Popular music Books
Omnibus Press Pressure Drop
Book SynopsisPressure Dropchronicles reggae's most tumultuous and influential decade. Beginning in 1970 and unfolding both in Britain and Jamaica, reggae flourished against a backdrop of political upheaval, gang warfare, Black Nationalism, racial and class discrimination and grinding poverty.
£23.80
Bonnier Books Ltd My Thoughts Exactly: The No.1 Bestseller
Book SynopsisTHE NO.1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER*************************************'Witty, dark, devastating' Caitlin Moran'Unflinching, unputdownable' Guardian'Brutally honest, funny, emotionally raw' Matt Haig'I love it' Jon Ronson*************************************So, this is me. Lily Allen.I am a mother, and I was a wife. I'm also a singer and a songwriter. I have loved and been let down. I've been stalked and assaulted. I am a success and a failure. I've been broken and full of hope. I am all these things and more.I'm telling my truth because when women share their stories, loudly and clearly and honestly, things begin to change - for the better.So, this is my story. These are my thoughts exactly.**Includes an exclusive new chapter**
£9.99
Hodder & Stoughton Utopia Avenue
Book Synopsis''ONE OF THE MOST BRILLIANTLY INVENTIVE WRITERS OF THIS, OR ANY, COUNTRY'' INDEPENDENTThe Number One Sunday Times Bestseller''Wildly entertaining''SPECTATOR''A stand-out triumph''SUNDAY TIMES''Superb''LITERARY REVIEW''Impressive''NEW YORKER''Highly entertaining''TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENTA story of music and dreams, drugs and madness, love and grief, from the acclaimed author of Cloud AtlasThe year is 1967 and word is spreading about a new band on London''s psychedelic scene - an unlikely combination of a female folksinger, a blues bassist, a jazz drummer and an electric guitarist. Strangers to each other and from widely different backgrounds, together they create magic. Meet Utopia Avenue.This is the story of a unique band''s brief, blazing journey from Soho dives to Trade ReviewWhat makes it a stand-out triumph is the vibrant flair with which it recreates an era, the acuteness with which it explores composition and performance, and its often witty verbal finesse * Sunday Times *A lively, colourful, emotional roller-coaster of a read that lingers long after you turn the final page * Sunday Express *A 1960s music epic -- Books of the Year * Guardian *It's Daisy Jones & the Six on acid * Entertainment Weekly *Charting the rise to stardom of a "psychedelic-folk-rock band" in the late 1960s, this gaudy, swirling concept album of a novel resurrects a flamboyant era with vibrant flair and high-fidelity detail. Amid a whirligig of funny, elating and affecting scenes, the origins, challenges and rewards of creativity are keenly surveyed. David Mitchell's stylish prose makes every page gleam. -- Books of the Year * Sunday Times *Superb . . . enormous fun . . . a celebratory page-turner * Literary Review *A great book! I was completely engrossed for two days. -- Brian EnoAn ambitious, rambunctious, hugely enjoyable tale . . . [it] is filled with sparkling dialogue and has stimulating things to say about creativity, mental health, the effects of domestic violence, the Vietnam War, grief, parental responsibility and what it was perhaps like to be an independent-minded female musician back in the day * Independent *Mitchell is expert at excavating the seams of loss, ambition and mere chance that lie under the edifice of fame . . . The reader is impelled from the first by a kind of rushing, gleeful energy . . . he superbly conveys the energy and spirit of the age . . . a supremely readable novel, if the quality of readability is taken to be one which is difficult to achieve and a relief to encounter -- Sarah Perry * Guardian *Fast-moving and compelling * Tablet *One of his most satisfying works. The dialogue really sings * Mail on Sunday *Highly entertaining * Times Literary Supplement *One of the many delights of Utopia Avenue is seeing the cosmic dust of genius swirling in chaos before the stars are formed . . . If you can't hear the music reverberating off these pages, you're not listening * Washington Post *Mitchell rescues this brief slice of the past, made so poignant because its brilliance was so ephemeral, and brings it into the shimmering present. The result is that Utopia Avenue does what music does: it joins up time * Daily Telegraph *Mitchell is pitch-perfect on the past . . . He manages to write about goodness without any mawkishness. This is not an easy task, and to link it to redemption is even more challenging, but it works * Scotland on Sunday *A book bristling with pleasures . . . An overwhelmingly vivid - and equally exhilarating - portrait of an era when the future seemed likely to be shaped by a combination of young people and music. At the same time, there's a melancholy sense of the transience of this idealism . . . Utopia Avenue confirms that his real talent - perhaps even genius - lies in finding wildly entertaining new ways to tell old truths. * Spectator *With his huge electric brain, Mitchell has written his own solo scenius, one that draws connections between Edo-era Japan and a distant, post-human-collapse future. It's a grand project, brilliantly executed and deeply humanist. Utopia Avenue is the most fun stop along the way and aptly named * Los Angeles Times *A consistently absorbing book, which skilfully conveys the excitement and mayhem of the era, and the hopes and dreams of those swept up in it * Economist *Mitchell, whose novels range through different modes and genres with extraordinary facility, has a lucid, kinetic style at all times, but he is never more impressive than when writing in close third person about characters in altered mental states - captivity, physical pain, madness . . . A conventional story of a band's rise turns into a book on another plane entirely * New Yorker *The great rock and roll novel - an epic love letter to the greatest music ever made and the book the music has always deserved * Tony Parsons *His narrative has the addictive quality of the best music journalism, mixed with superb period detail and fine storytelling. An escape in time and space. A trip. A blast * Songlines *The band members leap off the page, the musical references will appeal to anyone who grew up in that decade (or those who just love its music) and the writing is, as ever, stunning * Good Housekeeping *
£10.44
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Japrocksampler
