Popular music Books

Book Synopsis 'A raw and raging celebration of music . . . astounding.' Megan Bradbury'Funny, filthy, erudite, and rude.' Carl Shuker'A magnificent novel.' Alan McMonagleDuring their 1985 tour, two events of hatred and stupidity forever change the lives of a band’s four members. Neues Bauen, a post-hardcore Illinois group homing in on their own small fame, head on with frontman Conrad Wells sexually assaulted and guitarist Tone Seburg wounded by gunshot. The band staggers forth into the American landscape, traversing time and investigating each of their relationships with history, memory, authenticity, violence and revelling in transcendence through the act of art.With decades passed and compelled by his wife’s failing health to track down Tone, Conrad flies to North Africa where her brother is rumoured to be hiding with a renowned artist from their past. There he instead meets various characters including his former drummer, Spence. Amongst the sprawl and shout of Morocco, the men attempt to recall what happened to them during their lost years of mental disintegration and emotional poverty.Dance Prone is a novel of music, ritual and love. It is live, tense and corporeal. Full of closely observed details of indie-rock, of punk infused performance, the road and the players’ relationship to violence, hate and peace. Set during both the post-punk period and the present day, Dance Prone was born out of a love of the underground and indie rock scenes of the 1980s, a fascination for their role in the cultural apparatus of memory, social decay and its reconstruction.Trade ReviewHis book is many things. A giddy rush of indie excess, punk mayhem, outsider art, blurred memory, lapsed existence and sudden grace. A mind-bending trip that plays out in that liminal space between innocence and insanity; drift and purpose; rational and rogue; anarchy and calm; between what was lost and what may endure. Cut with a cast of characters sawn through the bone, language that giddies-up the heart, and always, always, alive with a throbbing pulse that insists you read on. Lyrical. Violent. Elegiac. Epic. I adore David Coventry's writing and Dance Prone is a magnificent novel. -- Alan McMonagle, author of Ithaca. Taught and intelligent, this story of music, trauma and artistic ambition has all the precision, spookiness and elegance of the best post-rock. -- Matt Thorne'What a brute fucken show, man.’ David Coventry's new novel is a gorgeous panegyric to the purity, poison and impossibly high stakes of punk. A young band of fleeting genius tours the living rooms and crappy bars of early 80's US before imploding in violence and horror. Dance Prone captures that thing about beautiful doomed brilliance sanctified by its miniature life expectancy. It's funny, filthy, erudite, and rude, like LCD Soundsystem’s "Losing My Edge" as retold by the mid-period DeLillo of The Names and Mao II. -- Carl Shuker, author of A MistakeA novel that interrogates music and it’s capacity for producing societal change, the bonds of friendship and family, and the manner in which we avoid confronting ourselves with the truth . . . An attempt to create the novel in it’s essence: looking for the new, resisting the obvious, denying the familiar. * Red Close blog *Pitch-perfect and nuanced . . . extraordinary . . . remarkable . . . Coventry’s work is some of the finest in recent NZ literature. * Herald (New Zealand) *A transcendental quest through the mind, body and through landscape, and a raw and raging celebration of music . . . This book is astounding. -- Megan Bradbury, author of Everyone is Watching

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Book SynopsisBelfast punk and the Troubles is an oral history of the punk scene in Belfast from the mid-1970s to the mid-80s. The book explores what it was like to be a punk in a city shaped by the violence of the Troubles, and how this differed from being a punk elsewhere. It also asks what it means to have been a punk – how punk unravels as a thread throughout the lives of the people interviewed, and what that unravelling means in the context of post-peace-process Northern Ireland. In doing so, it suggests a critical understanding of sectarianism, subjectivity and memory politics in the North, and argues for the importance of placing punk within the segregated structures of everyday life described by the interviewees.Adopting an innovative oral history approach drawing on the work of Luisa Passerini and Alessandro Portelli, the book analyses a small number of oral history interviews with participants in granular detail. Outlining the historical context and the cultural memory of punk, the central chapters each delve into one or two interviews to draw out the affective, imaginative and political ways in which punks and former punks evoke their memories of taking part in the scene. Through this method, it analyses the punk scene as a structure of feeling shaped through the experience of growing up in wartime Belfast.Belfast punk and the Troubles is an intervention in Northern Irish historiography stressing the importance of history from below, and will be compelling reading for historians of Ireland and of punk, as well as those interested in innovative approaches to oral history.Table of ContentsIntroduction1. Alternative Ulster? Sectarianism, segregation and the punk scene2. The Belfast punk scene in cultural memory3. Epiphany, transgression and movement 4. Making affective and political spaces5. Gender, respectability and emigration6. Collecting, storytelling and memoryConclusionAppendixBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisSunday Times Bestseller'I can't rewrite history; all I can do is be honest and wear my heart on my sleeve. It's really the only way I know. I want to show people the real me. Or perhaps remind them. Because, somewhere - amongst the nightclubs, the frocks and hairdos, the big chart hits, and the glamour of being a popstar - the other Sarah Harding got utterly lost. She's the one who's been forgotten. And all I want is for you to hear her out.'Sarah Harding is best known as the wild member of Girls Aloud, whose reputation for partying, drinking and dating made her a tabloid favourite. But where does the celebrity Sarah Harding end and the real Sarah begin? Faced with a devastating cancer diagnosis that turned her life upside down, Sarah has decided that now is the time to write her story. Her truth.This is Sarah Harding in her own words.

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Book SynopsisChallenges kids and adults alike with word searches, drawing games and colouring-in pages.

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Book Synopsis(Play It Like It Is). Note-for-note tab transcriptions of the hit "Bigger Than My Body" and 9 others from the sophomore release by singer/songwriter John Mayer: Clarity * Come Back to Bed * Daughters * Home Life * New Deep * Only Heart * Something''s Missing * Split Screen Sadness * Wheel. Includes a fact-filled intro and a cool "emoticon" guide to the songs.

