Genres Books

writen as well as the music, in depth from early school days to 1989. beutiful pictures not just for a cure fan but for anyone wants to read about interesting people.

This book is the "definitive version" of the first ten years of the band we all know and love, The Cure. It takes us from Robert's early school days to the height of 1986, without leaving anyone behind. By far, the best biography to date, but another is in the works.

Ever since I became a Cure fan I had always wondered if Robert or any of the other band members had a biography, marking the major turning points of their musical careers.... And I guess that my question has been answered ever since I first heard about this crucial book. It lives up to what everyone has said about it, and I just got it yesterday from my friend Ben actually!(Thanks again! You're a sweetie!!)
What can I really say that hasn't been said already? It starts out in the late 70's, the original band members were in the middle of high school and already showing major signs of music excellence. Robert showed obvious signs of his intrest in music around his 10th grade year, and this book clearly highlights his journey to the top. I personally think it's quite intresting to read about their rise to fame and the obstacles they had to encounter along the way. I don't want to give out any spoilers so you all will just have to find out of yourselves the stories in here (oh yeah, there's a hilarious one that concerns Lol and Billy Idol... I almost fell over laughing!!)
This treasure is full of surprises and just about anything else you won't expect to hear. And, lets not forget the oh so needed eye candy!! It's practically exploding with tons of rare, great pictures... Color and black and white. The cute as hell baby pictures are a perfect ending. I especially love the color on the cover. Just because it says it's "paper-back" does not mean that it's not durable or good-looking. First time I saw it I thought it was a hard back because the front is glossy.
The pages are made out of nice quality paper and it's really thick, so you'll have hours to spend reading it. It's a fairly large book as well, I'd say around the size of a good-sized magazine (the width being roughly 8 1/2 in. and the length being 11 in.). This book is generally hard to come across(if not impossible), so I highly urge any Cure fan who is considering on buying this to second-guess no more.
You WILL NOT find any and I mean ANY other Cure book that will be more on the mark than this one. Take it from me and millions of Cure fans alike, this book will easily become one of your most valued possesions. Also, it's important to note that this is the only site on the 'net where I've seen this book for sale (new and used).
I've tried bidding before and no matter what, I was always outbidded by like, 12 other people so just save yourself some time and not to mention money and buy this now! I wish that I would've done that a long time ago. I promise you won't be disappointed in the least!

This book is not just a The Cure fan's book, it just a great book. In depth from cover to cover with every thing from school times to kiss me kiss me kiss me. In a few words: Lovable, interesting, and just wonderful.

I have been a cure fan for as long as I remember and own several cure books, but I must say this is my very favorite, one of the most interesting I have ever read on this band."Ten Imaginary years" takes you on a journey from the very begining of the band (it even mentions how Smith and Tolhurst meet) and ends around the late 1980's when the cure play in Orange, France.
Members of the band talk about their experiences with being in the world of music,their musical inspirations, life on the road, bad managment,fights,bar hopping, drinking binges (hilarious!!!), making of their videos, family life and the very unusual characters and situations they have been in along the way.
This was one of my first cure books , so I absolutely recomend it to the new cure fan and for the old cure fan, its a must have. It has great pictures (including childhood pictures form all members!!), a discography at the end of the book and lots of information about the members I had no idea about. Most important of all this book is extremely humorous.This book is the real thing, it revelas all unapologetically. You will love it!!!!!

