Better clear some time and dust off the bookshelves: You’ve got nearly two dozen new books to get through — including tomes on Elvis, Dylan, Lennon, Hootie, Freddie, Hall & Oates, Little Feat, Canadian rock in the new millennium and plenty more. The full rundown:
Hearts On Fire: Six Years that Changed Canadian Music 2000–2005
By Michael Barclay
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Hearts on Fire is about the creative explosion in Canadian music of the early 2000s, which captured the world’s attention in entirely new ways. The Canadian wave didn’t just sweep over one genre or one city, it stretched from coast to coast, affecting large bands and solo performers, rock bands and DJs, and it connected to international scenes by capitalizing on new technology and old-school DIY methods. Arcade Fire, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Feist, Tegan and Sara, Alexisonfire: those were just the tip of the iceberg. This is also the story of hippie chicks, turntablists, poetic punks, absurdist pranksters, queer orchestras, obtuse wordsmiths, electronic psychedelic jazz, power-pop supergroups, sexually bold electro queens, cowboys who used to play speed metal, garage rock evangelists, classically trained solo violinists, and the hip-hop scene that preceded Drake. This is Canada like it had never sounded before. This is the Canada that soundtracked the dawn of a new century. Featuring more than 100 exclusive interviews and two decades of research, Hearts On Fire is the music book every Canadian music fan will want on their shelf.”
Only Wanna Be With You: The Inside Story Of Hootie & The Blowfish
By Tim Sommer
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Experience the exclusive, behind-the-scenes story of one of the biggest bands of the nineties In 1985, Mark Bryan heard Darius Rucker singing in a dorm shower at the University of South Carolina and asked him to form a band. For the next eight years, Hootie & the Blowfish — completed by bassist Dean Felber and drummer Soni Sonefeld — played every frat house, roadhouse, and rock club in the mid-Atlantic and Southeast, becoming one of the biggest independent acts in the region. In Only Wanna Be With You, Tim Sommer, the ultimate insider who signed Hootie to Atlantic Records, pulls back the curtain on a band that defied record-industry odds to break into the mainstream by playing hacky sack music in the age of grunge. He chronicles the band’s indie days; the chart-topping success — and near-cancelation — of their major-label debut, Cracked Rear View; the year of Hootie (1995) when the album reached No. 1, the Only Wanna Be With You music video collaboration with SportsCenter became a sensation, and the band inspired a plotline on the TV show Friends; the lean years from the late 1990s through the early 2000s; Rucker’s history-making rise in country music; and one of the most remarkable comeback stories of the century. Featuring extensive new interviews with the band members, some of their most famous fans, and stories from the recording studio, tour bus, and golf course, this book is essential reading for Hootie lovers and music buffs.”
The Dylan Tapes: Friends, Players, and Lovers Talkin’ Early Bob Dylan
By Anthony Scaduto & Stephanie Trudeau
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “When Anthony Scaduto’s Bob Dylan: An Intimate Biography was first published in 1971, the Nobel Prize-winning songwriter, at 30, had already released some of the most iconic albums of the 1960s, including Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde. Scaduto’s book was one of the first to take an investigative journalist’s approach to its subject and set the standard for rock music biography. The Dylan Tapes, compiled from 36 hours of interviews, is a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Scaduto’s landmark book-and a close-up encounter with pivotal figures in Dylan’s life. These reel-to-reel tapes, found in a box in Scaduto’s basement, are a never-bootlegged trove of archival material about Dylan, drawn from conversations with those closest to him during the early years of his career. In the era of 10-second takes, these interviews offer uncommon depth and immediacy as we listen to friends and lovers recall the Dylan they knew as he created his professional persona and perfected his craft-from folk music, protest songs, and electric rock through the traumatic impact of a motorcycle crash to his later, more self-reflecting songwriting. Echo Helstrom, Dylan’s Girl from the North Country, is here, as are Suze Rotolo, who graced the cover of the Freewheelin’ album, and Joan Baez, remembering her relationship “to Bobby.” We hear from Mike Porco, who gave Dylan his first gig in New York City; Sid and Bob Gleason, who introduced him to his hero Woody Guthrie; folk artists from Greenwich Village like Phil Ochs and Ramblin’ Jack Eliot; John Hammond Sr., who gave him his first record contract; plus a host of musicians, activists, folk historians, and archivists-and, of course, Dylan himself. From these reflections and frank conversations, many published here for the first time, a complex, finely observed picture emerges of one of the best known yet most enigmatic musicians of our time.”