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Book Synopsis** Now with three bonus songs**'Go Your Own Way' by Fleetwood Mac'Come on Eileen' by Dexys Midnight RunnersWhy Can't We Be Friends?' by WarSongs that sell the most copies become hits, but some of those hits become something more - iconic recordings that not only inspire a generation but also alter the direction of music. In this follow-up to his classic Anatomy of a Song, writer and music historian Marc Myers tells the stories behind fifty-five more rock, pop, R&B, country and reggae hits through intimate interviews with the artists who wrote and recorded them.Part oral history, part musical analysis, Anatomy of 55 Hit Songs ranges from Creedence Clearwater Revival's 'Bad Moon Rising' to Dionne Warwick's 'Walk On By', The Beach Boys' 'Good Vibrations' and Black Sabbath's 'Paranoid'. Bernie Taupin recalls how he wrote the lyrics to Elton John's 'Rocket Man'; Joan Jett remembers channeling her rage against how she had been unfairly labeled and treated into 'Bad Reputation' and Ozzy Osbourne, Elvis Costello, Bob Weir, Sheryl Crow, Alice Cooper, Roberta Flack, John Mellencamp, Keith Richards, Carly Simon and many others reveal the emotions and technique behind their major works.Trade ReviewMyers has a knack for capturing the artistry of songwriting and easily shows why these tracks are "iconic but not tired." This melodic collection will strike a chord with music fans. * Publishers Weekly *Myers adds important context by interviewing and extensively quoting the principal artists, composers, and producers. Especially recommended for collections where the first book found favor. * Booklist *Insightful...Pop-music fans of a certain age will enjoy this collection and might even use it as a playlist. * Library Journal *Myers does a fine job of getting behind the hits...With snippets of business, creativity, techno-wizardry, and raw emotion, a pleasure for music fans. * Kirkus Reviews *A treasure trove of music trivia between hard covers... [A] splendid volume. * Guardian on ANATOMY OF A SONG *[T]he anecdotes give flesh to the meaning of the lyrics. Musical influences that get passed from artist to artist are equally fascinating - and often surprising... Myers' book is big-fun forensic musicology. * Mojo on ANATOMY OF A SONG *A winning look at the stories behind 45 pop, punk, folk, soul and country classics. * Washington Post on ANATOMY OF A SONG *A cultural history of the elusive hit single, focused on artists' recollections and studio alchemy . . . The book's strength lies in thoughtful, wry reflections from artists including Elvis Costello, Jimmy Cliff, Stevie Wonder, Booker T. Jones, Dr. John, and Debbie Harry. An entertaining record of the soundtrack of the baby boomer era. * Kirkus Reviews on ANATOMY OF A SONG *Table of Contents1: Walk On By DIONNE WARWICK 2: Dancing in the Street MARTHA AND THE VANDELLAS 3: Sunshine Superman DONOVAN 4: Good Vibrations THE BEACH BOYS 5: Up, Up and Away THE 5TH DIMENSION 6: Get Together THE YOUNGBLOODS 7: The Weight THE BAND 8: Fire THE CRAZY WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN 9: Bad Moon Rising CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL 10: Crystal Blue Persuasion TOMMY JAMES AND THE SHONDELLS 11: Ain't No Mountain High Enough DIANA ROSS 12: Paranoid BLACK SABBATH 13: Truckin' GRATEFUL DEAD 8 14: I'm Eighteen ALICE COOPER 15: Bang a Gong (Get It On) T. REX 16: Roundabout YES 17: Doctor My Eyes JACKSON BROWNE 18: Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress THE HOLLIES 19: Rocket Man ELTON JOHN 20: I'll Be Around THE SPINNERS 21: Papa Was a Rollin' Stone THE TEMPTATIONS 22: Killing Me Softly with His Song ROBERTA FLACK 23: Smoke on the Water DEEP PURPLE 24: Hello It's Me TODD RUNDGREN 1 25: She's Gone HALL & OATES 26: Come and Get Your Love REDBONE 27: Sundown GORDON LIGHTFOOT 28: Why Can't We Be Friends? WAR 29: I'm Not in Love 10CC 30: Love Is the Drug ROXY MUSIC 31: The Boys Are Back in Town THIN LIZZY 32: Fly Like an Eagle STEVE MILLER BAND 33: Year of the Cat AL STEWART 34: Go Your Own Way FLEETWOOD MAC 35: Barracuda HEART 36: Nobody Does It Better CARLY SIMON 37: Peg STEELY DAN 38: My Best Friend's Girl THE CARS 39: The Gambler KENNY ROGERS 40: September EARTH, WIND & FIRE 41: What a Fool Believes THE DOOBIE BROTHERS 42: Accidents Will Happen ELVIS COSTELLO 43: The Devil Went Down to Georgia THE CHARLIE DANIELS BAND 44: Good Times CHIC 45: Highway to Hell AC/DC 46: Cars GARY NUMAN 47: On the Radio DONNA SUMMER 48: Bad Reputation JOAN JETT 49: Rapture BLONDIE 50: Don't Stop Believin' JOURNEY 51: Come On Eileen DEXYS MIDNIGHT RUNNERS 52: Steppin' Out JOE JACKSON 53: Burning Down the House TALKING HEADS 54: The Power of Love HUEY LEWIS AND THE NEWS 55: Small Town JOHN MELLENCAMP 56: Take It So Hard KEITH RICHARDS 57: Being Boring PET SHOP BOYS 58: If It Makes You Happy SHERYL CROW

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Book SynopsisAn impassioned history of the final, turbulent years of The Clash under the dark shadow of Reagan and Thatcher.

