Genres Books

I feel that the book is an excellent manual documenting the brilliant production of CABARET by one of the great theatrical directors of our times. Sam Mendes. It is readible; it's well laid out;includes personal comments and historical facts and notes/interviews; and is an interesting insight into how the show was staged including costume sketches, the conversion of the former NY Studio 54 into a "classy" cabaret, etc. The photographer brings all contents to life and the whole work borders on being a topnotched manual of all theatrical arts.

I just got this book. It is so neat. I couldn't stop reading it. I love Broadway shows, and this book tells so much that I want to know. The pictures in this book are also great! I have yet to see the show but this book almost makes you feel right in the theater. I fyou want a goog Braodway book, this is a VERY good choice!

This book is absolutely delicious. It is filled with gorgeous, glossy photos of the entire beautiful cast, with lots of attention paid to my favorite, Alan Cumming. This book is a must have for any Cabaret fanatic. Even my roommate, who isn't really a fan, couldn't help but read it cover to cover! This book is breathtaking.

I've seen the movie, the revival, and I remember the original production with Joel Grey from my childhood....but nothing ever beats the book! A complete script, with stage directions and brilliantly captured moments of the play; a thick and hearty slice of life backstage at one of Broadway's most fun and intriguing shows-- get it now!

This is the next best thing to seeing Cabaret in studio 54! Pictures of the Roundabout theater production light up this book and tells the story of the revived new musical. This book does not tell the story of the Liza Minelli version, or any of the other Cabaret versions, but of that of the revival. I have seen the new production in person, and can only say that this is the next best thing...and the book even has the whole libretto in it!

I play piano, and I like this music. The piano parts, for the most part, have the melody in them and are very pretty on their own rather than being just an accompaniment. Like someone else said, a spiral-bound version would be easier to keep open, but it's not a big deal for me, especially since I'm just playing it for fun.

Love it! Love it! Love it! Medium difficulty and beautiful songs. All my favorites are there! Highly recommended!

Worth the wait to finally get Celtic Woman in print! Exceptional music for the vocalist who sings in this range.

I am a huge Celtic Woman fan and I absolutely love this songbook. My only complaint, is I wish there were a sequel to it already! The songs are playable and well written and of course, beautiful. For anybody who loves Celtic Woman, this music collection is a must!

As someone who loves owning the sheet music to my favorite songs, I have bought a lot of different songbooks. Most have just been okay - altered melody lines, altered piano lines to be easy for the beginner. This songbook goes way beyond the beginner - not necessarily in difficulty, but because it gives you a sound closer to the original music than I've ever seen in a songbook. I am so glad I bought this!

This is dificult as it was bought as a Christmas gift for my 86 year old mother in law, who is the world's greatest Elvis fan! This was one thing she didn't have. However, after scanning through it, and loving him myself, I would have bought it for myself as well! It's very well done with so many wonderful pictures that seem to make him jump off the pages. A great find of a great man.elvis

I really enjoyed this book. It was fun to read about Christmas at Graceland and how generous Elvis was. What was the most important to me is the photo of Elvis at Christmas, 1976.

Yes this book is truly the best gift anyone can give the Elvis world.
I have to admit that this is the "BEST" Elvis publication to date.
The photos are beautiful, touching, warm, and holiday-oriented and the information is fantastic.

A great package all the way around from cover, to size, to quality. This was money well spent!

Jim Curtin (who I have found to be the top author on Elvis books along with his writer Renata Ginter), is truly top of the line in his publications.

I did notice that Curtin's books lack the fabrications that ALL other Elvis books have. No BS in his books and what a relief!

It is quite nice to sit down and read something nice on Elvis for a change, rather than have to put up with made-up stories and information about his sex life, his drug addictions, his death, his fetishes. God let the man rest in peace.

My request is to have all the publishers publish books ONLY by Jim Curtin and Renata Ginter from now on.

Just imagine, no more bad Elvis book would be ever pushed on the public again! That would be Elvis heaven!

Hey people who know Elvis Presley fans or are you an Elvis Presley fan and don't have this book, buy a copy of the book. In chapter 22, the author Jim Curtin tells the people reading the book that he met Elvis Presley in 1976. This is the first and only Elvis Presley spend Christmas.

And there are aslo pitcures in this book. And one looks pretty funny. It's a Elvis Presley t-shirt from the 90's, and there is a pitcure of an animated Santa Claus tells a person on a phone, "No, No, I said Elves, Send Me Fifty Elves." He has Elvis Presley look alikes but wants elves. (Page 152). I laught at A Very Funny Christmas. Which is on chapter 15. Some of you people might or might not know that Elvis Presley was once poor. And you can read about how he spend his poor Christmases.

