Music Books

Like most others, I bought this to use as a starter guide for using Cubase LE. It's written for Cubase 4 so some of the buttons, etc. are different but unless you really are an idiot you should be able to figure it out. It takes you thru all the steps on how to set things up and get recording, and it also has good information on some EQ'ing techniques. If you've got LE this is a great book to get you going quickly, then poke around in the LE help files for more info.

Best purchase I ever made in my short recording "career." I have Cubase 4 LE which has little usable instruction/support (from Steinberg, anyway). I really needed this book full of information even more than I thought I did. Thanks to Michael Miller.

All new Cubase and especially DAW users should not pass up this guide. It breaks down this complex program into basic steps to successfully get you through your first song and beyond. The straightforward advice on basic mixing and recording techniques is a welcome bonus.

This is my first "complete idiot" book, and I'm very impressed. To be honest, for years I've avoided these books simply because of the name. I'm not real thrilled to have a book with such a title on my bookshelf. But anyhow, I'm most of the way through this book, and it's been a tremendous help both as a "read it from beginning to end" type of book, as well as a reference.

What I like best about the book is that unlike some of the other dreadful books and training videos on music packages that I've encountered recently, this one actually focuses on the making of music, not just repetitively going through each and every feature in the pulldowns. The book starts off by going through how to set up your equipment. Then how to do an audio recording in cubase. Then it talks about how to record in MIDI and usual virtual instruments. It also goes into editing in MIDI, mixing, and finally how to do some authoring.

Excellent, excellent book. I highly recommend it.

This is a very good guide to getting started with Cubase. I bought an Alesis USB 8 came with a copy of Cubase LE but no hard copy manual, just a 587 page PDF document. The PDF manual is good for looking up specifics but not well suited to getttng a quick overview.

The Idiot's Guide is based on the full blown versions of Cubase so a few things are different in LE but it gives me a good idea on where to look in the PDF manual.

This isn't for the 'power user' but covers most everything needed for basic home recording.

"The desire to worship is rooted in our hunger for heaven. Our coming together for worship is a foretaste of heaven. In his book that is both spiritual and intensely practical at the same time, Kevin Navarro explores this vital connection between our fragmented experience in the here and now and the hope we all share for the time that certainly will come when heaven will come for us."

Michael Card, Award-Winning Musician, Author and Teacher

When I closed this book, I felt a tremendous mixture of hope, excitement, affirmation, and renewed devotion to the work of crafting weekly worship services. Kevin Navarro ennobles the entire effort of preparing the Sunday "dress rehearsals" for our ultimate worship experience in heaven. I'm grateful for the hard-won lessons, practical advice, and inspiring vision offered in these pages. Let our weekly celebrations resound with greater joy, profound hope, and a taste of eternity whenever we gather together!

Nancy Beach, Teaching Pastor and Creative Director, Willow Creek Community Church, Barrington, Illinois

"Here's a book on worship to be read by every church musician, pastor, leader and worshipper. Everything you always needed to know about an effective worship service."

Leith Anderson, Author and Senior Pastor of Wooddale Church

This is a book for those who know that "something's wrong about the way we are doing our worship." If you want to get off the "consumer track" and "do truth," then this book will help you reverse the trend and go in a direction that is more satisfying to the soul because it gets to the heart of what worship is all about.

Robert Webber, Myers Professor of Ministry, Dir. of M.A. in Worship and Spirituality, Northern Seminary

What a wonderful book! "Here is a book that anyone dissatisfied with the quality, Christ- and Scripture-centered nature, or impact of their worship services must read. While some may feel that Navarro's goals of excellence at times lie beyond their reach, no one can doubt his heart for seeing people brought to Christ and brought up in him through worship. His track record, moreover, first as a worship pastor and then as a senior pastor, at a church where I once served as an interim, speaks for itself--steady growth, qualitatively and quantitatively, in a congregation that dearly loves this infectiously upbeat leader who also models integrity and humility in everything he does."

