Popular music Books

Book SynopsisUlrich thinks he got the ultimate fan trip-to play, record, and tour with his favourite band, Dead Can Dance. His memoir details the early days, from signing with 4AD, recording their first album, then heading off on tour with the Cocteau Twins. There follow insights into the legendary period of the 4AD label of the 1980s; contributing to This Mortal Coil; guesting with Wolfgang Press, Pieter Nooten and Michael Brook, and Modern English; and touring the US for the first time in 1990. Following his departure from DCD, Ulrich remained close with Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard, and his memoir tracks their parallel paths over the following decades. A must for fans of Dead Can Dance and the 4AD label, and at the same time, a fascinating slalom through the ups and downs of trying to pursue a vision through the music industry.Trade Review"...[G]reat book... one of the best memoirs I have read... honest, open and while very in-depth it is a fun and interesting book to read... You do not have to be a fan of Dead Can Dance, but if you are not, you will be once you have finished reading it." —Aaron Badgley, Spill Magazine"This book really does capture so much, so well, what it was like in the early days, both for struggling artists and the fledgling independent label community.” —Ivo Watts-Russell, founder 4AD Records"Getting a glimpse into the crucible of creation/re-creation was exhilarating...Through this memoir you can enjoy the view too, and see the inner world of a seminal and highly influential band as they rise into success." —Benjamin Schreihals, Gothic Beauty Magazine"A thoroughly absorbing memoir, filled with fascinating detail." —Joanne Harris, author"[Ulrich is] a natural writer, deftly weaving in tales of life... and affording cameos to those who burned brightly. A historical document of a vast musical landscape, this will fascinate those who weren't there, and make misty those of us who were." —Jane Cornwell, Songlines Magazine"Well, what a journey...fantastic read." —Paul Erikson, original bassist of Dead Can Dance"...in-depth memoir... very exciting... all those tiny details we wanted... Highly recommended." —Klemen Breznikar, It's Psychedelic Baby Magazine"...the book...It's great! Tower Ballroom, Edgbaston - my first DCD gig. Lisa came on with a teacup and saucer." —Glen Johnson, founder, singer, guitarist of Piano Magic"...highly collectable piece of fan memorabilia for DCD devotees. Furthermore... richly descriptive recollections of the adventures in sound... other 4AD projects, including This Mortal Coil... a solo career and further collaborations... his preoccupation with possibilities of instrumentation reveals a unique passion... Ulrich's devotion to the cause is impeccable."—Bryony Hegarty, Louder Than War"...a real treat to recall my own collaboration with Peter and our insanely eclectic adventures in creating The Painted Caravan trilogy." —Treboy (Big T) Lloyd, founder, writer, producer of The Peter Ulrich Collaboration, head of City Canyons LLC"Lively and entertaining... with sterling levels of recall... A voluminous, lengthy, extensive five stars." —John Lloyd, Fox Books, Leicester, UK"A wonderful and fascinating personal story... so many nuances and parts of the story that I didn’t realise... and... a lot of forgotten memories."—Steve Webbon, Beggars Group"Part autobiography, part band biog, this is nothing if not unorthodox, but fully in keeping with the band that inspired it... the self-taught percussionist was closely involved in some of their defining records and shows, and his insights are often illuminating... Engagingly written"—Johnny Sharp, PROG Magazine"...just finished the book... absolutely loved it!" —Greg Fasolino, "one of the foremost Goth and Post-Punk historians in the world (post-punk.com)""...that story you tell about a dinner in Venice and then you present Lisa's completely different recollection of the same event... I love that! We all have such faulty memories of what occurred. There is no reality!" —Sam Rosenthal, founder of Projekt Records and black tape for a blue girl"A fabulous fly-on-the-wall read." —Coral Rockks 985FM CKWR, Canada"...incredibly well-crafted... and [the] writer's voice carries such positivity and a general love of music, along with the camaraderie of creation and what it feels like to be in a band - struggles and successes and all!" —Bret Helm, founder, singer, bassist of Audra"How one phone call can change everything. Ulrich tells a heady, detailed story of living in and learning fast having joined Dead Can Dance - one of the most unique groups ever, leading to his personal musical flowering. The creative ebbs and flows, worlds of life on the road and music business shenanigans come vividly to life."—Dave Massey - music journalist and historian, music publishing A&R/Creative Director and fellow drummer"Ulrich comes across as very personable, with plenty of rather wry humour, and... a sense of genuine surprise and delight at being part of a diverse music scene."— warped-perspective.com"[Ulrich's] personality and sense of humor absolutely comes through! Really wonderful job." —Timothy O'Donnell, graphic design v23/4AD"Great book, very well written..."—Claudio Bustamante, Fairfax City Music, YouTube Channel"I love how this weaves so much historical and influential contemporary music with the story... beautifully written... utterly compelling." —Lisa Tenzin-Dolma, author, singer-songwriter"I am reading this book and keep telling my friends about it. I feel like I am sitting in a time machine - haha - love it!" —Magno Damase, DCD fan posting on Facebook"Fabulous memories of exciting times, superbly written." —Colin Wallace, 4AD

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Book Synopsis‘The deliciously simple conceit — pop facts from every day of the year — lets Lewis roam wide and free, to fascinating effect.’ Daily Mail, 2023’s best history books With entries for every day of the year, ranging from mini-essays to pithy and engaging sentences, Don’t Stop the Music is a novel musical companion – a way of charting your year through the major events and tiny incidents in the lives and careers of pop stars and recording artists. Whether it be when pop became newsworthy; when future stars attended notable gigs; when that K-Pop act issued their first single; or when Elvis Presley found himself on TV singing ‘Hound Dog’ to a basset hound, there are surprising and enlightening events from the history of popular music for every single day of the year. And esteemed music writer Justin Lewis has compiled them all for you, informatively and divertingly. *** ‘A wonderful ride through our pop universe amongst thousands of bright stars, gnarled debris and twinkling nuggets of music and events made distant over time. Lewis has made all of it up-close and vivid through this indispensable companion for anyone who loves music and popular culture. Whatever the age of the reader, it’s brimming with new discoveries and triggering classics: memories and signposts make this an intoxicating music journey!’ Peter Curran ‘This is an astonishing book, a calendar of pop, an almanac of songs, a day by day in the life of music. A book of events that’s an event in itself.’ David Quantick ‘An absolute must for all music fans, Lewis' addictive volume is packed to the gills with facts, trivia, notable events and pure pop nuggets.’ Waterstones ‘A brilliant musical almanac, compiled by an engaging writer whose musical knowledge is not just detailed but wide-ranging and generous.’ Jonathan CoeTrade Review‘A brilliant musical almanac, compiled by an engaging writer whose musical knowledge is not just detailed but wide-ranging and generous.’ Jonathan Coe ‘A wonderful ride through our pop universe amongst thousands of bright stars, gnarled debris and twinkling nuggets of music and events made distant over time. Lewis has made all of it up-close and vivid through this indispensable companion for anyone who loves music and popular culture. Whatever the age of the reader, it’s brimming with new discoveries and triggering classics: memories and signposts make this an intoxicating music journey!’ Peter Curran ‘This is an astonishing book, a calendar of pop, an almanac of songs, a day by day in the life of music. A book of events that’s an event in itself.’ David Quantick ‘An absolute must for all music fans, Lewis' addictive volume is packed to the gills with facts, trivia, notable events and pure pop nuggets.’ - Waterstones A ‘deft and delightful pop almanac’ The Arts Desk ‘The deliciously simple conceit — pop facts from every day of the year — lets Lewis roam wide and free, to fascinating effect. Radio Caroline was named after JFK’s daughter, Dolly Parton sells a brand of canine clothes called Doggy Parton, and the Walker Brothers weren’t brothers.’ Daily Mail, 2023’s best history books

