Music Books

This latest installment of Bruce Spizer's books on the Beatles American Records is another "must-have" for fans and collectors of Beatles records. Informative, entertaining and full of wonderful color pictures is how I can best describe his latest work. This edition contains a wealth of information on so many different label releases. You need this book to document the many official and "unofficial" labels. I went through the book in less than a month. Highly recommended!

I have all of Bruce Spizer's Beatle related books and this final instalment matches all of the others for sheer detail and quality. It's a mind boggling journey through all of the Beatles "other label" US releases and certainly an education for collectors and fans alike. I especially like the "Capitol in The 70's & 80's" chapter covering the various compilation Lp's issued such as "Hollywood Bowl", "Rock & Roll Music" "Reel Music" & "Love Songs"..this completes a "Capitol" loose end.
It's a typically thorough book and sits proudly alongside the other Spizer instalments and the 50+ other Beatles tomes on my bookshelf. Well done Bruce. Very recommended to Beatles fans and Collectors alike.

This and all the other Beatles Books by Bruce Spizer are the absolute best Beatles Books on the planet. They are full of facinating facts, pictures and stories. These books are great history lessons for all fans. Even The Beatles themslves should be thanking Bruce for these books because there is information in these books I am sure they never knew about themsleves or their records in the USA. I suggest all Beatles fans buy Bruce's books.

I was lucky enough to see Bruce Spizer at the 2007 Chicago Beatlefest.
I purchased the book "The Beatles Swan Song" and was very happy that Bruce personally signed the book for me.
This "blooming book" / (i.e a reference to A Hard Day's night)is a must read!!!!!
The book is hard back and the print is very legible (even for my eyes) and the graphics are just lovely.
The content?....let me say this again, "Thank you Bruce, I appreciate your work and research you did."
"THE BEATLES SWAN SONG" book is simply an amazing piece of work!!! VERY HISTORICAL!!!

Mr Spizer is the ultimate Beatle book author.In both content and quality he is outstanding.This book like all the others before it is very helpful and entertaining.

An extraordinary read! I feared that this book was receiving so much praise because blues geeks felt that they had to eulogize the talents of this famed sixties blues promoter. No, it's not hype, this book really does hit new highs in great closeup shots and portraits, woven together with rich and personal tales that describe the crossing of Waterman's path with that of many of the greatest blues musicians ever. Some chapters are touched with sadness, such as the exploitation of Arthur Crudup's royalties (only for Waterman to help secure a rich reward for the family estate shortly after Crudup's death). Others are hilarious, such as the exposure of Robert Lockwood as being perhaps the sweariest bluesman ever. I could go on, but readers deserve to discover these stories for themselves. Albeit to say that the human sides of many famous musicians are exposed here, be they glorious or grim or bizarre. The only other blues read that I know of that gets so close up and personal in text and pictures is perhaps Tim Duffy's from the Musicmaker Foundation, entitled: "Musicmakers: portraits and songs from the roots of america". In fact the two books are complementary because whilst Waterman's subjects are by and large towering figures of the blues who have mostly died by now, Tim Duffy's subjects remain somewhat obscure and undiscovered by the main stream but many are still alive and kicking the blues in a neighbourhood near you.

As a blues enthusiast, I have always found myself looking for the inside stories, the newly discovered photographs or the alternative recordings of the players that literally changed my life 35 years ago when I was in high school. To find that Dick Waterman was a common link among so many of the greatest blues figures of the last century was a revelation. I knew of his relationship to Son House, and will forever speak his name with reverance for bringing him out of Rochester, NY to record again in the 60's. But all these other guys? Dick Waterman, thank you for putting more flesh on to the legends of so many of these guys, most of whom are now gone. I am grateful.

There really are no words to fully describe what a treasure this book is--which is entirely appropriate given that Mr. Waterman himself is an American treasure. Whether you are a hardcore blues fan or a casual listener, the photographs in this book will take your breath away. The stories that accompany them strip away the mythology to reveal the humanity beneath, and leave you looking at these legendary artists through fresh and more honest eyes.