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Book SynopsisShortlisted for the Penderyn Music Book Prize 2017. In this first installment of acclaimed music writer David Toop’s interdisciplinary and sweeping overview of free improvisation, Into the Maelstrom: Music, Improvisation and the Dream of Freedom: Before 1970 introduces the philosophy and practice of improvisation (both musical and otherwise) within the historical context of the post-World War II era. Neither strictly chronological, or exclusively a history, Into the Maelstrom investigates a wide range of improvisational tendencies: from surrealist automatism to stream-of-consciousness in literature and vocalization; from the free music of Percy Grainger to the free improvising groups emerging out of the early 1960s (Group Ongaku, Nuova Consonanza, MEV, AMM, the Spontaneous Music Ensemble); and from free jazz to the strands of free improvisation that sought to distance itself from jazz. In exploring the diverse ways in which spontaneity became a core value in the early twentieth century as well as free improvisation’s connection to both 1960s rock (The Beatles, Cream, Pink Floyd) and the era of post-Cagean indeterminacy in composition, Toop provides a definitive and all-encompassing exploration of free improvisation up to 1970, ending with the late 1960s international developments of free music from Roscoe Mitchell in Chicago, Peter Brötzmann in Berlin and Han Bennink and Misha Mengelberg in Amsterdam.Trade Review[A] discursive and consistently stimulating account. * The Guardian *Maelstrom indeed ... [This] is an encyclopedic vortex of musicology, memoir and speculative extemporisation on the nature of improvisation and freedom in music ... crammed with detail and fascinating observations ... A captivating reading experience that perfectly embodies its subject in form. * The Wire *David [Toop] has browsed through history and offers readers an extremely rich overview of myriad germs of improvisation popping up all over the world, in so many musics, in fine arts and theater, in politics and philosophy, in social activism, and in small musical events. ... [T]his panoramic book is an absolute must-read for everyone interested in (the archeology of) free improvisation, actually for anyone interested in music in general. I am already looking forward to the second volume. * Journal of Sonic Studies *A typically multi-faceted and prismatic look at improvisation, written from the perspective of a practitioner. Turns out exploring free improvisation in music is really about exploring life. * Pitchfork *This is a long overdue book, and there is no-one else who could have written it. It is an astonishing achievement, and a highly readable and enjoyable one too. * International Times *Toop spends much of his latest effort exploring the philosophical and artistic movements from which pre-1970 performers drew inspiration ... In this, [Into the Maelstrom] provides a fascinating view of 20th century underground movements well beyond that of music alone. * Pop Matters *There is a wide range of substantive material here for both scholars and fans of the music ... If one accomplishment of the work must be singled out, it is that it assumes no foreknowledge of improvised music, and yet it would enrich the understanding of anyone who considers themselves an expert on the subject. * Popular Music *Any discussion of free improvisation, as an essential (anti?)-discipline of creative music, is an amusing balance between considering an unruly child and a sacred cow. History has come into a wild favor towards a genre that perpetually defies definition and prediction. David Toop, with a critical facility informed by over forty years of activity on and off the bandstand, sets his ruminations in the service of the music. Essaying on free improvisation in the mode of composition can result in didactic chin scratch. Thankfully Toop engages the readers interest with a sentient breath of prose charged by academic insight where poetic space becomes the page. It's only the beginning. * Thurston Moore *Toop's latest opus explores in depth the various traces of improvisation in music and elsewhere ... It is a broad panorama of portraits, reflections, anecdotes, evocations, miscellaneous quotations, interview extracts and questions on the nature and the development of the concepts of spontaneity and free expression throughout the twentieth century. * Revue & Corrigée (Bloomsbury translation) *The range of artists that are written about in this book is absolutely amazing. The beautiful thing is Toop was also in the height of the scene during the 1960s - so his views are both personal as well as a history of music being made and recorded throughout the 20th century. ... Toop has an encyclopedic knowledge of literature and music. What makes him a great writer is that he is able to use those tools to tell a remarkable narrative ... Perfect book. * TamTam Books blog *Describing the world as increasingly policed and regulated, Toop argues that people have come to devalue the role of improvisation in human behavior. Although the focus of Into the Maelstrom is music, Toop also examines theater, film, and the visual arts along with sociologists such as W. E. B. Du Bois. He explores a wide variety of musical styles and practitioners, including jazz musicians Sidney Bechet, Ornette Coleman, and the AACM; composers such as Luciano Berio, John Cage, Edgard Varèse, and Percy Grainger; and the rock band Pink Floyd. Toop also acknowledges the role of technology in music and improvisation—as exemplified by, for example, composer/performing artist Pauline Oliveros. The interesting discography will be a useful resource. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals. * CHOICE *David Toop has dived into the Maelstrom that is the genesis of improvised music and come up with a string of pearls. There is so much here that will be new to even those of us who thought we knew the subject. A remarkable piece of real scholarship that relies on painstaking research with a refreshing absence of jargon. * Evan Parker *Into the Maelstrom gives an astonishing, vivid history of improvised music across the 20th century­­ before 1970, tracing its transnational criss-crossings, trans-arts contagions, the folds between Cream and AMM, ‘musicking’ and John Stevens' Spontaneous Music Ensemble, Nuova Consonanza and For a Few Dollars More. David Toop’s panoramic account makes obvious how urgently we have needed this alternative history, attuned to musical sounds as they resonate with artistic, cultural and political currents. A landmark book, Into the Maelstrom re-centres those vast and auspicious margins deserted by previous music histories. * Georgina Born, Professor of Music and Anthropology, University of Oxford, UK *Table of Contents1: (only begin) A DESCENT 2: FREE BODIES 3: collective subjectivities 1 4: OVERTURE TO DAWN 5: collective subjectivities 2 6: INTO THE HOT 7: solitary subjectivities 8: TROUBLED SEA OF NOISES AND HOARSE DISPUTES 9: collective objectivities 10: IMAGINARY BIRDS SAID TO LIVE IN PARADISE 11: postscript: the ballad of john and yoko 12: RAIN FALLING DOWN ON OLD GODS Index