I guess you are never to old or young to learn. In 1965, Elvis Presley decide to dress up as Santa Claus and had children on his lap telling him what they want for chirstmas. And when he had bigger children, he tried to get a hold of his laughter, but couldn't and got out of a mall, without people seeing him laugh.

You can aslo read Christmas Quotes by Elvis Presley. Like when he tells that he believed in Santa Claus until he was age 8. He had learn that it was his parents doing the role of Santa Claus. Why do parents use Santa Claus as a excplaimn to children at christmas who brought the presents fr them, and at Easter, when tell it was from the easter bunny, when it really was from them? Isn't that a lie? This is a great book to read whether it's Christmas or not.

I came across this book in a local used book shop.
For some reason this book was not sold outright in the main bookstores.

My first initial reaction to this book, once I flipped through it, was:
too bad: some of the printing is not high quality.
But hey, once I looked through the book and read some of the stories, my second reaction took over:
wow the contents are really nice!
as an Elvis fan, I loved the collectibles and as a result I bought another copy off the net.
one is for my library and the holidays and the other I use as a collectible guide.

This is a GOOD book (a real good one) and its done by someone I really didn't know anything about, nor had I heard of him.
But I did do a check on him, once I liked his book, and he did 6 other books on Elvis.
I will see if this man, who proclaims to be the world's foremost Elvis expert, is the real thing, or another self proclaimer like the "fantastic four" (Lichter, Dowling, Tunzi, Guralnick/Jorgensen)

A hint though: from what I see in this book, this man may actually be the REAL DEAL!
he has quality and intregrity.

I must be an idiot, because this book really spoke to me. I understood it better than all the other books about Zen that I have read, and it helped me understand those other books, too. It answered just about all of my questions about Zen. I don't know if its definitions of Nirvana, Satori, and Kensho are orthodox or not, but they make me happy, and they confirm some of my own previous ideas. Buddha is right here, right now, and we are only waves in an infinite, eternal Ocean. Meanwhile, back to everyday reality. This book shows how Zen can help even a layperson find enlightenment in everyday life, in work, in play, in relationships, in hardship. It is a finger pointing straight at the moon.

This book is not exactly brimming with the intellectual profundity of Suzuki, let's say, but it's a great little book nonetheless. Not really about Zen, this book is entirely about Zen. You don't have to practice Zen to follow along with it, but if you follow along with it you will be practicing Zen, essentially (Zazen is recommended).

This is really a book about simplifying your life, creating order in your environment, adopting an elegant and understated aesthetic, and taking control of the daily chaos that is American culture without becoming General Manager of the universe. In short, it has nothing and everything to do with Mass-Transit Satori. Make sense? No? Good, then you must be getting it.

I love the Idot and Dummies series of books for making complicated subjects easier to understand, and this is no exception. If you hesitate to buy this book because you think it doesn't have meat, you are mistaken. Not only does this ease you into the subject of Zen, it gives you the tools to start using Zen in your life right now. The book contains additional information on recommended books, internet links, etc. If you are new to Zen like me, this is a great place to start. You will not be dissapointed.

I bought this book based on the reviews here and I am so glad I did! This is one of the top 5 spiritual books I've ever read.

I'd describe it as a nuts-and-bolts, non-religious, no-nonsense reference book for the average person to live a more peaceful life. Most books on the topic seem to assume one has the luxury of time, money, etc. to retreat to a mountain hut dressed in robes. This book offers information on how a REAL person--with a job, family stress, and all that accompanies the typical American life--can achieve more inner peace.

In particular, I have to mention that it gave the ONLY truly useful discussion and advice on meditation I've ever found (and I've searched for answers on this for years); this has allowed me to actually understand meditation and start integrating it into my life. I never thought I'd be able to.

GREAT BOOK.

There you have it, the essence of Zen. You, right here, right now. Reading this review with your full attention. Mindfully.
How simple and great is this? No complicated formulas or history to learn. No need to buy anything (besides this book). No mistakes to be made. You just start living Zen.

Right here. Right now.

The authors of this deceptively simple guide make it easy to grasp this concept, and answer all your questions about how to quickly and easily focus on the present moment (which seems easier said than done for many).

If you've ever longed for peace, calm, and a positive way to live your life, you may find it in the practice of Zen. And what a relief to learn in this guide that you can start right away.

