Music Books

This book is the best source of information anywhere regarding Paul's Boutique.

Highly recommended!

poured through it in a couple of days, fantastic read during probably the most 'heady' times of the Boys. enjoy!

LeRoy knocks it out of the park. This book is what all the other books in the series should be. It's packed full of interesting information about before, during and after the making of the album. It's a fun read. Quick and easy. No filler.

I am not much of a Beasties fan. Like some of their music but their voices can drive me nuts at times, truth be told. I don't even own Paul's Boutique. I only bought this book on a lark as I knew the recording techniques forged within this record was a turning point of sorts in music. When I received the text in the post, I picked it up then could not put it down until I finished the entire thing. After that I went directly back to page one and started again from the top.

The book begins in the late 80s and goes until '92 or so. Everyone the author discusses gets treated fairly, whether they deserve it or not. Delicious Vinyl is seen as a sort of west coast magnet for all things creative, though in truth they were a controversial label to say the least. Def Jam is somehow given a pass for not paying The Beasties over a million dollars in royalties after the author finds relevant quotes to show that Russell Simmons was just looking out for the group by stiffing them. The crazy thing is that everything seems so vivid, understandable and believable. It makes you long for those halcyon days when Joe Smith was CEO of Capitol Records but seemed more concerned with Magic Johnson's rebound average than any of his own recording acts. Of course, none of this makes any logical sense at all, but within the context of the book it is proven that some good things actually came out of this upside-down era in music.

Rather than blow the book by revealing some of the sorrid details within it, I will simply say that whether you dig the Beasties or not, Pauls Boutique is worth a read. It is a fascinating story. Perhaps even the great Bob Mack himself could not have told this story any better.

... and then I came here and read the unanimous 5-star reviews and agree with all of them.

There's not much I can add that wouldn't be redundant.

Except to say that "Paul's Boutique" -- one of my favorite albums -- has always kind of been shrouded in mystery. The album may be dense with information, but there's not a lot of background that I could find.

This book changes all that. It is as filled with names and details as the album is full of samples.

From Leroy's very well-reported account, we learn the backstory of the Dust Brothers and the mysterious Matt Dike (long rumored to be the main mastermind behind "Boutique") plus, a sampling of the late 80s L.A. scene from which this album emerged; we meet a host of side players like Mario C and Money Mark, and also the ill-fated exec Tim Carr (whose heart and mind, I'm convinced, where in the right place all along); there's the promotional wrangling that went on at Capitol before the release and after the record flopped; and also what was going on with the three main charcaters -- MCA, Ad Rock and Mike D -- who wanted to derail the locomotive of "License to Ill" and almost got crushed under the cattleguard.

The book tells the story of the album, and at first I thought it kind of scrimped on the background of the recording of the individual songs, but it closes with a finely detailed track-by-track examination that reveals a lot (but not nearly all) of the samples that helped make up one of the richest, coolest, bangingest records ever made.

Pete Best occupies a place in history worthy of a great Shakespearian character. He was the Beatles' original drummer who was sacked in favor of Ringo Starr at the precise moment the band was offered a recording contract by George Martin of E.M.I. Records. Best and co-author Patrick Doncaster tell the whole early Beatles saga, sparing us few details of the carousing, pranks and debauchery, but also imparting the fun, cameraderie, and musical growth of the Fab Four in those heady Mersyside days. I was expecting a fun read when I bought this book, but never expected the haunting, spooky feeling that remained after I finished the last chapter entitled "Down Among the Ghosts." In this short final chapter, Pete describes his emotions today when he wanders down into his mother's basement, the site of the former Casbah Club, one of the original Beatles venues. Here he lets himself travel back in his mind's eye to the rollicking days when Liverpool's musical explosion was going full tilt; and the bands, the screaming girls, the laughter, and dreams of glory were his everyday reality. In these visits, he conjures up the many departed people and former friends who poured downstairs each night. He sometimes takes a few whacks at his little brother's drum kit which sits by the old coffee bar. Then, he lets the cloud of memory evaporate, and climbs back up the stairs as today's Pete Best, a civil-servant living not far from his old home. Really a unique and amazing read!