Appeared in Sing Out! the Folk Music Magazine, June, 2003 by Rich Warren
Scott Alarik is arguably the finest contemporary journalist covering the folk community. Alarik begins with a succinct, well-reasoned definition of folk in his introduction and moves on. (He considers the word 'folk' to include the contemporary aspect of the music, and prefers using 'traditional' or 'traditional folk music' when describing the older music.) For this book, Alarik has collected more than 300 columns primarily written for the Boston Globe (along with a few written for these pages) over more than a decade; from Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer in September 1991 to The Mammals in August 2002. As a performer himself, Scott brings considerable knowledge to the table, knowing what questions to ask and how to approach his subjects. You'll find conversations with Dar Williams, Pete Seeger, Gordon Bok, Hankus Netsky of the Klezmer Conservatory Band, a good number of Irish artists and even Patricia Monteith, station manager at WUMB. However, unlike some others writing about the community, Scott is objective without an axe to grind or a chip on his shoulder. He handles the descriptive prose and invites the artists to do the talking. While Scott removed dated references, the book does read like a collection of columns, often ending abruptly. As a newspaper writer myself, I know the brick wall of column length limitations. Many times I wished the short pieces were longer with a more graceful flow. One very distracting newspaper style element is putting one quote in each piece in large type, about 10-points larger than the body text. Obviously, the book is Boston oriented, but that should not lessen enjoyment for readers in Omaha or Sacramento. Sadly for researchers, the book is not indexed. The sub-title, Adventures in the Modern Folk Underground, captures the essence of this book. It is rich with nuggets of intelligence and insight. Scott gives us the stories behind the songs, the singers and the music. He covers a multitude of subjects, with many artists turning up in more than one chapter. Even if you never read a word, the scores of Robert Corwin's black and white photos are worth the price of admission. Corwin's lens brings to light whatever soul Alarik might miss with words. While some interest in the folk community is likely a prerequisite to an interest in this book, others would do well to understand that, in a broader sense, the folk community is a microcosm of the larger music community. There's a lot to learn here. If someone approached me wanting to know more about this music that I love so dearly, I would buy that friend a copy of Deep Community.

Author, songwriter, and folksinger Scott Alarik is fully qualified to document the current U.S. Folk Scene. His new book, Deep Community: Adventures in the Modern Folk Underground (2003), is comprised of articles he has written between 1990 and 2002 for the Boston Globe newspaper and Sing Out! The Folk Music Magazine. Black & white photographs by the noted music photographer, Robert Corwin, add immediacy and drama. Published by Ellis Paul manager Ralph Jaccodine's Black Wolf Press, Deep Community is comprehensive in scope, detailed in its appraisal, and accurately researched. There are illuminating interviews and articles here about older generation performers, musicians of every stripe, from traditional to pop, including Celtic, Klezmer, bluegrass, old timey, new acoustic, cowboy, blues, and songwriters, some Music Industry acts as well as grass roots & DYI performers, the New England dance community, managers, agents, record producers & labels, coffeehouses & commercial venues, festivals, concert promoters, folk radio, folk arts & educational organizations, and, of course, today's hottest young stars, all presented up-close & personal. Mr. Alarik writes from a valuable three-pronged perspective: his Boston Globe pieces are tailored for broad readership, his Sing Out! articles for a targeted folk music audience, and all are informed by his many years as a professional folk performer. Throughout the book, his extensive knowledge of folk music, its values, and its value to the culture is obvious. Mr. Alarik writes with insight, humor, curiosity, and profound respect for his subject. This is a fascinating, intelligent, and imminently readable book presenting ideas & perspectives that resonate far beyond the boundaries of the folk world. My only complaint is the lack of an index.

Appeared in Sing Out! the Folk Music Magazine, June, 2003 by Rich Warren
Scott Alarik is arguably the finest contemporary journalist covering the folk community. Alarik begins with a succinct, well-reasoned definition of folk in his introduction and moves on. (He considers the word 'folk' to include the contemporary aspect of the music, and prefers using 'traditional' or 'traditional folk music' when describing the older music.) For this book, Alarik has collected more than 300 columns primarily written for the Boston Globe (along with a few written for these pages) over more than a decade; from Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer in September 1991 to The Mammals in August 2002. As a performer himself, Scott brings considerable knowledge to the table, knowing what questions to ask and how to approach his subjects. You'll find conversations with Dar Williams, Pete Seeger, Gordon Bok, Hankus Netsky of the Klezmer Conservatory Band, a good number of Irish artists and even Patricia Monteith, station manager at WUMB. However, unlike some others writing about the community, Scott is objective without an axe to grind or a chip on his shoulder. He handles the descriptive prose and invites the artists to do the talking. While Scott removed dated references, the book does read like a collection of columns, often ending abruptly. As a newspaper writer myself, I know the brick wall of column length limitations. Many times I wished the short pieces were longer with a more graceful flow. One very distracting newspaper style element is putting one quote in each piece in large type, about 10-points larger than the body text. Obviously, the book is Boston oriented, but that should not lessen enjoyment for readers in Omaha or Sacramento. Sadly for researchers, the book is not indexed. The sub-title, Adventures in the Modern Folk Underground, captures the essence of this book. It is rich with nuggets of intelligence and insight. Scott gives us the stories behind the songs, the singers and the music. He covers a multitude of subjects, with many artists turning up in more than one chapter. Even if you never read a word, the scores of Robert Corwin's black and white photos are worth the price of admission. Corwin's lens brings to light whatever soul Alarik might miss with words. While some interest in the folk community is likely a prerequisite to an interest in this book, others would do well to understand that, in a broader sense, the folk community is a microcosm of the larger music community. There's a lot to learn here. If someone approached me wanting to know more about this music that I love so dearly, I would buy that friend a copy of Deep Community.

