Classic covers, goth gods, awesome Aussies, first females, go-go greats, outsized Ohio and punk percussionists — next week’s new books are all about alliteration. Read all about ’em:
Through the Prism: Untold Rock Stories from the Hipgnosis Archive
By Aubrey Powell
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The most intriguing stories of creative endeavor, volatile relationships, excessive lifestyles, and bizarre events from the world of rock, as told by Hipgnosis cofounder, creative designer, photographer, and filmmaker Aubrey Powell. Founded in 1967 by Powell, Storm Thorgerson and Peter Christopherson, graphic design firm Hipgnosis gained legendary status by transforming the look of album art through their designs for AC/DC, Black Sabbath, The Police, Genesis, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Paul McCartney, Syd Barrett, and The Who. In this lively volume, Powell presents brutally honest, entertaining, and revealing insider stories from the world of rock, featuring an eclectic cast of pop stars, comedians, actors, managers, gangsters, and inspirational world gures from 1966 on. His thrilling narrative is packed with anecdotes ― from the founding of Hipgnosis to surviving drugs busts ― and is richly illustrated with Hipgnosis artwork and Powell’s own photographs. Drama and creativity are the common threads throughout this unique account. With candor and insightful reflection, Powell reveals how the final color artwork for Led Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy was created; how the most iconic album cover of all time ― Dark Side of the Moon ― came about; and how the 2017 Pink Floyd retrospective became the most successful music exhibition ever mounted by the Victoria and Albert Museum, despite the deeply antagonistic and dysfunctional relationship between Roger Waters and David Gilmour. Throughout, Powell exposes how the trappings of fame and glory upset the balance of everyday life, bringing creativity and destruction in equal measure.”
Paint My Name in Black and Gold
By Mark Andrews
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In the early 1980s, two bands dominated the independent charts: The Smiths and The Sisters of Mercy. They have proved to be equally influential. In every city in the world you will find people dressed like they have just walked offstage from playing a gig with The Sisters of Mercy in 1983. Paint My Name in Black and Gold tells the story of their rise — how against the odds and all reasonable expectation they came to make transcendent and life-changing music. It is also about the glorious stupidity of being in a Leeds rock band in the early 80s. There’s a lot of dry ice, blood, vomit, speed and sex in the toilets. There are tales involving a milk float, a VHS cassette of a Michael Caine film, a hibernating snake, a wardrobe in a tree, an amyl nitrate-soaked effects pedal and the inopportune consumption of Dutch hash cake. The Sisters began in 1980, meandered through two years of intermittent gigging, iffy recordings and sundry lineup changes without much attention being paid to them before finding their two classic lineups: Andrew Eldritch on vocals, Craig Adams on bass, Gary Marx and Ben Gunn — and later Wayne Hussey — on guitars, and a drum machine called Doktor Avalanche. By force of will and their own peculiar talents — and with the support of friends and the kindness of strangers — these young men achieved greatness. Hussey and Adams — The Evil Children, as they termed themselves — were hard-living road dogs with fascinating musical back-stories. Neither Gunn nor Marx were natural rock ’n’ roll animals, but the latter performed with such abandon — often in lurid shirts — that it was hard to believe he also wrote The Sisters’ most delicate and beautiful music. Lead singer Eldritch was the most peculiar and compelling of them all, a singular and mesmerising amalgam of T. S. Eliot and David Bowie. In the five years covered in this book, Eldritch staked a powerful claim to be the greatest rock star of his generation. Paint My Name in Black and Gold covers the band’s rise until the release of their iconic first album.”
Doc: The Life and Times of Aussie Rock Legend Doc Neeson
By Jon Bradshaw & Anne Souter
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Often compared to David Bowie and Mick Jagger, Doc Neeson was hailed as a messianic rock god. He was thumping, pumping, sweaty hard rock. He commanded the stage. He was unstoppable. He was terrifying. He was wild. He was a legend. And as their front man, Doc propelled The Angels to become the highest paid band in Australia in the 1980s and 1990s. With massive album sales in Australia and a U.S. record deal, global superstardom seemed assured … but then everything started to fall apart. This is Doc’s story with the highs, the lows, the girls, the booze, the drugs, the tours, the good deeds, the crazy antics, the dark days and the great split that shattered the Angels. When he died in 2014 from a brain tumour, a black veil came down over a generation of Australian rock fans.”
