Genres Books

Music has always been my main interest. Not just listening to classical or ballads (which i enjoyed the most), but participating in the amateur world of music in my town. What would we music lovers do for the "love of music." We would devote out entire lives and devotion to music. It is the language of love. Opera is a genre of music only the affenadios cultivate. It is not my cup of tea, nor is ballet -- though Katrina is now a pro in Cincinnati. Music has t he power to soothe the restless beast.

My inner self is totally music. A radio listener since childhood, I grew up in a world of music. My dad's family were musically inclined in diverse ways and I came along at just the right time to develop my talent on my own with no help except my trusty radio. I could sing the pop songs just as they sounded on the radio, and had a short career as a high school student, with a little help from my true friends. I will forever be grateful that they indulged a small, mother-less girl who wanted to grow up to be a singer! Imagine that -- a poor girl becoming a famous singer. Music in all of its forms is the basis of life. Dancing was denied be due to religious beliefs, but as an older woman, i showed my stuff at a free Al Curtis dance, and even a UT student asked me where I had learned to dance. I told her that I never did, it was just the music in me coming out. I could not dance with a man, as I always tended to "lead," which they did not like.

Young students should be required to take a music course or two, even Girls' Glee Club was helpful, though it ended my career. Some people are musically talented in many ways. My friend, Juanita, had a lovely voice and we tried a duet on t.v. which bombed. Needless to say, i was a loner when it came to music.

The radio has always been a must in my life. I have discovered a "high school" station which is fantastic. After listening to it for a month or so, I heard them say that Falcon Radio was from Fulton. I called and talked with the teacher and said that I could not possibly believe that high school kids would play that kind of music, what I had listened to twenty years ago. It is always rewarding to find some new network or local station which makes you feel good and young again. Westwood One did the trick in 1999; then came mYL in 2000, EZ88 played Michael Feinstein for me, and now 91.1 FM is the best. You can't call it relaxing music as it brings back too many memories of the good times and makes you want to sing and dance like you did as a young girl.

For the Love of Music is a wonderfully accessible look at the world of classical music: the composers, the performers, the music, and the emotions all three manage to produce in listeners. The authors are music professionals, yet their pleasure in music, and their engagement with music, is as clear in these essays as their knowledge of their subjects. The volume contains essays on the greats--Bach, Mozart, Mahler--but also covers some modern and contemporary composers whose work is less known, and less appreciated, by non-specialist listeners. There are also some unexpected notes; in his essay on film music, author Larry Rothe suggests that Beethoven might have been a great film composer, and reminds us that Dino de Laurentiis approached Stravinsky about scoring his epic The Bible! A fascinating book for both the musically literate and those who would like to know more about the music they love.

Once you've sampled one of the warm and witty essays in this book, you'll want to devour the rest at a single sitting. Rothe and Steinberg provide vivid and evocative accounts of their falling in love--or not--with various musical works. At the same time, they offer fascinating details about the all-too-human composers of those pieces. The passion that the authors bring to their descriptions of music and its creators will make readers eager to encounter the works themselves. Just as Steinberg mentions that he has learned that "music repays repeated listening," I believe this book will amply repay repeated reading.

For those of us in the world who have not yielded entirely to the mass apppeal of pop music in whatever form it takes this book is a gift. I speak for those who listen to classical music without the benefit of an education in the history or theory of music. Rothe and Steinberg bring us a window into the passions and thoughts of composers whose work has endured over decades and centuries. They do so with a robust appreciation for their subjects and amusing insights into their encounters with the work they describe. I cherish the crisp,candid style and knowlegeable background information that fills the pages. It will stay on my shelf as a reference book as well as a re-read for those times when only music will do.

This book is not like all the other kind of "band books" that you may have come accross in the past. This book has a different prospective of the photographer and his passion on a band he believed in.

Orlic, takes you on a journey in his own words, of what he was feeling and how he himself, had an inticate part of the band itself. Without him and the brothership that was bonded between he and the members, where would the band be now? Orlic, was the very ingredient that was needed for a lift off of new people discovering the band. He had introduced many of his contacts to The Frames, where they ended recording in Chicago and even one of the engineers, joined the band.
Orlic even had the privledge of becoming a T.M.(tour manager)for one seasons when traveling through America.

