Traditional and folk music Books

Book SynopsisTHE INSPIRATION FOR THE MAJOR MOTION PICTURE A COMPLETE UNKNOWN.One of the music world?s pre-eminent critics takes a fresh and much-needed look at the day Dylan ?went electric? at the Newport Folk Festival.On the evening of July 25, 1965, Bob Dylan took the stage at Newport Folk Festival, backed by an electric band, and roared into his new rock hit, Like a Rolling Stone. The audience of committed folk purists and political activists who had hailed him as their acoustic prophet reacted with a mix of shock, booing, and scattered cheers. It was the shot heard round the world?Dylan?s declaration of musical independence, the end of the folk revival, and the birth of rock as the voice of a generation?and one of the defining moments in twentieth-century music.In Dylan Goes Electric!, Elijah Wald explores the cultural, political and historical context of this seminal event that embodies the transformative decade that was the sixties. Wald delves deep into the folk revival, the rise of rock, and the tensions between traditional and groundbreaking music to provide new insights into Dylan?s artistic evolution, his special affinity to blues, his complex relationship to the folk establishment and his sometime mentor Pete Seeger, and the ways he reshaped popular music forever. Breaking new ground on a story we think we know, Dylan Goes Electric! is a thoughtful, sharp appraisal of the controversial event at Newport and a nuanced, provocative, analysis of why it matters.?In this tour de force, Elijah Wald complicates the stick-figure myth of generational succession at Newport by doing justice to what he rightly calls Bob Dylan?s ?declaration of independence? . . . This is one of the very best accounts I?ve read of musicians fighting for their honor.? ?Todd Gitlin, author ofThe SixtiesandOccupy NationTrade Review"Provides a deeply researched and entertaining chronicle of the culture clash that Dylan sparked from the Newport stage." -- David Remnick, The New Yorker "It is a great work of scholarship, brimming with insight - among the best music books I have ever read." -- The Guardian "Wald contextualizes the deeply divisive event in illuminating detail ... a major contribution to modern musical history." -- Booklist (starred review) "Wald is a superb analyst of the events he describes. And his analyses fly in the face of conventional wisdom. Even his introduction includes enough startling context to indicate 'Dylan Goes Electric!' will be seeing the old story with new eyes." -- Janet Maslin, New York Times "Wald's personal knowledge seems encyclopedic ... An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism." -- Kirkus Reviews "Anyone interested in Dylan, folk music, or rock and roll will adore this volume. It might not resolve the questions of what really happened in Newport in 1965, but it comes very close." -- Library Journal "In this tour de force, Elijah Wald complicates the stick-figure myth of generational succession at Newport by doing justice to what he rightly calls Bob Dylan's 'declaration of independence' ... This is one of the very best accounts I've read of musicians fighting for their honor." -- Todd Gitlin, author of The Sixties and Occupy Nation "What Wald reveals about that most mystified of singer-songwriters and the folk and rock worlds that then surrounded and elevated him changed my own view of a moment I thought I had all figured out-and of the songwriterly 1960s as a whole." -- Ann Powers, author of Weird Like Us: My Bohemian America and, with the artist, Tori Amos: Piece by Piece "Devastatingly smart analysis ... Wald is a remarkably sharp and graceful writer, capable of drawing extraordinary connections between artists, genres, and cultural moments. There's simply no one better when it comes to unpacking not just the mechanics of American music, but the mythology of American music." -- Amanda Petrusich, author of Do Not Sell At Any Price: The Wild, Obsessive Hunt for the World's Rarest 78rpm Records "Elijah Wald's book reflects the many directions in which America's music scene evolved in those extraordinary years, 1963-1970-I can't recommend it enough." -- George Wein, Founder of the Newport Folk Festival "Concise and entertaining ... a great story, masterfully told, of how the times were, indeed, a-changin'-and why." -- Ed Ward, rock and roll historian for NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross and author of Michael Bloomfield: The Rise and Fall of an American Guitar Hero "Easily the definitive account of Newport '65." -- CounterPunch Magazine "There is no shortage of books about Bob Dylan ... but Elijah Wald's heavily researched book manages to offer new information and unique insight into the social context of this controversial moment in music history." -- Buzzfeed

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

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Book SynopsisBob Dylan is an iconic figure in American music and cultural history. This book considers Dylan from four perspectives: his complicated relationship to blackness, the underrated influence of his singing style, his fascinating image in films, and his controversial songwriting methods that have led to charges of plagiarism.Trade Review"Only Yaffe gets anywhere close to following Dylan's drift" (Christopher Bray, Literary Review)"