Library Journal
Alarik, folk writer for the Boston Globe and music critic for National Public Radio's Here and Now program, has compiled nearly 125 of his brief articles to capture the spirit and substance of folk music at the turn of the 20th century. Initially published in Sing Out!, the Boston Globe, and Folk Music Magazine, these sketches portray a wide range of folkies, including the well known (e.g., Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, Judy Collins, and Emmylou Harris), the seasoned veterans (e.g., Utah Phillips and Ronnie Gilbert), the up-and-comers (e.g., Bill Morrissey, Dar Williams, Greg Brown, and Chris Smither), the relatively obscure (e.g., Jerry O'Sullivan, Natalie MacMaster, and Aine Minogue), and important folk entrepreneurs (e.g., Chris Strachwitz and Ralph Jaccodine). Though focusing on singer-songwriters and the sounds of his home base of Boston, the author defines the folk genre to cover a broad expanse of musical styles, including Celtic music, bluegrass, country dance, acoustic blues, the women's music movement, and the Latin revival. He emphasizes such themes as the crippling effects of the fickle music business, the potential of the Internet for folk, the importance of tradition, the definition of folk music, gender in folk, and the sense of community engendered by folk artists. Fascinating, informative, well written, and enhanced by Corwin's photos, this book offers an essential primer to the continuing folk revival that first blossomed during the 1980s. Highly recommended to anyone remotely interested in American music, folk, and the music industry.-Dave Szatmary, Univ. of Washington, Seattle Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

CORRECTED REVEIW:

DEEP COMMUNITY by Scott Alarik
July 15, 2003

Reviewer: Susan E. Naiman-Pascar (see more about me) from Lynn, MA United States
"Deep Community," authored by Scott Alarik, is an incredibly insightful, exquisitely written and well put-together book, a patchwork quilt woven of stories and reviews about the modern folk genre and the music that comes out of a music community segregated (Thank goodness!) from the mainstream of the pop music culture. It has always been so, and as most mainstream music trends have been born and died, folkmusic stays ever-bouyant and followed by its loyal fans. It has evolved to include ancient, traditional, topical, blues, and merging new styles of music such as "Afro-Celtic." "Deep Community" is a DEEP examination and look inside the hearts and minds of the artists, songwriters, singers and musicians who create this music and perform it.
I have been a "folkie" since I attended my first Newport Folk Festival in the summer of 1963, entered art school in Boston that same September and Harvard Square became my "hangout." I became a member of Club 47 on Palmer Street just outside the Square and was a regular attendee every Friday and Saturday night until the club closed its doors in October of 1968. The club opened again a few years later, has changed hands several times and is presently a strong and ongoing folk establishment now known as Club Passim.
Once again I am proud to be a member and recently attended a book release and music night the club hosted for Scott's book. Present were Ellis Paul, Vance Gilbert, Robbie O'Connell, Catie Curtis, Aoife O'Donovan and Aine Minogue. To start off the evening, and between the two sets by all of the performers, Scott read exerpts about each one from his book. It has to be one of the best evenings of folkmusic I've ever attended.
Like that evening, "Deep Community" is a collection of reviews I've been reading for many years from Scott's career as Boston Globe's folk critic. The artists run the genres from Pete Seeger, Tom Rush, Judy Collins, Bill Morrissey, Joan Baez and Utah Phillips to newer and younger artists such as Ellis Paul, Vance Gilbert, Dar Williams, John Gorka, Eddie from Ohio, Christine Lavin, Richard Shindell, Patty Larkin, Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer, just to name a few.
Aside from Scott's individual, truthful, creative and unrepetitious reviews, the artists' thoughts and feelings about their reasons for being folk performers, their love of the music, and their dedication to preserving and keeping folkmusic alive are interspersed throughout the book. The book is written from Scott's own experience as a folk performer and his perspective as a gifted writer. I don't want to say too many specifics or make too many references because I want you to buy the book, read it for yourself, and see why it should be an important and integral part of your folk library.
Along with Paul Stookey's and Geoff Bartley's reviews, and artists I've personally had the good fortune with whom to discuss Scott's book, I feel there isn't enough to be said about what a folk masterpiece and fitting tribute "Deep Community" is to a medium I hold passionately to my heart and to the man who wrote it. Thank you, Scott!!!

