Best of
Music

2018

Beastie Boys Book


Michael DiamondIan Rogers - 2018
    Here is their story, told for the first time in the words of the band. Adam "ADROCK" Horovitz and Michael "Mike D" Diamond offer revealing and very funny accounts of their transition from teenage punks to budding rappers; their early collaboration with Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin; the debut album that became the first hip hop record ever to hit #1, Licensed to Ill--and the album's messy fallout as the band broke with Def Jam; their move to Los Angeles and rebirth with the genre-defying masterpiece Paul's Boutique; their evolution as musicians and social activists over the course of the classic albums Check Your Head, Ill Communication, and Hello Nasty and the Tibetan Freedom Concert benefits conceived by the late Adam "MCA" Yauch; and more. For more than thirty years, this band has had an inescapable and indelible influence on popular culture.With a style as distinctive and eclectic as a Beastie Boys album, Beastie Boys Book upends the typical music memoir. Alongside the band narrative you will find rare photos, original illustrations, a cookbook by chef Roy Choi, a graphic novel, a map of Beastie Boys' New York, mixtape playlists, pieces by guest contributors, and many more surprises.

Let's Go (So We Can Get Back): A Memoir of Recording and Discording with Wilco, Etc.


Jeff Tweedy - 2018
    But while his songs and music have been endlessly discussed and analyzed, Jeff has rarely talked so directly about himself, his life, or his artistic process.Until now. In his long-awaited memoir, Jeff will tell stories about his childhood in Belleville, Illinois; the St. Louis record store, rock clubs, and live-music circuit that sparked his songwriting and performing career; and the Chicago scene that brought it all together. He also talks in-depth about his collaborators in Uncle Tupelo, Wilco, and more; and writes lovingly about his parents; wife, Susie; and sons, Spencer and Sammy.

To Throw Away Unopened


Viv Albertine - 2018
    Something so old and so deep, it has no words, no shape, no logic. Every memoir is a battle between reality and invention - but in her follow up to Clothes, Music, Boys, Viv Albertine has reinvented the genre with her unflinching honesty.To Throw Away Unopened is a fearless dissection of one woman's obsession with the truth - the truth about family, power, and her identity as a rebel and outsider. It is a gaping wound of a book, both an exercise in blood-letting and psychological archaeology, excavating what lies beneath: the fear, the loneliness, the anger. It is a brutal expose of human dysfunctionality, the impossibility of true intimacy, and the damage wrought upon us by secrets and revelations, siblings and parents.Yet it is also a testament to how we can rebuild ourselves and come to face the world again. It is a portrait of the love stories that constitute a life, often bringing as much pain as joy. With the inimitable blend of humour, vulnerability, and intelligence that makes Viv Albertine one of our finest authors working today, To Throw Away Unopened smashes through layers of propriety and leads us into a new place of savage self-discovery.

Something Wonderful: Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway Revolution


Todd S. Purdum - 2018
    Even before they joined forces, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II had written dozens of Broadway shows, but together they pioneered a new art form: the serious musical play. Their songs and dance numbers served to advance the drama and reveal character, a sharp break from the past and the template on which all future musicals would be built.Though different in personality and often emotionally distant from each other, Rodgers and Hammerstein presented an unbroken front to the world and forged much more than a songwriting team; their partnership was also one of the most profitable and powerful entertainment businesses of their era. They were cultural powerhouses whose work came to define postwar America on stage, screen, television, and radio. But they also had their failures and flops, and more than once they feared they had lost their touch.Todd S. Purdum’s portrait of these two men, their creative process, and their groundbreaking innovations will captivate lovers of musical theater, lovers of the classic American songbook, and young lovers wherever they are. He shows that what Rodgers and Hammerstein wrought was truly something wonderful.

Geddy Lee's Big Beautiful Book of Bass


Geddy Lee - 2018
    For the past seven years, he's dedicated himself to studying the history of the instrument that's been so essential to his career, collecting hundreds of basses from around the globe, 250 of which are presented here in breathtaking detail with specially commissioned photography by Richard Sibbald.Representing every tone in the bass palette, every nuance of the rock and roll genre as well as blues, jazz, pop, and country, this one-of-a-kind collection features so-called "beauty queens"—pristine instruments never lifted from their cases—as well as "road warriors"—well-worn, sweat-soaked basses that proudly show their age and use. Complete with personal commentary from Geddy that showcases his knowledge both as a musician and an aficionado, this luxuriously produced volume is a revelatory look at the heavy hitters in the world of bass—Fender, Gibson/Epiphone, Rickenbacker, Höfner, Ampeg—and lesser known but influential global luthiers such as Antonio Wandr Pioli, Dan Armstrong, and Tony Zemaitis.The book also features interviews with John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin); Adam Clayton (U2); Robert Trujillo (Metallica); Jeff Tweedy (Wilco); Bill Wyman (The Rolling Stones); Les Claypool (Primus); Bob Daisley (Rainbow); Fender expert and owner of the legendary Gibson Explorer, Bass Ken Collins; veteran guitar tech for The Who, Alan Rogan; plus comments from many other great players across three decades of rock and roll.Written in Geddy's singular voice, this book reveals the stories, songs, and history behind the instruments of his inimitable collection. Complete with an index and a graphically designed timeline of the history of the bass, as well as an up-close look at Geddy's basses on Rush's final R40 Tour, his stage and recording gear from 1968 to 2017, and forewords by author and respected vintage expert, Terry Foster, and Rush band member, Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee's Big Beautiful Book of Bass is the ultimate compendium for the consummate collector, musician, Rush fan, and anyone who loves the bass guitar.

Coal Black Mornings


Brett Anderson - 2018
    As a teenager he clashed with his eccentric taxi-driving father (who would parade around their council house dressed as Lawrence of Arabia, air-conducting his favourite composers) and adored his beautiful, artistic mother. He brilliantly evokes the seventies, the suffocating discomfort of a very English kind of poverty and the burning need for escape that it breeds. Anderson charts the shabby romance of creativity as he travelled the tube in search of inspiration, fuelled by Marmite and nicotine, and Suede's rise from rehearsals in bedrooms, squats and pubs. And he catalogues the intense relationships that make and break bands as well as the devastating loss of his mother.Coal Black Mornings is profoundly moving, funny and intense - a book which stands alongside the most emotionally truthful of personal stories.

How To Be Invisible


Kate Bush - 2018
    One paradox about Kate is that while her lyrics are proudly idiosyncratic, those same lyrics evoke emotions and sensations that feel universal. Literature works in similar mysterious ways. Kate's the opposite of a confessional singer-songwriter ... You don't learn much about Kate from her songs. She's fond of masks and costumes - lyrically and literally - and of yarns, fabulations and atypical narrative viewpoints. Yet, these fiercely singular songs, which nobody else could have authored, are also maps of the heart, the psyche, the imagination. In other words, art.' David Mitchell

Inner City Pressure: The Story of Grime


Dan Hancox - 2018
    WILEY. KANO. STORMZY. SKEPTA. JME. SHYSTIE. WRETCH 32. GHETTS. LETHAL BIZZLE. TINCHY STRYDER. DURRTY GOODZ. DEVLIN. D DOUBLE E. CRAZY TITCH. ROLL DEEP. PAY AS U GO. NASTY CREW. RUFF SQWAD. BOY BETTER KNOW.The year 2000. As Britain celebrates the new millennium, something is stirring in the crumbling council estates of inner-city London. Making beats on stolen software, spitting lyrics on tower block rooftops and beaming out signals from pirate-radio aerials, a group of teenagers raised on UK garage, American hip-hop and Jamaican reggae stumble upon a dazzling new genre.Against all odds, these young MCs will grow up to become some of the UK’s most famous musicians, scoring number one records and dominating British pop culture for years to come. Hip-hop royalty will fawn over them, billion dollar brands will queue up to beg for their endorsements and through their determined DIY ethics they’ll turn the music industry's logic on its head.But getting there won’t be easy. Successive governments will attempt to control their music, their behaviour and even their clothes. The media will demonise them and the police will shut down their clubs. National radio stations and live music venues will ban them. There will be riots, fighting in the streets, even murder. And the inner-city landscape that shaped them will be changed beyond all recognition.Drawn from over a decade of in depth interviews and research with all the key MCs, DJs and industry players, in this extraordinary book the UK’s best grime journalist Dan Hancox tells the remarkable story of how a group of outsiders went on to create a genre that has become a British institution. Here, for the first time, is the full story of grime.

Led Zeppelin By Led Zeppelin


Led Zeppelin - 2018
    

A Better Me: The Official Autobiography


Gary Barlow - 2018
    In 2003, as he struggled with the disappointment of an underperforming solo career alongside the tireless media taunts; Gary turned to food. Relentlessly. In the space of nine years he had been on 20 diets in the hopes of a resolution to all his woes. After asking the doctor what the 'cure' for obesity was, it sunk in that he was the only one who could take control of his health. Gary describes this realisation and the task that lay ahead - 'it was like being at the foot of a massive mountain'.So how did he go from an obese, out-of-work and depressed pop icon, to a superstar of music and TV and an accomplished musical songwriter and producer who is full of vitality, fitter, happier and more successful than ever before. What happened?In his extraordinarily honest memoir A Better Me, Gary tells of his journey back to professional success and mental and physical health. From reforming Take That to critical and commercial acclaim and reigniting his own legendary songwriting career; to overcoming his weight problems and crippling obsession with food; to TV judging panel stardom on The X Factor and Let It Shine and at last finding balance in both his personal and professional life.A Better Me is a remarkably frank memoir of Gary's life as he battled with weight, stress, fitness and depression, and staged one of the most thrilling professional comebacks in years. In his warm, witty and authentic voice, he recounts his story with compelling insight, captivating honesty and a human side that people rarely see. Here is one of the UK's most beloved pop stars open, honest and raw and as we've never seen him before.

Buffy Sainte-Marie: The Authorized Biography


Andrea Warner - 2018
    Rock icon. Living legend. Buffy Sainte-Marie is all of these things, and Greystone is proud to celebrate the incredible Cree singer-songwriter, activist, and educator with her authorized biography.For more than 50 years, Sainte-Marie has made her voice heard through her music, art, and activism, establishing herself among the ranks of folk greats such as Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan. She’s released more than twenty albums and ten singles, survived being blacklisted by two U.S. presidents, and has received countless accolades, including the only Academy Award ever to be won by a First Nations artist. Her most recent album, Power in the Blood (2015), won the Polaris Music Prize and two Juno Awards. But Sainte-Marie is so much more than a musician; she is also an entrepreneur, a pioneer in digital art, and an important cultural activist who has worked tirelessly advocating for and protecting Indigenous rights and freedoms. Her incredible contributions to society will be recognized when she receives the Allan Waters Humanitarian Award at the 2017 Juno Awards, and will also come to light in her forthcoming biography.Penned by leading music, culture, and feminist writer Andrea Warner, Buffy Sainte-Marie: An Authorized Biography will weave a powerful, intimate look at the life of a beloved artist and everything that she has accomplished in her 76 years (and counting).

Fryderyk Chopin: A Life and Times


Alan Walker - 2018
    Walker's work is a corrective biography, intended to dispel the many myths and legends that continue to surround Chopin. Fryderyk Chopin is an intimate look into a dramatic life; of particular focus are Chopin's childhood and youth in Poland, which are brought into line with the latest scholarly findings, and Chopin's romantic life with George Sand, with whom he lived for nine years.Comprehensive and engaging, and written in highly readable prose, the biography wears its scholarship lightly: this is a book suited as much for the professional pianist as it is for the casual music lover. Just as he did in his definitive biography of Liszt, Walker illuminates Chopin and his music with unprecedented clarity in this magisterial biography, bringing to life one of the nineteenth century's most confounding, beloved, and legendary artists.

