Music Lit
Artist memoirs, biographies & music-related reading
Summary
The world-wide #1 bestseller, in paperback at last, is "one of the greatest rock memoirs ever" (Rolling Stone).
The long-awaited autobiography of the guitarist, songwriter, singer, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. Ladies and gentlemen: Keith Richards.
With The Rolling Stones, Keith Richards created the songs that roused the world, and he lived the original rock and roll life.
Now, at last, the man himself tells his story of life in the crossfire hurricane. Listening obsessively to Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters records, learning guitar and forming a band with Mick Jagger and Brian Jones. The Rolling Stones's first fame and the notorious drug busts that led to his enduring image as an outlaw folk hero. Creating immortal riffs like the ones in "Jumping Jack Flash" and "Honky Tonk Women." His relationship with Anita Pallenberg and the death of Brian Jones. Tax exile in France, wildfire tours of the U.S., isolation and addiction. Falling in love with Patti Hansen. Estrangement from Jagger and subsequent reconciliation. Marriage, family, solo albums and Xpensive Winos, and the road that goes on forever.
With his trademark disarming honesty, Keith Richard brings us the story of a life we have all longed to know more of, unfettered, fearless, and true.
About the Author
Keith Richards was born in London in 1943. A guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, and cofounder of the Rolling Stones, he has also released solo albums with his band, The X-Pensive Winos. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, Patti Hansen.
James Fox was born in Washington, D.C., in 1945 and has known Keith Richards since the early 1970's when he was a journalist for the Sunday Times in London. His books include the international bestseller White Mischief. He lives in London with his wife and sons.
Product Details
- Paperback: 576 pages
- Publisher: Back Bay Books
- Biography & Autobiography / Composers & Musicians
Summary
"A historical compilation to savor" (Los Angeles Times) that is "invaluable.irresistible" (The New York Times)-the ultimate collection of interviews and encounters with Nobel Laureate Bob Dylan, spanning his entire career from 1962 to today.
Bob Dylan: The Essential Interviews features over two dozen of the most significant and revealing conversations with the singer, gathered in one definitive collection that spans his career from street poet to Nobel Laureate. First published in 2006, this acclaimed collection brought together the best interviews and encounters with Bob Dylan to create a multi-faceted, cultural, and journalistic portrait of the artist and his legacy. This edition includes three additional pieces from Rolling Stone that update the volume to the present day.
Among the highlights are the seminal Rolling Stone interviews-anthologized here for the first time-by Jann Wenner, Jonathan Cott, Kurt Loder, Mikal Gilmore, Douglas Brinkley, and Jonathan Lethem-as well as Nat Hentoff's legendary 1966 Playboy interview. Surprises include Studs Terkel's radio interview in 1963 on WFMT in Chicago, the interview Dylan gave to screenwriter Jay Cocks when he was a student at Kenyon College in 1964, a 1965 interview with director Nora Ephron, and an interview Sam Shepard turned into a one-act play for Esquire in 1987.
Introduced by Rolling Stone editor Jonathan Cott, these intimate conversations from America's most celebrated street poet is a "priceless collection with honest, open, and thoughtful musings.a fascinating window into his one-of-a-kind mind" (Publishers Weekly).
About the Author
Jonathan Cott is a contributing editor at Rolling Stone and has written for the The New York Times and The New Yorker. He is the author of twenty books, including Dinner with Lenny: The Last Long Interview with Leonard Bernstein, Days That I'll Remember: Spending Time with John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Dylan (a biography), Conversations with Glenn Gould, Stockhausen: Conversations with the Composer, Back to a Shadow in the Night: Music Writings and Interviews-1968-2001, and Bob Dylan: The Essential Interviews. He lives in New York City.
Product Details
- Hardcover: 544 pages
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster
- Music / Individual Composer & Musician
Summary
On the fiftieth anniversary of the band's founding, an update of the classic Led Zeppelin biography, featuring rich and substantial new material
Rock writer Mick Wall draws on insider access, as former confidante to both Plant and Page, to craft the definitive biography of the world's most legendary rock band-Led Zeppelin. In When Giants Walked the Earth, Wall audaciously tells the story of the band known not just as one of the biggest-selling bands of all-time, but also as the one that set the mark for on-the-road excess.
Detailed and revealing, When Giants Walked the Earth bores into not only the disasters, addiction and death that haunted the band but also into the real relationship between Page and Plant, including how it was influenced by Page's interest in the occult. Comprehensive and yet intimately detailed, When Giants Walked the Earth gets into the principals' heads to bring to life both an unforgettable band and an unrepeatable slice of rock history.
This edition celebrates 10 years since our original publication and includes approximately 35,000 words of new material about the band and the last decade, featuring fresh interviews and newly unearthed context.