Book SynopsisDeconstructs Japanese rock music and reveals what happened when East met West after World War Two. This book explores the clash between traditional, conservative Japanese values and the wild rock 'n' roll renegades of the 1960s and 70s, and tells of the seminal artists in Japanese post-war culture.Trade Review'This book's astonishing blend of seriousness and hilariousness is testament to perhaps the most remarkable mind in rock today' Word 'The most obscenely enjoyable book of the year ... enlightening, thrilling and occasionally hilarious ... Cope is a supremely engaging writer whose aim is to entertain, educate and freak out, like A. J. P. Taylor being spiked by Lester Bangs' Telegraph 'Fascinating ... keeps the reader gripped ... his evocations of all this authentically inauthentic music are enticing and convincing' ***** Observer Music Monthly 'Cope's first-hand knowledge of the petty rivalries and idiocies of life in the rock 'n' roll business lends his tales the sheen of authenticity. In its own way, Japrocksampler is a brave book' The Wire
£13.49
Canongate Books Fear Stalks the Land!: A Commonplace Book
Book SynopsisIn which the writings of the authors Thom Yorke and Stanley Donwood are gathered together.This commonplace book includes faxes, notes, fledgling lyrics, sketches, lists of all kinds and scribblings towards nirvana, as were sent between the two authors during the period 1999 to 2000 during the creation of the Radiohead albums Kid A and Amnesiac.This is a document of the creative process and a mirror to the fears, portents and fantasies invoked by the world as its citizens faced a brave new millennium.Trade ReviewA celebration of the ideas, both written and drawn, that were behind the creation of the Radiohead albums Kid A and Amnesiac . . . Includes faxes, notes, scribblings and sketches that musician Yorke and artist Donwood exchanged in the run-up to the creation of two iconic albums * * Independent * *The themes they [explore] (global warming, government surveillance, the corrosive power of the internet) are still strikingly relevant * * Scotsman * *These companion art books show the depth of Radiohead singer Thom Yorke and visual artist Stanley Donwood's decades-long creative partnership . . . Filled with rare artwork, early drafts, poetry and even a glossary to many of their inspirations, these works shed light on some of their more cryptic mysteries, while folding in new shadows to consider * * Variety * *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Over the Rainbow
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£10.44
Quercus Publishing Goth A History
Book SynopsisA fascinating deep dive into the dark Romanticism of Goth music by one of its central figures.
£10.44
HarperCollins Publishers Amy My Daughter
Book SynopsisAmy Winehouse needs no introduction. A critically acclaimed recording artist, she touched millions with her music during her short but extraordinary life.Following her tragic death in July 2011, Mitch Winehouse wants to tell her incredible story in full. Amy, My Daughter will take the reader through her mischievous early years, her rise to stardom and to her much publicised struggles with addiction. The book will bring the many layers of her life together the personal, the private and the public to create a fitting tribute to his much loved daughter.Using exclusive extracts from his personal diary, Mitch discusses shocking and concerning events in his daughters life that will tug at the heartstrings of Amy's fans across the globe.Featuring never-before-seen photos of Amy, taken from the family album, Amy, My Daughter promises to be the definitive account of an iconic figure who, although tragically taken at an early age, has left a musical legacy that will enthral audiences for many years to come.All proceeds from the book will be donated to The Amy Winehouse Foundation, the charity that Mitch has established in Amy's name to help children and young adults facing difficulty and adversity in their lives.Trade Review‘Can’t fail to move.’ The Sunday Times ‘An unsparing portrait of addiction … refreshingly free of rose-tinting.’ The Times ‘Mitch does a fine job of fleshing out his daughter in all contradictory glory.’ Observer ‘An unflinchingly honest memoir.’ Independent ‘The inside story of a pop tragedy … Told with courage, clarity and warmth.’ Q magazine ‘A fitting tribute to her incredible story.’ Now magazine ‘An intimate account’ Look magazine ‘A tender portrait of Amy.’ Camden New Journal
£10.44
Omnibus Press So It Started There
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£11.69
Orion Publishing Co The Absence
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£21.25
Omnibus Press Peter Green
Book SynopsisBlues guitar great andFleetwood Mac founder, Peter Green, was an enigma throughout his career. Hisinnovative songwriting and unmistakeable voice shot Fleetwood Mac into themainstream in 1969 with Albatross', Man of the World', and Oh Well'. But inMay 1970, he turned his back on stardom and quit the band.
£15.00
Route Publishing The Big Midweek: Life Inside the Fall
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£13.93
Profile Books Ltd As Serious As Your Life: Black Music and the Free
Book SynopsisIn this classic account of the new black music of the 1960s and 70s, celebrated photographer and jazz historian Val Wilmer tells the story of how a generation of revolutionary musicians established black music as the true vanguard of American culture. Placing the achievements of African-American artists such as Albert Ayler, Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane and Sun Ra in their broader political and social context, Wilmer evokes an era of extraordinary innovation and experimentation that continues to inspire musicians today. As vital now as when it was first published in 1977, As Serious As Your Life is the essential story of one of the most dynamic musical movements of the twentieth century.Trade ReviewThis book saved me from giving up. Even though the jazz musicians Wilmer wrote about were mostly male, their approach to music making, their passion and their activism resonated with me and showed me a way to move forward musically -- Viv AlbertineThe best of those books that found evidence of a black revolution or resurgence in the musical achievements of Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, Albert Ayler and others * Guardian *A very powerful and proud black book ... it sings the praise-song of the procreators of the new music and their direct descendants * Coda *An exceptionally illuminating book on jazz now - and on music to come. Indeed, it's one of the relatively few indispensable books about America's classical music -- Nat HentoffA fascinating document, full of the energy of political struggle * Socialist Review *A masterpiece of jazz history ... it charts the development of the new black music, delving deep into the lives, minds and politics of the people behind it * BBC Radio 3 *Fascinating snapshot * The Wire *A classic ... jam-packed with gems -- Cerys Matthews * BBC Radio 6Music *A social history of the free jazz movement from its beginnings in the late 1950s ... as serious, and necessary, as ever * Village Voice *One of the foremost chroniclers of African-American musical culture * Spectator *One of the most important and exciting books ever written about jazz. It's essential * Stereogum *
