Musicians, singers, bands and groups Books

Book SynopsisIn 1991, five wannabe Mancunian musicians came together and cracked a spark that was to ignite the explosion which became Oasis. The band went from obscurity to become a global phenomenon in the space of a year, achieving world-wide recognition and selling over 70 million records. Pre Oasis, drummer Tony McCarroll joined a band called The Rain, linking up with guitarist Paul 'Bonehead' Arthurs, bassist Paul McGuigan and singer Chris Hutton. Hutton was later replaced by Liam Gallagher who in turn brought brother Noel along. What started out as five young lads with a common dream of becoming rock stars eventually disintegrated into in-fighting, clashes of egos and finanical disputes. In 1995, following the release of Definitely Maybe - the fastest-selling debut of all time - things came to a head and Tony left the band. In this candid and hilarious book, Tony tells one of the most in-depth rock 'n' roll stories of modern times. He reveals the truth about the early years before the band was even formed; he tells of the drinking and drug consumption. Plus, he talks of his much-publicised rift with Noel Gallagher. Tony's recollections include stories involving David Beckham, Prince, Eric Cantona and John McEnroe.

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Book SynopsisAcross five decades and counting, New Zealand-born singer/songwriter and Crowded House founder Neil Finn has become one of the best-loved figures in popular music, crafting enough hits along the way -- Weather With You, Locked Out, I Got You, Fall At Your Feet, It s Only Natural, and of course Don t Dream It s Over -- to forge his very own one-man Great Antipodean Songbook. One fateful day in April 1977, teenage Neil received a transcontinental phone call that would change his life. It was his older brother, Tim, calling from London, England, with a simple question: Do you want to join the band? That band, the art-rock combo Split Enz, would provide the launchpad for a career that has taken in widespread international success with Crowded House, as a solo artist, back with Tim in The Finn Brothers, and as a touring member of Fleetwood Mac. There have been bumps along the road, including repeated clashes with Tim and the tragic death of original Crowded House drummer Paul Hester, but taken as a whole, Finn s story is one of the most inspiring musical sagas of modern times. Australian author and journalist Jeff Apter has observed Neil s career from close quarters since the late 70s, from frantic early Enz gigs to private listening parties to huge reunion shows and numerous points in between, giving him the perfect perspective to write this intimate, even-handed biography.Trade ReviewEssential reading for Finn fans and anyone interested in those golden days. -- Malcolm Knox, author of Bluebird. An engaging portrait of the powerhouse behind Crowded House. -- Sydney Morning Herald

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Book SynopsisJohnny Thunders: In Cold Blood is the definitive portrait of the condemned man of rock n roll, from the baptism of fire and tragedy that was the New York Dolls, through the junkie punk years of the Heartbreakers, to his sudden and mysterious death in 1991. It is an unflinching account of a unique guitarist whose drug problems often overshadowed his considerable style and talent, but whose unquestionable influence on glam, punk, and more still resonates today. Nina Antonia discovered Johnny Thunders and the New York Dolls as a teenager and spent her formative years as a dedicated fan before starting work on this book in her twenties. Then, when Johnny and his manager read her early drafts, they decided she should make it an authorised biography and granted her unique access to Johnny s life. As such, it begins by painting a historical portrait of Thunders and his early life and work before shifting into the present tense as Nina vividly describes her own experiences with the real-life Johnny and his associates. First published in 1987, Johnny Thunders: In Cold Blood has been kept alive over the years by an audience that isn t always catered for. While the New York Dolls are now rightly acknowledged as having been as pivotal as the Velvet Underground, and you might catch the odd fashionista sporting a Dolls T-shirt, Johnny s dark flame burns for those who have known adversity. He is the voice of the disenfranchised; he is every gifted son or daughter who went off the rails. Like Jesse James or James Dean, he couldn t come in from the badlands of rock n roll; he wouldn t appease or kowtow to the establishment. This new edition adds a new closing chapter, bringing Thunders legacy up to date, new photographs, and a foreword by Mike Scott of The Waterboys.

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Book SynopsisToday, Metallica are known as consummate musicians, but it wasn t always that way. Their early career is marked by a gradual evolution from garage thrash to sophisticated, progressive heights an evolution driven by their bass player, Cliff Burton, who pushed the band to new heights with his songwriting ability and phenomenal bass skills across the band s first three albums, including their undisputed masterpiece, Master Of Puppets. Cliff s life was short but influential; his death at the age of 24 in a tour bus crash on a Swedish mountain road was sudden and shocking. Following his passing, Metallica went on to huge global success, but by their own admission they never pushed the creative envelope as radically as they had done during the first four years of their career. The cult of Burton grows year on year, and so too the list of bassists acknowledging his influence in metal and beyond. Published to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Metallica s debut album, Kill Em All, this revised and updated edition of To Live Is To Die adds a new chapter on Cliff s enduring legacy as well as a preface from Testament bass master Steve Di Giorgio.Trade ReviewOne of the best biographies you ll ever read. - Robb Flynn, Machine Head

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Book SynopsisSympathy for the Drummer: Why Charlie Watts Matters is both a gonzo rushcapturing the bristling energy of the Rolling Stones and the times in which they livedand a wide-eyed reflection on why the Greatest Rock ''n'' Roll Band in the World needed the world''s greatest rock ''n'' roll drummer. Across five decades, Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts has had the best seat in the house. Charlie Watts, the anti-rock staran urbane jazz fan with a dry wit and little taste for the limelightwas witness to the most savage years in rock history, and emerged a hero, a warrior poet. With his easy swing and often loping, uneven fills, he found nuance in a music that often had little room for it, and along with his greatest ally, Keith Richards, he gave the Stones their swaggering beat. While others battled their drums, Charlie played his modest kit with finesse and humility, and yet his relentless grooves on the nastiest hard-rock numbers of the era (Gimme Shelter, Street Fighting MaTrade Review“Charlie Watts lays it down, and the others follow. He is the Law. This book explains why.” — Clem Burke, Blondie“Required reading for any Stones fan.” — Bun E. Carlos“The most colorfully graphic and, arguably, the most accurate description extant of the Rolling Stones at the absolute pinnacle of their career.”— All About Jazz“[Edison] shoots from the hip from the first line to the last in this extremely entertaining celebration... Edison’s frenzied, gunned up prose repeatedly reminds one and all of exactly why Charlie Watts Matters... Stones fans and jazzers, bluesers and rockers alike all owe Mike Edison a massive thank you.” ★★★★ — Shindig“Sympathy thankfully is not a ponderous academic treatise, and while Edison occasionally leans into gonzo flights of fancy, he takes the reader on a grand tour of forty years of Watts’ contributions to the Rolling Stones... As Keith Richards has said, “No Charlie, no Stones,” and Edison wrote the book to prove it.”— Modern Drummer“Sympathy for the Drummer is so much more than an incisive appreciation of Charlie Watts, it is an effusively infectious tribute to art in all of its myriad forms. Edison’s insights into the Rolling Stones are backed up by a fluent scope of cultural historicity, and peppered with an array of no-nonsense broadsides. Compelling evidence to convince even the most non-partisan reader that Charlie is indeed the WORLD’S GREATEST ROCK’N’ROLL DRUMMER!” — Jim Sclavunos, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds“It’s not hard to fathom why a former editor of both Screw and High Times magazines would find writing about the Rolling Stones, one of the most dissolute champions of sex and drugs, right in his conceptual wheelhouse. But Edison takes a unique approach by focusing his investigation on Charlie Watts, the woefully underappreciated lynchpin of the Stones sound. This book is a delightful look at the Stones through the eyes and the beats of their most reticent member. Finally someone gave this drummer some.” — Larry “Ratso” Sloman, author On the Road with Bob Dylan“A great voice of authority and knowledge, dispensed with free-wheeling fluidity. Super entertaining, and right on.” — Katherine Turman, coauthor, Louder Than Hell: The Complete Oral History of Heavy Metal“A wild ride through six-plus decades of music history... An illuminating and massively entertaining book.” — Dan Epstein, author Big Hair and Plastic Grass“Mike Edison’s libertine prose swings and hits like Charlie Watt’s right hand.” — Meredith Ochs, author Rock-and-Roll Woman“Charlie Watts is the backbone of the Rolling Stones. In this affectionate yet unflinching biography, Mike Edison shows how integral his jazz sensibility makes them a true band: keeping time, creating space, and hitting the crash cymbal at just the right moment.” — Lenny Kaye, guitarist, author of You Call It Madness: the Sensuous Song of the Croon“An imaginative consideration of the Rolling Stones, one which will let you hear utterly familiar tracks with entirely fresh ears." — Ira Robbin“Rollicking ... highly engaging ... essential.” — Classic Rock“A marvelous snare-crack of a book.” — Hot Press (UK)“Exhilarating... magnificent insouciance... Edison writes like Charlie Watts drums: with panache.””— Planet Rock“A remarkable achievement... insightful, passionate, knowledgeable, funny, fresh and astute... Sympathy for the Drummer is hard to beat.” — International Times“Edison’s style captures the effortless nature of Watts’ drumming... you come away with new respect for the man behind the small kit, and I guarantee you’ll blast a Stones cut when done. Highly recommended.”— The Big Takeover“Fanf**kingtastic.”— Kenny Aranoff"The most fun and evocative Stones book since Keith Richard's Life." — Record Collector (UK)

