Music Books


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Music Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

Music
Full Moon: The Amazing Rock and Roll Life of the Late Keith Moon
Published in Paperback by William Morrow & Co (1981-09)
Author: Dougal Butler
List price: $7.95
Used price: $12.94

Average review score:

amazing
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-14
the best book ive ever read. it has some amazing unknown facts about moonies life. like his involvement with marylon worshipers.(trust me he wasnt one)

Funny Side of the Moon
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2000-04-10
My copy is called "Moon the Loon." It's one of the funniest books I've ever read. Totally unique. It is just a collection of stories about Keith Moon that do justice to his genius. I have lent my copy to at least 12 people (most of whom have never heard of Keith Moon) and they all thoroughly enjoyed it. When I went to London I tried to contact Peter Butler to compliment him on his fine work - but there are too many Peter Butlers living in London!

Life and Times of Moon the Loon
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2005-03-14
I found this book in the late 1980's, when I was really discovering the Who and figuring out what they all meant to rock n' roll and its history.

My real awakening was the film "The Kids Are Alright," and after that finding this book, written by Peter "Dougal" Butler, Moon's longtime "man," or personal assistant.

Butler's rollicking tale of ten-plus years with the madman of rock is a sometimes nasty one, following his string of practical jokes, endless escapades and occasionally spotlighting his musical prowess.

But it really mostly is the relationship Butler established with Moon, and some of the insights that later came out about Moon's personality, and what may have been wrong with him.

Butler notes that Moon sometimes would get into a state where he just could not discern the real world from the false. Case in point his work on the film "That'll Be The Day," where he plays a drummer. The star of the film is David Essex ("Rock On"), and Moon is unable to handle it. His dive into a mental pool of despair and thinking the whole affair is real is pathetic...and as Butler notes sometimes you just don't have a straight jacket available when you really need one.

Butler notes the problems in Moon's relationships with his wife Kim as well as Annette Walter-Lax, whom Moon had said he intended to marry toward the end of his life. Moon's friends, if ever he had close ones include Ringo Starr and Harry Nilsson, as well as Vivian Stanshall of the Bonzos.

One problem I have is finding that Butler seems to have placed himself at events that he was not present for. He also I think in retrospect put too much emphasis on the zaniness without really getting deeper into the causes, etc.

But perhaps he just didn't know; Butler was no psychiatrist.

He also skips over certain pivotal moments in Moon's life; the accidental death of his close friend and driver Neil Boland (though in fairness, Butler was not present for that) and his longtime fling with groupie extraordinaire Pamela Des Barres (who has her own insights on Keith).

Either way, some interesting and funny photos, some intriguing stories and a sad, but truthful ending that pretty much says the only thing that really happened was that Moon up and died.

The funniest book I've ever read
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 1999-04-01
Nobody lived his life like Keith Moon. Those who knew him were astounded at his all consuming passion to get everything possible out of life. Dougal Butler has written, in a unique and incredibly humorous way, the best book I've yet read about the life and incredible times of Keith Moon. Don't miss this one. I wish I could give it more than 5 stars.

Time For a Reprint!
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 1999-08-19
It's too bad this book is out of print, because these are the adventures (many very funny but in the end very sad) of one the greatest (if not THE greatest) drummers of all time. And besides that, it's written by a guy who knew Moonie and witnessed his antics 1st hand. I wish the guy who's trying to make a screenplay the best of luck. The next step after consulting Butler is to get permission from the Who to use their songs. To close this review, I'd like to paraphrase the last sentence in the book, "Keith Moon ups and [very] well dies."

Music
Fumbling: A Pilgrimage Tale of Love, Grief, and Spiritual Renewal on the Camino de Santiago
Published in Hardcover by Doubleday (2004-09-28)
Author: Kerry Egan
List price: $22.95
Used price: $3.99
Collectible price: $22.95

Average review score:

sure steps through grief
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-09
For my recent compilation of pilgrimage quotations ("Ultreia! Onward! Progress of the Pilgrim") I read all 40 or so contemporary English journal accounts available about the various routes. Egan's is clearly within the first grouping of 8 or so best such books (i.e. largely those written by established authors and/or academics). Coming from Harvard's Div School just a few hundred meters from where I work, Egan's book is really one of the handful of best ones that attempts to break free (somewhat successfully here) of the linear (and often dead boring) narratives that characterize many such pilgrimage accounts, as she engages in the sort of inner pilgrimage that makes such journeys worthwhile. And she can certainly pen prose; i.e. I used 11 very nice quotations of hers in the review volume Ultreia! Onward!.

taking those steps to self-discovery
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-19
Rebeccasreads highly recommends FUMBLING as an outstanding account of the pilgrimage of a 25 year old divinity student carrying a heavy load of guilt, grief & self-loathing.