In a sense Pete Best was a winner of another kind.
He made a succesful marriage for one thing and after 1995 a lot of money.
His recording career in the States came to nothing and yet the songs were typical Merseybeat,mostly written by Waddington and Bickerton who would achieve success in the 70s with a string of hits by the Rubettes.
Also overlooked is the fact that he was the only one of the 1962 Beatles who got a Decca recording contract

Wow. I read this book and enjoyed it immensely. It is the most honest account I have read in years.
Pete Best was with the Beatles during the early sixties, when they had yet to hit the big time. They spent several months in Hamburg, just learning their trade. He was with them through the Cavern Club years and the Decca audition. But just when things started to go right for the band, he was sacked.
Why?
We don't know. Pete says that he still doesn't know after all these years.
You may expect the book to be bitter about the Beatles success - but it isn't. You may expect him to bad mouth the band throughout - but he doesn't. He paints them in a remarkably nice light, that comes across as both honest and believable.
He recounts tales about drugs, drink and girls - and describes the personalities of the big bands they met - Tony Sheridan and Gerry and the Pacemakers for example.
And he also gallently talks about the day he was sacked, and the reasons why he thinks they did it.
The prologue at the end that describes his subsequent career shows that we shouldn't be sorry for him at all... What we wouldn't give to be at the heart of that!

Highly recomending this book for any Beatles Fans.
Anyone who is interested in the early Beatles History
this is a must read....
I finished reading this book in just under two days.
And like another reviewer I also found myself unable to put it down! It just drawns you in.
I came away with a different prospective on Pete,
really not knowing much about him or his life except that he was the original drummer for the Beatles.
I actually bought this book to be autogrpahed as I was going to see him the following week and lucky the book arrived in time..
A must have!!!!!

Just by chance, I picked this book up at a Tower Records, and found myself unable to put it down! Pete Best sounds like a true, honest to goodness gentleman, and I must admit that his firing is by far one of the more seedier, dirtier chapters of Beatle lore. Pete gives excellent insight into these first few years that helped bring rise to Beatlemania. I especially found his story about the George Harrison illness episode to be utterly haillarious! I won't tell anymore about it; read for yourself. The reader is given a very there-as-it-happened feeling. As far as Pete's drumming goes, a Keith Moon he was not, but he did what was required and being a drummer myself, I think the whole thing about not being good enough was a wrong assesment. I was very pleased to read this book and know that Pete has handled himself in his later years very well after the incident involving his being fired from the group. I understand he's now doing the lecture circuit routine. Good for you Pete; you deserve your fair share of acknowledgement; you helped get the Beatles to the level of success they achieved. Highly recommended!

This latest installment of Bruce Spizer's books on the Beatles American Records is another "must-have" for fans and collectors of Beatles records. Informative, entertaining and full of wonderful color pictures is how I can best describe his latest work. This edition contains a wealth of information on so many different label releases. You need this book to document the many official and "unofficial" labels. I went through the book in less than a month. Highly recommended!

I have all of Bruce Spizer's Beatle related books and this final instalment matches all of the others for sheer detail and quality. It's a mind boggling journey through all of the Beatles "other label" US releases and certainly an education for collectors and fans alike. I especially like the "Capitol in The 70's & 80's" chapter covering the various compilation Lp's issued such as "Hollywood Bowl", "Rock & Roll Music" "Reel Music" & "Love Songs"..this completes a "Capitol" loose end.
It's a typically thorough book and sits proudly alongside the other Spizer instalments and the 50+ other Beatles tomes on my bookshelf. Well done Bruce. Very recommended to Beatles fans and Collectors alike.

This and all the other Beatles Books by Bruce Spizer are the absolute best Beatles Books on the planet. They are full of facinating facts, pictures and stories. These books are great history lessons for all fans. Even The Beatles themslves should be thanking Bruce for these books because there is information in these books I am sure they never knew about themsleves or their records in the USA. I suggest all Beatles fans buy Bruce's books.

I was lucky enough to see Bruce Spizer at the 2007 Chicago Beatlefest.
I purchased the book "The Beatles Swan Song" and was very happy that Bruce personally signed the book for me.
This "blooming book" / (i.e a reference to A Hard Day's night)is a must read!!!!!
The book is hard back and the print is very legible (even for my eyes) and the graphics are just lovely.
The content?....let me say this again, "Thank you Bruce, I appreciate your work and research you did."
"THE BEATLES SWAN SONG" book is simply an amazing piece of work!!! VERY HISTORICAL!!!

Mr Spizer is the ultimate Beatle book author.In both content and quality he is outstanding.This book like all the others before it is very helpful and entertaining.