Right here. Right now.

Very accesible book & good introduction not only to Duke Ellington but the world of Jazz. I suppose an author is limited by the number of pages how in depth one can get but still I expected a more critical examination of the contradiction of Ellington's public persona w/ his spirituality and how he reconciled these contradictions. That said, I still found Steed's argument convincing, especially his leading up to his sacred music. This is especially a good book for the new initiate to Duke Ellington.

The author's knowledge of Duke Ellington, and descriptions of his compositions is impressive. After studying Ellington's life and compositions through this book more closely, in his music, even when it is not overtly religious, one can quickly see that Ellington did indeed work out his spirituality through his music, as this author so convincingly argues. Of especial interest is the author's conception of spirituality and her deep artistry of both genuinely recognizing Ellington's and making that connection with his music, and how both shaped and influenced his life. This is not a scholarly tome, but rather a wonderfully quick, short read. As one of many old Ellington fans, my guess is that Duke Ellington would have smiled brightly and given his big stamp of approval to this book.

I just got finished listening to the new CDs of Duke Ellington's Sacred Music, picked up at Borders. Wow! While I was listening to this great stuff I was reading this book. And Wow! again. If you want the nitty, gritty, the lowdown, or dope so to speak, on the Duke you'll have to go somewhere else. Miss Steed does give you the whole story but her emphasis is on his work, his artistry, and his legend--what the Good Man left us with--and his Sacred Music, which he said, was not his best work, but his most important work. And it was real, man, this is what I was looking for, someone who really had something new to say about The Man, and knew what they were talking about! Buy this book and get to know the Duke and the man behind the legend.

I just recently joined a book discussion group and last night, during my first meeting we were discussing Janna Tull Steed's new book "Duke Ellington: A Spiritual Biography." In just 192 pages Steed traces Ellington's development from a piano player to bandleader to composer and his truly thrilling and sublime sacred concerts in the last decade of his life. Steed also discusses in depth Ellington's ability to write for the individual voice, or band member, which seems to be, at least partly, what made and marks him as such an extraordinary and perhaps greatest American composer--that and his overwelming dedication to his music and a relentless ability to constantly break new ground.

Steed's grasp of Ellington and his music, particularly Ellington as a composer is tops. She draws on the enormous archives at the Smithsonian Institution but also on extensive firsthand interviews with scores of people who were intimately familiar with Duke Ellington and his music, and especially his development of his sacred music and concerts. It is in the area of the sacred concerts that Steed breaks new ground but also her focus of Ellinton as composer, as well as his oft forgotten important work in Hollywood. Her outstanding achievment is that she accomplished this in 192 pages. Steed covers the entire scope of Ellington's remarkable life and career and her insights are very welcome and as engaging as they are informative.

I picked this book up after reading Joan of Arc in this Lives and Legacies Series. This new book delivers everything it promises. I'm a real biography nut with an interest in a very broad range of subjects (and that's just what this series delivers) but have little time to immerse myself in a 500 or 700 page reading. So it's great to be able to pick up these short biographies, get a great read, and then decide if I want to explore a subject in further depth. But I can tell you with both these books, short as they are (192 pages), they are still very in-depth, scholarly and but still accessible to the popular audience. Duke Ellington was a particular pleasure as I knew nothing about his Sacred music and Concerts, nor have I run across anything that examines so fully the films that him and his orchestra were featured in, and which by the way Ellington had a significant role in developing. Author Janna Steed offers up a terrific little gem with this new book on Duke Ellington.

I am a big fan of the Doors, and Jim Morrison (went to his grave in Pere La Chaise twice) and I had long been looking for a coffee table book on Jim that was both interesting to look at and a fine read, too. This pop-up book has pockets and slides of letters, photos and mementos so well reproduced they look like originals; it's a must-have for anyone who loves arts and crafts and The Doors! Enjoy it!!

I am a devoted Jim Morrison/Doors fan but wasn't aware of this book until my nephew mentioned it to me while we were at a Ozzie/Rob Zombie concert. I promised to give it to him for his birthday. I bought it from Amazon and before I wrapped it I spent at least two hours going through it. This is the most well-conceived, cohesive, unbelievably put-together book I have ever seen. I could not stop going through it and taking all the papers out of their pockets and reading Jim Morrison's letters to his mother, report cards, letters to Jim from his pastor, teachers, etc. Every insert looks like the original document. I cannot say enough good things about this book. I gushed over it so much I hope my kids get the hint and give it to me for Mother's Day!

