Rock Books - Page 5

Twenty Thousand Roads: The Ballad of Gram Parsons and His Cosmic American Music

David Meyer

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Gram Parsons lived fast, died young, and left a beautiful corpse–a corpse his friends stole, took to Joshua Tree National Monument, and set afire in its coffin. The theft and burning of his body marked the end of Gram Parsons’ life and the beginning of the Gram Parsons legend.

As a singer and songwriter, Gram Parsons stood at the nexus of countless musical crossroads, and he sold his soul to the devil at every one. Parson hung out with glamorous women and the coolest friends. His intimates and collaborators on his journey included Keith Richards, William Burroughs, Marianne Faithfull, Peter Fonda, Roger McGuinn, Clarence White, and Emmylou Harris. Parsons had everything–looks, charisma, money, style, the best drugs, the most heartbreaking voice–and threw it all away with both hands. His ballad is one of gigantic talent colliding with epic self-destruction.

Parsons led the Byrds to create the seminal country rock masterpiece Sweetheart of the Rodeo. He formed the Flying Burrito Brothers, helped to guide the Rolling Stones beyond the blues in their appreciation of American roots music, and found his musical soul mate in Emmylou Harris. Parsons’ solo albums, GP and Grievous Angel, are now recognized as visionary masterpieces of the transcendental jambalaya of rock, soul, country, gospel, and blues Parsons named “Cosmic American Music.” Four months before Grievous Angel was released, Parsons died of a drug and alcohol overdose at age twenty-six.

In this beautifully written, raucous, meticulously researched biography, David N. Meyer gives Parsons’ mythic life its due. From Parsons’ privileged Southern Gothic upbringing to his early career in Greenwich Village’s folk music scene to his Sunset Strip glory days, Twenty Thousand Roads paints an unprecedented portrait of the man who linked country to rock. Parsons’ creative genius gave birth to a new sound that was rooted in the past but heralded the future.

From interviews with hundreds of the famous and obscure who knew and worked closely with Parsons–many who have never spoken publicly about him before–Meyer conjures a dazzling panorama of the artist and his era. Shedding new light and dispelling old myths, Twenty Thousand Roads is a breakthrough in rock-and-roll biography and more–a chronicle of creativity, drugs, excess, culture, and music in the ferment of late-1960s America.

Visit the official website: www.twentythousandroads.com

Everybody Wants Some: The Van Halen Saga

Ian Christe

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 35 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

"Good band, even better book . . . Essential reading."
—Record Collector

One of 2007's Most Intriguing Books
—LA Weekly

"Highly recommended for Van Halen completists."
—Chuck Klosterman, Esquire

"Respect is due to author Ian Christe. His book is perfectly pitched, capturing both the flamboyant excitement and inherent absurdity of the rampant ego collective known as Van Halen."
—Geoff Barton, Classic Rock

"Written in jubilant, elastic prose, Ian Christe's Everybody Wants Some is a sort of Day-Glo fairy tale . . . savvy, sympathetic, expert, funny ha-ha."
—The Boston Phoenix

"[Christe's] not fooling around. And his prose is always playful."
—Los Angeles Times

"A new biography of the band that made metal marketable doesn't disappoint the fans."
—The American Prospect

"Christe chronicles the sweeping scope of the Van Halen saga."
—Chicago Sun-Times

If you’ve ever wondered how two Dutch boys trained in classical music grew up to form America’s greatest hard rock band, find the naked truth in Everybody Wants Some: The Van Halen Saga. Learn all the juicy details, from the secret of Eddie Van Halen’s guitar mastery to the truth about groupies, midgets, and contract riders and the details of Van Halen’s explosive entrée to California’s hard rock scene. Read about all the strife between Eddie and the singers and find out how Eddie’s drinking affected the band and his personal relationships.

This Wheel's on Fire: Levon Helm and the Story of the Band

Levon Helm, Stephen Davis

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 47 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

This book changed my life. 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Today is the day I turn 33 years old, and out of all those years, and all of the books I've read, this one takes the proverbial cake. Birthday cake, if you will. Levon Helm is one of my heroes, and with a little help from his friends, he's managed to write a book that truly takes the reader through time and space to where modern rock was conceived, born, and learned to run like an antelope out of control. I highly recommend that you purchase this book, read it over and over again, and give it to your best friend to read, too.