About the Author:
MICK WALL writes for Guitar World, Classic Rock and several other newspapers and magazines around the world. He has also worked in music public relations, handling Dire Straits, Black Sabbath, The Band and Journey, among others. His books include best-selling biographies of Pearl Jam, Iron Maiden, Bono and the legendary British DJ John Peel as well as 1992's Guns N' Roses: The Most Dangerous Band in the World, Foo Fighters: Learning to Fly, and Enter Night: A Biography of Metallica.
Product Details
- Paperback: 608 pages
- Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
- Biography & Autobiography / Composers & Musicians
Book: $22.95 Buy
Summary:
From their beginnings as teenagers experimenting in a San Fernando Valley garage dubbed "The Hell Hole" to headlining major music festivals around the world, discover the whole story of Bad Religion's forty-year career in irreverent style.
Do What You Want's principal storytellers are the four voices that define Bad Religion: Greg Graffin, a Wisconsin kid who sang in the choir and became an L.A. punk rock icon while he was still a teenager; Brett Gurewitz, a high school dropout who founded the independent punk label Epitaph Records and went on to become a record mogul; Jay Bentley, a surfer and skater who gained recognition as much for his bass skills as for his antics on and off the stage; and Brian Baker, a founding member of Minor Threat who joined the band in 1994 and brings a fresh perspective as an intimate outsider.
With a unique blend of melodic hardcore and thought-provoking lyrics, Bad Religion paved the way for the punk rock explosion of the 1990s, opening the door for bands like NOFX, The Offspring, Rancid, Green Day, and Blink-182 to reach wider audiences. They showed the world what punk could be, and they continue to spread their message one song, one show, one tour at a time.
About the Author:
Bad Religion formed in Los Angeles in 1980, and ranks among the most influential American punk rock bands of all time. They have released seventeen albums that have sold more than five million copies, and they continue to sell out venues all over the world.
Jim Ruland has been writing for punk rock zines like Flipside since the early '90s and has written for every issue of Razorcake, America's only nonprofit independent music fanzine. He is the coauthor of MyDamage with Keith Morris, the founding vocalist of Black Flag, Circle Jerks, and OFF!
- Paperback: 336 pages
- 2 16-pg b&w inserts
- Biography & Autobiography / Music
- Music / Genres & Styles / Punk
Summary
Since 1965, Pink Floyd been recording sonically experimental and philosophical music, selling more than 250 million records worldwide, including two of the best-selling albums of all time Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall. While much is known about this iconic group, few books provide a comprehensive history of their time in the studio. In Pink Floyd All the Songs, authors Margotin and Guesdon describe the origin of their nearly 200 released songs, details from the recording studio, what instruments were u
Organized chronologically by album, this massive, 544-page hardcover begins with their 1967 debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, the only one recorded under founding member Syd Barrett's leadership; through the loss of Barrett and the addition of David Gilmour; to Richard Wright leaving the band in 1979 but returning; to Roger Waters leaving in 1985 and the albums recorded since his departure, including their 2014 farewell album, The Endless River, which was downloaded 12 million times on Spotify the
About the Author:
Philippe Margotin has written numerous books on music, including biographies of U2 and Radiohead, as well as All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Beatles Release; Bob Dylan All the Songs; and The Rolling Stones All the Songs. He lives in Paris.
Product Details
- Hardcover: 592 pages
- Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal
- Music / Genres & Styles / Rock
Summary:
n this "vivid and inspiring" NYT bestseller (Newsweek), the Red Hot Chili Peppers' lead singer and songwriter shares a searingly honest account of life in the rock scene's fast lane -- from the darkness into the light.
In 1983, four self-described "knuckleheads" burst out of the mosh-pitted mosaic of the neo-punk rock scene in L.A. with their own unique brand of cosmic hardcore mayhem funk. Over twenty years later, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, against all odds, have become one of the most successful bands in the world. Though the band has gone through many incarnations, Anthony Kiedis, the group's lyricist and dynamic lead singer, has been there for the whole roller-coaster ride. In Scar Tissue, Kiedis delivers a compelling life story from a man "in love with everything" -- the darkness, the death, the disease. Even his descent into drug addiction was a part of that journey, another element transformed into art.
Whether he's honoring the influence of the beautiful, strong women who have been his muses or remembering the roaring crowds of Woodstock and the Dalai Lama's humble compound, Kiedis shares a compelling story about the price of success and excess. Scar Tissue is a story of dedication and debauchery, of intrigue and integrity, of recklessness and redemption -- a story that could only have come out of the world of rock.
About the Author:
Anthony Kiedis grew up in L.A. and formed The Red Hot Chili Peppers in high school. The group's breakthrough album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik, was recorded in 1991; their 1999 album Californication sold over 13 million copies worldwide. Their latest album, By the Way, is one of their best sellers yet. The band toured extensively in 2003. Kiedis lives in the Los Angeles area.
