Genres Books

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.

Being a big fan of David Bowie, I picked up this book to learn more about one of my favorite albums. I'd read reviews of some of the other 33 1/3 books and was a little bit worried that the author might go off topic or write mostly about his own experience with the album. Luckily Mr. Wilcken avoids that and covers the creation of the album as well the the events and people that influenced it. He shows how Low was a connected to Station to Station and The Idiot, while also explaining the influence of Kraftwerk and others. Definitely a good choice for anyone interested in the album or Berlin era of Bowie's work.

Hugo Wilcken does an excellent job of bringing on the ambience of Bowie's world, circa mid 70s, not only focusing on the first disc of the Berlin Trilogy, Low, but capturing the mindset of the world in which Bowie lived, one full of drugs, Iggy Pop's The Idiot, Station to Station and so much more. Informative, not quite perfect, but too good not to give the full five stars and my personal fave of this series so far.

JCS

Seems quite meticulously researched. (The Amazon description should make some mention of that; it seems unnecessarily vague is describing what the book is.)

I did find 1 minor factual error in the first few pages (it was Gus Dudgeon who produced the "Space Oddity" single, not Paul Buckmaster!).

But given the density of detailed information packed into this relatively small book (culled from a variety of books and music articles published over the past few years), that may be a forgivable offense.

Overall, this book is filled with interesting facts, beginning with the recording of Station to Station, then the actual recording of Low and the beginning of Bowie's Berlin period.

Among other things, the book recounts:
- how various influences (Kraftwerk, Neu!, etc.) actually worked their way onto the album
- how Eno recorded the album's signature drum sound
- some of the strange devices used in the studio to "inspire creativity"
- an insight into Bowie's working methodology at the time
- and generally does a great job of analyzing the album in the context of Bowie's career and mindset

I have found this a very enjoyable read, and I recommend it to all Bowie enthusaists and especially fans of one of Bowie's very best albums, Low.

Having first listened to this record years ago, and understanding it is among Bowie's best, I found refreshing history bits about the record I never knew about. REcommended read for Bowie fans.

This is perhaps the finest, most detailed analysis of Bowie's work I've ever read, and I earnestly entreat the author to consider taking on the remainder of the Berlin trilogy albums. In spite of the minor error or three (that's Walter Tevis who wrote The Man Who Fell To Earth, not Travis), this book answers so many questions I've always wanted to ask about "Low"-- which is saying a lot, as this has remained one of the most important albums of all time to my own musical work. Great stuff!

I shall add little to the other reviewers of this extraordinarily fine account of the history of Indian (particularly North Indian) music and how it was introduced to Western ears and influenced modern popular and classical musics. I will instead say that having myself lived that history--being exposed in 1955 to the first LP recording of Indian Music and watched Ali Akbar Khan on CBS Sunday's Omnibus, having been among the first to purchase the World Pacific and Prestige recordings of Indian musicians, having attended numerous concerts of Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan, Bismillah Khan, Jasraj, Shivkumar Sharma and other Indian masters, and having become a Friend of the Ali Akbar College of Music, where I met John Handy, Terry Riley, and Ravi Shankar, as well as having followed the influences and explorations of Indian modes and rhythms in classical music and rock as a Bay Area academic hippie--I can attest that this book is amazingly well researched, comprehensive, and gets it right. Indeed, through the many insightful interviews, we go well beyond the mechanics and structures of musical infusion across cultures into the realm of spirit, humanistic motivation, and metaphysics. For instance, Mickey Hart's interview expands and details his own previous accounts of his and the Grateful Dead's musical transformation by interactions with Shankar Ghosh, Alla Rakha, and Zakir Hussain (a two-way street for the latter). Other useful interviews are with (from the classical world) Philip Glass, Zubin Mehta, Terry Riley; (from the Indian tradition) Ali Akbar Khan, Zakir Hussain, Anoushka Shankar, Tanmoy Bose, George Ruckert, Shubhenra Rao; (from jazz and rock) David Crosby, John McLaughlin, Cheb i Sabbah. But the interviews are only spice to the meat of the text, which explains the uniqueness and detail format of Indian music, supported by a glossary, and the origins and construction of the various instruments. When our world is plagued by fear and misunderstanding of other cultures, music arrives as a source for common ground. This book demonstrates its power and its promise.