The Gospel According to Luke


Steve Lukather - 2018
    The dominant pop-culture sound of the late-1970s and '80s was not in fact the smash and sneer of punk, but a slick, polished amalgam of rock and R&B that was first staked out on Boz Scaggs' Silk Degrees. That album was shaped in large part by the founding members of Toto, who were emerging as the most in-demand elite session muso-crew in LA, and further developed on the band's self-titled three-million-selling debut smash of 1978. A string of hits followed for the band going into the '80s and beyond. Running parallel to this, as stellar session players, Lukather and band-mates David Paich, Jeff Porcaro and Steve Porcaro were also the creative linchpins on some of the most successful, influential and enduring records of the era. In The Gospel According to Luke, Lukather tells the Toto story: how a group of high school friends formed the band in 1977 and went on to sell more than 40 million records worldwide. He also lifts the lid on what really went on behind the closed studio doors and shows the unique creative processes of some of the most legendary names in music: from Quincy Jones, Paul McCartney, Stevie Nicks and Elton John to Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, Don Henley, Roger Waters and Aretha Franklin. And yet, Lukather's extraordinary tale encompasses the dark side of the American Dream.Engaging, incisive and often hilarious, The Gospel According to Luke is no ordinary rock memoir. It is the real thing . . .

Duplicity


S.M. Shade - 2018
    His reputation precedes him and none of it is positive. Considering his past exploits, drunken fights, and fondness for destroying hotel rooms, I don’t expect the next four months to be easy. For the sake of Foxhaven Resort, I’m going to make it work. Hosting an A-list celebrity will draw affluent guests and solidify the future success of the resort recently left to me by my late father.I have enormous shoes to fill and no rude, womanizing rock god is going to distract me. With his powerful voice, gorgeous face, and lean body, he may be accustomed to getting his way, especially with women, but I know better.So, he can flash that charming smile in another direction.

The Voice: Listening for God’s Voice and Finding Your Own


Sandi Patty - 2018
    And yet, off the stage, Sandi struggled to have a voice at all.Through deeply intimate stories of her life and the empowering spiritual truths she’s learned, Sandi offers readers wisdom to navigate the journey from voicelessness to discovering the voice God has given you. With a poignant history of sexual abuse, infidelity, divorce, and crises of self-image, Sandi lived much of her life feeling unworthy of love or value. And like so many of us, she coped by living through the voices of others, allowing other people to prescribe her identity. As she performed around the world, Sandi met others just like her, who hid wounds behind quiet smiles and struggled to live with fractured identities.Sandi’s warm and invitational writing will draw you to the voice of God who sings over your life saying you are seen, you are loved, and your voice is worth hearing. With timeless wisdom, The Voice will help you uncover your God-given identity and a voice of your very own.“God heard my voice even when I couldn’t hear it myself and then his voice broke through my walls and wounds, insecurities and self-doubts. I am voiceless no more!”

Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More


Adrian Harte - 2018
    But I have to give credit where it is due, it’s a quality piece. The man has done his research and it shows. It provided me with more than a few revelations … and I’m in the band.’ — Bill Gould, Faith No MoreSmall Victories: The True Story of Faith No More is the definitive biography of one of the most intriguing bands of the late twentieth century. Written with the participation of the group’s key members, it tells how such a heterogeneous group formed, flourished, and fractured, and how Faith No More helped redefine rock, metal and alternative music. The book chronicles the creative and personal tensions that defined and fueled the band, forensically examines the band’s beginnings in San Francisco’s post-punk wasteland, and charts the factors behind the group’s ascent to MTV-era stardom.Small Victories strips away the mythology and misinformation behind their misanthropic masterpiece Angel Dust, explores the rationale behind the frequent hiring and firing of band members, and traces the unraveling of the band in the mid-1990s. It also examines the band’s breakup and hiatus, explores their unwelcome legacy as nu-metal godfathers, and gives a behind-the-scenes view of their rebirth. Based on meticulous research and hundreds of interviews with current and former band members and other key figures, Small Victories combines a fan’s passion with a reporter’s perspicacity.

Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop


Vikki Tobak - 2018
     Featuring rare outtakes from over 100 photoshoots alongside interviews and essays from industry legends, Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop takes readers on a chronological journey from old-school to alternative hip-hop and from analog to digital photography. The ultimate companion for music and photography enthusiasts, Contact High is the definitive history of hip-hop's early days, celebrating the artists that shaped the iconic album covers, t-shirts and posters beloved by hip-hop fans today. With essays from BILL ADLER, RHEA L. COMBS, FAB 5 FREDDY, MICHAEL GONZALES, YOUNG GURU, DJ PREMIER, and RZA

Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah to the Last Goodbye


Dave Lory - 2018
    Written by his manager Dave Lory, Jeff Buckley includes interviews with others who worked closely with him who have never spoken before. For the first time since Jeff Buckley’s untimely death on May 29, 1997, his manager Dave Lory reveals what it was like to work with one of rock’s most celebrated and influential artists. Go on the road and behind the scenes with Jeff, from the release of his debut EP Live at Sin-é to the second album Buckley never completed. Jeff Buckley includes testimony from the many people who worked closely with Jeff both on and off stage and includes never-before-shared intimate scenes that only Lory witnessed, including what went down immediately after Lory got that fateful call, “Jeff is missing.”

The Greatest Showman: Music from the Motion Picture Soundtrack


Benj Pasek - 2018
    A musical drama biopic chronicling P.T. Barnum (played by Hugh Jackman) and his founding of the Barnum & Bailey Circus, this December 2017 film features a stunning soundtrack by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul of La La Land and Dear Evan Hansen fame. Our songbook features piano/vocal/guitar arrangements of 9 songs including the Golden Globe-winning "This Is Me" and: Come Alive * From Now On * The Greatest Show * A Million Dreams * Never Enough * The Other Side * Rewrite the Stars * Tightrope. Also includes full-color scenes from the movie.

Swans: Sacrifice and Transcendence: The Oral History


Nick Soulsby - 2018
    You have to keep things close to your chest and be aware of what’s really important: the work, not everything around it. If you have faith in the work, then the people will come … it’s an artistic imperative, it has nothing to do with public perception or career or any of that crap. "The name, Swans, it’s synonymous with who I am, but it’s how it’s achieved and it’s achieved by people—those people need to have total commitment to making this sound and to making it utterly incisive and uncompromising. The work is everything and it has to—at least at the time—appear, to me, to be stellar. That’s the prerequisite. It’s an intangible thing where it really speaks and has some truth within it."—Michael Gira Over a span of some three and a half decades, Michael Gira’s Swans have risen from chaotic origins in the aftermath of New York’s No Wave scene to become one of the most acclaimed rock-orientated acts of recent years. The 1980s’ infamous ‘loudest band on the planet’ morphed repeatedly until collapsing exhausted, broken, and dispirited in the late 1990s. Swans returned triumphantly in 2010 to top end-of-year polls and achieve feted status among fans and critics alike as the great survivors and latter-day statesmen of the underground scene. Throughout, Gira’s desire has remained to create music of such intensity that the listener might forget flesh, get rid of the body, exist as pure energy—transcendent—inside of the sound. Through these pages, the musicians responsible tell the tale of one of the most significant bands of the US post-punk era. Drawing on more than 125 original interviews, Swans: Sacrifice And Transcendence is the ultimate companion to Swans and their work from the 1980s to the present day.

When Paul Met Artie: The Story of Simon & Garfunkel


G. Neri - 2018
    As teens, they practiced singing into a tape recorder, building harmonies that blended their now-famous voices until they sounded just right. They wrote songs together, pursued big-time music producers, and dreamed of becoming stars, never imagining how far their music would take them. Against a backdrop of street-corner doo-wop gangs, the electrifying beginnings of rock ’n’ roll, and the rise of the counterculture folk music scene, G. Neri and David Litchfield chronicle the path that led two young boys from Queens to teenage stardom and back to obscurity, before finding their own true voices and captivating the world with their talent. Back matter includes an afterword, a discography, a bibliography, and a fascinating list of song influences.

A Ransom Christmas


Rachel Schurig - 2018
    Join the entire Ransom gang as they invade Vegas for the wedding none of them ever expected to happen—and plenty of Christmas surprises!

Outside the Jukebox: How I Turned My Vintage Music Obsession Into My Dream Gig


Scott Bradlee - 2018
    With student loan debt piling up and no lucrative gigs around the corner, Scott Bradlee found himself in a situation all too familiar to struggling musicians and creative professionals, unsure whether he should use the little income he had to pay his rent or to avoid defaulting on his loans. It was under these desperate circumstances that Bradlee began experimenting, applying his passion for jazz, ragtime, and doo wop styles to contemporary hits by singers like Macklemore and Miley Cyrus--and suddenly an idea was born. Today, Postmodern Jukebox -- the rotating supergroup devoted to period covers of pop songs, which Bradlee created in a basement apartment in Queens, New York--is a bona fide global sensation, having collected more than three million subscribers on YouTube while selling out major venues around the world and developing previously unknown talent into superstar singers. From its Etta James-inspired rendition of Radiohead's "Creep" to its New Orleans jazz interpretation of Meghan Trainor's "All About That Bass," the group has established a sound like no other, crafting hits as exquisitely sublime as they are humorously absurd. But it wasn't always as easy as the YouTube videos make it look. As he worked to establish Postmodern Jukebox, Bradlee struggled through the obstacles that every self-employed artist or entrepreneur with a vision faces: how to collaborate successfully on teams with divergent visions, how to outrun the naysayers, how to chase the next innovation when your reputation makes others start to pigeonhole you, and so many of the other challenges lining the path to success. Taking readers through the false starts, hilarious backstage antics, and unexpected breakthroughs of Bradlee's journey from a lost musician to a musical kingmaker -- and presenting all the entrepreneurial insights he learned along the way -- Outside the Jukebox is an inspiring memoir about how one musician found his rhythm and launched a movement that would forever change our relationships to our favorite songs.

My Love Story


Tina Turner - 2018
    Emphatically showcasing Tina’s signature blend of strength, energy, heart, and soul, this is a gorgeously wrought memoir as enthralling and moving as any of her greatest hits.

From My Heart: The Autobiography


Linda Nolan - 2018
    And I’ve chosen not to spend it constantly stressing about cancer. I’ve chosen to enjoy the little things. I’ve chosen to laugh. And I’ve chosen to look back on my life and thank God for it.' In March 2017, Linda Nolan was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer and was given the terrible news that, while it was treatable, it was not curable. Her first thought was to worry about her family, who were still grieving the loss of their sister Bernie. Her second was, ‘But I’m alive and I’m going to fight it.’In From My Heart, Linda writes honestly about growing up in her big Irish family and finding fame with her sisters in The Nolans and reveals the shocking family secrets and feuds that threatened to tear them apart. She also describes her original battle with breast cancer and how the death of her husband left her deeply depressed, to the point of feeling suicidal. Just as she’d learned to embrace life again, and even to start dating, the cancer came back . . . In this warm, brave and funny memoir, Linda shows that it’s never too late to learn what really matters.