Product Details:
- Paperback: 480 Pages
- Publisher: Hachette Books;
- Music / Genres & Styles / Rock
Summary
A classic rock biography from the classic rock biographer-Stephen Davis, author of Hammer of the Gods-a serious, vibrant book about the defining face and voice of Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks.
Stevie Nicks is a legend of rock, but her energy and magnetism sparked new interest in this icon. At 68, she's one of the most glamorous creatures rock has known, and the rare woman who's a real rock `n' roller.
Gold Dust Woman gives "the gold standard of rock biographers" (The Boston Globe) his ideal topic: Nicks' work and life are equally sexy and interesting, and Davis delves deeply into each, unearthing fresh details from new, intimate interviews and interpreting them to present a rich new portrait of the star. Just as Nicks (and Lindsay Buckingham) gave Fleetwood Mac the "shot of adrenaline" they needed to become real rock stars-according to Christine McVie-Gold Dust Woman is vibrant with stories and with a life lived large and hard:
- How Nicks and Buckingham were asked to join Fleetwood Mac and how they turned the band into stars
- The affairs that informed Nicks' greatest songs
- Her relationships with the Eagles' Don Henley and Joe Walsh, and with Fleetwood himself
- Why Nicks married her best friend's widower
- Her dependency on cocaine, drinking and pot, but how it was a decade-long addiction to Klonopin that almost killed her
- Nicks' successful solo career that has her still performing in venues like Madison Square Garden
- The cult of Nicks and its extension to chart-toppers like Taylor Swift and the Dixie Chicks
About the Author
STEPHEN DAVIS is America's preeminent rock journalist and biographer, having written numerous bestsellers on rock bands, including the smash hit Hammer of the Gods. He also collaborated with legendary musicians Levon Helm and Mick Fleetwood on their autobiographies. He lives in Boston.
Product Details
- With color photographs
- Hardcover: 352 pages
- Publisher: St. Martin's Press
- Biography & Autobiography / Composers & Musicians
Summary:
A multilayered memoir from a multifaceted artist.
As a musician, an actor, a muse, an icon, the breadth of Debbie Harry's impact on our culture has been matched by her almost Sphinx-like reticence about her inner life. Through it all-while being acclaimed as one of the most beautiful women in the world, prized by a galaxy of leading photographers and fashion designers, beloved by legions of fans for her relentless, high-octane performances, selling 50 million albums or being painted by Andy Warhol-Debbie Harry has infused her perennial Blondie persona with a heady mix of raw sexuality and sophisticated punk cool.
In Face It, Debbie Harry invites us into the complexity of who she is and how her life and career have played out over the last seven decades. Upending the standard music memoir, with a cutting-edge style keeping with the distinctive qualities of her multi-disciplined artistry, Face It includes a thoughtful introduction by Chris Stein, rare personal photos, original illustrations, fan artwork installations, and more.
Peppered with colorful characters, Face It features everyone from bands Blondie came up with on the 1970s music scene-The Ramones, Television, Talking Heads, Iggy Pop and David Bowie-to artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Marina Abramovic and H.R. Giger of Alien fame. It explores her successful acting career (she has starred in over 30 film roles including David Cronenberg's Videodrome and John Waters' Hairspray), her weekends with William S. Burroughs and her attempted abduction by serial killer Ted Bundy. Ranging from the hardscrabble grit and grime of the early New York City years to times of glorious commercial success, interrupted by a plunge into heroin addiction, the near-death of partner Chris Stein, a heart-wrenching bankruptcy and Blondie's break up as a band, an amazing solo career and then a stunning return with Blondie, this is a cinematic story of an artist who has always set her own path.
Inspirational, entertaining, shocking, humorous and eye-opening, Face It is a memoir as dynamic as its subject.
About the Author:
Debbie Harry
Product Details:
- Hardcover: 368 pages
- Publisher: Dey Street Books
- Biography & Autobiography / Entertainment & Performing Arts
Summary
Rush: Album by Album pays genuine tribute to this iconic rock band's discography by moderating frank, entertaining conversations about all 20 of Rush's studio albums.
Rush: Album by Album, from rock journalist and Rush authority Martin Popoff, pays tribute to the band's discography by moderating frank, entertaining conversations about all 20 of Rush's studio albums.
Formed in Toronto in 1968, the rock trio Rush has gone on to multiplatinum success behind the distinctive high register and virtuosic bass-playing of frontman Geddy Lee, the legendary drumming and lyric-writing of Neil Peart, and the guitar heroics of Alex Lifeson. Despite having just four chart-topping singles since the release of their debut LP in 1974, Rush has nonetheless sold more than 25 million albums in the U.S. and more than 40 million worldwide.
