Musicians, singers, bands and groups Books

Book SynopsisA traveling salesman with little formal education, Max Hunter gravitated to song catching and ballad hunting while on business trips in the Ozarks. Hunter recorded nearly 1600 traditional songs by more than 200 singers from the mid-1950s through the mid-1970s, all the while focused on preserving the music in its unaltered form. Sarah Jane Nelson chronicles Hunter’s song collecting adventures alongside portraits of the singers and mentors he met along the way. The guitar-strumming Hunter picked up the recording habit to expand his repertoire but almost immediately embraced the role of song preservationist. Being a local allowed Hunter to merge his native Ozark earthiness with sharp observational skills to connect--often more than once--with his singers. Hunter’s own ability to be present added to that sense of connection. Despite his painstaking approach, ballad collecting was also a source of pleasure for Hunter. Ultimately, his dedication to capturing Ozarks song culturTrade Review"Hunter recorded nearly 1600 songs from more than 200 singers over a period of several decades. Because he was not directly connected to academia or to the publishing world, his work might not be as familiar as are the works of other Ozark folklorists, but we learn through the determined research of Sarah Jane Nelson that his life as a collector was rich with stories of fascinating musicians, folkloristic debates, shifting attitudes, and relationships with folklorists and folklore-related institutions throughout the country." --OzarksWatch"Vividly illuminates the efforts of a remarkable ballad-hunter, festival impresario, and personality, while offering attention to nationwide folksong currents intersecting with the Ozarks. There is an audience of scholars, folksong performers and enthusiasts, and Ozarks residents and aficionados awaiting this book."--James P. Leary, author of Folklores of Another America: Field Recordings from the Upper Midwest, 1937–1946"I appreciate that Ms. Nelson took the time and energy to write about Max Hunter's life, his quest for ballads, and the family and singers who helped him along the way. Her writing style is clean and unpretentious." --Missouri Historical ReviewTable of ContentsForeword: The Singer in Me Robert CochranPrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Max Hunter and the Ballad Field Singing on the Way to Church A Traveling Salesman in Eureka<> Rules of Collecting and How Hunter Got His Songs The Child Ballads and Other Bounty Singing Grandmas and the Musical Tribes of Stone County Circle of Friends The Importance of Columbia More Than a Hobby Max Hunter’s Map of the Ozarks Max Hunter and the Festival Circuit One Eye on the Past and One on the Future Notes Selected BibliographyIndex

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Book Synopsis**Winner of the American Book Award (2023)** ​**Longlisted for the PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award (2023)** The long-awaited first full biography of legendary jazz saxophonist and composer Sonny Rollins  Sonny Rollins has long been considered an enigma. Known as the “Saxophone Colossus,” he is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest jazz improvisers of all time, winning Grammys, the Austrian Cross of Honor, Sweden’s Polar Music Prize and a National Medal of Arts. A bridge from bebop to the avant-garde, he is a lasting link to the golden age of jazz, pictured in the iconic “Great Day in Harlem” portrait. His seven-decade career has been well documented, but the backstage life of the man once called “the only jazz recluse” has gone largely untold—until now.  Based on more than 200 interviews with Rollins himself, family members, friends, and coll

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Book SynopsisThis is a music autobiography to remember. This is the story of Martyn Ware. The Human League and Heaven 17 were among some of the most pioneering bands of the 1980s, with Ware having played an integral role in each of their numerous successes. A young lad from the heart of post-war Sheffield, Ware formed The Human League a few years out of school in his early twenties. Described by David Bowie as ''the future of music'', it wasn''t long before the band become known for their innovative and infectiously catchy singles such as ''Being Boiled'', touring with the likes of Siouxsie and the Banshees and Iggy Pop before Ware''s departure. Heaven 17 followed suit, with their soon-to-be classic albums, Penthouse & Pavement and The Luxury Gap, featuring several colossal hits. Ground-breaking icons in new wave and synth pop, both groups remain some of the biggest-selling bands across the UK and worldwide. In Electronically Yours, Martyn takes us through his incredible route to stardom; from his austere upbringing in various council houses and close teenage friendship with former-bandmate Phil Oakey, to the white-hot experimentation in the ''Synth Britannia'' era and his production career, which allowed him to work with some of the world''s greatest singers, including Tina Turner. But it''s not just his life inside the industry which is compelling; a proud socialist, Martyn writes poignantly about politics - how it can be a soulful, personal, moral duty - and its role in his music creation and Britain today. With charming meditations on culture, humour, travel and sport, Martyn also shares his love of 60s films, explains why Venice is the most beautiful city in the world, and reveals how Sheffield Wednesday has forever been his first and eternal passion. A huge page-turner and always warmly told, Electronically Yours sees Martyn talk candidly for the very first time about his extraordinary journey. Discover amusing anecdotes, raw confessions, and moving reflections of a life well and truly lived at the height of the music industry.Trade ReviewMartyn's memoir is at times hilarious, insightful, and bittersweet. He's a man who is owed much more credit for his contribution to the British electronic music legacy. -- Thomas DolbyWonderful, down to earth . . . a great story. From Heaven 17, to all of the miracles and magic that my life has seen. -- Sananda MaitreyaMartyn is trusty, encouraging, charming, helpful, musically skilled . . . [This is a] great book. -- Peter HookA man with a synthesizer trailblazing his way to some of the most innovative moments in music in a generation. -- Martin FryThis is a 100 per cent authentic Sheffield story. From the city's humble streets and football terraces to the very limit of the possibilities where the fearless creation of wonderful ground-breaking music can take you. F*ckin' brilliant story, brilliant book, brilliant Sheffield man! -- Richard HawleyEnthralling . . . An emotionally intelligent, honest book * Record Collector *

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Book SynopsisNow Michael, you''re the son of a naval officer, you must behave like a naval officer at all times...What Captain William Rutherford told his seven-year-old son Michael was to stay with him all his life. Born in 1950, Michael was truly his father''s son, even serving in the naval section of the student cadet corps at one of England''s top public schools, Charterhouse. Mike''s future lay in the civil service: it was a subject that he discussed with his father at Captain Crawford''s gentlemen''s club. But then something happened. Mike discovered rock music. As one of the founder members of Genesis, Mike was to tour the world and achieve international fame. From unpromising beginnings - demonised by his teachers as a fomenter of revolution, driving to gigs in a bread van - Mike would go on to crisscross the globe with bandmates Peter Gabriel and, later, Phil Collins, playing to packed-out stadiums and achieving record sales of over 150 million. Swapping

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Book SynopsisVoodoo, D''Angelo''s much-anticipated 2000 release, set the standard for the musical cycle ordained as neo-soul, a label the singer and songwriter would reject more than a decade later. The album is a product of heightened emotions and fused sensibilities; an amalgam of soul, rock, jazz, gospel, hip-hop, and Afrobeats. D''Angelo put to music his own pleasures and insecurities as a man-child in the promised land. It was both a tribute to his musical heroes: Prince, Sly Stone, Marvin Gaye, J Dilla...and a deconstruction of rhythm and blues itself. Despite nearly universal acclaim, the sonic expansiveness of Voodoo proved too nebulous for airplay on many radio stations, seeping outside the accepted lines of commercial R&B music. Voodoo was Black, it was definitely magic, and it was nearly overshadowed by a four-minute music video featuring D''Angelo''s sweat-glistened six-pack abs. The Video created an accentuated moment when the shaman lost control of the spell he Trade ReviewA part of the influential ‘33 1/3 Series’ ... Filmmaker and writer Faith Pennick’s new book is a pop culture passion project that digs deep into music, race, masculinity, and the enduring power of one particular music video. * LSA Magazine *Table of ContentsTrack Listing Acknowledgments Note on Text What Is Past Is Prologue 1. The Spell Is Cast 2. Home Cooking 3. Finding the Groove 4. The Means of Survival 5. The Feminine Mystique 6. Video (Almost) Killed the R&B Star 7. Radio Silence Epilogue Notes Bibliography

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Book SynopsisDwight E. Brooks deep dives into Earth, Wind & Fire''s That''s The Way of the World. Alongside interview material from members Phillip Bailey and Verdine White, he analyses how this album shattered musical barriers, transcended genres, and paid homage to African and American traditions.Understanding TTWOTW requires appreciating EWF founder Maurice White's multifaceted vision for his band. White created a band that performed various styles of music that sought to uplift humanity. His musicians personified a new form of Black masculinity rooted in dignity that embraced diverse spiritualities and healthy living. A complete understanding of TTWOTW also necessitates an awareness of American racial dynamics and changes in the popular music industry in the 1960s and ''70s.EWF's landmark album TTWOTW presented hopeful messages about the world that were sorely needed at the time. TTWOTW did not tell listeners exactly how to live, but instead how they caTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Foreword by Dr. William C. Banfield Prologue: That World Today 1. Yearnin’ 2. Learnin’ 3. Revolving Doors 4. Presenting… Earth, Wind, & Fire! 5. Break Throughs 6. Interludes 7. International Anthem Epilogue Endnotes

