Popular music Books

Book Synopsis''I see my story as a suite of songs that have a magical connection. I never understood that connection until I sat down to write. It was then that the magic started to flow.''Let Love Rule is a work of deep reflection. Lenny Kravitz looks back at his life with candor, self-scrutiny, and humour. ''My life is all about opposites,'' he writes. ''Black and white. Jewish and Christian. The Jackson 5 and Led Zeppelin. I accepted my Gemini soul. I owned it. I adored it. Yins and yangs mingled in various parts of my heart and mind, giving me balance and fueling my curiosity and comfort.''Let Love Rule covers a vast canvas stretching from Manhattan''s Upper East Side, Brooklyn''s Bedford-Stuyvesant, Los Angeles''s Baldwin Hills, Beverly Hills, and finally to France, England and Germany. It''s the story of a wildly creative kid who, despite tough struggles at school and extreme tension at home, finds salvation in music. We see him grow as a musici

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Book SynopsisIn September 1998, a completely unknown band from London performed in the corner of a cafe in Manchester to an audience of fewer than ten people. One of these people was Debs Wild, a record company talent scout who immediately knew she'd seen the future. To celebrate the band's twentieth anniversary, Debs Wild – the discoverer of Coldplay – and Malcolm Croft look back on the band's phenomenal rise to glory. Life In Technicolor: A Celebration of Coldplay charts the band's extraordinary history from the very first rehearsal right through to the conclusion of their record-breaking A Head Full of Dreams Tour. With a unique insider's perspective and never-before-seen photos, this book will delight Coldplay's legions of fans across the globe. Table of ContentsIntroduction • The Early Years • The Safety EP & Brothers and Sisters EP • Parachutes • A Rush of Blood to the Head • X & Y • Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends • Mylo Xyloto • Ghost Stories • A Head Full of Dreams • The Future • Chronology of Performances • Discography.

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Book SynopsisLester Young fading away in a hotel room; Charles Mingus storming down the streets of New York on a too-small bicycle; Thelonius Monk creating his own private language on the piano... In eight poetically charged vignettes, Geoff Dyer skilfully evokes the embattled lives of the players who shaped modern jazz. He draws on photos and anecdotes, but music is the driving force of But Beautiful and Dyer brings it to life in luminescent and wildly metaphoric prose that mirrors the quirks, eccentricity, and brilliance of each musician''s style.Trade ReviewRemarkable...there can be few books on jazz written with such tenderness and care. -- Adam Lively * * Times Literary Supplement * *But Beautiful is just that. A moving and highly original tribute to Black American Music. -- Bryan FerryAs intricate a mixture of biographical essay and make-believe as is likely to be written. * * New York Times * *The only book about jazz that i have recommended to my friends. It is a little gem. -- Keith Jarrett

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Book SynopsisPink Floyd are one of the most iconic and influential rock bands in the world: their sonic ambition, lyrical dexterity and structural ability are unparalleled in rock music. Since their formation in 1965, they have released 15 studio albums and sold over 250 million records. Their eighth album, Dark Side of the Moon, is one of the highest-selling British albums in the world.Mike Cormack takes a deep dive into the music of Pink Floyd, resulting in the first serious appraisal of the band's immense achievements, whilst also giving an overview of the UK's concurrent social and political history as seen through the prism of the band. In addition to a song-by-song analysis, Mike also shares exclusive band interviews, a full chronology and gig guide, and a full bootleg guide.Everything Under the Sun is the definitive account of the career of rock's most devastatingly emotional and articulate band.

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Book SynopsisCelebrate the 30th anniversary of the Backstreet Boys with the ultimate tribute book—filled with amazing tour photography, band-member profiles, fan memories, and more. Since breaking into the scene in 1993, the Backstreet Boys have sold over 100 million records around the globe making them one of the world’s best-selling music artists, and giving them the title of best-selling boy band of all time. They are the only boy band to have their first ten albums reach the top 10 on the Billboard 200, and the first group since Led Zeppelin to do so. Celebrating their 30th anniversary as a band in April 2023, members AJ McLean, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson, and Howie Dorough are still going strong and show no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Featuring a powerhouse foreword by singer-songwriter, DJ, author, activist, and one-fifth of the megastar girl group the Spice Girls Melanie Chisholm (akaTrade Review"This is a must have book for any Backstreet Boys fan, both past and present (they are still making music today)." * She Scribes *Table of ContentsForeword: Say You’ll Be There Introduction: Just Want You to Know 1 This Is Us 2 Let’s Have a Party 3 Feels Like Home 4 Larger Than Life 5 Black & Blue 6 Drowning 7 Never Gone 8 In Pieces 9 Show ’Em (What You’re Made Of) 10 We’ve Got It Goin’ On 11 Backstreet’s Back 12 Weird World 13 I Want It That Way 14 No Place 15 Soldier Backstreet Facts—All Right! Timeline Group Discography Compilation Solo Discographies Filmographies Awards & Nominations Dedication & Acknowledgments About the Authors Photo Credits Index

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Book Synopsis* The first book to analyse every Queen song - giving equal weight to album tracks alongside the hits . * Includes analysis of about 20 classic songs using the original 24 track master tapes. * Queen remain ever popular and active, and continue to tour despite the death of Freddie Mercury in 1991. This book examines Queen's music, album by album, track by track, in detail. Where possible, recourse to the original multi-track master tapes has provided extra insight. Those familiar hits are revisited, but those classic album cuts - like `Liar', `March of the Black Queen', `Death on Two Legs', and `Dragon Attack', `are given equal precedence. The book also examines the changes that these same four musicians went through - from heavy and pomp rock to pop as the chart hits began to flow - with a keen and unbiased eye. Whether as a fan your preference is for the albums `A Night at the Opera', `Jazz' or `Innuendo' this detailed and definitive guide will tell you all you need to know. Queen had strength in depth. These are the songs on which a legend was built.