This book brings you through the eyes of a photographer. You become like a best friend. Your in like flynn. Your feel like you are a part of the band!

So, I highly recommend buying this refreshing new prospective of a book about a band, that is on it's way to becoming huge! Now that the movie, Once is out, watch out for The Frames! Whom I believe is to become larger than the Dave Matthews Band!

I have had a chance to experience the artist's photography before but was amazed the night I picked up his book (at a live signing) (in Chicago) (I know, lucky me). The entire book is a work of art. The photographer truly captures the fleeting moments of life with The Frames, and you can actually feel the excitement of their lives through the lens of an amazing photographer. For any Frames fan, this is a must -- and for anyone out there who appreciates art -- this is most definitely a must. Is there going to be a part 2??

Sensibility of Rock and Roll. Every frame is to be framed. I love every single photo. Text is passionate as the photos are and if you do not know the music of The Frames, than all of it will become one, ONCE you listen to it. Bravo Zoran Orlic. A true artist.

first of all, the size and quality of it are amazing. i thought it'd be a lot smaller, i don't know why.

i read it all in one sitting-- couldn't really stop. i love the way that it's written. totally sincere and unpretentious. candid and funny.
i loved it.

and oh yeah, gorgeous photographs, too!

There are very few songs made famous by Sinatra that are missing from this impressive book. This is an incredible collection for a relatively low price.

As a musician, I was delighted to find the Sinatra Anthology. I just wish it had a spiral binding, so it would stay open when I'm playing these songs for parties or just for my pleasure! (I will probably invest another $5 to have it done at a Copy Center.) Many of the rarely heard, but still loved tunes are in this collection (which is why I ordered it.) Sinatra's voice was at its best in those early years, when he was on the Saturday Night Hit Parade when I was a teen. Thanks for this memory!

This is an extremely entertaining, well designed, and incredibly thorough compilation of the master's most important songs. The quality of the artwork, photos and reproduction of the sheet music is top notch and just when you presume that a particular song might not have made the list---there it is. Couldn't be happier with the item or the price. A total bargain.

Oooh la la - what a find! This is a beautiful book - over 400 pages of great music. And it opens with 10 pages of color photos, album covers, and quotes. So many songs for young lovers. Lyrics/piano parts/and guitar chords for all the songs. And the binding is even great! It's a thick book, but will lie flat on your piano. Arrangements range in difficulty level, but are basic enough to add on to if you want.

Excellent book!!!

I'm one of the macaroons that didn't notice that these two books Fuzz & Feedback, and Echo and Twang are actually older books with brand-spanking new Titles and Covers.

They were originally: Classic Guitars of the '60s, & Classic Guitars of the '50s.

I ordered them from Amazon thinking they were cool new books by Bacon and Company. Bacon's books are usually similar to DK books with great pictures and good text, so I normally just order them when I see them.

I've reported this to Amazon and we'll see if they'll let me exchange them.


(Update: I reported this to Amazon on 12-29-06 and as of 1-5-07 I have heard nothing)

I love this book. The title is misleading however.This book focuses on bitchen electric guitars, their history, the wild and unusual models, the classics, and specific legendary guitars used by the guitar gods like Hendrix, Clapton, etc.. It's full of photos and great facts, and the lineage of models and history of the manufacturers. What is really neat are the photos of all the odd models made by companies other than the big names like Fender and Gibson. Besides all the fine photos and great layout, there is a lot of interesting information about the influence and use of various guitars on different bands and sounds from the sixties. The layout is really something--not only are there photos of cool guitars, there are also photos of vintage magazine ads for various guitar models, photos of rarely seen album covers from obscure sixties guitar bands, etc. Reading is not necessasary to enjoy this book! But there is plenty to read as well. This is a fun book. Anyone who has ever looked longingly at some old electric guitar on stage or hanging on a shop wall is sure to get a kick out of this book. Great gift.

