Popular music Books

Book SynopsisABBA blasted their way onto the global pop scene with a Eurovision Song Contest win in 1974. The song, 'Waterloo', the band's tenth single, was a top 10 hit around the world and spurred them on to enormous chart success with singles, then albums, then compilations selling in the millions. They truly conquered the world, recording, touring, performing and entertaining huge crowds everywhere they went, but after less than a decade, the dream was fading and they went their separate ways, seemingly never to record together again.The superstardom was over, but their music continued to be popular and in every decade that passed the question was asked: will ABBA ever re-form? The answer was always no – they even allegedly turned down a billion-dollar tour – until the late 2010s, when rumours and announcements abounded and finally, to enormous global fanfare, the band revealed that a new 10-track album would be released in November 2021, and a virtual avatar tour would take place in from May 2022; fans went wild.The Little Guide to ABBA celebrates everything the super Scandinavian pop group represents: brilliant pop music, 70s style, influence on hundreds of subsequent acts and an enduring legacy.SAMPLE QUOTE: 'I had a dream, and it was fulfilled by meeting with Benny, Bjorn and Agnetha.' - Anni-Frid LyngstadSAMPLE FACT: ABBA Gold is the #2 bestselling album of all time.Table of ContentsBefore they were Abba: Biography of and the early careers of the four musicians, singers and performers: Anni-Frid, Benny, Björn and Agnetha. Arrival: How the newly formed band skyrocketed to Swedish, then European, then global success. Super Trouper: Critical and popular acclaim by the numbers and quotes - all things ABBA. So Long: The split, and what happened next for all four talented members. The Voyage Continues: 2021 and the future of the band, its members and the music. Thank You For The Music: Full listing of all Abba's singles, albums, DVDS and more.

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Book SynopsisTravel the world exploring the cities that have influenced dance music and DJ culture and discovering the cutting-edge scenes taking club culture in new directions.Featuring incredible photography, insider recommendations, and some of the biggest names in dance music, Destination Dancefloor reveals how DJ culture swept the globe and 40 cities where you can immerse yourself in the best electronic music culture has to offer.Whether you want to know more about the start of house music in Chicago, the club that started Berlin on the road to becoming the global epicentre of club culture, the French Touch scene in Paris that influenced the early years of Daft Punk, why Ibiza became the world''s summer party destination of choice, or are looking for new destinations to add to your own clubbing bucket list, this unique book leans on Mixmag''s position and expertise as one of the foremost names in club culture to present an overview of global dance music, making it a must-read for all clubbers, past, present, and future. See you on the dancefloor.

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Book SynopsisThe first book of photography to be published by the Academy Award-winning film director and photographer Spike Jonze. Will appeal to every fan of Beastie Boys and golden-era hip hop, as well as photography and Spike Jonze''s own focused audiences.Spike Jonze and Beastie Boys met for the first time in Los Angeles in 1991, when Jonze went out to photograph the band for the cover of Dirt magazine. A connection formed between the three MCs and the young photographer, which has lasted throughout their careers.Almost thirty years later--published to coincide with the release on Apple+ of a new documentary, Beastie Boys Story--this book collects for the first time more than two hundred of Spike Jonze''s personal photographs of his time spent with the group. Edited and with an afterword by Jonze, and including new writing by Mike Diamond and Adam Horovitz themselves, this book shows an intimate look at the greatest act of the hip-hop generation in their truest colors as

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Book SynopsisA factional novella: a place where fictional characters rub shoulders with real people, and where actual documented events thread their way through the text alongside imagined scenarios. Through the eyes of 23-year-old Greg Keltner, drug dealer, wannabe musician, and hanger-on, here, we witness the gestation and birth of an entertaining album.Trade Review"'A brilliant series of pocket-sized books focussing on a classic album. Each one a work of real love.' NME"

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Book SynopsisBig Man tells the fascinating story of Clarence Clemons, the larger-than-life saxophone player of the E Street Band. Clarence and his longtime friend, writer/producer Don Reo, take you on a thrilling ride from Clarence''s childhood to the present, from beat-up vans to private jets, from boardwalk bars to stadiums and concert halls all over the world. It''s a fitting account of a life lived to the full by a man who threw himself wholeheartedly into his music right up until his tragic death in 2011.The book is filled with never-before-told stories about Clarence''s life, his friendship with Bruce Springsteen, and his encounters with some of the most famous people in the world. Along the way, Clarence and Don spin their own fictional legends that add to the already-mystical lore of E Street.An absolute must for all Springsteen fans, Big Man reveals the heart and soul of the man who brought so much music and love to so many people for so long.Trade ReviewYou want to be him but you cannot. Because in all the world, there is but one Clarence 'Big Man' Clemons -- Bruce SpringsteenClemons rattles off his anecdotes with equal parts charm, humour and a palpable love of the life he's been afforded * Q *

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Book SynopsisA Rothschild by birth and a Baroness by marriage, beautiful, spirited Pannonica - known as Nica - seemed to have it all: children, a handsome husband and a trust fund. But in the early 1950s she heard a piece by the jazz legend Thelonious Monk. The music overtook her like a magic spell, and she abandoned her marriage to go and find him. Arriving in New York, Nica was shunned by society but accepted by the musicians. They gave her friendship; she gave them material and emotional support. Her convertible Bentley was a familiar sight outside the clubs and she drank whisky from a hip flask disguised as a Bible. Her notoriety was sealed when drug-addicted saxophonist Charlie Parker died in her apartment. But her real love was reserved for Monk, whom she cared for until his death in 1982. The Baroness traces Nica's extraordinary, thrilling journey - from England's stately homes to the battlefields of Africa, passing under the shadow of the Holocaust, and finally to the creative ferment of the New York jazz scene. Hannah Rothschild's search to solve the mystery of her rebellious great aunt draws on their long friendship and years of meticulous research and interviews. It is part musical odyssey, part dazzling love story.Trade ReviewRiveting, touching and insightful Daily Telegraph An extraordinary achievement - perfectly structured, astonishingly objective, wise, perceptive and beautifully written -- Antony Beevor Wholly gripping -- Rachel Cooke Guardian Eloquently-written labour of love Daily Mail Nimble writing and brilliant story Independent It's a gripping yarn that more than proves that life is stranger than fiction' Literary Review

