Pete and Peart. Blake and Blue Note. Loggins and Lemmy. An American anthem, the world of Warren and the trivial lives of pop stars. Next week’s books get down to the nitty gritty — literally and literarily. See for yourself.
A Likely Lad
By Peter Doherty & Simon Spence
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Peter Doherty’s life might the last of the great rock ’n’ roll stories — bad boy and public enemy. To his devoted fans, he is a cult hero, a modern-day Rimbaud. Musically, he has defined the past 20 years of indie rock with his sound, lyrics, lifestyle and aesthetic. Since The Libertines rose to international fame, Doherty has proved endlessly fascinating. A whirlwind of controversy and scandal has tailed him ever since the early 2000s, so much so that all too often his talents as a songwriter and performer have been overlooked; for every award and accolade, there is a scathing review. Hard drugs, tiny gigs on the hoof, huge stadium shows, collaborations, obliterations, gangsters and groupies — Doherty has led a life of huge highs and incredible lows. With his wildest days behind him, Doherty candidly explores — with sober and sometimes painful insight — some of his greatest and darkest moments, taking us inside the creative process, decadent parties, substance-fuelled nights, his time in prison and tendency for self-destruction. With his trademark wit and humour, Doherty also details his childhood years, key influences, pre-fame London shenanigans, and reflects on his era-defining relationship with Libertines co-founder Carl Barât and other significant people in his life. There is humour, warmth, insight, baleful reflection and a defiant sense of triumph. A Likely Lad is Doherty’s version of the story — the genuine man behind the fame and infamy. This is a rock memoir like no other.”
Horseshoes and Hand Grenades: Tales from the Other Mötley Crüe Frontman and Journeys through a Life In and Out of Rock and Roll
By John Corabi & Paul Miles
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, John Corabi recounts his life from the mean streets of Philadelphia to the Sunset Strip. Take a look behind the scenes at Corabi’s time fronting Mötley Crüe, Union and The Dead Daisies, as well as his time playing rhythm guitar with Ratt and even his stint as a long-haul trucker. Whether it’s detailing his parents’ difficult divorce, his family’s dark history of abuse, his run-in with a serial killer, or simply the best way to arrive at a wedding — which may or may not be by helicopter — he pulls no punches and outlines the good and bad of it all in this raucous autobiography.”
Still Alright: A Memoir
By Kenny Loggins & Jason Turbow
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In a remarkable career, Kenny Loggins has rocked stages worldwide, released 10 platinum albums, and landed hits all over the Billboard charts. His place in music history is marked by a unique gift for collaboration combined with the vision to evolve, adapt, and persevere in an industry that loves to eat its own. Loggins served as a pivotal figure in the folk-rock movement of the early ’70s when he paired with former Buffalo Springfield member Jim Messina recruited Stevie Nicks for the classic duet Whenever I Call You ‘Friend,’ then pivoted to smooth rock in teaming up with Michael McDonald on their back-to-back Grammy-winning hits What A Fool Believes and This Is It (a seminal moment in the history of what would come to be known as yacht rock). In the ’80s, Loggins became the king of soundtracks with hit recordings for Caddyshack, Footloose and Top Gun; and a bona fide global superstar singing alongside Bruce Springsteen and Michael Jackson on We Are the World. In Still Alright, Loggins gives fans a candid and entertaining perspective on his life and career as one of the most noteworthy musicians of the 1970s and ’80s. He provides an abundance of compelling, insightful, and terrifically amusing behind-the-scenes tales. Loggins draws readers back to the musical eras they’ve loved, as well as addressing the challenges and obstacles of his life and work — including two marriages that ended in divorce, a difficult but motivating relationship with the older brother for which Danny’s Song is named, struggles with his addiction to benzodiazepines, and the revelations of turning 70 and looking back at everything that has shaped his music — and coming to terms with his rock-star persona and his true self.”