Craig L. Blomberg, Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Denver Seminary

Are worship services at your church flat? Predictable? Not really connecting people with God? Then get ready to fiesta in the Complete Worship Service! In this encouraging and challenging book, Kevin Navarro invites us to move past the "worship = music" myth and into a fuller approach to worship: a creative, corporate feast of praise, prayer, the Word of God, and the Lord's Supper. And he shows us how to practice hospitality that encourages members and guests to engage with God in worship. Weekly worship can be much more than a dreary duty; as Navarro ably demonstrates, the "Complete Worship Service" can be the appetizer course at your church for the heavenly banquet to come. Navarro writes with the heart of a worshiper, a pastor, and a jazz musician. The Complete Worship Service is filled with biblical insight and practical application. Pastors and lay leaders alike will benefit from Navarro's field-tested recommendations for practicing welcoming hospitality and designing meaningful worship services. I can't think of a better book to stimulate and inform conversations in your church about worship that engages the whole people and the whole person.

Dr.Robb Redman, Pastor of Forest Hills Presbyterian Church, San Antonio, TX Author of The Great Worship Awakening

When it comes to worship, nothing matters if the only One worthy of worship is just a footnote beneath worship glitz. Kevin Navarro prods our hearts back to Jesus and to worship services that give life, not just lessons; a foretaste of heaven, not just so many factoids to get through another week. The Complete Worship Service is a timely, passionate anecdote to the worship humanism saturating contemporary services.

Sally Morganthaler, Author of Worship Evangelism and Founder of Sacramentis.com

Are you satisfied with your church's worship service? Do you leave feeling you have experienced "a taste of heaven"? If not, I would like to challenge each of you to purchase The Complete Worship Service as a gift to your church board, pastor, worship leader, worship committee, or whoever else may be in charge of choreographing your weekly worship service. This book could change your church from the inside out.

Diana Pederson, BellaOnline's Christian Literature Editor

Worship artist and pastor Kevin J. Navarro walks us through the complete worship service in this step-by-step guide. From desire to experience, Navarro has given pastors, worship leaders and church leaders alike a useful tool in developing a taste of God's kingdom for their churches and communities. He directs us through each element of the dynamic worship service, including hospitality, marketing, presentation and music selection. The book discusses the quality of the worship service as a whole, not just the songs we sing. As Navarro closes out the last chapter he makes a comment that must be taken to heart: "People are not just looking to be entertained. They are looking for life. They are looking for hope. They are looking for Jesus." The crafting of a complete worship service is not about putting on a good show. It is about creating an atmosphere, a taste of heaven, a place where people can find life.

Andrew K. Forman

Do you really belief that the Bible is the infallible word of God? Dr. Kevin Navarro challenges us to act as if we actually are the bride of Christ. The central theme is understanding that the worship service is a precursor to the marriage feast of the Lamb as promised in the Revelation of John. If you want to understand what a worship service should look like, take this journey through the complete worship service with a successful senior pastor with a heart for worship. This is essential reading for anyone that is serious about worshipping God. Whether you are in full time ministry or just a Christian who is tired of having to put up with second best in the worship service, this is the book for you.

The "Complete Worship Service" is an excellent, thought-provoking follow-up to "The Complete Worship Leader." Not another "how to" book which focuses on getting people in the church doors, but rather a challenge to exam what we're doing and Who we are doing it for. Yes, there are lots of practical illustrations and ideas, but the heart of the book is more about ushering people into a genuine worship experience, reminding them of the hope we have in Jesus. I would highly recommend this resource to anyone looking for a new direction in their worship services, and as a check-up for those whose patterns and practices might be routine and lacking inspiration.

I'm always encouraged to come cross (even through books) the forerunners like Pastor Kevin talking about the worship renewals and improvements. The book was practical to review where we are, what is applicable now, things that needs to be changed...etc. Should be time and labor consuming once we decide to put our hands on, but should also be rewarding to invest our time and labor in creating the welcoming and caring environment. And there's more to creating these circumstances, which is introducing and experiencing the taste of our Home that we long for. I thank Pastor Kevin's practical insight and substantial suggestions, giving me a chance to stop and review what I do, where I am for further improvements.

