Popular music Books

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisDavid Bowie: The Golden YearsAuthor Roger GriffinABOUT THE BOOKDavid Bowie's career is defined by the 70s, his golden years. This book chronicles Bowie's creative life during that decade in a year by year, month by month, day by day format, placing his works in their historical, personal and creative contexts. Every live performance: when and where and who played with him. Every known recording: session details, who played on it, who produced it and release details. Every collaboration is also covered, including production and guest appearances. Film, stage and television appearances: Bowie brought his theatrical training into every performance and created a new form of rock spectacle.Follows Bowie on his journeys across the countries that fired his imagination and inspired his greatest work. A detailed illustrated discography documenting every Bowie recording during this period, including tracks he left in the vault. Many of these ended up on reissues and compilations, which are covered comprehensively - an invaluable reference work.

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom the early days of The Rolling Stones, with a relatively baby-faced 'Keef' sporting a hounds-tooth jacket, to his heroic piratical look of the present day, rock's indestructible hero has been photographed by many people over half a century. Featuring more than 300 photographs in colour and black-and-white.Among those who took the pictures in this book are legendary photographers Jim Marshall, Terry O'Neill, Deborah Feingold, Neil Preston and Mark Seliger.If many of Keith Richards' adventures have passed into folklore, never before has there been quite such a comprehensive collection of portraits and candid shots collected to match the passing moments: police busts, global superstardom, a legendary Glastonbury set, a satisfying appearance in the Pirates Of The Caribbean movie franchise and an unlikely 2008 advertising stint as a lifestyle icon for Louis Vuitton, as photographed by Annie Leibowitz.Beautifully produced and elegantly designed, Keith Richards: A Life In Pictures is simply the must-have book of the year.

Read more less

Book SynopsisGrammy Award winning Wilco rose from the ashes of one of the most respected alt-country groups of the 1990s, Uncle Tupelo, to emerge as a celebrated (and far more popular) act in their own right. Led by frontman Jeff Tweedy, Wilco have evolved from a country-rock band into an eclectic indie-rock collective that touches on many eras and genres in their music: '70s rock, country, Beach Boys-style pop, noise-rock and folk. As a result, no two Wilco albums sound the same. This biography looks at Jeff Tweedy's early life in Illinois before starting Uncle Tupelo with Jay Farrar and an examination of their four albums. The media attention about Wilco's fourth album, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and the controversy surrounding it. After the recording sessions were complete, their record label rejected the album and dismissed Wilco from the label. Yet it became their most successful album to date. An analysis of all their studio albums including their latest - The Whole Love, which was released in September 2011. How Wilco's music has been inspired by a wide variety of artists and styles, including Bill Fay and Television, and has in turn influenced music by a number of modern alternative rock acts.

Read more less

Book Synopsis(Vocal Selections). A modern day music theatre phenomenon, Matilda The Musical is the multiple Olivier Award-winning adaptation of Roald Dahl''s classic children''s novel, newly adapted for the stage with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin. This official songbook presents all the songs from the show arranged for voice and piano with chord symbols, as well as an eight-page color photo section and an exclusive foreword written by Tim Minchin. Songs include: Bruce * The Hammer * I''m Here * Loud * My House * Miracle * Naughty * Pathetic * Quiet * Revolting Children * School Song * The Smell of Rebellion * Telly * This Little Girl * When I Grow Up.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis definitive guide includes a unique chapter-by-chapter playlist for the reader. Jazz: A Beginner’s Guide is a lively and highly accessible introduction to a global musical phenomenon. Award-winning music journalist and author Stuart Nicholson takes the reader on an entertaining journey from jazz's early stirrings in America’s south through to the present day, when almost every country in the world has its own vibrant jazz scene. En route we meet a host of jazz heroes past and present, from Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman and Miles Davis, to Keith Jarrett and Kamasi Washington. Each chapter is accompanied by a playlist designed to provide a stimulating and enjoyable entry point to what has been described as the most exciting art form of all. Trade Review"An important contribution to jazz history by one of our leading writers, whose scholarly and artful evolutional guide navigates the listener boldly through the world of jazz. It is marked by formidable research and a passionate commitment to distilling the styles and major moments in this century of jazz, that open the door and your ears to a truly beautiful journey." -- Professor Tommy Smith - Artistic Director of Jazz, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Scottish National Jazz Orchestra"Stuart Nicholson leads the reader on a step-by-step journey to unlock the mysteries of jazz. Though geared towards neophytes, the most seasoned jazz fan will learn much in these pages." -- Randy Sandke - American jazz trumpeter and guitarist"Far more than a beginner's guide, this book is Stuart Nicholson's enlightened and enlightening view of jazz – enough so to make even experienced jazz fans listen with fresh ears." -- Bill Kirchner – Musician, producer and educator

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom humble beginnings Adele has come to be a globally recognised icon. Her first album shot her to fame and the second consolidated her position as a singing/songwriting superstar with lasting, global appeal. She has already won more than 40 industry awards, including 11 Billboard Music Awards, a BRIT award, and eight Grammy awards. She has broken record after record: first artist to sell more than 3m albums in a year in the UK, first living artist to have two top five hits in both the UK singles and albums charts simultaneously since the Beatles, the first artist in history to lead the Billboard chart concurrently with three number ones, 21 is the longest running number one album by a female solo artist on the UK chart and in the US it held the top position for longer than any other album since 1993.

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book SynopsisMost people know that Bob Marley (1945–1981) was a singer-songwriter who popularised reggae music and whose Jamaican culture and Rastafarian beliefs have attained worldwide influence. What, perhaps, they don’t know is that his music inspired 7,000 prisoners of war to escape; that after running out of money he was forced to spend two years living in London; that he has sold more than 75 million records around the world; and that he was shot twice while trying to bring peace between two political groups. Biographic: Marley 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.

Read more less

Book SynopsisPink Floyd Song by Song takes a fresh look at the songs which led to Pink Floyd becoming the third best-selling band of all time. From 'Arnold Layne' to 'Louder Than Words', Pink Floyd wrote about anger, isolation, regret, dismay, and fear. These themes, not always obvious starting points in popular music, were married to a rare dynamism in rock music. Pink Floyd's most successful period critically and musically-the eight albums from 1970 to 1983-combine the pithy lyrics of Roger Waters, the soulful voice and breath-taking guitar solos of David Gilmour and, until 1979, the jazz influenced piano and keyboard abilities of the late Richard Wright. These three together wrote the band's best work, usually in combinations of twos and threes but also individually. When working together as equals, the three principals of Pink Floyd were significantly more than the sum of their individual strengths.

