling story of one of America’s most adventurous musicians and the sound of a changing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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Book SynopsisIn 1985, Suzanne Vega released her debut, garnering platinum status in the U.K and this New York-based singer-songwriter's self-titled album claimed the number 80 spot on Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Best Albums of the Eighties. AUTHOR: Lisa Torem, a rock journalist and musician with an M.A. in Linguistics, has interviewed, among others, members of: Alice Cooper, The Animals, Aerosmith, Cream, The Kinks, The Faces, Dave Brubeck, Jethro Tull, Thin Lizzy, The Zombies, 10cc, Judy Collins, Donovan, Darlene Love, Sarah McLachlan, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Jimmy Webb and Dweezil Zappa. Interviews, features, live/CD reviews have appeared in American Blues Scene, The Chicago Reader, Grateful Web, Newcity, pennyblackmusic.co.uk., Popmatters and The Big Takeover. Lisa co-wrote Through the Eye of the Tiger and All That Glitters and wrote On Track: Tori Amos and On Track.Table of ContentsIn 1985, Suzanne Vega released her debut, garnering platinum status in the U.K and this New York-based singer-songwriter’s self-titled album claimed the number 80 spot on Rolling Stone magazine’s 100 Best Albums of the Eighties. Vega began her career as an ambitious ‘second wave’ folk singer in Greenwich Village. Since the inception of that forty-year career, however, she has explore, not only neo-folk music, but electronica, blues, new wave, musical theater, pop and Latin-flavored ballads, such as ‘Caramel.’ The original songs of her extensive discography highlight heartfelt and humorous narratives drawn from urban glitz and glitter, Greek mythology, and 20th-century literary and cinematic celebrity, but ‘the mother of the mp3’ also observes people navigating the slings and arrows of everyday life. Much of her catalogue, including the a cappella hit, ‘Tom’s Diner’ and socially-conscious ‘Luka,’ have been covered by contemporary artists, but guided by multiple influencers, Vega, herself, has covered songs by Leonard Cohen, Lou Reed and Laura Nyro. With excerpts from the author’s own interviews with Ms. Vega, plus insights from renowned producers, American singer-songwriters, label executives, filmmakers, composers and session musicians, On Track: Suzanne Vega brings this profound artist’s vivid discography to life.

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Book SynopsisThis book examines the work of the first decade-and-a-half of Lou Reed as a solo artist. It would be easy to paint these years with a broad brush; with the ghost of The Velvet Underground in its aftermath slowly yet gradually gaining cultural influence, this slow-burning legacy would both tether and liberate its key participant. Between the years of 1972 and 1986, Lou Reed would seek, achieve, reject, lament, and once again pine for professional success while the excesses and extremities of a life lived in public wielded their own unruly impact. While this book seeks to maintain its focus on the music first and foremost, with an artist like Lou Reed, it seems impossible for the personal to stay divorced from the product. We will see a tentative, crestfallen Lou begin to emerge from his parental Long Island, NY cocoon to test the waters for a solo career. There is worldwide stardom and success, then banishment, followed by the embracement and rejection of various commercial enterprises, to midlife revision and rejuvenation. Multiple partners of influence, both professional and personal, would be accumulated and jettisoned, all leaving lasting traces. Lou did a lot in fourteen years, and it’s only half of the story.

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Book SynopsisDave Grohl once said of Oasis, 'We've played shows with them before, where we play with them we think "That's the greatest rock band I've ever seen in my life"'. The quality of the songs they were releasing, especially between 1994-1996, would seem to confirm that sentiment, with the quality of even their B-sides becoming the stuff of legend. Their second album (What's the Story) Morning Glory? would go on to become the best-selling album of the 1990s in the UK and all the while, it became impossible to open a newspaper or music magazine in the mid-1990s and not read about Oasis. From the time their debut album was released in 1994, Oasis' climb to the top was one of the fastest in music history. Even their leader, Noel Gallagher, would say they should have split after their Knebworth 1996 concert. Yet when they walked off that stage in 1996, they still had over a decade left together, and, to the shock of some, many good songs left to write. Heavy on music and short on gossip, this is the story of all those songs; the life-changing anthems and the forgotten gems, the throwaways and the covers.

