Popular music Books

Book SynopsisWhen Miranda Sawyer interviewed Noel Gallagher in 1995, his gag wishing Damon Albarn would die of AIDS became front-page news. This fascinating pop history, exploring the mid-90s moment when British music suddenly meant everything, explains why. Picking out twenty key songs, delving into the surprising stories behind them and their unlikely creators, Uncommon People takes us back to when Jarvis Cocker became a national hero, Trainspotting was a global hit, fire-starting seemed like a good night out - and it felt as though the revolution was happening.Initially a music press nickname, Britpop became an unexpected musical movement centred around outsiders and misfits, drop-outs and weirdos who refused to compromise on their ideas, even when they were thrust into the international spotlight. Not just a scene for white guys with guitars, but something wilder and more interesting, with songs that have proved timeless. Exploring the era''s key artists - Oasis, Blur, Tricky, Pulp, Underworld, Manic Street Preachers, The Prodigy, Suede, Chemical Brothers, Garbage, Supergrass, Radiohead, PJ Harvey and more - through their definitive anthems, Miranda Sawyer transports us back to the beating heart of the nineties.Uncommon People re-lives the mad exhilaration of what it was like to hear these songs for the very first time - and what it was like to make them. With amazing new interviews, and I-was-there insights, this book offers a backstage pass to all the most interesting bits of Britpop''s Greatest Hits.Forget New Labour, forget earnest trend theories, this book is all about the music, the people and being right there, right now.

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Book SynopsisHe is one of the greatest musical talents Britain has ever produced. But even as the principle songwriter and lead guitarist for The Who, it would be unjust to define Pete Townshend's life simply through his achievements with bandmates Daltrey, Moon and Entwistle.Noting that he has sold over 100 million records over a fifty-year period goes some way to quantifying his accomplishments, but numbers only scratch the surface of his contribution to popular culture.An avid student of his profession, during his career he has been credited with the creation of the concept album, worked as a literary editor, developed scripts for television and the stage, and written songs that have defined a generation. The thinking man's rock star with a dedication to his craft unlike any other in the business, he continues to inspire new generations of performers and writers with a continuing commitment to his art.Now, in one of the most eagerly awaited autobiographies of recent times, this icon tells about Trade Review‘More honest than any fan would have hoped. Maybe nobody knows what it’s like to be the bad man, to be the sad man, behind blue eyes—but Who I Am is as close as we are likely to get.’ Rolling Stone ‘Astonishingly frank, detailed and heartfelt.’ The Sun ‘Whatever the subject, he writes passionately and eloquently.’ The Times

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Book Synopsis*** By the Sunday Times bestselling author of BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY ***From mod folk artist to flower power pixie elfin to the king of glam rockers, Marc Bolan was the ultimate chameleon. His far-reaching musical and stylistic influence is more relevant today than ever with hits such as ''Ride A White Swan'', ''Children Of The Revolution'', ''Get It On'' and ''Hot Love'' as fresh and exhilarating as when first released. At the peak of his popularity during his lifetime Bolan was outselling Jimi Hendrix and The Who, and yet relatively little is really known about the hypnotic, enigmatic 20th century boy turned 21st century icon. At last, in the 35th anniversary year of his tragic death, Marc Bolan represents the definite biography. Here rock biographer, Lesley-Ann Jones, paints a meticulous portrait of the T-Rex front man. From his childhood growing up in Hackney to his untimely death at the age of 29, Bolan''s life was one of relentless experTrade Review'this is "THE" Marc Bolan biography . . . balanced rather than sensationalist, something the Bolan fan base will appreciate.' * Classic Rock Radio *'Heartfelt and fascinating.' * Bob Harris OBE *'Important missing pieces of the complicated short life that was Marc Bolan's. It is a sensational read.' * Tony Visconti *'This book is a great read. Bolan was one of the most enigmatic and important performers of his age.' * Frank Allen (of The Searchers) *'Brimming with insight from family members, friends, managers, musicians and white-knuckled rock and rollercoaster riders who shared the dips and dives of Bolanmania, this book is a cracker of a read.' * Keith Altham, Rock writer and press agent, The Who, The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, The Small Faces, Van Morrison and Marc Bolan *Lesley-Ann Jones brings my old friend almost back to life in this brilliantly observed and detailed account of a fascinating man who lived an all-too-short life. The first book to show us the real Marc. * Steve Harley *

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Book Synopsis''A brilliant, very funny, very revealing autobiography-through-music. Maybe the best book ever written about being a rockstar'' CAITLIN MORAN_______________________________________________________________Bono - artist, activist and the lead singer of Irish rock band U2 - has written his autobiography: honest and irreverent, intimate and profound, Surrender is the story of the remarkable life he''s lived, the challenges he''s faced and the friends and family who have shaped and sustained him - now out in paperback.''When I started to write this book I was hoping to draw in detail what I''d previously only sketched in songs. The people, places, and possibilities in my life. Surrender is a word freighted with meaning for me. Growing up in Ireland in the seventies with my fists up (musically speaking), it was not a natural concept. A word I only circled until I gathered my thoughts for the book. I am still grappling with this most humbling of commands. In the band, in my marriage, in my faith, in my life as an activist. Surrender is the story of one pilgrim''s lack of progress ... With a fair amount of fun along the way.'' - BonoAs one of the music world''s most iconic artists and the cofounder of organizations ONE and (RED), Bono''s career has been written about extensively. But in Surrender, it''s Bono who picks up the pen, writing for the first time about his remarkable life and those he has shared it with. In his unique voice, Bono takes us from his early days growing up in Dublin, including the sudden loss of his mother when he was 14, to U2''s unlikely journey to become one of the world''s most influential rock bands, to his more than 20 years of activism dedicated to the fight against AIDS and extreme poverty. Writing with candour, self-reflection, and humour, Bono opens the aperture on his life - and the family, friends and faith that have sustained, challenged and shaped him.Surrender''s subtitle, 40 Songs, One Story, is a nod to the book''s 40 chapters, which are each named after a U2 song. Bono has also created 40 original drawings for Surrender which will appear throughout the book.

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Book SynopsisWith a foreword by MARK KNOPFLER''An uplifting journey through the sheer hard work, pitfalls and thrills of navigating a great rock band to the pinnacle of success. I so enjoyed the ride!'' ROGER TAYLOR__________Dire Straits filled giant stadiums around the world and sold hundreds of millions of records. Throughout the eighties they were one of the biggest bands on the planet. Their classic songs - ''Sultans of Swing'', ''Romeo and Juliet'', ''Money for Nothing'', ''Brothers In Arms'' - formed the soundtrack of a generation and live on today: still racking up sales, still being played on the radio on every continent. In My Life in Dire Straits, John Illsley - founding member, bassist and mainstay - evokes the spirit of the times and tells the story of one of the great live acts of rock history.Starting with his own unlikely beginnings in Middle England, he recounts the band''s rise from humble origins in London''s spit-and-sawdust pubs to the best-known venues in the world, the working man''s clubs to Madison Square Garden, gigging with wild punk bands to the Live Aid stage at Wembley. Until, ultimately, the shattering demands of touring on a global scale and living life in the spotlight took their inevitable toll.John''s story is also a tribute to his great friend Mark Knopfler, the band''s lead singer, songwriter and gifted guitarist - the only band members to stay the fifteen-year distance. Told with searching honesty, soulful reflection and wry humour, this is the first and only account of that incredible story.Trade ReviewAn uplifting journey through the sheer hard work, pitfalls and thrills of navigating a great rock band to the pinnacle of success. I so enjoyed the ride! * Roger Taylor *Captures the early days of the "English bands" and their story. The ups and downs, relationships, craziness and fun... This really happened! * Mike Rutherford *A wry and witty account of life in one of the world's biggest and unlikeliest supergroups and the music industry in its heyday... John Illsley is a charming, amusing and observant companion. * Mariella Frostrup *Frank, funny and tender. If you loved their music, you'll adore this book. * Nicholas Evans *Fans will be mesmerized. * Publishers Weekly *

