Popular music Books
Canongate Books The Fallen: Life In and Out of Britain's Most
Book SynopsisEver been thrown off the bus in the middle of a Swedish forest or asked to play at one of the UK's biggest music festivals with musicians you've just met who are covered in blood? If so you've probably been in The Fall. Dave Simpson made it his mission to track down everyone who has ever played in Britain's most berserk, brilliant group. He uncovers a changing Britain, tales of madness and genius, and wreaks havoc on his own life.Trade ReviewRiveting stuff **** * * Q magazine * *Three decades of personal stories, of social change, shifting cultural landscapes and musical minimum wage slavery, seen through the eyes of a random collection of people whose only constant is that at some point, for some reason, they were members of The Fall. A Canterbury Tales for the MP3 generation. * * Stewart Lee * *A tremendous read. I warmly recommend it. -- Stuart Maconie * * Radio 2 * *A great book - a fucking amazingly great book . . . a simple but excellent concept . . . Absolutely brilliant. It has made me race back to all 554 Fall songs and put them on repeat. * * Everett True * *The best book yet on a band that have evolved into a cross between a large Victorian family and a rehab unit. * * The Times * *I read The Fallen for the second time. Wow. It just does your head in. It's one of the best rock or music books i've ever read. I recommend it without hesitation. It is a monster -- HENRY ROLLINSA right riveting read. -- Simon Reynolds * * Blissblog * *I hate that f***ing t**t! I just f***ing burned it! -- Mark E. SmithBrilliant and bloody awkward. Just like its subjects. * * The Word * *A British, provincial take on Apocalypse Now! where Kurtz (Smith) is encountered by Capt. Willard (Simpson) before the latter gets on the boat -- John Doran * * The Quietus * *Hilarious... horror stories... Dave Simpson's written the book we've been waiting our entire adult life to read. -- Peter Wild * * Bookmunch * *The Fall are my favourite band. I also hate my favourite band. With a passion...I vow never to go to another Fall show and yet somehow always end up at the next one. I am sick. * * Julian Cope * *An amusing study of what is without exaggeration Britain's most uncompromising band. * * Sunday Herald * *
£10.44
Nick Hern Books So You Want To Be In Musicals?
Book SynopsisAn insider's guide to achieving that dream career – by one of the brightest stars in musical theatre. Being in a West End or Broadway musical is the dream of thousands of talented performers. But competition is intense and reaching the spotlight can often require a leap into the dark. So You Want To Be In Musicals? by Ruthie Henshall is your comprehensive guide to building – and sustaining – a successful career in musical theatre, and introduces you to everything you need to know about: Training – how to select a drama school, what to do to get in, and what to do once you’re there Auditioning – how to choose and prepare your pieces, and foster a positive attitude towards auditions Rehearsing – how to construct your character, work with the director, and develop your own creative process Performing – how to deal with nerves, what to do as an understudy, and how to sustain that eight-show-a-week routine Working – how to get an agent, how to market yourself effectively, and how to maintain a healthy body and mind Along with a wealth of honest, straightforward advice, the book is packed with instructive anecdotes from Ruthie's own glittering career.Trade Review'A god-send... I wish this book had been around when I was at drama school - it actually gives you great advice on what to do and the attitude to take if you want to make it in this glamorous business known as show... an excellent read from cover to cover' * Musical Theatre Review *'A comprehensive and cogent insight into the world [Ruthie Henshall] knows inside out... The book intersperses cautionary tales from her illustrious career with invaluable advice on training, auditioning and how to conduct yourself in rehearsals once you've landed the job. After more than 25 years' experience on both sides of the Atlantic, Henshall very evidently knows what she is talking about' * The Stage *'A must for fans and aspiring performers alike' * broadwayworld.com *'Helpful and informative' * British Theatre Guide *
£12.34
Nick Hern Books Secrets of Stage Success: Your Questions Answered
Book SynopsisTwo of the biggest musical-theatre stars working today answer questions submitted by the public on a wide range of theatrical topics. A message from Louise and Mark... This is the book for anyone who's seen a show and thought: 'That could be me...' That's what we used to think growing up, dreaming of working in musical theatre. Now, after years of hard work, we've been lucky enough to star in some amazing shows, including Wicked, The Book of Mormon, Ghost: The Musical, Evita and Cats. We've picked up lots of tips from other performers, and have developed our own strategies and solutions too. In this book, using this knowledge and our experiences, we want to draw back the curtain and shine a spotlight onto how you can follow in our footsteps. What makes our book really different (and useful) is that we asked our fans worldwide to submit questions – and thank you to the hundreds of you who did. Dozens of these questions are featured here, covering every aspect of the industry: 'What is it like training at drama school?' 