Rock Books

Hello fellows,

a very fine songbook by Tori Amos with songs I've already been searching for!

Roland

Tori Amos for Fingerstyle guitar features solo guitar arrangements for most of the singles (and a few other favorites) from 1992's Little Earthquakes through 1998's From the Choirgirl Hotel. At its best the book seamlessly combines standard fingerstyle patterns with Tori's most identifiable riffs. The arrangements are mostly faithful to Tori's piano playing - at no point do they composite vocals into the arrangement as other pop fingerstyle books often do, even on repetitive arrangements

You don't have to own a nylon string (classical) guitar or be a fingerstyle player to enjoy this book, but you do need to be able to read chord frames and tab. The tabs are oversized, and extremely easy to read. Note durations are expressed as stems and dots attached directly to the tabulature numbers (i.e. there is no standard notation corresponding to the tab).

If you aren't much of a fingerpicker your learning curve will be slightly extended as you pick up the basics - like Travis picking and alternate-bass rhumba patterns. Only one song ("China") utilizes strummed chords with any amount of frequency.

Some of the songs are in dropped-D tuning ("Past the Mission," among others), with two other tunings employed ("Caught a Lite Sneeze" in EADF#BE and "Talula" in in DGDGBE). If you want to match pitch against the original recordings and the sample audio CD, you will need a capo. A few songs are in the incorrect key to play along with album versions; both "Icicle" and "Winter" need to be played a half-step under standard, while "Blood Roses" fails to mention that it should be capoed at the 4th fret.

"Talula" is the most aerobic workout in the book, with plenty of sixteenth notes and quick scales. "In the Springtime of His Voodoo" translates perfectly to guitar, as do the classics "Silent All These Years," "Pretty Good Year," and "China." My favorite has always been the first song, "Icicle," which combines an inventive voicing of the song's signature piano line with some challenging plucking during compound time segments. Lest you get too excited, a bouncy version of "Cornflake Girl" does *not* include the full piano solos.

None of the arrangements are "bad," though some of the weaker efforts rely mostly on arpeggios or travis-picked basslines ("Jackie's Strength"), which a skilled player doesn't need a fingerstyle book to figure out. "Spark" is the only true disppointment - it doesn't reflect any of the dischordant keyboard work featured in the song. However, its picking pattterns offer a helpful guide to playing the measures of 7/8 and 9/8 correctly. For slightly more dischord, try replacing all the Ds in the verses with x54030.

There are many wonderful passages that hold up simply as instrumentals, including most of "Winter," the choruses of "Little Earthquakes," and much of challenging "Blood Roses." In the absense of composited vocal melody some of the songs with repetitive parts are more fun if you sing along - even though the arrangements are great. This is especially true on "Caught a Lite Sneeze," which is arranged much better than in the piano sheet, and to a lesser extent on "Black Dove."

The included CD features an abridged version of each arrangement that introduces you to all of the major passages while omitting repeats. It's a little difficult to play along with, but an invaluable tool for a quick review of what you're trying to achieve. The book includes a handy list of how to follow along with each abridged CD tracks.

This book is big success in almost every area - from arrangements to song selection. It only skips three big singles ("Crucify," "God," and "Hey Jupiter") and includes some additional favorites ("Icicle," "Black Dove," "Little Earthquakes"), though it could have featured a few more B-Sides, or at least something less obscure than "Black Swan."

If you are a guitar-playing Tori fan comfortable playing without a pick you will reap hours of enjoyment from these arrangements.

this book is helpful for the fans of tori amos who can't play the piano as well as tori herself. for those of us who can play the guitar this book is a lifesaver. simple easy to read tableature that we all have grown to love guides us in to the interesting world of tori amos on guitar. now all the songs I wished i knew how tyo play are finally acessable on my favorite medium...guitar!