This is a very well written book. Not only is it filled with practical tips and advice, its revolutionary in its underlying premise that the complete worship service should provide participants a "taste of heaven". Though I've thought a great deal about the elements of heaven yet to come and the tastes of heaven available in this life the author has made a connection I've never made - and it's a brilliant connection. As a result of this book I see the worship service in a whole new light, filled with untapped possibilities. Our congregation needs to read this book; our leadership team needs to read this book!

Part One is my favorite part of the book and I've highlighted many well-written lines. Chapter One is an outstanding analysis of the human dilemma. Well summarized on page 21, "...people have been trying to get a fix like drug addicts all week long when what they are really searching for is a taste of heaven." Asking the question, "Are they getting that taste on Sundays?" is just great! Focusing the worship service on this goal is fantastic. This is a great chapter and a great goal.

In Chapter two the author adds the reminder (pg. 28) that, " we must have a theology of contentment" since this is not heaven, "we will never be completely satisfied until we experience the jubilation of the kingdom perfected." Matthew 18:20 and Psalm 16:11 are key texts for the idea of the worship service offering a taste of heaven. On page 30 the author adds, "We should be crying out to God through prayer every week that He will show up and manifest His presence in our midst." Well said!

My favorite lines in Chapter Three: "Because God has created us in His image, we are forever longing for another world. We long for the world where God dwells" and "(the worship service should be) so God centered and Spirit-charged that it is though we have entered another dimension." A lofty goal!

Once the author has laid this foundation he fleshes out his ideas with the nuts and bolts aspects of the complete worship service. Its great stuff and I was immediately motivated to analyze my own church and come up with creative ways to put the author's suggestions into practice and expand on those ideas. I would consider this book an essential handbook for any church seeking a fresh approach to the worship experience.

In his latest book Pete Steinke addresses the growing concern in the church of chronic anxiety. He helps the reader to understand what is happening in this anxious systems and how you should seek to respond to it by remaining calm and self-differentiated. It is difficult, but necessary, to take a stand in the midst of the anxious system while remaining focused and calm. This book is highly recommended for all who are struggling in chronically anxious church systems.

Peter Steinke, ELCA pastor, author, scholar, and church consultant is currently the leading researcher in Bowen Family Systems theory. This latest book, "Congregational Leadership in Anxious Times," is written for pastors and other congregational leaders with the hope that the information contained with both enlighten and embolden them (xi). The brief book (175 pages) is divided into three sections: "The Leader's Presence," "The Leader's Functioning," and "The Leader's Challenges."

While this present book provides little new information per se on applying the Bowen Theory to religious leadership, the information is presented in an interesting, enlightening way. Steinke's style of writing is simple without being simplistic. He breaks information down into small, easily-digestible parts...yet never comes across as "talking down" to the reader.

Bowen Theory places a great deal of emphasis on strong, independent-minded-yet-connected leaders. The trick (according to Rev. Rick Foss in the foreword) is to practice excellent leadership consistently. Steinke draws upon his vast experience as a church consultant and researcher to provide examples of a leader's effect on a congregation (positive and negative), pitfalls, and the complex emotional process that can help or hinder leadership.

This book would be ideal for congregational leaders (ordained, contracted, or elected) as both a work of inspiration and a launching point for more research in the leadership genre. Indeed, this book's main contribution is that it provides and easy entry-point into the Family Systems Theory.

While it is recommended for those without much experience in Bowen Theory, those who have digested the works of Ed Friedman may not find much new...even through they might find much to inspire.

