If you prefer to buy your music books in bulk, this is the week you’ve been waiting for — there are more than two dozen new titles on the way, including books by or about Jeff Tweedy, Kim Gordon, Gucci Mane, Kendrick Lamar, The Beatles, Rush, Pearl Jam, Davie Bowie, Dolly Parton, GG Allin, Hawkwind, Charlie Parker and more. Bottom line: If you can’t find something to read this week, that’s on you.
How to Write One Song: Loving the Things We Create and How They Love Us Back
By Jeff Tweedy
THE PRESS RELEASE: “There are few creative acts more mysterious and magical than writing a song. But what if the goal wasn’t so mysterious and was actually achievable for anyone who wants to experience more magic and creativity in their life? That’s something that anyone will be inspired to do after reading Jeff Tweedy’s How to Write One Song. Why one song? Because the difference between one song and many songs isn’t a cute semantic trick — it’s an important distinction that can simplify a notoriously confusing art form. The idea of becoming a capital-S songwriter can seem daunting, but approached as a focused, self-contained event, the mystery and fear subsides, and songwriting becomes an exciting pursuit. And then there is the energizing, nourishing creativity that can open up. How to Write One Song brings readers into the intimate process of writing one song — lyrics, music, and putting it all together — and accesses the deep sense of wonder that remains at the heart of this curious, yet incredibly fulfilling, artistic act. But it’s equally about the importance of making creativity part of your life every day, and of experiencing the hope, inspiration, and joy available to anyone who’s willing to get started.”
Kim Gordon: No Icon
By Kim Gordon
THE PRESS RELEASE: “As cofounder of legendary rock band Sonic Youth, best-selling author, and celebrated artist Kim Gordon is one of the most singular and influential figures of the modern era. This personally curated scrapbook includes a foreword by Carrie Brownstein and is an edgy and evocative portrait of Gordon’s life, art, and style. Spanning from her childhood on Californian surf beaches in the ’60s and ’70s to New York’s downtown art and music scene in the ’80s and ’90s where Sonic Youth was born. Through unpublished personal photographs, magazine and newspaper clippings, fashion editorials, and advertising campaigns, interspersed with Gordon’s song lyrics, writings, artworks, private objects, and ephemera, this book demonstrates how Kim Gordon has been a role model for generations of women and men.”
The Gucci Mane Guide to Greatness
By Gucci Mane With Soren Baker
THE PRESS RELEASE: “From the platinum selling recording artist and New York Times bestselling author of The Autobiography of Gucci Mane comes The Gucci Mane Guide to Greatness — an unprecedented look at Gucci Mane’s secrets to success, health, wealth, and self-improvement. From Gucci: “I live by the principles in this book. I wanted to write this book to give you a tool set. This book should touch people who are going through something. It’s not going to be easy. But study these words, and put them into action. I want this book to keep you motivated. I want you to keep coming back to it for guidance and inspiration. You can put it on your shelf and keep going to The Gucci Mane Guide to Greatness. This book is a challenge. Don’t underestimate yourself. Don’t think that what you’re saying is not important. Don’t think you can’t achieve the impossible. Everyone needs some game, so here it is. The Gucci Mane Guide to Greatness is for the world. Enjoy.” In this inspiring followup to his iconic memoir, Gucci Mane gifts us with his playbook for living your best life. Packed with stunning photographs, The Gucci Mane Guide to Greatness distills the legend’s timeless wisdom into a one-of-a-kind motivational guidebook. Gucci Mane emerged transformed after a turbulent life of violence, crime, and addiction to become a dazzling embodiment of the power of positivity, focus, and hard-work. Using examples from his life of unparalleled success, Gucci Mane looks inward and upward to offer his blueprint for greatness. A must read for anyone with big ambitions and bigger dreams.”
