Music Books

My First Book of Christmas Songs: 20 Favorite Songs in Easy Piano Arrangements

Amazon Price: $5.95 List Price: $5.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Dover Publications Amazon Marketplace: 23 new & used starting at $2.72

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A couple of sour notes, but overall...good. 4 out of 5 stars.
20 of 21 people found this review helpful.

Having purchased this for my kids to use and practice in time for Christmas 2005, I pretested all the music and found it to be a nice starter set of Christmas music for the piano student in their first or second year of training. The arrangements tend to be minimalistic. Caveat: there are at least two obviously wrong notes in The First Nowell and Jingle Bells, so you'd be well advised to correct them once you find them; hopefully they'll fix them by the time a second edition rolls out. Nice features: Each song can be played without turning pages. A charming black-and-white illustration accompanies each song. There's also a list of the songs in order of difficulty for those who want to learn the songs that way.

Editorial Review:

Beginning pianists will love playing these beloved favorites in musically attractive, easy arrangements: "Jingle Bells," "Deck the Halls," "Joy to the World," "Silent Night," "Away in a Manger," "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," "O Little Town of Bethlehem," "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," 12 more. Illustrations.

Merry Christmas Songbook w/ CD

Amazon Price: $19.80 List Price: $30.00 By: Readers Digest Amazon Marketplace: 14 new & used starting at $14.79

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

I like the first Reader's Digest Christmas Songbook better! 4 out of 5 stars.
11 of 13 people found this review helpful.

This book is OKAY, but it contains a lot of songs that I'm not familiar with (and my singing Christmas guests wouldn't be either!). That being said, I love the Reader's Digest Songbook Collection and felt compelled to "complete" the collection. Also....this has a CD (at least mine did) and that will be handy at Christmas, huh?

This songbook is for the intermediate pianist.

good but high for singing 4 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.

Easy playing but the songs can get up there for family voices. Eg E and F is not uncommon

Good selection, a bit simple and choppy 3 out of 5 stars.
2 of 4 people found this review helpful.

There are all the songs (almost) I could have wanted in a Christmas songbook, but the arrangements were too simple and kind of choppy.

Fabulous Christmas Songbook 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Love this book, it was also much cheaper through Amazon than through any bookstore I found!

The Best Christmas Songbook Ever! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book has been invaluable for me, particularly in my Music Therapy practice. I highly recommend it.

Behind the Grand Ole Opry Curtain: Tales of Romance and Tragedy

Grand Ole Opry, Robert K. Oermann

Amazon Price: $16.31 List Price: $23.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Center Street Amazon Marketplace: 33 new & used starting at $12.03

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Subjects -> Entertainment -> Music -> History & Criticism

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The Grand Ole Opry has been home to the greatest legends of country music for over eighty years, and in that time it has seen some of conutry music's most dramatic stories unfold.
We'll hear of the great love stories ranging from Johnny Cash and June Carter in the 1960s to Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, who married in 2005. We'll get the truth of the tragedies that led to the loss of three stars all in the same month, starting the rumor of the "Opry Curse." We'll learn how after being stabbed, shot, and maimed, Trace Adkins calls his early honky-tonk years "combat country," and we'll find inspiration from DeFord Bailey, an African American harmonica player in 1927 crippled by childhood polio who rose to fame as one of the first Opry stars. Our hearts will break for Willie Nelson, who lost his only son on Christmas Day, and soar for Amy Grant and Vince Gill, who found true love.
Based on over 150 firsthand interviews with the stars of The Grand Ole Opry, these are stories that tell the heart of country--the lives that are lived and inspire the songs we love.

Ultimate Christmas: 100 Seasonal Favorites: Easy Piano

Amazon Price: $16.16 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 10 to 12 days By: Hal Leonard - Model: 241003 Amazon Marketplace: 10 new & used starting at $9.98

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Perfect mix of Christmas and Holiday music 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Excellent arrangements at about the intermediate level, with the perfect mix of what you could call "traditional" in Christmas/Holiday music. One of the very best in print. Big, crazy thumbs up from CleverJoe.

