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Book SynopsisWe remember the 1980s as the era of Ronald Reagan, a conservative decade populated by preppies and yuppies dancing to a soundtrack of electronic synth pop music (the MTV generation). But the decade also produced some of the most creative works of punk rock - not just the music of bands like the Minutemen and the Dead Kennedys, but also visual arts, literature, poetry, and film. Kevin Mattson documents what Kurt Cobain once called a punk rock world. He shows just how widespread the movement became, and how democratic (not at all New York-centric), due to its commitment to Do-It-Yourself (DIY) ethics. Mattson puts this movement into a wider context, telling about a culture war that punks opened up against the sitting president. Reagan''s talk about end days and nuclear warfare made kids panic; his tax cuts for the rich and simultaneous slashing of school lunch program funding made punks seethe at his meanness. The anger went deep, since punks saw Reagan as the country''s entertainer-in-cTrade Review"Mattson looks at American punk of the early 1980s through excellent scholarship. His work reveals more than a music scene--which itself produced outstanding bands. He also examines anarchist thought, with roots in the nineteenth century, put into practice by youth creating their own way of life. This is a guidebook to a future for people who want it." --Krist Novoselic, founding member of Nirvana and author of Of Grunge and Government "Historian Kevin Mattson trains his eye on the US Hardcore Punk underground during the Reagan years and digs deep into archived fanzines and recordings of the era to shed light on a bunch of kids, scattered around the country, who were disaffected by the predominant culture and desperate to make their own. The good news is that Mattson grew up in this scene and he has a clear understanding of it. We're Not Here to Entertain is a great read that focuses on a vital and largely overlooked time and place in music history. When my friend and fellow Punk Rock War Veteran Steve Turner saw the galley of this book on my kitchen counter, he said, 'It's high time someone wrote that book'--a comment that sparked a discussion about Mr. Epp playing with Really Red at the Metropolis in '83, or was it Savage Republic at the Ground Zero Art Gallery, maybe it was Solger opening for Black Flag with Dez on vocals in 1980..."--Mark Arm, lead singer of Mudhoney "Firmly establishes American hardcore in the politics of the moment and the economics of the music industry at the time. An essential read for anyone wanting to understand the cultural history of the 1980s."--Vic Bondi, founding member of Articles of Faith "Authored by a co-founder of the D.C. 'political punk' organization Positive Force, this valuable book sheds light on the dynamics underlying the complex interrelationship between a mostly oppositional 1980s punk counterculture and the more conservative mainstream (including the corrupt corporate music industry). The punks may not have won their cultural battle against such a powerful Goliath. But by creating a viable underground alternative that still persists in various forms today, they didn't exactly lose, either." --Jeffrey Bale, Middlebury College; author of The Darkest Sides of Politics and former co-editor of Maximumrocknroll and Hit List "Among the many virtues of Kevin Mattson's book is the way it shows how millions of American youth found each other in their local punk scenes and contested President Reagan's 'Morning in America' bullshit. This was not merely political posturing; as Mattson demonstrates, early 1980s punk political thinking was serious and sophisticated. Mattson--a punk politico himself in Washington at the time--takes seriously the political potency of punk dissenters in that era. And guess what? In this new age of political polarization, they still have something to teach us."--Michael Foley, author of Dead Kennedys' Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables "Consistently fascinating... Fans of T.S.O.L., Fargo Rock City, Scratch Acid, and their like should rush to this invigorating history."--Kirkus, Starred Review "Absorbing."--AV Club "This is a book worth reading because it has so much direct relevance to American punks operating today... pretty terrific work."--PopMatters "We're Not Here to Entertain is a joy to read, erudite and stimulating, capturing the excitement of creating art and music against the grain."--Jacobin "[An] impassioned new history of punk politics and culture in the 1980s... We're Not Here to Entertain shows how punk taught a new generation of white, middle-class suburban kids to critique US foreign policy or call out the military-industrial complex. The punk world emerges in Mattson's telling as a definitive cultural formation--a successor to the New Left and counterculture of the '60s and the Popular Front of the '30s."--The NationTable of ContentsPreface: "From memory to history" Prelude: "When Punk Broke and Opened" (1979-1980) Chapter 1. "'Teeny Punks:' Pioneer Your 'Own Culture!'" (1980-1981) Chapter 2. "It can and will happen everywhere" (1982-1983) Chapter 3. "It's 1984!" (1984) Chapter 4. "Marching Towards the 'Alternative'" (1985-?) Conclusion: "punk breaks again"

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Book SynopsisIn Laurie Anderson's Big Science, S. Alexander Reed dives into the wonderfully strange making and meanings of this singular album and of its creator's long artistic career, offering scrupulous new research, reception history, careful description, and dizzying creativity.Trade ReviewAs for this classic album, Reed's three-dimensional excavation and explication of the musical and conceptual components of every song, made the end result even more impressive. * Jeremy Shatan, anearful blog *[Reed] also doesn't shy away from musicological dissection when it seems useful, but always provides a way in for the uninitiated, using musical examples that almost everyone will know. * Jeremy Shatan, Anearful *Reed's fascinating multi-perspectival account of Big Science is a carefully argued and much needed exposition of this enigmatic work. Historical, contextual, and textual insights deftly examine the intersecting personal, cultural and philosophical themes Anderson explores, both in Big Science and in her work leading to and from it. * Sean Albiez, Ph.D., Co-editor of Brian Eno: Oblique Music and Kraftwerk: Music Non Stop *Table of ContentsI. FINDING THE NOW IN BIG SCIENCE II. TOO BIG TO FAIL --- III. DESCRIBING SIDE 1 IV. FLIPPING THE RECORD V. DESCRIBING SIDE 2 --- VI. NEW MUSIC vs. NEW WAVE VII. THE GENDERED MAKING OF UNGENDERED STYLE VIII. BIGNESS AS USUAL Acknowledgements Works Cited

