Vocal Books

This book is the absolute best available about Afro-Cuban religious traditions, music, and culture that I have ever seen. Velez writes in a clear style and with great respect for Mr. Villamil's heritage. Finally a book in english has addressed the controversy surrounding lineages and lines within Afro-Cuban religion. Not to mention one of the few books that describes festivles and musical celebrations within these religions instead of 'new age magic'. Secondly, the voice and mannerisms of Mr. Villamil come through the pages as if you were watching a documentary. As a long time (medio asiento) affiliate en La Regla de Ocha this book has truly touched my heart. Instead of spewing out made-up "secrets" it conveys the feeling, culture, and legacy of these little known traditions with utmost dignity. If you enjoyed the book I would suggest seeking out some of Mr. Villamil's CD's under the group Emikike it is amazing. Velez deserves some kind of award for this work because it is truly astounding..... just when I was about to give up on English books concerning Afro-Cuban culture.
Charles Panella
", but you have to keep hammering away there because he was destined for that and I wasn't. This is my religion and I love it with all my heart" FGV

This is truly a unique book. Not only is it informative, but also easy to read. I don't know of any other source that delves as deeply into the life of a single Afrocuban religious musician or practitioner as this book does. It is a gold mine of information not only for the serious student of Afrocuban culture, but also for any practitioner.

The first thing to be said about Ms.Velez' book is that it is written in a disarmingly straightforward style - a rare if not unique occurrence in contemporary scholarly writings. Without shying away from tackling the complexities of an issue (and there are many in the book) Ms. Velez' style allows the reader to concentrate on the content rather than wrestle with tortuous syntax and intricate constructions. It is perhaps for this reason that the author manages so felicitously to blend her cultivated voice with that of the "informer" in a delicately balanced counterpoint. This, in turn, is well suited to the multifaceted role of F.G.V., who play the role of a self-centered first actor as well as that of an anonymous yet ideally representative prototype of a time and a place. Or rather, multiple times and places.

If you consider yourself a serious drummer in the Afro-Cuban styles (batá, bembé, palo, abakuá, rumba, comparsa, etc.), you must read this book, as you will learn a great deal from it. It is refreshing to see the music and the culture through the eyes of a musician and practitioner himself (Mr. García Villamil), a true living legend. Every page is loaded with TONS of information, dating from his Yoruba great-grandfather's time to the present.

I became involved and included in this project, married to one of the musicians in this book, of course I had to own it!

Echoes if the Sixties is not only interesting, but entertaining. I was impressed with the way it was organized into a "Time Capsule," summary, "Hit Singles," and interviews. What a wonderful reference vehicle. After reading it from cover-to-cover, I enjoyed reviewing sections again.

This book was so great. I espically liked the Gary Puckett and the Union Gap section. I am from San Diego, CA and it is cool to hear where they are now, and what their lives have been like. For the music lover this is a great selection!

This is an honest, truthful, profile of 43 of the most popular Rock Stars from the 60's. Written after in depth interviews with the stars themselves, it tells their histories and what they are doing now. How their Rock fame affected their lives. It is fun to read and really brings back memories. Highly recommended!

Bob Dylan fans will enjoy this book that features over 100 pages of Dylan quotes on subjects ranging from music, the 60's, drugs, love, his idols, songwriting, and more. Everybody knows that Dylan was a wily and occasionally malicious interviewee, and this book reflects that. I laughed out loud several times at his witticisms directed back at the hollow questiosn that were put to him. However, there are some very pointed answers that he serves up here as well, that seemingly give a real insight into his persona, his life, and his views. There are also a lot of high-quality pictures. My only complaint is that the book is a little short-you can easily read it all in one setting, though it's probably a book that you'll go back to time and again to see what Dylan offered up on a particular subject-it would have been nice, for instance, if it had a section where Dylan commented upon particular songs of his, such as was done in the Leonard Cohen book in the "In His Own Words" series. Still, Dylan interviews are always hard to come by, and this is the best copendium you'll find featuring them.