I've been playing the guitar for about 6 months and when i knew there was a book of Tori's songs for guitar i couldn't wait to get it. The best thing is that i wasn't disappointed. It is very well explained, it's easy, and when you listen to the cd and you get the feeling of how the song should be played is very exciting. With practice i assure you that anyone can learn how to play those songs. I also think the choice of the songs that were transcribed is very good , look for "Cornflake girl"'s version, is so great!!
Anyway i reccomend it very much, i'm sure you wiil enjoy it.

This is the best single book ever written on the general subject of rock and roll. It is free of the both the sloppy hype of trashy works on popular culture, and the ludicrously inappropriate jargon of high-toned academic treatments of the subject. Pattison demonstrates very convincingly rock's roots in nineteenth-century pantheism, and shows how, to a surprising extent, all of pop music's "rebels" conform to its tenets. The author is clearly a knowledgeable fan of rock but doesn't make outrageous claims for it; he shows amazing taste and discretion. A book as enjoyable and stimulating as it is neglected; I've never seen a reference to it in the rock press or met anyone else who has read it. It's definitely worth the effort to find it.

One of the best and most eurudite studies of Rock music as a cultural phenomenon and sociology. Pattison is both a critic and fan of Rock music, but the latter function doesn't turn him into a sniveling sycophant full of pretentious drivel like the usual Rock music magazine writers. He hits the nail right on the head with his comparison to romanticism. Pattison doesn't take his study far enough, however, as he ignores his own glaring exposes of the neo-pagan/religious dimensions of Rock music. He performs an intensive study of why Rock music is such mindless, vulgar pagan "jungle music" that people react to without thinking, a powerful cultural force. But in the last few pages he tries to discount everything he has written and substantiated in his book! He cannot accept the very conclusion he has so devestatingly exposed! He realizes that he seems to have come too close to the stance of the Christian right (and most of traditional Christianity) in its attack on Rock-n- Roll as "devil's music." As a true Rock fan (no true "holy roller" Rock detractor could have as much crucial information about Rock music and its details as Pattison), Pattison doesn't want to push his argument to its logical conclusion and condemn the music he so loves, therefore he makes a pathetic jab at the Christian right at the end and chicken's out. He is docked a star for this. Nevertheless, this is the best, most intelligent and objective study of Rock music that I have read, I have read a hell of a lot on the subject--most of it is drivel.

I read this book long ago when it was first published and found it fascinating. I found myself reflecting on it today as I was thinking about the slow death of "classical" music. The author makes the case that rock music is the product of the ideas of 19th century on democracy and individualism, the celebration of things common.

While there has always been a divide between the music of the upper and lower classes, I suppose it was not until late in the 19th century and continuing on that the "lower class" music began to be celebrated by the established musicians. I'm thinking specifically of the folk tune inspired works of composers like Brahms and Dvorak.

My reflection on Pattison's book now is that his thesis has been more than adequately proven with the continued growth of bottom-up trends in fashion and music. While rock and roll, as he argues, may have a mythical relationship to African music, modern hip-hop seems to have a very real relationship to current lower class culture. Other authors since then have dealt more generally with this theme I am sure (Theodore Dalrymple comes to mind), but I thought Pattison did great work showing how the ideas of the 19th century thinkers have influenced this development.

I keep finding myself coming back again and again to this excellent study from Pattison which convincingly argues that rock's aesthetic is a vulgarized form of the ideals behind the great romantic poets. Far from the clueless, absurd academic piece that one may fear, Pattison proves to be a real fan of rock music, in fact he is in many ways more thoroughly versed in rock than many respectable big-name rock critics like Marcus or Marsh. Black Flag, the Fall and the Meat Puppets are just a few of the groups touched on. The most insightful chapters, in my opinion, are the ones dealing with the white romanticization of black Americans as "soulful" others, as well as the myth of the noble lower-class hillbilly. Pattison provides the only believable explanation (too complex to go into here) as to why the racially divided south produced the great black-white musical hybrids of our time (country, blues, jazz and rock n' roll). Pattison doesn't see the pagan roots of rock n' roll or romantic poetry as negative.