A must have 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This is an awesome collection of Christmas music for all ages. Mostly easy arrangement and a few challenging ones.

Editorial Review:

The ultimate collection of Christmas classics just got better with this third edition that includes even more of your favorites. 100 songs, including: Auld Lang Syne · Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella · Carol of the Bells · The Chipmunk Song · Christmas Time Is Here · Do You Hear What I Hear · The First Noel · Gesu Bambino · Happy Holiday · Happy Xmas (War Is Over) · Hymne · I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm · Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring · Jingle-Bell Rock · A Marshmallow World · Merry Christmas, Darling · My Favorite Things · The Night Before Christmas Song · Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer · Silver and Gold · Silver Bells · The Star Carol · Suzy Snowflake · What Child Is This? · Wonderful Christmastime · The Wonderful World of Christmas · and more.

Sacred Christmas Music: The Stories Behind the Most Beloved Songs of Devotion

Ronald M. Clancy

Amazon Price: $12.88 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Sterling Amazon Marketplace: 42 new & used starting at $11.05

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Editorial Review:

Take a musical journey in time—from the dawn of the Church’s liturgical song through the Baroque’s great choral and instrumental works to representative pieces of the 20th century. This is the sacred tradition of Christmas music, explored here in a stunningly illustrated book and a magnificent CD. It covers vocal and instrumental pieces from a variety of national and historical periods and styles, all of which have earned a place in the canon of great musical masterpieces. Not only will musicians and non-musicians alike find this an easily accessible guide, but they’ll feast on a sumptuous gallery of thematically and historically corresponding full-color art (including a 14th century manuscript illumination and a nativity scene by Fra Angelico), and revel in some of the best recordings of the music ever made. There’s rich, interesting background on every work, from Latin hymns and liturgical chants to Bach’s cantatas to contemporary carols. The CD includes the Vienna Boys’ Choir performing “Anima Nostra”; Arcangelo Corelli’s “Christmas Concerto”; The Trappist Monks of the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani singing Gregorian Chants; excerpts from Handel’s “Messiah”; and the beloved “Silent Night.”
No other collection brings together all these elements in such an aesthetically pleasing and educational way.

Christmas Carols for a Kid's Heart (Focus on the Family)

Joni Eareckson Tada, Bobbie Wolgemuth

Amazon Price: $14.95 List Price: $21.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Crossway Books Amazon Marketplace: 26 new & used starting at $9.10

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Great Must Have Christmas time book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Kids love this book. We use it for our music at Christmas time and for a little music lesson in our homeschool. Love it!

Lovely 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Children and I use this as a Music Curriculum of sorts & sometimes just listen to the CD to hear great hymns. Very Good for a gift, a must have in any home library.

Memory making stories and music with vocal children's choir 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Hymns for a Kid's Heart, Volume One, by Bobbie Wolgemuth and Joni Eareckson Tada, Illustrations by Sergio Martinez, Includes music CD, Crossway Books, 2004, Hardcover,
Ages 4-8, 96 Pages, ISBN-13: 978-1581345827, $21.99

Bobbie Wolgemuth and Joni Eareckson Tada collaborated to write the two-volume series, Hymns for a Kid's Heart. The books are illustrated by Sergio Martinez. Each hymn includes a short story about the song's author, and a full rendition of lyrical verses and music notes for piano or guitar accompaniment. A twelve track full-length CD of inspirational hymns, sung by a children's choir with orchestra accompaniment, is included to sing-a-long with.

Each song segment includes "From My Heart to You" written by Joni Eareckson Tada. She shares how particular hymns and singing have impacted her life. Sections conclude with Scripture to memorize in, A Verse for my Heart, and prayer, A Prayer for my Heart.

Volume one features twelve classic hymns that teach tenets of Christian faith, unlike much of contemporary Christian music that focuses on feelings. Fascinating personal stories of hymns' authors will educate and delight readers, young and old alike.