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Book SynopsisA unique, moving and dazzlingly researched exploration of the places, people, musicians, writers and filmmakers that inspired David Jones to become David Bowie, what we can learn from his life's work and journey, and why he will always matter.When David Bowie died on 10th January 2016, it seemed the whole world was united in mourning. His greatest hits were sung tearfully in pubs up and down Britain, garlands of flowers were left at the Aladdin Sane mural in his old stomping ground of Brixton and tributes poured in from a galaxy of stars. To many of us, Bowie was so much more than a pop idol. But why?In Why Bowie Matters, Professor Will Brooker answers that question persuasively, as both a fan and an academic. A Bowie obsessive since childhood, he hit the headlines over the course of a year-long immersive research project that took him from London to Berlin and New York, following in Bowie's footsteps, only listening to music and reading books he loved, and even at times adopting his fashion.In this original and illuminating book, Professor Brooker approaches Bowie from various angles, re-tracing his childhood on the streets of Bromley, taking us through his record collection and bookshelves, and deciphering the symbols and codes of his final work, Blackstar to piece together how an ordinary suburban teenager turned himself into a legend, and how perhaps we too could be a little more Bowie.He shows us that while David Robert Jones died on that terrible day in January, David Bowie will live on forever.Trade ReviewPraise for Why Bowie Matters ‘Brooker at his best, a playful, attentive scholar-fan’ Guardian ‘Wide-ranging and and closely argued, this book is one of the best Bowie has yet had’ Spectator ‘An intelligent assessment of the star’s career and enduring legacy’ Choice Magazine ‘A moving, unique and distinctly researched exploration of pop icon David Bowie by professor and die-hard fan Will Brooker … Original and illuminating’ David Bowie News Praise for Will Brooker: ‘An intelligent and nuanced look at an artist whose total achievement is only now beginning to be discovered' Chris O'Leary, author of Rebel Rebel 'This book truly has it all about David Bowie. Intriguing and exciting research’ Sophia Anne Caruso, lead actor in Lazarus

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Book SynopsisThis is the first in-depth account of the band Soft Cell. Written by a leading music journalist and based on extensive interviews, it traces the band's remarkably varied roots, from British seaside entertainments and Northern Soul nights to art school experimentation and New York glamour. -- .

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Book SynopsisIn what was a momentous year of social change, the Rolling Stones experienced the most significant twelve months of their career. At the start of 1969, they were a successful blues band returning to their rock’n’roll roots after a recent experiment with psychedelia. By December, they had released the classic album Let It Bleed, lost one of their founding members, played an era-defining concert at Hyde Park to half a million people and witnessed a fan stabbed to death at Altamont Speedway. With a notorious 1967 drug bust on their CV and a career finally coming out from under the shadow of their rivals The Beatles, everything – the good, the bad and the ugly – suddenly crystallised for the Stones as the Swinging Sixties stumbled to a close. Rolling Stones 69 is the definitive account of the transformative year that saw the Stones truly earn their reputation as “the greatest rock’n’roll band in the world”.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review'Richard Havers’s book about Blue Note records, with its details of the inspirations and excesses of the label’s major talents, amounts to a history of jazz itself' - Guardian'Sumptuous, opulent, definitive ... a dream come true for Blue Note fans and will appeal to anyone who has more than the most fleeting interest in jazz' - London Jazz News'For fellow worshippers at the shrine of Blue Note, Havers’s book is the closest thing they’ll find to holy scripture aside from the records themselves' - Prospect Magazine'Blue Note finally gets the book it deserves' - Jazzwise

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Book SynopsisCelebrate 40 years of WHAM! with the Sunday Times bestseller from one half of the world''s most famous bands ''I couldn''t put it down. Such a fantastic book'' Chris Evans, Virgin Radio ________ School mates. Band mates. Soul mates . . . When Andrew Ridgley took George Michael, the new boy at school, under his wing, he discovered a soul mate. In Wham! George and Me, Andrew tells the story of how they rode a rollercoaster of success around the world while making iconic records and surviving superstardom with their friendship intact. It is a memoir of love, music, the flamboyant 1980s and living in a pop hurricane. No one else can ever tell their story - because no one else was there . . .Forty years on from their explosion into pop music, Andrew Ridgeley tells the inside story of Wham!, his life-long friendship with George Michael and the formation of a band that changed music. ________ ''A joyous celebration of the Wham! years. For anyone who was a teenager in the early 1980s, it will take you on a nostalgia trip. It''s an honest but affectionate account of a remarkable duo who remained true to their origins and their friendship throughout it all'' Daily Express ''As infectious as their music'' Daily Mirror ''A remarkably generous memoir. In more than one sense, the biography of a friend'' Spectator ''A great story'' Saturday Live, Radio 4 ''A lovely book. A love letter to George'' Graham Norton, BBC One ''Charming, heartfelt . . . there''s a real poignancy to Ridgeley''s description of Wham!''s glory days'' Sunday TimesTrade ReviewEven before the first page of this charming, heartfelt memoir, Ridgeley's eloquent dedication to his "dearest friend" George Michael will have you in tears. This is more than a gleeful shuttlecocks-in-shorts account of young guns having some fun: there's a real poignancy to Ridgeley's description of Wham!'s glory days, the knowledge of what will be lost - a band, a best friend - chilling in the Club Tropicana sunshine. * The Sunday Times *A touching account of male friendship * The Times *Celebrity Memoirs of the Year * Guardian *A remarkably generous memoir....in more than one sense, the biography of a friend * Spectator *It's a joyous celebration of the Wham! years. For anyone who was a teenager in the early 1980s, it will take you on a nostalgia trip, with dozens of comically captioned photos of the band during the white espadrille years. It's an honest but affectionate account of a remarkable duo who remained true to their origins and their friendship throughout it all * Daily Express *Packed full of nostalgia, heart and insight, Wham! George & Me is a lovingly written ode to friendship and a celebration of one of the greatest pop acts of all time. A superb tribute * Classic Pop Magazine *In this moving memoir, which is also a vivid nostalgia trip for anyone who was a teenager in the 70s and 80s, he tells the story of his friendship and musical collaboration with George Michael. Engaging * Sunday Express *The Wham! star charts his treasured friendship with George Michael, from their meeting at school in 1975 to George's untimely death in 2016. The duo left a legacy of pop classics from the exuberant Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go to the evergreen Last Christmas, and Ridgeley's enthusiasm for life in a chart-topping band is as infectious as their music * Daily Mirror *This book is all you could want and more! * Magic Book Club *I couldn't put it down. Such a fantastic book * Chris Evans, Virgin Radio *A great story * Saturday Live, Radio 4 *A lovely book. A love letter to George * Graham Norton, BBC1 *A touching and vivid nostalgia trip - with great photos * Best *Top 50 gift picks for the book lovers in your life * The Herald *A fond look back at the Wham! star's life in the group that helped define Eighties pop * Choice Magazine *Will no doubt appeal to the fanbase . . . Humorous and touching * Times Literary Supplement *Joyful nostalgia * Daily Express *As a hard-nosed ex-detective, it was a source of much hilarity that I am such a Wham! fan but my copy of this is a prized possession * Peter Bleksley *