In this easy to read, easy to digest book, the author shares tried and true prevention strategies for any parent who has a child in school...in fact the younger the better to allow the foundations to be set. The music and lyrics mentioned in the book will touch parents of all generations. Jeff's explanation of how to create a code of ethics for your family and ways to keep communication between parent and child open, will help make the turbulent teen years much less turbulent. As a school counselor, I hope all of my parents will get their hands on this book!

Good stratagies for talking with your kids about today's music. It is an extremely helpful guide for me when trying to understand the music my children are listening to.

WOW! This book told me how much music has changed since I was a teen (too many years ago to discuss....) and now. This is a great book for every parent of a teen or tween. It tells you what to look for to be concerned or what NOT to worry about. It gives suggestions as to how to talk to your kids about sex, drugs and rock & roll. This is the book for every parent that changes the radio station when a rap song comes on....or for the parents of the kids with the MP3 players in their ears so they don't have to hear their parent's music!

WOW! What a terriffic book for anyone with a teen or tween. I learned so much about the music that I never listen to but my kids always do. So much has changed since I was a teen and this book described what to listen for, how to talk to my children about today's music and its messages. It taught me when to be concerned and when not to over-react. It tells a parent how to deal with drugs, sex and rock & roll in music and their children's life. I think that this book is a "must have" for any middle or high school parent!

As the title indicates, this book is a must-have for those of us who are passionate about U2. The photos are great, the articles cover a wide range of styles, authors, perspectives, etc....it is especially interesting to read interviews with the band at vastly different stages of their career. However, I wouldn't suggest this book as an introduction to U2. Unless you know the history of the band quite well, most of these articles would be confusing to you because they are highlights from U2's magazine, and background knowlege is assumed--sometimes very little context is given. But as I said, for those of us who know U2 well, context is not necessary. My only complaint is the editing, or lack thereof. There are so many typos in this book you would think that it wasn't proofread at all; or perhaps it was simply produced very quickly. Overall though, an essential addition to any fan's collection.
I am adding a p.s. to this review after reading Ian Gittins' (the editor himself!) response to mine and others' complaints about the typos. I thank Mr. Gittins for explaining; the fact that the typos were present in the original articles did not occur to me. If I had thought a little harder about it, maybe it would have occured to me, or maybe it wouldn't. At any rate, though the typos are still distracting, they are not as irritating now that I know why they're there. I am dutifully chagrined for any implications about Mr. Gittins' editing abilities...

I'm glad readers are enjoying this U2 compendium. A word, though, about the typos and spelling errors. This book is a snapshot in time, a record of U2's Propaganda magazine, warts and all. The very earliest magazines were punky and rough around the edges, and occasionally contained grammatical errors. We made a conscious decision to keep them in to make the book a truer guide to the journal's development. To correct them would have been to airbrush history. I hope this helps to explain matters.

(By the way, apologies for my appalling arrogance in awarding the book five stars here - Amazon don't allow you to post a review without awarding the book a star rating!).

This book is a great insight into the world of U2, great reading for the U2 fan although i think Ian Grittins forgot to proof read this material and also forgot to hit spell check because there is alot of spelling and grammer mistakes, still a fantastic buy, lots of stuff here that you wont find anywhere else.

This book contains only the best of the best of U2. You can understand some of the decitions of the band or event the songs just to take a look to the book. The best book of U2 ever.

I started drumming about 2 months ago with a basic set, Tommy Igoe's 'Getting Started on the drums' dvd and this book. The book is endless pages of exercises that gradually builds in difficulty. It's great. Each new pattern gets you using all four limbs, and are easy to modify for more practice (open/closed hi hats, crash vs hi hats, etc). It's got sycophated patterns, drum fills, and stuff on establishing a 'groove' with a band/bass player. Not the end-all of drum books, but perfect for beginners.