'How can I improve my vocal range?' 'How do I prepare for an audition?' 'How should I find and select an agent?' 'How do I deal with rejection?' 'How can I progress from the ensemble to a leading role?' This is a tough and competitive business, but passion, determination, a clued-up approach – and this book – will help see you through. Read it to discover the secrets you need to know, and we hope that one day soon, up on stage, it will be you.Trade Review'Useful, cheerful... Reading the encouraging, entertaining words of Dearman and Evans is rather like being present at an extended, in depth Q&A session. You can’t help but learn a lot from virtual conversation with people who really know what they're talking about.' * The Stage *'A must have for anyone in theatre training or even just with a keen interest in theatre… a good, easy read that allows you to go behind the scenes and see what it takes to become that person we see up on stage… you can’t get much stagier than this!' * West End Wilma *'A superb book for anyone thinking about starting out in this mad world of entertainment… definitely one to add to the library' * Musical Theatre Review *'One of the best sources of advice for performers and people thinking about performing as a career I’ve seen... a down-to-earth book containing sage advice from a personal perspective... a useful resource for generations of performers to come. Highly recommended.' * Stage Status *'An invaluable resource… peppered with interesting stories about life in the industry… an easily readable book which gives plenty of insight into the highs and lows of life as a musical theatre performer.' * Everything Theatre *
£8.54
AK Press Making Spaces Safer
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£8.50
Hal Leonard Europe Limited The Best Of Bob Dylan-Chord Songbook
Book Synopsis(Guitar Chord Songbook). From the folk troubadour to electric iconoclast, born-again preacher to elder statesman, Bob Dylan has sound-tracked the last 50 years in an unparalleled catalog of song. This collection contains 70 Dylan classics from every part of his career. Arrangements are in the same keys as the original recordings and include chord symbols, guitar chord frames, and complete lyrics. Songs include: All Along the Watchtower * Blowin'' in the Wind * Forever Young * Hurricane * It Ain''t Me Babe * Just like a Woman * Knockin'' on Heaven''s Door * Lay Lady Lay * Like a Rolling Stone * Mr. Tambourine Man * Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 * Tangled Up in Blue * The Times They Are A''Changin'' * and more.
£16.14
Simon & Schuster Ltd The Rolling Stones: Fifty Years
Book SynopsisIn 1962 Mick Jagger was a bright, well-scrubbed boy (planning a career in the civil service), while Keith Richards was learning how to smoke and to swivel a six-shooter. Add the mercurial Brian Jones (who'd been effectively run out of Cheltenham for theft, multiple impregnations and playing blues guitar) and the wryly opinionated Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts, and the potential was obvious. During the 1960s and 70s the Rolling Stones were the polarising figures in Britain, admired in some quarters for their flamboyance, creativity and salacious lifestyles, and reviled elsewhere for the same reasons. Confidently expected never to reach 30 they are now approaching their seventies and, in 2012, will have been together for 50 years. In The Rolling Stones, Christopher Sandford tells thehuman drama at the centre of the Rolling Stones story. Sandford has carried out interviews with those close to the Stones, family members (including Mick's parents), the group's fans and contemporaries - even examined their previously unreleased FBI files. Like no other book before The Rolling Stoneswill make sense of the rich brew of clever invention and opportunism, of talent, good fortune, insecurity, self-destructiveness, and of drugs, sex and other excess, that made the Stones who they are.
£8.54
Simon & Schuster Ltd Reelin' in the Years: The Soundtrack of a
Book SynopsisWhen Mark Radcliffe was born in the late 1950s, Britain was trying to find its own version of the dangerously sexy Elvis … we gave the world Cliff Richard but by the time Mark was old enough to recognise pop songs on the radio, the UK was exploding into the world's most exciting place to be for a young music fan. In this, his eagerly awaited new book, Mark Radcliffe takes a record from each year of his life, using the song as a starting point from which to reach out and pull together a wonderfully entertaining catalogue of memories and asides about British culture. And, as one would expect from this unique and popular broadcaster, the tunes he lists are not the usual suspects. From The Kinks' 'See My Friends', through Slade's 'Coz I Luv You' to Kraftwerk's 'Europe Endless' and Joy Division's 'Atmosphere', Mark's selections bring forth a diverse collision of styles from eras uniquely defined by their musical genres and fashions. Bringing his choices right up to the present day, we see the inclusion of artists such as Richard Hawley, Elbow and Fleet Foxes. Mark's hugely entertaining and affectionate trawl through his favourite music of the past 50 years is guaranteed to surprise and delight his many fans.