Wolgemuth believes there is a strong correlation between stories, music, and memory-making--
particularly for children. She uses what she calls "teachable moments," to teach hymns to her children and grandchildren. Moments found when a child is bored, or when the family works together in the kitchen, or nearly anywhere, because sing-a-longs are memorable and fun.

Four sections feature hymns about God, biblical truth, Christian living, and hymns of prayer for our country. Songs about God include Holy, Holy, Holy, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, and This Is My Father's World. Songs of biblical truth comprise O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing, How Firm a Foundation, and Amazing Grace. Hymns for Christian living consist of The Lord's My Shepherd, I'll Not Want, Rejoice, Ye Pure I Heart and Take My Life and Let it Be.

Children's joy-filled voices make each CD hymn my favorite. But, if I had to choose, the last part of the CD is what I played repeatedly. This segment includes hymns of prayer for our country and begins with America, the Beautiful, then Our God, Our Help in Ages Past, Eternal Father, Strong to Save, and Do You Know What it Means.

Wolgemuth, mother of two, and grandmother of five, joined with Eareckson, who she calls "soul sister," to write this two-volume series. Each author is passionate about hymns and they often encourage each other with hymn-singing by telephone. Since they live on the East and West coasts, they even carol together over the telephone lines at Christmas.

This musical CD and book will point little ones to the Lord and children will feel the love of parents and grandparents who read to and sing-a-long with them. Martinez' rich colorful illustrations enhance each hymn's depiction, and inspirational story. A glossary and pages for personal notes complete this classical offering. [..]

Editorial Review:

This book reminds children of the real meaning behind Christmas carols--the birth of Jesus Christ. It introduces twelve carols and shares the stories behind each one. The enclosed CD contains fully orchestrated versions of the carols with children's voices.

Reign in Blood (33 1/3)

D. X. Ferris

Amazon Price: $8.76 List Price: $10.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Continuum Amazon Marketplace: 36 new & used starting at $5.87

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

great album, really bad book 2 out of 5 stars.
8 of 9 people found this review helpful.

the 33 1/3 series is, imho, unbelievably spotty: some of the books from the series are among the best examples of music criticism/journalism to be published in the last few years, while others are just completely useless wastes of bookshelf space.

i picked this one up based on the back cover's claim that there was in-depth discussion with not only the band but with producer rick rubin, engineer andy wallace and album cover designer larry carroll. while the book does technically contain interview clips with all of these principles, they are contained within an unbelievably unscholarly work that makes great pains to express how awesome the album in question is, without really explained why, or why it was made, or how it was made.

the book begins with a pretty rambling introduction that just never really takes off-- for a record that, musically, is so devoid of any fat or wasted space, this book amounts to little more than the endless prattling of a diehard fan. the surprising thing is that i find myself thinking this, as i am myself a pretty diehard slayer fan-- however, i think i was hoping for more of a critical assessment of the band, the album, and the album's place in history and society.

the book is front-loaded with, imho, rather obvious sentiments about how awesome the album is, as well as a bombardment of pretty stereotypical assessments of the culture of heavy metal at the time. considering how shocking and bizarre the album was upon its release, and how the band itself have managed to grow into respected elder statesmen as well as stable family men, all on a foundation built upon this record and its bold statement of chaos, disrespect for authority and relatively careless appropriation of what can best be termed "dangerous ideas", you would think that the stage would be set for a really meaningful and in-depth investigation into a fascinating time and place. instead, you get the author's pretty sophomoric rantings and comparisons, all executed with absolutely no wit or grace. for example, here is the final paragraph of the book, where the author is for some reason comparing slayer's discography to the "terminator" series of sci-fi films:

"'Reign In Blood''s rough predecessor, 'Hell Awaits', is the equivalent of the first 'Terminator'. Unlike that violent film franchise, Slayer has never rebooted with an all-new lineup. And the band has never made an album comparable to 'Terminator 3'--a wholly ignorable outing that fails to improve on a single facet of its forerunners. Therein lies Slayer's greatness."

these sort of mangled empty comparisons are par for the course in this book-- the writer just seems out of his league turning his ruminations on why slayer rules into a book-length thesis; you get the impression that the 33 1/3 people okay'd this one based on the lack of metal coverage in their to-date list of titles; a great book could indeed be written on this album, and why it is special; unfortunately, this ain't it.