£12.34
Hodder & Stoughton Room Full of Mirrors
Book Synopsis''Charles R. Cross has got as close to the truth as anyone yet in his exhaustive and ground-breaking account of the life of the greatest guitarist in the history of rock.'' Observer''Superb''Sunday TelegraphJimi Hendrix continues to fascinate, and sell huge quantities of albums, even 35 years after his death. Quite apart from his influence on musicians and fans, a large part of the appeal of his sensational life story lies in the thrill of the era whose values he came to stand for. The Sixties still exert a massive pull over pop culture and this is genuinely a book for anyone interested, not only in Hendrix but also in anything to do with the pop culture of the last 40 years.Meticulously researched and sensitively and beautifully written, this is a labour of love that reveals the nuances, foibles and tragedies of the human being behind the iconic image.This is the sweeping, authoritative and colourful biography that Jimi Hendrix and that his legions of fans, young and old deserves.Trade Review'meticulously researched' * Mojo *''Charles R Cross has got as close to the truth as anyone yet in his exhaustive and ground-breaking account of the life of the greatest guitarist in the history of rock.' * Guardian *'Hendrix emerges from this superb biography as not only a big old sexy genius, but as a funny, sensitive, and very naughty boy.' * Sunday Telegraph *For HEAVIER THAN HEAVEN:One of the most moving and revealing books ever written about a rock star. * Los Angeles Times *Cross's research is impeccable... he writes with a fine mixture of sympathy and sense, weeding the myth of all its lies and exaggerations but never minimising the complexity of his subject. * Lynn Barber, Daily Telegraph *Wins immediate entry into the rock lit pantheon. Five stars. * Q Magazine *A superbly researched and harrowing book. * The Sunday Times *Cross's portrayal of a shy but prodigiously gifted child is a joy to read. * Observer *Groundbreaking * New York Times Book Review *
£11.69
Omnibus Press A Furious Devotion
Book SynopsisThe definitive biography of Shane MacGowan, fully updated. This is the complete and extraordinary journey of the Pogues' notorious frontman from outcast to national treasure.
£11.69
Permuted Press The Most Interesting Man in the World
Book SynopsisThe Godfather of New York City hardcore and founding member of Agnostic Front invites you into his lower east side pad to regale you with tales from his extraordinary life among mobsters, punk rockers, and a bevy of iconic artists and personalities—none of whom is as interesting or fascinating as the inimitable Vinnie Stigma!Born Vincent Capuccio on December 3, 1955, Vinnie Stigma—as his countless friends and fans lovingly refer to him—is the founder and guitarist of New York City’s legendary hardcore band Agnostic Front. He’s also one of the Big Apple’s earliest punk rockers, having frequented such eclectic downtown haunts as Max’s Kansas City, The Electric Circus, and of course, CBGB while it was still known as Hilly’s on the Bowery during the early 1970s. The Most Interesting Man in the World stretches from Vinnie’s upbringing in Little Italy amongst the tight-knit Italian families, as well as some prominent wiseguys, to teaming up with Cuban-born vocalist Roger Miret to carry punk’s angrier successor across the globe; from no-show jobs in his youth obtained by people who “protected” him, to lighting up some of the world’s biggest stages. However, Vinnie Stigma is not your run-of-the-mill rocker of many decades. He has dabbled in cooking, professional wrestling, acting, martial arts, yoga, and other creative disciplines. He is a father and a cancer survivor who helped pioneer skinhead and tattoo culture in America, and has mentored hundreds of fledgling musicians and artists. Vinnie insists he is an entertainer first and foremost, which he learned from his childhood idols Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Lee, and Frank Sinatra. Featuring vintage photos throughout, a handful of signature Italian recipes, even a four-page comic book and crossword puzzle, The Most Interesting Man in the World is a journey through a life unlike any other. No one sees or experiences the world quite like Vinnie Stigma.
£18.70
Motorbooks Bruce Springsteen and Born to Run
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£28.50
Faber & Faber Here Comes Everybody
Book SynopsisOctober 1982: ABC, Culture Club, Shalamar and Survivor dominate the top twenty when the Pogues barrel out from the backstreets of King''s Cross, a furious, pioneering mix of punk energy, traditional melodies and the powerfully poetic songwriting of Shane MacGowan. Reviled by traditionalists for their frequently fast, often riotous interpretations of Irish folk songs, the Pogues rose from the sweaty chaos of backroom gigs in Camden pubs to world tours with the likes of Elvis Costello, U2 and Bob Dylan, and had huge commercial success with everyone''s favourite Christmas song, ''Fairytale of New York''. Yet, the exuberance of their live performances coupled with relentless touring spiralled into years of hard drinking and excess which eventually took their toll - most famously on Shane, but also on the rest of the band - causing them to part ways seven years later. Here, their story is told with beauty, lyricism and great candour by James Fearnley, founding member and accordion player. He brings to life the youthful friendships, the bust-ups, the amazing gigs, the terrible gigs, the fantastic highs and the dramatic lows in a hugely compelling, humorous, moving and honest account of life in one of our most treasured and original bands.
£11.69
Simon & Schuster Ltd I Was There
Book SynopsisA raucous, funny and deeply insightful memoir from the godfather of modern music PR in Britain
£10.44
Triumph Books Taylor Swift: Icon
Book SynopsisWith her deeply personal songwriting, countless hit songs, and genre-bending yet unmistakable sound, Taylor Swift has cemented her status as one of pop music's most iconic and culture-defining voices. On the heels of her latest album, "Midnights," this visually stunning book pays tribute to Swift's different eras as a musician, her sonic and aesthetic influences, personal inspirations, and the incredible community she has fostered among her international fanbase—all alongside dozens of full-color photos.
£11.86
Simon & Schuster Chronicles Volume 1
Book SynopsisAn unprecedented publishing event - the first volume in a series of memoirs by one of the most important and influential musicians and songwriters of our time.