I Wanna Be Yours
By John Cooper Clarke
THE PRESS RELEASE: “John Cooper Clarke is a phenomenon: Poet Laureate of Punk, rock star, fashion icon, TV and radio presenter, social and cultural commentator. At 5 feet 11 inches (32-in chest, 27-in waist), in trademark dark suit, dark glasses, with dark messed-up hair and a mouth full of gold teeth, he is instantly recognizable. As a writer his voice is equally unmistakable and his own brand of slightly sick humour is never far from the surface. I Wanna Be Yours covers an extraordinary life, filled with remarkable personalities: from Nico to Chuck Berry, from Bernard Manning to Linton Kwesi Johnson, Elvis Costello to Gregory Corso, Gil Scott Heron, Mark E. Smith and Joe Strummer, and on to more recent fans and collaborators Alex Turner, Plan B and Guy Garvey. Interspersed with stories of his rock and roll and performing career, John also reveals his boggling encyclopaedic take on popular culture over the centuries: from Baudelaire and Edgar Allan Poe to Pop Art, pop music, the movies, fashion, football and showbusiness — and much, much more, plus a few laughs along the way.”
Bob Marley: Portrait of the Legend
By Ziggy Marley
THE PRESS RELEASE: “In honor of Bob Marley’s 75th birthday, this glorious oversize book collects more than 150 photographs that celebrate the life and influence of the forefather of reggae and one of the greatest musical and sociopolitical icons of twentieth-century pop culture. Drawing exclusively on photos in the Marley family archives, the book mixes the iconic and the intimate, bringing together striking images of Marley as a performer onstage with unseen glimpses into his creative process in and out of the studio and his family life in Jamaica. Making the most of its oversize pages, the book is designed as a monument to his influence. Focusing on the last decade of his life — the period of his greatest worldwide fame — and with excerpts from unpublished interviews and prophetic quotes alongside the images, this is a definitive portrait of one of the great artists of the twentieth century made by those who knew him best.”
Not for You: Pearl Jam and the Present Tense
By Ronen Givony
THE PRESS RELEASE: “There has never been a band like Pearl Jam. The Seattle quintet has recorded 11 studio albums; sold some 85 million records; played over 1,000 shows, in 50 countries; and had five different albums reach No.1. But Pearl Jam’s story is about much more than music. Through resilience, integrity, and sheer force of will, they transcended several eras, and shaped the way a whole generation thought about art, entertainment, and commerce. Not for You: Pearl Jam and the Present Tense is the first full-length biography of America’s preeminent band, from Ten to Gigaton. A study of their role in history — from Operation Desert Storm to Dixie Chicks; Jeremy to Columbine; Kurt Cobain to Chris Cornell; Ticketmaster to Trump — Not for You explores the band’s origins and evolution over 30 years of American culture. It starts with their founding, and the eruption of grunge, in 1991; continues through their golden age (Vs., Vitalogy, No Code, Yield); their middle period (Binaural, Riot Act); and the more divisive recent catalog. Along the way, it considers the band’s activism, idealism, and impact. More than the first critical study, Not for You is a tribute to a famously obsessive fan base, in the spirit of Nick Hornby’s Fever Pitch. It’s an old-fashioned — if, at times, ambivalent — appreciation; a reflection on pleasure, fandom, and guilt; and an essay on the nature of adolescence, nostalgia, and adulthood. Partly social history, partly autobiography, and entirely outspoken, discursive, and droll, Not for You is the first full-length treatment of Pearl Jam’s odyssey and importance in the culture, from the ’90s to the present.”
Limelight: Rush in the ’80s
By Martin Popoff
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Part 2 of the definitive biography of the rock ’n’ roll kings of the North ― covering Rush’s most iconic and popular albums, Moving Pictures and Power Windows. Includes two full-color photo inserts, with 16 pages of the band on tour and in the studio. In the followup to Anthem: Rush in the ’70s, Martin Popoff brings together canon analysis, cultural context, and extensive firsthand interviews to celebrate Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart at the peak of their persuasive power. Rush was one of the most celebrated hard rock acts of the ’80s, and the second book of Popoff’s staggeringly comprehensive three-part series takes readers from Permanent Waves to Presto, while bringing new insight to Moving Pictures, their crowning glory. Limelight: Rush in the ’80s is a celebration of fame, of the pushback against that fame, of fortunes made — and spent … In the latter half of the decade, as Rush adopts keyboard technology and gets pert and poppy, there’s an uproar amongst diehards, but the band finds a whole new crop of listeners. Limelight charts a dizzying period in the band’s career, built of explosive excitement but also exhaustion, a state that would lead, as the ’90s dawned, to the band questioning everything they previously believed, and each member eying the oncoming decade with trepidation and suspicion.”