Editorial Review:

Issued on America's premier rap label at the peak of the thrash metal movement, Slayer's controversial Reign in Blood remains the gold standard for extreme heavy metal, a seamless 29-minute procession of ten blindingly fast, apocalyptic songs. The first English book about Slayer explores the creation of the most universally respected metal album and its long road to the stores, through original interviews with the entire band, producer Rick Rubin, engineer Andy Wallace, cover artist Larry Carroll, and Def Jam insiders from Russell Simmons to M.C. Serch. From Tori Amos to Pantera's Phil Anselmo, dozens of fans and artists discuss the record's ongoing impact and Slayer's status in the small fraternity of rock's greatest groups.

Then Sings My Soul, Book 2: 150 of the World's Greatest Hymn Stories (Then Sings My Soul)

Robert J. Morgan

Amazon Price: $19.59 List Price: $19.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Thomas Nelson Amazon Marketplace: 72 new & used starting at $4.92

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Presents Hymns & Carols in Historical & Theological Context 4 out of 5 stars.
30 of 30 people found this review helpful.

Robert Morgan has collected the stories of familiar hymns which transcend denominational boundaries. I sang many of these as a youth at Catholic Mass, and later, as I have regularly attended Protestant services. Not only did I enjoy reading the lyrics in the quiet of my living room, but I also learned more about the intended meaning of each song.

Significant Songs (just a few of another 50 I could list)
* "O Sacred Heart Now Wounded"
* "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring"
* "Joy to the World!"
* "The First Noel"
* "O Holy Night"
* "O How I Love Jesus"
* "I Love to Tell the Story"
* "Beulah Land"
* "Nothing But the Blood"
* "God of Our Fathers"
* "Softly and Tenderly"
* "I'll Fly Away"
* "Will the Circle Be Unbroken?"

Christian hymns are part of world music, going back hundreds of years. Whether written by a repentant slave owner or a Catholic priest who believes scripture should be in the common man's language, or as an extension of a theologian's great poetic skill, the stories of the classics are anything but ordinary.

What impressed me was the easy style of Morgan's writing as he explained the theology and origin of the songs. Each song receives one page describing its author and history.

I learned, for example, "Will the Circle Be Unbroken?" by Ada Ruth Habershon isn't a secular song of generic faith sung only by folk singers, but a rich song of longing for eternity in Heaven specifically for Christians.

I like that Morgan included "Away in the Manger" and other Christmas carols. In the Christmas holiday context, they feel like simple ditties, but reading the lyrics showed me how many started as hymns sung throughout the year as worship.

A downside of the book was the organization. Morgan researched this carefully and grouped the hymns chronologically. Each song gets its own entry. In many cases, specific material was lacking, or, as in the case of the Wesley brothers, John and Charles, many were written by one author. There was only so much Wesley information to spread out over all of their songs. It would have made more senses to collection the songs of one author together, with one essay to avoid this problem.

"Then Sings My Soul" is aptly titled, referencing the famous lyric. It is as instructive as it is encouraging. For me, as I walked through memories new and old, I found that this coming Sunday as I sing these with my fellow parishioners, I will be singing with more soul than the Sunday before.

I fully recommend "Then Sings My Soul: 150 of the World's Greatest Hymn Stories" by Robert J. Morgan.

Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com

Editorial Review:

Rob Morgan's unmistakable talent for storytelling continues to help reacquaint people with the hymns of the faithful. Then Sings My Soul has sold over 300,000 copies, and it's still going strong!

In Then Sings My Soul Book 2, these devotional-style stories brim with emotion and drama about the people whose faith led them to write the hymns, and about the people whose lives were changed by them. Designed to be personally reflective, these stories speak to your soul and add depth and meaning as you worship God through the beauty of song.