£8.54
V & A Publishing David Bowie Is
Book SynopsisDavid Bowie's career as a pioneering artist spanned nearly 50 years and brought him international acclaim. He continues to be cited as a major influence on contemporary artists and designers working across the creative arts. Published to accompany the blockbuster international exhibition launched at London's Victoria and Albert Museum, this is the only book to be granted access to Bowie's personal archive of performance costume, ephemera and original design artwork by the artist, and brings it together to present a completely new perspective on his creative work and collaborations. The book traces his career from its beginnings in London, through the breakthroughs of Space Oddity and Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, and on to his impact on the larger international tradition of twentieth-century avant-garde art. Essays by V&A curators on Bowie's London, image, and influence on the fashion world, are complemented by Howard Goodall on musicology; Camille Paglia on gender and decadence and Jon Savage on Bowie's relationship with William Burroughs and his fans. Also included is a discussion between Christopher Frayling, Philip Hoare and Mark Kermode, held at the V&A, of Bowie's cultural impact. Over 300 images include personal and performance photographs, costumes, lyric sheets giving an unique insight into Bowie's world.Trade Review'a celebration of the musician's iconic individuality...jam packed...' Anamaria Glavan, Rolling Stone, June 8th 2023....a treasure trove of all things Bowie - a one-stop smorgasbord for the eyes whose pictorials chronicle the groundbreaking star from Ziggy Stardust to Thin White Duke to Heathen and every personality in between. Examiner.com May 20th 2013; The fans of 50 years or those making discoveries in retrospect will be intrigued by the accompanying book "David Bowie Is Inside" that is far more than a fanzine, Suzy Menkes, New York Times, March 18th 2013 ...lends context and picks away at Bowie with such insight...that it's a rare hagiography with soul. Chicago Tribune, April 26th 2013Table of ContentsAstronaut of Inner Spaces, Sundridge Park, Soho, London...Mars, Geoffrey Marsh; Theatre of Gender, David Bowie at the Climax of the Sexual Revolution, Camille Paglia; Oh! You Pretty Things, John Savage; Putting Out Fire with Gasoline, Designing David Bowie, Victoria Broackes; Bowie I Music, Lucky old sun is in my sky..., Howard Goodall; For 'We are the Goon Squad', Bowie, style and the power of the LP cover, 1967-1983, Christopher Breward; Changes, Bowie's life story, Oriole Cullen; David Bowie Then...David Bowie Now... Christopher Frayling, Philip Hoare & Mark Kermode; David Bowie is Photographic, Nicholas Coleridge
£34.00
Taylor & Francis Ltd International Who's Who in Popular Music 2019
Book SynopsisThe International Who's Who in Popular Music 2019 gives biographical information and contact details for some of the most talented and influential artists and individuals from the world of popular music. Now in its nineteenth edition, there are over 7,000 biographies charting the careers and achievements of artists in pop, rock, folk, jazz, dance, world, country music and much more. Key Features:- each entry includes full biographical information: principal career details, recordings and compositions, honours and contact information where available- each entrant is given the opportunity to update his or her information - spans the full range of the popular music industry, from rock to jazz and dance to country- provides information on established names as well as up-and-coming artists- a directory section provides details of music festivals, awards, organizations within the industry, and digital music sources- for ease of reference, the book includes an index of music group members.In one accessible volume this title offers users a vast collection of information on the most famous and influential people in the popular music industry.Table of ContentsPart 1: Biographies Part 2: Directory Appendix A: Music Festivals. Appendix B: Music Organizations. Appendix C: Music Awards. Appendix D: Digital Music. Group Index.
£152.00
Carnegie Publishing Ltd Popular Music in the Manchester Region Since 1950
Book SynopsisManchester was 'at the heart of English pop music creativity for at least three decades'. This fascinating book celebrates this contribution and delves into the music cultures and subcultures around the city during one of the most exciting eras in musical history.
£13.30
Tufnell Press Purists And Peripherals: Hip-Hop and Grime
Book SynopsisPurists and Peripherals examines audience engagement with two cultural forms, hip-hop and grime.
£13.46
Puncture Publications Great Pop Things: The Real History of Rock and
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£19.79
Puncture Publications Mekons Hello Cruel World: Selected Lyrics
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£17.09
Puncture Publications Wild About You!: The Sixties Beat Explosion in
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£26.09
Headpress I Was Elvis Presley's Bastard Love Child: and
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£13.29
Headpress Gigs From Hell: True Stories from Rock & Roll's
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£13.49
Taylor & Francis Ltd Roger Laporte: The Orphic Text
Book SynopsisThis is the first full-length study devoted to Roger Laporte, whose lifelong exploration of the stakes of writing has produced a body of work on the borderline of literature and philosophy. Charting the development of Laporte's writing in relation to the work of Heidegger, Levinas, Blanchot and Derrida, this study offers both a comprehensive reading of Laporte's oeuvre and a new perspective on an important strand of recent thinking about literature. In particular, it is claimed here that the imperfect reflexivity of Laporte's 'Ophic' texts effects a singular opening to reading, and that in doing so it illuminates the ethical dimension of literature which has been the subject of much recent discussion.Table of Contents1: Orphic Writing; 2: Writing the Unknown; 3: Writing as Fugue; 4: Writing Bio–graphy: A Matter of Life and Death; 5: Giving Reading
£69.99
Cherry Red Books Embryo: A Pink Floyd Chronology 1966-1971
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£13.49
Cherry Red Books Rockdetector: Ozzy Osbourne
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£13.49
Cherry Red Books Our Music Is Red - With Purple Flashes: The Story
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£13.49
Cherry Red Books Rockdetector: A To Z Of Power Metal
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£13.49
Cherry Red Books Death To Trad Rock: The Post-Punk Scene 1982-87
Book SynopsisExplores the post-rock scene for the first time in great depth - meeting everybody involved and finding out how they arrived at such a tangent in such a boring decade.