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Book SynopsisSteven Patrick Morrissey was born in Manchester on May 22nd 1959. Singer-songwriter and co-founder of the Smiths, Morrissey has been a solo artist for twenty-six years, during which time he has had three number 1 albums in England in three different decades. This book deals with his work and life.Trade ReviewFive stars. With typical pretension, Morrissey's first book has been published as a Penguin Classic. It justifies such presentation with a beautifully measured prose style that combines a lilting, poetic turn of phrase and acute quality of observation, revelling in a kind of morbid glee at life's injustice with arch, understated humour ... It is recognisably the voice of the most distinctive British pop lyricist of his era -- Neil McCormick * Daily Telegraph *A brilliant and timely book ... What is so refreshing about Morrissey's Autobiography is its very messiness, its deliriously florid, overblown prose style, its unwillingness to kowtow to a culture of literary formula and commercial pigeon-holing ... Autobiography is a true baggy monster, a book in which a distinctive prose style is allowed to develop ... A rococo triumph ... Overwhelmingly this is a book to be thankful for ... In the ways that matter, Autobiography reads like a work of genuine literary class -- Alex Niven * Independent *Sharply written, rich, clever, rancorous, puffed-up, tender, catty, windy, poetic, and frequently very, very funny. Welcome back, Morrissey -- Michael Bonner * Uncut Magazine *Rancorous, rhapsodic, schizophrenic: Autobiography delivers a man in full -- Andrew Male * Mojo *If one is willing to accept that a Morrissey book could be a classic, then the book justifies its status remarkably early on. ... As a work of prose Autobiography is a triumph of the written word * Louder than war *Funnier than the Iliad ... A triumph -- Colin Paterson * Today Programme, BBC Radio 4 *One of the autobiographies of this or any year ... A wonderfully entertaining read. He's as witty, acerbic and opinionated as you'd expect, but there's a welcome self-awareness throughout that makes the dramatic flourishes and hyperbolic dismay all the more hilarious. He may have more flaws than Manchester's Arndale Centre but he's just brilliantly, uniquely Morrissey * Daily Mirror *Morrissey's Autobiography is brilliant and relentless. Genius, really -- Douglas CouplandWell, so far Morrissey's book is an absolute masterpiece; no doubt the whole stinking country will hate it. -- Frankie BoyleThis is the best book ever. Like ever * Wonderland *Carried along on quite extraordinary prose * Time Out *The Best Music Biog Ever ... In the world of rock autobiographies, Morrissey's is nigh-on perfect -- Ben Hewitt * NME *Practically every paragraph has a line or two that demands to be read aloud to the mirror, tattooed on foreheads, carved on tombstones * Rolling Stone *Morrissey is a pop star of unusual writing talent * The New York Times *Autobiography is a rich and substantial work, the figure emerging at its centre both compelling and complex. Those who know his music will be unsurprised by the qualities of Morrissey's prose, which is ornate, windswept, elusive yet never tricksy, and full of unexpected twists and thrusts. He writes with understanding (albeit often with a tout comprendre c'est rien pardonner caveat) and is most of all straightforwardly moving; never more so than when writing about his childhood -- Gwendoline Riley * Times Literary Supplement *Autobiography doesn't disappoint. In its pages Morrissey manages to perform the neat trick of deconstructing his own myth while at the same time adding to it. Old scores are settled and anyone who ever crossed the singer is neatly decapitated herein by withering, barbed prose. Things could have gone very differently for Morrissey. He could have ended up cleaning canal banks or delivering the post for a living. Both of these outcomes would have left the world a far duller place. Autobiography is the man in his own words and, Morrissey being Morrissey, this means that we are presented with an account that is real and fantastic, unapologetically romantic and brutally honest. The die-hard fans have read the book already but for anyone with even a passing interest in what makes one of the most individual and unflinching voices in British pop music tick, Autobiography is essential * Loud and Quiet magazine *

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Book SynopsisIn 1973, Judy Scott was intent on traveling to Istanbul, but serendipitously she stumbled onto the incomparable Greek island of Hydra and the people who would continue, over many subsequent visits, to enhance and influence her life ever after.This memoir, based on notebooks and journals Scott kept during various times and visits to her favorite place on earth, recounts in very intimate detail her interactions and developing relationships with singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen and his beautiful muse and love of his life Marianne Ihlen. As Leonard himself observed of this book when Scott sent the manuscript to him for his approval: I particularly admire the detail and honesty of the piece. One of the more unique features in this recounting is the emerging acknowledgment the author confronts of her own sexuality, as she recounts: It did not take long for Leonard to recognize that I was more attracted to Marianne than I was to him, though I came to love him too in the end. <

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Book Synopsis'Essential reading for anyone interested in the heady, vulgar, marvellous miasma of British music and culture in the nineties' - Irving Welsh'A true believer in the power of music and more importantly a believer in the people that make music. He gave me and many more like me a chance to change my life' - Noel GallagherAlan McGee's Creation Stories is a star-studded, outrageous, funny and anarchic account of the record label he set up and the bands that defined an era, including Primal Scream and Oasis.A charismatic Glaswegian who partied just as hard as any of the acts on his notoriously hedonistic label, Alan McGee became an infamous character in the world of music in the nineties. In Creation Stories he tells his story in depth for the first time, from leaving school at sixteen to setting up the Living Room club in London which showcased many emerging indie bands, from managing the Jesus and Mary Chain Trade ReviewMcGee was our Malcolm McLaren and Tony Wilson. An instigator and motivator, a born upsetter. I've never met anyone like him and neither have you. This is his story -- Bobby GillespieMcGee is a true believer and a complete one-off. I doubt anyone else could have built an entity like Creation and ran it for so long, making it all up as they went along. Essential reading for anyone interested in the heady, vulgar, marvellous miasma of British music and culture in the nineties, before it was all swamped by the surgical spirit sterility of the global marketplace -- Irvine WelshIn the 1980's Alan McGee saved British music by pumping ambition, passion and chaos into the independent scene. Without him Go West and Living In A Box would have won. A brilliant read for anyone interested in music -- James BrownIt's fast and loose and as insane as the label, full of great anecdotes and machine gun prose - it tells it like it was and it doesn't flinch from the truth -- John RobbA true believer in the power of music and more importantly a believer in the people that make music. He gave me, and many more like me, a chance to change my life. A pity he supports Rangers -- Noel Gallagher