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Book SynopsisWho was the greatest of all American guitarists? Bob Dylan called Davis "one of the wizards of modern music." This book takes readers through Davis' difficult beginning as the blind son of sharecroppers in the Jim Crow South to his decision to become an ordained Baptist minister and his move to New York in the early 1940s, and more.Trade Review"Long time comin' and here at last! This fabulous book is for those who want to read, hear, and troll the depths of Americana music for incredible artists. Once you come across Rev. Gary Davis, you are forever hooked by his creative brilliance. From his earliest recordings to his last, Zack illuminates what made 'the Rev' so unique. Enjoy yourself! It's a good un'!" -Taj Mahal "Finally, the biography that Rev. Davis deserves. Ian Zack takes 'Blind Gary' out of the footnotes and into the footlights of the history of American music. Like John Coltrane, George Gershwin, Jimi Hendrix, and the rest of the very few, Davis's genius was unique and uncompromising. How he was able to take gospel and blues and create a style that was so unique and so powerful is a story that had to be told. Now, thanks to Zack's careful research and unbounded respect for his subject, we finally have insight into the art and environment that was Davis's life story. With this biography, Davis can finally take his place in the pantheon of the greatest of American musicians." -Steve Katz, cofounder of Blood, Sweat & Tears "Rev. Gary Davis had a rich and colorful but challenging life. Zack has put together the pieces of Davis's life in an exciting and detailed way. This biography reads like a novel! It details the life and times of Davis, as well as the evolution of his music and the influence he had on generations of black and white musicians. A must-read for anyone interested in the blues, the folk revival, or the life of a true American genius." -Stefan Grossman "Davis was a complex and difficult man, and it is to Zack's great credit that this comes through, along with the obvious admiration so many young musicians had for 'the Rev.' Say No to the Devil provides plenty of material to interest fans and newcomers alike." -Elijah Wald

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Book SynopsisWho was the greatest of all American guitarists? You probably didn't name Gary Davis, but many of his musical contemporaries considered him without peer. Bob Dylan called Davis one of the wizards of modern music. Bob Weir of the Grateful Deadwho took lessons with Davisclaimed his musical ability transcended any common notion of a bluesman. And the folklorist Alan Lomax called him one of the really great geniuses of American instrumental music. But you won't find Davis alongside blues legends Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Despite almost universal renown among his contemporaries, Davis lives today not so much in his own work but through covers of his songs by Dylan, Jackson Browne, and many others, as well as in the untold number of students whose lives he influenced. The first biography of Davis, Say No to the Devil restores the Rev's remarkable story. Drawing on extensive research and interviews with many of Davis's former students, Ian Zack takes readers through Davis's difficult beginning as the blind son of sharecroppers in the Jim Crow South to his decision to become an ordained Baptist minister and his move to New York in the early 1940s, where he scraped out a living singing and preaching on street corners and in storefront churches in Harlem. There, he gained entry into a circle of musicians that included, among many others, Lead Belly, Woody Guthrie, and Dave Van Ronk. But in spite of his tremendous musical achievements, Davis never gained broad recognition from an American public that wasn't sure what to make of his trademark blend of gospel, ragtime, street preaching, and the blues. His personal life was also fraught, troubled by struggles with alcohol, women, and deteriorating health. Zack chronicles this remarkable figure in American music, helping us to understand how he taught and influenced a generation of musicians.

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Book SynopsisWe Still Here maps the edges of hip-hop culture and makes sense of the rich and diverse ways people create and engage with hip-hop music within Canadian borders.Trade Review"As the editors and essay contributors of We Still Here: Hip Hop North of the 49th Parallel well understand, identity in terms of hip hop in Canada has everything to do with the diaspora of cultures across the nation's provinces and cities … Indigenous voices, immigrant stories, linguistic diversity, gender, and generational divides are at the forefront of this exploration of hip hop's evolution as a medium both of expression and entertainment in Canada since the mid-1980s, a period in hip hop history dominated largely by what was happening in New York and LA. If you're the type of hip hop fan who views knowledge as the fifth element, this book is absolutely for you." Montreal Review of Books"We Still Here goes deep into the different identities, communities, and practices that create Canadian hip hop. It offers comprehensive analyses of indigenous hop hop in urban and non-urban dimensions, the rich contexts constituted by the black community in Nova Scotia, queer hip hop, and early suburban hip hop in Toronto. A significant strength of the collection is the number of female voices represented. The sense is conveyed of a national hip hop culture in which women are absolutely essential." Will Straw, McGill University“This is a rich collection compiled for a broad readership – academic and non-academic – and it invites all into awareness and contemplation of the rooted hip hop legacies and practices framing and shaping the Canadian context.” University of Toronto Quarterly