I simply can't recommend this book highly enough. Buy a copy for yourself, and then buy as many as you can for your family and friends. You will not be sorry.

Once I started reading this book, putting it down was impossible. Dick Waterman's stories about the various blues musicians were as impressive as the outstanding photos in the book. It felt like I was pulled inside this incredible book and for a moment felt like I personally knew and was living with these people. The believability of this book was truly enhanced by Dick Waterman's honesty. He truly says it as it is. This book is not only interesting for blues officianados, but also for anyone interested in American history, great photography and captivating stories.

Dick Waterman's photographs are a stunning chronicle of the art and music that are most important to me. Dick calls his photographs products of opportunity and access, but they are far more. I would submit that Dick's "Son House at the Liberty Bell" ranks with the top echelon of 20th century American photographs.

If you have a passing interest in blues or fine photography; you need this book. If you are a fan of the music or the art, you absolutely must have this book.

A great job done by the authors for a multimedia piece that reflects America's melting pot story. The people are real and the work itself should inspire immigrants and descendants of immigrants to share the experience. I found the CD fascinating as a work to be enjoyed with the book. A wonderful job! I look for more work by the authors.

The book is well done except the authors failed to include the ethnicity that was and continues to be among the largest immigrant group, the Irish. The authors dropped the ball on that one.

If there was ever a time when we needed to be reminded that immigrants are the heart and soul of what makes this a textured, rich and interesting country, this is it. This book and its companion museum exhibit, which I was lucky enough to come upon serendipitously at Purchase College's Neuberger Museum, celebrates the gifts we have received as a nation from the diverse people who have struggled first to get here, and then to make a life for themselves here. Before we build walls on borders, before we villify those who are different from us, let's appreciate what we are gaining from the immigrants who choose the US as their home. Let's remember that very few of us are Native American. We have all benefitted from the open door to America.

Book is an excellent companion to a travelling show we saw at the University of Maine in Orono. It captures in an extraordinary fashion the incredible ethnic and cultural diversity within a relatively small section of Queens, NY.

Queens, in New York City, is the most ethnically diverse community in the country. Over a period of three years, from 1999 to 2002, editors Warren Lehrer and Judith Sloan collected stories from a sampling of the borough's 2 million residents. The result is this book, a much needed tribute to the people, most of them immigrants, who make Queens such a culturally rich locale.

The stories are wide and varied: a Congolese man who fled his country to seek asylum in the United States, only to be detained for nearly two years once he arrived here; an Afghan woman and her mother who were separated from each other for 22 years; a gay Colombian couple forced to flee their home; a pair of Egyptian brothers who opened a cafe and restaurant in Astoria. It's impossible to summarize them all here.

The words of the storytellers are, for the most part, kept intact. Everything is quoted directly, and even the speech mannerisms of those with rough or accented English are preserved, making the book feel just as colorful and diverse as the people featured in it. In a few cases, where the interviewee spoke little or no English at all, the stories are translated from the teller's native language. The editors have included helpful explanatory notes where the storyteller's make reference to events and individuals with which the reader may not be readily familiar.

"Crossing the BLVD" is also a refreshing visual treat. There are numerous photographs, pieces of artwork, maps, and other visuals. Each page has clearly been laid out with loving attention. Font style, size, and placement, along with the placement of the pictures, is carefully balanced to achieve certain effects. The book is just as colorful and full of character as the people whose stories it relates.

This is definitely a book everyone should read. Though nearly 400 pages in length, the text is large and makes for quick reading. But this simplicity is only a cover for the rich, inspiring, and heartfelt stories these people have to share. "Crossing the BLVD" certainly has something to offer any reader.

this is not only a book about an era in the beginning of the career of bruce, but a book about friendship as well. very nice photos. i recommend it to bruce fans

1978 was a key moment in Bruce Springsteen's career, and Frank Stefanko was there to capture it in black and white. In these photos, you see a rock star breaking out, but still struggling and working his [tail] off. Stefanko had not even heard the Darkness album when he took the photos that would lead to its cover (and the cover of The River), but he captured the mood and the tone perfectly, of both the music and the musician. Even if you're not into photo books, if you have an interest in Springsteen, do yourself a favor and get this book.