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Book SynopsisSleater-Kinney’s 1997 album Dig Me Out is built on Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein’s competing guitars, Janet Weiss’s muscular rhythms, and layered vocals that teeter between an urgent, banshee-like vibrato and a lower accompaniment. Dig Me Out was the band’s third studio album, but the first one written and recoded with Weiss. It inaugurated Sleater-Kinney into a lineup that would span its two-decade career. This 33 1/3 follows the narrative of Dig Me Out from its inception in Olympia to its recording in Seattle and its reception across the United States. It’s anchored in a short period of time – roughly from mid-1996 to mid-1998 – but it encompasses a series of battles over meaning that continued to preoccupy Sleater-Kinney in the coming decades. The band wrestled with the media about how they would be presented to the public, it contended with technicians about how their sound would be heard in clubs, and they struggled with pervasive social hierarchies about how their work would be understood in popular culture. The only instance where the band didn't have to put up much of a fight was when it came to their fans. The acclaim Sleater-Kinney received from their listeners in the late 1990s, and continue to receive today, speaks to a need for icons who challenged normative notions of culture and gender. This story of Dig Me Out chronicles how Sleater-Kinney won the fight to define themselves on their own terms – as women and as musicians – and, in the process, how they redefined the parameters of rock.Trade ReviewSleater-Kinney’s Dig Me Out by Jovana Babovic not only dives into the album, but it also dives into the culture surrounding women in music. While the book takes you through the album, it focuses on what it meant for the individual band members, the tour surrounding the release, and how the band was treated on the road. Babovic displays the toughness and the DIY attitude of Sleater-Kinney perfectly through her writing… I can’t recommend this book enough. * HiFi Noise *[In this volume] Babovic makes the case that S-K are that alternative; a band that should be held in as high esteem as Bowie, The Beatles and the rest of rock’s predominantly male superstars ... Though it’s strongly grounded with analytic arguments and sociological theories, it’s also hugely passionate; written with a similar excitement and frustration as the record itself. * Record Collector *I loved Dig Me Out. It's about feminism and gender as much as it is about the three musicians and this one particular album. For SK fans, it's a must, but I also recommend it highly to people interested in media and sexism. * Lower East Side Librarian *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction – Sleater-Kinney’s Dig Me Out in the Cultural Moment of the late 1990s Chapter I – Olympia Calling: The Making and Breaking Out of Spaces Chapter II – Eight Days in Seattle: The Struggle to Record Dig Me Out Chapter III – Strange Words: Writing about Gender, Punk, and Sleater-Kinney Chapter IV – Hey Soundguy: The Dig Me Out Tour Chapter V – Words & Guitars: Celebrity, Fandom, and the Cult of Sleater-Kinney Notes

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Book SynopsisA handbook by experts to help you teach radical thought in schools.

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Book SynopsisFrom the churches and street corners of Harlem and The Bronx to the underground clubs of the East Village, New York City has been a musical mecca for generations, and Rock & Roll Explorer Guide to New York City is the definitive story of its development throughout the five boroughs. Plug in and walk the same streets a young Bob Dylan walked. See where Patti Smith, the Ramones, Beastie Boys, and Jeff Buckley played. Visit on foot the places Lou Reed mentions in his songs or where Paul Simon grew up; where the Strokes drowned their sorrows, Grizzly Bear cut their teeth and Jimi Hendrix found his vision. Rock and Roll Explorer Guide gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at how bands came together, scenes developed, and classic songs were written. Artists come and go, neighborhoods change, venues open and close, but the music lives on. Contents Upper Manhattan and Harlem Upper West Side The Velvet Underground Upper East Side The Beatles John & Yoko Central Park Patti Smith Midtown West Beastie Boys Midtown East Madonna Chelsea & Hudson Yards Jimi Hendrix & Electric Lady Union Square & Madison Square New York Dolls West Village Bob Dylan East Village Blondie Soho & TriBeCa Sonic Youth Lower East Side The Strokes Brooklyn Talking Heads Queens Ramones Simon & Garfunkel The Bronx Kiss Staten Island Rock & roll may not have been born in New York, but this is one of the places it grew up and blew up and presented itself to the world. From the churches and street corners of Harlem and the Bronx to the underground clubs of the East Village, New York City has been a musical Mecca for generations, and The Rock & Roll Explorer Guide to New York City is an historical journey through its development across all five boroughs. The Rock & Roll Explorer Guide to New York City restores a sense of time and place to music history by identifying and documenting critical points of interest spanning genres and eras, and delineating the places in New York City critical to its musical development and ultimate triumphs and tragedies. Through this lens, we can see and understand how bands came together, scenes developed, and classic songs were written. In some cases, the buildings are still there, in others only the address remains, but you still get a sense of the history that happened there. Among the many locations in this book are addresses musicians and other key rock & roll figures once called home. In a very few instances we’ve included current addresses, but only when the location is historically significant and widely known; otherwise, we consciously left current residences out. The Rock & Roll Explorer Guide to New York City is intended as a fun travel guide through music history rather than a means of locating famous musicians. Most New Yorkers understand that everyone has a right to privacy. That’s one of the reasons many of these artists live here. Because of the city’s rich history, this book cannot be a comprehensive encyclopedia of music, rock venues, or the music industry; nor do we present the definitive biographies of the musicians included. The artists and locations chosen represent a sometimes broad look at the history of rock & roll in the city, with an eye on those who either grew up or spent their formative years here. But there’s so much more we couldn’t include, and we hope readers will be inspired to go even further, whether they’re hitting the streets themselves or experiencing the city vicariously from afar. Artists come and go, neighborhoods change, venues open and close, but the music lives on.

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Book SynopsisAn alphabetical history of rock ’n’ roll’s most iconic band…the Grateful Dead.Featuring playful rhymes and glorious illustrations, The ABCs of the Grateful Dead celebrates the band’s rich and dynamic history. Each letter of the alphabet highlights a significant moment, cultural contribution, or innovation along the band’s journey, from their groundbreaking release of American Beauty to their pioneering Wall of Sound, from the beloved dancing bears to their singular community of tape traders. This delightfully kaleidoscopic look back on the Grateful Dead will entertain first-time readers as well as diehard fans of all ages. The Grateful Dead is a social and musical phenomenon that grew into a genuine American treasure. In 1965, an entire generation was linked together by common ideals, gathering by the hundreds and thousands. This movement created a seamless connection between the band and its fans. As the band toured, Dead Heads would follow. Not because it was a part of popular culture, but because it is a true counterculture that exists to this very day-one that earnestly believes in the value of its beliefs. By 1995, the Grateful Dead had attracted the most concert goers in the history of the music business, and today remain one of the all-time leaders in concert ticket sales. Eventually, the caravan evolved into a community with various artists, craftsmen and entrepreneurs supplying a growing demand for merchandise that connected them to the music. Today, the connection is as strong as ever. The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1994 and received a Grammy® Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007. Their final tally of 2,318 total concerts remains a world record. The Grateful Dead recently celebrated their 53rd top 40 album on the Billboard chart, a feat no other group has achieved.Trade Review"Unique, original, fun, The ABCs of the Grateful Dead offers a fascinating and entertainingly kaleidoscopic look back on the Grateful Dead that will have a very special appeal to young first-time readers—as well as diehard fans of all ages! The ABCs of the Grateful Dead is especially recommended for family, elementary school, and community library ABC collections in general, and dedicated Grateful Dead fans of any age in particular." -- Midwest Book Review

