Genres Books

Blues Harmonica Collection isn't a blues harp lick book and isn't just a song book. And it isn't a harp tab book for playing the melody of songs. It's also not an instruction book. I have all these. "Blues Harmonica Collection" is different. It's a song book with the harp parts tabbed out in the appropriate places. If you've seen song books with the music tabbed out for guitar then this will look familiar. The difference is there's no guitar tab. The melody lines are written in regular music lines. So, what you may see is a couple bars of music (not tab) with the notation "guitar solo" as the intro, then two bars of melody line written in music notation (not tab) with the words underneath, then two bars of music with the harp tab underneath. Also, along with all of that, the chords are noted at the top like you'd expect to see in any music book. So, you can learn the song from intro to outro with the guitar chords, the harp licks and solos, and words. If you can play guitar and sing and play at least intermediate harp you'll love this book. If you have a friend or two to play with you'll love this book. If you want to learn just the harp parts for some great blues tunes, you'll love this book. I'll also be using it to help explain blues and blues structure to my (private) music students. If you're a beginner you probably wouldn't want to start with this book to learn on but you certainly would benefit from it by listening to the song by the original artist and following along in the book. You'll probably be able to get a mental picture of the song that will help when you're ready to attempt the songs. I would absolutely recommend this book to all levels. I'd even recommend the book to someone who only plays guitar and sings because the entire songs are there with the chords. I haven't had time to sit and play through the songs or learn the harp parts but based on sitting and looking through each page I'd have to say I would definately buy it again and I'd pay twice the price to get it. I'd like to have had a CD with just the harp parts on it but that would have been a huge project. Just pick up CDs with songs. jaysbluesBlues Harmonica Collection

This collection, along with the Little Walter collection, is perfect for the middle level player who wants to go the rest of the way. If you can play these, you can work. Just don't stop there. Keep going until you have your own sound.

The other reviewers have very well said how great this book is so I won't repeat what they have written. It is amazing though that this is about the only book of harp tab available although given the fact that harp isn't as pop culture as guitar this probably makes sense. There's another book of tunes out by Glen Weiser (also on Amazon) that I haven't checked out and even though it only has about half as many tunes as this collection does I will probably eventually get it. Weiser also has a collection of fiddle tunes, Irish and American, for harmonica in tab form. After I got this Blues Harmonica Collection I also got the "His Best" collections of both Sonny Boy Williamson and Little Walter which have a good many of the songs contained in the book. It may be a good idea to have at least a C, D, and an A harp which will let you play along with about 15 or so songs in the book that are in these keys. There may be a good chance you already know a bit about harp and have a few of these keys so of course my "tips" here are maybe only for more novice players. (like myself!) A good choice of harp if you're getting started may be the Hohner Special 20 or the Lee Oskar. They were both about 20 bucks if you shop around a bit online although I recently saw the Oskars go up about an extra 5 bucks almost everywhere all at the same time! They are really nice harps though. Only other thing I might add is to also highly recommend the Rock n Blues Harmonica book by Jon Gindick and the Bluegrass Harmonica book by Mike Stevens.

Wow! Tons of material, excellent transcriptions, variety of difficulties, large format is very easy to read. I read music notation easily, and have no trouble following along with my recordings. If you only know harp tablature you may have to work harder to find the spot on the page with the lick you are trying to cop, but the tab notation is all there for you.

No discography in here that I could find, but "Essential Little Walter" and "Sonny Boy Williamson, His Best" will cover about half of the tunes in here. That's enough to keep me busy for a year or two.

What an incredible value. If you're ready to really study a huge load of licks and choruses by the masters, buy this book!

Most aspirring harp players start with an instructional book covering the basics of playing, notes, positions, a few simple riffs. Once you get past that you want to play some real blues and almost every instructional book teaches you how to play "Oh Suzanna" and "Frankie and Johnny". This book shows you in simple tablature how to play all of your favorites by Sonny Boy Williamson 2, Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf and more. Some songs are more difficult than others, but Love in Vain or Don't Start Me Talkin' are not much harder than Oh Suzanna and a lot more fun to play.

