Music Books

Very efficient with delievery and a book in excellent condition. I thank you .Our son reads alot and we were pleasently surprised in ALL areas of this transaction.

I am a new fan of the clash and just fell in love with them one day. Wanting to know more about this band, I bought this book and was blown away!! I honestly couldn't put the thing down. It really gives an insightful history of the band and really made me like them even more. If you love the clash this book is worth every cent. Buy it!!!

I just got it a week ago. I CANNOT put it down. Well written and a lot of great facts that I never knew about. For example: Did you know that Joe Strummer's first guitar was actually originally owned by Pete Townshend?

A great,detailed and thorough history of The greatest Punk band ever. This is a MUST READ for anyone interested in the origin of contemporary rock music. The author delves into the personal history of the band members from childhood on. Pat Gilbert obviously has a passion for The Clash as every band today should and probably does. This book is an amazing overview, easy to read and impossible to put down. I bought this for myself but my 14yr. old son "permanently borrowed" it from me, reading it like crazy(he's not fond of reading) and I couldn't be happier.
Thank you Pat Gilbert for writing this awesome book!!!!!

This review applies to the 2004 hardcover edition. I knew a reasonable amount about The Clash before reading this book but the author here opened my eyes to a number of things and helped to confirm some of my ideas and reject others.

This is an academic book in the sense that any university sociology or history department type would or should respect the high standard of scholarship here - painstaking research involving interviews with a large number of band friends, business associates and childhood and youth buddies - and objective and intelligent analysis throughout. Although the research is detailed and Gilbert takes the subject matter seriously, the writing is still lively and captivating.

The book first traces the childhoods, youth days and former bands of all members individually which is fascinating and well researched. A lot of this information would be new to even the diehard fans. It's fascinating to read about and see a picture of Mick Jones' gran's 18th floor council flat in South London overlooking the Westway - where Mick "practised daily in my room" according to the song Stay Free. We also get to learn about Mick's close friend, also written about in Stay Free, who in real life did serve time for a bank robbery offence.

The art-school beginnings and the "squatting days" in early 1970s London (living in vacated houses under the Westway without paying rent) and the members' pre-Clash bands are well documented. Overall, Gilbert does an excellent job in helping the reader recreate in his/her mind the world of 1970s South London where the Clash story was played out. That is one of the book's great strengths in my opinion.

The book demolishes some punk myths, but keeps others alive. Firstly, the book demolishes the cherished idea that The Pistols and The Clash were working-class lads who met up, decided to form a band, and sing about social and political topics. There is some element of truth in that idealised view. However, the bands' respective managers, Malcolm McLaren of The Pistols and Bernie Rhodes of The Clash, clearly manufactured the bands to a certain extent based on their personal visions of what they wanted to achieve. Joe clearly understood this and was willing to co-operate with Rhodes to achieve common goals - but Mick was less supportive, being more of a traditional old-time rocker.

Gilbert clearly describes the social changes affecting Britain in the late 70s - the rise to power of the Thatcher right-wing government and the first wave of West Indian immigrants into London (and especially Brixton). We see how all band members had a genuine and sincere desire for racial harmony - they were fascinated by Jamaican reggae music and later New York hip hop. The bands' involvement in anti-racism gigs and sharing the stage with acts such as Bo Diddley and Micky Dread were extremely influential in contributing to the unity of the streets.

Another Clash myth that the book does not debunk but strengthens is their closeness to the fans and genuine warmth they felt towards the fans and vice-versa. However, the bitter infighting and bad vibes involving Joe, Mick and Paul often seemed to take the joy out of their lives and the book exposes this fully. It ultimately led to Mick's sacking at the hands of Joe, Paul and Bernie.

Other highlights are detailed descriptions of the recording sessions that led to each album and brief song-by-song descriptions (however, the focus on the actual music is fairly brief - the book is more a study of people and society).