Excellent collector's edition book for any Jim Morrison/The Doors fan. Full of never before published pictures, handwritten lyrics and letters by Jim Morrison. A must buy for any Doors fan.

My husband loved this book and all it has to offer. This is for a true fan of The Doors and collectors.

The Jim Morrison Scrapbook *****

With the abundance of material that has been released and re-released and alternately released from the Jim Morrison estate in the past decade very little of it has been any good. It is mostly things that had already been released on one thing or another deeming it pointless to own, but not The Jim Morrison Scrapbook. Oh-no! This is phenomenal and a must have for Doors-geeks like myself. This shows sides of Morrison rarely or never shown.

Chronicling the genius from birth, poet, songwriter, lover, performer, and death. This is a book explaining all of those things about the man, but with actually tangible documents like his will, report cards, letters, his handwritten lyrics, rare seen photos; some of which have never been released to the mass public.

The Jim Morrison Scrapbook is the first in a series of "scrapbooks" being released of famous legends. As of right now a Bob Dylan, and John Lennon version is also available. This is essential for all rock fans! A must read!

Sad, but not hopeless, biographical account of a young musician stricken with a horrifying illness. Heartfelt & honest without being overly sentimental. Written in a captivating & sometimes humorous tone, not witholding any details. I have been reading this as a physician, and will recommend the book to any young patients I have with grave illnesses.

I purchase this book many years ago simply because I was a big ebtg fan. I casually knew what he had been thorugh and felt terrible for him, but was going through the process of losing and then grieving for a loved one.
When I read the book, it offered me a perspective on what life may have been like for my loved one as he suffered illness. What a wonderful gift Ben Watt has given. He writes without self-pity, in his lyrical style without being flowery or glossing over the ugliness of illness. I am so glad that he survived for selfish reasons-the music he (&Tracey) has(have) produced (before and after the illness) has been a diverse gift to the world.
And I am so greatful that he wrote this book. Experiencing the death of a loved one through being a spectator to horrible illness, was, in a strange way one of life's best gifts to me. No I didn't learn to be greatful for my health and all that crap-I learned that true joy comes from giving to another and expecting nothing in return. Ben Watt's Patient, gave me an extra perspective on that experience, and sometimes helps me to remember the life-lesson from it all.
In summation, read Patient for more of Watt's lyrical writing, read it to find a surprisingly good story with plot twists and turns, read it to learn what severe illness truly is. Fascinating. A gift-thank you.

I'd been a fan of EBTG for quite awhile before this book came out. Their soothing music has always been a favorite so I was really interested to see what this book was all about.

It turned out to be a very disturbing account of Ben Watt's freak-show illness, blow by blow. His commentary is riveting and one gets the feeling that he does not feel sorry for himself in the least, but instead follows his own story as if he is an observer who also happens to be its main character.

I was heartened to read toward the end of the book Watt's own musings on what may have brought all his health problems about. Though he left it vague, his illness seems to be among those new "diseases of civilization" caused by many factors in our surroundings that lead to hard-to-define ailments where environmental toxicity and the overuse of pharmaceutical medicines are certainly not to be discounted.

In any case it seems that his passion for music transcended all, and was at least in part a contributor to his recovery. Most of all he deserves a thanks for telling his story, unadulterated. For sure it has made this reader not feel so isolated.

The fact that Watt's story lacks a significant plot (outside of the onset, diagnosis, and treatment of his rare condition) is largely forgivable. For those of us who know Watt primarily as a musician/songwriter, the somewhat static storyline here is acceptable. All that's missing from "Patient" is Everything But The Girl's enlightening bed of music to be heard under Ben's delicately articulated prose. Typical of many great songs, Watt occasionally blurs the line between the first- and third-person narration, and "Patient" is better off for it. Perhaps even better than the great writing, though, is the genuine and intimate portal into the lives of Ben and Tracey rarely afforded to EBTG fans. It's a relatively short read, but each page gives plenty to be absorbed as the result of Ben's crafty alliteration and his uncensored, yet careful, approach to the fog of medical lexicon. Not for the weak of heart--or stomach--Watt's book exacts distinct feelings of sobriety and contemplation...with an ending portrait that expertly convey's his trademark understated hope.