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Book SynopsisBold and original, The Power of Black Music offers a new way of listening to the music of black America, and appreciating its profound contribution to all American music.Trade Review"Diligently traces the history of Black music--its African influences and evolution."--Emerge "Dares to take on the whole span of black musical history."--Chicago Tribune "Important...An exceptionally erudite and thoroughly readable work."--I.S.A.M. Newsletter "Impressive."--Booklist "[I]t brilliantly illuminates the centuries-old linkage between the music, myths, and rituals of Africa and the continuing evolution and enduring vitality of African-American music....Floyd clearly shows that black folk culture remains a driving force in the black music of America, a force with the power to enrich cultures the world over."--Black Media News "Samuel A. Floyd Jr...illuminates the connections between the music, myths, and rituals of Africa and the continuing evolution of African-American music."--The Washington Post Book World "A classic study inspired by pioneering monographs, it advocates a fresh critical account founded in the forms and traditions of the music itself."--Come-All-Ye of Legacy Books "Floyd's theories give him a solid basis by which to make judgments about black music, and also to describe that music."--Fanfare "In this singularly focused and highly articulate study, [Floyd] is attempting to place in proper perspective the true foundation of all forms of African-American music, a complex of several related core-culture practices generally ignored in previous histories. His work can only be judged fairly by its adherence to his intentions, and on that score he succeeds beyond measure."--The Mississippi Rag "A deeply personal and passionate book that dares to take on the whole span of black musical history, from ancient Africa to modern America....Striking....Bold....Never before has a black musical history drawn such sweeping links between centuries past and present, and Floyd is one of the few writers with the scholarly techniques, the musical training and the personal passion to make them persuasive."--The Chicago Tribune "An important contribution to scholarship on African-American music....By examining the ways in which a concern with the vernacular was reflected in diverse forms of African-American musical expression, from classical compositions to gospel music and blues, Floyd offers fresh readings of creative cultural production in its broadest reaches during the period....Floyd deploys his sophisticated theoretical framework in fruitful ways....The range of this book...is impressive....Floyd makes deft use of the tools of critical theory, yet his lucid writing style avoids the dense jargon often associated with this approach. As a result, The Power of Black Music is an exceptionally erudite and thoroughly readable work."--I.S.A.M. Newsletter "Floyd...diligently traces the history of Black music in America (the jazz of New Orleans funeral parades, blues, bebop, 1960s concert hall composers, rock)--its African influences and evolution."--Emerge "Floyd's work shows an uncanny coordination of ear, heart, and intellect. The author brings his subject into the realm of ideas while manifesting a love for the music and respect for the people who have made it. His grasp of the continuity of ring-shout values, and of what it means to Signify musically, uncovers and explains the vital core of African-American music making more convincingly than any other account I have read."--Richard Crawford, Professor of Music, University of Michigan "The most scholarly and imaginative exploration yet of the origins and development of black music....An invaluable contribution."--Sterling Stuckey, Professor of History and Religious Studies, University of California, Riverside "African American music deserves but seldom gets as much attention from academics as from music critics. Floyd takes a rare scholarly approach to it and sets a standard for subsequent studies. The range of genres he discusses is comprehensive...and the connections he makes are particularly perceptive....Academics, critics, scholars, and fans alike stand to gain much from carefully reading this impressive work."--Booklist "Offers a new way of listening to the music of Black America and appreciating its profound contribution to all American music."--National Black Employment Directory "Scholarly but never stuffy...a lively historical overview of all styles of African-American music....Contributing mightily to the book's excitement is Floyd's willingness to interpret music through folklore, literary criticism and soulful personal memories."--Pulse (Tower Records publication) "A sweeping, selective overview of black music in the US, beginning with the role of music in African society."--ChoiceTable of ContentsIntroduction 1: African Music, Religion, and Narrative 2: Transformations 3: Syncretization and Synthesis: Folk and Written Traditions 4: African-American Modernism, Signifyin(g), and Black Music 5: The Negro Renaissance: Harlem and Chicago Flowerings 6: Transitions: Function and Difference in Myth and Ritual 7: Continuity and Discontinuity: The Fifties 8: The Sixties and After 9: Troping the Blues: From Spirituals to the COncert Hall 10: The Object of Call-Response: The Signifyin(g) Symbol 11: Implications and Conclusions Appendix

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Book SynopsisIt was the year their records were burned in America after John’s explosive claim that the group was "more popular than Jesus," the year they were hounded out of the Philippines for "snubbing" its First Lady, the year John met Yoko Ono, and the year Paul conceived the idea for Sgt.Trade Review"A pleasing romp through the Beatles' annus mirabilis...Turner does a nice job of capturing them at their best." -- Kirkus Reviews "Reading Beatles '66, I'm right there-and where else would you want to be if you love music?" -- Bono "1966 was a crucial year in the Beatles' amazing journey from being the Fab Four to becoming the princes of psychedelia...By concentrating on just this one year, Steve Turner has been able to examine every influence, document every detail, and fit the jigsaw together. An extraordinary achievement." -- Barry Miles, author of Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now and In the Sixties "1966 was the year of my marriage to George, our first visit to India, and the Beatles' last concert. It was a really exciting time of innovation and exploration- the world, our oyster. Everything is captured most vividly and in such detail in this book. " -- Pattie Boyd "A fascinating dissection of these best and worst of times for the Beatles. Steve Turner's research is impressive." -- Philip Norman, author of Shout! The True Story of the Beatles, John Lennon: The Life, and Paul McCartney: The Biography "The most comprehensive coverage of Revolver and the events in the Beatles' lives and times in 1966. Splendid!" -- Tony Bramwell, author of Magical Mystery Tours: My Life with the Beatles "Turner succeeds in creating an illuminating portrait of the Beatles, both as a band and as individual artists." -- Publishers Weekly "This book guides Beatles fans through that year in an engaging, interesting and compelling way. Beatles '66 is a major achievement-for Beatles fans, yes of course, but also for anyone interested in how creativity works and is affected by its surroundings." -- New York Journal of Books "Turner's well-researched, in-depth, quote- and photo-filled precis will thrill all Beatles fans." -- Booklist "What music journalist Turner brings...is fantastic access (the book draws upon his interviews with The Beatles, as well as producer George Martin and George Harrison's mentor Ravi Shankar) and an extraordinary, Peter Guralnick-like (Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley) attention to detail." -- USA Today "Turner tackles the year from all angles, incorporating a wealth of source material and new quotes from people involved to shed some fresh light on these incidents ... This book is the work of an expert, and expertly written at that." -- Paste Magazine "A wonderfully compelling look into the year that changed everything for the band." -- BookPage "This is a Beatles book to read many times. An extraordinary book." -- Beatles Magazine