An extraordinary read! I feared that this book was receiving so much praise because blues geeks felt that they had to eulogize the talents of this famed sixties blues promoter. No, it's not hype, this book really does hit new highs in great closeup shots and portraits, woven together with rich and personal tales that describe the crossing of Waterman's path with that of many of the greatest blues musicians ever. Some chapters are touched with sadness, such as the exploitation of Arthur Crudup's royalties (only for Waterman to help secure a rich reward for the family estate shortly after Crudup's death). Others are hilarious, such as the exposure of Robert Lockwood as being perhaps the sweariest bluesman ever. I could go on, but readers deserve to discover these stories for themselves. Albeit to say that the human sides of many famous musicians are exposed here, be they glorious or grim or bizarre. The only other blues read that I know of that gets so close up and personal in text and pictures is perhaps Tim Duffy's from the Musicmaker Foundation, entitled: "Musicmakers: portraits and songs from the roots of america". In fact the two books are complementary because whilst Waterman's subjects are by and large towering figures of the blues who have mostly died by now, Tim Duffy's subjects remain somewhat obscure and undiscovered by the main stream but many are still alive and kicking the blues in a neighbourhood near you.

As a blues enthusiast, I have always found myself looking for the inside stories, the newly discovered photographs or the alternative recordings of the players that literally changed my life 35 years ago when I was in high school. To find that Dick Waterman was a common link among so many of the greatest blues figures of the last century was a revelation. I knew of his relationship to Son House, and will forever speak his name with reverance for bringing him out of Rochester, NY to record again in the 60's. But all these other guys? Dick Waterman, thank you for putting more flesh on to the legends of so many of these guys, most of whom are now gone. I am grateful.

There really are no words to fully describe what a treasure this book is--which is entirely appropriate given that Mr. Waterman himself is an American treasure. Whether you are a hardcore blues fan or a casual listener, the photographs in this book will take your breath away. The stories that accompany them strip away the mythology to reveal the humanity beneath, and leave you looking at these legendary artists through fresh and more honest eyes.

I simply can't recommend this book highly enough. Buy a copy for yourself, and then buy as many as you can for your family and friends. You will not be sorry.

Once I started reading this book, putting it down was impossible. Dick Waterman's stories about the various blues musicians were as impressive as the outstanding photos in the book. It felt like I was pulled inside this incredible book and for a moment felt like I personally knew and was living with these people. The believability of this book was truly enhanced by Dick Waterman's honesty. He truly says it as it is. This book is not only interesting for blues officianados, but also for anyone interested in American history, great photography and captivating stories.

Dick Waterman's photographs are a stunning chronicle of the art and music that are most important to me. Dick calls his photographs products of opportunity and access, but they are far more. I would submit that Dick's "Son House at the Liberty Bell" ranks with the top echelon of 20th century American photographs.

If you have a passing interest in blues or fine photography; you need this book. If you are a fan of the music or the art, you absolutely must have this book.

This book Is original,and It makes everyone feel they have a chance regardless of their situation.

Having seen Dr. Randal Pinkett's impressive performance on "The Apprentice," I was naturally curious about his appearance recently on a television program. (I forget which one.) He was promoting his book "Campus CEO: The Student Entrepreneur's Guide to Launching a Multimillion Dollar Business." Since I need all the help I can get when it comes to building a business, I ordered the book, simply on the strength of my impression of him from "The Apprentice." He seemed like one of the few contestants on that show who ever really listened to other people. He was genuinely interested in where the other person was coming from.

Having received the book, I can say that it is by far the best nuts and bolts start-up business building book that I've ever read. And, since I have such a very powerful offering myself, I need a great deal of help to harness and unleash its power, and so I've read a great deal of books to help me along my path.

Dr. Pinkett's book is filed with vital best practices, some of which I'd already completed, and thus I can say it's just spot on about what to do, in very concrete terms to make a big difference with people who are your clients, and to do so in a way that is profitable. It is filled with both practical and scholarly references so that one can find more in-depth information on just about any of his topics if one should so choose.

I can not recommend this book highly enough for anyone who does not have an MBA and who wants the next best thing.

Sincerely,
José Angel Santana, Ph.D.

"The final frontier may be human relationships, one person to another."
-- Buzz Aldrin, Astronaut

I found this book to be a relatively fast and easy read. First and foremost, Pinkett does a great job of instilling entreprenurial confidence in his student readers. Beyond that, the author ties in his own past experiences well with each chapter. This real world dialog greatly aids in the books overall credibility. While the book does not provide all answers, it does not attempt to. Pinkett gives just enough information to get the reader's wheels turning. From there, the entrepreneur within is supposed to take over. While the contents of the book apply to all business enterprises, the author does a good job of really hammering home the unique opportunities young student entrepreneurs hold (particularly in the later chapters). For aspiring campus start-ups, I would recommend a combination of both Campus CEO and a more comprehensive entreprenurial MBA style of book.