I really enjoyed using this book as a teaching aide. Obviously, some musical background will allow for faster progress through the book. I have found that someone with no musical background might get off to a slow start, but anyone can improve with more practice. The CD that comes with the book is very helpful.

Without any previous drumming backgroud, I enrolled in a beginers class at college just for fun. We used Rock Drums Basics as one of our textbooks. It soon became my favorite book. It really starts with the basic patterns but gets progressively more complex to the point where you can play along three real songs (included in CD), rock, ballad and shuffle.

With this book you will learn about 19 rock patterns with at least two additional variations of each one plus some fills for each groove. Just make sure you practice on a drum set and not on a practice pad. You will really have fun.

Rock Drums Basics is in fact, one of the easiest ways for you to learn how to count, read notes and play the drums. it's include all the common 2 & 4 snare rhythms, and Also include a chapter about developing a groove with a bass player, which is a very important skill for a rock band. the book can really help you understand the important part of the drummer in a rock band, and even better: anybody can use this great book!

Dr. John preformed on "Mondaygras" (the day before Fat Tuesday) in a New Orleans warehouse in 1987. On that night he introduced himself to me and several hundred New Orleans revelers. Those in attendance experienced the hoodoo moon and the life of the night tripper. For all others who missed that magical evening, the book, Under A Hoodoo Moon: The Life of the Night Tripper, Dr. John (Mac Rebennack) will make you feel as if you were standing at my side as I permitted the entire life of Dr. John to dance in my blood for that moment in time. The book merely affirms my experience.

I was in college. My dear friend Ruth managed to score some primo tickets. Having lived in New Orleans I knew it would be a special evening. It really did not matter who played. Around midnight and away from the haze of Bourbon Street, New Orleans naturally hums to a rebellious tune. The venue was hot. Crazed girls began to remove their cloths. Eventhough it was an open bar and the liquor was free, bottles of booze mysteriously appeared and were passed from person-to-person bonding us as one in drunkenness. Beads and doubloons rained from clouds of marijuana when the hedonistic frenzy was briefly interrupted by a very large man strolling toward the stage.

It was Dr. John. He needed no introduction. His tangled hair, glassy eyes, weathered skin, and shaman walking stick told their own story. He had sleazed with the dirtiest whores, drank the cheapest liquor, smoked the strongest weed, ate the finest gumbo, and still took joy in thumbing his nose at every law set before his destination. We were his family for that moment.

It is easy to recognize that Dr. John is a good and proud man with an ethos that shakes a soul. Just listen to his cyanne and cured voice. It does not matter what he says. The tones sound like the moon whispering secret knowledge. Dr. John isn't merely a musician spending brain-cells on a binge. He is a warlock.

Under A Hoodoo Moon may never win the Pulitzer Prize, but it tells a story about a remarkable man whose music will haunt your life.

Tom Bradley
[..]

This book will give you a lot of insight to the wild web woven around and by Mac Rebennack. You'll learn more, and maybe to much, about his life, which will open your eyes to the lyrics he's written over the years and in what mental and physical condition he was in during those times. I've been a fan of Dr. John for as long as I can remember, but this book just amazed me! As much as I though I knew, I was wrong. His love of music got his soul in trouble with drugs and his fans were the ones who benefitted from his pain and suffering. He's grown, learned and bloomed into a clear, clean, insightful man. This book made me cry to think of all he went through to get to where he is today. I am lucky enough to own an autographed first edition. It is one of my most prized posessions. If you love New Orleans, Fonk, Blues, and Swampadelic music you MUST read this book!

Want to be a professional musician? Think twice. Dr. John confirms the musician's world as full of addicts, thieves, prostitutes, and swindlers, where almost no one can be trusted. I give the book five stars because it was interesting enough that I finished it, but it's a bittersweet tale of a man who loves music stumbling in a junkie's nightmare. I appreciate his honesty, his sense of humor, his optimism, and his love for music. As an amateur musician who used to contemplate a musical career, I'm glad I opted for a day job and a house in the suburbs. But the story is fascinating. Now I definitely want to check out some of his music.

