Unlike some people, I don’t hate Taylor Swift. And even if I did, I wouldn’t tweet it all in caps. Having said that, I’m not sure we need three new books about Tay-Tay in one week. But hey, whatever floats your boat, you know? You’ve got plenty of other choices — including new titles by or starring Elton John, Kenny G, Nina Simone, Harry Styles, Genesis, The Stranglers and the ubiquitous Beatles and Bob Dylan. Read all about ’em:
Farewell Yellow Brick Road: Memories of My Life on Tour
By Elton John
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In this lavish retrospective authored by the icon himself, Elton John shares his fondest memories, most unforgettable moments, and previously untold stories from his record-breaking final tour. Farewell Yellow Brick Road is a full-color celebration of John’s record-breaking, globe-spanning farewell tour — from the first show in Allentown in 2018, to the final show in Stockholm in 2023. Featured concerts include Elton’s dazzling performances at L.A.’s Dodger Stadium in November 2022, the finale of which streamed live on Disney+. Fans will be treated to a behind-the-scenes glimpse into every aspect of these spectacular shows, including Elton’s legendary touring wardrobe by Gucci, the set design, official tour photography, and more. On this epic visual journey, Elton reaches back in time to reflect on key moments from his life on the road and to reminisce about the beginning of his career. Readers also get a rare glimpse at Elton’s archive of posters, sketches, photographs and postcards. Join Elton on his remarkable, career-affirming farewell.”
Mind Games
By John Lennon & Yoko Ono
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The definitive exploration — told in revelatory detail — of the writing, recording, and release of John Lennon’s celebrated fourth solo album Mind Games, and the era that inspired it. Described by Yoko Ono as “ahead of its time,” Mind Games employs a Plastic Ono Band comprising the cream of the crop of New York session musicians. The album is a fan favorite that remains a cult classic 50 years after its release on Oct. 29, 1973. This insightful book presents handwritten lyrics, letters, artworks by Lennon and Ono, and previously unseen photography alongside their commentary about the lyrics, songs, and album artwork, as well as contributions from the musicians, friends, engineers, and key figures involved in the making of this landmark. Mind Games was the product of an exceptionally turbulent time for the Lennons. While U.S. President Richard Nixon and FBI director J. Edgar Hoover were attempting to have Lennon deported, John and Yoko endured endless litigations and as the popular press turned on them once again, they bravely rose above it all, continuing their campaigns for non-violent peaceful protest to end the war in Vietnam and for equal rights for women. It was also an exciting time when they both re-embraced mysticism and magical thinking. In this sumptuous volume, text and images from the key players are woven together to reveal not only the details behind the creation, recording, and release of this groundbreaking commercial and skillfully crafted recording, but also to shed new light on a period of transformation and experimentation.”
Life In The Key of G
By Kenny G & Philip Lerman
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Kenny G — the incomparable musician with the straight sax, the flowing hair, and some of the most memorable melodies in history — reveals the man behind the music in this indelible, fascinating, and funny memoir. He’s world renowned as the best-selling instrumentalist of all time, but there’s a lot about Kenny G that even his legions of devoted fans have never known — until now. In honest and heartfelt prose, he shares how skinny Kenneth Gorelick, the kid who got hassled for his lunch money in a Seattle high school, became one of the most celebrated and revered virtuosos in the music industry. He uncovers how he’s managed to rise above the fray, tune out the critics, and live a life filled with happiness and humor. Few people know of Kenny G’s musical roots as the sole white guy in one of the coolest funk bands of the ’70s, or as the teenage backup musician for everyone from Barry White to Liberace. A man who takes his music seriously but himself not so seriously, Kenny G lets readers behind the scenes to see how he creates his unique sound and unforgettable songs. Along the way, he offers life lessons in discipline, determination, and dedication. Life in the Key of G leads readers on a tour of one of the great musical careers of the 20th century, from the time he pulled a fast one on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show — a bold gamble that launched his stardom —to famed duets with legends like Whitney Houston, Frank Sinatra and more. As Kenny G likes to say, “Try it. You’ll have the best sax you ever had.”