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Book SynopsisA new year for David Bowie means new clothes, new boots, new hair and a new name: Ziggy Stardust. To the gloomy blacked-out Britain of powercuts and three-day weeks he may as well be from outer space - if that's what it takes to make him famous, far be it from him to tell anyone he isn't. Bowie's success as the bisexual Starman soon rubs off on his new friends Mott The Hoople and his hero Lou Reed as 1972 becomes Annus Glamrockus. Music, fashion and the old codes of gender will never be the same again. But as his runaway fame quickly blurs all lines between fantasy and reality, neither will David. The third volume of the Bowie Odyssey series offers a wild and revelatory snapshot of the year of Ziggy as Simon Goddard continues his vivid real-time journey through the decade Bowie changed pop forever.Trade Review'A stonking good read' Mike Scott, The Waterboys 'Deep dive into the year Bowie achieved glam lift-off. Goddard's narrative is immersive, novelistic as he gets as deep inside as he can of the Bowie experience of 1972' Classic Rock, 9/10 'In which Ziggy touches down and Bowie takes off... The third instalment of Simon Goddard's wonderful Bowie Odyssey series' Record Collector, 4* 'David Bowie was at the Big Bang of my music consciousness. Simon Goddard’s immersive yearly look at the world in which Bowie operated, have become a must read for me. I’m very much looking forward to 1972.' Tim Burgess

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Book SynopsisLittle Feat may not be a household name, but they are well-known to a good number of musicians who are: Keith Richards rounded up the Rolling Stones to see them perform in Amsterdam in 1975, Robert Plant publicly lamented their lack of success (as Led Zeppelin's soared into the stratosphere), and Bob Dylan and Elton John saw them in concert whenever possible. Legends like Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, and Bob Seger helped out on their many record albums, and they backed up Robert Palmer, John Cale, and Chico Hamilton. Yet they never had a hit single, and the closest they came to success was with their 1978 live album, Waiting for Columbus (later performed live in its entirety by jam band Phish) - but not even the death of their leader, Lowell George, could stop the Feats' shoes from sailin': the band reformed in 1988 and has continued since, with Craig Fuller and Shaun Murphy helping out along the way. Little Feat on track dives into the ups and downs of their 50-year career and discusses every album and song, from their idiosyncratic 1971 debut to the post-pandemic optimism of 2021's When All Boats Rise.

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Book SynopsisIn the ''80s, the Birmingham, England, band Duran Duran became closely associated with new wave, an idiosyncratic genre that dominated the decade''s music and culture. No album represented this rip-it-up-and-start-again movement better than the act''s breakthrough 1982 LP, Rio. A cohesive album with a retro-futuristic soundinfluences include danceable disco, tangy funk, swaggering glam, and Roxy Music''s art-rockthe full-length sold millions and spawned smashes such as Hungry Like the Wolf and the title track. However, Rio wasn''t a success everywhere at first; in fact, the LP had to be buffed-up with remixes and reissued before it found an audience in America. The album was further buoyed by colorful music videos, which established Duran Duran as leaders of an MTV-driven second British Invasion, and the group''s cutting-edge visual aesthetic. Via extensive new interviews with band members and other figures who helped Rio succeed, this book explores how Trade ReviewContaining new interviews with four of the original five band members along with commentary from colleagues and former label execs and radio programmers of that period, the Rio book offers a behind-the-scenes making of the album and song analysis as well the record’s enduring popularity decades later. * Forbes *With new music on the horizon from Duran Duran in 2021, it's illuminating to look back to the exciting moment where the song that broke them in the U.S., "Hungry Like the Wolf," started to happen. * Salon *Engaging cultural history, told from a perspective of fondness but with a clear journalistic eye. * Spectrum Culture *Author Annie Zaleski dives deep into the album’s history, creation and legacy, including interviews with the band themselves. * Sydney's Daily Telegraph *Excellent… offers a fresh insight into this classic record. * Choice *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. The Road to Rio 2. Writing and Recording Rio 3. Why Rio Matters 4. Duran Duran, Video Pioneers 5. Winning Over US Radio 6. 1983: The Year of Duran Duran 7. Rio's Impact and Resonance Acknowledgments Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisPresents a thorough history of Slint, and the Louisville scene that surrounded the band, leading up to and focusing on the creation of their masterpiece, Spiderland. This book attempts to break through some of the mystery surrounding Spiderland and the band that made it.Trade Review"A growing Alexandria of rock criticism - Los Angeles Times, 2008 Ideal for the rock geek who thinks liner notes just aren't enough - Rolling Stone One of the coolest publishing imprints on the planet - Bookslut"Table of ContentsIntroduction; Part 1 - The Early Years; Part 2 - Slint, pre-Spiderland; Part 3 - Recording Spiderland; Part 4 - Track by Track Epilogue.

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Book Synopsis(Guitar Chord Songbook). From the folk troubadour to electric iconoclast, born-again preacher to elder statesman, Bob Dylan has sound-tracked the last 50 years in an unparalleled catalog of song. This collection contains 70 Dylan classics from every part of his career. Arrangements are in the same keys as the original recordings and include chord symbols, guitar chord frames, and complete lyrics. Songs include: All Along the Watchtower * Blowin'' in the Wind * Forever Young * Hurricane * It Ain''t Me Babe * Just like a Woman * Knockin'' on Heaven''s Door * Lay Lady Lay * Like a Rolling Stone * Mr. Tambourine Man * Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 * Tangled Up in Blue * The Times They Are A''Changin'' * and more.

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Book SynopsisHaving designed Roxy Music as an haute couture suit hand-stitched of punk and progressive music, Bryan Ferry redesigned it. He made Roxy Music ever dreamier and mellowerreaching back to sadly beautiful chivalric romances. Dadaist (punk) noise exited; a kind of ambient soft soul entered. Ferry parted ways with Eno, electric violinist Eddie Jobson, and drummer Paul Thompson, foreswearing the broken-sounding synthesizers played by kitchen utensils, the chance-based elements, and the maquillage of previous albums.The production and engineering imposed on Avalon confiscates emotion and replaces it with an acoustic simulacrum of courtliness, polished manners, and codes of etiquette. The seducer sings seductive music about seduction, but decorum is retained, as amour courtois insists. The backbeat cannot beat back nostalgia; it remains part of the architecture of Avalon, an album that creates an allusive sheen. Be nostalgic, by all means, but embrace that feeling's falsenTrade Review[An] incisive overview. * Choice *Table of Contents1. On Modernism 2. On Avalon 3. The High Road 4. The After-Party Notes Bibliography

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Book SynopsisVs. is the sound of a band on fire. The same confluence of talent, passion, timing, and fate that made grunge the world's soundtrack also lit a short fuse beneath Pearl Jam. The band combusted between late 1992 and mid-1994, the span during which they planned, recorded, and supported their sophomore record. The spotlight, the pressure, the paceit all nearly turned the thriving act to ash.Eddie Vedder, the reluctant public face of the band, responded by lashing out lyrically. Jeff Ament, Mike McCready, and Stone Gossard, who beheld success with varying degrees of anxious satisfaction, attacked their instruments in solidarity. Dave Abbruzzese welcomed the rock-star lifestyle, and left his mark on the record with more than just potent percussion.Vs. roils with furyand at times, gently steamsover the trappings of fame, human faults, and societal injustice. The record is a thrashing testament to Pearl Jam's urgent creativity and greater-good interests, and the band's logisticaTrade Review[Pearl Jam's Vs.] reminds the reader of the genius of the album. Those of a certain age will be taken back to their youth in its revisiting. And it brings to light some facts one might have missed or not been privy to at the time, creating a fuller, more perspective-full view of the album looking back. * Under the Radar Magazine *Table of ContentsIntroduction: My Generation Loved Their Town BAND VS. FAME 1. Grunge Glory & Growing Pains 2. Vedder Under Pressure BAND VS. WORLD 3. Five Against One: “Go” / “Leash” 4 Seeds of Activism: “Animal” / “Rats” / “Daughter” / “Dissident” / “W.M.A.” 5. Taking (and Throwing) Punches: “Blood” / “Indifference” BAND VS. SELF 6. The Once and Future Producer: “Rearviewmirror” / “Better Man” / “Crazy Mary” 7. Rhythm and Blues: “Glorified G” BAND VS. FUTURE 8. Not Changing at All: “Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town” 9. The Means to Make Amends Thanks Notes