Along with its companion volume 'Twang and Echo: Classic Guitar Music of the '50s', this book provides a richly-illustrated account of electric guitars and their manufacturers from a seminal period in the history of popular music. From the classic to the bizarre, from the familiar to the esoteric, they are all here in big picture and full-colour. Its magazine-type layout and writing approach makes for very easy perusal, providing an entertaining overview of the period and these fascinating time-pieces.
BUT BE WARNED ... this book was previously published in 1996 in hardcover under the title 'Classic Guitars of the '60s'. To the best of my knowledge no mention is made anywhere of this in the write-up.

This is one book that needs, desparately, to be reprinted. It is the most amazing story and quite ably presented by the author. It is the true story of the inhabitants of Floreana, or Charles Island as it was also known in the late 1920's early 1930's. This tiny little island in the Galapagos group, off the coast of Equador was home to a small community of idealists who shifted there to start a new life - and it also became the centre of an odd and unsolved mystery.

The start of the book was not entirely satisfactory. If I hadn't been encouraged to continue then I might not have persisted in reading it. The book centres around two German idealists (Dore and Frecerich), who escape from unhappy marriages and make an 'ideal' home on the island where they can live close to the earth and philosophise. Later another German couple and their child (the Wittmers) settle in another part of Floreana. This first half of the book which is their life is interesting but not compelling. It is when the Baroness, a sort of mystic with Imperial intentions, settles on the island with her small entourage of devoted male followers, that things get interesting. From about half way through the book you can see that things on the island are deteriorating towards some kind of disaster. The Baroness seems to be deliberately provoking the others. Food is being stolen, mail tampered with and the Baroness's imperial intentions start to overwhelm them all.

The relationships on the island and the final mystery are unravelled by Traherne through thorough reading of books and resources from the various characters involved or who had visited the island. Treherne seems to have done a pretty good job in unravelling the tangle web of concealments about just what might have happened on the island during the drought in the summer of 1934 and it makes wonderful reading.

To even reveal the mystery would be to spoil the book as it becomes quite complex with other deaths involved as well. This is very well worth reading - kind of Lord of the Flies for adults and - as with all true stories - the truth is far stranger than fiction.

I am Ecuadorian ( Quito ) and I have heard some of versions of this history, even by the most prominent Ecuadorian newspaper, but nothing compares as the certanty of Mr. John Treherne, book.
This book gives you an oportunity as break, you Imagine Global crisis of 1929, Nazi Germany, lots of pain and hatred everywhere
but at the end, love make a miracle in real life again.
By other hand, if you have heard of a place on earth where: is a treassured by nature and "fauna", yes that is Galapagos Island where you can find: amazing nature ( mountains and sea ), and sea lions swiming trought your legs, yes that is Galapos At Ecuador!! Mi pais!!

No fiction writer would dare to invent such a story. It's too implausible for a reader of mysteries to believe. However, it's a true story about several odd groups of people who went to live on an island. The story sweeps you along, building to a still unsolved murder or murders. Part of the fun is coming up with your own explanation for what happened. Someone was lying, but who? It's also interesting to find out who of the settlers actually stayed and founded a colony more or less by accident. All in all, a good book to curl up with on a cold winter night by the fire.

This has become my favorite book.I have been fascinated by the Galapagos Islands since I was a little girl, now I'm totally intrigued. I want to thank J. Treherne for bringing to life such a wierd story, truth is stranger than fiction! I pass the book around to all my friends and everyone has a different theory about the strange events. Wonderful!

My New Favorite Book. Ok, that's saying a lot, but this book is just that good. The author doesn't just spit out a story here - he's crafted every line and word - there's a rhythm to the way it reads; both the exposition and the dialog. It draws you in; providing a more immersive experience than you'd expect in fantasy fiction. The depth of the world, and the complexity of the characters, and an underlying ambiguity as to who's really the hero and who's really the villain make this story a true standout. I liked it so much, I actually read it twice - and found that on the second read I picked up all sorts of subtleties and nuances that I'd missed on the first go round.