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Book SynopsisA literary and visual exploration of the songs of Steely Dan.Trade ReviewWeird and wondrous...Quantum Criminals fairly drips with information…and I have drunk it in eagerly...The writing in Quantum Criminals is often arresting and always engaging pop-music journalism...Quantum Criminals is a reminder that one can be massively fulfilled by language one doesn’t fully comprehend. * New York Times *Quantum Criminals is one of the sharpest, funniest, and best books ever about any rock artist. * Rolling Stone *Pappademas offers a lively series of ruminations about individual songs, loosely pegged to the characters who populate those songs and who are rendered in playfully detailed and colorful portraits by LeMay. The result is both a celebration and an artifact of the current Steely Dan moment...In sharp and funny chapters, Pappademas riffs on [Steely Dan's] cast of characters in ways that capture the band’s cultural context and musical debts. * The Atlantic *[Quantum Criminals] uncovers the vast constellation of lyrical references, artistic influences and social and political contexts surrounding the band and its music. * NPR Music *Wry, playful but deeply incisive...Fagen, Becker...and Pappademas are kindred spirits, smartass, sharp-eyed observers of life’s El Supremos—a description that suits other Dan fans as well. Quantum Criminals is like a secret handshake between two covers. The best part is that it illuminates details the rest of us may have glossed over for years. * Los Angeles Times *In one fell swoop, [Quantum Criminals] has become the essential Steely Dan book. And you should absolutely be reading it right now...Pappademas and LeMay leave no stones unturned in their quest to unlock every mythological quadrant of Steely Dan’s immense, decades-long artistic conceptions. * Paste *A whimsical plunge into one of America’s most unconventional rock bands...[A] delicious deep dive into the many protagonists in the 'Steely Daniverse'...LeMay’s vibrant paintings—more than 100 of which are included in the book—provide yet another kaleidoscopic lens through which to consider the duo’s wild imaginations. Any major dude will tell you that this is a solid and highly entertaining take on Fagen and Becker’s 'platonic love story.' * Kirkus *[An] engaging and illuminating way to tell the band's history...Quantum Criminals is undoubtedly the best thing I’ve ever read about this endearingly strange and endlessly fascinating band. * The Forward *An engrossing series of essays that innovatively chart the cosmology of Donald Fagen and Walter Becker’s musical universe…[A] terrific and irresistible book. * Talkhouse *Remarkable...we finally have a book about Steely Dan in which the writing and art fully measure up to the sophistication and beauty of Becker and Fagen’s music...Pappademas’s incisive, elegant prose poetry pairs perfectly with LeMay’s colorful hand-painted portraits that offer humorous and empathetic glimpses of the Dan’s menagerie of luckless pedestrians. * Expanding Dan *Wonderfully weird and insightful...the Steeliest of all the Steely Dan books out there. And it’s wholly refreshing...There have been a number of fine books on Steely Dan, but Quantum Criminals is the one whose spirit, vivacity, and off-kilterness matches its subjects and their body of work. * Houston Press *Steely Dan fans should love this book. And if you’re not a fan of that non-band band, but love good writing about rock music, Quantum Criminals is still worth reading. * Milwaukee Shepherd Express *These song-based essays are part band biography, trenchant culture criticism, poignant ‘70s history, and psychedelic tone poems. Like Steely Dan’s tunes, they toe the line between an unbridled reverence for the music and esoteric sensibilities. I read it in a day and came out with an even deeper respect for their catalog. * No Expectations *This is the finest piece of rock journalism that I have read in a long time. * Religion News Service *Alex Pappademas reveals the stories behind many of [Steely Dan's] songs and, in the process, gives us a book that shows what the right kind of obsession leads to—joyful, contagious passion. Featuring terrific illustrations by Joan LeMay, this is a fascinating, fun, and deep dive into the stories behind the music and the men who created it...After you read this book, you’ll never be able to forget the genius of these two writers. * Air Mail *For those who are anywhere from casual listeners to hardcore Dan Fans, this book is an unceasing delight from cover to cover…Engrossing, well-written, with vivid, whimsical illustrations, Quantum Criminals is the literary equivalent of a Steely Dan album: vibrant, a little strange, and nearly perfect. * Spectrum Culture *Writer Alex Pappademas and painter Joan Lemay...go beyond explanation to produce the definitive Danomicon with this expansively argued and vibrantly illustrated survey of the songs, lyrics and characters populating the whole Steely Dan catalog. * Tertulia *Whether you count the current Danaissance as something entirely new or another turn in a recurring cycle, and even if you’re among those who find the band too weird or jazzy, it’s undeniable the Dan endures. Quantum Criminals is an entertaining and insightful account of why. * The Washington Free Beacon *The book is as smooth and intriguing as Gaucho, a combination of sophisticated thinking, clear language, and a calm view of the dark interior of this band. All of it is told through a series of connected biographies that are based on each song that the band recorded . . . and that give the musicians involved, the cultural views accumulated, and Pappademas’s own journey, significant roles in what is a great and complex story. The book will be terrifically satisfying to any and all Dan fans in the way that having one’s own experiences and perceptions acknowledged and validated is, but it goes far beyond hagiography. * The Brooklyn Rail *The new book, Quantum Criminals: Ramblers, Wild Gamblers, and other Sole Survivors From the Songs of Steely Dan, is the delightful result of an author not only understanding their subject, but emotionally bonding with it. In this case, it’s the two co-authors, Alex Pappademas (who writes the words) and Joan LeMay (who paints the pictures). . . Quantum Criminals understands the paradoxical nature of Steely Dan, and the book embraces that chaos. It’s not a paean to “great men” of classic rock, nor is it a fan service love letter. But it is most definitely the right book about the correct band. * The Daily Beast *There have been a number of fine books on Steely Dan, but Quantum Criminals is the one whose spirit, vivacity, and off-kilterness matches its subjects and their body of work. * Classic Rock Bob *[An] ultra-cool hybrid of music criticism and pop art...For older fans, who remember when 'Rikki Don't Lose That Number' owned the airwaves in spring 1974, Quantum Criminals is like a tour guide with a music geek friend whose fresh outlook about songs you've heard hundreds of times enables you to experience elements of their greatness for the first time. * New Hampshire Union Leader *The best music book of 2023…From Rikki to Hoops McCann to Kid Charlemagne, Pappademas’ prose and LeMay’s paintings pair together to give Donald Fagen and Walter Becker’s band the vivid, unforgettable context it has always deserved. It’s an essential mapping of Steely Dan’s wild and wonderful world, told straight from two Danheads. * Paste Magazine *Steely Dan’s stock is even higher today than it was in the 1970s, when they were having hit records. Critic Alex Pappademas and illustrator Joan LeMay deliver the perfect celebration of Donald Fagen and Walter Becker’s unique hermetic grandeur, honoring their oblique mystique while also getting at the real human beings lurking beneath the pristine tunes and cynical worldview. Each chapter is a revelatory riff on a different character in a Dan song — from Peg to Rikki to Mr. LePage to the Gaucho — with LeMay’s artwork just as smart and fun as the writing. They get into topics like the band’s secret hip-hop influence, their ‘famously overdetermined guitar solos,’ and the dialectical nature of their relationship with fellow El Lay rock royals the Eagles. People have been trying to untangle the riddle of Steely Dan’s greatness for decades. No one’s ever done it better. -- Jon Dolan * Rolling Stone *Quantum Criminals is such an unusual, funny, and creative work of criticism that it should inspire anyone who loves pop music but feels tired of the forms into which the market hems writers who want to tell its stories. * Slate *Quantum Criminals: Ramblers, Wild Gamblers and Other Sole Survivors from the Songs of Steely Dan (University of Texas Press) by Alex Pappademas and Joan LeMay has been described as the quintessential Steely Dan book. As part of the project, LeMay, a native Houstonian, created 109 whimsical portraits of characters that sprang from the musicians’ lyrics and legends. In a review, fellow artist Melissa Messer wrote: 'Looking at Joan’s oeuvre makes me feel tipsy, or like I’ve drunk Wonka’s Fizzy Lifting Drink and I’m swimming through the air after her, searching for the same vision.' * Texas Observer *This book not only dissects Steely Dan’s lyrics and dives deep into the imagery of their discography, it also steps back and provides helpful context about how the band’s music was written. * New York Magazine: The Strategist *Table of Contents 1. Jack 2. Walter 3. Donald 4. King Richard/King John 5. Lady Bayside 6. Chino & Daddy Gee 7. Michael/Jesus 8. The Charmer 9. The Fella in the White Tuxedo 10. Dan 11. David 12. Mr. Whatever 13. Louise 14. Cathy 15. The El Supremo 16. The King of the World 17. Rikki 18. The Major Dude 19. Mr. Parker 20. Buzz 21. Napoleon 22. The Archbishop 23. Dr. Wu 24. Mr. Lapage 25. Owsley 26. A Bookkeeper’s Son 27. The Eagles 28. Babs & Clean Willie 29. The Old Man 30. Pepe 31. A Wooly Man without a Face 32. Peg 33. Sayoko 34. The Expanding Man 35. Broadway Duchess 36. Josie 37. The Babylon Sisters 38. Hoops McCann/The Dread Moray Eel 39. The Dandy of Gamma Chi 40. The Gaucho 41. A Jolly Roger 42. Third World Man 43. Abbie/Dupree 44. Franny from NYU 45. Lizzie 46. Jill 47. Gina 48. Dave from Acquisitions 49. Daddy Acknowledgments Notes