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEARWinner of Non-Fiction Book of the Year, British Book Awards (Nibbies), 2022A self-portrait in 154 songs, by our greatest living songwriter''More often than I can count, I''ve been asked if I would write an autobiography, but the time has never been right. The one thing I''ve always managed to do, whether at home or on the road, is to write new songs. I know that some people, when they get to a certain age, like to go to a diary to recall day-to-day events from the past, but I have no such notebooks. What I do have are my songs, hundreds of them, which I''ve learned serve much the same purpose. And these songs span my entire life.''In this extraordinary book, with unparalleled candour, Paul McCartney recounts his life and art through the prism of 154 songs from all stages of his career - from his earliest boyhood compositions through the legendary decade of The Beatles, to Wings and his solo albums to the present. Arranged alphabetically to provide a kaleidoscopic rather than chronological account, it establishes definitive texts of the songs'' lyrics for the first time and describes the circumstances in which they were written, the people and places that inspired them, and what he thinks of them now. Presented with this is a treasure trove of material from McCartney''s personal archive - drafts, letters, photographs - never seen before, which make this also a unique visual record of one of the greatest songwriters of all time.We learn intimately about the man, the creative process, the working out of melodies, the moments of inspiration. The voice and personality of Paul McCartney sings off every page. There has never been a book about a great musician like it.Each volume is 480 pp, not available separatelyTrade ReviewThe Lyrics is a triumph. It is hugely readable, devoid of rock cliché, and full of fresh stories and opinions that even devoted fans won't have encountered before. The pictures of McCartney and of handwritten lyrics, many of them never previously published, are worth the entry ticket on their own and the quality of the boxed product makes it a tactile pleasure and fun to possess. All that, and its highly original organisation, means you never get bogged down in a period of his life you don't find interesting ... The Lyrics is McCartney at his best. -- Daniel Finkelstein * The Times *I know it all... or so I thought until I read Paul McCartney's magical treasure trove of a book ... Touching... bountiful -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *His composing methodology is revealed as a kind of innocent and endless curiosity ... this mighty tome is billed as the closest thing to an autobiography McCartney will ever write. It comprises 154 songs, with hundreds of fascinating photos and handwritten lyrics from McCartney's collection, and an informal, thoughtful text assembled from conversations conducted with acclaimed Irish poet Paul Muldoon ... McCartney is a playful and brilliant wordsmith ... His book of lyrics is charming -- Neil McCormick * Daily Telegraph *Reading "The Lyrics" is like standing in a master chef's kitchen as he prepares a dish, adding a dash of this and a spoonful of that and talking to us so winningly ... there's nothing like listening to Macca (as McCartney was known in his Liverpool days) talk about the rise of a band composed largely of working-class teens who changed the world forever ... charming -- David Kirby * Washington Post *With a gravity, reverence and sense of occasion that hasn't been seen since the Levites rolled out the Ark of the Covenant, the complete lyrics of Paul McCartney are published at last ... This vast, absorbing book is studded with McCartneyisms that make you rub your eyes -- John Walsh * Sunday Times *Describing it as a book doesn't quite capture the object. It is two books, two separate volumes, in a gorgeous box. It weighs 8kg on my bathroom scales. It's a big thing of great beauty, and going back and forth through it is a hugely satisfying experience ... no matter where you start, or continue, McCartney seems to be waiting, ready to continue his warm, vivid, erudite stroll through his life and lyrics ... the life - McCartney's - seems more believable when examined in these glimpses. There is a modesty hiding in the book's bulk, and raw, gentle honesty ... There are 154 sets of lyrics in this book, and it's almost impossible to read most of them without hearing the melodies and trumpet bits. But it is well worth trying. Read, not heard, Lady Madonna is a different experience. I read it and thought of Zola's best novels. -- Roddy Doyle * Irish Times *he provides a fascinating new insight into his life at the time they were written, and the lives of his fellow Beatles ... This, then, is a book for dipping into and sampling at leisure. It allows us to see some of the most familiar songs ever written in new and surprising ways ... [it] will not only thrill Beatles obsessives but fascinate anyone who has ever sung along to a Lennon and McCartney tune. Which must, surely, include half the world or more. -- Christopher Stevens * Daily Mail *a feast for the eyes. Dyed-in-the-wool Beatles fans will be bowled over by the sheer profundity of unpublished photographs, previously unseen lyrics sheets, journal entries, paintings, and the like. Indeed, The Lyrics easily represents the finest collection of illustrations associated with McCartney's life and work. And it's beautifully rendered, to boot. Drop-dead gorgeous as books go -- Kenneth Womack * Salon *the two things it reveals - an unrelenting work ethic and the picture-painting imperative of the storyteller - are the twin pillars of his life's work, as revealed here in random reflections on 154 selected songs spanning 64 years ... it's this up-front abdication of control, of responsibility and ultimately of authorial meaning that makes McCartney's story, and his open-handed attitude to a monumental body of work, so engaging. -- Michael Dwyer * Sydney Morning Herald *Nothing comes close to Paul