Rock Books - Page 12

Art of Modern Rock: The Poster Explosion

Paul Grushkin, Dennis King

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 46 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Authoritative, eye-popping, and massive, Art of Modern Rock is the first and last word on contemporary concert posters. An art form that has grown hand-in-hand with the independent music scene, heralding small and large gigs alike, the posters have emerged from visually creative street-level notices to prized collectibles rendered in a variety of styles and media. Today's poster artists combine the expressive freedom pioneered in the poster revolution of the 1960s with the attitude and the do-it-yourself approach of the punk scene, creating an unprecedented surge of innovative poster production on an international scale. Featuring over 1,600 exemplary rock posters and flyers from over 200 international studios and artists, Art of Modern Rock is the long-anticipated sequel to coauthor Paul Grushkin's The Art of Rock. Profiles and quotes from the pioneers in the field and their emerging heirs share nearly 500 gloriously packed pages of poster after mind-blowing poster. As brash and colorful as the burgeoning scene it documents, Art of Modern Rock is the must-have book for music and poster fans and collectors.

Who Are You: The Life Of Pete Townshend

Mark Ian Wilkerson

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Editorial Review:

An accurate, detailed and fascinating account of the life of a man whose story should have been told in this much detail long ago. Author Mark Wilkerson interviewed Townshend himself and several of Townshend s friends and associates for this biography.

To the Limit: The Untold Story of the Eagles

Marc Eliot

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 29 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

For the first time in paperback, and fully updated-the definitive history of the most popular rock-and-roll band of all time, the Eagles.

The Eagles are the most popular, enduring rock band in America. With singles and albums hitting the top of the charts for a quarter century and a greatest hits collection that has sold more copies than any other recording in history, the Eagles have entered the pantheon of pop music. To the Limit is the unauthorized account of the group from its earliest years through the breakup, solo careers, and reunions.

Blending the country and folk music of the late sixties with the melodic seductiveness of Detroit-style roots rock, the Eagles brought a new sound to a stagnant music scene. Under the brilliant management of David Geffen, the Eagles projected a public image of unshakable camaraderie-embodied by the cerebral, brooding Don Henley and the intuitive, self-destructive Glenn Frey-bolstered by the gorgeous harmonies of their songs. Behind the scenes, however, there was another story.

At turns revealing, inspiring, funny, and shocking, To the Limit is the chronicle of a time, a place, and a group that succeeded in changing forever the world of popular music.

Wilderness: The Lost Writings of Jim Morrison, Volume 1

Jim Morrison

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 43 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Excellent Collection 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book is by far one of the best books of poetry I have had the pleasure of reading. Recommended to anyone that not only love's poetry but are interested in enter deeper into the mind of Jim Morrison.

Jim Morrison's conscious wilderness: 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

In this collection of poems; Jim seems to portray his thoughts more abstractly than in "The Lords And The New Creatures." The many themes he engages certainly do appear to be left to interpretation.
A case in point; in Jim's title poem "Miami" he wrote:

"What can I read her
What can I read her
on a Sunday Morning

What can I do that will
somehow reach her
on a Sunday Morning

I'll read her the news of
The Indian Wars

Full of criss-cavalry, blood
& gore

Stories to tame & charm
& More

On a Sunday Morning
------
Some wild fires
Searchout
a dry quiet kiss on leaving
------
Like our ancestors
The Indians
We share a fear of sex
excessive lamentation for the dead
& an abiding interest in dreams & visions"

By properly analyzing this it seems unequivocal that Morrison was struggling to reach out to the woman in question, engaging her with his own interest in American Indian culture, hoping she'd respond to his overtures since she was pulling away from him.
The poem is about lovers growing apart in a world divided. A world where the Indian represents love, while "Manifest Destiny" represents the inner turmoil of the conscious mind.

"Sirens" was also an exceptional poetic verse.