Salted in the stories of her trials on the trail, Kerry Egan offers the history of the pilgrimage from the French Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, giving us visions of a fable land, as well as how the journey cracked her open so that she could heal from her raw & unrecognized emotions.

Kerry Egan, back in 1999, was one angry woman. How Alex, her boyfriend, stays with her, is her compass when she's lost, bearing the brunt of her impressive rage & hopeless longing, is just as exciting as how she stumbles across the land upon which others have trod for thousands of years.

If pilgrimages fascinate you, then FUMBLING offers both the reason & the value of taking that first step on the journey to healing.

A good Sunday afternoon read.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2005-04-26
Fumbling is the best book I have read this year. It provides a personal perspective into Ms. Egan's pilgrimage while offering insight into the history and psychology of engaging on a pilgrimage.

The book is written is short chapters that make it easy to read in moments stolen from a hectic schedule. There were times when my eyes filled with tears and others when I laughed out loud while reading this book.

I think I'll read it again.


Writing at its best. Kerry Egan's Fumbling is a keeper.
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2004-12-01
No table of contents, no index, I just had to dive in, but by the end of the first page the imagery of the words had captured me. An excerpt from the second paragraph:

"I knelt in the back of the church, my forehead on the top lip of the smooth, varnished pew in front of me. The wood was hard against my forehead, . . . .I'd been crying for a long time . . . ."

This is a story of pilgrimage, grieving and transformation, but not a daily journal. There are thirty one numbered episodes, sometimes causing a page break, sometimes just a break in the middle of the page. At a higher level the book is organized into parts, starting with Part 1 Fumbling, Part 2 Walking . . . and so on.

The episodes are a series of vignettes of the Camino experience. They are roughly sequential, but any one of them could stand alone as an essay, for example in a newspaper column. They all will bring back memories and tug the heart of anyone who has walked the Camino de Santiago.

This is a book you can read for pleasure, but certainly one you will want to read after making the journey.

Don't go through life, or Spain, without reading this!
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2004-11-22
Whether you're reading this on a train or on your back porch during a snow storm, be prepared for an extraodinary journey through northern Spain in the summer. For those of you planning to travel the Camino, Egan describes with vivid detail the scenary(especially the wheat), the people, and everything you'd want to know that they don't tell you in a guide book. It is of course much more than a physical journey, and as you travel with Egan it is as though you are taking a trip through yourself, only this time with a witty, insightful, and adventurous tour guide who doesn't stick to the path.

Music
Go in and Out the Window
Published in Paperback by Metropolitan Museum of Art New York (1987-12)
Author: Dan Fox
List price: $16.95
New price: $39.71
Used price: $35.00

Average review score:

A real classic.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 1999-08-01
Family members have been treasuring this book for almost 20 years, and I have given many copies as gifts. A great collection of beautiful melodies, good musical arrangements, and gorgeous visually. Old favorites, easy to sing, the ones everyone knows and enjoys - the whole family will sing along.

Go in and out the window
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-19
This item is out of print, and I was thrilled to find one in good shape. Many thanks.

Good selection, unusual illustrations
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2002-07-10
This book features 61 traditional songs, primarily English and American folk and nursery songs. The illustrations, however, are much more diverse--from Japanese scrolls to a picture of a jeweled box shaped like a frog.

Each song has a brief introduction describing its origins or other important facts, and each image also has a description, often including historical tidbits.

The bountiful images (at least one per page, often more) make it a good book for young children to look at while singing or playing at the piano.

Go in and Out the Window
Helpful Votes: 7 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2002-07-03
This looks like a book for children, and it is. But even more important, it is a book for babies! My two year old baby boy already knew some of the songs going into the book. Let me tell you that at two and two months he now requests "Bringing in the Sheaves." and "Down by the Riverside."
Every night we take that book to bed and we sing and sing until we fall asleep. This is of course after reading several other board books first. I reccommend this book as a keepsake for life!

Go In And Out The Window is a breeze!
Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2000-05-22
This is a lovely book of full-color spreads & clear, easytoread music to accompany anyone singing these lively, familiarsongs. 61 classic childhood songs are decorated with some of the magnificent treasures from The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Songs for work, play, nursery, nonsense rhymes, ballads & lullabies matched to paintings, photographs, bedspreads, sculptures & collages spanning 3000 years from around the world...