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Book Synopsis''Probably the most ambitious, generous and thorough volume about a musician to see publication'' Mouth MagazineThe authorised companion to the music of Nick Drake, compiled, composed and edited by Cally Callomon and Gabrielle Drake, with contributions from Nick''s friends, critics, adherents, family and from Nick Drake himself.Remembered For A While is not a biography. It is, rather, an attempt to cast a few shards of light on Nick Drake the poet, the musician, the singer, the friend, son and brother, who was also more than all of these. We hope it will accompany all those in search of an elusive artist, whose haunting presence defies analysis.The book contains:* In-depth interviews with many of Nick''s friends, most notably Paul Wheeler, Nick''s close friend from Cambridge days, a singer-songwriter who, of all Nick''s friends, perhaps best understood, from personal experience, Nick''s journey through musical creation to dTrade ReviewSometimes painfully honest, often emotional, occasionally funny, sometimes dry and scholarly - always deeply engaging - Remembered for a While is probably the most ambitious, generous and thorough volume about a musician to see publication. Put simply, this is the authoritative resource for fans and future historians who may find themselves considering Nick Drake. In its absolute integrity and its sheer dignity, it is second only to his music * Mouth Magazine *A beautiful book * Guardian Family *This authorised companion to the wistful genius with a troubled mind includes contributions from friends, collaborators, critics and family * Telegraph Books of the Year *From the beautifully tactile cover onwards this musical companion is a genuine delight, featuring never seen before photos, family scrapbook press cuttings, handwritten lyrics, letter extracts from Nick to his parents and also from his father Rodney's diary...Sad but ultimately celebratory, this beautiful publication is the closest any book has yet come to capturing the 'real' Nick Drake * Total Music Magazine *Gabrielle Drake's beautifully put-together tribute to her brother Nick Drake . . . I loved looking at the unseen photos and listening to the unreleased John Peel session that came with the book * Jack Steadman, Observer Books of the Year *Exactly 40 years after his death, acres have been written about Drake, but nothing authorised had come from the Drake estate. This gorgeous new book, co-compiled by his sister Gabrielle rectifies this. It is not a biography, but a deeply considered collection of essays, lyrics, photos and extracts, including from the diary of Drake's father as the folk singer sank into his fatal depression * Sunday Times *I'll be dipping in and out of the sumptuous Nick Drake: Remembered For A While for years to come * Daily Telegraph *Forty years on from his passing and the fragile music and sturdy myth of Nick Drake still haunt the culture . . . This legacy is only enhanced by Remembered for a While . . . a poetic, delightful and fascinating mix of never before seen photos, hand-written lyrics and scrapbooked press clippings as well as interviews with friends and family and excerpts from Drake's letters. A beautifully made and exquisite book built solely out of love for it's subject, Remembered for a While is a perfect companion to the songs that inspired it * Loud and Quiet Magazine *This beautifully packaged book has the imprimatur and approval of his actress sister Gabrielle, as well as contributions from the likes of Monty Don * Belfast Telegraph *A superb book that anyone touched by Nick's music will find fascinating * The Idler Book of the Week *Beautifully packaged and laid out . . . A fitting tribute to a unique musician * Sunday Herald *This book is magnificent . . . An informative and emotionally affecting framing of the life and work of a doomed young man, this book is a labour of love * Irish Times *A beautiful book * Observer *Praise for Nick Drake * . *One of the most beloved English singers of all time * Daily Telegraph *I am a huge admirer of his records * Brad Pitt *Every indie band in America lists Nick Drake as an influence * Green Gartside, lead singer of Scritti Politti *Rock has known a million morose young poets . . . by the law of averages, they were bound to spawn at least one genuine genius. They did. His name was Nick Drake * NME *

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Book SynopsisA new large-format 400-page collectible art book curated by the band’s three surviving founding members. When the Byrds released “Mr. Tambourine Man” in 1965, they introduced Bob Dylan’s songs to a new audience and launched a career that would make them among the most influential rock bands of all time. With their unmistakable harmonies and Roger McGuinn’s innovative 12-string Rickenbacker guitar, the Byrds never stopped experimenting. They incorporated folk, country, and jazz, influences into a fresh blend that helped define an era. “And not to be too shallow,” Tom Petty once wrote, “but they also were just the best-dressed band around. They had those great clothes and hairdos.” Now the band’s three surviving founding members—Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman, and David Crosby—have come together to present The Byrds: 1964-1967, a large format tabletop book that offers a unique visual history of the group. Featuring more than 500 images from legendary photographers such as Henry Diltz, Barry Feinstein, Curt Gunther, Jim Marshall, Linda McCartney, Tom Gundelfinger O’Neal, and Guy Webster, the book also includes a detailed oral history from McGuinn, Hillman, and Crosby.

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Book SynopsisMost priests take confessions. This one is giving his.''Rob Halford has written one of the most candid and surprising memoirs of the year. . . Confess is a riproaring tale, a funny, often shocking and genuinely emotional story'' The Telegraph''The Metal God shares stories from a life like no other, spending over 50 years in the heavy metal bubble, facing adversity head-on but always with a wry smile and horns held firmly aloft'' Kerrang''Raw and searingly moving, Confess will delight metal heads and music fans alike'' GQ''A unique and deeply revealing insight into the extraordinary life he has led'' Metal TalkRob Halford, front man of global iconic metal band Judas Priest, is a true ''Metal God''. Raised in Britain''s hard-working heavy industrial heartland he and his music were forged in the Black Country. CONFESS,Trade ReviewRob Halford has written one of the most candid and surprising memoirs of the year. . . Confess is a riproaring tale, a funny, often shocking and genuinely emotional story * The Telegraph *The Metal God shares stories from a life like no other, spending over 50 years in the heavy metal bubble, facing adversity head-on but always with a wry smile and horns held firmly aloft * Kerrang *Raw and searingly moving, Confess will delight metal heads and music fans alike * GQ *A unique and deeply revealing insight into the extraordinary life he has led * Metal Talk *funny, forthright and unexpectedly poignant * NME *Captivating... Even for those who give metal a wide berth, his tale is fascinating * Irish Independent *A rock confessional with a difference... deeply, deeply moving... Confess does not always make for easy reading. There is a real sadness to parts of it but Rob Halford's warmth and humanity shine through. Absolutely one of the best rock biogs in ages. * Darren's Music Blog *It's a compelling story, well told, and should become a school set text to counter homophobia and promote inclusion * RECORD COLLECTOR *Halford's dry black country wit is the perfect complement to his eye-popping candour * Mojo Magazine *The most hotly anticipated hard-rock autobiography of the year. . . gossipy, good-natured and hilarious. . . it's also gloriously and relentlessly filthy * Attitude Magazine *Rock 'n' roll page-turner. . . riotous and revealing * Classic Rock Magazine *There are in this memoir the usual triumphs, tragedies and tales of misadventure. . . but the real appeal is in Halford's self-deprecating demeanour and dry, Black Country wit. * The Times - Best Music Books of 2020 *

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Book SynopsisThe astonishing and wildly entertaining memoir of Nile Rodgers: legendary producer and co-founder of the band Chic.Trade ReviewA rich, warm tale of a fascinating life in the golden age of New York - and pop * Observer *Consistently exhilarating * Independent on Sunday *The lonely, sickly child of two jazz-obsessed junkies, Rodgers grew into a brilliant musician blessed with a clear artistic vision that propelled him into almost unimaginable success, with him riding a spectacular tidal wave of sex, money and drugs. An unforgettable, gripping book * Sunday Times *Name a star and you can bet they're in this book, playing or partying with Rodgers. But far from being a succession of name-dropping anecdotes, this autobiography is a wonderfully funny, moving and wise reflection upon the important things in life: the people you love and the things you create * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisPUNK ROCK PICTURES ON MY WALL captures the vibrant and rebellious essence of the punk rock scene through vivid artwork and personal anecdotes. This book is a testament to the creativity and spirit of punk culture.