"Midnight
criminal metabolism of guilt forest
Rattlesnakes whistles castanets

Remove me from this hall of mirrors
This filthy glass

Are you her
Do you look like that
How could you be when
no one ever could
-----

Poet of the call-girl storm

She left a note on the bedroom door.
"If I'm out, bring me to."
-----
I dropped by to see you
late last night
But you were out
like a light
Your head was on the floor
& rats played pool w/your eyes

Death is a good disguise
for late at night

Wrapping all games in its calm garden

But what happens
when the guest return
& all unmask
& you are asked
to leave
for want of smile

I'll still take you then
But I'm your friend"

It seems Throughout this book Jim displays his own insecurities/ vulnerabilities. He's a man caught in inner stife. A man who is afraid to love and be loved in return. That's what I ascertained from this book. What does everyone else think?
Also, if you would like to hear Jim recite some of these brilliant poems I strongly suggest buying "The American Prayer" CD.
Jim almost certainly was one of the most thought provoking poets of his time.

Editorial Review:

Compiled from the literary estate of the singer who brought a wildly lyrical poetry of the damned to the world of rock 'n' roll. Includes unpublished poems, drawings, photos, and a candid self-interview.

Touching from a Distance

Ian Curtis, Deborah Curtis

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 48 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

"We Were Strangers... " Indeed 2 out of 5 stars.
13 of 31 people found this review helpful.

When I was a suicidal teenager, my favorite band was Joy Division. There was something so soothing about singing along to lyrics like, "Directionless, so plain to see / A loaded gun won't set you free / So you say" or "Existence, well what does it matter?". In fact, my entire teenage experience could be summed up by a couple of Ian Curtis verses:

"Oh, how I realized how I wanted time
Put into perspective, tried so hard to find
Just for one moment thought I'd found my way
Destiny unfolded, I watched it slip away"

"Now that I've realized how it's all gone wrong
Gotta find some therapy, this treatment takes too long
Deep in the heart of where sympathy held sway
Gotta find my destiny before it gets too late"

Luckily, I was able to find my destiny... er, is that was this is?... before it got too late. Ian Curtis was not as fortunate; he hung himself on May 18, 1980. That's a date that I know from memory; Ian's suicide was a signalpost of my youth. I knew somewhere in the back of my mind that it was probably not a good idea to worship a suicide, but I couldn't help myself. My doomed romanticism was at its most sharply tuned during those dark days in the 1980's and I spent my days cloistered in my room listening to Joy Division, reading Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton, and writing my own gloomy (and piss-poor) poetry. It wasn't much of a life, but it was a living...

I've weathered a lot of rugged emotional terrain since those teenage years, and although the specific schoolyard scenarios that tormented me back in those days are now a distant memory, the painful emotions that accompanied them still ring true. However, one thing has definitely changed in my medicated mind: I'm not particularly impressed by suicide any longer. I am far more likely to feel sympathy for the loved ones left behind and forever scarred by the suicide than I am for the desperate individual who committed the act. I look back on my own nearly-successful suicide attempt with more embarrassment than pride these days, and I'm not nearly as likely to show off my abundant scars as I used to be 10 years ago. Is this what they call "maturity" ... or am I just a boring old Comtesse? Who can say?

So, it is with this changed perspective that I read "Touching From A Distance: Ian Curtis and Joy Division" by Ian Curtis' widow Deborah. I'm not sure what I was expecting from this book, but I thought I would get some understanding of how Curtis' family and friends could just stand by and seemingly do nothing while his obvious suicidal tendencies went fatally unchecked. The book doesn't really answer that question - except to reinforce just how isolated Curtis had become in his final days, and how estranged he was from his family. If you believe Deborah's account, Ian was almost zombie-like during his last few months, as the strain of his personal problems (a broken marriage, a doomed love affair, and increasingly uncontrollable epilepsy) became unbearable. After reading this book, I understand why Curtis killed himself, and in some ways, I can't say that I blame him.

