Rock Books

This is one incredible art book. Very professionnaly done, very high quality reprints of stunning poster artwork done over the years for the excellent rock band Electric Frankenstein. If you love horror (especially vintage stuff like Universal monster movies and Famous monsters magazine) and if you love rock n' roll, you need this book. 160 full-color pages of some of the best undergound artist's renditions of the electric frankenstein theme. As a graphic designer by profession and fan of all things monsters, zombies and creatures, I really do appreciate the work done on these wonderful pieces of art, and I more than understand how big a job it is to scan the images and put together a book like this one. Very well done, beautiful art and lots of Boris Karloff! I'm very happy to own this, a great item that I will cherish for years to come.

In a word, this is about PASSION. The band is
passionate about performing rock & roll. The
poster artists are passionate about creating
artwork reflecting the band's punk rock & roll
ethos and its highly amused worldview.

The poster artwork, some actual advertisements,
some commemoratives, is superb. Many pieces are
frankly mesmerizing. Dark Horse has done an
excellent job of producing the works in accurate
color. Sal Canzonieri, one of the founding
bandmembers, has pulled together all the key
posters and CD artwork that's defined the band's
image since inception.

Electric Frankenstein developed its following
from posting "anonymous" flyers in the streets of
Manhattan,long before their first gig. People
wondered what Electric Frankenstein was supposed
to be. It was an inspired artistic prank, but
thankfully the band turned out to be quite real
indeed.

You can read more about Electric Frankenstein
in ART OF MODERN ROCK, which will be published
this Fall by Chronicle Books.

Not only has Electric Frankenstein been making action packed, kick ass rock and roll for the last 13 years... they have an amazing collection of artwork to go along with it. You don't have to be an EF fan to appreciate this book. (but why the hell wouldn't you be?!) It's crammed page to page with with full color poster art, flash, and album art by some of todays top rock and roll artists, and tons of up and comming artists as well. It's one of the largest printed collections of it's kind, and a must for anyone who collects rock and roll memorabilia. It's beautifully printed and absolutely stuffed with eye candy. You MUST own this book.

Everyone interested in great rock and roll should purchase this book at once. It is filled with Posters from many of the best Rock and Roll Poster creators from across the world. My mind is still reeling from the Posters.
This book is also a great look at the modern Hi Energy Rock and ROll Revolution that EF(Electric Frankenstein) is leading. Some of the Bills EF has played on are mind boggling. This book also has a nice history of EF that I enjoyed reading and so will you!
Sal Canzonieri has done a great job, leading EF and also creating this book and deserves all the support in the world.If you like your action High High, help EF conquer the World.

Eric
Mr. Rock-n-Roll

I love this book. It's full of tons of Electric Frankenstien concert posters by some of the best artists around (Lisa Petucci, Coop, Kozik...). In fact, I can't think of an artist who isn't represented in this collection!

And this is one quality printing - the colors are vivid, clear and do the art justice.

You'll look through this book again and again, but don't forget to put an EF record on the stereo!

Did you read or get this book? Well my God what are you all waiting for!

I have never ever seen such intense research put into an Elvis book before in my life .. and this is just the early volume!

This book is worth not only the great photos but for the impressive family tree and lineage that was done on Elvis and his family. I mean did you know that Elvis' family tree was traced back to Denmark to the 1595? I sure didnt, until now.

I am now going to hold Elvis trivia contests with all my Elvis friends and fan club members ... This book is remarkable. that is all I can say.

Jim once again, a super book. And your assistant did a super job with her research! You guys actually proved a lot of "so-called experts" wrong!

Another must book for the Elvis fan!

This book should get an award just for the research that was done in putting this book together. This team of Jim and Renata is the best ever in the Elvis world. Just wonderful, wonderful information is PACKED into this little book! You would think its a mini encyclopedia with how much writing is involved in this book!

If this book, the early years, is this great; I can't wait for the next volumes!

I personally thought that was no other information that could be FOUND on Elvis, but I was wrong. I think Jim and Renata truly pinpointed Elvis' family tree to a T ..... I can't find fault in it. Everything seems to fit and make sense. Not even Elvis' family members got things as right! So what does that mean to us? THE PERFECT INFORMATIVE BOOK!

Thanks a million!

Ok. While on the road, I used this book to conduct trivia contests. The guys I am with, are Elvis fans and they always try to prove that they know Elvis more than I. So this book put an end to that!

But I will say this: I TOO WAS WRONG on many occasions! I never knew 50-60% of the information that was listed in this book -- and I thought I knew a LOT! So this is an educational book beyond any Elvis fans' expections or knowledge!