Producer Guy Stevens' drunken chair-smashing antics during the London Calling sessions are hilariously recounted. His crazy energy probably contributed to the eclectic joy that London Calling produced. The details of the football games during the London Calling sessions are also interesting. The orange mohawked Japanese guys they met playing football in the London park - who knew every note of every Clash song (and Joe's cynical reaction to them, in contrast to the other band members) - also is humorous in my opinion.

Lastly, we are also are given a rare insight into The Clash Mark II. The three young band members who replaced Mick and Topper are all interviewed. Naturally they were dissapointed with certain aspects of the Mark II experience - but they don't seem bitter and it doesn't seem that they were treated totally badly (at least not by the band - by Bernie Rhodes maybe). In my opinion "This is England" (from 1985) ranks in The Top 3 Clash songs of all time. Good to get an insight into this less-publicised and once-denied stage of the band's existence. It almost makes me want to go out and buy Cut the [...]!!

I enjoyed my trip to the world of South London that Gilbert offered and South London became a better place I'm sure due to the huge influence of Joe, Mick, Topper and Paul. Stay free...

See also my soon to be published paper:
James, K. (forthcoming). "'This is England': Punk Rock's Realist/ Idealist Dialectic and its Implication for Critical Accounting Education", Accounting Forum, doi:10.1016/j.accfor.2008.01.002 (available at www.sciencedirect.com or by contacting me at kieran_james@yahoo.com (Kieran James)).

Someone had left this on the seat in the Red Line when we got stuck the better part of an hour on the bridge. There is a limit to how long you can sit and look at MIT so I began reading it.
It seemed to be a pretty quick book, the kind you would hide behind on the subway to avoid any kind of contact with the other passengers. But I ended up reading the whole thing, finishing late that night while my upstairs neighbor was dancing to a Bruce Springsteen CD.
I cannot describe the sense of grief I had after finishing this book. Taking Merlin Black's (i.e. Miles Davis) final affair as its starting point, the author picks up various points in the trumpeter's life, using psychological rather than plot connections to explain who this man really was. Talk about an anti-hero! And yet you accept Merlin's sleaziness as his natural condition, rather like dealing with a life-long disease. It becomes impossible to judge him.
I would highly recommend this book.

This was really like a videocam on somebody's private life. Just that it gets turned on and off randomly. It makes sense, if you just keep in mind that this guy is never up to any good, whatever he's doing.

This book is an interesting life story. I felt that the author had valid points to make about the character, who as I understood it, is a disguised version of a now deceased jazz musician. This was a man who was not really in control of himself, however talented he may have been. It was gripping enough to read as the author managed to endear the character to me even though few would consider him admirable.
I don't know why so many intelligent authors today feel they must stick explicit descriptions of sex acts in every twenty pages or so. This book was recommended to me by a fellow church member as an example of how a very intelligent individual can go through life, getting no better and no worse, if they pay no attention to religion. I suppose the sex was there just to show, Merlin did not have his own best interests for eternity at heart.

One thing I do, on the road, is track this man Miles. I have been everywhere, this man has been. Every nasty dive that's now a parking lot, every apt. bldg., if he was there, I've been there. And sometimes I stop in a library, NYPublic by Grand Central usually, and look up the newest book on Miles. Until this book, which is kind of rare, I never got further than twenty pages.
Now this book fit with the pattern that I can see, going the places he went, and thinking of his music, which I memorized, all of it. I've talked to some people who actually knew him, but not big light people, and the picture you get is like the one drawn by this man Walter Ellis. He wasn't a nice guy, but mad all the time and even kind of violent when he wasn't too messed up to kick. This is the real picture. And Ellis starts the story when Miles was flopped, a sorry rich man who hadn't played trumpet in five years. By flashbacking to all the separate times he got somewhere and then got down with the dogs again, he gets you into this man's mindset, which was failure and all kinds of ways to fail in dealing with failure. And when you understand that, you'll understand the music.

We had to read "fiction" about an African American artist for the Black History Month assignment, but they would not let us do Rap. I got this from the assignment sheet and I did not want to but had to because I had been out sick the day of the first picks. The teacher said it was about Miles Davis, even though the wrighter calls the dude Merlin Black. I had never heard of either one, but a friend of mines stepfather says he knows who he was sure. He playde jazz, which is slow, I thought.