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Book SynopsisWords like "inspiring," "expansive," and "moving" are regularly used to describe Sigur Rós's ( ), and yet the only words heard on the record itself are a handful of meaningless nonsense syllables. The album has no title—or rather, its title is no title: just an empty pair of parentheses. The intention being that listeners will fill in the parentheses with their own title, their own interpretation of the sounds on the record. The CD sleeve consists of twelve pages that are essentially blank, lacking song titles, liner notes or production credits. Instead, it contains only semi-translucent frosted images of abstract natural scenes (tree branches, clouds, etc.), on which the listener is free to inscribe their own notes—or no notes at all. And then there are the lyrics, sung in a deliberately unintelligible tongue called "Hopelandic" which the band invites listeners to interpret freely. Ethan Hayden's book doesn't try to fill in the gaps between the album's parentheses, but instead explores the ways in which listeners might attempt to do so. Examining the communicative powers of asemantic language, the book asks whether music can bring sense to nonsense. What happens to the voice when it stops singing conventional language: does it simply become another musical instrument, or is it somehow more "human"? What role does space play on ( )? And how do we interpret music that we cannot possibly understand, but feel very deeply that we do?Trade ReviewWhile Sigur Ros fans who are not also students of linguistics would probably prefer a book that concentrated more on the music and less on things like trochaic rhythm, xenogloss and echolalia, there’s no denying that Hayden does make his points successfully and reading this book did give me a new level of appreciation for an album I already loved. * Midnight to Six *Ethan Hayden painstakingly transcribes the eight untitled tracks on ( ) into a series of long vowel sounds and odd clusters of consonants in an attempt to diagram the syntax of this strange new tongue and figure out what the band might be saying (despite their best efforts not to say anything). -- Stephen M. Deusner * Pitchfork *Table of Contentsacknowledgements ( nonsense voice space hope ) bibliography index

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Book SynopsisWhat makes Noddy Holder tick? Godfather of glam, national treasure and thinking grandmother's crumpet, Noddy has been at the epicentre of British pop culture since he stormed on to the music scene in the 1960s, and in The World According to Noddy he gives us a hilarious window on to his extraordinary life. Told in his own inimitable style, Noddy shares insider accounts of his days on the road, along with a healthy dose of celebrity gossip, and leaves no stone unturned as he expounds on some of his favourite subjects fame, friendship and fatherhood, the perils of social media and the modern age, not to mention what it would be like if he ruled the world . . . From his early days on the West Midlands beat scene, including a stint as a roadie for Robert Plant, Noddy charts his rise from skinhead stomper to international pop-star, statesman, playboy, male model and philosopher, and of course one of the most integral parts of a Great British Christmas. Witty, Trade ReviewPraise for Who's Crazee Now?: 'Raucous, riotous . . .compelling' -- UncutPraise for Who's Crazee Now?: 'Excellent' * The Sun *

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Book Synopsis“The essential history of this distinctly American genre.”—Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionTrade Review"...the passionate blues singing of Mississippi's steamy cotton fields ultimately gave rise to rock'n'roll. Ted Gioia expertly traces its colourful history and heroes." Books of the Year 2008, The Economist "[A] rich and illuminating study... Gioia, who has researched thoroughly and listened carefully, does a splendid job of telling the story on a broad canvas..." Mick Brown, The Daily Telegraph "Gioia's depth of research is breathtaking...The author's sheer passion for the music comes through on every page, and you can almost hear those old shellac 78s as you read his descriptions." thebookbag.co.uk "He uses original research, interviews with reliable sources and his own calm, argument-closing incantations to draw a line through a century of the Delta blues." International Herald Tribune "Gioia's intermittently brilliant and always compelling investigation of the blues is marked with a musician's ear for the form and a fan's enthusiasm for both the recordings and the artists." The Herald

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Book SynopsisThis book is an oral history of punk in Belfast from the mid-70s to the mid-80s. It reads a small number of interviews in close detail to place them in the context of the Troubles and to draw out the imaginative ways that interviewees evoke the experience of growing up in Northern Ireland and punk's intervention in that complex conjuncture. -- .

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Book SynopsisMost people know that Bob Marley (1945–1981) was a singer-songwriter who popularised reggae music and whose Jamaican culture and Rastafarian beliefs have attained worldwide influence. What, perhaps, they don’t know is that his music inspired 7,000 prisoners of war to escape; that after running out of money he was forced to spend two years living in London; that he has sold more than 75 million records around the world; and that he was shot twice while trying to bring peace between two political groups. Biographic: Marley presents an instant impression of his life, work and legacy, with an array of irresistible facts and figures converted into infographics to reveal the musician behind the music.

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Book SynopsisTakes a look at what many consider to be U2's most fully formed album through the prisms of politics, spirituality, and culture. This work features interviews with Daniel Lanois, Steve Lillywhite, Flood, and more.Trade Review[Catanzarite has written] a surprisingly profound meditation on ‘Achtung Baby' as a metaphor for the Fall of Man. I told Bono, rather sceptically, that I had met a man who theorised that Achtung Baby was a metaphor for the fall of man ... and had just given a lecture on ‘the conservative voice in U2'. I thought Bono might get a kick out it, but I was surprised by his response. "Both theories sound bang on," he said. -- Neil McCormick * The Daily Telegraph *Stephen Catanzarite takes his readers on a metaphysical trip with Achtung Baby...The book reads like a well-written thesis, and Catanzarite is knowledgeable both musically and theologically. The songs are the bones on which the author fleshes out his theories, with the help of quotes by philosophers, poets, musicians (Axl Rose, of all people), and whole passages taken from books by religious scholars of different faiths. There are references to Neil Young, Led Zeppelin (the Tower of Babel is the original stairway to heaven), Bob Dylan and Morrissey for the rock cognoscenti, as well as a few Chinese proverbs thrown in for good measure. * @U2 *Stephen Catanzarite has reflected on a beloved Rock album and turned his reflections into a book. Not only that, but his book is theological, Christian, Catholic and concerned with humanity's place in the world. Ambitious, no? A lesser album would collapse under such ponderings, but U2's Achtung Baby is a "heavy mother," to quote the band's ever-quotable lead vocalist. And The Edge lists "betrayal" among the album's chief preoccupations, so bringing it all back home to Adam and Eve's betrayal of God does work. The book is a good primer on moral theology -- an oddity in the 33 1/3 book series. Our guide cites Augustine, Newman and more luminaries without any quote seeming irrelevant. And still the book stays connected to the music, delving into both words and instrumental landscape. Two quarrels: First, three taboos fascinate U2: sex, God and politics. Catanzarite describes an Adam and Eve losing and finding each other and their Maker in a neon city. That covers sex and God. But politics? In an epilogue Catanzarite mentions upheavals occurring in Achtung Baby's era but not a whisper elsewhere. He quotes the exquisite apocalypse of Yeats' poem "The Second Coming," but relates it not to chaos in wartime but to breakdowns in personal relationships. Second, Catanzarite praises "Mysterious Ways" as an ode to feminine inspiration. He challenges disrespect of women and yet never quotes a single woman author. It's a glaring omission in a Catholic-worldview book -- U2 themselves have spoken often of their indebtedness to, for instance, Flannery O'Connor. It would take 10 more books to maybe start to describe Achtung Baby. Catanzarite is brave to try. * CityBeat *If you don't already know about the Christianity present in U2, or have never heard Achtung Baby, find a copy and listen to it. And if you are interested in a thoughtful engagement by a Catholic with the best of modern rock, you might like Achtung Baby: Meditations on Love in the Shadow of the Fall. -- Nathaniel Peters * First Things *...a surprisingly profound meditation on ‘Achtung Baby' as a metaphor for the Fall of Man (part of the excellent 33? series of books about albums)... * Neil McCormick *

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Book SynopsisJIMI is the ultimate tribute to the greatest guitar player in rock and roll history, celebrating what would have been Jimi Hendrix's 80th birthday on November 27, 2022. This comprehensive visual celebration is an official collaboration with Jimi's sister, Janie Hendrix, and John McDermott of Experience Hendrix L.L.C. JIMI significantly expands on the authors' previously published titles, including An Illustrated Experience, and features a new introduction by Janie, extensive biographical texts, and a trove of lesser known and never-before-published photographs, personal memorabilia, lyrics, and more. Additionally, JIMI includes quotations by legendary musicians, such as Paul McCartney, Ron Wood, Jeff Beck, Lenny Kravitz, Drake, Dave Grohl, and others who have spoken about Hendrix's lasting influence. In the four years before his untimely death at age 27, Jimi Hendrix created a groundbreaking musical legacy, one that includes revered classics such as "Purple Haze" and "Voodoo Child." His signature guitar playing, provocative songwriting, and charismatic performances have continued to inspire legions of musicians and fans alike.