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Book Synopsis''Probably the most ambitious, generous and thorough volume about a musician to see publication'' Mouth MagazineThe authorised companion to the music of Nick Drake, compiled, composed and edited by Cally Callomon and Gabrielle Drake, with contributions from Nick''s friends, critics, adherents, family and from Nick Drake himself.Remembered For A While is not a biography. It is, rather, an attempt to cast a few shards of light on Nick Drake the poet, the musician, the singer, the friend, son and brother, who was also more than all of these. We hope it will accompany all those in search of an elusive artist, whose haunting presence defies analysis.The book contains:* In-depth interviews with many of Nick''s friends, most notably Paul Wheeler, Nick''s close friend from Cambridge days, a singer-songwriter who, of all Nick''s friends, perhaps best understood, from personal experience, Nick''s journey through musical creation to dTrade ReviewSometimes painfully honest, often emotional, occasionally funny, sometimes dry and scholarly - always deeply engaging - Remembered for a While is probably the most ambitious, generous and thorough volume about a musician to see publication. Put simply, this is the authoritative resource for fans and future historians who may find themselves considering Nick Drake. In its absolute integrity and its sheer dignity, it is second only to his music * Mouth Magazine *A beautiful book * Guardian Family *This authorised companion to the wistful genius with a troubled mind includes contributions from friends, collaborators, critics and family * Telegraph Books of the Year *From the beautifully tactile cover onwards this musical companion is a genuine delight, featuring never seen before photos, family scrapbook press cuttings, handwritten lyrics, letter extracts from Nick to his parents and also from his father Rodney's diary...Sad but ultimately celebratory, this beautiful publication is the closest any book has yet come to capturing the 'real' Nick Drake * Total Music Magazine *Gabrielle Drake's beautifully put-together tribute to her brother Nick Drake . . . I loved looking at the unseen photos and listening to the unreleased John Peel session that came with the book * Jack Steadman, Observer Books of the Year *Exactly 40 years after his death, acres have been written about Drake, but nothing authorised had come from the Drake estate. This gorgeous new book, co-compiled by his sister Gabrielle rectifies this. It is not a biography, but a deeply considered collection of essays, lyrics, photos and extracts, including from the diary of Drake's father as the folk singer sank into his fatal depression * Sunday Times *I'll be dipping in and out of the sumptuous Nick Drake: Remembered For A While for years to come * Daily Telegraph *Forty years on from his passing and the fragile music and sturdy myth of Nick Drake still haunt the culture . . . This legacy is only enhanced by Remembered for a While . . . a poetic, delightful and fascinating mix of never before seen photos, hand-written lyrics and scrapbooked press clippings as well as interviews with friends and family and excerpts from Drake's letters. A beautifully made and exquisite book built solely out of love for it's subject, Remembered for a While is a perfect companion to the songs that inspired it * Loud and Quiet Magazine *This beautifully packaged book has the imprimatur and approval of his actress sister Gabrielle, as well as contributions from the likes of Monty Don * Belfast Telegraph *A superb book that anyone touched by Nick's music will find fascinating * The Idler Book of the Week *Beautifully packaged and laid out . . . A fitting tribute to a unique musician * Sunday Herald *This book is magnificent . . . An informative and emotionally affecting framing of the life and work of a doomed young man, this book is a labour of love * Irish Times *A beautiful book * Observer *Praise for Nick Drake * . *One of the most beloved English singers of all time * Daily Telegraph *I am a huge admirer of his records * Brad Pitt *Every indie band in America lists Nick Drake as an influence * Green Gartside, lead singer of Scritti Politti *Rock has known a million morose young poets . . . by the law of averages, they were bound to spawn at least one genuine genius. They did. His name was Nick Drake * NME *

