Rock Books

Larry Lujack and Lil' Tommy Edwards are back on the radio on a Chicago Oldie's station: RealOldies 1690AM, which is also available online at www.realoldies1690.com. So if you've read the book but not heard the jock, there's still a chance--and he's still funny after all these years.

Superjock is an excellent biography of how Larry Lujack climbed the rungs, known as markets and got to pinnacle of his career in the Windy City. There is a lot of what went on then, that goes on today. The book was written when radio was more about the talent then about the business. While Lujack does drop a few names from radio stars of that era i.e. Charlie Tuna, Mac Richmond, Jerry Kaye, Pat O'Day, Tom Murphy, etc. What is missing is how Lujack networked to get where he did. But, then again, the book is about Lujack's career path, not about those of his radio bretheran.
A MUST READ for anyone in the business then...and now.

Very simply, there would be no Don Imus, Howard Stern or Tom Leykis had Lujack not proved first that crabbiness could win on the radio. Ruling the airwaves in Seattle when Imus was still a railroad worker, Lujack was belicose, sarcastic and witty between Beatles and Motown records. No library should be without it!

What did Larry scream into Paul Revere & The Raiders' dressing room? And WHY? Did he really share a billboard with a huge advertisement for Cruex? And not complain?

Larry Lujack describes the tornado that REAL control rooms are with real solid state equipment - no RCS or Scott Systems in 1970 - and cussing engineers, annoying salespeople and breaking equipment! He had cart machines and maybe an ITC r2r - and plenty of cigs. He brings the 70s radio world alive: what radio station people are like - what it was like to party with the pop stars and to nail down an intro while lighting another cigarette and taking another request from one or two of scores on hold as ter lights flash during the last ten seconds of his commercials -- he delivers insight into why radio management will never change - and why radio is such a scintillating, infuriating and beloved calling. Retired and playing golf in Arizona now, he ruled Chicago for years and this book is a MUST for any radio afficionado's collection.

Twenty years before Howard Stern's movie, there was Larry Lujack, "Superjock" on Chicago's WCFL-AM and WLS-AM during the Second City's radio wars. Lujack tells of his married life and radio family in true details, beginning with KFXM-AM in San Bernardino to his place in Chicago Radio History. A "ten". Mark Heller, Pres. WTRW Radio Two Rivers, WI

This Book was all that.Staxx is as Important as Motown.It's a Incredible Story.especially when A Black Label Blows up Down South in the 60's.you only ever here about Sun Records &Sam Phillips and his discovery of Elvis Presley.so this is Very Important on a Social Front.The Many Great Artists on Staxx.this Book is strong from start to Finish.

This book is simply amazing. I was only marginally interested in Stax before reading the book, but you will be moved by this story.

The passion shows through and I was unable to put it down.

Out of the hundreds of books I've read, this is one of the finest.

Bowman's love for the music and personnel of the Stax label is plainly clear as he weaves its exciting, sometimes turbulent, history into a story that is as entertaining as it is informative. The interviews with the involved parties is what makes the book what it is, elevating the history from what could be a dry textbook, to a feel of a story told over dinner. The demise of Stax is truly a heartbreaking story that reflects America's, and specifically the South's, experience of the time. Fantastic work!

This book is as raw and soulful as the greatest country and rockabilly music gets. Great essays on contemporay stars Dwight Yoakum and Marty Stuart (two of the few "real" artists in today's Garth-in-the-park, yuppiefied, mall rat Urban Country scene). Also, a look at Pat Boone (how could such a soulless singer come from Tennessee!), the great, but sadly forgotten Johnny Horton and an ex-country wannabe who became a segragationist candidate for Govenor of Mississippi.

Biographical essays of well-known as well as fairly obscure musicians and industry types. Escott has made a career out of telling outrageous, sometimes salacious, tales -- he gets to the rawer, visceral side of the story pretty quickly, which is relatively easy when you're talking to folks who worked in the scraggly, scruffy early years of country, rock and blues. He's an engaging, consersational writer, and this latest collection is a delight. Includes essays on artists such as Dale Hawkins, Don Everly, Johnny Horton, Tim Hardin and a particularly cruel skewering of Pat Boone. In one of the most fascinating sections, Escott profiles the founders of record labels such as Decca, King, Starday and Hi -- a fascinating and very illuminating appoach to presenting the history of popular music. Beautifully laid out, well written and highly recommended.