I used this book with a group of Baptist deacons in a one-day retreat. Steinke communicates clearly basic Bowen theory concepts so that laypersons can apply them to the congregation as an emotional system. This resource gave us fresh ways of looking at problems in our 100 year old church. I only wish every member could read it! I'm trying to find ways to use this material--and a companion DVD now available--with other groups within the church. It helps everyone talk about the elephant in the room with a new vocabulary.

Steinke's book saved my life and probably that of the church I pastor. His analysis of leading through crisis was invaluable to me as I found the need to confront a wayward but dynamic staff member and eventually persuade the personnel committee to be the leaders they really want to be. After 3 1/2 years of ignoring others' attempts to hold her accountable, change is finally accomplished. I knew what had to be done, but Steinke's wonderful analysis of such situations made it clearer and more defensible. It's not over yet, but the anxiety has been removed for the most part, and now we have a chance to be the Church of Jesus Christ, a church of honesty and integrity.

Will also be helpful to leaders in all kinds of organizations.

As a veteran pastor I know few books like this one which help a man think through his positions and work through the emotional processes of leading a group. This work aims beyond structural programming at the invisible emotional-spiritual dimensions of leading like Joshua, "Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." I find this book insightful, challenging and encouraging for this purpose. I am sure that I will reread this one often.

I like this book. This book helps the aspiring jazz musician to be well on their way to creating good music on their instrument. Mr. Ligon uses three types of linear harmonic outlines that creates and can develop a jazz solo. I think this book is good for a beginner just starting out in learning how to improvise. It is very sound in its knowledge and presentation of it. Mr. Ligon cites many excerpts from improvised solos of very great jazz musicians to support his outlines. And there are exercises to go with it. This is important stuff for all jazz musicians to know and, I believe, it is a book that should be in any college or university teaching jazz music.
Books like this and many others prove that jazz music is NOT a mystery. Jazz is music that anyone can enjoy!

I've spent the last several months building up my jazz chops for a new gig. After getting through the song list fluidly, I set about supplying missing ingredients in my playing. Neil Olmstead's Solo Piano book supplies some. Mark Levine's Jazz Piano and Jazz Encyclopedia books supply many. This book goes where those books do not: it shows how to create ii-v-i runs that do not sound like scales and arpeggios stitched together like a crude Frankenstein's monster. It describes three very simple outlines, spends a short chapter discussing embellishments, and then takes the reader through more and more complex examples of where these outlines appear in the work of giants. My ii-v-i runs are improving as I integrate these outlines into my playing. My active listening is also improving as I learn to identify the outlines and embellishments in recordings, and practice transcribing them. You can learn this stuff the hard way, or you can use this book and start using this important secret ingredient almost immediately.

This isn't going to sound like a very intelligent and well thought out review, but if you're a professional musician and have had this experience you'll appreciate it: I don't remember too much about this book, other than that after I worked through most of it I went from not really being able to solo to being able to solo...
The specific text from the book is gone from my mind... but the concepts became part of my playing.

Connecting Chords with Linear Harmony is a great study of how to create coherent solos and well structured melodies by playing the changes and connecting the tones. As a swing based player who had to deal with being overdosed with modal theory this was the first book I ever read that really helped me play in the swing/bop/hard bop based tradition that I love.

As mentioned, the book hass become part of my playing, but I left my copy back in the States ages ago... however, the all I rememember is that I found every page to be practical and enlightening and it opened up a world of ideas. Along with Amadea's Harmonic Foundations for Jazz and Pop, I'd definitely rank it as one of the most important Jazz improv texts I've ever got (and one of the few useful ones.) - - Thank heaven its FINALLY up on Amazon - - I'm definitely getting it AGAIN !

The first two chapters cover Linear Harmony and Embellishing Devices. Armed with these you are now well equipped to explore `Outlines'. These are three basic melodic structures that turn up over and over again in jazz improvisation. The rest of the book is devoted to exploring how great players use these in practice in real solos. There are hundreds of examples of their creative use.

In my view, if you only improvise using these structures you will be an outstanding player! They are extremely powerful tools.

Connecting Chords With Linear Harmony is a must buy: it is a fresh approach to the skill of jazz improvisation.