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Book SynopsisTravis Barker’s soul-baring memoir chronicles the highlights and lowlights of the renowned drummer’s art and his life, including the harrowing plane crash that nearly killed him and his traumatic road to recovery—a fascinating never-before-told-in-full story of personal reinvention grounded in musical salvation and fatherhood.After breaking out as the acclaimed drummer of the multiplatinum punk band Blink-182, everything changed for Travis Barker. But the dark side of rock stardom took its toll: his marriage, chronicled for an MTV reality show, fell apart. Constant touring concealed a serious drug addiction. A reckoning did not truly come until he was forced to face mortality: His life nearly ended in a horrifying plane crash, and then his close friend, collaborator, and fellow crash survivor DJ AM died of an overdose.In this blunt, driving memoir, Barker ruminates on rock stardom, fatherhood, death, loss, and redemption, sharing stories shaped by decTrade Review"(A) riveting, brutally honest memoir." -- Billboard "Written with ROLLING STONE contributor Gavin Edwards, Can I Say is a fascinating look into the life of a talented, hard-partying musician who has beaten the odds several times." -- Rolling Stone

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Whether you're the sort of man who knows everything from who first threw the Devil Horns to the correct pronunciation of Yngwie Malmsteen, there is something fascinating to learn from Louder Than Hell ... Shed[s] new light on the making of Satan's Music." -- Esquire "Presents the collective memory of heavy metal through the ages and eras in the voices of the men who lived it ... It's an aficionado's delight." -- New York Daily News "Louder than Hell is a love letter to the misunderstood genre of heavy metal music, written by trusted companions who had a front row seat on the devil's rollercoaster. The definitive chronological testimony by the people who were there, including some who are no longer with us." -- Mark McGrath, Sugar Ray and co-host Extra "A great read and an instant classic." -- The Onion's A.V. Club "This is the best oral history I've read since Please Kill Me. Louder than Hell is the first book that really delivers the brutal truth from the mouths of the artists and key players themselves! I couldn't put it down." -- Matt Pinfield "Two devil horns up!" -- USA Today A compelling, first-person account of a seemingly unstoppable force ...the book reads like an extended, uncensored, shockingly satisfying episode of VH1's Behind the Music. -- Washington Post "An amazingly comprehensive book on all eras and genres of hard rock and heavy metal. The stories and attention to detail make it an instant must for anyone who ever was or is a fan." -- Eddie Trunk, DJ and host of That Metal Show on VH1 Classic Often hilarious, occasionally, 'God, I wish I hadn't read that!', sometimes profound, sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes infuriating ... no one holds back on any subject... you come away from this book with a crystal-clear vision of this world -- The Huffington Post "The authors inclusiveness give this examination a weight that is just as heavy as the music." -- Publishers Weekly "A who's who of heavy music ... What makes Louder Than Hell un-put-down-able are the stories ... Essential." -- Revolver (4 stars) "No one's gone quite as deep into the genre's recesses as this 746-page oral history, which covers everything from the birth of Black Sabbath to Dave Mustaine's departure from Metallica to the disaster that was Woodstock '99." -- Rolling Stone, four stars "Jon Wiederhorn and Katherine Turman know metal. Louder Than Hell is an amazing gathering of different breeds of heavy metal rockers telling the tales metal fans want to hear." -- Tom Morello, Rage Against the Machine "If you love metal, great stories, and music history told by the people who made it, then Louder than Hell is a must-read. This is the book every metal fan should own. -- Alice Cooper "Louder Than Hell comes straight from the twisted minds of rock icons and flows seamlessly through various eras of heavy metal...I really dig this book." -- Riki Rachtman "I've said thousands of times that reading 'totally sucks.' But this book does indeed not suck. Books on the history of even something as cool as metal can be a bit antiseptic and boring-not this one." -- Brendon Small, Dethklok "Who likes rock n roll here?? Well if you do, this is the book for you! ... This is the definitive chronicle of all that is heavy metal and I've read them all!" -- Chris Jericho, Fozzy "As definitive as it gets, bonding historical anecdotes to pieces of debauched mythology from the scene's platinum superstars and fringe icons ... as indispensable as a skull-adorned leather jacket." -- Entertainment Weekly, A-

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Book SynopsisIn 1993, in the market town of Wimborne Minster in Dorset, England, the heaviest band in the world was born: Electric Wizard. Led by guitarist and singer Jus Oborn, the band inhaled the iniquity of their lives and vomited it out in colossal waves of doom metal, synthesising the forbidding local landscape, biker culture, video-nasties, black magic rituals and titanic doses of psychedelics.Come My Fanatics is the story of the rise and fall and triumphant return of the band, of their revolutionary andmind-expanding output, their legendary and calamitous tours, and of their legacy. It is a kaleidoscopic exploration of the subculture the band has absorbed and, in turn, created. From seventies exploitation cinema, through the writers of Weird Tales magazine and a panoply of the marginal and downright sinister, to the band''s own live ceremonial happenings - this is Electric Wizard''s world. We''re just dying in it.

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Book SynopsisThere’s no template for making it as a globally successful pop group. Some of the ingredients remain constant and beyond the music, there’s a mix’n’match selection of premature death, drugs, drink, destroyed friendships, lukewarm solo projects and bungled finances. The saga of Joy Division and New Order has all those clichés, yet both groups defined their times and overturned their musical landscape. First, there was Joy Division. Their music reflected both the barren urban landscape of their native Manchester in the late 1970s and singer Ian Curtis’s heart of darkness. They remain forever set in aspic, not merely – if “merely” is the right word – by the suicide of their extraordinary and extraordinarily volatile singer, but by two albums as close to perfection as music can come. From the ashes of Joy Division rose New Order, who recruited a keyboardist because of – rather than in spite of – the fact she couldn’t play. On the cusp of the British dance music boom, with what seemed like remarkable prescience, they invested in The Haçienda, a club in their native Manchester. In its pomp, the queues were around the block, but its debts would sink their heroically hopeless record label, Factory. If Joy Division were sublime musical darkness, New Order were bathed in sunlight and their globally popular music bridged the chasm between indie and dance and inspired a generation. Having conquered the world while maintaining their credibility, they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory and imploded in a tsunami of recrimination, while still making fabulous music to this day. You couldn’t make it up: there’s no need to.

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Book SynopsisThis fascinating biography provides a detailed portrait of the high-energy, charismatic international superstar and frontman of the ever-popular band, Bon Jovi. The book charts Jon''s relationship with the other band members who have their fair share of rock and roll stories - sex, booze, burnouts, health and women problems. Although rock music is Jon Bon Jovi''s first love, he has more recently developed an interest in acting - starring in various hit TV shows such as Ally McBeal and Sex and the City and attracting critical acclaim for his role in World War II hit film, U-571. He has also scored film music, with his score for Young Guns earning him an Oscar nomination. Bestselling writer Laura Jackson explores the personality, character, drive and the determination that have taken him from playing New Jersey clubs through all the groupie excess and glamorous indulgence to where the band is today. Two new chapters in this updated edition detail his recent work for char

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Book SynopsisThe first major account of the history of reggae, black music journalist Lloyd Bradley describes its origins and development in Jamaica, from ska to rock-steady to dub and then to reggae itself, a local music which conquered the world. There are many extraordinary stories about characters like Prince Buster, King Tubby and Bob Marley. But this is more than a book of music history: it relates the story of reggae to the whole history of Jamaica, from colonial island to troubled independence, and Jamaicans, from Kingston to London.Table of ContentsPart One First session: boogie in my bones; music is my occupation; we are rolling; message from the king; train to Skaville; strange country; what a world. Part Two Simmer down: soul style; dance crasher; mix it up; you can get it if you really want. Part Three Studio kinda cloudy: pressure drop; wake the town, tell the people; dubwise situation; dreadlocks in moonlight; ah fi we dis; trench town rock; warrior charge; sipple out deh. Part Four Fist to fist days gone: ring the alarm; kid's play; Johnny dollar; healing of a nation.