And man this is a real surprise. This is the kind of dude I want to be, because he is a bad mother in many ways but really good. He held off some pretty bad racists and always did his own jobs. He was not nice to his women but there were a lot of them and he always felt sorry. I got my friend to get some cds of this Miles from his stepfather and I really liked some of his music eventhough some of it really is slow.
Also the book is short. I didn't want to read a long one.

You know how there's a haitus in your reading when you're waiting for the next book of a series to come out? Well that's what happend as I continued to randomly pick up books to read as i awaited several books to be published.

I'm really glad I picked up The Principles of Love because its a wonderful book starting out the series. Love's life is interesting and relatable in many different aspects. I gave this book five stars for a reason and readers should definitely give it a read.

Spoilers Below!

Cute book! One massive complaint before moving on to details--the font. I hate being so nitpicky, but ugh, could there be a smaller, tougher-to-read font? Quite frankly, that's the only reason I'm docking a star, because sometimes, it just gets really hard to read, no matter how interesting the book is, when your head's throbbing from squinting at the pages.
Now on to specifics. I have a lot to talk about with the names. Obviously, the first name to discuss would be Love's. How amazing is that? I really want to name my kid Love or something like it now, that's got to be the prettiest name ever, and it suits her, too! Oh, the irony of it all, right? Another name: Robinson. Is it just me, or is the bad guy always named Robinson? And third, Jacob. Jacob, Jacob, Jacob. Anyone else seeing the horrible Jacob Black parallels here? He's the other guy, the friend. Kind of awesome.
Plot stuffs. Love's got the coolest Dad in the world, seriously. I would definitely love to see more about her mom, and seeing as we've now got a box of her letters, I think I'd bet we're about to learn more, and I'm excited. I totally saw the DrakeFan thing coming wayyyy early, it was pretty obvious that it was Jacob. I did not, however, see Love and Jacob together, although I thought they were adorable. You knew Robinson was the bad guy, the first guy, the 'lust' guy, he's always a bad guy, at least in the YAs.
The cultural references were stunning. Could it get any more Gilmore Girls than this? LOVE it.
I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. I thought I'd like this book a lot less than I did, and envisioned, God forbid, something more like "Prep". Glad that was disproved. Highly looking forward to the rest of the series!

Super witty, lucky, mysterious, and modern is Love's life, and reading about each of her experiences from an honest, confused, and lovable perspective is refreshing and addictive. I just can't wait for the next book next month!

This book is very great and so is the series. The books are short but packed with details of a young girl named Love. She is smart and funny even though she doesnt always see herself that way. The only downside is every book has a cliff hanger at the end so you have to get the next one or like me wait until they come out about six months apart. Even so, they are still some of the best books out there right now!

According to a critic this book is suppose to accurately delve into boarding school life, but I think it accurately portrays adolescence whether it's set in public or private school. Of course this book is a fictional creation, so some of the events in the book are unreal (unless you're the luckiest teenager in the world), however this book is highly entertaining and you end up rooting for this character through her triumphs and mistakes. Another plus is the fact that, to a music lover like me, there are several really great (so far) references in the book that I've explored and have yet to explore. If you like fast reads, good plot lines, and music, this book is a must.

As a young teacher, this book has been unbelievably helpful in crystalizing my thoughts about playing and teaching. A lifetime of violin study with a master violinist and teacher in a single volume, absolutely priceless. Along with
The Suzuki Approach,
The Inner Game of Tennis: The Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performance, The Inner Game of Music,
The Art of Practicing: A Guide to Making Music from the Heart, The PracticeSpot Guide to Promoting Your Teaching Studio: How to make your phone ring, fille your schedule, and create a waiting list you can't jump over,
and What Every Musician Needs to Know About the Body: The Practical Application of Body Mapping & the Alexander Technique to Making Music,
this is the foundation and core of my violin/viola playing and teaching philosophy and of my studio.

What Every Pianist Needs to Know About the Body is extremely helpful as well since we all need to play the piano!!