This book engrosses you from the moment you start reading you cant stop.I am giving this book to my clients and friends as it makes the perfect gift for Bruce Springsteen fans.I was also very moved by Authors tribute to his late wife Sheila and feel there may be another story there Frank ?

Just thought everyone would like to know that the cover photo was taken in front of Frank's Men's Hairstyling on Kings Highway in downtown Haddonfield, New Jersey!

This is a wonderful book. The photographs are uniformly compelling and insightful, as is the text. The reader is treated to a rare, unvarnished glimpse of an American hero about to "burst like a supernova." The images are timeless, and harken back to a simpler, perhaps more poignant time -- before MTV and the Internet changed the way we obtained and enjoyed our music. The author's spare text is thoughtful without being intrusive; a perfect compliment to the compelling images that accompany it. The text conveys a straightforward warmth and appreciation for the author's subject that are both refreshing and inspiring. This is a book to pore over, savor, and return to. Thank you, Frank, for sharing your gift -- and thank you, Bruce, for recognizing his genius, and for allowing us a little glimpse of yours.

This is a wonderful book of popular songs in Spanish, which my triplet boys latched onto immediately. The songs are very engaging, and each page has lovely artwork. I speak Spanish, and my boys were born in Spain. I have been trying very hard to help them maintain a little Spanish, and this book has been very helpful. It doesn't come with a CD, but you can easily learn the tunes of the songs if you know how to read music. And even if you only speak rudimentary Spanish, I think it's possible to learn the songs and enjoy them.

This book quickly became the boys' favorite bedtime routine. I hear them singing the songs during the day as well. I highly recommend it.

I love the colorful pictures in this book and that it has music to all of the songs. It is a wonderful book and my baby loves when I sing to him!

Beautiful pictures, and easy-to-follow tunes. A must-have for anyone who has children whom they are introducing to Spanish, and very useful for us adults as well!

My family enjoys this CD a lot. Mr. Orozco has a wonderful voice to listen to and the lyrics are fun and interesting. One song "Paz y Libertad" is emotionally touching. It is easy to learn Spanish listening to these elegant songs. I bought the other CD, Diez Deditos as a gift for a friend's family and they like that CD too.

This is an excellent book full of poems and songs. All are beatifully illustrated. Our 2 1/2 year old spends a lot of time just looking at the pictures and humming the tunes. Songs are easy to learn, fun to sing, and many have hand signs.

This book of songs is really helpful whether you are trying to emmerse your child in Spanish (as we are), or just exposing your child to a different culture and sounds.

P.S. Don't forget to buy the companion CD!

it was recieved in a very timely manner - no complaints at all and in fact I would gladly do business with this vendor again!

I'd lost interest in playing for about 5 years before I read this book, but Mickey Hart's book brought me back to the reasons I started hitting the bottom of tin cans woth a wooden spoon! This book follows, to a degree, the history of drums, and studies the emotional, spiritual and physical effects of drums, old ancient, and new on people. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes to play for any or no reason, and to andone who can't explain why the music makes them dance.

At a glance, Drumming at the Edge of Magic may seem like an autobiogrphical journey by the Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart. While the book is autobiographical, it goes far beyond that to discover the real meaning of drumming and music in general.

The meaning of drumming (or life?) comes in many forms, and many disguises. As Hart begins to unluck the secrets to why humans desire to express themselves in music, one can't help but say, "YES!". Hart, and to a certain extent, Jay Stevens, put into words what drummers and other musicians have felt all along but have never known how to express. The journey ends up being a look inward; not just for Hart but for the reader as well.

After reading this, I had my wife and father read it. I explained, "This is how I feel about drumming."

The companion CD and sequel book, "Planet Drum," are nice additions but the book stands by its self as an outstanding source for understanding music at its most basic form.

This book will move you.