I think this will soon become an Elvis Bible to the fans and Elvis world - if it's not already!

Remarkable from the first page to the last!

What struck me about this book was the beautiful and clean art deco cover. What a gorgeous cover! And what fun it is to look at.

I bought it along with Christmas with Elvis by the same author. Never knew about anyone making a Christmas book with Elvis! So I was thrilled about that!

Anyway I took this book home, and to keep it short: I have so far read it 3 times from cover to cover! That is how enticing this book is. Never had I thought possible that anyone could trace Elvis' family history back that far as did Mr. Curtin. Because Graceland still has the OLD information that Elvis came from Scotland and Andrew Pressley! My goodness Mr. Curtin goes back much much farther. What an important addition Mr. Curtin is to the Elvis world. He is the key to the lock on the Elvis Presley that no one dares to write about: THE GOOD MAN!

Thank you Mr. Curtin for showing class in authoring a beautiful book on Elvis. And thank you for all your extremely hard work in finding out all this information on Elvis and for sharing it with us fans. God Bless you and much continued success.

I AM NOW TYPING IN CAPITALS!

JUST READ THIS BOOK AND I WILL SAY THIS : I AM AMAZED AT JIM CURTIN AND HIS WRITER FOR WHAT, AND HOW MUCH THEY RESEARCHED ON ELVIS.

SO WITH THIS REVIEW I AM GETTING ON MY KNEES AND THANKING GOD NOT ONLY FOR GIFTING THIS WORLD WITH ELVIS, BUT FOR GIFTING THE ELVIS WORLD WITH JIM CURTIN! (and lets not forget Renata)

THANK YOU .... THANK YOU .... THANK YOU .... THANKYOUVERYMUCH!

This book sticks to the music, and what music it was, or should I say, what music *made* - sometimes from situational film material. But this work sticks mainly to A-list, non-soundtrack recordings.
Whether he stuck closely to the demo, or reference disc, or completely reworked the tune, he made it at least interesting and listenable, and those that didn't make that cut (like "Hey Jude") are given a fair chance.
Since '68, I still can't believe what he did with "You'll Never Walk Alone"; discovering years later it was he on piano working out a "head" arrangement on the spot, made it seem even greater. This book will remind you why you liked a particular track in the first place or why you should have. At age 17, I didn't appreciate the depth of this performance, which in this book is described with masterful strokes. Another revelation for me was in reading about "Crying In The Chapel". I've always enjoyed Elvis' record of it, but thought he could have put more *voice* on it. Roy and Aspell evaluated the number as a whole and brought out nuances which have caused me to realize that it, too, is A-list.
I would have been happy to find reviews of movie fluff entries like "Sand Castles" or "Shake That Tambourine", but let's hope we get an "alternate take edition" of this fine manuscript.

THIS NOVEL SHOULD GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS ONE OF THE GREATEST BOOKS TO EVER BE WRITTEN ABOUT THE KING OF ROCK -N- ROLL . IT'S REALLY GOOD . IT TELL'S THE STORY BEHIND 112 OF THE KINGS GREATEST AND NOT SO GREATEST SONGS .IT FOCUSES ON WHAT REALLY IS GREAT ABOUT ELVIS' LIFE HIS MUSIC !

"The Essential Elvis" is a thoughtful exploration of the King's music from 1954 until his death in 1977. It's an important and much-needed work that concentrates solely on Presley's artistry. Authors Samuel Roy and Tom Aspell break free from the ill-informed mythology of most Elvis publications by re-examining Presley's work in provocative, exciting ways. You may not agree with all of the writers' criticisms, but it encourages you to track down the 112 Elvis recordings listed in their book.

There have been 4,567 books written about Elvis, mostly by people who have never known him, but whose third cousin's sixth-removed niece might have once dated Elvis' former schoolteacher's third wife. Then there's "The Essential Elvis." What makes this book so different is that Samuel Roy and Tom Aspell trace Elvis' life and legacy through personal history as well as 112 of his most significant songs. The book doesn't proclaim to be an expose or definitive history (it's neither); what it is is a clear portrait of the Man Who Would Be King, told through behind-the-scenes knowledge that uncovers and pieces
together the story of a man, his times, talent and cultural influences. And the 20 photographs -- many of which have never been published --- add a nice touch.

This excellent book is about what was most important to Elvis and his fans: his songs and music. One of the most significant things the authors said about Elvis is the following words: «The first and best thing that can be done for Elvis Presley is to lessen the emphasis that has been placed on his later years and focus on the talent and genius that define the King.....one of the reasons for his demise was because he cared and felt too much...it got to the point that being Elvis Presley was one of the hardest jobs in the world». I agree completely with the authors and, as a fan, my only wish is that this book will make the people, who don't respect Elvis, see the light...