That is the kind of thing that keeps aspiring players interested. If you have the cd's you can play along (it helps)but you can really be playing some good blues in a matter of weeks instead of mastering "Frankie and Johhny"

Like so many other deceased musicians, there are way too many "insider" books about the person. This is the only authorized book by the Bob Marley Foundation and it is a superb picture book. Filled with an abundance of color and black and white photographs this book brings the man to life. The pictures are rare as some are private family photos that are being released for the first time. This is a book that you want nearby so you can look at the photos periodically and remember the man as you listen to his music. The introduction by his wife Rita Marley is heartfelt and lays the foundation for intimate views of Bob Marley. His passions, his friends, his children, and even his music is here for all fans of Bob Marley. One of the cool features of this book is the format and how the narrative is given using some of the titles of his albums as a backdrop. Just a great book about a great man who passed this world much too quickly but left his mark for all to listen to the whisperings of a mystic. "Bob will come again. Like Christ he shall come in a new name"-Rita Marley.

Songs of Freedom truely gave me as a Bob Marley fan a better look at the life of a legend. Next to Bob's biography, Catch a Fire, this is the best acount of Bob Marley I have read. Songs of Freedom is filled with unseen photgraphs and quotes from Bob's loved ones, friends, and colleagues. An excellent story that has touched me deeply. I give this book a strong recomendation to life long Marley fans and those who have yet to discover the mystery, inspiration, and spirituality in this mans life.

A must for any Bob collection. I found a few new facts, but overall much of the same info elewhere. Get "Catch a Fire" for the story and "Songs of Freedom" for the pictures. It's proudly displayed in my office with the rest of my Bob, Reggae, and Jamaican souvenirs.

I loved this book. The pictures were very nice to look at. This book tends to focus more on Bob's music career then his personal life though. But otherwise this is a great book for all you Marley fans.

Being a huge roots & dancehall fan of almost 7 yrs, this book is essential for any reggae collector of Bob Marley. I first enjoyed the intro by Rita Marley and the rest of the book is great. I must say that it is well-worth the money

One love, Jah Schreiber

This book is intended to be a gift for my grand daughter, Clara Elisabeth Schumann. But first I am reading it myself. What a woman!

Author Nancy Reich's scholarship is impeccable, her research, comprehensive, and her passion for accuracy, uncompromising.

This is a completely thorough and compelling biography which reads as smoothly as an easy novel. It is powerful and sensitive; objective and personal. Dr. Reich's depth as a scholar and skill as a writer provide us with a rarely-, possibly never-seen view of this extraordinary woman, Clara Wieck Schumann.

Clara's life was fraught with pain, sorrow, frustration, and self-doubt, and how her genius managed to prevail is nothing short of remarkable. I took pause many times while reading to catch my emotional breath.

Dr. Reich also shares with us her enormous insight into the personalities of ill and troubled husband, Robert, dear friend and confidant, Johannes Brahms, and domineering father, Friedrich Wieck, making sense and coherence of the disjointed facts many of us know regarding these three very important men in, not only her life, but in the life of Nineteenth Century European music.

Clara Schumann was a truly astonishing figure - both as an artist (prolific composer, formidable virtuosa - some say Liszt's equal or superior), and as a woman (dedicated wife, mother, daughter, loyal friend). This book takes a major step toward giving a just measure of recognition to this awesome woman. It contains wonderful photos, sketches, pastels, and paintings - some, particularly of Clara alone, are especially moving. Her expressions tell nearly as complete a story as the text.

Though replete with musical discussion and analysis, one need not be a scholar or musician to comprehend and be totally struck by Nancy Reich's telling of Clara's story. If you care anything about wives, mothers, daughters, friends, or music, this book is a MUST READ.

I discovered this marvelous book on the Clara Schumann Society website of Dr. David Kenneth Smith, Geneva College. I recommend doing a GOOGLE on "Clara '96" (the name of the site celebrating the anniversary of her death in 1996). You will get an abundance of hits, all of which are very worthwhile.

This revised edition of Clara Schumann's biography by Nancy Reich is a gem. Not only is the scholarship impeccable and thorough, but the talented writing engages and fascinates the reader at every turn.

Features of this wonderful new edition include the use of new medical reports that have come to light regarding Robert Schumann's illness; reference to recently discovered letters and diaries that further elucidate Clara's friendships with people like Emilie List, Frederic Chopin, and the Mendelssohns; and the expansion of the Catalogue of Works.

