Genres Books

An absolute necessity for anyone who collects music or is interested in the history of Rock/Pop music in the United States. A must have book that will Never be on the shelf but always close by for reference.

Just overflowing with fabulous info. I only wish there was a paperback version available from Amazon. I'm sure there's one somewhere, since this book was published in '03 and there were always paperback versions of older Whitburn books. It would've been less expensive (and lighter!).

It's a great book for any music fan of the last fifty or more years. It lists all the artists, song titles and chart information for every year. Even a small bio of each artist. It is the bible of popular music. All of Joel Whitburn's books are excellent.

This book is a great help in searching for old records, who sang on these singles, what date they came out, etc etc. I discovered some minor errors though, but hopefully they will be corrected for the revised edition!! Kind of thought it is a waste of space to list who has the most popular songs, this and that; but otherwise I highly recommend this book.

If you are considering this book, you are probably 39 and holding, like I have been for the past 25 years. I started wondering "what was the title of that song?" and "who sang that one?". All those good tunes I grew up listening to in the late 50's on through the 80's. I bought this book (through Amizon of course) and just seeing the titles printed jarred loose melodies that have long been burried under the dust of time. Noboby plays them anymore, but the mind is a juke box of sorts and seeing a title is akin to putting a "nickle in the nickleodeon". This book is fun. Find music by artist or title. Lot's of trivia on the singers (Neil Diamond once considered changing his name to Noah Kaminsky and wrote for the TV show THE MONKEES). If you love the oldies, this book is great. KHF

This book had me captured from the first page!! It's a must-read! I can't wait for the sequel!!

I can't remember when I have read a more engrossing book. The author brings her fascinating characters to life in such a way that one cannot help but connect with them from the very first page, rooting for them as they travel on their life's path, anxious when they turn an unknown corner, sympathetic when they stumble, sad when they fall, and happy and excited when you pick themselves up again. Ah, was it my destiny to discover Patricia Sheehy and Field of Destiny or was it a happy accident? Whatever it was, I am the richer for it.

Field of Destiny immediately peaks your interest and keeps it with twists, turns and delightful surprises. Great bookclub item too as it sparks a curiosity of life's purpose. Loved it!

This is a wonderfully written, thought-provoking novel. It makes you think about the chances we take, the choices we make, and the path we follow. Does our free will really change our destiny? All the while, you will become engrossed in the lives of each one of these characters. They have such depth and such personality. You can actually feel the turmoil within their human spirit and the difficult decisions they must make throughout their lifetime. As a reader, you become the "fly on the wall" taking in the all of the surroundings, urging Natalie to make another decision, yet you still understand why she chooses the path she decides to follow. I loved every minute of this book - it is intriguing, filled with hope, filled with reality and it certainly has a destiny of its own!! ENJOY!!!

Imagine my surprise and delight when I discovered that the lead character of Patricia Sheehy's novel, "Field of Destiny" shares my fascination with one of the world's most multi-faceted fragrances, Aime Guerlain's olfactory wonder-of-the-world, `Jicky'--created in 1889 and touted as one of the first modern perfumes, one of the first to blend the natural animal note of civet with synthetic elements. A less oriental `Shalimar', `Jicky' imbues the wearer with a classic freshness that hints of the past yet can fully compete and reign victorious with more contemporary fragrance. As someone who uses both `Jicky' and `Shalimar' as her signature scents, immediately, I felt a connection with the author of this book and the inimitable soul, Nunki, both of which obviously share my sensual obsession.

On another, more spiritual level, the subject of reincarnation of which Ms Sheehy very definitely explores within the pages of this 274 page quest for character assessment and development, also enthralls this reviewer as a potential explanation for many happenstances in life that seem otherwise difficult to explain. After all, how do we elucidate on instances where we come across someone we have never before met and immediately sense a kinship and an unmistakable familiarity that is uncanny in its thorough knowing?