Like the 80's version, this book will challenge even the most die-hard music trivia buffs. Covers all genres, with cleverly written, interesting questions. Great for a party game, drinking game, or for reading on your own. Makes a great stocking stuffer for the holidays too.

I love 90's music, so this book was a treat. I didn't expect to have so much fun. I also, learned alot of things that I didn't know. A very addictive and fun read!

so addictive.... i never thought i'd be so competitive. bring it anywhere with you and its a guaranteed good time!

Fun! I had to get this book because I was so addicted to the 80's version. Like travelling back in time. But not too far. I can't believe all the little music details I'd forgotten or never knew.

this book is awesome for small parties and especially for just hanging out with your roommates on a foggy minded sunday morning. you know the kind where you're sitting on your front stoop, drinking coffee and wondering wahat happened, and maybe should you go get some burritos. i like both of his books. they rock! they also make you want to check out music that you haven't heard for a while. very cool.

I can't remember ever reading anything quite as compelling. I'm not going blind nor do I have any cognitive disabilities. However, if you are a practicing meditator as I am and are interested in the nature of consciousness itself, you will be quite intrigued with this highly descriptive account of both the visual and non-visual aspects of perception. If this book doesn't inspire you to start thinking outside the box, nothing will. That been said, the average reader will find this to be an unforgettable, beautifully written book well worth reading. Highly recommended.

In place of the word "unsentimental" often used to describe this book I'd use "Lynchian", as in David. Blindness is just the starting-off point: The book is really a luxuriant journey into the *other* four senses and the heightened reality one begins to feel -- for instance how the white noise of a sudden rain can throw your outdoor echolocation into turmoil and immobilize you at some random place. With all respect to anyone looking for a good book on the disability, this one is for the artists.

On the front cover Oliver Sacks is quoted: "Staggering. . . the most extraordinary, precise, deep, and beautiful account of blindness I have ever read." But this book is primarily a message of facing change and developing methods for coping. Of compensating, of reaching out, of accepting your plight and going forward. You sense the author's despair and frustration, but he manages to see his difficulties as challenges. He engages you in the struggles he faces and overcomes. After all, he has a wife and four children, he lectures and attends conferences. Perhaps the most fascinating chapter of all, for me, was how he faced giving a lecture when he could no longer read notes. He eventually learned how to write his speech in his mind so that he could simply read one page as the next ones were being formulated. I pictured it as something like the beginning of a Star Wars movie. John Hull has somelthing to teach us all.

This book was given to me as a gift a few years ago, and while I am neither going blind nor am actually blind, I found many of the ideas and experiences and thoughts and feelings expressed in this book to be very similar to my own. I have some particular cognitive difficulties (prosopagnosia, often called "face blindness") which give me a rather different outlook on life from most people, and I was amazed to see just how much in common my outlook on life was when compared with the author's life experiences. Well, maybe I wasn't that surprized, but it was still an eye-opening (no pun intended) experience for me to read this book in that context.

Needless to say, I enjoyed this book very very much. It reads more like a personal journal or diary than an actual book, and that gives the whole book a very personal experience when reading it.

Heard the taped version of TOUCHING THE ROCK by John
Hull, a moving memoir of a university lecturer who slowly
lost his vision over a period of several years . . . he recorded
his thoughts in a diary, and I must admit to being touched
about how both he and his family dealt with his
condition . . . even typing this brings teary thoughts to
mind . . . imagine having seen a child as a youngster,
then not being able to see her again as she grows up . . . or
never having seen another child from the time he was
born . . . it makes me want to hug my daughter, Risa . . . and
to appreciate all that I do have!

This book is for any climber at any level - sport, trad, whatever. I am a 48 year old novice climber, and this book has provided an enormous amount of information I never considered or found in any other book or class. Essential stuff.
My son is quite advanced and has added his endorsement - great info, cool pictures.
We just got back from Lander, Wyoming where we met and climbed with George. He's the real deal! He climbs with passion and teaches the same way.
Climbing is a dangerous sport. This terrific book provides the means to minmize the hazards, and increase the pleasures. Get it now! It's a GREAT - and useful - read!

I just completed an AMGA Course and I have to say this is one of the finest consolidations of safe climbing advice that I've seen to date. The suggestions are simple to follow and make you wonder 'Why didn't I think of that?' I've been a traditonal lead climber several years now and I can honestly say I'll be implementing some of the authors safety pointers the next time I'm on the rock.