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Book Synopsis'A really emotional read... it's wonderful' - Zoe Ball, BBC Radio 2'It's such a lovely book!' - Holly Willoughby, This Morning 'A lovely read... it's got everything - emotion and lots of laughs' - Alex Jones, The One Show'A gorgeous book!' - Lorraine'From Wham! to Spandau Ballet, from success to chaos in the blink of an eye - Martin and I are two ordinary people who have been on an extraordinary adventure together. Through it all, our commitment to each other and to our family is what has always mattered the most.' Shirlie KempWith a heartwarming foreword by Noel Fitzpatrick,IT'S A LOVE STORY tells the incredible story of Martin and Shirlie Kemp – from the moment they set eyes on each other, through their stellar careers, to raising a family together.For the first time, fans and readers will have an insight into their journey together, the lessons they have learned in the spotlight and behind the scenes, and their secrets to success, happiness and raising a loving family. The book will uncover the personal highs and lows of Britain's favourite couple, and the unbreakable bond that has kept them strong, no matter how hard the fight gets.'40 years together has been filled with incredible highs, when every teenage dream and every wish literally came true, to the most horrifying of lows that belonged in our nightmares. Shirlie and I are always asked, "What's the secret to a long marriage?" - well, hopefully within the pages of this book we all might find the answer to that question!' Martin Kemp

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Book SynopsisItchycoo Park, 1964-1970--the second volume of Sixties British Pop, Outside In--explores how London songwriters, musicians, and production crews navigated the era''s cultural upheavals by reimagining the pop-music envelope. As the generation born during the postwar years approached adulthood, they gravitated to music that resonated with their lives. Mainstream pop remained true to the basics, but some British artists conjured up sophisticated hybrid forms by recombining elements of jazz, folk, blues, Indian ragas, and western classical music while others returned to the raw essentials. Encouraging these experiments, youth culture''s economic power challenged the authority of their parents'' generation. Improved amplification opened larger and more lucrative concert venues while the spread of studios with enhanced technologies allowed artists and production crews the means to improve performances and recordings.British charts began to reflect London''s postcolonial heritage as groups su

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Book Synopsis"Within the contents of this book, I wanted to include items from my personal archive that have played a part in my career over 60 years, to illustrate the detail behind the detail." - Jimmy Page From his early days as a young session musician, through his years on the world stage with Led Zeppelin, to his solo work and collaborations, Jimmy Page has lived a spectacular life in music. Throughout it all, he has amassed an extensive private archive of iconic guitars, stage costumes and personal memorabilia. Now, in The Anthology, Jimmy Page is granting exclusive access to his archive for the first time, and telling the inside story of his phenomenal career. In a new text of over 70,000 words, Jimmy Page guides the reader through hundreds of rare items, many of which are previously unseen, and others of mythic status, such as the Gibson double neck guitar, his dragon-emblazoned suit, his white embroidered poppy suit, and the outfit worn in the concert film The Song Remains the Same. Also included are handwritten diaries, correspondence, rare vinyl pressings, previously unpublished photographs and much, much more. Jimmy Page has personally selected each piece to be photographed in this book, which has been created with his full participation. The result is Jimmy Page: The Anthology. Both reflective and revealing, it is quite simply the legendary musician's most comprehensive and fascinating account of his life to date.Trade ReviewListed as one of Variety's Best Music Books of 2020: 'A lavish tome... photographed in pristine detail.' – Variety Magazine Listed as The Times and The Sunday Times Best Books of 2020: 'A lavish collection of memorabilia, with photographs and details on such totemic items as his Double Neck Guitar and dragon-suit stage outfits' – The Times 'A career deep-dive… it is fully annotated and fascinating. Page has approached the book with the same fastidiousness as he applies to everything' – GQ 'It is a rare entryway into the mind of one of rock’s great men of mystery' – Rolling Stone 'An essential purchase' – Classic Rock 'The lavishly illustrated 400-page book begins with JPs early life and days as a session ace and comes up to date with the recent reissue of the 'Mirror' and 'Dragon' iterations of his Fender Telecaster. It goes way beyond the average gearaholic's dream and is essential reading for any Zeppelin fan' – Guitarist 'Essentially everything you ever needed to know about Jimmy Page is exhaustively catalogued across page, after spectacularly illustrated page, of this supremely crafted high-end compendium. The Anthology is quite simply in a class of its own' – ShingDig! 'This mighty volume is an artistically triumphant companion to his musical achievements' – The Beat Magazine 'What he reveals in Jimmy Page:The Anthology are the secrets of his art, the inner working of Led Zeppelin… how he chose and modified the guitars with which he created the band’s definitive songs' – Total Guitar 'A truly momentous publication, of such rarely seen character and exhaustive research the likes of which probably indicate this will be the final word on the 6/12 string legend' – Gigslutz 'Jimmy Page: The Anthology is a magnificent book, beautifully designed with strong, arresting graphics. It's difficult to overstate the importance or the beauty of the illustrations throughout this narrative. This book both embodies and enriches our understanding of how Jimmy Page the artist came to be and illuminates why his music continues to matter to so many' – Shelf Awareness ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

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Book SynopsisGeorge is the story of two extraordinary lives the private man and the public legend.Georgios Panayiotou was just eighteen when he decided to adopt the stage name of George Michael. Sometimes his two worlds would collide with shattering consequences.Bestselling biographer Sean Smith has gone back to the neighbourhoods of North London to trace the astonishing journey of a sensitive but determined boy who grew up to be one of the biggest British pop stars of all time.Along the way, he talks to those close to George, revealing the real man funny, articulate, intelligent and generous spirited who hid behind the powerful image he created.He reveals the complex relationship with his high-achieving Greek-Cypriot father; the unconditional love of his mother; his teenage relationships with girls; and his first tragic love affair with another man.George's career began falteringly with a schoolboy band, exploded with Wham! before he became a solo phenomenon. But at the height of his fame, the Trade ReviewPraise for George: ‘A celebration of his life, as well as his music. Brill.’ Closer ‘Incredibly moving insight into a man who is without doubt part of the soundtrack to my childhood’ – Shelley Fallows at Lovereading Praise for Adele: ‘Fans will be engrossed’ OK Magazine Praise for Kim: “A kind but astute biography. Four stars.” Mail on Sunday “An honest account offering a unique insight on the Krazy world of the Kardashians." The Sun Praise for Tom Jones: “Jaunty and well-researched … the most complete and entertaining portrait of the Welsh superstar to date” – The Mail on Sunday (Event Magazine) “A lavishly appointed, no-holds-barred biography.” – MailOnline

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Book SynopsisCider with Roadies is the true story of a boy''s obsessive relationship with pop. A life lived through music from Stuart''s audience with the Beatles (aged 3); his confessions as a pubescent prog rocker; a youthful gymnastic dalliance with northern soul; the radical effects of punk on his politics, homework and trouser dimensions; playing in crap bands and failing to impress girls; writing for the NME by accident; living the sex, drugs (chiefly lager in a plastic glass) and rock and roll lifestyle; discovering the tawdry truth behind the glamour and knowing when to ditch it all for what really matters.From Stuart''s four minutes in a leisure centre with MC Hammer to four days in a small van with Napalm Death it''s a life-affirming journey through the land where ordinary life and pop come together to make music.Trade ReviewThe English Bill Bryson -- Tony WilsonThe perfect pop fan's life ... effortlessly articulate * The Times *Stuart Maconie is the best thing to come out of Wigan since the A58 to Bolton -- Peter KayAn heir to Alan Bennett ... stirring and rather wonderful -- Antony Quinn * Sunday Times *If you only read one personal music odyssey, make it this one * GQ *

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Book SynopsisSteven Patrick Morrissey is one of the most original and controversial voices in the history of popular music. With The Smiths, he led the most influential British guitar group of the 1980s, his enigmatic wit and style defining a generation. As a solo artist, he has continued to broach subjects no other singer would dare.Worshipped by some, vilified by others, Morrissey is a unique rock and roll creation. The 300,000 words of Mozipedia make this the most intimate and in-depth biographical portrait of the man and his music yet. Bringing together every song, album, collaborator, key location, every hero, book, film and record to have influenced his art, it is the summation of years of meticulous research. Morrissey authority Simon Goddard has interviewed almost everybody of any importance, making Mozipedia the last word on Morrissey and The Smiths.Trade ReviewGenius ... the fullest portrait of Morrissey yet put to paper. Goddard has become what Hunter Davies is to The Beatles or Jon Savage is to punk; the number one authority on the subject * Q magazine *The next best thing to Morrissey’s autobiography * GQ magazine *A superb achievement * Mojo *The perfect gift for any Morrissey fan * Daily Telegraph *A witty, well-informed collection of fact and anecdote, full of fascinating bits and pieces * Uncut *