Musician and author Peter Lavezzoli presents The Dawn Of Indian Music In The West: Bhairavi, a history of the recent yet amazing infusion of East Indian classical music into western culture. Though Indian music was largely unheard of until 1955, when Ali Akbar Khan issues an LP called "Music of India: Morning and Evening Ragas", its appeal steadily gained ground, to the extent that Indian and Western disciplines began to borrow concepts from one another to aid in composition and training. When "Music of India" was re-released as a compact disc in 1995, it won a Grammy. The Dawn of Indian Music in the West follows the influence and impact of Indian classical music in extensive detail, meticulously researched and presented especially for intermediate to advanced music scholars and theorists. Highly recommended especially for college library and music reference shelves.

Among the many thought-provoking quotes in Peter Lavezzoli's new book is this one from tabla player Tanmoy Bose. "If you talk to any music lover in the West, they know more about [Indian music] than Indians ... they have a thirst for it, and they are very critical in the West for that reason." At first, I was tempted to reply that these Western fans are so enthusiastic because they (we) are such a small minority. In India, interest in Indian classical music runs the gamut from devotion to mild interest. There is, for example, a sense of national pride that makes Indians feel they ought to like classical music even if they don't. In the West, you are either a devoted fan or completely ignorant on the subject, and it often seems to us that all the devoted fans are gathered in the Bay Area. However, Lavezzoli paints a significantly different picture, arguing quite convincingly that Indian music has deeply influenced both American and European music for over half a century.

Peter Lavezzoli's first book, "The King of All, Sir Duke," took a controversial approach to biography. He devoted relatively little space to Duke Ellington, the book's ostensible subject matter, and instead wrote about Ellington's influence on other prominent musicians (including Frank Zappa, Stevie Wonder, and George Clinton). His newest book, "The Dawn of Indian Music in the West: Bhairavi," follows a similar format, but it is not a story of one musician's impact on other musicians. It is the story of the influences of one entire musical culture on another, and the tracing of those influences from connection to connection is the perfect format. Lavezzoli's goal is to document every aspect of that impact with interviews and historical summaries. The result is a long and engrossing read, full of remarkable anecdotes and thoughtful discussions with some of the most important creative people in many different Indian and Western musical domains.

About a fifth of this book will probably produce a sense of déjà vu for regular readers of this magazine. There are detailed interviews with many local artists, including Cheb i Sabbah, Ali Akbar Khan, Zakir Hussain, Terry Riley, George Ruckert, and Mickey Hart. If you know little or nothing about these people and their music, you get all the introduction you need. But no matter how much you may think you know, Lavezzoli has new information for you. Those of us who live in the Bay Area know that there are lots of Americans and Europeans who have carefully studied Indian music. But Lavezzoli shows us who was first, where they did it, and how things developed from there.

The book is subtitled "Bhairavi" because the first significant musical contact between Indian and Western classical music was a recording of that raga in 1955 by Ali Akbar Khan. Bhairavi is also a morning raga traditionally played to close a concert that has gone on past midnight, so Lavezzoli also uses the word as an allusion to the "dawn" of Indian music. This recording was the first 33 rpm long-playing record of Indian classical music. Prior to this, the only recordings of Indian music were 78 rpm records, which had poor sound quality and lasted five minutes or less. This was also the first performance of Indian classical music in the West, except for an unrecorded concert at Columbia University by Inayat Khan. (It is a tribute to Lavezzoli's thoroughness that what little is known about that Columbia concert is in this book.) The Bhairavi recording included a verbal introduction by Yehudi Menuhin, who had discovered Indian music while touring India. Menuhin's endorsement helped to convince his colleagues that this music was a serious disciplined art form, not an exotic ethnic curiosity. Lavezzoli has some interesting parallels between the harsh pedagogic methods used by both Indian gurus and Western conservatories, which justified labeling both traditions as "classical."