The revised Catalogue alone makes this new edition compulsory for anyone-lay or professional-interested in Clara Schumann and her prodigious work and impact. The Catalogue records every known piece by Clara Schumann, reviews of her compositions, her own performances of her works, the location of autograph copies, and much more.

The 1985 edition of Dr. Reich's outstandingly researched biography clearly had a major impact on Schumann studies. It was followed by a continuing, worldwide outpouring of performances and recordings of Clara Schumann's works, articles about Clara, and studies of her music.

The biography is based on original research in German archives and first-hand consultation of letters, music autographs, diaries, and other primary sources. To this meticulous scholarship, Dr. Reich adds intelligent, compassionate analysis of Clara Schumann's life and music, the influences that shaped her, her inspirational marriage to Robert Schumann, and Clara's breathtaking, at times unbelievable strength and ongoing artistry amidst the sometimes horrific adversities in her life.

Rarely is such a magnificent feat of scholarship accompanied by such gripping and graceful writing.

This book is a must for anyone who professes interest in Schumann studies, nineteenth century music, and gender studies, or who wants to experience a true story of passionate, devoted love and the mutual pursuit of art that Clara and Robert Schumann inspired in each other.

Nancy B. Reich certainly did her homework while writing the revised edition of Clara Schumann: The Artist and the Woman. Her resources include translations from primary texts in her native German, as well as other primary sources from the important friends in her life. She updated the 1985 version of the book in 2001 to include "a variety of significant documents-letters, medical reports, and music-that were in private hands and unavailable when [she] was working on the first edition". These texts include Robert Schumann's medical log, and Clara's correspondence with her husband's music publishers, the List family, and texts written by her granddaughter Julie. I felt this book was well laid out, and was able to include many thoughts and emotions from the people involved in Clara's life. By including information from the diaries and discerning when the passage was Wieck's writing or Clara's helped make clear whose feelings were really being expressed.
One thing I found was that Reich draws many of her own conclusions based on the information presented. Due to the difficulty of not having Clara's uninfluenced, uncorrected thoughts from the first twenty years of her life, it is difficult to actually know her true mind. Wieck's influence on her caused many of these primary documents to be soiled with his own opinions. They do, however, provide an interesting look at her motivations behind many of her decisions. He never spared his thought, and so, there is not as much need for speculation of his beliefs. Reich also does not ponder what her conclusions mean, she simply presents the facts, her opinions based on them, and allows the reader to agree or form their own ideas.
Her inclusion of a timeline of Clara's life in the beginning of the book is rather helpful. It allows the reader to follow her life and to find specific events within the book. Also, the division of chapters makes it easy to home in on specific parts of her life and to find the information easily. The second half of the book reemphasizes the themes in her life by forming separate sections with each grouping. These show her relationships with others and discuss the positions she held throughout her life. The second section might lose the reader's interest somewhat because of the recounting of many facts. She presents the information in greater depth, but she does so in a way that common themes are grouped together instead of emphasizing where they occurred in her life.
Overall, it was a very enjoyable read. It was very informative, and easy to follow. The writing flowed easily and the beginning held my attention. Reich wrote a book successful of influencing my emotions and teaching me more than I had ever known about Clara Schumann. This was a very effective story of the woman and artist's life, and I would recommend it as a great account.

Reich's beautifully written, thoroughly researched and objective book is certainly the best biography on Clara Weick Schumann in English. It is also one of the finest biographies I have read of any subject by any author.

From her childhood as a piano virtuoso through her 50 year performing career, Schumann was an international star of the concert stage, a composer and champion of the composers close to her, a woman who astounded and compelled those who knew her, a legend in her own time.

She was, as we know, beset by personnal tragedies of the most anguishing kind, beginning with her complex relationship with her taskmaster father, who taught her, drove her mercilessly, and made her a star at the age of 12, then refused to allow her to marry the love of her life,

She defied him at a dear price and married Robert Schumann anyway. The book explores at length her life as a beloved, then shunned daughter; as a lover, wife, mother, composer and performer.

She suffered terribly Robert Schumann's early and probably syphilis-induced insanity and death, the deaths of most of her seven children at a young age, and extreme financial straits in which she found herself most of her life.