Guitar Fretboard: Memorize The Fretboard In Less Than 24 Hours: 35+ Tips And Exercises Included


Guitar Head - 2018
    Learning guitar theory with no knowledge about the names of the fretboard is comparable to learning complex arithmetic equations without knowing numbers! This book will make sure you don't end up like one of those guitarists! Here is why you should learn the fretboard: Understand how notes are arranged on the fretboard Create a mind map to navigate through the fretboard Communicate the ideas you have in your head to written format or to other musicians Create various visual references to make the fretboard less daunting And lots more Why Should I buy this book? It's only fair to ask yourself this question before spending your hard-earned money on anything. Here is what you'll find inside: The whole process of learning the fretboard simplified into 5 easy steps A step by step approach which will give you results even if you are a complete beginner 35+ exercises and tips to make sure you get results as fast as humanly possible The theory behind every concept for those who need it Countless memory techniques to make the process as simple as possible Beginner friendly - no prior music experience required All this taught in less than a day! Why this book from among the 100 others? I know there are multiple books out there that teaches you the exact same things. They have a lot more reviews and have been out for longer than this book. But here is how this book is different: Unique memory techniques which cannot be found elsewhere High quality pictures and diagrams to give you the whole picture Free bonus material including fretboard diagrams, Flash cards, Reference material and lots more! Gives you results faster than any book out there! I hope that was enough reasons to make you jump onto the book! So, what are you waiting for? Scroll up and click the BUY NOW button to get access to such a goldmine!

BTS: K-Pop's International Superstars


Katy Sprinkel - 2018
    This commemorative collection also looks back at the Bangtan Boys’ evolving musical sound, explores what makes each member of the group so memorable, and has fun with their friendship and social media presence. Also featuring a look ahead at what is sure to be an even brighter future, this is the ultimate book for ARMYs as well as new K-pop fans everywhere.

The Sixth String of Vilayat Khan


Namita Devidayal - 2018
    He broke hearts and he broke rules. He tinkered as furiously with his car as he did with his instrument, which he transformed technically to create the new sitar standard. And always there was the music, at the centre of his being, protected and unharmed—music that contained the sound of ‘fairies dancing, elephants walking’. Vilayat Khan saw music. He was the man who made the sitar sing. .Namita Devidayal, author of the acclaimed bestseller, The Music Room, recreates the extraordinary life of an artiste who fundamentally and forever changed Indian instrumental music. She follows his footsteps from Calcutta, through Delhi, Bombay, Shimla and Dehradun, to Princeton, USA, where he spent his last years. Filled with previously untold stories about the man and the musician, this is an intimate portrait of an uncommon genius. .It is also an absolute feat of research—and storytelling. .‘Vilayat Khan and Ravi Shankar promised each other they would never perform together after this. Kishan Maharaj later told someone, ‘If these two eyes of India play together again, one will shut for ever.’ i

Mother American Night: My Life and Crazy Times


John Perry Barlow - 2018
    Referred to by more than one publication as "The Most Interesting Man in the World," Barlow has throughout his life maintained close relationships with such diverse cultural figures as Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, Timothy Leary, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and Steve Jobs. During his long and varied career, Barlow has written the lyrics to 30 songs by the Grateful Dead while also running his family's cattle ranch. Despite being a freely self-confessed acidhead, he served as a campaign manager for Dick Cheney during his run for Congress in 1978--the same year he hosted 18-year-old JFK Jr. at his ranch for some summer seasoning. When he was 42, Barlow became a renowned internet guru who began vigorously defending the right for all to use it freely by co-founding the Electronic Freedom Foundation in 1990.A brilliant thinker and writer, he has over the course of the past half century somehow managed to be at the cutting edge of popular culture. And as impressive as his accomplishments have been, Barlow's dramatic personal life reads like the story of a generation writ large. Blessed with an incredible sense of humor and a unique voice that comes right off the page, Barlow is a born storyteller in the tradition of Mark Twain and Will Rogers.

All Gates Open: The Story of Can


Rob Young - 2018
    It consists of two books.In Book One, Rob Young gives us the full biography of a band that emerged at the vanguard of what would come to be called the Krautrock scene in late sixties Cologne. With Irmin Schmidt and Holger Czukay - two classically trained students of Stockhausen - at the heart of the band, CAN's studio and live performances burned an incendiary trail through the decade that followed: and left a legacy that is still reverberating today in hip hop, post rock, ambient, and countless other genres. Rob Young's account draws on unique interviews with all founding members of CAN, as well as their vocalists, friends and music industry associates. And he revisits the music, which is still deliriously innovative and unclassifiable more than four decades on. All Gates Open is a portrait of a group who worked with visionary intensity and belief, outside the system and inside their own inner space.Book Two, Can Kiosk, has been assembled by Irmin Schmidt, founding member and guiding spirit of the band, as a 'collage - a technique long associated with CAN's approach to recording. There is an oral history of the band drawing on interviews that Irmin made with musicians who see CAN as an influence - such as Bobby Gillespie, Geoff Barrow, Daniel Miller, and many others. There are also interviews with artists and filmmakers like Wim Wenders and John Malkovitch, where Schmidt reflects on more personal matters and his work with film. Extracts of Schmidt's notebook and diaries from 2013-14 are also reproduced as a reflection on the creative process, and the memories, dreams, and epiphanies it entails. Can Kiosk offers further perspectives on a band that have inspired several generations of musicians and filmmakers in the voices of the artists themselves.CAN were unique, and their legacy is articulated in two books in this volume with the depth, rigour, originality, and intensity associated with the band itself. It is illustrated throughout with previously unseen art, photographs, and ephemera from the band's archive.

The 5 O'Clock Band


Troy Andrews - 2018
    He hits the streets of New Orleans to find some answers and to soak up some inspiration. Along the way, he’ll meet people who have their own special wisdom to share about being an artist, a leader, and a friend.

One Hundred Lyrics and a Poem


Neil Tennant - 2018
    Arranged alphabetically, One Hundred Lyrics and a Poem presents an overview of his considerable achievement as a chronicler of modern life: the romance, the break-ups, the aspirations, the changing attitudes, the history, the politics, the pain. The landscape of Tennant's lyrics is recognisably British in character - restrained and preoccupied with the mundane, occasionally satirical, yet also yearning for escape and theatrical release. Often surprisingly revealing, this volume is contextualised by a personal commentary on each lyric and an introduction by the author which gives a fascinating insight into the process and genesis of writing. Flamboyant, understated, celebratory and elegiac, Neil Tennant's lyrics are a document of our times.

Kill ’Em All


John Niven - 2018
    And time for the return of Steven Stelfox, exactly twenty years on from his Britpop heyday.Now forty-seven and rich beyond the dreams of avarice, Stelfox works only occasionally as a music industry ‘consultant’. A fixer. A problem solver. He’s had a call from his old friend James Trellick, now president of Unigram, one of the largest record companies in America. Trellick has a huge headache on his hands in the shape of...Lucius Du Pre. The biggest pop star on earth. Well, once the biggest pop star on earth. Now he’s a helpless junkie and a prolific, unrepentant sexual predator. Through a programme of debt restructuring so complex even Trellick can barely understand it, Du Pre is massively in hock to the record company. The only way he can possibly pay it off is to embark on a worldwide comeback tour he’s in no shape to do. The picture is further complicated when the parents of one of Du Pre’s ‘special friends’ begin blackmailing him. If their video gets out, Du Pre’s brand will be utterly toxic and will take Unigram down with it.Enter Stelfox stage right. Only he has the lack of morality to spin this one. With stealth and cunning he begins to chart a road out of the nightmare and to make a killing in the process. For this age of ‘American carnage’ – of populism, of the lowest common denominator, of the Big Lie – is truly Stelfox’s time to shine. But in this time of uncertainty, nothing is a given._____________________‘A banging action satirical thriller. But it’s also a proper novel about the Trumpian era, of the reality TV era, the fake news era. It’s managed to say a lot of things in a way that very few other novels are doing and in a very comedic way’ IRVINE WELSH'A bruising triumph; Amis' MONEY for the Trump generation. What a monster he's created' IAN RANKIN‘John Niven understands our era better than almost anyone’ DOUGLAS COUPLAND‘A scabrously entertaining satire of what it is like to be rich and white in the land of the free if you are utterly depraved, “where money doesn’t just talk, or swear, it nukes”. … There is a twisted poetry in Niven’s mastery of invective’ THE TIMES‘Savagely, viciously witty, this frantic hymn to greed is filthy, frenetic and totally fabulous’ SUNDAY MIRROR‘A full-throttle send up of toxic masculinity … Niven at full tilt is always something to behold.’ METRO

Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?: Larry Norman and the Perils of Christian Rock


Gregory Alan Thornbury - 2018
    In 1969, in Capitol Records' Hollywood studio, a blonde-haired troubadour named Larry Norman laid track for an album that would launch a new genre of music and one of the strangest, most interesting careers in modern rock. Having spent the bulk of the 1960s playing on bills with acts like the Who, Janis Joplin, and the Doors, Norman decided that he wanted to sing about the most countercultural subject of all: Jesus.Billboard called Norman "the most important songwriter since Paul Simon," and his music would go on to inspire members of bands as diverse as U2, The Pixies, Guns 'N Roses, and more. To a young generation of Christians who wanted a way to be different in the American cultural scene, Larry was a godsend--spinning songs about one's eternal soul as deftly as he did ones critiquing consumerism, middle-class values, and the Vietnam War. To the religious establishment, however, he was a thorn in the side; and to secular music fans, he was an enigma, constantly offering up Jesus to problems they didn't think were problems. Paul McCartney himself once told Larry, "You could be famous if you'd just drop the God stuff," a statement that would foreshadow Norman's ultimate demise.In Why Should the Devil Have all the Good Music?, Gregory Alan Thornbury draws on unparalleled access to Norman's personal papers and archives to narrate the conflicts that defined the singer's life, as he crisscrossed the developing fault lines between Evangelicals and mainstream American culture--friction that continues to this day. What emerges is a twisting, engrossing story about ambition, art, friendship, betrayal, and the turns one's life can take when you believe God is on your side.

Lou Reed's Transformer (33 1/3 series #131)


Ezra Furman - 2018
    And yet, it doesn't neatly fit into any of these descriptors. Buried underneath the radio-friendly exterior lie coded confessions of the subversive, wounded intelligence that gives this album its staying power as a work of art. Here Lou Reed managed to make a fun, accessible rock'n'roll record that is also a troubled meditation on the ambiguities-sexual, musical and otherwise-that defined his public persona and helped make him one of the most fascinating and influential figures in rock history. Through close listening and personal reflections, songwriter Ezra Furman explores Reed's and Transformer's unstable identities, and the secrets the songs challenge us to uncover.33 1/3 is a series of short books about popular music, focusing on individual albums by artists ranging from James Brown to Celine Dion and from J Dilla to Neutral Milk Hotel. Each album covered in the series occupies such a specific place in music history, so each book-length treatment is different. Jonathan Lethem, Colin Meloy, Daphne Brooks, Gina Arnold and Alan Warner are just some of the authors who have contributed to the series so far. Widely acclaimed by fans, musicians and scholars alike. More

Down Beat


Max Henry - 2018
    Others a celebrity bad boy. Me? I call him the arrogant bastard who stole my concert venue. His apology? To take me and my violin on tour with the band. It’s an offer I can’t refuse, even if it does come with strings attached. Because Rey Thomas isn’t who he seems. Life isn’t pretty behind the deviant frontman’s facade. It’s raw, ugly, and at times downright painful. But it’s real. And far better than the lie he presents to the world. The man behind the face of Dark Tide is beautiful in his chaos. All I have to do is keep him alive long enough to see that too.Nobody ever said loving a rock star would be easy.