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Book SynopsisIn virtually all areas of Dylan's life - his immigrant antecedents, his business dealings, his various addictions and his romantic attachments - Heylin is able to provide a fascinating picture of a man who changed the whole course of popular music in the sixties and, over thirty years later, won three Grammys.

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Book SynopsisFollowing on from Giant Steps, comes the second instalment in Kenny Mathieson''s series of jazz histories.Cookin'' examines the birth and development of two of the key jazz styles of the post-war era, hard bop and its related offshoot, soul jazz. Hard bop was the most exciting jazz style of its day, and remains at the core of the modern jazz mainstream even now. It drew on the twin poles of bebop and the blues for its foundation, spiced up with gospel, Latin and rhythm and blues influences.The book looks at the founding fathers of the form, Art Blakey and Horace Silver, and goes on to trace the music through its peak decade.This reissue includes an additional chapter devoted to Jackie McLean.Trade ReviewMathieson's descriptions of what they brought to the bandstand and the recording studio are fondly graphic, in well-chosen phrases. . . It is extremely readable. * * Jazz Review * *With his sober prose and insightful retelling, Mathieson goes some way towards identifying a rarely discussed transitional phase in music history * * The List * *Music lovers will enjoy this very readable introduction to the jazz masters of the post-War decades ... Free of music theory jargon, the book gives detailed information on the artists' styles, careers and often troubled lives. * * Scotland on Sunday (on Giant Steps) * *

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Book SynopsisA highly symbolic deck born in the Grunge music subculture, the Grunge Tarot is an adventure that crosses the mysterious world of archetypes to arrive at the heart of the 1990s and grunge. Starting from grunge, this deck of cards aims to recreate the atmosphere and the impact of great rock stars as the restlessness of an era, highlighting the search for identity among extremes. It is the dreamy and transgressive imagination of the Fool that begins every path, ready to lose himself or be redeemed. A grain of truth can exist anywhere, even in the pockets of an old checkered shirt, backstage at a concert, or in the doubts and vulnerability of adolescence.

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Book Synopsis'The nature of Lou Reed's lyric writing that had been hitherto unknown in rock ... gave us the environment in which to put our more theatrical vision. He supplied us with the stretch and the landscape, and we peopled it.' - David Bowie

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Book Synopsis'Bookended by tragedy, shot through with violence, ultimately uplifting' Guardian'An insight into a singular artist' New Statesman'Fierce, funny and indomitable' Observer'My tears were relentlessly pricked by Tricky's memoir' Daily Telegraph Tricky is one of the most original music artists to emerge from the UK in the past 30 years. His signature sound, coupled with deep, questioning lyrics, took the UK by storm in the early 1990s and was part of the soundtrack that defined the post-rave generation.This unique, no-holds barred autobiography is not only a portrait of an incredible artist - it is also a gripping slice of social history packed with extraordinary anecdotes and voices from the margins of society. Tricky examines how his creativity has helped him find a different path to that of his relatives, some of whom were bare-knuckle fighters and gangsters, and how his mother's suicide has had a lifelong effect on him, both creatively and psychologically. With his unique heritage and experience, his story will be one of the most talked-about music autobiographies of the decade.Trade ReviewMy tears were relentlessly pricked by Tricky's memoir * Daily Telegraph *Tricky is that rarity, a famous person genuinely appalled by fame. This book is an insight into a singular artist -- Julie Burchill * New Statesman *Although bookended by tragedy, and shot through with violence and abuse, Hell Is Round the Corner proves an ultimately uplifting read, the testament of a fierce, funny and seemingly indomitable spirit * Observer *

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Free were formed in 1968 towards the end of the British blues boom. After two critically acclaimed albums, the release of ‘All Right Now’ and the album Fire and Water in 1970 brought them major success. Musical and personal differences took their toll and they split after the comparative failure of their next album and single. After starting new bands that never took off they reformed, but following further dissension and guitarist Paul Kossoff’s drug problems they disbanded for good in 1973. Vocalist Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke then formed Bad Company, who became one of the hottest bands on both sides of the Atlantic, maintaining a stable line-up with ex-Mott The Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs and ex-King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell for the rest of the decade. Each member later pursued outside ventures, although they regrouped at intervals, recruiting new members after Ralphs’ retirement and Burrell’s death. This book examines both bands’ work and career from 1968 to 1980, plus the Kossoff, Kirke, Tetsu, Rabbit album, Kossoff’s solo work and Back Street Crawler, with a chapter on their later history, notably Rodgers’ three years with Queen.

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Book Synopsis***''Eddie was there very early doors. His story is of the many.'' Paul Weller''A total riot! Takes me right back to the 70s. A Superb book'' Mani, The Stone Roses''What a wonderful book. Mod isn''t about what decade you lived in, it''s about your attitude, and this book has tons of it'' Kenney Jones, The Small Faces''A charismatic storyteller, witty and unpretentious, he is at once an engaging protagonist and an indisputable authority, giving a live-wire, visceral perspective on mod life in that short flash of time. He manages to create a welcoming space in this rather exclusive world while never losing his formidable edge as a narrator'' - The Big Issue''Buy it on sight. You won''t be disappointed'' - Louder Than War''Eddie''s book is really good!'' - Robert Elms''Akin to being in the company of someone with plenty of entertaini