Music
Go, Cat, Go!: The Life and Times of Carl Perkins, the King of Rockabilly
Published in Hardcover by Hyperion Books (1996-05)
Authors: Carl Perkins and David McGee
List price: $27.95
New price: $29.99
Used price: $6.93
Collectible price: $125.00

Average review score:

An essential read & keeper
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-23
A very important book about one of the founding fathers. That may be a cliched phrase for a man who was repelled by the stale cliches abounding in pop music at the time of his career kick-off in 1954.
But once again we have a biography written by two people - why would a poet like Carl need anybody more than an "editor"? Same goeswith Sun label buddy Scotty Moore - his book too had that unecessary naarrator - an excellent piece of prose, like with Carl, but the thought of it gets me depressed. Do you think Dylan or Costello would need a helper?
'50s friend Chuck Berry did his all by himself. The defiant Rocker wrought the defiant Writer. (And baby, that is Rock and Roll....).
Love reading about that Sun to Columbia to British career "rescue" period.
As a CP fan/collector I was natuarlly disappointed in the lack of deatils as to the lesser-known should-been-million-sellers and the conspicuous absence of a much-needed sessionography. A Perkins *Discography* is always helpful. But when in the world am I gonna learn when and where he
cut "We Did In '54?"

Great Look Into The Life of a Great Talent
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-18
I really enjoyed this book. Unlike others that I have read (Little Richard, Chuck Berry, etc), this book is not an attempt to stake a claim to the title of "King of Rock and Roll". This book offers what appears to be an honest and humble look into the life of the King of Rockabilly. Perkins gives due credit to his influences and songwriting assistants, and honestly discusses his alcoholism.

I personally believe that Carl was one of the truest talents in early rock and roll, and his importance as an innovator/songwriter/performer is vastly undervalued. Get this book, and the "Complete Sun Recordings", and you can't go wrong.

Now THIS should be a movie!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-15
An excellent and, what I feel honest (by both the narrator and writer) review and impression of one man's journey through life. Though Carl Perkins story is almost parallel to that of Johnny Cash's (if not "harder") this book goes beyond telling stories and conveys the emotions and impact of Mr. Perkins decisions and experiences.
"They" really should make this life story a movie!

What a man; what a life!
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2003-06-18
I'll admit it -- I'm biased toward Carl Perkins. I lived several years in his hometown of Jackson, TN and met him many times. Having those experiences, I was curious how this book would portray Mr. Perkins. After reading this book, I have more respect for Mr. Perkins. True, he wasn't perfect (who is?), but he had reason to be bitter about his career and his life, instead he never gave up. He pulled himself up after each setback and kept on striving. When you think about it, what would be the alternative? He was not only a great musician, but an active humanitarian. His work with children and their causes is nearly as impressive as his musical career, yet most people don't know of this. I went to Carl Perkins' funeral, and in the little city of Jackson, TN you would have thought time stood still. This book will give you the feeling of getting to know a true American success story . . .

Inspiring!!
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2002-10-03
What a story!! This should be a must read for all of us who get to feeling sorry for ourslves. Carl Perkins came from abject poverty,a racially discriminating South,was known as "white trash",wrote one of rock n rolls seminal tunes,was on the brink of superstardom,lost it all,became a sideman to another Sun records stablemate,delved into the pit of addiction,rose again,had alot of his early work recorded by a group known as the Beatles,played with the likes of Eric Clapton,loved performing with his own family,lived his life humbly,nursed somewhat of a grudge against Sam Phillips,Jerry Lee Lewis,and Elvis,made peace with himself,and left behind the legacy of a man who had seen the beast within and had conquered it.
This is a must read for anyone who has any interest in music,or for that matter,the sociology of the South during the late 1940's and 1950's. It is also ,quite simply,one of the most inspiring books that I've ever read,Thank You, Carl Perkins!

Music
Golden Slumbers Low Price
Published in Audio Cassette by HarperChildrensAudio (2003-08-01)
Author:
List price: $7.99
New price: $10.00

Average review score:

My Favorite Baby Gift
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-25
I received this collection on LP as a baby gift in the 1980's, and I have made a gift of it to every newborn I have known since then. The problem is, new parents no longer have record or cassette players.
This is the best collection of children's music ever made. Everyone should know these historic artists and these timeless songs. I don't know why it isn't out on CD, but I will keep looking for it.

