My Chemical Romance: This Band Will Save Your Life


Reinhardt Haydn - 2007
    MCR achieved global prominence in 2006 with the release of their platinum-selling album Welcome to the Black Parade. Extensive touring has added to their worldwide fan base with incendiary sold-out live shows. In this provocative biography, Reinhardt Haydn presents a comprehensive profile of the band, from its hardscrabble start to its rocky upward climb to its present superstar status.

In the Court of King Crimson


Sid Smith - 2002
    chart hit. The band followed it with 40 further albums of consistently challenging, distinctive and innovative music. Drawing on hours of new interviews, and encouraged by Crimson supremo Robert Fripp, the author traces the band’s turbulent history year by year, track by track.

You Really Got Me: The Story of the Kinks


Nick Hasted - 2010
    The Kinks are the quintessential British sixties band, revered for an incredible series of classic songs ("You Really Got Me," "Waterloo Sunset" and "Lola" to name but a few) and critically acclaimed albums such as The Village Green Preservation Society. Featuring original interviews with key band members Ray Davies, his brother Dave Davies and Mick Avory, as well as Chrissie Hynde and many others close to the group, every stage of their career is covered in fascinating detail: the hits, the American successes of the 1970s and the legendary band in-fighting.  Nearly 50 years after they formed, the Kinks' influence is still being felt today as strongly as ever.

No Off Switch


Andy Kershaw - 2011
    This account does not go out of its way to endear us to him. With digs at everything from Rastafarianism and the smoking ban to musicians he doesn't care for. From his pioneering work as entertainments officer at Leeds University in the 1980s, to his introduction of many foreign artists to British ears, to his latter-day work as a foreign reporter, Kershaw has had a fascinating life.

I Get Wet


Phillip Crandall - 2014
    A faint, swirling effect intensifies with each bass kick and, by the eighth one, the ears have prepped themselves for the metal mayhem they are about to receive. When it all drops, and the joyous onslaught of a hundred guitars is finally realized, you'll have to forgive your ears for being duped into a false sense of security, because it's that second intensified drop a few seconds later — the one where yet more guitars manifest and Andrew W.K. slam-plants his vocal flag by screaming the song's titular line — that really floods the brain with endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, and whatever else formulates invincibility.Polished to a bright overdubbed-to-oblivion sheen, the party-preaching I Get Wet didn't capture the zeitgeist of rock at the turn of the century; it captured the timelessness of youth, as energized, awesome, and unapologetically stupid as ever. With insights from friends and unprecedented help from the mythological maniac himself — whose sermon and pop sensibilities continue to polarize — this book chronicles the sound's evolution, uncovers the relevance of Steev Mike, and examines how Andrew W.K.'s inviting, inclusive lyrics create the ultimate shared experience between artist and audience.

Green Day: American Idiots & The New Punk Explosion


Benjamin Myers - 2005
    Except it wasn’t that simple. Self-confessed latch-key kids, theirs was far from an easy ride.Inspired by both the energy of British punk bands like the Sex Pistols and Buzzcocks and cult American bands such as Dead Kennedys and Husker Du, Green Day formed in 1989. The band gigged relentlessly across the US, quickly selling out every underground club that booked them, and their 1994 major label debut Dookie was a 10-million-selling worldwide hit album that seized the zeitgeist while rock music was still reeling from the death of Nirvana's Kurt Cobain. They toured the world, headlined all the big festivals, won countless awards and released multi-million selling albums.In 2004 Green Day reached a career pinnacle with the concept album American Idiot, a sophisticated commentary on modern life—not least dissatisfaction with their president and America’s continued cultural and economic imperialism. The No. 1 success of the Grammy-winning album extended Green Day's fan base even further—from pre-teen kids to previously skeptical critics.This book is the world’s first full biography on Green Day. An authority on punk and hardcore, author Ben Myers charts the band members’ difficult childhoods, the context of the band within the US and world punk scene and their glittering rise to success. Myers has also interviewed the band for various magazines at different stages of their career.

Stanley Donwood: There Will Be No Quiet


Stanley Donwood - 2019
    His influential work spans many practices over a 23-year period, from music packaging to installation work to printmaking. Here, he reveals his personal notebooks, photographs, sketches, and abandoned routes to iconic Radiohead artworks. Arranged chronologically, each chapter is dedicated to a major work—whether an album cover, promotional piece, or a personal project—and is presented as a step-by-step working case study. Featuring commentary by Thom Yorke and never-before-seen archival material, this is the first deep dive into Donwood’s creative practice and the artistic freedom afforded to him by working for a major music act. It is a must-have for fans of the band and anyone interested in graphic design and popular culture.

