Music Books

David Boucher has written a book that examines in detail the contribution of both artists to the worlds of both literature and rock & roll. In his intoduction he looks at the progress of Cohen from serious poet to rock & roll recording artist and performer. This transition cost him status in the literary world but aided by the legendary "golden voice" and some consummate musicians it allowed him to reach a hitherto undreamed of audience.

Dylan, whom he refers to as "The Changing Man" in Chapter Three, was the chameleon-like performer who picked up, and discarded new personas and new musical styles at the drop of his very famous hat. The obvious example here is the infamous "electric tour" where Dylan was heckled and called "Judas". This abuse was, the book shows, not only for his perceived betrayal of the acoustic folk movement, but also a reaction to the contempt with which Dylan treated his audience. Dylan had always been a confrontational performer, and his response to such attacks was to become louder and less acoustic than ever. What David Boucher also shows is that this signified a shift from the community centred ethic of the folk movement to the excessive individualism and nihilism of the Beat poets who through the drug culture wanted, like Rimbaud, to experience the extremes.

In other chapters the myriad influences on both performers are examined as well as their involvement with political and religious organisations. Finally David Boucher gives us an insight into the road travelled by both men in search of their own personal salvation.

Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen are complex men and complex performers. To listen to, or to read the works of either man is always challenging. In this book the author has written an analysis that is equally challenging exploring, as it does, the anger and the angst of the 1960s and beyond. I enjoyed every minute of the challenge.

What makes this book such a unique and significant contribution to its genre is that it is written with the insight and sensitivity of a spirit that seems deeply attuned to those of its subjects. Not only does the reader come away with a better understanding of the historical times and political contexts that shaped these men, and the personal struggles and psychological bents that motivated their writing, but also with a clearer understanding of what attracts their devotees to their work.

Throughout the book, Boucher weaves explorations of various aspects of the lives and cultural context of Dylan and Cohen that strongly affected them and their work. These include the civil rights movement, drugs, women, sexuality, God and religion, what it means to be reluctantly identified as the voice of a generation, and -- particularly for Cohen -- the holocaust. Boucher also explores the influence of other artists on their work, from Woody Guthrie for Dylan to Lorca for Cohen, as well as the influence that Dylan and Cohen had on each other.

Just as Dylan and Cohen make poetry an accessible part of popular culture, with equal skill Boucher makes philosophy of art and interpretation accessible as well. He points out that our experience of lyric poetry is informed by the questions we bring to it and he explains that the richest experience is to be had when the most appropriate questions are asked. Boucher uses the theories of several philosophers such as R. G. Collingwood, Henry Jones, and Michael Oakeshott, to identify which questions are most appropriately asked of particular works at particular moments in the artists' creative development. He also shows the fruitlessness of asking the wrong kind of questions of a particular poem, as is the tendency of many thinkers. He describes various forms of artistic expression: pseudo-art, or art as magic; art as the expression of emotion, or imaginative art; and inspirational art, or poetry which delights in images. He then demonstrates how, at various stages in Dylan's artistic development, his work takes all three forms of expression, whereas Cohen's work primarily takes the form of the last two. He then offers examples from their poetry to illustrate which form(s) of expression is/are being inhabited by a particular work and he supports his demonstrations with quotations about their work from the artists themselves.

Finally, Boucher helps to bring the period to life for his reader by including several pictures of book covers, concert and film posters, magazine covers and various photographs. The overall result of the book is that Boucher successfully positions his readers to have a richer experience and a deeper understanding and appreciation of the lyric poetry of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen.

The irate and intemperate person signing himself pepidude in a previous review seems incapable of being able to appreciate an argument or of understanding the nature of the exercise that David Boucher has undertaken. It is a thematic book with a wide range of references, not a book of facts about Bob Dylan.The author introduces us to the complexities of issues relating to the difference between popular music lyrics and poetry, between origins and originality, the poetry of imagination and inspiration and much more. Anyone interested in ideas and issues, and in theories as well as facts will find this book immensely stimulating and fascinating.

