Popular music Books

Book SynopsisPatrick W. Galbraith is a Lecturer of Media and Cultural Studies at Senshu University in Tokyo, Japan. Based on over a decade of fieldwork in the Akihabara area of Tokyo, his most recent publication is Otaku and the Struggle for Imagination in Japan (2019). Jason G. Karlin is Associate Professor of Media and Gender Studies at the University of Tokyo, Japan. He is author of Gender and Nation in Meiji Japan (2014) and co-editor with Patrick W. Galbraith of Idols and Celebrity in Japanese Media Culture (2012) and Media Convergence in Japan (2016).Trade ReviewWhatever you thought you knew about AKB48, I can guarantee it's just the tip of the iceberg ... Galbraith and Karlin write with authority ... [and] not a hint of sensationalizing. * Japan Times *Table of ContentsList of Figures and Tables Note on Japanese Names and Words Introduction 1 The Birth and Evolution of Idols in Japan 2 The Democratization of Idols 3 “Idols That You Can Meet” 4 The Affective Economics of the Idol Industry 5 The General Election 6 Toward a Critical Political Economy of Idols 7 The Ordinary as Extraordinary 8 Tears of the Idol 9 The Labor of Love 10 Female Fans as Aspirational Consumers 11 Placebo Idols 12 AKB48 in the Global Imagination Conclusion Notes References Index

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Book SynopsisBoth Dylan and Cohen have been a presence on the music and poetry landscape spanning six decades. This book begins with a discussion of their contemporary importance, and how they have sustained their enduring appeal as performers and recording artists. The authors argue that both Dylan and Cohen shared early aspirations that mirrored the Beat Generation. They sought to achieve the fame of Dylan Thomas, who proved a bohemian poet could thrive outside the academy, and to live his life of unconditional social irresponsibility. While Dylan's and Cohen's fame fluctuated over the decades, it was sustained by self-consciously adopted personas used to distance themselves from their public selves. This separation of self requires an exploration of the artists' relation to religion as an avenue to find and preserve inner identity. The relationship between their lyrics and poetry is explored in the context of Federico García Lorca's concept of the poetry of inspiration and the emotional depths oTrade ReviewA] volume full of information and thought-provoking insight and ideas ... It is a very worthwhile read. * Americana UK *RouteNote's "Top 10 new music books in 2021 – so far" * RouteNote *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Dying to Get Back Home 2. The Road Back 3. Redemption Men 4. Starting Out: Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, The Beat Generation and Dylan Thomas 5. The Masked Crusader: Bob Dylan 6. The Lone Ranger: Leonard Cohen 7. Poetry and Song 8. The Spirit of Duende 9. Mine’ve Been Like Verlaine’s and Rimbaud Conclusion Acknowledgments Index

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Book SynopsisFollowing the 1960''s sexual revolution, rock and pop have continued to map the societal understanding of sexuality, feminism, and gender studies. Although scholarship has well established how early rock and roll encouraged and affected issues of sex in the baby boomer generation, this book asks how subsequent pop music has maintained that tradition. The text discusses the gendered performances and biographical experiences of individual musicians, including Patti Smith, Rufus Wainwright, Etta James, and Frank Ocean, and how their invented personae contribute to musical representations of sexuality. It evaluates lyric structure and symbolic language of these artists, and overall emphasizes how pop music, while a commodity art form, reflects the diversity of human sex and gender.Trade Review“This fascinating and compelling book traces how popular music—the world’s most ubiquitous art—reflects and influences far-reaching concepts of sex, gender, and sexuality.” “Dr. Everett is a master stylist: clear, engaging, straightforward, and unfailingly interesting.” * Matthew Schneider, Professor of English, High Point University, USA *Why was such an informative book not published earlier? Everett’s book is essential for researchers and students who are interested in sex, gender and sexuality, and their influences on rock music. It not only gives a handy overview, but also a more detailed analysis of theories and music examples. These analyses do not shy away from problematic content in rock music, such as abuse, rape, misogyny, incest, racial issues, etc., thus providing an important, not solely glorifying, intersectional portrait of the rock era in Western culture. Most original and practical is the long timeline of sexual attitudes and behaviors in recorded popular music until 2022, along with selected songs. * Doris Leibetseder, Senior Research Fellow, University of Vienna, Austria *Walter Everett focuses his encyclopedic knowledge of the popular music of the last 70 years with the scholarship on sex and gender in pop. The result is an impressive compendium, in which every page presents the reader with new juxtapositions in a rich tapestry of examples. The concluding chapter on “Land,” Patti Smith’s “sex-based epic” from Horses, brings Everett’s analysis to an aptly intricate climax. Valuable both as a reference and as an outline of the recent history of sexual mores. * Jennifer Rycenga, Professor of Comparative Religious Studies, San José State University, USA *Everett’s text seamlessly applies theory in various relevant disciplines, such as physiology, psychology, sexololgy, sociology, gender studies, aesthetics, and linguistics, to songwriting of various ages, genres, and styles from the 1920s to the present, ultimately formulating a narrative that takes what we’ve heard with our own ears and explains it in academic context. -- Frank Valish * Under the Radar Magazine *Table of ContentsPreface with Acknowledgments Introduction 1. The Musical Expression of Identity in Terms of Biological Sex; The Self in Physiology and Psychology 2. Gendered Identity 3. Sexuality: Sexual Orientation 4. Pop/Rock Erotics 5. A Brainiac Amour: Command, Surrender, and Improvisation in Patti Smith’s “Land” Sources Cited Online Appendix Index