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Book SynopsisIf you look at all the people involved Ivo, Tony Wilson, McGee, Geoff Travis, myself nobody had a clue about running a record company, and that was the best thing about it.' Daniel Miller, Mute RecordsOne of the most tangible aftershocks of punk was its prompt to individuals: do it yourself. A generation was inspired, and often with no planning or business sense, in bedrooms, record-shop back offices and sheds, labels such as Factory, Rough Trade, Mute, Beggars Banquet, 4AD, Creation, Warp and Domino began. From humble beginnings, some of the most influential artists were allowed to thrive: Orange Juice, New Order, Depeche Mode, Happy Mondays, The Smiths, Primal Scream, My Bloody Valentine, Aphex Twin, Teenage Fanclub, The Arctic Monkeys. How Soon Is Now? is a landmark survey of the artists, the labels, and the mavericks behind them who had the vision and bloody-mindedness to turn the music world on its head.

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Book Synopsis''Fantastic'' Nick Hornby''Beautifully written'' Sunday Times''Truly remarkable'' Rolling StoneUnfaithful Music and Disappearing Ink is the long-awaited memoir from Elvis Costello, one of rock and roll''s most iconic stars.Born Declan Patrick MacManus, Elvis Costello was raised in London and Liverpool, grandson of a trumpet player on the White Star Line and son of a jazz musician who became a successful radio dance band vocalist. Costello went into the family business and had taken the popular music world by storm before he was twenty-four.Costello continues to add to one of the most intriguing and extensive songbooks of the day. His performances have taken him from a cardboard guitar in his front room to fronting a rock and roll band on your television screen and performing in the world''s greatest concert halls in a wild variety of company. Unfaithful Music describes how Costello''s career has somehow endured for almost four decades through a combination of dumb luck and animal cunning, even managing the occasional absurd episode of pop stardom.This memoir, written with the same inimitable touch as his lyrics, and including dozens of images from his personal archive, offers his unique view of his unlikely and sometimes comical rise to international success, with diversions through the previously undocumented emotional foundations of some of his best known songs and the hits of tomorrow. The book contains many stories and observations about his renowned co-writers and co-conspirators, though Costello also pauses along the way for considerations on the less appealing side of infamy.Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink is destined to be a classic, idiosyncratic memoir of a singular man.Trade ReviewThe book is fantastic - maybe the best about music by a musician that I've read....The stuff about the collaborations alone - McCartney, Burt Bacharach, Allen Toussaint, the Roots, the Brodsky Quartet - is riveting * Nick Hornby *Better written than your average rock memoir ... Costello is one the greatest writers of the 20th Century. It's funny, observant and clear of purpose * Times *By turns lachrymose, self-flagellating and impassioned. Unsurprisingly, it is beautifully written. It is also often extraordinarily moving. -- Dan Cairns * Sunday Times *Streaked with some of the best writing - funny, strange, spiteful, anguished - we've ever had from an important musician ... dark gems twinkle here in abundance. * New York Times *[Unfaithful Music] is truly remarkable in the way it presents a riveting, honest portrait of the author and the many A-listers he's tread the boards with, while ricocheting through the years at an almost breathless pace ... even the most ardent Costello fan will come away having learned more about the man than any of us ever dared hope to discover -- Jeff Slate * Rolling Stone *Long one of music's wittiest, smartest, and most perceptive lyricists, Costello has done his legacy proud with his new book, which, thankfully, goes far beyond his angry-young-man days, most movingly in its frequent reminiscences about the relationship between the singer and his musician father * New York Magazine *In a world littered with uneven (and largely ghosted) celebrity memoirs, "Disappearing Ink" is a beautifully written revelation ... The book is not just for fans. "Unfaithful Music" is a lyrical tale that stretches across generations, geography and a century of popular song." * Washington Post *Costello ultimately emerges as a clever, compassionate, self-aware man, brave enough to acknowledge his faults and fortunate enough to have overcome the worst of them * Sunday Telegraph *Written elliptically, episodically beautiful ... this man's knowledge is breath-taking * Observer *Every page exudes his deep love and knowledge of modern music * Guardian *Remarkable for its breadth and candour about everything: childhood, family, marriages, musical collaborations, love life, heroes, villains, screw-ups (even the most painful) and his songs...there are treasurable moments in profusion for admirers panning for gold...or diving for pearls * MOJO *His witty, word-playing voice transmits loud and clear....there are smart snapshots of vanished worlds...all his sins and virtues are displayed in this stylish, astute book -- Victoria Segal * Sunday Times *A truly weighty rock memoir ... There's plenty of insight into his art here, a smattering of gossip, a wealth of pop-cultural knowledge, and just enough self-flagellation to keep things interesting * NME *A series of wryly comic tales that surely deserve the full Penguin Classic treatment randomly afford Morrisey * GQ *Without doubt, one of the greatest self-penned appraisals of a popular entertainer's life and work...What makes this book a classic (yes, you heard me) is the beauty of the writing, the seemingly effortless imagery of situations, saints and sinners (EC puts himself in the latter category, often), and the persuasive nature of the text that should make even the most casual reader clamour for more after 670 pages * The Quietus *One of the finest musical biographies I have ever read ... an engrossing and rewarding read -- Keith Bruce * The Herald *The greatest songwriter of our generation ... a tremendous read -- Jonathan RossIt really is stunning. Hugely illuminating, fiercely passionate, funny, moving and beautifully written. -- Mark BillinghamTypically sharp and funny on songwriting * Telegraph Books of the Year *The writing is as good as you would expect from such an accomplished lyricist. The tone is wise, warm and often rueful, befitting a 61-year-old elder statesman, and the story a compelling one * Mail on Sunday *For serious music fans? It has to be Elvis Costello's Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink (Viking). Utterly definitive and clearly, painstakingly penned by Costello himself, who doesn't want to miss a detail -- Kitty Empire * Guardian *Writers like Costello because he's always taken writing seriously. That's obvious to anyone who pays attention to his lyrics, and it's even more apparent to anyone who reads Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink, his charming new autobiography. The book is refreshingly free of salacious gossip and needless name-dropping; it's an intelligent self-assessment from a musician who went from angry young man to elder statesman of pop ... a defiantly fun autobiography. -- Michael Schaub * NPR Books *This is a big book, literally, by one of the best rockers in the business. Given the singular, and eclectic, nature of his career, it is no surprise that Elvis Costello's anecdotal autobiography is an idiosyncratic journey through his music and the people and places that have inspired him ... A must for Costello fans everywhere. * Booklist (starred review) *Costello's prose cuts with the same spiky wit and observational power as his well-known lyrics ... packed with great lines, vivid anecdotes ... a treat for his many fans. * Kirkus Reviews *Plenty of tales to keep the pages turning. Readers will be fascinated by Costello's stories...his book feels like a discussion between friends over a pint. * Publishers Weekly *Often brilliant and wholly idiosyncratic -- David Ulin * Los Angeles Times *Revelatory, evocatively crafted, [and] highly entertaining -- David Fricke * Rolling Stone *A winningly droll and good-natured guide to his life and many works throughout -- Clark Collis * Entertainment Weekly *Punctuated with sardonic and self-aware truths * Pitchfork *Vivid ... It's not surprising that one of rock's most literate songwriters would pen such a deep, free-form memoir * Houston Chronicle *Elvis Costello delivers an impeccably detailed autobiography. He's often as brilliant at turning a phrase in prose as he is in his lyrics * Paste Magazine *Enthralling ... This is family history as musical encyclopedia, and to listen to Costello recount his life is to be buttonholed by an enthusiastic fan. Fandom for Costello is inseparable from the compulsion to write songs and, it seems, to understand his own life ... Fortunately for the fan of Costello's music the topic of discussion is often his own songs, and he is, unsurprisingly, a witty and eloquent guide -- Paul Grimstad * New Republic *[Costello] pens books with the same clever writing that he uses in song -- Kathy Flanigan * Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel *Costello['s] book is capacious, clever, and full of heart and soul -- Dan DeLuca * Philadelphia Inquirer *The story unfolds like a movie that jumps across time, more thematic than chronological, as boyhood anecdotes and obsessions intersect with mature songs and adult reckoning.... The book doubles as a selective mini-history of 20th century music, as told by a discerning guide. He addresses artists both towering (Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Johnny Cash) and relatively unheralded (David Ackles, Robert Wyatt) with a fan's affection and music scholar's insight -- Greg Kot * Chicago Tribune *With an encyclopedic knowledge and appreciation for, and deep love of, music, and with an expressive power and heart, Costello's memoir will take its place in the highest echelons of the genre * Library Journal (starred review) *His book is almost essential as an idiosyncratic history of 20th-century pop music * Express *Studded with entertaining anecdotes -- Evening Standard Best Music Books of 2015