The other reviews for this book convinced me to purchase it and they were right. Great book to understanding harmony and chords. Jackie McLean the great alto sax player said you could only do so much playing by ear. You had to learn the structure of music to really be great and this book has all the information to help move you in this direction.

Any book on any subject is necessarily a finite work; you can only cover so much in a given volume, and you've got typically between 150 and 300 pages to make your point and to cover the material you promised in your outline (whether that outline appears in the book as the foreword, introduction, entire first chapter or merely the table of contents). That said, when a book actually DOES this...adequately covers its stated objective without wandering off topic too much...it is a great book, and probably more rare than it should be. This is one such great rare book.

Barry Cleveland gives us an overview that is as comprehensive as possible of exactly what the subtitle of the book states: Joe Meek's Bold Techniques. As a recording engineer, I'm primarily interested in knowing how he ran a session in the studio, how he handled (mishandled, in some cases?) equipment for a desired result, what equipment he chose, how he might have achieved a certain sound, and such related questions. It is widely written that Joe Meek was eccentric, opinionated and stubborn, parts of his personality that probably would have been present even had he not been mentally ill. He was homosexual in London in an era where this could get you not only persecuted, but prosecuted in the legal sense, and this gave him another strata of anxiety on top of his depression and schizophrenic paranoia. Some of these problems led to financial difficulties, which in turn brought yet another layer of stress. All these things are known and well documented in other places, and Cleveland mercifully spares us most of those details in his book, leaving the bulk of his space for actual recording tools and procedures, just as he promises.

Obviously, who Meek was in toto as a person did have an effect on how he approached his work (this is true of all of us), but the temptation could have been to bog down in those aspects because of their tabloid nature...Joe Meek didn't live a quiet, boring, peaceable life like some of us. But this is a biography of Joe Meek's work, and Cleveland strikes the right balance, talking about Meek's more outrageous personal nuances enough that we get a sense of the man so we can understand where he was coming from as he did his work, then talking about the work itself, which is why we chose this volume and not a biography on Joe Meek's life.

Were Meek's production techniques bold? For their time, certainly. I believe that some ideas are just a product of their time--for example, others were working on the telephone at the same time as Bell; on the phonograph at the same time as Edison. Those men got the credit because they got to the patent office first, perhaps, but it was just the right time in history for those inventions to be realized. Joe Meek's techniques are not unheard of today, but they were bold for their time because he came upon the ideas early...in the decade before the rest of the recording community caught up. In my early career (mid-1980's) I used some of the exact same equipment Meek did, according to the descriptions in this book, and I have to say it is somewhat astonishing he got the results he did with the technology of 50 years ago--so primitive by today's standards. It makes me wonder what he'd be doing now with our computer-based digital editing tools had he lived to see them.

I knew very little about Joe Meek in any sense before picking up this book; mainly I wanted to know who was behind his namesake line of Joemeek processing equipment that is so widely available today. This was exactly the book I needed, it told me exactly what I wanted to know, and was a very satisfying read. I finished it with all my questions answered (all my reasonable questions; there were some things no author could answer, there isn't the raw data, but I didn't leave the book frustrated, wondering "why didn't the author discuss this?"). If you want to know about Joe Meek the man, this may not be enough for you. If you want to know about Joe Meek the record producer, this is definitely your book too. (By the way, the included discography is quite comprehensive as well.)

This book shares some of the tricks and techniques of this legendary producer and shows how all pop recording and record production since has been influenced by them. The included recording and notes are especially helpful.

To anyone who is old enough to remember hearing the original 'Telstar' on the radio, this is a wonderfully researched bio on the life and work of a vastly underappreciated godfather of audio engineering. Also being a huge Deep Purple fan, I was surprised to learn that the great Ritchie Blackmore, was a first call session player for Joe (as a member of the Outlaws) and that there are some enticing recordings he made that I now have to spend the rest of my life searching for!