Enya: A Treatise on Unguilty Pleasures
By Chilly Gonzales
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Does music have to be smart or does it just have to go to the heart? Chilly Gonzales is one of the most exciting, original, hard-to-pin-down musicians of our time, known as much for the intimate piano touch of his best-selling Solo Piano album trilogy as for his sweaty showmanship and composition for award-winning stars. Filling the world’s great philharmonic halls, at the piano in slippers and a bathrobe — in any one night he can dissect the musicology of a Billie Eilish hit, give a sublime solo recital, and display his lyrical dexterity as a rapper. In crisp, erudite prose Gonzales delves beyond Enya’s innumerable gold discs and millions of fans to excavate his own enthusiasm for her singular music, as well as the mysterious musician herself, and along the way uncovers new truths about the nature of music, fame, success, and the artistic endeavor.”
David Bowie: Icon: The Definitive Photographic Collection
By Iconic Images and George Underwood
THE PRESS RELEASE: “David Bowie: Icon gathers the greatest images of one of the greatest stars in history, into a single, luxurious volume. The result is the most important anthology of Bowie images ever compiled. Featuring work from many of the greatest names in photography, this book showcases an incredible portfolio of imagery: The iconic, the awe inspiring, the candid and the surprising. Follow the visual evolution of Bowie over the years, through the lenses of his famous photographer collaborators. Photography and text by: Gerald Fearnley, Justin de Villeneuve, Terry O’Neill, Masayoshi Sukita, Norman Parkinson, Kevin Cummins, Janet Macoska, Lynn Goldsmith, Geoff MacCormack, Alec Byrne, Brian Aris, Andrew Kent, Vernon Dewhurst, Gavin Evans, Fernando Aceves, Barry Schultz, Ray Stevenson, Chalkie Davies, Markus Klinko, Greg Gorman, John Scarisbrick, Denis O’Regan, Mick Rock, Philippe Auliac, Steve Schapiro. When David Bowie passed away on Jan. 10 2016, the world lost an icon. And yet, his legacy lives on. From his humble origins as a teen musician in the 1960s up until the very end, Bowie’s music, lyrics and provocative performances inspired not only his generation, but every generation that followed. While his sound and style underwent several alterations throughout his career, two facts never changed. He was an innovator, and photographers adored him. This book pays homage to this once-in-a-lifetime icon.”
150 Glimpses of The Beatles
By Craig Brown
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Though 50 years have passed since the breakup of The Beatles, the Fab Four continue to occupy an utterly unique place in popular culture. Their influence extends far beyond music and into realms as diverse as fashion and fine art, sexual politics and religion. When they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, fresh off the plane from England, they provoked an epidemic of hoarse-throated fandom that continues to this day. Who better, then, to capture the Beatles phenomenon than Craig Brown ― the inimitable author of Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret and master chronicler of the foibles and foppishness of British high society? This wide-ranging portrait of the four lads from Liverpool rivals the unique spectacle of the band itself by delving into a vast catalog of heretofore unexamined lore. When actress Eleanor Bron touched down at Heathrow with The Beatles, she thought that a flock of starlings had alighted on the roof of the terminal ― only to discover that the birds were in fact young women screaming at the top of their lungs. One journalist, mistaken for Paul McCartney as he trailed the band in his car, found himself nearly crushed to death as fans climbed atop the vehicle and pressed their bodies against the windshield. Or what about the Baptist preacher who claimed that The Beatles synchronized their songs with the rhythm of an infant’s heartbeat so as to induce a hypnotic state in listeners? And just how many people have employed the services of a Canadian dentist who bought John Lennon’s tooth at auction, extracted its DNA, and now offers paternity tests to those hoping to sue his estate? 150 Glimpses of the Beatles is, above all, a distinctively kaleidoscopic examination of The Beatles’ effect on the world around them and the world they helped bring into being. Part anthropology and part memoir, and enriched by the recollections of everyone from Tom Hanks to Bruce Springsteen, this book is a humorous, elegiac, and at times madcap take on The Beatles’ role in the making of the ’60s and of music as we know it.”