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Book Synopsis''A roadmap for a new generation'' VOGUE''Radical, funny and fearless' VANITY FAIRTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERAn electric, searing memoir by the original Riot Grrrl and legendary frontwoman of Bikini Kill and Le TigreKathleen Hanna's rallying cry to feminists echoed far and wide through the punk scene of the 1980s, '90s, and beyond. Her band, Bikini Kill, embodies this iconic time, and today their gutsy, radical lyrics of anthems like Rebel Girl' and Double Dare Ya' are more powerful than ever. But where did this transformative voice come from?In Rebel Girl, Hanna's raw and insightful new memoir, she takes us from her tumultuous childhood home, to her formative college years in Olympia, Washington, and on to her first years on tour, fighting hard for gigs and for her band. As Hanna makes blindingly clear, being in a girl band', especially a punk girl band, in those years was not a simple or a safe prospect. Male violence and antagonism threatened at every turn, and surviving as a band took limitless amounts of grit and bravery.But the relationships she developed during those years buoyed her including with her bandmates Tobi Vail, Kathi Wilcox, and Billy Karren; her friendship with Kurt Cobain; and her introduction to Joan Jett and they were a testament to how the true punk world nurtured and cared for its own.Hanna opens up about falling in love with Ad-Rock of the Beastie Boys and her debilitating battle with Lyme disease, and she brings us behind the scenes of her later bands, Le Tigre and The Julie Ruin. She also writes candidly about the Riot Grrrl movement and its decline, documenting with love its grassroots origins but critiquing its later exclusivity.In an uncut voice all her own, Hanna reveals the darkest, hardest times along with the most joyful and how it all fuelled her revolutionary art, from the 1980s to today.

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Book SynopsisGrunge, also known as the Seattle Sound', emerged from the Pacific north-west in the early part of the 1980s. With the unexpected success of Nirvana's single Smells Like Teen Spirit' in 1991, grunge became a household word overnight and launched an American music movement on a par with punk and hip-hop. In Everybody Loves Our Town , Mark Yarm draws from exclusive interviews to tell the whole story: the founding of originators like Soundgarden and the Melvins, the early successes of the Sub Pop record label, the rise of powerhouses Nirvana and Pearl Jam, the media hype, the suicide of Kurt Cobain, and finally, the genre's mid-to-late-nineties decline.

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Book SynopsisArmstrong recounts his early life in New Orleans, his experiences in Chicago and New York during the 1920s, his crowning as "King of the Zulus," and his late years in Queens, New York. Here is a dimension of Louis Armstrong that includes the history of jazz and, he history of American culture.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition 'a fascinating collection ... it's pretty damn entertaining.' * Mojo *Table of Contents1. "LOUIS ARMSTRONG + THE JEWISH FAMILY IN NEW ORLEANS, LA., THE YEAR OF 1907" (MARCH 31, 1969-1970); 5. "THE ARMSTRONG STORY" (1954); 10. EARLY YEARS WITH LUCILLE (CA. 1970); 15. LETTER TO L/CPL. VILLEC (1967)

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Book SynopsisA raucous, behind-the-scenes account of the year Blur got back togetherThere is nothing that can touch the sound made by a close-knit group of people who have been playing together for years and years and years, playing as though their lives depended on it. For many years, all our lives did, and actually, I'd suddenly realised, they did still. One winter's night, Alex James received an unexpected call. Blur had been invited to play their biggest gig ever: Wembley Stadium. The only trouble was, he and his bandmates hadn't spoken to or even shouted at each other for years. And he now had five children, an out-of-control menagerie of cats, and a sprawling farm to run. This is the story of what happened next. Taking us behind the scenes of a raucous, rollercoaster year, Alex describes how the band made a surprise and emotional return, recording an acclaimed album and playing sold-out shows around the world, from Colchester to Colombia and beyond. Plus: how he went on a crash diet to fit back into his Britpop Trousers,' somehow organised an entire festival of his own, and tried to perfect the recipe for a giant Frazzle. Over the Rainbow is a heartfelt and hilarious account of what it feels like to be catapulted back into the limelight with one of the world's biggest bands. It is a love letter to Blur, to friendship and to music. And it shows us all that, however old or hungover we might feel, nothing's ever truly over: it's always just the start of the next thing.

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Book SynopsisJade Visions is the first biography of one of the twentieth century's most influential jazz musicians, bassist Scott LaFaro. Best known for his landmark recordings with Bill Evans, LaFaro played bass a mere seven years before his life and career were tragically cut short by an automobile accident when he was only 25 years old. Told by his sister, this book uniquely combines family history with insight into LaFaro's music by well-known jazz experts and musicians Gene Lees, Don Thompson, Jeff Campbell, Phil Palombi, Chuck Ralston, Barrie Kolstein, and Robert Wooley. Those interested in Bill Evans, the history of jazz, and the lives of working musicians of the time will appreciate this exploration of LaFaro’s life and music as well as the feeling they’ve been invited into the family circle as an intimate.

