Rock Books

I was privileged to hear Jesse Sublett speak at ConMisterio in Austin. The way he presented himself and talked about his book intrigued me. A great-grandmother, I've never been particularly fond of rock music, but I bought the book and read it on my airplane ride back to California.

Mr. Sublett pours his heart and soul out in this book. It gave me some insight into the make-up of a musician. The way he writes about his music and how it makes him feel is revealing, especially to someone like me who had no prior knowledge.

However, the meat of the story is how the murder of his girlfriend affects his whole life, and how that devastating event also changes him and eventually even influences his choices during his life-threatening illness.

Once I began reading, I couldn't stop. I highly recommend Never the Same Again.

Marilyn Meredith, the author of Wishing Makes It So and Wingbeat

Aside from his music, Jesse Sublett is known for his pulp detective novels. Here he turns his gaze inward, and exercises his detection skills to unravel his past and come to terms with an event which has troubled his sleeping and waking since its occurence. One of the few memoirs that I have read which treats the author's younger self with neither condesencion nor contempt: it captures his innocence even in "rebellion", and the lovely part is, that although he faced both the brutal murder of a lover and a deadly disease, that innocence has survived and blossomed into a new life.

It's gotta be a wild hopscotch between playing first wave punk in the late 70s and turning into a detective novelist for the next two decades. Yet, like his idol James Ellroy, Jesse Sublett's own life was imprinted with death. Sublett's talent lies not just in the vivid depiction of a nascent music scene in Austin, Texas but his deft juxtaposition of it as a man living with a dark memory and what might have been a bleak future. With wry humor and insight, Never The Same Again is in a category of its own in the rock book pantheon, an autiography turned up to 11.

Although marketed as "A Rock 'N' Roll Gothic," this remarkable book deserves a much wider readership. Jesse Sublett's very literate story should be required reading for everyone over the age of sixteen.

His autobiographical story is a cautionary tale in which he visits the darker sides of his life head-on with incredible courage--traveling back to the one tragic event that was to shape his entire life. How he deals (and doesn't deal) with this tragedy is what makes this book a compelling read. It is a survivor's story written in an honest and candid style.

This is not an easy book! Reader's may be confronted with their own demons along the way but Jesse's ultimately hopeful and positive message shines through--leading the way!

Family, friends, music, creativity, tears, laughter, and ultimately understanding meld together to form a powerful mix in this very human story of one man's journey.


Note:
I was first introduced to Jesse at an evening signing event in our bookshop in Glendale, CA. Both my wife and I were impressed with this tall thin man from Texas with such an easy manner. I might not have investigated this book had it not been for Jesse's reading that evening. Thank you, Jesse! Keep writing!

The best compliment I can give Mr. Sublett is that after the first third of the book, I had to put the book down, go smoke a cigarette and then didnt pick the book back up for about 3 weeks. The events of his life are gripping, entertaining, funny and sad. Jesse defianlty has a story to tell, but in the same way, his writing reminds us that we ALL have a story to tell. That good and bad things happen to everyone. I really liked his writing style. Certain phrases and ideas really stuck in my head - lines like "her eye's didnt see me" and the tape loop running over and over. These are both events that I could identitfy with in my own life. I too was involved in a murder trial in which I was there with body before the police came. I really dont talk much about it because I feel like no one I know has been in that position and Jesse's words summed it all up. It made me revisit my past.
Overall, I highly recommend this book - especially to those who actually live in Austin. Reading about all the clubs that are now long gone and reading the back stories on people who play everyweekend here in Austin was great. The idea of John Dee Graham at 17 is a trip. Also I think struggling austin musicains will also find this book to be inspiring and an eye opener to how success in the music biz goes; the reality of it.
I loved how this book ended but what I think would be even cooler is when Dashille is older, that he writes a book from his prospective starting off where this book ends. Now that would be cool. Congrats Mr. Sublett on a great book. Much love to Lois and the most handsome man. I now will pass it on...