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Book SynopsisAcclaimed cultural critic Greil Marcus tells the story of Bob Dylan through the lens of seven penetrating songsTrade Review“The most interesting writer on Dylan over the years has been the cultural critic Greil Marcus. . . . No one alive knows the music that fueled Dylan’s imagination better. Marcus just published Folk Music: A Bob Dylan Biography in Seven Songs. It’s [an] ingenious book of close listening.”—David Remnick, New Yorker“A poignant reminder of everything Trumpism had tried to destroy. His dissections of these songs . . . are thorough and well-referenced.” —Paul Genders, Times Literary Supplement“A book filled with genuine insights. . . . ‘Blowin’ in the Wind,’ the anthem that transformed a little-known folk singer into the conscience of a nation, is exhibit A for Mr. Marcus’s theory of empathy. . . . Mr. Marcus is at his best in exploring this rootedness.”—The Economist“Marcus . . . has written more and better about Dylan than just about anyone, most recently in Folk Music.”—Carl Wilson, Slate“Marcus keeps chasing America’s greatest songwriter down the highway. It’s cultural criticism as a long-running detective story—and a musical love story.”—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, “Best Music Books of 2022”“The book’s openness restores a sense of existential unity, of a whole in which everything has a place and plays a part.”—Devin McKinney, Critics at Large“A perfect storm of things to love: American history, music history, Dylan’s music and beautiful writing. The style is colloquial, but not informal; informative but not didactic, and downright seductive to follow. . . . His in-depth analysis of the songs themselves is unmatched.”—Anne Margaret Daniel, SpectatorFeatured in Globe and Mail’s “Best Books to Gift This Year”“Marcus tends to a hyperbolic style, producing a slightly febrile mood, appropriate to the events being related. He also uncovers, or produces, hidden connections between apparently disparate things.”—David McCooey, New Daily“Marcus’ profound expertise in the American cultural landscape blasts open new fissures in our understanding of this most mythologised of singer-songwriters. . . . The reader comes away marvelling at what Bob Dylan has done with such a violent cultural inheritance, and also at how enmeshed the beauty of the songs are with the brutality in life.”—Gregory Day, Sydney Morning Herald“In elaborating Dylan’s musical journey Marcus puts on display a vast knowledge of America’s popular culture and a sardonic recognition of the flaws in our national character—flaws such as racial injustice and wealth inequality that folk music tries to address. The book is fast-paced, like a song, and hip. . . . [Marcus] closes on an elegiac note punctuated with love. ‘What will go out of the world with him?’”—Arthur Hoyle, New York Journal of Books“The biography, Marcus seems to reason, must emerge prismatically, if at all, through Dylan’s core achievement: the songs themselves. . . . It might be his most resonant tribute to His Bobness: a primer in how seriously to take major art and how to live alongside it in real time, delivered with an idiosyncrasy and crooked grace worthy of its subject.”—Martin Herbert, Art Review“This is an absorbing overall read and Greil Marcus is arguably the best rock culture writer around.”—Tony Jasper, Methodist Recorder“[A] joyously circumlocutory voyage around the Bard of Hibbing.”—Danny Eccleson, MOJO“Greil Marcus tells this great artist’s story through seven of his most transformative songs—a selection that will inevitably cause much debate amongst Dylanophiles.”—Choice“In Folk Music’s interpretative brilliance, boundless energy and moral rage, Marcus honours his source. The discursive Dylanologist par excellence, the freewheelin’ Greil Marcus.”—Joseph Marlow, The Critic“This is the good stuff: the stuff you can’t usually get in books. Greil Marcus is already the most important chronicler of Dylan. But here he outdoes himself. This book is rich with deep understanding, with caustically funny commentary, and a psychoanalysis, much needed, of Bob Dylan and of America.”—Rachel Kushner“Decade after decade, Greil Marcus has proven himself to be not only a brilliant cultural critic about the music, lives, and stories that have helped shape contemporary American consciousness; he has also done much to articulate why our music has always stood at the axis of sound and politics. This book is not only a valuable addition to the canon, it further elevates Marcus to what he has always been: a supreme artist-critic.”—Hilton Als“Here is Greil Marcus at his most brilliantly insightful, eloquent, persuasive, brimming with information about Bob Dylan and his music, unique in his ability to combine the most candid sort of memoirist prose with truly inspired commentary. As Dylan ‘sees himself’ in his subjects, so Greil Marcus ‘sees himself’ in Dylan, the most original musical genius of our time, the perfect subject for the most original music critic of our time.”—Joyce Carol Oates“Greil Marcus’s writing on Dylan constitutes one of the great living bodies of work by one mold-breaking creative mind interpreting the art and meaning of another. Dylan’s multitudes find their champion in Marcus’s critical exuberance.”—Todd Haynes“Marcus is unsurpassed in showing how Dylan reflected the cultural moment even as he changed it. This moving, personal, compelling book traces Dylan’s complex relationship to American culture through some of Dylan’s most iconic songs, enabling us to understand these songs in fresh ways while also giving us a profound history of how we understand ourselves.”—Dana Spiotta “Greil Marcus’s writing on Bob Dylan is as essential as Dylan himself. Through the prism of Dylan’s visionary genius, Marcus unveils a fascinating history of the soul of modern America.”—Olivier Assayas

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Book Synopsis*THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER*The brand new memoir from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Road Beneath My Feet. Taking 36 songs from his back catalogue, folk-punk icon Frank Turner explores his songwriting process. Find out the stories behind the songs forged in the hedonistic years of the mid-2000s North London scene, the ones perfected in Nashville studios, and everything in between. Some of these songs arrive fully-formed, as if they''ve always been there, some take graft and endless reworking to find ''the one''. In exploring them all, Turner reflects with eloquence, insight and self-deprecating wit on exactly what it is to be a songwriter. From love songs and break-up songs to political calls-to-arms; songs composed alone in a hotel room or in soundcheck with the Sleeping Souls, this brilliantly written memoir - featuring exclusive photos of handwritten lyrics and more - is a must-have book for FT fans and anyone curious about how to write music.Trade ReviewIt is moments of honesty and personal revelation such as this that make Try This at Home come alive; the sense that we are getting real insight into someone's life and the way they have tried to make sense of it . . . this fascinating section illustrates the impact of putting your beliefs into lyrics. * The Times *

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Book SynopsisLeonard Cohen's entire, fascinating story, featuring details of his brand new material and interviews with key Cohen associates.

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Book SynopsisIn 2016 it was announced that Bob Dylan had sold his personal archive to the George Kaiser Foundation in Tulsa, Oklahoma, reportedly for $22 million. As the boxes started to arrive, the Foundation asked Clinton Heylin - author of the acclaimed Bob Dylan: Behind the Shades and ''perhaps the world''s authority on all things Dylan'' (Rolling Stone) - to assess the material they had been given. What he found in Tulsa - as well as what he gleaned from other papers he had recently been given access to by Sony and the Dylan office - so changed his understanding of the artist, especially of his creative process, that he became convinced that a whole new biography was needed. It turns out that much of what previous biographers - Dylan himself included - have said is wrong; often as not, a case of, Print the Legend.This is the second instalment of the definitive biography (following A Restless Hungry Feeling) of one contemporary culture''s most iconic and mysterio