Read more less

Book SynopsisELO (The Electric Light Orchestra) were devised by Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne of The Move as a fusion of rock and contemporary classical-style music, combining orchestral instruments, guitars, keyboards and drums in the same line-up. Their aim was to continue from where The Beatles' 'I Am The Walrus' left off. After the release of their debut eponymous album in 1971 and a few live dates at home and in Europe, it became increasingly apparent that both leaders' objectives were incompatible. Wood left Lynne in charge of the group to refine their sound, and their ambitious progressive rock epics gradually giving way to a more accessible style. With keyboard player Richard Tandy and drummer Bev Bevan the only other constant members in an ever-changing line-up, by the end of the decade the group were rarely out of the British and American charts. After disbanding in 1986, ELO Part II (minus Lynne) returned for two albums, but Lynne reclaimed the name with an album in 2001 and a long-awaited reappearance as Jeff Lynne's ELO in 2014. This book provides a comprehensive examination of all the group's studio albums.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThroughout most of the twelve years between their formation and disbanding after the death of drummer John Bonham, Led Zeppelin were regarded as arguably the most influential group in popular music since The Beatles. While seen as pioneers of British heavy rock, their sound also embraced blues, psychedelia and folk music. Earlier in his career Jimmy Page had been one of the most highly sought-after session guitarists, while John Paul Jones was a versatile multi-instrumentalist and experienced arranger, and Robert Plant was one of the most individual vocalists of the era. A deal signed with Atlantic Records allowed them total musical control, and a deliberate policy of not allowing any tracks to be released as singles in Britain helped to ensure maximum demand for their albums as well as huge ticket sales every time they toured. Initially unpopular with critics, they were much loved by fans on both sides of the Atlantic and indeed throughout much of the world. This book provides a thorough examination of each track on all the group's studio albums, additional songs on official live releases and compilations of BBC sessions material.Table of ContentsIntroduction; Acknowledgements; 1 Led Zeppelin; 2 Led Zeppelin II; 3 Led Zeppelin III; 4 [Led Zeppelin IV]; 5 Houses of the Holy; 6 Presence; 7 In Through the Out Door; 8 Coda; 9 Led Zeppelin Boxed Set; 10 Led Zeppelin Boxed Set 2; 11 The Complete Studio Recordings; 12 The Song Remains the Same; 13 How the West Was Won; 14 Celebration Day; 15 BBC Sessions; 16 The Complete BBC Sessions; Endnotes.

Read more less

Book SynopsisABBA was the biggest selling pop group of the Seventies. Between their first single in 1972, when the group was not yet called ABBA, and their final singles in 1982, ABBA recorded and released 98 unique songs. In addition they recorded versions of some of their biggest hits in Swedish, German, French, and Spanish; performed a number of songs in concert that were never released on record; and recorded a number of songs that didn’t see the light of day at the time, but have been released from the archive the decades since the group “took a break” at the end of 1982.Everyone remembers ABBA’s biggest hits – songs like 'Waterloo', 'Mamma Mia', 'Fernando', 'Dancing Queen', 'Take A Chance On Me', 'Chiquitita', and 'The Winner Takes It All' – but there are many gems to be found on the eight studio albums and 21 singles released during the group’s lifetime. ABBA: Song by Song is a look at every single song by the Swedish supergroup, written by a life-long ABBA fan. Find out what inspired the songs, what went in to recording them, and their impact around the world in the 1970s and 80s and beyond.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements; Introduction; 1 ABBA; 2 Ring Ring; 3 Non-Album Tracks, 1972–1973; 4 Waterloo; 5 ABBA; 6 Non-Album Tracks, 1975; 7 Arrival; 8 Non-Album Tracks, 1976; 9 ABBA: The Album; 10 Voulez-Vous; 11 Non-Album Tracks, 1978–1979; 12 Super Trouper; 13 Non-Album Tracks, 1980; 14 The Visitors; 15 Non-Album Tracks, 1981; 16 Final Sessions: Non-Album Tracks, 1982; Epilogue; Appendix I; Appendix II; Bibliography.

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom a skinny beach bum to a brawny headband-wearing blue-collar hero, through to an elder statesman of rock, Springsteen has been one of the most revered songwriters of his and succeeding generations for half a century. Throughout the decades, his anthemic tracks of personal and political strife have chronicled life in America, providing listeners with character-driven narratives that can be read as short stories of lives they live, lived, or have seen first-hand. After getting a recording contract with Columbia Records aged twenty-two, Springsteen wrote and recorded a string of critically acclaimed albums, including Born to Run, which brought him a wider audience, before becoming a superstar with the release of 1984's Born in the U.S.A. In the twenty-first century, Springsteen continues to release landmark albums such as The Rising and Wrecking Ball and, with the stalwart support of the E Street Band, still performs in sold-out stadiums worldwide, with concerts routinely lasting for over three hours. This volume explores Springsteen's discography in detail, examining his worldwide hits alongside his lesser-known but equally moving tracks.Table of ContentsGreetings from Asbury Park, N.J.; The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle; Born to Run; Darkness on the Edge of Town; The River; Nebraska; Born in the U.S.A.; Tunnel of Love; Human Touch; Lucky Town; The Ghost of Tom Joad; The Rising; Devils & Dust; We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions; Magic; Working on a Dream; Wrecking Ball; High Hopes; Western Stars; Letter to You

Read more less

Book SynopsisPearl Jam: Song by Song offers a deep dive into the meaning and themes in Pearl Jam's music, exploring their evolution through the different eras of the band, while documenting definitive live performances and celebrating the transformative relationship between Pearl Jam and their audience.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAntipodean Riffs is a collection of essays on Australian jazz and jazz in Australia. Chronologically they range from what could be called the 'prehistory' of the music - the tradition of US-sourced African-American music that predated the arrival of music billed as 'jazz' - to the present. Thematically they include studies of framing infrastructural mechanisms including the media. The volume also incorporates case studies of particular musicians or groups that reflect distinctive aspects of the Australian jazz tradition.Table of ContentsIntroductionBruce JohnsonCultural Contexts1. Demons of Discord Down Under: "Jump Jim Crow" and "Australia's First Jazz Band"John Whiteoak, Monash University2. Early Jazz in Australia as Oriental ExoticaAline Scott-Maxwell, Monash University3. Got a Little Rhythm: The Australian Influence on Swing in New Zealand during the 1930s and 1940sAleisha Ward, jazz writer4. Jazz in Adelaide and Melbourne in the Angry Penguins DecadeBruce Clunies-Ross, University of Copenhagen5. Cuba Street Parade: Identity, Authenticity and Self-expression in Contemporary Australasian Jazz ScenesNick Tipping, musicianInfrastructures6. How Jazz was Taken Out of the History of Australian Music TelevisionLiz Giuffre, University of Technology, Sydney7. Shotgun Weddings and Bohemian Dreams: Jazz, Family Values and Storytelling in Australian FilmChristopher Coady, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney8. Perspectives on the Melbourne International Women's Jazz FestivalMarjorie Louise Denson, Queensland Conservatorium, Brisbane 9. A Tale of Five Festivals: A Study of Five Australian Jazz Festivals from 2004 to 2014Brent Keogh, Macquarie University and University of Technology, SydneyMusicians10. 'I Wouldn't Change Skins with Anybody': Dulcie Pitt/Georgia Lee, a Pioneering Indigenous Australian Jazz, Blues and Community SingerKarl Neuenfeldt, musician11. Lydia in Oz: The Reception of George Russell in 1960s AustraliaPierre-Emmanuel Seguin, musician12. Examining the Legend and Music of Australian Saxophonist, Frank SmithRalph Whiteoak, doctoral student13. Expressive Ientity in the Voices of Three Australian Saxophonists: McGann, Sanders and Gorman Sandy Evans, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney14. Sex and the Sonic Smorgasbord - The NecksJane Galbraith, jazz musician