I'll admit I picked this up mostly out of curiosity as a longtime fan of Everything But the Girl. What kept me reading, however, was Ben Watt's skill as a writer. His story is gripping and harrowing, but told with a dry wit and wonderful observations. This book is not just about one man coming to terms with serious illness, but how that experience affected his relationships with his loved ones and his view of himself. This would be a great book for anyone in the health care field to read; it gives you a sense of the patient as a full human being, not just a "problem" to be fixed. Ben Watt's writing skills are as strong as his ample skills as a musician/songwriter. This book has my highest recommendation.

I always like the way Scott Garrigus presents his information and how he covers what Sonar missed and this book is no exception. I keep it close by when working in Sonar and even thumb through it when sitting in the living room. Excellent buy!

This is the second book of Scott's I've used to help get familiar with Sonar. Scott's approach to the subject is laid out in a clear and concise manner. I've found this book to be indispensable in learning the ins and outs of my DAW, and my recordings have improved a great deal in the process. Thanks, Scott!

Classify me as expert in PC's but complete beginner in PC audio/MIDI recording. I got Sonar 6 Home figuring I could learn it myself. No way. Too tedious and just not fun. So I got this book. Learning Sonar became enjoyable. Great book, well-written. Sonar is confusing to the beginner because there are so many different ways to do the same thing. This book is thorough and explains each of the different ways, so you get the confidence that you are not missing anything.

This product is simply great. It goes over everything you need to know about in Sonar 6 and isn't as boring of a read as I thought. To my surprise, it was very interesting to read and taught me so much about the DAW. I recommend this to anyone and everyone using Sonar 6.

This is the manual that should have come with the software.
I would definitely recommend this for any Sonar 6 user.

This was a good read. All of the stories were interesting but 4 some reason I could not get into Mr. Carter's story. Ms. Ervin's story is continued in the book Torn and I strongly urge U 2 pick it up, it gets alot better. Ms. Santiago's story is also continued in her book yet 2 be released, Allure of the Game. This was my first time reading Mr. Sullivan's work but I was extremely pleased. The book is very well written and a nice quick read.

All I have to say is that every last one of these stories were Hot,The authors did a great job and kept me on the edge of my seat!This anthology is a must read and worth your $ !!!!

TCP has garnered some of the hottest authors for an ingenious compilation of urban lit that will certainly earn well deserved accolades as an Urban Lit classic. This outstanding piece of literature is filled to the brim with brilliant hood tales.

Danielle Santiago's original and realistic gangsta tale of a female dominating the drug game but with the notoriety comes dangerous circumstances that bear life threatening consequences for family members. Once again, she artistic ally verbalizes a tale that draws you in from beginning to the end leaving you yearning for more!

Then Keisha Ervin writes `another sad love song' making us crazy as Mo and Quan fight a never-ending battle of love. Quentin Carter gives us an introduction to the life of a snitch. While T. Styles' shows us that the nice girl next door may have a few tricks up her sleeve. As Leo Sullivan finally closes shop with "B-More Love" as a fearless thug named Jamal, goes to battle for the love of a damsel in distress and her family's well-being.

This was a first class stunner that I fantastically assembled! It has it all beginning with love, be it young love, old love, familial love, honor and loyalty, "Street Love" has captured the essence of it all! If I have to voice one flaw, it would be the length of the stories...but this is an anthology of short stories! Excellente!!! Major and numerous kudo's!

STREET LOVE, an anthology by Triple Crown Publications contains
five dramatic, explosive short stories.

Keisha Ervin brings the heat with Mo and Quan in After the Storm. Mo
and Quan have been together for eight years. Even though the magic
has left the relationship, neither wants to be the first to say
goodbye. All of their respective secrets are about to be revealed
and this time, their relationship may crumble from the aftershocks.

The Game by Danielle Santiago is the story of Butta. He has fallen
in love with Arnessa, a drug dealer who enters the game to take care
of her younger sister. Arnessa catches unwanted attention from
rival, Suef and is focused on eliminating him. Will The Game catch
up with her when her little sister gets caught up?

Quentin Carter's contribution to STREET LOVE is The Fink, a story
about the trials and tribulations of being a snitch. After spilling
the beans on his best friend and business partner for a reduced
sentence, will Phelix be able to stay alive long enough to enjoy the
fruits of his labor?

Cold as Ice by T. Styles gives readers a glance into the life of
Pepper Thomas. Pepper is a young girl frustrated by the lack of
funds in her household, but a golden opportunity falls into her lap
after her criminal neighbors are robbed. Does Pepper have the heart
to go through with her plans?

Leo Sullivan provides STREET LOVE with B.more Love, the love story of
Ashley and Jamal. Ashley is a straight A student with no desire to
be with a baller and Jamal is a stick up kid. Drawn together by a
series of tragic events, will their newfound love last?

