My buddy Serge Bielanko wrote a great column this weekend about his love of books. Read it HERE. Then read about all the new music tomes on the way — including deep dives into the collected works of The Jam, Hawkwind, Linda Ronstadt and The Turtles:
Not Just Happy Together: The Turtles From A-Z (AM Radio to Zappa)
By Mark Arnold & Charles F Rosenay!!!
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Discover the songs and the history of one of the most successful pop rock bands ever: The Turtles, who had many, many Top 40 hits including It Ain’t Me Babe, Let Me Be, You Baby, She’d Rather Be with Me, You Know What I Mean, She’s My Girl, Elenore, You Showed Me and of course, the iconic Happy Together! Authors Mark Arnold and Charles F. Rosenay!!! have joined forces to cover the entire careers of The Turtles from their early days as The Crossfires, through their hit-filled years, into their breakup that led to vocalists Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan joining forces with Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention, to singers’ years as solo artists under the guise of Flo & Eddie, and even their foray into children’s records. Arnold and Rosenay!!! have reviewed every song and album, and interviewed many of The Turtles, their friends and associates, who have given startling new revelations that will surprise even the most hardcore fan. This definitive compendium is as unique as The Turtles themselves.”
Makin’ A Joyful Noise: The Lives and Times of the (Slightly) Fabulous Limeliters
By Richard S Ginell
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Limeliters were the most vibrant urban folk group of the early 1960s, second only to the Kingston Trio in popularity at their peak. They were a diverse, volatile mix of highly intelligent personalities: Lou Gottlieb, a bass-playing comic with a Ph.D. in musicology; Alex Hassilev, a debonair virtuoso banjo player fluent in six languages; and Glenn Yarbrough, an independent-minded, hugely gifted natural tenor. They recorded a string of best-selling albums, made TV appearances and commercials, and toured North America and Europe 300 days out of the year at the height of the folk revival era. In 1963, the three went their separate, erratic ways for the next 10 years. Alex became a record producer and actor; Glenn went solo, had a big hit with Baby, the Rain Must Fall, but yearned to become a full-time sailor; Lou had a mid-life crisis, grew his hair, took LSD, and founded a hippie commune in Northern California. Eventually the trio reunited in 1973 and became a successful touring act. The saga of Lou, Alex and Glenn is also the story of many of the cultural ideas and trends of the second half of the 20th century in America — how they influenced their times, and how the times affected them. Author Richard S. Ginell, who has known and interviewed the trio over a span of more than four decades, brings the whole slightly fabulous story of The Limeliters to life for the first time.”
The Ballad of Speedball Baby: A Memoir
By Ali Smith
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Ballad of Speedball Baby is the thrilling, darkly hilarious, and heart-wrenchingly vulnerable story of Ali Smith’s coming-of-age in ’90s New York as she commits to the messy, exhilarating life of a musician and must survive the slings and arrows society reserves for women who refuse to comply. As an only child reeling from the demolition of her parents’ toxic marriage, the New York City underground music scene offers a young Ali a different family of misfits and talented outsiders to belong to. She becomes the bass player for edgy band Speedball Baby, a decision that will take her around the world — from onstage at the legendary CBGB to the red-light district of Amsterdam. She’s often the only girl in a broken-down tour van, being strip-searched at the Croatian border, chased by lunatics, and navigating the seedy underbelly of a male-dominated music scene full of addiction, violence, and misogyny — all while keeping her sharp wit and dark humor intact. Rimmed with heavy black eyeliner and smelling faintly of cheap booze, The Ballad of Speedball Baby is a pulse-quickening, unpredictable ride through the ’90s music scene — alternately terrifying, hilarious, and painfully evocative — as well as a love letter to the power of female solidarity.”
She’s A Badass: Women in Rock Shaping Feminism
By Katherine Yeske Taylor
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Feminism has always been a complex and controversial topic, as female rock musicians know especially well. When they’ve stayed true to their own vision, these artists have alternately been adored as role models or denounced as bad influences. Either way, they’re asked to cope with certain pressures that their male counterparts haven’t faced. With each successive feminism movement since the 1960s, women in rock have been prominent proponents of progress as they’ve increasingly taken control of their own music, message, and image. This, in its way, is just as revolutionary as any protest demonstration. In She’s a Badass, music journalist Katherine Yeske Taylor interviews twenty significant women in rock, devoting an entire chapter to each one, taking an in-depth look at the incredible talent, determination — and, often, humor — they needed to succeed in their careers (and life). Interviewees range from legendary artists through notable up-and-comers, including Ann Wilson (Heart), Gina Schock (The Go-Go’s), Suzanne Vega, Amy Ray (Indigo Girls), Orianthi, Amanda Palmer and more. Their experiences reveal the varied and unique challenges these women have faced, how they overcame them, and what they think still needs to be done to continue making progress on the equality front. Their stories prove that promoting feminism — either through activism or by living example — is undeniably badass.”