PS.....By the way, Scott is also a talented and diversified singer/songwriter and musician in his own right. If you have a chance and he's playing in your area, be sure to catch his show. Though he often performs on his own, he also has a wonderful and unselfish habit of doing shows that showcase and expose to us folk fans several new and gifted performers on stage within one evening's entertainment.

Hardy has written a meticulous and incisive book on TVZ that is sure to please TVZ fans. I have not read John Kruth's bio on TVZ so I cannot compare the two. Nevertheless, I was quite pleased with the ethos of this bio and am sure other TVZ fans will appreciate it in kind. Despite Hardy's obvious awe of Townes, "A Deeper Blue" does not come off unctuous. It never approaches hagiography, and comes fairly close to being quite objective. Moreover, the narrative methodically unravels, yet is consistently interesting. It is well-written and overall, offers a thorough and compelling portrait of TVZ. I'm glad I bought it.

Townes Van Zandt was a cult musician with a lot of demons like mental illness and alcoholism and drug abuse. It's all catalogued here for those who care. He left a lot of recordings, but never quite achieved the kind of fame he may have deserved. I'm not sure how thoroughly this book was researched, because I know of at least one manager of Van Zandt's who is not even mentioned. Still, it's unlikely that anything better will be done for a long time.

If I had 10 or more years to do the research Hardy has done (and I could write) I would not have done better myself. I could not detect one false note or major factual error in the covering of Townes 52 years. This book is a joy to read and gives a very close account and filling in of many "missing years" that had never been shared before now. The album and song reviews are well done, and the adherence to chronology is most rewarding. Highest recommendation.

Hardy's long-awaited biography of Townes Van Zandt pretty much gets everything right. This is an excellent work. Hardy's treatment of Van Zandt's life is appropriately thorough, but it isn't at all tedious. I know that this book was exhaustively researched (and in the interest of disclosure I should say that I contributed some research). It is also clearly a labor of love - Hardy is a fan - but he has not succumbed to the tendencies of so many biographers to gush or to simply list everything he learned over the years about his subject's life.
What Hardy says about Van Zandt's song "Waitin' Around To Die" is also true about this book: The archetypical story is well-told. To the extent that Van Zandt's story is a sad one, this book, "bears the weight of its seriousness almost effortlessly. . . it is handled so deftly that there is no sense of it being maudlin." But the details of Van Zandt's drinking and drug use are not glossed over or glamorized. Hardy is objective; he doesn't vilify anyone, and he lets the narrative speak for itself.
This book is well-written, well-organized, insightful and quite moving too. It's the one to read if you're seriously interested in Townes Van Zandt. And you should be.

This is an excellent biography. Townes' story is assuredly a sad one but he left a legacy of unparalleled songs. I actually put off finishing the book for almost a month just because I didn't want to read the end...I already knew what happened but it didn't make reading a detailed account of his last days any easier.

I've also read the other biography out there, To Live's To Fly, and there's simply no comparison. TLTF was largely anecdotal and the author broke a key rule of biography writing by attempting to project his own importance into the story; Hardy has simply done an exhaustive amount of research and cites all of his sources. He presents the story and then steps aside, so this is the one to go with if you want a more factual recounting of Townes' life. 100% worth the price and read if you're a fan, and if you aren't it just might convert you.

Divine Right's trip is an excellent novel about a small-town kid turned hippy who leaves town in his VW bus to discover the world. It is an accurate fictional portrayal of Kentucky and Appalachian life, and contains several take home lines-- my favorites being clever lines of rage against big coal.

Divine Right finds himself lost but is determined to find himself- which he eventually does. A great novel for those of us who know that there is always more to life than we have yet seen.

This novel also introduced me to one of Gurney Norman's other works, Kinfolks. It's also a great read.