STREET LOVE is a complete anthology of some of urban fiction's
hottest authors. Each story is a love story with a twist on the
timeless themes of love, loyalty and honesty. All of the stories
included are strong enough to stand alone as a novel. Keisha Ervin's
newest release, Torn, is the continuation of After the Storm and is
one of the best books I have read in 2007. Vickie Stringer has done a
superb job of selecting the hottest stories to be included in STREET
LOVE. If you are a lover of urban fiction, you definitely add this to
your to read list.

Yes this is a hot to deaf read!!!

STORY 1:
I'm made at Keisha Ervin, she's the first story and here's is a sample from her new novel Torn....Mo and Quan been through some ruff times, from him puttin the hustle b-4 Keisha and cheatin non-stop after 9 long dreadful years she feels it's a wrap....until Quan proposes to her and when she telling her friends the good news, Quan calls while he's gettin sum from a chick name Sherry who's supposed to have a baby by him. Oh the dama starts here!! Mo is COMPLETELY hurt 1 she hears him cheating 2, it's w a woman who is supposed to have had his son. HINT: Mo can't have kids. Soooo, Mo sleeps with his best friend West, calls Quan and bamb DRAMA, but she doesn't really sleeps w him, she gets a sum__--u fill in the blank.

I can't say more, cuz you'll find out for urself:)

STORY 2
Danielle Santiago needs to come out with a new book. Arnessa is a hustler, straight tomboy but very cute. She's takin care of her baby sis after her moms bail out on them. A hustler on thw come up is jealous a female pockets are fatter than his, so Suaf puts a violates her sis, Arnesa gets Butta, her connect involved and thats when DRAMA arrives. Butta aint neva seen Arnessa as a woman, and when he does that's HIS woman. But what Arnessa doesn't know is that her little sis aint so innocent.
Read on people, read on:)

STORY 3:
Quentin Carter has done it again. Phelix is a snitch. HE snitched on his best friend, even though Phelix has a BIG secret that only he and his best friend knows. Phelix gets three years when he's released he see's how life is like when your known as the big time hustler turned snitched...
I don't even wanna say anymore cuz this story is so good:-)

STORY 4:
T Styles gone girl:) She should make this a novel and I'm SO FREAKIN SERIOUS:)
Ice is that dude. Fine, fat hustler and did I mention fine. He's keeps fat whips and his mother lookin betta and betta. Pepper hates where she lives. She hates the projects, the crackheads, the roaches, but she knows she wants to get out. Being an A student his her ticket out. When Ice apartment gets broken in, and the robbers drop a DVD. BAM, DRAMA IS HERE AND THE STORY TAKES OFF!!! I will not say how Ice REALLY makin his $$, I will not say what' REALLY on the DVD, I will say this Pepper is holdin the DVD for ransom, so her and her mother will have money to move to a betta place. What Pepper doesnn't realize is that even though Ice doesn't know it's her blackmailin him, there's ALWAYZ somebody watchin in the hood.
Trust, you'll love this one:)

STORY 5:
This was different for Leo Sullivan, I'm used to readin murder mystery, suspense...Ashley is in high school. livin w her 15 yr old lesbian sister, 6 yerar old sister, hard workin mother and her crackhead boyfriend. jamal is a stick up, rob whoeva, wheneva fine, built thug who wants Ashley, but she doesn't want him. When Ashley's mothter is diagnosed with cancer, and her no good child molestin boyfriend leaves with the rent $$ Jamal is the only one able to keep her mother alive and a roof over their heads. I will not give more into this story b/c it's too damn good too:)

THIS IS THE BEST ANTHOLOGY TRIPLE CROWN HAS PUT OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!EACH STORY SHOULD BE A NOVEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just finished the book--WOW, What a great read! This book is MUST READ for any Fleshtones fan and a highly recommended read for anyone interested in the 1970's-80's NYC punk/new wave/garage rock music scene. The Fleshtones have always been one of my all-time favorite bands and they have always seemed very cool every time I've interacted with them at their shows. After reading their bio, I feel like I have a whole new appreciation and respect for the band. So glad the Fleshtones are still preaching their SUPERROCK to the masses!! I am very much looking forward to reading "Sweat, Pt. 2" in another 30 years :)

Joe Bonomo's book is a great journey with the most fabulous live band of the last decades.