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Book SynopsisIn Pop Masculinities, author Kai Arne Hansen investigates the performance and policing of masculinity in pop music as a starting point for grasping the broad complexity of gender and its politics in the early twenty-first century. Drawing together perspectives from critical musicology, gender studies, and adjacent scholarly fields, the book presents extended case studies of five well-known artists: Zayn, Lil Nas X, Justin Bieber, The Weeknd, and Take That. By directing particular attention to the ambiguities and contradictions that arise from these artists'' representations of masculinity, Hansen argues that pop performances tend to operate in ways that simultaneously reinforce and challenge gender norms and social inequalities. Providing a rich exploration of these murky waters, Hansen merges the interpretation of recorded song and music video with discourse analysis and media ethnography in order to engage with the full range of pop artists'' public identities as they emerge at the intersections between processes of performance, promotion, and reception. In so doing, he advances our understanding of the aesthetic and discursive underpinnings of gender politics in twenty-first century pop culture and encourages readers to contemplate the sociopolitical implications of their own musical engagements as audiences, critics, musicians, and scholars.Trade ReviewHansen's conclusion is both an homage to masculinity in popular music studies and an invitation for future pop scholars to join him in this ever-expanding field of gender and performance. * Paxton Haven, The University of Texas at Austin, Journal of Popular Music Studies *Pop music is a unique context in which the meanings of masculinities are being negotiated on an exceptional kind of display. In this interdisciplinary tour de force, Hansen provides rich and nuanced analyses that unpack just what it means to argue that enactments of gender sometimes simultaneously shore up and destabilize the very systems of inequality they may seem designed to challenge. Pop Masculinities provides new material for better understanding the flexibility of gender hegemony in a cultural arena that impacts all of us. * Tristan Bridges, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Co-editor of Men and Masculinities and Exploring Masculinities *We often forget that men have gender too. And despite what a patriarchal ideology might frame as a natural structure, boys, no less than girls, struggle to forge their own subjectivities amid the many cultural pressures confronting them. In this dazzling and nuanced study, Kai Arne Hansen analyzes the ways several prominent young male entertainers have publicly negotiated their own coming of age by means of music, lyrics, fashion, and self-presentation. A beautifully written and deeply compelling study. * Susan McClary, Fynette H. Kulas Professor of Music, Case Western Reserve University and Distinguished Professor Emerita, UCLA *Pop music is a unique context in which the meanings of masculinities are being negotiated on an exceptional kind of display. In this interdisciplinary tour de force, Hansen provides rich and nuanced analyses that unpack just what it means to argue that enactments of gender sometimes simultaneously shore up and destabilize the very systems of inequality they sometimes seem designed to challenge. Pop Masculinities provides new material for better understanding the flexibility of gender hegemony in a cultural arena that impacts all of us. * Tristan Bridges, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Co-editor of Men and Masculinities and Exploring Masculinities *In Pop Masculinities, Hansen draws together a range of perspectives—age, class, race, sexuality, and more—to consider the complex manifestations of masculinity in twenty-first century popular music culture with an impressive intersectional nuance. He interweaves close readings of sonic and visual artefacts with a rich cultural-theoretical framework, to offer a timely analysis of the gender politics of commercial music culture. * Freya Jarman, Reader in Music, University of Liverpool *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Like Pinocchio 1. Separating the Men from the Boys: New Masculinities, Pop Music, and the Social Politics of Interpretation 2. Good Boy Gone Bad: Fashioning a Post Boy Band Masculinity 3. A Different Country? Lil Nas X, the Sound of the Internet, and Queering the Cowboy 4. Beyond Bieber Fever 5. Dangerous and (In)Vulnerable: Aestheticizing Violence and Dancing in Sin City 6. From Boy Band to Man Band: Take That, Age(ing), and the Display of Self-Irony Conclusion: Fade-Out Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThis stylish piano album takes players on a musical tour of autumn, presenting well-loved songs such as ''September in the Rain'', ''Witchcraft'', and ''(Somewhere) Over the Rainbow'' and original compositions on other seasonal themes. The nine pieces reflect a wide variety of jazz styles, including swing, waltz, calypso, and shuffle, and draw on artists such as Billie Holiday, Keith Jarrett, Stan Getz, and Frank Sinatra. With fully notated rhythms, grooves, and improvisations, Jazz in Autumn is the perfect collection for pianists looking for that authentic sound.Trade ReviewThe indefatigable performer-composer-music educator Nikki Iles completes her seasonal survey with a typically charming, understated and touching autumnal anthology. Many styles are on offer here, from swing standards through to contemporary music . . . Classically trained players could find Iles's approach particularly useful as they need only play exactly what is written in order to produce an authoritative and complete performance in itself . . . The book is something of a bargain and includes a wonderful CD with Iles playing all nine pieces exquisitely, showing subtle accentuation, carefully gauged rubato and exquisite tonal variety and voicing within an essentially hushed sonic perspective. Strongly recommended. * Murray Mclachlan, International Piano, November 2014 *Haar nieuwste album Jazz in Autumn is net uitgekomen en laat vooral een warme, nostalgische kant van de herfst horen. De herfst van regenbogen, regenachtige dagen, ritselende bladeren en uitbundige Halloween. De herfstkleuren en -klanken vertaald in ritmes en harmonieën van swing, vals, calypso en shuffle. Jazz in Autumn is niet geschikt voor beginners en iets te ingewikkeld als introductie in jazz ritmes, maar voor gevorderde leerlingen en pianisten met meer affiniteit met jazzstijlen, kan deze collectie van arrangementen van Billie Holiday, Keith Jarrett, Stan Getz, James Melton en Frank Sinatra zowel aangenaam als leerzaam zijn. Als ervaren docent laat Iles zien hoe een melodie vanuit een improvisatie zicht ontvouwt, hoe zelfs een geringste variatie in ritme een nieuwe wending kan betekenen en hoe bij het verplaatsen van accenten zelfs een traditioneel volkslied als het Ierse Danny Boy als jazz standard klinkt. * Olga de Kort, PianoBulletin, December 2014 *An authentic jazz sound can be easily created using Nikki's notated rhythms, grooves, harmonies and solos, and the expertise of the arranger guides players through the diversity of jazz characters. These stylish arrangements and compositions are the perfect introduction to jazz. * Piano Professional, September 2018 *Table of ContentsHere's That Rainy Day ; Maple Red ; Danny Boy ; September in the Rain ; Harvest Calypso ; Autumn in New York ; Somewhere over the rainbow ; Witchcraft ; Autumn Glory

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Book SynopsisFollowing the success of the first volume in Nikki Iles''s acclaimed jazz series, this collection features sophisticated new jazz arrangements of Christmas classics, including ''Let it snow!'', ''Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer'', ''Away in a manger'', and ''Past three o''clock''. A wide variety of styles are represented, from swing and stride to boogaloo and calypso, and the expertly recorded CD, by Nikki Iles, helps with interpretation. With fully notated rhythms, grooves, and improvisations, Jazz on a Winter''s Night 2 is the perfect collection for pianists looking for that authentic sound.Trade ReviewAs one would expect in jazz, there are regular stretches of a seventh, but not much beyond that, meaning that the pieces are also suitable for those with smaller hands. The included CD is essential listening, conveying nuances of rhythmic and tonal inflection which can't be notated. Nikki is of course an exceptional and highly experienced professional jazz performer, and it really shows here. For a well-styled performance, the audio content offers an outstanding model which should not be ignored. Jazz on a Winter's Night has established itself as my all-time favourite Christmas music book â but this sequel gives it a run for its money! Both books are now utterly essential for any pianist above intermediate level. It's great to find that Jazz on a Winter's Night 2 is as absolutely brilliant as its forerunner, and it really does deserve to sell a million! * www.pianodao.com *An authentic jazz sound can be easily created using Nikki's notated rhythms, grooves, harmonies and solos, and the expertise of the arranger guides players through the diversity of jazz characters. These stylish arrangements and compositions are the perfect introduction to jazz. * Piano Professional, September 2018 *

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Book SynopsisThis revised edition of Jazz Anecdotes comes with 150 new anecdotes about jazz musicians both classic and contemporary.Trade ReviewA scintillating omnium gathering of jazz talk. * Washington Post *Guarantees up to a thousand laughs...recommended without reservation. * Los Angeles Times *The intense sociological hothouse that was the jazz and commercial music world has cooled down greatly over the years, but it's important to have books like this to remind us how exciting and invigorating those days were....Don't let it slip by. * Allegro *Read this somewhere where you're not afraid to be seen laughing out loud....Everyone should be able to find something to like in this rich collection. * Library Journal *