In "Field of Destiny," Patricia Sheehy illustrates her definition of the concept of reincarnation and all its cyclical implications by centering her plotline around the life of Natalie Davenport and heralding this journey of a troubled woman born in 1947 with the short unhappy life of Noelle Robidoux, a woman who, in the opening chapter, dies violently at the hands of her husband Charles in France circa 1898. What could these two women living in two different centuries have in common? Much it seems--they share an eternal soul named Nunki complete with a guardian angel, a soulmate and a raft of life lessons to learn. According to the Masters, Nunki's past life motivation has consisted of only selfishness that has propelled her helter-skelter through countless irresponsible acts none of which have helped her soul to achieve any semblance of enlightenment. As Natalie, she will again come into contact with other souls from the past all of which will afford her the chance for spiritual growth if she so chooses.

Ms Sheehy, it seems believes, not so much in the power of fate, but in the element of free will and how this comes into play with a soul's ultimate development. We see this over and over again as the character of Natalie stumbles through both good and bad choices. We cringe when she lies and cheer when she makes a decision that will move her up a rung on the ladder of personal enrichment.

From the moment of her birth in 1947, Natalie's life is chronicled with a constant eye on her reencountering the other souls that have influenced her development. Sheehy accomplishes this effect with simplicity---her story line follows the soul Nunki from the Noelle incarnation to that of the newer Natalie embodiment, even offering a stage where the soul is actually identified in transition phase--this portion of the story being unfortunately the most difficult for her to render without suspending the belief of the reader.

Although not great literature, Sheehy has the ability to tell a story that keeps the pages turning. I, for one, read the entire book in a two-day period and admit to thoroughly enjoying the more romantic aspects of this tale, especially the very credible relationship between soul mates Nunki and Jabbah as incarnated as Natalie and Johnny. Their reunion although expected elicited a few well deserved tears, so intense is Sheehy's skill in recreating that feeling one gets from a gift of mutually shared love. The predictable as with many other novels adds to that sense of satisfaction that a reader receives when their plot forecast comes a fulfilling climax. The reader nods with adamant "I knew it" and allows emotions to overflow with a shameless unsophisticated abandon that refreshes rather than frustrates.

As I was a bit surprised by the novel's ending, I do look forward to encountering all characters again in Sheehy's sequel entitled "A Thousand Whispers." Hopefully, in this one, she will not use the rather hackneyed technique of hawking another of her works by having the main character act as a surrogate author. In a similar sense some of her secondary characters although indicative of the time period being rendered seem superfluous to the overall action and pace of the tale.


Bottom line? Patricia Sheehy does a fine job of depicting the concept of reincarnation as she sees it in her very readable novel, "Field of Destiny." From one page to the next, as the reader, you will move through each phase of main character Natalie's existence, wonder what she will learn in terms of her own enlightenment and clamor for more when the story ends. Like a whiff of `Jicky,' "Field of Destiny" creates a world built of molecules that restructure themselves to formulate elements of greater depth when experienced by those willing to explore that which seems familiar from the perspective of a novice on the ladder of life and its epiphanies. Recommended for its ability to entertain with the caveat that the soul transition portion of the tale may be a bit hard to swallow.
Diana Faillace Von Behren
"reneofc"

John Gaudet is a man of considerable scientific training and experience (in Eastern Africa), which adds enormously to his novel, but in a way that is not at all overbearing. His knowledge and experience enrich the novel in a way that is subtle enough that few readers would ever regard it as "academic" (it's too fun for that), but you'll probably learn a few things along the way in any case.

this book is vert entertaining, was hard for me to put down it is filled with elaborate storylines and strong believable characters. the plot flows nicely from spot to spot giving it an easy to read quality that I really enjoyed. flow, story and characters all made this a great overall book filled with great images of africa. I will be looking out for more books by Gaudet!

Because the Colonial forms of African development have been well documented in fact, it is refreshing to discover this subject approached in fictional form. John Gaudet has made capital use of his life experiences while living in Africa. Extremely well researched, and elegantly presented, the book opens a door to the painful, and often mind boggling difficulties faced by those intrepid British, who brought, then modern day rapid train travel, to a country whose former mode of transportation was either by slow ardous river transportation, or the staggering physical demands of hacking their way through the bush. Mr. Gaudet does not shy away from presenting the harsh and brutal treatment used by the Colonials against the natives, although compared to the bestial atrocities of King Leopold, the British seem to have imposed far more lenient treatment to the native populations. Detailing the building a railway through the tropical terrain, with it's innumerable obsticals, is a fascinating picture of a world few if us could imagine being faced with.