Reich takes us step by step through all of the contingencies of her professional life: her lifelong celebration of Schumann's work; the 'Young Werther' relationship with her beloved Johannes Brahms, whose career she promoted tirelessly; her complex personality and deep involvement in her career and their effect on her maternal relationship with each of her children.

Throughout, Reich draws a richly variegated picture of the world of classical music in Europe from the early 19th century onward -- its characters, creations, rivalries, performances, highs and lows. Schumann interacted with many of the centuries' finest composers and performers: Chopin, Joachim, Liszt, Schumann (of course), Brahms...the list goes on.

Reich presents the incredible strength and courage for which Schumann is well-known, but does not flinch at exploring her more problematic qualities, for which friends, family, children and Schumann herself, paid a price.

Clara's deep understanding of the music of Robert Schumann and others, and its profound physical and emotional effects on its her play throughout. Here is Clara Schuman, de-mythologized, de-romanticized, and still amazing.

Intriguing, richly embued with testimony from original sources, a pleasure to read, Reich does not just tell the tale. She performs a symphony.

I borrowed The Complete Beatles Chronicle from the library hoping to get more info on the making of the White Album (my favorite). But, because of how well the book is written, I wound up starting from page one.

This book is interesting because it doesn't miss the big picture. At the beginning of each year is a concise chronicle of what happen that year and its significance. One needn't get bogged down in the details. Just read the first few pages of each chapter for a good overview.

But, if you read the whole account, you'll discover the true genius of the four lads from Liverpool and how they somehow managed to create high-quality songs in between appearances on TV shows, sitting in on radio broadcasts, making movies, going on far-flung concert tours and dealing with mobs of desperate Beatlemaniacs.

Some of this data must be conjecture (even though it's not presented as such). For example, unless it was revealed in an interview, how would the author know that Billy Preston was brought into the Get Back sessions in order to break the tension within the group.

Still, it's an easy read filled with facts. I must now buy this book. So should you.

[DW]

Since publishers and editions change from time to time, I am not certain that I am reviewing the exact book. This book will be interesting mainly to those who were teenagers during the 1960s. These persons will recall the first time they heard each of the Beatles' albums, or they will recall the event of buying these albums. For example, I first heard Sgt.Pepper at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco. The album was played before the performers went on stage -- that was Cream on their first American tour, along with Gary Burton Quartet and the Flaming Groovies (a last minute replacement for the Electric Flag). Anyway, the book takes the form of a diary detailing when and under what circumstances many of the songs were composed, recorded, and performed. The book contains 360 pages of small print, and almost every page has a 1/4 page photograph, though some are 1/8 page or 1/2 page, in size. The latter part of the book contains color photos. The reproductions of the photos are better than one might expect -- nice contrast and sharp focus. We learn that the original name of the Beatles was the Quarry Men, where this name came from Quarry Bank High School for Boys (page 12). We learn that the Quarry Men (John, Paul, George, and John Lowe (drums)) made their first recording in 1958 (page 13). We learn that Ringo was the drummer for a band called "Al Caldwell's Texans" even before he (Ringo) jointed "Rory Storm and the Hurricanes." (page 16) We learn that the first appearance of the lineup of John, Paul, George, and Ringo took place on August 18, 1962, and this was at Hulme Hall, where the occasion was the Horticultural Society's annual dance (page 75). We learn that the Beatles' first U.S. performances were in February 1964. An interesting fact is that Charles Finley, then owner of the Kansas City Athletics baseball team, paid $150,000 out of his own pocket to persuade the Beatles to play in Kansas City, and that the manager of the hotel in Kansas City cut up the Beatles' bed linen into 3-inch squares, and sold them for $10 each (page 139). We learn that the trumpet players on Strawberry Fields Forever were Tony Fisher, Greg Bowen, Derek Watkins, and Stanley Roderick (page 234) and that Dave Mason played the B-flat piccolo trumpet on Penny Lane (page 240). We learn that Maxwell's Silver Hammer took 27 takes, that She Came In Through the Bathroom Window took 39 takes, and that Here Comes the Sun had 13 takes (pages 324-327). Again, the reading is fairly dry and fun facts are encountered only on occasion. There is essentially no information on the Beatles' social lives. But for those who were teenagers during the 60s, the book is likely to be a page turner.

