Music Books

it's a good book for those that don't know much about the boys. you know, like for those 1st time fans. that's why i got it when i first started liking bsb. it's really helpful for those 1st time fans though. it gives lots of info and has great pictures. i recommend it.

This book is a great BSB book. It has a lot of facts that I didn't know about. It contains info of how each of the boys got together. This is a great book for any Backstreet fan. If you have not read it then you should. It's very interesting. And it's got plenty of pages(152) to keep you reading. Also at the end it has two websites of the Backstreet Boys and a time line. A must have! P.S. It's 3 years old so on some of the info is not tue any more(you know like Kevin and Brian aren't single any more. Because duh they are married!)

This was the very first book I ever read about the BSB besides all of the interviews from those teen mag. like BB and Teen Beat......And I'm glad this is the first one I read it has everything in there that you could ever know. It is worth the money. All the guys have their own chapter all to themselves then they all get together in the final chapters of the book. It is a excellent choice.

BSB lover 4-Ever Alicia From WI KTBSPA!!!

This tops it. All of the books I ever read this one I think is the best. It tells about every backstreetboy. It has instresting facts that really can make you laugh, & sock you. There's topics about Nick, A.j., Brian, Howie, & Kevin. This book is the best yeat & I think all the backstreetboys fans would agree.If anyone wants to talk about Nick just e-mail me!! Thanx.. Love-tracy

This is a great book! if you want all the scoop on your fav guys than this is the book for you! it shows the guys personalities and some of the stuff made me laugh:) i love this book cause it makes it seem like you know them:)

"The Band Never Dances" is an excellent read told in the first person by Judy Valentine, a 16-year-old New York drummer in search of a band to write/play with. Her lyrics are quite moving, in particular "The Girl Inside the Girl," which was inspired by her older brother, Jeffrey, who killed himself three years ago after coining the expression "...the band only plays. It never dances," hence the title of this book and her band's debut CD and single.

Judy spends the duration of the story struggling over her brother's untimely death and trying to find some catharsis through her music and up-and-coming fame in her rock band Wedding Night. At the same time, a love triangle develops between her and one of her band mates (Mark the Music) and Nick Praetorious, the quintessential "bad boy" rock singer they tour with. How this hot-and-cold relationship draws out and concludes is quite satisfying for any romantic. Judy, especially, is a remarkable character--she's extremely bright and independent, and like in the book, other young women will want to be her.

This is one of the best contemporary young adult novels I've read in awhile. It's fast paced, touching and deep, and suitable for the slightly older teen crowd due to some mature themes. In fact, the book seemed to be written from a much older character's point of view than from a 16-year-old's. At times, I couldn't connect her age and actions together, but I loved this book regardless. Recommended.

A magnificient book, although tad childish and naive. The author weaves a beautiful tale of the protagonist Judy, a drummer who recovering fromt eh death ofher brother, is yearning to discover herself through her 'band'. SHe finds this band when she answers mysterious want ad. and meets Strobe, together they assemble this band...Irwin. Maddox and Mark the Music. The descirpitions that the author uses when describing music being made is painfully beautiful. His descriptions of Mark the Music playing the guitar are exceptionally beautiful....leads you to believe the author is a guitarist...The story is very tight and Judy's voyage of discovery, in the company of 'Wedding Night', the band, is told very well. The ending is beautiful...ANyone with music in their hearts will fall in love with this book.

This is one of the most wonderful books from my early adolescence I ever read...it can to me at just the time I needed it and that I will never forget. I felt just like the heroine of the book the whole time... her against the world in a desperate desire to simply make music and find out who she is. Read it...and give it to your teens...

The Band Never Dances is a beautifully written book that captures your heart and makes you become very involved with the characters. Being a musician myself, I fully understood what Judy was dealing with throughout her stuggle in the band, and many people have had tramatic expericences as well. All in all the book seemed to touch on every subject and a very realistic way.

Judy Valentine always hid from life behind her drums. It was always her dream to be part of a rock band, as well as her older brother's dying wish for her. Three years after her brother's suicide, Judy finds her band, Wedding Night. Opening for Nick Praetorious, the hottest act in the country, brings the band national attention and forces Judy at sixteen years old to deal with success, attention, and being idolized while still developing her own identity.

Chinese Handcuffs by Chris Crutcher tells the similar story of a teenage boy named Dillon who also loses his older brother to suicide. Dillon escapes his pain through triathalons, an extreme contrast to Judy's music writing and playing. Crutcher tends to write novels centered around sports because more young people can relate to sports analagies than they can to introspecitve song lyrics. For me, it was nice to read a young adult novel with a storyline that I could relate to rather than merely understand.