Hey Hi Hello: Five Decades of Pop Culture from Britain’s First Female DJ
By Annie Nightingale
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “As a DJ and broadcaster on radio, TV and the live music scene, Annie Nightingale has been an invigorating and necessarily disruptive force. She walked in the door at Radio One in 1970 as its first female broadcaster. Fifty years later she continues to be a DJ and tastemaker who commands the respect of artists, listeners and peers across the world. Hey Hi Hello tells the story of those early days at Radio One, the ground zero moment of punk and the arrival of acid house and the Second Summer of Love in the late ’80s. Funny, warm and candid to a fault, including encounters with Bob Marley, Marc Bolan, The Beatles and interviews with Little Simz and Billie Eilish, this is a portrait of an artist without whom the past 50 years of British culture would have looked very different indeed.”
Small Town, Big Music: The Outsized Influence of Kent, Ohio, on the History of Rock and Roll
By Jason Prufer
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Relying on oral histories, hundreds of rare photographs, and original music reviews, this book explores the countercultural fringes of Kent, Ohio, over four decades. Firsthand reminiscences from musicians, promoters, friends, and fans recount arena shows featuring acts like Pink Floyd, The Clash and Paul Simon as well as the grungy corners of town where Joe Walsh, Patrick Carney, Chrissie Hynde and Devo refined their crafts. From backstages, hotel rooms, and the saloons of Kent, readers will travel back in time to the great rockin’ nights hosted in this small town. More than just a retrospective on performances that occurred in one midwestern college town, Jason Prufer‘s book illuminates a fascinating phenomenon: both up-and-coming and major artists knew Kent was a place to play — fertile ground for creativity, spontaneity, and innovation. From the formation of Joe Walsh‘s first band, The Measles, and the creation of Devo in Kent State University’s art department to original performances of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon and serendipitous collaborations like Emmylou Harris and Good Company in the Water Street Saloon, the influence of Kent’s music scene has been powerful. Previously overshadowed by our attention to Cleveland as a true music epicenter, Prufer’s book is an excellent and corrective addition.”
DC Go-Go: Ten Years Backstage
By Chip Py
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “There’s a party over here, there’s a party over there! In go-go the party never stops, and neither does the beat. The bands, the stars, the clubs, the spots, the sweat, the late nights and the passion are the sound of the city–all photographically captured and preserved right here. For those who know go-go this book is a documentary celebration. Shout yourself out with a special photographic section dedicated to the fans. For those who don’t know, this book is a peek into that world through the lens of photographer Chip Py. Once Chuck Brown’s official photographer, his go-go collection is now part of the People’s Archive at the DC Public Library. Discover the district’s distinctive music, its artists, its culture, and why it has become The Official Music of Washington, D.C.”
By S. W. Lauden
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Whether they’re self-taught bashers or technical wizards, drummers are the thrashing, crashing heart of our favorite punk bands. In Forbidden Beat, some of today’s most respected writers and musicians explore the history of punk percussion with personal essays, interviews and lists featuring their favorite players and biggest influences. From ’60s garage rock and proto-punk to ’70s New York and London, ’80s hardcore and D-beat to ’90s pop-punk and beyond, Forbidden Beat is an uptempo ode to six decades of punk rock drumming. Featuring Ira Elliot, Curt Weiss, John Robb, Hudley Flipside, Bon Von Wheelie, Joey Shithead, Matt Diehl, D.H. Peligro, Mike Watt, Lynn Perko-Truell, Pete Finestone, Laura Bethita Neptuna, Jan Radder, Jim Ruland, Eric Beetner, Jon Wurster, Lori Barbero, Joey Cape, Marko DeSantis, Mindy Abovitz, Steven McDonald, Kye Smith, Ian Winwood, Phanie Diaz, Benny Horowitz, Shari Page, Urian Hackney and Rat Scabies.”
