Genres Books

I have not had lessons but have been "fooling around" on the piano for years. I wanted to get a better dose of theory under my belt and have the ability to play things differently, and perhaps become good enough to play with other people! This book started out basic enough for me and it goes well beyond my current capabilities. This is exactly what I was looking for: a stepwise and slow progression through major scales, pentatonic, blues and mixolydian scales. I had heard of these things, but NOW I understand them. The CD also helps as you play along. I can recommend this book to anyone who is starting out in blues style piano. With this book the only thing standing between me and great blues is a lot of practice! But now I have a good pace and direction, and with that the practicing will be a lot more efficient than it has been.

This is an excellent book for learning how to play the blues. It includes music theory and clear explanations of various styles. The accompanying CD is very helpful and ends with 7 full songs in differing styles.

This is a great step by step introduction to blues riffs, chords and solos. I only have two complaints: firstly, it is somewhat inconsistent in the ability level that it targets. It assumes that you can sight read well, transpose into other keys, work out complicated fingering yourself etc, yet it also spends a lot of time on very simple scales and chords. A beginner will be confused a lot of the time, a good pianist trained in other styles will find much of it boring, and someone in between (like me) will alternate between the two states. Secondly, the CD is annoying in that there are so many tracks - 88 if I remember rightly. Every short exercise, even only a few seconds, has its own track, and many have both slow and fast versions.

If you are a beginner, you will need a more comprehensive book (not necessarily blues specific) to help you along. If you are a bit better than that, I would suggest using the book in reverse order. Listen to the full length songs at the end and learn the ones you like. Then work backwards to figure out the building blocks and how to use them yourself.

I'm a blues guitarist and I'm in the early stages of learning to play piano, so I can't give the most credible of reviews of this book yet, but I can tell you that it's chock-full of really, really, REALLY excellent comps and vamps and licks. So far I'm only able to work on the simplest of the stuff early in the book, but I've listened to the CD the whole way through, and it's just one example after another after another of killer riffs, the kind of stuff that makes me think, "YES...that is what I want to be able to play." In all kinds of blues styles.

This is definitely *not* a beginner book. As I said, most of it is still way beyond me. It's not a "here's what the half-rest looks like" kind of book, nor will you find guides for fingering. One of the first signs that told me that this book is still over my head is that it shows chords like, say, a 9th chord, with all five notes shown, in a key where it appears to me that there's no possible way one hand can hit all of those notes. Does the experienced player just hit a broken chord? Is it supposed to be a two-handed chord, even though it's shown in the bass clef, and there are also notes in the treble clef? I don't know.

So this is a book for people who already have some piano playing ability. But the material is terrific, and there's a ton of it. If I can ever learn to play all, or even half, of the stuff in this book, I'll be a happy man.

If you are on a budget and don't have a lot of free time, but still want to sit down at a party or open mike and wail the blues, this is the book for you. In chapter 2 you get 20 or so authentic left hand patterns. In chapter 3 you learn a variety of chords from basic triads to sharped fifths and ninths with various timing tricks for comping. And you play those over the left hand patterns you learned in chapter 2. In chapter 4 Harrison introduces the grace note technique and takes it thru Dr. John's "famous lick". That's 90% of what you need to play convincing blues. The key is that Harrison keeps everything in two measure units that you can easily combine. You aren't confronted with a 4 bar melody as in some other books, wondering, "Why am I playing this?" This book dosen't cover everything, but if you learn to play the exercises in this book you will sound good. If you have a few extra bucks, buy Tim Richard's book for a complementary approach.

I think this is one of the better book I have readed about Zen...Wonderful Book!

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.

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.

If you want to know and share what is math, you have to read books like this. You have to know that math is about thinking and solving problems. But that's not all there is to it, you have to know that she's like a beautiful woman, she's about beauty, art and love. That's what a man who is in love would 'think' about his beloved one. That's what you'll say the moment you begin to understand math. You'll fall in love with her.

Federico Tejada

PS: You can change the pronouns to adapt it to your personal gender or orientation.
One thing else: Math is about doing it for yourself, not only reading what others did.