John Gaudet knows Africa,he knows British colonial history and he knows how to spin a rousing adventure yarn.At one level,"the Iron Snake"is a fast paced story of the building of the Uganda Railroad and the fights and frolics of the British colonists and their German competitors in the Africa gerrymandered by the European powers at the end of the Victorian Age.

But there is much more to this book.Through the "Iron Snake",Gaudet is able to convey a clear notion of what Africa was like at the turn of the Twentieth Century in terms of its land and people,both those who had always been there and those who came to dominate and exploit them.

Normally, I'm not a reader of historical novels, but I am a fan of Africa, and railroad stories, and travel, and I love the Victorian period of history. This novel is about all three, which is why I picked it out, and I'm not sorry I made the choice. The story is about the building of a railway into the heart of Kenya in the late 19th century. I particularly like the opening section where the heroine, Alice, growing up in England tries to figure out what Africa is all about, "...She recalled from her atlas that starting from Kent one passed through England to Europe and the rest of the World, and since the World started with `A' for Africa, she reasoned that Angola must be at the very top of that Continent and perhaps not far from where she sat this sunny morning."

As the story progresses Alice turns into a strong-willed woman, tough enough to challenge the male-dominated society she finds in Colonial Africa. In fact, all of his characters are similar to the people whom I imagined would venture out to Africa around the turn of the century, colorful, eccentric people, the ones who didn't fit the mold in Europe.

Towards the end of the book I discovered that it is more than a historical novel, it's a description of how to build a rail line into unknown territory, and it's a travelogue, and a thriller, and a love story with a Jane Austen ending! There's something here for everybody. The best parts however are Gaudet's descriptions of the relationships of the white settlers with the Africans, especially the wily, illusive, Zulu woman working for the Germans, Jakoby, and the endearing village seer, Syonduku.

The Africans believed the railroad fulfilled an ancient prophesy and called it the Iron Snake, hence the title of the book, but the British media called it the Lunatic Express and after reading it I can see why.
Historically, The Iron Snake is important because as the novel unfolds we see a shadow of events that lead up to the outbreak of WWI fourteen years later, and the battles that will be fought between British and German colonial troops in East Africa. In summary, a fast, thoroughly enjoyable read, and great entertainment, no wonder Alexander McCall Smith enjoyed it.

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

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

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

Wonderful book! Great infos for everyone who is a true Doors fan, even Morrison school records...

The Jim Morrison Scrapbook *****

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

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

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

Finally this Australian children's classic is becoming available to Americans. I first read it 60 years ago and it has never lost its unusual charm. I read it to my children, enjoying together its wonderful illustrations by author-artist Norman Lindsey and its whimsical poem-songs: "It's worse than weevils, worse than warts/ Worse than corns to bear/ It's worse than having several quarts of treacle in your hair." My grandchildren are now enjoying the books (I had to order copies from Australia, and consider it wonderful that children today can more easily obtain the book). I consider it a classic of the first order--one of the greatest children's stories of all time.

Big tough talking penguins and talking never ending desserts, what more could you want? Ok, that, but this is a kids book, and one you should get if you have some (kids, that is, not talking penguins and puddings). There are the good guys, and there are the bad guys. Both are hungry, but the bad guys want to put out tasty pudding friend to nefarious ends, while the good guys just want enough dessert. Needless to say, the pudding is cantankerous.

Honestly, I'm no read-aloud wimp! And my kids are usually up for anything. They giggled like mad at the pompous puns of Mr. H.M. Wogglebug T.E. in the Oz books, and urged on my faux-Yorkshire accent in the Secret Garden. The century-old Australian slang and endless sea shanties of the Magic Pudding, though, just about did us in. It really is a magnificent flight of fancy, but there were just too many incomprehensible sentences to paraphrase and longggg songs to make up tunes for. Save this for when you're at your most daring and energetic, read-aloud parents!