Takes me back to my childhood
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-07-14
I have had this collection all my life and have now passed the experience down to my girls. It is an invaluable, enchanting collection of beautiful songs and lullabies. "Golden Slumbers, A Selection of Lullabies from Near and Far" is the spiral bound book with record, published in 1956. I have often wondered if I would be able to find it in a more current edition. Now I have! I would also love to see this published in CD format, but for now will enjoy this cassette tremendously!

I also would love a reissue in CD format...
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2005-03-20
When my children were small, I think we wore out at least three of these tapes. They listened to it every night. The entire family still has all the words to this soothing music memorized. I would love to see it offered in a more durable format.

More Precious Than Gold...
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2004-06-11
In the 1960s my parents played this record by my cradle. Now in the new millenium I play the tape every night by my son's crib. This is THE classic collection of timeless, matchless lullabyes.

Warm, gentle, soothing, memorable, and NOT tied in to any marketing campaign or multinational corporation. There are no toys connected with the songs that will be marketed to your children. No TV show. No videotapes or DVD to buy. Just an album of beautiful, authentic music that will provide priceless memories.

The sound quality is what you'd expect from an album recorded in the 1950s, or perhaps a little worse, but that in no way detracts from the charm of the record - it might even enhance it. My two-year-old now *asks* for the "lullabye tape" every night.

It's worth noting that the original record came with a spiral-bound book that included stories and lyrics. Unfortunately the tape lacks that book. I only wish this album was available on CD!

The album is nicely multicultural, but the majority of the songs are in English (in some cases somewhat archaic English). I suspect that there were one or two changes between the record and the new tape version, but I haven't had a chance to compare them properly. In any case, this is an album that every toddler should hear.

mother of two
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2002-04-23
I have used this tape to put by preschool students to sleep, and now use it EVERY night to put my two children to bed. I never tire of the beautiful songs. I wish that the lyrics were included and that it were issued on CD. I would highly recommend this tape for anyone looking for a lovely nightime ritual.

Music
Got to Make It! (American Drama)
Published in Kindle Edition by Eloquence Press (2008-05-12)
Author: Jack Eadon
List price: $9.95
New price: $7.96

Average review score:

Got to Make It
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2003-05-20
Thank you Jack Eadon for letting me share in your very personal journey of the sixties. Your honesty is captivating. You gave back to me memories of that era, the old neighborhood and people, which had long been forgotten. You made me smile. It took me days before I could pick up another book as I wanted more of "Got to Make It". Jack Eadon, you have truly made it.

Damn You Jack!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2003-02-02
Damn you Jack Eadon!! 'Got To Make It' kept me up until 2am for days until I finished it. I kept reading it in bed while trying not to wake up my wife with my booklight glowing through the darkness. Being in my early 30's I've only experienced the 60's as it probably wasn't: the TV-friendly Time-Life "Summer Of Love" packaged CD version, full of cliche'd images, shallow descriptions and dismissive attitudes towards the struggles of the era which are now illustrated through the words of someone who lived the political, social and music scene of the "60's" in 'Got To Make It'. This is a book that lays it all out there. The whole John Lennon sequence was literally a headtrip and a thrilling learning experience for me. You can just picture the scene all in white, just like in Lennon's music video for 'Imagine'! Now I always hear the "Hi" when I pop in "Sgt. Pepper's Reprise" in my CD player. I never did before. Wow, maybe he's saying Hi to all of us. This is a great story, full of tragedy, obstacles, small victories, innocent coming-of-age experiences that many of us never talk about, large defeats in life and love...and finally a huge victory that spans the globe and just makes you feel good. Sometimes with a little help from your friends....and sometimes not...you've got to make it.

I'll never forget Stanleys' mantra "It's all in the trying". There couldn't be an idea more important for every aspect of your life. And I'll never forget the philosophy that you and John Lennon shared: "to get 'it' out there...live your dream by doing it, getting thru the small failures, live thru the pain of being a true artist and don't be a fake...."

With 'Got To Make It' Jack Eadon reaches a new level as a writer. You've got to read it. Thanks, Jack!

"Got To Make It" Brings It All Back
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2002-01-31
Reading Jack's evocative book about striving to achieve his dream of making it as rock performer triggered a flood of memories for me about similar dreams, some pursued, some not. Jack's story is a must-read for anyone who shared his dream or had their own at that youthful stage when anything was possible. It's a wonderful narrative that brings back so many elements of growing up in the late 60s when everything seemed possible.