John Lennon, Yoko Ono and the Year Canada Was Cool
By Greg Marquis
THE PRESS RELEASE: “John Lennon was the world’s biggest rock star in the late ’60s. With his new wife Yoko Ono, the duo were icons of the peace movement denouncing The Vietnam War. In 1969, at the height of their popularity, they headed to Canada. Canada was already a politically charged place. In 1968, Pierre Elliott Trudeau rode a wave of popularity dubbed Trudeaumania for its similarities to the Beatlemania of the era. The sexual revolution, hippie culture, the New Left and the peace movement were challenging norms, frightening the authorities and provoking backlash. Quebec nationalism was putting the power of the English-speaking minority running the province on the defensive, and threatening the breakup of the country. John Lennon and Yoko Ono staged a “bed-in for peace?” at an upscale downtown Montreal hotel. The couple saw a steady stream of journalists, musicians and activists arriving for interviews, political discussions, singing and art-making. The classic Give Peace A Chance was recorded there with the help of local Quebecois musicians. Three months later they were back in Canada with Eric Clapton and other friends to play a concert festival in Toronto arranged by local promoters. American acts like Little Richard, The Doors, Bo Diddley and Alice Cooper, along with many Canadian pop musicians of the time, played at the festival. At year’s end, the duo met with Prime Minister Trudeau in Ottawa. By this time Trudeau was cracking down on dissent, mainly in Quebec, and falling out of favour with the counterculture crowd. Recounting the story of these events, historian Greg Marquis offers a unique portrayal of Canadian society in the late ’60s, recounting how politicians, activists, police, artists, musicians and businesses across Canada reacted to John and Yoko’s presence and message.”
She Come By It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs
By Sarah Smarsh
THE PRESS RELEASE: “The National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author of Heartland focuses her laser-sharp insights on a working-class icon and one of the most unifying figures in American culture: Dolly Parton. Growing up amid Kansas wheat fields and airplane factories, Sarah Smarsh witnessed firsthand the particular vulnerabilities — and strengths — of women in working poverty. Meanwhile, country songs by female artists played in the background, telling powerful stories about life, men, hard times, and surviving. In her family, she writes, “country music was foremost a language among women. It’s how we talked to each other in a place where feelings aren’t discussed.” And no one provided that language better than Dolly Parton. Smarsh challenged a typically male vision of the rural working class with her first book, Heartland, starring the bold, hard-luck women who raised her. Now, in She Come By It Natural, originally published in a four-part series for No Depression, Smarsh explores the overlooked contributions to social progress by such women — including those averse to the term “feminism” — as exemplified by Parton’s life and art. Far beyond the recently resurrected Jolene or quintessential 9 to 5, Parton’s songs for decades have validated women who go unheard: the poor woman, the pregnant teenager, the struggling mother disparaged as “trailer trash.” Parton’s broader career — from singing on the front porch of her family’s cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains to achieving stardom in Nashville and Hollywood, from “girl singer” managed by powerful men to leader of a self-made business and philanthropy empire — offers a springboard to examining the intersections of gender, class, and culture. Infused with Smarsh’s trademark insight, intelligence, and humanity, She Come By It Natural is a sympathetic tribute to the icon Dolly Parton and — call it whatever you like — the organic feminism she embodies.”
Unlikely Angel: The Songs of Dolly Parton
By Lydia R Hamessley
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Dolly Parton’s success as a performer and pop culture phenomenon has overshadowed her achievements as a songwriter. But she sees herself as a songwriter first, and with good reason. Parton’s compositions like I Will Always Love You and Jolene have become American standards with an impact far beyond country music. Lydia R. Hamessley’s expert analysis and Parton’s characteristically straightforward input inform this comprehensive look at the process, influences, and themes that have shaped the superstar’s songwriting artistry. Hamessley reveals how Parton’s loving, hardscrabble childhood in the Smoky Mountains provided the musical language, rhythms, and memories of old-time music that resonate in so many of her songs. Hamessley further provides an understanding of how Parton combines her cultural and musical heritage with an artisan’s sense of craft and design to compose eloquent, painfully honest, and gripping songs about women’s lives, poverty, heartbreak, inspiration, and love. Filled with insights on hit songs and less familiar gems, Unlikely Angel covers the full arc of Dolly Parton’s career and offers an unprecedented look at the creative force behind the image.”