The work of G.H. Hardy is now and always shall be important to anyone studying mathematics as a career or the sciences where mathematical thought precisely applied is of importance. This text is a must have for those of such a nature. Any quibbling that others may forward is simply jealous ego. Buy and use this book.

This edition (Rough Draft Printing, (October 5, 2007), # ISBN-10: 1603860495
# ISBN-13: 978-1603860499) is not the 3rd edition of the text. It is a copy of the first edition, which has entered the public domain. There is no indication of this on the product description page. If you want the final edition that Hardy revised, look elsewhere.

First, this is very nice book that was first published in 1908. It is EXTREMELY well written BUT what Hardy does in around 500 pages Rudin does in around 100 and with a more rigor (but, admittedly, very terse). You also have to remember that if you are studying analysis from a book 100 years old there are a few things that have happened since then - like the "Incompleteness Theorem" and the development of forcing, along with a much more rigorous development of set theory, topology, complex and real analysis (I'm not even sure the idea of Lp measures was fully accepted then). Still, this is great book to have - if you can get a really good used copy for $20, please buy it and seriously look it over. But don't study it and think you can attack many of the problems which are now routinely assigned in advanced calculus/real analysis. Even grandpa had to keep up with the times.

Writing about analysis has come a long way since the days of Hardy. There are a number of modern books on the topic with clear, vigorous prose that is lacking in Hardy and provide better coverage. But to be fair, mathematics is a developing endeavor and you'd expect improvements during 100 years. Mostly a curiosity. I believe you can read it online for free.

While I enjoyed learning about Sofe and her struggle to survive, I didn't think the author did a great job detailing there were some big questions from the story that were not answered fully. Once out of the concentration camp, the book seemed to drag for me and the writing that was riveting started lacking. This is an amazing story and too horrible to believe that it did happen. I just pray it never does again. I doubt many today would survive as she did. Great learning lesson or for any teacher, none of us should ever forget. This is a wonderful story of a very courageous and strong woman.

Far Above Rubies, by Cynthia Polansky,(ISBN978-0-9773893-3-7)is a brilliant literary historical fiction narrative. Polansky has given tribute to Sofie Mecklenberg Rijnfeld Davidson, a selfless woman of incredible strength. The novel is based on the women known by her niece as Tante Soof. Sofie was a Polish Jew who married a man with six wonderful girls. Although not their biological children, she became their mother and loved them as if she had given birth to them. So much so that when her six girls were summoned to report for resettlement, Sofie decided she could not let them go alone. Sophie made a mother's sacrifice to her six stepdaughters, selfish and with love. She willingly accepted deportation and yet had to persuade the SS to take her. The horrors of Auschwitz told through the eyes of Sophie are real. This unflinching women who faced up to the SS, survived the atrocities of this death camp even though at times she jeopardized her own life to help her daughters and other prisoners. Tante Soof lived life with dignity and an ability to inspire hope in hundreds who would not live another day. You will feel an inspirational uplift unmatched when you read this moving memoir who Polansky quotes from Proverbs, "A woman of valor who can find? For her price is far above rubies." You will be compelled to devour this book in one sitting, so plan ahead.

I purchased this book from you (Cynthia) at Carroll Community College and I am so glad I did. I don't know where it is at the moment because I am Jewish and it is being passed around my family right now!!! What a beautiful, inspiring story. I read it in I think 2-3 hours. I couldn't put it down. How amazing was this woman. I thank you for writing something that I could read and really feel. This is something my children will read when they are older...