Tom has written a great book! It is for anyone who wants road map for financial freedom and the joy of retirement. As I read this book I kept thinking how much it applied to all ages. I am retired now and Tom gave me some insight about spending and enjoying the fruits of my efforts. I have missed a lot of joy if the "Kids" get to spend the "fruits" instead of me and my Wife. Bill

Author Tom Hardin is a financial planner, but this book offers much more than ways on how to increase your wealth. This is a positive, upbeat, life-affirming book that encourages readers to plan not only for their financial futures, but also for lives that are emotionally and spiritually fulfilling, and as physically healthy as possible.

He offers examples of people who have planned carefully and thought about what they wanted to do with their lives, and who are now living the best lives possible. This is NOT a book of vague generalizations. Hardin offers specific suggestions and guidelines, and encourages the reader to think deeply about what s/he wants out of life. Then, he says, act on those goals!

You can't pick this book up without catching some of Hardin's optimism and energy. And I intend to pick this book up and peruse it many more times!

This book really hits the nail on the head for anyone hoping to live a long and healty life. Tom covers three important topics, vision, health and investing. I really liked the stories of real people who are still rocking and rolling after all these years. If you believe your best years are ahead of you, buy this book and start living a life you love, at any age.

So true...while generations past wound down at 50; the baby boomers and all after have too much and to long to live to even think about it. Winding up and making the second 50 years the best ever is a religion all need to follow. "Never Too Old" puts in all in perspective in a very comprehensive, quick reading book. T. Ottinger, Redondo Beach, CA

My wife handed me the book and asked that I also read it. I am 41, not 50 ,and think it is a must read for anyone planning their future. Don't wait until 50 to read it. The author addresses more than just financial planning issues. He asks you to think about the "big picture"; what you want your future to look like financially, physically, and mentally - how to be healthy in order to enjoy your future and to make sure you are doing something you enjoy when you get there.

A lot of the entertainment in this book comes from the grisly descriptions of junky lifestyle (e.g., Nico removing the pus from an infected vein with a used syringe, etc.). Also, there's interesting cameo appearances by John Cale and Allen Ginsberg. But the real star is of course Nico. In the beginning, Young describes her as a depressing, hollowed-out drug addict, "... her hands and arms scabbed and scarred by needletracks, and her eyes like a broken mirror." (pg 12) But as I followed the characters from gig to gig, scraping just enough money together to support Nico's habit, followed by the recording of the CAMERA OBSCURA album, then more money and more gigs; through all this, Nico emerges somehow as a sympathetic character, far more interesting than the other eccentrics in her group. At the end, after she dies en route to meeting a drug dealer, I felt sad to see her go.

"Nico-The End" is definitely a better, more intelligent piece of writing then the hard to find "Songs they Never Played on the Radio". "The End" tracks the last years of Nico's life; it is sad and seedy, but has some incredibly funny parts to it. What we get here is a glimpse into Nico's many live shows and her relationship with others in the 80's, particularly the author, her band The Faction, her fans, and John Cale as well as some others. There is part telling about the struggle to make her final recording, "Camera Obscura" and finally her unexpected death. I totally recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about the absolutely facsinating life of VU chanteuse and proven solo artist Nico.

This is the most hilarious "rock" book I have ever read. I found myself turning the pages in complete fascination -- bizzare performances, wild parties, weird tour experiences, encounters with luminaries like John Cale, a visit to the motel where Tom Waits used to stay ... etc. And you have to admire Nico for sniffing out drugs anywhere, even behind the then iron curtain & getting high regardless. The funniest part is where Nico takes her first trip on Angel Dust, he he, I'm laughing just thinking about it. The writing style is great. My book has a subtitle not mentioned on this amazon.com page: Songs They Never Play On The Radio, but perhaps that is the UK edition. You don't have to be a fan of Velvet Underground to enjoy this book, it stands on its own feet. Finger licking good.

Having been a Velvets/Nico fan since 1968, I somehow ignored this book until recently, perhaps because of my annoyance with the status the Velvets have attained over the years. (They really were a better band when nobody else had heard of them....) Anyway, to complete my collection I suppose, I bought this book a few weeks ago with very low expectations. What I discovered was a beautifully written book, picaresque, dark, satirical, poignant...James Young writes like a Celine for the twilight of the 20th century. I would eagerly buy another book written by Mr. Young. In short, this book is a masterpiece.