£13.49
Cherry Red Books Tom Waits In The Studio
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£13.49
Equinox Publishing Ltd Bob Dylan
Book Synopsis"Bob Dylan" provides a short introduction to the music of Bob Dylan including an examination of the impact of his work over time and key critical responses. This book starts by locating Dylan's work within a much broader context of the history of the American popular song and its various antecedents, examining how his music draws on a rich heritage of folk, blues, country, r'n'b as well as ballads, standards, nursery rhymes and pop tunes. Focusing on a selection of songs, it examines how his use of words, voice, instruments, melody and timbre, can be understood within the context of various traditions.Much of the writing about Bob Dylan tends to privilege a few recordings, and a limited range of recurring stylistic themes, placing considerable emphasis on Dylan's early career as a 'protest' singer, and then his surrealistic, stream of consciousness mid-1960s music. Yet, the vast majority of Dylan's musical output has been somewhat less radical (but not necessarily less imaginative) and concerned with questions of romantic desire, lust and loss.Negus shows how these thematic concerns are frequently woven into a narrative style that draws from a range of storytelling traditions as diverse as broadside ballads, modern novels and Hollywood cinema. Negus then considers Bob Dylan's enduring impact on new generations of artists in various musical traditions and different parts of the world as well as the influences upon Dylan's changing style and performing identity, from the turn to electric guitars in the 1960s, to the embracing of Christianity and gospel influences in the late 1970s, and increasing explicit use of folk, ballad, blues and country styles in his later work. In assessing some of the key critical responses to Dylan, and in considering his canonisation within a specific popular music tradition, Negus finally asks how claims for Bob Dylan's genius might be assessed. Why is Dylan's work accorded so much value within the popular music canon, and is this justified?Trade ReviewKeith Negus new book is an indispensable primer on Dylans art. Its original, smart, finely written, and concise (but not slight). Highly recommended. Gerry Smith, The Dylan DailyTable of Contents1. Surroundings2. Chronologies3. Traditions4. Lyrics5. MusicAlbum Discography
£21.80
AK Press My First Time: A Collection of First Punk Stories
Book SynopsisA collection of first time' tales from musicians and artists, reminiscing about their first punk gig experiences and the formative nature that it played in their lives at the time and in shaping their adult lives.'
£10.45
Southbank Publishing John Bonham
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£13.49
Helter Skelter Publishing Natural Born Man: The Life of Jack Johnson
Book SynopsisCompelling biography of the breakthrough singer/songwriter, hailed as the 'Dylan for the 21st century'.
£13.49
Outline Press Ltd Entertain Us The Rise of Nirvana
Book SynopsisNirvana are one of the most influential bands in rock history, and even now, nearly 20 years after Kurt Cobain''s death, the reverence in which they are held is undiminished. Books have been written about Nirvana before, but they tend to concentrate on the band''s superstar period and Kurt Cobain''s demise, while skating over the early years. In Entertain Us, Gillian Gaar redresses the balance by examining in forensic detail the band''s rise to fame, and their first album, Bleach. Seattle native Gaar was one of the first journalists to write about Nirvana, and covered the band''s career closely, offering her a unique perspective to write this book. Drawing on extensive interviews with the key characters in the story, including bassist Krist Novoselic, drummer Chad Channing, and producers Jack Endino and Butch Vig, the book charts the band''s formation and early years as well as their role at the center of the grunge gold rush. By critiquing every song the band recorded in thi
£13.46
Trolley Books Gaz's Rockin' Blues: The First 30 Years
Book SynopsisGaz's Rockin' Blues is an institution and London's longest running one-nighter club. This book was released to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the club night in July 2010, and features all the flyers and posters made especially for the night over the years, as well as some photos, anecdotes and everything you wanted to know about this legendary and well-loved night. Gaz's Rockin' Blues was founded by Gaz Mayall on the 3rd of July 1980 and was held at Gossip's on Dean Street, Soho, until November 1995 when it moved to its current venue St Moritz in Wardour Street. The eldest son of blues legend John Mayall, Gaz began collecting records aged 17, bulk buying cheap reggae and ska collections down street markets such as Portbello road and brick lane at a time when it seemed no one wanted them. In late 1986 he formed his band The Trojans, and for the last nineteen years has been running his own record label Gaz's Rockin' Records, producing ska acts and artistes around the world. Never missing a Thursday night in 30 years, Gaz DJ's and hosts, and occasionally plays live with his ska band The Trojans. Gaz was raised on a musical diet of R&B and was dragged around every beat, pop & rock festival and venues throughout the sixties as a child, becoming a lifelong fan of reggae as a kid on the football terraces in the skinhead era circa 1968-72. He is also a great fan of boogie woogie, rock'n'roll, traditional Irish music, funk and world music.