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Book SynopsisModeselektor, the Berlin electronic duo consisting of Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary, released Happy Birthday! in 2007, an album that mixed emotion, humor, and party excess. Through this album, this book presents a unique window into the histories of Berlin techno, European rave culture, and electronic music. By emphasizing Happy Birthday! as a network of collabs, genres, and insider winks, it highlights key features in Modeselektor''s career: above all, the beginnings of Moderat, the famous project between Modeselektor and Apparat, as well as the connections to groups and artists as diverse as Thom Yorke, Ellen Allien, Paul St. Hilaire, Otto von Schirach, Scooter, and Jones & Stephenson.33 1/3 Global, a series related to but independent from 33 1/3, takes the format of the original series of short, music-based books and brings the focus to music throughout the world. With initial volumes focusing on Japanese and Brazilian music, the series will also inTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Track Listing Prelude: Transatlantic Vertigo Part I: Different Voices 1. The Former East 2. Title Track: Birthday Noise 3. The 200000 Decade: Russian Crunk, Or Genre Fun 4. Moderat Beginnings 5. Radiohead Stardust Part II: Rave Chronicles 6. Arena Techno Heritage 7. Cover I: Scooter Studies 8. Interlude: What about Breakcore? 9. Cover II: Rave Rebirth 10. Arena-Techno to Anti-EDM Postlude: Wall Ghosts Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisDarkthrone's A Blaze in the Northern Sky (1992) is a foundational keystone of the musical and aesthetic vision of the notorious Norwegian black metal scene and one of the most beloved albums of the genre. Its mysterious artwork and raw sound continue to captivate and inspire black metal fans and musicians worldwide. This book explores the album in the context of exoticism and musical geography, examining how black metal music has come to conjure images of untamed Nordic wildernesses for fans worldwide. In doing so, it analyzes aspects of musical style and production that created the distinctly grim sound of Darkthrone and Norwegian black metal.Trade ReviewHagen is uniquely placed to navigate [black metal's] paradoxes, as well as the sub-genre’s wider social significance. His exploration here of black metal’s appeal as a form of contemporary Nordic folk music, and his theoretical deliberations on the scene’s “romantic” and "modernist” aspects, are both forthright and stimulating ... [A] thought-provoking analysis. * Record Collector *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: “Kathaarian Life Code” 1. “In the Shadow of the Horns” 2. “Where Cold Winds Blow” 3. “Paragon Belial” 4. “The Pagan Winter” Notes Bibliography

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Book SynopsisUpon its release, Don''t Break the Oath charted fifth on the official British heavy metal album list and was supported by a two month long sold-out American tour in early 1985. The band''s controversial stage appearance with burning crosses, a microphone stand formed as a cross made of two human leg bones, as well as other blasphemous rituals attracted the attention of the then newly formed PRMC (Parental Resource Music Center) committee, ironically reassuring the band its position on the charts. But though the album was hugely popular in the anglophone metal scene, it was conceived in peripheral Denmark.This book discusses the relationship between center and periphery. It juxtaposes the Anglophone reticent of heavy metal with the rather marginalized location of Copenhagen, and examines Mercyful Fate''s relation to the Nordic region more generally. It also takes a close look at the methods involved in the production of King Diamond''s vocals, and emphasizes the role of the vocalTable of ContentsFigures Acknowledgments Tracklisting A note to the reader 1. Introduction: A broken yet completed circle 2. Sounds, atmospheres and 43 minutes of not breaking the Oath 3. The satanic endeavors: Intentional transgressions and antinomian discourses 4. Diabolus in musica and other musical modes of symbolic Satanism 5. Unmasking the masks of masculinities:(Dis)appearances of the paint mask 6. Queer-Satanism galore: Otherings of the Oath 7. Conclusion: Rewriting the Heavy Metal canon of hegemonic masculinity Notes References Index

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Book SynopsisCall it batida, kuduro, Afro house, Lisbon bass: anyone with a keen ear for contemporary developments in global electronic dance music can''t fail to have noticed the rise in popularity and influence of Lisbon-based DJs such as DJ Marfox, DJ Nervoso and Nídia. These DJs and producers have brought the sound of the Lisbon projects to the wider world via international club nights, festival appearances, recordings and remix projects for a range of international artists.This book uses the 2006 compilation DJs do Guetto as a prism for exploring this music''s aesthetics and its roots in Lusophone Africa, its evolution in the immigrant communities of Lisbon and its journey from there to the world. The story is one of encounters: between people, sounds, neighborhoods, technologies and cultural contexts. Drawing on reflections by DJ Marfox and others, the book establishes DJs do Guetto as a foundation stone not only for a burgeoning music scene, but also for a newfound sense of priTable of ContentsAcknowledgements 1. PR001 2. Uprouted beats 3. Close encounters 4. Quinta do Mocho 5. Looped encounters 6. The making and unmaking of a DJ crew 7. Nobility 8. Strange futurity 9. Translation 10. An ending Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisSin Documentos is a landmark album in Spanish popular culture and continues to maintain considerable popularity more than two decades after its release. The characteristic guitar riff of the title song, a kind of rumba-rock, still occupies a place at every party in Spain. Los Rodríguez's success came after a decadecharacterized by the rise and fall of local-language punk and new wave bands. By the time Sin Documentos appeared, however, rock journalism was fascinated by the thriving indie scene, where the bands were singing in English and had turned to grunge and noise rock.This book evaluates the influence of Latin American pop-rock in the modernization of Spanish popular music from the 1950s, despite the Anglophilia of Spanish rock scenes, especially in the 1990s. Through interviews with members of the band and members of the record label DRO, analysis of the media coverage of the album anda cultural analysis of its meanings, it delves into the cultural trends of Spain tTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Sin Documentos 2. Mi Rock Perdido 3. Pequño Salto Mortal Conclusions References Notes Index

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Book SynopsisDavid Looseley is Emeritus Professor of Contemporary French Culture at the University of Leeds, UK. He writes on the popular music, culture and cultural policy of France, including Édith Piaf: A Cultural History (2015), joint winner of the Franco-British Society Literary Prize, and Popular Music in Contemporary France: Authenticity, Politics, Debate (2003). He was contributing editor (with Diana Holmes) of Imagining the Popular in Contemporary French Culture (2013). He is Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Palmes Académiques.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements 1 .Imagining Piaf 2. The Recital 3. The Record (1) 4. The Record (2) 5. Authenticity, Art, Memory, Stardom Conclusions: Piaf Today References Notes Index