5.0 out of 5 stars Far Above Rubies, May 12, 2008

Just finished 'Far Above Rubies'. Oh my! What an incredible (as in not untrue but amazing) tale and what a wonderful way to bring history alive. Beautifully and tactfully and impressively written. Thank you so much for writing Sofie's story. This book should be in every library and every school all over the world. Can we learn from history? One would hope. But it appears not. This book might be just the tonic to make a difference.
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The novel Far Above Rubies is more than amazing because it's based on a true story that transcends expectations. Straight forwardly written by Cynthia Polansky, the character of Tante Soof comes alive because of the simplicity of the narrative. This courageous Dutch woman who chose to accompany her six step-daughters to Auschwitz will haunt you in an uplifting way. It's the little moments that surprise and keep you reading. When Mirjam, one of the daughters, writes: "I believe in the sun even when it is not shining,/I believe in love even when not feeling it,/I believe in God even when God is silent." God may be silent but Sofie Rijnfeld isn't. She speaks to our hearts. That has to be God. Thank you forever for writing this horrifically uplifting story about the human spirit. Rosalind Lacy MacLennan, a theater reviewer, mother and author as well.

This product is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you so much.

My friend wanted it for Christmas, so I got it for her as a surprise, and while I'm not a big fan of Josh Groban, she loves him. I've never had a Christmas gift make someone so happy, she absolutely loves everything about this book.

This sheet music is great. My husband loves to sing and to play the piano. This sheet music is fabulous.

I am not nearly as gifted in the vocal department as Josh is, however, I do play the flute, and after getting hooked on his cd, I got this book. The wonderful things about this book is that since the melody is there, I can play the melody. The songs are in an easy enough key, and the notes are never out of reach. Josh Groban is young still, and I simply can not wait to see what his voice will be like in 10 years. If you like to play excellent music, this book is wonderful. You may find, however, that it will be necessary to raise the songsb y an octave (mainly due to the limitations of your instrument) but the result is the same, and still powerful.

Uh, I'm not sure what the last person was talking about...Josh handles the high notes very well. His voice is so beautiful. Clearly, he's gotten as far as he has for a good reason. If he was the same as the rest of the young vocalists in this country, then tell me why exactly he's famous and selling MILLIONS of albums. Yeah, that's what I thought.

Excellent collection of non-rock pop music from 1900 to 1975, after which the authors say the kind of music they have collected has pretty well disappeared. They feature a short bio of each writer or team of writers,interesting, but nothing you couldn't find with a quick internet search.

They do not include country, rock, folk or "world" lyrics--strictly pop Americana, heavy on musicals, show tunes, cabaret and torch songs, songs that went with the big-band swing era, etc.

It can be a little hard to find songs in the book--they are arranged in roughly chronological order by author--and the index contains first lines, but no "trademark" phrases that might help you track down a song whenyou have a fragment of a lyric caroming about in your head.

It gives the lyric that we usually remember, but also includes the short preludes that these songs usually featured. "Stardust," for example, starts out with "And now the purple dusk of twilight time. . .etc." that precedes "Sometimes I wonder. . . etc."

fun to read,just to get a fix on the various eras of American musical pop culture. Occasionally it makes you wish that more of our current lyricists had the skills that the Cole Porters and Yip Harburgs posessed.

I bought this as a gift for a friend who enjoys knowing all the lyrics of songs. In this book, he discovered some intros and verses he hadn't known.
He has enjoyed the book so much that I am going to buy one for myself.

It is usual that books cover the music side of those classic songs. This one, instead, focus on the lyricists, that's the way it is organized. Chronologically, but in the writers order. A thousand songs! It covers almost the whole 20th century but,of course, mainly the 30s and 40s, the classical years for American Popular Songs. It is beautiful to follow those wonderful verses - keeping in mind always the melodies that come behind. What a powerful combination.
One more thing: if you, like me, loves books as much as music, this one has a particularity: it smells divine! try it!

Highbrow collection of the best lyrics. Creme de la creme! My 3rd copy.

This is an excellent compilation, as every other reviewer has said (and with more eloquence than I can muster). Yet, I came to the book, apparently, with an entirely different set of expectations--reading this book, you'd think the 50s and 60s and even early 70s didn't happen. Bob Dylan, not included. The Doors, not included. Joni Mitchell, not included. Marvin Gaye, Paul Simon, Bob Marley ... The Beatles?? Not included. And I'm only scratching the surface. The list of omissions begins here and goes on and on--if, that is, you think these musicians are great lyricists/songwriters (and I do). Admittedly: this should come as little surprise. The introduction states that in the process of editing, "A more painful decision was to limit the field to the song as we know it from shows, movies, and pre-rock pop. Partly this was a matter of logistics: No single volume could stretch to include folk, country, blues, and rock. And though a collection of lyrics that excludes, say, Bob Dylan or Hank Williams is obviously one that is far from complete, their stories are not the stories we can tell here (or are equipped to tell)." Fair enough. But, given the room these editors give to some more obscure songs and songwriters, it's clear that a single volume could successfully stretch to include other genres. That single volume would be outsized, but it would be invaluable.