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Book SynopsisEverything I Need to Know I Learned from Bruce Springsteen is an eye-popping collection of stunning photos and insightful lessons inspired by Springsteen’s life and musical legacy. For decades, the Boss has imbued his work with great depths of feeling and authenticity, speaking his truth to millions of fans worldwide. The analysis of his lyrics and the story of his life have generated bestselling literary works for decades. Now, as Springsteen takes on what may be his final world tour, on the cusp of turning an unstoppable 75 years old, author Trevor Courneen examines Bruce’s lyrics, quotes, media appearances and personal history, mining each for the invaluable bits of wisdom that so often give life and meaning to his music, and translates them into actionable lessons that readers can apply to their own lives. Throughout, the book features stunning black and white and full colour photos of Bruce on stage, in private and on the road, making this book a one-of-a-kind collectible or gift book for fans of The Boss.

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Book SynopsisA compelling biography of Frank Sinatra - warts and all, from 1915 to Sinatra's death in 1998. This fast-paced chronicle details the superstar's music, films, romances, personality traits and questionable exploits! A wonderful addition to the library of any Frank Sinatra fan or any fan of the big band era or popular music in general.Trade Review'I have known and admired Spencer Leigh's work as a music historian for many years. When he describes music and musicians of a bygone age, we become aware of so much more than the songs and performers - the era itself returns to life and we are reminded that all art, notably popular art, is inspired by, and inseparable from, its time and place, and if we don't understand that background, the story is far from complete... In Spencer Leigh's mammoth and wonderful tome on Frank Sinatra, he has superbly given us Americana through the long life and career of his subject which began way before his did. Sinatra's agents, lovers, dodgy associates, show biz friends and enemies, passions, hatreds, bravery and recklessness, finesse and crudity, worldly wisdom and naivete, are all part of the complex all and Leigh captures them all. Whether there has been a better telling of the Frank Sinatra story than Spencer Leigh's version only someone who has read all the myriad other attempts can say. I can say for sure that after reading FRANK SINATRA: AN EXTRAORDINARY LIFE you may want to read more about him, but you won't need to.' SIR TIM RICE; 'There will be no better book on Sinatra's career than this. The detail is superb. It was wise to embrace it all - the music, the films, the politics, the hoodlum exploits, the cheating and chancing, and the seemingly endless sex and booze.' LIVERPOOL ECHOTable of ContentsForeword by Sir Tim Rice Introduction: Set 'em up, Joe Chapter 1: New York, New York. Chapter 2: You must be one of the newer fellas Chapter 3: Start spreadin' the news Chapter 4: Getting sentimental Chapter 5: The house I live in Chapter 6: Kissing bandits Chapter 7: I'm a fool to want you Chapter 8: From here to eternity Chapter 9: Call me irresponsible Chapter 10: Game changers Chapter 11: Election Chapter 12: War games Chapter 13: Making it with the moderns Chapter 14: The first goodbye Chapter 15: Intermission Chapter 17: They can't take that away from me Appendix 1: To Think I Did All That - A Frank Sinatra Discography Appendix 2: One of Those Bells that now and then Rings - Frank Sinatra on film Appendix 3: Makin' Whoopee Index

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Book SynopsisBob Gendron is a longtime contributor to the Chicago Tribune and a veteran Music Editor. He co-authored Nirvana: The Complete Illustrated History and has written for DownBeat, Rolling Stone, TONEAudio, and other outlets. In his spare time, he enjoys visiting craft breweries, playing hockey, and exploring neighborhoods. An avid fan of the White Sox and the Blackhawks, he lives in his hometown of Chicago with his wife and two dogs.Trade Review"In the absence of love, there is loneliness, sorrow and desperation. And that's where I come in."--Greg Dulli, introducing "When We Two Parted" onstage in San Francisco It was only a matter of time before a clever publisher realized that there is an audience for whom Exile on Main Street or Electric Ladyland are as significant and worthy of study as The Catcher in the Rye or Middlemarch...The series, which now comprises 29 titles with more in the words, is freewheeling and eclectic, ranging from minute rock-geek analysis to idiosyncratic personal celebration--The New York Times Book Review Ideal for the rock geek who thinks liner notes just aren't enough--Rolling Stone One of the coolest publishing imprints on the planet - Bookslut These are for the insane collectors out there who appreciate fantastic design, well-executed thinking, and things that make your house look cool. Each volume in this series takes a seminal album and breaks it down in startling minutiae. We love these. We are huge nerds. - Vice A brilliant series...each one a word of real love - NME (UK) Passionate, obsessive, and smart - Nylon Religious tracts for the nock 'n' roll faithful - Uncut (UK) We...aren't naive enough to think that we're your only source for reading about music (but if we had our way...watch out). For those of you who really like to know everything there is to know about an album, you'd do well to check out Continuum's "33 1/3" series of books." - Pitchfork"