I was a novice climber when I met George Allen: George taught me how to climb. Along the way George also revealed climbing safety. He insisted.

What I recall most about climbing with George is that he was always consistent with his competent instruction. That consistency and competency carries over into the book.

The instruction included within "Ultrasafe: ..." is crucial information for climbers of all skill levels. In fact, even experts need to be reminded the fundamentals, fundamentals found within the text. The falls I have witnessed, the injuries, the deaths, were typically the result of disregard for safety fundamentals. How much is your life worth? One nut? A Friend? One more anchor?

Since climbing with George, I have applied many of his insights to my daily life. For example: Don't walk on ice with your hands in your pockets. Good advice, but how many of us walk on ice with our hands in our pockets? After rolling in the cholla I quit approaching with items in my hands. Sound fundamental advice. You will find more within.

I strongly recommend this book. The book is easy to read and the tips herein may save either yours or your partner's life someday, and they are likely to prevent injuries. Thank you George Allen for formalizing these truths.

I have climbed occasionally with George Allen over the past twenty years. His approach on the rock has always been one of caution and complete awareness of his environment without ever lapsing into hyper-paranoia. This thoughtful, cautious approach carries over into this book. No one, particularly those making a transition from the climbing gym to the "real world", should rope up without reading this. Climbing safety is about a lot more than checking your knots and nut placement. Mr. Allen provides the first comprehensive overview of safety for everyone whether they are bouldering or climbing the Yosemite walls.

I am not a climber, so when I had the opportunity to read Allen's "UltraSafe" I planned on a few minutes of reading per evening until it was finished or I just gave up. I opened it up one night and didn't put it down until I had reached the back cover. Yeah, some of the technical terms made whistling noises as they flew over my head, but I managed to catch most of the concepts. What makes this book fascinating is the author's overall approach to climbing safety. He recommends the climber develop a attitude of safety, or a safety culture, rather than just run down a checklist to insure some vital piece of equipment is functional or refraining from doing something obviously stupid. He explains how to encorporate safety into all facets of the sport without turning the endeavor into some sort of perverted govermental compliance exercise. The text has enough tech-talk in it to keep the attention of the hard core crowd but is written so well that it kept my attention (remember me - the non-climber?). The personal anectdotes make it real and the Wizard Tips ("Master" to the "Grasshopper" tidbits of wisdom) leave no doubt that this guy knows what he's talking about. If you're a novice climber, Read The Book before you develop any bad habits. If you're an experienced climber who wants to be around long enough to become more experienced, Read The Book. If you're an experienced climber who thinks you already know enough about safety, Read The Book. Don't let Darwin win.

These guys are nuts! I read the book twice and laughed as hard the second time as the first ! even if you don't care about leadership, you should read this to understand what we all have experienced at some time in our working lives.

This is a very unorthodox book and even though it was difficult to figure out what the authors were saying in some parts during the first read, when I read it over I figured it out. The approach is so different that you have to get into a "mindset" in order to follow their thinking. I liked the book and the ideas about leadership. I just wish I could find out who the authors really are and find out if they have written anything else.

Wow! At last someone's written a book that is very funny about a very serious topic and made it work! This is one of the best presentations I have ever read about what it really takes to be a leader. All the funny stuff aside, the authors know what they are talking about. The first clue is in the first chapter... it really IS all about character! Someone should give a copy of this book to our politicians.

I'm not sure if these guys are for real or not, but this is a funny book and worth the time to read it. I recognized several bosses I have had in their examples, and saw some things that I have done as well. It's not as easy as the authors would have you believe to figure out what the `right way' to do it really is from reading this. I read it twice, but I think I need another go at it to get everything.

This book is a welcome departure from most of the business self-help books being written today. The authors have a great sense of humor and the book appeals to that sense in the reader. I liked the no-nonsense exposure of today's leadership! I laughed through every chapter, but finished with a tear in my eye because I realized that this is the way it's being done today.

This book chronicles a Brooklyn church and its community amid the crime, drugs and despair of the black community. However , faith and learning to believe in the Lord and his ultimate plan for an individual and his community makes this church an oasis amid the storms. It is a story of a pastor, with his own demons, trying to be resopnsible for the souls of his congregation and the thin ice on which he must tread. This book will make you look at the inner city and its churches in a different light.

This book was well written and well resourced and led me on a pilgrimage to this black Mecca.