There were, however, parallel influences occurring in rock and jazz, spearheaded by George Harrison and John Coltrane respectively, who were both great admirers of Ravi Shankar. Rock and jazz musicians were attracted not only by the complex use of rhythms and microtones, but also by the freedom to improvise, and by altered states of spiritual consciousness. These musicians usually associated altered states with drugs, creating a controversy that endures to this day. For most Westerners during the 1960s, Ravi Shankar's sitar was the soundtrack for drug experiences. This was a serious misunderstanding: Shankar did compose scores for psychedelic movies like Chappaqua, but he also insisted that his audiences not use drugs. Lavezzoli asks almost all of his interviewees about drugs, and discovers a spectrum of opinions that reveal another great contribution of Indian music to the West.

Western music had fragmented into two conflicting elements: the emotional drug-tinged intensity of improvised jazz and rock, and the tightly controlled intellectual discipline of European classical music. Because Indian music had never separated emotion and thought, it could show Westerners how to reunite them. It challenged rock musicians to acquire discipline, enabled jazz musicians to see their improvisation as a spiritual practice, and reminded European classical musicians that music is not just marks on paper, but is played by a musician, and heard with the ears. Sometimes Western musicians tried to capture the mood of Indian music with little awareness of technical details. Other times, they took Indian techniques and reworked them to create very different moods. But Lavezzoli shows us that all forms of Western music now have a healthier relationship to each other, and to the rest of the world because of the Indian influence. Perhaps in the new millennium, there may even be Westerners who will be great virtuosos of Indian music. Will this music then still be Indian, and will its players still be Westerners?

This historical study is full of detailed information about a disparate collection of the most inventive musicians of the 20th century, all drawn together by the thread of a fascination with India. The book gives equal attention to legends like John Coltrane, and more marginal avant-garde figures like Don Cherry, John Mayer (of Indo-Jazz Fusions), and John Handy. It also refers to rock stars like David Crosby, and contemporary classical composers like Philip Glass. Each musician's biography is woven into the text, so the entire book (nearly 500 pages) gives you an intense impression of the deep spirituality of this generation of musicians.

Peter Lavezzoli is a very astute critic of the key albums of this movement, and I learned a lot from his detailed discussion of Duke Ellington's "Far East Suite," Coltrane's "India," and Don Cherry's "Mu." When reading this book, you really feel you are being guided by someone with a highly developed intuitive feel for integrity and truth in music, as he himself is a musician who is concerned, as he admits, with "the connection between musical and spiritual expression."

In this book, historical narratives are interspersed with interviews with the leading musicians in Western and Indian music, such as Terry Riley and Shujaat Khan. These interviews are not your average magazine interviews, however, as the central concern of Lavezzoli is always wisdom, and his questions are always subtle and searching. If you glanced at this book, you might be put off by the way the text is crammed on the page, the lack of margins and smallness of type making it seem somehow a hurried book or not carefully thought out, but do not be deceived by bad design--this book is a true labour of love. It will inspire all musicians to take their work on to the next level, and it will inspire all record collectors to rush out and get hold of Alice Coltrane's "World Galaxy."

This is a fantastic book for many reasons; Peter Lavezzoli has done an amazing amount of research, delivering a lovingly written treasure trove of well-rounded details that will interest music enthusiasts from many different schools and tastes. Fascinating connections are drawn from the histories and influences of Indian music on rock, jazz, western classical and more. Included are vivid chapters on the pivotal history of Allauddin Khan, teacher of Ravi Shankar and the father and teacher of Ali Akbar Khan; Yehudi Menuhin's discovery and presentation of Indian music to western audiences (he is pictured with Ravi Shankar on the cover); the fabulous chapter on George Harrison; and a powerful section on John Coltrane, to name just a few personal favorites, with numerous connections to Ravi Shankar, who is widely referenced and featured (in too great a depth to summarize in a brief review).