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Book SynopsisAn American drummer, a bass player from Newcastle and a guitarist a decade older than the other two, with little in common other than their musical brilliance and towering ambition, formed one of the most successful bands in history. Covering the years 1977-1986 and the brief reincarnation in 2007-2008, acclaimed biographers Caroline and David Stafford chronicle the rise and fall of the Police. Much like Reservoir Dogs but without the light relief, it's a tale of jealousy, anger and attrition both on the road and in the studio. And yet, despite - or perhaps because of - the battles, these three musicians, Sting, Andy and Stewart, each supremely talented in his own right, together achieved a symbiosis that produced music of soaring magnificence.Trade Review'Full of stories, full of events, full of being in a band like The Police. A cracking read.' HiFi World

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

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Book SynopsisThe hard-rocking British supergroup was fronted by Steve Marriott, possessor of what is generally regarded as one of the finest ever rock and blue-eyed soul voices. They achieved global success in the early 1970s and earned themselves a reputation as one of the best live bands of the era. As fate would have it, however, this enormous success was to be short-lived and the group initially disbanded in 1975. There were to be subsequent reformations and reunions, but the heady days of the early 1970s were not to be repeated. Ultimately, rock music history books have tended to somewhat overlook the band in favour of some of their contemporaries – the likes of Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Faces, Free and Bad Company – but Humble Pie’s influence on the rock and metal bands that followed in their wake cannot be denied. This book examines all of Humble Pie’s recorded output in detail – album by album, track by track – covering every chapter of the band’s musical story, from the early carefree and democratic days of genre experimentation through to their halcyon period of hard-rocking R&B. The various subsequent reformations and reunions are also covered in detail, bringing the band’s story bang up-to-date in the 21st century. Ultimately, this detailed guide offers fans, old and new alike, a fully comprehensive look at the band’s musical legacy.

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Book SynopsisA ROUGH TRADE BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022WITH A FOREWORD BY ROBERT SMITHThe definitive collection of renowned photographer Tom Sheehan's images of The Cure – with photographs seen here for the very first time.Spanning three decades, more than 20 sessions and hundreds of images, Tom Sheehan's photographs of The Cure are a breathtaking visual chronicle of the most important alternative rock band in the world.Encompassing early portraits, epic live shows, studio sessions and snatched moments on tour around the world, Sheehan's photographs capture the band's journey from cult heroes to global rock stars. Many of the images published in this brand new book have never been seen anywhere before now.Beautifully presented in a cloth-bound hardback and featuring a new, original four-part biography by acclaimed author Simon Goddard, this is the ultimate collection of Sheehan's work, indispensable to any fan of The Cure.

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Book SynopsisElvis passed away in 1977 but his spirit lives on. His records still sell, his movies are still hugely popular and his concerts are still discussed by new generations of fans. The Elvis Presley estate has tens of thousands of photographs and miles of video footage from all eras of Elvis' career and fans' hunger for new imagery and information on the King remains unsated. This publication is a beautiful, desirable package, ideal for any Elvis fan. This book tells the personal story of Elvis and his relationships with those near and dear to him and contains more than 150 colour and black and white photographs from the Graceland archives, accompanied by insightful text from an author with a proven Elvis track record.To take you closer than ever before to the King, 30 items of rare memorabilia are carefully reproduced on the page, including personal letters, receipts, telegrams, publicity material and other fascinating items which provide new insight into the life of a legend.There are photographs of Elvis himself, Elvis with friends and family, and all manner of personal artifacts, including guitars, jewelry, clothing, vehicles and more.

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Book SynopsisFrom school punk to modern day film producer, Richard Jobson has lived a full and colourful life. A harrowing incident as a child left him suffering with epilepsy but he was a mere fifteen-year-old when he launched the punk rock band The Skids in 1977 with his songwriting partner Stuart Adamson. With hit singles including the immortal 'Into The Valley', after four albums The Skids folded and Jobson formed The Armoury Show whilst Adamson had moved on to form the successful eighties band Big Country. In this cathartic story, Jobson talks candidly about the many trials and tribulations that have shaped his life. He talks openly of his breakdown during the making of The Skids' third album The Absolute Game, detailing the suicidal thoughts going through his mind at the time. More pertinent than he could have imagined given that writing partner Stuart Adamson was to take his own life two decades later. They had remained friends following The Skids break-up and their relationship is explored in detail throughout. In the 1980s Jobson became a familiar face on television as a presenter and film reviewer for Sky Television. In June 2013, he was awarded an honorary degree (Doctor of Arts) from Edinburgh Napier University. Today he is a successful filmmaker but his life has also gone full circle. In 2017 he reactivated The Skids. A successful UK tour prompted demand for more shows in 2018 as well as the band's first new album for over three decades, making this the perfect time to write his memoirs of his time in the band. Into The Valley is a riveting read and a perfect illustration of how one man overcame his disability to become successful in the world of music and film. A first hand account of the late 1970s and early 80s that will appeal not only to punk rock fans but to anyone identifying with Jobson's triumph over adversity.

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Book SynopsisWith an introduction by Richard Hawley. So It Started There chronicles the life and career of drummer Nick Banks, and how he came to be in one of the UK's most iconic and beloved bands: Pulp. Beginning with his childhood in Rotherham, Nick recounts his personal and musical journey through the genres, first as a punk, then as a goth; how it all started when he was first inspired to pick up the sticks by Sex Pistols drummer, Paul Cook. Flash forward to the eighties, Nick has been playing in a handful of Sheffield groups and spies an ad from his favourite band, Pulp, in a local club. He pays Jarvis and the gang a visit and the rest is history. From there, Nick describes his growth as a professional drummer and musician, the trials and tribulations of chasing success in the music industry, touring triumphs and horrors, the band's journey from relative obscurity to becoming a global sensation, and the process of writing and recording their most famous albums.Trade ReviewWarm and witty... There's tons of detail for fans to thrill over, some cracking anecdotes, woven together to give a reassuring sense of a man who took it all in his stride and loved almost every minute of it. Record Collector; Told in a wonderful, personably style exuding Northern charm and wide eyed wonder... an entertaining insight into a truly unique band. 4**** Classic Pop; Until Cocker writes his own Pulp history, this is the definitive version. MOJO; Nick Banks is the time-keeper of Pulp, and within these covers are the early times, the good times, the not-so-good times and the WTF times. Do You Remember the First Time? Nick does. Great stuff. Jarvis Cocker;

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Book SynopsisThe second volume of the extraordinary life of the great music and literary icon Leonard Cohen, in the words of those who knew him best.Poet, novelist, singer-songwriter, artist, prophet, icon—there has never been a figure like Leonard Cohen. He was a true giant in contemporary western culture, entertaining and inspiring the world with his work. From his groundbreaking and bestselling novels, The Favourite Game and Beautiful Losers, to timeless songs such as “Suzanne,” “Dance Me to the End of Love,” and “Hallelujah,” Cohen is one of the world’s most cherished artists. His death in 2016 was felt around the world by the many fans and followers who would miss his warmth, humour, intellect, and piercing insights. Leonard Cohen, Untold Stories chronicles the full breadth of his extraordinary life. This second of three volumes—From This Broken Hill—follows him from the conclusion of his first international music tour in 1971 as he continued to compose poetry, record music, and search for meaning into the late 1980s. The book explores his decade-long relationships with Suzanne Elrod, with whom he had two children, and various other numerous romantic partners, including the beginning of his long relationship with French photographer Dominique Issermann and, simultaneously, a five-year relationship with a woman never previously identified. It is a challenging time for Cohen. His personal life is in chaos and his career stumbles, so much so that his 1984 album, Various Positions, is rejected by Columbia Records, while other artistic endeavours fail to find an audience. However, this period also marks the start of his forty-year immersion in Zen Buddhism, which would connect him to the legendary Zen master Joshu Sasaki Roshi and inspire some of his most profound and enduring art. In From This Broken Hill, bestselling author and biographer Michael Posner draws on hundreds of interviews to reach beyond the Cohen of myth and reveal the unique, complex, and compelling figure of the real man. Honest and entertaining, this is a must-have book for any Cohen fan.Trade ReviewPraise for Leonard Cohen, Untold Stories: From This Broken Hill, Vol. 2“In the words of some of the people who knew Leonard Cohen best—and with important testimonies never heard before—Posner allows us a fascinating plunge into the tumult and passion of Leonard Cohen’s 1970s and 1980s. We see his life and endless quest for love unfold at fast pace and get an incredible glimpse into the furnace of the two decades that gave Cohen some of his best songs. This is essential reading for anyone with an interest in Cohen the artist, the seeker, and the man.” — CHRISTOPHE LEBOLD, author of Leonard Cohen: L'homme qui voyait tomber les anges“A multi-layered, mosaic portrait of one of the most legendary—and most complex—writers and musicians that Canada has ever produced. . . . Thanks to Michael Posner and the more than 550 people he interviewed for this project, we get a much better, humanistic understanding at what drove the talented enigma that was Leonard Cohen.” — The Montreal Times“The chorus speaks but not in unison, and yet their many voices do work to conjure a thing almost magical: the feeling that you have all but met Leonard Cohen and know what he’s like. . . . The great pleasure of Posner’s volumes is they make room for all of these notions and set them in opposition." — The Washington Free Beacon“This is a great read of unparalleled intimacy as Cohen’s fellow travelers recall encounters, conversations, projects, concerts, trips, and affairs—the quotes interspersed with Posner’s contextual bridges, which strengthen the book’s narrative. . . . The second volume has an even more intimate feel with its rich detail.” — The Senior TimesPraise for Leonard Cohen, Untold Stories: The Early Years, Vol. 1 A Globe and Mail Top 100 Book of 2020“Posner undertook dozens and dozens of interviews . . . creating a unique oral history, as if they’re in a room together, sharing memories and stories. . . . They’re linked together with a light narrative voice that gives this biography a very intimate and personal feel.” — Toronto Star“The life of Leonard Cohen—poet, novelist, artist, Zen monk, and oh, yes, singer-songwriter—is too vast to be contained within one book. Thankfully, Posner is giving us three. . . . Posner draws on hundreds of interviews to explore Cohen’s private and public lives, his complexities and contradictions, and, of course, his inarguable charisma. Serve yourself some tea and oranges and settle in.” — Zoomer“Posner masterfully weaves an abundance of interviews with Cohen’s family, friends, and myriad lovers to create an intricate tapestry and, ultimately, produces the most revealing portrait of the legendary songwriter and wordsmith to date.” — NICHOLAS JENNINGS, journalist and bestselling author of Lightfoot“Sex, drugs, and poetry permeate this oral history of Leonard Cohen. . . . This book offers a seductive blend of sometimes contradictory insights.” — Library Journal