£16.99
Equinox Publishing Ltd Brian Wilson
Book SynopsisBrian Wilson is a genius. Ever since British press agent Derek Taylor launched a publicity campaign with that theme to promote the landmark LP Pet Sounds in 1966, some variation of that claim has been obligatory when discussing the significance of the Beach Boys' founder and chief composer. Originally designed to liberate Wilson from his outmoded image as a purveyor of sun-and-surf teen pop so the symphonic sophistication of his music might be properly appreciated, the assertion has been repeated so often in the forty-plus years since as to render it virtually meaningless. Indeed, if anything, the label today seems an albatross around the man's neck, inasmuch as Wilson's slow-but-steady reemergence as a working musician since the mid-nineties after three decades of mental illness and drug abuse, has been freighted with expectations that he again produce something as epochal as "Good Vibrations" to justify the adoration he inspires in impassioned defenders. Brian Wilson interrogates this and other paradigms that stymie critical appreciation of Wilson's work both with the Beach Boys and as a solo artist.This is the first study of Wilson to eschew chronology for a topical organization that allows discussion of lyrical themes and musical motifs outside of any prejudicial presumptions about their place in the trajectory of his career. The chapter on lyrics explores questions of quality, asking why the words to Wilson's songs are often considered a detriment, before surveying such tendencies as melancholy and introspection, the conceit of childlike wisdom, his depiction of women, and Americana/nostalgia. The section on music focuses on his falsetto, the famous harmonies, the peculiar whiteness of the Beach Boys' sound, as well as song structure. A final chapter on iconicity asks how rock criticism's investment in auteurship both maintains and limits his reputation. Finally, Curnutt examines what Brian Wilson means to his most fervent fans. Together, these issues emphasize the often overlooked point that, despite his status as a "living legend," Brian Wilson does not always fit neatly into the paradigms of taste and value by which critics grant certain artists entry into the pantheon of pop and rock importance.Table of ContentsPreface Introduction: Beyond Biography, Beyond Superlatives Chapter One: 'I Hear the Sound of a Gentle Word': Lyrical Themes and Gestures Chapter Two: 'A Companion for Your Lonely Soul': Musical and Sonic Motifs Chapter Three: 'I'm the Pied Piper': The Peculiar Appeal of Brian Wilson Discography
£63.00
Equinox Publishing Ltd James Brown
Book SynopsisFor ten years between 1965 and 1975, James Brown was the most popular and cutting-edge of any black artist. As one journalist put it, "before Brown, there was music with a beat. After Brown music had found a groove." The drawing out of this "groove," leveraged on "the one," - or the first and third beats of a 4/4 bar, - would provide the key to much of Brown's subsequent musical success and instil within popular music an unprecedented drive that would characterize not only the funk style, but also provide the rhythmic blueprint for dance music up to the present day. This book explores how funk emerged in the mid-1960s at the very apex of the civil rights movement and shows how this music mirrored the broader changes taking place within the African-American community at a crucial political time and continues to this day to underpin remix culture. It traces the extent of the Brown legacy, musically, culturally and otherwise articulating decisive links between Brown's work and the DJ culture that embraced it so emphatically that Brown is now considered to be the most widely sampled African-American recording artist in history; indeed, we seem to have reached a point where many of Brown's refrains - the screams, the horn stabs, the "funky drummer" breakbeats - have been sampled so often as to have seemingly become part of the public domain. Traversing the past forty years of popular music, the book explores how the ubiquitous presence of Brown's groove, the affective and transformative capacities of a grunt or a well-timed "Good God" or punctuating scream take over where language fails and compel even the most sedate listener to take to the floor.Table of Contents1. A Musical Future 2. The Early Years 3. The Soul Era 4. The Foundations of Funk 5. The Godfather of Post-Soul
£63.00
Gibson Square Books Ltd Soul Music: The Pulse of Race and Music
Book SynopsisCan classical music change lives? In Soul Music, novelist Candace Allen embarks on a personal journey that takes her from the streets of London and Scotland to Venezuela, where the Sistema scheme has offered thousands of young people a route out of the ghetto mentality through virtuoso musical training, bringing global fame to the charismatic conductor Gustavo Dudamel; to Ramallah, and Daniel Barenboim's East-West Divan Orchestra in which young Israelis and Palestinians play side-by-side.Trade Review'How it feels to be free... So powerful... She reveals much about what lies at the heart of any journey into so-called classical music.' Guy Dammann, New Statesman 'Formidable.' Evening Standard 'Intriguing and sometimes disturbing series of reflections on the interplay of race and music, particularly western music... Enthralled by her grasp of the educational subtleties of El Sistema... There is much food for contemplation and much for confrontation.' Norman Lebrecht 'Thoughtful and passionate and needs to be read.' Alan Davey, Chief Executive Arts Council England. 'The most interesting book to date on the subject of social music projects... passion, zeal and candour...will appeal and infuriate.' Marshall Marcus, Director Southbank Centre's Sistema Research ProgrammeTable of ContentsWe moved from Boston's negro enclave... 'This is a show tune...' 'You don't have to live next to me...' 'To be young, gifted and black...' On the market front... 'We can deal with rockets and dreams...' 'How beauteous mankind is!...' Entr'acte 'What fruit it bears...' Darkness into Light Opera in the Streets A Brief Pause to Take Stock Manna from the South 'Change is the only certainty...' The Purpose of Music Codas Diminuendo con amore Acknowledgements Further Reading Index