One thing that poverty didn't diminish is Woodruff's powers of recall. Though, as soon as he becomes literate, one senses he'll inexorably transcend his meagre beginnings which ring most vividly in this tale. I loved the regional patois as much as the rising political conscience of the working class boy. The years roll by with the daily grind, humilities accompanying the unjust disenfranchisement of workers; Dickensian conditions that were worse in Lancanshire than other industrial zones. Woodruff's effortless prose is as tough as his father's persistent presence and as nuanced as his mum's mercurial mood shifts. Fortunately for readers,'Nab's End' is no end, but a beginning to further tales from post adolesence. Having just closed the covers on Roy McFadyen's, 'at A Cost', I opened Woodruff to discover a parallel story in times bedevilled by poverty and dire economic depression. If you want to visit the comparison and find, at a pinch, an even more extraordinary childhood,'At a Cost' is published and distributed by its author @ 15 Maryann Street, Golden Beach, Queensland, Australia 4551.

This is a wonderful book which, as an Anglophile, I loved reading. Just a word to those who feel it some of the terms are American. Remember, please, that the author is now living in the US, and new terms become automatically one's own after a while. And yes, there is a sequel to this book!

You don't have to have been born in Blackburn (as I was) to appreciate this wonderful true story of a childhood in poverty with all the wit and humour and honesty of the working class. Their hopes for a better and fairer future are vivid and the story ends with an emotional desire from the reader to know how and if this young man succeeds as he takes his steps away from Lancashire. Inevitably the reader will read the sequel Beyond Nab End which is even better but read this first.

William Woodruff and I have something in common; we were both born and reared poor in Lancashire, doubly lucky as Mr Woodruff puts it. The book itself is a reader, you pick it up and you can't put it down. There is always something else you want to read in the next chapter. It is a shame the book had an ending to it as it leaves you wanting more.

Like one of the other reviewers I was a bit disappointed when the text was dumbed down, probably for our American cousins, as little discrepancies showed through the text. For instance, stating ten pennies instead of ten pence (we would have said it 'tenpunce') and the absolute glaring mistake of calling a tanner 6p when it should have been 6d and a dodger is 3d not 3p. Little details like this tend to eat at me.

The book was easy to read and if you know a little about Lancashire, specifically Blackburn, you will find it fascinating.

Tim Brimelow 19 May 2003

I came upon this book after hearing brief snippets of it serialised BBC Radio 4 and the World Service.
It had added interest for me as I know Blackburn (at least modern Blackburn) very well, it was later a surprise to discover I knew virtually nothing of the town.
The book is evocative and stirring as you follow the authors journey from early childhood to his 16th year, when he finally leaves a deprived, economically and spiritual broken town for London, in hope of work and a better life.
The journey in between is a rich array of colourful and long forgotton characters and ways of life. Most striking by far is the harshness of past societies in which the poor were virtually ground into the dirt and totally at mercy of commerce. Yet still the love and joy of these kindly, caring and sweet natured people shines through, it took a great deal to make them lose all hope. One cannot help but to think that these poor and hardworking forbares made more than a little of the muscle in the British national psyche.
The Authors journey is one of love, loss and curiousity, his intelligence is meant for better things than the dust and grime of cotton mills but so hard worked are his people and he that this realisation is a long time coming.
Highlights characters are Grandma Bridget and the lovley Aunts he visits in Summer. Quite a journey and very much a joy to read.