This book is tedious, sad, sometimes confusing and sickly funny. In other words, it's a complete success. James Young captures the twilight years of the Velvet Underground's once-beautiful (and unwelcomed) lead vocalist, Nico, in all her drug-addled, unwashed, apathetic glory. He humorously conveys the sad silliness of the burned-out "Queen of Addicts" and the motley crew of cut-rate musicians and scam artists who follow her on several world tours during the 1980s.

Much of this book is dull and montonous. Another bad gig. Another distasteful description of an addict's habits. Another strange character popping up to join the ride for a while. At first, this bothered me. But I ultimately realized that this boredom and repetitiveness is crucial to the book's effectiveness. Failure is not exciting, nor is it climactic.

Attention Britney Spears: This is what happens to the pop stars who get left behind.

i bought this for my husband, a green day fan and guitarist/lead singer in his own band, for christmas and he LOVED this book. neither he or his friends knew it existed and are taking turns reading it.

For years I have enjoyed Green Day's lyrics, punk rock mentality, and original sound they carry from 1000 hours through to American Idiot. Upon the release of American Idiot and their worldwide tour, I wanted to know everything I could about their development and psychology that goes into their particular brand of madness. This book had everything I could have possibly wanted to know and more. I feel like I'll always appreciate their contribution to human society as a whole. Thanks to Marc for writing this book.

While the career of Green Day is not lengthy compared to many rock lengends, I found "Nobody Likes You" to be a cohesive and thorough account of their lives and careers to date. Marc Spitz has again successfully delved into the economic background and times that shaped these young men into one of the best punk rock bands of modern times.

my love for green day is inconsistant, and i know all there is to know about everything concerning green day. when i heard about this new novel about green day, i snatched it up the moment it came out in stores. i spent my evening reading this engrossing novel, and was shocked to find many candid interviews that made me cry with joy! some of the things i already knew, but that is only because i am a hardcore fan. Those who like green day, and would like to take a peek into their lives, fame, and stress, will absolutely without a doubt eat this novel up. it is that good. it isnt boring, and very insightful. i recommend it greatly.

Just to highlight something another reviewer put in their brief review of this title, it is not a 'novel'. Novels are works of fiction. This is the polar opposite.

I am holding the book here in my hand preparing to analyze it for my job at a national book supplier, and will likely end up purchasing a copy for my son.

It appears to be a concise, well-written history of the group. Check out the Booklist review.

This is nature writing which deviates quietly and profoundly from the main American currents. In the 1940s, Sally Carrighar spent her summers in a cabin in Sequoia National Park. She distilled her observations into this exploration of the experiences of nine creature during a single day near the same granite cliff. The interlocking portraits are engaging and convincing. Carrighar keeps the inevitable anthropomorphization to a minimum. Her descriptions allow us to enter into the animals' sensations and impulses. A deer mouse "wanted the walls of the nook to press her all over, but however she crouched, one of her sides had no touch of shelter on it." A lizard is tempted by "a gamey, delicately tart green leafhopper." A chickaree giving an alarm call "jerked, as if he were a little bag filled to bursting with bright sound that piped out whenever the bag was jostled."

Unlike Thoreau and all his literary descendants, Carrighar does not focus on the spiritual reverberations of nature in the human soul, and she does not speak of herself. In his introduction to the California Legacy Book edition, David Rains Wallace highlights her "down-to-earth, impersonal" approach. Today's nature writers, perhaps influenced by postmodernism and multiculturalism's emphases on individual perspective, rarely attempt to enter the consciousness of other beings. Perhaps they avoid cuteness, projection, and presumption that way. They also miss a chance to help us realize that other creatures exist as hungrily as we do.

As a veteran reader of nature writing, I am embarrassed to say that I felt surprised when this book made me remember that the animals I glimpse and don't glimpse on the trail must have continuous, emotional and sensory lives. I felt like going outside to watch a bluejay for an hour. I felt that the jay wouldn't bore me and I might be able to figure out what the he was up to.

Carrighar didn't entice me with the promise of objective knowledge of a secret kingdom. Rather, she made me wonder if I could achieve a sense of home in that kingdom through intimate knowledge. Though she never describes her own process of observation, Carrighar offers herself as a teacher. With her clear, faithful gaze, she comes as close to joining the community of Beetle Rock as a human can.