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Book SynopsisTrip-hop described some of the 1990s' best music, and it was one of the decade's most revealing bad ideas. This book chronicles the music and its leading artists, packed with recommended listening, essential tracks, great remixes, and under-recognized albums. Your playlists will soon be overflowing. - Spectrum CultureThe music itself was an intoxication of beats, bass, and voice. It emerged amid the social tensions of the late 1980s, and as part of hip-hop's rise to global dominance. It carried the innovations of Jamaican soundsystem culture, the sweet refuge of Lovers Rock, the bliss of club jazz dancefloors and post-rave chill-out rooms. It went mainstream with Massive Attack, Portishead, Tricky, DJ Shadow, Kruder & Dorfmeister, and Björk; and with record labels like Ninja Tune and Mo' Wax. To the artists' despair, the music was tagged with a silly label and packaged as music for the boutique and the lounge; made respectable with awards and acclaim. But the music at its best stilTrade ReviewA detailed, authoritative, knowledgeable unpacking of a notoriously conflicting genre written by a diamond-keen cultural critic who's not afraid to tackle nuanced, difficult topics while still singing the praises of music he loves to the high heavens. . . . Your playlists will soon be overflowing. * Spectrum Culture *Table of ContentsPrologue: Beat Bop 1. Trip-Hop 2. Dub-Hop 3. Lovers Hip-Hop 4. Chill Out 5. Cut-Up 6. Contemplating Jazz 7. Abstract Hip-Hop 8. Lo-Fi 9. Blunted Beats 10. Subterranean Abstract Blues 11. Black-Hearted Soul 12. Exotica 13. Hip-Hop Blues 14. Canceled Futures 10 Essential Tracks Acknowledgments Notes

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Book SynopsisMusician, nightlife impresario, record label executive, photographer, and author, Michael Alago takes readers through this amazing journey that is his life. Alago grew up in Brooklyn, New York, in a large, spirited, and devoted Puerto Rican family. Through his early passion for music, art, theater, and photography, he soon found himself rubbing elbows with many downtown NYC scene makers, from Stiv Bators to Jean Michel Basquiat, Cherry Vanilla and Wayne County to Deborah Harry and Robert Mapplethorpe. As an underage teenager going to Max's Kansas City, CBGB, and various art galleries, Alago also began running The Dead Boys fan club. A few years later, he became the assistant music director for legendary nightclubs the Ritz and the Red Parrot. At age twenty-four, he began a storied career as an A&R executive at Elektra Records that started with signing Metallica in the summer of 1984, changing the entire landscape of rock 'n' roll and heavy metal. Alago continued to work in A&R for both Palm Pictures and Geffen Records. He was thrilled to executive-produce albums by Cyndi Lauper, Public Image Ltd, White Zombie, and Nina Simone. In the late 1980s, he was diagnosed with HIV, which manifested into full-blown AIDS ten years later. He survived to continue his music career, but in 2005, he left music to pursue his other love: photography. Alago went on to publish three bestselling books: Rough Gods, Brutal Truth, and Beautiful Imperfections with German-based publisher Bruno Gmünder. He has since overcome his longtime addiction to drugs and alcohol. In his clean and sober life, he has reconnected with his family, continues to be a working photographer as well as record producer, and only through the grace of his 12-Step program is he able to live this big, beautiful life. In 2017, a documentary directed by Drew Stone and produced by Michael Alex on Alago's wildly successful career in music was released in theaters and on Netflix, entitled Who the Fuck Is That Guy? The Fabulous Journey of Michael Alago.

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Book SynopsisBreaking the global record for streams in a single day, nearly 10 million people around the world tuned in to hear Kendrick Lamar's sophomore album in the hours after its release. To Pimp a Butterfly was widely hailed as an instant classic, garnering laudatory album reviews, many awards, and even a canonized place in Harvard's W. E. B. Du Bois archive. Why did this strangely compelling record stimulate the emotions and imaginations of listeners?This book takes a deep dive into the sounds, images, and lyrics of To Pimp a Butterfly to suggest that Kendrick appeals to the psyche of a nation in crisis and embraces the development of a radical political conscience. Kendrick breathes fresh life into the Black musical protest tradition and cultivates a platform for loving resistance. Combining funk, jazz, and spoken word, To Pimp a Butterfly's expansive sonic and lyrical geography brings a high level of innovation to rap music. More importantly, Kendrick's introspective and philosophical songs compel us to believe in a future where, perhaps, we gon' be alright.Table of ContentsPreface I. RAGE II. SPIRIT III. LOVE Afterword Special Thanks Notes

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Book SynopsisIn his graphic biography Nick Cave: Mercy on Me, Reinhard Kleist paints an expressive and enthralling portrait of the musician, novelist, poet, and actor. It is, according to Nick Cave himself, “a complex, chilling and completely bizarre journey into Cave World.” Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: An Art Book collects Kleist’s moody and expressive portraits of the musician and his band, spanning 30 years of writing, recording, and live performance. Kleist also returns readers to Cave’s imaginative world with comic book reimaginings of “Deanna,” “The Good Son,” and “Stagger Lee.” Filled with visual delights, this record-size art book is a kaleidoscopic portrait of Nick Cave’s wide-ranging career as a storyteller, musician, and cultural icon.

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Book SynopsisPink Floyd are one of the most innovative and enduringly successful bands in history. 1973's Dark Side of the Moon, though far from the first concept album, established a new model for quasi-symphonic, long-form investigations into the human condition. It is a record of thoughtfully poignant lyrics and some of the most powerful, genre-defining rock music ever made. Roger Waters, Rick Wright, Nick Mason and the tragically brilliant Syd Barrett fused English whimsy with electrifying voyages through inner and outer space. Their underground gigs are the stuff of psychedelic legend, but between 1968 and 1971, with Barrett replaced by David Gilmour, their sonic inquiries were never braver. Some were delivered instantly while others were revealed slowly, but all played crucial parts in rock's development. During the 1970s, the music matured as the messages darkened. While Floyd continued to prove that emotional weight can be forged from deceptively modest arrangements, the band's live spectaculars reached a pitch of technical complexity and extravagance none has matched. With insightful analysis and witty objectivity, Richard Butterworth appraises afresh Pink Floyd's official recorded canon, from 'Arnold Layne' to The Endless River and beyond to 2022 and the first all-new Floyd music for 28 years.

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Book SynopsisIt contains love songs, work songs, songs about the pains and anxieties of existence, songs of consolation, songs about various kinds of spiritual quest and the realms of the mystical, and songs which deal with healing and reconciliation, both with the self and with others.

