Michael McDonald takes it from the streets to the bookshelves, Iggy & The Stooges get updates, Brian Eno gets beached, Prince and NKOTB celebrate ruby anniversaries and more new additions to your reading list:
What A Fool Believes: A Memoir
By Michael McDonald & Paul Reiser
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Doobie Brothers. Steely Dan. Chart topping soloist. Across a half-century of American music, Michael McDonald’s unmistakably smooth baritone voice defined an era of rock and R&B with hit records like What A Fool Believes, Takin’ It To The Streets, I Keep Forgettin’, Peg, It Keeps You Running, You Belong to Me and Yah Mo B There. In his candid, freewheeling memoir, written with his friend, the Emmy-nominated actor and comedian Paul Reiser, Michael tells the story of his life and music. A high school dropout from Ferguson, Missouri, Michael chased his dreams in 1970’s California, a heady moment of rock opportunity and excess. As a rising session musician and backing vocalist, a series of encounters would send him on a wild ride around the world and to the heights of rock stardom — from joining Steely Dan and becoming a defining member of The Doobie Brothers to forging a path as a breakout solo R&B artist. Interwoven with the unforgettable tales of the music, Michael tells a deeply affecting story of losing and finding himself as a man. He reckons with the unshakeable insecurities that drove him, the drug and alcohol addictions that plagued him, and the highs and lows of popularity. Along the way he relays the lessons he’s learned, and that if he’s learned anything at all it’s that there’s often little correlation between what you get and what you deserve. Filled with unbelievable stories and a matchless cast of music greats including James Taylor, Ray Charles, Carly Simon and Quincy Jones, What A Fool Believes is a moving and entertaining memoir that is sure to be a classic.”
Iggy And The Stooges: The Authorized Biography
By Jeffrey Morgan
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “This is the authorized biography of Iggy And The Stooges as told by Jeffrey Morgan, the authorized biographer of Alice Cooper. Originally published in 2009 and long out of print, this new expanded edition features previously unpublished photographs and interviews, plus commentary by Iggy Pop, Ron Asheton, Scott Asheton and James Williamson.”
On Some Faraway Beach: The Life And Times Of Brian Eno
By David Sheppard
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “A sonic alchemist to the stars, Brian Eno’s address book is a veritable who’s who of rock and pop. Tellingly, his involvement with Roxy Music, David Bowie, Talking Heads and U2 has coincided with these artists producing their most challenging and critically revered work. On Some Faraway Beach is the first serious, critical examination of the life and times of Eno, from an idiosyncratic childhood to 1960s art school and the sharp end of pop charts around the world.”
Sniffin’ Glue: And Other Rock ’N’ Roll Habits
By Mark Perry
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The seminal Sniffin’ Glue fanzine, collected here in its entirety, is a potent slice of 1967-’77 punk culture. The book, which reproduces all twelve issues as well as insights from its creator Mark Perry, is back in print and all copies come with a special print. Sniffin’ Glue may have been the closest thing to perfection ever achieved by a fanzine. Untroubled by the demands of owners, publishers, designers and production editors, it was a one-man enterprise that perfectly mirrored the spirit and manners of its subject matter — punk rock — by being intentionally amateurish, passionate, and crude. Perry’s first issue of 12 set the tone for an exercise in kitchen-table publishing that did not even have a kitchen table. Boldly scrawled in his bedroom, Sniffin’ Glue started out as a fan’s rallying cry, went on just long as it needed to — one year — and then stopped, as good punk enterprises should.”
Prince & Purple Rain: 40 Years
By Andrea Swensson
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Authoritatively written and including rare photography and memorabilia, this beautiful slipcased hardcover is the only illustrated gift book to examine Prince’s most iconic album and film, Purple Rain. In 1984, Prince, along with his band, The Revolution, released what would become his best-selling album and a touchstone of 1980s pop culture. Purple Rain has gone on to sell 25 million copies and counting. In Prince and Purple Rain, Andrea Swensson, a Minneapolis-based journalist and host/co-producer of the Prince official podcast, takes a deep dive into the legendary musician’s most famous album on its 40th anniversary.”
New Kids On The Block 40th Anniversary Celebration
By Selena Fragassi
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Donnie, Danny, Jonathan, Jordan and Joey: They are Boston’s own New Kids On The Block, an iconic boy band that sprang to the top of the charts (and into the hearts of millions of global fans) in the 1980s. Though each of the ‘kids’ and the band itself has faced their ups and downs in the four decades since they came together, they continue to release new music and maintain a loyal fanbase lovingly known as Blockheads. In New Kids On The Block 40th Anniversary Celebration, music journalist and proud Blockhead Selena Fragassi delves into the band’s origins — from their manager Maurice Starr bringing them together and their earliest influences — to their biggest successes in the 1980s and ’90s, to their continued achievements today and the lasting legacy they’ve left in the boy-band canon.”
Inner Adult
By Terre Roche
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Inner Adult is a book that is also an album of new songs by Terre Roche. The songs were written over a period of four years, from 2020 to 2023. The book features lyrics framed in Terre’s drawings. The reader can experience the book as if it was a book of poetry. Then, if you’d like to hear the actual song, a QR code takes you to stream it. Terre thought it would be cool to lead with the lyrics first. That’s because she herself, believe it or not, often hears the music but misses the lyrics! Inner Adult was recorded at Coral Star Studio, on the island of St. John in the US Virgin Islands during hurricane season, September 2023. All songs are first takes.”