The best book about the Beatles, with "The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions", of same author.

This is the kind of book that you would read cover to cover. But if you were a fussy fan you would want this book in your collection for reference.

Mark Lewisohn set a new standard for primary source research in rock music. This vastly informative book combines, in slightly truncated form, his brilliant day-by-day books "The Beatles Recording Sessions" and "The Beatles Live." Also included are film and radio appearances. Along the way are many suitable and wonderful photographs. Great for browsing or for obsessive fans to devour start to finish.

The best book about David Bowie, in a non-bio way.
The meat of the book are its song by song chapter, and album by album chapter.
The song by song covers every Bowie song, taking about its form and whats its about.
The album by album chapter covers each album in great detail.
The book also has chapters about Bowie's art, acting, videos, ect. In all it has nearly everything you'll need to know about David Bowie's career.

If you are a Bowie fan, this is must reading. Pegg is extremely accurate, and his accounts of the songs Bowie has written and the stories about how the songs were recorded are fascinating. He does a great job tying Bowie's lyrics and music to places and times in Bowie's life, creating a full picture of all that was happening. The accounts of Bowie's tours and albums are accurate and excellent reading, very concise without being wordy or over the top. To get the complete picture of Bowie the entertainer buy this book. I have been a huge fan of Bowie since 1984 and this is the best book ever done on him.

The Complete David Bowie is definitely the best account of David's work, presenting in the first part of the book each and every song he has ever written or sung and continues with his albums, singles, movies and live appearances.

Don't get me wrong, Nicolas Pegg has done a great and painstaking job and the book is a great source if you're going to write a thesis on Bowie(!), but I wouldn't call it fun reading, mostly because of its structure, which is similar to that of a dictionary or encyclopedia! However, there are many interesting facts and quotes that will draw your attention, and you get to hear the explanation of many of his songs from David! -e.g. I didn't know what the theme of Heathen (The Rays) was and why it brought tears to his eyes in one of his concerts...

I think it's a very good and detailed piece of work, as long as you know what you're getting!

As a collector of Bowie's music, I found this book invaluable. It filled in some gaps in my understanding of the great ones music and cleverly clarifies the evolution process from one Bowie phase to the next.
The book makes reference to many rare and unreleased songs which is vital to a serious collector.
It is written plainly and factually with no hint of worship.
If you are only concerned with Bowie's music then this is the book for you. Essential.

The Complete David Bowie is definitely the best account of Davidýs work, presenting in the first part of the book each and every song he has ever written or sung and continuing with his albums, singles, movies and live appearances.

Donýt get me wrong, Nicolas Pegg has done a great and painstaking job and the book is a great source if youýre going to write a thesis on Bowie(!), but I wouldnýt call it fun reading, mostly because of its structure, which is similar to that of a dictionary or encyclopedia! However, there are many interesting facts and quotes that will draw your attention, and you get to hear the explanation of many of his songs from David! ýe.g. I didnýt know what the theme of Heathen (The Rays) was and why it brought tears to his eyes in one of his concertsý

I think itýs a very good and detailed piece of work, as long as you know what youýre getting!

This is a great reference book for all of Dusty's recordings. It includes the Where and When of each song she ever recorded.

Paul Howe's excellent book (now in 2nd ed.) is now available for preorder through The Dusty Springfield Bulletin and also through amazon UK. US fans are waiting for amazon to offer it here. PLEASE !!
[...]
Let's Talk Dusty!

Here's what we Dusty fans waited many years for. Several more compilation CD's and a couple more DVD's have been released in the U.S., U.K., Australia and the rest of the world since this comprehensive overview of Dusty's career was published in 2001, so the book is only complete up to that point. No matter, because these pages cover all of the known, individual studio recordings she made, including several alternate versions, album session outtakes and single mixes that have turned up over the years on various collections. There are many live television and radio recordings floating around out there, many of which have yet to see CD or DVD release, but this book is as complete a volume as we could have reasonably hoped for. And the pictures! There are many photos here I had never seen before, making this book even more of a special treat. The casual listener who is only familiar with Springfield for the four or five songs that get endlessly recycled on the radio could probably not care less about this book, but for us rabid fans, this is indispensable. Highly recommended, and nothing in here to disrespect the woman whose real legacy is a catalog of great music, NOT a string of sleazy tabloid stories. Avoid DANCING WITH THE DEMONS, a badly written "biography" which I won't even dignify with a negative review.