The Butterfly Effect: How Kendrick Lamar Ignited the Soul of Black America
By Marcus J. Moore
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Kendrick Lamar is at the top of his game. The 13-time Grammy Award–winning rapper is just in his early 30s, but he’s already won the Pulitzer Prize for Music, produced and curated the soundtrack of the megahit film Black Panther, and has been named one of Time’s 100 Influential People. But what’s even more striking about the Compton-born lyricist and performer is how he’s established himself as a formidable adversary of oppression and force for change. Through his confessional poetics, his politically charged anthems, and his radical performances, Lamar has become a beacon of light for countless people. Written by veteran journalist and music critic Marcus J. Moore, this is the first biography of Kendrick Lamar. It’s the definitive account of his coming-of-age as an artist, his resurrection of two languishing genres (bebop and jazz), his profound impact on a racially fraught America, and his emergence as the bona fide King of Rap. The Butterfly Effect is the extraordinary, triumphant story of a modern lyrical prophet and an American icon who has given hope to those buckling under the weight of systemic oppression, reminding everyone that through it all — “we gon’ be alright.”
Hawkwind: Days Of The Underground: Radical Escapism in the Age Of Paranoia
By Joe Banks
THE PRESS RELEASE: “An account of the English rock band Hawkwind shows them to be one of the most innovative and culturally significant bands of the 1970s. Fifty years on from when they first formed, the English rock band Hawkwind continue to inspire devotion from fans around the world. Their influence reaches across the spectrum of alternative music, from psychedelia, prog, and punk, through industrial, electronica, and stoner rock. Hawkwind have been variously, if erroneously, positioned as the heir to both Pink Floyd and The Velvet Underground, and as Britain’s answer to The Grateful Dead and Krautrock. They have defined a genre — space rock — while operating on a frequency that’s uniquely their own. Hawkwind offered a form of radical escapism and an alternative account of a strange new world for a generation of young people growing up on a planet that seemed to be teetering on the brink of destruction, under threat from economic meltdown, industrial unrest, and political polarization. While other commentators confidently asserted that the countercultural experiment of the 1960s was over, Hawkwind took the underground to the provinces and beyond. In Days of the Underground, Joe Banks repositions Hawkwind as one of the most innovative and culturally significant bands of the 1970s. It’s not an easy task. As with many bands of this era, a lazy narrative has built up around Hawkwind that doesn’t do justice to the breadth of their ambition and achievements. Banks gives the lie to the popular perception of Hawkwind as one long lysergic soap opera; with Days of the Underground, he shows us just how revolutionary Hawkwind are.”
Rock and Roll Terrorist: The Graphic Story of Shock Rocker GG Allin
By Reid Chancellor
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Born as Jesus Christ Allin and raised in rural isolation by a violently abusive religious fanatic, GG Allin grew up to be one of punk’s most controversial figures. His music was overshadowed by his onstage antics, including throwing blood and feces at the audience and hurting himself and audience members. In this first substantial biography of the man who wanted to make rock “dangerous” again, Hardcore Anxiety author and illustrator Reid Chancellor portrays Allin’s life and early death with sensitivity, asking us to look beyond the shocking spectacle to understand the troubled human behind the scenes, and the societal forces that pushed him to the edge of creative expression.”
GG Allin: Rock and Roll Terrorist Activity and Coloring Book
By Reid Chancellor
THE PRESS RELEASE: “The first objective storytelling about one of rock’s most storied yet mysterious figures, these narrative activities are for adults who want to understand mental health, trauma, and maladaptive coping mechanisms. 2020 marks the 27th anniversary of the death of GG Allin, the most notorious rock ’n’ roll artist of all time, a potent mix of the antics of Sid Vicious and the persecuted worldview of Hank Williams. He was loved and hated, but it was clear to everyone that he knew how to create a spectacle: bleeding on stage, throwing feces at the audience, self-mutilation, and violent attacks. Instead of further glamorizing him as previous books have done, this activity and coloring book explores the lifetime of trauma that motivated him and what he felt like were his best creative expressions. Draw his tattoos, color his infamous onstage mayhem, engage with his unflinching takes on death, pain, and religion. Channel your rage through the page.”