Read more less

Book SynopsisCanadian-American singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright (b. 1973) is famous around the world for his multi-faceted musical style, shown through both his recorded output and his engaging live performances. In this book, Katherine Williams combines aspects of his life story with scholarly readings drawn from several methodologies. Popular music studies, opera, queer studies, music and geography, the sound-box: all combine to give a rich biographical and interpretative overview of Wainwright's life and music. Williams brings together close musical analysis with such varied disciplinary perspectives with a tone that is both in-depth and scholarly, and accessible. The book is a must-read for fans, students and scholars alike.Table of ContentsIntroduction1. Family 2. Western Art Music and Pop: Conflict and Coherence 3. Opera, Gender and Sexuality 4. Place and Space 5. The VoiceConclusion

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book traces the trajectories of modern globalization since the late nineteenth century, and considers hegemonic cultural beliefs and practices during the various phases of the history of capitalism. It offers a way to study world popular music from the perspective of critical social theory. Moving chronologically, the book adopts the three phases in the history of capitalist hegemony since the nineteenth century-liberal, organized, and neoliberal capitalism-to consider world popular music in each of these cultural contexts. While capitalism is now everywhere, its history has been one borne out of racism and masculine hegemony. Early Europeanization and globalization have had a major impact upon western race/gender/sexuality/capitalist hegemony, while nascent technologies of capital have led to a renewed reification and exploitation of racialized, sexualized, and classed populations. This book offers a critique of the relationship between emergent capitalist formations and culture over the past hundred years. It explores the way that world popular music mediates economic, cultural, and ideological conditions, through which capitalism has been created in multiple and heterogeneous ways, understanding world popular music as the production of meaning through language and representation. The various dimensions considered in the book are the work of critical social science-a critique of capitalism's impact upon popular music in historical and world perspective. This book provides a powerful contemporary framework for contemporary popular music studies with a distinctive global and interdisciplinary awareness, covering empirical research from across the world in addition to well-established and newer theory from the music disciplines, social sciences, and humanities. It offers fresh conceptualizations about world popular music seen within the context of globalization, capitalism, and identity.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Popular Music before Neoliberalism 2. Neoliberalism and the Global Music Industry 3. Globalization and World Music 4. The Cool Culture of Neoliberal Capitalism 5. Popular Music in Postdemocracy After Globalization

Read more less

Book SynopsisProvincial Headz: British Hip Hop and Critical Regionalism draws upon spatial practice, material culture, human geography, ethnomusicology and cultural theory in order to present an interdisciplinary counter-narrative to that of hip hop as a strictly urban phenomenon; providing an insight into the relocation of hip hop culture from its inception in New York ghettos to its practices in provincial and rural Britain. Hip hop culture truly arrived in Britain in 1983, a decade after its origin in New York City, and although many important events, artists and recordings that evidence hip hop’s existence in 1980s Britain are well documented, these are almost exclusively urban. Additionally, the narratives embedded in these representations remain too convenient and unchallenged. This book reveals parallel and dialectical experiences of British hip hop pioneers and practitioners dwelling outside the metropolis, discussed under the recurring themes of relocation, territory, consumption, production and identity. These narratives are framed within a rich contextual discourse drawing upon Bhabha, Bourdieu, Foucault, DeLanda and contemporary hip hop scholarship. Shifting hip hop research from urbanism to rurality, the book serves as an introduction to the complexities of its historical narratives in Britain and reveals another hip hop history and how we understand it.Table of ContentsPreface: I Owe Hip Hop Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Location Chapter 3: Relocation Chapter 4: Territory Chapter 5: Consumption Chapter 6: Production Chapter 7: Identity Chapter 8: Conclusion Glossary of Terms Appendix

Read more less

Book SynopsisProvincial Headz: British Hip Hop and Critical Regionalism draws upon spatial practice, material culture, human geography, ethnomusicology and cultural theory in order to present an interdisciplinary counter-narrative to that of hip hop as a strictly urban phenomenon; providing an insight into the relocation of hip hop culture from its inception in New York ghettos to its practices in provincial and rural Britain. Hip hop culture truly arrived in Britain in 1983, a decade after its origin in New York City, and although many important events, artists and recordings that evidence hip hop’s existence in 1980s Britain are well documented, these are almost exclusively urban. Additionally, the narratives embedded in these representations remain too convenient and unchallenged. This book reveals parallel and dialectical experiences of British hip hop pioneers and practitioners dwelling outside the metropolis, discussed under the recurring themes of relocation, territory, consumption, production and identity. These narratives are framed within a rich contextual discourse drawing upon Bhabha, Bourdieu, Foucault, DeLanda and contemporary hip hop scholarship. Shifting hip hop research from urbanism to rurality, the book serves as an introduction to the complexities of its historical narratives in Britain and reveals another hip hop history and how we understand it.Table of ContentsPreface: I Owe Hip Hop Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Location Chapter 3: Relocation Chapter 4: Territory Chapter 5: Consumption Chapter 6: Production Chapter 7: Identity Chapter 8: Conclusion Glossary of Terms Appendix

Read more less

Book SynopsisScouse Pop is a journey into the personalities and music of the successful pioneering Liverpool pop bands of the late seventies and eighties. It examines their motivations, their uniqueness and the routes to success which made them into enduring musical innovators. It looks at the reasons why art-pop bands such as OMD, China Crisis, Echo and the Bunnymen, Black and Frankie Goes to Hollywood managed to combine art and commerce with such spectacular success. The bands experienced their own ''revolutions in the head,'' internal revolutions than eventually made many of them household names. The development of these suburban romantics from Liverpool represented a period of intensive creativity and musical romanticism that still resonates today. The spirit of (internal) revolution at the heart of these bands retains a strong fascination for those interested in artistic creation and popular culture. Given the bleak and uninspiring context within which the bands surfaced, how did these musicians achieve great success? Scouse Pop explores this question in detail, and examines the factors that facilitated the transformation of Liverpool teenage dreams into commercial and cultural impact. The music industry, radio and DJs, producers and engineers, the record-buying public and the bands themselves comprise the heart of this account.