This book is great. I just ordered another copy for a friend. Thater takes his fantasy and places it inside your brain. I wasn't reading a book, I was standing in the middle of the action, looking to pick up a sword and jump in. There's lots of great action that almost ends...but, there is just a thin, little thread left dangling...until the next book in the series. Okay, let's have it... (I'm addicted.)

This book is highly recommended to anyone that is interested in adventures set in the medevial period. The stories depict a battle between humans vs dark and hideous monster like villians that entered the earth's realm through a mysterious portal. Their sole purpose is to create havoc and the destruction of the human kind.

The author draws you into the story with detailed and graphic descriptions of the surroundings and events. The fighting scenes are so well described that the events become very vivid in your mind, transporting you through time.

The main character seem to be Angle Theta, a very mysterious individual with combating skills beyond the imagination. In stories of this type, the battle is usually between good and evil where the hero represents good. However, the line between good and evil is very blurred in this story. Events and decisions makes you question the morality of individuals.

The author seems to suggest that the main characters and stories are based on actual events. Regardless if this is true or not, the book is an excellent read and I highly recommend it.

This is a complex but highly entertaining swords and sorcery story, reminiscent of the pulp novels of Robert E. Howard, but with more depth and undercurrents to the plot. Thater's character `Lord Angle Theta' is an almost larger than life hero like Howard's Conan or Kull. And although he's perhaps their equal in brawn, he's far their better in brains. The other characters are all memorable and interesting, especially the grumpy gnome called Ob. Thater's treatment of magic is interesting and original. I checked out his website and he has excerpts from quite a few stories posted there, and it seems there's a whole series of books in progress continuing with the same characters featured in this book. This is reflected in Harbinger of Doom in that the people, places, and events seem highly developed and well-thought out. I can't wait for the next book!

This is a beautiful love story and very informative historically
The author describes events and characters like you were really there and knew these people.
I really enjoyed reading this novel. I couldn't hardly put the book down.This author is very impressive.

The author grabs your attention by setting you right in the excitement of New Mexico becoming a state, as seen through the eyes of a young woman and her family. Mardee has a captivating personality that draws you into her adventures and her loves, with an ambition beyond her era. The history of NM and descriptions of her beautiful mountains are wonderfully woven throughout the book. You won't want to put the book down. I am waiting for a sequel.

"Girl of the Manzanos" is an amazing story. Even though I am not finished reading it yet, this story grabbed my attention the first time I picked it up to read it. This story is insightful, and I think young boys, and especially young girls, can relate to the main character, Mardee. Barbara Spencer Foster did an amazing job writing "Girl of the Manzanos." It was obviously hard work writing such a good story, but she managed to do it successfully. I think everyone should read "Girl of the Manzanos."

Girl of the Manzanos is an easy flowing novel portraying the history of the early statehood era of New Mexico and entertwining romance with the culture of the time. The main character, Mardee, is appealing and believeable, and somebody with whom we can admire and identify. She's ambitious, beautiful, and bright - a girl ahead of her time. I couldn't put the book down and believe it will appeal to readers of all ages.

this Book is a Must have for any Drummer period but especially for R&B Jams&Grooves. very insightful&you can feel the Music as you read the various details.this is the Kind of Book that should be the springboard for all Musicians in terms of Highlighten a particular Instrument. you feel the Joy&Passion within this Book.

Let's face it, drummers like each other! They like to help each other. They like to share with each other as well. And here we have a book about drummers, who talk about their influences, their histories, the groups they were with, their grooves. AND, to top it all off, Jim Payne gives us a number of grooves to listen to and practice with -- some that would be really hard to pick off recordings otherwise.

A tremendous compendium of knowledge about grooves, drummers, history and more -- this is a MUST for any drummers library!

Lastly, I want to add that I own or have seen several of Jim's publications and they are ALL top-notch, well researched and presented works. You cannot go wrong when you want to learn from Jim Payne (and no, I do not know him personally).

This book is essential for any modern drummer. Plenty of fantastic interviews with the drummers who shaped funk and funky beats, and more than one hundred transcribed grooves so you can follow the style of funk through the years. Every drummer needs this book, no matter what style you play, absolute necessity.