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"[An] irresistible outing . . [Nelson's] intelligence and wisdom shine through . . . Fans will relish these insights into the singer-songwriter's many avatars: the kid growing up poor with close ties to his church and family; the political activist who wrote “Vote ‘Em Out” for Beto O’Rourke’s 2018 senatorial campaign; and the enigmatic, sui generis artist. This is a treasure." — Publishers Weekly "In a wry narrative shot through with a loopy, stoner spiritualism, the great songwriter and outlaw country artist takes a ramble through his back pages. . . . A lively accompaniment to Nelson's sprawling, genre-crossing, delightful catalog of recordings." — Kirkus Reviews "[Willie Nelson's] songwriting has consistently been indicative of a born storyteller. It’s fun and, at times, illuminating to read about where some of those stories stemmed from. The photos are great too. . . . A sweet and intimate retrospective of a long and prolific career. This book will make readers feel like they’ve sat down with Nelson, who has just regaled them with tales." — Library Journal "Throughout this lovely act of looking back and moving forward, Nelson wears his well-worn heart on his sleeve. . . . Willie Nelson's many admirers cross myriad lines, and they will eagerly pursue this chance to get close to their idol." — Booklist "[R]eflective and thoughtful . . . [Nelson's] commentary is clear, introspective, patient and wise—showing how his 90 years have funneled into a new perspective on his lyricism and canon. The stories read like Willie himself is sitting across the dinner table from you, regaling you of his best stories from years past." — The Tennessean

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Book SynopsisTerri Thal was very much a part of the folk music world in 1960s Greenwich Village, New York. As well as being 21-year-old Bob Dylan's first manager prior to his contract with Albert Grossman and Columbia Records, she also managed musician Dave Van Ronk (who later became her husband), and others to include Paul Geremia and The Holy Modal Rounders.

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Book SynopsisAn epic journey through sea shanties, high tides and seven seasFrom the international bestselling singer comes The Book of Sea Shanties.The world sang in harmony with Nathan Evans, the Glaswegian postie turned singer of sea shanties. Join him as he takes you through time and seafaring history to discover the true meaning of Wellerman, and who and what exactly was the Drunken Sailor?Featuring over 35 best loved shanties, Nathan will share the meaning behind each of his favourite shanties and show how they have shaped and inspired him. Beautifully illustrated throughout, it will also include original shanties and bonus content written exclusively for this book.Whether you're young or old, gather around and discover the riotous world of sea shanties.Praise for Nathan Evans:A 'Sea Shanty sensation' Rolling Stone'An artist who really lifts the mood when he performs' Daily Telegraph'Too good to miss' Brian May, Daily Express

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Book SynopsisThe definitive biography of country legend Merle Haggard by the New York Times bestselling biographer of Clint Eastwood, Cary Grant, The Eagles, and more.Merle Haggard was one of the most important country music musicians who ever lived. His astonishing musical career stretched across the second half of the 20th Century and into the first two decades of the next, during which he released an extraordinary 63 albums, 38 that made it on to Billboard's Country Top Ten, 13 that went to #1, and 37 #1 hit singles. With his ample songbook, unique singing voice and brilliant phrasing that illuminated his uncompromising commitment to individual freedom, cut with the monkey of personal despair on his back and a chip the size of Monument Valley on his shoulder, Merle's music and his extraordinary charisma helped change the look, the sound, and the fury of American music.The Hag tells, without compromise, the extraordinary life of Merle Haggard, augmented by deep secondary research, sharp detail and ample anecdotal material that biographer Marc Eliot is known for, and enriched and deepened by over 100 new and far-ranging interviews. It explores the uniquely American life of an angry rebellious boy from the wrong side of the tracks bound for a life of crime and a permanent home in a penitentiary, who found redemption through the music of 'the common man.'Merle Haggard's story is a great American saga of a man who lifted himself out of poverty, oppression, loss and wanderlust, to catapult himself into the pantheon of American artists admired around the world. Eliot has interviewed more than 100 people who knew Haggard, worked with him, were influenced by him, loved him or hated him. The book celebrates the accomplishments and explore the singer's infamous dark side: the self-created turmoil that expressed itself through drugs, women, booze, and betrayal. The Hag offers a richly anecdotal narrative that will elevate the life and work of Merle Haggard to where both properly belong, in the pantheon of American music and letters.The Hag is the definitive account of this unique American original, and will speak to readers of country music and rock biographies alike.

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Book SynopsisRob Young''s Electric Eden: Unearthing Britain''s Visionary Music is a seminal book on British music and cultural heritage, that spans the visionary classical and folk tradition from the nineteenth-century to the present day. ''A thoroughly enjoyable read and likely to remain the best-written overview for a long time.''GUARDIAN''A perfectly timed, perfectly pitched alternative history of English folk music . . . wide-ranging, insightful, authoritative, thoroughly entertaining.''NEW STATESMAN''A stunning achievement.''SIMON REYNOLDS''A masterpiece.'' CAUGHT BY THE RIVER''Excellent . . . blissfully quotable.'' NEW YORK TIMES''An authoritative account.'' THE TIMES''Consistently absorbing.'' INDEPENDENT''An impassioned and infectious rallying cry of a book.'' SUNDAY TIMESIn this groundbreaking survey of more than a century of music making in the British Isles, Rob Young investigates how the idea of folk has been handed down and transformed by successive generations - song collectors, composers, Marxist revivalists, folk-rockers, psychedelic voyagers, free festival-goers, experimental pop stars and electronic innovators.In a sweeping panorama of Albion''s soundscape that takes in the pioneer spirit of Cecil Sharp; the pastoral classicism of Ralph Vaughan Williams and Peter Warlock; the industrial folk revival of Ewan MacColl and A. L. Lloyd; the folk-rock of Fairport Convention, Sandy Denny, Nick Drake, Shirley Collins, John Martyn and Pentangle; the bucolic psychedelia of The Incredible String Band, The Beatles and Pink Floyd; the acid folk of Comus, Forest, Mr Fox and Trees; The Wicker Man and occult folklore; the early Glastonbury and Stonehenge festivals; and the visionary pop of Kate Bush, Julian Cope and Talk Talk, Electric Eden maps out a native British musical voice that reflects the complex relationships between town and country, progress and nostalgia, radicalism and conservatism.An attempt to isolate the ''Britishness'' of British music - a wild combination of pagan echoes, spiritual quest, imaginative time-travel, pastoral innocence and electrified creativity - Electric Eden will be treasured by anyone interested in the tangled story of Britain''s folk music and Arcadian dreams.''A treat.'' TIME OUT''Young is a fine writer.'' MOJO''Young''s immense narrative is both educative and gripping.'' UNCUT''A multitudinous, fascinating and beautifully written account.'' TLS