Editorial Review:

The Band, who backed Bob Dylan when he went electric in 1965 and then turned out a half-dozen albums of beautifully crafted, image-rich songs, is now regarded as one of the most influential rock groups of the '60s. But while their music evoked a Southern mythology, only their Arkansawyer drummer, Levon Helm, was the genuine article. From the cotton fields to Woodstock, from seeing Sonny Boy Williamson and Elvis Presley to playing for President Clinton, This Wheel's on Fire replays the tumultuous history of our times in Levon's own unforgettable folksy drawl. This edition is expanded with a new afterword by the authors.

Gorillaz: Rise of the Ogre

Gorillaz

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

"I tell you what, right, I can guarantee you're going to get some real juicy bits of Gorillaz info. I'll probably slag off loads of people, too. It'll be packed full of great shots from the sets of our videos, gigs, rehearsals, interviews...you name it. It's all in there. So place your order up front kids, this book going to be a scorcher!" - Gorillaz bass-slayer Murdoc Nicalls. This stunning, full-colour hardback will be the most unique rock autobiography ever published. Gorillaz have always been as much about the visuals as they are about the music, and the autobiography will be a feast for the eyes. Featuring brand new art from and designed by Jamie Hewlett, this is the full story of Murdoc, 2D, Noodle and Russel Hobbs for the first time. Included will be their emailing with their motley crew of collaborators, from Ike Turner to Sean Ryder, and accounts of the gigs, the movie (for the first time), the videos and the website - including the low down on Kong Studios, their legendary HQ. It is an essential purchase for a legion of fans.

The Paths We Choose

Sully Erna

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 36 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

With over ten million albums sold and multiple Grammy nominations, the hard rock band Godsmack has become one of the most successful groups of the last decade. The band's driving beats and searing lyrics have garnered widespread acclaim, while their well-known work ethic has earned the industry's respect. Fans who attend Godsmack concerts are sure to be rewarded with a fiercely energetic show. The force behind the band comes largely from founder and front man Sully Erna. Onstage, growling into the microphone with characteristic intensity, he appears perfectly at home, and it's no wonder. Erna has been immersed in the world of rock ever since he got his first drum set at the age of five. Given his achievements, that early start might suggest that his career was a straight shot to the top. The truth is, Erna took so many detours during the years between his first drums and Godsmack's first contract that, more than once, he nearly forgot his destination. In The Paths We Choose, he relates the turbulent story of his life before the platinum albums and packed arenas. "The Lawrence I remember was full of murderers, thieves, and rapists and half the time those people were your next-door neighbors," Erna writes of his childhood hometown in the gritty Boston suburbs. Although the danger of the streets was a constant reality, young Sully's world really revolved around music. From the day he convinced his mom to pay for drum lessons, "beating the skins" was all he ever wanted to do. As he grew older, Erna began devoting all his energy to one band after another. Life as a marginally-successful (and sometimes downright unsuccessful) musician was always unpredictable, and Sully's good times were equally matched by his frustrations. He learned that talent and passion were not enough; he also had to know who to trust. Beautiful blondes attracted Erna like a moth to an open flame, and his affairs with them were intense and often unstable. Outwardly hardened, yet privately vulnerable, he couldn't open up. This, combined with his high-adrenaline lifestyle, seemed bound to catch up with him and did. Here, Sully delves with surprising sensitivity into the emotional struggles that almost forced him to abandon his ambitions. Musical fame was never a given for Sully Erna. He could easily have continued to be "just another punk on the streets." The extraordinary success he now enjoys with Godsmack only came by an unlikely combination of talent, sweat, lucky breaks, and hard falls. Any one of the decisions he made along the way could have brought him to a dead end. But that just might be the whole point. Sully's story shows us that whatever hardship we may face, ultimately, our choices determine our destiny. He's made the most of every advantage and obstacle he has faced, and reminds us that we can, too. But for Sully, career success is not an ultimate destination. Every day brings a new fork in the road another path to choose.