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Book SynopsisA 'radiantly accomplished' (Wall Street Journal) music scholar presents an accessible introduction to the art of listening to jazz In How to Listen to Jazz, award-winning music scholar Ted Gioia presents a lively introduction to one of America's premier art forms. He tells us what to listen for in a performance and includes a guide to today's leading jazz musicians. From Louis Armstrong's innovative sounds to the jazz-rock fusion of Miles Davis, Gioia covers the music's history and reveals the building blocks of improvisation. A true love letter to jazz by a foremost expert, How to Listen to Jazz is a must-read for anyone who's ever wanted to understand and better appreciate America's greatest contribution to music.Trade ReviewMr Gioia could not have done a better job. Through him, jazz might even find new devotees. The Economist

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Book SynopsisWith Duran Duran, John Taylor has created some of the greatest songs of our time. From the disco dazzle of debut single ''Planet Earth'' right up to their latest number one album All You Need is Now, Duran Duran has always had the power to sweep the world onto its feet.It''s been a ride - and for John in particular, the ride has been wild, thrilling... and dangerous. Now, for the first time, he tells his incredible story - a tale of dreams fulfilled, lessons learned and demons conquered. A shy only child, Nigel John Taylor wasn''t an obvious candidate for pop stardom and frenzied girl panic. But when he ditched his first name and picked up a bass guitar, everything changed. John formed Duran Duran with his friend Nick Rhodes in the spring of 1978, and they were soon joined by Roger Taylor, then Andy Taylor and finally Simon Le Bon. Together they were an immediate, massive global success story, their pictures on millions of walls, every single a worldwide hit.

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Book SynopsisOnce conduits to new music, frequently bypassing the corporate music industry in ways now done more easily via the Internet, record stores championed the most local of economic enterprises, allowing social mobility to well up from them in unexpected ways. Record stores speak volumes about our relationship to shopping, capitalism, and art. This book takes a comprehensive look at what individual record stores meant to individual people, but also what they meant to communities, to musical genres, and to society in general. What was their role in shaping social practices, aesthetic tastes, and even, loosely put, ideologies? From women-owned and independent record stores, to Reggae record shops in London, to Rough Trade in Paris, this book takes on a global and interdisciplinary approach to evaluating record stores. It collects stories and memories, and facts about a variety of local stores that not only re-centers the record store as a marketplace of ideas, but also explore and celebrate aTrade ReviewA great, authoritative deep dive into the global social history of establishments which its editors ... describe as “subcultural space... clubhouses for music fanatics... [and] genre-specific sanctuaries for ‘outsider communities'”. ... You can almost smell the racks as you read. * Record Collector *Record stores have been my support group, downfall, family room, grad school, sociological experiment, clubhouse, bank, ashram, ashtray and alibi for over fifty years—apart from playing music, it’s all I know. This book is right up my alley and likely yours as well. * Peter Holsapple, Continental Drifters/The dB’s *The next best thing to going to a record store is reading about them. This is a fascinating study and I particularly enjoyed its international aspect from Christchurch to Teheran. We are all united by this unique subculture. * Geoff Travis, Founder of Rough Trade Records, UK *Mixing memoir, history, and sociology, The Life, Death, and Afterlife of the Record Store is an unparalleled paean to the record store as a vital community resource that links local listeners to global flows of music, culture, and capital. Required reading for discophiles of all stripes. * Steve Waksman, Author of Live Music in America: A History from Jenny Lind to Beyoncé, Elsie Irwin Sweeney Professor of Music, Smith College, USA *This fascinating anthology proves that record stores have long been so much more than places to buy records. Essays document their important role as cultural actors who call communities and genres into being, play important roles in politics and national musical cultures, promote tourism, spread music around the globe, and continue through dark times. Viva la Record Store! * Norma Coates, Associate Professor, Western University, Canada, and President, US Branch, International Association for the Study of Popular Music *Table of ContentsIntroduction Prologue: The Record Store That Saved My Life Mark Trehus, Independent Scholar/Record Store Owner, USA Part 1: Record Stores as Community 1 “We ‘Bout it ‘Bout it”: The Independent Record Store in Post-Katrina New Orleans Jay Jolles, College of William and Mary, USA 2 Firecorner: The Importance of Reggae Record Shops in Black London and the Cultural Confluence of West Indian Music Kenny Monrose, Cambridge University, UK 3 Journey of a Girl in a Plaid Skirt and Knee Socks Holly Gleason, Independent Scholar, USA 4 The Cult of the Record Bar Stephen Shearon, Middle Tennessee State University, USA 5 Magic in Here: Brisbane’s Alternative Record Stores From the 1970s to the Digital Age Ben Green, Griffith University, Australia 6 High Fidelity Across Twenty-Five Years: Record Shops, Taste, and Streaming Jon Stratton, University of South Australia, Australia 7 Reflections from the Girls Behind the Counter: Women and Independent Record Stores Lee Ann Fullington, Brooklyn College CUNY, USA Part 2: Cultural Geography of Record Stores 8 “Ways of living”: Touristification and Gentrification in Spanish and Portuguese Record Shops Fernán Del Val, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Spain 9 Living Popular Music in “high fidelity:” Portugal’s Independent Record Stores 1998–2020 Paula Guerra, University of Porto, Portugal 10 Music on the Turntables When the Tables are Turning: A History of Record Stores in Romania from Late Socialism to the Present Claudiu Oancea, New Europe College, Romania 11 Jazzhole: How a Record Store Became the Lone Priest of Nigerian Oldies’ Pop Culture Eromo Egbejule, Malmö University, Sweden 12 The Influence of Imported Records and their Stores on the History of Popular Music in Japan Ken Kato, Osaka University, Japan 13 Recording the Irish Experience: The Record Shop and Fair as Archive Paul Tarpey, Limerick School of Art and Design, Ireland 14 The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, It Will Be Taped: Popular Music Acquisition in Pre- and Post-Revolution Tehran Lily Moayeri, Independent Scholar, USA Part 3: Sites for Fandom and Performance of Subcultural Capital 15 Making Indie Noises in the Corporate Outlet: Beating Capitalism at Its Own Game Roy Montgomery, Lincoln University, New Zealand 16 Rip Off Records (Hamburg) and the Microhistory of Capitalism Karl Siebengartner, Independent Scholar, Germany 17 Soul Bowl: Rare Soul Uncovered Christopher Spinks, University of East Anglia, UK 18 Lucky Records – Music Makes the People Come Together Mariana Lins, Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil 19 Rough Trade Paris (1992-1999): The History of a Scene Jean Foubert, LARCA Université Paris-Cité, France 20 Musicians in the Record Store: Celebrity Encounters Through Amoeba Music’s What’s in My Bag? Christine Feldman-Barrett, Griffith University, Australia 21 “Contents Expected to Speak for Themselves:” A Preliminary Understanding of North American Self Service Record Retail Tim J. Anderson, Old Dominion University, USA 22 Lost in the Booth: British Record Store Listening Booths as Atmospheric Sites of Intimacy Peter Jachimiak, University of South Wales, UK Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisGuns N' Roses emerged from Los Angeles in the 1980s with a reputation for hard-hitting music and a riotous rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle that earned them the title of “The Most Dangerous Band in the World.” Their first album, 1987’s Appetite For Destruction, took the music industry by storm, becoming the biggest selling debut in the history of American music. Since then, rock writer Paul Elliott has interviewed the band many times, and he brings real insight to this updated exploration of the group; its music; its success; its struggles. With more than 200 stunning colour photographs from the band’s 40-year career, this comprehensive biography is the complete, incredible story of one of the hardest-rocking bands in music history.Trade Review'...labour of love comprehensiveness... as colourful and essential as the riff to Welcome To The Jungle... You're gonna buy!' * Kerrang! *'Lavishly illustrated... sharply written... an insightful cautionary tale. 4 Stars' * Planet Rock *'Elliott was the first UK writer to interview the band and had extensive contact with them, and the equally intimate collection of photographs that make this coffee table tome accessible and beautiful to look at... Elliott’s infectious enthusiasm will make you wish you were back there, and anyone who can make a reader pine for the ‘80s is an amazing writer.' * Muso's Guide *' [a] handsome, hefty, beautifully designed, vinyl-sized book...it’s still a hell of a journey.' * Classic Rock *"Readable...and definitely gets under the skin of the band." * Mass Movement *"For me, the main appeal was the umber and the quality of the hundreds of photos that feature on every page, every bit as colourful as the band's life, which will satisfy every G'n'R fan." * The Beat *