This book is FABULOUS! I am just starting my first business and this book is full of suggestions and strategies on how to make your business a success. He speaks a lot about his own venture, which he started in college, and it got to be the multi-million dollar business it is today. I think the best part about the book is that he gives links and references on where you can put some of his suggestions into action, like finding a mentor, or applying for grants. Of course the book does give info specifcally for students, ie. expanding your business by leveraging one's professors. Overall, the book was great, highly recommend.

As an entrepreneur and teacher of entrepreneurship at the college level, I'm constantly on the lookout for quality materials for students. This book is exceptional. First, it's well written and easy to follow. Second, it's full of practical advice from someone who clearly has an intuitive understanding of the subject matter, as well as the experience of having done it himself. Finally, as noted by other reviewers, Dr. Pinkett's book is inspirational. Campus CEO is a winner and well worth the investment.

Steven K. Gold, M.D.
Author, Entrepreneur's Notebook: Practical Advice for Starting a New Business Venture

I got this for my upcoming lessons in college and so far its great. I play alto sax and its alot of fun to be able to play along with bird. The only thing the book dosen't have is the recordings. Something from his verve years should cover just about everything though, I put a link on here for a cd collection. Theres some stuff that he recorded with savoy as well but most of it should be in the verve collection. The Complete Verve Master Takes Its some great stuff and the transcriptions are great. highly recommended

The transcriptions are spot on and a huge time saver for anyone who wants to learn Bird's patterns and doesn't have the proper equipment or time to transcribe em' his/herself. I learn more and more through this book every day. It's absolutely worth transcribing pieces on your own sometimes but to get a collection of this magnitude, and accurate as it is, would be really time-consuming. This Eb version is a necessity for any serious jazz alto players - personally i think the some version of it should be in EVERY MUSICIAN'S library.

Whether you are a saxophonist trying to follow bird' s steps or a pianist wnting to improve your reading and improvisational skills, this book is a true jewel.

If you want to play great bebop lines, you immitate the master. If there is a better way to immitate the master than working this book on the metronome, I haven't encountered it yet. This book has become the standard for Bird transcriptions. If you're serious about playing bop, you won't be disappointed by this book.

Man, if Bird was god, then this is sure is the bible. If you got a horn, this is all you need, the only way to learn fully is to play Birds solos. Buy it and you'll never put your horn down.

I bought this for my husband for Father's Day from our 2 year old "Cinderella". Both father and daughter love the song and the book is precious. The sentiment is so much greater, knowing of the loss of Maria Chapman, one of the daughters of the writer/performer. I recommend this item for all daughters and daddies!

I had everything Steven ever put out - but Maria's death prompted this purchase.

It's lovely. I'm glad it joins the other stuff in my SCC collection.

In light of the recent tragedy of this family I felt compelled to purchase this book. It's a beautifully written and illustrated book that would be an awesome gift from "Daddy" to his "Princess" on her wedding day or even when her engagement is announced. I would recommend this book to everyone who is a daddy.

This is a wonder book & CD. I would recommend it to anyone.
It is great for that busy Dad.

Shortly after hearing that the composer's five year old daughter died, I heard this song on the radio. It touched my heart in a very special way. This book/CD was purchased as a gift to my son on his 1st Father's Day. My son had tears in his eyes when he danced around the room with his 5 month old baby girl. Everyone else loved it too!

this is not only a book about an era in the beginning of the career of bruce, but a book about friendship as well. very nice photos. i recommend it to bruce fans

1978 was a key moment in Bruce Springsteen's career, and Frank Stefanko was there to capture it in black and white. In these photos, you see a rock star breaking out, but still struggling and working his [tail] off. Stefanko had not even heard the Darkness album when he took the photos that would lead to its cover (and the cover of The River), but he captured the mood and the tone perfectly, of both the music and the musician. Even if you're not into photo books, if you have an interest in Springsteen, do yourself a favor and get this book.

This book engrosses you from the moment you start reading you cant stop.I am giving this book to my clients and friends as it makes the perfect gift for Bruce Springsteen fans.I was also very moved by Authors tribute to his late wife Sheila and feel there may be another story there Frank ?