McCartney's breezeblock of a title ... Combine this monumental lyrics collection with Peter Jackson's Get Back and many Beatles fans won't come out again until the clocks go forward. Paul McCartney says this is as close as he will get to an autobiography and no wonder - his life is in every line of these songs. Each alphabetical entry (a smart arrangement that opens up a trove of lesser known McCartney lore) is not only accompanied by a wealth of wonderful photographs and memorabilia (the lyrics to Carry That Weight on Apple notepaper!), but also McCartney's own recollections and analysis. "Mostly, we were writing to the world," McCartney says about I Want to Hold Your Hand. The Lyrics makes it a pure joy to reach out for these songs once again. -- Victoria Segal * The Sunday Times Book of the Year *a rich, enjoyable and beautifully presented treat -- John Aizlewood * i Newspaper *To read over the words to these 154 songs is to be impressed not merely with McCartney's productivity but with the fertility of his imagination and the potency of his offhand, unfussy style ... giddy playfulness and unguarded experimentation. They're a joy to read because they exude the joy their maker took in their making. -- David Hajdu * The New York Times *The text is accompanied by beautifully reproduced illustrations, including personal snapshots, formal portraits and memorabilia. The result is a hybrid of collected lyrics, memoir and picture book, a composite form resembling the all-round character of McCartney's musicality ... The Lyrics is a rewarding portrait of an exceptional songwriter. -- Ludovic Hunter-Tilney * Financial Times *From All My Loving to Your Mother Should Know, the former Beatle illuminates a life spent puzzling how to get from the beginning of a song to its end -- David Hepworth * Observer *Paul McCartney's storied career has been a long and winding road paved with songwriting gold. Thankfully, these fab volumes do it justice -- The Sunengrossing ... reading it is like watching genius - which McCartney undoubtedly was and fitfully remains - in the process of creation, summoning something out of nothing -- David Honigmann * Spectator *The Lyrics is stunningly beautiful and a masterpiece of book design, a true joy for bibliophiles. Paul McCartney has fashioned, through the explorations of his songs with the poet Paul Muldoon, a fascinating insight into his life and creative genius. The booksellers of Waterstones are proud to celebrate this magnificent and deeply original book. -- James Daunt, WaterstonesThis lavishly produced two-volume boxed-set, which took five years to compile, is destined to be under many Christmas trees. -- Roger Lewis * Daily Mail *The Beatles used to chuck lyric sheets in the wastebasket after recording a song: Linda McCartney fished them out and saved them. The Lyrics is the deluxe version of her scrapbook, a ... handsome, two-volume compendium of Paul McCartney's work as a lyricist, accompanied by photos and Macca's engaging reminiscences. -- Ludovic Hunter-Tilney * Financial Times, Best books of 2021 *Paul McCartney never wrote an autobiography. He argued that his remarkable life story is "all in the songs" - the hundreds upon hundreds of timeless, instantly engrossing classics that have become the soundtrack to Western culture. One hundred and fifty-four of these musical gems are gathered in The Lyrics - a gripping commentary on the inspiration for the tunes, their making and the characters they portray. ... McCartney's commentary throughout feels candid, enlightening and at times philosophical. His insight into the makeup and meaning of the lyrics is illuminating and entertaining, adding layers of depth to the already rich texture. -- Hannah Gal * The Critic *Sir Paul has arranged 154 favourite compositions alphabetically, with lots of glossy photos. But in the essays that accompany each song, his underlying purpose is to affirm his status as a writer ... what fan will not enjoy a meander that feels like a long private audience with one of the Fab Four? * Economist *Paul McCartney's delicious The Lyrics is a treasure trove. Gloriously illustrated with old snaps, posters with the Beatles' bottom-of-the-bill, handwritten set lists, lyrics on scraps and exhausting tour lists criss-crossing Britain. -- Celia Imrie * Waitrose Weekend *The Lyrics is sumptuously made to a standard associated with high-end art publishers. It is lovely to hold and to touch and to look at. There are countless beautifully reproduced photographs, of McCartney - who in his younger years ravished the lens - his mother, father, brother and aunties, his wives, his children, his friends and notable collaborators. Many of the pictures are published for the first time. There are also handwritten lyric sheets festooned with doodles, scribbled diary entries, gig posters, newspaper reports, pictures of first pressings ... This book is ... more like an autobiography, done McCartney's way. Rather than publish a conventional life story, he has opted to tell this life through songs and pictures ... His eloquence is found in his art: next to the splendour of the songs ... The book showcases McCartney's lyrics ... the songs make up a larger canvas, or mosaic, that the artist himself is only now stepping back to contemplate. -- Ian Leslie * New Statesman *Stating in the introduction to this two-volume gift edition that he has no intention of writing a memoir, Paul McCartney presents his songs as the next best thing, leaving us to mine their words as a guide to his life and world view. -- Will Hodgkinson * The Times *These two beautifully produced hardbacks give a lot of bang for your buck. Macca recalls the inspiration behind 154 of his songs and the collaborative process of writing them, his stories taking in Lennon, Linda and fame, and there's a trove of photographs and memorabilia from his personal archive. He says the time has never been right to write a full memoir, but this collection is brimming with insights into the man and the music. -- Charlotte Heathcote * Daily Express *