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Book SynopsisTesla’s Brian Wheat lifts the lid on living the rock ’n’ roll life while struggling with anxiety, depression, and other issues seldom discussed by musicians.Brian Wheat is far from your typical rock star. As bassist for the multi-platinum band, Tesla, he’s enjoyed the spoils of success and lived the sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll lifestyle to the hilt. But it came at a cost, one that took years to repair. In this deeply honest and utterly revealing memoir, Wheat sheds light on the many challenges he faces, including bulimia, weight issues, and the crippling anxiety and depression caused by his conditions. Just like the songs his legendary band made, this is no-nonsense, blue-collar storytelling at its best. While revealing the vulnerable human behind the bass guitar, this autobiography also offers tremendous stories of life on the road, and collaborations and encounters with legendary figures like his pals in Def Leppard, David Lee Roth, Alice Cooper, and Paul McCartney. Son of a Milkman will entertain, surprise, and inspire longtime fans of this enduring band.

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Book SynopsisA new biography of the beloved but mysterious Blind Lemon Jefferson, famous blues musician. Born in 1897, Jefferson was a blind street musician who played his guitar at the corner of Elm Street and Central Avenue in the Deep Ellum area of Dallas, Texas, until a Paramount Records scout discovered him. Between 1926 and his untimely death in 1929, Jefferson made more than 80 records and became the biggest-selling blues singer in America. Although his recordings are extensive, details about his life are relatively few. Through Govenar and Lornell's extensive interviews and research, See That My Grave is Kept Clean gathers the scattered facts behind Blind Lemon Jefferson's mythic representations.

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Book SynopsisThe first book to celebrate the classic-era Motà rhead lineup of Lemmy Kilmister, 'Fast' Eddie Clarke, and Phil 'Philthy Animal' Taylor.

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Book SynopsisA Grateful Dead concert, Ray Robertson argues, is life. Like life, it can be alternately compelling and lackluster; familiar and foreign; occasionally sublime and sometimes insipid. Although the Grateful Dead stopped the day Jerry Garcia’s heart did, what the band left behind is the next best thing to being there in the third row, courtesy of the group’s unorthodox decision to record all of their concerts. Meaning that it’s possible to follow the band’s evolution (and devolution) through their shows, from the R&B-based garage band at the beginning, to the jazz-rock conjurers at their creative peak, to the lumbering monolith of their decline.In All the Years Combine: The Grateful Dead in Fifty Shows, Robertson listens to and writes ecstatically about fifty of the band's most important and memorable concerts in order to better understand who the Grateful Dead were, what they became, and what they meant—and what they continue to mean.Trade ReviewPraise for All the Years Combine"You do not need to drop acid, get high, or be a Deadhead to enjoy Robertson’s long strange trip ... Through the author’s research, knowledge, passion and critical analysis you will gain new insights about this unique group."—David McPherson, Toronto Star"Robertson—writing at full, heart-exploding tilt—charts the course of the greatest American band (yes, I said it), from their humble start to their humbling end through capsule reviews of 50 shows. This is a glorious book, full of setlists and anecdotes and clear-eyed love."—Robert J. Wiersema, Toronto Star"Robertson has written an ideal companion for the devoted Deadhead while charting intimidating territory for the curious ... books like this one help enshrine (the music) with the reverence it deserves."—Michael Strizic, Literary Review of Canada"Ray Robertson's All the Years Combine is part love letter and part band history, showing why—and how—Deadheads really talk (and feel) about their favorite band."—Peter Conners, author of Growing Up Dead and Cornell '77“Ray weaves short stories around fifty shows—and altogether they tell the story of the The Grateful Dead’s timeline.”—Karim Kanji, Welcome to the Music"Ray Robertson ... walks listeners through the endless thicket of music. At points, his crackling prose froths over into hyperventilating superfan’s rants—an approach that befits a band with such a passionate following. Sometimes ... more is more."—Spin"Impressively insightfully informative, exceptionally well organized and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in presentation, All the Years Combine: The Grateful Dead in Fifty Shows is a 'must read' history for the legions of Grateful Dead fans."—Midwest Book Review“Author Ray Robertson delves into a staggering fifty Grateful Dead shows in his new collection … embark on a wild trip with Robertson and follow the trajectory of one of live music’s most groundbreaking acts.”—Gabriel Sigler, Bad Feeling Magazine"Delightfully genre-fluid—part critique, part review, part biography, part journalism."—Ashwinin Gangal, Palo Alto Weekly"If life were a Grateful Dead concert, Chatham author Ray Robertson would be its philosopher archivist."—Dan Savoie, 519 Magazine"All the Years Combine is a fast, enlightening read but it is also something to savor, like one of the Dead's notorious hour-long jams."—Kevin Wierzbicki, Anti Music"There is a huge amount of useful information collected in this book. And it was written as a serious criticism with love and affection and a large portion of honesty and humor thrown in for good measure."—M. Sarki, The Rogue Literary Society"As any Deadhead worth their weight in hemp and LSD will tell you, there’s nothing like a Grateful Dead concert, and the author capably demonstrates the good, bad, and ugly elements that followed the band around for decades ... A must for devoted Deadheads."—Kirkus Reviews"The great thing about this book is that if you know the Grateful Dead’s music, it’s a hum-along, sing-along tome ... His summaries of Dead concerts often display elements of verve, invention and colour in the telling ... Robertson’s other object is corrective—to change the focus of the Grateful Dead’s legacy in our culture. And in this, he succeeds admirably."—Winnipeg Free Press"This collection celebrating fifty concerts by the Grateful Dead shows them to be tougher and more complex than you might think ... meticulous readings of the band's concerts (alongside track listings) are impressively extensive but crucially they also build a surprising picture too."—Louder Than War"All the Years Combine is a superb book."—Shannon MacLeod, The Miramichi Reader"All the Years Combine is perhaps the first truly great book chronicling The Grateful Dead through the band’s live shows ... And for the Grateful Dead live neophyte ... the book provides a roadmap, a guide, a place to start and finish and explore the music while you read. And for these reasons, All the Years Combine, much like the music it heralds, transcends."—Frank Valish, Under the Radar“One of Canada’s most prolific writers ... one thing that’s always made Ray’s work stand out is how he seamlessly blends his favourite music into his prose, whether it’s fiction or non-fiction.”—Jason Schneider, Roots Music Canada"Fascinating and provocative."—David Gans, "Tales from the Golden Road" on Sirius Satellite Radio"Author Ray Robertson ... put[s] it all in perspective."—Greg Prato, Ultimate Guitar"Robertson ... tell[s] the story of one of the most loved and bewildering bands of all time."—Trevor Wilhelm, Windsor StarPraise for Ray Robertson's Lives of the Poets (with Guitars)“On North American shores, writing about music and its cultural spin-offs has largely been defined by the snarky authority of Pitchfork and trash-talkin’ teardowns of VICE giving birth to the new, new cool. Whereas those writing for music publications in Britain, although still cheeky, offer far more in the way of literary craft, storytelling and historical insight compared to the brash Americans. Ray Robertson, a Canadian novelist, aligns himself closer to the British tradition reinforcing that smart, lively prose and a bit of wit go a long, marvelous way. One part of Lives of the Poets is a record guide revealing these undiscovered treasures, the other is Robertson’s gift of spewing out stories that simply shame most rock ‘n’ roll writers into the hacks they really are.”—Beat Route“Lives of the Poets (with Guitars) should come with a warning label: May cause significant increase of spending on music. Readers are strongly advised to avoid record stores within 72 hours of reading. There is much to love and admire about Lives of the Poets (with Guitars). Robertson brings a discerning ear and keen passion, a sly sense of humour and a deep sense of philosophical questioning to each of these pieces. [It] is a powerful book and one to which music fans are likely to often return.”—Toronto Star“Robertson toils for a higher purpose: to reveal the transcendent, enduring qualities of the artist and their importance to society. He establishes his intentions in the introduction: 'One wants to convey in words what it is that makes for a musically-transformed, more-alive human being.' With this collection of essays on 13 remarkable figures, Robertson leaves no doubt about the success of his endeavor.”—Elmore Magazine“Crossing a number of musical genres, Robertson is often effusive in his praise, but consistently provides a stirring rationale for the strong emotional impact that each artist elicits with their music ... Robertson offers the whole picture, warts and all. In doing so, he honors the music of artists who have enriched his life—and opens the door for his readers to experience the same magic.”—Blues Blast Magazine"Robertson brings a good ear and plenty of critical insight to essays aimed at helping readers discover new favorites or hear more familiar music from a fresh perspective.”—Kirkus Reviews