Blake Shelton: Happy Anywhere
By Carol Cash Large
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Carol Cash Large, longtime friend of Blake Shelton, helped move the award-winning musician to Nashville just two weeks after he graduated high school at the tender age of 17 and has been with him every step of the way since. In Blake Shelton: Happy Anywhere, she takes you backstage for personal and unique insight into the life of the young singer. From Shelton’s work with producer Bobby Braddock, recording his hit Austin and performing on the Grand Ole Opry to his record-breaking 17 consecutive No. 1 songs and beyond, she has been right there. Large shares her favourite stories — including Shelton’s appearance on Saturday Night Live and induction into the Opry — but she acknowledges that landing a gig as coach on The Voice had the biggest impact on his career. She also delves into Shelton’s personal life, relating his penchant for entertaining and bringing smiles to his friends and family as well as his joy at finally finding his soul mate in Gwen Stefani. With personal photos from the author’s collection, anecdotes about their close connection and highlights of his glorious career, Large presents a warm and detailed account of one of country music’s biggest stars.”
Berkmann’s Pop Miscellany: Sex, Drugs and Cars in Swimming Pools
By Marcus Berkmann
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Marcus Berkmann was for many years the pop critic of the Spectator, waiting like most freelances to get fired. He’s also the author of the bestselling Berkmann’s Cricket Miscellany, concentrating on the ridiculous true stories and the weird characters of that most eccentric of sports. Here he combines the two, in a wildly entertaining ride through the galloping absurdities of pop, from Elvis Presley’s real hair colour through Janet Jackson’s more intimate piercings to Courtney Love’s hatred of cheese. Why does Bono always wear sunglasses? Did Ozzy Osbourne really urinate on the Alamo? What actually happened at Keith Moon’s 21st birthday party at the Holiday Inn in Flint, Mich? There’s sex, there’s drugs, there’s violence, there’s even a little rock ’n’ roll from time to time. But mainly there are vital questions, now finally answered. Which notable guitarist has unfeasibly tiny hands? Which Britpop star was forced to wear lederhosen as a child? Who said, ‘The majority of pop stars are compete idiots in every respect’? And was she wrong?”
Making Tracks: A Record Producer’s Southern Roots Music Journey
By Scott Billington
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “From the 1980s through the early 2000s, a golden era for southern roots music, producer and three-time Grammy winner Scott Billington recorded many of the period’s most iconic artists. Working primarily in Louisiana for Boston-based Rounder Records, Billington produced such giants as Irma Thomas, Charlie Rich, Buckwheat Zydeco, Johnny Adams, Bobby Rush, Ruth Brown, Beau Jocque and Solomon Burke. The loving and sometimes irreverent profiles in Making Tracks reveal the triumphs and frustrations of the recording process, and that obsessive quest to capture a transcendent performance. Billington’s long working relationships with the artists give him perspective to present them in their complexity — foibles, failures, and fabled feats — while providing a vivid look at the environs in which their music thrived. He tells about Boozoo Chavis’s early days as a musician, jockey, and bartender at his mother’s quarter horse track, and Ruth Brown’s reign as the most popular star in rhythm and blues, when the challenge of traveling on the “chitlin’ circuit” proved the antithesis of the glamour she exuded on stage. In addition, Making Tracks provides a widely accessible study in the craft of recording. Details about the technology and psychology behind the sessions abound. Billington demonstrates varying ways of achieving the mutual goal of a great record. He also introduces the supporting cast of songwriters, musicians, and engineers crucial to the magic in each recording session. Making Tracks sings unforgettably like a “from the vault” discovery.