Shakey: Neil Young's Biography

Jimmy Mcdonough

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 119 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Wish I could rate it higher 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I have given this book three stars, but here's how it could have gotten to five stars; start by eliminating all of the author's opinions, viewpoints, portions of his parts of discussions, etc. Then you could also remove all of the extensive opinions of the couple of fans that he has developed friendships with. What remains would have been of manageable length and it would have contained all the good parts of the book. In other words, it would have been "really innaresting, heh, heh, heh"(to coin an over-used set of words).

I come away from this book wondering if the author had slept with Neil or whether he merely DREAMS of sleeping with Neil. It has to be one or the other. The title should have been changed to "Shaky, the Story of My Hero Neil Young as Written by Me, His Biggest Groupie", by Jimmy McDonough.

This is the single biggest problem with the book and it's too bad too, as there is a lot of good info hidden amongst the parts ruined by the author. The latter part of the book is especially sad, as McDonough really spills his guts concerning what amounts to adoration for his subject. The final paragraphs are reminiscent of a set of diaglogue from a Saturday Night Live skit where they were purposely trying to be bad.

So here is my advice; if you love Neil's work, buy the book because unfortunately there isn't much else out there on the subject. You will find a lot to like, but unless you are as far around the bend about the subject as the author, you are also likely find his personal intrusion annoying.

Editorial Review:

Neil Young is one of rock and roll’s most important and enigmatic figures, a legend from the sixties who is still hugely influential today. He has never granted a writer access to his inner life – until now. Based on six years of interviews with more than three hundred of Young’s associates, and on more than fifty hours of interviews with Young himself, Shakey is a fascinating, prodigious account of the singer’s life and career. Jimmy McDonough follows Young from his childhood in Canada to his cofounding of Buffalo Springfield to the huge success of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young to his comeback in the nineties. Filled with never-before-published words directly from the artist himself, Shakey is an essential addition to the top shelf of rock biographies.

Elliott Smith

Autumn de Wilde

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 19 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The Elliott Smith that we will never know.... 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Elliott Smith was perhaps the greatest Indie singer/songwriter of his generation. His unresolved murder/suicide at the age of 34 in 2003 catapulted him into iconic status. It abruptly ended a career that had begun to take off. Autumn DeWilde shared a personal friendship as well as a professional working relationship with Smith, released Elliott Smith, which is basically a series of intimate and touching conversations between Elliott's close friends and family that we have the privilege to listen(read) in on. Many speaking for the first time since his death. Because DeWilde was a personal friend of Elliott's, I think that we have to respect the fact that this is her book, not ours. It is going to read more like she is relating to Elliott because she knew him, and not just an informal biography about Elliott. After understanding that it is easier to appreciate and understand the book's perspective. Complementing the text are glossy black and white and color photographs that DeWilde shot of Smith throughout his career. Extremely fascinating and revealing, this book provides a unique perspective into the man whose music many have come to appreciate and love. DeWilde directed Smith's Son of Sam music video, and shot the cover art for his fifth album Figure 8. For a man many know only too well through his music, this book brings a fascinating "behind the scenes" perspective to his life. Besides his music, this is perhaps as close to the man that we will come to know. Reading about his friends and family talk about Smith, you begin to feel like you knew him as well, that you're sharing stories with old friends reminiscing about the night before he appeared on national television for the Oscars, the stories behind the music, or specific conversations that you had. Like his music, this book is a collection of memories, priceless memories. For those unfamiliar with his work, this book will not be as powerful or interesting as it will be for fans. Smith was a complex artist and human being, his personal life and music were not separate, they were one. This is not a biography on Smith, it is a series of conversations and interviews between Smith's closest friends and family. For fans familiar with his music, this book is a must have. I walked away after reading this book with a ton of information that I didn't know before. Considering that I never knew him personally, I even felt like I understood him a (little) better. The beautiful photographs alone are worth the price of the book, containing never before seen images of Smith. Haunting portraits that capture the man in all his glory; the photo shoot from the Figure 8 cover shooting; even handwritten lyrics on the backs of receipts. Yet we also get a series of revealing interviews and conversations that begin to flesh out the man and gives deeper insight into the life of this deeply troubled and gifted artist. The book is a celebration of their friendship and perhaps brings some closure to their relationship as well. I respect that, and I think we are fortunate DeWilde chose to share these at all. Thanks. DeWilde lets us in on this event. Looking at the haunting and beautiful images of Smith, there are many images that come to mind. Silently looking at Smith, you can hear his music playing in the background. This book because it leaves you with a tasted wanting more. Among those interviewed are: Beck Hanson, Ben Gibbard, Chris Walla, Autumn De Wilde, Joanna Bolme, Sam Coomes, Neil Gust, Ashley Welch, Margaret Middleman, Larry Crane. It is no secret that Elliott Smith lived a troubled life. I feel that this book gives you just enough without getting overly personal with respect to Elliott Smith and his family and the problems that he had in regards to drug abuse/depression. I think that this book could have gone a certain way in violating his privacy and instead it shows a tremendous amount of respect. I know that it is the gritty details that are the most fascinating, but I think that there is a fine line to respecting what someone else would like and what people are comfortable talking about. This book balances that perfectly. Contained within the book is a previously unreleased compact disc recording of Elliott Smith "Live at Largo" in Los Angeles. Contains four tracks: Angeles, Between The Bars, Clementine, Clouds(Quasi cover), All My Rowdy Friends Have Settled Down(Hank Williams Jr. cover). Intimate, touching, fascinating, and perhaps like his music- timeless. Recommended.