I haven't finished reading this book because I don't want it to end. Each chapter takes you through the same day as the other chapters, only from the vantage point of a different animal. Most humans don't have a clue as to the life of any other species 24/7. The detail, the nuance, the empathy that Carrigher brings is stunning, without being anthropomorphic. I'm starting a book club based on this book.

Each chapter is about a day's adventure of one of the animals (Weasel, Sierra Grouse, Chickaree, Black Bear, Lizard, Coyote, Deer Mouse, Stellar Jay & Mule Deer) on the rock and surrounding forests and meadows. Sally Carrighar compresses her observations into one day and weaves a fine tale of the activities and imagined-thoughts of each animal.

This is one of my favorite books. Carrighar writes about the lives of nine animals during one day in Sequoia National Park, one chapter per animal. Each animal interacts with the world and fellow creatures in its own way, and each has its own problems and anxieties -- which creates dramatic interest. Carrighar anthropomorphizes her characters, but convincingly and unobtrusively -- how could you avoid it in a book of this type? The writing beautifully describes sounds, scents, the play of light on leaves, etc.

This book, written from the point of view of each of a series of animals living around Beetle Rock, follows the web of life and illustrates the beauty of the natural world. This is a book for anyone seeking to understand the natural world, and anyone who truly loves animals.

I am in awe of Mr Paul Simon and his great work in his music.

This book is awesome with great explanations and great tabs, esp for an amateur like me. Dabbing in music without a guitar instructor, poses to be ardous, but with such a good book I could decipher the tabs quite easily.

Thank you for having such a great book!

This is a great book, it includes the music in both notation and tab. The transcriptions are perfect, they are exactly what is on the recording. The best part about the book is that for each song, there is a page or two describing how to finger each chord (some of the songs are really hard to play if you use "normal" fingering, if you use the alternate fingering he suggests, you can do the chord switches MUCH easier!)

Using this book, I had Bookends and Scarborough Fair down in two days!

The only thing preventing me from giving this book a 5 : It had some songs I didn't know, and was missing two songs I really wanted : The Boxer, and Sounds of Silence.

If you want authentic transcriptions, this is the book for you. I have every Paul Simon guitar book of note, and this is the only one with real recorded-version tabs; lamentably, it lacks some of Simon's wonderful flourishes, but it is by far the best Paul Simon guitar book available. Each song includes a page of Mark Hanson's performance instructions/notes that are genuinely helpful and informative. The music ranges from early intermediate ("Bookends") to intermediate advanced--the more difficult arrangements (like "Hearts and Bones") are much too demanding for a real beginner. But if you have decent fingerpicking abilities and want a book to grow with, this would be a great choice. A true 5-star selection. If it had included "The Boxer" and "April Come She Will," I would be a happy man.

There are so many guitar books for Simon and Garfunkel, and until I saw this book, I was convinced that they were all useless.

This book has really accurate transcriptions, obviously done by someone who has a personal interest in Paul Simon's guitar playing; it shows in the song selection.

If you don't know how to play Kathy's Song, Overs, Peace Like a River, 59th St Bridge Song, Scarborough Fair, American Tune (and some others), this is a great, great book. You will learn so much from this book. The two part vocal harmonies are transcribed too, for the relevant songs.

I just wish the book could've been longer (keep an eye out for Brad Priddy's web page), but there was enough material in this book to keep me going for at least 9 months.

The author Mark Hanson gets much well-deserved praise for his books, cds, dvds, and teaching style from folks on the guitar web forums I visit. This word of mouth led me to try his Beyond Basics Fingerstyle Guitar book/cd combination. Which led me to buy his The Art of Contemporary Travis Picking book/cd combo and his Fingerstyle Solo Guitar dvd. I found all of these to be excellent learning tools. In his Paul Simon Transcribed, it's much of the same again: great instruction! This isn't a beginner's book. You have to know something going in. He prefaces each song with a page telling you about the tune itself and the technique for how it should be played. Both the standard music notation and the tablature for each song are presented clearly and in detail. And fortunately for me, as I am unable to read music, the tablature shows the timing/beat/rhythm of the song: without that I'd be lost. One final gushing comment: this is an excellent book which could only have been better if it had included an audio cd to hear how the songs should be properly played. Enough said!