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Book SynopsisA SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERStranger Than Kindness is a journey in images and words into the creative world of musician, storyteller and cultural icon Nick Cave.This highly collectable book invites the reader into the innermost core of the creative process and paves the way for an entirely new and intimate meeting with the artist, presenting Cave's life, work and inspiration and exploring his many real and imagined universes. It features full colour reproductions of original artwork, handwritten lyrics, photographs and collected personal artefacts along with commentary and meditations from Nick Cave, Janine Barrand and Darcey Steinke.Stranger Than Kindness asks what shapes our lives and makes us who we are, and celebrates the curiosity and power of the creative spirit.The book has been developed and curated by Nick Cave in collaboration with Christina Back. The images were selected from 'Stranger Than Kindness: The Nick Cave Exhibition', opening at the Royal Danish Library in Copenhagen in June 2020.Trade ReviewA scrapbook of rarely seen photos and sketches traces Nick Cave's transformation from Aussie teenager into an international artist . . . It takes on a life of its own, revealing his often compulsive way of working, as well as his abiding interests and obsessions: desire, faith, sin, despair, redemption, grief, love, and the transformative thrust of language itself * * Observer * *Goes deep into Cave's creative process, via his artwork, lyrics and photographs, and his ever-succinct commentary * * Guardian, 5 of the best * *A carefully curated collection of artwork, handwritten lyrics, photographs, personal possessions and essays, Stranger Than Kindness is a proper deep-dive into the story and creative processes of Nick Cave * * NME, Best Music Books of the Year * *[Takes] us on a detailed journey into his creative psyche. It features everything from school reports and scribbled shopping lists to lyric sheets and handwritten dictionaries - "the secret and unformed property of the artist," as Cave puts it * * Evening Standard, Best Music Books of the Year * *The material evidence of Cave's creative life. [There is] an excellent introduction from Darcey Steinke . . . a book of beauty and understated style . . . The book serves best as an invitation to explore Cave's work further, whether one is a novice or a committed celebrant. It is worth the effort * * Herald * *Features [Cave's] lurid, bizarre, beautiful, touching artwork and handmade books [and] an exquisite, winding essay by the American novelist Darcey Steinke. The essay is, simply put, extraordinary . . . Steinke has otherworldly gifts . . . I bought an expensive art book from a musician I like; what I got was a kind of compass leading me through a weird and often bleak time * * VICE * *A fascinating read, doubly so when listening to Cave perform the songs his obsessive evidence-gathering informs * * The Times * *Magnificent . . . A visual history of Cave's life, it's annotated by him with the same warmth and wit that have made his Red Hand Files series of letters to his fans so special. As for the images, they give more insight into the workings of his mind than any interview could . . . Darcey Steinke [has] written a fascinating and scholarly essay on Cave's work that sets him alongside some of literature's greatest figures . . . Exhaustive, gorgeous and thoughtful, this book of treasures will delight and inspire any admirer of Cave's work * * Classic Rock * *Offer[s] an access-all-areas peek into his life's work, featuring lyrics, essays, set designs, artwork, personal notes, previously-unseen photos and more * * Q Magazine * *Nick Cave's fans have long deserved a book that offers a long-view perspective on him and his work, and Stranger Than Kindness more than fulfils on its promise. The book collates a - carefully considered and curated - scattershot of artistic imagery, original lyric drafts, scrapbooks, and a few literary influences . . . [There is an] insightful and searching essay from Darcey Steinke . . . Stranger Than Kindness both embodies and enriches our understanding of how Nick Cave the artist came to be, and illuminates why his music continues to matter to so many * * HeadStuff * *

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Book SynopsisIn Eminent Hipsters, musician and songwriter Donald Fagen, best known as the co-founder of the rock band Steely Dan, presents an autobiographical portrait that touches on everything from the cultural figures that mattered the most to him as a teenager, to his years in the late 1960s at Bard College, to a hilarious account of a recent tour he made with Boz Scaggs and Michael McDonald.Fagen begins by introducing the ''eminent hipsters'' that spoke to him as he was growing up (and desperately yearning to be hip) in suburban New Jersey in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The figures who influenced him most were not the typical ones Miles Davis, say, or Jack Kerouac but rather people like Jean Shepherd, whose manic, acidic nightly radio broadcasts out of WOR-Radio had a tough realism about life and enthralled a generation of alienated young people'; Henry Mancini, whose chilled-out, nourish soundtracks, especially to films by Blake Edwards utilised the unconventional, spaTrade ReviewNerdishly clever, entertainingly original and even a moving reconfiguration of the memoir format. -- Bernadette McNulty * Sunday Telegraph *Fagen, as you might expect, is an elegant and erudite writer. -- John Mulvey * Uncut *If you're a Dan fan you should read this book. If you're not a Dan fan you should read it anyway. * The Afterword *Part memoir, part personal dissertation, and it makes for an enjoyable, if brief, read. -- Dylan Jones * GQ *A curious little autobiographical volume by another hero of long ago, Donald Fagen, once and again of Steely Dan. * Spectator *Eminent Hipsters is regularly funny and insightful. * Sunderland Echo / Dorset Echo *I would like to be given Eminent Hipsters. -- Sebastian Faulks * Observer *An excellent, albeit slim, collection of essays about the Steely Dan singer’s formative teenage influences as "a subterranean in gestation with a real nasty cast of otherness". -- Andy Gill * Independent *A memoir of inspired essayism and darkly comic recollection which barely touches on Steely Dan yet utterly satisfies. -- Mat Snow * Mojo *This is moaning of the highest order — jazz moaning, you might call it — and Fagen keeps it up for 70 brilliant, hilarious pages. For the intelligent, grumpy old music fan, only one of these books needs to be bought as a present this Christmas, and it’s not Morrissey’s. -- Markus Berkmann * Spectator *Eminent Hipsters is regularly funny and insightful…whether you know who Fagen is or not, it’s still worth anyone’s time. * Yorkshire Evening Post *The writing is sharp, wry and elegant, without a single wasted word. -- Aidan Smith * Scotland on Sunday *This book is a piece of pure bliss. -- Anthony Quinn * Guardian *An unalloyed joy. -- Les Gofton * Times Higher Education *Constantly surprising, and recalled with great elegance. * Financial Times *A terrific and easy read. -- Jonathan O'Brien * Sunday Business Post *Wry, funny and forensically observant. * Saga *A terrific music memoir. -- Tony Clayton-Lea * Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“More than an insider’s story about VH; Monk also shares fascinating firsthand information about how the music industry operated at that time…An absolute must-read for VH fans and fans of rock music memoirs.” — Library Journal “Too bad the title The Dirt was already taken. Noel Monk – who went from being Van Halen’s road manager to their business manager during their Diamond Dave prime – holds nothing back…Monk paints a convincing picture of a brilliant, substance-addled young band that wasn’t built to last.” — Rolling Stone “The Van Halen book you’ve been waiting for…brutally honest and at times shocking…Van Halen fans will be discussing and debating it with the same attention to detail as Eddie’s finger-tapping work on ‘Eruption.’” — Houston Press “There’s plenty of sex and drugs here, along with the absurdities of the hard-rock life.” — New York Times Book Review

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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 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 SynopsisTerri Thal was very much a part of the folk music world in 1960s Greenwich Village, New York. As well as being 21-year-old Bob Dylan's first manager prior to his contract with Albert Grossman and Columbia Records, she also managed musician Dave Van Ronk (who later became her husband), and others to include Paul Geremia and The Holy Modal Rounders.

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Book SynopsisEverything you want to know about the fabulousness that is Eurovision! The Eurovision Song Contest is one of the world's longest running TV programmes, and has become a much loved tradition across Europe and now Australia. From the spandex to the glitter, ABBA to Lordi, and the unexpected winners to the "nil points" losers, The Little Book of Eurovision will take you through the best and the "Wurst" moments of the last 65 years. Eurovision has come a long way from its very first competition in 1956, with just seven entrants and a studio audience of 200 people. Now people gather for Eurovision parties, complete with food and drink from the competing countries, and even dress up in finery to match the feathers, sequins, and leather on stage. Whether you are a cynic, a true believer or just a disappointed Brit (again), you'll love reliving the highs and lows of Eurovision through these pages.