The book also presents Curtis as a very unlikeable personality. He is cold, controlling, uncaring, and indifferent towards his wife. I have to take that presentation with a grain of salt, since a lot of it smacks of 'Embittered Ex' syndrome. Deborah doesn't seem to have the slightest understanding of her husband, and doesn't offer any explanation of his motivations or his artistry. They don't communicate, don't seem to have anything in common, and they don't really seem to like each other either. It's a pretty depressing read, but not for obvious reasons.

There is one additional thing that I cannot forgive Deborah Curtis for - and that's refusing to publish Ian's suicide note in the book. She makes reference to it as being "deeply personal" - and I suppose this is her excuse for not printing it. But she sure had no problem in exploiting her personal life with Ian when writing this book! Yes, I know I'm being voyeuristic, but I can't help myself - I want to read the note! I want to know what his last thoughts were as he approached his "last fatal hour". Instead I'm left with continued frustration.

My next read on this subject will be Mick Middles' book "Torn Apart" which presents the perspective of Curtis' girlfriend Annik Honoré. It's supposed to be much more enlightening than anything his wife could offer. I certainly hope so!

Editorial Review:

Revered by his peers and idolised by his fans, Ian Curtis left behind a legacy rich in artistic genius. Mesmerising on stage but introverted and prone to desperate mood swings in his private life, Curtis died by his own hand on 18 May 1980. Touching from a Distance documents how, with a wife, child and impending international fame, Curtis was seduced by the glory of an early grave. Regarded as the essential icon of the post-punk era, Touching from a Distance includes a full set of Curtis' lyrics, discography and gig list.

All You Need is Ears

George Martin

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Total reviews: 28 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

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"George," he said, "I don't know if you'd be interested, but there's a chap who's come in with a tape of a group he runs. They haven't got a recording contract, and I wonder if you'd like to see him and listen to what he's got?""Certainly," I said, "I'm willing to listen to anything. Ask him to come and see me." "O.K., I will. His name's Brian Epstein..."All You Need Is Ears is the story of George Martin, the man who spotted the Beatles' talent, who recorded and produced them from the start, and who brought their musical ideas to life. In this witty and charming autobiography, he describes exactly what it was like to work in the studio with the Beatles--from the first audition (and his decision to scrap Pete Best on drums) to the wild experimentation of Sgt. Pepper (complete with sound effects, animal noises and full orchestras in evening dress at the direct request of Paul McCartney).This is a singular look at the most important musical group of all time, and how they made the music that changed the world: No other book can provide George Martin's inside look at their creative process, at the play of genius and practical improvisation that gave them their sound; it is an indispensable read for Beatle lovers and anyone interested in the music world.

CREEM: America's Only Rock 'N' Roll Magazine

Robert Matheu, Brian J. Bowe

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Total reviews: 21 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

With raw photographs of rock's greatest stars and insightful prose by the legendary rock journalists who were stars in their own right, CREEM magazine stood at the forefront of youth counterculture from 1969 to 1988 as "America's Only Rock 'n' Roll Magazine." A product of Detroit's revolutionary counterculture, CREEM cultivated an incredibly gifted staff of iconoclastic scribes, editors, photographers, and graphic artists whose work continues to resonate today, including: Lester Bangs, Dave Marsh, Richard Meltzer, Nick Tosches, and a not-so-famous Cameron Crowe. They invented a raucous new form of journalism, where the writing and photographs were as much an expression of rock 'n' roll as the music itself. CREEM embraced and abused the best and the worst of the era: MC5, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, the Faces, Lou Reed, the Stooges, T.Rex, Kiss, Mott the Hoople, the Who, the New York Dolls, Bob Seger, Ted Nugent, Aerosmith, the Ramones, Cheap Trick, the Clash, and Van Halen, among many others.

Now the Mouth of the Motor City presents a retrospective of the beautiful haze that was rock's golden age—from the end of the hippie days through glam and punk and into '80s metal. Featuring the best of the magazine's vast archives of photos, illustrations, and articles, CREEM is the authentic rock 'n' roll experience—written for fanatics by fanatics.