Thanks for helping me write my first song. I am so proud that I could actually write one!!!!! You helped me a lot so I thank you a lot!!!! THANK YOU!!!!! Yours Truly, Stacey

Thanks for helping me write my first song. I am so proud that I could actually write one!!!!! You helped me a lot so I thank you a lot!!!! THANK YOU!!!!! Yours Truly, Stacey

I like the way the story was romantic and that he used his words to win over the girl of his dreams. I wish my boyfriend would do that. Sally

I absolutely love the book Fingers Bleed. The story line is so exciting and I fell in love with all the characters. I wish more books were like this. Also check out the Web site. (...) it's totally rockin'. (...)

Finally a songwriting book that gets to the point. I went through the writing steps just like in the book, and over the weekend I wrote my very first song. It was a lot easier than I thought. With the help of Fingers Bleed I know I can write a hit song. Rockin' Randy.

If you love Michael Franti you'll love this book. It has tons of pictures from touring early on when he was playing bass with the beatnigs to right before he came out with the yell fire album. It has all the lyrics to mostly everything he has done,(except for some imports)then it comes with a dvd of some live shows. You will love this book as I do because there isn't very much reading to do Food For the Masses: Michael Franti-Portraits and Lyrics

For Franti fans wanting a good way coffee table book or postable lyric for their home, office, car, or anywhere this is a good buy. While the dvd footage of shows isn't the best for die-hard fans, its pretty good. I'd recommend going to a show for a good time, not necessarily watching the dvd to get a good feel for franti and spearhead. Good images into their life, and great showings of sometimes how songs can be scribbled up or even written on napkins.

This is a realy great book with copies of original handwritten lyrics, excellent photos, and a CD/DVD included. Definitely suggest this to anyone who enjoys Michael!

This book made any excellent present and is a must for any Spearhead fan. The pictures and info are very informative and the live DVD a real bonus.

If you are lucky enought to be or becoming a Michael Franti fan, this book celebrates his poetic muse. The words that come through him stand on their own as works of art. As Michael says, "every single soul is a poem written on the back of God's hand".

This book is just what the title says - the author uses some humor and information is aimed toward a casual collector rather than a scientist or a super-rich collector. Besides the usual information about the make-up of a gemstone, there is also comparisons of the gem if it is found in more than one location, a bit of history of the discovery of a gemstone, and even a bit of information about the beliefs in the health benefits of some stones. It is not absolutely a complete guide, but more than just an overview of the main gems such as diamonds, sapphires, etc. The photos are very good, although not all are labeled.

I very much enjoyed this book mostly because it is written in plain ordinary English for the average person. With all the internet shopping that is now available, it is advisable to know something about the various gems so you know what you're getting.
This book fills the bill perfectly!

This man knows his gems and he has great stories behind each piece. He has great ways of romancing the stones like no one else. I get so excited hearing the little background stories he tells about each gem and the history behind the locations they come from. A great book by a renowned expert of gemology. I highly recommend this book.

I can't begin to say how wonderful this book is. Whether you are a layman or a professional, this is THE book to turn to. Not only is it highly informative, but it is written so well that you actually WANT to read it. Dan's sense of humor and his love for gems shines here. I wouldn't trade this book for anything.

This book is very insightful. If you want to know anything about gems - how to care for them, where they come from, etc. - this book is a must. Highly recommended!

Fans of soul music will find Richard Younger's Get a Shot of Rhythm and Blues to be a fine biography of one Arthur Alexander, a singer/songwriter who may not be well known by name, but whose songs influenced the 1960s rock musicians. A fine coverage of his life and achievements is presented in a lively survey of soul and rock and roll music.

This is a great book that provides clear and concise insight into the life of Arthur Alexander. The story behind the singer, the songwriter and a true influence behind some of the greatest figures of rock and roll. This story should be made into a movie so everyone can learn about this unsung hero. Richard Younger has researched Arthur's life, the people he affected directly, and the soul of this talented man. READ THIS BOOK AND LEARN THE STORY OF A MAN WHO DESERVES TO BE RECOGNIZED AND REMEMBERED!!!

After being a fan of Arthur Alexander in the early sixties he seemed to drop out of sight, occassional records but very little else seemed to appear, this book puts the record straight and fills in all those gaps. It also goes a long way to answering the reasons that he did not make it to the position in the music scene that his undoubted talent deserved. The book is very well written by Richard Younger who obviously felt very deeply about the subject, he deals with the problems that AA encountered in his music career and his private life. It was sad that at the very time that AA was begining to make a comeback and he was again showing the talent that was always there he was taken from us. He had become religious during the last few years and this seemed to have a calming effect on him and I am sure that he would have again had big selling records. Thank you Richard for an insight into the life of Arthur Alexander through the highs and lows.