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Book SynopsisWaging Heavy Peace is the remarkable memoir of rock icon Neil YoungNeil Young is a singular figure in the history of rock and pop culture in the last four decades, inducted not once but twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.Reflective, insightful and disarmingly honest, Waging Heavy Peace is his long-awaited memoir. From his youth in Canada to his crazy journey out to California, through Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash, to his massively successful solo career and his re-emergence as the patron saint of grunge on to his role today as one of the last uncompromised and uncompromising survivors of rock ''n'' roll - this is Neil''s story told in his own words.Young presents a kaleidoscopic view of personal life and musical creativity; it''s a journey that spans the snows of Ontario to the LSD-laden boulevards of 1966 Los Angeles to the contemplative paradise of Hawaii today. Along the way he writes about the music, the victim

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Book SynopsisThe Jam - Paul Weller, Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler - were the ultimate 'angry young men' of pop. Leading the Mod Revival of the 1970s in thrilling new directions, their tight live shows, razor-sharp style and perfectly crafted songs earned them a devoted following and a string of number one hits. By 1982 The Jam were bigger than ever, but the pressure of success was taking its toll. At the peak of their powers, Paul Weller made the shock decision that was far from welcomed by the rest of the group, let alone the fans: The Jam were to split up and go their separate ways. This richly illustrated and revealing oral history of their final year, led principally by the voice of drummer Rick Buckler, contains a number of previously unseen images and untold stories, taking us from the recording and release of their final studio album, The Gift, to The Jam's last appearances together. In addition to Buckler's memories of the time, The Jam 1982 also brings together testimonies from Gary Crowley, producer Peter Wilson, A&R manager Dennis Munday, photographer Neil ‘Twink’ Tinning, Eddie Piller, Paolo Hewitt, Mat Osman, Belle Stars singer Jennie Matthias (‘The Bitterest Pill’), touring musicians Jamie Telford and Steve Nichol and others, to tell the tale of a single, fateful year: the year The Jam, for better or worse, went out at the very top of their game.

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Book Synopsis''Beautifully judged account of the Manchester scene . . . There is something of the fairy tale about Dave Haslam''s sage joyful testament to the kind of life that nobody could ever plan, a happy aligning of a cultural moment and a young man who instinctively knew that it was his once upon a time'' Victoria Segal, Sunday Times''Witty, sometimes dark, revealing, insightful, everything one could hope for from one of those folk without whom independent music simply wouldn''t exist'' Classic RockSonic Youth Slept on My Floor is writer and DJ Dave Haslam''s wonderfully evocative memoir. It is a masterful insider account of the Hacienda, the rise of Madchester and birth of the rave era, and how music has sound-tracked a life and a generation.In the late 1970s Dave Haslam was a teenage John Peel listener and Joy Division fan, his face pressed against a ''window'', looking in at a world of music, books and ideas. Four decades later,Trade ReviewThe Hacienda DJ's beautifully judged account of the Manchester scene . . . There is something of the fairy tale about Dave Haslam's sage memoir of Manchester's cultural life during the 1980s and 1990s . . . Sonic Youth Slept on My Floor . . . is a joyful testament to the kind of life that nobody could ever plan, a happy aligning of a cultural moment and a young man who instinctively knew that it was his once upon a time -- Victoria Segal * Sunday Times *A natural storyteller . . . insightful and gripping . . . a full and warm-hearted memoir * The Skinny *Exhilarating . . . For fans of club culture, pop music, youthful exuberance and grown-up wisdom * Q magazine *Resonant and thoughtful . . . Manchester - and British nightlife in general - is lucky to have Haslam as its archivist * The Quietus *Vibrant * Irish Independent *The easy-read essential of the summer * DJ magazine *Wonderful -- Maria Balshaw * Observer *Book of the year * Gilles Peterson *So good . . . an incredible work * Black Madonna *Terrific stuff . . . looking back, looking forward and looking at the here and now * Ian Rankin *

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Book SynopsisLondon teemed with top-rated singers and musicians during the '60s and '70s, whether they were squatting, playing gigs or investing in multi-million pound mansions. Follow McCartney and co. to the quiet flat on Green Street that was their refuge before the Beatlemaniacs sought them out. Wind back time to when Loog Oldham locked Mick and Keith in their flat and demanded they compose a song. From the zany to the tragic - it was in St Mary Abbot's Hospital, Kensington where Jimi Hendrix was pronounced dead - this is a guidebook like no other, a pilgrimage dedicated to the rock 'n' roll greats. Also in the series: Vinyl London ISBN 9781788840156, London Peculiars ISBN 9781851499182, and Art London ISBN 9781788840385.Trade Review"It is all about those important addresses, the ones where rock stars lived and died, where iconic groups were formed, videos were filmed, gigs were played, arguments took place. It is about the place where jobbing musicians become legends, where those truly iconic albums were recorded." - fashionmommy's Blog

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Book SynopsisIn his first and only official autobiography, music icon Elton John reveals the truth about his extraordinary life. Me is the joyously funny, honest and moving story of the most enduringly successful singer/songwriter of all time.'The rock memoir of the decade' – Daily Mail'The rock star's gloriously entertaining and candid memoir is a gift to the reader' – Sunday Times______________Christened Reginald Dwight, he was a shy boy with Buddy Holly glasses who grew up in the London suburb of Pinner and dreamed of becoming a pop star. By the age of twenty-three, he was performing his first gig in America, facing an astonished audience in his bright yellow dungarees, a star-spangled T-shirt and boots with wings. Elton John had arrived and the music world would never be the same again.His life has been full of drama, from the early rejection of his work with songwriting partner Bernie Taupin to spinning out of control as a chart-topping superstar; from half-heartedly trying to drown himself in his LA swimming pool to disco-dancing with the Queen; from friendships with John Lennon, Freddie Mercury and George Michael to setting up his AIDS Foundation. All the while, Elton was hiding a drug addiction that would grip him for over a decade.In Me Elton also writes powerfully about getting clean and changing his life, about finding love with David Furnish and becoming a father. In a voice that is warm, humble and open, this is Elton on his music and his relationships, his passions and his mistakes. This is a story that will stay with you, by a living legend.______________'Self-deprecating, funny . . . You cannot help but enjoy his company throughout, temper tantrums and all' – The Times'Racy, pacy and crammed with scurrilous anecdotes - what more could you ask from the rocket man' – Guardian (Book of the Week)'Chatty, gossipy, amusing and at times brutally candid' – TelegraphTrade ReviewBlazingly honest . . . From sex and drugs and dancing with the Queen to sobriety and finally fatherhood, the rock star's gloriously entertaining and candid memoir is a gift to the reader * Sunday Times *The rock memoir of the decade * Daily Mail *Self-deprecating, funny . . . You cannot help but enjoy his company throughout, temper tantrums and all * The Times *All the sex, drugs and showbiz gossip you could want . . . A chatty, gossipy, amusing and at times brutally candid account * Telegraph *Outrageously enjoyable . . . racy, pacy and crammed with scurrilous anecdotes – what more could you ask from the rocket man? * Guardian *Bracingly open and spectacularly funny . . . practically everyone who is anyone in rock jumps briefly but revealingly into view * New Statesman *Full of warmth and candour . . . John's enthusiasm for music continues to shine through, as does the rebellious streak that made him the groundbreaking artist he continues to be today * Independent *A fitting testament to Elton’s life . . . unrelentingly enjoyable * GQ *Me is a riveting, laugh-til-you-cry, heartfelt page-turner . . . it is the earnest, sweet, damaged “music mad” kid at the heart of Me that will stick with you. * EW *The perfect pop memoir . . . the world's most successful singer-songwriter is thin-skinned, opinionated, mischievous a, prone to excess - and funny * The I *