For anyone who has heard the music of Mac Rebennack a.k.a. Dr. John, this book is essential reading. His unique experiences and his sense of humor make it fascinating to read from beginning to end.

The good doctor's experiences in the music business make a great tale. From his early attachment to some of the New Orleans music greats, through his own experiences in clubs and recording studios, this makes for a terrific insight into what being a musician is all about.

I would highly recommend this book.

On the surface UNPLUGGED is the story of Dayna Clay, a 27-year-old big-time rock star who, after barely surviving a suicide attempt, flees her home, her fans, and her career to live under an assumed identity in the rough Badlands of South Dakota, where she finds peace, love, and a surprising capacity to heal.
Below the surface, UNPLUGGED is a deeply-felt and seriously-considered story that will make you think, and feel, something on every page. Author McComas writes with remarkable insight, understanding, and authority from a female protagonist's perspective, something very few male authors (in my opinion) are able to do. McComas fully inhabits Dayna's bisexual female body as if he has lived there all his life. In addition, McComas writes about surviving childhood sexual abuse in a subtle yet truthful way, conveying the long-term, lasting pain without resorting to hysteria or hyperbole. For Dayna, as for so many survivors, what happened in the past just "is."
Writing about music is, as they say, like trying to "dance about architecture." Music, by its nature, can't really be captured in words, yet McComas does a great job of ushering the reader into Dayna's inner life as a musician, and his description of her creative process allows you to "hear" the music on the page.
For me, UNPLUGGED reaches its zenith in McComas' amazingly detailed descriptions of the harsh, unforgiving, spooky, yet strangely beautiful Badlands landscape-- a landscape that is at first ominous and impenetrable to Dayna, but that ultimately serves as both her biggest challenge and the source of her deepest strength.
This is a book you may have missed when it was first published in 2002. Now is the time to go out and discover it for yourself. You won't be disappointed.

Paul McComas' Unplugged tells of an aging rocker who decides to depart from the music world, setting out for parts unknown and ending up in South Dakota. Her search for solitude and healing may unexpectedly lead to a career she can't shake in this moving story.

This is an amazing story that's hard to describe. It's funny, and sexy, and shocking in places. (A word of warning -- parts of the story are very emotionally hard-hitting and will not be right for everyone.)

The story starts with thousands of whipped-up music fans chanting for Danya Clay to deliver her smashing encore song. The story starts fast and keeps rolling. Anyone unsure about whether they'd like this book should just start with the first few pages. If that doesn't "click" with you then the book is not for you. I was hooked from the get-go, and many readers will probably discover the same feeling.

One gets the sense that, at heart, the writer has genuine affection for his characters and for most people in general. This underlying good nature helps a lot when a scene turns dark or violent. The light of good nature can help show the darkness of evil -- the way a great song blends dissonance and harmony.

Highly recommended.

This is a strong, moving portrayal of a young woman who seems to "have it all," who sits at the doorstep of mega-star rock godess status. Not yet 30, Dayna Clay finds herself haunted by her own mind, driving her to attempt suicide. Her unlikely savior speaks to Clay's basic decency and caring nature. Then she does her best to escape, running away from her life, her friends, her stardom, toward no destination in particular. She meets the Badlands of South Dakaota and there she begins the real journey, one of self-discovery and rebirth.

I loved the main character, a strong, independent bisexual woman, whose innate love of life of all kinds finally leads her to seek treatment and learn to once again love herself. McComas' vivid writing and insightful understanding take the reader on a wonderful roller-coaster ride of emotions. This book is a fulfilling read and a real page-turner.