Divine Right Davenport, David Ray Collier, or D.R. for short lead the way for me to peer through his eyes and feel every emotion that forced its way through his soul continuing through mine. Gurney Norman is an author to be envied and one that I am sure to never forget. After finishing the book and digesting the information brought forth in the Afterword, I have an increased invaluable respect for Norman; I felt connected to him and his family, his friends, and his coworkers. This is a must-read for the soul. To silence your dragon within and find your Estelle. How beautiful and perfect her soul was. To travel the open road with Urge and his wonderfully tattooed skin. But most of all, to be hippy, I mean to be happy. OM MANI PADME HUM - David Moya, www.BlueprintPublishing.com

I originally read this novel as "serialized" in the Whole Earth Catalog. They put each short chapter, sometimes only a few paragraphs, in a narrow column on every-other page of the catalog. I'll bet I've read this book four times.

Divine Right's Trip is so intensely, so honestly human that it hurts. Stick out your thumb and hitch a ride with hippie Divine Right and his girlfriend, Estelle as they bump along in Urge, D.R.'s psychedelically-painted VW bus.

To read this book is to trip. For those of you who haven't tripped, the sensation was summed up well by the very friend who bought me that Whole Earth Catalog 'way back then. He admits to "dropping acid" back in the late 60's. He told me once that tripping is like sneaking into the circus by crawling under the tent: Sometimes you get the clowns, sometimes you get the lions.

And that reminds me of something Divine Right read, written on a bathroom wall somewhere along his trip: (paraphrasing) "There are nights when the wolves are silent and the moon is howling."

Just read the book.

--LW

This is a classic piece of American history. For those of us who were fortunate to live in the 60's, it will make you cry and it will make you laugh out loud. For younger readers, take a trip with Gurney back to a time when everything of the fertile mind was possible and "far-out". My favorite character: "The Lone Outdoorsman". Enjoy the ride and arrive alive!

Anyone who wants to know how to overcome the trappings of this shallow materialistic world and become a free and uplifted person, look no further. Divine Right is the most honest, soulful, lovable character that I have ever encountered in literature, and his struggles with family and identity should hit home with anyone who has ever had to rethink their view of self. I read this book once and had to read it again and again and again...I am a better person for it. Norman's descriptions of Kentucky are so perfect, and anyone who's never met the Greek in one form or another should definitely get ahold of this book ASAP!

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.

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.

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!

I bought this book in London and I couldn't put it down! I was exciting reading about places that I was visiting with wonderfully descriptive scenes. There were many nights of reading until the wee hours of the morning.

Sean Bryant
St. Louis

Gray's gifts as a dramatist are in evidence throughout this fine novel. The dialouge and period detail are marvelous. Strange that this ambitiuous entertainment didn't get the reviews lavished on Mr. Timothy which was fine but not as well-written.

This book I would recommend without doubt and is a very enjoyable read. The description of 19th century London and the characters are accurate and interesting.

With no small amount of national pride, I'm thrilled to report that mere superlatives somehow seem insufficient to convey Gray's debut success with The Fiend in Human.

Edmund Whitty is a profligate, dissolute freelance journalist who has succumbed to every known Victorian vice save womanizing - snuff, cigarettes, gin, opium, laudanum, and Acker's Chlorodine (a potent mixture of opium, marijuana and cocaine in alcohol!) Despite having achieved a measure of journalistic fame and public notoriety by assigning the moniker "Chokee Bill" to William Ryan, currently awaiting execution for the strangulation and grisly mutilation of five ladies of questionable virtue, Whitty struggles with an ongoing desperate need to produce the income required to stave off gambling debtors who won't hesitate to use a physical beating to persuade payment. In the course of searching out new "crisp copy", lurid sensational pieces he can submit to his tight-fisted editor, he meets the impoverished Henry Owler, a "patterer" who wishes to render Ryan's last confession before his hanging into "true crime" verse. But Ryan (not unlike other convicted criminals, of course) protests he is innocent and circumstances begin to persuade Owler and Whitty that Ryan is indeed telling the truth. The signature white scarf killings have continued, swept under the carpet and hushed up by one and all - the police, the merchants, the petty criminals and even the poverty stricken residents of the local neighbourhood! Whitty in a desperate bid to achieve real fame in a fading, limpid journalistic career and financial freedom from the debtors who are relentlessly hounding him, decides to stake all on proving Ryan's innocence.

Gray has masterfully married the ascerbically witty, comic and always flowery Dickensian dialogue with Anne Perry's superb, elegant atmospheric descriptions of Victorian London life and then improved both by taking a step down into a much grittier, earthier representation of real characters living real lives. Two gentlemen Oxford swells pass wastrel days around gaming, sex and booze. The pain and wretched difficulties of daily life in a London slum are portrayed in exquisite, graphic detail that might warrant a warning to sensitive viewers were the medium television instead of a novel. Older female chaperones, quaintly termed "confidential friends", are employed to protect the nominal virtue of young ladies of marriageable age. The surviving local champion bare-knuckles boxer is portrayed as a friendly publican quite capable of acting as his own bouncer. Steet walkers and hookers are picked up by "gentleman" johns with a ritualized stylized dialogue and negotiation that, by today's standards, is absolutely hilarious.