The Magic Pudding is a fun-and-nonsense tale that has become my nine-year-old son's favorite book. It deserves to be published in the US so that American children can enjoy what has become a classic in Australian children's literature. If you enjoy Roald Dahl's books, "The Phantom Tollbooth," and "Alice in Wonderland" you'll enjoy this.

This book is part of the wonderful new series of republished children's books from the New York Review of Books. Over 80 years old, "The Magic Pudding" describes the adventures of a koala bear, named Bunyip Bluegum - the kind of koala who wears a high collar and spats - who falls in with a crazy cowboy sort of fellow named Bill Barnacle and a penguin named Sam Sawnoff.

Bill and Sam are possessed of a magic pudding (named Albert, if you can believe this), who regenerates every time you take a bite of him and changes into whatever flavor you like. Albert the pudding is much coveted by two evil villains who are constantly tricking our Heroes into giving up the Pudding, whereupon they must go and re-re-re-rescue it.

The characters and style are very reminiscent of "Alice in Wonderland," with Bunyip seeming a little White-rabbitish to me, and Bill and Sam sort of Mad Hatter and Dormouse-y. The effect is somewhere in between "Alice" and an old Loony Tunes in which Bugs Bunny constantly bewilders Elmer Fudd.

The whole narrative is punctuated with many whimsical song lyrics, like the poetry in Carroll's book. The lyrics make it a great read-aloud for the younger set, although older kids might be a bit puzzled by its style. However, everyone will be charmed by the Pudding himself and want one of their very own.

Number in Scripture is just a list of facts, not what I was looking for.

This book is incredible! What detail & foreknowledge is involved in the inspired word of God. If you think the Bible is a masterpiece now you will not be disappointed after reading "Number in Scripture." It brought home to me how little we actually conceptualize about the workings of God.

Not only that, but it also helps with finding significance and greater meaning and understanding in scripture.

I had not read up on this subject before & found it truly inspiring.

E.W. Bullinger was a genius and I think every Pastor and Sunday School Teacher should have a copy of this book. It is somewhat technical reading but very interesting to see how numbers are so important in the Bible.

EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO READ/LEARN THE 'SECRET' GOSPEL
HIDDEN IN THE NUMBERS..........THIS BOOK IS THE BEST WRITTEN ON THAT SUBJECT.

"As for God His WAY is perfect" (PS.xviii.30). "The Law of the Lord is perfect" (Ps. xix. 7). "They are both perfect in power, perfect in holiness and righteousness, perfect in design, perfect in execution, perfect in thier object and end, and, may we not say, perfect in number."
E.W. Bullinger

It makes since does it not? If the words that God uses are perfect then why not the numbers? Thus, we have this monumental study by E.W. Bullinger. This book is broken into two sections, the first section examines the supernatural design of the Bible. The second section examines the spiritual significance of numbers. However, this book isn't just about numbers, it is an example of the beautiful accuracy and the infallability of God's perfect Word. The Bible flows in perfect harmony from the beginning to the end. After reading this book, never will you view the Bible as nothing more then just an "Old Book" written by religious zealots that collects dust on your bookshelf. Nor will you view the Bible as having no relevance in today's "modern" world. You will begin to see it as it really is, and that is, PERFECT!!!

God Bless ya!

This is a must-have item. It is an incredible beautiful book. If you are a pethead, you must have it. But, if you will buy this item, you must have in mind that is a catalogue of items, pictures and comments, the name is literal, not a book as "PSB vs America" or "Literally".

With 14 reviews already written, I doubt I can say anything that hasn't already been said. But I will give a short review of my impression of Catalogue.

This book is more like Pet Shop Boys history in pictures. While it's true this is a catalogue of all the album and CD covers. It is also the history of Pet Shop Boys in a brief chronology near the back of the book. It gives a time line of what they were doing on particular dates.

There's also an interview from April 2006 with Neil and Chris by Chris Heath. It also includes a complete in depth discography of all their singles and albums they released.

The silver cover of the book makes a great coffee table attraction. It's a must for any Pethead's collection. It's also a great reference book for new fans of the boys. For those who never subscribed to the fan club will enjoy looking at the various Christmas Cards and cover art of the fan club magazine Literally.