Fugazi's In on the Kill Taker


Joe Gross - 2018
    With two EPs (combined into the classic CD 13 songs) and two albums (1990's genre-defining Repeater and 1991's impressionistic follow-up Steady Diet of Nothing) inside of five years, Fugazi was on creative roll, astounding increasingly large audiences as they toured, blasting fist-pumping anthems and jammy noise-workouts that roared into every open underground heart. When the album debuted on the now-SoundScan-driven charts, Fugazi had never been more in the public eye.Few knew how difficult it had been to make this popular breakthrough. Disappointed with the sound of the self-produced Steady Diet, the band recorded with legendary engineer Steve Albini, only to scrap the sessions and record at home in D.C. with Ted Niceley, their brilliant, under-known producer. Inadvertently, Fugazi chose an unsure moment to make In on the Kill Taker: as Nirvana and Sonic Youth were yanking the American rock underground into the media glare, and "breaking" punk in every possible meaning of the word. Despite all of this, Kill Taker became an alt-rock classic in spite of itself, even as its defiant, muscular sound stood in stark contrast to everything represented by the mainstreaming of a culture and worldview they held dear.This book features new interviews with all four members of Fugazi and members of their creative community.

Sound Pictures: The Life of Beatles Producer George Martin, The Later Years, 1966–2016


Kenneth Womack - 2018
    Sound Pictures offers a powerful and intimate account of how he did so. The second and final volume of the definitive biography of the man, Sound Pictures traces the story of the Beatles' breathtaking artistic trajectory after reaching the creative heights of Rubber Soul. As the bandmates engage in brash experimentation both inside and outside the studio, Martin toils along with manager Brian Epstein to consolidate the Beatles' fame in the face of growing sociocultural pressures, including the crisis associated with the "Beatles are more popular than Jesus" scandal. Meanwhile, he also struggles to make his way as an independent producer in the highly competitive world of mid-1960s rock 'n' roll. As Martin and the Beatles create one landmark album after another, including such masterworks as Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles (The White Album), and Abbey Road, the internal stakes and interpersonal challenges become ever greater. During his post-Beatles years, Martin attempts to discover new vistas of sound recording with a host of acts, including Jeff Beck, America, Cheap Trick, Paul McCartney, and Elton John, his creative breakthroughs followed by unprecedented commercial success. Eventually, though, all roads bring Martin back to the Beatles, as the group seeks out new ways to memorialize their achievement under the supervision of the man who has come to be known as Sir George. Now, more than fifty years after the Beatles' revolutionary triumphs, Martin's singular stamp on popular music has become more vital than ever, as successive generations discover the magic of the Beatles and their groundbreaking sound.

Harlem 69: The Future of Soul (The Soul Trilogy)


Stuart Cosgrove - 2018
    In February a raid on tenements across New York leads to the arrest of 21 Black Panther party members and one of the most controversial trials of the era. In the summer Harlem plays host to Black Woodstock and concerts starring Sly and the Family Stone, Stevie Wonder and Nina Simone. The world’s most famous guitarist, Jimi Hendrix, a major supporter of the Black Panthers, returns to Harlem in support of their cause.By the end of the year Harlem is gripped by a heroin pandemic and the death of a 12-year-old child sends shockwaves through the USA, leaving Harlem stigmatised as an area ravaged by crime, gangsters and a darkly vengeful drug problem.

The Big Note: A Guide to the Recordings of Frank Zappa


Charles Ulrich - 2018
    THE BIG NOTE is the complete guide to the music of Frank Zappa--100 albums recorded over 35 years, the 80+ players on them, each one of 1,772 tracks described in detail, backed up by 1,424 citations. Based on hundreds of interviews, letters, and e-mail correspondences with scores of musicians, singers, engineers, artists, copyists, and others who worked with Zappa, THE BIG NOTE provides the liner notes that every album in the protean and prolific composer's oeuvre cries out for. It is the indispensible resource for any Zappa fan or scholar.

Life in Technicolor: A Celebration of Coldplay


Debs Wild - 2018
    

Elvis Presley: A Life From Beginning to End


Hourly History - 2018
    Long before the cultural revolutions of the '60s and '70s, Elvis was sparking a dynastic change of hands in American society. And by his own admission, much of it was by accident. Whenever his performances caused a stir, Elvis was always the first to ask what all the fuss was about. When questioned if he was trying to provoke a response from his audience, Elvis innocently replied that he was just doing what came naturally. Inside you will read about... - Elvis and His Twin - That's All Right - Presley's Controversial Rise - Elvis Joins the Army - Comeback in Las Vegas - Last Years and Death And much more! According to Elvis, as much as James Dean was a "rebel without a cause," he was a rebel completely by accident. If we believe him, everything he did that led to his rise to stardom was just some sort of cosmic alignment of happenstance. Elvis claimed that when he went into Sun Records to record his first song, he wasn't looking to become famous; he maintained that he just wanted to record a song for his mom's birthday. This book will let you decide for yourself as you learn about the life, the legend, and the unmistakable icon-Elvis Presley.

The Spark: Lyrics and exegesis of Rou Reynolds


Enter Shikari - 2018
    This artist-approved paperback book contains lyrics and essays, specially written by Rou Reynolds, about the songs from the band's latest album of the same name, plus photos and artwork.

Playing Changes: Jazz for the New Century


Nate Chinen - 2018
    Grounded in authority and brimming with style, Playing Changes is the first book to take the measure of this exhilarating moment: it is a compelling argument for the resiliency of the art form and a rejoinder to any claims about its calcification or demise."Playing changes," in jazz parlance, has long referred to an improviser's resourceful path through a chord progression. Playing Changes boldly expands on the idea, highlighting a host of significant changes--ideological, technological, theoretical, and practical--that jazz musicians have learned to navigate since the turn of the century. Nate Chinen, who has chronicled this evolution firsthand throughout his journalistic career, vividly sets the backdrop, charting the origins of jazz historicism and the rise of an institutional framework for the music. He traces the influence of commercialized jazz education and reflects on the implications of a globalized jazz ecology. He unpacks the synergies between jazz and postmillennial hip-hop and R&B, illuminating an emergent rhythm signature for the music. And he shows how a new generation of shape-shifting elders, including Wayne Shorter and Henry Threadgill, have moved the aesthetic center of the music.Woven throughout the book is a vibrant cast of characters--from the saxophonists Steve Coleman and Kamasi Washington to the pianists Jason Moran and Vijay Iyer to the bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding--who have exerted an important influence on the scene. This is an adaptive new music for a complex new reality, and Playing Changes is the definitive guide.

Thanks a Lot, Mr. Kibblewhite: My Story


Roger Daltrey - 2018
    The result of this introspection is a remarkable memoir, instantly captivating, funny and frank, chock-full of well-earned wisdom and one-of-kind anecdotes from a raucous life that spans a tumultuous time of change in Britain and America. Born during the air bombing of London in 1944, Daltrey fought his way (literally) through school and poverty and began to assemble the band that would become The Who while working at a sheet metal factory in 1961. In Daltrey’s voice, the familiar stories—how they got into smashing up their kit, the infighting, Keith Moon’s antics—take on a new, intimate life. Also here is the creative journey through the unforgettable hits including My Generation, Substitute, Pinball Wizard, and the great albums, Who’s Next, Tommy, and Quadrophenia. Amidst all the music and mayhem, the drugs, the premature deaths, the ruined hotel rooms, Roger is our perfect narrator, remaining sober (relatively) and observant and determined to make The Who bigger and bigger. Not only his personal story, this is the definitive biography of The Who.

Bing Crosby: Swinging on a Star: The War Years, 1940-1946


Gary Giddins - 2018
     Bing Crosby dominated American popular culture in a way that few artists ever have. From the dizzy era of Prohibition through the dark days of the Second World War, he was a desperate nation's most beloved entertainer. But he was more than just a charismatic crooner: Bing Crosby redefined the very foundations of modern music, from the way it was recorded to the way it was orchestrated and performed. In this much-anticipated follow-up to the universally acclaimed first volume, NBCC Winner and preeminent cultural critic Gary Giddins now focuses on Crosby's most memorable period, the war years and the origin story of White Christmas. Set against the backdrop of a Europe on the brink of collapse, this groundbreaking work traces Crosby's skyrocketing career as he fully inhabits a new era of American entertainment and culture. While he would go on to reshape both popular music and cinema more comprehensively than any other artist, Crosby's legacy would be forever intertwined with his impact on the home front, a unifying voice for a nation at war. Over a decade in the making and drawing on hundreds of interviews and unprecedented access to numerous archives, Giddins brings Bing Crosby, his work, and his world to vivid life -- firmly reclaiming Crosby's central role in American cultural history.

The Never-Ending Present


Michael Barclay - 2018
    Why? Because these five men were always more than just a band. They sold millions of records and defined a generation of Canadian rock music. But they were also a tabula rasa onto which fans could project their own ideas: of performance, of poetry, of history, of Canada itself.In the first print biography of the Tragically Hip, Michael Barclay talks to dozens of the band’s peers and friends about not just the Hip’s music but about the opening bands, the American albatross, the band’s role in Canadian culture, and Gord Downie’s role in reconciliation with Indigenous people. When Downie announced he had terminal cancer and decided to take the Hip on the road one more time, the tour became another Terry Fox moment; this time, Canadians got to witness an embattled hero reach the finish line. This is a book not just for fans of the band: it’s for anyone interested in how culture can spark national conversations.

I Ran With The Gang: My Life In and Out of the Bay City Rollers


Alan Longmuir - 2018
    In his teens, he formed the band that became the Bay City Rollers. The Rollers became one of the most commercially successful musical acts of the 1970s, selling more than 120 million records and igniting Rollermania a phenomenon that spread across the globe. Alan died in 2018 while completing this autobiography.Martin Knight was born in 1957. He has written autobiographies with footballers George Best, Dave Mackay, Charlie Cooke and Peter Osgood. His book Gypsy Joe, about a Romany gypsy and fighter who became a professional golfer, was named as The Observer Sports Book of the Year. Martin has also authored novels and true crime titles.

Non Serviam: The Official Story of Rotting Christ


Sakis Tolis - 2018
    Totaling 300 pages and including over 170 images, many previously unseen, the book was created by none other than founder and frontman Sakis Tolis, together with Dayal Patterson (author of ‘Black Metal: Evolution Of The Cult’, ‘The Cult Never Dies Vol. One’ and ‘Into The Abyss’).As well as featuring a brutally honest account from Sakis himself, the book includes extensive testimonies from his brother Themis Tolis, (who has never previously given interviews during his 30 years in the band), as well as members and ex-members of the band including co-founder Jim Mutilator, Morbid, George Tolias, Van Ace and George Emmanuel.The book also includes contributions from many of the band's peers, with members of Enslaved, Behemoth, Mayhem, Cradle Of Filth, Blasphemy, Moonspell, Macabre Omen, Septicflesh, Death Courier, Tiamat, Mystifier, Immolation and more, giving their perspective on this influential act.A must read for newcomers and longtime fans alike, as well as those interested in the origins of black/underground metal and anyone who has ever wondered what it is like to sacrifice everything in your life in pursuit of a single creative dream.

Jiya Jale: The Stories of Songs


गुलज़ार - 2018
    He remains as popular today, and as sensitive a chronicler of our emotions, as he was half a century ago. And throughout, his work has been gloriously distinctive—especially for the unforgettable images and the intimacy he brings to his songs.In this book of conversations with the acclaimed author and documentary filmmaker Nasreen Munni Kabir, Gulzar speaks about the making of his most enduring songs—from ‘Mora gora ang lai le’ (Bandini; 1963) and ‘Dil dhoondta hai’ (Mausam; 1975) to ‘Jiya jale’ (Dil Se; 1998) and ‘Dil toh bachcha hai ji’ (Ishqiya; 2010). He also discusses the songs of other greats, like Shailendra and Sahir Ludhianvi; his favourite music directors, like SD and RD Burman, Hemant Kumar and AR Rahman; and several playback singers, among them, Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammed Rafi, Asha Bhosle, Vani Jairam, Jagjit Singh and Bhupinder Singh.Full of insight, anecdote and analysis—and containing over 40 songs, in roman script and English translation—this book is a treasure for students and lovers of Hindi cinema, music and poetry.