This book is great.I have every single spice girl book,poster,cd,magezine that has come out since the spice girls started.I even have all the spice girl merchandise.I am a spice girl die-hard fan.This book I would rate one of the better spice girl books.I even have the spice girl book that is out of stock.It was really good also (because the spice girls wrote it themselves).

just realy good

I THOUGHT THE BOOK WAS PRETTY GOOD IT GAVE ALOT OF INFO. BUT IT ALSO TELLS ALOT OF HISTORY ABOUT ENGLAND.BUT I GUESS I WOULD RECOMEND THIS BOOK!

It had tons of detail and cool pictures!If you liked those other phony Spice books you'll love this REAL book about the coolest band today,THE SPICE GIRLS!!!

this book was not that good, it was just the same old stuff I allready know (nothing new) why can't someone make a book that doesn't borr you to death! I can write a better book! You know what I think i will, thanks for the idea!

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 was a rock critic back in the day and I bought "Marty Thau's 2X5" when it came out and was immediately struck by "Shadow Line." Sometimes when you hear a song, you can immediately envision a band on stage charging through it. It blew me away. Hmm. Who are these tones of flesh color?

When I spotted the EP "Up Front," I could hardly get it home, get the shrink wrap off and get the platter on a turntable fast enough. Only five songs, but three were absolute knockouts: "Girl from Baltimore," "Cold, Cold Shoes" and "Vindicators." In fact, whenever I would put "Shoes" on at a party, everybody would hit the dance floor, shouting "Whoa! Who's This?" To this day, I consider it one of the greatest rock and roll dance songs ever written.

Then came "Roman Gods" with more powerhouse stuff, including the title track which has one of the greatest use of horns in rock song I've ever heard.

I have only seen them once, at a small club in Philadelphia. Great show.

It not only puzzles me, it angers me that such great talent has not been met with the reward it deserves. It is absolutely infernal that it has taken the French, who adore them, to keep their fortunes afloat.

It is rare to hear a rock band whose taste in music seems to come out of your own head, like they were reading your thoughts. To me, the Fleshtones are that band. Some contenders are Jonathan Richman, Neil Young and the Feelies.

I think one problem could be their name. It's semi-comical instead of abstract and "cool." Maybe it shoulda just been Flesh.

Anyway, thanks, Joe Bonomo, for giving us the truth and the legend about these enduring, underappreciated rock and roll geniuses.

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.

If you are in a group of hardcore U2 fans, and you say, "the U2 bible" or "the Pimm book", they will all know which book you mean. For collectors, bootleggers, and general fans, this is THE book. While Pimm has sadly passed away, well known U2 insider Caroline Von B. has taken over and kept this tradition alive. This is the U2 book that the U2 crew take on the road. Need I say more?

This is the ultimate compendium for the true U2 fan. Not only does it document every single show they've ever played but it gives a lot of background and behind the scenes info on the albums. When I found out this updated version of the book was coming out I got excited and now that I've received it I was not disappointed!

This is the updated version. The first book that came out covered U2 from their earliest stages up through to the beginnings of the Popmart tour. This one carries us through the Popmart tour right through to the end of the Elevation tour. Pretty much every U2 show ever played is covered to some extent, whether it's just with a setlist or a lengthy review. Each tour has a page or so dedicated to an overview and then each show is detailed to some extent. If you're just a fan of the band you'll get a kick out of many of the shows details (the pizza order/delivery from 1992 being fantastic). If you're a collector of shows this book is to U2 fans what Deadbase or those Tapers Compendium books are to Grateful Dead fans. It's either a lot of fun to read or a rich source of information. Just a blast.

On a side note most of the book is written by Pimm Jal de la Parra. I'm not sure if it says it anywhere but apparently he had passed away during the creation of this updated version. A few people had gotten together to finish it off for him. They most certainly did him proud.

Hands-down the best book for collectors, fans, completists and trivia buffs. Compiled from thousands of sources by devoted but objective fans, this book is a good read, reference book and very interesting look inside each tour. As a long time collector, I have always heard that if a setlist exists in this book, there is a recording of that show, somewhere in the world.

This book is hard to put down! Every U2 gig is detailed from setlists to attendance. Lots of photographs, some that have never been seen before. I love it!