£10.44
Little, Brown Book Group Let Love Rule
Book Synopsis''I see my story as a suite of songs that have a magical connection. I never understood that connection until I sat down to write. It was then that the magic started to flow.''Let Love Rule is a work of deep reflection. Lenny Kravitz looks back at his life with candor, self-scrutiny, and humour. ''My life is all about opposites,'' he writes. ''Black and white. Jewish and Christian. The Jackson 5 and Led Zeppelin. I accepted my Gemini soul. I owned it. I adored it. Yins and yangs mingled in various parts of my heart and mind, giving me balance and fueling my curiosity and comfort.''Let Love Rule covers a vast canvas stretching from Manhattan''s Upper East Side, Brooklyn''s Bedford-Stuyvesant, Los Angeles''s Baldwin Hills, Beverly Hills, and finally to France, England and Germany. It''s the story of a wildly creative kid who, despite tough struggles at school and extreme tension at home, finds salvation in music. We see him grow as a musici
£9.49
Omnibus Press Bowie Odyssey 75
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£16.19
Two Rivers Press When Reading Really Rocked volume 2 The Punk
Book SynopsisThe lively story of Reading's music scene in the late 70s and early 80s following the explosion of punk and its DIY attitude. Local bands, venues, record labels, recording studios, technicians, promoters, fanzines, radio and more.
£11.69
Orion Publishing Co Innocent When You Dream Tom Waits The Collected
Book SynopsisTom Waits in his own words: a collection of three decades' worth of interviews with Tom Waits
£10.99
Sher Music Co ,U.S. The Jazz Theory Book
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£40.49
Feral House,U.S. Lords Of Chaos 2nd Edition
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£17.84
Faber Music Ltd OK Computer OKNOTOK 1997 2017
Book SynopsisRadiohead's OK Computer OKNOTOK 1997 2017 features the original twelve tracks from the OK Computer 1997 album, plus three unreleased tracks and eight B-sides with eight colour pages of artwork by Stanley Donwood.Table of ContentsAirbag; Paranoid Android; Subterranean Homesick Alien; Exit Music (For a Film); Let Down; Karma Police; fitter happier; Electioneering; Climbing up the Walls; No Surprises; Lucky; The Tourist; I Promise; Man of War; Lift; Lull; Meeting in the Aisle; Melatonin; A Reminder; Polyethylene (Parts 1 & 2); Pearly; Palo Alto; How I Made My Millions
£17.99
Sher Music Co ,U.S. The Jazz Piano Book
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£30.59
Orion Publishing Co A Riot of Our Own
Book Synopsis''Hugely enjoyable ... Green''s great achievement is to recapture exactly how those moments felt, but remain sufficiently detached about the whole thing to render the experience honestly'' MOJOJohnny Green first met the Clash in 1977. A RIOT OF OUR OWN is his tale of three delirious years of rock ''n'' roll madness as confidant and road manager of the Clash, from the early punk days to LONDON CALLING and touring America. Ray Lowry accompanied the band as official ''war artist'' on the second American tour and designed the London Calling album cover. Together, in words and pictures, Green and Lowry give the definitive, inside story on one of the most magnificent rock ''n'' roll bands ever.Trade ReviewHugely enjoyable ... Green's great achievement is to recapture exactly how those moments felt, but remain sufficiently detached about the whole thing to render the experience honestly * MOJO *Finally ... a Clash book worth its salt ... Here it all is, London calling from the top of the dial - the low-life liggers, the bags of cash, the cops, the coke, the quarrels, up and down the Westway and in and out of the lights, the great bass speakers, the driving rain and reggae, expectation, exploration and the cosmic live gigs ... This is a witty tribute to the only lastingly listenable punk band -- Liz Young * INDEPENDENT *I like Johnny Green's book! It seems to convey the feeling in the air like it was at the time ... It captures something. It's entertaining for starters. And it's short! -- Joe StrummerA Riot of Our Own is written from inside the eye of the storm. Johnny Green captures the essence of the Clash. He's pretty funny, too ... A Riot of Our Own enables you to smell the leather, the hairspray, the sweat and the spliff. It could quite happily sit alongside Kerouac, Kesey and Ginsberg in terms of its celebration of living life on a knife edge -- Ben Myers * MELODY MAKER *This touching, angry, uproarious take sustains 238 pages because it never lets go of the notion that as one day follows another something more than a pop group's career might be at stake -- Greil MarcusFucking great! -- Joe Strummer's builders
£11.69
Orion Publishing Co Johnny Cash: The Life
Book Synopsis'Johnny Cash ... Every man could relate to him, no man could be him, and only one man could get inside his head - Robert Hilburn' BONOPeople don't just listen to Johnny Cash: they believe in him. But no one has told the Man in Black's full story, until now.In Johnny Cash: The Life, Robert Hilburn conveys the unvarnished truth about a musical icon, whose colourful career stretched from his days at Sun Records with Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis to his remarkable, brave and deeply moving 'Hurt' video, aged sixty-nine. As music critic for the Los Angeles Times, Hilburn knew Cash well throughout his life: he was the only music journalist at the legendary Folsom Prison concert in 1968, and he interviewed Cash and his wife June Carter for the final time just months before their deaths in 2003. Hilburn's rich reporting shows the remarkable highs and deep lows that followed and haunted Cash in equal measure. A man of great faith and humbling addiction, Cash aimed for more than another hit for the jukebox; he wanted his music to lift people's spirits.Drawing upon his personal experience with Cash and a trove of never-before-seen material from the singer's inner circle, Hilburn creates an utterly compelling, deeply human portrait of one of the most iconic figures in modern popular culture - not only a towering figure in country music, but also a seminal influence in rock, whose personal life was far more troubled, and whose musical and lyrical artistry much more profound, than even his most devoted fans ever realised.Trade ReviewJohnny Cash was a man both extraordinary and ordinary. Every man could relate to him, no man could be him, and only one man could get inside his head: Robert Hilburn -- BonoRobert Hilburn displays a deeply felt affinity with his subject, illuminating Johnny Cash as the moral compass of country music -- Patti SmithA great story requires great storytelling, and that's exactly what it receives here. Ultimately, Robert Hilburn's biography