The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics


Alan Aldridge - 1969
    The music and lyrics of the Beatles have proven them to be artists of the page as well as the stage and have here provided inspiration to dozens of artists. Rendered in full color on every page are extravagantly colorful scenes and images, from the psychedelic visions evoked by “Strawberry Fields” to the youthful innocence that springs from “She Loves You.” Witty commentary and candid insights from John, Paul, George and Ringo make this a very special and personal tribute.

The Internet is a Playground


David Thorne - 2010
    The complete collection of articles and emails from 27bslash6 such as Overdue Account, Party in Apartment 3 and Strata Agreement plus articles too litigious to be on the website.

Stuart Adamson: In a Big Country


Allan Glen - 2011
    Stuart Adamson: In a Big Country tells the story of how a teenager who was raised in a small Fife village released his first single at 19, wrote three Top 40 albums in the next three years and was written off as a has-been at 23, but then went on to form a new band and sell more than 10 million records worldwide, touring with the Rolling Stones and David Bowie. Although Stuart Adamson was one of the most respected and popular figures in the music industry, his personal life was complex - depression, alcoholism and estrangement - and ultimately tragic, ending with his suicide in a Hawaiian hotel in December 2001.

Selected Poems


Emily Dickinson - 1890
    Includes "There's a certain slant of light," "Because I could not stop for death," "It was not death for I stood up."

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.

Elvis Presley: A Life in Music — The Complete Recording Sessions


Ernst Jorgensen - 1998
    With exclusive access to the RCA vaults, producer Ernst Jorgensen brings to intimate life every moment that Elvis spent in the studio--from the spontaneous joy of his early sessions to the intensely creative periods of his later career. At once the definitive recording session guide and a compellingly readable narrative, this is the ultimate companion to the singer and his songs.

Basic Music Theory: How to Read, Write, and Understand Written Music


Jonathan Harnum - 2001
    The book is written by an experienced teacher using methods refined over more than ten years in his private teaching studio and in schools. Lessons are short, well-paced and enjoyable. Whether you're a beginner of any age, whether you're an experienced player who wants to bone up on your theory, or whether you teach music and need a fun way to do it, you'll find this book valuable and will refer to it again and again. You will discover how easy it is to: * Learn quickly and efficiently with easy lessons designed by a professional teacher. * Learn the symbols used in written music. * Understand the terms musicians use. * Learn the piano keyboard and the guitar fretboard. * Use memory devices to learn terms and symbols. * Use the included study guides to remember it all. * Apply what you have learned with short, easy Practical Use sections at the end of each Chapter. * Tune in to radio shows, television shows and the Internet to find musicians demonstrating great music. With Interludes On: * How to practice. Some topics: equipment, how to improve, ear training, listening, private teachers. * Conducting. What does all that arm-waving mean? How does it help? Find the answers and learn how! * Learn Some Italian. Many musical terms are in Italian. Learn them in this section. * Ultra-brief history of music notation. Special Features: * Piano Keyboard w/ Note Names * Guitar Fingerboard w/ Note Names * Practice Aids * Staff Paper * Specially Designed Reviews * Practical Use Exercises * Extensively Cross-Referenced * Musical Terms Dictionary * Book Index * If you are a teacher, you might be interested in the FREE Teacher's Supplement. It contains quizzes and keys, each with four different versions to curb cheating.

Wagner Without Fear: Learning to Love—and Even Enjoy—Opera's Most Demanding Genius


William Berger - 1998
    He tells you all you need to know to become a true Wagnerite--from story lines to historical background; from when to visit the rest room to how to sound smart during intermission; from the Jewish legend that possibly inspired Lohengrin to the tragic death of the first Tristan. Funny, informative, and always a pleasure to read, Wagner Without Fear proves that the art of Wagner can be accessible to everyone.Includes:- The strange life of Richard Wagner--German patriot (and exile), friend (and enemy) of Liszt and Nietzsche- Essential opera lore and "lobby talk"- A scene-by-scene analysis of each opera- What to listen for to get the most from the music- Recommended recordings, films, and sound tracks