The history of the rhythmic revolution of R & B, funk and soul as told by the drummers themselves: including Clyde Stubblefield, David Garibaldi, Clayton Fillyau, Earl Palmer and Tiger Martin. Fascinating for drummers, other musicians and any fan of American popular music.Jim Payne's newest award winning book includes interviews, discographies, rare photos, transcriptions and an accompanying CD with over 90 drum set rhythms.

Talon Marie Jones rarely has a dull moment in any area of her life, particularly her love life! She thinks she has found true love with one man, only to discover he is nothing more than a lying cheat. She picks herself up and licks her wounds, only to find that the next man has ulterior motives as well. Once she resolves to take a break from men and get herself together, spiritually and emotionally, in walks Mr. Right!

Talon's life resonates with emotional baggage that she carries from relationship to relationship. It takes one man to let her know that it's okay to leave her luggage at the door.

This wonderful work by Adrienne Fox is very inspiring and is a definite page turner. GOD GRANT ME THE SERENITY will make readers laugh and cry.

Reviewed by Marcia Brevard Wynn
for The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

This book has changed my life! I found it very inspirational and real to what I face today. I thank God for this book and the author. I definitely recommend everyone go out and get this book. It is a must READ!!!!!

"God Grant Me The Serenity" is a story that any woman can relate to. The themes of friendship, relationships, betrayal, infidelity are sometimes all to familiar in stories however, the author really brings them to life in the characters she writes about. We all can relate to the internal and external struggles the main character must face. This book was definately a page turner which would have you laughing one minute and crying the next! I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this talented author in the future.

A real page turner! This is definetly a great read for someone trying to find themselves. I would recommend this book to all who seek inner peace. It is a great inspiration and motivational tool in my continuous quest for self.

This is without a doubt one of the best works of non-fiction Ive ever read, and I read alot of non-fiction. Any fan of the American hardcore scene will find this book not only informative, but highly entertaining. Hurchalla does a great job covering the national scene as a whole. So many books about the subject only cover the larger scenes in LA, New York, DC etc...but in this one you finally get to read about the scenes in places like Philidelphia, Texas, Cincinatti and Vancouver. I was afraid the author would concentrate alot of info on the places he was familiar with (Florida and Pennsylvania) but he really did his research and covered the nation as a whole. I didnt expect to read anything about the areas Im most familiar with-Detroit and Columbus OH, so I was very pleased to see bands like the Necros and Scrawl covered extensively. If youre sitting on the fence about this book, by all means, buy it! You wont be dissapointed.

This is the first book I have ever read by author George Hurchalla but if it is any indication of his writing skills and knowledge of the topics he covers then he has a bright future ahead of him in publishing.Going Underground is the rarely told (and often inaccurately I might add) story of the early US underground
hardcore punk music scene. Author Hurchalla not only talks
about his own experiences within this time period but also includes those of numerous other people who had been involved,and Hurchalla makes it a point to not just interview the same old people who have been quoted a million times before.The book is also filled with many never before seen photos of the era as well.What really made Hurchalla's writing special is the way he knows and understands his subject yet never comes off as another stuffy know it all "expert".This book is for anyone interested
in this music scene and will appeal to both the scene veterans
and the complete novices.I cannot recommend this book enough.

Music is inextricably linked with autobiography. There are albums you love, not for the songs per se, but for the fact that the minute that first note hits the speaker, you're for a moment 16 again.

In "Going Underground", Hurchalla doesn't shy away from placing his own life front and center. The book isn't a band history, ala "Our Band Could Be Your Life", though it's full of fantastic quotes, stories and interviews from dozens of incredibly bands. The Big Boys, Naked Raygun, Articles of Faith, the Dead Milkmen, Scrawl, Minus Man, and hundreds of others fill every page.
It's not a taste of the indie gossip-mill, ala "Hardcore: a Tribal History", either. In total, it's a history of scenes, often focusing on those scenes you never heard of, like Lawrence, Kansas or Des Moins, Iowa. It's a history of punk and hardcore based on the people who made these scenes possible: fans, zine writers, musicians, club owners.