David Boucher's masterly work 'Dylan & Cohen' is essential reading, not simply for devotees of these 'Poets of Rock and Roll' but for anyone with an interest in the history of the radical cultural, political and musical changes in the last century.

It is clear from this eloquent book that neither Dylan nor Cohen wished to speak for anyone but themselves and equally clear that the strength of their work would be seized upon by a generation looking for a new direction. Thankfully they both continued to write through their tribulations and we have a bank of some of the most evocative music to continue to listen to.

I urge you to buy this book but with a word of warning: you won't want to stop reading once you've started.

This is an excellent study of the music and lyrics of the 2 greatest rock "poets." Boucher explores whether or not their lyrics even qualify as poetry and keeps the subject interesting! He effectively delves into their psyches,as well, without getting hung up on personal, biographical details which have been over analyzed in other places. I found the final chapter "The Religious Experience" to be some of the best writing that I've seen on Dylan and Cohen's spiritual journeys. I highly recommend this to fans of either man's work.

The wonderful illustrations and clever story about a girl's fantastical journey to prove her ability to do a "man's work" has quickly made it to the favorites in our home library. I can imagine the inspiration it may offer a young girl, but having only a son...I share it with him in hopes that he appreciates early on gender equality. He enjoys the art and the musical aspect of the story.

Our family absolutely loves this book.
My daughter Ailia (age 4) enjoys the story, illustrations and wonderful colors in this book.
It is a fairly quick read, but not too short, a great one for bedtime.
and for us glassblowers... it simply warms the heart,
signed,
Edward T. Schmid
author of "Beginning Glassblowing" and "Advanced Glassworking Techniques"-(also available through Amazon.com or at: glassmtn.com)

This book has wonderful drawings and an imaginative story--very much in line with South American magical realism. My son loved it dubbed himself coyote (one of the characters) for two months.

Elena's Serenade is the first book to receive the Comstock Book Award for the year's best picture book to read aloud to older children, ages eight to twelve.

Young Elena leaves her home to embark on a magical journey to Monterrey, Mexico in order to follow her dream of learning the art of glassblowing. Later, she returns home to her father, who had refused to teach her his trade because no one had ever "heard of a girl glassblower." This story celebrates Elena's uniqueness as an artist and a person, as well as the importance of pursuing a dream.

With acrylic and crayons, Juan has created luminous paintings with an expressionistic, folk-art quality and a palette of desert colors. Juan's use of light is particularly noteworthy, especially in the illustrations depicting glassblowing. The rounded figure of Elena and her expressive facial features make her an attractive character. The colors, movement, and details of each painting invite one to linger over every page.

In selecting this book for the Award, the Read Aloud Committee noted the lyrical quality of the text, as well as children's special appreciation of the illustrations. In addition, children were interested in the conflict between Elena and her father and also enjoyed the sprinkling of Spanish words. Readers found the Spanish-English Glossary in the front of the book helpful.

Elena's Serenade is about a little girl who travels to Monterrey, Mexico to become a glassblower. I did enjoy the story and especially the illustrations. My favorite illustration is of Elena dressed in her brother's clothes trying to look macho. I think kids will enjoy the bright sometimes humorous pictures, and the imaginative story.

If you are an Elvis fan, this is really one of those must have books. The pictures are to die for and it is just wonderful.

the photographs are spectacular, but where is the non-limited edition that i've seen retail in the bookstore for $65?

i Love this Book it has very good quality photos of the king in his prime!

This book is beautiful. The pictures are excellent and it is nice to have as a collectors item for any Elvis fan or give as a gift to any Elvis fan.

If you only have one Elvis book in your library, or one photography book, let it be "Elvis at 21"...you will never buy a more sumptuous volume. The printing of the images is phenomenal, with wonderful use of gatefolds. It is one of the very few art books I've bought that I didn't balk at the retail price.

Wertheimer's photographs are collectively an artifact of our cultural history. It's amazing to see so many of them gathered together and in sequence. A much smaller selection of this body of work was published about 20 years ago as "Elvis '56"--this was my one-book-in-the-library, even back when I only had a photocopied edition. With this expansion, a whole new king is crowned.