A good portion of the book features the musicians and associates themselves having their say through remarkable interviews with Ali Akbar Khan, Mary Johnson Khan, Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain, Jim Keltner, Terry Riley, Cheb i Sabbah, Zubin Mehta, Anoushka Shankar, Ravi Shankar, Tanmoy Bose, John McLaughlin, Bill Laswell, Shujaat Khan, George Ruckert, Shubhendra Rao, Suskia Rao-de Haas, David Crosby, Roger McGuinn, and Philip Glass. The author asks good questions and gets rich answers, making for a highly enjoyable reading experience.

This is a book I can spend hours re-reading. I've learned enormous amounts about a wide variety of music forms within each chapter. Readers with virtually any level of music interest will find something of value here. A real stunner! Highly recommended.

The author has projected the present situation in the US to what it would be in the future where the Republicans and Democrats would unite to face the ever growing population of latinos: Americans of Mexican and Latin American Origin(AOMLAT). I must say that the novel is interesting as a good thriller and it is difficult to put the book down. However, the original view the author has of the political future for North America is what is most surprising to someone like me who was born and lives in Latin America. It denotes he has a fine sensibility. I'm looking forward to his future publications.

This is a book that I actually made time to read. I rarely find a novel of any sort that keeps my interest long enough for early completion. It has many unexpected turns and really gives another side of this political arena. A very forward thinking novelist. I really enjoyed this. I am looking to buy a watch! You'll get it after you read it!

The Dream of the Fathers is a "future history" novel set in America in 2178, only two years away from the nation's eighty-fourth presidential election. Ethnicity has become a wedge issue dividing America, due to its fast-growing Hispanic population and increasing power struggles have lead to strife. The Dream of the Fathers chronicles Senator Steven Hildago's quest to win the presidency and claim control of the White House from the corrupt President George Alexander King III. But when Hidalgo is cruelly murdered, a surprising replacement candidate steps forward. A suspenseful saga filled cover to cover with crisscrossing Machiavellian motives, The Dream of the Fathers is a politically charged read, highly recommended.

This is a very timely book as Michael projects interesting and probable furture politics for America; especially the demographics. Science fiction is cleverly woven in and keeps a fast pace from the beginning. I really liked the end. Great read!

This is a must read for any sci-fi fan or fans of great political thrillers.
Williamson is brilliant in his portrayal of the future of politics. I could not put this book down once I got started.

If it vibrates, it can be tuned. Everything is energy- violins, animals, people, potato chips, thoughts, feelings, and events. ~Deena Zalkind Spear

I have rarely enjoyed a book as much as "Ears of the Angels." From the start you can tell Deena Zalkind Spear is one of those writers who could write about anything and make the journey absolutely enjoyable. While she has a degree in neurobiology, her true love is making violins. In fact, she has been making violins for 30 plus years.

Deena Zalkind Spear has a super natural ability to make dull instruments come alive and her imaginative writing takes you into the esoteric intricacies of violin making. Although I knew very little about violin making, this entire book was enlightening from the spiritual perspective. She takes healing to new creative levels and her thoughts helped me understand why when you talk to certain friends your vibrational energy can be enhanced. Why do you feel so good around certain people and feel like you have to run from people who seem to be killing your spirit? This book explained it in ways I never thought any author could.

The author recounts her initial years of marriage with an undeniable sense of humor. Her wry wit and casual acceptance of fate explains the background to her craft. This book is for readers who know there is more to life than what meets the eyes. While many people experience unexplainable phenomena, they never explore them in depth. Deena Zalkind Pear takes her talents to new levels and invites us to take this fascinating journey into the unexplained.

A highly entertaining read even if you don't play the violin or make violins. Will be especially useful for students of the violin. If you love violin music, this book will show you how violins are made and repaired.