Above all, though, it's about Hurchalla himself. His journey through the hardcore scene is so full of awe and wonder and joy that the whole book comes alive in his stories. He jumps from reportage and interviews to short personal stories, nervy and quick like a Wire tune, that never fail to electrify.

In the end, like Azzerand's book, "Going Underground" reveals that this scene which, from the outside often seemed just angry and violent, was built on and held together by the love that these people had.

Plus, there's no way to have a bad book with the Randy Biscuits on the cover.

One of the more notable things about this book, that I don't think many people realize, is that it is a 100% DIY product. I got to know the author, George Hurchalla a little bit after he contacted me, wanting to use some of my photos in the book. George spent six years of his life researching, interviewing, writing, re-writing, editing and designing this book. Then he put up his own money to have it published. He doesn't just talk the talk... He walks the walk.

George felt that too much history was being repeated by the same few "usual suspects." He felt that lesser known participants should have their say. He wanted to introduce his readers to the smaller, lessor known scenes of the U.S.. It didn't all happen in just L.A., N.Y., D.C. and Boston, ya know. As George says, "Since punk rock was meant to be an anti-hero movement, it's a tragedy to let the winners write the history of it, and to make counter-culture heroes of people who were never meant to be anything more than inspirational peers."

This book is an exhaustive history of the punk/hardcore scene from the period of 1979 - 1992. George chose the time-frame arbitrarily. He felt that there was already a tremendous amount of history recorded about the first wave of punk from 1976 - 1980 and his ending at 1992 marks when he dropped out of the scene. "Going Underground" chronicles the rise of the punk/hardcore movement from the perspective of George's discovery of the music via his older, college-aged, brother. George was in high school when his brother brought home a Sex Pistols record. Bored with the standard, classic rock fare that was common in 1980, this music lit a fire in him. There's a great quote by Karen Allman of the Tucson band, Conflict, regarding her own intro to the Pistols that kinda says it all, "That's horrible! Play it again!"

George's personal narrative, combined with quoted stories from band members and scenesters weaves a fascinating account of the era. There is a tremendous amount of detail dedicated to the accounts from lessor known areas, such as my own mid-western area. I finally feel like my own hometown scene in Chicago has been more accurately represented, exposing us as a city with much more going on than merely the infamous Effigies/AoF feud. As the book states, many of us locals felt that the "personality conflict" between the two bands got too much attention at the expense of everything else that went on in our scene. Finally, finally, the stories of the lessor known bands are told. Finally, the voices of the average participants are heard.

Especially poignant was an account by Austin photographer, Geoff Cordner, regarding the misfit status of which most of us felt we belonged to:

"We were gathered out back in the alley after some kind of punk/new wave performance art thing - this was back before anyone made a distinction between punk and new wave. Everyone was drinking beer and nobody was saying very much because we were all a profoundly uncomfortable bunch - that was our common ground, it seemed - punk as a gathering of angry losers and rejects who, without sufficient beer in our systems, remained too uncomfortable with ourselves to really be comfortable with each other. It was a powerful thing just knowing there were others as f*ck*d up as you."

We came together and built our fledgling punk scenes for many differing reasons, but the one thing we all had in common was our dissatisfaction with the status quo. If the mainstream society wouldn't accept us, no problem, we created our own underground society. We wanted to break away from the old tried and true norms of just about everything we encountered. Our motivation was powerful, as George says, "Knowing that no one would ever put out our records for us, no managers would set up tours for us, no clubs would open their doors to us, no radio stations would play our music, and that situation would only get worse, a generation of punks took the steps necessary to have our voices heard the best we could."

I highly recommend this book, it's truly a great read. If you were a punk back then-- every page turn will bring you back into some memory. If you are a current punk- this is an accurate account of the times, a highly informative piece on the genre. It's a chronicle of punk history written FOR THE PUNKS, BY A PUNK. A true DIY project, so be sure to support the effort and buy this wonderful book!