Emotional, entertaining and exceptionally evocative. Enjoy!

Now I Get It
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2001-11-09
It still bugs me that I missed Woodstock.

I was only nine years old that summer, so I didn't fully realize what it was all about. Not until years later, after growing up with the music that had been introduced to me by my older brother, did I realize what an influential (and mind-bending)event that must have been. Looking back, I have always felt that I missed out on one of the defining moments of the '60s.

Fortunately, this book was written. After reading Got To Make It, there are now many more things I can understand, relate to, and appreciate more fully. With its personal, insightful perspective, the book speaks on behalf of those who lived through the turmoil of that decade -- and how it changed them and shaped them. The personal impact of events like the draft, the anti-war protests, and the hunger marches, and pivotal crises like the Kennedy and King assassinations and Kent State, are all brought home with a clear voice that sparks a direct connection, at a heart-to-heart level, between all those old rockers and their wide-eyed younger brothers (like me).

I now feel that I can better understand what my brother went through as we were growing up together in that tree-shaded, middle-class Vanilla World known as suburban Chicago. And why he always seemed a little bit smarter than me.

Got to Make It! by Jack Eadon
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2001-10-29
Jack Eadon pours out his heart and soul making himself vulnerable to the world and himself. He shows great insight on a universal level. True artists get lost in their medium; Jack's being the poetry. I see "Got to Make It!" as timeless. I was able to relate to the feeling of the 60's, paralleling the emotional environment today in our world. I found this book very thought provoking. I can't wait to hear the music!

Music
Grace
Published in Paperback by Pan books, London. (1995)
Author: Robert Lacey
List price:
Used price: $0.72

Average review score:

Amazing Grace
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2003-08-05
I picked up "Grace" about a year ago when I found it in my mom's old book closet. Although I am relatively young, something about the stars of yesteryear attracts me more than the glitz surrounding contemporary celebrities. Grace Kelly is no exception. I knew nothing about this icon, except that she was an American princess and a Hitchcockian heroine. Mr. Lacey certainly did his share in informing me about this classic movie star. I enjoyed how he provides us with immense background on the Kelly's, a prominent family in their own right. Mr. Lacey also does a fine job in giving us the "low-down" on Monaco and its interesting history.
Also of note would be the fact that Lacey attempts (and succeeds) at presenting the seemingly ethereal Grace as a person, not the sex symbol or ice queen she is usually remembered as. He does give a lot of insight into her love life and various affairs, but you never lose sight that Grace had this innocence about her. It seemed as if she could do no wrong.
Aside from being a talented actress, Grace was a true beauty and a dedicated mother and wife. She will always be remembered as our very own princess.

They Don't Make them like Her Anymore
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2005-08-05
Everyone remembers his first screen love.

Grace Kelly was mine, and I can still remember her clear Teutonic skin, lugubrious soft hair, her casual sophistication, all completely new fascinations to my mundane childhood. Years later, the only thing that's changed is I've grown older and she's still impossibly perfect.

What Robert Lacey has done in Grace is bring us all a little bit closer to that Snow Princess whom we all would have made our Princess were we a Prince. Behind the camera, behind bedroom doors, behind the veneer of an idyllic fairy tale that proves that fairy tales are exactly that, each anecdote is like a stitch in a grand painting that is sometimes bleak (Grace ages and somewhat pathetically begins to fool around with younger men), sometimes inspiring (her persistence at overcoming her natural dramatic flaws), and always sensual (her intimate fashion shows for her boyfriend Don Richardson).

Unlike many biographies of screen legends, Lacey largely eschews extended back lot stories that might involve but not support the basic image of Grace that he believes must be told. So while we learn High Noon's screenwriter Carl Foreman meant his film as an allegory about Communist witch hunts, we are spared a complete A-Z on the Hollywood Blacklist and its artistic implications. A great biography of a great person must not necessarily take on the great issues of his day. Of which Lacey understands.

Grace is a woman of terrific sexual energies and ambitions but just as importantly, sports a marvelous capacity to mask those penchants. So instead of becoming Jenna Jameson, she turns into Princess Grace, a woman who sleeps her way to the top but seems so inevitably suited for the position that no one can possibly begrudge her it.

As Lacey says "She managed to be naughty while appearing very nice."