Good Night The Pleasure Was Ours
By David Grubbs
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “With Good Night The Pleasure Was Ours, David Grubbs melts down and recasts three decades of playing music on tour into a book-length poem, bringing to a close the trilogy that includes Now That The Audience is Assembled and The Voice In The Headphones. In Good Night The Pleasure Was Ours, the world outside the tour filters in with eccentric sparseness. From teenage punk bands to ensembles without fixed membership, and from solo performance to a group augmented by digital avatars, Grubbs presents touring as a series of daily dislocations that provides an education distinctly its own. These musicians’ job is to play that evening’s gig — whether to enthusiastic, hostile, or apathetic audiences — and then to do it again the next day. And yet, over the course of the book’s multi-decade arc, Grubbs depicts music making as an irreversible process — one reason for loving it so.”
Elvis ’68 Comeback: The Story Behind the Special
By Steve Binder
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “A chronicle of the comeback performance that marked Elvis Presley’s return from the screen to the stage. Includes exclusive content from the show’s director, Steve Binder. The book contains a foreword by noted film director Baz Luhrmann, whose film credits include Strictly Ballroom, William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!, The Great Gatsby, and the upcoming feature film Elvis. Take a tour behind the scenes at the NBC television special that relaunched Presley’s career as a stage musician. Author Binder provides exclusive content that gives fans even more insight into the performance that many see as a high point in the King of Rock’s reign of American music. Elvis ’68 Comeback includes full-colour photographs and detailed commentary on the show’s development and production, making this an excellent addition to the shelf of every Elvis fan.”
On The Bus With Bill Monroe: My Five-Year Ride With The Father Of Blue Grass
By Mark Hembree
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “A backstage audition led Mark Hembree into a five-year stint (1979–1984) as the bassist for Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys. Hembree’s journey included playing at the White House and on the acclaimed album Master of Bluegrass. But it also put him on a collision course with the rigors of touring, the mysteries of Southern culture, and the complex personality of bandleader-legend Bill Monroe. Whether it’s figuring out the best time for breakfast (early) or for beating the boss at poker (never), Hembree gives readers an up-close look at the occasionally exalting, often unglamorous life of a touring musician in the sometimes baffling, always colorful company of a bluegrass icon. The amusing story of a Yankee fish out of water, On The Bus With Bill Monroe mixes memoir with storytelling to recount the adventures of a Northerner learning new ways and the Old South.”
Exit Stage Left: The Curious Afterlife Of Pop Stars
By Nick Duerden
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The desire for adulation is a light that never goes out. We live in a culture obsessed by the notion of fame — the heedless pursuit of it; the almost obligatory subsequent fallout. But what’s it like to actually achieve it, and what happens when fame abruptly passes, and shifts, as it does, onto someone else? This is the world the pop star is required to inhabit. It’s invariably eventful. We know all about them when they’re at the top of their game, of course, but they tend to reveal far more of their true selves once they’ve peaked, and are on their way down. This is the point at which they are at their most heroic, because they don’t give up. They keep on striving, keep making music, and refuse simply to ebb away. Some sustain themselves on the nostalgia circuit, others continue to beaver away in the studio, no longer Abbey Road, perhaps, so much as the garden shed. But all of them, in their own individual ways, still dare to dream. Exit Stage Left features tales of drug addiction, bankruptcy, depression and divorce, but also of optimism, a genuine love of the craft, humility and hope. This is a candid, laugh-out-loud and occasionally shocking look at what happens when the brightest stars fall back down to earth. Featuring brand new interviews with the likes of: Bob Geldof, Shaun Ryder, Robbie Williams, Roisin Murphy, Stewart Copeland, Billy Bragg, Wendy James, Alex Kapranos, Joan Armatrading, Leo Sayer, Gary Lightbody, Lisa Maffia, Tim Booth, Bill Drummond, Rufus Wainwright, David Gray and Justin Hawkins.”