Dusty Springfield was a legend in the music industry. She was tough and a perfectionist without apologies. This book is about her music legacy and not about her personal problems with addiction or her sexual orientation. There's more to her person than who or what she sleeps with. Dusty was one of a kind. She died too soon at 59 just when she got awarded the O.B.E. (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) on her deathed and died two weeks before her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Sadly, there is one honor that I think she should receive and that is the Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for recording. If I only had $25,000 dollars to spare, I would do it for Dusty.

There is another book out there on the market that claims to be an authorised biography on her life. If reading a distorted and sensational account of her life is what you want, 'The complete Dusty Springfield' isn't for you. What it is, is a track by track annotation of every recording Britains greatest ever female vocalist recorded. Paul Howes (publisher of the Dusty Springfield Bulletin magazine) has done a fantastic job in detailing every song released (and even some unreleased) from a to z. To achieve what Dusty did in the male dominated music
business of the 60's puts the likes of Madonna in the shade! For anyone with more than a passing interest in how Dusty
achieved so many enduring recordings, time and time again, then
this book, choc full of photographs, is for you. She really
was a one off.

All pianists as well as Rakhmáñinov-lovers ought to have this score in their possession: a steal with excellent reprinting and good size of print (perhaps it could have been a little larger, but it's good enough nevertheless!) - and certainly less expensive than the original printing of Boosey & Hawkes! Get it!!!

I purchased this for my son. He is enjoying thoroughly. Shipping was excellent. It was great to be able to track the item and know when it arrived. Thank you.

If you want a book that has all of Rachmaninoff's preludes and etudes-tableaux in one attractive edition, this is the book for you. This is a must-have for any Rachmaninoff lover!

This book has given me countless evenings of entertainment. Rachmaninoff's preludes and etudes offer a very wide variety of styles and colors over a wide range of difficulty. Intermediate piano students will benefit greatly from learning some of the less challenging preludes and etudes, as these pieces prove indispensable ways to develop a good singing tone and a good ear for bringing out different voices and paying attention to counterpoint.

More importantly, the pieces themselves stand as a testament to Rachmaninoff's compositional creativity and mastery, and are simply a pleasure to play and to listen to.

I found the editing and printing to be quite satisfactory, and Dover's price makes this an essential purchase for anyone seriously studing the art of piano.

For the price, this is a good book. But I found the print a little bit light. So if your eyes aren't that great anymore, be aware.

Fantastic, if your into The Cure. A must for all Cure fans. All lyrics to all the songs up until the late eighties early nineties.

Yes, The Cure is one of the greatest bands of all time. If you need proof, watch Trilogy. But to call Robert Smith the only poet of our generation? Robert Smith is a storyteller, not a poet. He is in fact the greatest lyrical storyteller of our generation, but not a poet. I think that as far as poetry goes (and we are talking lyrically), Morrissey has no equal. Morrissey is the greatest lyricist of all time. There are many great poets in our musical generation. Check out Robert Pollard's surreal, poignant lyrics and delivery. And I want to finish this by declaring that I love The Cure and they mean more to me than you'll ever know.

Robert Smith's lyrics are of another world. He is the only true poet of our generation. His words can create emotions that Dickinson would be jealous of. The Cure Songwords is an incredible book every Cure fan must own. As for those who do not know of the Cure. Just read the book and you'll know the beauty of Robert Smith.

This is the collection of emotions, more than words... a collection of thoughts an history of the Cure. Lyrics to everything up through Disentigration, it is a must for any die hard Cure collector. Ever wonder what the lyrics to some of those b-sides on the Kiss Me album, they're in here!!!

Robert Smith is undoubtably one of the most gifted songwriters of our time. His lyrics are full of unique imagery, with emotions that range from the highs of elation to the depths of dispair... The words are sometimes soothing-- other times bordering on disturbing and bizarre-- but always honest and thought-provoking. His lyrics stand alone beautifully as modern poetry.