Just thought everyone would like to know that the cover photo was taken in front of Frank's Men's Hairstyling on Kings Highway in downtown Haddonfield, New Jersey!

This is a wonderful book. The photographs are uniformly compelling and insightful, as is the text. The reader is treated to a rare, unvarnished glimpse of an American hero about to "burst like a supernova." The images are timeless, and harken back to a simpler, perhaps more poignant time -- before MTV and the Internet changed the way we obtained and enjoyed our music. The author's spare text is thoughtful without being intrusive; a perfect compliment to the compelling images that accompany it. The text conveys a straightforward warmth and appreciation for the author's subject that are both refreshing and inspiring. This is a book to pore over, savor, and return to. Thank you, Frank, for sharing your gift -- and thank you, Bruce, for recognizing his genius, and for allowing us a little glimpse of yours.

This is a wonderful book of popular songs in Spanish, which my triplet boys latched onto immediately. The songs are very engaging, and each page has lovely artwork. I speak Spanish, and my boys were born in Spain. I have been trying very hard to help them maintain a little Spanish, and this book has been very helpful. It doesn't come with a CD, but you can easily learn the tunes of the songs if you know how to read music. And even if you only speak rudimentary Spanish, I think it's possible to learn the songs and enjoy them.

This book quickly became the boys' favorite bedtime routine. I hear them singing the songs during the day as well. I highly recommend it.

I love the colorful pictures in this book and that it has music to all of the songs. It is a wonderful book and my baby loves when I sing to him!

Beautiful pictures, and easy-to-follow tunes. A must-have for anyone who has children whom they are introducing to Spanish, and very useful for us adults as well!

My family enjoys this CD a lot. Mr. Orozco has a wonderful voice to listen to and the lyrics are fun and interesting. One song "Paz y Libertad" is emotionally touching. It is easy to learn Spanish listening to these elegant songs. I bought the other CD, Diez Deditos as a gift for a friend's family and they like that CD too.

This is an excellent book full of poems and songs. All are beatifully illustrated. Our 2 1/2 year old spends a lot of time just looking at the pictures and humming the tunes. Songs are easy to learn, fun to sing, and many have hand signs.

This book of songs is really helpful whether you are trying to emmerse your child in Spanish (as we are), or just exposing your child to a different culture and sounds.

P.S. Don't forget to buy the companion CD!

great book, great read. perfect for the coffee table, or the bathroom for your guests to go "wtf kinda stuff do you read?"

This is Saul Williams but it is not a book of poetry. It is well written and I would recomend it to anyone who likes Saul Williams, poetry, hip hop or both.

Saul Williams, hip-hop's so-called "poet laureate," can comfortably add "hip-hop mystic" to his résumé with this collection of excellent poetry. His rhymes drip with the religious symbolism of ancient Mystery cults (most notably, Isis) as he journeys with the reader on a path to self-discovery, spiritual fulfillment, and ethical reasoning. In hip-hop Williams sees ancient drums and chants, camp-fire storytellers whose power has been hijacked by capitalist greed, materialism, defeatism, and chauvinism. He teaches through twistable and irresistible verse that the power of history's lessons and thought can change worlds by changing words.

I admit that I am not a hip-hop fan, per say. I do enjoy a select few artists (Williams included), and have studied African American history/culture, so I was not entirely unfamiliar with the themes/issues of this book. I am, however, a lover of poetry, truth, and vulnerable strength, which Saul Williams encapsulates perfectly. Truly, one need not know much about hip-hop to appreciate this book. No matter one's musical preference or cultural background, Williams speaks truth, and therefore can be embraced by all. "Word is bond."

i've written tons of academic papers (including my current thesis) on williams; his work is unbelievable and should be taught everywhere. his attempt to uplift hip-hop is honorable and appreciated.

I first heard about this book on a message board (I think it was the one from DaveyD.com) and I really enjoyed reading the publisher's excerpt, and it was just the introduction. With it, I didn't know how to take it. Whether it was truth or just a very well worded story from Saul Williams. Either way, I could feel the vibe of Hiphop Kulture coming from it. So of course, I went out and bought it.

I was blown away.

I first heard of Saul from the book ", said the Shotgun to the Head." So I already thought I knew what to expect. But I was completly blown away by the deepness of these poems. Whether really taken from a strange manuscript in an old spray can or just a way to publish his own poems about Hiphop's preservation of love, peace, and unity, this was great. I recommend it for anyone who like poetry, spoken word, rap music, or just books. Very good.