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Book SynopsisTravel the world exploring the cities that have influenced dance music and DJ culture and discovering the cutting-edge scenes taking club culture in new directions.Featuring incredible photography, insider recommendations, and some of the biggest names in dance music, Destination Dancefloor reveals how DJ culture swept the globe and 40 cities where you can immerse yourself in the best electronic music culture has to offer.Whether you want to know more about the start of house music in Chicago, the club that started Berlin on the road to becoming the global epicentre of club culture, the French Touch scene in Paris that influenced the early years of Daft Punk, why Ibiza became the world''s summer party destination of choice, or are looking for new destinations to add to your own clubbing bucket list, this unique book leans on Mixmag''s position and expertise as one of the foremost names in club culture to present an overview of global dance music, making it a must-read for all clubbers, past, present, and future. See you on the dancefloor.

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Book Synopsis From cradle to great, the comprehensive real story of Bill MonroeThe Father of Bluegrass Music, Bill Monroe was a major star of the Grand Ole Opry for over fifty years; a member of the Country Music, Songwriters, and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame; and a legendary figure in American music. This authoritative biography sets out to examine his life in careful detail--to move beyond hearsay and sensationalism to explain how and why he accomplished so much.Former Blue Grass Boy and longtime music journalist Tom Ewing draws on hundreds of interviews, his personal relationship with Monroe, and an immense personal archive of materials to separate the truth from longstanding myth. Ewing tells the story of the Monroe family''s musical household and Bill''s early career in the Monroe Brothers duo. He brings to life Monroe''s 1940s heyday with the Classic Bluegrass Band, the renewed fervor for his music sparked by the folk revival of the 1960s, and his declining fortunes in tTrade Review"Insightful . . . [Bill Monroe: The Life and Music of the Blue Grass Man] presents bluegrass history as it happened, as well as a fresh look at 'this extraordinary individual.'" --Wall Street Journal "A fair, objective, and entertaining chronicle."--Publishers Weekly "A detailed, decade-by-decade, almost moment-by-moment chronicle of the Father of Bluegrass. Because of its thoroughness, it will be the standard biography."--No DepressionTable of ContentsCoverTitleCopyrightContentsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsPrologueChapter One. 1892–1919Chapter Two. 1920–1929Chapter Three. 1930–1939Chapter Four. 1940–1949Chapter Five. 1950–1959Chapter Six. 1960–1969Chapter Seven. 1970–1979Chapter Eight. 1980–1989Chapter Nine. 1990–1996EpilogueAppendix: Blue Grass BoysNotesSelected BibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisBefore he achieved his dream of being an internationally known rock personality, Ryan Adams had a band in Raleigh, North Carolina. Whiskeytown led the wave of insurgent-country bands that came of age with No Depression magazine in the mid-1990s, and for many people it defined the era. Adams was an irrepressible character, one of the signature personalities of his generation, and as a singer-songwriter he blew people away with a mature talent that belied his youth. David Menconi witnessed most of Whiskeytown’s rocket ride to fame as the music critic for the Raleigh News & Observer, and in Ryan Adams, he tells the inside story of the singer’s remarkable rise from hardscrabble origins to success with Whiskeytown, as well as Adams’s post-Whiskeytown self-reinvention as a solo act.Menconi draws on early interviews with Adams, conversations with people close to him, and Adams’s extensive online postings to capture the creative ferment thTrade Review"Author David Menconi, music critic for the Raleigh, NC, News & Observer, pulls back the curtain on folk icon Ryan Adams in his new book, Ryan Adams: Losering, A Story Of Whiskeytown. From Adams' earliest experiences listening to country music on his grandmother's radio, through his obsessive punk rock phase and dusty-throated alternative-country explosion, Menconi leaves no stone unturned." - Todd Sterling, ReDigiTable of Contents Preface Part I: Before Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Part Two: During Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Part Three: After Chater Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Selected Discography Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisFrom the author of The History of Rock 'n' Roll in Ten Songs comes his Basement Tapes: the complete Real Life Rock Top 10 columns For nearly thirty years, Greil Marcus has written a remarkable column called Real Life Rock Top Ten. It has been a laboratory where he has fearlessly explored and wittily dissected an enormous variety of cultural artifacts, from songs to books to movies to advertisements. Taken together, his musings, reflections, and sallies amount to a subtle and implicit theory of how cultural objects fall through time and circumstance and often deliver unintended consequences, both in the present and in the future. Real Life Rock reveals the critic in full: direct, erudite, funny, fierce, vivid, uninhibited, and possessing an unerring instinct for art and fraud. The result is an indispensable volume packed with startling arguments and casual brilliance.

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Book SynopsisScott Ian, rhythm guitarist and cofounder of Anthrax and author of I''m the Man, collects all of his craziest hard rock stories into one balls-to-the-wall volume. Access All Areas has tales of humor, excess, fun, debauchery, food, booze, and mayhem from Scott''s many years on the road as well as his encounters with celebrities like Dimebag Darrell, Trent Reznor/NIN, Madonna, Lemmy Kilmister, John Carpenter, Robert Trujillo (Metallica), Slayer, David Lee Roth, and many more.In recent years, Scott Ian''s Speaking Words club tours have drawn a devoted crowd of metal fans who love a good rock story. Ian has perfected his delivery, comic timing, and ability to highlight where the ridiculous meets the sublime. Best of all, Ian seems to lack the ability to be embarrassed, rendering Access All Areas howlingly funny, self-deprecating, and every bit as brash and brazen as one would expect from one of the original architects of speed metal.

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Book SynopsisThis is the definitive biography of rap supergroup, Wu-Tang Clan (WTC). Widely regarded as one of the most influential groups in modern music--hip hop or otherwise--WTC has released seven albums [including four gold and platinum studio albums, as well as the genre-defining Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)] and has launched the careers of famous rappers like RZA, Ol'' Dirty Bastard, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, and more. Beyond the musicians in the group itself, WTC has also collaborated with many of the biggest names in the game-from Busta Rhymes and Redman to Nas and Kanye West), and one is hard pressed to find a group who''s had a bigger impact on the evolution of the hip hop genre.S.H. Fernando, Jr. is a journalist who has interviewed WTC several times over the past several decades for publications like Rolling Stone, Vibe, and The Source. Over the years, he has built up a formidable archive--including over 100 pages of unpublished transcribed

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

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Book SynopsisKeyboardist and songwriter with the band Journey, Jonathan Cain writes this long-awaited memoir about his personal story of overcoming and faith, his career with one of the most successful musical groups in history, and the stories behind his greatest hits including Don''t Stop Believin''.When Jonathan Cain and the iconic band Journey were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cain could say he had finally arrived. But Cain''s journey wasn''t always easy--and his true arrival in life had more to do with faith than fame.As a child, Cain survived a horrific school fire that killed nearly 100 of his classmates. His experience formed a resilience that would carry him through both tragedy and success. Moving from Chicago to Sunset Boulevard, Cain never let go of his dreams, eventually getting his big break with Journey--and writing the songs that would become the soundtrack of a generation.Don''t Stop Believin'' is an epic story

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Book SynopsisâLISTEN. The greatest feeling I ever had in my life â with my clothes on â was when I first heard Diz and Bird back in 1944. Iâve come close to matching the feeling of that night, but Iâve never quite got there. Iâm always looking for it, trying to always feel it in and through the music I play . . .â

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Book SynopsisJ. Randy Taraborrelli is the author of ten books including the international bestsellers Madonna: An Intimate Biography, Michael Jackson: The Magic and the Madness, Once Upon a Time: The Story of Princess Grace, Prince Rainier and Their Family and Call Her Miss Ross. He has also written for The Times and the Daily Mail.

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Book SynopsisJ. Randy Taraborrelli is one of our most highly acclaimed biographers, and the author of thirteen books including the major bestsellers Madonna: An Intimate Biography, Michael Jackson: The Magic and the Madness, and Once Upon a Time: The Story of Princess Grace, Prince Rainier and their Family. His most recent biography is The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe.