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Book SynopsisThe brother and sister team of Karen and Richard Carpenter rank as one of the most successful acts in pop music history. Between the first Carpenters' album released in 1969 and their final studio album together in 1981, they achieved three Grammy awards, 18 hits in the US Top 20 (and ten in the UK) and multiple platinum discs, leading to eventual sales of over 100 million copies worldwide. Although the group's career was brought to a tragic and premature end by the untimely death of Karen Carpenter in 1983, they remain a much-loved band that continue to attract new fans. The Carpenters crafted their own distinctive sound with multi-part harmonies and lush arrangements, providing a rich backdrop for the distinctive sound of Karen Carpenter's vocals. In addition to being a gifted interpreter of songs, Karen was also passionate about playing the drums, with Richard's talents extending to keyboards, singing, composing, arranging and producing. This book explores the background to each of their studio albums and classic singles, as well as their solo recordings, live albums and compilations of rare tracks. From their earliest recordings in a jazz trio through to Richard's reinterpretations of their best-known songs with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and as a solo pianist, this appraisal looks at over 55 years of Carpenters' releases.

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Book SynopsisThe Beatles’ lives and work continue to delight fans and influence musicians half a century since their heyday. Yet their contribution to contemporary culture and their relationship to social change remain controversial topics in need of reappraisal. This collection brings together fourteen leading scholars of The Beatles to examine their origins, output and legacy. Interdisciplinary in its approach and international is its outlook, The Beatles in Perspective showcases the latest research by historians, literary critics, musicologists, sociologists, poets and cultural critics bringing new perspectives on The Beatles and their milieu which will interest academics and fans alike. This book explores the relationship between The Beatles and their times, situating them in the changing class, gender and ethnic dynamics of postwar Britain, and considers them as Liverpudlians, Orientalists, and creative pioneers.Table of ContentsIntroduction Culture and History 1. “Where You Once Belonged”: Class, Race and Liverpool Roots of Lennon and McCartney’s Songs James McGrath 2. Notes on the Beatles from a Black Liverpudlian Perspective Mark Christian, Lehman College (CUNY) 3. From Liverpool to Tibet: “Tomorrow Never Knows” and the Troubled Path to the East Sharif Gemie, University of South Wales 4. Magical Mystery Tour: Suburbia and Utopia in Music and Films of The Beatles Jon Goss, Clarkson University, New York 5. The Bohemian Beatles Colin Campbell, University of York 6. Interlude 1: Growing up with The Beatles Russell Reising (University of Toledo), Peter Mills and James McGrath Audience, Fanhood, Interpretation 7. “My Name’s Ringo and I Play the Drums”: Being a Beatles’ Fan in the Age of Interactivity Stephanie Fremaux, Birmingham City University 8. The Beatles and Fandom Richard Mills, St Marys University, London 9. “Some kind of innocence...”: The Beatles Monthly and the Fan Community Mike Kirkup, Teesside University 10. “Misunderstanding all you see”: Charles Manson Reading the Beatles at the End of the World Gary Carlin and Mark Jones, both at University of Wolverhampton 11. Interlude 2: The Beatles, Interpretation and Influence Russell Reising, Peter Mills and James McGrath Savoy Truffles: Further Perspectives 12. Paul in the Picture: Anatomy of a Snapshot Martin Malone, Aberdeen University 13. The American Beetles: How a Fake Beatles Band Defined a Movement, Changed a Culture, and Beat The Beatles at Their Own Game Ed Prideaux, journalist 14. Listening and Remembering Russell Reising, Peter Mills and James McGrath

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Book SynopsisThere is simply no one like Cher. A mix of street smart, intelligence, talent and beauty, she's the celebrities' favourite celebrity and if you're not a Dolly Parton person, there's no doubt you're Cher obsessed. With six decades of No.1 hits, from Sonny and Cher days to her latest album (number 26) the Gold Dancing Queen in 2018, she's reinvented herself again and again.Turning her hand to serious acting in Silkwood, Mask, Moonstruck, The Witches of Eastwick and more, the multi-talented star had new award-winning film career in the 1980s, but yet again emerged as the 'Goddess of Pop' with dance-oriented pop-rock – and gaining a dedicated tribe of gay followers as a result. From LGBTQ rights to politics, from saving elephants to kitchen discos on TikTok, she's as engaged, relevant and controversial as she ever was – and she has a LOT to say for herself. Here is a collection of the funniest, sharpest, most deadpan quotes you'd expect from this authentic one-of-a-kind star who Time magazine named as 'Twitter's most outspoken (and beloved) commentator'.SAMPLE QUOTE: 'The trouble with some women is that they get all excited about nothing - and then marry him.' – BCC Observer, February 2005Table of ContentsI Got You, Babe: Cher's background and the early days of Sonny and Cher. The One and Only Cher: Becoming Cher. Famously self-effacing, here are her thoughts on her self-image, stage fright and superstardom. Love and Understanding: Romance, love, divorce, family and friends – tracks her headline-grabbing relationships from her split from Sonny to David Geffen, Greg Allman, Val Kilmer, Tom Cruise and 'bagel boy' Robert Camilletti. It's Entertainment: This is all about Cher's amazingly successful music and film career. Believe: Beliefs, values, LGBTQ rights, politics and passions – all the important stuff in life. If I Could Turn Back Time: Her reflections on body image, beauty, fashion, ageing and health.