Lennon, The Mobster & The Lawyer: The Untold Story
By Jay Bergen
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Before John Lennon retreated peacefully into private life in 1975, he fought a major legal battle that went under the public radar. Just as his Rock ‘N’ Roll oldies album hit the market, Morris Levy, the Mob-connected owner of Roulette Records, released Roots, an unauthorized version of the same record. Levy had used rough mixes of John’s unfinished Rock ‘N’ Roll recordings — and claimed the former Beatle had verbally agreed to the arrangement. The clash led to a lawsuit and countersuit between Levy and Lennon. Attorney Jay Bergen, a partner in a prestigious New York City law firm, represented John in this epic battle over the rights to his own recordings. Millions of dollars were at stake. Jay tells the intimate story of how he worked closely with John to rebut Levy’s outrageous claims. He also recounts how John explained his recording process in poetic, exacting terms before a judge who knew little about The Beatles and John’s solo career. Lennon, The Mobster & The Lawyer catches the high drama of the courtroom skirmishes in this previously untold story. It also paints a detailed personal picture of John and his world in 1975-’76, when he was soon to have a new son and went into happy seclusion to be a husband and father.”
The Birth Of The Beatles Story
By Bernadette Byrne & Mike Byrne
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Imagine a time before the whole world knew The Beatles — you are in 1960s Liverpool, standing in an overcrowded, dark, sweaty cellar, waiting for John, Paul, George and Pete to take to the stage — about to witness the face of popular music, and your own life, changing forever. This is the story of Mike and Bernadette Byrne’s amazing and uniquely personal journey. They not only witnessed music history being made but they went on to build The Beatles Story, the most successful Beatle exhibition in the world. With no money of their own, little experience, and hardly any support from the city, they succeeded. Bernadette was a Cavern regular who went on to date George and Paul, while Mike was a fellow Merseybeat musician and acquaintance of The Beatles. Like scenes in a Beatles film yet to be made, Bernie was caught with her hair in rollers by George Harrison, Paul McCartney nearly burned her parents’ house down and Mike was backed by a 21-year-old Ringo Starr while playing at Butlins Holiday Camp. From escaping screaming fans in Harrison’s car and organising 14 labourers to carry Ringo’s customised Mini up an escalator in a Dallas mall, to secret meetings with senior Beatle bosses in a London crypt, this journey is packed with unseen pictures and many untold stories about The Beatles — and how a Liverpool couple helped the city fall in love with the band again.”
The Gorillaz Art Book
By Gorillaz & Jamie Hewlett
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Gorillaz Art Book is here! Featuring brand new artwork by Jamie Hewlett, who has invited more than 40 creators to offer new interpretations of 2D, Murdoc Niccals, Noodle and Russel Hobbs in one expansive volume of original artwork. Contributing artists include Ruff Mercy, Kim Jung Gi, Robert Smith, Kerbscrawler Ghost, Robert Valley, Craig McCracken and Tim McCourt & Max Taylor. Celebrating 20 years of Gorillaz, this latest partnership sees Hewlett expand the band’s collaborative vision to fellow visual artists in The Gorillaz Art Book, a stunning visual feast of 288 pages.”