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Book Synopsis''Charles R. Cross has got as close to the truth as anyone yet in his exhaustive and ground-breaking account of the life of the greatest guitarist in the history of rock.'' Observer''Superb''Sunday TelegraphJimi Hendrix continues to fascinate, and sell huge quantities of albums, even 35 years after his death. Quite apart from his influence on musicians and fans, a large part of the appeal of his sensational life story lies in the thrill of the era whose values he came to stand for. The Sixties still exert a massive pull over pop culture and this is genuinely a book for anyone interested, not only in Hendrix but also in anything to do with the pop culture of the last 40 years.Meticulously researched and sensitively and beautifully written, this is a labour of love that reveals the nuances, foibles and tragedies of the human being behind the iconic image.This is the sweeping, authoritative and colourful biography that Jimi Hendrix and that his legions of fans, young and old deserves.Trade Review'meticulously researched' * Mojo *''Charles R Cross has got as close to the truth as anyone yet in his exhaustive and ground-breaking account of the life of the greatest guitarist in the history of rock.' * Guardian *'Hendrix emerges from this superb biography as not only a big old sexy genius, but as a funny, sensitive, and very naughty boy.' * Sunday Telegraph *For HEAVIER THAN HEAVEN:One of the most moving and revealing books ever written about a rock star. * Los Angeles Times *Cross's research is impeccable... he writes with a fine mixture of sympathy and sense, weeding the myth of all its lies and exaggerations but never minimising the complexity of his subject. * Lynn Barber, Daily Telegraph *Wins immediate entry into the rock lit pantheon. Five stars. * Q Magazine *A superbly researched and harrowing book. * The Sunday Times *Cross's portrayal of a shy but prodigiously gifted child is a joy to read. * Observer *Groundbreaking * New York Times Book Review *

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Book SynopsisAt the age of thirteen, Danny Sugerman- the already wayward product of Beverley Hills wealth and privilege- went to his first Doors concert. He never looked back. He became Jim Morrison''s protégé and- still in his teens- manager of the Doors and then Iggy Pop. He also plunged gleefully into the glamorous underworld of the rock ''n'' roll scene, diving headfirst into booze, sex and drugs: every conceivable kind of drug, ever day, in every possible permutation. By the age of twenty-one he had an idyllic home, a beautiful girlfriend, the best car in the world, two kinds of hepatitis, a diseased heart, a $500 a day heroin habit and only a week to live. He lived.This is his tale. Excessive, scandalous, comic, cautionary and horrifying, it chronicles the 60s dream gone to rot and the early life of a Hollywood Wild Child who was just brilliant at being bad.

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Book SynopsisThe ultimate showbiz insider''s expose, Howling at the Moon is the wildly entertaining and brilliantly narrated autobiography of Walter Yetnikoff, head of CBS Records during its heyday in the 1980s, and then the most powerful man in the music industry. Yetnikoff knew most of the stars and embraced all the excesses of this era: he was mentor to Streisand, father confessor to Michael Jackson, shared a mistress with Marvin Gaye and came to blows with Mick Jagger. He feuded with David Geffen and outmanoeuvred Rupert Murdoch. He was also addicted to cocaine and alcohol - until his doctor gave him just 3 months to live. Yetnikoff came from a working-class Jewish family from Brooklyn; he graduated from law school in the 1950s and proceeded to climb the corporate ladder to the very top. His high-flying ended in breakdown, but throughout his rise and fall, Yetnikoff remained a man of huge charisma and disarming charm. Howling at the Moon is written with David Ritz, the only 4-time winner of theTrade ReviewJackie Collins herself couldn't have plotted a more readable yarn * SUNDAY TIMES *Vodka for breakfast, secretary for lunch, signed the Stones at tea . . . It is as an entertaining, high-grade gossip sheet that this Brooklyn-born Caligula's memoirs function primarily, but they also provide an invaluable account of key stage in the hist * OBSERVER *A blisteringly entertaining read * INDEPENDENT *It provides a stream of fabulous anecdotes -a fight with Mick, a shared mistress with Marvin, and several disturbing encounters with MJ, who called him "Good Daddy"' ARENA * ‘His stories of the whispering venality of the image-obsessed young Michael Jackson wanting to renege on deals while appearing squeaky clean are very revealing . . . An entertaining book, his sex life alone being of Olympian proportions’ *

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Book SynopsisThe world’s leading reggae scholar spent forty years interviewing Bob Marley and his closest confidants. This is the definitive telling of Bob Marley’s life.Trade Review"If Bob Marley is Jesus in these times, Roger Steffens is Peter." -- Carlos Santana"... absorbing oral history... So Much Things to Say is a major work that helps us better understand Marley's tragic yet inspirational tale." -- Mojo"... absorbing "oral history"... So Much Things to Say is a fitting tribute to the tumultuous life and complex character of the country’s favourite son." -- The Observer"So Much Things to Say, an 'oral' account of Marley's life and times, amounts to an absorbing alternative biography." -- The Spectator"Steffens identifies many more pieces of the man than have ever before been put together in one book." -- The Guardian

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

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Book SynopsisThe world’s leading reggae scholar spent forty years interviewing Bob Marley and his closest confidants. This is the definitive telling of Bob Marley’s life.Trade Review"If Bob Marley is Jesus in these times, Roger Steffens is Peter." -- Carlos Santana"... absorbing oral history... So Much Things to Say is a major work that helps us better understand Marley's tragic yet inspirational tale." -- Mojo"... absorbing "oral history"... So Much Things to Say is a fitting tribute to the tumultuous life and complex character of the country’s favourite son." -- The Observer"So Much Things to Say, an 'oral' account of Marley's life and times, amounts to an absorbing alternative biography." -- The Spectator"Steffens identifies many more pieces of the man than have ever before been put together in one book." -- The Guardian"[So Much Things to Say] narrates the life of Marley from cradle to grave... Steffens has been on the Marley case for decades, and he’s a crucial voice in this epic chorus... Illuminating." -- Touré - The New York Times Book Review"There have been dozens of Bob Marley books, but this 2017 oral history, decades in the making, is definitive." -- Rolling Stone"For decades Steffens has been a leading authority on Bob Marley. Here he identifies many more pieces of the man than have ever before been put together in one book... Steffens marshals his sources with skill, and we’re left with a complex representation." -- The Guardian