The Canadian trio may be the definition of an "album band," and this new book from prolific rock journalist and acknowledged Rush authority Martin Popoff pays tribute to the band's discography by moderating in-depth, frank, and entertaining conversations about all 20 of Rush's studio albums. Inside, the author gathers 20 rock journalists and authors who offer insights, opinions, and anecdotes about every release.
Together, the conversations comprise a unique historical overview of the band, as well as a handsome discography. Popoff also includes loads of sidebars that provide complete track listings, details on album personnel, information on where and when the albums were recorded, and sidebar facts about the albums, their songs, and the band.
About the Author
Martin Popoff has been described as the world's most famous heavy-metal journalist, though he has covered plenty of Punk and New Wave albums in his career of 7,000-plus album reviews. He has penned many books on various bands, genres of rock, and record collecting, including Voyageur Press' Rush: The Illustrated History; Metallica: The Complete Illustrated History; The Art of Metal; and The Big Book of Hair Metal. He has also worked on film documentaries about Rush and ZZ Top. He lives in Toronto with his wife and son.
Product Details
- With color and black & white photographs throughout
- Hardcover: 192 pages
- Publisher: Voyageur Press
- Music / Genres & Styles / Rock
Summary
Part of the best-selling Little People, BIG DREAMS series, David Bowie tells the inspiring story of this famous singer-songwriter and musician.
New in the critically acclaimed Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of David Bowie, the starman who dazzled audiences with his music.
As a child, young David had a head full of songs and ideas. He was inspired by the pop and mod scenes in Britain to pick up the saxophone. After earning his stripes in some of the coolest bands in London, David splashed onto the solo scene. His songwriting talent and musical skill made him one of rock and roll's all-time greatest artists. This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the musician's life.
Little People, BIG DREAMS is a best-selling series of books and educational games that explore the lives of outstanding people, from designers and artists to scientists and activists. All of them achieved incredible things, yet each began life as a child with a dream.
This empowering series offers inspiring messages to children of all ages, in a range of formats. The board books are told in simple sentences, perfect for reading aloud to babies and toddlers. The hardcover versions present expanded stories for beginning readers. Boxed gift sets allow you to collect a selection of the books by theme. Paper dolls, learning cards, matching games, and other fun learning tools provide even more ways to make the lives of these role models accessible to children.
Inspire the next generation of outstanding people who will change the world with Little People, BIG DREAMS!
About the Author
Mª Isabel Sánchez Vergara, born in Barcelona, Spain, is a writer and creative director in constant search of new concepts for children's books. Working for more than fifteen years for clients in top advertising agencies, her books combine creativity with learning, aiming to establish a new and fresh relationship between children and pop culture.
Ana Albero was born in Alicante, Spain. She studied Visual Communication at the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, and illustration at the University of the Arts Berlin. She is now based in Berlin, where she works primarily in graphite and colored pencil creating vibrant textured images inspired by old pictures and movies. She is the illustrator of The People Awards and Little People Big Dreams: Coco Chanel.
Product Details
- Series: Little People, BIG DREAMS
- Format Hardcover: 32 pages
- Publisher: Lincoln Children's Books
- Juvenile Nonfiction / Boys & Men
Summary:
THE FIRST EVER OFFICIAL BOOK-
Published in celebration of BTS's 10th Anniversary, stories that go beyond what you already know about BTS, including unreleased photos, QR codes of videos, and all album information.
After taking their first step into the world on June 13, 2013, BTS will celebrate the 10th anniversary of their debut in June 2023. They have risen to the peak as an iconic global artist and during this meaningful time, they look back on their footsteps in the first official book. In doing so, BTS nurtures the power to build brighter days and they choose to take another step on a road that no one has gone before.
BTS shares personal, behind-the-scenes stories of their journey so far through interviews and more than three years of in-depth coverage by Myeongseok Kang, who has written about K-pop and other Korean pop culture in various media. Presented chronologically in seven chapters from before the debut of BTS to the present, their vivid voices and opinions harmonize to tell a sincere, lively, and deep story. In individual interviews that have been conducted without a camera or makeup, they illuminate their musical journey from multiple angles and discuss its significance.
In addition, portrait photos that show BTS as individuals and artists open the book, and throughout there are concept photos, tracklists of all previous albums, and over 330 QR codes. As digital artists, BTS has been communicating with the world through the internet and this book allows readers to immediately access trailers, music videos, and more online to have a rich understanding of all the key moments in BTS history. Complete with a timeline of all major milestones, BEYOND THE STORY is a remarkable archive-truly everything about BTS in one volume.
- Hardcover with dust jacket: 544 pages
- Includes 40 four-color photographs throughout
- Biography & Autobiography