I've been a fan of the Fleshtones since the early 80's, and have been inspired by their approach to music, their raw energy, and longevity. It was great to finally read a detailed, comprehensive account of how the Fleshtones came to be and to track their career over the years. Bonomo's book is engaging, and well written, and does its subject the justice they deserve. Even if you have never heard of the Fleshtones, I highly recommend this book.

From about 1985 onward, I've been a steady fan of the mighty Fleshtones, although I confess that by about 1993 I sort of stopped keeping up with them. But if for no other reason than to understand why "Roman Gods" and "Hexbreaker" have never been reissued on CD, I bought this book. Little did I know how insane the story of the Fleshtones really is.

In a nutshell, "Sweat" reveals that despite the jolly, party-time atmosphere that is the essence of the Fleshtones, the band and its individual members have truly been through hell along the way. The well-documented drug use by this band is nothing short of legendary, and at least one member, Marek Pakulski, ultimately had to leave the group do to his uncontrollable heroin addiction. Other members, particularly Keith Streng and Bill Milhizer, are probably lucky to be alive considering the amount of alcohol they've consumed. As for Peter Zaremba, it's surprising his body didn't just blast off into orbit, with the amount of speed he was taking!

Funny personal story - I saw the Fleshtones in Boston back around 1988, and got a chance to meet them before the show. I'd brought along the cover of my "Fleshtones vs. Reality" CD and Keith, Bill and Peter all cheerfully signed it. But Peter was irked by the fact that the label, Roadrunner, had included one of those anti-drug public service messages inside it. So Peter scribbled over the message and wrote underneath, "Do what thou willst! A.C." (An Aleister Crowley quote) I had no idea at the time just how serious he was!

And then of course there's the most notorious Fleshtone of all, Gordon Spaeth (R.I.P.). Who would have thought that a member of the Fleshtones served several years in prison after killing a man in a drunken fight?!

Author Joe Bonomo does a fantastic job of tracing the band's history over more than 30 years. From the young hipsters prowling lower Manhattan at the dawn of the punk era, through the 80's where at least Europe embraced the band and they enjoyed some celebrity, and on through the 90's to the present, as the bandmates have continued to make music on their own terms, even as material success has eluded them, "Sweat" spares no detail and offers compelling proof that the Fleshtones, albeit on a small scale, are true living legends.

And by the way, why won't I.R.S. allow those classic early albums to be reissued? You guessed it - it's all about money. As much as any band in history, the Fleshtones are a prime example of why major labels suck.

This book is essential for any Fleshtones fan, and even someone who never heard of them should still find "Sweat" to be one hell of a good read.

(p.s. The Fleshtones' brand-new album "Take A Good Look" is their best album ever.)

R&R is not defined by its stars. Although undoubtedly R&R in their hey days Elvis, the Stones or Springsteen do not define the genre. The may make up for its aspirations, but they are not at the core of what R&R is. At its heart R&R is literally thousands of bands busting their chops in the garages and sordid basements all over the world, dreaming to make it in the big league one day. The Fleshtones have been at this game for about 30 years now, never escaping the basement. In a sense they are the text book example of R&R. Joe Bonomo's book "Sweat" captures their ongoing search for ever elusive fame perfectly. Anybody familiar with the band couldn't have thought of a better tittle to this autobiography. The Fleshtones have been guaranteed to give the best R&R show around for as long as they've been together. Yet the subtitle to sweat, "30 Years, 2.000 Shows, 1.000 Blue Whales, No Hits, No Sleep" gives the perfect summary of what to expect when reading "Sweat".

The Fleshtones story starts in a basement in Queens. Much to the dismay of the neighbors, some of the key members of what later would become the Fleshtones, throw legendary Blue Whale parties while churning out raggedy R&R, barely being able to master their instruments. A Blue Whale apparently is quite the toxic mix of various kinds of alcohol, preferably served in big barrels. That loud and lethal mix of three chord R&R would be a constant in the band's bumpy career. It would get them kicked out of their apartments, make them lose record companies, would find them in bloody brawls, turn them in the gutter but would also make living legends out of them. Although there are way to little people to recognize them. For the lucky few who fell under their spell, they are R&R best hidden deities. For the lucky few who stumbled onto their albums the Fleshtones have come to symbolize sweat drenched good times at their shows, roaring saxophones, screeching farfisa organs, rambling guitar riffs, raggedy soul crooning and pure and simple R&R.