uncannily resembles its subject: massive and stolid, but with a dangerous glint in its eye -- Charles Shaar Murray * Literary Review *Johnny Cash and Robert Hilburn are two of the true blessings of my life. Both the best at what they do and each a gifted artist. It's a killer combination -- Kris Kristofferson[T]he most authoritative and revealing portrait to date of the most chronicled figure in country-music history ... [a] finely wrought biography -- Eddie Dean * Wall Street Journal Europe *Hilburn's biography has the sort of immense scope and tremendous insight that comes from years of interviewing such a truthful, troubling subject -- Rob Fitzpatrick * Sunday Times *A warts-and-all biography follows Johnny Cash, a rebel and outsider, from one drama to the next. It's a must-read -- Will Hodgkinson * The Times *Rock biographies can feel like they are ten-a-penny so it is a refreshing change to read a meaty no-holds barred, non-sycophantic record of legendary Man in Black Johnny Cash ... The wealth of detail on every page, in ever incident of Cash's life (1932-2002) is both impressive and a joy to read. Unlike so many biographies that are reported incidents jigsawed together, this is almost an eyewitness account with not always favourable opinions, perfecting its colour and gravitas -- Nicole Carmichael * Sunday Express *How do you write an interesting biography of such a beloved figure? First, hire Robert Hilburn. He is a prodigious researcher, but keeps a steady hand on the tiller, and never allows his research to swamp his narrative. He knows his music and music history, but unlike far too many music critics, he avoids the temptation to show off * The Economist *Hilburn has pulled off the rare feat of making the dispassionate truth more extraordinary than the myth -- Andy Fyfe * Mojo *With straightforward prose, and through years of meticulous research, Robert Hilburn unravels the sometimes dark and magical life of one of music's greatest legends. Oftentimes this is a chronicle of pain, whether Hilburn is detailing Cash's early loss of his beloved brother, or the anguish he talked to Rick Rubin about feeling upon the death of wife June, but Hilburn gives much insight into what drove Cash's work. This is a harrowing story of addiction, musical genius, and enduring faith that goes far deeper than any film biopic ever will. In the end, Hilburn has achieved what is most certainly the definitive Johnny Cash biography -- Charles R. Cross, author of Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt CobainRobert Hilburn has written a magnificent biography * BBC Radio 4 Front Row *Hilburn displays a quite remarkable empathy with his subject and his writing style is highly readable and totally gripping. The book has just been published in the UK and is surely a must for any serious country music buff -- David Alan * Country Music People *A moving, respectful and sympathetic biography -- Alan Taylor * Sunday Herald *There is madness aplenty in this excellent life of the turbulent Johnny Cash -- Rod Liddle * Sunday Times *Superb -- Will Hodgkinson * The Times *
£15.29
Abrams R. Crumb Heroes of Blues Jazz Country
Book SynopsisContains three companion sets of trading cards - Heroes of the Blues, Early Jazz Greats, and Pioneers of Country Music - in book form. This work provides the biography of each musician, along with a full colour original illustration.
£14.39
HarperCollins Publishers HeadOnRepossessed
Book SynopsisJulian Cope's highly acclaimed autobiography and its long-awaited sequel in one extraordinary volume.Julian Cope shot to fame with eighties band Teardrop Explodes'' during the Punk era. Hailed as a visionary by those people who recognise his genius and a madman by those who find him perplexing, he has become a cult figure in the music world.Head-On/Repossessed is written in Cope's own inimitable style and follows his journey through a time of incredible change within the music industry.Head-on is the highly acclaimed autobiography that The Observer viewed as book of the year when it was first released. Repossesed picks up in 1983 where Head On ends and continues up until 1989.Trade Review'Hilarious, observant and deeply subversive.' I-D 'Considered and self-deprecating…Mighty.' TIME OUT 'Repossessed…is one of the best books about the 80s ever written and without doubt the best book about toy cars, hermiting, integrity and drug paranoia.' THE GUARDIAN 'Cope's passion and intelligence are well served by a vein of self-deprecating wit.' THE DAILY TELEGRAPH 'Wondrous memoirs of fleeting stardom and LSD-induced psychosis.' Q MAGAZINE [The 50 Best Music Books Ever, 2001] 'Cope's rocking writing at its most infectious, moving and hilarious.' NEW MUSICAL EXPRESS 'Compulsive reading…This man is truly a genius.' LOADED 'A wryly rendered masterpiece.' Q MAGAZINE
£11.69
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Nick Drake The Biography
Book SynopsisA biography of the British singer songwriter who died aged twenty six, having made three albums, all now recognised as classicsTrade ReviewHumphries has a lively feel for Drake’s social context … This book works as a sad fable of an unusual casualty of the 1960s counter culture * SUNDAY TIMES *A riveting account of the golden-boy genius * EVENING STANDARD *An exquisite portrait … It’s less about the human condition than about the sensitive adolescent’s coming-of-age. But it’s none the less moving for that. A short, sweet and sad story * MOJO *Patrick Humphries has written a rich, moving account of a troubled spirit, a mature biography of a briefly flickering talent unable to come to terms with the adult world … The writing is zestful and intelligent and the text illuminating … A literary memorial fit to stand alongside the songs * UNCUT *
£13.49
Little, Brown & Company Our Band Could Be Your Life
Book SynopsisThe definitive chronicle of underground music in the 1980s tells the stories of Black Flag, Sonic Youth, The Replacements, and other seminal bands whose DIY revolution changed American music forever. Our Band Could Be Your Life is the never-before-told story of the musical revolution that happened right under the nose of the Reagan Eighties -- when a small but sprawling network of bands, labels, fanzines, radio stations, and other subversives re-energized American rock with punk''s do-it-yourself credo and created music that was deeply personal, often brilliant, always challenging, and immensely influential. This sweeping chronicle of music, politics, drugs, fear, loathing, and faith is an indie rock classic in its own right.The bands profiled include:- Sonic Youth- Black Flag- The Replacements- Minutemen- Husker Du- Minor Threat- Mission of Burma- Butthole Surfers- Big Black- Fugazi- Mudhoney- Beat Happening- Dinosaur Jr.Trade ReviewAzerrad has done so much interviewing that the material will be fresh even for those whose lives these bands were. - Village Voice * A timely reminder that Cobain and company were merely a key regiment in the motley al-rock army…. OUR BAND COULD BE YOUR LIFE narrates, down to the homemade posters and tour van repairs, how these bands gradually built up an audience large enough to make *