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Book SynopsisFrom his earliest recordings in the 1990s, it was clear that Alasdair Roberts was not only a powerful performer, but also a profoundly original songwriter. In the years since then, he has honed his craft across a series of albums that comprise a richly idiosyncratic body of work. Distinctive as they are musically, Alasdair's songs are equally notable for their articulate, poetic and often moving lyrical qualities now starkly symbolic, now allusively ornate. This book aims to showcase those qualities, with a selection of lyrics from across Alasdair's songwriting catalogue. The lyrics are augmented by newly written notes by Alasdair, with original illustrations by Annabel Wright, plus a foreword by the acclaimed poet Robin Robertson, and several entertaining appendices.

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Book SynopsisIn 1978, four musicians crowded into a cramped basement theater in downtown Seoul, where they, for the first time, brought the rural percussive art of p'ungmul to a burgeoning urban audience. This title traces this reinvention through the rise of the Korean supergroup.

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Book SynopsisEarly on in their relationship Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel realised two things. Firstly, the world liked them working together. Secondly, they didn't. With exclusive interviews with fellow musicians, promoters and those who knew him, and with much unique material, this will be the definitive account of Simon and Garfunkel and their careers.

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Book SynopsisFrom countercultural resistance to world music craze, Balkan music captured the attention of global audiences. Balkanology, the 1991 quintessential album of Bulgarian music, highlights this moment of unbridled creativity. Seasoned musicians all over the world are still in awe of the technical abilities of the musicians in Ansambl Trakiatheir complex additive rhythms, breakneck speeds, stunning improvisations, dense ornamentation, chromatic passages, and innovative modulations. Bridging folk, jazz, and rock sensibilities, Trakia's music has set the standard for Bulgarian music until today, and its members, especially Ivo Papazov, are revered stars at home and abroad. The album reveals how Romani (Gypsy) artists resisted the state's prohibition against Romani music and fashioned a genre that became a youth movement in Bulgaria, and then a world music phenomenon. Balkanology underscores the political, economic and social roles of music during socialism and postsocialism.Trade ReviewThanks to Silverman’s richly textured and fascinating account of the genre through its most successful album, one may expect that many more questions will emerge not merely among students of Eastern Europe’s popular music, but also among those concerned with ethnic and youth cultures, popular music genres and the broader question of music’s nexus with social change. * Popular Music *Table of Contents1. Balkanology 2. Prelude and Golden Age 3. Mafias and Markets 4. Global Balkanology

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Book Synopsis(Music Sales America). Miles Krassen has gathered and re-edited over 1,000 tunes, bringing up to date Capt. Francis O''Neill''s famed collection of Irish dance music, airs, jigs, reels, hornpipes, and marches. Includes an introduction on the history of Irish music with tips on playing with an authentic feeling. Features new settings from the playing of Michael Coleman & the Sligo Fiddle Masters.

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Book SynopsisJohn Fahey is to the solo acoustic guitar what Jimi Hendrix was to the electric: the man whom all subsequent musicians had to listen to. Fahey made more than 40 albums between 1959 and his death in 2001, most of them featuring only his solo steel-string guitar. He fused elements of folk, blues, and experimental composition, taking familiar American sounds and recontextualizing them as something entirely new. John Fahey’s real story has never been told—until now. Journalist Steve Lowenthal has spent years researching Fahey’s life and music, talking with his producers, his friends, his peers, his wives, his business partners, and many others. He describes Fahey’s battles with stage fright, alcohol, and prescription pills; how he ended up homeless and mentally unbalanced; and how, despite his troubles, he managed to found a record label that won Grammys and remains critically revered. This portrait of a troubled and troubling man in a constant state of creative flux is not only a biography but also the compelling story of a great American outcast.Trade Review"Offer[s] a sympathetic portrait of a troubled yet undeniably talented man." Booklist" Dance of Death benefits from astute research and interviews with friends, contemporaries, fellow musicians, and family, painting a vivid picture of a remarkable man." -- Under the Radar"If you have any love for the sound of a guitar and haven't heard him, hustle to your music source and get "The Best of John Fahey" to listen to while reading Lowenthal's book. You won't be disappointed." -- Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel"The fate of the markedly talented and decidedly peculiar, even misanthropic Fahey is told engagingly and with insight by Steve Lowenthal in a compact but potent new biography, Dance of Death: The Life of John Fahey, American Guitarist ." --NewRepublic.com