After seeing the positive reviews on this book, I decided to go ahead and get it, as I realized despite my having played viola for such a long time, I don't own a single tome detailing the principles of good technique and playing.

So far I've gone through sections dealing with left hand positioning (the frame) and intonation. The writing is clear and engaging; Galamian observes many times it is important not to lay down arbitrary rules on how things should be done - unless there is a compelling reason. I like how the sections contain exercises that are written out - the provide a concrete method to achieve the results he discusses. The photos of hand positioning are also very descriptive.

I can tell I'm going to refer to this book again and again in the coming years - it is so nice to have it reinforce what I've heard (and often forget!) from different teachers! Definitely recommended!

I'd like to add that I found this book for about $20 less at Shar Music - but at any of these prices it's completely worth it!

I would recommend this book to any musician. Although it extensively covers bowing and left hand technique, the most important aspects are in how to practice and master your art. The variations suggested can be used by any musician on any instrument and will take you to a new level of technical control.

I would not suggest this book for a beginner, this material is best learned from an experienced teacher. Advanced students and teachers should all have this book in their book collections.

As a former violin student of 9 years who moved towards piano instead, I have found this book immensely valuable in helping me as a Suzuki parent of a young violinist myself. If you have a child moving into the Kreutzer etudes, or in Book 7 or later in the Suzuki series, this book is a godsend. At this point in your child's studies, you have no doubt been listening to many great artists, and wondering how they attain the immense variety in tonal coloring, or how they actually implement such amazing shifts, or complex bowing techniques. This book, with its pictures, is outstanding in deconstructing these motions. While it is highly analytical in parts, the book is also excellent in addressing the body's motion as a whole - in showing the coupling between the hand, elbow, shoulders, violin... using well known extracts from etudes, caprices, and solo works as practical examples.

It most definitely helps to be an advanced instrumentalist in reading this book, as the author certainly presumes that the reader has a trained ear. The sections on how to practice will also be appreciated by those who have worked in intensive Master Classes, and have carried back from these classes some improved practice habits.

All-in-all, this is book not to be missed, particularly by the supportive parents of maturing artists.

this is a MUST for any violinist who is serious about playing the violin. This book has solution to all of the problems that a violinist faces, in addition, this is a great leaning tool, lines from major concertos are used as exemples. again, this book is a must for anyone who's serious about playing the violin or even becoming a concert soloist.

A great book to learn about PRS guitars and their history.
Excellent pictures and a well put together book.

THE PRS GUITAR BOOK is a great, serious book about the great guitar builder Paul Reed Smith, the company he founded, the wonderful guitars he and his company have built over the years, and the many artists who have played them. It's great that it's now in paperback, and was expanded after its first issue in 2000 to include newer models such as the Modern Eagle and the 513, the latter of which has five actual pickups and thirteen sounds. There is also a section on the Singlecut models and the lawsuit that Gibson filed against PRS concerning them. Finally, the book discusses where Paul Reed Smith is headed for as the first decade of the 21st Century draws to a close. Overall, this book is very nicely done and is a must-own for anyone even remotely interested in guitars.

I bought this book just to check the finishings and constructional details.I build istruments.. so the details, are important for a luthier.Pictures are exellent and entire book is a treasure of informations.The history, of Paul Reed Smith as a person and his guitars, it is described with details. I don't like solid body guitars but if i had to buy one, this certenly would be a PRS.

In The PRS Guitar Book, Dave Burrluck describes in detail the evolution of PRS Guitars, the renowned company founded by expert guitar maker Paul Reed Smith in 1985. The PRS Guitar Book showcases every artistic and technical facet of these exquisite instruments that sold to an enthusiasts clientele for $2000 and up. The PRS Guitar Book is enhanced with lavish color photography, anecdotes and reminiscences from Smith, famous guitarists, and PRS employees, collectors and fans. The PRS Guitar Book is highly recommended, wonderful reading for all serious guitar enthusiasts, professional or amateur.

