Rock

Turn it Up! is part-memoir of my time as a musician and journalist, and part-pop history, examining some of the unsung or more interesting bands which I have connected with in some way since I began listening to the radio as a kid.It begins with my first concert experience as a thirteen-year-old watching Ike and Tina Turner. I then revisit the records that impacted on me as a young teenager and the music that spurred me on to play myself when I was older. I weave in and out of my chequered progress in music, while pausing now and then to shine a light on the way rock music evolved in the eighties and nineties. The mood is studious and knowledgeable but also light and comedic as I revisit some of my more eventful interviews I conducted with acts such as Bjork, Nirvana and Pulp. Throughout the book I detail the way my own bands became successful, but not quite successful enough, and detail the various catastrophes which may have contributed to that. I introduce the reader to some of the more eccentric characters I have met through music, from Lenny the Launceston punk, who burned down his own shop accidentally, to Kevin Shields from the band My Bloody Valentine who took 55 minutes to answer one question I'd put to him. The book is not dissimilar to Giles Smith's Lost In Music, but that book is very much of the UK in the '80s, and doesn't examine the strange dynamic between the interviewer and the interviewee, which can veer between both parties wishing they were doing something else, to a more edgy encounter where the possibility of a 'scoop' gets the blood rushing. The book ends with some reflections on why music can be the most constant and loved companion in our lives. Turn It Up! is 55 000 words long.

This book studies Bob Dylan's album Time Out of Mind as a series of dreams. These dreams work on three distinct levels: as murder ballads about a killer awaiting execution, as religious allegory about a protagonist torn between salvation and damnation, and as meditation on race and music in America.

A trip through Minneapolis rock concert history framed through psychedelic poster art<BR><BR> In the years 1969–1970 the Minneapolis Labor Temple burned brightly as the center of the Twin Cities music scene. The Labor Temple was transformed into a rock club with a 1,200-person capacity and hosted famous acts such as the Grateful Dead, Spirit, Ten Years After, Muddy Waters, and the Byrds. This included several local bands like the Litter and Jokers Wild that would be opening acts. Cosmic Trip is the story of this famed club framed through the poster art of Juryj Ostroushko. The posters were inspired by the psychedelic art coming out of San Francisco at the time, each with hand-lettered typography used to simulate the effects of recreational drugs. This book moves chronologically through every concert hosted by the Labor Temple and each poster is accompanied by a descriptive review of the concert along with additional memorabilia. This duet of music history is a trip down memory lane.  

We proudly present a new and updated edition of the author''s critically acclaimed 2002 title ''Those Were The Days'' - the definitive chronicle of The Beatles'' Apple organisation. Having conducted countless interviews with key players within the organisation over a twenty five year period, the author here brings an unrivalled wealth of knowledge and insight to one of the most revolutionary organisations the entertainment industry has ever known.

Terry and Moira Armstrong consider themselves among the luckiest of all fans of Rock and Roll. They share their journey spanning 27,000 miles, 200+ performers, and 58 unique venues. It is not just concerts but the Rock and Roll Hall of fame, Graceland, encounters with their musical idols and meeting so many great people along the way. At the heart of their story is an exploration of the deeper power and meaning of the Rock genre and its ability to transform memory, as well as the kindness of many of its performers. Their experience may just inspire you to seek out new musical memories of your own. Northeast Ohio serves as the home base of this Rock and Roll journey!

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NEW UPDATED EDITIONBob Dylan is one of the most iconic figures in modern music, and for two decades, Howard Sounes' Down the Highway has been the definitive biography of an American icon. Based on years of research, documentary evidence, and interviews with 250 of Dylan's intimates-many exclusive-Down the Highway has gone beyond the scope of other accounts to become the most complete, authoritative biography of Bob Dylan now in print. It was praised by The Orlando Sentinel for the insights it offers to Dylan at work . . . from young upstart to grand old man of rock 'n' roll. . . . This book makes us realize now, while he's still with us, how valuable he has been to our culture these last forty years."Sounes's prodigious research has resulted in new insights on every aspect of Dylan's life. He has obtained exclusive information to provide the clearest picture yet of Dylan's 1966 motorcycle accident and subsequent "lost years" in Woodstock, New York, and he uncovered the star's unknown second marriage. He gives inside accounts of the tours, the creation of every album and the most celebrated songs, Dylan's labyrinthine love life, his life-threatening heart illness in 1997, and more-directly from interviews with girlfriends, family, friends, producers, concert promoters, and fellow musicians.As Dylan approaches his eightieth year, Howard Sounes once again brings Down the Highway up to date, following the last decade of Dylan's life and career. Candid, refreshing, and written with a sincere appreciation of Dylan's music and influence, Down the Highway is an essential book for the millions of people who have enjoyed Dylan's music over the years.