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Book SynopsisBorn in a mainly working-class area of North Tyneside in 1951, Gordon Sumner would become one of the world's best-selling music artists. Known professionally as Sting, he was the lead singer for the band The Police from 1977 to 1984, before launching a hugely successful solo career. The foundations of Sting's creativity and drive for success were established in the region of his birth, with vestiges of his 'Northern Englishness' continuing to emerge in his music long after he left the area. Published to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the formation of The Police, this is the first book to examine the relationship between Sting's working-class background in Newcastle and the creativity and inspiration behind his music. Focusing on the sometimes-blurry borderlines between nostalgia, facts, imagination and memories - as told by Sting, the people who knew (and know) him, and those who have written about him - Carr investigates the often complex resonance between local boy Gordon Sumner and the star the world knows as Sting. This book will be of great interest to the many fans of Sting and The Police, as well as those interested in the history of popular music.

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Book SynopsisBono (U2) once said, "More than any other band, The Who are our role models." Starting as a simple four-piece 'mod' band in the early 1960s, The Who went on to conquer the world with their unique and supremely powerful music that transcended any genre and appealed to fans across the world. The original lineup of Roger Daltrey, Keith Moon, Pete Townshend and John Entwhistle honed their sound and recorded some milestone albums in rock history: Live at Leeds, Tommy and Quadrophenia are just some of the legendary records they released.

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Book SynopsisDavid Bowie: every single song. Everything you want to know, everything you didn't know. David Bowie remains mysterious and unknowable, despite 45 years of recording and performing. His legacy is roughly 600 songs, which range from psychedelia to glam rock to Philadelphia soul, from avant-garde instrumentals to global pop anthems. Rebel Rebel catalogs Bowie's songs from 1964 to 1976, examines them in the order of their composition and recording, and digs into what makes them work. Rebel Rebel is an in-depth look at Bowie's early singles and album tracks, unreleased demos, session outtakes and cover songs. The book traces Bowie's literary, film and musical influences and the evolution of his songwriting. It also shows how Bowie exploited studio innovations, and the roles of his producers and supporting musicians, especially major collaborators like Brian Eno, Iggy Pop and Mick Ronson. This book places Bowie's music in the context of its era. Readers will discover the links between Kubrick's 2001 and "Space Oddity"; how A Clockwork Orange inspired "Suffragette City". The pages are a trip through Bowie's various lives as a young man in Swinging London, a Tibetan Buddhist, a disillusioned hippie, a rock god, and a Hollywood recluse. With a cast of thousands, including John Lennon, William S. Burroughs, Andy Warhol and Cher.Trade Review...best writing on David Bowie bar none. -- Bob Stanley, writer and a member of the pop group Saint Etienne 2014 If you're a David Bowie fan, you'll love Chris O'Leary's Pushing Ahead of the Dame. Each post is devoted to analyzing a Bowie song, in roughly chronological order: its words, music, history, precursors and influence on other performers...Even if you're not an admirer of the artist sometimes known as Ziggy Stardust, the site's a rewarding read. If nothing else, it may leave you wishing that your favorite musician had a fan as perceptive and prolific as O'Leary. (TIME's Best Blogs of 2011) -- Harry McCracken Time Magazine, 2012