"You can give her all your money, till you're totally broke./ You can christen her with diamonds, You can sprinkle her with coke./ But you'll never have her and you'll never know her/ 'cause she's the girl, she's the girl inside the girl."(Pg. 36) Judy "wrote" this song,"The Girl Inside the Girl". Many other full song lyrics are included throughout the book so that one can truly hear the sounds of a Wedding Night concert as well as visualize it. One even begins to understand the rock and roll lifestlye through a teenager's eyes. Once seen from behind closed doors, a rock star's life loses it's luster and glamourous image. Yet, the passion never dies for the music, not for Judy Valentine.

This book was written for "young adults", so it might be a little below an older teen's reading level. However, the storyline is just so unique, I would still recommend it to any music lover.

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.

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.

An interesting tale of how a talented musician struggled to become the best rock artist the world has ever seen. Accompanied by a lot of pictures from his career it's truly a beautiful book.

"On Tour" is the perfect complement/finisher to Marsh's "Two Hearts". It fills in the gaps through the Devils & Dust Tour. The verbage is light & the pictures vivid. Fan or not, it's worth the read. Nothing compares to seeing him live, but it follows the energy as well as it can.

Bought book as a christmas present for my boss who is a Springsteen Fan. He is going to put it on his coffee table with his other favorite rock star books. Great pics....

Purchased as a gift for an all time super fan of Springsteen. He loved the book. A must have for any Springsteen fan.

Dave Marsh is not what you'd call an unbiased journalist. Nor should he be. He is basically the official Springsteen biographer, and his previous books have documented his rise (the first book), then his popular explosion (his second book), which have been collated in the terrific "Two Hearts".
Here, he provides a tour-by-tour analysis/memoir/scrapbook of the career of Bruce Springsteen.

I am a huge Springsteen fan. Just huge. I devoured this book and begged for more.

There are literally hundreds of killer little details that will delight anyone who has seen a Springsteen show. If this book is given to a Springsteen fan who by chance has not yet seen him live, it will make them want to donate a kidney to do so.

The most frequent comments I internally made while reading this tome were "I wish I was there", or " I wish that would come out on CD or DVD", or "That must have been amazing" and usually ending with " I must find a way to get tickets to his next concert!"

No other musician could have a book like this. Many of his beloved onstage stories are reproduced here. Accounts of particularly historic shows (The Bottom Line, The Roxy, Nassau, the Coliseum), guest performers (Ronnie Spector, his mom requesting an encore)...the way he went from band tours to solo shows...

Bottom line (no pun intended) is that this is a mandatory purchase for any Bruce fan!

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!

I've only gotten about a quarter of the way through this book. It has a LOT to offer. It covers lots of different rhythm possibilities while introducing you to various chord voicings and inversions.

It will take me a long time to get through this one, but its worth it. Terrific text.

This is something more for intermediate players though. If you don't know some basic music theory, you could get lost fast.

Larry McCabes's "Complete Rhythm Guitar Guide for Blues Bands" is the best home study music book I've ever purchased. The book addresses sorely needed instruction books for rhythm guitar players. The material is clearly written for a person who has had at least an intermediate level of music theory. The lessons address all of what I've been looking for to increase my level of playing rhythm guitar. I highly recommend the book. Bob B

I have been playing blues in a working band for years. The biggest hole in my playing was chord knowledge and application. This book is money in the bank. It has had an immediate impact in the way I play rythm. I gaurantee everyone will take something from this book. I'm looking forward to hitting this book hard when I'm snowed in.

This will give you more confidence and a greater understanding of how to construct old-school blues progressions. This book is fairly dense and will require quite a bit of time to "soak in". I have found that this book, in conjunction with "Blues You can Use" work well in further advancing my blues skill and knowledge base. Not for beginners, and not a book of "licks you should know".

I have been teaching and arranging for guitar players for a very long time, and one of the problems I repeatedly encounter is the red hot lead guitarist who can't play rhythm worth a bean. I have to explain that even if it's your group, you will spend two thirds of your time playing rhythm. Then I have to convince them that what they are doing is awful, and believe me, it is. The most popular method is what I call "the thrash". The way I make the problem clear to them is to play backup myself while they take a solo. Then I point out that if that kind of rhythm is what they want, THEY have to be able to do it too. Then we start in on Mccabe's book. The Cd's numbers are screwed up, but you can figure it out. (I doubt if the author is responsible) I love this book. Before it came out, I had to do demo tapes to show what to do. Now I just write down the page number. Six weeks of serious work will make you better. Six months of work will make you a lot better, and very popular with your fellow musicians. Make no mistake; this book is aimed at blues and rock. If you are working in that field and play guitar, get this book. If you are working in this field and play some other instrument, you might want to suggest to someone in the group that he buy it. Self defense.

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.

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.