£11.99
Outline Press Ltd Read Burn
Book SynopsisRead & Burn is the first serious, in-depth appraisal of Wire, one of the most influential British bands to emerge during the punk era. If Wire were briefly a punk band, however, it was largely by historical accident. Despite the fact that they had complicated and transformed that category almost before they''d begun, they seem never to have quite escaped the label. Be it punk, post-punk, or art-punk, critics have clung onto the p-word in an attempt to capture the essence of Wire''s innovative uniqueness. But their story - which honours punk''s original yet quickly forgotten commitment to the new - is one of constant remaking and remodelling, one that stubbornly resists reduction to a single identity. As a result, the group''s projects have always balanced uneasily between artistic endeavour and the need for commercial sustainability, played out against the backdrop of the musicians'' perennially complex creative relationships. Tracing Wire''s diverse output from 1977 up until
£13.46
Outline Press Ltd Neil Sedaka Rock 'n' roll Survivor: The inside
Book SynopsisFrom 1958 to 1963, Neil Sedaka sold 25 million records - more than anyone except Elvis Presley. He thought he could do no wrong, but a year later he was all but off the charts, swept away by The Beatles and the British Invasion - a blow he never saw coming. The deejays stopped playing his records, and the public stopped buying them. For 12 agonizing years, Sedaka battled to get back on the charts-back to respectability. He tried everything: working with hip, young songwriters, playing on demo sessions, and even enduring the rough and tumble of working men's clubs in remote corners in the UK. Then, one magical night, he performed at the Royal Albert Hall in London. His new songs, including 'Solitaire,' were greeted with thunderous applause. Shortly thereafter, Elton John, the biggest rock'n'roll star of the decade, stopped by to see him and offered to sign Neil to his new label, Rocket Records. And that was it. In October 1974, 'Laughter In The Rain' showed up at number 95 on Billboard-Sedaka's first appearance on the charts in over a decade. Sixteen weeks later it reached number one, sealing one of the most amazing comebacks in music history. This vivid and authoritative book, written with full access to Sedaka and those closest to him, tells the absorbing story of how he overcame one obstacle after another to become the ultimate rock'n'roll survivor.
£999.99
Outline Press Ltd A Sense of Wonder
Book SynopsisLong before there was a peace process in Ireland, Van Morrison unwittingly did his bit to unite a nation divided. Born in the heart of East Belfast in the North, he is revered as a Celtic soul hero in the South. His music, while rooted in jazz and blues and soul, has an Irish accent--a distinctly Protestant Irish accent. Morrison''s songs form a map of this small island--a map of places, people, and cultures, too. They evoke a long-ago Belfast at a time before it became violently divided by sectarian conflict during the Troubles. They laud literary giants James Joyce, W.B. Yeats, and Oscar Wilde. They tell of the immigrant experience, the going away from the land that has long been Ireland''s heartache. And they form a map of Morrison himself, revealing more than this notoriously difficult character ever would in interviews or conversations. A Sense Of Wonder is not a biography of Van Morrison. Rather, it is a journey through the Ireland depicted in his songs--a journey that
£13.46
Outline Press Ltd Lee, Myself & I: Inside The Very Special World Of
Book SynopsisIf I had a name like Wyndham Wallace I would not associate or correspond with anyone with a simple name like mine. However, since you have lowered yourself to such depths, how can my old Indian heart (west not east) not respond favourably. -Lee Hazlewood, fax message to the author, Valentine's Day 1999. Lee, Myself and I is an intimate portrait of the last years of Lee Hazlewood, the legendary singer and songwriter best known for 'These Boots Are Made For Walkin', the chart-topping hit he wrote and produced for Nancy Sinatra. It begins in 1999, when Hazlewood began his comeback after many years in the wilderness, and ends with his death in 2007. In the intervening years, the author, Wyndham Wallace, became Hazlewood's friend, confidante, de-facto manager, and more, even providing the lyrics for Lee's final recording, 'Hilli (At The Top Of The World'. In the light of reissues of Hazlewood's work by the esteemed Light In The Attic label-including There's A Dream I've Been Saving: Lee Hazlewood Industries 1966-1971, an acclaimed boxed set of his work with the label he founded, LHI, as well as further releases including liner notes by Wallace-interest in Hazlewood has never been greater. Lee, Myself and I is the first book to address his life and work. Through recollections of their lengthy conversations and adventures together, Wallace captures the complex personality-charming but cantankerous, blunt but poetic-of a reclusive icon whose work helped shape the American pop cultural landscape, and who still influences countless artists today. He also sheds light on often overlooked or more obscure aspects of Hazlewood's career, including his pioneering work with Duane Eddy and Phil Spector, and the outstanding recordings he made during his self-imposed exile to Sweden in the 1970s. Lee, Myself and I is a tale of validation: both the author's and Hazlewood's. It's the story of what it's like to meet your hero, befriend him, and then watch him die.