This book contains a compilation of Dylan's own words, transcribed from interviews, press conferences, radio, and TV shows. Complete with scores of pictures, In His Own Words is a must for any Dylan fan. Dylan dons persona after persona, and the results are quite entertaining.

This is really a (the) great book for the base of a Dylan book
collection. Each of the 112 pages comprising this paperback
has at least one photograph, and many pages have two or three!
In my mind the pictures alone are worth a binding of their own. They
include many of his co-workers, and famous peers. After looking
at all of them for the first time, you really get a "feel" for
the environment in which he has been working (living) for the
last 30 - 40 years.

The entire collection of quotes (quotes and pictures are all you get, folks)
are catagorized by a plethora of topics, which enables quick referencing,
so you really should learn ALOT about his PERSONALITY.
I say "personality" because the quotes are in
conversational mode, candid, ranginging from silly quips and
understatements to very sincere and thoughtful comments; the way
I imagine he shares with intimates. This is not a stilted,
unemotional, professional collection of aphorisms, and I feel better informed
as a result.

A must for any Bob Dylan fan, this book contains an ecclectic collection of Dylan's responses to reporters and others.

Dear! Where is DEINE LAKAIEN? Where is FIREWATER? Where is INTERPOL? Where is SLOWDIVE? Where is WOLFMOTHER and many other, in my opinion, shapers of popular music? Aguillera and Spears unfortunately are in place....
Authors have to pay more attention what they put in such important book, and do not leave behaind the board really iportant bands!

While of course not as exhaustive as the Encyclopedia of Modern Music from which it comes (but who can afford that?) this is one of the best books of its kind around. For those who knows the writing in Colin Larkin;s books they will know that it belongs to the trusty excellence of British rock-writing. It is extensively annotated and now even provides with stars rating the records (however this may be a mistake since there are other guides that have done a better job in that). This book is splendid and affordable and much preferable to the Rolling Stone encyclopedia for instance which is shockingly incomplete and not as well written. A must for any serious music fan...who might want to consider forking out the 1000 plus dollars for the encyclopedia....I am saving up for one.

This is the best type of reference book: fun to browse in and reliable. (Warning: You'll want to buy a lot of CDs after looking at this book.)

The coverage of this selection from the complete 10-volume set is impeccable; I found very few omissions that I could quibble with. There are some typos and mistakes (how could there not be?), but almost none in the information relevant to the purpose of the book. All of the articles I have read succeed in Larkin's aim of steering a course between an "encyclopediese" recitation of dry facts and the overopinionated critical writing that pop music often suffers from.

The selection does favor English and American artists, but most users of the book will probably not find this a major limitation. The authors are at least aware of this byproduct of U.S. pop cultural hegemony.

The five-star rating system for albums is relatively new and still has some rough edges: when the author of an article doesn't avail him- or herself of it, the result is that all the albums are rated equally. Since the system is most useful in relative terms (Blonde on Blonde versus, say, Nashville Skyline) and unavoidably subjective, it would be better to omit the stars altogether if the author of an article doesn't want to make distinctions. But it's a small point.

It is hard to imagine how this could be better in any substantial way.

My local library has a copy of this, and if you're lucky, your library does as well. If not, you are missing out, assuming you don't have the 700-plus bucks to slap down for this baby. The editors thoroughly trace the careers of most of the artists you could probably name off the top off your head and rates them from one to five stars. The star ratings in particular are much improved over the previous releases that included the ratings. Fairly comprehensive; I'll only complain that he includes several cheesy Christian heavy metal groups of the eighties and fails to mention any vital Christian artists who actually made great music (There actually are some, like Adam Again, Daniel Amos, or Mark Heard). A special delight is the excellent balance between British and American tastes, not leaning one way more than the other between the (at times) very different critical camps on either side of the Atlantic. Check out your public library for this one, and bring plenty of change to make copies of your favorite entries. Colin would probably kill you, but I won't tell...