It's become axiomatic that the greatest personalities are deeply contradictory. Nearly every biographer, when faced with the compelling weight of his research, is forced to concede that mankind is a very complex being (thank you, Mr. Stevenson). And Grace was no different. Lacey talks of Grace's growing conservatism, her disputes with her daughters over their flagrant ways, all while engaging in her own illicit love affairs as Princess Grace. And what of her devoted Catholicism? How to resolve her piety with her philandering?

Questions which can only be answered by Hitchcock's own. This is a snow covered volcano we're dealing with here.

And sometimes, you can't guess; you can only watch.

A real woman, but not "promiscous"
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2005-06-05
The media reviewers quoted here harp on Grace Kelly's supposed "promiscous" behavior, the main point of the book, as far as they are concerned. Anyone who actually reads the book will find someone who had a few discreet affairs before she was married, who took her marriage vows and commitment to her family and role as princess seriously, who worked very hard throughout her life to meet her commitments, and who had a comforting relationship with a kind younger man when her marriage turned lonely as she got older. If she wasn't quite the cold, virginal image presented by Hollywood, good for her.

It's a very good book about a real woman of extraordinary beauty who could have settled for a society matron's life in Philadelphia but who made an extraordinary life for herself through her own efforts. Read it for that and not the sensationalism.

great book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2002-01-04
This book has a great deal of detail. I feel as if there was too much emphasis on her sex life versus her screen image, and frankly that was her business, not important in the book. Otherwise a good book.

It Told Me Just What I Wanted to Know About Her
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2001-11-11
I wanted to know all about the men in Grace Kelley's life, both before and after her marriage. This book told me everything, but in a classy, well-researched way. I learned a lot about Monaco, and just the things I would have wanted to know about her family members, too. After reading this excellent book, I plan to read more of Robert Lacey's works.

Music
Grateful: A Song of Giving Thanks (The Julie Andrews Collection)
Published in Hardcover by HarperCollins (2003-09-01)
Author: John Bucchino
List price: $17.99
New price: $7.99
Used price: $7.51
Collectible price: $16.99

Average review score:

Great book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-21
Great service. What a wonderful book to share with a family who has just adopted a new baby.

Nice story - difficult song
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-10
The story is a nice sentiment. The song is slow and difficult to sing. I used the book with children 4-8 but couldn't teach them the song.

Grateful for "Grateful"
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-01
I was so touched by this book and the CD that I ordered copies for close friends and relatives to give at Christmas. This book expresses my gratefulness so well and I wanted to give this to others. I have received many grateful comments back. A sweet book and an inspiration to look at what one has and not what one has not.

Says SOOOOO much in relatively so few words.....
Helpful Votes: 10 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 2004-01-27
This book really says in a very few words all we need to know about living a full, rich, peaceful, serene life.

The illustrations actually filled my heart with those same feelings, eliciting quite a response physically and heartfully.

Add the included CD and it is no longer a question, adding this book to your library is a necessity.

In fact, it would make a good coffee table book.....

The simple text acknowledges that the world is not perfect... it is blemished, and it is up to us to choose whether to "moan or sing" and whether to "count sheep or our blessings".

This will be one I will collect several copies to give away and keep around my house.

5 stars for concept, 3 for lyrics, 5 for illustrations.
Helpful Votes: 14 out of 16 total.
Review Date: 2004-11-20
Although labeled for the three and up age range, my experience suggests this book will appeal more to parents and caregivers than to toddlers.

LYRICS: The lyrics repeatedly use words such as "duly" (as in "duly grateful") -- a contrived phrase which appears repeatedly, apparently because it rhymes with "truly grateful."

CONCEPTS: The ideas--gratitude and choices--are important, and do come across, but not to the age group targeted. Too often, the author tells us, rather than shows us.

Some of the book's concepts are simply inappropriate in terms of developmental level for little ones. For example, "There may be times when I lose the light, and let my spirits sink. But I can't stay depressed When I remember how I'm blessed." Three and four year olds talk and think in terms that are both literal as well as much simpler--glad, sad, mad, etc.

For these reasons, and especially for younger children, you may find it helpful to paraphrase the concepts on each page, using language and examples your little person will understand and relate to.

ILLUSTRATIONS. These are excellent. More than the lyrics, they convey the concepts on each page. Very gentle in their impact on the reader.

SONG. As an Art Garfunkel fan, I didn't find his rendition as inspiring as I'd hoped. It's on a short CD, a single track, less than 5 minutes in length. Finally, the tune isn't particularly catchy and it isn't easy to learn.