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Book SynopsisTHE YARDBIRDS THE BAND THAT LAUNCHED ERIC CLAPTON JEFF BECK AND JIMMY PAGE SFTCOVER

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Book SynopsisIncludes a code for free CD download of many of the bands featured in this book!Nirvana, the White Stripes, Hole, the Hives all sprang from an underground music scene where similarly raw bands, enjoying various degrees of success and hard luck, played for throngs of fans in venues ranging from dive bars to massive festivals, but were mostly ignored by a music industry focused on mega-bands and shiny pop stars. We Never Learn: The Gunk Punk Undergut, 1988-2001 tracks the inspiration and beautiful destruction of this largely undocumented movement. What they took, they fought for, every night. They reveled in ''50s rock ''n'' roll and ''60s garage rock while creating their own wave of gut-busting riffs and rhythm.The majority of bands that populate this book the Dwarves, the Gories, the Supersuckers, the Mummies, Rocket from the Crypt, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, the Muffs, and the Donnas among them gained little long-term reward from their nonstop touri

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Book SynopsisFrom the award-winning country/pop star Shania Twain comes an in-depth look at her difficult childhood and rise to worldwide fame.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Music journalist Azerrad provides an electric revision to his 1993 account of the defining band of the grunge movement. (...) The band’s myriad fans will be rapt." — Publishers Weekly (starred review) Thirty years after its original publication, rock writer Azerrad (Our Band Could Be Your Life) updates and nearly doubles the number of pages of his groundbreaking Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana. The author intersperses hundreds of new, detailed paragraphs throughout the original text to amplify and clarify the earlier material. Most satisfying, he adds a lengthy epilogue which deals with events that happened after the 1991 release of the album Nevermind, including Kurt Cobain’s last months and tragic death in 1994. New material includes the Nirvana tours and practice sessions that Azerrad attended; Cobain’s meeting with one of his heroes, William Burroughs; the telltale signs that pointed to Cobain’s self-destructive impulses and his eventual death; and the utter remorse that Azerrad and other insiders felt after Cobain’s suicide at age 27. VERDICT (...) Nirvana fans will want to read it. — Library Journal (starred review) "Michael Azerrad has always demonstrated a passionate feeling for the ideas, the ambitions, that drive the notable moments of recent musical history. But this annotated edition of his earlier book, which was already a very successful biography, breaks out even further into high art. He's the perfect narrator, now, for a very important question, perhaps increasingly forgotten: why was punk important and how do we talk about it now? The urgencies of this question are everywhere in this powerful, uncertain, and profoundly human work. Azzerad's restless plunging onward, represents the further entanglement in deep, fraught, endangered wisdom." — Rick Moody, bestselling author of The Ice Storm and Hotels of North America “Enriched with new anecdotes, insights and info-morsels, this super-expanded Michael Azerrad classic is a great story made even more gripping. Nirvana’s underground-overground arc becomes a prism for understanding an entire era of rock music and pop culture.” — Simon Reynolds, author of Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-84 "Essential for Nirvana fans." — Kirkus Reviews "A fascinating examination of a band's rise and demise; life and death, personality flaws and mistakes and the ways in which someone in the public eye deals with them" — Culture Catch “Veteran music scribe Michael Azerrad’s absorbing, admirable and deeply personal sequel to his acclaimed 1993 bio Come As You Are: The Story Of Nirvana. (...) [This] might be the most fully rounded portrait of the artist to date” — Tinnitist

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Book Synopsis“When Ben got out of the hospital he said, ‘When I fall down and can’t pick myself up we’ll know it’s over. Until then, we rock!’” – Jeff CarlisiBenjamin Orr was the co-founder, co-lead singer, and bassist for the platinum-selling rock band The Cars. Often considered the band’s heartthrob, Orr possessed an incredible voice, diverse musical talent, and rare stage presence, all balanced by an enigmatic personality and a relentless determination to reach rock stardom.Selling over 30 million albums worldwide with fifteen Billboard Top 40 hits, The Cars certainly achieved success. Within a decade of the debut album, though, Orr found himself adrift and without a band. Veteran music journalist Joe Milliken draws together interviews with over 120 family members, friends, bandmates, and music associates from Orr's life, as well as many unpublished and never-before-seen photos from private collections, to reveal an intimate portrait of one of classic rock’s greatest talents. From Orr’s first performances as a house-band musician for the TV show UpBeat through his creation of The Cars with Ric Ocasek to Orr’s eventual rebirth with the supergroup Big People, this definitive account of Orr’s life is a rollercoaster ride that sheds new light on the history of The Cars.Orr is no longer able to rock with The Cars, but the music he made with them continues to attract new generations of fans. Coinciding with the band’s 2018 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, this first-ever biography of Benjamin Orr immortalizes his legacy as a deeply kind-hearted and exceptionally talented musician who would stop at nothing to live his rock and roll dream.Trade ReviewIf rock star genetics truly exist, Benjamin Orr was certainly born with the gene. His persona and his talent came naturally, without trying to play the role. His generosity and love are a big part of his legacy and that comes through beautifully in Milliken’s book. -- Jeff Carlisi, guitarist for 38 Special, Big PeopleMilliken lifts the veil on the ice-cool demeanor of Ben Orr, the languid rocking voice at the center of The Cars' classic pop-rock sound, uncovering details behind his musical journey. I'm very glad that such an informative and insightful book has finally been written about Ben since his contribution to classic rock music is vast and cannot be ignored. -- Pat Travers, rock guitaristI find it fitting that my talented friend Joe would write a book about another friend, Benjamin Orr. Ben was a fantastic singer and musician, and a gifted writer - another thing Ben had in common with Joe! -- Charlie Farren, vocalist, guitarist for FARRENHEIT, Joe Perry ProjectTo know Ben was an honor and a pleasure. He could go from ‘rock god’ to ‘bro’ in seconds, ready to go hang with the boys, but usually be a magnet for the girls. There was no pretense, just talent and good nature. Hats off to Joe Milliken for making sure his story is remembered. -- Bill Gerber, film producer and formerly of Lookout ManagementThis book is a roller-coaster ride through the 60s and 70s with the movers and shakers of the Cleveland music scene, where Ben Orr grew up! -- Walt Masky, Cleveland television and record producerMy adventures with Ben before, during and after The Cars and pop stardom, were always marked with mischief and an effortless connection. He was a delightful, generous, magnetic and down-to-earth guy, with one of the greatest voices I’ve ever heard. I’m so glad Joe Milliken is telling Ben’s story. -- Fuzzbee Morse, multi-instrumentalist, film and music composer, producer