I found this book and others by this author while searching for horse mysteries. I have read all the Francis books and have always enjoyed them and wished there were more books like them and now there are! An added bonus is that Stacey writes about various equestrian disciplines - this one covers show jumping - and I think would it be enjoyable for people without a horse backround as well as very entertaining for those of us that do know about equestrian pursuits. This book keeps you interested throughout and I was truly thrilled to discover this author's books.

I have devored every Dick Francis book ever written...and while glad to have him publishing again with his son...this author makes me ready to pass the torch. As well as a fast paced mystery this author has a feel for horses, similar to Bolt and Break-in. It's nice to read about industry horsemen who still actually love the animal. I highly recomend this author to anyone who enjoyed Dick Francis.

One of the best books I've ever read. I've been around horses since I was four years old, she knew the attitude, the people, the lingo. It was great. I never once got bored with the story line. The characters were real. The descriptions were great. I LOVED IT!!! You know it's a good book when you finish it and you're still thinking about it, and you want there to be more.

If you like Dick Francis, you'll love Cut Throat. Though Stacey's books are certainly different than Francis, her villans are very bad, her heroes are not without flaws and her plots are well thought out and well told. This one kept me guessing until the end. An added bonus is Stacey's obvious knowledge of horses and "horse people". A great read.

She's a good writer, knows horses (sadly lacking in so many horse topic writers) and keeps up suspense. She has very good bad guys and uses them well.

Find all 3 of her released mystery books, a great read!

This book will be a Godsend for anyone wishing to research the development of Goth, remind themselves of great times, or just to discover new bands, all in a sensible linear way.

The book is weighty, and text-heavy, with only a small selection of photos dotted throughout. It is aimed at those who want to devour the information, which I would imagine means anyone sensible who is, or has ever been, into Goth. He begins with a strange examination of the early days, giving special emphasis to Iggy's 'The Idiot and further clouding the pre-punk era by suggesting King Crimson gets a look in, as do the bleak visions of Doctors Of Madness, or the cartoonish drama-punk outfit, Rikki & The Last Days Of Earth. This early section covers from Punk to the early 80's, and Dave is knowledgeable enough not to regard Joy Div, Banshees, Damned, or Cure as Goth bands themselves, but artists who influenced some, and shared Gothic elements with others. He includes Ultravox and Magazine and the names of the main interesting bands of the era flicker past your eyes, but he concentrates on establishing a loose thread that connects the activities of The Banshees (who he eventually loses track of), Joy Division (but not New Order), The Cure, Bauhaus and Birthday Party.

Smaller bands get slotted neatly into the historical flow, which helps to make this book so useful to so many, as we get the UK Decay, Killing Joke and Virgin Prunes, before blending the Birthday Party, Ants and Bauhaus eras, leading up to Futurama, and in the post-Blitz serenity showing how The Cure, Bauhaus, Birthday Party, Sisters, Theatre Of Hate and Bauhaus reputations became established. Section 2 starts neatly be accepting the Gothic term and tag was firmly in place, introducing Southern Death Cult and Gene Loves Jezebel, as well as dragging Nico in for some praise. Then it's the Batcave, with Specimen, Almond Sex Gang, Sex Fiend (largely ignored) and the Sisters.

From that point in, other than Flesh For Lulu, he sticks with the big names. Part 3 brings in the Nephilim, trawls thorough the whole Sisters/Sisterhood/Mission period, and trots grandly on, until signing off with the reunions of the 90's and a frankly disappointing epilogue, and trivial recognition that America had/has some bands too! I would have expected much more about the development of the American scene, which he must know is much more widespread and artistically adventurous than our own (having done an Industrial book through Cleopatra). No matter, because he has pulled together the main period he obviously wanted to cover and does so superbly, creating a highly detailed, easy read full of incident, and the biggest slap on the back for Dave, who never once knowingly reveals any love for this music whatsoever, is how he affords Goth real respect.

"Maybe Gothic Rock did get a little silly, a little cliched, and awfully distorted somewhere down the line. But what do you think happened to Glam, Punk and Rock 'n' Roll itself? They hardly remained pure and pristine, either. But they survived, not simply to continue resonating within the world of modern rock, but to form the physical building blocks of everything that passes for rock music today. Gothic Rock is as vital a part of that construct as any of those others."