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Book SynopsisA fascinating look at the careers of some of Broadway''s greatest female performers in their own wordsIn Here''s to the Ladies, the follow-up to Nothing Like a Dame: Conversations with the Great Women of Musical Theater, theatre journalist Eddie Shapiro sits down for intimate, career-encompassing conversations with yet more of Broadway''s most prolific and fascinating leading women. Full of detailed stories and reflections, his conversations with such luminaries as Barbara Cook, Kelli O''Hara, Heather Headley, Faith Prince, Stephanie J. Block, Tonya Pinkins, and a host of others dig deep into each actor''s career -together, these chapters tell the story of what it means to be a leading lady on Broadway over the past fifty years. Alan Cumming described Nothing Like a Dame as an encyclopedia of modern musical theatre via a series of tender meetings between a diehard fan and his idols. Because of Eddie Shapiro''s utter guilelessness, these women open up and reveal more than they ever haveTrade ReviewEddie Shapiro has gathered the best in business for another fascinating collection of interviews. Reading his work is like sitting down with old friends, where the conversation is easy and the laughs are plenty. This backstage tour de force is one of my all-time favorites and a must-have for any theater loverâs library. * Susan Stroman, LGBTQ+ Studies *Table of Contents1. Barbara Cook 2. Tonya Pinkins 3. Faith Prince 4. Charlotte D'Amboise 5. Mary Beth Peil 6. Judy Kuhn 7. Beth Leavel 8. Carolee Carmello 9. Rachel York 10. Melissa Errico 11. Alice Ripley 12. Sherie Rene Scott 13. Kerry Butler 14. Heather Headley 15. Karen Olivo 16. Kelli O'Hara 17. Stephanie J. Block 18. Adrienne Warren 19. Jessie Mueller 20. Marin Mazzie

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Book SynopsisYou don''t have to be a jazz expert to give your students a great introduction to improvisation. The Classroom Guide to Jazz Improvisation provides what music educators have sought for decades: an easy, step-by-step guide to teaching jazz improvisation in the music classroom. Offering classroom-tested lesson plans, authors John McNeil and Ryan Nielsen draw on their combined 54 years of teaching experience and extensive work as professional jazz musicians to remove the guesswork and mystique from the teaching process. Each lesson is founded in the authors'' realization that the brain responds differently to improvisation than it does rote memory. The resulting lesson plans are flexible, easy to use, and equip students with a quick understanding of the simple choices they can make to create effective jazz lines. Lessons are designed for a range of settings, from ensemble rehearsal to private instruction. Music educators may find relief in the concrete, straightforward materials on rhythm

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"One of the ten best Chicago books of 2020. Plenty of books have been written about Afrofuturist pioneer Sun Ra and his Arkestra, but Sites is the first to make Chicago his co-protagonist. . . . Sites provides crucial context on how Chicago's Afrocentrist philosophy, religion, and jazz scenes helped turn Blount into Sun Ra.” * Chicago Reader *Best Historical Research in Recorded Jazz, Certificate of Merit 2021 * Association for Recorded Sound Collections Awards for Excellence *“Four stars. A must-read for fans of the musician and his city. . . . Fascinating and thoroughly readable. . . Sites makes the engaging argument that the idiosyncratic jazz legend’s penchant for interplanetary journeys and African American utopia was in fact inspired by urban life right on Earth.” * Spectrum Culture *“An important contribution. . . Sites draws on an impressive number of disciplines to ground Ra’s spacebound theatrics in material history. . . . He cites work from urban studies, African American studies, theology, and literary theory. . . It’s difficult to imagine anyone other than Sites writing a work that demands mastery of these specific disciplines.” * The Wire *"Required reading for anyone seriously interested in Sun Ra and his ensemble, the Arkestra." * American Literary History *"Not the launching point for an introduction to the life of Sun Ra, but rather a deeper dive into the city life and utopian vision informing his work and philosophy, emphasizing that (Urban) Space Is the Place." * Library Journal *“Highly readable. . . What Sites is good at is the detail of the period. . . He is good, too, on the economics of segregation, the racial divisions of the American working class, and the role of the black establishment. . . But best of all, especially to musicians and jazz fans, he is great about the musical life of Chicago, the Pershing and Du Sable venues, and the Jim Crow squalor of Calumet City, the sin suburb of Chicago. Where this book really scores is in its investigation of the sheer 'otherness 'of Sun Ra.” * Jazz Journal *"Sites’s project in this work is to get back to this future city by understanding Sun Ra’s geographic, intellectual, and galactic journeys. . . . Sites’s considerable skills as an urban cartographer help to further remap Chicago. . . . In Sites’s analysis, Sun Ra’s work continues to rethink the U.S. city." * Rain Taxi *“One of the most unique books to ever look at the music of Sun Ra. . . Digs very deep into Ra's early years – time that isn't covered in as much details as in other projects – and the book paints a picture of the city that's as vivid as the jazz legend himself. . . Sites comes at the project from a different perspective than most music writers – which makes for a very fresh volume that may well open up whole new territory in the exploration of jazz and community.” * DustyGroove.com *“Sun Ra’s Chicago is a masterful account of the musician’s formative years. Sites deftly applies a wider lens to his biography, analyzing the urban spaces and networks that shaped Sonny Blount’s transformation from an itinerant musician into the otherworldly philosophical leader of the Arkestra. This book is essential reading not only for Sun Ra listeners but for readers interested in the crosscurrents of Black intellectual thought and the utopian possibilities, past and present, of America’s cities.” * Erik S. Gellman, author of Troublemakers: Chicago Freedom Struggles through the Lens of Art Shay *"Like its subject, Sun Ra’s Chicago is a category buster—social history, musicology, urban studies, hermeneutics, cultural reclamation—and as such, a revelation. Sites tells a story of countercultural ferment in 1950s south side Chicago that is detailed and provocative. Sun Ra, Alton Abraham, and the members and friends of the Arkestra were truly a 'creative class' long before that term, as we know it, was coined." * Larry Bennett, author of The Third City: Chicago and American Urbanism *Table of ContentsUrban Routes, Utopian PathwaysPart I: Birmingham 1 Downtown Sounds 2 Industrial School to Territory Band 3 Leadership DreamsPart II: Chicago 4 South Side Music Scene 5 “Sound So Loud It Will Wake Up the Dead” 6 Utopian Chicago 7 African Space 8 Wonder Inn, 1960 Lineages/Legacies Acknowledgments Notes Index

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Book SynopsisDavid Foster Wallace, who died in 2008, was the author of the acclaimed novels Infinite Jest and The Broom of the System. His final novel, The Pale King, was published posthumously in 2011. He is also the author of the short-story collections Oblivion, Brief Interviews with Hideous Men and Girl with Curious Hair. His non-fiction includes several essay collections, including Both Flesh and Not, which was published in 2012, and the the full-length work Everything and More.Mark Costello is the author of two novels, including the National Book Award Finalist Big If. He lives in New York City.

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Book SynopsisAmong the few truly experimental composers in our cultural history, Harry Partch''s life (1901-1974) and music embody most completely the quintessential American rootlessness, isolation, pre-civilized cult of experience, and dichotomy of practical invention and transcendental visions. Having lived mostly in the remote deserts of Arizona and New Mexico with no access to formal training, Partch naturally created theatrical ritualistic works incorporating Indian chants, Japanese kabuki and Noh, Polynesian microtones, Balinese gamelan, Greek tragedy, dance, mime, and sardonic commentary on Hollywood and commercial pop music of modern civilization. First published in 1949, Genesis of a Music is the manifesto of Partch''s radical compositional practice and instruments (which owe nothing to the 300-year-old European tradition of Western music.) He contrasts Abstract and Corporeal music, proclaiming the latter as the vital, emotionally tactile form derived from the spoken word (like Greek, C

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Book SynopsisThe late Count Basie is one of the jazz immortals. The master of swing, whose beat was the subtlest and supplest of all the bandleaders, Basie featured some of the great soloists in jazz history while he sat unobtrusively at the piano, keeping time with his unmatched rhythm section, showing off the surging power of his brass players, and commenting wittily with a single chord or phrase. A man and musician of reserve and modesty, Basie nonetheless will always be a landmark for his won achievements and for the jazz musicians who passed through his band. In this sociable and pioneering oral history of Basie and his band, Stanley Dance talks with the Count himself, Jimmy Rushing, Buddy Tate, Buck Clayton, Joe Williams, Jay McShann, Jo Jones, Dicky Wells, Lester Young, and a dozen others, who reminisce about each other, Kansas City jazz, and their legendary peers Billie Holiday and Charlie Parker. With a rich flow of anecdote, opinion, and biographical information,and with striking photogra

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Book SynopsisGary Giddins, winner of the 1998 National Book Critics Circle Award, has a following that includes not only jazz enthusiasts but also pop music fans of every stripe. Writing here in a lyrical and celebratory style all his own, Giddins dazzlingly shows us,among many other things,how performers originally perceived as radical (Bing Crosby, Count Basie, Elvis Presley) became conservative institutions ... how Charlie Parker created a masterpiece from the strain of an inane ditty ... how the Dominoes helped combine church ritual with pop music ... and how Irving Berlin translated a chiaroscuro of Lower East Side minorities into imperishable songs.