Editorial Review:

Elliott Smith's intensely intimate music and open-hearted, Beatlesque pop songs have left a deep mark on a generation of fans and musicians in the wake of his tragic death in 2003. In Autumn de Wilde's remarkable photographs and conversations with close friends, family, and musicians he inspired, this is the first and only portrait of the beloved and troubled singer/songwriter by those who knew him well. Complementing de Wilde's riveting, personal images are ephemera, handwritten lyrics, and revealing talks with Smith's inner circle, many speaking here for the first time. Also included are a foreword by Beck Hansen and Chris Walla, and a live CD of unreleased solo acoustic performances.

The Jim Morrison Scrapbook

James Henke

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

The Jim Morrison Scrapbook 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

The Jim Morrison Scrapbook *****

With the abundance of material that has been released and re-released and alternately released from the Jim Morrison estate in the past decade very little of it has been any good. It is mostly things that had already been released on one thing or another deeming it pointless to own, but not The Jim Morrison Scrapbook. Oh-no! This is phenomenal and a must have for Doors-geeks like myself. This shows sides of Morrison rarely or never shown.

Chronicling the genius from birth, poet, songwriter, lover, performer, and death. This is a book explaining all of those things about the man, but with actually tangible documents like his will, report cards, letters, his handwritten lyrics, rare seen photos; some of which have never been released to the mass public.

The Jim Morrison Scrapbook is the first in a series of "scrapbooks" being released of famous legends. As of right now a Bob Dylan, and John Lennon version is also available. This is essential for all rock fans! A must read!

Editorial Review:

Produced with the full cooperation of the Morrison estates, The Jim Morrison Scrapbook captures the wild life, mysterious death, and enduring work of the Doors' legendary leader. New interviews with friends, family members, surviving band members, and music industry figures complement a selection of rare and never-before-published photos, including shots of private moments with his "cosmic mate" Pam Courson and his last days in Paris. The book also features 24 pieces of removable facsimile memorabilia, such as Jim's handwritten lyrics to "L. A. Woman," his teenage artwork, and a letter to his father concerning Jim's infamous arrest in Miami. An exclusive 60-minute CD comprising rare interviews plus Jim telling candid stories and a never-before-heard original poem caps off this incomparable collector's package.

Searching for the Sound: My Life with the Grateful Dead

Phil Lesh

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 59 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Great Insider's Perspective 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I've read a few Dead books and this is by far the best insider's perspective. Phil was there from the beginning and vividly recounts what it was like growing with the band. Everything from the acid tests to the untimely death of their front man is covered in great detail. Surprisingly, through all the chemicals, Phil has a great memory of events and leaves nothing out. I was too young to experience the Dead first hand, but after reading Searching for the Sound, I listen to them as if I had been there.