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Book SynopsisCelebrated photographer Elliott Landy presents an intimate look at the legendary female singer-songwriter, Janis Joplin.Landy''s iconic images of Janis, both on the road and in concert, capture and preserve her pure essence as well as her onstage magnificence. Janis Joplin: The Photographs features beautifully reproduced large format images, many never before published.Janis''s own words, taken from recorded interviews with Peter Albin and others, are used as extended captions and paired with photographs to provide insight into the woman behind the legend.

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Book Synopsis‘My favourite moment is when I finish a song, that is the moment I cherish.’ – Rod TempertonThe Invisible Man tells the remarkable story of how Rod Temperton worked his way up from a Grimsby fish factory to become one of the most successful songwriters of all time.Born in Cleethorpes in 1949, Temperton embarked on a career in music with the funk band Heatwave, for whom he wrote the international hits ‘Boogie Nights’ and ‘Always and Forever’, before his songwriting talent caught the attention of Michael Jackson’s legendary producer, Quincy Jones.For Jackson’s Off the Wall album, Temperton penned both the hit ‘Rock with You’ and the album’s title track. Three years later, he started work on what would become the best-selling album of all time – Michael Jackson’s Thriller – writing three songs, including the now legendary title track. And yet despite collaborating with some of music’s biggest stars, including Donna Summer and Michael McDonald, Temperton was famously reclusive and seldom gave interviews. Having enjoyed unprecedented access to the great man for his Sony Award-winning radio documentary on Temperton, Jed Pitman presents the fully updated, definitive story of one of music’s most talented individuals.

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Book SynopsisIn den 1920er-Jahren gerät nicht nur die Welt, sondern auch die Musik und das Musikleben ins Taumeln: zwischen Krise und Krieg, Abschottung und Austausch, dem resignativen Blick zurück und neuer Dynamik. Wie eng Musik und Gesellschaft miteinander verflochten sind, zeigt das Jahr 1923. Geprägt ist es durch Geschehnisse, Debatten und Entwicklungen, die uns auch heute noch beschäftigen.Im besetzten Ruhrgebiet wird Musik zu einem Mittel des politischen Kampfes; in der von der Hyperinflation erschütterten Weimarer Republik verschärft sich die Krise des Konzertlebens und der Kartenpreis steigt im Herbst auf 200 Milliarden Mark; in den USA machen afroamerikanische Blues- und Jazz-Größen wie Bessie Smith, oder Louis Armstrong im Rahmen der sogenannten „race records“ ihre ersten Schallplattenaufnahmen; In Wien vollendet Arnold Schönberg seine ersten zwölftönigen Werke; In Paris schockiert Igor Strawinsky die Avantgarde mit seinem neoklassizistischen Bläseroktett und in Budapest setzt Béla Bartók mit seiner Tanz-Suite ein musikalisches Zeichen gegen den Nationalismus. Im Berliner Voxhaus wird mit der Ausstrahlung der ersten Funkstunde auf dem Höhepunkt der politischen und ökonomischen Krise das Zeitalter des öffentlichen Rundfunks in Deutschland eingeläutet.- Das Buch von Tobias Bleek erzählt auf faszinierende Weise, wie die Musik in das kulturelle, gesellschaftliche und politische Leben dieses Jahres der Extreme eingebettet ist.Trade Review“... Wie vielfältig und dramatisch die politischen Ereignisse in Europa um das Jahr 1923 waren und wie heterogen gleichzeitig künstlerische Strömungen, Trends und Erfindungen, das weiß dieses Buch beeindruckend zu schildern.” (Hans Georg Nicklaus, in: OE1, oe1.ORF.at, 22. September 2023)“... Tobias Bleek hat diese belangvollen Ereignisse und wegweisenden Innovationen sorgfältig und gründlich untersucht und bis aufs Einzelne zu Papier gebracht. Doch damit nicht genug. Denn darüber hinaus setzt er sie in einen Kontext zu den politischen, gesellschaftlichen und wirtschaftlichen Geschehnissen als da sind etwa Migration, Antisemitismus, Rassismus und Militarismus. Des Weiteren zeigt er auf, welche Wirkung sie auf die Musiker, Komponisten und deren Kompositionen ausübten. … Flüssig und allgemeinverständlich ist der Band verfasst und ist somit eine fesselnde Lektüre.” (Hartmut Sassenhausen, in: O-Ton, o-ton.online, 18. August 2023)“... Das anregende, elegant geschriebene Buch legt die erhebliche Wechselwirkung zwischen Musik, Gesellschaft und Politik dar. Diese Fundgrube für musik- wie historisch Interessierte mit Literaturverzeichnis, zahlreichen Anmerkung und einem Register wird dringend empfohlen.” (Johannes Vesper, in: Musenblätter, musenblaetter.de, 15. August 2023)“... Bleeks Buch liest sich nicht nur wie ein (dazu präzise mit historischen Aufnahmen bebilderter) Roman, sondern ist darüber hinaus pointiert und witzig. … Der Zoom von «allgemeiner» Geschichte im Großen zur Musik im Kleinen»: Er funktioniert an jeder Stelle dieses vergnüglich zu lesenden und doch intensiv immersiven Buches. Dabei holt Bleek den Leser immer von der Haltestelle richtig vermuteten Vorwissens ab ...” (Arno Lücker, in: Opernwelt, August 2023)“Noch ein Band zu den Zwanzigern? – ja, diesen gern! … eine sehr lebendige Kulturgeschichte zu einer Zeit, die nicht nur musikalisch in alle denkbaren Richtungen explodierte.” (Michael Wackerbauer, in: Neue Musikzeitung, Juni 2023) “... Endlich gibt es eines der beliebten „Jahresbücher“ auch für die Musik. ... Bleek behandelt das krisenhafte Umbruchsjahr zum einen sehr strukturiert ... Zum enorm sinnlichen Erlebnis wird die Lektüre zum anderen durch „eine Vielzahl historischer Quellen: Briefe, Tagebücher und andere private Aufzeichnungen, Artikel aus Zeitungen und Journalen, Fotografien und Bilder. Schallplatten, historische Notendrucke und Musikmanuskripte, Programmzettel, Annoncen, Eintrittskarten ...” (Ingo Hoddick, in: das Orchester, Heft 12, 2023)“... Bewundernswert ist ... sein Buch sowohl für eine Leserschaft ohne spezielle Fachkenntnis oder Studium als auch für ein wissenschaftlich gebildetes Publikum zu schreiben, weshalb es für alle Musik- und Kulturinteressierten lesenswert ist. Ein Anhang mit Hunderten von Anmerkungen, einem ausführlichen Literatur- und Quellenverzeichnis sowie Register runden dieses überaus spannend geschriebene, sehr empfehlenswerte Buch ab.” (Michael van Gee, in: Jazz ´n´ More, Das Schweizer Jazz & Blues Magazin, Heft 6, 2023)Table of ContentsSelbsterneuerung eines Migranten: Igor Strawinskys Metamorphosen.- Komponieren in Zeiten des Nationalismus: Béla Bartóks Tanz-Suite im kulturpolitischen Kontext.- „deutsche Treue … und deutscher Sang“: Die Nationalhymne und Musik in Zeiten der Ruhrbesetzung.- Black Music Matters – Bessie Smith erobert den Tonträgermarkt.- Von der Peripherie ins Zentrum – Louis Armstrong, Joe Oliver, Lilian Hardin und die Creole Jazz Band.- Arnold Schönberg und die „Hegemonie der deutschen Musik“: Die Entwicklung der Zwölftontechnik als Kompositionsverfahren und kulturpolitisches Projekt.- Eine Konzertkarte für 200 Milliarden Mark – Musikleben in Zeiten der Hyperinflation – „Start up“ am Küchentisch: Karl Vötterle gründet den Bärenreiter-Verlag.- Fritz Kreisler im Äther – Medienwelten 1923.