Read more less

Book SynopsisYou've heard the controversy, now read the book:Sticky Fingers is Joe Hagan's pulsing account of 50 years of rock'n'roll excess from Jann Wenner, founder of Rolling Stone magazine and one of the best-connected men of the twentieth century. Featuring exclusive interviews with Mick Jagger, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Yoko Ono, Tom Wolfe, Bette Midler and many more, Hagan's book captures the spirit of the age and paints an unforgettable portrait of one of the most significant cultural forces of our time.Trade ReviewA sprawling rollercoaster of a book - insightful, revelatory, sometimes lurid, and never less than utterly compelling * * The Telegraph * *Offers a fascinating insight into the relationship between Wenner, his writers and some of the most storied musicians and celebrities of the late 20th century * * Guardian * *One of the music books of the year * * Mail on Sunday * *A surprisingly honest portrait of a controversial rock publisher . . . The pages sizzle with the sex and drug-fuelled tales of Hunter Thompson, Annie Leibovitz and Joe Eszterhas. Yet, the through-line remains the complex relationship between Jann and Jane Wenner . . . a profile with real bite * * Mojo * *Overflowing with sex, drugs and John Lennon's wrath . . . the wildest story he never printed - his own * * GQ * *A must-read * * Sunday Times * *Explains, in detail both exhaustive and fascinating, how Wenner went about defining rock stardom, and how he pursued a form of it himself, turning himself into the social equal of those his magazine covered * * Financial Times * *What a fuckin' editor. He's crazy, but he's got a dream -- Hunter S. ThompsonHe's a huge music fan. That's something that has never changed. It's a big part of who he is. And that's at the basis of our relationship. He still gets into the records like we used to get into the records -- Bruce SpringsteenJann likes sexual power, and if you're do­ing what he's doing, and you're in this business, how could you not be interested in that? -- Annie LeibovitzHe leads with his appetites - I take, I see, I have -- Art GarfunkelWenner thinks like a water moccasin -- Truman CapoteWell, you've chosen a fairly big subject there with Jann. It's a complicated life. He's lived a big, big life -- Lorne MichaelsI was intimidated by Jann . . . Not because he was a nasty or snobbish person, but because he founded something so great -- Elton JohnIt was clear to me that Jann, like myself, was growing up in a world surrounded by people who were often out of their minds on drugs, and equally out of their minds on conspira­cy theories and rhetoric. All we had to do was enjoy the company and carefully steer the journey, and we might survive; standing on a pile of corpses perhaps, but having survived -- Pete TownshendI'll tell you what Jann did. He put together a really good gang of writers, nice kids. Not afraid to go and ask questions. And turned something that could have just been a fan magazine into a real piece of journalism. That's what I think Jann did -- Keith RichardsHe and Billy Joel used to sing Gilbert and Sullivan on the backs of their motorcycles. I'm like, "Really?" -- Bette Midler

Read more less

Book SynopsisNevermind, Achtung Baby, Use Your Illusion 1&2 – the 90s saw some classic albums produced by artists such as Nirvana, U2, Gun n’ Roses and Red Hot Chili Peppers, as well as a resurgence in country music popularized by Shania Twain and Garth Brooks. Combining information from both the US and UK charts provided by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and British Phonographic Industry (BPI), 100 Best Selling Albums of the 90s features chart-topping work from Michael Jackson, Puff Daddy and Green Day. Each album entry is accompanied by the original sleeve artwork – front and back – and is packed full of facts and recording information, including a complete track listing, musician and production credits, and an authoritative commentary on the record and its place in cultural history. Soundtracks featured include the 60s and 70s hits on Forrest Gump, the Elton John/Tim Rice songs in The Lion King, and the orchestral score for Titanic (and Celine Dion’s Oscar-winning My Heart Will Go On). Other stand-out albums include the Eagles’ reforming to make Hell Freezes Over and Eric Clapton’s Unplugged, a career revival for him in the popular 90s back-to-basics semi-acoustic series. With vinyl sales now at their highest in 25 years, 100 Best Selling Albums of the 90s is an expert celebration of popular music from Sheryl Crow to Shania Twain, from the Spice Girls to the Backstreet Boys, from Gloria Estefan to Michael Jackson to Lauryn Hill.Table of ContentsShania Twain – Come On Over Whitney Houston – The Bodyguard Alanis Morissette – Jagged Little Pill Hootie & The Blowfish – Cracked Rear View Garth Brooks – No Fences Garth Brooks – Double Live Santana – Supernatural Backstreet Boys – Backstreet Boys Garth Brooks – Ropin’ The Wind Britney Spears - …Baby One More Time Backstreet Boys – Millennium Celine Dion - Falling Into You Shania Twain – The Woman In Me Dixie Chicks – Wide Open Spaces Soundtrack – Forrest Gump Kenny G – Breathless Pearl Jam – Ten Matchbox 20 – Yourself Or Someone Like You Boyz ii Men Soundtrack –Titanic Celine Dion – Let’s Talk About Love Mariah Carey – Music Box TLC – CrazySexyCool Kid Rock – Devil Without A Cause Jewel – Pieces Of You Eric Clapton –Unplugged Mariah Carey – Daydream Nirvana – Nevermind MC Hammer – Please Hammer Don’t Hurt Em No Doubt – Tragic Kingdom Soundtrack – The Lion King Green Day – Dookie Creed – Human Clay Dixie Chicks – Fly Notorious BIG – Life After Death Spice Girls – Spice Britney Spears – Oops! …I Did It Again Will Smith – Big Willie Style Smashing Pumpkins – Mellon Collie and… Mariah Carey – Mariah Carey U2 –Achtung Baby Michael Bolton – Time, Love & Tenderness Ace Of Base – The Sign Billy Ray Cyrus – Some Gave All Boyz ii Men – ColeyHighHarmony Destiny’s Chld – The Writing’s On The Wall Michael Jackson – Dangerous Lauryn Hill – The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill Toni Braxton – Secrets R. Kelly – R Backstreet Boys – Black & Blue Christina Aguilera – Christina Aguilera Tupac – All Eyez On Me Live – Throwing Copper Garth Brooks – In Pieces Toni Braxton – Toni Braxton Stone Temple Pilots – Core Faith Hill – Breathe Sarah McLachlan – Surfacing Kenny G – Miracles Aerosmith – Get a Grip Garth Brooks - The Chase Oasis - Morning Glory The Cranberries – No Need To Argue Savage Garden – Savage Garden Sheryl Crow – Tuesday Night Music Club Celine Dion - The Colour of My Love Ricky Martin – Ricky Martin Red Hot Chili Peppers – Blood Sugar Sex Magick Guns’n’Roses – Use Your Illusion 1&2 Vanilla Ice – To The Extreme Fugees – The Score Limp Bizkit – Significant Other Garth Brooks – Sevens Puff Daddy – No Way Out Eagles – Hell Freezes Over Pearl Jam – Vs. Counting Crows – August & Everything After ‘N Sync – ‘N Sync Dave Matthews Band – Crash Soundtrack – Waiting To Exhale Bonnie Raitt – Luck Of The Draw Meat Loaf - Bat Out Of Hell II Janet Jackson – Janet TLC – Fanmail Dr Dre – Dr Dre 2001 Usher – My Way Soundtrack – Space Jam Garth Brooks – Fresh Horses Stone Temple Pilots – Purple R. Kelly – 12 Play Chicago – Chicago 17 Creed – My Own Prison Third Eye Blind – Third Eye Blind Leann Rimes – Blue Bush – Sixteen Stone Dave Matthews Band – Under The Table And Dreaming Blues Traveller – Four Offspring – Smash Mana – Donde Jugaran Los Ninos