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Book SynopsisIn the first decade of the twenty-first century, Kanye West created the most compelling body of pop music by an American artist during the period. Having risen from obscurity as a precocious producer through the ranks of Jay Z's Roc-A-Fella records, by the time he released My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (MBDTF) in late 2010, West had evolved into a master collagist, an alchemist capable of transfiguring semi-obscure soul samples and indelible beats into a brash and vulnerable new art form. A look at the arc of his career, from the heady chipmunk soul exuberance of The College Dropout (2004) to the operatic narcissism of MBDTF, tells us about the march of pop music into the digital age and, by extension, the contradictions that define our cultural epoch. In a cloud-based and on-demand culture – a place of increasing virtualization, loneliness, and hyper-connectivity – West straddles this critical moment as what David Samuels of The Atlantic calls "the first true genius of the iPhone era, the Mozart of contemporary American music." In the land of taking a selfie, honing a personal brand, and publicly melting down online, Kanye West is the undisputed king. Swallowing the chaos wrought by his public persona and digesting it as a grandiose allegory of self-redemption, Kanye sublimates his narcissism to paint masterstroke after masterstroke on MBDTF, a 69-minute hymn to egotistical excess. Sampling and ventriloquizing the pop music past to tell the story of its future – very much a tale of our culture's wish for unfettered digital ubiquity – MBDTF is the album of its era, an aesthetic self-acquittal and spiritual autobiography of our era’s most dynamic artist.Trade ReviewIn Graves' book, he not only breaks down each track on the record, but he also effectively lays out the context of the album's release, explaining why Kanye is deserving of an investigative book like this one (and hopefully soon, others), and what about Mr. West makes him the biggest and most off-putting rock star on the planet. -- Dan Buyanovsky * Revolt TV *Kanye West is the millennial generation incarnate, or at least that's what Kirk Walker Graves would have us all think. Throughout the 150 or so pages of this book, Graves unpacks the enigma that is Kanye West's personality and art. This book isn't so much about the musical qualities of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy as it is about how Kanye's ego and public persona can be used to explain modern 20-somethings. Graves finds meaning in West's music that I never would have picked out on my own. His fandom is clear, but he never steps into hyperbole in his praise of the music. Though, at times, it feels like his discussion of this album can get a bit too academic, I appreciate the thought that he has put into his analysis of Kanye's work. This book is some serious next-level music criticism-I never realized how much Kanye's Gucci line meant to my life before this guy told me about it. -- Alex Gilvarry * SLUG Magazine *West may be divisive enough to not win over his detractors, but Graves’ mix of fanboy marvel and critical detachment is persuasive enough to convince even detractors to give My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy a close listen. At the end of its 132 pages, Graves makes a convincing argument that this four-year-old deserves a spot in the 33 1/3 series. But perhaps more important, he does something that great criticism should do: he makes you want to listen to the album. -- Sean McCarthy * PopMatters *Kanye West’s fifth album is only a few years old, but that didn’t stop Kirk Walker Graves from writing a book proclaiming it an instant classic that perfectly captures the spirit of its era. Graves unpacks the cultural meaning and significance of West’s famous ego and chaotic public persona, and examines the music both in the context of the rapper’s brilliant body of work, and how it fits into the social media era. * Buzzfeed *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Seven Virtues of Yeezus, Pop Christ Portrait of the Monster as a Young Masterpiece The Narcissistic Personality of Our Time Five Uneasy Pieces Art as Atonement University as Universe: The College Dropout A (Very) Brief Aside Re: 808s & Heartbreaks MBDTF Dark Fantasy Gorgeous POWER (sic transit gloria Kanye) All of the Lights Monster So Appalled Devil in a New Dress Runaway Hell of a Life Blame Game Lost in the World The Yeezus Singularity: A Religion of the Self

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Book SynopsisThe Jesus and Mary Chain’s swooning debut Psychocandy seared through the underground and through the pop charts, shifting the role of noise within pop music forever. Post-punk and pro-confusion, Psychocandy became the sound of a generation poised on the brink of revolution, establishing Creation Records as a tastemaking entity in the process. The Scottish band’s notorious live performances were both punishingly loud and riot-spurring, inevitably acting as socio-political commentary on tensions emergent in mid-1980s Britain. Through caustic clangs and feedback channeling the rage of the working-class who’d had enough, Psychocandy gestures toward the perverse pleasure in having your eardrums exploded and loudness as a politics within itself. Yet Psychocandy’s blackened candy heart center – calling out to phantoms Candy and Honey with an unsettling charm – makes it a pop album to the core, and not unlike the sugarcoated sounds the Ronettes became famous for in the 1960s. The Jesus and Mary Chain expertly carved out a place where depravity and sweetness entwined, emerging from the isolating underground of suburban Scotland grasping the distinct sound of a generation, apathetic and uncertain. The irresistible Psychocandy emerged as a clairvoyant account of struggle and sweetness that still causes us to grapple with pop music’s relation to ourselves.Trade ReviewAn interesting and eminently readable study of one of the most significant albums of the 1980s ... The book is a welcome addition to a consistently excellent series. * The Kelvingrove Review *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Taste the Floor Chapter One: Never Understand Chapter Two: Just Like Honey Chapter Three: In a Hole Chapter Four: Sowing Seeds Chapter Five: Taste of Cindy Chapter Six: Some Candy Talking Chapter Seven: My Little Underground Chapter Eight: The Living End Chapter Nine: Cut Dead Chapter Ten: Inside Me Chapter Eleven: It's So Hard Chapter Twelve: Something's Wrong Chapter Thirteen: The Hardest Walk Chapter Fourteen: You Trip Me Up

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Book SynopsisAn intimate conversation about music and creativity, between the internationally bestselling writer Haruki Murakami and world-class conductor, Seiji Ozawa. Haruki Murakami's passion for music runs deep. Before turning his hand to writing, he ran a jazz club in Tokyo, and the aesthetic and emotional power of music permeates every one of his much-loved books. Now, in Absolutely on Music, Murakami fulfills a personal dream, sitting down with his friend, acclaimed conductor Seiji Ozawa, to talk about their shared interest. They discuss everything from Brahms to Beethoven, from Leonard Bernstein to Glenn Gould, from record collecting to pop-up orchestras, and much more.'Absolutely on Music is an unprecedented treasure... Talking about music is like dancing about architecture, it's often said, but what joy to watch these two friends dance.' GuardianTrade ReviewAbsolutely on Music is an unprecedented treasure… Talking about music is like dancing about architecture, it’s often said, but what joy to watch these two friends dance. * Guardian *Hardly a soul writes of the listening and playing of music with such insight and tenderness -- Patti Smith * New York Times Book Review *Their words tessellate perfectly, forcing the neurons in your brain into a brave new quest for artistic divinity… A book for people transfixed by the minutia of creativity. * Shortlist *High Fidelity for classical music fans. * Publishers Weekly *These dialogues...add up to a sprawling feast of Mahler-style “polytonality” - or, alternatively, the sort of protean jam-session that Monk and Parker relished. -- Boyd Tonkin * Arts Desk *

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Book SynopsisSelf-described as a 'spotty, chubby, ginger teenager' with a love for Damien Rice and Nizlopi, Ed Sheeran was never an obvious bet to become a global superstar. And yet that's exactly what he's achieved, winning plenty of awards (and hearts) along the way. But how did a young musician go from selling CDs from his rucksack to becoming the millennial record-breaking international stadium act? Tracing his story from his bohemian childhood in Yorkshire and Suffolk to the release of his third album Divide, music journalist David Nolan chronicles Sheeran's musical life and times. Featuring exclusive interviews with friends, relatives, musical collaborators and key figures in his rise to stardom, Divide and Conquer tells the story of how Ed Sheeran went from school drop-out to one of the world's most successful musicians.

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Book SynopsisTHE NO.1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER*************************************'Witty, dark, devastating' Caitlin Moran'Unflinching, unputdownable' Guardian'Brutally honest, funny, emotionally raw' Matt Haig'I love it' Jon Ronson*************************************So, this is me. Lily Allen.I am a mother, and I was a wife. I'm also a singer and a songwriter. I have loved and been let down. I've been stalked and assaulted. I am a success and a failure. I've been broken and full of hope. I am all these things and more.I'm telling my truth because when women share their stories, loudly and clearly and honestly, things begin to change - for the better.So, this is my story. These are my thoughts exactly.**Includes an exclusive new chapter**

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Book SynopsisIn Brian May's Red Special you will discover everything about Brian May's unique, home-made guitar. Brian reveals all, from the guitar's origins to playing on the roof of Buckingham Palace, from Live Aid to the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics, from the set of Bohemian Rhapsody to opening the Academy Awards in 2019 where the film scooped four Oscars. All of this is accompanied by original diagrams, sketches and notes from the building of the guitar, as well as a selection of classic photographs including Brian on stage with his guitar, close-ups and even an X-ray. Rare images are included throughout, as the entire guitar was dismantled and photographed for the book. Table of ContentsIntroduction by Brian May. Father to Son. A Guitar is Born. The Works. The Queen Days. On the Roof. Revisiting the Past. From Feltham to Hollywood. Gallery. Acknowledgements and credits.