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Book SynopsisKate Bush began her career in 1978 at the age of 19 with the single 'Wuthering Heights', inspired by a film adaptation of the Emily Bronte novel, the first No. 1 UK single to be written and sung by a female artist, and the accompanying album 'The Kick Inside', both of which established her as a highly individual talent. She has always preferred the recording studio with live performances and tours having been few and far between, and all her albums have been very successful at home and abroad, her third, 'Never For Ever' (1980), being the first by a female artist to enter the British chart at No. 1. Her eclectic, experimental musical style with its often literary and unconventional lyrical themes has defied easy categorisation, and earned the lasting admiration of fans, fellow performers and music critics alike, while an eclectic roster of guest artists including Eric Clapton, Elton John, Prince and Stephen Fry have appeared on her work,. This book provides a thorough examination of the songs on all her singles, albums, and occasional recorded collaborations with other artists.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements; Author's Note; Introduction; 1: The Kick Inside; 2: Lionheart; 3: Never For Ever; 4: The Dreaming; 5: Hounds of Love; 6: The Whole Story; 7: The Sensual World; 8: This Woman's Work; 9: The Red Shoes; 10: Aerial; 11: Director's Cut; 12: 50 Words for Snow; 13: The Other Sides; Endnotes; Bibliography.

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Book SynopsisNigel Kennedy changed the course of classical music in the late 1980s with his interpretation of Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons’. He was revolutionary: in his performance and presentation; in his technique and his open-minded attitude. A natural boundary-pusher and musical adventurer, Nigel Kennedy blew minds - and sales records - as he became the best-selling violinist of all time. Instead of an Introduction, Nigel opens with a tongue-in-cheek ‘Warning’: readers should beware of his politically incorrect writing style and his frank take on the BBC, record companies, the Bavarian Police and any other ‘self-appointed wielders of power.’ It sets the tone for a truly original memoir that is as playful, unconventional and carefully executed as his music. The book is structured like a musical performance, with ‘Interludes’, ‘Outros’ and an ‘Encore’ separating the regular chapters which cover Nigel’s life story, from his humble beginnings and scholarship to the newly created Yehudi Menuhin School - and then New York at The Juilliard School - to his flourishing career and break-through as a world-class superstar. ‘Interludes’ cover subjects varying from Nigel’s best and worst gigs (“It might seem strange that shit gigs stick in the mind so much more than the good ones but I suppose it makes sense…”), to run-ins with rock stars and Police forces around the world. His anecdote on the London Metropolitan Police’s handling of a noise complaint at an after-show all-star jam is particularly funny: “These guys (the Met) were cheerful, they dealt with the situation and didn’t escalate the problem when there wasn’t one. 10/10” ‘Outros’ cover Nigel’s thoughts on classical music today - fascinating reading from the perspective of a virtuoso - to Brexit, where the spelling of the word alone leaves the reader in little doubt as to which side of the fence the author sits. ‘Encores’ is a comprehensive section on Nigel’s recorded output, covering his early classical work, the Four Seasons and later albums. There are insights into his work with rock musicians including Robert Plant, the late drummer Michael Lee, Killing Joke singer Jaz Coleman, and producers Eddie Kramer (Jimmy Hendrix) and John Leckie (Stone Roses). Nigel’s writing on Gershwin, Yehudi Menuhin, Stephan Grappelli (‘my biggest inspiration’), Jimi Hendrix and the Doors is compelling. Nigel writes of his interests outside music - boxing and football - which provide inspiration and balance to his creative output (on Aston Villa - “a true blessing for me to have an outlet in which I was surrounded by normal, honest, hard-working people who did ‘proper jobs’”). There is a splendid chapter on ‘Kitchen Golf’, a not-without-risk variation of the game, conjured up with close friend and mischief-maker Gary Lineker, during a messy late night kitchen session. “My whole life has been spent breaking down barriers between people and this book is proof of that.” states Nigel in his ‘Warning’. It’s a Mission Statement borne out in ‘Uncensored’ with aplomb.

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Book SynopsisFrom 'Neighbours' TV teen queen to Stock Aitken Waterman's megastar, the rise of Kylie Minogue to the top of the charts is one of the biggest smash hit success stories in pop music. Across 15 studio albums her transition from SexKylie (with help from Michael Hutchence) to IndieKylie (thanks to Nick Cave and Manic Street Preachers), then to undisputed Princess of Pop (courtesy of the irresistible 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head') proved she was not just an actress, a singer and a remarkable live performer (including Glastonbury Goddess), but a true global superstar. After successfully beating cancer, Kylie returned to the top with several big-selling albums, including the critically lauded 'The Abbey Road Sessions', festive fave 'Kylie Christmas' and 2020's history-making 'Disco'. This book is an exhaustive "step back in time" through her complete 'Katalogue' across five poptastic decades. Every released track and collab from her 300+ song catalogue - many self-penned or co-written - over 35 years is examined in detail with new insights, revelations & vital video/remix information. 'Kylie: Song By Song' celebrates this unique artist's truly remarkable and unparalleled career and is a must-have for every dedicated fan of the lucky, lucky, lucky Australian pop princess.Table of ContentsIntroduction; About This Book; Acknowledgements; Glad To Be Getting Closer In Oz Era (1985-1987); Kylie Album/Especially For You Single Era (1988); Enjoy Yourself Album Era (1989); Rhythm Of Love Album Era (1990); Let's Get To It Album Era (1991); Greatest Hits Compilation Era (1992); Kylie Minogue Album Era (1994); Where The Wild Roses Grow Single/Impossible Princess Album Era (1997); Intimate & Live Album & More Era (1998-2000); Light Years Album Era (2000); Fever Album Era (2001); Body Language Album Era (2003); Ultimate Kylie Compilation Era (2004); The X Files Era (The Unofficial Xtra Tracks); X Album Era (2006-2008); Boombox Compilation & More Era (2008-2010); Aphrodite Album Era (2010-2011); Abbey Road Sessions Album & More Era (2012-2013); Kiss Me Once Album + Garibay & More Era (2013-2015); Kylie Christmas & Snow Queen Edition Albums Era (2015-2017); Golden Album Era (2018); Step Back In Time: The Definitive Collection Compilation Era (2019); Disco Album Era (2020); Appendix I: Kylie Kompletists; Appendix II: Kylie Koncerts; Appendix III: Kylie's Brit Hit List (1987-2020); About the Author.