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Book SynopsisWhat happens in our unconscious minds when we listen to, produce or perform popular music? The Unconscious a much misunderstood concept from philosophy and psychology works through human subjects as we produce music and can be traced through the music we engage with. Through a new collaboration between music theorist and philosopher, Smith and Overy present the long history of the unconscious and its related concepts, working systematically through philosophers such as Schopenhauer and Nietzsche, psychoanalysts such as Freud and Lacan, to theorists such as Deleuze and Kristeva. The theories offered are vital to follow the psychological complexity of popular music, demonstrated through close readings of individual songs, albums, artists, genres, and popular music practices. Among countless artists, Listening to the Unconscious draws from Prince to Sufjan Stevens, from Robyn to Xiu Xiu, from Joanna Newsom to Arcade Fire, from PJ Harvey to LCD Sound System, each ofTrade ReviewExploring how conscious and unconscious states of mind are channeled through musical expression, Kenneth Smith and Stephen Overy collaborate here to offer post-Freudian and post-Lacanian readings of popular songs. With clear reference to psychoanalytic concepts, their analytic applications reveal remarkable ways in which states of being emerge through expressive musical strategies. Listening to the Unconscious will reward readers with persuasive and stimulating reflections on how music channels the very core of human experience. * Lori Burns, Professor of Music, University of Ottawa, Canada *Three particular values strike me in reading Smith and Overy's Listening to the Unconscious. First, they provide an entry-level, cogent introduction to key psychoanalytic concepts and the ways they enable navigation of the unconscious, but with a musical purpose in mind. Second, they give much all-too-rare attention to musical detail in the light of these concepts, leading to persuasive elucidations of a wide range of songs at rather greater depth than often found. And, third, they present sufficient richness of demonstration to enable interested readers to apply these ideas to music of their own choosing, and thus to understand music more convincingly from this useful perspective. What more could one want? * Allan Moore, Professor Emeritus, University of Surrey, UK *Listening to the Unconscious provides a compelling approach to music listening. It is an invaluable addition to the field of popular music studies, demonstrating deftly the relevance of psychoanalysis in music scholarship. Comprising an extensive collection of musical examples, Smith and Overy have developed an impressive array of theories that lay the foundations for important forms of critical thinking. * Stan Hawkins, Professor Emeritus, University of Oslo and University of Agder, Norway *Kenneth Smith and Stephen Overy present a unique approach to the analysis of popular music that links conventional music theoretic and Freudian/Lacanian psychoanalytic concepts providing the analyst a window into the unconscious drives shaping popular music. * Ciro Scotto, Associate Professor of Music Theory, Ohio University, USA *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Charting Three Freudian Hypotheses with Pop Music: the economic, the topographic, the structural 2. Freud, Music, and the Psychological Condition 3. Bright Eyes (and friends) and the Antlers Meet Jacques Lacan 4. Phallocentrism, Sexuation and the Chora, from Lacan to Kristeva; Gaga to Björk 5. The Death Drive and Unconscious Production 6. “Do you want to be the ebb of this great tide?” Lacan, Freud, Nietzsche, Deleuze, and “Joy in Repetition”: Prince and LCD Soundsystem 7. S & M, & Pop Perversion 8. Polly Jean Harvey asks,“Is this desire [enough]?” Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThis book explores an album of popular music with a remarkable significance to a violent wave of postcolonial tensions in the Netherlands in the 1970s. Several actions were claimed by a small number of first-generation descendants of ca. 12,500 reluctant migrants from the young independent state of Indonesia (former Dutch East Indies). Transferred in 1951, this culturally coherent group consisted of ex-Royal Dutch Colonial Army personnel and their families. Their ancient roots in the Moluccan archipelago and their protestant-christian faith defined their minority image. Their sojourn should have been temporary, but frustratingly turned out to be permanent. At the height of strained relations, Massada rose to the occasion. Astaganaga (1978) is a telling example of the will to negotiate a different diasporic Moluccan identity through uplifting contemporary sounds.Table of ContentsContents Introduction Part I Backdrops Colonial times and impact Popular music in exile Latin in the Lowlands Part II Massada before Astaganaga In the air What’s in a name Decisive break The action years Part III Massada’s Astaganaga The making of Track by track Sleeve art and credits Reception and rewards Part IV Massada after Astaganaga Bang the drum Mission accomplished Full circle Hindsight Part V Afterwork Discography About research Literature Thanks About author Endnotes

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Book SynopsisRegurgitator's second full-length album, Unit (1997), was produced in a DIY warehouse studio at a time when this was unusual for a major label band. The album went three times Platinum in Australia and won five esteemed ARIA Awards in 1998, including Album of the Year. The album's success is indicative of a particular point in time in popular music trends, when the world was recovering from the impact of grunge and post-grunge bands. Regurgitator's subversive attitude toward pop music, punk aesthetic, unique lyrical narratives and an ironic view on their own creative product made their music potent in an alternative market defying the prevailing music trends. Unit and Regurgitator were the focus of divisive critical reviews, yet they continue to rank highly as a quintessentially Australian band. This volume situates the development of Unit amongst the DIY culture of a politically charged Brisbane scene, and breaks down the album through the lens of recording and soTable of ContentsList of Permissions Acknowledgments About the Authors Unit Track Listing Preface Introduction 1. Alternative Nation 2. The Dirty Room 3.Phase One 4. Phase Two 5. Phase Three Conclusion Glossary References Index

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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 SynopsisKylie Minogue's self-titled debut album produced hits, controversy and a perfect mainstream storm. The then soap and children's television star crossed over' to music with hit writer/producers SAW and the shamelessly commercial approach of all involved saw the real' music industry get its back up. This book interrogates the way that commercial pop albums are remembered in both the popular music press and in academic research. Is there a way of dealing with mainstream' pop without denigrating the music and (just as importantly) without validating it according to the terms of a high art' canon? This text sheds light on the way that notions of mainstream' and other' play out in a local contextspecifically, Australia and New Zealand music on a global stage.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction K - Kinda Girlie, Kinda Gay Y - Youth L - Long Player I - Industry E - Endurance Outro References Index

