The continuing legacy of Macca, the A-Z of Elton John, the lives (and deaths) of rock ’n’ roll, the history of recorded media, the stories behind the music, the art of metal and more options for your holiday wish list — or shopping list. Read all about ’em:
The McCartney Legacy: Volume 2: 1974-80
By Allan Kozinn & Adrian Sinclair
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The followup to The McCartney Legacy, Volume 1, the most complete work on the life and work of Paul McCartney ever published. Volume 2 continues to paint the portrait of one of the world’s greatest musicians, his work post-Beatles, and his life from 1974 to 1980. By 1974 The Beatles were a distant memory, and McCartney had already gone on to release a solo album and form a new band, Wings. By the end of the decade Wings would be the bestselling band of the 1970s. The McCartney Legacy, Vol. 2 begins in 1974 at the height of Wings’ popularity and the beginning of McCartney’s next chapter. Authors Allan Kozinn and Adrian Sinclair have brought the same exhaustive research ethos to Volume 2 that made the first volume a critical success. Volume 2 follows McCartney the man, establishing himself as a musician beyond Beatlemania and his legacy throughout the 20th century through the present day.”
Hercules!: The A to Z of Elton John
By Mick Wall
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “As one of the most prolific singers and songwriters in history, Elton John has inspired generations of music lovers with his upbeat yet soulful creations. That is why music journalist Mick Hall shares all in Hercules!, a collection of the music legend’s greatest hits. Each chapter goes behind the scenes of your favorite songs, as well as the most compelling moments throughout Elton’s career. With each new discovery, you’ll uncover how one man’s triumphs and challenges have shaped him into one of the most famous and beloved singers of all time. Not only has Elton John moved millions of fans through his award-winning records, but he’s also inspired them with his life story. Hercules! steps outside of the limelight and highlights the famous singer throughout the years from childhood to his farewell tour. Charting Elton’s personal and professional relationships, his struggles with addiction, and how success and creativity come in many forms, this book will make you see that brilliance isn’t born, but made.”
3Lives Behind the Music: Era-Defining Obituaries Of Rock & Pop Icons
By Nigel Farndale
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Delve into the tumultuous world of music stardom with this collection of obituaries from The Times. From the rock ’n’ roll pioneers of the 1950s to the pop superstars of the 21st century — as well as lesser-known, boundary-pushing innovators with undeniable influence — this collection features music greats such as: Chuck Berry, founding father of rock ’n’ roll who lit the flame of teenage rebellion in 1950s America and was himself never far from trouble; Christine McVie, reserved, intelligent singer and songwriter for Fleetwood Mac; Jimi Hendrix, American singer and songwriter who expanded the range and vocabulary of the electric guitar; Amy Winehouse, singer and songwriter with an astonishing voice and talent, her career was tarnished by drugs, alcohol and scandal; Freddie Mercury, flamboyant singer and songwriter who achieved worldwide fame as the lead vocalist and pianist for the rock band Queen; Elvis Presley, singer known as “The King” and remembered as one of the earliest and greatest exponents of rock ’n’ roll; Nina Simone, tempestuous soul singer, who enjoyed a 50-year career, but left America because of racism; David Bowie, rock superstar who had a profound impact on popular music and culture during 50 years of continuous innovation; Dusty Springfield, shy, soulful, smoky-voiced singer whose songs and beehive hair became enduring symbols of Swinging London; and Shane MacGowan, hard-drinking frontman of Celtic punk band The Pogues, who was hailed for his raw talent and masterful songwriting.”
33 1/3 | The Avalanches’ Since I Left You
By Charles Fairchild
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Capturing the fraught moment in popular music history as reflected in and anticipated by Since I Left You (2000), the debut album from electronic music group The Avalanches. Since I Left You has a reputation amongst its advocates that exceeds those of nearly all of its closest peers. Yet despite the inordinate amount of attention this album has received, it has never been thoroughly examined in context. While repeatedly celebrated for its artistry, technical skill, and emotional resonance — in particular its sample-based material and then-cutting edge technological feats within the electronic music genre — it has never been definitively placed in the world that produced it. Charles Fairchild studies this album in a way no one else has. Since I Left You is placed in its historical, technological, and cultural contexts and is examined for the social and aesthetic attributes it was said to possess at the time of its release. There is a focus on the clear set of aesthetic aspirations that guided the album’s creators and how those creators pasted together the fragments of many sound worlds.”