~The Rebecca Review

I just recieved my book yesterday, and read the entire book in about 6 hours, I could not put it down. While I do not play the violin or anyother instrument, the book provided much energy information that can be applied to those experienced, or seeking to become experienced with energy work. It allows you to understand that energy is not just for people, pets, plants, or anyother living being that we work at healing. It was totally fasinating to discover that this woman could not only tune up the owners of instruments all over the world distantly for distinguished orchestra members but their instruments at the same time. They really do have living energy just like everything else, and if this is of interest to you, I recommend you read the book, and take from it what you want, and explore the possiblities to expand your knowledge of just what is possible. I gave the book five stars!! Make it apart of your metaphysical library today, I feel you will find yourself referring to Deena's book often. Deena is clearly a very gifted and dedicated woman to her work not only with instruments themselves but in the healing arts. She also provides mulitple contacts that she herself uses personally in her own work that you may contact for any work you may need to have done in your own life, or the lives of another. Enjoy! Love and light, Sandy

Neurobiologist Deena Spear writes with candor and self-effacing humor in EARS OF THE ANGELS about how energy work can heal and transform violins, violas, cellos... and human beings. Spear's fascinating, detailed descriptions of violin enhancement began with physical techniques (such as tapping, blowing, and scraping), and moved into non-physical, hands-on and long-distance energetic techniques.

What sets EARS OF THE ANGELS apart from most other energetic healing books is the way it describes energetic acoustic principles that can heal both stringed instruments such as violins, and sentient beings such as humans. Spear includes delightful real-life stories from clients whose instruments have been tuned (and sometimes even glued) long-distance without any direct physical contact from Spear that clearly attest to the efficacy of her methods. She describes how her energy tuning work has helped pets become cancer-free, people become toxin-free, and significantly improved relationships.

Anyone interested in enhancing the sound of stringed instruments will find EARS OF THE ANGELS essential reading, as will everyone who wishes to discover more about the kinds of physical changes that are possible through conscious intention and energy field work. I give EARS OF THE ANGELS my highest recommendation!

This is an extraordinary book by an extraordinary person. Deena Spear completed her premedical studies in neurobiology but decided not to pursue a career as a physician. She unexpectedly found herself attracted to playing the violin (with very modest success), which led to a career as a luthier - building and repairing violins, violas and cellos with her teacher, who then became her husband.

Being something of a perfectionist, Deena was constantly seeking ways to improve the sound of the instruments they built and repaired. Through channeled guidance from master violin makers, she learned to shave minute bits from precise points on the instruments, significantly enhancing their sound.

Deena was also drawn to spiritual healing and graduated from the four-year Barbara Brennan School of Healing course. Her two interests merged when she discovered that she could tune the instruments mentally. Conversely, her studies of how to tune the instruments mentally enhanced her confidence and skills in offering distant healing.

After honing her healing skills with the same diligence she had applied to studying to enhance the sound of violins, Deena started teaching others both of these skills. She finds that the tuning of violins gives people confidence in their abilities to influence matter at a distance, which then helps them to believe they can send healing to people from a distance.
Deena's writing is punctuated with humorous observations and asides. Deena shares generously from her personal healing lessons.

Rarely do I find a book like this that is both rich in innovative lessons, reaffirming of healing wisdom and highly readable. I warmly recommend this book as being all of these.

What a fantastic journey into expanded consciousness! Deena Spear speaks with such down-to-earth candor, that one can't help but believe everything she describes. Not to mention that it totally concurs with Jane Roberts's and Machaelle Small Wright's books. A neurobiologist who studied with Jane Roberts and eventually became a luthier to very high level classical musicians (what an amazing career) and still talks of herself as if she's not very smart. Now I'm just realizing that perhaps with what SHE'S seen, she knows how much we ALL have to learn...