I had read this book years ago and like so many other things, you lend it out and never get it back. sigh. I was happy to find this online and ordered it straight away. It was ordered at the same time as my Amazon stuff (through a reseller) and it beat my Amazon order by a good 3 days! lol

This is a fantastic inverview. I only wish an audio were available. Maybe someday.

I think that this book was very good. It took the reader in to the private lives of both John and Yoko. It gives us an inside look on what their own private lives were really like. That being when John was with The Beatles and his life afterwards and up to the end of his life. I recommend reading this book. It takes you into John's thoughts about life!!

I love John lennon so i started reading biographys on him and interviews, etc to learn more about him. When I read "The Playboy Interviews With John Lennon and Yoko Ono" I HONESTLY COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! I couldn't believe it; i started reading it in the afternoon and didn't put it down until late at night where i finished it! It is a wonderful, wonderful book with John's sense of humor and yoko's too and their insight into the world. It really is my favorite book because it is close to a John Lennon autobiography as the world will ever know. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

This is the definitive book regarding John Lennon. He reviews almost every song he wrote with or without Paul McCartney, which alone is worth the price of admission. In addition to that, he provides insights into his personal philosophies and world views. One could call it the perfect companion to the recent Beatles Anthology book. Crucial reading. How sad he had to die a little over 2 months after these interviews were conducted. Unfortunately out of print, do yourself a favor and try an out of print book search; you won't regret it.

I first read this book back in 1983, to gain a little insight of John...and it quickly became my favourite book. Although I don't think Yoko was or is everything he thought, this was a man who truly loved his wife, and believed with his whole heart and soul in their marriage and life together. He was enjoying making music again, so much (this interview was done in September of 1980) and was looking forward to the future...hoping he'd be there with us. His love for his music, his wife, his sons, and even the Beatles are all there. He gives his opinions on every subject he can think of, both positive and negative, in his usual witty, straight-to-the-point manner that we all know him for. The interviewer did a great job, and was clearly a man who admired John Lennon as much as I do. He did a great job in this book, and it is my absolute favourite, out of all of my collection. Anyone who wants a peek into what John thought and felt and wanted you to know, should read this book...you will treasure it as I do.

Mike Olszewski blows the Buzzard myth wide open, then ties the
shrapnel back up into one tidy little package. Fun, informative, a great read!

"Radio Daze" is like looking back into a time portal of recent history packed with behind the scene info and details of the legendary radio station.
Olszewski paints an easy to read and interesting portrait of WMMS, its owners, management and DJ's. His non-stop tapestry of employee's mixed with stories of some of the original rockers are both interesting and entertaining.
WMMS was the dominant radio station of its time in the Cleveland, Ohio area and was co-existing in a parallel complimentary world of rock music. Riding the airwaves of some of the greatest rock bands ever to emerge out of the musical creative times of the 60's and early 70's.
Ambitious undertakings seemed to be prevalent with the youthful WMMS management, and from my observations they weren't following any recommended guidelines on building a brand name. In a parallel universe the early WMMS management team would have been likened to a band of swashbucklers under the Jolly Roger. Marconi would turn over in his grave if he new of the amount of time this troop spent irritating the other radio stations with Gestapo like tactics to bring in ratings. After reading some of the excerpts in "Radio Daze" I was a little afraid to turn the radio on fearing retaliation.
Some of the highlights: How the radio stations personal helped promote some of the new breed of rockers with radio airplay and marketing promotions. How the WMMS management were very influential in orchestrating a campaign to acquire votes to bring the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" to Cleveland. The seemingly constant shifting of DJ personal [including nicknames] various antics, egos and a mind set where even sabotage was not out of the question.
This book is not filled with off the shelf information, but valid details from someone who was there. Olszewski does a great job of blending 1st person knowledge and then writes from the 3rd person. With his writing abilities and his descriptive style he makes you feel like he's talking to you over a hamburger, fries and a beer. The author definitely has the "worn out shoes" when it comes to his credentials and knowledge base for acquiring information for this multifaceted book.
He has the exclusive rights to exclaim "The World Premier" of books about the birth of FM radio in Cleveland Ohio.