Read more less

Book Synopsis(The Little Black Songbook). The little book with all the big songs! A pocket-sized collection of BobDylan songs presented in chord songbook format, with guitar chord boxes and complete lyrics. Includes the classic songs: All Along the Watchtower * Blowin'' in the Wind * Duquesne Whistle * Hurricane * Knockin'' on Heaven''s Door * Lay, Lady Lay * Maggie''s Farm * Tangled Up in Blue * The Times They Are A-Changin''* and more.

Read more less

Book SynopsisFirst substantial overview of the life and career of Pharrell Williams, the foremost producer of the modern era, and performer in his own right. It follows him from his days growing up in Virginia, his meeting with musical partner Chad Hugo and formation of The Neptunes, through his collaborations with the great and the good of pop, rap and R&B, including Jay-Z, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Snoop Dogg, Gwen Stefani, Nelly and Kelis. It assesses his ground-breaking work with the radical rap-rock-pop band N*E*R*D, and his emergence as a solo superstar via Daft Punk's Get Lucky, Robin Thicke's controversial Blurred Lines and global mega-hit Happy. It delves behind the immaculate facade to find out what makes Williams one of the most driven and inventive musicians of the last 20 years

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe first book to deal exclusively with British musical flops, Must Close Saturday presents a rolling panorama of the good, the bad and the ugly, reassessing their place in theatrical history. The ominous announcement "Must Close Saturday" too often heralded the demise of British musicals. Looking forward from the vantage point of Lionel Bart's spectacularly successful Oliver! in 1960, Adrian Wright's authoritative chronicle of the commercially unsuccessful British musical of the last half a century uncovers a wealth of fascinating material. In the wake of the resurgence that briefly blew through the British musical at the end of the 1950s with verismo works such as Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be and Expresso Bongo, the British musical was shaken by Bart's adaptation of Dickens, but was quickly left floundering in the face of constant critical complaint and financial failure. The first book to deal exclusively with British musical flops, Must Close Saturday presents a rolling panorama of the good, the bad and the ugly, reassessing their place in theatrical history.Wright reveals a consistent striving at invention, with subjects including the electric chair, the Holocaust, the Virgin Mary, social inequality and Trade Unionism, sexual problems and murder, as well as biographical treatments of Hollywood stars, French painters, tragic novelists, royalty, and the Rector of Stiffkey. Discursive and provoking, Must Close Saturday at last prises open the neglected history of the British musical flop up to 2016. ADRIAN WRIGHT is the author of Foreign Country: The Life of L. P. Hartley (1996), John Lehmann: A Pagan Adventure (1998), The Innumerable Dance: The Life and Work of William Alwyn (Boydell & Brewer, 2008), the novel Maroon (2010) and The Voice of Doom (2016). His previous books on British musical theatre are A Tanner's Worth of Tune: Rediscovering the Post-War British Musical (Boydell & Brewer, 2010) and West End Broadway: The Golden Age of the American Musical in London (Boydell & Brewer, 2012). He lives in Norfolk.Trade ReviewHugely entertaining...Flops provide rich subject matter - lovingly explored in Must Close Saturday - and it is easy with the benefit of hindsight to scoff at the bizarre notions that have been set to music: the electric chair; Dr Crippen; Scapa Flow...the match girls at the Bryant & May factory Francis Drake...Christmas crackers... highwaymen; and Barnado's orphanages. * THE SPECTATOR *In Adrian Wright's entertaining new book, Must Close Saturday: The Decline and Fall of the British Musical Flop, he charts the British musical from 1960 to 2016; year by year he analyses that season's failed musicals. The book demonstrates how frequently it's the smallest of margins that can determine a musical's success or failure. Richard Jordan, * THE STAGE *If you are a musical theatre nerd Must Close Saturday is a must for your collection. * BRITISHTHEATRE.COM *We have high hopes in recommending Adrian Wright's Must Close Saturday, The Decline and Fall of the British Musical Flop... Some of the examples are wonderful... This book is not only written for the general reader, then, but also for the more assiduous researcher. Either way, it should certainly be on all library shelves. I adored it. -- Julian Oddy * THEATRE RECORD *A fascinating and highly detailed book...this is a 'must buy' for all musical devotees! * HOME CHAT, THE NEWSLETTER OF THE NOËL COWARD SOCIETY *I have been unable to put it down...many thanks to Adrian Wright for an invaluable tome which should be in the library of everyone who claims to enjoy musical theatre. -- John Groves * OPERETTA RESEARCH CENTER *Table of Contents1960 1961-1964 1965-1966 1967-1969 1970-1972 1973-1976 1977-1979 1980-1983 1984-1989 1990-1999 2000-2005 2006-2016 Appendix: British Musical Flops in London 1960-2016 Notes Select Bibliography