I am not a Deadhead, nor am I a drummer, but I have really admired this book, and Mickey Hart big time. He really went off the deep end of his knowledge of percussion, both conventional, and exotic. I had not had this book with me since 1995, so my mind is a bit foggy, but if I remember right, the book is also a trip down Memory Lane, speaking of the hippie days of the Haight-Ashbury, The Grateful Dead and the whole scene in general. One of my favorites was of a drum he got in Tibet made from human skulls. He was wondering why he felt like he was being cursed, and he was told that he was using the drums wrong and it was used to wake the dead. He decided to return the drums and get a similar one not made of skulls. Drumming at the Edge of Magic was also a tie-in to what was then Mickey Hart's latest CD called At the Edge. This book really makes me wished I was there with the hippies and the Deadheads, even if I, myself don't listen to the Dead. It's too bad the Dead isn't around anymore thanks to Jerry Garcia's untimely death. Whether you're a Deadhead or not, whether you're a percussionist or not, this is truly an enthusiastic and well-written book on the subject of percussion.

Drumming At The Edge of Magic is a truly inspirational book for all people interested in drumming and rhythms. It details Harts cathartic exploration and eases the modern drummer into other-worldly potentials.

I would recommend this music book to anyone who has grown up in the era of the great "big bands". It's nostalgic from beginning to end.

My husband and I have recently learned to use chords for piano and have enjoyed other fake books. The Easy Christmas Fake Book has all the popular Christmas music and is easy to read and play. We have enjoyed it all season.

I like to give my students as much of a Christmas repertoire as I can. Using this Fake Book helps accomplish this while giving a venue to teach theory, improvosation, harmony and sight reading--they are inspired/tempted/and encouraged to try pieces on their own. Their courage & creativity is sometimes quite impressive. Not all songs are easily singable, since everything is in the key of C. But definitely suitable for solo instrumental performances.

Great fun! with minimal reading skills you will be able to sight read most of the songs and fill in with the chords. The chord speller chart alone is worth it. I taped the chord speller chart on my wall in front of the piano. I refer to it that often.

This is one of my favorite Christmas books to use with my piano students.
The songs are written in the Key of C so beginners can enjoy learning many melodys with few sharps or flats. My advancing students can add accompaniments with the chord clues and use what they've learned in their Suzuki method studies, block chords or a great variety of patterns! It is a tool which grows with the student musically, has the words for sing along fun for the whole family, and the notes are large enough for young (and old) eyes! The price is very affordable from Amazon too!

I finally got my hands on a copy of this amazing book. It has lived up to everything I've heard about it from my fellow Elvis fans. First of all it's huge. It's 626 oversized pages of nothing but Elvis. It has over 500 photos ( I stopped counting at 500). Many of the photos were completly new to me. If you were from another planet and didn't know anything about Elvis this book would bring you up to speed. I predict this book will become "the bible" of Elvis fans all over the world.

The book is divided into 33 chapters. Each chapter focuses on one aspect of Elvis and his fans. Some of the chapter titles: Elvis music, Elvis and family, Elvis and the Army, Elvis and romance, Elvis and the martial arts, Elvis and food, Elvis impersonators, Elvis and animals, Elvis in person, Collecting Elvis, Elvis in cyberspace - It's sort of a "how to" book on being an Elvis Fan. It's like a Peter Guralnick book with a sense of humor and a lot more photos.

Not only does it tell you everything you want to know about Elvis himself, it tells you about what has emerged in the 25 years since he's been gone. At the end of every chapter is a section called " The Elvis and You Experience." This is where the author's suggest things to do to enhance your enjoyment of Elvis. The suggestions are a lot of fun. Some are really silly. Just like Elvis!

My favorite chapter is "The Pilgrimage". It lists all the important places to see in Memphis during tribute week. A lot of stuff only Elvis insiders know. I'm studying up to get ready for Tribute week 2002. If you're going to the 25th anniversary Elvis week in Memphis this August. I have one thing to say about this book. Don't leave home without it!