Do you need a resource to let you know about the depth and breadth of punk rock? Yes you do. And the Encyclopedia of Punk Music and Culture is it. It's jam-packed with info. The entries remind me of Richard Hell talking about the Ramones "it was just hit song after hit song after hit song." Just like a great punk album is one short blast after another, the entries are direct and to the point. It covers all the styles and mutations of punk. I was surprised by amount of stuff that was in here. I half expected to look up Christmas Eve, 1993 and find the time Joey Ramone climbed over a mountain of snow to wish me "Merry Christmas."

A great, great book.

"Hey! Ho! Let's go!" While this isn't the first book I've read about punk rock, it is by far the best and most complete! I love this book! Not since Joan Jett sweat on me in a mosh pit have I had such a meaningful punk rock moment as I had the first time I plowed through this book. The author brought back major memories for me, but he also made me realize that yes, even *I* still have a lot to learn about punk and punk culture. My second reading was even better because I covered myself in pig's blood first. I would have given this book 5 stars but there's not enough stuff about the Plaster Commandoes and Ditchwitch. Awesome!

Sure, the book covers everything you would expect. There's The Velvet Underground, Stooges, CBGB's, Sex Pistols, Ramones and the whole British class of '77. But what really knocked me out was the breadth of the author's knowledge of the punk/hardcore scene of the 80's, 90's and today. He realizes that a lot of vital punk music occurred between The Clash and Nirvana and he doesn't ignore it like 99% of the books, films and TV shows on the subject have. So we get Minor Threat and Black Flag and The Descendents and The Replacements and Dag Nasty...you get the point. Inclusive, respectful without being reverent and a lot of fun to read. If you care at all about punk, pick it up.

I thought I knew it all, but the author has taken me places I thought I had been before in new ways. If you care about punk and are smart, here you are. This book is readable, and scholarly. I think I'm gonna be online buying about 25 CD's that this book made me realize I need. I want to drink in a bar that uses this book to settle arguments and bar bets. Why haven't I seen these pictures before?
Every detail is right, and I have consumed punk for 20+ years.

Who would have guessed that such a simple, straightfoward musical would be the longest running show in New York history? Read this copy of the libretto, and you'll know why. The show is very simple and very honest. It has drama and lighthearted comedy in just the right amounts to create what is, in many ways, the perfect musical. This volume also contains lots of extra information about the show, including the lyrics to a new song written for the show in its later years, and a number of photos. The music is missing, of course, but even without the OCR to the show, you get a great sense here of what makes The Fantasticks so, well, fantastic.

It never fails to amaze me that Jones & Schmidt were capable of such powerful poetry while still studying for their masters degrees. This thesis show is a powerhouse of simplicity and a panorama of minimalism. Sound oxymoronic? It is. The show is so disceptively simple, but the stories it tells are universal, and they are guaranteed to ring true for even the most tarnished audience member. One read, and it won't be hard to "try to remember" this show for a long time!

This is one of the most wonderful musicals ever. It has a wonderful story and plot but the best part about it is the music. The music is absolutely FANTASTICK! The musical contains a wide variety of songs, each with its own mood and purpose. There are funny and amuzing songs, ominous songs, loving songs, wishful songs... there's something for everybody. I first saw the Fantasticks in New York and fell in love with the music. I have almost all the songs completely memorized and I am working on putting a few of the song into my audition repertoire. This is music that every true musical fan should have. Its brilliant.

It has been two years since I was first introduced to The Fantasticks. Ever since I saw the show I have been captivated by its remarkable story, lyrics, and music. It was only recently that I read this 30th anniversary edition and truly found out how amazing this show is.

Tom Jones' personal account of The Fantasticks shows the reader what exactly goes in to a show before it actually debuts. The first section "Try to Remember" is well set as the first chapter of the book. The reader will benefit more from reading this chapter before the show.

The third section (the second was the libretto) is a look at the actors really shows you the life of the longest running Off-Broadway show.

I know my words cannot do justice to this amazing book. I would recommend this book to any die-hard Fantasticks fan, or to anyone interested in getting to know the best musical ever written.

I have a half dozen books on the Fender company and this is by far the best. The typical vintage guitar book serves two functions. It gives information on the history of the instrument - guides to production dates, etc. In addition there are usually lots of pictures for lovers of vintage instruments to salivate over ("guitar porn" as I've seen it described before). This book delivers in that regard, but does not stop there.