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEARWinner of Non-Fiction Book of the Year, British Book Awards (Nibbies), 2022A self-portrait in 154 songs, by our greatest living songwriter''More often than I can count, I''ve been asked if I would write an autobiography, but the time has never been right. The one thing I''ve always managed to do, whether at home or on the road, is to write new songs. I know that some people, when they get to a certain age, like to go to a diary to recall day-to-day events from the past, but I have no such notebooks. What I do have are my songs, hundreds of them, which I''ve learned serve much the same purpose. And these songs span my entire life.''In this extraordinary book, with unparalleled candour, Paul McCartney recounts his life and art through the prism of 154 songs from all stages of his career - from his earliest boyhood compositions through the legendary decade of The Beatles, to Wings and his solo albums to the present. Arranged alphabetically to provide a kaleidoscopic rather than chronological account, it establishes definitive texts of the songs'' lyrics for the first time and describes the circumstances in which they were written, the people and places that inspired them, and what he thinks of them now. Presented with this is a treasure trove of material from McCartney''s personal archive - drafts, letters, photographs - never seen before, which make this also a unique visual record of one of the greatest songwriters of all time.We learn intimately about the man, the creative process, the working out of melodies, the moments of inspiration. The voice and personality of Paul McCartney sings off every page. There has never been a book about a great musician like it.Each volume is 480 pp, not available separatelyTrade ReviewThe Lyrics is a triumph. It is hugely readable, devoid of rock cliché, and full of fresh stories and opinions that even devoted fans won't have encountered before. The pictures of McCartney and of handwritten lyrics, many of them never previously published, are worth the entry ticket on their own and the quality of the boxed product makes it a tactile pleasure and fun to possess. All that, and its highly original organisation, means you never get bogged down in a period of his life you don't find interesting ... The Lyrics is McCartney at his best. -- Daniel Finkelstein * The Times *I know it all... or so I thought until I read Paul McCartney's magical treasure trove of a book ... Touching... bountiful -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *His composing methodology is revealed as a kind of innocent and endless curiosity ... this mighty tome is billed as the closest thing to an autobiography McCartney will ever write. It comprises 154 songs, with hundreds of fascinating photos and handwritten lyrics from McCartney's collection, and an informal, thoughtful text assembled from conversations conducted with acclaimed Irish poet Paul Muldoon ... McCartney is a playful and brilliant wordsmith ... His book of lyrics is charming -- Neil McCormick * Daily Telegraph *Reading "The Lyrics" is like standing in a master chef's kitchen as he prepares a dish, adding a dash of this and a spoonful of that and talking to us so winningly ... there's nothing like listening to Macca (as McCartney was known in his Liverpool days) talk about the rise of a band composed largely of working-class teens who changed the world forever ... charming -- David Kirby * Washington Post *With a gravity, reverence and sense of occasion that hasn't been seen since the Levites rolled out the Ark of the Covenant, the complete lyrics of Paul McCartney are published at last ... This vast, absorbing book is studded with McCartneyisms that make you rub your eyes -- John Walsh * Sunday Times *Describing it as a book doesn't quite capture the object. It is two books, two separate volumes, in a gorgeous box. It weighs 8kg on my bathroom scales. It's a big thing of great beauty, and going back and forth through it is a hugely satisfying experience ... no matter where you start, or continue, McCartney seems to be waiting, ready to continue his warm, vivid, erudite stroll through his life and lyrics ... the life - McCartney's - seems more believable when examined in these glimpses. There is a modesty hiding in the book's bulk, and raw, gentle honesty ... There are 154 sets of lyrics in this book, and it's almost impossible to read most of them without hearing the melodies and trumpet bits. But it is well worth trying. Read, not heard, Lady Madonna is a different experience. I read it and thought of Zola's best novels. -- Roddy Doyle * Irish Times *he provides a fascinating new insight into his life at the time they were written, and the lives of his fellow Beatles ... This, then, is a book for dipping into and sampling at leisure. It allows us to see some of the most familiar songs ever written in new and surprising ways ... [it] will not only thrill Beatles obsessives but fascinate anyone who has ever sung along to a Lennon and McCartney tune. Which must, surely, include half the world or more. -- Christopher Stevens * Daily Mail *a feast for the eyes. Dyed-in-the-wool Beatles fans will be bowled over by the sheer profundity of unpublished photographs, previously unseen lyrics sheets, journal entries, paintings, and the like. Indeed, The Lyrics easily represents the finest collection of illustrations associated with McCartney's life and work. And it's beautifully rendered, to boot. Drop-dead gorgeous as books go -- Kenneth Womack * Salon *the two things it reveals - an unrelenting work ethic and the picture-painting imperative of the storyteller - are the twin pillars of his life's work, as revealed here in random reflections on 154 selected songs spanning 64 years ... it's this up-front abdication of control, of responsibility and ultimately of authorial meaning that makes McCartney's story, and his open-handed attitude to a monumental body of work, so engaging. -- Michael Dwyer * Sydney Morning Herald *Nothing comes close to Paul McCartney's breezeblock of a title ... Combine this monumental lyrics collection with Peter Jackson's Get Back and many Beatles fans won't come out again until the clocks go forward. Paul McCartney says this is as close as he will get to an autobiography and no wonder - his life is in every line of these songs. Each alphabetical entry (a smart arrangement that opens up a trove of lesser known McCartney lore) is not only accompanied by a wealth of wonderful photographs and memorabilia (the lyrics to Carry That Weight on Apple notepaper!), but also McCartney's own recollections and analysis. "Mostly, we were writing to the world," McCartney says about I Want to Hold Your Hand. The Lyrics makes it a pure joy to reach out for these songs once again. -- Victoria Segal * The Sunday Times Book of the Year *a rich, enjoyable and beautifully presented treat -- John Aizlewood * i Newspaper *To read over the words to these 154 songs is to be impressed not merely with McCartney's productivity but with the fertility of his imagination and the potency of his offhand, unfussy style ... giddy playfulness and unguarded experimentation. They're a joy to read because they exude the joy their maker took in their making. -- David Hajdu * The New York Times *The text is accompanied by beautifully reproduced illustrations, including personal snapshots, formal portraits and memorabilia. The result is a hybrid of collected lyrics, memoir and picture book, a composite form resembling the all-round character of McCartney's musicality ... The Lyrics is a rewarding portrait of an exceptional songwriter. -- Ludovic Hunter-Tilney * Financial Times *From All My Loving to Your Mother Should Know, the former Beatle illuminates a life spent puzzling how to get from the beginning of a song to its end -- David Hepworth * Observer *Paul McCartney's storied career has been a long and winding road paved with songwriting gold. Thankfully, these fab volumes do it justice -- The Sunengrossing ... reading it is like watching genius - which McCartney undoubtedly was and fitfully remains - in the process of creation, summoning something out of nothing -- David Honigmann * Spectator *The Lyrics is stunningly beautiful and a masterpiece of book design, a true joy for bibliophiles. Paul McCartney has fashioned, through the explorations of his songs with the poet Paul Muldoon, a fascinating insight into his life and creative genius. The booksellers of Waterstones are proud to celebrate this magnificent and deeply original book. -- James Daunt, WaterstonesThis lavishly produced two-volume boxed-set, which took five years to compile, is destined to be under many Christmas trees. -- Roger Lewis * Daily Mail *The Beatles used to chuck lyric sheets in the wastebasket after recording a song: Linda McCartney fished them out and saved them. The Lyrics is the deluxe version of her scrapbook, a ... handsome, two-volume compendium of Paul McCartney's work as a lyricist, accompanied by photos and Macca's engaging reminiscences. -- Ludovic Hunter-Tilney * Financial Times, Best books of 2021 *Paul McCartney never wrote an autobiography. He argued that his remarkable life story is "all in the songs" - the hundreds upon hundreds of timeless, instantly engrossing classics that have become the soundtrack to Western culture. One hundred and fifty-four of these musical gems are gathered in The Lyrics - a gripping commentary on the inspiration for the tunes, their making and the characters they portray. ... McCartney's commentary throughout feels candid, enlightening and at times philosophical. His insight into the makeup and meaning of the lyrics is illuminating and entertaining, adding layers of depth to the already rich texture. -- Hannah Gal * The Critic *Sir Paul has arranged 154 favourite compositions alphabetically, with lots of glossy photos. But in the essays that accompany each song, his underlying purpose is to affirm his status as a writer ... what fan will not enjoy a meander that feels like a long private audience with one of the Fab Four? * Economist *Paul McCartney's delicious The Lyrics is a treasure trove. Gloriously illustrated with old snaps, posters with the Beatles' bottom-of-the-bill, handwritten set lists, lyrics on scraps and exhausting tour lists criss-crossing Britain. -- Celia Imrie * Waitrose Weekend *The Lyrics is sumptuously made to a standard associated with high-end art publishers. It is lovely to hold and to touch and to look at. There are countless beautifully reproduced photographs, of McCartney - who in his younger years ravished the lens - his mother, father, brother and aunties, his wives, his children, his friends and notable collaborators. Many of the pictures are published for the first time. There are also handwritten lyric sheets festooned with doodles, scribbled diary entries, gig posters, newspaper reports, pictures of first pressings ... This book is ... more like an autobiography, done McCartney's way. Rather than publish a conventional life story, he has opted to tell this life through songs and pictures ... His eloquence is found in his art: next to the splendour of the songs ... The book showcases McCartney's lyrics ... the songs make up a larger canvas, or mosaic, that the artist himself is only now stepping back to contemplate. -- Ian Leslie * New Statesman *Stating in the introduction to this two-volume gift edition that he has no intention of writing a memoir, Paul McCartney presents his songs as the next best thing, leaving us to mine their words as a guide to his life and world view. -- Will Hodgkinson * The Times *These two beautifully produced hardbacks give a lot of bang for your buck. Macca recalls the inspiration behind 154 of his songs and the collaborative process of writing them, his stories taking in Lennon, Linda and fame, and there's a trove of photographs and memorabilia from his personal archive. He says the time has never been right to write a full memoir, but this collection is brimming with insights into the man and the music. -- Charlotte Heathcote * Daily Express *

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Book SynopsisThe sound of Wichita Lineman' was the sound of ecstatic solitude, but then its hero was the quintessential loner. What a great metaphor he was: a man who needed a woman more than he actually wanted her. Written in 1968 by Jimmy Webb, Wichita Lineman' is the first philosophical country song: a heartbreaking torch ballad still celebrated for its mercurial songwriting genius fifty years later. It was recorded by Glen Campbell in LA with a legendary group of musicians known as the Wrecking Crew', and something about the song's enigmatic mood seemed to capture the tensions in America at a moment of crisis. Fusing a dribble of bass, searing strings, tremolo guitar and Campbell's plaintive vocals, Webb's paean to the American West describes a telephone lineman's longing for an absent lover, who he hears singing in the wire' and like all good love songs, it's an SOS from the heart. Mixing close-listening, interviews and travelogue, Dylan Jones explores the legacy of a recor