Featured in Rolling Stone!The behind-the-scenes battle for the Rock Hall.For 25 years, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has defined Cleveland's image as the "Rock and Roll Capital of the World." But while the Rock Hall has become an iconic landmark for the city of Cleveland and for fans of rock and roll around the world, it was just one missed phone call away from never being built in Cleveland. If the prominent singer and actress Leslie Gore hadn't contacted radio personality Norm N. Nite in August 1983, the Hall of Fame would not be in Cleveland—period.Earlier that summer, Gore had learned that the newly formed Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation was looking for a city to house their planned museum honoring the history of rock. Gore knew that a year earlier, Nite had pitched an idea for a similar museum, so she reached out to let him know that other figures in the music industry were working to turn his dream into a reality.Nite immediately joined the project's Rules and Nominating Committee and spearheaded the campaign to bring the museum to Cleveland. At the time, the search committee was considering several other cities, including Memphis, Detroit, and New York, but Nite argued that the city's deep historical connection to rock music through Alan Freed and the Moondog Coronation Ball made Cleveland the perfect location. He began lobbying local and state politicians, fundraising with music moguls and civic leaders, and promoting the museum to the broader Cleveland public. As fans got involved, especially with their overwhelming response to a USA Today phone poll, Nite's campaign to bring the Hall to Cleveland was ultimately successful.This book, told from Nite's insider perspective, draws on both first-person accounts and exclusive interviews with influential business leaders, government officials, and giants of the music industry. A detailed record of the Rock Hall's inception and creation, The House That Rock Built becomes a true tribute to the people who made it happen—through Herculean efforts—and to the music it celebrates.

Featured in the 2020 Association of University Presses Book, Jacket, and Journal Show <BR><BR> In 1993, Prince infamously changed his name to a unique, unpronounceable symbol. Yet this was only one of a long string of self-reinventions orchestrated by Prince as he refused to be typecast by the music industry's limiting definitions of masculinity and femininity, of straightness and queerness, of authenticity and artifice, or of black music and white music.<BR>  <BR> Revealing how he continually subverted cultural expectations, I Wonder U examines the entirety of Prince's diverse career as a singer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, record label mogul, movie star, and director. It shows how, by blending elements of R&B, rock, and new wave into an extremely videogenic package, Prince was able to overcome the color barrier that kept black artists off of MTV. Yet even at his greatest crossover success, he still worked hard to retain his credibility among black music fans. In this way, Adilifu Nama suggests, Prince was able to assert a distinctly black political sensibility while still being perceived as a unique musical genius whose appeal transcended racial boundaries.<BR>  

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An enchanting memoir of a Detroit groupie named Rosie. Follow her struggles while trying to raise two children alone, and attempting to grow up herself. See if you can count the stars in her life. There is drama, there is humor, and there is definitely romance. Challenge yourself to harken back to the 1970s and 80s in musical history to create a memorable song list. Above all, it is a fun and frolicking rock and roll history.

A Rough Trade Book of the Year <BR><BR>'From lists to experiences and stories, there are no rules. A good song is a good song whoever writes it and however the writing happens.'<BR><BR>Tim Burgess is a musical maverick and legend. Over the past three decades, he has cultivated a lyrical style that is equal parts searing, elusive and raw. Brimming with nods to an eclectic array of influences, from French chanson to East Coast rap, his words provide vivid snapshots of modern life, its highs and lows, and the things we do to get by.<BR><BR>For the first time Tim's collected lyrics are accompanied by his revealing commentary, featuring backstage anecdotes, advice on how to conjure up the music muse, poignant reflections - and insight into a very idiosyncratic songwriting process.<BR><BR>One Two Another chronicles the evolution of Tim's songwriting and reveals the method behind the madness.<BR><BR>'Tim Burgess is a crusader and vinyl's epic voyager. He knows why pop's art, a culture and a cure. Learn and listen. He knows good things' Johnny Marr<BR><BR>'You can't feel blue around Tim. He makes you feel happy, not just about music but about life. Even the most cynical of souls (mine) become infected by his gorgeous energy. Plus he gives good vinyl' Sharon Horgan

Victor Selo had blown up his life. A wannabe rock star turned tech savant, he'd wagered his Silicon Valley executive position on a corporate inside straight and lost. Having security escort him out of the building was the best thing that happened to him that day. The rest left him in the hospital, broken, broke, and with no prospects.<BR><BR>That's when a shadowy stranger with questionable motives came with an offer: a chance to get his life back - and better - if he simply cooperates. It would require becoming invisible for a while, but he would be hiding in the spotlight, playing guitar in a Vegas cover band. Reluctantly, Victor accepts and begins an odyssey he never could have imagined. One that involves a charismatic lead singer who owns the stage but aspires to own an Elvis wedding chapel, a mesmerizing woman who can play anything on her keyboards and can really play with Victor's head, and two specters from his old life offering competing devil's bargains. Suddenly, multiple futures are opening up in front of Victor. All of them offer opportunity - and each comes with potentially catastrophic risk.<BR><BR>Populated with a wide array of colorful characters, brimming with reflections on everything from love to God to the price of commitment, and backed by a great soundtrack, From Nothing is an endlessly engaging work of fiction that will resonate like your favorite song.