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Book SynopsisThis book guides you through 10 simple projects that will bring a touch of superstardom to your life and a smile to your face. Each project has clear step-by-step instructions, as well as suggestions for how to show off your symbolic creations. Learn how to make a Finger Prince. Laugh with your own Purple Crane. Fall in love with some Raspberry Crochet. Tonight you're getting crafty like it's 2019. With step-by-step photography and tips, When Doves Craft is ideal for beginner crafters as well as those looking for something completely unique. And with inspirational quotes and facts about Prince, it is a perfect tribute to the most creative artist of them all.Table of ContentsIntroduction. Finger Prince. I Would Dye 4 U Purple Crane. Raspberry Crochet. U Got the Scrapbook. Ain't No Particular Sign. Snow in April. Your Extra Time and Your Stitch. Macramé Your Mama Happy. Whittle Red Corvette. Templates. Credits.

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Book SynopsisGeorge Michael is the single most played artist on UK radio for the last two decades. He has sold 100 million albums world-wide and had seven UK number one singles and albums. This paperback edition of the biography tells his story from the formation of Wham! in the early 1980s with friend Andrew Ridgley. Their success with hits including Young Guns (Go For It), and Club Tropicana and their split in 1986. His success as a solo artist with albums including Faith and Listen Without Prejudice. His legal battle with Sony which cost him millions of his own money. His personal life including his secret boyfriend Anselmo Feleppo who died in 1993, his former muse Kathy Jeung and art dealer Kenny Goss. Careless Whispers is the final word on a true original.

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Book SynopsisThe first of threevolumes, When Evening Falls: Rainbow 1974-77 covers the Dio era of Rainbow,immortalised through the seminal albums Rainbow Rising and Long LiveRock n' Roll.

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Book SynopsisThis book is a reverent and interactive homage to David Bowie, with dense illustrations of the many real and imagined universes of his own making. Hidden somewhere on each of these double page spreads, a Bowie is patiently waiting to be spotted by the well-trained eye of a fan. As the chameleonic Bowie took on so many iconic personas across his illustrious career, each moment is celebrated chronologically in this book. You will have to find young and dapper David Jones in 1960s Brixton; look for Ziggy Stardust in spaced out Outer Space, crawling with Martian spiders and nestled between the stars; then search for glam Bowie among the revellers at Studio 54; and ask yourself, is that the Thin White Duke outside Hansa By the Wall in late-70s Berlin? Each page of this book is so laden with Bowie references that you might even pick up a factoid or two in your search. With fun, detailed illustrations that explore Bowie's world and that of his influences <

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Book SynopsisI was spotty, wore an anorak, had biro-engraved flared blue jeans with purple and Sabbath written on the thighs, and rode an ear-splittingly uncool moped. Oh yes, and I wanted to be a drummer'Bruce Dickinson Iron Maiden's legendary front man is one of the world's most iconic singers and songwriters. But there are many strings to Bruce's bow, of which larger-than-life lead vocalist is just one. He is also an airline captain, aviation entrepreneur, motivational speaker, beer brewer, novelist, radio presenter, film scriptwriter and an international fencer: truly one of the most unique and interesting men in the world.In What Does this Button Do? Bruce contemplates the rollercoaster of life. He recounts in his uniquely anarchic voice the explosive exploits of his eccentric British childhood, the meteoric rise of Maiden, summoning the powers of darkness, the philosophy of fencing, brutishly beautiful Boeings and firmly dismissing cancer like an uninvited guest.Bold, honest, intelligent Trade Review‘A chatty and anecdote-filled autobiography… There is much fun to be had, such as trying to put a certain part of his anatomy in the ear of the singer in rival band Quiet Riot (clue:not his finger) Sunday Times Books of the Year ‘The entertaining chronicle of a spotty anorak who escaped his grey existence into the absurd drama of life as Iron Maiden’s frontman’ Daily Telegraph Books of the Year ‘What Does This Button Do? is a genuinely fascinating and funny look back at Dickinson’s life. From his early days growing up in the Nottinghamshire mining town of Worksop (where he was raised by his grandparents until the age of six) to his roller-coaster 40-year music career, it paints a candid picture of a life well lived.’ Classic Rock Magazine ‘If you only read one book this year, it absolutely must be Bruce Dickinson’s new autobiography, What Does This Button Do? … The book is every bit as entertaining and bursting with energy as you might expect.’ Metal Hammer ‘Whether you are a Maiden fanatic, an aviation enthusiast, a fencing aficionado or none or even all of the above, you will most definitely get something from this extremely well written and entertaining book, such is the calibre of the man, his philosophies and the level of his accomplishments.’ Metaltalk

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE 2025 PENDERYN MUSIC BOOK PRIZERough Trade Book of the YearUncut Book of the Year Mojo Book of the YearA Guardian Book of the YearA Daily Mail Book of the YearA Financial Times Book of the YearA Resident Book of the YearA Telegraph Book of the YearA Daily Express Book of the Year'Will has finally written his masterpiece. I'm glad I could be of assistance' LAWRENCELawrence is the greatest pop star who never made it, his dreams of glory thwarted over the past five decades by bad luck and self-sabotage. At sixty-one, he set off on a new mission: to escape poverty, obscurity and the humiliation of kids at the bus stop laughing at him by writing a smash hit. But what is the cost of a dream?In 1980, Lawrence formed Felt, releasing ten albums and ten singles in ten years. In 1991, he reinvented himself with novelty-pop outfit Denim. Signed to EMI, riding the wave of Britpop, in 1997, Denim's song 'Summer Smash' became Radio 1's Single of the Week and looked like a sure-fire hit. Then Princess Diana was killed in a car crash. All copies were melted down. Crushing depression, addiction and homelessness followed... but in the face of it all, Lawrence never gave up.In Street-Level Superstar, bestselling author and journalist Will Hodgkinson follows Lawrence as he rebuilds his life. He gets mistaken for an old lady by an amorous pensioner, is reduced to dragging sacks of 2p coins to his local bank and wanders through London's distant suburbs in search of lyrical inspiration. As they walk together down rain-soaked streets, Will tells the story of Britain's most eccentric cult star. Will he write the greatest song the world has ever known before the year is out? And was it worth sacrificing everything - family, relationships, health, sanity - for art?