You'll be treated, for example, to Gray's wonderful Dickensian variation on a simple theme that you and I would have written as simply "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder":

"For in truth there exists no young female (charwoman or countess, schoolgirl or flower-seller) in London who does not exist in some male mind as a tantalizing fantasy, in whose honour some schoolboy does not regularly engage in self-abuse - fantasy which, when he becomes an old boy, he will seek to make real. Hence, the relation between the brothel and the theatre: success in both depends upon one's observation of the world, of the human mind, as well as one's own outward identity in the calligraphy of sex."

The whodunit succeeds admirably with a couple of superb twists reserved until the final pages. In fact, the final twist, a brilliant piece of mis-direction by Gray, is held in reserve until the very last paragraph! On a somewhat deeper level, Gray manages, like Dickens, to also make probing critical comment on a number of issues without disrupting the flow of the story in the slightest. For example, his criticism of the ethics of journalists and the vested interest they have in creating news where none necessarily exists is quite apparent.

What a find! The Fiend in Human qualifies as perhaps the finest, most enjoyable read I've had the good luck to encounter over the last few years!

Paul Weiss

With no small amount of national pride, I'm thrilled to report that mere superlatives somehow seem insufficient to convey Gray's debut success with The Fiend in Human.

Edmund Whitty is a profligate, dissolute freelance journalist who has succumbed to every known Victorian vice save womanizing - snuff, cigarettes, gin, opium, laudanum, and Acker's Chlorodine (a potent mixture of opium, marijuana and cocaine in alcohol!) Despite having achieved a measure of journalistic fame and public notoriety by assigning the moniker "Chokee Bill" to William Ryan, currently awaiting execution for the strangulation and grisly mutilation of five ladies of questionable virtue, Whitty struggles with an ongoing desperate need to produce the income required to stave off gambling debtors who won't hesitate to use a physical beating to persuade payment. In the course of searching out new "crisp copy", lurid sensational pieces he can submit to his tight-fisted editor, he meets the impoverished Henry Owler, a "patterer" who wishes to render Ryan's last confession before his hanging into "true crime" verse. But Ryan (not unlike other convicted criminals, of course) protests he is innocent and circumstances begin to persuade Owler and Whitty that Ryan is indeed telling the truth. The signature white scarf killings have continued, swept under the carpet and hushed up by one and all - the police, the merchants, the petty criminals and even the poverty stricken residents of the local neighbourhood! Whitty in a desperate bid to achieve real fame in a fading, limpid journalistic career and financial freedom from the debtors who are relentlessly hounding him, decides to stake all on proving Ryan's innocence.

Gray has masterfully married the ascerbically witty, comic and always flowery Dickensian dialogue with Anne Perry's superb, elegant atmospheric descriptions of Victorian London life and then improved both by taking a step down into a much grittier, earthier representation of real characters living real lives. Two gentlemen Oxford swells pass wastrel days around gaming, sex and booze. The pain and wretched difficulties of daily life in a London slum are portrayed in exquisite, graphic detail that might warrant a warning to sensitive viewers were the medium television instead of a novel. Older female chaperones, quaintly termed "confidential friends", are employed to protect the nominal virtue of young ladies of marriageable age. The surviving local champion bare-knuckles boxer is portrayed as a friendly publican quite capable of acting as his own bouncer. Steet walkers and hookers are picked up by "gentleman" johns with a ritualized stylized dialogue and negotiation that, by today's standards, is absolutely hilarious.

You'll be treated, for example, to Gray's wonderful Dickensian variation on a simple theme that you and I would have written as simply "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder":

"For in truth there exists no young female (charwoman or countess, schoolgirl or flower-seller) in London who does not exist in some male mind as a tantalizing fantasy, in whose honour some schoolboy does not regularly engage in self-abuse - fantasy which, when he becomes an old boy, he will seek to make real. Hence, the relation between the brothel and the theatre: success in both depends upon one's observation of the world, of the human mind, as well as one's own outward identity in the calligraphy of sex."