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Her love for him...jumps out from between the lines.”—Marilyn Beck, New York Daily News“A sad, sweet book...the story it tells is fascinating.”—Washington Post“This honest, full-lenth portrait paints him as he really was both in and out of the spotlight...his wife, who knew him better than anyone else, sees him clearly, steadily, and sees him whole.”—John Barkham Reviews

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Book SynopsisHow hip hop shapes our conversations about race -- and how race influences our consideration of hip hop Hip hop is a distinctive form of black art in America-from Tupac to the Pulitzer Prize-winning Kendrick Lamar, hip hop has long given voice to the African American experience. As scholar and cultural critic Tricia Rose argues, hip hop, in fact, has become one of the primary ways we talk about race in the United States. But hip hop is in crisis. For years, the most commercially successful hip hop has become increasingly saturated with caricatures of black gangstas, thugs, pimps, and hos. This both represents and feeds a problem in black American culture. Or does it? In The Hip-Hop Wars, Rose explores the most crucial issues underlying the polarized claims on each side of the debate: Does hip hop cause violence, or merely reflect a violent ghetto culture? Is hip hop sexist, or are its detractors simply anti-sex? Does the portrayal of black culture in hip hop undermine black advancement? A potent exploration of a divisive and important subject, The Hip Hop Wars concludes with a call for the regalvanization of the progressive and creative heart of hip hop. What Rose calls for is not a sanitized vision of the form, but one that more accurately reflects a much richer space of culture, politics, anger, and yes, sex, than the current ubiquitous images in sound and video currently provide.

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Book SynopsisNoted guitarist John Fahey presents a textual and musicological examination of the music of blues legend Charley Patton. This new edition is enhanced by Fahey's notes from the Grammy-winning, out-of-print boxed set, Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues: The Worlds of Charley Patton.

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Book SynopsisFeaturing fresh insights from Mick, Keith, Charlie and Ronnie, Unzipped digs deeper than ever before into the Stones' archives to present a comprehensive collection of Stones artworks, instruments, stage outfits and notebooks alongside key work by some of the legends of rock photography. As 2022 marks The Rolling Stones' 60th anniversary, Unzipped reflects on the years the band have helped shape popular culture around the globe. The book captures the compelling character and dynamic spectacle of the band through distinctive photography and interviews with the Stones themselves, tracing their impact and influence on rock music, art, design, fashion, photography and filmmaking. Evocative archive photos, artworks, outtakes and memorabilia, together with dazzling images of the band's instruments and outfits, plunge you into the ever-changing world of the Stones. Many of the instruments and outfits are paired with pertinent archive photos, so you can examine the detail and see theTrade Review'Evocative' - Choice Magazine'An evocative photo-led exploration of the band’s close-on 60-year career' - Choice'This handsome tome has much to offer the Stones fan who thought they knew everything' - Record CollectorTable of ContentsExhibitionism: The Rolling Stones on Display, Anthony DeCurtis Blues Roots: Interviews with Buddy Guy and Keith Richards Edith Grove: Interviews with Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Charlie Watts Recording: Interview with Don Was Songwriting: Interviews with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards Instrument Folio Style: Interviews with Anna Sui and John Varvatos Film and Video: Interview with Martin Scorsese Art and Design: Interview with Shepard Fairey Live: Interviews with Patrick Woodroffe and Willie Williams

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Book SynopsisThe official photobook commemorating the 50th anniversary of The Dark Side Of The Moon. March 2023 marks fifty years since the release of Pink Floyd's classic album The Dark Side Of The Moon. Designed by Pentagram to high specifications, this celebratory publication brims with rare and unseen photographs and reveals the visual conception of the original iconic album artwork. It will be a covetable package for the legions of Floyd fans out there new and old. Presents rare and unseen backstage and onstage photography of the band during the album tours of 1972 to 1975. 129 candid photographs by Storm Thorgerson, Jill Furmanovsky, Aubrey Powell and Peter Christopherson document the soundchecks, the shows and the after shows. A review of the October 1972 Wembley gig, originally published in Melody Maker, provides insight into one of the Floyd's most celebrated performances. Reveals the visual conception of the iconic album artwork. Includes a complete listing of the touTrade Review'Lavish... Amazing photos...in crystal-clear, black-and-white...show the band rehearsing, performing around the globe, playing squash, and enjoying life on the road... Pink Floyd fans will enjoy this handsome collection' - Library Journal'Combines striking layouts with rare and unseen images' - Creative Boom'Beautifully presented … the images are deeply revealing' - Buzz'In typical Floyd style, they let the images do the talking … a stately addition to the Pink Floyd bookshelf, that allows its audience free rein to interpret its content, just like the album itself did 50 years ago' - Prog Magazine'A beguiling glimpse of the group and supporting cast on tour' - Record Collector'Every image has obviously been carefully selected and each one is immaculately presented on the highest quality art paper to make this coffee table book a real thing of beauty' - The Afterword'This really is a treasure trove of Pink Floyd images, most of which won’t be found elsewhere. It proves a very diverting trip down memory lane, to simpler times, and a real insight into a world that very few people would have had access to. Couple that with the exemplary presentation, and you have a wonderful publication fitting for the occasion' - Brain Damage