The Closest Thing to Crazy: My Life of Musical Adventures
By Mike Batt
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Described variously as a ‘polymath’, a ‘renaissance man’ and ‘one of the most colourful characters in the music business’, Mike Batt has led an extraordinarily vibrant and challenging life that has been full of both glorious victories and bitter failures. For better or for worse, he is a man who has always lived life on his own terms. Idiosyncratic but mainstream, complicated but compassionate, steadfastly maverick in spirit but avowedly commercial in outlook. He is a man of great contradictions, but even greater talent. After starting out in the music business as a teenager, Batt shot to fame in the early 1970s for his part in the creation of The Wombles. But this success proved to be just the beginning as he then went on to work with various artists as a songwriter, composer and producer, including Art Garfunkel, George Harrison, Cliff Richard, Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Katie Melua. Featuring cameos from some of the biggest stars in the business, The Closest Thing to Crazy takes us not only on the journey of Batt’s life but also on a tour around the inside of his mind.”
Harry Styles: A Sign Of The Times
By Annie Zaleski
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Harry Styles is one of the most successful solo artists to ever emerge from a band. Having enjoyed five successful albums, a run of radio-friendly hits and a fervent fandom as part of One Direction, in 2016, Styles traded his teen idol status for a stab at a solo career, and hasn’t looked back. Drawing on his varied musical influences (he cites Fleetwood Mac, Harry Nilsson, Etta James, Shania Twain, David Bowie and The Rolling Stones among his creative forbearers) Styles has simply soared. With three albums to date ― the most recent of which, 2022’s Harry’s House, earned him the 2023 Grammy Award for Album Of The Year ― he is the new king of pop. He has also become something of a fashion icon, challenging gender stereotypes; he was the first man to appear solo on the cover of Vogue, for which he wore a blue dress by Gucci. Outside of music, Styles has acted in films, including Dunkirk (2017), Don’t Worry Darling, and My Policeman (both 2022). He is also known for his philanthropy and personal philosophy of kindness. Harry Styles: Sign Of The Times is a colourful celebration of a truly modern pop star and artist. Covering his career to date, it includes standout sections on his fashion, acting, influences, and fans.”
Taylor Swift: Era by Era: The Unauthorized Biography
By Caroline Sullivan
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Celebrate the incredible career of pop music’ s biggest star in this sparkling biography. We’ re all living in the Taylor Swift era. Since her 2006 debut album she has sold more than 200 million records, sold out countless arenas and become one of the most influential artists of her generation. Her Eras Tour is on track to gross more than $1 billion by the time it concludes in December 2024, and her most recent studio album hit No. 1 in more than 25 countries. In this revealing and entertaining biography, author and music journalist Caroline Sullivan charts Taylor’ s journey from budding country starlet to pop music phenomenon, encompassing her evolution as an artist, her high-profile relationships and the stories behind her songs. Each of Taylor’ s eras is explored in depth, detailing her influences, her collaborators and the aesthetics that have become such a crucial part of her performance. Featuring a stunning photographic section with pictures spanning her entire career, this is the most complete portrait yet of one of the most popular artists on the planet.”
Taylor Swift: The Stories Behind The Songs
By Annie Zaleski
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “From her humble beginnings as a teenage country singer to her record-breaking Eras Tour, Taylor Swift’s career is incomparable both in her mastery over multiple genres and the pure scale of her fan base and success. By weaving effortlessly through country, rock, pop, indie, and folk music, Swift has created a style of her own. Taylor Swift: The Stories Behind The Songs is a comprehensive review of her entire songbook to date, covering all eleven studio albums and more than 200 songs that tell a dramatic story of life, love, and triumph.”