Chasin’ The Bird: A Charlie Parker Graphic Novel
By Dave Chisholm
THE PRESS RELEASE: “The graphic novel tells the story of Bird’s time in L.A. starting in December 1945, where Bird and Dizzy Gillespie brought frenetic sounds of bebop from the East Coast jazz underground to the West Coast for a two-month residency at Billy Berg’s Hollywood jazz club. This marked the beginning of a tumultuous two year-stint for Bird bumming around L.A., showing up at jam sessions, crashing on people’s couches, causing havoc in public places, and recording some of his most groundbreaking tracks, A Night in Tunisia and Ornithology, as well as Relaxin’ At Camarillo, inspired by the end of his time in SoCal at the Camarillo State Hospital. The novel explores Bird’s relationship with the characters and events he encountered during his time in L.A. including recording some of his signature songs with Dial Records founder Ross Russell, a brief but influential stay at the home of famed jazz photographer William Claxton, a party for the ages at the ranch home of artist Jirayr Zorthian, and others who found themselves in the orbit of the jazz genius. Chasin’ the Bird is named for Charlie Parker’s 1947 standard, and adapts one of the sunnier, but darker chapters in the life of Bird, beautifully told by Dave Chisholm. The book will include an exclusive flexi disc record featuring a recording from Parker’s time in Los Angeles.”
Ballad of an American: A Graphic Biography of Paul Robeson
By Sharon Rudahl, Paul Buhle, Lawrence Ware
THE PRESS RELEASE: “The first-ever graphic biography of Paul Robeson, Ballad of an American, charts Robeson’s career as a singer, actor, scholar, athlete, and activist who achieved global fame. Through his films, concerts, and records, he became a potent symbol representing the promise of a multicultural, multiracial American democracy at a time when, despite his stardom, he was denied personal access to his many audiences. Robeson was a major figure in the rise of anti-colonialism in Africa and elsewhere, and a tireless campaigner for internationalism, peace, and human rights. Later in life, he embraced the civil rights and antiwar movements with the hope that new generations would attain his ideals of a peaceful and abundant world. Ballad of an American features beautifully drawn chapters by artist Sharon Rudahl, a compelling narrative about his life, and an afterword on the lasting impact of Robeson’s work in both the arts and politics. This graphic biography will enable all kinds of readers — especially newer generations who may be unfamiliar with him —to understand his life’s story and everlasting global significance. Ballad of an American: A Graphic Biography of Paul Robeson is published in conjunction with Rutgers University’s centennial commemoration of Robeson’s 1919 graduation from the university.”
One Last Song: Conversations on Life, Death, and Music
By Mike Ayers
THE PRESS RELEASE: “If you could choose the last song you’d hear before you died, what would it be and why? Your favorite song of all time? Perhaps the one you danced to at your wedding? The song from that time you got super stoned and just let the chords speak to you? It’s a hard question that Mike Ayers has thought about for years. In One Last Song, Ayers invites 30 musicians to consider what song they would each want to accompany them to those pearly white gates. Weaving together their explanations with evocative illustrations and poignant interludes — what your song to die to says about you, what songs famous people have died to, and more. The book offers insight into the minds of famous artists and provides an entry point for considering how integral music is to our own personal narratives. Artists Featured: Jim James of My Morning Jacket, André 3000, Killer Mike, Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, Phoebe Bridgers, Richard Reed Parry of Arcade Fire, Sam Beam of Iron & Wine, Colin Meloy of The Decemberists, Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips, Lauren Mayberry of Cvrvches, A.C. Newman of The New Pornographers, Courtney Barrett, Bobb Bruno of Best Coast, Angel Olsen, Regina Spektor, Kevin Morby, Will Oldham, Julia Holter, Margo Price, Sonny Rollins, Ryley Walker, Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs, Yannis Phillippakis of Foals, Bettye Lavette, M.C. Taylor of Hiss Golden Messenger, Wanda Jackson, Roseanne Cash, Lucinda Williams, and Beth Orton.”