It goes on to serve as an excellent study of a small business struggling to survive and then coping with its own success. I found it hard to put down. Even though I knew the outcome, I found myself carried along with the story. Enough "insider detail" is provided to reveal character and move the "plot," but not enough to bog the book down. The book also serves as the best biography of Leo Fender that I have read. He is revealed as an inspired man with significant flaws. Importantly, "revealed" is the operative word here. Smith generally does not preach or make pronouncements. He describes actions and quotes interviews. The reader is left to his own conclusions.

The best book I've come across on Fender and possibly the best available. Lots of information and great period photos. A book you can keep coming back to.

This is by far the best Fender book I have. It is very well written, and it makes for some good reading. He doesn't only describe the great things about Fender but the bad things and mistakes as well.

This is a very un-biased book and it's very nice to read. The pictures in this book are awesome, and this is only one of the books I have that I trust the facts on. Kudos to Mr. Smith!

Smith does a great job of telling us who Leo Fender really was: a simple man with a complex mind. The pages of this book are loaded with lots of interesting stories and facts about the man who developed the solid-body electric guitar. Not always complimentary, yet never vicious. An honest presentation of the man who provided the tools that helped create rock-and-roll. Obviously well-researched with many great photos of Fender and his "offspring".

What an awesome book. This is an incredible, well thought out, easy to understand instructional tool to help take your voice to that next level, or perhaps several levels beyond where you currently are. The exercises also are based around what everyone wants to know how to do increasing your range and learn to hit those face melting pitches without doing any damage to your voice. As a musician, who plays out every weekend and sometimes during the week, this has been an absolute lifesaver. Simply put if you want to learn how to sing get this book!

I am a Rock Singer from Seattle, WA, been singing in bands for 12 years and was introduced to this system by a friend. The Four Pillars of Singing opened my singing world up to a whole new set of techniques for expanding power and range, and I am singing better now than I ever have, hitting octives and notes I never dreamed possible. This vocal coaching system will take you to the next level of professional singing. I highly recommend this product for anyone who wants to learn how to sing, and learn how to sing well.

This is a fabulous product created by a passionate and skilled instructor that will take you from a good singer to a Great Performer!!

Robert Lunte is a fantastic vocal coach with a real heart for his students. His passion and skill combine in this product with an incredible knowledge of the human voice and how it operates, to help you break through that vocal plateau we have all found ourselves confounded by, and bring you to a place of confidence and poise that will reach out and grab an audience.

You will learn skills to bridge your chest and head voices together, increase your range dramatically, give power to your voice you never knew you had and attain the stamina you need to sing all night long with confidence.

If your considering purchasing a Vocal Training system THIS is the one to buy...period.

Want to learn to sing, scream, add power and extend your vocal range? Then the Four Pillars of Singing is a solid program to help get you there. The author teaches the same method that was used by singers of bands such as Queensryche, Heart and Alice in Chains.

If you have tried to bridge your chest and head voice together for years to no avail, and cannot seem to get rid of that nasty break, then these unique training scales along with Robert Lunte's finessed approach to seemlessly smoothing the transition from your lower range to your upper range will help you gain access to notes you never knew you had.

The book in this program is fully illustrated and straight-forward in explaining Lunte's approach to vocal instruction. The book describes the four pillars of Respiration,Vibration, Resonation and Visualization in great detail. Along with the book, comes an audio CD of every exercise in the program as well as two DVDs so that you can actually see Robert Lunte demonstrate every technique and explain the process of extending your range and adding power.

If you cannot afford a great teacher (remember, there still is no replacement for a great teacher) then the next logical step is a great program to help get you started. So whether you are a beginner or seasoned professional, the guidance from this book/CD/DVD combo will help take your voice to the next level and is half the price of a one-hour vocal lesson of most pro vocal coaches...and it lasts longer than one hour!

If singing Queensryche, Heart or Alice in Chains is your calling, then check out the Four Pillars of Singing to develop your vocal power and range. I give the program a thumbs up.

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!

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.