£13.46
Outline Press Ltd Riot On Sunset Strip: Rock 'n' roll's Last Stand
Book SynopsisOn the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles in 1965 and 1966 an electrifying scene appeared out of nowhere, exploded into creativity, and then, just as suddenly, vanished. So much remarkable music, art, and social revolution came from one place at one time, it's difficult now to grasp how it all happened. This book tells the story of the astonishing time when rock'n'roll displaced movies as the centre of action in Hollywood. From the moment The Byrds debuted at Ciro's on March 26th 1965-with Bob Dylan joining them onstage-right up to the demonstrations of November 1966, Sunset Strip nightclubs nurtured and broke The Doors, Love, Buffalo Springfield (featuring Neil Young and Stephen Stills), Frank Zappa's Mothers Of Invention, Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band, The Turtles, The Mamas and The Papas, and many others. The Strip was a hotbed for garage punk bands such as The Standells, The Electric Prunes, and The Leaves. Folk-rock and psychedelia were born there, while it was also a favourite hangout and inspiration for The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Velvet Underground. Republished to coincide with the 50th anniversary of these incredible times, Riot On Sunset Strip: Rock'n'Roll's Last Stand In Hollywood captures the excitement of this great artistic awakening, telling how the scene came together and then fell apart at the Monterey Pop festival, the tragic grand finale of the Summer of Love. It serves as a startling evocation of the social and artistic revolution that was the 60s.
£13.46
Outline Press Ltd Monkees, Head, and the 60s
Book SynopsisHow has a group conceived as a short-lived commodity outlived many more 'real' bands by nearly fifty years? Why are The Monkees still important, and what does this tell us about their music, their TV show, and our understanding of popular culture today? Despite being built in Hollywood, and not necessarily to last, that is precisely what their music, TV, and cinematic output has done. They in many ways unique-as the first 'made for TV' band, their success introduced methods of marketing pop that have since become standard industry practice; their 'big screen' use of film and images in live performance is likewise now a firmly established principle of concert staging; and in the way they changed the rules of the game, taking control over their own affairs at the height of the success, risking magnificent failure by doing so. The Monkees invented a new kind of TV, gave a new model to the music industry, and left behind one of the most enigmatic movies of the modern era, Head. This book is about all that and more. Beginning by exploring the origins and personalities of the four Monkees before looking in depth at their work together on screen, on stage, and on record, this is the first serious study of the band and the first to fully acknowledge their importance to the development of pop as we now know it.
£13.46
Reel Art Press The Verve: Photographs by Chris Floyd
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£25.46
Reel Art Press The Book Of Rhyme & Reason
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£29.96
Taylor & Francis Ltd Urban Space, Identity and Postmodernity in 1980s
Book SynopsisThis book encourages a rethink of the urban youth movement that came to be known as la movida through a close analysis of the monthly arts magazine La Luna de Madrid (1983–1988). It analyses La Luna's urban reimaginings and its destabilization of fixed identity categories.Table of Contents1. Introduction: La Luna de Madrid and la movida madrileña 2. La Luna de Madrid and the City of Madrid: Reimagining and Reclaiming Urban Space 3. La Luna de Madrid's Destabilization of Identity: Gender, Nationality, and the Individual 4. Modernity and Postmodernity in and of La Luna de Madrid 5. Conclusion: Towards a New Critical Approach to la movida
£84.99
Two Rivers Press When Reading Really Rocked: The Live Music Scene
Book SynopsisRelive the decade when Reading's music scene turned itself up to 11 and really started to rock. This hugely well-informed and entertaining account of live music in Reading between 1966 and 1976 charts the journey from the emergence of psychedelia to the dawn of punk, and brings into focus the many musicians and bands - from The Amboy Dukes to The Who - that played at venues around the town. Read about the early years of the Reading Festival, lost and much missed music venues, and local musical heroes. Includes a foreword by Mike Cooper.
£12.99
Bookmarks Publications Bob Marley: Roots Reggae & Revolution
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£7.99
Outline Press Ltd Perfect Day: An Intimate Portrait Of Life With
Book SynopsisIn this intimate and revealing memoir, Lou Reed s first wife finally tells the full story of her five-year relationship with the legendary New York singer and songwriter. Bettye met Lou in 1968 as a nineteen-year-old Columbia University student; they were married, briefly, in 1973. Their relationship spanned some of the most pivotal years of his life and career, from the demise of The Velvet Underground to the writing and recording of his seminal solo masterpieces Transformer, for which Lou wrote 'Perfect Day about an afternoon they spent together in the park, and Berlin, which draws on tales from Bettye s childhood. Here, Bettye looks back on their initially idyllic life together on the Upper East Side; Lou s struggle to launch a solo career after leaving perhaps the most influential rock band of all time; his work and friendships with fellow stars David Bowie and Iggy Pop; and his descent into drink and drug abuse following the success of Transformer, which sent him spinning out from gentle soul to rock n roll animal and brought a swift and calamitous end to their relationship. A powerful and poignant meditation on love, loss, and music, Perfect Day offers a fascinating new perspective on the life and legend of one of rock n roll s finest sons.