Following the Drums: African American Fife and Drum Music in Tennessee
By John M. Shaw
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Following the Drums: African American Fife and Drum Music in Tennessee is an epic history of a little-known African American instrumental music form. John M. Shaw follows the music from its roots in West Africa and early American militia drumming to its prominence in African American communities during the time of Reconstruction, both as a rallying tool for political militancy and a community music for funerals, picnics, parades, and dances. Carefully documenting the music’s early uses for commercial advertising and sports promotion, Shaw follows the strands of the music through the nadir of African American history during post-Reconstruction up to the form’s rediscovery by musicologists and music researchers during the blues and folk revival of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Although these researchers documented the music, and there were a handful of public performances of the music at festivals, the story has a sad conclusion. Fife and drum music ultimately died out in Tennessee during the early 1980s. Newspaper articles from the period and interviews with music researchers and participants reawaken this lost expression, and specific band leaders receive the spotlight they so long deserved. Following the Drums is a journey through African American history and Tennessee history, with a fascinating form of music powering the story.”
Blue Note: Uncompromising Expression
By Richard Havers
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Tracing the evolution of jazz from the boogie-woogie and swing of the 1930s, through bebop, funk, and fusion, to the eclectic mix Blue Note releases today, this landmark publication tells the story of an influential jazz institution and commemorates Blue Note’s momentous contribution to modern music and style. Practically all of the jazz greats passed through Blue Note’s doors, including Miles Davis, Sidney Bechet, Art Blakey, Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Ornette Coleman, Donald Byrd and Jimmy Smith. Blue Note is not only known as the purveyor of extraordinary jazz but is also famous as an arbiter of cool. The photography of cofounder Francis Wolff and the cover designs of Reid Miles helped create a look that was an integral part of the label’s genius. A highly illustrated volume, Blue Note features the very best photographs, covers, and ephemera from the archives, including never-before-published material, and and documents a groundbreaking era in American culture.”
Will The Circle Be Unbroken: The Making Of A Landmark Album, 50th Anniversary
By John McEuen
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In 1971 John McEuen was the force behind the gathering of legendary Nashville bluegrass musicians who joined with The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, a Southern California country-rock-jug band to create Will The Circle Be Unbroken, which Rolling Stone magazine declared to be “the most important album to come out of Nashville.” This landmark album celebrates its 50th year in March 2022, and McEuen tells the story of the making of the album, discusses each of its 38 songs, and includes never-before-seen photos taken by the author and his brother Bill McEuen, who produced the album. After The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s cover of Mr. Bojangles became a surprise hit, McEuen asked Earl Scruggs if he would join the band on an album. Scruggs said yes — as did Doc Watson, Merle Travis, Jimmy Martin, Vassar Clements, Roy Acuff, Mother Maybelle Carter and other country stars. For six days in the summer of 1971, the musicians sat in a circle facing one another, recording country and bluegrass standards in East Nashville’s Woodland Studios. From it came the triple-disc set Will The Circle Be Unbroken — one of the most iconic albums in country music history. It has played a prominent role in what is now called Americana music. Now, after 50 years, McEuen invites readers to sit next to him in the circle and listen to the music.”
Motörhead: Every Album Every Song
By Duncan Harris
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Motörhead are arguably the greatest rock ’n’ roll band in history, but it took many years to win that accolade. This is the story of the band that refused to die. They started off as the Vengeful Bastard and they had a tough beginning. The band had to deal with wayward producers, hostile record companies, more than a couple of false starts and even the ignominy of being proclaimed the Worst Band in the World by the NME! Famed for their legendary loudness and their singular anthem Ace Of Spades, Motörhead have not only proved inspirational but also, accidentally, created two sub-genres of heavy music: Speed and thrash metal. Not bad for a band who introduced themselves with the words: ‘We are Motörhead, and we play rock ’n’ roll’ at gigs. This book covers every studio album, band rarities and significant solo work from Lemmy. It is designed as a useful companion to the recorded output of a unique band. From the highly regarded trio of albums that ended the 1970s, through the lineup hardships and turmoil of the 1980s to the occasionally awkward musical experiments of the early 1990s, this book closes with their triumphant late-career revival.”