Samuel Freedman has done a remarkable job in his chronicle of the story of Reverend Johnny Ray Youngblood, a pastor of a now-thriving urban church, St. Paul Community Baptist Church. This narrative covers the history of Youngblood from before his arrival at St. Paul's, a once-thriving but fallen-upon-hard-times congregation, through Youngblood's early struggles to turn the situation around, finally into their days of success as a growing centre of ministry.

Youngblood is not the typical African-American minister, and realises this in many ways. He is compared with other ministers of significant churches, with education backgrounds at Harvard and the like, and contrasted by Freedman with those ministers who feel all that is needed for effective ministry is 'the call'. Youngblood realises that education can sometimes be a distraction, and can sometimes get in the way -- the person in pew will want the answer to the question, 'What does this mean for me?' -- but should not be abandoned or discounted in its importance.

Youngblood experienced conflict as a central feature of his ministry: conflict within the congregation, conflict within his family, and conflict with society at large. Youngblood accepted conflict head-on in many instances -- he stood up to the leaders of the congregation from the earliest times (indeed, Youngblood says that in many ways, he tried to sabotage his own accession to the pastorate at St. Paul so as not to have to deal with their problems), and dealt firmly with people and issues, as is often expected from ministers in the African-American tradition.

Even from his seminary days, when he was forced out of a student-pastorship position, conflict seemed inevitable, such that the very idea of ministry frightened Youngblood in many ways. However, there was grace in the presence of Reverend William Augustus Jones, pastor of a Brooklyn church, and instructor on the urban church experience, particularly the church in the ghetto. It was Jones who drew Youngblood to New York City, and Jones whose gentle, astute mentoring shaped Youngblood into an effective minister.

One somewhat disturbing piece in this narrative is the absence of his wife and family for the most part; we as readers know a bit of the issues of family from Youngblood's perspective, but do not hear the voices of those who were, or at least who one assumes were, the closest companions in Youngblood's ministry.

One of the ideas that comes across in this book is that the process of ministry is a never-ending education, a learning on-the-job that never stops as long as the ministry is effective. It also shows that conflict and struggle are part of the very fabric of ministry, never to be eliminated, even if it is occasionally ignored. This book is not to be ignored -- it is a success story on many levels. Freedman's sensitivity and insight into a community not his own is remarkable.

This book takes you on a journey filled with the miracles of faith and power of prayer. You can feel each trial and tribulation in your heart. I have visited this church after reading this book and the warmth and love is all over the church. This pastor has endured much, in order to dedicate his life to his calling. I was inspired to reach out and believe me it was a rock for me as a child of Christ and I was able to dedicate myself to the cause of Christ. It is a must read for all, young and old. My children, and my childrens children will read this.

This book chronicles a Brooklyn church and its community amid the crime, drugs and despair of the black community. However , faith and learning to believe in the Lord and his ultimate plan for an individual and his community makes this church an oasis amid the storms. It is a story of a pastor, with his own demons, trying to be resopnsible for the souls of his congregation and the thin ice on which he must tread. This book will make you look at the inner city and its churches in a different light.

This book is atypical for my usual genre, but I have read several of Mesler's books and find them erudite and entertaining. "Carbon" is a beautifully rendered, hypnotic trip into the lives of a group of idealistic, indulgent, incandescent and tripped-out kids who define one major current of the 60s. The book takes readers on a rollercoaster ride through the crests and troughs of the times -- Vietnam, the SDS, Kent State, Civil Rights movement, free love and drugs aplenty. Mesler writes exquisite prose and exploits contextual references germane to the times to strengthen the mood. One particularly entertaining section contains faux reviews of The Beatles as they overtook the American music scene within a matter of months and proceeded to symbolize the optimism and eventual decline of the era. I recommend this book as provocative, eloquent and relevant to our own times in ways readers will have to divine for themselves.

This was a wild and profound trip down memory lane in a neighborhood I've never been to before.

Mesler takes a broad look at a momentous period in many of our lives, but wisely filters it through the eyes of an individual. The author himself is never invisible in the novel, short story collection, poetry tome. whatever...

I've read everything Mesler has written, and this is his best (his best yet, at least... I'll be eagerly looking for more to come).

This book is fabulous! A real psychedelic wonderland! And I can't believe my husband wrote it!