This numbered limited edition may not reach all audiences but it provides an excellent survey of the PRS guitar built by Smith for a range of famous players. Gorgeous full-page color photos abound as do engrossing technical explanations of the guitar's development and history. Chapters covering construction techniques are particularly involving. Highly recommended: any avid guitar player who appreciates books on guitar making should have this keepsake edition, enclosed in a handsome slipcase.

"Queen - Complete Works" is a remarkable book. So accurate, so through, so in-depth, very well researched and written in an easy to use and informative style. This is, quite simply, *the* best book on the subject of Queen's musical catalogue and that of its members. This is "the bible" of Queen discographies and it will be an indispensible resource for all serious fans of this endlessly entertaining band - in all its past and present permutations. You will not be disappointed - guaranteed.

I found this book both informative and interesting. Sure there is information that most Queen fans are quite familiar with, but that's more of a "pro" than a "con". The author keeps his opinions fairly impartial, but he is spot on with most of his viewpoints. I tended to agree with most of his observations. He covers just about everything Queen did in their career. A good reference book for any Queen fan.

I must admit, I was a little skeptical about buying this book, thinking that it wouldn't be much more than a long boring story about what the author thought about Queen. But, I was surprised. Have you ever wondered over the meaning of a Queen-song? Just look it up! Want to know about their bands before they became Queen? IBEX, 1984, Deacon and so on? Well... It's all here.
You won't regret buying this book : ) The only thing I have to comment is the lack of pictures. Not a BIG deal, but still. It would give the book a nice touch.

I bought this book a few months ago, and I think it is excellent.

One thing to keep in mind however, is that this is definitely a 'reference book' more than a biography-type book. As such, it is not quite so much of a book that can be read from cover to cover, as a book that you look up interesting little bits and pieces in.

It is divided into several sections, from pre-queen, then gives a detailed account of the process behind the production of each album. Next it gives an extremely thorough description and write-up of EVERY SINGLE song performed by Queen (or any of its members by themselves). It then describes each gig played by Queen( set list, where played etc.), and gives a run-down of all 'non-album' items released (e.g. VHS, DVD etc.)

I most enjoyed the section about the production of the albums as this is the part of the book that reads the most like a biography, however I definitely enjoyed being able to read the descriptions of the individual songs. It also gives an excellent run down of DVDs etc, and helped me to choose which ones I wanted to buy (although it is now slightly out of date, and does not feature the most recent DVD).

Also, keep in mind, that there are no pictures to speak of in this book, which does not really detract - but just be aware.

All up though, a great book for any Queen fan, very interesting, although perhaps a little too in-depth for casual fans due to its 'reference book' nature.

Another year and another Fantasic Queen book hits the shelves full of Fantastic pictures,well written text and a must for any Queen or Music fan...10/10

This is one of the most honest portraits of a human being you will ever find.. I would recommend this along with Charles Mingus' 'Beneath the underdog' for a taste of the 'jazz life'. It is amazing what these guys lived through - and still created such beautiful music!

This was the first jazz biography I have read. Hawes does a great job of portraying the terrible effects of heroin addiction. I knew some jazz musicians were busted for heroin use in his time. But I didn't understand how rampant heroin use was in the industry. This book gives great insight into the life of a wonderfully talented jazz pianist. But more importantly, it gives insight into the tumultuous life of a drug addict. Initially, the piano seems to be Hawes' only love. But then there is the realization that heroin is his real love. It is his only motivation to even play the piano.

I enjoyed reading this book very much.

It is first of all Hampton Hawes biography of his life as a jazz musician. It tellls us of his way from being a little boy attending his father's church on Sundays to a highly acclaimed jazz pianist, his downfall because of his heroin addiction, his 10-year jail sentence (which was reduced to six after Hawes had written to John Kennedy!), his way back up on the European market, his love relationship with Jackie, and his new found love after separating from Jackie after almost two decades. The very last sentence of the book speaks about his ex-wife Jackie - and it is very touching and shows that Hawes indeed must have been a nice man.