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Book SynopsisThe Beatles. The Beach Boys. Blur, Bowie, Kylie Minogue, Kate Bush and Coldplay. EMI was one of the big four record companies, with some of the biggest names in the history of recorded music on its roster. Dominating the music industry for over 100 years, by 2010 EMI Group had reported massive pre-tax losses. The group was divided up and sold in 2011. How could one of the greatest recording companies of the 20th century have ended like this? With interviews from insiders and music industry experts, Eamonn Forde pieces together the tragic end to a financial juggernaut and a cultural institution in forensic detail. The Final Days of EMI: Selling the Pig is the story of the British recording industry, laid bare in all its hubris and glory.

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Book SynopsisThe full story for the first time of the legendary pop icon written with the full cooperation of family and friends.Trade Review'a desperately sad story' Sunday TelegraphPenny and Vicki are very good at unpicking the troubled relationship between Springfield's public persona and her gay sexuality.' * Independent on Sunday *a poignant portrait of a much-loved star * Daily Mail *'Not just for fans but anyone interested in the late 20th century and its popular arts.' The Birmingham Post'compulsive reading' The Big Issueriveting ... remarkable candour and honesty * The Observer *'a lovingly-composed monument to a remarkable one-woman life-force' The Herald (Glasgow)compulsive reading * The Big Issue *a real treat * Q Magazine *

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Book SynopsisWild Tales by Graham Nash - a classic rock memoir of the legendary Hollies front man and member of Crosby, Stills, Nash & YoungIn this candid and riveting autobiography Graham Nash tells it all: the love, the sex, the jealousy, the drugs, and the magical music-making.This is one of the great rock and roll stories: growing up in poverty in postwar Manchester, where Nash founded the Hollies with schoolfriend Allan Clarke and the incredible success that followed, friendships with all the great British bands of the 60s including the Beatles, the Stones and the Kinks, decamping to America and becoming the lover of Joni Mitchell (for whom he wrote ''Our House'') and achieving superstardom with David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Neil Young.This book will be adored by Graham Nash fans and takes its rightful place in the pantheon of classic music memoirs alongside Book Dylan''s Chronicles, Keith Richards'' Life and Neil Young''s Waging Heavy Peace.Graham Nash was born in Blackpool in 1942 and brought up in Salford. He was cofounder with his schoolfriend Allan Clarke of the Hollies - one of the most successful British pop groups of the 1960s for whom he was lead-singer and one of the principal songwriters. In 1968 he left the UK to live in California, where he became part of the supergroup Crosby, Stills & Nash (later, after Neil Young joined, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young). Unusually he has been inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, for the Hollies and for CSNY, and in 2010 he received the OBE. He is noted for his political and charity work (he played Occupy Wall Street in 2011), is a serious photographer, and has homes in California and Hawaii.Trade ReviewA fascinating memoir tells of life on the other side of the ampersand... optimistic, charming and terribly British * Mojo *

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Book SynopsisPhotographs and Reflections by Paul McCartney''Millions of eyes were suddenly upon us, creating a picture I will never forget for the rest of my life.''In 2020, an extraordinary trove of nearly a thousand photographs taken by Paul McCartney on a 35mm camera was re-discovered in his archive. They intimately record the months towards the end of 1963 and beginning of 1964 when Beatlemania erupted in the UK and, after the band''s first visit to the USA, they became the most famous people on the planet. The photographs are McCartney''s personal record of this explosive time, when he was, as he puts it, in the ''Eyes of the Storm''.1964: Eyes of the Storm presents 275 of McCartney''s photographs from the six cities of these intense, legendary months - Liverpool, London, Paris, New York, Washington, D.C. and Miami - and many never-before-seen portraits of John, George and Ringo. In his Foreword and Introductions to these city portfolios,

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Book Synopsis''A masterpiece, as fresh and shocking as if it were written yesterday'' Craig BrownI''ve been told that no one sings the word ''hunger'' like I do. Or the word ''love''.Lady Sings the Blues is the inimitable autobiography of one of the greatest icons of the twentieth century. Born to a single mother in 1915 Baltimore, Billie Holiday had her first run-in with the law at aged 13. But Billie Holiday is no victim. Her memoir tells the story of her life spent in jazz, smoky Harlem clubs and packed-out concert halls, her love affairs, her wildly creative friends, her struggles with addiction and her adventures in love. Billie Holiday is a wise and aphoristic guide to the story of her unforgettable life.Trade ReviewIts value is in its witness to the grinding humiliation of the racism that tainted every moment of her louche life -- John Lahr * London Review of Books *A wrenchingly authentic account of Holiday's turbulent trajectory from abused child to jazz genius -- Jane Shilling * Daily Mail *Her troubles are long behind her now. Her genius however, shows no sign of dimming any time soon. -- Nick Hornby * Sunday Times *A searing account of her life as a brilliant artist, a heroin addict, simultaneously worshipped as a siren of sorrow and persecuted by a legal system structured by systemic racism. Booze runs like a glimmering ribbon through these pages - she even makes moonshine from potato peelings while incarcerated - but Holiday emerges as a figure far more nuanced and human than her mythic image. -- Guardian * Leslie Jamison *

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Book SynopsisThe perfect gift for Nick Cave fans! Discover the complete lyrics, spanning his entire career to date, with a new foreword by Andrew O''HaganFrom Nick Cave''s writing for The Birthday Party, through highly acclaimed albums like Murder Ballads, Henry''s Dream, DIG, LAZARUS, DIG!!! and Ghosteen, this is a must-have book for all fans of the dark, the beautiful and the defiant - for all fans of the songs of Nick Cave.''The greatest living songwriter'' NME''A glowing wire, a mainline to meaning ad feeling and art'' New Yorker''Nick Cave is a true lyrical master. He can conjure empathy and hope out of thin air, light out of darkness'' Cillian Murphy''His lyrics - so rich in the toils of love, so committed to memory and everlasting presence - are the best-made of his generation'' Andrew O''Hagan''A poetic craftsman'' Will Self''Alternative rock legend'' Billboard''Cave''s genius rings loud and clear'' Evening StandardCover art by Aleksandra WaliszewskaTrade ReviewNick Cave is surely Australia's finest living songwriter * Mail *He is an Australian artist like Sidney Nolan is an Australian artist - beyond comparison, beyond genre, beyond dispute * Evening Standard *Cave's lyrics deal with passion on the edge, are peopled with mad bayou preachers, black-hearted lovers and killers. His language is rich, poetic, apocalyptic * Guardian *Richly poetic creations which live a second life on the page. Essential reading * Vox *

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