£16.19
Faber & Faber Shadowplayers
£14.24
Orion Publishing Co Sing Backwards and Weep
Book SynopsisThe most honest and unsparing grunge memoir ever committed to the page by one of the greatest alternative rock stars of the past thirty yearsTrade ReviewRaw, ravaged and personal - a stoned cold classic -- Ian RankinSing Backwards and Weep is powerfully written and brutally, frighteningly honest. First thought that came to my mind was, 'Mark Lanegan gives the term 'bad boy' a whole new meaning.' These are gritty, wild tales of hardcore drugs, sex, and grunge. But this is also the story of a soulful artist who refused the darkness when it tried to swallow him whole. And who found redemption through grace and the power of his unique and brilliant music. Finally, the song becomes truth. And the truth becomes song -- Lucinda WilliamsA mesmerising trip to the dark side that in places is so gloriously bleak it achieves a kind of Grand Guignol comedy. Written in blood, with true intensity, it becomes an instant classic of the genre -- Kevin BarryA dark tale of dysfunctional normality and diseased reality. At war with the world and himself, Mark Lanegan writes like he sings, from the pained heart of a damaged soul with brutal honesty -- Bobby GillespieOne of the rawest and most honest music autobiographies I've ever read -- Stuart BraithwaiteThe frontman of the Screaming Trees gives a bloody, brawling, dope-fueled tour of his personal battlefields By any reckoning, Lanegan should be long dead alongside beloved friends like Kurt Cobain of Nirvana, Kristen Pfaff of Hole, and Layne Stanley of Alice in Chains. By either miracle or stamina, the author is still alive to offer a blisteringly raw self-portrait of life not just as an excessively self-indulgent rock star, but also a victim of his own hubris . . . This isn't just a warts-and-all admission; it's a blackout- and overdose-rich confessional marked by guilt and shame. It's also not a redemption song, but like any other train wreck, it's impossible to look away. A stunning tally of the sacrifices that sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll demand of its mortal instruments * Kirkus *Many rock memoirs come with a third act in which the artist achieves sobriety and disavows their former life. Not so Lanegan, who delivers grand guignol scenes of heroin-fuelled violence, degradation and self-abuse while recalling his Screaming Tree days, with little in the way of regrets. Rare in its rawness and bracing honesty. * The Guardian, 10 of the Best Music Biographies *The most brutally honest rock memoir imaginable -- Daily TelegraphNot for the faint-hearted -- 9/10, Classic RockAn astonishingly frank, heartbreaking and tremendously brave book -- Record CollectorDark yet borderline-hilarious cavalcade of horror and mayhem -- Big IssueThe book reads like a debauched Bukowski novel, as Lanegan drifts from sin to sin, cursing those who held him back from music, drugs, and hookups, and recounting grisly tales about his famous friends -- Rolling StoneThis is a frank, astonishing and often horrifying recollection from someone who has certainly lived a life, and who has now decided to share a part of it . . . far from your usual Rockstar Memoir -- Si Forster * Echoes and Dust *One of the most unflinching memoirs in the history of music writing . . . it is a survivor's tale, and a brilliantly written one at that * Kerrang *[Sing Backwards and Weep] makes for a harrowing epic, a thriller if I ever read one . . . the lyricist's flair he applies to its best passages elevates the book from the level of hachneyed retreads . . . he's able to dial himself up in moments of rage, sink us chin-deep into his sorrow at the loss of good friends . . . and crank the tension into a tightly wound ball when the dope-sickness sets in and the chase for a fix is on * Bookanista *A harrowing but often hilarious chronicle of addiction and regret . . . packed full of surprises . . . [Lanegan's] eye-popping memoir explores hell's many sub-basements, and lived to produce good writing -- Kitty Empire * Guardian *Rare in its rawness and candour, the book is a brutal chronicle of addiction -- Fiona Sturges * Guardian *[A] deeply sensitive book -- GuardianA brutally honest, harrowing yet utterly compulsive read * The Quietus *frank about his youthful search for "decadence, depravity, anything, everything" and refuses to flinch from the guilt he still carries around the death of his friend Kurt Cobain * NME *It's a depiction of addiction and self-loathing so bleak that your fingernails come away its pages caked in dirt. In it Lanegan lays his track-marked past bare, cycling endlessly between his roles as powerless victim, talented screw up and toxic enabler from page to stinking page * Clash *unflinchingly tells the musician's hardscrabble story from his early days in backwater Ellensburg, Washington as he drifts from a teen gambler and porn fiend to petty criminal * Spin *A chronicle of depravity and drugs, laced with dark humour and crackling with - well, not exactly joie de vivre, but certainly the will to live. The story of the rock star who descends into substance-abuse hell but survives to tell the tale has been told a thousand times, but Lanegan relates his experiences with irresistible swagger and honesty * Financial Times *A bejewelled document of excess and redemption * Mirror *The book is a triumph. * New Statesman *This is a narrative packed with surprises [...] but there is room in this heavy, heavy book for quite astonishing turns of kismet. * The Observer *A visceral, unforgettable memoir. * The New European *Sing Backwards and Weep is an unflinching trawl - or would be, were it not marginally leavened by straight-shooting yet eloquent language, gallows humour and his sweet, boyish excitement at the breifest of encounters with musical heroes such as Waylon Jennings and Devo's Mark Mothersbaugh * Scotland on Sunday *The usual offering is that dreaded soufflé of bullshit known as the rock memoir - the airy embellishment of glory days that inevitably collapses under the weight of its own conceit. But Lanegan's Sing Backwards and Weep is a rock memoir only insofar as its author happens to have sung rock n' roll in seminal bands while developing close friendships with some of the genre's most dearly departed * Vice *Rare in its rawness and candour, the book is a brutal chronicle of