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Book SynopsisHoward Goodall is an Emmy, BRIT and BAFTA award-winning composer of choral music, stage musicals, film and TV scores - among them Red Dwarf, QI and Blackadder - as well as a distinguished broadcaster and the author of Big Bangs: The Story of Five Discoveries that Changed Musical History. In recent years he has been England's first ever National Ambassador for Singing, the Classical Brit Composer of the Year, and Classic FM's Composer-in-Residence. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2011 New Year Honours for services to music education.Trade ReviewGoodall has a prodigious gift for gathering information. People who know nothing about music will learn a lot here * Sunday Tribune *Intelligent, infectious * Observer *Writing a breezy history of music is a tough nut to crack, but Goodall manages it * Independent *

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Book Synopsis‘I’m just a cosmic yob, I suppose.’‘I change every day. I’m not outrageous. I’m David Bowie.’‘I’m an instant star. Just add water and stir.’Genre-hopping, gender-bending: Bowie has never been afraid to pushthe boundaries. Whether masquerading as an alien, a spaceman or a goblin king, this rock ‘n’ roll hero was a true visionary. The death of the Man Who Fell to Earth shook fans around the world, but his influence lives on.Pocket Bowie Wisdom is full of insights into music, identity, fame, love and creativity from one of the most pioneering musicians of all time. This collection of quotes makes a perfect gift for the Bowie fan in your life.

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Book SynopsisBob Dylan's impact on popular music has been incalculable. Having transformed staid folk music into a vehicle for coruscating social commentary, he then swept away the romantic platitudes of rock 'n' roll with his searing intellect.From the zeitgeist-encapsulating protest of 'Blowin' in the Wind' to the streetwise venom of 'Like a Rolling Stone', and from the stunning mid-sixties trilogy of albums - Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde - to Time Out of Mind, his stunning if world-weary comeback at the age of 56, Dylan's genius has endured, underpinned by the dazzling turn of phrase that has made him the pre-eminent poet of popular music.Because Dylan's achievements have no equal, his career is the most chronicled in rock history. Here, Sean Egan presents a selection of the best writing on Dylan, both praise and criticism. Interviews, essays, features and reviews from Dylan intimates and scholars such as John Bauldie, Michael Gray, Nat Hentoff and Jules Siegel are interspersed with new narrative and reviews of every single album to create a comprehensive picture of the artist whose chimes of freedom still resound.Trade ReviewManages to catch some of Dylan's magic. * Catholic Herald *Fascinating and hilarious anecdotes. * Jewish Chronicle *A great book ... as discursive and illuminating as any recent book on Dylan I've read. * Craig McGregor, author of 'Bob Dylan: A Retrospective' *

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Book SynopsisSelected and arranged by the author, and with a new introduction by novelist David Mitchell, How To Be Invisible presents the lyrics of Kate Bush for the first time in a beautiful cloth-bound Faber edition.''For millions around the world, Kate is way more than another singer-songwriter: she is a creator of musical companions that travel with you through life. One paradox about Kate is that while her lyrics are proudly idiosyncratic, those same lyrics evoke emotions and sensations that feel universal. Literature works in similar mysterious ways. Kate's the opposite of a confessional singer-songwriter ... You don't learn much about Kate from her songs. She's fond of masks and costumes lyrically and literally and of yarns, fabulations and atypical narrative viewpoints. Yet, these fiercely singular songs, which nobody else could have authored, are also maps of the heart, the psyche, the imagination. In other words, art.'' David Mitchell

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Book SynopsisThe long-awaited, never-before-told, no-holds-barred memoir from the legendary Aerosmith frontman. Finally, all the lurid tales of debauchery, sex, drugs and rock n'' roll are told straight from the horse''s lips as The Demon of Screamin'' describes his unimaginable highs and unbelievable lows as lead singer of the biggest rock band in the world.Prolific frontman, rock icon and sex symbol, Steven Tyler is a living legend. With his raw, sharp-edged vocals, musical versatility and unprecedented song writing skills, Tyler has, as lead singer of Aerosmith, sold millions of records and played sell-out concerts to as many as 450,000 people. Now, at last, he tells his own story, taking us on a wild rollercoaster ride through the bust-ups, binges, orgies and good old American excess in the jaw-droppingly honest, in-your-face way that only Tyler can.Following a fateful meeting with his ''mutant twin'' Joe Perry in the summer of 1970, Aerosmith was formedand the rest, as they say, is rock historTrade Review‘Steven Tyler is one of the greats of American music’ Sir Paul McCartney ‘The book is sticky with sex…and drugs…plus he squeezes maximum mileage from obsessive punning and compulsive wordplay.’ Classic Rock

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Book SynopsisBest known for the challenging four-opera cycle The Ring of the Nibelung, Richard Wagner (1813-83) was a conductor, librettist, theater director, and essayist, in addition to being the composer of some of the most enduring operatic works in history, such as the Flying Dutchman. This book explores key ideas in Wagner's life and works.Trade Review"A fine biography.... This is the most balanced account of Schumann's life and work for more than a generation, one that makes us want to relisten to Schumann's music, knowing better the man behind it." -Wall Street Journal, on Robert Schumann"

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Book SynopsisWhen it was first published in 2017, Jesse Fink’s masterful biography of Bon Scott became an international sensation: it made the cover of Classic Rock magazine, threats were made against the author, and there was talk among some AC/DC fans of boycotts and book burnings. So why the uproar? The legend of the man known around the world as `Bon’ grows with each passing year. In death, AC/DC’s trailblazing frontman has become a rock icon. But so much of his story is myth. Bon: The Last Highway tells the unvarnished truth. The 1977–80 period forged the legend of AC/DC. There wasn’t a harder working band on the road in America. But, as Fink reveals in a journey that takes the reader from Austin to Miami to London, the relentless AC/DC machine was threatening to fall apart. With unprecedented access to Bon’s lovers, newly unearthed documents and a trove of never-before-seen photos, this updated edition contains a new introduction and more revelations about the singer’s death, which should dispel once and for all the idea that Scott succumbed to acute alcohol poisoning on 19 February 1980. Meticulously researched and packed with fresh information, Bon: The Last Highway is an affectionate, honest tribute to a titan of rock music.Trade Review'The most extensively researched book on AC/DC ever ... it's outstanding. This is as close as anyone is ever gonna get to the complete truth behind the legend, warts and all.' - B. J. LISKO, Canton Repository 'This one-man investigation, born of respect for the truth and for Bon Scott as a human being, blazes a new trail.' - JOE BONOMO, author of AC/DC's Highway To Hell (33 1/3 Series) 'Jesse Fink has done rock fans a great service. He dispels the many myths about how AC/DC's Bon Scott lived and died, and in doing so, brings to life one of the most influential, memorable and complex figures in rock history.' - GREG RENOFF, author of Van Halen Rising

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Book SynopsisTo absorb Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash is to be taken on a wild voyage with a cast of downtrodden revolutionaries. Despite this notion, the epic themes of the Pogues' second full length record have been overlooked by both critics and biographers. This book discusses the record's articulation of what it is to be magnificently downtrodden.Trade Review"It was only a matter of time before a clever publisher realized that there is an audience for whom Exile on Main Street or Electric Ladyland are as significant and worthy of study as The Catcher in the Rye or Middlemarch...The series, which now comprises 29 titles with more in the words, is freewheeling and eclectic, ranging from minute rock-geek analysis to idiosyncratic personal celebration--The New York Times Book Review Ideal for the rock geek who thinks liner notes just aren't enough - Rolling Stone One of the coolest publishing imprints on the planet--Bookslut A brilliant series...each one a word of real love - NME (UK) Religious tracts for the nock 'n' roll faithful - Uncut (UK)"