This book has contributions from several of Warhol's factory insiders (Victor Bockris, Gerard Melanga) who were personally involved with the Velvet Underground's groundbreaking shows in NYC (in addition to their status as card-carrying members of Warhol's film-and-silkscreen juggernaut). Their recollections, letters, and photographs from their time with the band paint a vivid picture of a beautifully chaotic scene peopled by colorful, indulgent artists and hipsters in a shimmering New York. The city is a character in its own right; an actor of nearly perceptible intent.

The photos alone are worth the price of admission. They are beautiful and artful records in black and white of the band and the surrounding Factory maelstrom through the most vivid and productive period of their shared existence. Despite the insider access of the photographers, they do little to deflate the Velvet's dark mythology. Rather, they distill perfectly the self-created mythology of the band as they birthed it.

There are great stories here, too, that could only have been told by firsthand participants. They offer rich portraits of the band and supporting cast, with intimate details of the band throughout their existence. From Lou Reed's early influences, to Warhol's insertion of Nico as the band's icy continental seer of doom, to accounts of their wild psycho-sexual art-rock shows, to their uncomfortable role on the fringes of fame, to the deterioration of the relationship between Reed and Cale, this is an essential text for any serious fan of the Velvet Underground.

UP-TIGHT is an invaluable sourcebook for VU fans and those simply curious about the band that inspired their mere 10,000 fans to start 10,000 bands of their own, as the cliche goes. I'm delighted to see that it is back in print.

Bockris wisely lets the participants speak for themselves, for the most part. Since virtually all (save Lou Reed) had retreated from public life (that is, gotten straight jobs) at the time the book was written, they provide a refreshing perspective as compared to what one usually sees in this type of book.

The standard of writing and research here is much higher that your typical 'rock book'. Not only does it give Velvet Underground the serious treatment they deserve, it is also a worthwhile resource for those interested in Andy Warhol.

An intelligent and entertaining approach to one of the most influential (read: they didn't sell a lot of records in their heyday)rock bands ever. Great pix too. The Velvets epitomized a time when artists didn't feel narrowly compelled to practise any ONE discipline, but rather people were less afraid to combine ideas, cross genres and disciplines. The spirit of the time, to me, suggests Possibility. Yes, Warhol et al. could drift into pretention, but that's the price (and it's really not such a costly one) you pay for being daring. You may go too far sometimes, and by today's (stupid?) standards, perhaps some of the VU "happenings" might appear contrived. But I don't think so! Altogether, VU rules. Way ahead of their time, and before it too. And beside it.

Buy this book, but more importantly, buy into the Underground.

Some 20 years after it's first publication, UP-TIGHT remains the definitive history of The Velvet Underground, and is also one of the essential glimpses into the social and creative world of Warhol's Factory.

Very well illustrated, with many black and white photos documenting the era, Bockris compiles and edits an oral history of the time, with valuable input from all of the key players.

Highly recommended for those with any interest in the Velvets, or Warhol, and an essential snapshot of America's 60s cultural landscape.

-David Alston

Having spent my teen years in the late 50s/early 60s and being a big fan of the music from that era I definitely could relate to Dee Dee Phelps story. But truthfully, with the exception of the song "Turn Around", I never got particularly excited about Dick & Dee Dee's catalog of music and I picked up this book imagining that it would be a relatively lightweight piece of fluff. Very quickly I found out that Dee Dee was pulling no punches in describing both the light and the dark side of the 60's music industry and her partner Dick St. John (who comes across as somewhat of an obnoxious egotist). Her accounts of recording sessions and adventures while touring the country by bus with other music notables make for great reading. Highly recommended!

Dee Dee Phelps did a wonderful job on this book and capturing her adventures as a teenager thrusted in the music industry and the ups and downs of touring the world. Great stories thruout the book -- if you love 60's Rock and Roll -- This is a must read! Thank you Dee Dee for telling this wonderful part of Rock and Roll History!