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Book SynopsisSir Elton Hercules John has enjoyed a phenomenal career filled with success, excess and achievement. His farewell tour was announced as more than 300 dates across all corners of the glode for years. Illness, Covid-19 and other extenuating circumstances conspired to prolong it, but the Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour concerts have sold out everywhere as fans take their opportunity to see this unique artist for possibly the last time live on stage.The Little Guide to Elton John celebrates the career, music and character of one of the most interesting, colourful, engaging and interesting popular musicians ever. The book reviews his career and countless highs, and recognizes his many record-breaking achievements, in music, in his charity work and farther afield.Table of ContentsFrom Reg to Elton: facts and quotes from his early career • Rocket Man: with Bernie Taupin and global success • The Bitch is Back: life after retirement • The Wonderful World of Elton: celebrating over 50 years • Famous Friends: collaborations, charity and football • Your Song: the singles and the albums.

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Half a century after three teenage brothers decided to give a career in music a go, the Bee Gees are among the most successful and enduring names in popular music history.Trailblazing their way across pop music since the 1960s, Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb have made their songs Stayin' Alive, How Deep is Your Love, To Love Somebody, and I Started a Joke, timeless.Filled with staggering highs – especially as they became the definitive band of the disco era – The Little Guide to the Bee Gees is packed with quotes perfect for the music-lover in your life and just might help you stay alive.'Contrary to popular belief, we have no leader. We call it a democratic dictatorship.' - Maurice Gibb'We are brothers first, a pop group second.' - Barry Gibb'Show business is something you have to have in you when you're born.' - Robin Gibb

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Book Synopsis***'Eddie was there very early doors. His story is of the many.' Paul Weller'A total riot! Takes me right back to the 70s. A Superb book' Mani, The Stone Roses'What a wonderful book. Mod isn't about what decade you lived in, it's about your attitude, and this book has tons of it' Kenney Jones, The Small Faces'A charismatic storyteller, witty and unpretentious, he is at once an engaging protagonist and an indisputable authority, giving a live-wire, visceral perspective on mod life in that short flash of time. He manages to create a welcoming space in this rather exclusive world while never losing his formidable edge as a narrator' - The Big Issue'Buy it on sight. You won't be disappointed' - Louder Than War'Eddie's book is really good!' - Robert Elms'Akin to being in the company of someone with plenty of entertaining tales to tell.... the comradery and spirit of like-minded souls is inspiring.' - Paul Ritchie, Shindig! MagazineWITH A FOREWORD BY PAUL WELLERThis is the memoir of a teenage mod from the East End of London.A journey of discovery for a schoolboy dabbling with punk, funk, record shops, discos and clothes, and then... WHAAAM! An unstoppable wave of like-minded kids fall headlong in love with 60s mod culture, revived and reformatted for the 70s and 80s generation.Eddie Piller was one such kid. His life was changed forever. Written with humour, passion and attention to detail, CLEAN LIVING UNDER DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES is perhaps the ultimate mod memoir, taking us from meeting the Small Faces as a toddler, to the 1979 Mod revival, through the more purist 1980s mod scene and eventually to Acid Jazz.A born storyteller, Eddie takes us evocatively into a world of scooters, clothes, and music. We run with the crowd to decaying seaside towns, East End backstreet boozers and sweaty teenage gigs, all fizzing with an uncontainable excitement and often exploding into violence.Once mod touched your soul it changed the way you looked at life, unexpectedly broadening your horizons. In Eddie it awakens a can-do attitude that sees him setting up a fanzine, putting on club nights, hustling jobs in the music industry, and eventually setting up a record label. It even takes him to Ireland at the height of the troubles and to Australia where the local mods take him on a military exercise...Visceral and always entertaining, CLEAN LIVING UNDER DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES is a stand-out memoir that relives the thrill of the 70s and 80s, and the movement that helped make mod the most enduring and successful British youth culture of all time.Trade ReviewIf I'd have lived through the mod movement in London in the 60s my heroes would've been Guy Stevens and Pete Meaden - but as a teenage mod in the early 1980's Eddie Piller was that guy. This book is a glorious testament to that. -- David HolmesEddie Piller's life in music (and elsewhere) is quite a tale. He always strikes me as one of the lucky few who win the lottery by making up their own job description. Deejay, broadcaster, self-taught producer, he's covered many angles in his time. This book is as fun and engaging as the man himself. -- Martin FreemanA charismatic storyteller, witty and unpretentious, he is at once an engaging protagonist and an indisputable authority, giving a live-wire, visceral perspective on mod life in that short flash of time. He manages to create a welcoming space in this rather exclusive world while never losing his formidable edge as a narrator. * The Big Issue *[CLEAN LIVING UNDER DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES] never loses its percussive humour or whip-hand sense of style... Piller is one of those inspirational figures (a lot like Creations Alan McGee ) who has always acted like a conduit between creative talent, lighting the blue touch paper for those with musical chops and similar vision. If this book is his legacy, then it's a fantastic one, for his is most certainly a life less ordinary. Buy it on sight. You won't be disappointed. * Louder than war *Eddie's book is really good! * Robert Elms *Akin to being in the company of someone with plenty of entertaining tales to tell .... the comradery and spirit of like-minded souls is inspiring. -- Paul Ritchie * Shindig! Magazine *