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Book SynopsisAs the lead guitarist of Queen, Brian May is one of rock''s most recognisable stars. Brian May: the definitive biography charts his life from his childhood, through his years studying astro physics and teaching, his success with Queen, his more recent projects and his volatile relationship with actress Anita Dobson. Bestselling writer Laura Jackson examines closely the many aspects of the musician''s life revealing his true story for the first time. The book reveal''s Queen''s struggles to gain success and life at the top, throwing some of the most notorious and wildly salacious parties in the business. It charts the camaraderie and conflicts within Queen as well as Brian''s difficult years throughout the disintegration of his first marriage, the death of his father and the profound professional and emotional effects of Freddie Mercury''s illness and death. The book is packed with nearly 70 first-hand exclusive interviews with some of his closest friends, colleagues and fellow musicians. These include school and college friends, early band members and colleagues in the scientific world. Interviewees include, Tony Iommi, Joe Elliott, Raul Rodgers, Cliff Richard and Spike Edney.Trade ReviewLaura Jackson is the queen of biographers. * DAILY EXPRESS *When it comes to getting to the rich and famous, Laura Jackson is second to none. * SKY TV *

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Book SynopsisMusic historian and journalist Tim Riley''s biography challenges many popular assumptions about Lennon''s life, from his widely misunderstood ''Working Class Hero'' origins to his epic romance with Yoko Ono. Riley also explores Lennon in all his contradictions: the misogynist turned peace activist, the moralist who loved to outrage and the ''bigger than Christ'' LSD enthusiast who settled down to become a house-husband.A pre-eminent scholar of Beatles music, Riley has consulted some of the most important Beatles scholarship of the past two decades. In a field littered with untrustworthy memoirs, he has culled the most reliable information from hundreds of books, and tracked down even more insightful sources among Lennon''s friends, enemies, confidantes, celebrity associates and business contacts. He also writes brilliantly about the music and about Lennon''s artistic and creative processes. The Beatles have just enjoyed their most successful sales decade ever, and this bTrade ReviewThis exhaustively researched life of the Beatles' chief cynic, John Lennon, aims to get beneath the surface gloss ... a compelling account -- Mark Edmonds * The Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisThis re-release of Elton John at 75 (2022) celebrates the rocker’s life in a beautifully produced retrospective detailing 75 key releases and life events. Table of ContentsIntroduction PART 1: Chasing the dream, 1947–1970 PART 2: Superstar, 1970–1976 PART 3: Change it up to shake it up, 1977–1989 PART 4: I’m still standing, 1990–1997 PART 5: National treasure, 1998–Present INDEX IMAGE CREDITS About the author Bibliography

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Book Synopsis Filled with fascinating photographs and juicy behind-the-scenes details, Queen All the Songs illuminates the unique recording history of a mega-bestselling and hugely influential rock band—album-by-album and track-by-track. A lovingly thorough dissection of every album and every song ever released by the beloved rock group, Queen All the Songs follows Freddie, Brian, Roger, and John from their self-titled debut album in 1973 through the untimely passing of Freddie, all the way up to their latest releases and the Oscar-winning film, Bohemian Rhapsody. The writing and recording process of each track is discussed and analyzed by author Benoît Clerc, and page-after-page features captivating and sometimes rarely seen images of the band. Queen All the Songs delves deep into the history and origins of the band and their music. This one-of-a-kind book draws upon decades of resear

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Book Synopsis'Bowie, Cambo & All the Hype' traces the extraordinary and pivotal friendship between David Bowie and drummer John Cambridge, from the time when Bowie made his first major career breakthrough in 1969 to his death from cancer in 2016.Trade Review'You were a great player in that early transition from drumming David's acoustic sound to the full-on rock sound that eventually gave birth to Ziggy. You have a big story to tell.' Tony Visconti;'There is no doubt about it; with that extended gesture of friendship and belief (in both David Bowie and Mick Ronson) John Cambridge single-handedly altered the trajectory of popular music.’Kevin Cann, Bowie authority, author and designer. A warm, engaging first-hand account of a pivotal time in David Bowie’s career, full of fascinating insight and turn-of-the-’70s detail.’ Rob Hughes, music journalist, Uncut

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Book SynopsisInspired by A Complete Unknown starring Timothée Chalamet?Discover the critically-acclaimed, definitive biography of the legendary rock musician, Bob Dylan.''Engagingly written and scrupulously researched'' ObserverOne of the best biographies I have ever read' ***** Reader reviewBob Dylan was the first figure in the history of popular music to challenge the domination of the three-minute pop song and to bring serious ideas and poetry into the song lyric.A true revolutionary, he was also the first pop performer to adopt the attitudes and lead the life of a bohemian artist. In doing so he not only defined the direction which popular music would take in the second half of the twentieth century, he also defined the lifestyle which would come to be associated with the rock artist.This new edition of Howard Sounes'' critically-acclaimed classic biography of Dylan gives the complete picture of the man, the artist and performer, and includes a new chapter that brings the legend''s life story right up to date. Meticulously researched and including hundreds of interviews with Dylan''s closest associates, the brand new chapter also covers the last ten years of Dylan''s life, and the last (and previously unpublished) interview with Dylan''s first serious girlfriend.Written by the acclaimed biographer of Paul McCartney and Lou Reed, this is a compelling, fast-paced and revelatory read, which takes the reader on a journey from Dylan''s childhood in a Minnesota mining town to the status he enjoys today as one of the most iconic figures of contemporary culture.''Sets a standard few rock ''n'' roll chronicles have attained'' Independent''The benchmark by which all future Dylan biographies will be judged'' USA Today

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Book SynopsisJerry Lee Lewis has lived an extraordinary life. He gave rock and roll its devil''s edge with hit records like ''Great Balls of Fire''. His incendiary shows caused riots and boycotts. He ran a decade-long marathon of drugs, drinking, and women, and married his thirteen-year-old second cousin, the third of seven wives. He also nearly met his maker, at least twice. He survived it all to be hailed as one of the greatest music icons. For the very first time, he reveals the truth behind the Last Man Standing of the rock-and-roll era.Trade ReviewThere's plenty of richness in Rick Bragg's retelling of the Killer's life . . . Hits all the legendary moments, both high and low . . . Worth reading -- STEPHEN KINGRick Bragg's biography of Jerry Lee Lewis really is the business. The words on the page perfectly match the music and the man -- RODDY DOYLE * * author of PADDY CLARKE HA HA HA * *I loved every amphetamine-laced, whiskey-soaked, gun-shot page of it . . .This thing moves. It rocks -- ANN PATCHETTNo one in rock and roll has ever made music and lived life with the ferocity of Jerry Lee Lewis, and no writer is better suited than Rick Bragg to tell Lewis's story. The result is a biography with the memorable language and narrative drive we expect only from the finest novels. Jerry Lee Lewis: His Own Story is the best book on rock and roll I have ever read -- RON RASHJerry Lee Lewis is a fascinating guy, a really opinion-splitting kinda legend, and this is his autobiography -- NOEL FIELDING, My Life in Suitcase - Five Touring Essentials * * NME * *The paradox of a man defining himself through his faith while leading a far from virtuous life, drives Rick Bragg's exhaustive biography . . . There's vernacular lyricism to the way Bragg paints the key moments in Lewis's life . . . Bragg's fascination for Jerry Lee Lewis wins through, and his shining a light on the eternal dichotomy between sin and salvation makes for a fascinating, distinctly American story . . . Rick Bragg's pacey, extensively researched biography draws a portrait of a bullish man doing all the things he believes God will forgive him for, repenting, and doing them all over again * * The Times * *As an intimate portrait of the original rock 'n' roll wild child, it's probably the closest look that we will ever have of one of pop music's greatest talents and most mysterious enigmas * * Record Collector * *Hell-raising takes centre stage * * GQ * *Beautifully written * * Mail on Sunday * *[Bragg] tells the full story of a long and extraordinary life with critical honesty, describing the triumphs, disasters and scandals, the women, the drink and drugs * * Daily Express * *Like Byron, he seems mad, bad and dangerous to know, but his art at least reflects him truthfully * * Independent * *Absorbing . . . a thumpingly good yarn . . . thrillingly readable * * Daily Mail * *Bragg's book really soars . . . a compelling read -- George Byrne * * Irish Independent * *Compelling . . . Bragg's book really soars . . . gives us a sense of the vastly differing sides of the man * * Belfast Telegraph * *Excellent . . . just the sort of weighty tome you'd hope Elvis would have got around to by now * * Sunday Express * *Great insight: Bragg understands the God-fearing Southern man's push-pull of good and evil, the mutually-exclusive-for-Lewis need for rock 'n' roll and redemption and the resulting emotional turmoil that ultimately defines him * * Mojo * *Attempting a biography of rock 'n' roll's most notorious figure is no mean task, but Pultizer Prize-winner Rick Bragg has done an admirable job, aided by Jerry Lee-Lewis himself . . . a fascinating account of a wild, wild talent * * Classic Rock * *This is epic Southern storytelling at its most gripping * * Chicago Tribune * *This is Lewis' version of his own story, filtered through Bragg's gift for language and his feel for the South . . . His Own Story casts one of rock n' roll's outlandish lives in a new light, giving Lewis the voice in words he always had in the notes that came from the ivory keys * * USA Today, 4 star review * *Irresistible * * Wall Street Journal * *Bragg's account does not pull punches, nor does it need to. Bragg successfully grasps the meaning of Jerry Lee Lewis and the music he begat * * All About Jazz * *There are reams of books out there about the Killer, but this is the one you want. In it, Rick Bragg tells the warts-and-all story of a troubled man, part saint, part sinner, who helped change the world * * Loud and Quiet Magazine * *