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Book SynopsisAs one of the people who defined punk’s protest art in the 1970s and 1980s, Gee Vaucher (b. 1945) deserves to be much better-known. She produced confrontational album covers for the legendary anarchist band Crass and later went on to do the same for Northern indie legends the Charlatans, among others. More recently, her work was recognised the day after Donald Trump's 2016 election victory, when the front page of the Daily Mirror ran her 1989 painting Oh America, which shows the Statue of Liberty, head in hands. This is the first book to critically assess an extensive range of Vaucher’s work. It examines her unique position connecting avant-garde art movements, counterculture, punk and even contemporary street art. While Vaucher rejects all ‘isms’, her work offers a unique take on the history of feminist art.Trade Review'Binns’s book is meticulously researched and well written, covering an area of punk history that deserves a full spotlight all of its own. Equal parts informing, accessible and compelling, this is the story of a woman whose talent and beliefs have made a huge contribution to conveying punk’s revolutionary message.'Molly Tie, Punktuation!‘A compelling documentation of an important figure in the postwar British counterculture: the stubbornly unpositionable Gee Vaucher. Binns traces the life and work of this uncompromising artist not only in the short high years of Crass and the anarcho-punk movement – dominated by Vaucher’s aesthetic – but also the decades before and after when she defined, refined and extended her powerful practice. Read this book for a brilliant and engaged creative life.’George McKay, Professor in Media Studies, University of East Anglia‘This is a long overdue contribution to an important history. Binns shines new light on Gee Vaucher's significance, showing how her method of photorealism-presented-as-montage can help us make sense of the “skewed reality” around us.’Lucy Robinson, Professor in Collaborative History, University of Sussex‘Gee Vaucher’s artwork was crucial to Crass: thought-provoking and confrontational always.’Adrian Sherwood, music producer'Gee’s indescribable artwork has been an inspiration for multiple generations of artists and art appreciators. Gee is proof that Art changes people's lives — and for the better!'Winston Smith, artist and illustrator (www.winstonsmith.com)‘Binns’s book is an expert feminist reading of the life and work of political graphic artist Gee Vaucher that adeptly writes this unsung heroine into a history of punk design. A must-read for these fractured times.’Teal Triggs, Professor of Graphic Design, Royal College of Art'An essential book, giving due attention to one of the most influential artists of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Gee Vaucher's artwork has been much copied but never bettered. Her influence is here captured expertly by Rebecca Binns's well-researched critical analysis.'Matt Worley, Professor of Modern History, University of Reading‘Finally! What those in the know have been waiting for: a comprehensive, revealing and long overdue analysis of the creative importance of Gee Vaucher. Set against the backdrop of recent socio-economic, political and cultural events, via (but not limited to) punk, this book confirms Vaucher as the trailblazing innovator that she is, and charts her artistic influence to-date. Rebecca Binns thoughtfully surveys over fifty years of Vaucher’s collage, photo-montage, painting, drawing, sculpture, film and installation, rightfully positioning her as a key player within art history, while refusing to restrict this uncategorisable artist to any particular movement. If you are familiar with Vaucher’s work, you have been vindicated. And if you are not, prepare to be amazed.’Marie-France Kittler, co-curator Gee Vaucher: Introspective (Firstsite, 2016) -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction1 The changing face of British arts, politics and culture during Vaucher’s art school years2 Radical art collectives and the free festivals movement 3 New York, political photomontage and the underground press 4 Towards the definition of a punk aesthetic 5 Crass art and the birth of anarcho-punk 6 Post-punk, hardcore, and the dissolution of the dream 7 Post Crass introspection: postmodernism and the anti-rationalist avant-garde 8 Beyond the art world: political agitation and public intervention in the new millennium Index

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Book SynopsisMarshall Gu is a music writer and has written for Pitchfork, Tone Glow, Bandcamp, and Resident Advisor. He lives in Toronto.

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Book SynopsisWith pieces drawn from the extensive personal collection of Pharrell Williams, this is a stunning and unprecedented exploration of the “bling” in hip-hop culture and fashion.Few recording artists have had a greater hand in incorporating the culture of hip-hop into contemporary luxury than Pharrell Williams. Collaborating with Louis Vuitton nearly two decades ago, Pharrell was the first to have his designs integrated into the haute joaillerie of the great maisons. His innovative team-ups continue through to the present day, most memorably with Tiffany and Chanel, and the watchmaker Richard Mille.The most extravagant of these chains, rings, and pendants—crafted in precious metals and studded with gems—are as much a part of Pharrell’s musical performance as they are of his personal style. His designs, which include one-off pieces such as solid-gold cases for mobile phones and handheld game consoles, have been legendary for featuring icoTrade Review"Bling, ice, drip—whatever you call it, jewelry has always been the epitomeof cool luxury. As for how it became the definitive accessory of hip-hop, you can thank Pharrell Williams. The legendary multi-hyphenate made his foray into the world of jewels in 2004, when he co-created the “Millionaire” Sunglasses with Nigo and Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton. In the nearly two decades since, he’s been the mastermind behind countless other opulent, outrageous pieces, including blinged-out rings, watches, and golden phone cases for Richard Mille, Tiffany & Co., and more. Images of these creations and other gems from his personal collection are on display in Pharrell: Carbon, Pressure & Time: A Book of Jewels, accompanied by Williams’s priceless, insightful commentary in conversation with Nigo and Tyler, the Creator." —V MAGAZINE"Before he was the creative director for men’s wear at Louis Vuitton, Pharrell Williams decked out hip-hop stars (including himself) with jewelry. This book may be as close as you will get to trying any of it on." —NY TIMES"For an exquisite look at Pharrell Williams’ abiding love for jewelry, this handsome artifact is the treat you need. Featuring a trove of Pharrell’s most treasured pieces—a Super Mario pendant, a Gaby Elan grill, Tiffany sunglasses—this high-glam book, like its namesake, is svelte, tasteful, and full of style." —ESQUIRE"By now, Pharrell is as well known for his music as he is for his contributions to fashion. It’s been a decade and a half since his designs were first integrated into one of Louis Vuitton’s jewelry collections, and in Pharrell: Carbon, Pressure & Time: A Book of Jewels, he discusses the evolution of jewelry in hip-hop culture and his own custom design process in conversations with Tyler, the Creator, Lorraine Schwartz, Jacob & Co.’s Jacob Arabo, and more. He also shares over 100 of the blingiest pieces from his personal collection, and with a Casio G-Shock watch, KAWS pendant, and astronaut-inspired cuban link chain necklace among the many diamond-covered delights, the cool factor is, as expected, off the charts." —NATURAL DIAMONDS

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Book SynopsisA Times Book of the Year An Uncut Magazine Book of the Year A Waterstones Music Book of the Year A Virgin Radio Book of the Year A Louder Book of the Year 'Probably the best Bush book to date.' - Record CollectorKate Bush: the subject of murmured legend and one of the most idiosyncratic musicians of the modern era. Comprising fifty chapters or 'visions', Running Up That Hill is a multi-faceted biography of this famously elusive figure, viewing her life and work from fresh and illuminating angles.Featuring details from the author's one-to-one conversations with Kate, as well as vignettes of her key songs, albums, videos and concerts, this artful, candid and often brutally funny portrait introduces the reader to the refreshingly real Kate Bush.Along the way, the narrative also includes vivid reconstructions of transformative moments in her career and insights from the friends and collaborators closest to Kate, including her photographer brother John Carder Bush and fellow artists David Gilmour, John Lydon and Youth.Running Up That Hill is a vibrant and comprehensive re-examination of Kate Bush and her many creative landmarks.Trade Review'Approaching its subject from inspired angles...probably the best Bush book to date' * 4/5 Record Collector *'Running Up That Hill offers a range of new ways to appreciate the single-minded inspiration that it springs from' * 9/10 Uncut *'Funny and illuminating. A refreshing take on one of our most complex, gifted artists' * 4/5 Mojo *'A very beautiful book' -- Chris Hawkins, BBC Radio 6'An unconventional but insightful biography of the famously reclusive singer songwriter" * Choice Magazine *'A great gift for a music fan' * My Weekly Magazine *'A comprehensive rejection of the caricatures that still cling stubbornly to the subject's name' * The Herald *'(A) celebration of the famously elusive figure" * Woman and Home *'Even familiar stories or well-worn anecdotes come to life... Doyle imbues them with a freshness. A thoroughly enjoyable read.' * Super Deluxe Edition *'The closest we've ever come to understanding the enigmatic, uncompromising Bush on page.' -- Virgin Radio

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Book SynopsisA highly detailed and thoroughly researched biography of the man who gave us Parisienne Walkways, Róisín Dubh (Black Rose): A Rock Legend', and Still Got the Blues (For You)'. Belfast-born Moore was perhaps the greatest guitarist of his era and this book explores his musical heritage, providing analysis of album releases and live performances.