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Book SynopsisThe Dead C's Clyma est mort (1993) is the record of a live gig for one person. Tom Lax was running the Siltbreeze label in Philadelphia and had come to New Zealand to meet the artists he was releasing. He heard The Dead C at their noisy, improvised best, turning rock music on its head with a free-form style of blaring, loosely organised sound. Leading a second wave of music from Dunedin, New Zealand, The Dead C were an assault against the kind of jangly pop that had made the Dunedin Sound famous during the 1980s. This book uses The Dead C and in particular their album Clyma est mort (1993) to offer insights into the way the best of rock music plays vertigo with our senses, illustrating a sonic picture of freedom and energy. It places the album into the history of independent music in New Zealand, and into an international context of independent labels posting, faxing and phoning each other.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements An American visits New Zealand only to find that nobody wants to play You wouldn’t play like that if you didn’t know what you were doing In which the band find themselves in front of the whole country An Englishman does not share the droll humour of the local people The natural born gifts of the drummer On the poetics of the Bible, and the day jobs of the artists Looking the Horse in the Mouth In which a correspondence is established, and an exchange of like views The Port Chalmers Sound The cells of the body return to their unliving state References Index

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Book SynopsisAfter a string of commercial disappointments, in 1986 Australian rock band The Church were simultaneously dropped by Warner Brothers in the US and EMI in Australasia. The future looked bleak. Seemingly from nowhere, their next record, Starfish, became an unlikely global hit. Its alluring and pensive lead single, ''Under the Milky Way'', stood in stark contrast to the synth pop and hair metal dominating the 1980s. A high watermark of intelligent rock, Starfish musically anticipated alternative revolutions to come. Yet in making Starfish, The Church struggled with their internal contradictions. Seeking both commercial and artistic success, they were seduced by fame and drugs but cynical towards the music industry. Domiciled in Australia but with a European literary worldview, they relocated to Los Angeles to record under strained circumstances in the heart of the West Coast hit machine. This book traces the story of Starfish, its background, composition, produTrade ReviewIt is the best well-written account and perfectly expresses the character of the band members as well. I can thoroughly recommend it. * Peter Koppes, guitarist for The Church *In his contribution to the 33 1/3 Oceania series, Chris Gibson provides an engaging, insightful look at Starfish, the album that dragged The Church into the surreal world of late-1980s Los Angeles and left them both better-known internationally and forever altered (for better or worse) by the experience. Inviting Gibson, a cultural geographer, to author the book was a stroke of genius. His geographer’s eye and musician’s ear enable him to capture what is so distinctive about a band that combines the construction of sonic cathedrals and the enigmatic exploration of inner space. Even for fans who have spun Starfish thousands of times, Gibson’s narrative opens up new ways of hearing and understanding both the album and the powerful convergence of personal, cultural, geographic, and musical circumstances that produced it. His chapter on the album’s ominous opener, “Destination,” is especially noteworthy, weaving together pieces of the band’s artistic own journey with sharp observations about the construction of a song that remains as stubbornly impenetrable as it is enticing. Drawing on focused, revealing interviews with the band members, later chapters provide memorable stories about legendary Church tracks such as “Under the Milky Way”, “Reptile”, and “Hotel Womb”. Along the way, Gibson also paints a sharp and sensitive picture of the big-city, big-label environment and the punishing studio regimen that yielded one of the most timeless records of the 1980s. * John Collins, Professor and Chair of Global Studies, St. Lawrence University, USA *Table of ContentsPrologue Side 1 1 Destination 2 Under the Milky Way 3 Blood money 4 Lost 5 North, South, East, and West Side 2 6 Spark 7 Antenna 8 Reptile 9 A New Season 10 Hotel Womb Postscript Acknowledgments Endnotes Index

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Book SynopsisIn Long and Winding Roads: The Evolving Artistry of the Beatles, Revised Edition, Kenneth Womack brings the band's story vividly to lifefrom their salad days as a Liverpool Skiffle group and their apprenticeship in the nightclubs and mean streets of Hamburg through their early triumphs at the legendary Cavern Club and the massive onslaught of Beatlemania itself. By mapping the group's development as an artistic fusion, Womack traces the Beatles' creative arc from their first, primitive recordings through Abbey Road and the twilight of their career. In this revised edition, Womack addresses new insights in Beatles-related scholarship since the original publication of Long and Winding Roads, along with hundreds of the group's outtakes released in the intervening years. The updated edition also affords attention to the Beatles' musical debt to Rhythm and Blues, as well as to key recent discoveries that vastly shift our understanding of formative events in the band's timelessTrade ReviewCombining masterful storytelling and intellectual rigor, Kenneth Womack takes readers on a spellbinding tour of Beatles history. Journeying through the band’s music-making album by album, this revised edition of Long and Winding Roads: The Evolving Artistry of the Beatles captures all the dynamism, poignancy, and magic behind the now-iconic discography. An engaging and invaluable text, Womack demonstrates once more why he is a leading voice in Beatles scholarship. * Christine Feldman-Barrett, author of A Women’s History of the Beatles (Bloomsbury, 2021) *Follow the Beatles down their Long and Winding Roads with Kenneth Womack as guide. This is the Goldilocks choice of Beatles books: meticulous sourcing and highly readable prose strike a just-right balance. Incorporating the latest research in an ever-growing field, the revised edition continues to be the choice for scholars and students of the band. Offering an authoritative reference and a book to tuck into, Womack will have you turning the pages of a story you only thought you knew. * Katie Kapurch, co-editor of New Critical Perspectives on the Beatles (2016) *Table of ContentsPrologue: The End 1. The Beginning 2. A Cellarful of Noise 3. And the Band Begins to Play 4. Rock and Roll Music 5. The Biggest Showbiz Town Ever 6. War-Weary 7. Yesterday and Today 8. Plastic Soul 9. The End of the Road 10. The Act You’ve Known for All These Years 11. Roll Up for the Mystery Tour 12. Whiter Shades of Pale 13. Getting Back 14. The Dream Is Over Epilogue: Long Live the Dream Acknowledgments Bibliography Notes Index