LYRICS & MUSIC. On the plus side, both the lyrics and music are included at the end of the book, along with the CD in its endcover envelope.

OVERALL: This is a book most suitable for a thoughtful six year old and a caring parent or grandparent to share and discuss.

Music
Guns N' Roses Complete, Vol. 2
Published in Paperback by Cherry Lane Music (1997-03-01)
Author: Guns N' Roses
List price: $24.95
New price: $12.00
Used price: $11.95
Collectible price: $24.95

Average review score:

the ideal songbook for the gns fans
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-30
excelent transcriptions, and wait for purchase first part

Simply Excellent!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-02
Guns N' Roses Complete, Vol. 2 is a must buy for GNR fans and guitarists. This book contains 28 songs from M(Mama Kin)-Y(Your Crazy) including: "Mr. Brownstone" "My Michelle", "Night Train", "November Rain", "Paradise City" , "Patience", "Sweet Child O' Mine" and of course "Welcome to the Jungle".

As the title suggests, every guitar riff, arrangement, rhythm, lick, solo, and fill is fully transcribed, note-for-note, in music and TAB! From the timeless intro and solos of "Sweet Child O' Mine" to the wooing acoustics of "Patience", it's all here, fully transcribed to learn. The transcriptions themselves are of the best quality money can buy and include all of the guitars in each song, not just rhythm or lead. As a bonus, the lead vocals are also included and make following the music much easier. Basically, all your GNR needs are found here and in Volume 1. (By the way ,if you are debating, buy Volume 2 first because, by chance, most of GNR's hit-songs begin with M-Z--as listed above)

It is worthwhile to note that when I say 'perfect', I mean it subjectively. There are people out there you critique the book's accuracy. However, all of these arguments are inconsequential. For instance, I heard someone say that on the final two notes of "Mr. Brownstone's" signature riff, Slash uses a 1/2 bend instead of a hammer-on as the book denotes. To this and similar claims I respond with: Who Cares! They both sound the same, both give you the same pitch and sound, and you play it so quickly it really makes absolutely no difference. Most of the "Inaccuracies" claimed of this book are equally trivial, and depend on what each person perceives. To be fair to critics and any claims I have not refuted or heard I will compromise that % 99.99 of the book is accurate.

Now, while the transcriptions themselves are out of this world and need no further discussion, I have a word of caution. Be prepared to work hard for them! Despite the inclusion of the lyrics, it is very hard to follow the music at times (I can read music and still go through hell at times). And this is only made worse by the fact the pages are as crowded and hectic as the beaches of Normandy; any notation denoting a coda or repeat is easily lost in the jumble of rhythm slashes, fill and riff signalers, chords and other special notations. You will find that making sense of it all is a task in and of its self, and thus learning a new song can be annoying as you try to follow it all. I would be willing to pay more money for a thicker book if the authors would write out all the parts on the same staff all the time, instead of resorting to the short cuts they take.
For example: the book will often say "Play Riff A" over the staff, referring you to an obscure rhythm piece written out two pages back, which you now have to hunt down, recall, then flip back to the original page, figure out how it fits and play...etc. This and other similar little short-cuts are ANNOYING! Would it kill them to simply write-out bloody "Riff A" again where it is supposed to be played?

That said, if you can't read music (or read at all), this book will be very hard to follow. Yes, it includes TAB, but without the musical knowledge it will be hard to know what is going on. Also, for any would-be-Slashes-and-Izzys out there (including myself), none of these songs are quick and simple to learn, so if you are only a casual guitarist or fan, don't waste your time and money. You will need patience and skill to play what's in this book because, after all, this is a note-for-note transcription of Slash and Izzy's playing. If you are easily frustrated or bored, this book isn't for you, and you would be better off buying one of the more simply arranged books available on Amazon. But if you really want to rock-out just as GNR did for whatever reason, by all means BUY THIS BOOK! You will find yourself learning not only the songs, but tons of musical techniques and skills.

Guns N' Roses Complete, Vol. 2 is a fantastic buy if you are looking for the perfect guitar transcriptions of many GNRS songs. As long as you are willing to go through the long hours of practice and some frustrating layout issues, this book will rock you world with its priceless contents! (Conveniently priced under $20)



guns n roses rule
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2004-05-29
Well there are only a couple of things I have to say. Those things are:

1. Guns n roses what else do I have to say?

2. If you are a big fan and what to play their songs, buy this along with volume 1.

3. Guns n roses rule.

4. buy it

5. this is an ordinary tab book and it's of one of the many classic bands.