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Book Synopsis Love and Rockets meets Russian Doll in this original, full-color graphic novel about an underground punk band caught in a loop of an eternally repeating tour—from National Book Award–winning cartoonist Nate Powell.   At first glance, Diamond Mine seems to have emerged in 1979 as Arkansas’s first punk band. Instead, this quartet is revealed to be interdimensional travelers from 1994, guided—largely against their will—by vocalist Diana’s powerful spell embedded into their song “Fall Through.”   As Diamond Mine tours the country, each performance of the song triggers a fracturing of space-time perceptible only by the band members as they’re transported to alternate worlds in which they’ve never existed, but their band’s legend has. That is, until Jody, the band’s bassist and the story’s protagonist, finds herself disrupting Diana’s sorcery, even at

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Book Synopsis Cypress Hill is considered the first-ever Latin American hip hop group, and has sold over 20 million albums to date, with this graphic novel release timed to their 30th anniversary and activities and merchandise planned around it Graphic novel traces the group’s origins back to Los Angeles, CA and is set against a backdrop of the turmoil of the LA Riots, making this an all-too relevant release following the events of 2020 and clashes between police and protestors in the Black Lives Matter movement Written by former Complex Editor-in-Chief and Def Jam Records executive Noah Callahan-Bever Feature media coverage in LA Times, NY Times, High Times Planned regional features across Southern California print and radio outlets, including daily and weekly publications in Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego 1991: XXX years ago, a trailblazing trio made music history blending East Coast hip-hop fundamentals with West Coast chicano swagger to form a sound all their own. Before they became icons, Louis and Senen were just a couple teenage cholos from around the way, trying to stay out of trouble--Until a series of chance encounters with both sides of the law changed their path forever.

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Book SynopsisFlip the Script showcases some of the best rappers currently making music in the UK. It has taken a significant amount of time for women to get recognition in the genre, even though there have been phenomenal women in hip hop since its beginnings in the Bronx in the 1970s - but why did we take so long in the UK? Flip the Script gets to know the women who have paved the way, the successes and experiences of those that shape the thriving scene we have today. Arusa goes in depth with a number of female rappers who are making waves right now to find out about their relationships with hip hop, why they were attracted to the scene, what their thoughts are on the future of the genre and whether or not they feel a sense of belonging. Using her own research, and with reference to pioneers and critical theory, she explores hip hop's history of misogyny and how women have traditionally been looked over by their peers, and celebrates the brilliant icons who have made this one of the most exciting genres to be part of. A must read for fans of music, feminism, and culture.

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Book SynopsisProvides perspective on how Belle & Sebastian transformed themselves, over the space of a decade, from an underground, slightly shambolic cult secret into a polished, highly entertaining, mainstream pop group. This work includes interviews with band members, producers, management, and a range of fans.Trade ReviewPlagenhoef knows his subject matter inside and out and has gone the extra mile to research and contextualize the work- a necessary task, since the band refused to be interviewed for the project...it's nice to see a modern classic get some due recognition. * Under the Radar Magazine *

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Book SynopsisIn August 1994, Manic Street Preachers released The Holy Bible, a dark, fiercely intelligent album that explored such themes as mental illness, murder and war. Richey Edwards, the band's lyricist and motive force, vanished five months later; he was never found. In his absence The Holy Bible entered the rock canon alongside Joy Division's Closer and Nirvana's In Utero, the valedictory works of troubled young men. This book tells the dramatic story of Manic Street Preachers'' masterpiece. Tracing the album''s origins in the Valleys, an industrialised region of South Wales where the band spent their formative years, the author argues that The Holy Bible can be seen as a meditation on the uses and abuses of history.Trade ReviewEvans approaches the Manics' dark, sinewy third album, The Holy Bible, with the same studious zeal that precipitated its arrival ... An essential companion piece. [Five stars]. * Record Collector *In this book David Evans does a beautiful and passionate job of placing the record in the context of the band’s Welshness … as well as the political and cultural landscape of the UK in 1994 ... If as a Manics fan you ever picked up a specific book because it was referenced in The Holy Bible, it’s essential further reading. * Classic Rock *A careful and thoughtful examination of The Holy Bible that manages to make sense of an album with which ... it’s hard to know where to begin...[Evans] insightfully examines the influence of the Welsh chapel tradition on Richey’s lyrics and outlook. * Review 31 *For the non-academic reader who happens to love the Manics, this book is absorbing and highly readable; for the specialist there are the sprinklings of ivory towerism – like chilli flakes on a fine risotto, just enough. In this wonderful world of purchase power, I hope you will all go and find a copy. You won’t regret it. * Daryl Leeworthy, author of Labour Country: Political Radicalism and Social Democracy in South Wales 1831-1985 *The Holy Bible is an album which has stimulated hundreds and thousands of words ... [and] has intrigued, perplexed, worried and inspired an army of listeners. It is thus a triumph that this small book is able to encapsulate so much of what is vital, special and worth celebrating on the record ... For anyone new to The Holy Bible, this well written, enthusiastic, literate, easy to read and totally 4Real book is a perfect introduction to why it is a unique record. For anyone who's grown up with it, Evans achieves the essential feat of impelling you to listen to it and think about it again. * R*E*P*E*A*T fanzine *[A] well-rounded, comprehensive and smart document of the album, its contexts and legacy...More than anything, Evans’ book is a reminder of the album’s strength as a recurring galvanising force * Concrete Islands *It took me back to when a band meant everything. I loved the Welsh angle, the big nod to the music - often overlooked because of the focus on Richey's lyrics - and the respect it shows to the fans. It's a brilliant book. The album is an alternative bible and here it has the treatment it deserves. * Mariana Enríquez, author of Things We Lost in the Fire *What a thing of beauty this book is. I love how as well as describing the song recording process and band chronology it also reads around the album, interrogating literary works thoughtfully and looking for threads to pull. It made me see the music in new ways. * Rodge Glass, author of Alasdair Gray: A Secretary's Biography, winner of the Somerset Maugham Award *Table of ContentsTrack Listing Prologue Introduction Scars The bigger things Things can only get better This is yesterday Machines Into the black Portals Forever delayed Epilogue