This is one incredible art book. Very professionnaly done, very high quality reprints of stunning poster artwork done over the years for the excellent rock band Electric Frankenstein. If you love horror (especially vintage stuff like Universal monster movies and Famous monsters magazine) and if you love rock n' roll, you need this book. 160 full-color pages of some of the best undergound artist's renditions of the electric frankenstein theme. As a graphic designer by profession and fan of all things monsters, zombies and creatures, I really do appreciate the work done on these wonderful pieces of art, and I more than understand how big a job it is to scan the images and put together a book like this one. Very well done, beautiful art and lots of Boris Karloff! I'm very happy to own this, a great item that I will cherish for years to come.

In a word, this is about PASSION. The band is
passionate about performing rock & roll. The
poster artists are passionate about creating
artwork reflecting the band's punk rock & roll
ethos and its highly amused worldview.

The poster artwork, some actual advertisements,
some commemoratives, is superb. Many pieces are
frankly mesmerizing. Dark Horse has done an
excellent job of producing the works in accurate
color. Sal Canzonieri, one of the founding
bandmembers, has pulled together all the key
posters and CD artwork that's defined the band's
image since inception.

Electric Frankenstein developed its following
from posting "anonymous" flyers in the streets of
Manhattan,long before their first gig. People
wondered what Electric Frankenstein was supposed
to be. It was an inspired artistic prank, but
thankfully the band turned out to be quite real
indeed.

You can read more about Electric Frankenstein
in ART OF MODERN ROCK, which will be published
this Fall by Chronicle Books.

Not only has Electric Frankenstein been making action packed, kick ass rock and roll for the last 13 years... they have an amazing collection of artwork to go along with it. You don't have to be an EF fan to appreciate this book. (but why the hell wouldn't you be?!) It's crammed page to page with with full color poster art, flash, and album art by some of todays top rock and roll artists, and tons of up and comming artists as well. It's one of the largest printed collections of it's kind, and a must for anyone who collects rock and roll memorabilia. It's beautifully printed and absolutely stuffed with eye candy. You MUST own this book.

Everyone interested in great rock and roll should purchase this book at once. It is filled with Posters from many of the best Rock and Roll Poster creators from across the world. My mind is still reeling from the Posters.
This book is also a great look at the modern Hi Energy Rock and ROll Revolution that EF(Electric Frankenstein) is leading. Some of the Bills EF has played on are mind boggling. This book also has a nice history of EF that I enjoyed reading and so will you!
Sal Canzonieri has done a great job, leading EF and also creating this book and deserves all the support in the world.If you like your action High High, help EF conquer the World.

Eric
Mr. Rock-n-Roll

I love this book. It's full of tons of Electric Frankenstien concert posters by some of the best artists around (Lisa Petucci, Coop, Kozik...). In fact, I can't think of an artist who isn't represented in this collection!

And this is one quality printing - the colors are vivid, clear and do the art justice.

You'll look through this book again and again, but don't forget to put an EF record on the stereo!

Did you read or get this book? Well my God what are you all waiting for!

I have never ever seen such intense research put into an Elvis book before in my life .. and this is just the early volume!

This book is worth not only the great photos but for the impressive family tree and lineage that was done on Elvis and his family. I mean did you know that Elvis' family tree was traced back to Denmark to the 1595? I sure didnt, until now.

I am now going to hold Elvis trivia contests with all my Elvis friends and fan club members ... This book is remarkable. that is all I can say.

Jim once again, a super book. And your assistant did a super job with her research! You guys actually proved a lot of "so-called experts" wrong!

Another must book for the Elvis fan!

This book should get an award just for the research that was done in putting this book together. This team of Jim and Renata is the best ever in the Elvis world. Just wonderful, wonderful information is PACKED into this little book! You would think its a mini encyclopedia with how much writing is involved in this book!

If this book, the early years, is this great; I can't wait for the next volumes!

I personally thought that was no other information that could be FOUND on Elvis, but I was wrong. I think Jim and Renata truly pinpointed Elvis' family tree to a T ..... I can't find fault in it. Everything seems to fit and make sense. Not even Elvis' family members got things as right! So what does that mean to us? THE PERFECT INFORMATIVE BOOK!

Thanks a million!

Ok. While on the road, I used this book to conduct trivia contests. The guys I am with, are Elvis fans and they always try to prove that they know Elvis more than I. So this book put an end to that!