I like this book 'cause I could easily relate to it.... kinda'. Dee Dee is just like me... she is one of us -- a every-day kid growing up in the 50s and 60s. That was me... riding in the car, listening to the music. I could imagine the DJ playing my song. Only Dee Dee din't just imagine it. She did it. It was the beginning of a decade-long ride on the roller coaster of rock and roll. Dick Clark, Quincy Jones, the Beach Boys, Glenn Campbell, Dionne Warwick, Bobby Vinton... Dick and Dee Dee rubbed shoulders with all of them. There were good times and there were bad times. This is her "behind the scenes" story. It's pretty cool.

Vinyl Highway: A Memoir is the true-life story of singer Dee Dee Phelps. Packed with stories that tell both the bright and dark sides of fame, Vinyl Highway relates the experiences of performing with such legends as Dick Clark, The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, and other memorable recording artists of the 60s; Dee Dee's role in creating five Billboard gold records; and her routine as a semi-regular on the ABC show "Shindig". An up-close and personal reminiscence of the thick of the 60's music scene, and a treat for anyone who remembers the sounds of the 60's fondly.

Dan Klein has done it again with the newest of Elvis Presley's sleuthing escapades. In addition to being frightening and funny, this book is also puzzling (some hard-to-solve murders) and alternately touching and cynical. Yes, that's a lot to pack into 264 pages, which is why I'm recommending it. You don't even have to be a die-hard (pardon the pun) Elvis Fan. You just have to know something about him and have heard the songs "Don't Be Cruel" and "Love Me Tender.

Elvis is happy to be back in Vegas after a month in Graceland where Priscilla gave him a hard time because of Ann Margaret. Elvis drops in on insult comedian Howie Pickles' show at the Sahara. Besides irritating Elvis with his irreverent references to the Lord, Pickles unmercifully picks on an obese woman. The other act, Siva Ree's exotic dance with a panther, thrills Elvis who finds he desires the performer.

The next day, Elvis learns that Pickles' victim Mrs. Donaldson was murdered and nailed to the billboard of a chapel (the same one that starred in an Elvis flick). The police arrest the husband of the deceased, but the person who found the corpse Digby Ferguson believes the local cops rushed to judgment. He tries to persuade Elvis to join with him to investigate as he knows the rock legend has experience in solving crimes (see KILL ME TENDER and BLUE SUEDE CLUES).

Though Elvis amateur sleuth takes a long time to begin, fans of the superstar will relish this tale awhile wondering if Daniel Klein had a sighting as the plot brings Presley so vividly to life. The story line engages readers with its insightful look at a complete Elvis to include frustration with movie scripts (Roustabout is the current one) and his complicated love life that is made more complex by Siva. The story is well written, but more for the Elvis guru than the amateur sleuth aficionado.

Harriet Klausner

Without a doubt, Klein's take on Elvis Presely is going to go down in US literary history as one of the most creative and dynamic treatments of the musical icon. The first two books were fantastic, and this third book goes even further in giving the reader a new way to look at the King. As soon as the New York Times and People magazine weigh in with their judgments, Klein's series of Elvis yarns will become part of American literaary culture. Viva La Klein! Can't wait for the 4th and 5th installments, too.

I thoroughly enjoyed this third Elvis mystery novel by Daniel Klein. It follows on the heels of Kill Me Tender and Blue Suede Clues. Elvis manages to be the hero and solves the murders. His character has been drawn so that the real Elvis shines through. Elvis would have loved the character and so will his fans. This particular novel takes place in Las Vegas and includes some very strange murders and some very strange characters. Of course he falls in love with beautiful Shiva who has a young daughter Kali and is accompanied by her black panther. A Don't Be Cruel peace concert is put together and Elvis is in the center of it. The ending is not quite what you would expect. I would recommend that you start with Kill Me Tender and then move on to Blue Suede Clues and finish up with Viva Las Vengeance. There is some slight tie-in in this book with the other books. I am anxiously looking forward to book #4!