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Book SynopsisThe question of control for Black women is a costly one. From 1986 onwards, the trajectory of Janet Jackson's career can be summed up in her desire for control. Control for Janet was never simply just about her desire for economic and creative control over her career but was, rather, an existential question about the desire to control and be in control over her bodily integrity as a Black woman. This book examines Janet's continuation of her quest for control as heard in her sixth album, The Velvet Rope. Engaging with the album, the promotion, the tour, and its accompanying music videos, this study unpacks how Janet uses Black cultural production as an emancipatory act of self-creation that allows her to reconcile with and, potentially, heal from trauma, pain, and feelings of alienation. The Velvet Rope's arc moves audiences to imagine the possibility of what emancipation from oppression--from sexual, to internal, to societal--could look like for the singer and for othersTable of ContentsTrack Listing Acknowledgments Preface 1. A Special Need 2. Like the Blues Need the Pain 3. Damn, Disconnected 4. Mmm … My Lips Hurt 5. Work in Progress 6. Let Me Just Fuck With it For a Minute 7. Welcome to My World Notes

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Book SynopsisAn extraordinary history of the punk movement in East GermanyTrade ReviewWildly entertaining . . . A thrilling tale . . . A joy in the way it brings back punk's fury and high stakes * Vogue *Original and inspiring . . . Mohr has written an important work of Cold War cultural history * Wall Street Journal *A thrilling and essential social history that details the rebellious youth movement that helped change the world * Rolling Stone *[A] riveting and inspiring history of punk's hard-fought struggle in East Germany. The book chronicles, with cinematic detail, the commitment and defiance required of East German punks as they were forced to navigate constant police harassment and repression * New York Times Book Review *Gripping * Billboard *Burning Down the Haus fastidiously traces the self-discovery of punks in the socialist dictatorship of East Germany, and the violence and repression they endured on the way to freedom * NPR *Mohr digs into the subject of East German punk like nobody before * Rolling Stone (Germany) *Spellbinding . . . Part cultural history, part political thriller, and entirely true -- Peter Ames Carlin, author of Homeward Bound: The Life of Paul SimonBurning Down the Haus is a riveting cultural history that also serves as a rallying call against authoritarianism everywhere -- Ruth Franklin, author of the NBCC Award-winning Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted LifeBurning Down the Haus is not just an immersion into the punk rock scene of East Berlin, it's the story of the cultural and political battles that have shaped the world we live in today. Tim Mohr delivers the soundtrack for the revolution that we've all been waiting for -- DW Gibson, author of The Edge Becomes the Centre: An Oral History of Gentrification in the Twenty-First CenturyIn East Germany, where non-conformity meant jail time, punks' ripped clothes and spiked hair were a show of courage and defiance. Squatting in derelict apartments and burning their lyrics before the secret police could get hold of them, these teenagers wrote the soundtrack for a rebellion that helped bring down the Berlin Wall. Tim Mohr tells the story of their DIY revolution with the thoroughness of a historian and the panache of a cultural insider. Burning Down the Haus is a riveting cultural history that also serves as a rallying call against authoritarianism everywhere * Ruth Franklin, author of the NBCC Award-winning Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life *Lively . . . Compelling . . . A front-row seat to the events of the '80s. This take on punk evolution is engaging, enlightening and well worth checking out * Publishers Weekly *A wonderful book * Berliner Zeitung *Offers a captivating punk's-eye view of everyday life as the DDR unravelled in its final years . . . Both a moving story of indefatigable defiance in the face of oppression and a complex portrait of everyday life in the DDR in the 1980s, Burning Down the Haus honours the punk spirit with its history from below * Times Literary Supplement *Political regimes can't stop soundwaves. They just travel. This is revealed powerfully in Tim Mohr's Burning Down the Haus, an exploration of how punk changed Berlin, and still defines it today, 30 years after the Wall fell * New Statesman *

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Book SynopsisThese are the songs that we have listened to, laughed to, loved to and laboured to, as well as downed tools and danced to. Covering the last seven decades, Stuart Maconie looks at the songs that have sound tracked our changing times, and just sometimes changed the way we feel. Beginning with Vera Lynn's We'll Meet Again', a song that reassured a nation parted from their loved ones by the turmoil of war, and culminating with the manic energy of Bonkers', Dizzee Rascal's anthem for the push and rush of the 21st century inner city, The People's Songs takes a tour of our island's pop music, and asks what it means to us. This is not a rock critique about the 50 greatest tracks ever recorded. Rather, it is a celebration of songs that tell us something about a changing Britain during the dramatic and kaleidoscopic period from the Second World War to the present day. Here are songs about work, war, class, leisure, race, family, drugs, sex, patriotism and moreTrade ReviewOne of the most insightful and purely readable books on pop music I think I have ever encountered -- Marcus Berkmann * Daily Mail *An unequivocal pleasure and highly recommended -- Marcus Berkmann * Daily Mail *The blend of research and conjecture is impressive -- Will Hodgkinson * The Times *Maconie succeeds in being at once elegant and approachable, definititive but also self-deprecating * Guardian *A fine writer: sharp, funny, tender and thoughtful * Spectator *

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Book SynopsisCorey Taylor has seen a lot of unbelievable things. The Grammy Award-winning singer of Slipknot and Stone Sour''s curiosity has drawn him into situations that would've sent most people screaming scared and running for the hills. Corey's ballsy enough to go into the darkness and deal with the consequences though. As a result, he's seen ghosts up close and personal, whether it be while combing through an abandoned house in his native Iowa as a child or recording an album in the fabled Houdini Hollywood Hills mansion. He's also got the memories (and scars) to prove it. For some reason, he can't seem to shake these spectral stories, and that brings us to this little tome right here...At the same time, being an erudite, tattooed, modern Renaissance Man, he never bought into the whole God thing. Simply put, he's seen ghosts, but he hasn't seen Jesus. Corey especially can't find a reason why people do the insane things they do in HIS name. That's where everything really gets intereTrade ReviewHe’s done it again, folks, put out a piece of art and work that will leave you speechless and thinking harder than you have in awhile. Taylor’s second book…is probably more highly-anticipated than his first book and will have your hair standing on end, chills down your spine while making you laugh hysterically at some parts…A well-written, in-depth, intellectual and bone-chilling piece of work that will go down in history as one of the best books written by a metal singer of all time. * thefrontrowreport.com *