I fail to see how anybody could want to ignore this?

(Oh, and he ignores the NME's `Positive Punk' article because he probably knows the journalist never meant the piece to be taken that way, but the sub-editors concocted that themselves.)

This is one of the very few books to deal specifically with the actual sub genre of rock known as gothic rock. Like punk, goth has become a blanket term used to describe any band that remotely approaches a certain aesthetic that was once (sort of) original.

Thompson's book sets the record straighter by focusing mainly on the UK and the post punk scene that was the birthing ground for what would become 'gothic' rock. The author covers the separate 'scenes' that grew up in various parts of the country (London, Leeds, etc) and how they differed and developed. When the initial thrill of punk receded, post punk rose up and developed along different lines, spinning off and inspiring genres like goth and even new wave. Much attention is given to The Cure, Southern Death Cult, The Sisters of Mercy, Bauhaus, Siouxsie, etc. A lot of ground is covered, from Joy Division (described as having a 'gothic' sound) through the wranglings between Andrew Eldritch's Sisterhood and the ex members of the Sisters, toward the Fields of the Nephilim, who tried to fill the gap left by the Sisters. Toward the end, the American scene is covered a bit, focusing on 'Death' rock with bands like Christian Death and .45 Grave, for instance.

The book is well researched, well written and not particularly biased. Thomson's style is smooth and well organized. The chapters deal with specific months and years and move around from the status of one band to another. The author also touches on more recents developments since the 1980s, addressing the various artists and bands that have been characterized as 'goth'. But again, the main focus is on progenitors of the genre rather than latter day pretenders to the throne.

There are also some decent pictures, but overall this is an excellent rock book, full of information for even casual fans of the genre or of the particular bands mentioned above. Well indexed, too. Highly recommended!

Siouxsie, Bauhaus, the ((Southern) Death) Cult, the Cure, the Sisters of Mercy, Specimen... this book is refreshingly free from the 1990s industrial and metal bands dressed in black that somehow got mislabeled goth. And it's also refreshingly free from all the third rate, third wave bands that managed to synthesize the diverse sounds of Siouxsie, the Sisters, et al. into a recognizable genre without writing a single memorable song. Instead, you'll find a solid history of the development of goth (a pigeonhole none of its key bands really fit into anyway) through the punk era and beyond.

I was surprised by a couple of omissions. I expected some kind of reference to the classic NME cover story on the "new positive punk" that brought the likes of the Southern Death Cult to my attention and the attention of many others. This early attempt at characterizing the genre merits some discussion, especially as the term "positive punk" is mentioned once or twice in passing.

Siouxsie and the Banshees got rather short shrift. They're often mentioned and quoted, but I'd like to have seen them get the same degree of attention as Bauhaus, the Sisters, the Cure, and the Cult. If there's a single album that formed my idea of what gothic rock was, before I'd ever heard that term used, it was Juju.

I also expected a bit more on the US death rock scene. It may be harder to find the good stuff amid the abundant dross of American death and goth rock, but that hardly means it doesn't exist.

A couple of suggestions for any future editions: an index and a list of recommended listening.

I really liked this book, mainly because the writer didn't get too personally involved in his material but also because he was able to distinguish between the bands and individuals that were gothic rock and those that influenced gothic rock. Like the Damned's Dave Vanian who became a reluctant goth role model by just being himself.

It is also free from todays goth/industrial rock, focusing on the roots of gothic rock.

"It (the book) is an examination of what transpired when one specific tentacle of the post-punk British rock octopus stopped failing around in the wastes above its head, and burrowed instead into its blackest cave, there to contemplate...whatever."

If you are at all interested in gothic rock then this book is well worth the read.

No, it's not that type of book and if you are searching something like that better go to some other place. It's a serious exploration of the subject, and some chapters were written in language that reminds me a scientific review. I give it 5 stars for the amount of information it contains, but the style as well as the cover of the book could be a lot better. Also, not a word have been written about the Crow thing which for me is a real loss - for example one of the best Cure gothic tracks "Burn" was off the soundtrack for the first Crow movie. Anyway for one that wants a load of info it is a good place to dig.