I have read much of Mesler's work and this is his best to date.
Being another child that missed the 60's by a hair, I can appreciate this love story of a man and a time. The characters funny and tragic, flawed and perfect. You can't help but care about them and identify with them. The story (really a series of stories, poems, reveiws and travelogs) moves along a great pace and is at times funny, mystical, historical, hysterical, dramatic and vexing.
I highly recomend that you grab your dictionary (Mesler uses a vocabulary that would shame Willian F. Buckley Jr.) and delve into this wild ride of a book.

This book defies description, in my opinion, when it comes to what genre one would place it under: short stories, flash fiction, poetry, even music reviews...it has it all, and more. Mr. Mesler writes with a new voice, one that conjures up images that require the reader to catch his breath every so often. Already having released a very fine novel a couple of years back (Talk) which featured a unique dialogue form throughout, this work goes several steps further, describing fictitious (or not?) occurances in his native Memphis in the 60's, with a host of quirky characters that show up in the prose and poetry...and the result, to me, is sublime. You must read this book, because Corey Mesler will be a name you hear again and again in the future. He is a brilliant writer who deserves attention. This book is well worth your attention, as well!

This book gets you all hyped up about the 60's so long ago and yet not that long ago. It takes you through city by city of The Beatles US 1964,1965, and 1966 tours. Telling a period in the young lives of this generation what it was like to be turned upside down by the biggest rock group of all time. The book continues through the Apple years,Break-up and Solo years. There are pictures of The Beatles,fans,and memorbila that you wonder if you still have. I also saw them in Forest Hills tennis Stadium in Queens 1964, and Shea Stadium in 1966.

My introduction to Beatlemania was at the age of 10 finding a 45 of "Let it Be" in a stack of 45's in a box a neighbor had put out for garbage. Yup, I guess you could say that I was born a bit too late.

That's where this book comes in. "We're Going to See the Beatles!" brought me right smack dab in the middle of all those crazy kids - mostly girls - who went mad for the Beatles and in so doing ushered in a new era of culture, music, and politics.

Yeah, we all know those cliches. And that's the charm of this book, because it avoids all those looking-back analyses, and also all those glimpses from the hanger-ons, and instead tells the story of the Beatles Invasion through the eyes and hearts of their young and frenzied fans. So while I missed all that, this book made me feel a part of it, and I got caught up in it as if it were happening all over again. I think Berman did an excellent job of piecing together the many first-hand accounts to tell this story directly, without weighing it down with unnecessary commentary. Sadly, it also brings you along for the downward arc of the Fabs, but so the story went, and getting that choking lump in my throat for Lennon's murder made me realize how captivating this story truly is, especially as told by those who lived and breathed it while it was happening.

If you missed seeing the Beatles, do not miss reading this book.

I enjoyed this book so much. We're Going to See The Beatles!: An Oral History of Beatlemania as Told by the Fans Who Were ThereI even bought one for my Mother who accompanied me to the last Beatles concert at Candlestick Park. This book recaptures all those memories for me again. I also liked the way the chapters were organized. And having pictures of the fans was a big plus. A fun and easy read. I would say a real must for all of those who ever saw the Fab Four in person or want to read about the fans who had that privilege.

I was there. I lived through Beatlemania. Author Garry Berman captures the essence of what it was like to have experienced all the hysteria, emotion and passion of what it was like to have been a Beatles fan as it was happening. As told by the fans themselves, nothing is held back.

The book transports the reader back to a time in history when Beatlemania reigned and allows a birdseye view of what it meant to be a Beatles fan circa 1963-1970. The fervor of the fans is painted on every page in intimate detail.

For anyone who experienced Beatlemania first hand, or anyone attempting to answer the question "What was it like?" this book is THE authority on the subject.

This book is a great trip back to the early days of Beatlemania. Glad there was so much input from the male fans too as the Beatles impression on us guys is greatly undocumented. A lot of the stories brought back memories I long forgot. I kept saying "Oh Yeah! I forgot about that!" while reading. It's a fun, clever book and I love reading the stories by the people who lived it.

I had the supreme honor of working for Atlnatic Records as a promotions Manager in the '70s, so I saw first-hand a lot of what's in this book. I saw it through the label, the artists, radio and retail. And lemme tell you, the book is spot-on accurate. The two words that best describe Atlantic Records are sophisticated and engaged, and those characteristics come top-down from the founder, Mr. Ahmet Ertegun, and through all of his management.