33 1/3 | John Sangster’s The Lord of the Rings, Vols. 1-3
By Bruce Johnson
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In three volumes and more than six LP recordings, The Lord of the Rings suite, produced during the 1970s, based on the J.R.R. Tolkien books, is the most ambitious, stylistically and emotionally wide-ranging compositional oeuvre ever undertaken in Australian jazz. Its composer (and one of its performers), John Sangster embraced the historical spectrum of jazz styles, from traditional to the avant-garde, through performance, recording and film/TV music. Sangster, whose career spanned from the late 1940s until his death in 1995, was one of the most complex figures in Australian music. In both temperament and musical style, he ranged from light to darkness, idolized by his colleagues, yet susceptible to (literally) homicidal rage. Nothing in the recording history of Australian jazz, and perhaps Australian music in general, matches the monumental stature of these volumes, which he called his musical autobiography.”
33 1/3 | Lata Mangeshkar: My Favourites, Vol. 2
By Anirudha Bhattacharjee & Chandrashekhar Rao
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “A history of Hindi film music recounted from a list of 50 of Lata Mangeshakar‘s songs that she chose as her favorites. Mangeshkar, one of India’s all-time most influential singers was known as “the nightingale of India.” For her album My Favourites, Vol. 2, Lata chooses 50 songs as her favourites among her own work, from a repository of over 5,000. This book covers an expanse of nearly 40 years, connecting you to the real-life events behind the songs, going back to when music listening in India was limited to the radio, the 78 RPM shellac, the occasional visit to the cinema, and later, the vinyl records, cassettes, and the weekly TV program Chitrahaar.”
Into the Groove: The Story of Sound From Tin Foil to Vinyl
By Jonathan Scott
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The story of recorded sound — the technological developments, the people that made them happen and the impact they had on society — from the earliest inventions via the phonograph to LPs, EPs and the recent resurgence of vinyl. While Thomas Edison’s phonograph represented an important turning point in the story of recorded sound, it came only after decades of invention, tinkering and experimentation. Into the Groove celebrates the ingenuity, rivalries and science of the modulated groove, from the earliest paper records of the 1850s all the way up to the recent return of vinyl to vogue. Vinyl collector and music journalist Jonathan Scott dissects a mind-blowing feat that we all take for granted today — the domestication of sound. He examines the first attempts to record and reproduce sounds, the origin of the phonograph, and the development of shellac discs. Later he moves through the story of the LP record and 7” singles, to the competing speed and format wars, and an epilogue charting the decline and then unexpected return of vinyl. Into the Groove tells the story of the invention that changed us. It explores how these fragile discs not only changed the way we consumed music, but also shaped the way music was made.”
In-Law Country: How Emmylou Harris, Rosanne Cash, and Their Circle Fashioned a New Kind of Country Music, 1968-1985
By Geoffrey Himes
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Geoffrey Himes explores a previously unnamed movement that helped shape modern country music: In-Law Country. It was a movement of outsiders who would become insiders. Weaving together biography and musical analysis, Himes shows how Emmylou Harris, Rosanne Cash, Rodney Crowell, Ricky Skaggs, Guy Clark, and others changed the sounds and stories of country music forever.”
Profane Creations: The Metal Art of Mark Rudolph
By Mark Rudolph
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Chronicling the last decade of Mark Rudolph’s metal-related illustrations, caricatures, album covers, T-shirt designs and posters in one volume. Mark’s unique Mad Magazine take on extreme metal caught on with readers and bands alike, leading to him working with some of extreme metal’s most celebrated bands. Profane Creations: The Metal Art of Mark Rudolph features bands like Carcass, Autopsy, Broken Hope, Dismember, Black Dahlia Murder, Paradise Lost, King Diamond, Celtic Frost and so many others. The curated art within is filled with notes and process commentary in a lavishly printed, large scale format. It’s a who’s who of heavy metal from the ’80s to present day.”