Read more less

Book SynopsisReconstructs the socio-political history of the heroic in music through case studies spanning the middle ages to the twenty-first century The first part of this volume reconstructs the various musical strategies that composers of medieval chant, Renaissance madrigals, and Baroque operas, cantatas or oratorios employed when referring to heroic ideas exemplifying their personal moral and political values. A second part investigating the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries expands the previous narrow focus on Beethoven's heroic middle period and the cult of the virtuoso. It demonstrates the wide spectrum of heroic positions - national, ethnic, revolutionary, bourgeois and spiritual - that filtered not only into 'classical' large-scale heroic symphonies and virtuoso solo concerts, but also into chamber music and vernacular dance music. The third part documents the forced heroization of music in twentieth-century totalitarian regimes such as Nazi-Germany and the Soviet Union and its consequences for heroic thinking and musical styles in the time thereafter. Final chapters show how recent rock-folk and avant-garde musicians in North America and Europe feature new heroic models such as the everyday hero and the scientific heroine revealing new confidence in the idea of the heroic.Table of ContentsIntroduction Beate Kutschke and Katherine Butler Part I. The Configuration of Heroic Music as a Tool for Shaping Moral and Political Identity 1. Holy Heroes: On the Varieties of a Metaphor and its Musical Expression in the Medieval Historiae Roman Hankeln 2. The Heroic in Music and the Musicality of the Hero in Late Sixteenth-Century England Katherine Butler 3. Virtù eroica: Heroic Music, Social Norms, and Musical Reflections in Seventeenth- and Eighteenth-Century Italy Berthold Over 4. Handel's Heroes Jonathan Rhodes Lee Part II. Music, its Ethics and Politics - Beyond 'Beethoven Hero' 5. Design Principles for the Musical Heroic Lawrence M. Zbikowski 6. Tonal Relationships and Spiritual Heroism in Beethoven's Late Style Olga Sánchez-Kisielewska 7. Music, Content, and Context: The Case of Nineteenth-Century Hungarian Music in the Light of the Romantic Heroic Vision Csilla Pethő-Vernet 8. The Austro-German Heroic in the Music-Hermeneutical Era: Musical Discourse in the Service of Nationalist-Patriotic Armament between 1887 and the Early 1930s Beate Kutschke Part III. Heroic Music and its Moralities in Dictatorships and Post-Heroic Democracies 9. Heroicizing Handel in the Third Reich: Towards the Collapse of Political Propaganda Juliane Riepe 10. Soviet War Symphonies and the Heroic Russian Epic Nathan Seinen 11. 'Someone to Save the Day': Popular Music, Springsteen, and the Circle of Hero Production Dietrich Helms 12. Émilie du Châtelet, Kaija Saariaho, and Heroes of the Twenty-First Century Judith Lochhead Afterword Scott Burnham Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe first study of the performance practice, repertoire and context of the modern 'brass ensemble' in the musical world. Whereas the British 'brass band' originated in the nineteenth century and rapidly developed into a nationwide working-class movement, the perceived modern 'brass ensemble' has a less clear foundation and identity. This book is the first to focus exclusively on the performance, practice, repertoire and context of the 'brass ensemble' in the musical world. Following World War II, the brass quintet and other orchestral groupings emerged in the United States and Europe, with musical customs established by professional players playing orchestral instruments. These groups initially played a combination of the music of Gabrieli and his contemporaries as well as newly commissioned works. By the late twentieth century, however, repertory spanned works by Elliott Carter, Maxwell Davies and Lutosławski, together with music that integrated jazz, commercial elements, and landmark transcriptions. At the book's heart is the story of the London-based, internationally acclaimed, Philip Jones Brass Ensemble. But this is not a story of one ensemble, as the 'brass ensemble' can be defined in several forms. The Modern Brass Ensemble in Twentieth-Century Britain offers a comprehensive account by an author and performer who was involved in many of the key developments of the modern 'brass ensemble'.Trade ReviewMiller's writing style is clear and informative, bringing an inclusive, contemporary view to a previously overlooked subject in musical history. He speaks from valuable personal experience in addition to his extensive research, which offers an enthusiastic and assuredly confident tone. -- Lucy Pankhurst * NABMSA Reviews *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Nineteenth-century brass music: the beginnings 2. Brass music-making in the early twentieth century 3. European brass music after World War II: the establishment of the brass quintet in Britain 4. The stimuli of the modern brass ensemble: the record industry, contemporary music, international activity, the player-arranger 5. Howarth's Pictures at an Exhibition, and the new reach of British brass playing 6. Continuity and change: the succession of British brass ensembles after the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble 7. Aspects of historical brass: uncovering phenomena of the past 8. Envoi Appendix 1. Selective List of Published Music Appendix 2. Selective Discography Appendix 3. London Brass: major commissions 1986-2001 Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisA deeply researched and beautifully illustrated study of saxophone legend John Coltrane's signature album. Written with the full co-operation of the Coltrane family and featuring the voices of musicians, producers and writers of the 1960s, Kahn has also unearthed rare, unpublished interviews with Coltrane and bassist Jimmy Garrison. The book also features commentary from contemporary music stars including Carlos Santana, Bono, Phil Lesh, Patti Smith, Ravi Shankar and Steve Reich.Trade ReviewWe get the man, the mission, the methodology ... a well-researched, transparently written, passionately felt book * Independent *One of the most accessible slices of jazz history you'll find...mixes biography, a forensic study of the recording process and an examination of the album's racial, political and spiritual legacy...a fine journalistic narrative -- John Lewis * Time Out *Kahn provides a historical and critical overview of Coltrane's life and work and has also carried out an impressive quantity of research. [It] is an enjoyable read, with great photographs. Coltrane's followers will have to get it * Guardian *Thoroughly absorbing * The Times *Ashley Kahn deftly unpicks the background, describing the context and making of what was to become the signature modern jazz album * Financial Times *Kahn's book puts you there in the studio, next to Elvin's kit -- Geoff Brown * Mojo *

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn a world of boy bands and manufactured pop, Jake Bugg's simply-strummed tales of life on the council estate where he grew up have connected with music fans around the world. Bugg has turned the music industry inside out with the unexpected success of his country folk songs with a rockabilly twist. He's taken the sounds of the 1950s and 60s into the 21st century. But how did a teenager from Nottingham - a city whose music scene was previously notable for one hit wonders and novelty records - go from the bottom of the bill to the top in such a short space of time? Journalist David Nolan has immersed himself in the Nottingham music scene and tracked down the key players who helped Jake along the way. Here, for the first time, is Bugg's story, in this unofficial biography. Jake Bugg: is he The Council Estate Bob Dylan, The Cockiest Lonnie Donegan Wannabe in Nottingham or The King of the Clifton Delta? Maybe he's all three.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIt remains one of the most remarkable breakthroughs in music history. The nervous and dishevelled figure who played his punk-blues song 'Dog House Boogie' before Jools Holland and his dumbstruck Hootenanny audience that New Year's Eve 2006 seemed to have emerged from nowhere. Apparently a sixty-five-year-old former hobo, Steve played his trademark threestring guitar (aka The Three-String Trance Wonder) and stomped on a wooden box with a Mississippi motorcycle plate stuck on (aka The Mississippi Drum Machine). His Norwegian studio had recently failed, he'd had a heart attack, and he was only known among a tiny community of hardcore blues fans, yet by the next morning he was famous. His album Dog House Music, recorded in his kitchen, sold out overnight. 2007 brought a MOJO, Reading and Glastonbury, and 2008 worldwide success and his major label debut. The rest, they say, is history. Or perhaps not. Everyone loved the grit and authenticity of Steve's songs about life on the road. His roots in the Deep South were celebrated across the media, and BBC Four took Steve round Mississippi for a documentary. But look a little closer, and a very different musical - and personal - journey rears its head. In this groundbreaking new biography, Matthew Wright draws on new information and some musical collaborators to create a startling life story, teasing out crucial details to turn the regular story of a hobo's wanderings in the wilderness on its head and bring Seasick Steve's life in from the cold. The real Steve was not a blue-collar amateur who got lucky, but a committed professional, steeped in a variety of ever-changing, era-defining musical traditions throughout his life, from the moment his dad played him boogie-woogie piano as a baby. This is a career that's touched an astonishing range of lives, from Albert King and Lighnin' Hopkins to Jimi Hendrix, from Janis Joplin to Kurt Cobain and Slash of Guns N' Roses. Ramblin' Man tells the tale of the extraordinary life of this musical polymath, as he wound a course through some of the most epochal moments in music history of the twentieth century. The myth was astonishing; the real story is even better.