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Book SynopsisThrilling reportage from raves, riots and rebellions documents how rebels with a cause use music as a force for change.

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Book SynopsisNik Cohn began to write this book in the late 1960s with a simple purpose: to catch the feel, the pulse of Rock. Nobody had written a serious book on the subject before, and there were no reference books or research to refer to. The result is an unruly, thrilling and definitive history of an era, from Bill Haley to Jimi Hendrix, full of guts, flash, energy and speed. In vividly describing the music and cutting through the hype, Nik Cohn engendered and perfected a new form: rock criticism.Trade ReviewA thrilling, inspirational read. -- Bob Stanley * Guardian *Set the template for a whole new style of rock journalism, informed, irreverent, passionate and polemical. * Choice Magazine *The best writer about pop music...an inspiration. -- Jarvis Cocker * BBC Radio 6 Music *The book to read if you want to get some idea of the original primal energy of pop music. Loads of unfounded, biased assertions that almost always turn out to be right. Absolutely essential. -- Jarvis Cocker * Guardian *Cohn was the first writer authentically to capture the raucous vitality of pop music * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisCan music be a curse? Here is an alternate history of online politics and new technology from the perspective of listening, typing, composing, and shared hearing. Emile Frankel presents a rigorous account of a world felt to be in crisis. The aesthetic and tonal ramifications for such feelings are twisted within the oppressive online structures mediating new music. The legacies of Silicon Valley digitalism, 4chan, Less Wrong, and Chaos Magic are compared to the magical thinking which underlies stochastic composition, and the aesthetics of deconstructed club music. Despite a pessimistic account of Accelerationism and reactionary philosophy, Frankel's spirited writing is full of hope. Hearing the Cloud considers the communal online conversations we engage in daily as profound acts of defiance. Sweet, lithe, oily, and honest music is shown to be an important source of togetherness.

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Book SynopsisPink is one of the most trailblazing artists of our time. Her breakthrough album, Missundaztood, was released to critical acclaim in 2001 and showcased her unique, powerhouse pop vocals, as well as her rebellious style. In the two decades since, she has remained firmly in pop’s upper echelons, despite her refusal to conform. She consistently out-sings her contemporaries with hit songs such as, “Get the Party Started,” “Just Like a Pill,” “So What,” “What About Us,” and “Beautiful Trauma,” while her willingness to speak frankly about difficult topics has made her a relatable role model. She is an outspoken animal rights activist, and has been vocal about women’s rights, LGBT rights, and her support of same-sex marriage. Away from the studio, Pink’s live shows are nothing short of phenomenal; her jaw-dropping acrobatics mark her out as a truly spectacular performer. Loved by fans and revered by the music industry, Pink continues to enjoy global success and substantial airplay. Her accolades are numerous and include, three Grammys, a Daytime Emmy Award, and seven MTV Video Music Awards—the prestigious Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award among them. In 2019, she was honoured with the Outstanding Contribution to Music Award at the Brit Awards, and in 2021 she accepted the Icon Award at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards. Pink: Raise Your Glass is a celebration of one of pop’s longest reigning rebels. Beautifully illustrated with essential images, this book is a fitting tribute to an undeniably, remarkable pop artist.

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Book SynopsisIn Jimi Hendrix: The Stories Behind the Songs, music journalist and author David Stubbs provides the definitive companion to Hendrix's recorded output, from the early years, including 'Hey Joe' and 'Purple Haze' through to his posthumously released trilogy that concluded with Both Sides Of The Sky. Quite possibly the greatest solo rock artist of all time, Jimi Hendrix was the supreme physical and musical emblem of rock music. And although he was an immense guitarist, he also connected with audiences as a performer and a songwriter. Songs like 'Voodoo Chile' and 'Third Stone From The Sun' were the brilliant products of a dazed yet expanded consciousness, full of casual epithets which illuminated the era: 'May you never hear surf music again'; ''Scuse me while I kiss the sky'; 'Gonna raise my freak flag high'. Each one of them is explored, dissected and celebrated. Table of ContentsIntroduction • Are You Experienced • Axis: Bold As Love • Electric Ladyland • Band Of Gypsys • First Rays Of The New Rising Sun • South Southern Delta • The Jimi Hendrix Experience • Loose Ends and Live Albums • Valleys of Neptune • People, Hell And Angels • Both Sides Of The Sky • Epilogue • Discography • Index.

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Book SynopsisJohn Lennon, 1980: The Final Days in the Life of Beatle John tells the story of the legendary musician’s incredible last year. For Lennon, 1980 had begun as a ceaseless shopping spree in which he and wife Yoko Ono fell into the doldrums of purchasing blue-chip real estate and indulging their every whim. But for John, that pivotal year would climax in several moments of creative triumph as he rediscovered his artistic self in dramatic fashion, only to be cut down by an assassin’s bullets on Monday, December 8th, 1980, in the prime of a new life that was only just beginning to blossom.

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Book Synopsis'You want it all? There's not much missing here. 9/10.' - Classic Rock'An engaging mix of humour and detailed critical analysis ... great fun. 4/5.' - MojoFrom award-winning author Mark Blake comes Magnifico! The A to Z of Queen.Addressing the phenomenal cinematic success of Bohemian Rhapsody, acclaimed music journalist Mark Blake builds on the legend of Queen and their enduring audience appeal.Providing a fresh, unparalleled take on Queen's music, story and legacy, Blake's complete portrait covers not only the major hits and bestselling albums, but also the inside stories behind the music.Via a series of essays, interviews and biographies, the author shares a wealth of lesser-known details - gained from over thirty years of original material - and explores what the songs of Queen say about their creators.Trade Review'A royal banquet of Mercury and co. morsels ... Blake has enough knowledge and research in his locker to take us on a deep dive into lesser-known corners of the band's history ... there's something here for casuals and obsessives alike ... You want it all? There's not much missing here. 9/10.' -- Classic Rock'An engaging mix of humour and detailed critical analysis, delving fathoms deep into the before and after of the band's classic line-up and generally leaving no scara unmooshed ... great fun. 4/5.' -- Mojo

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