I purchased multiple copies so I could have one on display and to thumb through and one is kept sealed. At this great price, who could resist?

Pet Shop Boys Catalogue

El libro es excelente [casi una obra de arte] en el cual se repasa la historia gráfica del dúo a través de sus primeros 20 años de carrera. Un verdadero must para cualquier fan de los PSB.

This book is beautifully packed and chronicles the product of the pet shop boys for the first 20 years. It includes album/single covers, tours, costumes, videos, etc. It is worth every penny and a true companion for any psb fan!

You can easily forget that Chris and Neil, Pet Shop Boys have been making fantastic music together for close to 30 years now. This large volume is an authoritative visual representation of what the PSB have done throughout their career. If there is one problem (not really) it would be that since they Boys are still active, the book will be outdated nearly immediately following its publication.

Its fun to see all the international releases, versions, one-off items that have come from their musical output, from singles to albums to videos to other books. Catalogue is comprehensive to say the least. And the photos are many, and all relatively great quality.

This is a true gift to the real PSB fans. It is sort of like your own personal scrapbook if you've been following the Boys through the years or a wonderful collection to introduce newer fans to the career that Neil and Chris have enjoyed. Price seems more than reasonable for the quality of the book. The cover is stunning and makes a great conversation piece for your coffee table. It just sort of begs to be opened with its silvery cover image.

Pet Shop Boys fans should be thrilled that such a volume exists and that the artists have seen fit to offer something of this scale. So many bands, defunct or ongoing seem to spurn their fans requests for such items. In this case, no matter what the intent of the artist--whether purely self indulgence or wanting to give back, the fans who purchase this book are the winners.

Love this book. Love the Boys. And most importantly, Love the music they continue to release. Left to your own devices, you probably will buy this book.

In this slender volume, Fr. Lee not only provides a neat summary of Wagner's epic, but an ample and insightful look at the political and philophical underpinnings of the opera's genesis. His discussion of Schopenhauer's influence, albeit a surface treatment, never overwhelms the reader. Nor does the discussion of the leitmotives bog the reader down and detract from a lively and personal narrative. Highly recommended.

I found Father Owen Lee's interpretation of Wagner's Ring concise, beautifully written and coherent. I was utterly mesmerized and could not put the book down until I had read it.

Father Lee's book is essentially a fleshing out of some radio commentary given on the Ring cycle. While it is a short book and a quick read, it is insightful, deep, and well worth study and discussion.

There is no single 'correct' way to interpret Wagner's giant gesamtkunstwerk, one reason why so many books of interpretations and analysis of the pieces struggle for shelf space. This one makes a worthy addition to the pile.

Readers new to the Ring will find the synopsis and discussion of each opera informative and most valuable in getting them started to a basic understanding. Those more familiar with the Ring should find much to think about and compare with their own or other interpretations.

Supplemental to the text are suggested recordings, short reviews of additional books worth investigating, and a brief list of some of Wagner's more well-known musical motifs. There are more complete such lists and references available, but again for the novice these will all be of great help.

I found Lee's book informative, fascinating, and useful.

This little book is an excellent introduction for folks like myself who have tried for years to make sense of the cycle. The narration gives a plot synopsis followed by the author's view of the meaning behind the drama. I have always been fascinated by Wagner's Ring Cycle though I do not know German. I have been very intrigued by the music. Well this book gave me a tiny little bit to get me going.

Much of Father Owens' analysis may not meet with everyone's interpretation of the cycle but it does make one think.

There is a section at the end that contains written music. My knowledge of reading music is very scant so I just ignored that section. It is not germane to the narrative because one can get these examples by listening to the work. For good examples get An Introduction To Wagner's Der Ring Des Nebulungen by Deryck Cooke on CD. Mr. Cooke's CD gives audio examples that one can appreciate without knowing how to read music.

to one of the most multi-layered works of art in existence.

I have wanted to see this opera series for over 20 years, ever since I saw an opera properly prepared by a Wagner fanatic. Finally, I was in a place where I could, so I turned to the various preparations that I could find.