Great stuff. The equipment & discography are very well researched, in addition to the personal stuff. And you just can't beat the included disc of studio experiments, on the bizarre factor.

Extremely interesting book about Joe Meek, the innovative English recording engineer and producer who made hit records in his flat. Has lots of detail and pictures of Joe's recording gear and recording techniques. Discusses how Joe Meek pushed the recording gear to it's limits while creating new sounds. Highly recommended.

I am very impressed by Barry Cleveland's book. He provides a great deal of specific information about Joe Meek's recording techniques and equipment. However, be not afraid, this is not done in a pedantic technical manner; it's very readable for the non-technical.

Being well familiar with most of Meek's recorded output, I especially enjoyed Cleveland's detailed commentaries on certain of Meek's recordings. For my taste, Cleveland could have gone on for many more pages on the same subject with different tracks.

I perceive Cleveland to be outside of the intense (mostly English) Meek cult which brings some fresh perspective on his work.

What more can I say? This was a good read that I raced through and will no doubt revisit frequently. The CD of "I Hear a New World" is a great bonus. It's surprisingly different from the RPM release. It makes me appreciate the work Roger Dopson and his associates did to bring out the RPM version.

Crowded House was one of the best bands I've ever seen, and they made great records, so why didn't they sell millions of records all over the world?

Read this fantastic book--complete with interviews from all the band members--and find out some of the reasons. The book is detailed and raw with emotion because many of the interviews took place right after the band broke up.

It is a sad tale, but not for the reasons you might think.

Overall, it is an excellent read for both hardcore and casual fans alike.

Crowded House was one of the best bands I've ever seen, and they made great records, so why didn't they sell millions of records all over the world?

Read this fantastic book--complete with interviews from all the band members--and find out some of the reasons. The book is detailed and raw with emotion because many of the interviews took place right after the band broke up.

It is a sad tale, but not for the reasons you might think.

Overall, it is an excellent read for both hardcore and casual fans alike.

A great read about a great band that never quite fulfilled its potential. Something So Strong shows that writing and performing wonderful songs is only part of a band's journey. There's also dealing with the music business, and fashion. 'Something So Strong' gets inside the band, tells detailed stories about how the music was created, and also tells the other story: how the music business operates. The band made some mistakes - releasing 'Chocolate Cake' was one of them - but so too did Capitol. It's the best book on how a record is made and marketed since 'Star Making Machinery'.
PS, contrary to what it says here, the book is readily - and cheaply - available through Amazon's UK site amazon.co.uk .

`SOMETHING SO STRONG' by Chris Bourke is arguably the greatest book ever written about a rock band. It is detailed, entertaining and informative. As well, the book is almost impossible to put down. Although the author is clearly a fan, he doesn't dodge around any contentious issues. He seems to have had unfettered access to the individuals involved with Crowded House and that, of course, is always a plus. Any music buff, regardless of whether you're a Crowded house fan or not, will enjoy reading `SOMETHING SO STRONG'. I've read dozens of books about musical groups and this tome is far and away the best. If I have a beef, it's that the Canadian market (where the band was huge) is pretty much ignored. For that you must read `PRIVATE UNIVERSE' by Doole and Twomey.

The ballad of Crowded House, told by Chris Bourke, is entertaining, thanks to the way it was written. What makes this biography so enjoyable is that the author doesn't tiptoe around issues that arose during the band's lifetime. Although Crowded House kept aiming at the US market, the impact that they had in Europe, as well as Australia, is equally important, perhaps even more so, than this. Unlike other reviewers, I don't think it is necessary to label the band as US '2 hit wonders' when clearly they've made an impact elsewhere. Bourke chronicles this struggle well, and top marks go to his research. Great book - must for any Crowdies fan.

If you have a huge collection of unlabeled tapes, this book will help you ID the tape by listing every song played with every song played BEFORE and AFTER it. It's a blast to just leaf through. There isn't another book like it anywhere. You really have to get a copy of this book. It's not like it's an optional purchase. The information in this book is not found anywhere else.