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Book SynopsisBob Gendron is a longtime contributor to the Chicago Tribune and a veteran Music Editor. He co-authored Nirvana: The Complete Illustrated History and has written for DownBeat, Rolling Stone, TONEAudio, and other outlets. In his spare time, he enjoys visiting craft breweries, playing hockey, and exploring neighborhoods. An avid fan of the White Sox and the Blackhawks, he lives in his hometown of Chicago with his wife and two dogs.Trade Review"In the absence of love, there is loneliness, sorrow and desperation. And that's where I come in."--Greg Dulli, introducing "When We Two Parted" onstage in San Francisco It was only a matter of time before a clever publisher realized that there is an audience for whom Exile on Main Street or Electric Ladyland are as significant and worthy of study as The Catcher in the Rye or Middlemarch...The series, which now comprises 29 titles with more in the words, is freewheeling and eclectic, ranging from minute rock-geek analysis to idiosyncratic personal celebration--The New York Times Book Review Ideal for the rock geek who thinks liner notes just aren't enough--Rolling Stone One of the coolest publishing imprints on the planet - Bookslut These are for the insane collectors out there who appreciate fantastic design, well-executed thinking, and things that make your house look cool. Each volume in this series takes a seminal album and breaks it down in startling minutiae. We love these. We are huge nerds. - Vice A brilliant series...each one a word of real love - NME (UK) Passionate, obsessive, and smart - Nylon Religious tracts for the nock 'n' roll faithful - Uncut (UK) We...aren't naive enough to think that we're your only source for reading about music (but if we had our way...watch out). For those of you who really like to know everything there is to know about an album, you'd do well to check out Continuum's "33 1/3" series of books." - Pitchfork"

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Book SynopsisAn all-access, firsthand account of the life and music of one of history's most beloved bands--from an original mastering engineer at Abbey Road Geoff Emerick became an assistant engineer at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in 1962 at age fifteen, and was present as a new band called the Beatles recorded their first songs. He later worked with the Beatles as they recorded their singles “She Loves You” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” the songs that would propel them to international superstardom. In 1964 he would witness the transformation of this young and playful group from Liverpool into professional, polished musicians as they put to tape classic songs such as “Eight Days A Week” and “I Feel Fine.”Then, in 1966, at age nineteen, Geoff Emerick became the Beatles’ chief engineer, the man responsible for their distinctive sound as they recorded the classic album Revolver, in which they pioneered innovative recor

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Book SynopsisA brash and dazzling celebration of the instruments that created the sounds of rock and roll from the 1940s to the present dayPlay It Loud celebrates the musical instruments that gave rock and roll its signature sound—from Louis Jordan’s alto saxophone and John Lennon’s Rickenbacker to the drum set owned by Metallica’s Lars Ulrich, Lady Gaga’s keytar, and beyond. Seven engrossing essays by veteran music journalists and scholars discuss the technical developments that fostered rock’s seductive riffs and driving rhythms, the thrilling innovations musicians have devised to achieve unique effects, and the visual impact their instruments have had. Abundant photographs depict rock’s most iconic instruments—including Jerry Lee Lewis’s baby grand piano, Chuck Berry’s Gibson ES-350T guitar, Bootsy Collins’s star-shaped bass, Keith Moon’s drum set, and the white Stratocaster Jimi Hendrix played at Woodstock—as works of art in their own right. Produced in collaboration with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, this astounding book goes behind the music to offer a rare and in-depth look at the instruments that inspired the musicians and made possible the songs we know and love.Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Distributed by Yale University PressExhibition Schedule:The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (04/08/19–09/15/19)The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland (11/20/19–09/13/20)