£13.46
Outline Press Ltd Earthbound: David Bowie and The Man Who Fell To
Book Synopsis'Before there was Star Wars before there was Close Encounters there was The Man Who Fell To Earth. advertising tag line for 1981 reissue of the film. Earthbound is the first book-length exploration of a true classic of twentieth-century science-fiction cinema, shot under the heavy, ethereal skies of New Mexico by the legendary British director Nicolas Roeg and starring David Bowie in a role he seemed born for as an extra-terrestrial named Thomas Newton who comes to Earth in search of water. Based on a novel by the highly regarded American writer Walter Tevis, this dreamy, distressing, and visionary film resonates even more strongly in the twenty-first century than it did on its original release during the year of the US Bicentennial. Drawing on extensive research and exclusive first-hand interviews with members of the cast and crew, Earthbound begins with a look at Tevis s 1963 novel before moving into a detailed analysis of a film described by its director as 'a sci-fi film without a lot of sci-fi tools and starring a group of actors Bowie, Buck Henry, Candy Clark, Rip Torn later described by one of them (Henry) as 'not a cast but a dinner party. It also seeks to uncover the mysteries surrounding Bowie s rejected soundtrack to the film (elements of which later ended up his ground-breaking 1977 album Low) and closes with a look at his return to the themes and characters of The Man Who Fell To Earth in one of his final works, the acclaimed musical production Lazarus.
£13.46
Outline Press Ltd Lunch With The Wild Frontiers A History of
Book SynopsisPhill Savidge is widely credited as being the main instigator of the Britpop music movement that swept the UK in the mid-1990s. Savidge was co-founder and head of legendary public relations company Savage & Best, the company that represented most of the artists associated with the scene, including Suede, Pulp, The Verve, Elastica, Kula Shaker, Spiritualized, Menswear, The Auteurs, and Black Box Recorder. Savidge suggests that Britpop came about 'by accident' because he refused to represent any American bands. He subsequently ended up with an extremely accessible, media-friendly roster that 'lived ’round the corner' and included the most exciting press-worthy acts of the era. His unique experience at the epicentre of Britpop led to many intimate, not entirely self-congratulatory encounters with a who’s who of popular culture — including Brett Anderson, Damon Albarn, Roy Orbison, David Bowie, Joe Strummer, Lou Reed, Michael Barrymore, Richard Ashcroft, Andre
£13.46
Outline Press Ltd So Much For The 30 Year Plan: Therapy?—The
Book SynopsisBefore we recorded Infernal Love, I didn t know if I was coming or going. I developed quite a healthy drug habit and was drinking a bottle of Absolut vodka every day. I thought that if I gave up drinking, I d spend the next two weeks lying in bed and feeling sick. I decided to keep going and see if inspiration would hit - Andy Cairns, Therapy? So Much For The 30 Year Plan is the first ever book to detail the life of Therapy?, one of rock s boldest and most idiosyncratic acts. Written with the full co-operation of the band s current members frontman Andy Cairns, bassist Michael McKeegan, and drummer Neil Cooper this official biography explores the dizzying highs and crushing lows they have experienced while navigating a three-decade-long career. Featuring extensive interviews with the band and key figures from throughout their career, So Much For The 30 Year Plan offers insights into the band s origins in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, the backlash they received from the underground scene after signing to a major label, the birth of their million-selling 1994 album Troublegum, the full story behind their split with founding member Fyfe Ewing, and much more. Published to coincide with the band s 30th anniversary tour, this is essential reading for all Therapy? fans and for anyone with an interest in the alternative music of the era.
£13.46
Outline Press Ltd Here They Come With Their Make-Up On: Suede,
Book SynopsisThere were only a handful of people in the world who still really believed in Suede at the time, and five of them were in the band. Brett Anderson, Suede. Suede were Marmite at the time, and I was expecting the press to trash them. Every meeting I had with the record company, I was told they were done for. Ed Buller, Coming Up producer. How did they do that? Comeback of the century. Select magazine cover, November 1996. Here They Come with Their Make-Up On examines in exquisite detail how Suede emerged from the chaotic, ruined remnants of their career and somehow managed to conjure up their most joyously evocative and celebrated album to date. Coming Up the extraordinary record in question stumped the band s most ardent critics and hit the jackpot, with sales that eclipsed those of their first two releases combined. As the band s publicist throughout that period, Jane is uniquely placed to reveal exactly how they did it. This book is also a personal journey into the heart of an album that Jane loves if not unconditionally then as a piece of work that has ultimately survived the ravages of time and the brutish, nasty, and not-so-short nature of the media scrutiny that had threatened to confine the band to the dustbin of history. In addition, it features yet more outlandish tales from Jane s time with Suede and those around them back then, as well as new interviews with band members Brett Anderson, Richard Oakes, and Neil Codling, and Coming Up s producer, Ed Buller.
£13.46