Probably because the book is this massive it is printed on very thin paper. Especially because this guide will function as a reference book often, this is a pity. We bet there will be only a few in perfect condition after a couple of weeks. Also a lot of the pictures used in the book deserve more than the exposure they get now, also due to the poor paper-quality. On the other hand: this work on quality paper might hardly be affordable for a lot of people, so the choice is understandable. Let's see if the content is good enough to hope for a "deluxe version" someday.As we always do with new books, we thumbed through it looking for new pictures. On first sight it looked a little complex, with a lot of repeats, we thought. Well, we weren't completely wrong about that, but starting from the beginning we soon found out it has a reason, and a well considered one. All chapters are build in the same way: a more or less short essay about the subject, facts ("Essential Elvisology"), references ("Your Elvis Education") and tips how to enrich your own experiences regarding the subject ("The Elvis And You Experience"). This consistent design makes it pretty easy to find what you want, most of the time. Unfortunately there is no index to this guide, so when you are looking for something really specific... it can be a very hard job.During the acknowledgements it becomes clear that the book has "a heavy Internet base". The reader familiar with the Elvis-scene on the Internet will recognize a lot of the names. Of course this results in a lot of references to the Internet throughout the book.The book is split up in 33 chapters, starting with the man himself: a short biography, mainly a time-line of important dates, his death, his records, his movies, his TV-work, his shows and his personal interests. There are a couple of chapters that are devoted mainly to the fans: Collecting, The Pilgrimage, Your Elvis Shrine, Impersonators and such. As stated before, all chapters start with an essay. Those essays are very well written, and even though nothing new comes up, the point of view from the authors makes them very enjoyable. The guide part of these chapters is very good, directing the reader towards the more important available works. Because the Internet-addresses (the so-called URL's) are often very long and hardly readable, the references to the sites look pretty cluttered. A better solution would have been to list just the site-names, with an alphabetic overview including the URL's in the back of the book. Since this book has its own site (that is: they are constructing the site, so far it looks like they only registered the URL), it might be a nice idea to include all links used in the book on that site, if possible per chapter. Since the Internet is evolving constantly, this might be a good idea anyway. Before such a list returns from the printer it may be outdated already.In general we can say the Elvis part of the guide is reliable, there are some mistakes, but they are in every book it seems, and we didn't find real major misses. The "You"-part is often going towards the ridiculous, especially the chapters we mentioned before. This certainly doesn't mean you can easily skip them. Again, the essays are well written, including a lot of wit and the "tips" are often so ridiculous it gets really funny (e.g. the "Dos and Don'ts of Impersonation" and "How to get started impersonating"). Having met all kinds of people ourselves (especially on the Internet), we know it's not complete nonsense written in those chapters, but sometimes we can't help but think it's too crazy to be true. In opposition to the main media, that love to use those exceptions to stereotype the average Elvis fan, this book shows it in a light-hearted, funny way. Probably the poor souls suffering the "handicaps" in these chapters won't even recognize it and take it seriously, so they'll be happy too.  Our conclusion is that this guide is really what it claims to be: "the guide to the pleasure of being an Elvis fan". Interesting, well researched and very enjoyable, thus it gave a lot of pleasure. We can only say that supported by a well maintained website it certainly deserves a "deluxe edition". "So now let's have a tremendous hand for a very nice book"

"Elvis & You", A comprehensive book like this deserves just a short review as it contains within it vast scope it's own recommendation. Elvis fans will be delighted with it's in-depth research, and the less scholastic will enjoy the eccentric humorous nature of the book as a whole. A work to explore at leisure and delve into for those important links to all things Elvis. A bargain for the photos alone!

As a discerning fan of the late Elvis Presley since 1957 yours truly has read a library of Elvis books-this one is amongst the very best.

This book is by far the absolute best book that will ever be written about Elvis. The authors are sincere Elvis fans who have done their homework, and it truly shows in this masterpiece. Whether you are a lifelong Elvis fan, or an "outsider looking in", this book is a must read. If you are an Elvis skeptic, read this book and you will be smitten for good. Kudos to the authors!!!

One of the most useful, fun and interesting Elvis books around. A must-have for Elvis fans and scholars because of the breadth and depth of its information. The photos are great as well. This book will be read and used for a long time. I only wish it had been around when I wrote my Elvis book - would have made my work much easier!

This book has totally changed my life. Jim is a great guy with an evident passion for God and the things He is about. Jim speaks straight to the heart though this book. It is a great, fast read but also carries a ton of depth. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone. But fair warning...don't be surprised if Embracing the Love of God completely changes your life!