This short book was indisputably one of the best, and it doesn't shy from bold pronouncements and interpretations. Lee is a classical scholar of great learning and brings together a huge range of sources in this 100plus-page book.

First, he gives a synopsis. Then, he interprets it, with full awareness that the reader may disgree. While the content is covered by other reviewers here, I wanted to say that this added immensely to my experience of this uniquely complex work of near-modern art. Plus, it is aimed that at erudite admirers, but to those (like me) desperate for an anchor as I approach the unique intensity of Wagner.

While it relies a bit too heavily on depth psychology, which places this interpretation at a certain time, it is never dogmatic and addresses many of the other philosophical ideas that underlie it. This is my only caveat. Truly great works of art are re-interpreted by every age, and this one will be too. In addition, it cannot be the only source one approaches - you need to listen to the music as well, so this is one supplement.

Warmly recommended.

When I went and saw "Assassins" for the first time, I honestly wasn't sure what to expect. I've been a Sondheim fan ever since I began watching "Into The Woods" at the tender age of four years old... but I don't think I was sufficiently prepared for "Assassins". And that's a good thing.
"Assassins" keeps you on your toes throughout, being able to make dramatic changes from the light-hearted to the tragic in the time it takes to bat an eye. Perhaps most striking is how you come to like and sympathize with every one of the assassins, while still knowing that they all have their dangerous streak.
Moreover, "Assassins" deals with a common subject in a very uncommon way. The overall 'theme' says "Everybody's got the right to be happy." The brilliance in this statement is not in the statement itself, but within the context of the cold-blooded murderers with it has been placed. It gives us the lesser seen perspective of life from the point of view of these historical figures who had major problems with their lives and with themselves. Rare, even in the history books.
In fact, "Assassins" has been a better history lesson for me than nearly anything else. The play is very highly based on the facts of every person's life and the details of their assassination attempts. Good for theatre buffs and history teachers alike.
Go Sondheim, go!

Well, I was not very well aquainted with Sondheim, though I had heard of him. Then I was fortunate enough to be cast as Sam Byck in a production of Assassins. I have to say, the show was an experience like I can only hope to have ever again. Weidman's writing brings to life thoroughly disturbed characters in a way the audience can relate to. It shows us the world of a psychopath- looking out from the inside. My first thought was to question whether I could do justice to the material. The incredible intensity of the scenes and the forceful emotion of the songs is nearly overwhelming. From the actor's point of view, I can say only that a sense of desparation is omnipresent, even in the comedy, and that there is the feeling of a great injustice, and perhaps an epiphany that never quite came. I encourage anyone who can to try and acquire a copy of the London production( I don't know if there are any official ones, but as any theatre enthusiast knows, there are ALWAYS bootlegs), or of the new production when it becomes available, because of the added song "Something Just Broke". This incredible piece serves as an important... I think the word is catharsis. I remember crying backstage during the first show, because it put a sharp point on the events of the previous scene, where Oswald takes his shot. The play itself also brings into focus the background of the assassins, and those lesser-known souls who tried and failed( like Byck). While it won't appeal to everyone, it is definitely worth looking into for Sondheim lovers and US History buffs. And serious performers will find the songs and text rich with meaning. I recommend this show, libretto and music, to anyone with an open mind, or a love of art.

I profess to be of a young age, and those who don't know me would probably consider my experience with musical theatre to be rather inextensive. I am, however, even at a young age, a Stephen Sondheim admirer. Yet even I, whose favorite musical is the ghastly and mind-numbing masterpiece "Sweeny Todd," was not entirely prepared for the unabashed "Assassins."

Assassins combines all the would be and have been presidential assassins of the United State's history and throws them all into a timeless world where Charles Guiteau (Garfield) can chat with Leon Czolgosz (McKinley) and Sam Byck (Nixon) at a bar while John Wilkes Booth (Lincoln) reads a copy of Variety magazine. It is more of a revue than anything, but the music (which you MUST own if you're going to buy the libretto) is so moving and so powerful it actually is able to draw sympathy for Lincoln's assassin. If the prospect of feeling pity or sympathy for Lee Harvey Oswald makes you angry, Assassins is not my recommendation.