If you are a taper, collector, trader, or just forgot what opened the second set in the last Philly JFK show, then this book is a must. Finally make a setlist for all those unidentified MP3s. Check off what you have to make trading easier. Get goosebumps over one of the transitions you forgot about. Kick yourself for working and not seeing the second night. If you collect you gotta have this or wait for the next one coming soon.

Have you ever looked for that perfect show? Ever wondered how many times "Me & My Uncle" was played? Ever was curious about who all were guests at Dead shows? Do you ever trade Grateful Dead music? If you answered "yes" to any of the questions above, this book is a MUST HAVE! It contains setlist from almost every Dead show played from 1965-1995 including helpful timings, "every time played", and "feedback" columns. If you are a Dead trader & you do not own a copy of Deadbase shame on you. It is the bible of Grateful Dead music. Peace.

Have fun, & if you get confused...LET THE MUSIC PLAY!

This is the Baseball Encyclopedia for Grateful Dead tape collectors. No serious collector should be without this wonderful and informative book.

You HAVE GOT TO HAVE this book if you're into live Dead. It is ESSENTIAL. There is no substitute, only knockoffs. Superlatives fail, this book is the be-all and end-all of Dead volumes. GREAT fun to browse through, and CRUCIAL for identifying live Dead shows on tape!!! BUY IT!!! USE IT UNTIL THE PAGES DISINTEGRATE FROM USE!!! IT'S THE BEST!!!

James Campion is one of the bright young nonfiction writers of the new century, and he got a head start on this one. Back in 1995 the Jersey rock scene was changing and the craziness of life on the road in the clubs began with the swirling tide of Dog Voices. Their outrageous story is all-true in this thrilling page-turner. "Deep Tank Jersey" is "Almost Famous" times one-thousand.

It was one of the best books on rock and roll I've ever read, and I've read my share.

Buy this book to see just how pathetic the world of NJ music is. I found it by accident, bought it on a lark and am glad I did. It reafirmed every joke about NJ i've heard...

Leave it to James Campion -- the elfin Jack Kerouac of his time -- to expose the soft underbelly of the Jersey bar band scene in a gripping narrative which captures the sights, sounds and (god awful) smells of a Jersey summer as only an insider can do.

Although diminuitive in stature, Mr. Campion's oversized ego makes up for his lack of size and virility, as he becomes -- in essence -- the plot, characters and narrator of his cute little story about a bunch of punch drunk never-was'z.

I first came across Dr. Campion on his weekly cable show, "sports night", in which he was the host, producer, cameraman, gopher, sales manager, & Christ Object -- the Harold H. Heckuba of rancid cable tv.

Of course, the melodrama of Mr. Campion's personal life -- particularly his bachelorette party -- would make for dramatically more interesting reading than the sordid tales of a bunch of losers, but that will likely be saved for his memoir, which we understand is tenatively entitled "Meet me at my Summer retreat in Joe Namath's crotch region," due out in 2025 along with his Jesus book.

Salu, Dr. Campion!

I heard about James Campion on a Hunter WS. Thompson site, and picked up Deep Tank on Amazon.com and absolutely loved it! There is nothing down here that compares to the Jersey scene. I was up there once and couldn't believe the atmosphere for music. This is the BEST book on traveling musicians ever written. Campion is the new Gonzo king!!

In DTJ, James Campion journals a summer with "Dog Voices", one of the hardest working cover bands on the Jersey circuit. He manages to infiltrate their camp, gain their trust, and become one of them. His insightful personality and unique writing style make the book incredibly interesting; especially when you consider it's not a chronicle of a celebrity act AND when you realize he doesn't even use song titles during the descriptions of their performance(s). JC has been a long-time columnist for the Aquarian, a popular music weekly on the East Coast. This book, along with his other entitled "Fear No Art: Observations on the death of an American century" (which compiles his "Reality Check" columns from that paper) are great reading for fans of satire and substance.