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Book SynopsisHenry Johnson is Professor of music at the University of Otago, New Zealand. His books include Many Voices: Music and National Identity in Aotearoa/New Zealand (2010); Global Glam (2016); Migration, Education and Translation (2020); and Nenes' Koza Dabasa (Bloomsbury, 2021). He is Associate Director of the Centre for Global Migrations.Trade ReviewA "must have" book for your library. * DustyShelves Book Reviews and BookBits *Table of ContentsList of Figures 1. Introduction 1.1. Introduction 1.2. Bic Runga: A Short Biography 1.3. Focus 1.4. Structure 1.5. Summary 2. Break 2.1. Introduction 2.2. Rockquest 2.3. Drive EP 2.4. Music Awards 2.5. Case Study: “Drive” 2.6. Summary 3. Drive and Beyond 3.1. Introduction 3.2. Musical Output 3.3. Style and Production 3.4. Case Study: “Bursting Through” 3.5. Summary 4. Identity 4.1. Introduction 4.2. Ethnicity 4.3. Gender 4.4. Case Study: “Sway” 4.5. Summary 5. Performance 5.1. Introduction 5.2. National Scene 5.3. International Scene 5.4. Case Studies: “Suddenly Strange” and “Roll Into One” 5.5. Summary 6. Conclusion References Acknowledgments Appendix 1: Drive: Track Listing and Personnel Appendix 2: Bic Runga: Discography (New Zealand Album Releases) Index

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Book SynopsisJoe Strummer was one of the twentieth century’s iconic rock’n’roll rebels. As frontperson, spokesperson and chief lyricist for The Clash, he played a major role in politicising a generation through some of the most powerful protest songs of the era, songs like ‘White Riot’, ‘English Civil War’ and ‘London Calling’. At the heart of this protest was the struggle for social justice and equality.The punk rock politics of Joe Strummer examines Strummer’s beliefs on a range of issues – including socialism, alienation, exploitation, multiculturalism and humanism - analysing their credibility, influence and impact, and asking where they came from and how they developed over time. Drawing on Strummer’s lyrics, various interviews and bootleg recordings, as well as interviews with those he inspired, The punk rock politics of Joe Strummer takes the reader on a journey through the political influences and motivations that defined one of the UK’s greatest punk icons.Trade Review'Ever wondered why UK punk rock was political and US punk rock wasn't? Two words: Joe Strummer. Gregor Gall takes a deep dive into the convictions and contradictions of the legendary Clash front man who tried to walk it like he talked it.'Billy Bragg, musician, writer and campaigner'With this book, Gregor Gall has written what must be the last word on Joe Strummer, the icon of rock politics. Examined from multiple perspectives, and drawing on the words of Strummer himself and of the many who followed and commented on him, The Punk Rock Politics of Joe Strummer is a fine and fitting testimony to the complexity and contradictions of the man’s life, his music and his politics.'Professor John Street, University of East Anglia and author of Music and Politics'An absolute ”must read” for all those who believe ”it’s more important than just music".'Richard Chorley, Louder Than War 'Bringing together an impressive amount of research, Gall examines in meticulous detail many aspects of the political psyche and personality of the Clash frontman, charting his political development from his Clash heydays and then beyond. The Punk Rock Politics of Joe Strummer is not just for hardcore Strummer fans (although, if you are, then this book is a must), but anyone interested in the political impact of music will find The Punk Rock Politics of Joe Strummer insightful and comprehensive.'Molly Tie, Punktuation magazine 'This unique examination of Joe Strummer’s political outlook is exactly the kind of material that’s been missing from books on The Clash and its frontman.'Simon Whittle, Scottish Socialist Voice'A sober analysis of Strummer’s shifting political outlook and the influence he’s exercised on fans’ views and activism.'George Binette, Camden New Journal 'The punk rock politics of Joe Strummer proves to be an indispensable text for the student as well as the general reader interested in the politics of one of the great rock ‘n’ roll songwriters of the 20th century.'Richard Parfitt, Red Pepper 'A forensic examination of Strummer’s political trajectory.'Pat Carmody, Socialist Worker'When the subject is Joe Strummer you hope the music and message will shine through, and this book is a welcome and novel addition to the many words on the enigmatic and inspiring Clash frontman that was taken too soon.' Mik Sabiers, The Morning Star 'It’s a thoughtful, and highly readable, account – and not a hagiography – of the man, the band, and the politics of this country which sheds light on where we were and where we are today.'Keith Richmond, ASLEF Journal'Readers seeking another Strummer hagiography will be disappointed; those seeking an insightful, thought-provoking and inspiring analysis of popular music’s intersections with politics, and a critical dissection of the musician’s role in promoting political ideals, will be delighted.'James Peacock, Capital & Class -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction1 Studying Strummer: issues and approach 2 Perceptions of Strummer’s politics3 Strummer’s politics and philosophical perspectives4 Rebel rock and its ramifications5 Rocking against the rich6 Advocate not activist7 Straying from socialism8 Strummer’s influence: secondary sources 9 Follower testimony ConclusionIndex