Hall & Oates: Every Album, Every Song
By Ian Abrahams
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Best known for a string of 1980s pop soul classics such as Private Eyes, Maneater, and Out Of Touch, Daryl Hall & John Oates are far more than the much caricatured image of the tall blonde one and the short one with the moustache. Through peaks and troughs of the preceding decade, their Philly soul sound twisted and turned, with forays into psychedelic rock with Todd Rundgren and an embracing of new wave tunes as the 1970s progressed. Their records are full of luscious harmonies and catchy melodies, but with an experimental side that’s often been overlooked by those who know them principally from Rich Girl or I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do). This book unpicks the multiple facets of the best-selling musical duo act of all time, recounting the stories behind the songs, and charting the myriad paths they’ve taken, to reveal a very different Hall & Oates behind their popular image. This is the first critical exploration of their work in book form for over 35 years, examines their entire output, from Whole Oats to Do It For Love, taking in bonus tracks, compilations, covers and live albums, to give the reader a proper overview of their 50-year career.”
Opeth: Every Album, Every Song
By Jordan Blum
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “There has never been — and never will be — another band like Opeth. Formed in Stockholm, Sweden circa 1989, their roughly 30-year career showcases a melding of diverse influences; a prevailing commitment to songwriting and instrumental excellence; and unwaveringly chameleonic vision — no matter the cost — that’s unmatched by any of their stylistic peers. Be it their most unashamedly brutal early LPs, their multifaceted and near-faultless mid-period opuses, or their somewhat polarizing recent glimpses into macabre 1970s-esque prog/jazz rock eccentricity, mastermind Mikael Åkerfeldt and company continuously create records that push themselves, their audience, and progressive music as a whole, forward. The result is easily among the most extraordinary, dependable, and laudable legacies in modern metal. Using a meticulously crafted mixture of original analysis and behind-the-scenes research, this book digs into all facets of Opeth’s output to discover how they innovated and evolved with practically every release. After all, each ‘observation’ — from their 1990s black metal classics (Morningrise and My Arms, Your Hearse) and 2000s progressive death metal masterpieces (Blackwater Park and Ghost Reveries) to their stunning progressive rock/jazz fusion excursions of the 2010s (Pale Communion and In Cauda Venenum) — found Opeth ceaselessly harvesting a one-of-a-kind catalogue that’s still remarkably influential and impressive.”
Little Feat: Every Album, Every Song
By Georg Purvis
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Little Feat may not be a household name, but they are well-known to a good number of musicians who are: Keith Richards rounded up The Rolling Stones to see them perform in Amsterdam in 1975, Robert Plant publicly lamented their lack of success as Led Zeppelin’s soared into the stratosphere, and Bob Dylan and Elton John saw them in concert whenever possible. Legends like Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt and Bob Seger helped out on their many record albums, and they backed up Robert Palmer, John Cale and Chico Hamilton. Yet they never had a hit single, and the closest they came to success was with their 1978 live album Waiting for Columbus (later performed live in its entirety by jam band Phish) — but not even the death of their leader Lowell George could stop the Feats’ shoes from sailin’: The band reformed in 1988 and has continued since, with Craig Fuller and Shaun Murphy helping out along the way. This book dives into the ups and downs of their 50-year career and discusses every album and song, from their idiosyncratic 1971 debut to the post-pandemic optimism of 2021’s When All Boats Rise.”
Boss Angeles!: A Map and Guide to L.A. Rock ‘n’ Roll Landmarks 1955-1965
By Deke Dickerson
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “A map and guide to where it was at in Los Angeles from the dawn of rock ‘n’ roll to the beginnings of punk — from Central Avenue R&B clubs to Rodney’s English Disco. Featured are homes and hangouts, recording studios and label HQs, with an assortment of characters that includes Little Richard, Elvis Presley, Bobby Fuller, Joan Baez, Gram Parsons, Janis Joplin, The Mamas & Papas, The Byrds, Love, The Runaways, The Beach Boys and many more. Written and researched by Deke Dickerson, singer, songwriter, guitarist and film composer.”