There is only one really dumb remark in the book that I felt was disgusting. (Find it for yourself... ;-))

Hawes repeatedly talks about Black issues. I personally feel that those statements are very intelligent, and can therefore recommend this book not only to those of you interested in jazz, but also to anyone into Black issues.

This book is all of these things and more. This is the story of an essentially decent person fighting his own demons. A beautifully crafted book written in the subjects own idiom. A must have for anybody wanting to get inside jazz during the be bop era.

I love this book. Remember, back then when you played this music, it wasn't exactly a sweet world for the musicians (Black ones). I'm glad he let everyone know how hard it was out there. Drugs took this Bad Boy out the game and the world passed him by. Musicians like Brother Hawes, will never be acknowledged for their great playing in the U.S.A.

If there was a dumb remark in this book, I didn't see it. Again, think back to the times he was living in. He talked about Jimmy Rushing and the way he thought about things. Jimmy Rushing came out of a different era, yet Some of his thoughts were not far behind. When he described Black people, some were light skninned, some were black... The book is not dated, it's just good.

I'm a longtime RHCP fan and a guitar player (obviously since I bought the tab!). I have both the Mother's Milk and Blood Sugar Sex Magik tablature books and have learned almost all of the songs in both. That said, I was a little hesitant in ordering the Stadium Arcadium book for two concerns: 1) the album is so effects laden, it may be hard to reproduce at home; 2) usually, when audio is provided on a CD with a tab book, examples are truncated snippits or examples of songs taken out of context--not very helpful, IMHO. Let me cut to the chase: buy this book with the CDs! The CDs contain ALL 2 SA discs with FULL songs from beginning to end sans drums and vocals. You get to hear John Frusciante's guitar parts and Flea's bass interacting together for all of the songs. I'm hearing things being played that I've never noticed before on the original SA release. Actually, what the recordings have confirmed is a suspicion I've had that SA was mixed horribly for the final release... a little too smooth and compressed, finally killing the BSSM era peppers sound. However, listen to something like "Hump De Bump" on this book's audio and you will hear guitar and bass every bit as raw, inventive, and funky as anything from BSSM. Why did this get lost in the final release? The tabs are pretty spot on, too. I've noticed a few voicing inconsistencies with JF's live playing of the songs... but this is a minor quibble. This book is a must (for this price) for any RHCP fan that plays bass or guitar. The audio is also an awesome stand-alone look into the writing and musical process of a inventive band of musicians.

The bass and guitar tracks on the CDs really help to identify the individual notes, riffs and chords. Extremely worth it!

I am a big fan of the RHCP's and enjoy trying to replicate their sound. I am by no means a good guitarist but still have a lot of fun going through the book and playing pieces of their songs. The tab appears to be very accurate but I am not sure that it is 100% (still, good enough for me). I found it very useful to look at some of the lessons on Youtube as an aide to the book.

First of all, I must say, I really enjoyed this album. I don't normally use the words "dude" or "money", but dude, the Jupiter disc is *money*. The Mars disc was good too, but I think every song on the aforementioned disc was a hit, thus making them the ones I wanted most to learn to play.

All recordings feature the guitar and bass with no drums or vocals. This makes picking up the guitar parts considerably easier. All effects used are mentioned in the tab, and the tabs themselves seem very accurate when reading them and listening to the disc.

I think Frusciante's style of playing is interesting, and a good study for any guitarist. It's refereshing to hear a guy who is talented and really makes good arrangements, but isn't shredding and wanking all over the place. He also doesn't just whack on the same power chords all day long like every other modern rock band.

Furthermore, the band as a whole definitely remains fresh and valuable in a world where, I'm sad to say, rock is starting to suck really bad. RHCP makes me want to pick up my guitar, jam out, and be a better musician.

Fallout Boy does not.

Don't think twice before you get this. I'll be able to listen to all the tracks with guitar / bass isolated. They even mention the effects on the tabs.
Gotta have it.

Not since the release of The Count of Monte Cristo has a reader felt so deeply for an honest man's demise, nor been so thrilled to see his enemies pay the price.