Booze Vinyl: A Spirited Guide to Great Music and Mixed Drinks


André Darlington - 2018
    From modern craft cocktails to old standbys, prepare to shake, stir, and just plain pour your way through some of the best wax ever pressed. Wickedly designed and featuring photography throughout, Booze & Vinyl is organized by mood, from Rock to Chill, Dance, and Seduce. Each entry has liner notes that underscore the album's musical highlights and accompanying "Side A" and "Side B" cocktail recipes that complement the music's mood, imagery in the lyrics, or connect the drink to the artist. This is your guide to a rich listening session for one, two, or more. Among the 70 featured albums are: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club, Purple Rain, Sticky Fingers, Born To Run, License to Ill, Appetite for Destruction, Thriller, Like a Virgin, Low End Theory, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust, Hotel California, Buena Vista Social Club, Back to Black, Pet Sounds, Vampire Weekend, and many more

Lament from Epirus: An Odyssey into Europe's Oldest Surviving Folk Music


Christopher C. King - 2018
    King uncovered some of the strangest—and most hypnotic—sounds he had ever heard. The 78s were immensely moving, seeming to tap into a primal well of emotion inaccessible through contemporary music. The songs, King learned, were from Epirus, an area straddling southern Albania and northwestern Greece and boasting a folk tradition extending back to the pre-Homeric era. To hear this music is to hear the past.Lament from Epirus is an unforgettable journey into a musical obsession, which traces a unique genre back to the roots of song itself. As King hunts for two long-lost virtuosos—one of whom may have committed a murder—he also tells the story of the Roma people who pioneered Epirotic folk music and their descendants who continue the tradition today.King discovers clues to his most profound questions about the function of music in the history of humanity: What is the relationship between music and language? Why do we organize sound as music? Is music superfluous, a mere form of entertainment, or could it be a tool for survival? King’s journey becomes an investigation into song and dance’s role as a means of spiritual healing—and what that may reveal about music’s evolutionary origins.

There’s No Bones in Ice Cream: Sylvain Sylvain’s Story of the New York Dolls


Sylvain Sylvain - 2018
    A cross between the Rolling Stones and the Sex Pistols, the Dolls became the link in the chain between them, offering a crash course in mischief, cross-dressing and anarchy, but like unheralded prophets of Biblical times they were cast aside until the world finally caught up.“Other people turned the New York Dolls into legends. We just went along for the ride.”

Queen: Album by Album


Martin Popoff - 2018
    Formed in 1970, Queen went on to become one of the most popular—and most successful—rock bands of all time. Even following the untimely death of beloved and magnetic frontman Freddie Mercury, and nearly 50 years after their formation, interest in the band has continued, evidenced by scores of reissues, arena tours with surviving members, and a feature-film biopic. In this new installment in Voyageur Press’s Album by Album series, rock journo Martin Popoff convenes a cast of 19 Queen experts and superfans to discuss all 15 of the band’s studio albums (including their soundtrack for the 1980 film Flash Gordon). Panelists include Queen experts, rock journalists, musicians, and record industry figures. The results are freewheeling discussions delving into the individual songs, the circumstances that surrounded the recording of each album, the band and contemporary rock contexts into which they were released, and more. The engaging text of this beautifully designed book is illustrated throughout with rare live performance and candid offstage photography, as well as scads of rare Queen ephemera. The Album by Album series is a unique approach to the rock bio, injecting the varied voices of several contributors. The results have even the most diehard fans rushing back to their MP3 players (or turntables) to confirm the details and opinions expressed!

Dear Mr Pop Star


Derek Philpott - 2018
    With the missives online for all to see on what was becoming a hugely popular website, the artists quite unexpectedly started to reply, writing back in just as witty and articulate a fashion, politely pointing out exactly where the original letter went wrong...or right.Also, crucially, nearly all of the responses were procured via ''the back door of the industry'', via roadies, mutual fans, cousins of bass players, and even other famous participants telling the artists directly of the Philpotts’ written pressing inquiries. This marvellous online community, which stretched as far afield as Europe, Canada, Japan, the U.S.A, Australia and Stoke, even cultivated and organically evolved the whole surreal venture by offering up willing stars that the authors would probably not have thought of corresponding with themselves, establishing contact through personal connections.‘Dear Mr. Popstar’’ proudly features nearly 100 of the best letters and responses from famous and legendary names spanning the whole pop and rock spectrum, all relishing their involvement and revealing their own, in many cases, hitherto unknown humorous sides within what could well be the most interactive dialogue compiled between music stars and their audience ever undertaken. Of course, it is not always possible to reach certain targets, hence many unanswered observations are also included, as they were considered too amusing not to be.Those to be saluted for their great sportsmanship are:- Deep Purple, Dr. from Dr. and The Medics, Nik Kershaw, Judas Priest, Starship, Tears For Fears, The Eurythmics, Wreckless Eric, Smokie, The Strawbs, The Belle Stars, Van Der Graaf Generator, Martha and the Muffins, Thunder, Squeeze, Dean Friedman, Fairground Attraction, The Ruts, Neil Innes from The Bonzo Dog Band, DEVO, Melanie, Alannah Myles, Ian Gillan, Was Not Was, Republica, Then Jerico, Dr. Hook, Toploader, Cutting Crew, Lindisfarne, Spinal Tap, Mott The Hoople, Fuzzbox, Men Without Hats, China Crisis, Mental As Anything, David MacIver and Rupert Hine (Quantum Jump), Timbuk 3, The Rezillos, Saxon, John Otway, The Human League, Chesney and Chip Hawkes, Tenpole Tudor, Shakatak, Katrina and the Waves, Eddie & The Hot Rods, Heaven 17, Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin, Matthew Wilder, Middle of the Road, Liquid Gold, The Christians, Paper Lace, Dodgy, Daevid Allen, Bruce Woolley, Sad Cafe, The Housemartins, Francis Dunnery (It Bites), Johnny Hates Jazz, The Wurzels, Peter Noone, Suzi Quatro, Strawberry Switchblade, Danny Wilson, Racey, Electric Prunes, The Waitresses, Fiddler's Dram, Bauhaus, Climax Blues Band, The Jags, EMF, T’Pau, Nu Shooz, Owen Paul, Steve Hackett, Steve Ellis of Love Affair, Hazell Dean, The Knack, The Maisonettes, Del Amitri, The Skids, Jesus Jones, The Soup Dragons, City Boy, Modern Romance, Wang Chung, The Kursaal Flyers, Fischer Z, Bruce Thomas of The Attractions, Scarlet Fantastic, The B52s. Junior, Spear of Destiny, Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine.Ultimately, this book explores how when a song is released into ‘the wild’ the artist loses all control over it, especially pertaining to its interpretation. It is also testimony to the community spirit capable of being created over social media and how positive and fun it can be.

The Anthology, Part III: Live (Limited Edition)


Garth Brooks - 2018
    From the first on-stage appearance in college to headlining his own record breaking tours and worldwide stardom. Includes behind the scene stories, insider secrets, interviews with band and crew. Five CDs with 52 Live Recordings including Triple Live, the soundtrack of the record breaking world tour. 100 behind-the-scenes and performance photos. 10 augmented reality experiences that come to life through the Garth Live app. The Anthology Part III, LIVE is part three of Garth's massive five part anthology. Part III is an exciting, detailed, insider look at the electrifying concerts of Garth Brooks. From just being a bar bouncer to playing with only a few people watching at Willie's Saloon in Stillwater OK, to being an opening act for Reba, The Judds and Kenny Rogers to finally headlining his own tours which garnered him 6 CMA Entertainer of the Year awards. You get to watch the audience grow larger and larger with each show, from the multi-sold-out stadium shows around the world, to the historic night in Central Park where over a million people gathered to witness the entertainer of a lifetime! You are part of Garth's entourage for the whole thing. The 5 CDs contain 52 live recordings, including the new live album, TRIPLE LIVE. It's the soundtrack of the record breaking, number one tour in North American history. Includes over 100 amazing behind-the-scenes and performance photos and over 10 augmented reality experiences. Download the Garth Live app and hold it over the cover and various photos inside the Anthology to watch Garth's LIVE story come to life!

Prince: Before The Rain


Allen Beaulieu - 2018
    

Irving Berlin, the Immigrant Boy Who Made America Sing


Nancy Churnin - 2018
    Growing up on the streets of the lower East Side, the rhythms of jazz and blues inspired his own song-writing career. Starting with his first big hit, "Alexander's Ragtime Band," Berlin created the soundtrack for American life with his catchy tunes and irresistible lyrics. With "God Bless America," he sang his thanks to the country which had given him a home and a chance to express his creative vision.

Sundog


Scott Walker - 2018
    As one of the greatest lyricists of the 20th century and front man of globally loved pop trip, The Walker Brothers, Walker commands huge devotion. A major event, Sundog is the first ever selection of Walker's lyrics curated by the artist himself, published for the first time with a stunning introduction by Eimear McBride. Walker's iconic lyrics will proudly follow in the footsteps of other famous musicians who have been published by Faber & Faber, including Jarvis Cocker, Billy Bragg, and Van Morrison.

i, Kunt: How I became (and remained) a minor internet hit singer


Kunt - 2018
    Between 2003 and 20016 Kunt and the Gang got over 3 million YouTube views, despite having their channel shut down, scored two of the least appropriately named titled top 75 UK hit singles of all time, were ostracised by the Edinburgh comedy community over a misjudged advertising campaign involving stickers of crudely drawn penises, and organised the world's first ever dirty protest where literally tens of people tweeted jpegs of their faecal excrement to evil entertainment bigwig Simon Cowell.Oh, and got banned from Butlins. i, Kunt is an extraordinary tale about trying to stay true to your principles whilst dressed head to toe in hi vis, pretending to cry and masturbate.

Patch & Tweak - Exploring Modular Synthesis


Kim Bjørn - 2018
    Patching secrets, performance tips, history, modules, and techniques.

That Thin, Wild Mercury Sound: Dylan, Nashville, and the Making of Blonde on Blonde


Daryl Sanders - 2018
    Including many new details and eyewitness accounts never before published, as well as keen insight into the Nashville cats who helped Dylan reach rare artistic heights, it explores the lasting impact of rock’s first double album. Based on exhaustive research and in-depth interviews with the producer, the session musicians, studio personnel, management personnel, and others, Daryl Sanders chronicles the road that took Dylan from New York to Nashville in search of “that thin, wild mercury sound.” As Dylan told Playboy in 1978, the closest he ever came to capturing that sound was during the Blonde on Blonde sessions, where the voice of a generation was backed by musicians of the highest order.

Ricochet: David Bowie 1983: An Intimate Portrait


Denis O'Regan - 2018
    On the road with him was his official photographer, Denis O'Regan. Few artists and photographers have had such a close touring relationship. This book is the result: a never-before-seen photographic portrait of a year with Bowie, from the theatre of performance to his most unguarded moments. Introduced by O'Regan and with every single image personally approved by Bowie, this is an intimate view of an icon at the height of his fame.