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Book SynopsisThe most intriguing stories of creative endeavour, volatile relationships, excessive lifestyles and bizarre events from the world of rock, as told by Hipgnosis co-founder, creative designer, photographer and filmmaker Aubrey Powell in twenty thematic chapters.Trade Review'Powell is an engaging raconteur' - Literary Review'Brutally honest, entertaining and revealing insider stories' - Creative Review'Gorgeously designed... Excess runs through most of these stories the way drugs flowed through the veins and lungs of the musicians back then' - New York Journal of Books'Adventures in the golden age of the gatefold' - UncutTable of ContentsPreface – The Initial Spark Syd Barrett – Laying Ghosts To Rest Space Cowboys Working With Animals – Dead Or Alive One Giant Step – Led Zeppelin, Houses Of The Holy Going Over To The Dark Side Peter Gabriel – The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway and Going It Alone Paul McCartney – Venus And Mars 10cc – Life Is A Minestrone Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here Americana – A Brutal Landscape The Grand Tour Peter Grant – The Gatekeeper If Pigs Could Fly – Pink Floyd, Animals Moroccan Roll On High With Paul McCartney Miami Vice/Hawaii Versa – 10cc, Look Hear? (or: Are You Normal) Tragedy – Barry Gibb Designs That Slipped Through The Net The Icing On The Cake – Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains

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Book SynopsisThe definitive volume on the essence, experience and energy that is hip-hop and its massive and enduring impact over the last 40 years, now in paperback.Trade Review'DJ Semtex has nailed this' - Goldie'This book is worth bread' - Raekwon'This is an Illmatic book … a hip-hop bible' - Ghostface Killah'Amazing – buying immediately' - Chase & Status'This is a time capsule' - DJ Green Lantern'The pictures tell a thousand words' - Salaam Remi'Big up DJ Semtex' - Rag ’N’ Bone ManTable of ContentsForeword: Chuck D • Preface: Hip-hop Raised Me: Semtex’s story • 1. The Foundation Stones of Hip Hop • 2. The Mis-Education • 3. The Evolution of the Mixtape • 4. The Purple Period • 5. Fuck the Police? • 6. Divided Loyalties • 7. The DJ is Dead, Long Live the DJ • 8. Family First • 9. Before the Deal • 10. Obama Nation • 11. Tragedy to Triumph • 12. Wild Style • 13. The Home Invasion

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Book SynopsisRichard Havers was a British music author, journalist, consultant and broadcaster. He was the author of over fifty books, including Rolling Stones 50 and Verve: The Sound of America, both published by Thames & Hudson.Trade Review'Richard Havers’s book about Blue Note records, with its details of the inspirations and excesses of the label’s major talents, amounts to a history of jazz itself' - Guardian'Sumptuous, opulent, definitive ... a dream come true for Blue Note fans and will appeal to anyone who has more than the most fleeting interest in jazz' - London Jazz News'For fellow worshippers at the shrine of Blue Note, Havers’s book is the closest thing they’ll find to holy scripture aside from the records themselves' - Prospect Magazine'Blue Note finally gets the book it deserves' - Jazzwise

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Book SynopsisRich with the voices of musicians, producers, promoters, and others on the scene during the decades following World War II, this book views jazz's evolution through the prism of technological advances, social transformations, changes in the law, economic trends, and more.Trade Review"A highly engaging, thoroughly researched book." All About Jazz "'Why Jazz Happened' Makes Its Points Like a Snazzy Lawyer in the Courtroom: Zip, Zam, Zot... Students and fans of jazz will come away enlightened about a huge part of the jazz story that has been mostly untold, before this otherwise intelligent and well-reported book was published." -- Will Layman Popmatters.com "A needed historical overview... Myers presents his argument of 'why jazz happened' in a concise, powerfully convincing style... Highly recommended." -- G. A. Akkerman, University of South Carolina Upstate Choice "Myers has managed to come up with a fresh take on the [history of jazz's evolution]." -- Willard Manus LivelyArts.com "Excellent new jazz history... A refreshingly concrete volume on a genre that stubbornly, sometimes proudly, refuses to be defined." The New York City Jazz Record "Why Jazz Happened contains a treasure trove of insider information ... a valuable addition to readings in jazz history." -- Mark C. Gridley NotesTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction 1. Record Giants Blink 2. DJs, Promoters, and Bebop 3. G.I. Bill and Cool 4. Speed War, Tape, and Solos 5. Suburbia and West Coast Jazz 6. BMI, R&B, and Hard Bop 7. Bias, Africa, and Spiritual Jazz 8. Invasion and Jazz-Pop 9. Alienation and the Avant-Garde 1. Lights, Volume, and Fusion 11. Jazz Hangs On Notes Index

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Book SynopsisNo other jazz musician has proved so inspirational and so fascinating as Coltrane. Ben Ratliff, jazz critic for the New York Times, has written the first book to do justice to this great and controversial music pioneer. As well as an elegant narrative of Coltrane''s life Ratliff does something incredibly valuable - he writes about the saxophonist''s unique sound.

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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 SynopsisListening to Van Morrison represents Greil Marcus''s quest to trace Morrison''s particular genius through seminal moments in his long career, beginning in 1965, breaking open in 1968 with the incomparable Astral Weeks, and continuing in full force to this day. This is a portrait of a perplexing, mysterious and terrifyingly gifted artist and vocalist at the height of his powers, written by one of our most thoughtful cultural critics.

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Book SynopsisTHE #1 NEW YORK TIMES, GRAMMY-NOMINATED BESTSELLERA SUNDAY TIMES, GUARDIAN, OBSERVER, ROLLING STONE, AND ROUGH TRADE BOOK OF THE YEAR A panoramic experience that tells the story of Beastie Boys, a book as unique as the band itselfby band members AD-ROCK and Mike D, with contributions from Amy Poehler, Colson Whitehead, Spike Jonze, Wes Anderson, Luc Sante, and more.THE INSPIRATION FOR THE 5-TIME EMMY NOMINATED, SPIKE JONZE-DIRECTED BEASTIE BOYS STORYOne of the greatest music books ever published.'MAX PORTERFormed as a New York City hardcore band in 1981, Beastie Boys struck an unlikely path to global hip hop superstardom. Here is their story, told for the first time in the words of the band. Adam AD-ROCK Horovitz and Michael Mike D Diamond offer revealing and very funny accounts of their transition from teenage punks t

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