addiction [...] despite the tragedies, an arch humour characterises a lot of the writing * The Guardian *gripping memoir * Sunday Express *This is a narrative packed with surprises [...] but there is room in this heavy, heavy book for quite astonishing turns of kismet. * The Observer *A rock autobiography as raw as it gets. Come for the magnificent rant about Liam Gallagher, stay for the bleak and gripping account of addiction and loss * The i *Sing Backwards and Weep is a painstakingly unflinching account of a troubled life further troubled by the excesses of rock 'n' roll. It is among the very best memoirs I have read, by a musician or anyone else * The Australian *Sing Backwards and Weep is the only rock autobiography you need investigate. Like some nicotine-stained amalgam of Tom Waits and Kurt Cobain, Mark Lanegan gives another meaning to "warts and all" as he recounts his near obliteration during the Seattle grunge boom of the 1990s, of which he is one of the few survivors. A brazen and bleakly comic saga about the needle and the damage done. * Irish Independent *Sing Backwards and Weep - by turns mordant, entertaining and bleak - is both a portrait of a damaged man and a chronicle of a now legendary music scene * TLS *Sing Backwards and Weep is the only rock autobiography you need investigate. Like some nicotine-stained amalgam of Tom Waits and Kurt Cobain, Mark Lanegan gives another meaning to "warts and all" as he recounts his near obliteration during the Seattle grunge boom of the 1990s, of which he is one of the few survivors. A brazen and bleakly comic saga about the needle and the damage done. * Irish Indepdendent Summer Reads *
£10.44
Omnibus Press Dayglo!: The Poly Styrene Story
Book SynopsisPoly Styrene was a singer-songwriter, an artist, a free-thinker, a post-modern style pioneer and a lifelong spiritual seeker: a true punk icon. But this rebel queen with the cheeky grin was also a latter-day pop artist with a wickedly perceptive gift for satirising the world around her - her brightly coloured, playful aesthetic sharply at odds with the stark monochrome style and nihilism of punk. Here, for the first time, the vibrant jigsaw of Poly's inspiring and often moving story has been lovingly pieced together by her daughter, singer-songwriter Celeste Bell, and writer/artist Zoe Howe. From growing up mixed-race in Brixton in the 1960s, to being at the forefront of the emerging punk scene with X-Ray Spex in the 1970s, to finding faith with the Hare Krishna movement, to balancing single motherhood with a solo music career and often debilitating mental health issues, the book honestly and openly explores Poly's exceptional life, up until her untimely passing in 2011. Based on interviews with those who knew and loved Poly whether personally or through music, this oral history book includes testimonies from Vivienne Westwood, Don Letts, Glen Matlock, Jonathan Ross, Neneh Cherry, The Slits Tessa Pollitt, Thurston Moore, Jon Savage, and many others. Heavily illustrated throughout including personal photographs, flyers from the punk scene and hand-drawn artwork and lyrics for X-Ray Spex and beyond the book beautifully captures Poly Styrene's creative and personal legacy, reminding us that if anyone had the power to turn our worlds dayglo, it was her.Trade Review'The life and times of a true rebel, by those who knew her best... with a clear-eyed sense of honesty. She was a true artist and a genuine one-off, and Dayglo is the celebration she deserves.' Classic Rock, 8/10 'A portrait of the singer-songwriter, visual artist and spiritual traveller. A richly illustrated oral history of the woman and her singular work. A complex, inspirational and moving story.' Mojo 'Lovingly compiled' NME
£21.25
Sher Music Co Rhythm First A Beginners Guide to Jazz Improvisation Bass Clef Version
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£18.99
Michael O'Mara Books Ltd Blackpink: K-Pop's No.1 Girl Group
Book SynopsisBlackpink in your area – now fully revised and updated, this is the definitive guide to the biggest K-pop girl group on the planet.Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa are the hottest thing in pop right now – supremely talented with looks to die for, it’s no wonder everyone from Ariana Grande to Lady Gaga is a Blink! From headlining Coachella to sitting front row at Paris Fashion Week, these girls have done it all, and done it in style. Their music videos rack up billions of views on YouTube, and their world tours are sell-out events.If you want to know more about Blackpink, from their trainee days to world domination, this book covers it all: the songs, the choreography, the fashion, the music videos, the famous friends and the star collaborations. They really are ‘the only gang to run the game in high heels’.
£10.44
Faber Music Ltd La La Land
Book SynopsisThe romantic musical comedy-drama film La La Land is the winner of six Oscars, seven Golden Globes and five BAFTAs. This artist-approved selection of 10 songs from the Oscar-winning music by Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul has been expertly arranged for intermediate solo piano, including the Oscar winning City of Stars.Table of ContentsAnother Day of Sun; Someone in the Crowd; Mia & Sebastian's Theme; A Lovely Night; City of Stars; Planetarium; Start a Fire; Engagement Party; Audition (The Fools Who Dream); Epilogue
£15.19
Headline Publishing Group Olivia Rodrigo - Ultimate Fan Book
Book SynopsisDiscover everything you need to know about the world's hottest young pop star in Olivia Rodrigo - The Ultimate Fan Book.Since releasing her debut single 'Drivers Licence' in January 2021, Olivia Rodrigo has rocketed to the top of charts around the world, and quickly become not only one of the most exciting young singer-songwriters of the moment, but one of the biggest stars in the world today. In Olivia Rodrigo - The Ultimate Fan Book, you'll discover how this former Disney starlet has found such amazing success with her catchy songs, striking fashion choices and incredible charm.Through lively text and dozens of gorgeous photographs, this Fan Book follows the rise and rise of Olivia, from High School Musical to her acclaimed album Sour, and highlights how she's only just getting started. Filled with quotes from Olivia and her closest collaborators, discussing fame, fashion, fans and more, as well as tons of stunning snaps from the red carpet to stadium stages, Olivia Rodrigo - The Ultimate Fan Book takes you onstage, in the studio and behind the scenes with one of the brightest stars on the planet.Table of ContentsIntroduction • Born to Shine • Disney Days • Moving Into Music • Drivers Licence • Award Winner/Record Setter • Sour • Olivia Live • A White House Welcome • The Next Big Thing • What's Next?