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Book SynopsisCrosby, Stills & Nash created some of the most indelible songs and beautiful harmonies of the late 1960s and early 1970s: “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes,” “Woodstock,” “Teach Your Children.” This copiously illustrated account of the trio's personal and musical history tells the story behind the songs. Longtime CSN chronicler Dave Zimmer, with the full cooperation of the band, traces all of the performers from their musical roots to their first song together in L.A.'s storied Laurel Canyon; from their addition of Neil Young to Woodstock; and through their stormy years of creative conflicts, reunions, and reconciliations. This new edition has been fully reconfigured and updated to celebrate the trio's 40th anniversary and to accommodate over 300 photos, as well as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's controversial Living with War tour.Trade ReviewAugusta Metro Spirit, 10/1/08 "An expansive volume complete with a wonderful collection of photographs...A wonderful companion for fans of the iconic trio...This work opens the doors to the backstage area of the legend of Crosby, Stills and Nash while providing the framework and the excitement of the union of these three with Neil Young...A delightful piece of music history." Blogcritics.org, 10/6/08 "Although it is immediately clear in Zimmer's narrative that he is not only a confidant, but a fan as well, none of the details-including many that the band members themselves would probably rather forget-are left out...Still, and to Zimmer's credit, [it] never reads in the sort of lurid fashion which often characterizes other rock bios from the same era...[Zimmer has] an engaging and easy-to-read, matter-of-fact style that literally puts the reader right there. For both CSN&Y fans and students of American music history, [this] is an essential read." "Neil Young News" blog on Thrasherswheat.org, 10/10/08 "Mighty fine reading and viewing that any CSN fan-and even Neil Young fans-could appreciate." InfoDad.com, 10/30/08 "Amply illustrated...A well-organized book...Fans of this group...will be thrilled by the inside information."

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Book SynopsisDecibel magazine is regarded as the best extreme music magazine around. Precious Metal gathers pieces from Decibel''s most popular feature, the monthlyHall of Fame&rdquo which documents the making of landmark metal albums via candid, hilarious, and fascinating interviews with every participating band member. Decibel''s editor-in-chief Albert Mudrian, has selected and expanded the best of these features, creating a definitive collection of stories behind the greatest extreme metal albums of all time. Black Sabbath''s Heaven and Hell * Diamond Head''s Lightning to the Nations * Slayer''s Reign in Blood * Napalm Death''s Scum * Repulsion''s Horrifed * Morbid Angel''s Altars of Madness * Obituary''s Cause of Death * Entombed''s Left Hand Path * Paradise Lost''s Gothic * Carcass'' Necroticism- Descanting the Insalubrious * Cannibal Corpse''s Tomb of the Mutilated * Eyehategod''s Take as Needed for Pain * Darkthrone''s Transilvanian Hunger * Kyuss''s Welcome tTrade ReviewForeWord Magazine, Sept/Oct "Mudrian manages to collect some important interviews from a variety of artists in the United States and Europe...The true story behind creating these masterpieces is thoroughly documented...Fans of this musical genre will undoubtedly enjoy reading how their favorite metal albums were constructed." AntiMusic.com "There's plenty of good reading here doled out in chapters that are just the right length for visits to the porcelain throne." Trademark of Quality blog, 9/13 "The chapters in Precious Metal provide a lot more insight and information into each album than was originally presented in the magazine...All of the interviews are interesting, and many are downright enlightening, and the Decibel staff do a uniformly good job at coaxing the story behind each album out of the musicians...The enthusiasm and knowledge shown by the writers is infectious...If you're a fan of any form of heavy metal, you'll like Precious Metal." Campus Circle, 9/23 "Delivers the kind of quality analysis that can turn a clueless metalhead into music genius deity." In Utah This Week, 8/31 and Salt Lake Tribune, 9/3 "Stands as the newest doctrine for headbanger worship...A fact-packed textbook fit to inform even the most well-read metalhead, and one skull-crushing way to spice up your library." Illinois Entertainer, September "Awesome." DCMetalMusicExaminer.com, 9/5 "Most of the interviews have been expanded from their original print form, so that is a bit of a refresh for avid Decibel readers. If you are a metal nut, or just a music geek who loves to learn about the struggles in the recording process, then the book is an exceptional read." GuitarNoize.com, 9/7 "There was enough to have me reading way later into the night than someone with a 7 month old daughter should!...I skipped a few albums that didn't interest me but that is the good thing about this book, you can read it in a non-linear fashion. It has some pretty informal interviews where the band members really open up and aren't afraid to talk about band conflicts during the production process which is what makes the book interesting." San Francisco Book Review, October issue "For heavy metal and/or death metal fans, Precious Metal is a must read...Metal enthusiasts, particularly those who are musicians, will find this book to be enlightening and entertaining...The influence that classic rock musicians had and how they perpetuated the heavy metal genre, along with music that came after it, is clearly seen when reading through the interviews. Thus, music lovers would certainly enjoy The Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces." Tucson Weekly, 11/19/09 "For the semi-literate metalhead in your midst, we gently ask you to crank up the literary volume to '11' with the excellent Precious Metal...Mudrian uncovers the hidden stories behind some of the greatest death-metal, grind-core and doom releases of the last three decades...Once you read this fantastic series of interviews with the artists responsible for all of this top-notch noise pollution, you'll know why even the snobbiest rock critics have no choice but to throw up devil horns to these imaginative, if violent, works of sonic art." Booklist, 7/1/09 "Skimming the cream of 'extreme' metal--death metal, black metal, thrash metal, and such-is a grisly task, but the gang at Decibel Magazine is on top of it. Their picks are landmarks of their kind, and each is presented here with accompanying interviews of all band personnel involved...What's here is all dark, all bombastic, all great music." Record Collector, August 2009 "The choice of inclusion of albums by Botch, Converge, Down and The Dillinger Escape Plan indicate the breadth of tastes which underpins the book." Austin Chronicle, 7/17/09 "[Precious Metal's] impressive scope covers every facet of the genre...The roundtable, oral-history approach leads to interesting contradictions and revelations." Blogcritics.org, 7/21/09 "The bookends are Black Sabbath's Heaven And Hell to Converge's Jane Doe. And there are some worthy stories in between...Precious Metal is a great book on its own terms." New York Post's "Required Reading" column, 7/26/09

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Book Synopsis Get a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Megadeth’s iconic record, Rust in Peace, from the band’s lead vocalist and guitarist.When Rust in Peace was released in 1990, the future of Megadeth was uncertain. Fresh off their performance at the record-breaking Monsters of Rock festival, and with knockout new albums from Slayer, Anthrax, and Metallica dominating the charts, the pressure to produce a standout statement record was higher than ever. In Rust in Peace: The Inside Story of the Megadeth Masterpiece, the band's lead vocalist and guitarist, Dave Mustaine, gives readers a never-before-seen glimpse into the artistry and insanity that went into making the band's most iconic record. He recounts the arduous task of hiring the band and supporting cast, of managing egos and extracurriculars during the album's ensuing success, and succumbing to the pressures of fame and fortune—which eventually forced the band to break up. And yet, Megadeth's demise was just the beginning; the birth pangs of the record were nothing compared to what came next. Alcohol, drugs, sex, money, power, property, prestige, the lies fed to the band by the industry—and the lies they told each other-threatened to eat away at the band's bond like rust, devouring it until only the music survived. Featuring a foreword by Slash