Read more less

Book Synopsis The latest book in the bestselling All the Songs series, this is the most in-depth exploration of Springsteen's songs ever written.Spanning nearly 50 years of albums, EPs, B-sides, and more, read the full story behind every single song that The Boss has ever released. Moving chronologically through Springsteen's long career, expert authors Margotin and Guesdon explore everything there is to know about every single song. No stone is left unturned across 670 pages, from the inspiration behind the lyrics and melody to the recording process and even the musicians and producers who worked on each track.Uncover the stories behind the music in this truly definitive book - a must-have for every Springsteen fan.

Read more less

Book SynopsisBy the time she was 14, Chrissie Hynde knew she had to get out of Akron, Ohio. Her perfect ’50s American childhood upturned by a newly acquired taste for rock ’n’ roll, motorbikes and the ‘get down boys’ seen at gigs in and around Cleveland – Mitch Ryder, the Jeff Beck Group, the Velvet Underground and David Bowie among the many.Wrapped up in the Kent State University riots and getting dangerously involved in the local biker and drug scenes, she escaped - to Mexico, Canada, Paris and finally London where she caught the embryonic punk scene just in time not only to witness it first-hand, but more importantly to seize the opportunity to form her own band, the Pretenders.Iggy Pop, the Sex Pistols, the Clash, Vivienne & Malcolm, Ray Davies … on every page household names mingle with small town heroes as we shift from bedroom to biker HQ; from squat to practice room; from pub gig to Top Of The Pops – the long and crooked path to stardom, and for the Pretenders, ultimately, tragedy.That Chrissie Hynde is alive to tell the tale is, by her own admission, something of a miracle. Throughout she is brutally honest, wryly humorous and always highly entertaining. She has written one of the most evocative and colourful music memoirs to be published in recent years.Trade ReviewChrissie Hynde has just written the rock memoir of the year * Sunday Times *Chrissie Hynde’s autobiography Reckless ... out-rocks them all * Washington Post *She writes just like she lives, and just like she makes music. She does it her way, which is an inimitable multiplicity of things: impulsive, untamed, ragged, proud, a little sad around the edges * Daily Beast *Full of engaging stories, dry wit and revelations * Guardian *She writes beautifully -- Mail on Sunday

Read more less

Book SynopsisTHE OFFICIAL STORY OF A MUSICAL ICON - TOLD IN FULL FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HIS OWN WORDS'Funny, smart and heartbreaking. Incredible... go listen to it or read it.' Robbie Williams'The most entertaining music memoir since Elton John's Me... This is George O'Dowd in all his exhausting glory.' Observer'Joyously indiscreet' Daily Mail'I went to a lot of trouble to create Boy George and then I went through a whole battle for years about not wanting to be him. But now I enjoy and embrace it in a way that I wasn't able to as a young person.... I'm finally learning to be George Alan O'Dowd from Eltham.'Karma is the definitive autobiography from the incomparable Grammy, Brit and Ivor Novello award-winning lead singer of Culture Club and LGBTQ+ vanguard: Boy George. Told in his inimitable style, Karma tells the story of the charismatic frontman - the drama, the music, his journey of addiction and recovery, surviving prison, meeting legends like David Bowie, Prince and Madonna, and the highs and lows of a life lived in the spotlight and in the headlines.This is the explosive and searingly honest account of Boy George's life as a child growing up in sixties London, coming out to his Irish Catholic family and exploring his sexuality through the hedonism of the seventies - the glam rock and punk rock revolution that birthed Culture Club - and the heydays of the nineties, to finally embracing the man and artist that he is today. With all the humour, honesty, sarcasm (and hats!) that you'd expect, Karma gives us a unique insight into Boy George's incredible story and the true evolution of a music icon.'Culture Club is always going to be one of those lovers I go back to. I've railed against it and that Boy George character I created. For years I convinced myself I was a creature of habit, unchangeable, immovable. But eventually you have to look in the mirror. Not looking for spots, looking for something deeper. Why the hell am I here? I would say life is the point of life.'

Read more less

Book Synopsis'A wonderful book' ELTON JOHN'Beautiful, insightful and honest' CILLIAN MURPHYAs one-third of seminal band Cocteau Twins, Simon Raymonde helped to create some of the most beautiful and memorable albums of the '80s and '90s - music that continues to cast a spell over millions.

Read more less

Book SynopsisI thought it was a great cultural movement, the music, the look, they're things that have shaped who I am... Paul Weller The skin-suede era was the most rigorously smart and pedantically correct in the history of working class street style. Robert Elms Levis, Ben Sherman, Crombie. Reggae, rocksteady, soul. The look and sound of Suedeheads - instantly recognisable in the sixties and early seventies - had a long-lasting impact on British style. Scorcha!: Skins, Suedes and Style from the Streets 1967—73 delves into the roots, rise and fall of the Suedeheads and their close companions the Skinheads. Covering topics from fashion and football to the influence of black music and culture, the book draws on first-hand accounts from the original skin-suede generation and later adopters, such as Paul Weller and Norman Jay MBE. Featuring a foreword by Suggs and jam-packed with iconic images, this is the definitive visual history of the Suedehead way of life.Trade Review'Hundreds of archival pictures contribute to this richly evocative examination of styles' Record Collector, 4* This brilliantly realised volume outlines the facts, fashions and foibles [of the suedehead group]. The layout is superb and the time spent meticulously researching the music, media and memories of those involved superlative, as is the standard of production making this if not the Bible for the period, then at least, in deference to the scooter owners within, the Haynes manual' Shindig!