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Book Synopsis''Smart, analytical and enormously good fun'' Stuart Maconie, Mail on Sunday''Ingenious . . . conjures a whole cultural history of the past six decades'' The Spectator''Strikingly insightful . . . page after page of glorious anecdotes'' The i Newspaper''A book to leave you shaken and stirred'' Independent''Poignant and entertaining'' Observer''If you take popular culture seriously, this is the book for you'' Jeremy DellerDr No, the first Bond film, and ''Love Me Do'', the first Beatles record, were released on the same day. Most countries can only dream of creating a phenomenon on this scale; Britain produced two on one windy October afternoon. Told over sixty dramatic years, Love and Let Die is the story of two culture touchstones that continue to define our aspirations and fantasies; of opposing values, visions of Britain and ideas about male identity; and of how a clash between working class liberTrade ReviewA daring, dazzlingly entertaining pop cultural critique . . . smart analytical and enormously good fun. There'ssomething provocative or revelatory on every page -- Stuart Maconie * MAIL ON SUNDAY *Strikingly insightful . . . [Higgs] gives us page after page of glorious anecdotes about Bond and The Beatles, revelations about one sparking insights into the other * i NEWSPAPER *Ingenious . . . Love and Let Die starts with a perfect coincidence [and] conjures a whole cultural history of the past six decades * THE SPECTATOR *A highly evocative picture of the 1960s . . . Love and Let Die is a book to leave you shaken and stirred * INDEPENDENT *This is more than just a book about those two cultural colossi, the Beatles and Bond. It is that, and magnificently so, but it is also about class, art, masculinity, entitlement, politics, love and death. Humane, droll and wise, there is some brilliant apercu, revelation or connection on every page. A dazzling, daring, recondite and immensely readable pop culture critique -- STUART MACONIEIf you take popular culture seriously, this is the book for you -- JEREMY DELLERPoignant and entertaining . . . sharp and pacy. . . Higgs is a lively writer and has assembled many intriguing nuggets from six decades of British popular culture * OBSERVER *In pairing these pop-cultural phenomena, Mr Higgs is onto something. A brilliant meander through the British male psyche . . . excellent and illuminating * WALL STREET JOURNAL *A triumphant work of truth, heart and soul. Love and Let Die is revolutionary, spirited, shaken and stirred -- SALENA GODDEN, author of MRS DEATH MISSES DEATHBrilliant -- Frank Cotterell-Boyce * OBSERVER *Entertaining . . . an eccentric jaunt through the interwoven histories [of the Beatles and Bond] * SUNDAY TIMES *Here is an author who constantly reaches out to the reader, grabs their attention and doesn't let go, finding connection in the most unexplored places . . . I was gripped throughout . . . Higgs finds beautiful threads everywhere . . . packed with small details and big ideas * THE PSYCHOLOGIST *Persuasive . . . The story of the power struggle between the working class and the establishment, as seen through the lens of the Beatles' records and the Bond films, is a fascinating one . . . entertaining * TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT *Lives up to the hype . . . both captivating and thought-provoking. A riveting read * SHINDIG! *

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Book SynopsisDiscover the remarkably honest and captivating story of one of the world''s greatest ever singing talents, Sir Tom Jones ''Brilliantly told'' SUNDAY TIMES ''A terrific, star-studded journey'' DAILY EXPRESS ______ ''For a lot of years, I''ve answered a lot of questions, but have never told my story before . . .'' In a business where dreams are often short-lived, Sir Tom Jones has maintained his sensational career across six decades. But how did a boy from a Welsh coal-mining family attain success across the globe over the course of decades? In this, his first ever autobiography, Tom revisits his past and tells the tale of his journey from wartime Pontypridd to LA and beyond. He reveals the stories behind the ups and downs of his fascinating and remarkable life, from the early heydays to the subsequent fallow years to his later period of artistic renaissance. It''s the storTrade ReviewA story brilliantly told ... Hold up your banners: "Sir Tom F****** Jones". Yeah! -- Bryan Appleyard * Sunday Times *Packed with the kind of showbiz tales you don't get any more ... Jones is a charming, matey voice and the book is a terrific, star-studded journey through the world of entertainment. Even after meeting some of the greats, such as Elvis and Sinatra, Jones still retains an innocence and freshness that is rare * Daily Express *Over the Top and Back is a great read and funny. It charts his youth in the coal mining town of Pontypridd. It captures his Welshness * Sunday Telegraph *a book that gets to Jones's core * Daily Mirror *The book lays bare a career that has spanned 60 years, Tom revisits his past and tells tales from his journey from wartime Pontypridd to LA and beyond. He reveals the ups and downs of his remarkable life, from his early heyday to his subsequent fallow years to his later period of artistic renaissance * Wales on Sunday *You tell the story of an Electrolux vacuum cleaner with the same gusto as you talk about Elvis Presley, and that's why it's brilliant Tom * Chris Evans *Tom Jones really has had the most astonishing life, one which he recounts here with verve, energy and a vivid eye for detail - this is a hugely enjoyable read * The Daily Mail *This lively, thoughtful and entertaining account does justice to a remarkable life and career * Sunday Express *A story, brilliantly told... hold up your banners: "Sir Tom F****** Jones". Yeah! * Brian Appleyard, Sunday Times *A brilliant read full of charm and anecdote that captures the spirit of each decade as well as giving a great behind-the-scenes snapshot of the music world. -- Fanny Blake * Woman & Home *

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Book SynopsisWill Stockton is Associate Professor of English at Clemson University, and author of several books including Members of His Body: Shakespeare, Paul, and a Theology of Nonmonogamy (2017), and Playing Dirty: Sexuality and Waste in Early Modern Comedy (2011). D. Gilson is Assistant Professor of English at Texas Tech University, and author of I Will Say This Exactly One Time: Essays (2015) and Brit Lit (2013).Trade ReviewIn dc Talk’s Jesus Freak—their contribution to Bloomsbury’s 33? Series—Will Stockton and D. Gilson explore this 1995, genre-crossing, hit-making album by the Christian pop/rock/rap trio. As queer scholars with evangelical roots, Stockton and Gilson offer aunique understanding of how the band—with this album in particular—served to shape the theological and cultural understandings of young Christians. * Reading Religion *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Jesus Freak 2. Colored People 3. Between You and Me Outro: Queer Shame Acknowledgments Bibliography

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Book Synopsis'From her raging, handwritten letters to late-night phone calls with David Bowie, this biography gets up close and personal with the tempestuous Nina Simone' Observer Drawing on glimpses into previously unseen diaries, rare interviews and childhood journals, and with the aid of her daughter, What Happened, Miss Simone? tells the story of the classically trained pianist who became a soul legend, a committed civil rights activist and one of the most influential, provocative and least understood artists of our time. This is the story of the real Miss Simone.Trade ReviewHer willingness to speak her mind shines out of every page * * The Times * *Arrestive telling of the high priestess of soul's life story...What makes this portrait so compelling are the extras; think of the book as a director's cut * * MOJO * *She is loved or feared, adored or disliked, but few who have met her music or glimpsed her soul react with moderation -- Maya AngelouExplores the huge impact [Nina Simone] made for civil rights through her music, as well as her activism * * Observer * *Traces a path through the sad and bewildering tangle that was Simone's life * * Telegraph * *Nina Simone was an overwhelming artist, piano player, and singer - the kind of artist that I loved and admired -- Bob DylanElectrifying . . . Captures how unique and real she was on every page -- Alicia KeysAbsorbing * * Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday * *A gripping (if often grim) portrait of a woman and her legend * * Louis Wise, Sunday Times * *Decent, respectful, conscientiously crafted and even-handed * * Uncut * *

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