I remember walking into the penthouse of the Statler Hilton hotel on a chilly night in October 1971. I was a young antiwar protestor delivering leaflets to fledgling prog rocker WNCR. As I walked into the control room, I was intrigued by the ambience. Loud music blared from the large Electro Voice speakers mounted above the Gates Stereo Statesman console. Behind the mic was a bearded cat by the name of Jeff Gelb. He was really cool and allowed me to hang out with him. I ended up becoming an intern and fetched coffee and answered phones for Lyn Doyle's "People's Night on the Radio" show. A week or two after I started, my first cousin, Carolyn Thomas walked in. I asked her what she was doing there and she asked me the same question! It turned out that she was working overnights!! (I also found out that Doyle was my cousin by marriage). After WNCR moved to the Stouffer Building around December 1971, interns were exiled and I moved to WMMS working with Billy Bass and David Spero for a few months. It was amazing to watch them work. I ended up back at WNCR in February of 1972 and had a chance to run the board and "ride gain" for Carolyn and Lee Andrews on occasion. Those days were magical and I ended up in radio myself for over 20 years, working at stations in LA and Cleveland. If you want to relive those times, this is the book to read...

This book is an easy read and has some great stories in it. I was lucky enough to have been around radio in those days, in particular WMMS(though I never worked there, but my uncle was the PD) and this book brought back some great memories. It really shows the passion Cleveland had for it's Rock and Roll and it's radio. It is a great commentary on the greatness that TRUE competition can harbor. Nice job Mike.

If you ever listened to FM radio during the 70's and 80's this is a book for you. I expected a textbook but instead got a wonderful ride through the FM radio ages. It doesn't matter what city you were in, this story is for everyone. Remember when radio had a personality? This will refresh your memory. Top 40 died and a new age was created, one that has flourished, made superstars out of bar bands, legends out of local stars. All the stories are here...you will ENJOY!!

I am the author of this book. This book is the result of 20 years of studying voice, finding faults within my own voice and learning how to correct them through the guidance of vocal health, strength training, breath development and secrets given to me by some of the most amazing singers on the planet.

Raise Your Voice 2nd Edition is a labour of love; I strived to bring together as many tips, tricks and tactics created by pro singers and coaches around the world into one book. The book is based on visualization and hard work to extend your vocal range, power, quality and stamina in minimal time. I didn't want you to have to spend years like I had.

It covers vocal health, vocal anatomy, the speaking voice, overcoming fear, staying in shape, being your best on stage and mastering the recording studio. My Vocal Stress Release Program and Isolation Method will help you minimize vocal stress and get you singing higher, louder, longer or stronger than you've ever imagined.

And if you want to learn things like the true way to scream or add grit without blowing out your voice, I have found the secret...and if you want to shatter glass with your voice, like I did on MythBusters, well, I tell you how I've shatttered over 150 of em, so you can too!

Raise Your Voice 2nd Edition also comes with over 9 hours of instructional audio & videos, downloadable exercises and a message board to discuss the techniques with fellow RYV users, all available through the Members section of the book. So, you are getting way nore than just 460 pages of vocal information. I did this out of my passion for teaching, so that each and every one of you had more than just the book to guide you through my system.

This book is endorsed by bands like Alter Bridge, RA, Dream Theater, Nitro, TNT, Symphony X, Kill Hannah, Saliva, Journey and many more as well as vocal coaches like Brett Manning, Jeannie Deva, Melissa Cross, Mark Baxter, Thomas Appel, Dena Murray, Cara Mastrey, etc. So if you want to sing rock, metal or anything modern including Blues, pop and other styles, the techniques in this book can lead you in that direction. I hope this book helps make each and every one of you a singing machine!!!

I loved reading Raise Your Voice 2nd edition after I had already read the first edition. I like how Jaime explains in simple terms how the voice mechanism works and how his vocal exercises support the theory. I also like how structured his program is. I think that is a great motivational tool for students to get started and become dedicated to learning how to sing. I come from a classical singing background and I was thoroughly impressed by how similar the techniques were to what I had learnt in university; that's what attracted me to RYV in the first place. As a vocal coach myself, I needed something in writing that I could refer back to and I often use RYV to teach my students.

What I love the most about RYV II, is how Jaime was able to get professionals from different fields including rock stars, health specialists and other vocal coaches to participate to the book. Being one of those contributors myself, I was really happy to help and show my support to a book and strategies I believe in 100%.