Read more less

Book SynopsisFor over two decades Julian Joseph has been a towering figure in contemporary jazz. A prodigious composer, a phenomenal pianist, a respected bandleader, an inspirational educator and a highly-engaging broadcaster, he is a true champion of the music. In Music of Initiative Julian Joseph shares his insight into the philosophy and practice of jazz and jazz performance. With incisive text, stunning imagery, and downloadable exercises and videos, this unique guide teaches the listener of jazz how to immerse themselves in the music, and the performer how to approach learning repertoire and improvisation. Bold, provocative, thoughtful and deeply inspiring, Music of Initiative will provide life-long stimulation and inspiration to fans, and performers, of jazz.Table of Contents* Julian has been in jazz for over two decades * Includes downloadable exercises and videos * Shares his insight into both the philosophy and secrets to playing jazz

Read more less

Book SynopsisWorld-renowned Rock photographer, one of the originals at Rolling Stone Magazine and its first chief photographer, an author of multiple photographic books, Baron Wolman recently began posting what he calls his "InstaMusicMemories" on Instagram and sharing them on Facebook. Each post features intimate and revealing text which contextualises the photographs, complementing his images of the classic Rock Stars of the Woodstock generation and inspiring this book. The vast majority of these photographs are being published for the first time, or have only been published in vintage issues of Rolling Stone.

Read more less

Book SynopsisYou've recorded the album, toured the world, and all of the fans have left the venues. Where can the rock star now turn for sanctuary? With stadium size egos to placate, how does the rock star relax in their household? From Keith Moon's stately home to George Harrison's Buddhist retreat, Sinatra's chic apartment to Elton John's crash pad, how do the homes of the rock stars reflect their personalities and idiosyncrasies? This picture led book takes you through the keyhole of the abode's of our biggest stars.

Read more less

Book SynopsisBBC Radio 6 Music is the place for alternative music – and this is the quiz for its fans. From indie pop and iconic rock to trip hop, electronica and dance, these questions will test your knowledge of the last 60 years of floor-fillers, cult classics and the best B-sides to the limit. Including dedicated quizzes on your favourite 6 Music shows, like Lauren Laverne's People's Playlist, Guy Garvey's Finest Hour, Jarvis Cocker's Sunday Service and more, find out how much you can really call yourself the king of rock n' roll.

Read more less

Book SynopsisDark Side of the Spoon: The Rock Cookbook features thirty recipes inspired by some of the most renowned rock acts of today and yesteryear. The dishes are accompanied by exclusive artworks from thirty top illustrators. Catering for cooks of all abilities and tastes, this book will help you master a wide range of starters, mains and desserts – including Smashing Pumpkin Pie, Fleetwood Mac and Cheese and Primal Bream. Dark Side of the Spoon celebrates the many humorous parallels between food and rock, and is a must-have for anyone with a love for cooking, music or illustration, or indeed all three.

Read more less

Book SynopsisMo is 31. He works in an immigration removal centre. He’s a Detention Officer. He wears a shirt, a tie, and sometimes even trousers. He’s from Bishops Stortford. Mo’s in trouble. Mo’s in love. Dangerous and unsettling, beautiful and hilarious, Removal Men is a play with live music and songs. It tells the story of a fragmented 21st century Britain, trying to be powerful, trying to love, trying to escape.

Read more less

Book SynopsisRaised by his grandmother in Tennessee, Gil Scott-Heron's journey from humble beginnings to becoming one of the most uncompromising and influential songwriters of his generation is a remarkable one. In this, his heartfelt, beautifully written and posthumously published memoir, we are given bright insights into the music industry, New York, the civil-rights movement, modern America, governmental hypocrisy, Stevie Wonder and our wider place in the world. It is also a fitting testament to the generous brilliance of Gil Scott-Heron and to the Spirits that guided him.Trade ReviewA marvellous documentary of black America and life lived in the raw * * Spectator * *Engaging and immensely human . . . Much like his poetry, Scott-Heron's style is spare and effective, offering up jagged observations on fame, friendship and political and racial injustice * * Independent on Sunday * *This memoir reads a bit like Langston Hughes filtered through the scratchy and electrified sensibilities of John Lee Hooker, Dick Gregory and Spike Lee . . . about his own music, he could not be more simple or elegant. "I was trying to get people who listened to me," he writes, "to realise that they were not alone." -- Dwight Garner * * New York Times * *One of the great pioneers of late-twentieth-century music. * * Independent * *Scott-Heron is such a fine writer . . . As readers and fans alike, we are left to mourn the passing of surely, the least likely pop star ever, one with a truly brilliant mind. -- Rob Fitzpatrick * * Sunday Times * *A delight, full of with and alliteration and studded with passages of verse . . . it is a heartbreaking read as the last testament of a much-loved man, but it should certainly be read. * * Herald * *Gil Scott-Heron is timeless. * * New York Times * *An impressively lucid book . . . both candid and guarded . . . his final admissions are heart-rending. * * Metro * *For more than two decades, [Gil Scott-Heron] has been committed to examining those facts of the human condition that most of us would rather forget . . . he is an artist who has crafted witty but crucial insights for Black America. * * Washington Post * *The formative incidents of Scott-Heron's life are placed in their cultural and historical contexts with great delicacy and precision. -- Ben Thompson * * Sunday Telegraph * *

Read more less

Book SynopsisLed Zeppelin's blend of rock and heavy metal with other genres of music such as blues, soul, folk, pop, Indian and Celtic ranks them as one of the all-time greatest bands whose influence is still felt today. Taking a chronological look at their career, this book takes the reader from the heady days in 1968 when they first brought their unique sound to a worldwide audience, through the early 1970s when they were billed as the 'biggest band in the world' and to 1980s when they became household names on both sides of the Atlantic. Led Zeppelin is part of Flame Tree's successful ongoing series, Rock Icons. Other titles in the series include David Bowie, Queen, Leonard Cohen, Johnny Cash, Pink Floyd, The Beatles and Elvis.

Read more less

Book SynopsisGoing Deaf for a Living is Steve Lamacq’s candid reflection of several decades spent on the frontline of the alternative music scene. As a writer at the NME and co-host of The Evening Session, Steve naturally attended hundreds of gigs and collected a lifetime’s supply of musical encounters. From witnessing Richey Edwards of the Manic Street Preachers cutting `4Real’ into his arm to the infamous Oasis interview that sparked national outrage, Going Deaf for a Living provides the first-hand account of some of British music’s most memorable moments. But this isn’t just a book about working in the music industry: at its heart, this is a tale about being a music fan – what drives us, infuriates us and fascinates us about the artists we put so much faith in. Covering the periods of grunge, Britpop and the arrival of indie, this acclaimed memoir – updated for the first time – is a thrilling journey through the last great hurrah of the analogue music industry.

Read more less