But I will say this: I TOO WAS WRONG on many occasions! I never knew 50-60% of the information that was listed in this book -- and I thought I knew a LOT! So this is an educational book beyond any Elvis fans' expections or knowledge!

I think this will soon become an Elvis Bible to the fans and Elvis world - if it's not already!

Remarkable from the first page to the last!

What struck me about this book was the beautiful and clean art deco cover. What a gorgeous cover! And what fun it is to look at.

I bought it along with Christmas with Elvis by the same author. Never knew about anyone making a Christmas book with Elvis! So I was thrilled about that!

Anyway I took this book home, and to keep it short: I have so far read it 3 times from cover to cover! That is how enticing this book is. Never had I thought possible that anyone could trace Elvis' family history back that far as did Mr. Curtin. Because Graceland still has the OLD information that Elvis came from Scotland and Andrew Pressley! My goodness Mr. Curtin goes back much much farther. What an important addition Mr. Curtin is to the Elvis world. He is the key to the lock on the Elvis Presley that no one dares to write about: THE GOOD MAN!

Thank you Mr. Curtin for showing class in authoring a beautiful book on Elvis. And thank you for all your extremely hard work in finding out all this information on Elvis and for sharing it with us fans. God Bless you and much continued success.

I AM NOW TYPING IN CAPITALS!

JUST READ THIS BOOK AND I WILL SAY THIS : I AM AMAZED AT JIM CURTIN AND HIS WRITER FOR WHAT, AND HOW MUCH THEY RESEARCHED ON ELVIS.

SO WITH THIS REVIEW I AM GETTING ON MY KNEES AND THANKING GOD NOT ONLY FOR GIFTING THIS WORLD WITH ELVIS, BUT FOR GIFTING THE ELVIS WORLD WITH JIM CURTIN! (and lets not forget Renata)

THANK YOU .... THANK YOU .... THANK YOU .... THANKYOUVERYMUCH!

Great news for anyone interested in the traditional folk ballads known as the "Child Ballads" that Francis James Child's late 1800s compilation "The English and Scottish Pupular Ballads" is now republished in a fully corrected and revised edition with the traditional tunes reunited with the texts. The new edition by Loomis House Press (...) is now available in paperback and cloth editions - so far volumes 1, 2 and 3 (of 5) are issued. Amazon lists them but the three volumes are hard to find on the Amazon site. The earlier 1965 facsimile edition by Dover has also now been republished - but the Loomis House Press edition is greatly superior - and is available from Loomis in USA and Springthyme in UK as well as from Amazon.

I first heard of the Child ballads when I was about 13 years old and have been looking for a copy ever since. I was delighted to discover they have been brought back into print. This publication is particularly exciting since the editors have chosen to include musical notation collected by Child but not included in the original publication. Many of the ballads still sung today in Eastern Canada and the US were derived from these ballads, so these books are a facinating study of the earlier origins of these and many other ballads from the british iles.

Child's "English and Scottish Popular Ballads" is THE sourcebook for anyone interested in the traditional ballads of the British Isles, and also invaluable to all aficionados of European folklore and folksong in general. For those not up on their terminology, a ballad is a folksong with a plot, and Child's collection covers everything from foul murders to star-crossed lovers to Robin Hood, in five volumes.

I am extremely happy that someone has finally issued an edition incorporating the various addenda and corrections that Child made before his death. There is nothing here that Child did not write, so if you are looking for additional scholarship or commentary you will be disappointed; but the Loomis House edition vastly improves over the Dover facsimiles in completeness and convenience. Additional variants, comments and even some tunes (the one big omission in the original) are placed conveniently near the main text of each category rather than buried in appendices (most of which aren't included in the Dover editions at all). It's well worth the few extra dollars over the Dover books.

My one quibble is that they do not reproduce some of the typographical distinctions that Child occasionally used to indicate different features of a text, but this is overshadowed by all the good points of this edition.