The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 22 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Handsome book, but why the snubbing of Harrison/Starr songs? 4 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.

Overall, this is a nice volume which augments the lyrics of the Beatles with striking and memorable illustrations, particularly from editor Aldridge, which very well capture the spirit of the Beatles' music. However, the book contains one serious shortcoming: its inexplicable (and unexplained) leaving out of almost all of the Beatle numbers not written by Lennon/McCartney. This means that such indispensible songs such as "Here Comes The Sun", "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", "Something", "Old Brown Shoe", and "Octopus's Garden" (among others) are conspicously absent from this collection. Why? Instead, we get at least a dozen Lennon/McCartney compositions that were never actually recorded by the Fab Four, as well as Lennon's three most famous songs from his early solo career.
Another drawback is that the lyrics are presented in a seemingly random, haphazard order as opposed to any kind of a chronological or even thematic one.
A wonderful concept well-executed, but must be docked points for incompleteness because of the missing Harrison and Starr songs.

Editorial Review:

In the ultimate tribute to the Beatles, dazzling illustrations by noted artists enhance 200 favorite songs and reminiscences of the Fab Four. 320 color and b&w photos and illustrations.

Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited (33 1/3)

Mark Polizzotti

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Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

"Highway 61 in NYC" 4 out of 5 stars.
9 of 13 people found this review helpful.

Good read. This was the type of book I expected when I bought "A Season in Hell: THe making of 'Exile on Main Street'". "Highway 61 ..." is really about the making of the album. Though the album does not compare, in my opinion with "Free Wheelin" and "The Times..", some of the songs are among my Favorite Dylan compositions". The book seems to answer the question as to which Fourth Street (Minneapolis or NYC) is referred to in "Positively ...". And I enjoyed the Al Kooper opinion that Desolation Row was the pre Guiliani 8th Avenue. Also didn't know that a Hanging of African Americans took place in Duluth, MN. Can't get too much further North than Duluth.
If you are a Dylan Fan,Read this Book.

Editorial Review:

Between the fitfully brilliant Bringing It All Back Home and the sprawling masterwork that is Blonde on Blonde, Highway 61 Revisited stands as the defining moment in both Dylan’s career and the musical evolution of the mid-1960s. But beyond its place in history, Highway 61 works because of its enduring emotional appeal. Few songwriters before Dylan or since have combined so effectively the intensely personal with the spectacularly universal. In this incisive book, Mark Polizzotti shines a critical light on these remarkable songs and shows us the timeless qualities that make them – and the album as a whole – so affecting.

Lyrics

Sting

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Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

A great book for Sting and Police fans! 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

I received this book as a Christmas present, and I've already devoured it.
This is a handsomely produced book containing all of Sting's lyrics from the five Police albums, and his solo output up to his last disc, "Sacred Love".

The actual physical construction of the book is gorgeous. The vellum-like wrap, the gentle coloring to the photos and text...it's a pleasure to read.

The book is loosely structured according to each album. He prefaces each album with a page or so of comments and thoughts, and then about 75% of the time makes individual notes for a single song. Not every song gets a comment, but all the "big ones" do.

Being a HUGE Police (and Sting) fan, I knew about half of the stuff he says from previous interviews, but there's a lot of new stuff here, and having it collated in one place is very nice.

I am a poetry hater. I have never understood nor liked poetry, and as you can imagine, reading song lyrics can either come across as decent poetry or puerile gibberish.

As I'm so familiar with these songs, I found it, for the most part, quite pleasurable reading through some of his songs. Most interesting is the progression from his punky-pop beginnings to his literate, complex tales as a solo artist.

For fans, this not only is a no-brainer, it's essential.

Editorial Review:

From the first Police album, Outlandos D'Amour, through Sacred Love, here are the collected lyrics written by Sting, along with his commentary.