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Book SynopsisThe first full-length biography of Johnny Hodges, Rabbit's Blues tells the story of one of the premier saxophonists in jazz history, who brought the woody tone and bluesy technique of New Orleans music to the hot East Coast jazz of the Ellington orchestra.Trade ReviewOne of the most absorbing elements in this book is the wealth of quotes about Hodges from his friends, fellow musicians and musician-admirers. They illuminate the music, the recordings, the style, but tell us little about the inner man. He remains, as Chapman suggests in the Prologue, an enigma, private to the end. * Max Easterman, Vintage Jazz Mart *Con Chapman's biography of alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges catapults him into the pantheon of timeless jazz immortals...Chapman brings vibrant life to one of jazz's greatest altoists admired by everyone from Charlie Parker, John Coltrane and even Benny Goodman. * Frank Griffith, London Jazz News *What's remarkable about Rabbit's Blues is that it's taken this long for this master of the alto saxophone to be so commemorated. Hats off therefore to author Con Chapman for writing about a man whose tone and beautiful playing was unsurpassed during his lifetime and since his 1970 death. Rabbit's Blues is full of fluid prose, leanly conveyed in 175 pages of easy-to-read enjoyment, complemented by 16 pages of delightful photographs. * Marilyn Lester, New York City Jazz Record *Con Chapman's book is the massively overdue first full-length biography of Hodges and explores indepth his early life, work with Ellington and relationships with saxophone peers as well as corrects long-held mistakes about Hodges' life. * The New York City Jazz Record *Like many brilliant musicians who contributed to the music of jazz immortals, Johnny Hodges' artistry have been woefully ignored. Yet Hodges was an immortal himself, and through scrupulous research and a keen appreciation of Hodges' gifts, Con Chapman has brought us as close to this taciturn genius as we are likely to get. * Bob Blumenthal, Grammy Award-winning jazz critic *Con Chapman's first-rate Rabbit's Blues catapults the incomparable alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges into the pantheon of jazz immortals. Chapman celebrates Hodges's rise from Cambridge, solo work with Duke Ellington, conciseness of melody, and gorgeous instrumental tone with musicologist precision. This is a marvelous biography for the ages. Highly recommended! * Douglas Brinkley, Katherine Tsanoff Brown Chair of Humanities and Professor of History at Rice University and Grammy Award-winning jazz record producer *The sound of Johnny Hodges was and is one of the landmarks of jazz, not to mention the feeling it conveyed, but he was a man of few words. Here, for the first time, we have a full-fledged portrait of the artist himself. * Dan Morgenstern, Grammy Award-winning jazz critic *It was Johnny Hodges to whom Duke Ellington entrusted his most beautiful melodies. Until now, Hodges has been an enigma to the world - he was famously taciturn and was said to put everything he felt into his saxophone. Con Chapman has managed a miracle in bringing to vibrant life one of jazz's greatest musicians, admired by Charlie Parker and John Coltrane. Chapman places Johnny Hodges in the midst of American music in the same fashion that Ellington placed him in his musical world. * Loren Schoenberg, Grammy Award-winning jazz historian *Duke Ellington surrounded himself with sidemen whose strong musical personalities were essential to his success. Yet for all their individuality, they lived out their lives in his long shadow-and still do. Now the greatest of them, Johnny Hodges, is the subject of a full-scale biography of his own, one that tells his story clearly, readably, and in richly rewarding detail. Thanks to Con Chapman, it is possible at last to see Hodges for what he was, a musical giant in his own right whose towering stature was inescapably obscured by the greatness of his boss. * Terry Teachout, author of Duke: A Life of Duke Ellington *Johnny Hodges' unmistakable sound on alto saxophone was at the heart of the Ellington orchestra for decades. Except for brief periods, Hodges's extraordinary career spanned the long life of the Ellington Orchestra, from when Hodges joined the band in 1928, at the start of its Cotton Club years, until Duke's death in 1974. Hodges, a reserved person, was nonetheless a perennial crowd-pleaser and poll-winner, and an idol to countless aspiring jazz saxophonists. Con Chapman helps uncover the details of Hodges' personal life, and his ascendance as a prominent jazz soloist with the 'Beyond Category' Ellington Orchestra, and on his own. * Stephanie Crease, ASCAP-Deems Taylor Award-winning author of Gil Evans: Out of the Cool *Table of ContentsEpigraph Prologue 1. A Sax is Born 2. Young Man With a Sax 3. His Tone 4. Scuffling in New York 5. The Competition 6. The Partnership Begins 7. Women and Children 8. Outside the Ellington Constellation: 30's and 40's 9. The Small Groups 10. Swee' Pea 11. Blanton, Webster and the Forties 12. Food and Drink 13. The Coming of Bird 14. The Rabbit Strays 15. The Rabbit Returns 16. Outside the Ellington Constellation: 50's and 60's 17. The Quality of Song 18. Lagomorphology 19. The Blues 20. The Out Chorus Epilogue Bibliography Abbreviations Acknowledgements

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Book SynopsisDowntown, 1956-1965--the first volume of Sixties British Pop, Outside In--describes the rise of London''s music and recording cultures through the stories of those who empowered Britain''s youth to be young. As the generations born in the postwar world entered adolescence and demanded a say in their lives, British musicians responded by creating music reflecting youth''s quest for love and recognition. With waves of technological innovation sweeping through a world where political and economic superpowers postured for domination, deep-seated English values helped shape both pop music and its audiences.The music that reverberated in hundreds of local clubs and halls began as fervent attempts to imitate an ongoing American cultural invasion that television helped bring into front rooms across Britain. The emergence of British blues and rock ''n'' roll began when broadcasters allowed teens to discover Tommy Steele, Cliff Richard and the Shadows, Adam Faith, Helen Shapiro, and others. These pioneers provided an opening for the Beatles to lead a northwest invasion of an unsuspecting London. Soon, from across the nation, the Rolling Stones, the Animals, the Kinks, and a host of other groups, and singers such as Petula Clark, Tom Jones, and Donovan were feeding their music into the same media stream that the US had dominated. Americans, reeling from the assassination of a president, embraced the unmitigated joy and optimism they heard and called it the British invasion. Based on extensive research and drawing on vintage and original interviews, Downtown, 1956-1965 frames the extraordinary rise of British pop in an era when pharmaceutical discoveries and electromagnetic innovation were altering lives. A community of musicians, producers, music directors, engineers, songwriters, publishers, promoters, broadcasters, and journalists provided songs, made and played recordings, organized concerts, and wrote about music expressing the exuberance of youth culture. They brought audiences together and gave individuals identity. Moreover, the fruits of their efforts set in motion the musical world in which we live today.