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Book SynopsisFrom Kumina to Mento, Ska to Rocksteady, Reggae to Dancehall, Roots to Ragga – this is the authentic story of Jamaican popular music, told for the first time by Jamaicans. In Jamaica, Reggae is more than music – it is the nation’s main collective emotional outlet and its chief cultural contribution to the world. Reggae Routes examines the ways in which this uniquely popular music expresses the dreams, desires and realities of the Jamaican people, capturing the `glad to be alive’ spirit which makes Jamaican music so popular worldwide. Jamaican music can be roughly divided into four eras, each with a distinctive beat – ska, rocksteady, reggae and dancehall. Ska dates from about 1960 to mid-1966, rocksteady from 1966 to 1968, while from 1969 to 1983 reggae was the popular beat. The reggae era had two phases, `early reggae’ up to 1974 and `roots reggae’ up to 1983. Since 1983, dancehall has been the prevalent sound. The authors describe each stage in the development of the music, identifying the most popular songs and artists, highlighting the significant social, political and economic issues as they affected the musical scene. While they write from a Jamaican perspective, the intended audience is `any person, local or foreign, interested in a intelligent discussion of reggae music and Jamaica.’ A unique feature of this book is the inclusion of historical radio charts from 1960 to 1966 and a provocative reggae all-time top 100 chart. Copiously illustrated with period photos, record jackets and a variety of music memorabilia, this is the best book ever written on reggae.

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Book SynopsisA SUNDAY TIMES AND TELEGRAPH BOOK OF THE YEARSHORTLISTED FOR THE PENDERYN MUSIC BOOK PRIZETHE BOOKSELLER''S Most Picked Book in General Non-Fiction Round Ups of 2017Peggy Seeger is one of folk music's most influential artists and songwriters. Born in New York City in 1935, she enjoyed a childhood steeped in music and left-wing politics they remain her lifeblood. After college, she travelled to Russia and China against US advice before arriving in London, where she met the man with whom she would raise three children and share the next thirty-three years: Ewan MacColl. Together, they helped lay the foundations of the British folk revival, through the influential Critics Group and the landmark BBC Radio Ballads series. And as Ewan's muse, she inspired one of the twentieth century's most popular love songs, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face'. With a clear eye and generous spirit, Peggy writes of a rollercoast

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Book SynopsisDesperados is the first full history to describe the development of ountry rock, the genre that spawned the world's bestselling record, The Eagles Greatest Hits (which has surpassed Michael Jackson's Thriller .Trade ReviewDrawing from more than 60 exclusive interviews, Einarson masterfully weaves flavorful, revealing quotes from country-rock originators like Chris Hillman, Randy Meisner and Jim Messina into this engaging, up-close look at the passions, chemistry, conflicts and politics that shaped the genre from 1963 to 1973. * Publishers Weekly *Chock full of revealing material from more than 60 interviews, this authoritative guide covers a long-neglected era of rock history. Recommended for rock and music fans. * Library Journal *Einarson covers all the breakups, makeups, and world-class twangin' of the genre that [Gram] Parsons styled "Cosmic American Music," paying plenty of attention to such subgenre stalwarts as Mike Nesmith (once of the Monkees), Linda Ronstadt, Rick Nelson, and Neil Young, not to mention modern mogul supreme David Geffen, who got his start in country rock. -- Mike Tribby * Booklist *Desperados is loaded with interviews with all the significant artists of the era, but what really makes the book enjoyable is Einarson's refusal to perpetuate myths. -- Bob Cannon * Country Weekly *Desperados is an intriguing read and one that will have you looking through used record bins for those long-abandoned copies of The Dillards' "Wheatstraw Suite" and Rick Nelson's StoneCanyon Band. * Country Standard Time *

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Book SynopsisWassail songs are part of Welsh folk culture, but what exactly are they? When are they sung? Why? And where do stars and pretty ribbons fit in? This study addresses these questions, identifying and discussing the various forms of winter wassailing found in Wales in times past and present. It focuses specifically on the Welsh poetry written over the centuries at the celebration of several rituals - most particularly at Christmas, the turn of the year, and on Twelfth Night - which served a distinct purpose. The winter wassailing aspired to improve the quality of the earth's fertility in three specific spheres: the productivity of the land, the animal kingdom, and the human race. This volume provides a rich collection of Welsh songs in their original language, translated into English for the first time, and with musical notation. It also provides a comprehensive analysis of these poems and of the society in which they were sung.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements List of Illustrations An Introduction to Winter Wassailing in Wales Christmas Wassailing Wassailing at the New Year Hunting the Wren Stars and Ribbons: the Mari Lwyd ritual Gwyl Fair y Canhwyllau (Candlemas) Illustrations Tunes Beth sy mor feinion Calennig (1) Calennig (2) Can Hela'r Dryw Can y Dryw Can y Fari Lwyd Cerdd Dydd Calan Conset Prince Rupert or Prince Rupert's Conceit The Cutty Wren Cyfri'r Geifr (1) Cyfri'r Geifr (2) Y cyntaf dydd o'r Gwyliau or The first day of Christmas Deffrwch! Benteulu Dibyn a Dobyn Y Fedle Fawr Ffarwel Gwyr Aberffraw Hyd yma bu'n cerdded Joan's Placket Leave Land or Gadael Tir May Day Y Mochyn Du Peg O'Ramsey Pilgrim Sosban Fach Susannah Tri Thrawiad Gwynedd Y Washael (Wel, dyma enw'r feinwen) Ymdaith Gwyr Harlech or The March of the Men of Harlech Winter Wassailing Songs and Poems 1-49 Bibliography Verse forms Index to first lines Index to poets Index to tunes General Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Lee Bidgood is the first person to do a serious accounting of the forces, political and artistic, that have contributed to the popularity of this outlier music in this unlikely locale. By putting himself in the narrative, one gets an up close and personal sense of the various aspects of the bluegrass and old-time music wave that has swept across the Czech and Slovakian musical landscapes for years--and still counting." --Tony Trischka, from the foreword "Many readers will appreciate both the high level of insight, and that the text makes its points using only 124 pages. Ethnographic works about contemporary music traditions are needed, and Czech Bluegrass: Notes from the Heart of Europe is a valuable tool, helping those interested in bluegrass music understand the rooting of the style in multiple cultures."--Journal of Folklore Research "Bidgood's personalized analysis adds a significant, scholarly piece to the bigger picture of bluegrass as an international phenomenon."--Bookreporter"This book will be of interest to those curious about the assimilation and adaptation of music forms. . . Readers eager for stories of bluegrass and country music that diverge from the common narrative of these genres being made by and for American Southerners will also appreciate the global approach to these genres." --Journal of American Folklore