Wild Colonial Boys: A Belfast Punk Story
By Thomas Paul Burgess
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ruefrex were one of Northern Ireland’s most popular and uncompromising punk bands. Emerging from the Belfast street-gang culture of the late-1970s, the group, inspired by The Clash, enjoyed a turbulent, decade-long career. They played for millions, worked with The Pogues and recorded the controversial The Wild Colonial Boy, which attacked American donations to Northern Irish terrorist organisations. Throughout it all, founder member, songwriter and spokesperson Thomas Paul Burgess ensured the band remained faithful to their Protestant, working-class origins. This candid memoir takes us on a journey from the streets of Belfast to encounters with U2, Shane MacGowan, The Cure, The Fall and Seamus Heaney. From strife-torn 1970s Belfast to bohemian London, Wild Colonial Boys tells the story of a punk band who refused to give up and stayed true to their punk roots.”
Underground: Cursed Rockers & High Priestesses of Sound
By Arnaud Le Gouëfflec & Nicolas Moog
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “They don’t do it for the fame, they do it for the music — these rock legends and priestesses of sound are the outsiders, the trailblazers, artists who changed the face of music forever simply for the love of it. From Captain Beefheart to Patti Smith, this odyssey through the rock hinterlands is perfect for fans of outsider artists, rock history aficionados, and those modern vinyl lovers who want to discover the saga that got music to where it is today. Featuring an all-new foreword from writer and musician Michael Moorcock, this is the essential guide to the weird and wonderful performers that became legends in their own right. Although not widely known, each of these artists has changed the history of music. So, to celebrate the incredible contributions of these unsung heroes, Arnaud Le Gouëfflec and Nicolas Moog have brought their stories to vivid life. Discover the sensitive and manic-depressive genius Daniel Johnston; the Peruvian queen of exotica, Yma Sumac; the improbable blind and homeless Moondog; the classy bargain hunters of The Cramps; and many, many more. A veritable illustrated bible of the underground music scene, this anthology of 50 biographies invites you to discover little-known maestros and creators of underheard masterpieces. This is a book for the simply curious, as well as the connoisseur!”
Linda Ronstadt 1969 to 1989: Every Album, Every Song
By Daryl Lawrence
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Linda Ronstadt is one of the most important women and people in the history of popular music. Starting her solo career in 1969, she redefined what a music superstar could be by expanding her repertoire from her country rock roots, crossing over to mainstream success with pop music, and then evolving into operetta, American jazz standards, and mariachi. This work provides a track-by-track breakdown of the first twenty years of her solo career when her output totalled an amazing 17 albums. Transcending genres and applying her own vision to not only her career, but each song she interpreted, Ronstadt garnered a wide fan base and left shattered records in her wake. Those familiar with her work, as well as those entirely new to it, will find something to discover through this analysis of her work through 1989. All the best-known hits are covered in this volume; however, the real fun is finding new favourites by visiting or revisiting lesser-known works. So sit back, put some of her songs on, crack this book open, and indulge in the voice that sold over 100 million records worldwide.”
The Jam: Every Album, Every Song
by Stan Jeffries
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “From the band’s first single, In The City in April 1977, to their last, Beat Surrender in November 1982, The Jam went from new wave wannabees to arguably the biggest band in the U.K. The Jam on track covers every song released by the group during their five-and-a-half-year career on the Polydor label and includes the pick of demos and little-known recordings from various compilation albums after the band’s demise. Each song is looked at from a musical and lyrical viewpoint, and includes contemporary comments from Paul Weller, Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler, music critics and those working closely with the band. Album and single sleeves, videos (or promo films as they were more widely known at the time) and TV appearances are part of the mix as author Stan Jeffries looks at what made The Jam one of Britain’s most respected acts and how their legacy continues to this day. For both the dedicated and the curious, this book guides you through the career of one of the country’s musical giants.”
Hawkwind: Every Album, Every Song
By Duncan Harris
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Always enigmatic and outside of the mainstream, most people associate Hawkwind with ‘whoosh’ noises, Silver Machine, Lemmy and space-rock music. From the beginning, Hawkwind have been trailblazers, even when they have explored blind alleys and cul-de-sacs, and have never been afraid to innovate and mutate into strikingly different musical arenas. The band have a unique history in the world of rock music and have inspired not just other bands but also an entire sub-genre of music: Stoner-rock. Hawkwind’s stated aim was to be a substitute for mind-expanding drugs. Instead, they used music, poetry, lights, projections, theatre and dance in an assault on the senses. Albums such as X In Search Of Space and Warrior At The Edge Of Time as well as classic live album Space Ritual set a template for their astonishing take on rock music.This book is a track-by-track analysis of every studio album and major live release to date. Beginning with the highly regarded early albums of the 1970s, it continues through the hard rock hardships of the 1980s and the sometimes awkward musical dalliances of the 1990s, finishing on the unexpectedly triumphant return of the band in the 2010s and 2020s. It is now updated to include the band’s 2021 album Somnia and 2023’s The Future Never Waits.”