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Book SynopsisDescribed as 'the one authentic masterpiece of rock 'n' roll writing' by Peter Guralnick, this portrait of the 60s has cemented itself in the literary and musical canonTrade ReviewStanley Booth's book is the only one I can read and say, 'Yeah, that's how it was' -- KEITH RICHARDSIf you've never bought a book about rock and roll, no matter - this is the one you've been waiting for * * Playboy * *The most brutally compelling book about rock'n'roll and its casualties ever written * * Guardian * *An epic, behind-the-scenes record of life with the greatest rock band in the world, capturing both the carnivalesque excess and the mundane grind of the rock tour * * Observer * *Stanley Booth's affection for the band did not keep him from writing about the seamy underside of the Stones' world in the Sixties . . . It is the only book about the Stones that I would recommend both to the general reader and to the most devoted fan. Booth will find an epiphany on almost every page * * New York Times Book Review * *By far the best book on its subject (including Richards's own well received effort), Booth's book is also easily the most convincing account of life inside the monster created by the rock revolution of the 1960s * * Guardian * *Shattering . . . Booth has found his voice and momentum with a pitch and passion I've never seen equalled in pop journalism . . . His book outdistances anything the Stones have wrought since Let It Bleed * * Los Angeles Herald Examiner * *Remains one of the most gripping accounts ever written about the band . . . so awash with tumult and drama it at times has much in common with reportage from the front lines of the war in Vietnam, like Michael Herr's Dispatches * * Uncut * *Booth's strong, sound prose brings to life the out-of-control process through which an age intoxicated by its own passions found a hard-driving music to live hard by. In all the annals of the '60s, there is nothing on paper that so evokes those days and nights * * Salon * *Astonishing . . . part oral history and part midnight diary in a world where midnight goes on forever * * Los Angeles Reader * *One of the truly great rock books * * Hot Press * *A marvellous book, Booth is a fine writer, and has a strong style that perfectly complements his engaging subject. Canongate have also included an introduction from Greil Marcus, a fine writer in his own right, which just adds to the value of this fine book. Highly recommended to anyone who now only loves music, but an engaging story well told * * Destructive Music * *

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Book Synopsis"Songs in the Key of Life" is different from the four albums that preceded it; it's a maddeningly ambitious encapsulation of all the progress Stevie Wonder had made in that short space of time. This work covers Stevie Wonder's excessive work habits and recording methodology, his reliance on synthesizers, and other aspects.

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Book SynopsisFrom the War on Hippies to the Great Rock ''n'' Roll Swindle, the story of Modern Lovers is a high octane tale of Brutalist architecture, rock ''n'' roll ambition and the struggle for identity in a changing world. One of punk rock's foundational documents, the archetype for indie obsession and all but disowned by its author, The Modern Lovers was an album doomed by its own coolness from day one. Powered by the two-chord wonder Roadrunner and its proclamation that I'm in love with rock ''n'' roll,The Modern Lovers is the essential document of American alienation, an escape route from the cultural wasteland of postwar suburbia. The Modern Lovers is the bridge connecting the Velvet Underground and the Sex Pistols; they were peers of the New York Dolls and friends with Gram Parsons and they would splinter into Talking Heads, The Cars, and The Real Kids. But The Modern Lovers was never meant to be an album. A collection of demos, recorded in fits anTrade Review[Maloney] gives us concise, incredibly perceptive examinations of each song in turn that fans will devour ... A sensitive portrayal of knowing outsiderdom that steers clear of cliché and enriches the album in question. * Record Collector *[33 1/3] has been flying the flag for quality, book-length music criticism and commentary for some time now ... This book is certainly one of the most memorable and rewarding additions to the 33 1/3 canon; it takes a much loved album that for many is a solitary love affair, so intimate are its songs, and does not dispel its magic but offers the reader a greater appreciation of its merits. * We Are Cult *Table of ContentsIX. Acknowledgments X. Introduction 1. Roadrunner (Once) 2. Astral Plane 3. Old World 4. Pablo Picasso 5. I'm Straight 6. She Cracked 7. Hospital 8. Someone I Care About 9. Girlfriend 10. Modern World 11. Dignified and Old 12. Government Center 13. Roadrunner (Twice) Bibliography Discography Filmography

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Book Synopsis'Success is a state of mind... Success isn't about conquering something; it's being happy with who you are.' - Stylist Magazine, 2011.Multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning pop icon Britney Spears is one of the most successful and celebrated entertainers in pop history selling nearly 150 million records worldwide. Born in Mississippi and raised in Louisiana, Britney started out as a dancer and gymnast, before landing a role at twelve years old in 'The All New Mickey Mouse Club'. She became a household name as a teenager when she released her first single '...Baby One More Time'.This collection of Britney's relatable, inspiring and hugely optimistic quotes reveals a caring, generous personality who champions following your dreams. Despite a very public and at times troubling life, this is a book which sparkles with positivity and happiness; the 'Princess of Pop' offers you the best advice and lifts you up when you're down.Sample Quotes:'Performing is my therapy, to become different people onstage.' USA Today, 2013 'I have my relationship with God and myself, and that's what matters to me. I really don't care what most people think.' - V Magazine, 2016Table of ContentsEarly Years • Baby One More TIme • Princess of Pop • Femme Fatale • Circus • Glory.

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Book SynopsisI think the best way to start when somebody says something can t be done, just look at them and say: why not? Frank Zappa, Los Angeles, 1990. Co de Kloet and Frank Zappa were friends for many years, and during that time Co recorded nearly every conversation the two men had. They also corresponded frequently about life, music, politics, and much more besides and this book offers a unique chronicle of their friendship, from their first meeting in 1977 to Zappa s death in 1993. Co is renowned as an expert on Zappa s music, but this book is about far more than that, and is unlike any other collection of interviews. As his son Dweezil writes in his foreword, Frank was a reluctant and sometimes combative interviewee, yet his conversations with Co were open and wide-ranging. Through more than two decades of these discussions, Frank & Co reveals a thoughtful, sensitive, and expansive Zappa, offering readers new insights into the life and career of one of the great masters of twentieth-century American music. It also includes Co s favourite memories of Frank, as well as interviews Zappa alumni Flo & Eddie, Jimmy Carl Black, Pamela Zarubica, and Don van Vliet, aka Captain Beefheart.Trade ReviewWith this book, the Zappa fan will get a glimpse into Frank that I don t believe any other book written by him or about him expresses. And us Zappa fans love that. Thank you, Co. - Steve Vai

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Book SynopsisNow for the first time, Eric tells the story of his personal and professional journeys in this pungent, witty and painfully honest autobiography.These are the memoirs of a survivor, someone who has reached the pinnacle of success, who has had it all, but whose demons have never left him.Trade ReviewEric Clapton has produced a gem of a rock memoir, in which he lays bare the painful roots of his music. Clapton speaks honestly and touchingly not only about the external course of his life but of what music has meant to him. That makes it much the best of this season's rock memoirs. Clapton delivers himself profoundly. It's extremely moving. * Evening Standard *Clapton relates what happened with painful honesty. In other rock stars, such plump contentment might seem hypocritical, even vulgar. But with Eric Clapton, you feel that a little comfort is the least he deserves. * Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday (4 star review) *This is an essential read * Observer *It's a raw and remarkable piece of self-exposure * Daily Telegraph *It is a pity more autobiograophers don't have Clapton's grounding in the blues. * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisJ. Randy Taraborrelli is one of our most highly acclaimed biographers, and the author of thirteen books including the major bestsellers Madonna: An Intimate Biography, Michael Jackson: The Magic and the Madness, and Once Upon a Time: The Story of Princess Grace, Prince Rainier and their Family. His most recent biography is The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe.