I would highly recommend this book to anyone struggling to understand and receive God's love and forgiveness. This book is written especially for believers who are honest enough to admit they have a problem in this area. James Bryan Smith writes in a way that is simplistic and yet profound based on truths from the Word of God. He shares about his own struggles and how he came to a place of acceptance of God's grace and love for him. If you have a desire to be transformed by the love of God, take the time to read this book.

I'm not sure which book got kicked out of the top 5 most influential books in my life, but this book replaced it. I've spent the fist ten years of my Christianity picking up not only the love of God, but the baggage that often goes with religion; I've spent the last ten years in the tricky business of extricating the love and dropping off the baggage.

This is one baggage blasting book.

It's a centering book. One I could not read quickly for the need to lay it down and think. The power in this book lay in the fact that it is also the testimony of one man; and last I heard, a person's testimony ranks with the blood of Jesus as far as overcoming goes. (Rev. 12:11) And what have we to overcome? That insidious voice that accuses us before God day and night. It says day and night. (vs. 10) No let up. That's why we need the message of love pounded and ground into our faces until we jolly well believe it.

This book has helped me to identify the voice of the accuser. It has helped me to see God in the teeny tiny ways he wants to be in my life. It has helped me to embrace what I am ever thinking is for someone else.

What I am understanding is that I did not get saved once; I am getting saved all the time, inch by inch and daily, and books like these are small miracles to help. This book is good news. I can't say how grateful I am to have read it.

This book was sooo good...Please don't hesitate to get it! Take your time, and drink in the love of God that comes through the pages...
Nothing can separate us from the LOVE of GOD! That is what James Smith explains so well in this book. I just finished it, and know I will read it again. This book encouraged me and lifted me up. He definitely has a gift from God...to teach, help, and encourage...with references throughout, to the Word of God. I look forward to reading more of his books. As another reader said, this book will probably become a classic.

Embracing the Love of God is thought provoking and is,in my opinion, a potential "spiritual classic". Mr. Smith's extended essay is organized around three topics: Knowing God's Acceptance, Receiving God's Forgiveness and Experiencing God's Care. Read it, and keep it to re-read, when you need encouragement. Embracing the Love of God was a blessing to me, and I recommend you buy it.

Really a masterpiece! It learns you everything about afro cuban drumming/percussion. I like especially the background information and it pays a lot of attention to playing together. Most afro cuban methods don't learn you anything about playing together, this method really does. It will give you lesson material for years!

If you're looking for reference or study books for afro-cuban percussion, Ed's book is very good. It contains rhythm scores for several important instruments such as congas, timables, bells, bombo, guiro, clave and pailitos, as well as scores for many different song styles for these instruments. Styles include son, son montuno, bolero, yambu, guaguanco, columbia, guiro, abakua, mozambique, songo, bombo, and calypso. Ed also includes many hand exercises that are worthwhile, I'm a guitarist of many years, and learning hand independence and percussion rhythms and rudiments has been invaluable for me. I practice on congas, cowbells, claves, drum sticks (pailitos) and bass drum several times a week, and regulary use this book as reference for different songstyles. There is of course much more to the book (and of course no one can include everything) but for what I use it for I consider it a great reference book from a very talented teacher.

An absolute wealth of information on Afro-Cuban percussion, this book is encyclopedic in its content and very effective in delivering examples of rhythms, grooves and variations. A must have for any serious student of Afro-Cuban percussion, buy this book.

This book and CD provide the aspiring conga/drumkit player with the historical and technical abilities to begin an exploration of Afro-Cuban techniques. If you spend a year or two going through the exercises in this book, you'll come out the other end with technical skills (especially independence related) that will amaze you. More importantly, it is very likely that your groove will be much deeper when your done and that will produce benefits in whatever style you happen to be playing in.

Lots of pictures. Historical backgrounds on the instruments and their usages in different cultures and styles. Descriptions on the technical aspects of playing the instruments. Plenty of written rhythmic examples backed up by audio examples. Highly reccommended.