Taylor Swift and Philosophy: Essays From The Tortured Philosophers Department
By Catherine M. Robb & Georgie Mills
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Taylor Swift is a mastermind when it comes to relationships, songwriting, and performing sold-out stadium tours. But did you know that Taylor is also a philosophical mastermind? Taylor Swift and Philosophy is the first book to explore the philosophical topics that arise from Swift’s life and music. Edited and authored by Swifties who also happen to be philosophers and scholars, this fun and engaging book is written with general readers in mind ― you don’t have to be a devoted fan or a specialist in philosophy to explore the themes, concepts, and questions expressed in Taylor’s songs. Presenting top-tier research and new perspectives on important contemporary issues, 27 chapters discuss the philosophical contexts of Taylor’s work, such as the ethics of reputational damage, the impacts of first impressions, the moral obligation to speak out against injustice, and much more. Taylor Swift and Philosophy is a must-read for Swifties who want to deepen their appreciation and understanding of Taylor’s work, as well as for philosophy students and scholars with an interest in popular culture and media studies.”
Fantasies Of Nina Simone
By Jordan Alexander Stein
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Since her death in 2003, Nina Simone has been the subject of an astonishing number of rereleased, remastered, and remixed albums and compilations as well as biographies, films, viral memes, samples, and soundtracks. In Fantasies of Nina Simone, Jordan Alexander Stein uses an archive of Simone’s performances, images, and writings to examine the space between our collective and individual fantasies about Simone the performer, civil rights activist, and icon, and her own fantasies about herself. Stein outlines how Simone gave voice to personal fantasies through releasing dozens of covers of her white male contemporaries. With her covers of George Harrison, The Bee Gees, Bob Dylan and others, Simone explored and claimed the power and perspective that come with race and gender privilege. Looking at examples from Simone’s four-decade genre-bending career — from songbook standards, jazz, and pop to folk, and reggae — and at her work’s many uptakes and afterlives, Stein mobilizes the psychoanalytic concept of fantasy to build a black feminist history with and for this multifaceted performing artist.”
Bob Dylan: No Direction Home Updated
By Robert Shelton
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “This new illustrated edition includes key images of Bob Dylan throughout his incredible, enduring career, making it a must for fans. Robert Shelton met Bob Dylan when the young singer arrived in New York in 1961 and became Dylan’s friend, champion, and critic. His book, first published in 1986, was hailed as the definitive unauthorized biography of this moody, passionate genius. Shelton tells the intimate and firsthand story of Dylan’s formative years in Greenwich Village, and it is the only biography that has been written with his active cooperation. Dylan gave Shelton access to his parents, Abe and Beatty Zimmerman, whom no other journalist has ever interviewed; to his brother David; to childhood friends from Hibbing; to fellow students and friends from Minneapolis; and to Suze Rotolo, the muse immortalized on the cover of Freewheelin”, among others. Concluding Dylan’s story backstage during his triumphant 1978 world tour, No Direction Home took 20 years to complete and when it was finally published the book received widespread critical acclaim.”
Claude Debussy: A Critical Biography
By François Lesure
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “François Lesure’s critical biography of Claude Debussy is widely recognized by scholars as the most comprehensive and reliable account of that composer’s life and career as well as of the artistic milieu in whichhe worked. This encyclopedic volume draws extensively on Debussy’s complete correspondence (at that time unpublished), a painstaking tracking of contemporary reviews and comments in the press, and an examination of other primary documents-including private diaries-that had not been available to previous biographers. As such, Lesure’s book presents a wealth of new information while debunking a number of myths that had developed over the years since the composer’s death in 1918.”