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Book SynopsisJulian Cope's highly acclaimed autobiography and its long-awaited sequel in one extraordinary volume.Julian Cope shot to fame with eighties band Teardrop Explodes'' during the Punk era. Hailed as a visionary by those people who recognise his genius and a madman by those who find him perplexing, he has become a cult figure in the music world.Head-On/Repossessed is written in Cope's own inimitable style and follows his journey through a time of incredible change within the music industry.Head-on is the highly acclaimed autobiography that The Observer viewed as book of the year when it was first released. Repossesed picks up in 1983 where Head On ends and continues up until 1989.Trade Review'Hilarious, observant and deeply subversive.' I-D 'Considered and self-deprecating…Mighty.' TIME OUT 'Repossessed…is one of the best books about the 80s ever written and without doubt the best book about toy cars, hermiting, integrity and drug paranoia.' THE GUARDIAN 'Cope's passion and intelligence are well served by a vein of self-deprecating wit.' THE DAILY TELEGRAPH 'Wondrous memoirs of fleeting stardom and LSD-induced psychosis.' Q MAGAZINE [The 50 Best Music Books Ever, 2001] 'Cope's rocking writing at its most infectious, moving and hilarious.' NEW MUSICAL EXPRESS 'Compulsive reading…This man is truly a genius.' LOADED 'A wryly rendered masterpiece.' Q MAGAZINE

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Book SynopsisRick Bucklers autobiography is the first from a member of The Jam, who some considered were the ultimate Mod band. Rick tells The Jam story from growing up in Woking and meeting fellow members Paul Weller and Bruce Foxton at school, through their formation in 1972 and tells of the band's early years before signing to Polydor records. He provides a year by year account of The Jam's progress whilst describing what it was like being a part of the music industry during the 70's and 80's and some of the characters who he met along the way including the Ramones, John Enwistle, Sid Vicious, Blondie, Boy George and Paul McCartney. Rick shares his own experiences and thoughts about what it was like to be in one of the UK's most successful bands who spent a great deal of time recording, performing and touring. Following The Jam's split in 1982, Rick gives a candid account of how he coped and his subsequent relationship with Paul and Bruce. All three members of The Jam stayed within the music industry and Rick takes the reader through his years in Time UK and various other bands up until forming From the Jam. A must read for any Jam fan.

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Book SynopsisThe world’s leading reggae scholar spent forty years interviewing Bob Marley and his closest confidants. This is the definitive telling of Bob Marley’s life.Trade Review"If Bob Marley is Jesus in these times, Roger Steffens is Peter." -- Carlos Santana"... absorbing oral history... So Much Things to Say is a major work that helps us better understand Marley's tragic yet inspirational tale." -- Mojo"... absorbing "oral history"... So Much Things to Say is a fitting tribute to the tumultuous life and complex character of the country’s favourite son." -- The Observer"So Much Things to Say, an 'oral' account of Marley's life and times, amounts to an absorbing alternative biography." -- The Spectator"Steffens identifies many more pieces of the man than have ever before been put together in one book." -- The Guardian

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Book Synopsis**WINNER OF THE NME BEST BOOK AWARD**''This book is going to try and get as close as possible to the full story of what informed the noise of The Streets. Obviously that''s something I should be fairly well-qualified to know about, and I''m going to be as honest as the publisher''s lawyers will allow.''With the 2001 release of The Streets'' debut single ''Has It Come To This?'' the landscape of British popular music changed forever. No longer did homegrown rappers have to anxiously defer to transatlantic influences. Mike Skinner''s witty, self-deprecating sagas of late-night kebab shops and skunk-fuelled Playstation sessions showed how much you could achieve simply by speaking in your own voice.In this thoroughly modern memoir, the man the Guardian once dubbed ''half Dostoevsky . . . half Samuel Pepys'' tells a freewheeling, funny and fearlessly honest tale of Birmingham and London, ecstasy and epilepsy, Twitter-fear and Spectrum joysticks, Trade ReviewCleverer, funnier, more illuminating and beautifully written than anything I have read in the longest time -- Decca Aitkenhead * Guardian *Skinner is still only thirty-three and, with his talent and eclectic tastes, it is easy to imagine him becoming one of Britain's national music treasures * Times Literary Supplement *A playful description of what pop stardom allows you to get away with, it's a gem * Independent on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“[A] powerful and substantial memoir… The book is more than a chronological tale of a career; it’s a quest for meaning… The memoir captures a life of determination, positivity, and success tempered by depth and humility.” — Publishers Weekly “My Life with Earth, Wind & Fire is the candid and intimate odyssey of a man whose music and ideology continues to have an immeasurable influence on artists and audiences worldwide.” — Philadelphia Inquirer “[The] musical elements [of Earth, Wind & Fire] would not have existed without the singular drive of Maurice White. And his words here provide one magical, mystery tour.” — Houston Press “White’s book is practically a how-to manual for leading a band… Aspiring musicians could certainly learn a lesson or two.” — New York Times Book Review

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Book Synopsis''For those who like their rock biogs thick with tales of heroic over-indulgence, OPEN UP AND BLEED is hard to beat'' - Irish Evening Herald Iggy Pop''s life has been one of extraordinary highs and terrifying lows. Infamous for his wild ways, he is also a towering figure of the rock scene - hugely influential, charismatic and provocative. Every ''mad, bad, dangerous to know'' rock star owes a debt to him, and the stories of his shocking behaviour are legendary. But Iggy Pop is also, to a large extent, a construct, the alter ego of the quietly spoken and intriguing Jim Osterberg: the kid voted ''Most Likely to Succeed'' by his classmates. So what turned this charming, well-mannered, straight-A student into a poster child for rock ''n'' roll debauchery?Iggy Pop: Open up and Bleed reveals the truth behind the myths. Former MOJO editor Paul Trynka tracked down the star''s friends, family, lovers and fellow musicians, conducting over two hundred and Trade ReviewWith its recurring themes of drug addiction, public masochism and self-sabotage, Iggy's story effectively tells itself, but Trynka captures the essential duality of a man as well-versed in Greek art as he is in panhandling for heroin on Sunset Boulevard ... [an] entertaining and insightful study of one of rock's most enduringly remarkable characters Q IGGY POP has all the rock 'n roll bases covered: drugs, long hair, funny body, formerly straight-A student. Lie back and think of California' TATLER 'Former MOJO editor Paul Trynka has put in impeccable research to tell the story of how the shy, studious Jim Osterberg transformed into the force of nature that is Iggy Pop' IRISH EVENING HERALD 'For those who like their rock biogs thick with tales of heroic over-indulgence, OPEN UP AND BLEED is hard to beat '

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive and immersive survey of thirty-five Beethoven piano sonatas

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Book Synopsis'...probably the best book written about grunge' Paul Brannigan, Classic Rock 'Mudhoney are the jewel of Seattle.' Thurston Moore, Sonic Youth If rock fans associate Seattle primarily with Nirvana and Pearl Jam, time has shown that the city's most influential grunge band may well have been Mudhoney. They're still going strong and this is their story. Formed in early 1988 Mudhoney originally comprised Mark Arm, Matt Lukin, Dan Peters and Steve Turner and their debut single, 'Touch Me I'm Sick', was the catalytic force behind Nirvana and Pearl Jam who took grunge global. Mudhoney's would have been another story of half-forgotten pioneers paving the way for others who grabbed the prize... except they not only survived all the classic rock band excesses, but they also kept on producing great music. Bolstered by new member Guy Maddison, they celebrated their quarter-century with a superb 2013 album, Vanishing Point, and showed no signs of slowing down with the release of Digital Garbage in 2018 and Morning In America in 2019. Updated with a new chapter drawing on fresh interviews with the group, this book tells an unconventional tale of rock heroism about a band that missed out on superstardom but kept control of the music and triumphantly outlived their more famous disciples.Trade Review'A great book about a great, undervalued band. It's a romp. It's sad in places. It's quite brilliant. And as an encapsulation of Sub Pop, Seattle, grunge, euphoria, great music and devilish **** attitude that long ago defined Mudhoney as one of America's greatest rock bands, full stop, it's hard to beat' Everett True, Classic Rock 8/10 'An informative, detailed yet lively and easy to read book. Highly recommended.'HiFi World 'The definitive book on nineties Seattle music and scene pioneers Mudhoney. They lit the fuse that set off an explosion' Mark Lanegan

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