Legendary Guitars: An Illustrated Guide
By Tony Bacon
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Legendary Guitars: An Illustrated Guide recaps how the great instruments created and produced between 1950 and 1969 went on to define the design, looks, and playability of today’s electric guitars. Legendary Guitars draws direct lines between the mid-century originals and many of today’s most highly prized instruments. Alongside classic originals, you’ll see great examples of more recent instruments, showing how today’s guitar makers have produced fresh interpretations that draw on the venerable ’50s and ’60s templates. The guide details everything from highly accurate (and highly priced) vintage remakes and artist models to the broader influences and mashup qualities of modern retro creations. The 1950s marked the birth of so many now-classic electric guitars: from the Gibson Les Paul and the Fender Telecaster (as seen with Bill Haley & His Comets and with Little Richard’s band) to the Gretsch 6120 and the Gibson Flying V (twanged by Duane Eddy and touted by Albert King). In the 1960s, players pushed the sound of the electric guitar — bending, distorting, and overloading the instrument to within an inch of its life — all to fire some of the most extraordinary music ever created, not least by Jimi Hendrix with an upside-down Fender Stratocaster, Eric Clapton with a psychedelic Gibson SG, and George Harrison with a 12-string Rickenbacker. The work of more than 50 guitar brands — past and present — is highlighted, including Airline, Ampeg, Antoria, Aria, Baldwin, Bigsby, Burns, Coral, Danelectro, Eko, Epiphone, Fender, Framus, Futurama, Gibson, Goya, Gretsch, Grimshaw, Guild, Guyatone, Hagstrom, Harmony, Hofner, Hopf, Ibanez, Kawai, Kay, Kent, Kustom, La Baye, Magnatone, Messenger, Micro-Frets, Mosrite, National, Rickenbacker, Silvertone, Stratosphere, Supro, Teisco Del Rey, Tokai, Vega, Vox, Wandre, Watkins and Yamaha. Alongside the eye-popping guitar photographs is a unique collection of classic advertisements, period catalogs, and other rare memorabilia. Legendary Guitars: An Illustrated Guide also contains a chronological narrative of world events that places these remarkable instruments in the context of two decades of mesmerizing contrasts and revolutionary invention. Legendary Guitars takes you on an illustrated journey through the guitars and culture that drove the sound of rock ’n’ roll, blues, and country, from 1950 to present day.”
Fast Forward, Play, and Rewind
By Michael Oberman
THE PRESS RELEASE: “The Doors, James Brown, The Grateful Dead, The Sir Douglas Quintet, David Bowie — the list goes on. . . . From 1967 to 1973, Michael Oberman interviewed more than 300 top musical artists. Collected together for the first time, Fast Forward, Play and Rewind presents more than 100 interviews Oberman conducted with the most important musical artists of the day. Along the way, Oberman touches on the influence of his brother, who interviewed The Beatles and other top artists from 1964 to 1967. He also recounts stories from his later career working for the major Warner-Elektra Atlantic recording company and producing concerts for Cellar Door Productions and managing recording artists. Want to know the true story of how David Bowie became Ziggy Stardust? That and dozens more true tales that might seem like fiction are waiting inside the pages of Fast Forward, Play and Rewind. Each short interview is an invitation for readers to relive (or live for the first time) one of the greatest periods in rock ’n’ roll history.”
Gentle Giant: Every Album, Every Song
By Gary Steel
THE PRESS RELEASE: “They lasted only a decade and never lit up the world’s charts, but progressive rock connoisseurs always knew what today’s audiences are now beginning to discover: That Gentle Giant belong in the pantheon of great bands of the era. At times edgy and experimental but also capable of great beauty (not to mention some of the greatest riffs known to man), the group’s explorations of medieval music gave their sound unique character. But it was the thrilling complexity of their compositions — which Frank Zappa might have called the “statistical density” of their writing — together with the instrumental ability of its players that make their music as potent today as they were at their peak nearly 50 years ago. This book takes a microscopic look at each of Gentle Giant’s 11 studio albums and provides fresh assessments of the many live and ‘odds ’n’ sods’ recordings, as well as rounding up existant DVD/Blu-ray documentary and performance footage. In doing so, it tells the story of one of progressive music’s most fascinating groups and the thrilling — and occasionally tortuous — ride the Shulman brothers and key bandmates like Kerry Minnear and Gary Green experienced along the way.”
Cruisicology: The Music Culture of Cruise Ships
By David Cashman & Philip Hayward
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Since the 1990s, the cruise industry has become one of the largest employers of musicians in the world. Thousands of professional musicians work on cruise ships daily, entertaining millions of passengers. Cruisicology: The Music Culture of Cruise Ships provides the first in-depth account of the culture and the industrial determinants of cruise ship music. Based on interviews with working musicians and coauthor David Cashman’s experience as a cruise ship musician, this book investigates how music is organized and made onboard a cruise ship. David Cashman and Philip Hayward study the working life of musicians, why and how corporate shipping lines include music onboard their vessels, the history of musicians on passenger shipping, and the likely future directions of musical entertainment within the industry. Cashman and Hayward illustrate the positive and negative experience of artists making music every day in confined spaces with close proximity to their audiences.”