Indeed, Sondheim and Weidman sucessfully made me feel sorry for Leon Czolgosz and Booth and Oswald and nearly all the characters in the musical. Some may think it unpatriotic; I think it presents the other side to woefully biased history lessons claiming the Assassins to be vengeful madmen searching for chaos. Assassins truly brings to light what's wrong with the American dream, and for any history buff, Sondheim fan, or just plain theater fan, Assassins is a MUST have.

All I can say about this play is that it is sheer genius. I was fortunate enough to see the Broadway revival cast act it out in Studio 54, thus can safely say that the play is just as shrewd and clever onstage as it seems in the play.

The thing that often repels people from 'Assassins' is firstly its subject matter - assassins and would-be assasins of presidents of the United States - and secondly, the way it handles its subject matter. 'Assassins' neither trivializes nor glorifies its characters: what it does is examine them, and let the audience make the decision as to what prompted them to commit the crimes they did. On stage, the play is chilling - seeing "Squeaky" Fromme carve an 'M' for 'Manson' into her forehead at the end of her number with John Hinckley 'Unworthy of Your Love' does not seem disgusting; it is entrancingly horrific. And this is not even mentioning the song 'How I Saved the President', the fast-paced narrative of Giuseppe Zangara's attempt on the life of President Franklin Roosevelt: it rises to an eerie feverish pitch and ends with a jolt - literally. The singing ceases only when Zangara has been electrocuted.

I realize that the above description may seem to portray 'Assassins' as a gruesome horror-trip into history - but really, that is not what it is at all. The rises and falls of emotions in the songs (apparent in the book as well as in the play) are shrewdly placed so that the viewer can't quite bring themself to feel sorry for the assassin, exactly, more fascinated. And this is what 'Assassins' is - a fascinating look at some of the most forbidden American taboo in our country's history. The play jumps on its subject matter with surprising gusto - it does not jump delicately from point to point. It attacks its topics and does not let the audience leave unshaken.

I feel as though I should probably mention that reading the book and seeing the play live are two different things. They are both thought-provoking and interesting looks at the various assassins - but a certain emotional element is lost in the text. Not that the book is bland and dry - far from it. However, seeing Charles Guiteau dance his way up to gallows feverishly reciting his poem 'I Am Going to the Lordy' is slightly more morbid than reading it.

Highly recommended.

This review is by Crosley.

I had become very well acquainted with the score to Assassins before I read the script, and I think John Weidman may have done the impossible: he may have overshadowed Sondheim's score with his book. Don't get me wrong, the music and lyrics are phenomenal, but the book is what really matters in this one.

Assassins is an examination of the dark side of the American Dream and those it has affected, namely, those who have tried to kill presidents. Most of the assassins actually have good reasons for their efforts. The play has gained a lot of bad publicity for "glorifying assassinating the president," "being unpatriotic" and "trivializing terrible events." The play does none of these on any level. I said that some assassins had good reasons. I did not say that their actions were the right thing to do, because they weren't. However, the play rehumanizes people that society has dismissed as one dimensional madmen. Hence, the Balladeer. The Balladeer represents the traditional, one sided view of the assassins, and is used expertly. The play keeps in mind the fact that the assassins are dangerous people who should be condemned, but it also keeps in mind that they are indeed people. The scene between Csolgosz and Emma Goldman is wonderfully poignant, and allows us to see a side of Csolgosz rejected by the world, and it's things like that that make the characters much more real.

By making the characters real and at least vaguely sympathetic, the play succeeds in such a way that could never be done with demonized characters. Since the assassins are made human and just like us, Americans trying to live The Dream, they are infinetly more terrifying and frightening, because now we can identify with them, and see the clear and present danger in America.

They all have different motives, but there is one thing that ties them all together. They thought The Dream was not a goal, but something they were entitled to, and when they didn't get it, they wanted people to listen. Hence, drastic measures. Booth's anger with Lincoln is very real, and the crimes he lists against Lincoln are all true to some degree. Csolgoszs' anger at the working man's plight is completely justified, considering his working conditions and wages. Few of them have motives that we can't understand (except Moore and Guiteau), and again, they are that much worse because of it.