£8.54
Titan Books Ltd Songs That Saved Your Life Revised Edition
Book SynopsisOne of the seminal groups of the Eighties, The Smiths'' career was as brilliant as it was brief. Now, drawing on interviews with band members, producers, and colleagues, music journalist Simon Goddard presents a meticulous chronological survey of the group''s musical evolution, from their first demos in 1982 to their final fractured studio session five years later. Investigating the stories behind the songs, and detailing every British TV and radio session, he also offers a unique analysis of each track''s concert life. Granted unprecedented access to The Smiths'' studio archives and to the private collection of outtakes and rehearsals retained by drummer Mike Joyce, the author lifts the lid on unreleased material as well as the lost songs and alternate versions that have remained closely guarded secrets until now.
£12.34
HarperCollins Publishers One Two Three Four The Beatles in Time Winner of
Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED for the Baillie Gifford Prize's 25th Anniversary Winner of Winners awardWINNER OF THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE 2020A Spectator Book of the Year A Times Book of the Year A Telegraph Book of the Year A Sunday Times Book of the YearFrom the award-winning author of Ma'am Darling: 99 Glimpses of Princess Margaret comes a fascinating, hilarious, kaleidoscopic biography of the Fab Four.John Updike compared them to the sun coming out on an Easter morning'. Bob Dylan introduced them to drugs. The Duchess of Windsor adored them. Noel Coward despised them. JRR Tolkien snubbed them. The Rolling Stones copied them. Loenard Bernstein admired them. Muhammad Ali called them little sissies'. Successive Prime Ministers sucked up to them. No one has remained unaffected by the music of The Beatles. As Queen Elizabeth II observed on her golden wedding anniversary, Think what we would have missed if we had never heard The Beatles.'One Two Three Four traces the chance fusion of the four key elemeTrade Review‘A ridiculously enjoyable treat . . . Brown is such an infectiously jolly writer that you don’t even need to like the Beatles to enjoy his book . . . brilliant . . . hilarious . . . And at a time when, like everybody else, I was feeling not entirely thrilled about the news, I loved every word of it.’ Sunday Times ‘A celestial combination of writer and subject . . . One Two Three Four is a critical appreciation, a personal history, a miscellany, a work of scholarship and speculation, and a tribute as passionate and worshipful as any fan letter.’ Esquire ‘The perfect antidote to these times.’ Julian Barnes, Guardian ‘Kaleidoscopic … It’s like a compilation of mobile phone footage in a modern editing style as you piece together this extraordinary journey. I think it’s the most exhilarating way of reading a biography; a masterpiece’ Alexander Armstrong ‘It’s ingenious, wholly original (not a given, what with the subject matter), absolutely gripping, funny, sad and moving. A complete treat.’ India Knight 'I have never been very interested in the Beatles. In fact I wouldn’t cross the road to see them . . . even Abbey Road. Yet I can’t put this wonderful book down.' Barry Humphries, Telegraph ‘A brilliantly executed study of cultural time, social space and the madness of fame . . . One Two Three Four, by putting The Beatles in their place as well as their time, is by far the best book anyone has written about them and the closest we can get to the truth.’ Literary Review ‘Brown seems to have invented a wholly new biographical form. In a polychromatic cavalcade of chapters of varying length, the man with kaleidoscope eyes conveys what it was like to live through those extraordinary Beatles years . . . If you want to know what it was like to live those extraordinary Beatles years in real time, read this book.’ Alan Johnson, Spectator
£10.44
Faber & Faber Roots Radicals and Rockers
Book SynopsisA Rough Trade, Mojo and FT Book of the YearSHORTLISTED FOR THE PENDERYN MUSIC BOOK PRIZEEmerging from the jazz clubs of the early 1950s, skiffle a uniquely British take on American folk and blues caused a sensation among a generation of kids who had grown up during the dreary post-war years. Teenagers were looking for a music of their own in a culture dominated by crooners and mediated by a stuffy BBC. Against a backdrop of Cold War politics, rock and roll riots and a newly assertive working-class youth, Billy Bragg charts for the first time in depth the history, impact and legacy of a movement that sparked a revolution and shaped pop culture as we have come to know it.
£12.34
Dorling Kindersley Ltd Music The Definitive Visual History DK Definitive
Book SynopsisA complete and harmonious history of music, from prehistory to the present day!Have you ever wondered how blues influenced rock music? Or why jazz went Latin? Classical or rock, everyone has their favourite music style, but how did your top choice come about? If you find yourself asking these musical questions and more, then this may be the book for you! Music is a compelling and richly illustrated history of the most unifying art form in the world. Explore the roots of all genres from chants of the middle ages through the grandeur of the classical period to the modern rhythm of blues, jazz, hip-hop, and pop. Music includes illustrated histories of instruments and listening suggestions for each musical genre. Spectacular galleries display families of instruments from around the world, while special features showcase the evolution of key instruments, such as the piano and the guitar, and profile iconic innovators such as Mozart, Billie Holiday, an
£25.50
Faber & Faber Apathy for the Devil
Book SynopsisPitched somewhere between Almost Famous and Withnail & I, Apathy for the Devil is a unique document of this most fascinating and troubling of decades - a story of inspiration, success and serious burn out.As a 20-something college dropout Nick Kent''s first five interviews as a young writer were with the MC5, Captain Beefheart, The Grateful Dead, Iggy Pop and Lou Reed. Along with Charles Shaar Murray and Ian MacDonald he would go on to define and establish the NME as the home of serious music writing. And as apprentice to Lester Bangs, boyfriend of Chrissie Hynde, confidant of Iggy Pop, trusted scribe for Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones, and early member of the Sex Pistols, he was witness to both the beautiful and the damned of this turbulent decade.
£12.34
Omnibus Press Rock Stars at Home
Book SynopsisYou've recorded the album, toured the world, and all of the fans have left the venues. Where can the rock star now turn for sanctuary? With stadium size egos to placate, how does the rock star relax in their household? From Keith Moon's stately home to George Harrison's Buddhist retreat, Sinatra's chic apartment to Elton John's crash pad, how do the homes of the rock stars reflect their personalities and idiosyncrasies? This picture led book takes you through the keyhole of the abode's of our biggest stars.
£15.29