2007 is of course the 30th anniversary of the King's passing. The world should expect a vast onslaught of new and revised offerings on the man. "Elvis at 21" throws down an early gauntlet so firmly, the other publishers might just as well crawl back into their niches.

Buy it, and wear a bib so you don't ruin the pages with your drool.

This was ourchased for my 11 year old granddaughter. She love it. Basic things are explained perfectly!!!!!!!!!!!!

This book is a great addition to your ceramics library.
It has many beautiful and colorful pictures that will definately inspire the artist in you.

excellent reference book. covers all aspects of pottery. full of wonderful ideas and is a great inspiration for the artist. i am excited about adding this book to my reference libary.

I've been throwing for about 3 years and this book was given to me as a gift. It briefly touches on many subject and has a lot of good pictures.

I would recommend this to anyone with interest in pottery, both wheel throwing and hand building.

This is a great reference book with lots of ideas and lots of illustrations. Great for someone who wants to explore out of just throwing or hand building. Great step by step ideas with great color illustrations.

This is the tell all book about the entertainment industry and braodcasting set up. I would like to recomend this book for anyone that is searching for direction when it comes down to entertainment, and how to get started.

I had the pleasure of meeting the author last fall for a workshop where she was the keynote speaker. It was inspirational and reaffirming. Entertainment Power Players, EPP for all those 'in the know, is a great resource to use for the television, film, and music business. Ms. Sterling also included in this book interviews with people in the industry. I highly recommend this book for anyone (YES, anyone) searching for contacts and information for the entertainment industry. Use it for inspiration, use it as a resource, use it to help propel you to the next level in your quest to delve deeper into the industry. It is not only a must read, but a must have.

Ms. Dackeyia Sterling has manifested a entertainment manual that really gives direct liasons with the power players you really need to know to move and shake in the respective entertainment industries. In addition to legitimate contact information, she integrates into the fabric of the manual inspirational stories and interviews of those in various facets of the arts that have beaten the odds and made strong names for themselves. The subjects she chooses are not conventional, they are diverse and often times behind the scenes. Those whose creativity has made others shine. The presentation of the manual is also top-notch. Definitely a good and smart buy for anyone who is serious about the biz, any creative biz.

I recently received my copy of Entertainment Power Players and it has been a great resource for me. It has given me plenty of contacts to use for my clients. Thank you!

I am a screenwriter and filmmaker. My career has gone through a number of stages and degrees since purchasing the first volume of this series from a business conference. It was a tremendous resource. Though the larger company contacts are ones that I could have found online, it saved me a lot of time searching (and time is money). But, the real value came in some of the other information in the book. Every significant production company in every part of the industry is listed, and there are even specific listings for more obscure segments of the industry such as animation and sound. So, information that I couldn't readily find online is now at my fingertips.

Since the first volume, I've purchased this one. My career is a little further ahead now, and still I find this to be an invaluable resource. What it does for me now is give me ideas that I would have never come to without having the book sitting in front of me. I can have one path in mind for getting something done, or for getting a project into the right hands, and as I'm looking for a phone number in this book, I'll run across another listing that makes me consider another option. I've even beat my manager to finding contacts and phone numbers at times when she was flipping through her rolodex. She was impressed.

If you're just starting out in the entertainment industry, and you've spent time online looking for agents and production companies, save yourself some time and purchase this book. If you are into your career, but still climbing, this book can only be of assistance in helping you make your way. And, if you are an industry bigwig ... well ... you or your company are probably already in the book :-)

I have played this CD so much that I have even memorized the words in the Gaelic songs (and I don't know the language or even the meanings of the words). This is not what you want to play at your next party but if you want to be soothed or relax then this works great. Her voice and her music are magic.

I learned to play the piano with Miss Claire Remembers from Watermark. This stuff is so easy to play and sounds so beautiful... and it is easy to memorize, I don't even need the book anymore.

The music in Shepherd Moons is easier to play than Memory of Trees. An advanced player could easily sightread the music; therefore, it is not a challenging book. However, the music is gorgeous and fun to play. I've been playing it every day since I bought the book last week.