The Fleshtones came smashed between the burgeoning Punk scene of NY city in the late seventies and back to basic superstars such as Bruce Springsteen. Like the latter the Fleshtones went back to the core of R&R. They found their inspiration in a time when 45 was king. The core of the Fleshtones, Peter Zaremba and Keith Streng found themselves in their love for the format. Swapping obscure 7" records filled with R&R, ranging from Hank Ballard and the Midnighters to the Strangeloves. At the time when Punk and Springsteen were about to burst wide open, R&R had strayed from its true path. The scene was marred by various horrific super groups, making guitar based intellectual drivel that had very little to do with R&R. Both Punk and Springsteen were a counter reaction to that drivel. The Ramones brought R&R back to its (barely) three minute essence in a loud cartoon like mess. Blondie did much the same, giving R&R a new sense of ice cold cool. Building on the foundations Punk's god fathers, the MC5 and the Stooges, had built, NY busted R&R wide open again.

"Sweat" unravels the mystery why the Fleshtones, despite a killer live reputation and rave reviews, never managed to reap the benefits of that movement. In a sense R&R was the Fleshtones final destination. Though you couldn't accuse the Fleshtones of being a retro act, the strand of R&R they tapped into just didn't gel with the all too self conscious Punk movement, especially in NY where Punk was as much high fashion as it was a new form of musical rebellion. The Fleshtones simply didn't thunder down the same tracks the Punk movement lays down. In Bonomo's excellent write up of that scene it soon becomes clear that the Fleshtones' brand of good times and party hard R&R "danced" to a different beat than the Punk movement where shaking it up was branded out of style. Punk rebelled against the drivel of the day, but wasn't about to put the fun back in R&R. The very fuel that kept the Fleshtones running.

At the same time the Fleshtones never made R&R any grander than it was. Unlike Springsteen who infused his brand of R&R with big dreams and a lingering sense of melancholy. Where R&R was the door to ultra coolness for the Punks, to Springsteen it was the door to something bigger, an escape for his small town background. R&R as a means, R&R as a promise, not an end. To the Fleshtones R&R was the final stop. They live to recreate the exitement on the records of Larry Williams, The Kingsmen, Lee Dorsey and Link Wray. The Fleshtones never aspired to anything bigger, be it a fleeting sense of cool or the realization of bigger dreams. The Fleshtones simply wanted to be R&R and indulge themselves in the accompanying lifestyle of sweaty parties deep into the night, raving live shows, sex & drugs.

It's not that the Fleshtones never dreamed of making it bigger. Bonomo's book is drenched with frustration. The Fleshtones were chasing that same all to elusive dream of R&R stardom. Save for in Paris, where they were treated like R&R royalty throughout the years, they would find that dream always more than an arm's length out of reach. Although their career seemed to be off on a promising start when they got signed at Punk legend's Marty Thau's Red Star label in 1978, the band soon hit that brick wall they would ram in to on various occasions throughout their career. Red Star folded after the recording sessions, the Fleshtones' "American Beat" single fell of radar and their debut album never properly saw light of day.

The Fleshtones would be forever stuck in the basement their story is defined by bad business decisions, botched album preparations, odd production decisions and sometimes disastrous tours drenched in and caused by a haze of alcohol and drugs. Although "Sweat" is superbly written, Joe's subject is what makes the book hard to stomach at times. I don't think that there are a lot of R&R biographies out there that are as honest and confrontational as "Sweat". Even though Joe is clearly a fan, he doesn't spare the band. Peter's and Keith's erratic moods are thrown right in their faces, they come off as troopers of R&R yet seldom as heroes. Through out the book you keep waiting for that release of success and career highs that are trade mark to most R&R biographies. That release never comes. Instead there's this uneasy sense of "what if.......". You can't help but escape the notion that with a little more luck and discipline the Fleshtones would have been inducted in the R&R Hall of fame by now, doing high priced reunion tours. In stead the Flsehtones stumble their way through their career, seemingly forever one step behind or beyond the zeit geist. Never really fitting into the Punk movement, too raggedy to go up against the super stars of the eighties, too upbeat for the chronically depressed Grunge movement and finally too old for the recent Garage revival.

Yet despite all the hard knocks and set backs the Fleshtones have managed to keep that train rolling down the track. They are still living it up on the road, albeit with moderate amounts of drugs and alcohol these days, garanteed to give you one of the best R&R shows you'll ever witness. They seem to have found a stable record deal at Yep-Records, issuing some of the best albums in their career. A new Fleshtones album is slated for early next year. I don't think it will make any dents in the charts. Meaning that quite a few people will deny themselves some of the finest R&R there is to find.