Arthur Alexander was always a mystery man - till now! Richard Younger's biography of one of the most distinctive and influential black singers of the 60s sheds sympathetic illumination upon the life, the music - and the demons - of this woefully underrated singer/songwriter (the only writer to have songs cut by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan). AA's hugely-satisfying vocals married to his distinctive soul-country arrangements (his reputation was founded on just four 1962 Dot-label singles) emerged moments before the UK beat boom swept the globe and was crucial in its influence on the Beatles and the Stones. Younger's book explains how it all came about, taking us on a roller-coaster ride through AA's life of musical and personal extremes. With a series of revealing interviews he transports us to the heart of the Alabama music scene and charts Arthur's role in the foundation of the Muscle Shoals/Fame recording empires. Whether you're a long-term Alexander devotee, a soul music buff, or simply a Sixties survivor, then you'll find this unputdown-able tome a tonic that'll have you listening with a fresh ear to those perennial Alexander classics.

Fans of soul music will find Richard Younger's Get A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues to be a fine biography of one Arthur Alexander, a singer/songwriter who may not be well known by name, but whose songs influenced the 1960s rock musicians. A fine coverage of his life and achievements is presented in a lively survey of soul and rock and roll music.

I picked up this book at the recommendation of another friend who's also been in bands and is an excellent musician. After playing in a number of bands I can honestly say that everything this guy writes is true. I'd swear Will played in one of my bands in the past. I really liked the musicians he traveled around to hang out with. I walked with Will and knew all the other musicians he's hung with. Great book - how being a musician really is!

This is the story of a man in his 30s that decides to learn how to play guitar and sets the goal of playing a gig within six months. The author's quest leads him to a number of characters, most of them eccentric if not downright weird. He even takes a junket to the Mississippi Delta to learn about the roots of the blues, a visit to Nashville and Memphis and a trip to see Les Paul perform in NYC.

While the story has its merits I think that the author spent too much time describing drug use and other behaviors that many guitarists (myself included) feel are negative stereotypes which leave the false impression that all guitarists use illegal drugs or drink to excess. A lot of musicians use drugs and drink like fish but there are just as many of us out there that do not. This book would have been every bit as interesting to me without the drug stories.

In any event, the book ends shortly after the gig; which went well, all things considered. At the end of it all Mr. Hodgkinson realizes that his dream of performing in a band was only one tentative step forward in his development as a musician and songwriter and he proceeds to work towards correcting bad habits that he picked up in his rush to learn the guitar on the fast track.

Overall it was a satisfying read and very accurately conveyed the hopes, misconceptions and dreams of guitar students everywhere. The sensation was not unlike talking to a student guitarist that was enthusiastic, idealistic and a trifle over-optimistic; like many guitar students I've met.

As a 40+ wannabe guitarist I finally picked up an acoustic guitar and tried to learn after 20 years of 'thinking about it'. A few months in I literally stumbled across this book in a shop whilst looking for some music so that I could finally answer the question being asked of me, "When are you going to learn to play a real song on that thing?". This book had me glued from start to finish and I am now all fired up again! I am shamed to admit that I had never even heard of the great Davey Graham and many of the other characters that so shaped the guitar.

As earlier reviewers have said, the premise of the book sounds a little cheesey, and perhaps suggestive of an unlikely film script, 'untalented latecomer goes on quest and finds hidden guitar skills on the way', but this book is much more than that. It provides a superb potted history of the guitar from a UK/US blues-folk-rock perspective whilst the main protagonist is honing his new found skills. I found it inspiring. Sure, Will Hodgkinson isn't your average Mr Joe Public, he seems to have indirect connections to several key players, which may be helped by his journalist background, and maybe some of his 'memories' are a little odd - he could only have been 5 or 6 years old when Marc Bolan died so can he really recall his TV appearances? And the coincidence with watching "The Servant" just after a night out with Davey Graham, artistic license perhaps? But, these very minor points aside, to all you ageing wannabe guitarists out there - read it, dust off the old guitar and get strumming!

Now 'all' I need to do now is find out how to play 'Anji'!

P.S Whilst researching on the Web it is interesting to note that Davey Graham is on his uppers again - if this is partly through this book and/or Will's article in the Guardian then this is great for all guitar fans!