The Beatles in America: The Stories, The Scene, The Memories
By Spencer Leigh
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “This is the definitive, fully illustrated account of The Beatles’ concerts and controversies, and of how the U.S. dominated their lives in so many ways. Written by one of the acknowledged experts on The Fab Four, Liverpool’s own Spencer Leigh, this volume includes interviews with fellow musicians, promoters, and audience members, together with rare photographs and memorabilia. Early in 1964, with Beatlemania raging in the U.K., The Beatles topped the U.S. charts with I Want to Hold Your Hand and became a sensation on American TV with The Ed Sullivan Show — on which they appeared on three consecutive Sundays in February 1964. By April, they held all top five positions on the Billboard Hot 100 and were playing Carnegie Hall, The Hollywood Bowl, and Shea Stadium. But when John Lennon commented in 1966 that the band was “bigger than Jesus,” things turned sour, and there were public burnings of their records. The final chapter and epilogue of the book take the story of The Beatles in America up to the band’s breakup and beyond, including John and Yoko Ono’s 1969 Bed-In in Montreal and the release of Give Peace A Chance.”
The Journal of Beatles Studies (Volume 3, Issue 2)
By Liverpool University Press
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Journal of Beatles Studies is the first journal to establish The Beatles as an object of academic research, and will publish original, rigorously researched essays, notes, as well as book and media reviews. The journal aims are; to provide a voice to new and emerging research locating The Beatles in new contexts, groups and communities from within and beyond academic institutions; to inaugurate, innovate, interrogate and challenge narrative, cultural historical and musicological tropes about The Beatles as both subject and object of study; to publish original and critical research from scholars around the globe and across disciplines. The Journal of Beatles Studies establishes a scholarly focal point for critique, dialogue and exchange on the nature, scope and value of The Beatles as an object of academic enquiry and seeks to examine and assess the continued economic value and cultural values generated by and around The Beatles, for policy makers, creative industries and consumers. The journal also seeks to approach The Beatles as a prism for accessing insight into wider historical, social and cultural issues.”
Bruce Songs: The Music of Bruce Springsteen, Album-by-Album, Song-by-Song
By Kenneth Womack & Kenneth L. Campbell
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Bruce Songs: The Music of Bruce Springsteen, Album-by-Album, Song-by-Song is an authoritative guide coauthored by renowned music scholar Kenneth Womack and music historian Kenneth L. Campbell, offering an in-depth exploration of Bruce Springsteen’s musical legacy. Covering Springsteen’s entire discography, from Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. to Only The Strong Survive, this unique book combines historical context, literary analysis, and meticulous research. Unlike any other resource, it provides detailed analyses of each album, essays on their historical significance, and a chronological examination of every studio song. Discover the stories behind the recordings and gain insight into Springsteen’s creative process. Rich with contemporary reviews, insider accounts, photographs, and special sections highlighting pivotal moments and key figures, Bruce Songs is an indispensable companion for fans and scholars. It offers an immersive journey through the music of The Boss, making it an essential read for anyone captivated by Springsteen’s enduring musical legacy.”
Entangled: Genesis On Record 1969-1976
By Martin Popoff
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Did Genesis represent the best and most classic definition of a progressive rock band? Were they the most British? What kind of personalities and sensibilities did we get out of Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Steve Hackett, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford — and where did all these 12-string guitars come from? What’s a Giant Hogweed and who is Harold the Barrel? Finally, what the heck is The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway about, anyway?! These are some of the questions grappled with, as Martin Popoff assembles a crack team of art rock analysts to examine the early-days records of this legendary band, namely: From Genesis to Revelation, Trespass, Nursery Cryme, Foxtrot, Selling England By The Pound, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, A Trick of the Tail, and finally Wind & Wuthering. Indeed, each of the above is dissected track by track with side trips into the album covers, the productions, lyrical narratives and individual performances of note. It is the hope of the author that by the end of this fantastical excursion, the reader will have discovered multiple new layers to this intensely cerebral band, prompting a reacquaintance and subsequent richness of experience when confronted with this ― let’s face it ― often daunting catalogue.”
