Showing titles in History & Criticism

Sympathy for the Drummer: Why Charlie Watts Matters is both a gonzo rush - capturing the bristling energy of the Rolling Stones and the times in which they lived - and a wide-eyed reflection on why the Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Band in the World needed the world's greatest rock 'n' roll drummer. Across five decades, Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts has had the best seat in the house.

This book is not just a project for me; it’s a labor of love. It all began during my time at Berklee College of Music, when I was tasked with choosing a research topic. I found myself drawn to the question, “Why there are no more Black R&B groups in existence?” This wasn’t just an academic curiosity; it was a topic that resonated deeply with me, as my research revealed that 99% of all R&B groups are majority African American.

In this biography, written long before the significance of Mozart's work was fully realized, Holmes reveals the musician's character and genius, his struggles, his influence on art, and the brilliant reputations that surrounded him.

Smith tells the joyful story of the musicians, the radio DJs, the record labels, and the live venues where jazz not only survived but thrived in the 1960s. In an era marked by turmoil and struggle, popular jazz offered a powerful outlet for joy, resilience, pride, and triumph.

Explore the ultimate collection of Lemmy Kilmister quotes, Motörhead history, and heavy metal wisdom. Born to Lose, Live to Win captures the unfiltered voice of rock’s most legendary frontman. The definitive guide to the "Ace of Spades" himself. There was rock and roll before Lemmy, and there is rock and roll after him—but it will never be the same. As the leader of Motörhead, Lemmy Kilmister didn't just play music; he lived a manifesto of speed, volume, and unshakeable integrity. Born to Lose, Live to Win: The High-Velocity Wisdom of Lemmy is the first book to center entirely on the ...

A comprehensive social history of Jewish contributions to American popular music in the 20th century. Musician, journalist, producer, and author, Sidran, uses his first person experience to frame the story behind the story of Jews in American popular music.

A delightful biography of a celebrated Stradivarius cello and an inviting overview of cello music and musicians by world-famous concert cellist Carlos Prieto.

A behind the scenes look at the music that is currently the soundtrack of the globe, reported on and written by Leila Cobo, Billboard's VP of Latin Music and the world's ultimate authority on popular Latin music. Decoding "Despacito" tracks the stories behind the biggest Latin hits of the past...

Throughout the 1990s, Prince feuded with his record label, Warner Bros., over his rights as an independent recording artist - and made some of the most brilliant music of his career. During that time, Jim Walsh covered Prince for the St. Paul Pioneer Press and wrote about him passionately, thoughtfully, exhaustively. Here, in real-time, is that coverage: a look back at Prince in the '90s. Walsh's newly unearthed interviews, essays, columns, and reviews make Gold Experience an essential slice of history.

"John McLaughlin is one of the most important musicians of the last fifty years. He changed the face of jazz, jazz-fusion and REAL world music and is still pushing the boundaries of guitar and composition to mind-blowing levels. John is an inspiration to all of us and "Follow Your Heart" is proof." --Steve Lukather, guitarist. *** Legendary guitarist and composer John McLaughlin recorded historic music with Miles Davis and the revolutionary Tony Williams Lifetime. He founded the fusion super group, The Mahavishnu Orchestra. McLaughlin helped pave the way for World Music in Shakti. The ...

When Miranda Sawyer interviewed Liam Gallagher in 1994, his gag wishing Damon Albarn would die of AIDS became front-page news all over the world. This fascinating pop history, exploring the moment British music suddenly meant everything, explains why. Picking out twenty key songs, delving into the surprising stories behind them and their unlikely creators, UNCOMMON PEOPLE takes us back to when Jarvis Cocker became a national hero, films like Trainspotting were international hits, rave became what everybody did - and it felt like the revolution was happening.

Rooted in rhythm-and-blues pioneered by black musicians, 1950s rock and roll was racially inclusive and attracted listeners and performers across the color line. In the 1960s, however, rock and roll gave way to rock: a new musical ideal regarded as more serious, more artistic-and the province of white musicians. Decoding the racial discourses that have distorted standard histories of rock music, Jack Hamilton underscores how ideas of "authenticity" have blinded us to rock's inextricably interracial artistic enterprise.

One of rock music's most fascinating personalities, Neil Young has persistently charted his own career, ignoring pop fashions, creating innovative music ranging from folk classics like "Heart of Gold" to rock-and-roll anthems like "Down By the River". Don't Be Denied charts Neil Young's formative years, from his high school days in Winnipeg, Manitoba, through his adventures in Toronto's Yorkville district to his ultimate successes with Buffalo Springfield, Crazy Horse, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, and as a solo performer.

The must-read memoir from the visionary figure behind Manchester's legendary music scene, from The Haçienda to The Warehouse Project. Tales From the Dance Floor is an electrifying journey into the heart of Manchester’s music culture with its most influential promoter. Over the past three...

Tour Tales Two continues right where Tour Tales One left off. It’s now nineteen eighty-eight, and for better or for worse, the Grateful Dead are back in style. Gone are the days of not being able to find your car after a show. In volume two, the stakes are raised as our main character, George, and his friends begin to grow up and become more and more dedicated. Can they still find fun in all this repetition? Will they be able to survive in a post “Touch of Grey” world? Where’s the Dog Star? Find out the answers to these and many more questions in Tour Tales Two, the uproariously ...

La música es parte importante de nuestras vidas y aun los que no se dedican profesionalmente a ella y aseguran no saber nada del tema tienen fuertes opiniones, ideas y fundamentos acerca de las que les gustan y prefieren, pero también de las que detestan. Sin embargo, incluso muchos músicos y...

Bach, Vivaldi, and Handel are the three great composers of the Baroque era, though there are many other well-known figures, including Albinoni, Pachelbel, and Scarlatti. This engaging introduction, interspersed liberally with music, shows how the works of these composers graced the courts and churches of Europe from 1600 to 1750. It is a fascinating story.

Black metal is a paradox. A noisy underground metal genre brimming with violence and virulence, it has captured the world's imagination for its harsh yet flamboyant style and infamous history involving arson, blasphemy, and murder.

This book charts the emergence of Kate Bush in the early-to-mid-1980s as a courageous experimentalist, a singularly expressive recording artist and a visionary music producer. Track-by-track commentaries focus on the experience of the album from the listener’s point of view, drawing attention to the art and craft of Bush’s songwriting, production and sound design.

Thirty years ago, Chuck Berry starred in the seminal music documentary Chuck Berry: Hail! Hail! Rock 'N' Roll, which profiled the legend during a star-studded concert celebrating his 60th birthday. Now comes the complete story behind one of America's most enduring and embattled icons. Compiled as an oral history by the film's producer, Stephanie Bennett, Johnny B. Bad combines interviews from the film's participants, including its music director - Keith Richards. These unique interviews and accounts paint a vivid and multifaceted picture of the artist.