O Say Can You Hear?: A Cultural Biography of The Star-Spangled Banner
By Mark Clague
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Most Americans learn the tale in elementary school: During the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key witnessed the daylong bombardment of Baltimore’s Fort McHenry by British navy ships; seeing the Stars and Stripes still flying proudly at first light, he was inspired to pen his famous lyric. What Americans don’t know is the story of how this everyday “broadside ballad,” one of thousands of such topical songs that captured the events and emotions of early American life, rose to become the nation’s one and only anthem and today’s magnet for controversy. In O Say Can You Hear?, Mark Clague brilliantly weaves together the stories of the song and the nation it represents. Examining the origins of both text and music, alternate lyrics and translations, and the song’s use in sports, at times of war, and for political protest, he argues that the anthem’s meaning reflects — and is reflected by — the nation’s quest to become a more perfect union. From victory song to hymn of sacrifice and vehicle for protest, the story of Key’s song is the story of America itself. Each chapter in the book explores a different facet of the anthem’s story. In one, we learn the real history behind the singing of the anthem at sporting events; in another, Clague explores Key’s complicated relationship with slavery and its repercussions today. An entire is chapter devoted to some of the most famous performances of the anthem, from Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock to Roseanne Barr at a baseball game to the iconic Whitney Houston version from the 1991 Super Bowl. At every turn, the book goes beyond the events to explore the song’s resonance and meaning.”
Clockwork Destiny
By Kevin J. Anderson & Neil Peart
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In Clockwork Angels and Clockwork Lives, readers met the optimistic young hero Owen Hardy, as well as the more reluctant adventurer Marinda Peake, in an amazing world of airships and alchemy, fantastic carnivals and lost cities. Now Owen, retired and content in his quiet, perfect life with the beautiful Francesca, is pulled into one last adventure with his eager grandson Alain. This final mission for the Watchmaker will take them up to the frozen lands of Ultima Thule and the ends of the Earth. Marinda must undertake a mission of her own, not only to compile the true life story of the mysterious Watchmaker, but also to stop a deadly new group of anarchists. The Clockwork trilogy is based on the story and lyrics from the last album of musical titans Rush, with Anderson and Peart expanding the world, stories, and characters. The two developed the final novel in the trilogy in the last years of Peart’s life, and more than a year after his passing, Anderson returned to that unfinished project, with the full support of Peart’s wife, bringing the story to a satisfying and stirring conclusion.”
Lawyers, Guns, and Money: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Music of Warren Zevon
By Libby Cudmore & Art Taylor
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “From classics like Werewolves of London, Excitable Boy and Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner to lesser-known gems across a career spanning nearly four decades, the songs of Warren Zevon are rich with crime and intrigue and suspense — guns and gunners, assassins and drug dealers, a supernatural serial killer, and a heap of hapless losers along the way too. And Zevon himself was a fan of crime fiction, especially the work of iconic mystery writer Ross Macdonald, to whom Zevon dedicated his 1980 album Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School. In Lawyers, Guns, and Money, 15 fantastic writers — avid fans of Zevon’s genius — offer fresh spins on his discography with tales that span the mystery genre: caper, espionage, noir, paranormal, private eye, and more. Contributors include Gray Basnight, William Boyle, Dana Cameron, Libby Cudmore, Hilary Davidson, Steve Liskow, Nick Mamatas, Paul D. Marks, Matthew Quinn Martin, Josh Pachter, Charles Salzberg, Laura Ellen Scott, Alex Segura, Kevin Burton Smith and Brian Thornton.”
David Bowie in Comics!
By Nicolas Finet & Thierry Lamy
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “From David Jones to David Bowie and from Ziggy Stardust to The Thin White Duke, discover the fate of an artist with a thousand faces. He is one of the most influential and creative artists of the 20th century, and his incredible ever changing and pioneering visions endure to this day. He explored a thousand styles and crossed the ages with splendor. Discover his incredible destiny in this comics biography with photo illustrated articles and comics chapters presenting all his different persona and stages in a career marked by constant re-invention.”