The whodunit succeeds admirably with a couple of superb twists reserved until the final pages. In fact, the final twist, a brilliant piece of mis-direction by Gray, is held in reserve until the very last paragraph! On a somewhat deeper level, Gray manages, like Dickens, to also make probing critical comment on a number of issues without disrupting the flow of the story in the slightest. For example, his criticism of the ethics of journalists and the vested interest they have in creating news where none necessarily exists is quite apparent.

What a find! The Fiend in Human qualifies as perhaps the finest, most enjoyable read I've had the good luck to encounter over the last few years!

If you are a Spice Girls fan then you will absolutely love this book. Its pretty much a book full of behind the scene photos with a section of quotes and little stories from the girls. It is definitely a must have for any Spice Girl's collection.

This Spice Girls book is an absolute blast!! It has about 90 pages of photos and 24 pages with text. When you first look at the book, it looks like there isn't a lot of written words, but there actually is. They crammed a lot in those 24 pages. All the pictures are a marvel to look at, becuse a lot haven't ever been released before. The Girls of Spice did an amazing job putting this book together, because the ords and pictures are straight from their heart. They decided what was going into the book. In the text, they talk about the tour, Geri leacing, boyfriends, home life, and a lot more! If you live for Spice, you need to get this book. Out of all the official Spice books, I think this is second best, with their first one, Girl Power, in the lead. This book is highly reccomended, I got it last Thursday and am still marveling over every page!!

The Spice Girls Book, Forever Spice, Is The BEST Book I Have Ever Bought. It Has Great New Pictures Of All Four Spice Girls. This Book Is DEFINITLY Worth Buying.

i have one of these at home and i must say that the spice girls really, really, really worked hard on it. the pictures are nice too. in my opinion, the spice girls really poured out their guts and blood just to make this book so great job girls and GIRL POWER...

This book is a must for Spice Girls fans! Hundreds of awesome Spice Girls pictures and wonderful stories written by the Spice Girls about thier tour, home life,solo efforts, and Geri leaving. Im thier # 1 fan in the world. But I reccomend your order this from amazon.co.uk because Amazon.co.uk got it out to me in one day!

This book was great from the 1st page to the end. I read several parts that I had went through myself. I recommend this book to everyone especially women. I loved the Bible Scriptures, I even opened my Bible and read a few. The author should be very pleased with the impact that this novel will and has had on its readers myself included. I am in the beginning stages of my walk with God but I know it can and will be alright.

I don't write reviews for books, but I found this book to be absolutely fabulous!!! I couldn't put it down. I would definitely recommend it!

This book was okay. It dragged a little at the beginning but it did pick up in the middle/end. Very happy with the ending. Boy did this girl go through a lot. Goes to show even when you lose God, he always finds a way to get you back.

From being raped and molested, Rachael has had one traumatic experience after another. She had to deal with issues like being abandoned by her mother, physical and mental abuse, and never knowing who her dad was. With two failed marriages and a suicide attempt, she comes to a crossroads in life and is unsure of which way to go. Rachael's new found love for the Lord keeps a light burning strong within her. She then realizes that there's a force stronger than she is. Soon she understands that God has great plans for her life. Throughout her constant downfalls, a voice enables Rachael to stay true to God and embattle the storm.

From the Extreme shows the reader that you can repent, be delivered, and be healed from whatever is going on within your life. What I mainly enjoyed about this book was that no matter what obstacles that was put in front of Rachael, she pulled through them and pressed her way through. Author Renea Collins continued to make God an intricate part of the story that was profound. There are scriptures quoted and prayers prayed throughout the different parts of this book. You may try to imagine yourself as Rachael and try to figure out what you would do if you were in these situations. She takes you through all of the issues that the main character goes through and how she depended on no one but God to bring her out of the storm. From The Extreme will make you think about your life in terms of how well of a relationship you have with the Lord.

Reviewed by Jackie
for Urban Reviews

From the extreme is a powerful book that is full of a woman's dramatic life. What I loved about the book is that no matter what the character racheal experieneced she continued to push and press through it. She knew even from the time she was a small girl that God was going to come in her life and change her situtations around. This woman went through all kinds of drama but never, never gave up beleiving that God could change it around. Thats what I have learned from this book is that whether He does or not He; God can change it around... And just seeing where Racheal came from to where she is now is a blessing and a praise that I love to just shout about!!! You go girl! I will purchase your next book too. This is a must read book!