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Book SynopsisFrom the earliest days of rock and roll, white artists regularly achieved fame, wealth, and success that eluded the Black artists whose work had preceded and inspired them. This dynamic continued into the 1960s, even as the music and its fans grew to be more engaged with political issues regarding race. In Tear Down the Walls, Patrick Burke tells the story of white American and British rock musicians' engagement with Black Power politics and African American music during the volatile years of 1968 and 1969. The book sheds new light on a significant but overlooked facet of 1960s rockwhite musicians and audiences casting themselves as political revolutionaries by enacting a romanticized vision of African American identity. These artists' attempts to cast themselves as revolutionary were often naïve, misguided, or arrogant, but they could also reflect genuine interest in African American music and culture and sincere investment in anti-racist politics. White musicians such as those in popTrade Review"Thoughtful, well-researched. . . .There is nothing soothing about the sometimes-overwhelming white noise of late 1960s rock, but Burke will not let the music’s radical roar fade to silence below its problematically persistent hum of racial retrenchment. The dissonances that emerge from his carefully wrought ambivalences are a good thing." * The Sixties *"Burke takes an even-keeled approach to Black-influenced revolutionary music in the 1960s created by white musicians within a white-centric industry, shedding light on an under-researched aspect of the music of the period." * Choice *"As a whole, the book reveals that the walls of race have not been torn down. This is hardly the fault of music and musicians, however. In fact, those making claims to 'race music' include a diversity of interested parties." * Ethnic and Racial Studies *"Incisive and even-handed, Tear Down the Walls is bound to enrich ongoing discussions of the enigmatic relationship between rock and race. Its findings pave the way for future studies to understand these categories more holistically and further analyze the discrepancies between artistic intent and cultural consequence." * Rock Music Studies *"Tear Down the Walls successfully problematizes ideas of musical and political appropriation and authenticity, as well as white radical politics and its organization, messaging, and relationship to white rock groups of the late 1960s. Burke’s text is clearly rooted in extensive research and built on established theoretical ideas, but he avoids overly technical musical analysis and writes engagingly, widening the prospective audience. Tear Down the Walls is recommended for public and academic libraries, and should be accessible and of interest to readers in the humanities as well as in music." -- Alyssa Nance * Music Reference Services Quarterly *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 Honkie Soul: The MC5 at the Democratic National Convention—Lincoln Park, Chicago, August 25, 1968 2 Blue Eyes and a Black Face: Jefferson Airplane and the Rock Revolution—The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (CBS-TV), November 10, 1968 3 One Plus One: Jean-Luc Godard Meets the Rolling Stones—London Film Festival, November 29, 1968 4 The Seats Belong to the People: The Battle of the Fillmore East—Lower East Side, Manhattan, December 26, 1968 5 Declare the Nation into Being: Woodstock and the Movement—Woodstock Music & Art Fair, White Lake, NY, August 15–18, 1969 Epilogue Acknowledgments Notes Index

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Book SynopsisTake control of your narrative and become the best version of yourself with 50 Hip-Hop inspired lessons that will motivate a new generation.Grant Brydon has interviewed some of the biggest names in hip-hop. Here he shares the creative directions and tips derived from one-on-one conversations with Pharrell Williams, J Cole, Big Sean, Nipsey Hussle, and many more. With chapters covering motivation, creativity, authenticity, mental wellbeing, resilience, and more, the advice gleaned from these important artists'' life experiences will help you to face up to your own challenges and inspire you to make simple changes that have major positive consequences. Lessons include:- Award-winning rapper, singer, songwriter and producer J Cole on how to Define Success- Grammy award-winning hip-hop- legend Nas on Maintaining Focus on What''s Important - A lesson in Committing to Inspiration from Flo Milli, viral TikTok sensation and Best New Artist nominTrade Review"Grant Brydon compiles many of the major keys from some of the most prolific voices in hip-hop and draws a through-line to the hearts of their success stories... An entertaining and informative read." * Kathy Iandoli, author of God Save The Queens: The Essential History of Women in Hip-Hop *"A thoughtful collection of essays on hard work and creativity that taps into generous anecdotal wisdom about music and life from an array of personalities in the industry, past and present." * Lance Scott Walker, author of DJ Screw: A Life In Slow Revolution *"A brilliant tapestry of story and artistry by a seasoned journalist whose love for hip-hop flourishes here." * Ciesay, co-founder of PLACES+FACES *

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Book SynopsisThe Sunday Times Sports Book of the YearA Times Book of the YearA Financial Times Book of the YearA Guardian Book of the YearA New Statesman Book of the Year''The heartwarming story of the collaboration and friendship between English football's oddest couple, Elton John and Graham Taylor'' The Times'' A wonderful, feel-good account of an ultimately English provincial story'' Simon Kuper_____________________ An unforgettable British underdog story from one of our greatest narrative nonfiction writers, John Preston, and the international musical icon and bestselling author, Sir Elton John.Britain in the 1970s was beset by unrest and unemployment, as inflation soared, fuel was scarce, and hooliganism was on the rise. And for Watford FC, the outlook was even gloomier. Rundown and rat-infested, Watford were an ailing side with holes in their kit and barely eno

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Book SynopsisAn authoritative history of the trailblazers of the independent rock 'n' roll record industryTrade ReviewAwarded a Certificate of Merit by the Association for Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC) for Best Research in Recorded Rock and Popular Music, 2010. "Broven ... keeps the text moving right along, his fill-in facts and explanations welcome, his segues from interviewees' words to his own smooth and easy. The author clearly loves the music and holds the achievements of the record people in high regard, but he stays level-headed and avoids overpraising his heroes."--Downbeat"A fascinating new book about the early independent labels of rock 'n' roll underscores again the central role that radio played in turning rock 'n' roll into the musical language of modern American popular culture. Record Makers and Breakers ... is a rich and engaging history of those early years, largely told through the words of the smart guys, hustlers and Runyonesque characters who shaped them". --New York Daily News"Broven has put together a detailed and engrossing study of the independent record labels of the 1940s-70s. . . . An outstanding and important study that goes well beyond comparable predecessors; highly recommended."--Library Journal (starred review)"4 stars. Welcome to a world filled with payola, the mob and jukebox sounds."--MOJO"Covering the convoluted history of the recording industry from the 1940s to the 1960s, [Broven] combines in-depth archival research with fascinating anecdotes about chart-toppers, shady characters and label owners. . . . The impact of conniving entrepreneurs on the musicians and the layering of rich details and digressive detours as Broven traces the transition from R&B to rock make this equal to Roger D. Kinkle’s massive, four-volume Complete Encyclopedia of Popular Music and Jazz.--Publishers Weekly"The depth of factual details is incredible, but it's presented in the style of a rich oral history . . . so as not to lose any of the flavour of their anecdotes. . . . It's a chronicle of the entrepreneurial American spirit, liberally punctuated by the creation of some of the most exciting and innovative music of all time."--Record Collector“Broven is masterful, making Record Makers an essential book for anyone interested in not only American musical culture but American culture, period."--American Songwriter"This is by far the most complete picture painted to date of the independent recording industry and it has the added advantage of illuminating many of the personalities who helped make that tick."--Blue Suede News "A remarkable, carefully documented oral history written as an approachable narrative. . . . Recommended."--Choice "An invaluable addition to understanding American music and indispensable for those into pop music history."--Jazz & Blues Report "Record Makers and Breakers is a big train of a book that follows the rise of blues, R&B, soul and early rock 'n' roll through the lives behind the independent labels. Long though it is, the ride is rich for anyone curious about the business dynamics of popular culture."--New Orleans Magazine "A treasure. John Broven has given the academic world a good dose of old-fashioned shoe leather journalism. This book will be invaluable to scholars studying the music industry and particularly the rock 'n' roll era."--Don Cusic, author of Johnny Cash: The Songs "Record Makers and Breakers is replete with groundbreaking research that more than any other single book explains how the popular music industry worked. A must read about the record industry."--Robert Pruter, author of Doowop: The Chicago Scene and Chicago Soul

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