Rewind is written in a wonderfully revealing style, allowing the reader to see the story through each individual's eyes, one by one. As always, the people portrayed in Bruce Kimmel's fictional novels are not just two dimensional characters; they have personalities we grow to care for, detest, and ultimately want to know more about.

Along with a great murder mystery, the reader also gets a special look at what life is like in the recording business, which is always a treat when written in Bruce's vividly descriptive prose.

My favorite part of reading Bruce's mysteries is reading them a second time, once I know the secret ending. Then all the little hints and cleverly worded phrases pop out and I throughly enjoy the book in a whole new way.

When you finish this one, read bruce Kimmel's other books, you will not regret it!

Here is a novel for those of us who enjoy sweet revenge, who would like to believe that those who have been truly and hideously wronged can occasionally turn the tables and actually see some punishment--in fiction, of course.

In "Rewind," Jonathan Goldman is a seasoned record producer and singer/songwriter of the hit song, "Getting Away With You," whose record company has chosen to part ways. Not content to simply fire him, they are out for blood. Nasty, vicious, vindictive--you name it. They attempt to not just ruin his career, but bankrupt him, as well. The novel has a grit, an immediacy, that I quite like. You're engrossed from page one and stay right there until the end. And a satifying ending it is.

Mr Kimmel demonstrates that he can write a tight novel, pull the reader in, and hold him there until he is done. He writes well and gives us characters which are both believable and interesting. The reader needs no knowledge of the recording industry to enjoy this romp; indeed, one comes away feeling that one has truly been there and seen it first-hand. Highly recommended.

Oh, BOY!! From the giddy-up - and I emphasize "giddy" - this story grabs ya and takes you on the monster roller-coaster, whirling teacups, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and then some. A tight, fast (we're talking white-knuckle fast) blitz of a story, in the multiple-personality first-person. I guessed part of it about halfway through - because of the vicarious thrill of doing in those whose goose I never got to cook... 'Tis said that Revenge is a dish best served cold... Well, for anyone who ever felt majorly WRONGED, and had the tenacity to hold a grudge beyond death, which I suspect is a goodly number of yuz, this gourmet concoction is WAY delicious.

In Bruce Kimmel's new novel, "Rewind" we are introduced to the dog eat dog industry of the recording business. All the in's and out's of what goes into to recording a single track of music is that we take for granted which arrives on our doorstep on a shiny bright CD for our listening pleasure, is dissected here in this novel.

Not only are we introduced to the methods and workings of creating an album, but we are privy to the goings on behind the scenes, behind the music, and ultimately, behnd the people that hold the money. This novel can easily be a handbook on what not to do when attempting to make it in the world of small record label business.

Without giving away what actually happens in this work of fiction, it's a keen example of what I'm sure a lot of people would like to do when they are faced with something as cruel and vicious as what happens to the main charactor in this novel, Jonathan. His story may seem familiar to any reader that knows the business. Kimmel takes it a step further and gives the reader some satisfaction in taking the matter ...

If you are interested in the recording business or have read Kimmel's other novels, (Writers Block, Bejamine Kritzer, Kritzerland, and Kritzer Time) it's worth taking the time to read "Rewind" as it's a great work of fiction and a joy to read.

Rewind, the fifth novel by Bruce Kimmel, is a fast and furious romp through the world of music producing, gone wrong. Mr. Kimmel has once again given us a story that is "un-put-downable", filled with details only someone who spent many years in this business could provide. I opened the book for a quick browse of the first chapter and re-emerged three hours later at the end of the last page. The fast pace derives from the interesting style in which this was written. The story is told in the first person, but each part is told from different character's perspective. To say more would give away too much. Do not miss this one, it is a fun ride, just when you think you know what's going on, you find out you don't!

Ironic that Amazon would actually piggyback narcotics offers next to a book which uses "narcotic" to describe pop evil. But as Carducci suggests, both pop music and narcotics appeal way beyond their legitimate purposes. So pop some oxycotin and turn on some pop, or do the right thing and rock out.