The Christmas Caroling Songbook

Amazon Price: $9.95 List Price: $9.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Hal Leonard Corporation Amazon Marketplace: 22 new & used starting at $6.13

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Perfect! 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This book came out just in time for the holiday season!!! It's a great little book that provides the words, chords, and melodies to 72 of the best carols of the holidays! It is going to work perfectly when I take a group from my church to a local nursing home to go caroling through the halls. I highly recommend this book...it has a little something for everyone!

Editorial Review:

This handy collection gathers 72 holiday favorites perfect for caroling or Christmas parties. Songs include: Auld Lang Syne * Away in a Manger * Carol of the Bells * The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) * Deck the Hall * Feliz Navidad * Frosty the Snow Man * Happy Holiday * (There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays * My Favorite Things * Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree * Silent Night * We Wish You a Merry Christmas * and more.

The Rock Bible: Unholy Scripture for Fans & Bands

Henry Owings, Patton Oswalt

Amazon Price: $14.35 List Price: $15.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Quirk Books Amazon Marketplace: 39 new & used starting at $8.58

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Not a Bible--it's a rock n' roll comedy book. 4 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

When not working as a concert promoter, indie record producer or label owner, Henry Owings is the editor of Chunklet, a particularly snarky music zine from Georgia that does things like dismantle VH1 "100 Greatest"-type shows with nasty--but hilariously true--comments about each choice. Owings' new book, The Rock Bible: Unholy Scripture for Fans & Bands (Quirk Books), focuses that wit with jokes--and occasionally good advice--in the form of hundreds of commandments for acts, roadies, studio mavens, fans and anyone else who comes into Owings' crosshairs.

Some sample commandments:

* No L.A. tour managers who wear their hair in a ponytail, unless you plan on scalping them.
* If your amp has more than six knobs, you are one of them.
* If you don't laugh at the studio engineer's jokes, he will ruin your album.
* A Stax Records T-shirt can only be worn if you can name five artists that didn't have huge hits.
* If you say "My friend Neil is in that band; I've always wanted to see them," Neil is not actually your friend.
* The worst toilet paper in America is always better than the best toilet paper in Europe. It's best to bring your own, especially to Germany.
* All drummers wearing headset microphones should be required to take a food order.
* The only excuse for using a megaphone on stage is if you're a fire marshal.
* Your amps should never stack up to be taller than anybody in the band. If you can't lift that tube head on your own, you don't deserve it.
* Lo-Fi means "couldn't afford to record in a real studio."
* If you're one of those drummers who sets up at the front of the stage, back the hell up. You are the goalies of rock; play your position.

...and so forth. Interspersed throughout are sidebars like Recommended Phrases To Say To A Not-So-Great Band As They Come Off Stage ("It's nice to hear a drummer who really knows how to put some step into the kick drum"), and there's additional essays by comedian Patton Oswalt and others. A particular highlight is Bryan Teasley's "Genesis," a goofy, but surprisingly thorough Cliff Notes of Rock History, presented as the world's longest run-on sentence.

It's not for everyone--folks who accidentally pick this "bible" up expecting to learn more about CCM may walk away offended if they read the section about Groupies, for instance. For many road dogs or studio rats, however, Owings' jokes and sensibilities will ring true, and thanks to the paperback's extra-tough cover, it'll survive living in your road case or being kicked around the studio indefinitely. In all, The Rock Bible is a fun, simple way to pass the time while waiting for that guitar to finally get tuned.

Editorial Review:

"The Rock Bible" is the word on rock music from an insider's perspective - a sassy, f*ck-you guide to the rules of the rock and roll life, featuring chapters on: Genesis, The Gospel According to the Drummer, The Gospel According to he Guitar Players, The Gospel According to The Singer, and more. The bulk of the book is a collection of rock rules and witty observations collected from the folks who know rock best-musicians, tour managers, tour promoters, the fans of Chunklet, and the magazine's editor, Henry Owings.