We adore this book! Mr. Gossett, a professor in our home town of Chicago, is brilliant. The scholarship is first rate, the writing is user-friendly without talking down to you. The subject is incredibly well covered - it's interesting, enlightening, fascinating and really worth it! Highly recommended!

Paul Vermel and Carolyn Paulin (musicians both)

This is a book every opera conductor should read. A lot of information and beautifully written by one of the greatest opera scholars.

This beautifully presented tome is fascinating. There may only a few die hard, full time dismissers of Italian Opera left, but they will find it harder to be so snooty after reading any of the chapters. It is all about context. Gosset provides you with detailed examples of the conditions under which the works were composed and performed and the pressures facing all involved. It is fascinating and made me feel like a musical sloth in my own perfomance habits.

There are very elegantly printed musical examples as well as the odd juicy snide comment about singers whose attitude to performing these works is less than thorough. Sometimes the detail is daunting and perhaps a little dry but you could pick and choose your chapters if this is worrying you.

How reassuring that books like this are still being written when the Music section of Borders is filled with biographies of such musical heavyweights as Sting and Bono.

"Divas & Scholars" is a masterpiece from every possible perspective, and I am astonished that there are only 4 customer reviews ahead of mine. It is written in the liveliest, most personal style. Every chapter, every paragraph, every sentence is filled with fascinating information and insights. (The only book on music that I have ever read that is its equal is Charles Rosen's universally acclaimed "Classical Style," which was published 35 years ago. Rosen himself gave "Divas & Scholars" a rave review in the New York Review of Books (10/05/06).) No one before Gossett has ever explained so clearly the conditions under which masterpieces by Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, and Verdi were not merely created but nearly tossed off, in almost the manner one associates with live television in the 50's. No one else has ever explained so clearly what a first performance looked like and sounded like, the lighting, the gestures, the sound in a particular theater or particular instruments, and the particular text and ornamentation that a singer chose. No one else has ever shown in such specific detail how performance traditions (and music) were transmitted and how they changed over time and place. "Divas & Scholars" can be read by everyone--the opera lover, the record listener, the stage designer, professional opera singers, orchestra musicians and conductors, and directors. It could be read by everyone who has ever loved Norma, Lucia, and all the other great figures of bel canto opera. It could be read by anyone with an interest in the social history of Europe in the first half of the nineteenth century. A summary of the delights of this book would be as long as the book itself. Five stars are not enough. It will be a resource and a pleasure forever.

I found this book a true revelation. No review can express just how much valuable information there is in this book. Certainly the earlier reviewer is correct that this is one of the most important books ever written on early nineteenth-century Italian opera. The focus is on Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini, and early Verdi.

Some chapters can be rough going, with a good bit of technical detail. But even the amateur can find much to learn here.

If you're an informed opera-nut, don't miss this one.

Stacy is one of the true industry leaders. Any DJ, whether new to the business or seasoned veteran, can get some pretty valuable information from this book. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants wants to generate more business.

This book is a great thing to have. It brings thing to your attention that you would not have thought of. It has helped me to better market myself and helped improve my business.

Once again Zemon has used her many years of experience and talent and lent us her superb advise. The book is a constant reference to me as well as other DJs lucky enough to read it. A must read for newbies as well as seasoned single- and multi-op mobiles looking to increase their marketing savvy.

I've been DJing for years but knew I was lacking in marketing knowledge and sales skills. I read this book, immediately put some of the ideas into practice, and saw results right away! The DJ Sales & Marketing Handbook and The Mobile DJ Handbook are my two most important reference manuals for the sucess of my mobile entertainment business.

Although I am not a DJ, I purchased this book to help me in marketing my photo booth rental business that I provide to special events.

The book contains real-life specific marketing advice to any business serving the special events industry like how to break in to the Bar Mitzvah Market, when to advertise for different event types, what to do after completing an event, how to deal professionally with complaints..etc

A must read to create a successful business.