The album "Shepherd Moons" was incredibly beautiful. The music was frequently ethereal and haunting, almost fragile in its delicacy. While it may be impossible for most of us to do anything but hum along, here is a book of her music for the CD. The music for all twelve pieces is included, along with a little background for each piece.

Enya's music is so beautiful, airy and spiritual, that most instruments will yield an interesting interpretation. However, there are some instruments that will be more suitable than others. Keyboards of course, since much of Enya's music is on piano, but guitar, recorder, and violin are among the others that can keep various flavors of her music. I myself prefer the haunting tone of the recorder, keeping in mind that you have to modify the music to accommodate the range of the recorder. I prefer a deeper voiced recorder, I have a tenor recorder, because the music can be slowed for the more haunting songs and I like the emotion that you can put into a song with a tenor recorder.

As with any music, there are challenging pieces and places, but there is also easier music to play from this CD. That the pace of much of the music is relatively slow helps for learning and musical interpretation rather than the much faster pace of rock or even a lot of classical music. Learning to play music from this CD is a fascinating way to enjoy Enya's music.

This is a really good music book. Shepherd Moons is my favorite Enya album and now I have fun playing the music. I'velearned how to play No Holly For Miss Quinn very well. This music is at first hard to play(which shows how advanced her music is)but if you stretch your hands and practive often, you may be able to play very well.

Enya's music is very well arranged. The music often smoothly changes key majors and flows from measure to measure. People studying music theory will probably like to look at this book and see Enya's structure of music. Any critic of her music should get this book and see how well written her music is. It's very nicely done.

The Essential Elements 2000 book, is a great book for anybody who wants to learn how to play any percussion insturment. I advise this book for everybody. It comes with a DVD which is very helpful and nice. The book contains a lot of captivating songs and I fully enjoy playing them.

this book is really helping me get back into playing, since I havent played in about eight years. Its alot of help.

I ordered this book on Saturday, and it arrived Monday! It is in excellent condition, and we are looking forward to using it. There is a lot of information, which looks clearly set out.

Like the first book in this series, this one stretches your ability and demands more practice. Use it to get better and stay in touch with the basics. Very useful tool, and a must have for any clarinist.

This is a pretty good book for beginners and has many of the essential elements necessary to begin playing trumpet, like fingerings, posture, and related basic material. That being said, more explanation of some techniques would be helpful, as well as suggestions about ways to practice, recordings to listen to, and maybe even some trumpet history. Though I recommend this book for beginners, a good supplement to it that includes all of the items listed above is: 'Sound the Trumpet: How to Blow Your Own Horn."

No one is saying John Joseph didn't have a terrible, abused childhood. He did. No one deserves what he endured. However, I wonder if I am the only one noticing certain disturbing things. I guess the main thing that bothers me is is his total lack of remorse for certain bad things he did. I am not talking about the Krishna stuff -- and he says he does feel bad about that -- I am talking about stuff he did on his own.

On pages 347-348, he talks about how he and his brothers rent a house from an Indian immigrant, Umon. For some reason, this man and his family remind John of the Valentis, the terrible foster family that abused him and his brothers when they were kids.

John takes about two pages to describe how they scammed this man out of months worth of rent and caused him all kinds of emotional distress. John describes this with such glee -- he doesn't seem to understand that he is hurting a human being, a person with a family, a person with bills to pay. NEVER does John indicate that he is sorry he did this. It's almost as if he thinks this family owes him somehow. Read the pages (347-248) and really think about what John did and how he sounds when he writes about it. It's disturbing.

This family MAY have reminded him of the Valentis. But they weren't the Valentis. They were just trying to make a living. John should have expressed some remorse. Instead he mocks this Indian man in a way that sounds -- I hate to say it -- almost racist. Look what John wrote: "When he (the Indian landlord) returned with the cops he starting yelling in a mixture of Hindi and English, 'Doo bah did dee had bah dee dee 'want my money' da dondi did dee boo dee dah...now!'"

I couldn't believe what I was reading. OF COURSE this man wanted his money! He had bills to pay and a family to support. How dare John make fun of his language?

The last John has to say on that topic is, "We made plans to meet him one morning at the house to give him his check for the seven or eight months of back rent. We pulled a midnight move the night before and left his a** sitting high and dry on the doorstep."