Overall this is a wonderful and affordable edition; I fervently hope that all five volumes are issued as planned (it's been almost a year since Volume 3 came out...). I have no idea why Amazon makes these books so hard to find on their site: fix this, guys!

In summary: Buy this book. Now if someone would only reprint Bertrand Bronson's "The Singing Tradition of Child's Popular Ballads" as well....

The English and Scottish Popular Ballads are, as noted here, out of print in their Dover edition ... but fear not, they are being re-issued (in 5 volumes, 2 of which are actually done) by the folks at Loomis House Press. (I am not affiliated with Loomis in any way; do a Google search if you want to find 'em.) The books are authoritative and complete, and it's disappointing that Amazon doesn't list them.

Superb. For anyone interested in either the words or origins of English & Scottish folk music this is essential. You can settle those arguments (over a beer) as to who has the correct words or the origin.

The biblography needs some getting used to but when you understand it you will find this book a good companion.

This book sticks to the music, and what music it was, or should I say, what music *made* - sometimes from situational film material. But this work sticks mainly to A-list, non-soundtrack recordings.
Whether he stuck closely to the demo, or reference disc, or completely reworked the tune, he made it at least interesting and listenable, and those that didn't make that cut (like "Hey Jude") are given a fair chance.
Since '68, I still can't believe what he did with "You'll Never Walk Alone"; discovering years later it was he on piano working out a "head" arrangement on the spot, made it seem even greater. This book will remind you why you liked a particular track in the first place or why you should have. At age 17, I didn't appreciate the depth of this performance, which in this book is described with masterful strokes. Another revelation for me was in reading about "Crying In The Chapel". I've always enjoyed Elvis' record of it, but thought he could have put more *voice* on it. Roy and Aspell evaluated the number as a whole and brought out nuances which have caused me to realize that it, too, is A-list.
I would have been happy to find reviews of movie fluff entries like "Sand Castles" or "Shake That Tambourine", but let's hope we get an "alternate take edition" of this fine manuscript.

THIS NOVEL SHOULD GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS ONE OF THE GREATEST BOOKS TO EVER BE WRITTEN ABOUT THE KING OF ROCK -N- ROLL . IT'S REALLY GOOD . IT TELL'S THE STORY BEHIND 112 OF THE KINGS GREATEST AND NOT SO GREATEST SONGS .IT FOCUSES ON WHAT REALLY IS GREAT ABOUT ELVIS' LIFE HIS MUSIC !

"The Essential Elvis" is a thoughtful exploration of the King's music from 1954 until his death in 1977. It's an important and much-needed work that concentrates solely on Presley's artistry. Authors Samuel Roy and Tom Aspell break free from the ill-informed mythology of most Elvis publications by re-examining Presley's work in provocative, exciting ways. You may not agree with all of the writers' criticisms, but it encourages you to track down the 112 Elvis recordings listed in their book.

There have been 4,567 books written about Elvis, mostly by people who have never known him, but whose third cousin's sixth-removed niece might have once dated Elvis' former schoolteacher's third wife. Then there's "The Essential Elvis." What makes this book so different is that Samuel Roy and Tom Aspell trace Elvis' life and legacy through personal history as well as 112 of his most significant songs. The book doesn't proclaim to be an expose or definitive history (it's neither); what it is is a clear portrait of the Man Who Would Be King, told through behind-the-scenes knowledge that uncovers and pieces
together the story of a man, his times, talent and cultural influences. And the 20 photographs -- many of which have never been published --- add a nice touch.

This excellent book is about what was most important to Elvis and his fans: his songs and music. One of the most significant things the authors said about Elvis is the following words: «The first and best thing that can be done for Elvis Presley is to lessen the emphasis that has been placed on his later years and focus on the talent and genius that define the King.....one of the reasons for his demise was because he cared and felt too much...it got to the point that being Elvis Presley was one of the hardest jobs in the world». I agree completely with the authors and, as a fan, my only wish is that this book will make the people, who don't respect Elvis, see the light...