Behind The Lines: Genesis On Record 1978-1997
By Martin Popoff
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In this second part of Genesis on Record, Martin Popoff, also author of multiple books on Yes and Pink Floyd, re-assembles his team of progressive rock experts to tacked the second half of the Genesis catalogue, namely: And Then There Were Three, Duke, Abacab, Genesis, Invisible Touch , We Can’t Dance and Calling All Stations. And defying possibility, the angles and opinions and concepts on offer are even more fresh and intriguing than those suggested in the first book. Perhaps that’s because the second half of the Genesis catalogue has never been discussed this fervently and sincerely, given the band’s embracing of pop conventions and the smash, multi-platinum success Phil Collins, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford enjoyed because of it. But the bottom line is this: If you were looking to have the art across these records highlighted and validated for you, then Popoff’s panel of progressive pronouncers are at your service. Indeed, Martin is confident that after you read what these guys have to say, you’ll be scurrying back to the albums looking for any number of the hundreds of details celebrated in these Q&A chapters of yummy music talk.”
The Stranglers: Every Album, Every Song
By Martin Hutchinson
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Stranglers, or Meninblack, were once considered the bad boys of punk despite never really being a punk band. Formed in Guildford in 1974, they celebrate their golden anniversary as a band that have continued to tour and record throughout their history, giving us some classic tunes like No More Heroes, Peaches and Golden Brown, just part of a legacy that includes 40 Top 40 U.K. singles hits and 18 studio albums. They have courted controversy, been jailed, been reviled and lauded — in fact, everything that can happen to a band has happened to The Stranglers. Still led by original bassist Jean-Jacques Burnel, The Stranglers have created some thought-provoking music with a sense of melody which proves that their musicality and intelligence were often greater than their contemporaries. This book examines every album and single recorded by the band, as well as rarities and their many videos throughout their history. With a foreword by current guitarist and vocalist Baz Warne, the band’s colourful history is explored as we discuss every song created by one of the most interesting and eclectic bands in rock music.”
Taste In Music: Eating On Tour With Indie Musicians
By Luke Pyenson & Alex Bleeker
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In this unique collection, musician Alex Bleeker (Real Estate) and food and travel journalist Luke Pyenson (formerly of Frankie Cosmos) take readers on tour with a diverse lineup of indie musicians from around the world, sharing meals and travel experiences, peeking behind the curtain at this singular and singularly misunderstood way of life. Through essays and engaging conversations with dozens of indie musicians representing several subgenres, scenes, and eras, food takes center stage in stories about being on tour and eating on tour and how this basic human necessity can create a sense of community and interconnectedness in one of the most mobile industries in the world. These entries confirm what Pyenson and Bleeker suspected all along — food looms large in the lives of touring musicians. Featured contributors include: Robin Pecknold (Fleet Foxes), Chris Frantz (Talking Heads), Natalie Mering (Weyes Blood), Mark Ibold (Pavement), John Gourley (Portugal. The Man), Lily Chait (touring chef to boygenius and Phoebe Bridgers), Amelia Meath (Sylvan Esso), Greta Kline (Frankie Cosmos), Devendra Banhart, Bob Mould (Hüsker Dü), Brian “Geologist” Weitz (Animal Collective) and more.”
Dying Inside
By Pete Wentz & Hannah Klein
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Immortality is entirely overrated. Today is Ash’s big finale. And by finale, of course, she means exiting the stage permanently. Ash is a 16-year-old girl with more angst than Ian Curtis and Elliott Smith (her two idols) combined. She’s apathetic and therefore believes death is the easiest route to relief. But nothing is more embarrassing than a lame death. Unfortunately, her meticulous plans — which include the perfect outfit, soundtrack, and method — are all ruined when the beautiful knife she buys off a webstore turns out to be charmed with a protection spell. Now, Ash has to track down the witch who turned her clocking out attempt into the worst gift imaginable: Immortality. Turns out, the witch responsible is another 16-year-old-girl named (get this) Liv. The two vow to undo the charm together and fight for Ash’s death… even as things get increasingly entangled with a strange new antidepressant called Somnia and her mom’s gross boyfriend Greg.”