And that's it. Not one word of apology -- only pride in the fact that they tricked this man. Is it just me or do others think that comment is just dripping with self-righteous contempt? I felt bad for that man and his family. John sounds PROUD of how he scammed him.

When John describes the beginning of the scam, he wrote, "Umon kept smiling, patting Frank's sons on their heads and repeatedly saying in his super-thick Indian accent, 'What a nice American family. So, so nice all of you are.'" After John reports this, he mockingly writes, "Guess he shoulda read Robert McKee's 'Story,' cause the brotha got fooled by the characterization."

That shocked me, too. Why should Umon have read anything? Why is John blaming the victim? Someone who was being truly honest about himself would have written, "I shouldn't have scammed someone who was trying to make an honest living."

And Umon was trying to be nice, to say kind things to kids who, I imagine, didn't hear nice things very often.

I wonder how much personal growth John has really done. He just wrote this book, and he could never have described how he scammed this man with such pride if he had done as much personal growth as he claims he has.

"The Age of Quarrel" album by the legendary Cro-Mags is the greatest Punk/Hardcore album ever recorded. Yes, I think it's better than the Bad Brains ROIR release...sorry just my opinion. This book like the aforementioned album is down right raw as it gets. It is brutally honest, sad, hilarious at times, unselfish, unapologetic and more importantly inspiring...it's NYC to the highest degree. John has overcome his addictions and his screw ups with no excuses. He hustled cause he had to, he knew no other way. There was no one to guide him in the right direction, so he chose his own path...the streets. This book is more than one man's tribulations, it's about survival and everything that comes with it. It's about family, friends and trust. John Joseph is a true testament that if you want change all you have to do is believe and NEVER give up no matter how down you are. I commend JJ for writing this book and letting us come in his life. John Joseph is Hardcore.

As a Cro-Mags fan since the 80's the least interesting (but still great) part of the book was about the band. However, it was still disheartening nonetheless. Why? cause that original line-up (AOQ) should have made more records together and been huge. But greed, egos and an ongoing soap opera has somewhat tarnished this legendary band. In this great book there is mention of a show they played at L'amours in Bklyn (w/Carnivore, Nuclear Assault) back in the 80's. That night introduced me to the Cro-Mags live show. I remember they sounded and looked great. John joseph was doing flips into the audience and the dance floor was packed with skinheads, it looked like a battlefield. One of the greatest shows I've ever been to.

I just finished this up today and was wiped out. I approached this as a " interesting read " being a Cro-Mags fan and also a Vaisnava. What I walked away with was so much more, This book is raw and rough to read at times. It is an inspiring look at an amazing soul and I am thankful it was written.

This book was like a reality check. What ever your story, you can get what ever you want in life. John opens up to abuse as a child to manhood and a few "woops" on the way. He always finds a way to rise to the top of his game in life. Cro-Mag fan's will love the inside dirt and new ones to the "Cro's" or to John Joseph will find a wonderful story of the trials and tribulations that made J.J. who he is today.

An incredible autobiography of the singer of one of the most influential bands in NYHC history. John Joseph adds a lot of feeling and emotion to his writing. He paints such a vivid description of 80's New York-from Alphabet City to Coney Island. It is a story of "Survival of the Streets". A story of "Hard Times". It is a story of "Street Justice". Hold onto your sets because Babylon is coming!

Well, if it was, then it is a fine and fitting end. Although the cliffhanger tells us that we aren't going to be seeing that much less of Rebus.

Rankin used the self imposed limitation of the last ten days of Rebus official career very well. The action is taut and well plotted and the descriptions of people, places, and things are spot-on.

By now, Rebus is like an old friend who drops in for a short visit every year or so. You are always glad to see him, you get nostalgic over the good times you have had together, you are shocked by how old they have gotten, which reminds you of how old you are getting, you get annoyed by the same things they have always done, and you are sad whenever they have to leave. In this case, there is a finality to the departure, yet you are not sure if that finality is terminal. It is somewhat confusing.