Valerie Bastien
Teacher and Vocal Coach
www.voiceyourselfintheclassroom.com

Vendera presents himself as a sort of Anthony Robbins of singing, and his book is full of positive vibes. Viewing singing as a lifestyle, he has packed this edition with advice on everything from fitness to diet to oral hygiene. The singing portion of the book contains warm-up exercises for vocalists and a series of vocal routines - a variation on the traditional scales - for falsetto and normal voice. They will probably help increase your range a little. The book also contains a password for Vendera's web site, which has some audio files and videos. I found these useful, because they helped explain exactly how to do the routines.

Before reading this I read Vendera's brief book on "breathing for singers," which really paid off. Breath is at the center of most vocal programs, but Vendera devotes only one short chapter to it here, which seemed a bit unfair. Why should the reader have to buy two books? Worse, Vendera's lifestyle advice and product recommendations often struck me as merely his personal preferences. Sometimes he touts his own products, at other times megadoses of vitamins, minerals, and metals no doctor would recommend. Even if I wanted advice on fitness, diet, or martial arts in a singing book, I'd pick books by experts in these areas. I can't imagine any athletic person working out on a trampoline (which offers little resistance) or any rock singer taking on Vendera's monkish lifestyle: no drinking, no coffee. Sometimes the vocal advice is far from conservatory-level wisdom. I doubt if "visualizing my core of resonance" would improve my vocal tone, but a physical technique might. The advice on lowering the larynx, a struggle for most singers, was disappointing and brief.

In spite of these flaws, this book is probably worth its hefty price tag. The exercises appear to be useful, and it's fun to have the online material as a bonus. I would skip the videos of Vendera breaking wine glasses with his voice.

Jaime's unique isolation method is the best I've seen so far. I have tried many systems but none of them delivered the way his has. Well written and incredibly packed with information not even just from him but from other top vocal coaches as well. It comes with sound clips so you know what it is supposed to sound exactly like along with access to his site where you can watch full video demonstrations of him training his students. What also comes with it is membership to his site where he is an active participant to provide constant service as well as talking to others dedicated to the same craft. A must have for the dedicated vocalist.

After reviewing many items to purchase in this category, I am very happy with this choice. This book is extremely helpful, as detailed as possible in descriptions and understandings of how things work. The online guidance that comes with the book is good for helping you make the changes you want to make with your voice. No quick fix here -- solid information that if utilized properly will assist you in achieving your goals.

Having recently rediscovered The Beatles (as in, I had gone a few years and not listened to their music), it's amazing to me the number of people still writing about them. The fascination is itself, fascinating.
This book is yet a different approach from many others: the writings of journalists and "observers" who covered the decade, both up close and from across the ocean, as well as some recent entries.
One of the elements of this book that makes it worth reading is the sense that you are not prying this time...not delving into private moments or contributing to the guilty pleasures of fan gossip.
This is a true journalistic, sometimes intellectual appraisal of what happened during those ten years in and around The Beatles: a time when the world was morphing from post war aesthetics and ethics into the mind blowing sixties and all that it encompassed for the generations to come.
Keep this book on a table and just pick it up from time to time. It's not a straight read, so enjoy it at a leisurely pace while you listen to some Beatles' tunes...it's all good.

I loved it. This is a collection of some of the finest writers of our time, writing about the finest group of our time. It's divided into two parts; 'Together' and 'Apart', with sub headings under each of those. Each piece is either an expose', piece of poetry, newspaper article or magazine article.