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Book SynopsisCelebrating more than 50 years of the ground-breaking Atom Heart MotherTrade Reviewa fantastic read . . . witty and incredibly detailed

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Book SynopsisSlayer's Reign in Blood remains the gold standard for extreme heavy metal: a seamless procession of ten blindingly fast songs in just twenty-eight minutes, delivered in furious bursts of instrumental precision, with lyrics so striking that Tori Amos was moved to record a cover. This book explores the creation of this album.Trade ReviewI can tell you this- if you hold Slayer's Reign in Blood in your holy trinity of album releases that would go with you to your metal desert island, then this is definitely your new favorite book. * addictedtovinyl.com *Overall, 33 1/3: Reign in Blood will thrill those who've carved SLAYER into their skin (it's more common among fans than you'd think), as well as pique the interest of hard-rock aficionados curious about Slayer but who've not taken the sanguinity plunge yet. * OC Weekly *Reign in Blood' is notable for its brutality, but as the defining manifesto of thrash metal, it is transcendent for its purity. To love rock & roll is to love subcultures, and D.X. Ferris has explained, in stunning detail, how one subculture was defined and galvanized by that single album, and why that definition will never need to be written again. -- David GiffelsA short, intense, meticulous history of Reign In Blood and really, the whole band... The result is an authorized, damn perfect look at this one album. * Martin Popoff, editor in chief of Brave Words Bloody Knuckles *D.X. Ferris has written an academic and thought-provoking book while at the same time presenting it as a general reader. Ferris does not give in to the tendency of 'dumbing down' metal; instead, he puts forth a very well argued statement that Slayer's 'Reign In Blood' is a classic album and should be treated as such. -- Laura Kowalewski and Andrew Carpenter * Ballet Deviare *If you don't learn something from this book then you are a liar. * Sage Francis *Ferris interviewed everyone who's anyone so he could deliver the last word on Slayer's first metal masterpiece. Rock-solid rock joürnalism that deserves its umlauts. * Dan LeRoy, author of 33 1/3: Paul's Boutique and The Greatest Music Never Sold: Secrets of Legendary Lost Albums by David Bowie, Seal, Beastie Boys, Chicago, Mick Jagger *D.X. Ferris breaks it all down person-by-person and track-by-track to separate fact from fiction, retracing the origins, occasional pitfalls and eventual triumph that brought forth in his words, 'the greatest heavy metal album ever.'... The book untangles a number of assumptions related to the band that should surprise even longtime fans.... The book provides not only a good introduction to the band, but capably answers on all fronts regarding the album in question.... Ferris pens a clean and even story; flashes his bona fides outright and is passionate enough about the work to sustain that fervor through to the end. -- Todd DePalma, The Left Hand PathD.X. Ferris's recent 33 1/3 book devoted to Reign In Blood is excellent. -- Joel McIver, author of Slayer biography The Bloody Reign of SlayerDeclares Ferris, 'I wanted to present the story in a way that's compelling to both rabid Slayer fans and to NPR listeners who love pop music but have never lost a shoe in a mosh pit' -- and he largely succeeds. -- Dave Segal * OC Weekly *Writer D.X. Ferris pulls off an admirable tightrope walk. As both a fan and a critic, Ferris manages to convey a sense of excitement about the album even as he pulls the reader headfirst into the world of Slayer. By talking to band members, other musicians, friends and other people around the band at the time, hardcore fans..even respected studio engineer Andy Wallace...Ferris pulls together as complete a picture of the making of Reign in Blood as you'll likely ever read. * Trademark of Quality Blog *… in writing one of the few 33 1/3 books on a metal album, Ferris knows he must argue persuasively for their inclusion. Toward that end, he conducted a raft of original interviews for the book (everyone from Slayer frontman Tom Araya to Tori Amos) to tell their story as clearly and as vividly as possible. -- Stephen M. Deusner * Pitchfork *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Reign in Blood, featuring original commentary from... Introduction The Argument: F*****' Slayer Talkin' Thrash "Metalstorm: Face the Slayer" Slayer Guitarist Jeff Hanneman Drummer Dave Lombardo Singer-Bassist Tom Araya Guitarist Kerry King DJ-RR: The Producer, Rick Rubin. And the Label, Def Jam. Engineer Andy Wallace Recruiting New Blood Writing Blood Recording Blood Illustrating Blood Bad Day at Black Rock Def Metal: Slayer in the House Reviewing Blood The Reign Reign in Blood: The Songs and Their Impact Reign in Blood, in Summary The Legacy Notes, Asides, and Works Cited