The Sound of Cinema: Hollywood Film Music From The Silents To The Present
By Sean Wilson
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “While some film scores crash through theater speakers to claim their place in memory, others are more unassuming. Either way, a film’s score is integral to successful world building. This book lifts the curtain on the elusive yet thrilling art form, examining the birth of the Hollywood film score, its turbulent evolution throughout the decades and the multidimensional challenges to musicians that lie ahead. The history of the film score is illuminated by extraordinary talents (like John Williams, Hans Zimmer and countless others). Beginning with vaudeville and silent cinema, chapters explore the wonders of early pioneers like Max Steiner and Bernard Herrmann, and continue through the careers of other soundtrack titans. Leading Hollywood film composers offer in this book fascinating perspectives on the art of film music composition, its ongoing relevance and its astonishing ability to enhance a filmmaker’s vision.”
The War On Music: Reclaiming the Twentieth Century
By John Mauceri
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “This book offers a major reassessment of classical music in the 20th century. John Mauceri argues that the history of music during this span was shaped by three major wars of that century: World War I, World War II, and the Cold War. Probing why so few works have been added to the canon since 1930, Mauceri examines the trajectories of great composers who, following World War I, created voices that were unique and versatile, but superficially simpler. He contends that the fate of composers during World War II is inextricably linked to the political goals of their respective governments, resulting in the silencing of experimental music in Germany, Italy, and Russia; the exodus of composers to America; and the sudden return of experimental music — what he calls “the institutional avant-garde” — as the lingua franca of classical music in the West during the Cold War.”
50 Things Kate Bush Taught Me About The Multiverse
By Karyna McGlynn
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “This is a book of tragicomic gurlesque word-witchery inspired by the Kate Bush cosmos. Campily glamorous, darkly funny, obsessively ekphrastic, boozily baroque, psychedelically girly & musically ecstatic, 50 Things Kate Bush Taught Me About The Multiverse dazzles as Karyna McGlynn’s third collection.”
Freddie Mercury: Lover Of Life, Singer Of Songs: Lover Of Life, Singer of Songs
By Tres Dean
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “For the first time in comics format, Freddie Mercury: Lover of Life, Singer of Songs will be a journey through Freddie’s life; from his childhood in Zanzibar, through his formative years in England, to becoming the rock star, known and loved by millions around the globe. The story is told in his own words, with each chapter giving a glimpse into the many facets of his life. Written by Tres Dean (All Time Low Presents: Young Renegades), the graphic novel will give true insight into the many experiences that helped shape the young Farrokh Bulsara and his compelling existence, both on and off stage — that was the life of Freddie Mercury, Lover of Life, Singer of Songs.”
Bach &The Blues: Pablo Casals and Robert Johnson
By Gary Kelley
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Artist and author Gary Kelley takes a look at two musicians and how they merged in November 1936. Two men — half a world apart shared more than they would ever know. One was a cello prodigy who had performed the world and other played guitar and was a regular in the juke joints of Mississippi and the U.S.A. A graphic novel that explores this unqiue tie between Pablo Casals and Robert Johnson.”
The ABCs of Women In Music
By Anneli Loepp Thiessen & Haeon Grace Kang
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “This vibrantly illustrated children’s picture book highlights the contributions of women to music, representing a diversity of ages, races, time periods, abilities, and geographic regions. Meet Clara the composer, Ella the jazz singer, Selena the pop star, and Xian the conductor! Women in music are brilliant, creative, brave, and resilient. They are composers, conductors, singers, musicologists, electronic music producers, and so much more. In this vibrantly illustrated picture book, meet 26 remarkable women musicians who collectively span over 1,000 years of music history and represent a diversity of cultures, races, professions, and abilities. Their incredible stories and beautiful work are sure to inspire a new generation of musicians!”