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Book Synopsis'An incredible photographer and good friend' -RINGO STARR The definitive collection of the breathtaking Beatles photographs of Terry O'Neill.Iconic photographer Terry O'Neill worked with the Beatles across five decades, capturing the band at the beginning of their rise to the top and the solo years beyond.From recording sessions, rehearsals and larking around town at the height of Beatlemania, to intimate shots at weddings, at home and on tour in the solo years after the band had split, O'Neill captured countless photographs – many of which are being published for the very first time here.With more than 300 photographs and including quotes from Terry collecting his personal memories of working with the band, The Beatles by Terry O'Neill is a unique visual portrait of the story of John, Paul, George, Ringo and the music they made.

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Book SynopsisExperience the K-Pop phenomenon of BTS in this best-selling fanbook – FULLY UPDATED for 2023!BTS are much more than just a group of seven talented individuals, they are a band acclaimed for their record-smashing, barrier-breaking, trend-setting dance-pop and hip-hop tunes and personal philosophies. Featuring brand new content and sensational new photos, BTS: The Ultimate Fan Book includes everything you need to know about Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V and Jungkook, as well as the BTS ARMY.A celebration of the K-Pop phenomenon, exploring in stunning technicolour detail the group's origins, members and super rise to success, this Ultimate Fan Book is beautifully accompanied by photographs showcasing the band's kaleidoscope of personalities and passions that have made them famous. BTS are more than just a boy band – they are a way of life.Table of ContentsDreaming Big: Before the Stardom • 21st Century Boys • Meet the Band: Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V and Jungkook • Hit Records • No More Dreaming • In the ARMY • Behind the Scenes • Beyond the Success • K-Pop the Balloon • BTS World • Chart Toppers/Record Breakers • Awards and Philanthropy.

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Book Synopsis"Thinking About Tomorrow" is the amazing tale of rock and roll survivor Keith West. A pioneer of psychedelic music in the 1960s with such songs as "My White Bicycle", and he also achieved international fame alongside Mark Wirtz with the song "Excerpt from A Teenage Opera".

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Book SynopsisThinking About Tomorrow is the amazing tale of rock and roll survivor Keith West. With his Tomorrow bandmates, Keith was a pioneer of psychedelic music in the 1960s with songs such as My White Bicycle. He also achieved international fame alongside Mark Wirtz with the song Excerpt from a Teenage Opera.

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Book SynopsisThe Life and Music of Harry Styles is written in an enthusiastic tone and fan-focused style, richly illustrated with photographs of the heartthrob and charts the evolution of Styles's career – from his discovery on the X Factor to his rise to a global super star and the next step: conquering the world as a solo artist and actor in 2017's Dunkirk, 2021's Eternals and landing the starring role in 2022's Don't Worry Darling.Having been a leading member of One Direction – possibly the most successful boyband of this century – Harry Styles has embarked on his solo career, not only managing to escape that shadow, but has thrived and become equally successful on his own. Harry Styles debuted at Number One all over the world, and his legions of fans were ecstatic with the first solo offering from the pop phenomenon.

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Book SynopsisThe official memoir of Margo O'Donnell, legendary Irish Country Music singer For fifty years now the name 'Margo' has been synonymous with everything that is positive and enriching in Country and Irish music. Blessed with an instantly recognisable voice, a voice unlike any other in the music business, the Donegal-born singer, despite the ever changing musical trends, has remained a star attraction, much loved by her fans, not only in Ireland and Britain, but also in the USA, Canada, Australia and other far destinations. She still possesses an infectious enthusiasm for performing and recording that she had in those very early days with The Keynotes. This is the story of her life, the successes and difficult times, in her own words.

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