GUITAR MAN: A SIX-STRING ODYSSEY, OR, YOU LOVE THAT GUITAR MORE THAN YOU LOVE ME comes from a 34-year-old who decides to play guitar even though he's tone deaf and has no rhythm. His quest to become a musician at a later age involves instruction from friends and guitar 'greats' alike, in the process revealing much about the music world's finest figures from PJ Harvey to the eccentric old bluesman T. Model Ford. His odyssey is more than autobiography: it charts the evolution of guitar, methods of playing, and more and takes readers along on a rollicking journey through the music world in the process. General-interest collections will love it; music libraries will find it a fine leisure reader's choice.

Though the premise sounds pat -- a bit like a book proposal: journalist with no musical training picks up guitar with the goal of playing a gig in six months, and then writing about it -- Guitar Man in fact blossoms into an enormously entertaining, and by the end, exciting story. Will Hodgkinson is a funny, charming, smart, ballsy, sympathetic guide to the world of guitar and guitar obsession. Plus he's got taste, too, and common sense, and his own peculiarly interesting (and peculiarly British, I suspect) ideas of what the guitar should be and how to go about learning to play it. For anyone who loves to play but isn't "professional," it's a fantastic lesson on why mistakes don't matter if your heart's in your fingers. And for American readers in particular, the book gives us the pleasure of encountering, in person or legend, Davey Graham, Bert Jansch, our own Jackson C. Frank, as well as understanding that maybe Eric Clapton isn't god after all. Now I need to learn to play "Anji" -- and only regret that I can't hop on over to Bert Jansch's flat for an impromptu lesson.

This truely is a great bass tab book for a great album! Beginners to experienced players could do alot worse than learn from the basslines Duff McKagan plays on Appetite!

Buy this book!

In Appetite for Destruction, Gene writes about how guns and roses emerged from an LA club that legends Van Halen, Motely Cure and poison, also emerged from. Gene gives an excellent point of view of how hard they had it when they first started. He continues to write about how even know they had numerous albums and concerts, the luck for the band, just kept on getting worse. From someone's head getting stumped in ar a mush pit at one of their concerts, to alcohol and drug overdoses.
It talks of how slash tried to over came his drug problems and how Axel had a huge control issue over the band. This band was created of friendship and ruined by greed, corruption, drugs and alcohol. It even tells you secrets of songs and stories of them. I would give it 5 stars.

i thought ''Appetite for Destruction : Bass Guitar'' was reallya great transcription for bass guitar of a great album. i has musicand tab for all the songs. my favorite song is "Sweet Child of Mine" the bass line is modereratly easy and fun to play. i gave it a 5 because it is well written and easy to figure out

All the songs from Appetite for Destruction, with detailed transcriptions, song notes and an introduction at the face of the book, lyrics, and more! I also bought THE STYLES AND TECHNIQUES OF SLASH, which was a breakdown of some of the songs from Appetite with a bonus CD. Both are recommendable but this is definitely more straightforward. If you want to learn Gn'R, start there. If you're already good at guitar, get this book. It's hard, and takes practice, but the songs are ALL great. Even Think About You is fun to play, and it's my least favorite song on Appetite.

i think this is the best book in the world, i didn't buy it, but one of my dad's friends gave it to me. I'm such a fan of GNR, it is not even funny, so i realy enjoyed the book, i can't single out any spot that i like the most, beacause all of it is great

Even if I didn't read every single "Hardy Boys" book there awesome. I just know because they fight and do boys stuff. I even read more "Hardy Boys" books than school work. I just wish they had a holiday where you read "Hardy Boys", for just one whole entire month (no school no nothing except reading "Hardy Boys").

Holy, man! I've read almost every single Casefile there is and I can list them all in order off the top of my head. I love their books and I think that they're great! The Casefiles are so much more interesting than the blue books. You know that there's always going to be danger and excitment in each book, but you also know that Frank is going to be teasing Joe and Joe is going to do something funny too. That's why I like all of their books.

I just started reading The Hardy Boys--before, I read Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys--but I think this was really good since Nancy Drew got kinda annoying after a while. It was interesting and it kept me reading--in fact, I pretty much read it in one sitting! Good characters and good plot.

I really love these new "Casefiles collector's editions" I've bought them all, and I think that this one is the best so far. In "Beyond The Law," Frank and Joe must help their old friend/enemy Ezra Collig, and clear him of extortion. In "Spiked!" they get involved in a case of murder in Southern Callifornia, and in "Open Season," the boys fight for their lives while on a cross country ski trip in the Colorado Rockies. I really enjoyed all three stories, and would recommend them to anyone.

This is a great series of books together! I espscially love Uncivil War(since the civil war i just love!) Choke hold is very suspenseful. Dixon stops the chapter right when something is happening to Frank or Joe. I just love it!