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Book Synopsis'The rock memoir of the decade' Daily MailIn his first and only official autobiography, music icon Elton John reveals the truth about his extraordinary life, which is also the subject of the smash-hit film Rocketman. The result is Me - the joyously funny, honest and moving story of the most enduringly successful singer/songwriter of all time.______________Read by actor and star of Rocketman, Taron Egerton, with an introduction and epilogue read by Elton John. Christened Reginald Dwight, he was a shy boy with Buddy Holly glasses who grew up in the London suburb of Pinner and dreamed of becoming a pop star. By the age of twenty-three, he was performing his first gig in America, facing an astonished audience in his bright yellow dungarees, a star-spangled T-shirt and boots with wings. Elton John had arrived and the music world would never be the same again.His life has been full of drama, from the early rejection of his work with songwriting partner Bernie Taupin to spinning out of control as a chart-topping superstar; from half-heartedly trying to drown himself in his LA swimming pool to disco-dancing with the Queen; from friendships with John Lennon, Freddie Mercury and George Michael to setting up his AIDS Foundation. All the while, Elton was hiding a drug addiction that would grip him for over a decade.In Me Elton also writes powerfully about getting clean and changing his life, about finding love with David Furnish and becoming a father. In a voice that is warm, humble and open, this is Elton on his music and his relationships, his passions and his mistakes. This is a story that will stay with you, by a living legend.______________'Self-deprecating, funny . . . You cannot help but enjoy his company throughout, temper tantrums and all' The Times'Chatty, gossipy, amusing and at times brutally candid' TelegraphTrade ReviewBlazingly honest . . . From sex and drugs and dancing with the Queen to sobriety and finally fatherhood, the rock star's gloriously entertaining and candid memoir is a gift to the reader * Sunday Times *The rock memoir of the decade * Daily Mail *Self-deprecating, funny . . . You cannot help but enjoy his company throughout, temper tantrums and all * The Times *All the sex, drugs and showbiz gossip you could want . . . A chatty, gossipy, amusing and at times brutally candid account * Telegraph *Outrageously enjoyable . . . racy, pacy and crammed with scurrilous anecdotes – what more could you ask from the rocket man? * Guardian *Bracingly open and spectacularly funny . . . practically everyone who is anyone in rock jumps briefly but revealingly into view * New Statesman *Full of warmth and candour . . . John's enthusiasm for music continues to shine through, as does the rebellious streak that made him the groundbreaking artist he continues to be today * Independent *A fitting testament to Elton’s life . . . unrelentingly enjoyable * GQ *Me is a riveting, laugh-til-you-cry, heartfelt page-turner . . . it is the earnest, sweet, damaged “music mad” kid at the heart of Me that will stick with you. * EW *The perfect pop memoir . . . the world's most successful singer-songwriter is thin-skinned, opinionated, mischievous a, prone to excess - and funny * The I *

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Book SynopsisThe Instant Sunday Times BestsellerThe Instant #1 New York Times BestsellerPRAISE FOR WILL'The best memoir I ever read' Oprah Winfrey'If you read one book this year, make it this one' Jay Shetty'Incredible' Idris Elba'The book is awesome. So candid and considered...fascinating' Chris Evans'A triumph...really inspiring, so well written, vulnerable and deep. I highly recommend it' Mindy Kaling'It's fantastic...very moving' Zoe Ball'Incredibly honest...inspiring' Greg James'A wild ride' New York Times'Raw, comedic, inspirational' GQOne of the most dynamic and globally recognized entertainment forces of our time opens up fully about his life, in a brave and inspiring book that traces his learning curve to a place where outer success, inner happiness, and human connection are aligned. Along the way, Will tells the story in full of one of the most amazing rides through the worlds of music and film that anyone has ever had.Will Smith's transformation from a fearful child in a tense West Philadelphia home to one of the biggest rap stars of his era and then one of the biggest movie stars in Hollywood history, with a string of box office successes that will likely never be broken, is an epic tale of inner transformation and outer triumph, and Will tells it astonishingly well. But it's only half the story.Will Smith thought, with good reason, that he had won at life: not only was his own success unparalleled, his whole family was at the pinnacle of the entertainment world. Only they didn't see it that way: they felt more like star performers in his circus, a seven-days-a-week job they hadn't signed up for. It turned out Will Smith's education wasn't nearly over.This memoir is the product of a profound journey of self-knowledge, a reckoning with all that your will can get you and all that it can leave behind. Written with the help of Mark Manson, author of the multi-million-copy bestseller The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, Will is the story of how one exceptional man mastered his own emotions, written in a way that can help everyone else do the same. Few of us will know the pressure of performing on the world's biggest stages for the highest of stakes, but we can all understand that the fuel that works for one stage of our journey might have to be changed if we want to make it all the way home. The combination of genuine wisdom of universal value and a life story that is preposterously entertaining, even astonishing, puts Will the book, like its author, in a category by itself.'The Hollywood star's autobiography is full of indiscretions, drug-fuelled escapades and terrible parenting. Who could ask for more?' Telegraph'Candid ... digs into the life events which fine-tuned Smith's weapons-grade charisma and steely determination' Observer'I absolutely loved it...no holds barred...I felt as if Will Smith was talking to me. It's a testament to him and to his family' Lorraine KellyTrade ReviewRaw, comedic, inspirational. * GQ *If you read one book this year, make it this one -- Jay ShettyA wild ride * New York Times *Bracingly honest, vivid and compelling [...] how an average talent became the biggest movie star in the world * The Times *Brilliant * Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisWith a foreword by Paul McCartney'It's semi-devotional -- a really special place' Florence Welch'There are certain things that are mythical. Abbey Road is mythical' Nile RodgersMany people will recognise the famous zebra crossing. Some visitors may have graffitied their name on its hallowed outer walls. Others might even have managed to penetrate the iron gates. But what draws in these thousands of fans here, year after year? What is it that really happens behind the doors of the most celebrated recording studio in the world?It may have begun life as an affluent suburban house, but it soon became a creative hub renowned around the world as a place where great music, ground-breaking sounds and unforgettable tunes were forged - nothing less than a witness to, and a key participant in, the history of popular music itself.What has been going on there for over ninety years has called for skills that are musical, creative, technical, mechanical, interpersonal, logistical, managerial, chemical and, romantics might be tempted add, close to magic.This is for the people who believe in the magic.Trade ReviewEngrossing...A stirring narrative that mirrors pop's twists and turns from its earliest days to the present * Slate *A hugely enjoyable read for anyone who has ever bought a record, told with Hepworth's characteristic dry humour, beautifully illustrated and with a foreword by Paul McCartney...Engrossing, extansively researched -- Roger Alton * Daily Mail *Hepworth captures the feeling of immediacy and excitement that exemplified the storied St John's Wood studio...An appropriately pacy chronicle of rapid cultural/technological evolution -- Ian Fortnum * Classic Rock *The story of recorded music itself. Great details leap from every page -- Tom Doyle * Mojo *Hepworth, one of the most authoritative music journalists and historians, brings the studio in suburban London to life * Big Issue *

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

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Book SynopsisIn this volume author John Corcelli reveals Zappa's roots as a musician from his diverse influences to his personal life. We also learn more about his former band members and the enormous musical legacy inherited by his son Dweezil. The book features a juried examination of Zappa's recordings and his videos. It also features a complete discography and a recommended reading list. Each chapter has a special focus on Zappa's life with sections covering his family his home studio ä known as the Utility Muffin Research Kitchen ä his keen interest in the Synclavier (a device he first used in 1980) his guitars and more. Special attention is paid to the Mothers of Invention.ÞÊFrank Zappa FAQÊ is a must-have for fans new and old looking to delve into some of the best music ever made by one of the most innovative artists the world has known.