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Book SynopsisOne of the greatest artists our country has is Benny Golson. He is not only a great musician, but an original and fabulous composer. He is inventive and creative and his work is loved the world over. Benny is a rare, creative genius. All I would like to say is THREE CHEERS for Benny Golson!Tony BennettComposer supreme, tenor man supreme, jazz man supreme, good guy supreme: that's BENNY GOLSON!Sonny RollinsBorn during thede factoinaugural era of jazz, saxophonist Benny Golson learned his instrument and the vocabulary of jazz alongside John Coltrane while Golson was still in high school in Philadelphia. Quickly establishing himself as an iconic fixture on the jazz landscape, Golson performed with dozens of jazz greats, from Sonny Rollins, Coleman Hawkins, and Jimmy Heath to Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard, and many others. An acclaimed composer, Golson also wrote music for Hollywood films and television and composed such memorable jazz standards as Stablemates, Killer Joe, and Whisper NTable of ContentsPreface, by Jim Merod IntroductionPart I John Coltrane Chapter 1 One of a Kind: John Coltrane Chapter 2 John and I Meet Diz and Bird Chapter 3 John Becomes a Dynamo Part II The ’Hood and Youthful Reckonings Chapter 4 Uncle Robert and the Man Chapter 5 Two Heroes and a Night at Minton’s Chapter 6 Early Tragedies and Victories Chapter 7 Welfare Days, Hard TimesPart III Great People Chapter 8 No One Else: Bobbie Hurd Chapter 9 Moose and Bostic Chapter 10 Art Blakey’s Neophytes and Tadd Dameron’s Luck Chapter 11 Further Adventures with Tadd and an Evening with Louis Armstrong Chapter 12 The Duel: Clifford Brown and Fats Navarro Chapter 13 Wonder and Beauty: Betty Carter and Art Farmer Chapter 14 Genius Squared: Jimmy and Percy Heath Chapter 15 Unrivaled Aces: Sarah Vaughan and Bill Evans Chapter 16 Four "Brothers": Mulgrew Miller, Woody Herman, Henry Brant, and George RussellPart IV Hollywood Chapter 17 Starting Over Chapter 18 Gettin’ My Mojo Workin’ Chapter 19 M*A*S*H Chapter 20 Movie Stars Like Jazz, TooPart V Amazing Friendships Chapter 21 Quincy Jones Chapter 22 Sweets and Diz Chapter 23 Philly Joe Jones Chapter 24 Monk, Max, and Dinah Chapter 25 Curtis Fuller and The JazztetPart VI Music and Writing Chapter 26 Writing Chapter 27 Lessons Chapter 28 "Stablemates": My First Recorded Song Chapter 29 "Along Came Betty" Chapter 30 "I Remember Clifford" Chapter 31 The Ballad and "Weight"Part VII Icons Chapter 32 Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks Chapter 33 Duke and Strayhorn Chapter 34 Coleman Hawkins Chapter 35 Art Blakey and Thelonious Monk Chapter 36 Blakey and The Jazz Messengers Chapter 37 Kenny Dorham and Lee Morgan Chapter 38 Sonny Rollins Chapter 39 Great Performances: Oscar Pettiford, Ron Carter, Billy Higgins, Billy Taylor, and Walter Davis, Jr. Chapter 40 Charles Mingus, Benny Goodman, Gigi Gryce, and Horace Silver Chapter 41 Peggy Lee and Diana Ross Chapter 42 Milt "Bags" Jackson, Larry Young, Joe Farrell, and Tony Williams Chapter 43 Wynton Kelly and Chick Corea Chapter 44 Miles Davis and Geoffrey Keezer Chapter 45 Mickey Rooney, Redd Foxx, Jersey Joe Walcott, and Muhammad AliPart VIII Verses and a Coda Chapter 46 Notes on Starting Over Chapter 47 The Blues Chapter 48 Brielle Coda: A New Way of Life Acknowledgments Index

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Book SynopsisBob Dylan's impact on popular music has been incalculable. Having transformed staid folk music into a vehicle for coruscating social commentary, he then swept away the romantic platitudes of rock 'n' roll with his searing intellect.From the zeitgeist-encapsulating protest of 'Blowin' in the Wind' to the streetwise venom of 'Like a Rolling Stone', and from the stunning mid-sixties trilogy of albums - Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde - to Time Out of Mind, his stunning if world-weary comeback at the age of 56, Dylan's genius has endured, underpinned by the dazzling turn of phrase that has made him the pre-eminent poet of popular music.Because Dylan's achievements have no equal, his career is the most chronicled in rock history. Here, Sean Egan presents a selection of the best writing on Dylan, both praise and criticism. Interviews, essays, features and reviews from Dylan intimates and scholars such as John Bauldie, Michael Gray, Nat Hentoff and Jules Siegel are interspersed with new narrative and reviews of every single album to create a comprehensive picture of the artist whose chimes of freedom still resound.Trade ReviewManages to catch some of Dylan's magic. * Catholic Herald *Fascinating and hilarious anecdotes. * Jewish Chronicle *A great book ... as discursive and illuminating as any recent book on Dylan I've read. * Craig McGregor, author of 'Bob Dylan: A Retrospective' *

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Book SynopsisA smart, funny, and refreshing memoir from Mark Hoppus, the vocalist, bassist, and founding member of pop-punk band blink-182.This is a story of what happens when an angst-ridden kid who grew up in the desert experiences his parents? bitter divorce, moves around the country, switches identities from dork to goth to skate punk, and eventually meets his best friend who just so happens to be his musical soulmate.Bassist, songwriter, and vocalist for renowned pop-punk trailblazers blink-182, Mark Hoppus, tells his story inFahrenheit-182. A memoir that paints a vivid picture of what it was like to grow up in the 1980s as a latchkey kid hooked on punk rock, skateboards, and MTV; Mark Hoppus shares how he came of age and forms one of the biggest bands of his generation. Threaded through with the very human story of a constant battle with anxiety and Mark?s public battle and triumph over cancer,Fahrenheit-182is a delight for fans and also a funny, smart, and relatable memoir for anyone who has wanted to quit but kept going.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisWhen one considers The Beatles' early history, there are several names that immediately come to mind, like Ivan Vaughan, Rod Davis, Stuart Sutcliffe and Pete Best. However, the story of the evolution of The Beatles from The Quarrymen to The Fab Four is about more than just the musicians in those groups. Other people, like George Smith, Joe Ankrah, Red Carter, Zancs Logie, Ian James, Marie Maguire, Colin Manley and Arthur Pendleton are all important to the story as well. These one hundred and four friends, family and musicians get a long overdue credit for their contributions to the musical development of the greatest pop group of all time: The Beatles.

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