Michael: My brother, lost boy of INXS


Tina Hutchence - 2018
    INXS singer/songwriter Michael Hutchence was the celebrated frontman of a band that was the biggest in the world. Michael's big sister, Tina, adored him from the start. From a twelve-year-old holding him in her arms as a newborn, to being his teenage nanny, Tina remained Michael's trusted confidant until his sudden death. Tina's intimate and detailed telling of her brother's story-from faltering teenager with a lisp to raging rock star-blazes with love and adventure, and includes the acquired brain injury that changed everything for Michael; the risky schemes that saw him named in the Paradise Papers expose of 2017; his secret philanthropy in support of East Timor; and his bliss at the birth of his only child, Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily. 'My brother roamed the world with a book in his hand and one in his suitcase,' Tina writes, and throughout Michael a paper trail of the literature he loved gives clues to the man many see as an enigma. A cry from the heart celebrating the 'lost boy of INXS', Michael Hutchence, this personal and heartfelt biography reveals the incredible, rollercoaster life of Australia's most enduring superstar and shares the private moments of an adored brother, son and father.'Lost boy Michael, who was my dear friend, and who is very much missed. All respect and thanks to Tina for sharing these stories and keeping the memory alive.' Simon le Bon, songwriter / singer, Duran Duran

Sophisticated Giant: The Life and Legacy of Dexter Gordon


Maxine Gordon - 2018
    Davis, political activist, scholar, author, and speakerSophisticated Giant presents the life and legacy of tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon (1923-1990), one of the major innovators of modern jazz. In a context of biography, history, and memoir, Maxine Gordon has completed the book that her late husband began, weaving his "solo" turns with her voice and a chorus of voices from past and present. Reading like a jazz composition, the blend of research, anecdote, and a selection of Dexter's personal letters reflects his colorful life and legendary times. It is clear why the celebrated trumpet genius Dizzy Gillespie said to Dexter, "Man, you ought to leave your karma to science."Dexter Gordon the icon is the Dexter beloved and celebrated on albums, on film, and in jazz lore--even in a street named for him in Copenhagen. But this image of the cool jazzman fails to come to terms with the multidimensional man full of humor and wisdom, a figure who struggled to reconcile being both a creative outsider who broke the rules and a comforting insider who was a son, father, husband, and world citizen. This essential book is an attempt to fill in the gaps created by our misperceptions as well as the gaps left by Dexter himself.

Rave On: Global Adventures in Electronic Dance Music


Matthew Collin - 2018
    But three decades after the acid house 'summer of love', it has gone from subculture to the global mainstream. Does it still have the same power to inspire?From the pleasure palaces of Ibiza and Las Vegas to 'new frontiers' like Shanghai and Dubai, raving is now a multi-million-dollar business. But there are still hardcore believers upholding its DIY ethos - the techno idealists of Berlin and Detroit and the queer subcults of New York, the post-apartheid party people of South Africa and the outlaw techno travellers of France.In Rave On, Matthew Collin travels the world to experience these unique scenes first-hand, talk to the key players and hear the story of how dance culture went global - and find out if its maverick spirit can survive its own success.

Songs of Love and Horror: Collected Lyrics of Will Oldham


Will Oldham - 2018
    Now the critically acclaimed, enigmatic artist presents his life’s work: the lyrics to more than two hundred songs spanning the 1980s to the present, each with annotations that impart new meaning to his music.Oldham’s aphoristic meditations—on death, patience, and turning carelessness into a virtue—are, like his lyrics, profound, earthy, and often funny. They reveal flashes of Oldham’s philosophy, the sources and circumstances that inspired his lyrics, and the literary ambition of his songwriting. Separated from their aural form, Oldham’s lyrics become a new kind of poetry—candid, awkward, and wise—with influences as diverse as Rabindranath Tagore and The Mekons.A book that will delight his longtime fans and inspire young songwriters, Songs of Love and Horror reveals an artist who has captured extraordinary poetry in music despite being "a stranger among my own language."

Being John Lennon: A Restless Life


Ray Connolly - 2018
    The John Lennon depicted in these pages is a much more kaleidoscopic figure, sometimes almost a collision of different characters.He was, of course, funny, often very funny. But above everything, he had attitude—his impudent style somehow personifying the aspirations of his generation to question authority. He could, and would, say the unsayable. Though there were more glamorous rock stars in rock history, even within the Beatles, it was John Lennon’s attitude which caught, and then defined, his era in the most memorable way.

EVER LONELY


Kimberly Lauren - 2018
    She’s been photographed partying hard and dating the hottest actors. She’s been caught in the middle of numerous wardrobe malfunctions and frequents the covers of gossip magazines with scandalous rumors of rehab, affairs and pregnancies. Only some are true.   She sings their songs. She poses for their pictures. She wears their clothes.   Until Rhett…   Rhett Grayson has one of the most sought-after spots in the New York subway system to play his music. Travelers fill his guitar case with enough money to pay his bills and buy a round of drinks for his friends every week. He has his own apartment in Manhattan. Who cares if he can touch the walls with his arms stretched out wide? It’s his.    When Rhett is unexpectedly asked to join Ever’s band as lead guitarist, will Ever be able to cope with a new bandmate who’s as infuriating as he is tempting? Can she show him it’s okay to step out of his comfort zone while he teaches her a thing or two along the way about staying true to herself?

Matters of Vital Interest: A Forty-Year Friendship with Leonard Cohen


Eric Lerner - 2018
    Lerner, a screenwriter and novelist, first met Cohen at a Zen retreat forty years earlier. Their friendship helped guide each other through life's myriad obstacles, a journey told from a new perspective for the first time. Funny, revealing, self-aware, and deeply moving, Matters of Vital Interest is an insightful memoir about Lerner's relationship with his friend, whose idiosyncratic style and dignified life was deeply informed by his spiritual practices. Lerner invites readers to step into the room with them and listen in on a lifetime's ongoing dialogue, considerations of matters of vital interest, spiritual, mundane, and profane. In telling their story, Lerner depicts Leonard Cohen as a captivating persona, the likes of which we may never see again.

Faded


Julie Johnson - 2018
    And for a while, starting fresh seems possible. She lands a job at a local music hotspot, collects her tips, and keeps her head down. Until one night, he steps on stage.Ryder Woods is a rising star. Everyone knows he’s destined for bigger things — it’s only a matter of time before he lands a record deal and heads for Los Angeles without looking back. He has no interest in getting stuck in Nashville, like all the other washed-up musicians who’ve never quite made it. But once he spots the quiet girl working behind the bar — the one with haunted eyes, who sings the most heartbreaking lyrics he’s ever heard in his life — Ryder’s suddenly not in such a hurry to leave. As Felicity and Ryder begin to make music together, their connection only deepens… but with demons of Felicity’s past circling closer, and the demands of Ryder’s future finally coming to fruition, they’ll find themselves at an undeniable crossroads…They always say fame comes with a price.But what if that price is the love of your life? FADED is the first installment of an angsty, addictive new contemporary romance duet about two star-crossed musicians. From the dark streets of Nashville to the bright lights of Los Angeles, Ryder & Felicity's story is a whirlwind of bandmate drama, steamy romance, and original song lyrics. Part two of the duet, UNFADED, is available now!

How Shostakovich Changed My Mind


Stephen Johnson - 2018
    Johnson writes of the healing effect of music on sufferers of mental illness and tells of how Shostakovich's music lent him unexpected strength in his struggle with bipolar disorder.

Ed Sheeran: Memories We Made


Christie Goodwin - 2018
    But she could see something special in Ed. Goodwin agreed to photograph him for free to help him on his way to the top. That was the beginning of a 10-year collaboration, with the two crossing paths as Ed rocketed to fame—a story told here, through Goodwin's camera.Ed Sheeran: Memories We Made shares these images and stories for the first time in a stunning collection of rare and unseen photographs charting Ed Sheeran's rise to global superstardom. Featuring a foreword and additional photo captions by Ed's father, John Sheeran, this is an up-close and intimate view of the singer who has captivated audiences around the world.

Sonic Youth Slept On My Floor: Music, Manchester, and More: A Memoir


Dave Haslam - 2018
    He interviews Johnny Marr and John Lydon; Sonic Youth sleep on his floor; he meets writers including Raymond Carver and Jonathan Franzen; he discusses masturbation with Viv Albertine, and ecstasy with Roisin Murphy; he has a gun pulled on him at the Hacienda, a drug dealer threatens to slit his throat; and Morrissey comes to tea.In the late 1970s, a teenage John Peel listener and Joy Division fan, Haslam's face was pressed against a window, looking out at a world of music, books, ideas. In 2017, four decades later, he finds himself in the middle of that world, collaborating with New Order on a series of five shows in Manchester.Haslam builds a rich context to the story of those decades; a definitive portrait of Manchester as a music city; the impact of life-shaking events (from the nightmare of the Yorkshire Ripper to the shock of the Manchester Arena terror attack); and how music has soundtracked his life, his times, his generation.Sonic Youth Slept On My Floor is a masterful insider account of the Hacienda, the rise of Madchester and the birth of the rave era, and so much more . . .

Hip Hop at the End of the World: The Photography of Brother Ernie


Ernest Paniccioli - 2018
    Complete with Brother Ernie's personal anecdotes of time spent with subjects, and stories behind the photographs, Hip-Hop at the End of the World shares intimate moments from the most important era of hip-hop.After picking up a camera in the 1973 to document the graffiti art that dominated New York City, Ernest Paniccioli started his journey of whole-heartedly capturing the scene during the most fertile years of hip-hop. Always armed with a 35mm camera, he successfully photographed nearly every rapper of note since the genre's inception, making him the go-to photographer for magazines like Word Up and Rap Masters. Hip Hop at the End of the World is a carefully curated selection of photographs from Brother Ernie's extensive archives, celebrating over 40 years of swag in one of the most complete records of the most crucial movements in American music.

The Cure: A Perfect Dream


Ian Gittins - 2018
      Into the chaos of British punk rock, a handful of school friends led by Robert Smith announced their musical arrival in 1978 with a brash single pulled from the pages of Albert Camus. The Cure soon graduated into a series of increasingly dark and brooding albums, drawing the world’s attention to goth rock. But they resisted categorization, and subsequent albums—suffused with raw, intense emotion and featuring the breakout hits “In Between Days” and “Just Like Heaven”—attracted new legions of fans worldwide. Then, with the grand and somber Disintegration, the Cure achieved global domination, and, through fluctuating lineups and shifting sounds, they have flourished. Veteran music journalist Ian Gittins has interviewed and written about the Cure many times over the decades and brings deep insight to this unofficial retrospective of the group. This essential keepsake tells the story of the Cure—from the angular riffs of “Boys Don’t Cry” and “A Forest,” through the perfect simplicity of “Lovesong” and “Friday I’m in Love,” to headlining some of the world’s biggest music festivals—in beautiful, eye-catching color.

There Was A Light: The Cosmic History of Chris Bell and the Rise of Big Star


Rich Tupica - 2018
    At 400+ pages, There Was A Light is stocked with a wealth of previously-unseen color photos, personal ephemera from the Bell family’s archive, as well as everything Ardent Studios could jam in, it’s nothing short of breathtaking stuff! Starting with intense coverage of Bell’s childhood bands and continuing deep into his post-Big Star solo work, this book delves into the details beyond the documentary, distilling countless hours of minutiae into a riveting oral history of one of rock’n’roll’s most beloved cult bands, and a trip through Memphis underground music history like no other. FIRST EDITION OF 500 copies!