While the book is an amazing account of Atlantic Records, what is more is the indispensable perspective on the music business at large. For anyone even remotely interested in the history of this industry and its artists, this book is vital.

The cost is a bit pricey, but the old saying you get what you pay for has never been more true. The oversized book features fantastic photography and superb quality. I just wish it would have had included a 30-song sampler of the history of Atlantic artists.

Ahmet Ertegun has to be one of the true legends of popular music in the 20th century. When I first heard that Ertegun had penned the story of Atlantic Records 2 to 3 years ago, I immediately searched it out. But for some reason publication was delayed over two years. Alas it's here. This huge book has everything. First hand oral historical accounts on the birth of R&B with Ray Charles, Jerry Wexler, Otis, the Drifters through the evolution of 60's Rock with Cream, the Stones and Zepplin. The photos are spectatcular and Ertegun's own accounts insightful.....A brilliant man with impeccable taste. He may be the hippest son of a Turkish ambassador to ever found a legendary record label. While I personally can do without the more recent sections dealing with 80's and 90's music (how can you include Jewel with the likes of Ray Charles and Ben E. King?), this book is so huge (almost 10 lbs.) that the majority of the book far exceeds all expectations. At a time when lightweight books by airheaded groupies who played abolutely no role in the creation of a musical revolution somehow make their way into publication, this book stands alone as a classic account of a time when the musicians really were artist who paid their dues, song writers were stylists, and goood taste and genuine talent not only mattered, but actually sold records. If you are a true music fan, this book is the next best thing to being present at the birth of the R&B. One more suggestion, get the Atlantic R&B box set. If I were allowed to keep but one body of work from my music collection, this would be the one. It is the Rosetta Stone of modern R&B.

Had it not been for Ahmet Ertegun and his family moving from Turkey to America, more than 75% of the music that would come out over the time afterward would never had come to be and the musical mainstream would dramatically have never been the same.
I consider Ertegun to be would one of the best musical geniuses of the 20th century for it was he that started the snowball rolling and it kept getting bigger and bigger. He had his own acetate-cutting machine when he was a kid (pretty neat) and wrote his own songs. Close with his brother, Nesuhi, the two were avid jazz fans. When Ahmet got the urge to make records and hire acts to record for him, he founded his own record company with partner Herb Abramson in 1947 from a $10,000 loan from Ertegun's dentist. The rest is history. Atlantic had a huge roster of stars from jazz and R&B greats of the '40s, '50s and '60s to hard rock bands of the '60s, '70s and '80s. It starts with background history on Ahmet and continues on with the start of Atlantic from the '40s to the present. This huge book chronicles it all loaded with quotes from artists and from Ahmet and the production team as well as tons of photographs. It is pricey but it is worth every penny. Thank you, Ahmet Ertegun. American music would never have thrived without Atlantic!

Ahmet Ertegun what a Important figure in the Music Business? the Guy truly knew His stuff at making a label Important.just His Association with Ray Charles&Aretha Franklin alone speaks volumes to me.He had a strong Idea of what He wanted&He got it.in it's Hey Day Atlantic Records was as Important as Any Other Label then or Now.the one thing you get after reading this Book&Hearing the Atlantic Box Set is that Ahmet Ertegun could vibe with anyone.a Must Have.

First of all, this book is huge and weighs a ton. That is appropriate for the subject matter, because Atlantic Records is a huge presence in the history of rhythm & blues and rock. Chock full of pictures and commentary, this presents a totally fascinating portrait of Ahmet Ertegun and his record company, including all the great artists associated with Atlantic. From the early days with artists such as Ruth Brown and the Clovers, through the early career of Ray Charles, and on to Otis Redding, Solomon Burke, Wilson Pickett and the incomparable Aretha Franklin, Atlantic Records made its reputation in R&B. Less well known, but hardly less influential, is its presence in the jazz world, thanks to Ahmet's brother Nesuhi. In the late '60's Atlantic expanded into the field of rock with Cream, Led Zeppelin, and, later, the Rolling Stones, and was a major player in art/progressive rock by signing such bands as King Crimson, Yes, and Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

They could have ended the book in the early '70's, in my opinion, because after corporate buyouts and sellouts, Atlantic's imprint became less distinctive. Face it, Foreigner could have been on any label and it wouldn't have made much difference. Later forays into country music seem very un-Atlantic, to say the least. But during its heyday, there was no label putting out as high a level of quality music as Atlantic records, and this is its fascinating story.