The first story is appropriatly titled, 'The Afternoon Hours',from the book, 'The Day John Met Paul'. It goes from there, with a varied selection of writings from every concievable type of writer from Gloria Steinem to William Mann. Some of the writings are quite controversial like one piece by a journalist named Paul Johnson called, 'The Menace of Beatlism'. This appeared in a British journal in 1964, and it's very interesting to see how people were divided along the generational lines at that time. This leads me to the famous, William Mann article from 1963, which established the group as serious musicians and song writers when everyone over a certain age was saying they were a gimmick with no talent. Mann who was certainly over 30 was a visionary, ahead of his time. He was also a musicologist who knew what he was talking about, even if John Lennon did think he was talking about "Exotic birds". I loved that article and was glad it was included. Another facinating piece stands out. A Gloria Steinem expose' which appeared in Cosmopolitan in 1964. Most of her piece is about trying to get close enough to John Lennon to interview him during the boys' '64 North American tour. Even though she was given permission to do the interview, she finds it impossible to penetrate the Aspinall, Evans, Taylor shield that was erected around them because of their growing distrust of the media. I don't know what she had been planning to ask John because she never really gets to do a proper interview. Instead we are treated to a revealing look at the Beatles behind the scenes, on tour, complete with groupies and assorted hip friends like Bob Dylan and his manager (this was after the pot party, so Dylan had become a permanent fixture by this time.) Gloria even gets to go to the concert, a charity event at the New York Paramount, where she stands at the front of the stage with three very pretty girls from Philly who were just hanging out with them. You know like friends of the band...hmmm. Their are other groupies around also, and with typical 1964 decorum, Gloria discloses what she sees with the utmost taste, leaving the reader to fill in the spaces of what it NOT said. At one point she reports that Paul had barracaded himself in his bedroom, refusing to come out. This made the groupies from Philly cry. As you can see, I loved this article. I thought it was very revealing, and Ms. Steinem leaves you wanting more.

There are other standout articles like the 'looking back' articles, "Ten Great Beatle Moments" from a 2002 news piece, and "They Were the Most Brilliant,Powerful,Lovable Pop Group on the Planet...But Now They're Really Important", from Q Magazine in 1995. Interviews with the fabs like a 1965 Redbook interview with Ringo. One of the best parts is, the last section called 'A Way of Remembering' which includes writings from fans about the Beatles' impact on their lives. One that stands out is from a man who was in the navy at the time of the Beatles first visit to the states in February 1964. He is on leave with his navy buddies and staying at the Deaville Hotel in Miami Beach, where the Beatles are staying. He spys them in the hotel bar and he goes on to tell what his first impression was of this strange group of guys from England. He encounters Lennon standing next to him, ordering drinks at the bar, and the ensuing, brief exchange they have turns into a hilarious misunderstanding of British and American slang. It could have been an episode of 'Seinfeld'. I couldn't stop laughing.

This book is wonderful. If you are a Beatles scholar you will find it invaluable. It's one of my favorites, and I've read many. You will learn a lot more from these pages than you will ever learn from books like 'Shout' or 'The Love You Make'. There were one or two exposes' from the 'Pepper' period that I thought were pretentious and boring, but those are few. The things I wish were included are, pictures of course, and the 1965 'Playboy' article is missing. If you haven't read that, you are missing a very important piece of Beatle writing. Luckily you can see it online. Don't miss it. In the mean time, this book is a must.

This is an extremely well-put-together anthology of writings about the Beatles, spanning their entire career as a group and then following each in their post-Beatles years. It includes most of the seminal reviews, interviews and articles about the Beatles from beginning to end (such as the Maureen Cleve/Lennon interview, the William Mann London Times reviews legitimizing the Beatles as serious musicians and songwriters, sections from the Playboy interviews with John Lennon and Yoko Ono, excellent writing on the elusive George Harrison and his musical contributions by David Simons, and much more) and essays on why the Beatles still matter.

The book is set up in three distinct parts

I. Articles written during the Beatles years, in chronological order.
II. Articles written about individual Beatles post-Beatles, arranged by individual.
III. Articles and essays about the Beatles legacy.

I knew quite a bit about the Beatles before reading this book, but I learned much that was new and interesting that has heightened my appreciation of these fine musician/songwriters and their legacy.

Five stars, and then some. A+

This book is a delightful Beatles' smorgasbord of their writings; articles about them and a plethora of anecdotes. Although I wish photographs of the Fabs had been included, I still really like this book and heartily recommend it. Five Stars plus and a resounding "yeah, yeah, yeah!"

Although I may be a bit biased (I'm the author of one of the books excerpted here: "Turn Me On, Dead Man: The Beatles And The Paul-is-Dead Hoax"), I thoroughly enjoyed this compendium of Beatles writings, past and present. Some really interesting articles and book excerpts are included in this tome, including many appearing for the first time in decades. My only gripe: no photos. However, for the price of a movie ticket, it's a real bargain.