I thought the awkwardness depicted between Rebus and Clarke is well written and realistic. It is very tricky to describe the interaction between people who have known, liked, and hated each other for a long time, especially when a landmark is approaching in their relationship.

The crimes being solved in this case was interesting but I thought some of the turns were a little too pat. That didn't stop me from enjoying the book, nor does it stop me from jonesing for more Rebus and Clarke.

Say it isn't so, Ian. Has 60-year-old John Rebus come to the end of the line? The popular protagonist spends his last days in his three-decade-old career in this novel in his usual manner, solving crimes, upsetting the powers that be and dealing with his 20-year-old enemy, Big Ger Cafferty as well as setting the stage for tying up loose ends with his long-time partner, DS Siobhan Clarke.

In the mix is a delegation of Russian businessmen, Scottish politicians and a large bank and its executives all seeking to bring business to Scotland. And then a leading Russian dissident poet is found murdered, and everyone wants to sweep it under the rug as a mugging gone bad. But is it? Neither Rebus nor Clark is convinced, especially when a second murder caused by an arson fire seems to be connected to the original case. To complicate matters, Big Ger is assaulted and left in a coma, and Rebus seems to be implicated.

This novel is as good as Rankin gets in the way of a mystery novel, and he works in commentary on Scotland in general, Edinburgh, money, politics, greed and power. Where does Rebus go from here? This reader (and many others, I'm sure) hopes Rankin hasn't permanently retired him--he's too good a character to fade out of existence.

Highly recommended.

Almost exactly two decades ago Ian Rankin's first Rebus novel, Knots and Crosses, began with the sentence, "The girl screamed once, only the once." Twenty years later and Rankin has used the same sentence to begin the last, as it did the first, of the Rebus books.

DI John Rebus is retiring in November of 2006 and he and his erstwhile protégé, DS Siobhan Clarke, are working on clearing up Rebus' old cases, when a dissident Russian Poet is murdered in an apparent mugging right after he left an Edinburgh bar in which local crook and longtime Rebus nemesis Morris Gerald Cafferty had been drinking.

Meanwhile Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko is dying in a London hospital, poisoned by person or persons unknown. Are the cases related?

The poet was murdered during a time when the Edinburgh big wigs are hosting a group of potentially very large Russian investors and the brass wants this case wrapped up as quietly and delicately as possible. Then somebody attacks `Big Ger' Cafferty and the blame lands squarely on Rebus.

Think he's gonna back off? Not a chance.

Rebus and Clarke chase down leads that eventually take them to the Scottish Parliament and we all know how much politicians like to be investigated. And if you've read or learned anything at all about John Rebus, you know he does not take too well to authority and after being told for the umpteenth time to back off, Rebus remarks to himself, "It's not the underworld you need to worry about, it's the overworld."

I have been reading Rebus right from the start and I find it hard to believe it's all over. Yes, he's retired, but Michael Connelly's brilliant character Detective Hyronamous Bosch retired, came back as a PI and we sure as all get out hope Mr. Rankin finds more for Rebus to do, because we're addicted. This book is as good as all the others and all the others have been great.

Reviewed by Vesta Irene

Ian Rankin
ISBN: 9780316057585
Little Brown and Company, 2008
Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for ReviewYourBook.com, 09/08
4 Stars
Fans will be thrilled with the return John Rebus.
Fans will be thrilled with the return of Detective Inspector John Rebus. Exit Music begins with the Inspector reluctantly preparing for his mandatory retirement. Just as he thinks his desk is clear of cases in comes a new one. Rebus once again teams up with Detective Siobhan Clarke in the investigation of a murdered dissident Russian poet. What at first glance appears to be a mugging, soon shows signs of something much deeper. Another death brings more questions.
Exit Music shows a personal side of Rebus. He dreads retirement while partner Siobhan looks toward a future where she does not work in his shadow. Ian Rankin has open doors in which Rebus may return. Fans of Rankin will rejoice in this new novel. While they will mourn Rebus' purported retirement, they will eagerly turn the pages of Exit Music.