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Book SynopsisThe classical music of India, its history, instruments, musicians, and theory are thoroughly discussed in this copiously illustrated reference.

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Book SynopsisAs Taylor Swift releases her 11th studio album, The Tortured Poet''s Department, catch up on all her previous eras through the ultimate fan book. Are you a Fearless enthusiast or a Reputation-era renegade? Discover which Taylor Swift era you truly belong to with the ultimate guide for any Swiftie. Taylor has enchanted the world with her music and unapologetically authentic persona. This book explores the exciting tapestry of her career, from her country beginnings to her chart-topping pop anthems.A love letter to the woman who created the soundtrack to so many of our lives, What''s Your Era? is a deep dive into each album and what they mean in the wider scope of her career. If you''re looking to incorporate more of Taylor''s energy and style into your life, or simply want to brush up on your Taylor Swift knowledge, this book is your essential companion. With outfit inspiration for each era, quizzes, and Taylor-themed activities, you''ll be all set, whether you''re hosting the ultimate

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Book SynopsisThe Child Ballads are a series of over 300 traditional ballads from England and Scotland that, along with their American variants, were anthologized by folklorist Francis James Child in the nineteenth century. An Evolving Tradition is the story of the Child Balladsthe world's best-known and most highly regarded repository of traditional English folk songs, and the wellspring for approximately 10,000 recordings over the last century, from obscure musicological archives to classic releases from Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, and Led Zeppelin.Drawing on interviews with numerous scholars and musicians, author Dave Thompson explains what a ballad is, outlines their dominant themes, and recounts how these ballads survived to become a mainstay of field recordings made by Cecil Sharp, Alan Lomax, and others as they traveled the English and American countryside in search of old songs. Thompson traverses the entire spectrum of rock, pop, folk, roots, experimental music, industrial, and

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Book SynopsisThe Greek folk songs "Dimotika Tragoudia in Greek" are songs of the Greek countryside, from island towns to mountain villages. They have been passed down from generation to generation in a centuries-long oral tradition, lasting until the present. They are songs of every aspect of old Greek life: from love songs and ballads, to laments for the dead, to songs of travel and brigands. Written down at the start of the nineteenth century, they are the first works of modern Greek poetry, playing a crucial role in forming the country's modern language and literature. Still known and sung today, they are the Homer of modern Greece. This new translation brings the songs to an English readership for the first time in over a century, capturing the lyricism of the Greek in modern English verse. Foreword by A.E. Stallings, American poet and translator.Trade Review"I was visited by a friend of the modern Greeks, who had with him some folk songs of that people, the most beautiful of all known to us from the point of view of lyric, dramatic and epic poetry. Yet these are folk songs!" -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, [letter to his son, 1815]

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Book SynopsisGreek folk tales descend from Aesop and Greek antiquity, as well as medieval storytelling in the pivotal south-east Mediterranean world that linked Christianity, Islam and Byzantium. These tales, told by folk narrators throughout Greek-speaking regions up to our times, are wondrous, whimsical stories about doughty youths and frightful monsters, resourceful maidens and animals gifted with human speech. The tales weave substantive motifs, characters, and forms into a rich tapestry capturing the temperament and ethos of the Greek folk psyche. ?The folk tales included in this volume were collected in the late-nineteenth to mid-twentieth century. They were found in Greek-speaking lands, including Asia Minor and Cyprus. A few have been borrowed from traditions beyond Greece, while some have come down to us from antiquity, including Aesop-like fables with speaking animal characters.

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Book Synopsis''Leonard Cohen taught us that even in the midst of darkness there is light, in the midst of hatred there is love, with our dying breath we can still sing Hallelujah.'' - The late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks''Among the finest volumes on Cohen's life and lyrics ... An exploration which would have intrigued and engaged Leonard himself.'' - John McKenna, writer and friend of Leonard CohenHarry Freedman uncovers the spiritual traditions that lie behind Leonard Cohen''s profound and unmistakable lyrics.The singer and poet Leonard Cohen was deeply learned in Judaism and Christianity, the spiritual traditions that underpinned his self-identity and the way he made sense of the world. In this book Harry Freedman, a leading author of cultural and religious history, explores the mystical and spiritual sources Cohen drew upon, discusses their original context and the stories and ideas behind them.Cohen's music is studded with allusions to Jewis

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Book SynopsisDescribes the development of chimaycha, a Quechua-language music genre, over the last fifty years, in order to show how changes in performance track and drive evolving conceptions of Andean indigeneity over the same period.