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Book SynopsisBeing Time invites a deep consideration of the personal experience of temporality in music, focusing on the perceptual role of the listener. Through individual case studies, this book centers on musical works that deal with time in radical ways. These include pieces by Morton Feldman, James Saunders, Chiyoko Szlavnics, Ryoji Ikeda, Toshiya Tsunoda, Laurie Spiegel and André O. Möller. Multiple perspectives are explored through a series of encounters, initially between an individual and a work, and subsequently with each author’s varying experiences of temporality. The authors compare their responses to features such as repetition, speed, duration and scale from a perceptual standpoint, drawing in reflections on aspects such as musical memory and anticipation. The observations made in this book are accessible and relevant to readers who are interested in exploring issues of temporality from a broad range of disciplinary perspectives.Trade ReviewThis is one of the richest, most innovative treatments of temporality's relation to music to appear in the last decade. Musicologists, composers, sound artists, and interdisciplinary scholars interested in the experience of time will find this book rewarding. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals. * CHOICE *Being Time invites readers to share in the subjective reflections of its three authors, who are also accomplished composers ... The selection of musical material is adventurous and uncompromising ... [It] offers closely monitored, musicologically precise commentaries. * The Wire Magazine *Being Time is fearless in its approach and makes a powerful case for musical experience as a fundamentally intersubjective encounter. It is deeply experimental—a humane and pedagogical project. * Ryan Dohoney, Assistant Professor of Musicology at Northwestern University, USA, author of Saving Abstraction: Morton Feldman, the de Menils, and the Rothko Chapel (forthcoming) *Being Time locates the potentialities of a work in a listener’s ears, mind, and body; centralising listening as the phenomenal, temporal process of seeking identity, form, context, and meaning by reverberations that energize the sensory experiences of location, dislocation; the material and the immaterial; and the mirroring and unmooring of personal and social narratives. This book seeks to find and expand our ways of talking and writing about music and sound art practices, appreciating perception as a critical part of reception. * Michelle Lou, Composer and Sound Artist, USA *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction Richard Glover, Jennie Gottschalk, and Bryn Harrison Chapter One: Foreshadowing and Recollection: Listening Through Morton Feldman’s Piano, Violin, Viola, Cello Bryn Harrison Postlude to Chapter One Richard Glover Chapter Two: Musical brevity in James Saunders’ Compatibility hides itself and 511 possible mosaics Bryn Harrison Postlude to Chapter Two Jennie Gottschalk Chapter Three: Separation and Continuity in Chiyoko Szlavnics’ Gradients of Detail Richard Glover Postlude to Chapter Three Jennie Gottschalk Chapter Four: Filtering Temporality in Ryoji Ikeda’s +/- Richard Glover Postlude to Chapter Four Bryn Harrison Chapter Five: Granulated Time: Toshiya Tsunoda’s O Kokos Tis Anixis Jennie Gottschalk Postlude to Chapter Five Bryn Harrison Chapter Six: Monoliths: Laurie Spiegel’s The Expanding Universe and André O. Möller’s musik für orgel und eine(n) tonsetzer(in) Jennie Gottschalk Postlude to Chapter Six Richard Glover Chapter Seven: Observations on Musical Behaviors and Temporality Richard Glover, Jennie Gottschalk, and Bryn Harrison Epilogue Appendix: Suggested Further Reading and Listening

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Book SynopsisMilwaukee Rock and Roll, 1950-2000: A Reflective History surveys and celebrates a rich musical heritage. It does not claim to be a definitive account of Milwaukee rock, but it offers an important narrative—a foundation for further study and appreciation. This book is an anthology of written, vocal, and visual reflections, which will inform readers and evoke memories for those who experienced this music and era. It includes, among so many other performers, Milwaukee rock pioneers Sam McCue, Artie Herrera, and Larry Lynne; truck driver folk great Larry Penn; impresario Nick Topping; rhythm and blues standout Junior Brantley and soul man Harvey Scales; 60s bands like the Ricochettes, Shag, and the Corporation; bluesmen Jim Liban and Jon Paris; “girl rockers” epitomized by the G.T.O.’s and Ruby Starr; punks like the Haskels, the Oil Tasters, and Die Kreuzen; the internationally renowned punk/indie Violent Femmes; and prog rocker (among his other impressive musical talents) Sigmund Snopek III. Others are also referenced including Buddy Holly; Pete Seeger; Jean Ritchie, Bob Dylan; the Dave Clark Five; the Beatles; Cream; Led Zeppelin; the Grateful Dead; Chuck Berry; Muddy Waters; Lou Reed; Bruce Springsteen; and Patti Smith. The editors present a multifaceted cultural history of Milwaukee and rock music highlighted by a multiplicity of voices—musicians, promoters, DJs, photographers, artists, and audience members—collectively committed to the sounds of a great city.Table of Contents Chapter 1 Rock’s Beginnings in Milwaukee Chapter 2 Milwaukee and the Folk Revival Chapter 3 The British Invade Milwaukee Chapter 4 Milwaukee’s Rockin’ Radio Chapter 5 Milwaukee’s Rhythm and Blues (R&B), Soul, and Hip-hop Heritage Chapter 6 Rockin’ in the 1960s and into the 1970s Chapter 7 The Blues in Milwaukee Chapter 8 Milwaukee Women Rock Musicians Chapter 9 Punk and Post-Punk Chapter 10 Milwaukee Sonic Explorers

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

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

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Book SynopsisFan, musician and writer Roland Link has compiled a wealth of images of the legendary Belfast band through the 1970s and 80s. It includes many previously unseen photographs of the members on the road, on stage, in candid moments and in promotional out-takes. These are supported by a myriad of contemporary memorabilia (tour posters, tickets, passes and badges) and accompanied by comments from band members and a number of the photographers. The book also contains a Rare Vinyl Guide covering the band's original singles and albums. "When people ask me about Stiff Little Fingers I'm going to point them towards two books; Kicking Up A Racket and What You See Is What You Get ...job done." Jim Reilly

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Book SynopsisMost people know that Prince (1958--2016) was an iconic singer-songwriter whose creative brilliance transformed music for more than four decades. What, perhaps, they don't know is that his real name actually was Prince; that he once simultaneously held the number one spots in the US for film, single, and album; that he has a back catalogue of more than 600 songs, many of which he wrote for other people, including Madonna and Alicia Keys; and that he performed at the wedding of Star Wars director George Lucas. Biographic Prince presents an instant impression of his life, work and legacy, with an array of irresistible facts and figures converted into infographics to reveal the musician behind the music.