Raven Song


Jennifer Brasington-Crowley - 2018
    "...a punk rock Lady and the Tramp..." - Goodreads Reviewer"If Hallmark had a hard-drinking, sweary, tatted-up rock star Disney princess, and clearly they should, it would be Raven Xerces." - Goodreads ReviewerThis is the story of a harried zoologist, a haunted rock star and the belt that ties them together.“Take my belt.”Stanzie Butler could not miss her flight. The most important trip of her career was on the line, and this rude, loud, unkempt hooligan was not going to ruin it with his dress code violation.Raven Xerces, the notorious rock star with a tortured past, troubled present and uncertain future, seemed to be doing all he could to sabotage Stanzie’s flight. And like a bad penny, he just kept turning up. When Stanzie’s layover leads her to Raven once again, he tries to make amends, and Stanzie discovers that this obnoxious tabloid star isn’t at all what she expected. Raven Song is a story for dreamers, believers, rockers and lovers. A girl-next-door meets bad boy rock n roll romance that’s sexy, fun and full of memorable characters, dark family secrets, colorful sidekicks, layered song lyrics, a talking raven, a clowder of cats, an endangered addax, a nest of sea turtles, a trip to the zoo, fine vintage guitars, a bottle of hair dye, some new tattoos, and a whole lot of rock n roll.

A Life....Well, Lived


Ray Wylie Hubbard - 2018
    Well, Lived traces his remarkable journey from folk gypsy to outlaw country upstart to wizened architect of grit ’n’ groove

Blue Phoenix: A British Rock Star Romance: Box Set (Books 1 - 3)


Lisa Swallow - 2018
    Sky Davis is fed up with boyfriend Grant taking her for granted and when she comes home to find him wearing a girl, Sky suspects the relationship is over. Rock star Dylan is running from the pressures of fame, and Sky is taking an unscheduled holiday. Outside an English seaside town, their cars and lives collide. "Funny, sarcastic, endearing and captivating. It doesn't fall into overused cliches, in fact, it mocks them...a spectacular read with brilliant characters and a great story." Falling Sky Sky's world turned upside down when she met rock star Dylan Morgan, and exploded when she discovered his hidden past.Dragged back into the life he ran from, Dylan continues to spiral downwards as he copes with his fame the only way he knows how. Shattered by the revelation Sky knows his darker past, he forces himself to return to England and explain.Taking place in the epicentre of the Blue Phoenix world, Sky and Dylan's story continues amongst the chaos surrounding the band and its members. "Holy cow! Dylan and Sky's story is more intense and gritty this time around. It's filled with passion, revenge, and hope. This turned into a REAL and serious rock star story with all the dirty secrets, public pressure, and baggage to boot." ~ The To Be Read List Unplugged A snowy Christmas in Wales for heartbroken Blue Phoenix bass player Liam leads to an unexpected reunion. Cerys once had pictures of Liam covering her bedroom wall. Her best friend's big brother never gave her the time of day when they were growing up. When she was fifteen, he left town leaving Cerys with her fantasies. Now he's back. The problem is, she has a daughter and a broken relationship of her own. Described as "sexy, sweet and funny", "unique and heartwarming" and "another fabulous addition to an already incredible series" *Please note. These books are written in British English and contains British grammar and idiom* Complete the series with The Blue Phoenix Rock Star Box Set 4-6

Music Theory for Electronic Music Producers: The producers guide to harmony, chord progressions, and song structure in the MIDI grid.


J. Anthony Allen - 2018
     As an online class, Dr. Allen has had over 50,000 students use this ground-breaking curriculum to learn music theory. Students and Producers who have wanted to learn music theory to improve their own music, but have been intimidated by traditional approaches, music notation, and abstract concepts will find this book to be the answer they have been looking for. From the Author: “How music theory is usually taught is unfair. It starts with the assumption that you can read music and understand the language of classical music. My book leaves all of that behind – focusing only on the MIDI grid that producers are already familiar with to learn all the key concepts of music theory, and ultimately, make better music.” This book covers all the fundamentals of music theory, but is written using the language of the DJ and Producer – the MIDI Grid. It includes “analysis” projects that look at the harmonic and melodic ideas in songs by popular producers including Zedd, Boards of Canada, Daft Punk, Deadmau5, Bonobo, Richie Hawtin, Moby, Skrillex, and Aphex Twin. Praise for Music Theory for Electronic Music Producers: “Aspiring electronic musicians have choices to make when it concerns their own education and training. This text makes one choice much easier: start here and get learning, quickly. Grounded and easygoing, the book uses real-world examples to help you make sense of music’s inner worksings while steering clear of dense theories.” – Michael J. Ethen, PhD Musicologist “This book knocks the oftentimes alienating world of music theory completely onto it’s side. Difficult to explain concepts are perfectly demonstrated for the aspiring electronic music producer who might have no formal music training. A must have for all aspiring producers.” – James Patrick (DJ, Producer, Educator) Slam Academy, Dubspot, IPR, Ableton Certified Trainer “With Music Theory for Electronic Music Producers, Dr. Allen has produced a remarkable resource: an extensive tour of musical theory that leverages some of our favorite modern tools – the virtual studio and it’s piano roll note display. By introducing us to the “why” as well as the “what” of music theory, this book helps us to understand what makes music tick and how to improve our own work. In addition to offering a sound theoretical foundation, the deep dives into analyzing tracks by Skrillex, Aphex Twin, and Deadmau5 keeps our attention focused on real-world production. MTEMP will definitely go on the top of my recommendation list for anyone that needs a fresh view of musical concepts.” – Darwin Grosse Director of Education, Cycling ’74

Solstice Song


Colleen Charles - 2018
    Here in Wintervale, Ireland, nature reigns supreme. It's hunt or be hunted. Kill or be killed. Don't let the pretty name fool you, savagery lays just underneath the lush exterior. If I want something, I take it. No one dares deny me. No one asks questions.Not until her.She's an interloper. An outcast here. With her lush curves, her prissy ways and her obscene American accent. I want nothing to do with her. She needs to pack up her tour bus, her guitars and her designer clothes and hightail it out of here before she gets hurt.Savannah Star is a demi God in her country. But we don't worship people here. She thinks just because she's rich and famous, she's right. That her ways are better. I won't let her make me feel less than. Out here, we're more primitive. And she's never going to tame me.Ever.The only thing I want from the stunning Savannah Starr is her body. Never her soul. It's tainted with the dark colors of a world that I don't believe in.She wants me, and her decadent body begs me to take it all. Soon, her mouth will beg me, too. And I'll give it to her. Everything I have to give.

No Cameras Allowed: My Career as an Outlaw Rock & Roll Photographer


Julian David Stone - 2018
    Starting by simply stashing a camera in his socks, then taping equipment all over his body, to finally customizing a jacket to hide equipment from security guards, he shot dozens of the 1980s greatest acts: Prince, U2, the Police, David Bowie, R.E.M., the Ramones, Elvis Costello, the Talking Heads, the Grateful Dead, Joan Jett, and many, many more. Culled from this incredible, never-before-seen archive, this book contains over 250 of his best photos, along with some of the craziest adventures he had as he evaded oversized roadies, aggressive security, and more than a few drunken fans.

Monk!: Thelonious, Pannonica, and the Friendship Behind a Musical Revolution


Youssef Daoudi - 2018
    He is Thelonious Sphere Monk, a musical genius fighting against the whims of his troubled mind. Their enduring friendship begins in 1954 and ends only with Monk’s death in 1982.Set against the backdrop of New York during the heyday of jazz, Monk! explores the rare alchemy between two brilliant beings separated by an ocean of social status, race, and culture, but united by an infinite love of music. This breathtaking graphic novel by Youssef Daoudi beautifully captures the life of the “the high priest of bop” in spontaneous, evocative pen and ink that seems to make visible jazz itself.

My Years with Townes Van Zandt: Music, Genius, and Rage


Harold F. Eggers - 2018
    "Other people locked themselves away and hid from their demons. Townes flung open his door and said, 'Come on in.'" So writes Harold Eggers, Townes Van Zandt's longtime road manager and producer, in My Years with Townes Van Zandt: Music, Genius, and Rage a gripping memoir revealing the inner core of an enigmatic troubadour, whose deeply poetic music was a source of inspiration and healing for millions but was for himself a torment struggling for dominance among myriad personal demons. Townes Van Zandt often stated that his main musical mission was to "write the perfect song that would save someone's life." However, his life was a work in progress he was constantly struggling to shape and comprehend. Eggers says of his close friend and business partner that "like the master song craftsman he was, he was never truly satisfied with the final product but always kept giving it one more shot, one extra tweak, one last effort." A vivid, firsthand account exploring the source of the singer's prodigious talent, widespread influence, and relentless path toward self-destruction, My Years with Townes Van Zandt presents the truth of that all-consuming artistic journey told by a close friend watching it unfold.

Bruce W. Talamon. Soul. R&b. Funk. Photographs 1972-1982


Pearl Cleage - 2018
    TalamonTalamon saw it all during the golden age of soul, R&B, and funk. Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, this young African American photographer from Los Angeles found himself backstage with an all-access pass to the heart of the music scene. He caught his first big break landing a position as a staff photographer at SOUL Newspaper in LA in the early 1970s, just as soul, R&B, and funk were becoming part of the mainstream. He captured the rehearsals and sound checks, recording sessions and costume fittings, the quiet reflective moments and life on the road, and, of course, the wild photo shoots and memorable performances. These photographs define an era famed for its glamour, fabulous fashions, and utter devotion to the groove.Including close to 300 photographs from 1972 to 1982, the extensive Talamon archives are presented in full detail for the first time. Whether you're a diehard soul fan or a thrilled newcomer to the aesthetic magic of the 1970s, the collection exudes the infectious spirit of an exuberant age. Featuring icons such as Earth, Wind & Fire; Marvin Gaye; Diana Ross; Parliament-Funkadelic; Al Green; Gil Scott-Heron; James Brown; Barry White; Rick James; Aretha Franklin; the Jackson Five; Donna Summer; and Chaka Khan and many others; there are also several stops at the legendary Soul Train studios. Talamon documented a visual period in black music that lasted way past the midnight hour and will never come again.This release is an affordable, compact version of our Art Edition, limited to 500 copies and featuring a portfolio of four prints signed by Bruce W. Talamon.

The Dam


David Almond - 2018
    Years ago, before a great dam was built to fill the valley with water, there were farms and homesteads in that valley and musicians who livened their rooms with song. After the village was abandoned and before the waters rushed in, a father and daughter returned there. The girl began to play her fiddle, bringing her tune to one empty house after another -- for this was the last time that music would be heard in that place. With exquisite artwork by Levi Pinfold, David Almond's lyrical narrative -- inspired by a true tale -- pays homage to his friends Mike and Kathryn Tickell and all the musicians of Northumberland, to show that music is ancient and unstoppable, and that dams and lakes cannot overwhelm it.