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThis is a perceptive book and a comfortable read. . . . [Levin] beautifully presents his central ideas regarding the spiritual and ecological music making in Inner Asia with enchanting and captivating storytelling. . . . A welcome addition to reading this text is the accompanying CD/DVD, which includes musical examples illustrating the stories and further draws readers into the telling of his story. These audiovisual examples not only function to help in understanding the book itself but are useful for class teaching on Inner Asian music. * Asian Music *Always readable, with issues and ideas presented in an immediate style, rich in personal vignettes and ethnographic detail, and brought to life by the fabulous audio/visual supplement material that is available on-line, Where Rivers and Mountains Sing is a gift for teachers and students. * Ethnomusicology *This is a complex, informationally-dense book that fits well into recent trends toward aural phenomena. -- Nina FalesTable of ContentsContentsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsOn Language and Pronunciation Dramatis Personae1. Finding the Field Road Warriors Kyzyl Reinventing Tuva2. The World Is Alive with the Music of Sound Musical Offerings In a Cave Natural ReverbInterlude3. Listening the Tuvan Way Timbre-Centered Music Throat-Singing: The Ideal Timbral Art4. Sound Mimesis Mimesis and the Power of Representation Hunters: The Earliest Sound Technologists? Ludic Mimesis Sound Mimesis and Spiritual Landscape Sound Mimesis as Narrative The Mimesis of Mimesis Mimesis as Cultural Memory5. Music, Sound, and Animals Animal Spirits Signaling and Singing to Animals Listening to Animals Animals in Music "Animal Style" Art and Music6. An Animist View of the World Huun-Huur-Tu at Home Epic Dreams Shamans and Champagne The Spirit of Manas Women Are Not Supposed to Do This The Ondar Phenomenon CretePostlude: Appropriation and Its DiscontentsGlossaryNotesBibliographyIndexKey to Selections on Compact DiscKey to Selections on DVD

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Book SynopsisFrom the early days of his music with Stockton's Wing to training at Ballymaloe Cookery School, food and music have been parallel lines that have kept Mike Hanrahan on track his entire life.Mike Hanrahan, cook and teacher, songwriter and musician, takes us back stage and into the kitchens of a bohemian, international and surprisingly foodie group of Irish household names, including Ronnie Drew, Finbar Furey, Maura O'Connell, Leslie Dowdall, Pat Shortt, Eleanor Shanley and Sharon Shannon.Mike penned hit singles Beautiful Affair' and Walk Away' for Stockton's Wing, from which a world of touring and behind-the-scenes escapades began. With affectionate portraits of the legendary personalities he came to know along the way, Beautiful Affair rings with the sheer graft, dedication and serious sense of humour of a life well spent on stage and in the kitchen.Mike's time training with Ballymaloe's Darina Allen would see his hobby become a second career. Here, he shares favourite recipes from hoTrade Review Nominated for the Irish Book Awards’ Best Irish Published Book of the Year ‘If you love food and music, this book is compulsory for Christmas’ – Paul Flynn, Head Chef of the Tannery, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford. ‘Beautiful Affair is part memoir, part recipe collection, and a total joy to read. . . . full of funny stories and wry observations on the music and food worlds, along with some fascinating detail. With hand-drawn watercolour illustrations by Charlotte O’Reilly Smith, and recipes from friends, family and professional kitchens, this is a book to savour and cherish.’ – Marie Claire Digby, Irish Times ‘A mixture of wonderful stories. We made the Irish stew… and nearly licked the plates!’ – Sean O’Rourke, RTE Radio 1 ‘This book… it’s literally a beautiful affair. … I thoroughly loved this. It’s a very special piece of work.’ – Marty Whelan, RTE Lyric FM ‘Mike manages to do the impossible – create something which is an honest account of his life, as well as a heart-warming feast for the senses.’ – Hot Press ‘[A] brilliant and often joyful book.’ – Sunday Independent ‘The book is absolutely beautiful. It’s called Beautiful Affair, and it’s a very apt name for it … the illustrations, the recipes, lovely warm stories of a time in music and friendship, and a life’s journey… I loved every moment of it.’ – Tom Dunne, Newstalk ‘[A] moving and insightful book’ – Irish News ‘…through a sequence of picture postcards, Beautiful Affair coalesces to provide a pleasing montage of one man’s life-journey, the sociality of his musical world and the coming-of-age of Ireland as a musical nation within a globalised world… And, of course, there are the recipes too.’ –The Journal of Music

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Book SynopsisMerle is an award-winning, bestselling recording artist. This title takes you on a tour through his house of memories, offering a look inside his turbulent and successful life. It reveals stories about his birth and troubled upbringing in a converted railroad boxcar.Trade ReviewMerle is an American original classic legend. He's every singer-songwriter's hero. He's a great singer. I asked George Jones who his favorite singer was, and he said Merle Haggard. God really blessed ol' Merle. He's the real deal! -- Alan Jackson When I started to have to deal with all those things that have to do with real life, that's when Merle's music started to make sense to me." -- Emmylou Harris

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