Confessions of a milk freak 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I like Phil's book. I like it a whale of a lot more than I do Dennis McNally's egotistical cop-out from writing the "authorized biography" of the GD. Phil writes in a nice style, with not a touch of the supposed "arrogance" attributed to him in his younger years evident. In fact one could assume that, due to the changes he needed to make in his lifestyle just to survive in the past decade or so, that also included eating a few large pieces of crow-pie, washed down with genuine humility and probably at times some real tears.
Phil goes into the story of the band, and it's nice to her him speak of it in his own words and terms, as much as it is to read Jerry's account in "signpost to New Space." I'd rather listen to either one of them for what they have to tell than Weir's ideas of it, but that will be for another day in the far future, if indeed he ever gets round to it, as he is threatening to. He talks a bit about the pre-Grateful Dead years when the band were becoming acquainted socially and somewhat "extra musically" which as we all know, eventually led to the Warlocks and history. But it's nice to hear the things he has to say about those early years and times in Berkeley, Palo Alto, las Vegas and SF as though that pre-1966 magic- whatever real gem of magic existed in the Haight scene before the over-hyped "summer of Love" cast its fell shadow upon the city, and also the adventures or misadventures they had leading up to the formation of the band propre.
He also writes about the band as a musical experiment, or an experiment in more than music, as a psychedelic adventurer, and this actually to me is its real value as a book. That he obviously survived acid (some would argue "nobody could take that many trips and remain sane!" but you find the proof of it in his lucid writing, and his great memory.
I have always had something of an issue though with some of the premise he puts forward as one of the band's rasions d'etre, that at times, the audience reacts to the music and vibes of the hall as would a school of fish, in the "one-mind" or "group-mind" mode, and as if this is always to be viewed as a positive thing. Lemmings also react in a group-mind mode, and where does it ever usually get them?
Still, it is good to hear the words of one of the original participants in this "noble experiment" make his arguments and his judgements upon social idioms, and he really CAN write well about music itself, and about the actual mechanics of many of their great songs.
It's a shame we haven't got Jerry here to give his own thoughts about this book, but then, there's the possibility that with him here, Phil never would have felt the need to set it down like this.
I give it five stars- anyone who loves the Grateful Dead or San Francisco Rock & Roll and desires to know as much as possible about it's genuine sources and flavors owes it to themselves to pick it up. You might not put it down again until you're done.

Editorial Review:

In this ruthlessly honest, illuminating bestseller, the bass player for the greatest improvisational band in American history tells the full, true story of his life, Jerry Garcia, and the Grateful Dead.

Songbook

Nick Hornby

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 43 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Takes A Stand For What Others May Indict As Un-Cool 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I'm a pop music whore. Yeah, you heard me. Some snobs might take offense, intuiting that this claim somehow reneges their otherwise impeccable knowledge of modern music. But not me, and not Nick Hornby, either. The author of About a Boy and High Fidelity, Hornby has always been known as a music author, this sentiment personified and cemented by his recent collection entitled Songbook. More accessible than Lester Bangs, Hornby strikes a balance between personal experience and critique; I commend him for his faith in pop music and taking a stand for what others may indict as un-cool.

[...]

Editorial Review:

McSweeney's is excited to release Songbook \226 a brand-new collection of short, personal essays by Nick Hornby on 31 of his favorite songs and songwriters. This hardcover book has 4-color illustrations by Marcel Dzama throughout and comes complete with a CD featuring 11 songs discussed within.

Proceeds from Songbook will benefit TreeHouse and 826 Valencia.

The TreeHouse Trust is a U.K. charity based in central London, established in 1997 to provide an educational Centre of Excellence for children with autism and related communication disorders.

826 Valencia is a nonprofit learning center in the Mission District of San Francisco, providing free writing-based tutoring and workshops for students throughout the Bay Area. Students can drop in for individual one-on-one tutoring, register for workshops, or attend field trips through local schools and community organizations.