Guitar Theory: Straight Talking Music Theory for Guitarists


Lee Nichols - 2018
    The fact is, we don’t need to know half of it; so why over-complicating things? This book is about the building blocks of music theory and how it applies to the guitar. It will teach you the things that matter; the stuff that’s really worth knowing if you want to take your guitar skills to the next level.There’s nothing wrong with learning advanced music theory. Most of us, however, don’t care too much about it, or have much need for it. It’s all very well knowing everything about counterpoint, parallel movement, submediants, doppio movimento etc., but for the typical guitarist, unless you are serious about composing by formula, reading music, or just like sounding clever; it’s not going to suddenly make you a better musician.Guitar Theory will show you how to make sense of the fundamentals; the stuff that matters. Things that will help you figure out chords and scales without needing to resort to diagrams; understanding how and why chords belong to a particular key and how to recognise when they do; scale numbering and making scale choices for guitar soloing; why scales and chords go together? … all of the things that will help you understand music better and be able to make sense of the lingo when reading, or watching, other guitar tutorials and videos.This book makes no attempt at teaching advanced music theory which can take many years to master. It does however give you a head start by spending more time breaking down the basics instead of trying to stuff three years of serious study into less than a few hundred pages. Once you understand the basics, the rest will make much more sense. The music theory building blocks will teach you: What the major scale is and why it is important. How scales are constructed and numbered. Intervals: Minor thirds, flat sevenths, augmented fifths etc. What it all means. How chords are constructed from scales. Chords and key. Why certain chords belong to a particular key. The Roman numeral system and why it’s so useful. Minor scale types and their differences explained. The Circle of fifths: Is it really that useful? Modes explained. How can seven scales contain all the same notes, yet be different? Scales and soloing: How to choose scales to play over different chord progressions. Scales and soloing is more of a bonus section. This subject alone can be huge so I’ve broke it down and condensed it. This is your crash course on one of the most common questions I get asked: "What scale do I use for my guitar solo?" This section will give you an understanding of how to look at various chord progressions and choose the right scale or other soloing ideas.This book does not teach you how to read music and no music notation is included or explained. It’s just the building blocks of music theory and how everything pieces together. Some Tab is included so you should know how to read basic guitar tablature. The content moves from beginner to advanced intermediate. Although much of the content is suitable for beginners, as the book progresses it leads more towards advanced ideas and some playing and listening experience is expected. The more you play, the more it will make sense. Audio Downloads Audio examples and jam tracks for the book content are available for download and can be played on your computer or uploaded to any MP3 compatible device.

The Boy Is Gonna Rock


Bobby Rock - 2018
    It’s also one of the more engaging and insightful stories you will encounter about a boy’s impossible dream roaring to life during this most beloved era of pop culture, then barreling forward three decades into the present.Grab a seat, settle in for the ride, and rest assured…The Boy Is Gonna Rock!

These Are Such Perfect Days: The Del Amitri Story


Charles Rawlings-Way - 2018
    Their 1995 single Roll To Me cracked the Top 10 in the US, and five of their albums went Top 10 in the UK. But as yet there hasn t been anything substantial written about the band...until now! From ambition to success, this is the complete story of Del Amitri's rise from initial formation through six albums that took them to global recognition. From early Peel sessions, to touring with Morrissey; to appearing on Letterman and cracking the US, the book follows every up and down of the band s incredible career, as well as providing unique and original insights into their personalities and music.

24 Hour Revenge Therapy (33 1/3, #130)


Ronen Givony - 2018
    If anything, today, the cult of Jawbreaker-in their own words, "the little band that could but would probably rather not"-is now many times greater than it was when they broke up in 1996. Like the best work of Fugazi, The Clash, and Operation Ivy, the album is now is a rite of passage and a beloved classic among partisans of intelligent, committed, literary punk music and poetry.Why, when a thousand other artists came and went in that confounding decade of the 90s, did Jawbreaker somehow come to seem like more than just another band? Why do they persist, today, in meaning so much to so many people? And how did it happen that, two years after releasing their masterpiece, the band that was somehow more than just a band to its fans-closer to equipment for living-was no longer?Ronen Givony's 24 Hour Revenge Therapy is an extended tribute in the spirit of Nicholson Baker's U & I a passionate, highly personal, and occasionally obsessive study of one of the great confessional rock albums of the 90s. At the same time, it offers a quizzical look back to the toxic authenticity battles of the decade, ponders what happened to the question of "selling out," and asks whether we today are enriched or impoverished by that debate becoming obsolete.

Unwritten


Rachel Lacey - 2018
    But with nude photos going viral on the internet, the ensuing smear campaign threatens to ruin everything.A chance meeting with a handsome college professor—who’s adorably clueless about her identity—is a rare break from the stress. But when shocked recognition dawns in his eyes, her survival mechanism kicks in. She can’t simply let him walk away to add grist to the rumor mill.Josh Randall has already loved and lost his soulmate. Yet when he witnesses Kate in a vulnerable moment, he can’t deny the pull between them. Even though he believes down to his bones that true love doesn’t come twice in a lifetime.A no-strings fling sounds like the perfect solution. But Kate never expected Josh to see the woman hiding behind the celebrity—or that the paparazzi would catch on to their sizzling passion so quickly. Making it hard to keep their tangled emotions from tearing their hearts apart when it’s time to say goodbye…

Trouble Songs: Music and Conflict in Northern Ireland


Stuart Bailie - 2018
    Trouble Songs is related by Bono, Christy Moore, the Undertones, Stiff Little Fingers, Orbital, Kevin Rowland, Terri Hooley, the Rubberbandits and the Miami Showband survivors. Musicians from punk, folk, rave and rock have responded to violence, bigotry and shocking events. The soundtrack includes remarkable work by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Sinead O’Connor, the Pogues, the Cranberries and Elvis Costello.Stuart Bailie, a Belfast-based music journalist and broadcaster, has spoken to over 60 participants and reveals many untold histories. Trouble Songs is an alternative hearing of the conflict, a testament to music’s value as a persuader, agitator and peacemaker.Trouble Songs has been supported by the British Council and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. It is published by Bloomfield Press, a collaboration between the author and Eastside Arts, Belfast.

Musician's Survival Guide to a Killer Record


Mixerman - 2018
    Like most musicians these days, you write songs. And when you write a song that you're all excited about, you record it, probably mostly at home, perhaps in some local studios too. You may even invite some friends to participate. Then you probably put your new record on streaming sites, band sites, and social media sites, perhaps all of those, because you feel you absolutely killed it, and the whole world needs to hear this record right now. Some months later, you listen to your record again, only to realize you still adore the song, but the record itself? It fell short, somehow. Just like the last one did. Which brings up a very important question: Are you 100% satisfied with your records? I ask, because I already know that most of you are going to answer no to that. Some of you might even believe it's not possible to be 100% satisfied with your records. I'm here to tell you that it is. Who am I? I'm Mixerman aka Eric Sarafin. I have multiple gold and platinum sales awards as a mixer, producer, and recordist, and I’ve written several popular books on the recording arts. I was in precisely your position at the early stages of my career. I was a musician, frustrated that I could write a great song, only to feel the record itself fell short of it's potential. I can help you reduce that learning curve significantly. Think musically. The stated goal of this book is to convert recording decisions into musical ones, and technical decisions into practical ones. Not only do I explain the musical strategies for making a Killer Record, I also break the technical information down to its core so that you can get it out of your way. The best part? So long as you have what you need to make a record, I can help you make it a Killer Record, and you don’t have to purchase anything beyond this book. You have what you have and what you have is going to change. It doesn't matter whether you make hip-hop or country, electronica or metal, indie rock or power pop, there are certain truths that are universal to all music. You are operating within a set of limitations both musically and technically and that's where your creativity will shine. Great Art is made with the resources available to you. This field manual is chock full of recording strategies designed to keep recording a fun and focused process. You will return to this manual time and time again to help you overcome any impediment–technical or musical–that might prevent you from achieving the results you seek, regardless of your recording environment, regardless of what equipment you're using, and regardless of your current skillset. You can make a Killer Record under nearly any circumstance. It just requires the right mindset.

Allegro: A Musical Journey Through 11 Musical Masterpieces


David W. Miles - 2018
    Meet Allegro, an ordinary boy who can't stand practicing the piano. Those black dots on the page drive him crazy—until the music itself whisks him away on a breathtaking journey. Each beautifully illustrated scene on Allegro's journey is accompanied by a famous classical theme that can be played with the press of a button. Hear Grieg's "Morning Mood" while meandering through a misty meadow, Dvorak's "New World Symphony" while exploring uncharted lands, Debussy's "Claire de Lune" while pondering a shimmering night sky, and 7 more! Beautiful gold foil, lavish illustrations, and high-quality sound make this a musical masterpiece to treasure forever.

When Angels Sing: The Story of Rock Legend Carlos Santana


Michael James Mahin - 2018
    It was a sound that filled the world with magic and love and feeling and healing—a sound that made angels real. Carlos wanted to make angels real, too. So he started playing music.Carlos tried el clarinete and el violín, but there were no angels. Then he picked up la guitarra. He took the soul of the Blues, the brains of Jazz, and the energy of Rock and Roll, and added the slow heat of Afro-Cuban drums and the cilantro-scented sway of the music he’d grown up with in Mexico. There were a lot of bands in San Francisco but none of them sounded like this. Had Carlos finally found the music that would make his angels real?

Anatomy of the Voice: An Illustrated Guide for Singers, Vocal Coaches, and Speech Therapists


Theodore Dimon Jr. - 2018
    Beautifully illustrated with more than 100 detailed images, Anatomy of the Voice guides voice teachers and students, vocal coaches, professional singers and actors, and anyone interested in the voice through the complex landscape of breathing, larynx, throat, face, and jaw. Theodore Dimon, an internationally recognized authority on the subject, as well as an expert in the Alexander Technique, makes unfamiliar terrain accessible and digestible by describing each vocal system in short, manageable sections and explaining complex terminology. The topics he covers include ribs, diaphragm, and muscles of breathing; the intrinsic musculature of the larynx, its structure and action; the suspensory muscles of the throat; the face and jaw; the tongue and palate; and the evolution and function of the larynx.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: An Art Book


Reinhard Kleist - 2018
    It is, according to Nick Cave himself, “a complex, chilling and completely bizarre journey into Cave World.” Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: An Art Book collects Kleist’s moody and expressive portraits of the musician and his band, spanning 30 years of writing, recording, and live performance. Kleist also returns readers to Cave’s imaginative world with comic book reimaginings of “Deanna,” “The Good Son,” and “Stagger Lee.” Filled with visual delights, this record-size art book is a kaleidoscopic portrait of Nick Cave’s wide-ranging career as a storyteller, musician, and cultural icon.

Rolling Stone 50 Years of Covers: A History of the Most Influential Magazine in Pop Culture


Jann S. Wenner - 2018
    No other magazine has the illustrious history and prestige of having defined popular culture from the birth of rock and roll to the present. This fantastic collection is newly revised and updated to include the covers from all 50 years of Rolling Stone history. With an updated introduction by Jann S. Wenner as well as new excerpts from the magazine and quotes from photographers and their celebrity subjects, this nostalgic journey down the memory lane of music, entertainment, and politics is irresistible.

Led Zeppelin All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track


Jean-Michel Guesdon - 2018
    Fifty years after their first practice in a Soho basement, Led Zeppelin continues to fascinate new generations of listeners. While their legendary back-stage debauchery has been written about extensively in other books, All the Songs is all about the music, detailing the studio magic and inspiration that made all nine albums go platinum, including Led Zeppelin IV which was certified x23 platinum and has sold more than 37 million copies worldwide. Studio stories will include their productive time at Headley Grange in Wales, a poorly-heated former poorhouse where they recorded parts of Led Zeppelin III, Led Zeppelin IV, Houses of the Holy and Physical Graffiti. Andhow the first album was recorded in three weeks but their second took six months, done while the band was on a world tour. They carried the masters of the recording session in a steamer trunk wherever they went. Out of these chaotic sessions came the "Whole Lotta Love," which was finished in New York with Hendrix engineer Eddie Kramer helping create the psychedelic middle part, as well as "The Lemon Song," which was cut live in the studio. Page worked feverishly with Kramer to mix the LP on a primitive 12-channel Altec board in a two-day span. Fans will also learn the genesis of their lyrics, the inspiration for their album covers, the instruments used, and the contributions of engineers such as Andy Johns, who helped create the iconic drum sound on "When the Levee Breaks" by recording Bonham at the bottom of a stairwell.