This is the first book I read that spoke about rock music intelligently and at the same time it was not the elitist slobber most critical views of popular culture resort to (making us suffer). It ain't policticlly correct--but rock shouldn't be that way either and sadly today--it is--for the most part. After I read this book I incoorporated it in to most of my college research papers. (I am an A student)

This book is impressive, and not only for the deep knowledge of rock that Carducci displays. The opening chapters describing what the "real" sounds of rock are should be required reading for anyone interested in forming a band. The scope of this book is unrivalled and the selections for the most influential bands will raise more than a few eyebrows (No where else will you see James "Blood" Ulmer mentioned in the same vein as Sabbath). Carducci rightly praises the "Black" bands (Sabbath and Flag) as the most influential in their respective genre's, but it may come as a surprise to many that Carducci attributes (perhaps correctly) the original "wall of sound" approach to Eddie Cochrane. While this book doesn't cover heavy metal and it's sub-genres very completely (see Ian Christe's Sound of the Beast for that), it wasn't meant to (see Title). In addition, this is one of the few books that credits (rightly) the Ramones for their widespread influence (early Black Flag and the Misfits to name two of the most well-known). In addition to the depth of knowledge displayed, Carducci will have you rolling in laughter more than once. If all the above is not enough, the appendices with original poster art and one of the funniest Ray Pettibon paintings (Give me librium or give me meth....) are worth the price of the book alone. Buy it and then buy some essential music!

Aside from being the first and only book to provide a useful aesthetic definiton of rock and roll, aside from the fact that this book builds a wonderful canon of the music, aside from the fact that the author manages to demolish just about every received opinion generated by rock critics for good -- aside from all of this, Mr. Carducci actually managed to transform me from a life-long left winger to a right-leaning libertarian with just an offhand, tossed-out sentence. When discussing the rock critical establishment as a Left cabal, appropriating the music to further a discredited political agenda at the expense of Art, he says (and I paraphrase) that the Left traditionally uses those under them on the ladder as a cudgel against those above them, rarely actually caring for or helping their constituency (and usually doing some harm; look at the welfare state); I immediately had a flash of self-recognition (and recognition -- I never met a Leftist who didn't suffer from this sort of bad faith.) So, if you ever read this, Joe, thanks for opening my eyes.
The book's damn funny too.

I agree with other reviewers' comments. I read this after Michael Azerrad's "Our Band Could Be Your Life," and Carducci's insider perspective plays off A's chapters on SST bands well. What chaps my hide is C's haughty inclusion of an LA Times article criticizing Black Flag's refusal to intervene when the moshers pounded on the innocent bystanders. C. acts as if the band had no responsibility for the brutality some of its fans perpetrated against other fans. C. thinks that the music matters not its context, and to me, as somebody who was there, that's b.s. The two are inseparable and you don't have to be a PC straight-edge Dischord disciple to agree. C's taking the easy, if provocatively punkish, way out here, just as gangsta rap's apologists do.

That out of the way, I do welcome any tome that celebrates both The Fall and Hawkwind, and his stream-of-consciousness rants on all sorts of po-mo critically reviled 70s music does mesh with what happened as SST devolved into a hair-metal crudge label! Where would Queens of the Stone Age, Velvet Revolver, and all that Seattle sludge have heard that it was ok to listen to Zep and Ozzy?

And, truth be told, Carducci's spot on when it comes to many of his ravings, even if Lester Bangs, Richard Meltzer, Chuck Eddy and Chuck Klosterman have all howled the same cry. Much as some of this book in its calculated slumming gets my goat, other chunks soothe my soul, and make me feel as superior as you do to what passes for street cred, as we get angrier and crustier compared to/about those darned kids. Heck, my sons now realize what a cool record collection their geek dad has, and passing along C. to them for expanding their horizons, where the unfashionable joins the unlistenable, continues to further the underground resistance, when real punks don't go to Hot Topic chain stores or don leather and mohawks to prove their commodified (non?)conformity. It's an attitude, as C. points out--not the puerile suburban tantrums that stifled so much creativity in the 80s, as his label's own slump then demonstrated irrefutably.