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Book SynopsisAs is the case with so many musicians, the life of Warren Zevon was blessed with talent and opportunity yet also beset by tragedy and setbacks. Raised mostly by his mother with an occasional cameo from his gangster father, Warren had an affinity and talent for music at an early age. Taking to the piano and guitar almost instantly, he began imitating and soon creating songs at every opportunity. After an impromptu performance in the right place at the right time, a record deal landed on the lap of a teenager who was eager to set out on his own and make a name for himself. But of course, where fame is concerned, things are never quite so simple.Drawing on original interviews with those closest to Zevon, including Crystal Zevon, Jackson Browne, Mitch Albom, Danny Goldberg, Barney Hoskyns, and Merle Ginsberg, Nothing''s Bad Luck tells the story of one of rock''s greatest talents. Journalist C.M. Kushins not only examines Zevon''s troubled personal life and sophisticated,

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Book SynopsisThe always-outspoken hard rock vocalist Corey Taylor begins America 51 with a reflection on what his itinerant youth and frequent worldwide travels with his multiplatinum bands Slipknot and Stone Sour have taught him about what it means to be an American in an increasingly unstable world. He examines the way America sees itself, specifically with regard to the propaganda surrounding America''s origins (like a heavy-metal Howard Zinn), while also celebrating the quirks and behavior that make a true-blue American. Taylor likewise takes a look at how the world views us, and his findings should come as a surprise to no one. But behind Taylor''s ranting and raving is a thoughtful and intelligent consideration, and even a sadness, of what America is compared to what it could and should be.Expertly balancing humor, outrage, and disbelief, Taylor examines the rotting core of America, evaluating everything from politics and race relations to modern family dynamics, millennials

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Book SynopsisYears after its release, Neutral Milk Hotel''s In the Aeroplane Over the Sea remains one of the most beloved and best-selling albums in all of indie music, hailed as a classic so influential as to be almost synonymous with the ongoing vinyl revival. But despite its outsized impact, a question looms even larger: why did frontman Jeff Mangum, just as the record propelled him to the brink of music superstardom, choose instead to disappear entirely? The mystery has perplexed listeners for decades-until now.In barely two years, Neutral Milk Hotel rose from house show obscurity in Athens, Georgia, to widespread hype and critical acclaim, selling out rock clubs across the country and gracing the tops of numerous year-end best-of lists. But just as his band was reaching the escape velocity necessary to ascend from indie rock success to mainstream superstar, Mangum hit the eject button. After the 1998 release of Aeroplane and a worldwide tour to support it, Mangum stopp

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Book SynopsisA no-holds-barred narrative history of the iconic label that brought the world Black Flag, Hüsker Dü, Sonic Youth, Soundgarden, and more, by the co-author of Do What You Want and My Damage.Greg Ginn started SST Records in the sleepy beach town of Hermosa Beach, CA, to supply ham radio enthusiasts with tuners and transmitters. But when Ginn wanted to launch his band, Black Flag, no one was willing to take them on. Determined to bring his music to the masses, Ginn turned SST into a record label. On the back of Black Flag’s relentless touring, guerilla marketing, and refusal to back down, SST became the sound of the underground.In Corporate Rock Sucks, music journalist Jim Ruland relays the unvarnished story of SST Records, from its remarkable rise in notoriety to its infamous downfall. With records by Black Flag, Minutemen, Hüsker Dü, Bad Brains, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr, Screaming Trees, Soundgarden, and scores of obscure yet influential bands, SST was the most popular indie label by the mid-80s--until a tsunami of legal jeopardy, financial peril, and dysfunctional management brought the empire tumbling down. Throughout this investigative deep-dive, Ruland leads readers through SST’s tumultuous history and epic catalog.Featuring never-before-seen interviews with the label's former employees, as well as musicians, managers, producers, photographers, video directors, and label heads, Corporate Rock Sucks presents a definitive narrative history of the ’80s punk and alternative rock scenes, and shows how the music industry was changed forever.

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Book SynopsisWillie Nelson has spent the last 30 years on that higher plane of celebrity where he signifies many things to many people--American folk hero, national treasure, Outlaw, tax dodger, country traditionalist, actor and friend of the farmer amongst many others. Acclaimed biographer and journalist Joe Nick Patoski offers a frank and thorough portrait, adding some surprising insight on this beloved performer. From his humble beginnings in Waco, TX, cared for by his grandparents, to learning to play guitar at 6 and wrote his first song at 7 to his remarkable rise to legendary status as a genre-bending music maker and a bona fide Hollywood darling, Patoski draws from his own association with Nelson, a relationship that began in the 1970s when Patoski began writing about the man and his music. Why does Nelson keep going down the road, steady as a mountain stream, creating an illusion for the millions that sit in awe of him as he sings the same repertoire night after night? With relish, WillieTrade ReviewPatoski's profound understanding of Nelson's life, character and milieu make this the Willie bio to get. (starred review) --- Kirkus Reviews * For a guy who isn't me, Joe Nick Patoski can really write. Willie Nelson: An Epic Life is heartbreaking enough to have been ghostwritten by Hank Williams. It may be the best book ever written about the life of Texas's greatest gift to the world. -- *A fine book worthy of Willie....A lively, substantive account. --- Bob Ruggiero, Houston Chronicle

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Book SynopsisFrom Bessie Smith and The Supremes to Joan Baez, Madonna, Beyonce, Amy Winehouse, Dolly Parton, Sleater-Kinney, Taylor Swift, and scores more, women have played an essential and undeniable role in the evolution of popular music including blues, rock and roll, country, folk, glam rock, punk, and hip hop. Today, in a world traditionally dominated by male artists, women have a stronger influence on popular music than ever before. Yet, not since the late nineteen-nineties has there been a major work that acknowledges and pays tribute to the female artists who have contributed to, defined, and continue to make inroads in music. In WOMEN WHO ROCK, writer and professor of journalism and new media Evelyn McDonnell leads a team of women rock writers and pundits in an all-out celebration of 106 of the greatest female musicians. Organized chronologically, the book profiles each artist and places her in the context of both her genre and the musical world at large. Sidebars throug

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Book SynopsisDuring fifty years of publishing the Bible of Rock and Roll, Jann Wenner conducted a series of interviews that are now regarded among the most important historical documents of rock. Some of these conversations broke headlines-in 1970, his interview with John Lennon exposed the unvarnished tensions that led to the breakup of the Beatles. He gets up-close-and-personal with Bob Dylan, the most singular figure in music who revealed himself to Wenner more openly than to anyone else. And Mick Jagger only trusted one person to publicly interview him about his private life and his backstage account of the world''s greatest rock band.Including stunning photographs and an exclusive, never-before-seen interview with Bruce Springsteen, The Masters intimately profiles the extraordinary musicians who dominated rock and roll, from London and California to New York and L.A.. This is a primary source, cultural masterpiece, and must-have volume about the artists who changed history.

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Book Synopsis''Fascinating and illuminating'' STYLIST''Perceptive and candid'' IRISH TIMES''Wide-ranging, deep-dive, soul-baring interviews, full of candid, intimate, spiky meditations on inspiration, artistry, sexuality, race, love, self-doubt, abuse, defiance and everything in between'' OBSERVER''Variously optimistic, troubling, joyful, illuminating, fierce and thoughtful'' GUARDIANINTERVIEWS WITH WOMEN ON THE FRONTLINE OF MUSICWriter and critic Amy Raphael has interviewed some of the world''s most iconic musicians, including Courtney Love, Patti Smith, Björk, Kurt Cobain and Elton John. In 1995 she wrote the critically-acclaimed Never Mind the Bollocks: Women Rewrite Rock, which included a foreword by Debbie Harry. More than two decades on, the music business has changed, but the way women are regarded has not. In this new book, A Seat at the Table, Raphael interviews eighteen women who worTrade ReviewIn 1995, the journalist published Never Mind The Bollocks: Women Rewrite Rock, a series of interviews with artists including Courtney Love, Bjork, and Justine Frischmann. This kind-of-sequel updates what's changed - and what hasn't - for female musicians, with Christine And The Queens, Mitski and Kate Tempest among those participating. The most urgent interview is with Chvrches' Lauren Mayberry, who offers a powerful account of the negative drag caused by online trolls and the effects of speaking out. Reasons to be cheerful - and angry * Q Magazine *Kate Tempest, Clara Amfo, Ibeyi, Georgia, Tracey Thorn . . . Journalist Amy Raphael talks to 18 incredible women about their experiences as musicians and the music industry with fascinating and illuminating results * Stylist *A perceptive and candid collection of new interviews with 18 women that discuss everything from #MeToo and queer politics to the impact of social media on their lives and the subtleties of routine misogyny * Irish Times *Raphael has collated a stunning collection of interviews, then removed herself entirely, presenting each as a narrative as if the subject is talking straight to you, the reader. It breaks an added barrier in really being invited in to understand each interviewee, unfiltered. It's a fascinating, brilliant book, full of joy, rage, a love of music, and a battle to show that it can be done even when culture might push back. A celebration of some of the best and most exciting faces in music today, and a must read * The Skinny *A series of wide-ranging, deep-dive, soul-baring interviews, full of candid, intimate, spiky meditations on inspiration, artistry, sexuality, race, love, self-doubt, abuse, defiance, and everything in between . . . Raphael had carved a vital space for female artists to 'womanspread', as it were, and speak freely -- Barbara Ellen * Observer *Variously optimistic, troubling, joyful, illuminating, fierce and thoughtful. It is often all these things at once -- Fiona Sturges * Guardian *Many women interviewed for this collection - including the eloquent Kate Tempest, gender activist Chris (AKA Heloise Letissier from Christine and the Queens), a feisty Alison Moyet and wise woman Natalie Merchant - argue that it's not just about whether you 'get your tits out', but whether you get respect and recognition for your work. 'I've been in this industry for 35 years . . . I've never felt the need to conform to one shape. No one has ever really claimed me,' says Moyet. 'I've never been cosseted, nor have I been someone's muse. And [that] really saved me.' Moving words indeed -- Lucy O'Brien * Mojo *