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Book Synopsis*THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER*As seen on Apple TV - 1971: The Year That Music Changed EverythingThe Sixties ended a year late - on New Year's Eve 1970, when Paul McCartney initiated proceedings to wind up The Beatles. Music would never be the same again.The next day would see the dawning of a new era. 1971 saw the release of more monumental albums than any year before or since and the establishment of a pantheon of stars to dominate the next forty years - Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Marvin Gaye, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Rod Stewart, the solo Beatles and more.January that year fired the gun on an unrepeatable surge of creativity, technological innovation, blissful ignorance, naked ambition and outrageous good fortune. By December rock had exploded into the mainstream. How did it happen? This book tells you how. It's the story of 1971, rock's golden year.Trade ReviewDavid Hepworth's argument is simple: 1971 was "the most febrile and creative time in the entire history of popular music". It's an enormous assertion but he makes his point with infectious enthusiasm . . . Whether you agree is beside the point. This is a compelling love letter to a year of timeless music. * Q *A clever and entertaining book . . . Hepworth proves a refreshingly independent thinker. His style is pithy and his eye for anecdotal detail sharp . . . a thoroughly provoking delight * Daily Telegraph *This is no ‘my generation is cooler than yours’ nostalgia trip. Just as movements in art, jazz or TV undeniably had Golden Ages then so too with the long-playing record and its seismic effect on subsequent generations. David Hepworth’s forensic sweep of this astonishing twelve months is thoroughly absorbing and appropriately rollicking, expertly guiding us through one miraculous year in all its breathless tumble of creation. -- Danny BakerA good mix of entertainment, insight and odd facts. Hepworth’s thesis is largely convincing * Mojo *An engaging and thought-provoking read. It’s a dry-eyed but deeply felt love note to the date when rock was still busy inventing itself. Hepworth points out more than once that at the time he had no idea how lucky he hwas. He knows now – and so do we * Mail on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisThe Sunday Times bestselling hit memoir from Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker.'It's real gold... its storytelling first class' Sunday TimesWhat if the things we keep hidden say more about us than those we put on display?We all have a random collection of the things that made us - photos, tickets, clothes, souvenirs, stuffed in a box, packed in a suitcase, crammed into a drawer. When Jarvis Cocker starts clearing out his loft, he finds a jumble of objects that catalogue his story and ask him some awkward questions:Who do you think you are?Are clothes important?Why are there so many pairs of broken glasses up here?From a Gold Star polycotton shirt to a pack of Wrigley's Extra, from his teenage attempts to write songs to the Sexy Laughs Fantastic Dirty Joke Book, this is the hard evidence of Jarvis's unique life, Pulp, 20th century pop culture, the good times and the mistakes he'd rather forget.This is not a life story. It's a loft story.'Nostalgic, playful and beautifully designed' Daily Mail'Brilliant...lurid, entertaining' Daily Telegraph'Terrific... Very funny' Guardian* A Book of the Year in the Daily Telegraph, Financial Times, Daily Mail and Uncut *Trade ReviewBrilliant... accessible, pithy, lurid, entertaining, even laugh-out-loud funny... we can only hope that Cocker has enough tat for a second volume. * Telegraph *Poignant in a subtle, understated way; Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time for the age of the Ford Cortina... This book is about a very normal childhood and the everyday detritus it left behind. Common people indeed. * Times *Incredibly entertaining...a trip through the things that have made him who he is. * Evening Standard, *Books to Look Out For 2022* *Rummage through its pages - through the plastic and nylon, the tin and vinyl - and it's real gold, its shirts second-hand, of course, but its storytelling first class. * Sunday Times *Brilliant... Good Pop, Bad Pop is more than anyone dared hope for * i *

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Book SynopsisA Rough Trade Book of the Year'No one has captured the look of alternative UK music over the past half a century more tellingly than Kevin Cummins.' - Simon Armitage'Kevin Cummins is a true master in being able to capture the essence of music, the soul of the band. Whatever he does however he does it is a mystery to me but it's pure genius.' - Rankin'Few photographers had such a close connection to The Fall as Manchester-based Kevin Cummins, and his new book, Telling Stories, is a rich visual history of one of the city's most beloved and enduring bands.' - Record Collector Magazine 'Kevin has the uncanny ability of capturing the inner mood of musicians. Be it the dynamics within a pensive Joy Division, or the sense surrounding the fledgeling Fall that something special was around the corner for us all. Kevin's book is nothing less than a remarkable document of a bewildering and defiant anti-fashion movement born in Prestwich, north Manchester in the grimy mid-70s.' - Marc Riley'Capturing forty years of the band's career via his archive, the legendary photographer (whose recent book, Juvenes, documented the story of Joy Division) gives his take on the phenomenon of The Fall and the late, great Mark E. Smith.' - Vive le Rock Contains never-before-seen images.Foreword by Simon Armitage, Poet Laureate. From chaotic early gigs to their final years, NME photographer Kevin Cummins provides a definitive, unique perspective on cult favourites The Fall. In this stunning visual history spanning four decades, discover how and why they emerged as one of the most innovative, boundary-breaking bands in modern music.With a foreword by Poet Laureate and Fall fan Simon Armitage and an interview with Eleni Poulou, as well as never-before-seen images from Cummins' archive, this is the ultimate visual companion to The Fall.

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

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

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Book Synopsis

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