6. the notes are PERFECT so you do not have to go searching for them on the internet for hours to end up with the wrong notes.

7. has lyrics to help you find your way

8: Hoped it helped and pushed you over the edge to buy it.

Perfect
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-07
Finally I can learn the songs how they're supposed to be played. I've downloaded and printed so many different versions of tabs of some of the songs in this book and most of them just never sounded right. This is a great collection of songs, I have the tab book for use your illusions II and I really didn't want to go out and buy all of their other album tabs seperately. This was the perfect solution. Excellent collection.
Just don't expect to be playing these songs the day you get this book - Slash isn't human, some of this stuff is impossible.

Pure Class!
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2002-01-20
From the humble beginings of Reckless Life and It's So Easy through to their transition into the best rock band on the planet this book covers every song from the Gunners first 4 albums, unlike "GNR For Easy Guitar" everything from fills and intros to solos and riffs is covered.

Full of detail and top notch tabbing, the two volumes of Guns N' Roses Complete are the definitive guide to Izzy and Slash's guitar playing. I searched for these titles for many weeks and could not have been happier when they were delivered. Make sure you grab your copy of these hard to find titles before its too late. Over 45 songs in total are covered (22 on the first and 28 on the second)

To conclude if you buy any GNR tab books, make sure you get these two, plenty of songs and a good price

Music
Handmade Electronic Music: The Art of Hardware Hacking
Published in Hardcover by Routledge (2006-04-04)
Author: Nicolas Collins
List price: $100.00

Average review score:

If you can't crack it open, it doesn't really belong to you.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-15
A great guide to taking apart old electronic noisemakers and turning them into something new. Also includes simple DIY electronic circuits with all the steps. The projects are compelling and workable. Give this to a young person and change their whole outlook on DIY.

Excellent Book, Great For Novices & Experienced Alike
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-30
This is a really fun book, with lots of projects for budding electronic musicians. But it goes beyond that: It's a solid intro to electronics and CMOS components. I went into this book thinking it might be too basic, yet I walked away with a lot of ideas, and some interesting new techniquess.

I wish that more electronics writers would cover the material with this author's style and accuracy. Also, kudos for providing parts sources and for using easy to find and inexpensive components. (I've seen many people, myself included, become frustrated by hard-to-find parts lists or the use of discontinued items. These projects suffer from neither of those problems.)

In the end, you'll be left wanting to know more about the components and techniques you've picked up. (You'll probably want to add Don Lancaster's classic CMOS Cookbook to your shopping cart. It will give you the details about many of these components.) Highly recommended. I'm looking forward to other books by this author.

so good for electronic musicians and composers
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-18
Ah ! this book is one of the best i bought.
I just love it !!

Rediscovers the simple facts of electronic music
Helpful Votes: 14 out of 14 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-07
Ever since products such as GarageBand took over the low-level tasks of producing electronic music and turned us all into application users, much has been forgotten about making music with low-level electronic components. In the case of younger electronic musicians, this may be an art form they never even knew in the first place. Although there is an advantage is computer musicians speaking a common language through a common application, something fascinating in the realm of experimentation has been largely lost. This book returns to the days of yesteryear with some projects in making your own electronic music with basic devices.

The book starts with some brief information on the tools you'll need plus the author's seven rules for experimentation. Part two is dedicated to listening. He shows you how to use radios and coils to find hidden electronic music, how to use the speaker as a microphone and vice versa, and how to use piezo disks to pick up tiny sounds, among other topics. Part three, on touching, shows you how to transform a portable radio into a synthesizer, change the clock circuit in toys to produce new sounds, and use photocells and pressure pads to "play" the modified toy. Part four, Building, shows the reader how to breadboard up some oscillators along with some controlling circuitry and produce gating, ducking, tremolo and panning effects. Part five, Looking, concerns translating video to audio using commonly found devices. The final section goes into depth on mixing circuits, how to build a good but cheap amplifier, connecting sensors to computers via game controllers, and a section on power supplies.

The book is written such that you should proceed from beginning to end, since the devices in earlier sections are used to assemble the devices in later chapters. By the time you finish you should have entire experimental musical instruments that you have assembled yourself.

Let's make music!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-10
This is a great book if you are a electroacoustic composer, you can make cheap sensors and rare instruments... ready - if you want - to plug to Max/MSP or Ethersense...or Teabox... Thanks to Gregory Taylor from Cyclin'74.


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