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Book Synopsis''There has been a lot of fun and adventure in my five decades on earth. There are also things from my past that I''ve needed to deal with. This is my story, my truth, with no holds barred - and I deserve to be able to tell it the way that I choose.''It''s time to face the music - the experiences that defined me, the mistakes that shaped me and the loves that changed my life.From S Club 7 pop star to Hollywood starlet, Hannah Spearritt has been on the stage, screen and airwaves since her teens. As one seventh of an iconic pop band, providing the soundtrack to so many childhoods, she has spent most of her life in the limelight. Now, for the first time ever, she''s ready to open up in this deeply candid memoir.This is Hannah''s true story. The lessons she has learned, the loves of her life, the dangerous health struggles, the friendships and the fallouts, the joy of being a mother and the heartbreak she has overcome - Hannah holds absolutely nothing back.Facing the Music is Hannah on her own terms - brave, unfiltered and hugely inspirational. Hannah can''t wait for the world to get to know the real her.

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Book Synopsis''Man, there''s nothing like being told you''re dying to make you feel alive.'' In 2013, Dr Feelgood founder, Blockheads member and musical legend Wilko Johnson was diagnosed with terminal cancer. With ten months to live, he decided to accept his imminent death and went on the road. His calm, philosophical response made him even more beloved and admired. And then the strangest thing happened: he didn''t die. Don''t You Leave Me Here is the story of his life in music, his life with cancer, and his life now - in the future he never thought he would see.Trade ReviewRiotous . . . [those seeking wisdom and insight] will be gripped, astonished and profoundly moved * Sunday Times *A thoughtful, funny and humane book * Spectator *If you are a music fan, and even if you are not, it would be hard to recommend this book too highly . . . The book, happily, reflects the man - and there can be no higher compliment than that -- Marcus Berkmann * Daily Mail *Johnson writes like the Mythical Bloke in the Pub speaks. Offering up a cracker of a tale, before going off on a tangent, he adds enough "anyways" and "sos" to make the more dramatic revelations relatable . . . his humour also bubbles through, which is often wonderful * Observer *A touchingly revealing, funny, poetic and erudite voice . . . Blunt honesty is just one of the many endearing qualities ensuring sweet justice is delivered to this man's extraordinary tale * Classic Rock Magazine *This snappy life and times reveals Wilko to be as sharp a writer as he is a guitarist * Mail on Sunday *Gloriously eccentric, mordantly funny and fiercely observant, this autobiography is that rare thing, a memoir by a brilliant musician who writes as well as he plays. -- Jane Shilling * Daily Mail *Gloriously eccentric, mordantly funny and fiercely observant, this autobiography is that rare thing, a memoir by a brilliant musician who writes as well as he plays * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisTo date there has been a significant gap in existing knowledge about the social history of music in Britain from 1950 to the present day. The three volumes of Live Music in Britain address this gap and do so through a unique prismthat of live music. The key theme of the books is the changing nature of the live music industry in the UK, focused upon popular music but including all musical genres. Via this focus, the books offer new insights into a number of other areas including the relationship between commercial and public funding of music; changing musical fashions and tastes; the impact of changing technologies; the changing balance of power within the music industries; the role of the state in regulating and promoting various musical activities within an increasingly globalised music economy; and the effects of demographic and other social changes on music culture. Drawing on new archival research, a wide range of academic and non- academic secondary sources, participant observaTable of ContentsPreface1. Introduction: New Times2. We are The World 3. Taking Care of Business Bristol 20074. Live Music and the State 5. The Political Economy of Music Festivals 6. Festival Worlds Glasgow 20077. DJ Business 8. Moving to a Different Beat: Jungle, Bhangra, Garage and Grime 9. Making a Musical Living Sheffield 200710. Live Music Experience in the Digital Age 11. The Live Music Ecology Rolling Stones 2006-712. Conclusion: The Value of Live Music

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Book SynopsisThe story of jazz for the general reader as it has never been told before, from the inside out: a comprehensive, eloquent, scrupulously researched page-turner.Trade Review"Starred Review. There are numerous histories of jazz on the market, but renowned cirtic Giddins and scholar DeVeaux’s offering jumps immediately to the top of the list." -- Booklist"Giddins is without question the most persuasive literary stylist current working in jazz criticism—no writer has ever written about Louis Armstrong with such vividness, or about Cecil Taylor with such sympathy and analytical insight. DeVeaux provides academic clout and formal rigor, bringing to bear a strong foundation in musicological methodology." -- Time Out New York"Gary Giddins and Scott DeVeaux's Jazz cuts through the gibberish, racial politics, and ideology that typify so much of contemporary jazz criticism. This excellent book, which not only addresses musical theory but provides insight into the history of the art as well, will serve the general reader but can also be used to stimulate discussion groups and jazz workshops." -- Ishmael Reed, author of Mixing It Up: Taking On the Media Bullies and Other Reflections"Like no other history, Jazz involves the reader right from the start in an active listening role. The parsing of the selected recordings is brilliantly done, and this feature alone makes the book a must, for beginners and seasoned fans. But there's much more, all imbued with the coauthors' love for and understanding of the music, in all its many facets–and as a living, still evolving language." -- Dan Morgenstern, director of the Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers University, and author of Living with Jazz"In an innovative departure from previous approaches to the history of American Jazz, this eagerly awaited new text by Gary Giddins and Scott DeVeaux offers a unique combination of cutting-edge historical scholarship and experienced journalistic perspectives. This book is destined to become an important resource, one that confronts crucially important musical and social issues in depth—and with passion." -- George E. Lewis, Case Professor of American Music, Columbia University, and author of A Power Stronger Than Itself: The AACM and American Experimental Music"This extraordinary book is the one we've been waiting for–an exhaustive, multi-disciplinary, judiciously crafted history of jazz and its culture. It is sure to become the industry standard, cherished by students as well as aficionados, who may dispute its judgments but will surely keep it close at hand as an essential reference." -- Krin Gabbard, author of Hotter Than That: The Trumpet, Jazz, and American Culture"This is without a doubt one of the best books on jazz ever written. Gary Giddins and Scott DeVeaux have achieved a monumental feat by creating a history of jazz that will appeal to academicians and aficionados alike. Thoroughly researched and carefully documented, yet written in an entertaining and enjoyable narrative style, this is truly a book for jazz lovers of all backgrounds. By telling the story of jazz in its full cultural, musical, political, social, economic, and historical context, Giddins and DeVeaux have given us one hell of a kick-ass book!" -- David Baker, Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Jazz Department, Indiana University

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Book SynopsisA landmark biography that reclaims Ella Fitzgerald as a major American artist and modernist innovatorTrade Review"[A] worthy new biography" -- Christopher Bray - Daily Mail"Thoughtful and thorough... trace[s] the singer through the vast variety of songs she sang, songs that not only defined Fitzgerald's career but which came to define what it is to be a jazz singer." -- The Wall Street Journal

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