This is not to say that the play is not funny. Au Contraire, Assassins is one of the funnier plays I've read, mostly because it preys upon the assassins' character flaws and quirks and exploits them for some great comedy. They're even funnier if you know about the personalities of each for whatever reason. For example, regarding the scene where Guiteau hits on Moore, it was known that Guiteau hit on anything with two legs (usually unsuccessfully), and Moore, who had been married five times (each husband was more successful than the last), may have been roped in by Guiteau's line of "How would you like to marry the ambassador to France?" It's really quite good. The scenes between Moore and Fromme are priceless, as are Byck's rants into his tape recorder, hamburger in hand. "I am Unworthy of you Love" is a gorgeous song, and in context (being sung to Jody Foster and Charles Manson by John Hinckley and Squeaky Fromme, respectively), it's uproarious. Thank God for Weidman's wit, because this is a show that definetly needs comic relief.

The interesting idea that the play presents is that the assassins are just as American as anyone else, because America is "The land where any kid can grow up to be president," and likewise, "Any kid can grow up to be his killer." Comedy, tragedy, laughs, tears, a message, great music, Assassins has it all. The scene near the end with Lee Harvey Oswald is one of the most powerful scenes I've ever read. In fact, it was recorded on the soundtrack, because it's just that important. Delaying Oswald's appearance for so long was a great move, because the audience, after being emotionally assaulted by the other 8 assassins, is finally pushed over the edge with an event that most of them were alive for and remember. The triumphant chords after Oswald's shot give me shivers every time I hear them.

Assassins is a phenomenal play that unfortunately is rarely produced. I recommend reading the script and enjoying the excellent score to people looking for something a little different (hey, that's Sondheim for you), a little funny, and a little scary. The show will live on because of its relevance, and it's a wonderful addition to the American Musical Theater.

This is a big book, full of candid photographs of some of the rawest moments in punk rock history in DC. Anyone who is interested in the history of the scene, especially Dischord, should be able to appreciate how extensive this collection of words and images is, and will enjoy the sense of urgency and life it conveys.

Without a doubt, this book is the best around on punk and hardcore. Banned in DC was put out long ago, about at the height of the infatuation with Dischord, just as that DC scene was beginning to shun itself and others, in a way.

But this collection of b/w photos is amazing. Simple and smart, the pix capture the essence of the scene, including the bands and the people. Because this music is best experienced live, the photos do it justice unlike words can.

Anyone into punk, hardcore or indie music needs to have this book. Unlike many British and 70's NY or LA punk books, Banned in DC means something to anyone who grew up on 80's and 9's underground music.

This book rocks! I feel so lucky to have grown up in the area during this time skating and listening to these legendary bands that helped pioneer and shape the domestic punk rock scene. That time in my life had such a great influence on who I am today. In what was normally a stuffy conservative area, the DC punk scene was a culture of it's own that forced me to think outside the box. I have long since left the area for the west coast, but I will never forget that time and all the great shows I saw at the 9:30. This book really helps bring those memories back to life.

I've had this book for years! I even found three pictures that have me in them!

It's a collection of photos that could be submitted after the fact - because of that, the photos were of people and bands that were around the photographer/submitter - thus the limited perspective that some reviewers commented on.

I don't think that the people taking the pictures had planned to publish something of this magnitude, and try to make a documentary of it, but the stories and pictures of people that I remember make it worthwhile. Some of these people are still very influential in the music scene.

If you want to get a feel for what it was like during the late 70's and into the 80's in the DC punk scene, this book is invaluable.

These rare photos are amazing. Cynthia Connelly's simple high-contrast black-and-whites were ubiquitous while growing up in the DC area, and for good reason--she is an awe-inspiring artist and master of her craft. The only thing that's disappointing about this book is that it features her boyfriend Ian's record label and both of their dischord-scene friends a little TOO prominently. There were (and still are)so many other bands and people doing things in DC--NOT just Dischord--many of the other small labels, promoters, and bands who maybe weren't accepted by the 'Dischordites' are ignored and as such, dismissed here. Too bad. This is a one-sided view of a very multi-dimensional, thriving musical scene.