In Ian Rankin's "Exit Music," Detective Inspector John Rebus is ten days away from retirement, a prospect that appeals to him as much as root canal. His superiors eagerly await the departure of this maverick, with "his mistrust of teamwork" and his "two-decades-plus of bets hedged, lines crossed, and rules broken." Although John gets results, he rarely does anything by the book, since he has little regard for authority or proper procedure. It is a miracle that this chain-smoking and whiskey-guzzling detective has lived long enough to turn in his warrant card. Rebus's protégée, Detective Sergeant Siobhan (Shiv) Clarke, has mixed feelings about her friend and mentor's departure. She is grateful for everything he has taught her. On the other hand, his unorthodox methods are troubling and she is impatient to get out from under Rebus's imposing shadow.

Their final case together begins as an apparent mugging that results in the death of Alexander Todorov, an émigré Russian poet living in Edinburgh. Todorov was a dissident who was vocal in his criticism, not only of his former government, but also of the new class of Russian oligarchs. He considered these multi-millionaires to be materialistic, corrupt, and greedy--selfish men who spend their ill-gotten gains on fancy clothing, high-end cars, pricey real estate, precious metals, and expensive artwork. Was Todorov bludgeoned to death to silence his scathing criticism of his countrymen? A subsequent murder adds to the mystery, and Clarke is placed in charge of a team with a challenging and time-consuming mission. They must ascertain if the two crimes are related and if so, who was behind them. Rebus is intrigued to learn that his archenemy, a gangster knows as Big Ger Cafferty, may be involved. Before he walks off into the sunset, Rebus would love to bring down this vicious thug who has been a thorn in his side for years.

"Exit Music" is an incredibly complicated and dense police procedural with a large number of characters, suplots, and red herrings. This four hundred page novel, which is sluggishly paced at times, could easily have been trimmed with no loss of coherence. On the other hand, the author gets high marks for depicting police work realistically, demonstrating the tedium of endless conversations with potential witnesses (some of whom lie or omit information), the sifting of every bit of physical evidence, and the search for a key fact that could break a case wide open. He also brings Edinburgh to life and deftly portrays the political and economic changes that may lead, one day, to Scotland's independence from Great Britain. Rebus is a delightful rogue who is content to say and do what he likes now that he is days away from packing it in. Although he is not in charge of the investigation, John blithely goes off on his own to follow his hunches wherever they may lead.

What makes this book memorable is Rankin's stunning epilogue--a tour de force of superb writing and dramatic surprises. The fact that the ending is not neat and tidy makes it a fitting coda for the checkered career of Detective Inspector John Rebus, a man who has always lived on the edge and thumbed his nose at conventional wisdom.

There really was something compelling about Factory when they started. I still have many of the original UK records on vinyl (Joy Division, Section 25, New Order). CDs don't do the designs justice - too small ! They were concieved as RECORD sleeves and worked as art objects that way. I remember my delight at figuring out the color coding on Power, Corrruption and Lies after staring at it for a while.
Has any other label managed to build a design mystique like it (Blue Note perhaps ?). Their output got less interesting and less elaborate later on.
This book is a great nostalgia trip for any original factory fans, and hopefuly conveys the same sense to younger readers. Nice coffee-table book.

Complete catalog of the Factory cover art, posters, etc. Factory perfected the symbiosis between the music and art.

This book is an awesome look back at some of the best artwork and packaging of its time. The footnotes for each "Fac" are interesting and the reproductions of the artwork are showcased nicely. I only wish there were some photos of the packaging, for instance the famous Blue Monday single with the die-cut, it would have been nice to see how it looked. Still, I think this is a great book!

I've always been a huge fan of Factory Records and the designs of Peter Saville so this book was a dream come true. Pictures of all the artwork from Fac 1 onwards, all the New Order, Joy Division, Happy Mondays, Durutti Column - everything you could want.
A wonderful gorgeous book, the pictures are bright and clear, plus history and stories on major aspects of the artwork - highly recommended fro any Factory / New Order / Peter Saville fan.

This is an excellent book for fans of Factory Records. Factory was label that always had beautiful graphic design work. The album covers and poster art were a showcase for the design work of Peter Saville. I highly recommend this thorough book to fans of the label.