Music Books

This is one of the best drum books for drum set available today, hands down. It basically has a list of patters to be played over ostanado patterns (that is, ones that do not change). It starts simple, with quarter notes, and by the end of the book, its highly syncopated 16ths and whatnot. Very challenging, but it' the type of book that will really, really help anyone develop their creative mind with the kit. Most importantly, this is NOT one of those 'play through and then throw into the closet' kind of books. NO!! This book can be used for entire careers endlessly. It's like Stick Control. It's a bible of a book, it's to be interpreted not just read and played! This book will separate the men from the boys!! Buy it now!!

gary's approach to the drums uses exercises which are both musically and technically challenging. begin by singing the click track while playing the first system...right from the start you'll realize how much room there is for improvement. if practiced carefully with a click while singing all of the parts, the improvement in your playing will be tremendous. i had the good fortune to have experienced this process first hand while studying with Gary back in the 80's. it is a sure way to ramp up your focus and independence. guys like kenny aronoff, danny gottlieb, and dave weckl used this method as a launch pad for their own creativity...

I'd recommend this book for any intermediate to advanced drummers. It's too involved for beginners. It does get a little to academic at times, but those areas still build skill even if you'll never use the pattern. The ideas in this book are also good for exercises that are not mentioned. Really, Chester has only scratched the surface of what is possible with his concepts. With a little imagination, one could work out of this book for years.

This book does indeed assist drummers to building their own creativity. Take heed, this book can be difficult and one will need patience, persistence, and passion in order to get through it. The use of "Book with CD" can be misinterpretted as a CD with sampled grooves; the CD is an interview with Gary Chester, the author of the book. It is a raw cut, so the volumes aren't equalized.

If you're serious about drums, or seriously need to grow as a drummer, this book is for you.

This book is loaded with excercises that will dramatically improve limb independence - it's not easy stuff! Also, it's not really a play-along kind of book where you'll immediately apply the patterns to your playing - so if you're just looking to pick up some cool beats and fills, you should look elsewhere. Now, if you're into buckling down and honing your chops, then this is definitely a book you should consider!

Wow! What an amazing book filled with the most beautiful pics ever! Also has a few inspiring quotes. All NKOTB fans should own this one.

This book is filled cover to cover with beautiful photographs of the fabulous five on stage, off stage, awake and asleep. This book is filled with seriousness and silliness. Lynn Goldsmith has managed to capture the very essence of these men. It's more than a documentary. She's managed to illustrate where they come from, where they're going and who they are. Even if you're not a NKOTB fan you can appreicate the beauty of these photographs.

This is one of the most exciting books ever published on the New kids! The pictures really share the most intament experiances the boys went threw! Pictures are the most wonderful part of the book!

A must have book for any New Kids Fan. This book contains some of the most incredible pictures I have ever seen. Lynn Goldsmith captures the guys in there own way. Their Real Selves!

A+

I am an adult and I am still and always will be an NKOTB fan! This book is great! The pictures are the best one's I have seen! This book is a must for any NKOTB fan new or old! Iam very proud to own this book!

A very interesting book that will rattle the chains of any self respecting "Baby Boomer" with rock n roll memories from the 50's and 60's! Being in the middle of this target group: (Class of "67"/BEHS), I enjoyed this book immensely! Warning: do not give these quizes to anyone born after : 1960! They will give you a blank stare! :-)

This is a "fun" book to read. filled with lots of information that even a casual rock & roll fan might be expected to know . It's a book of quiz's and i have to admit i was REALLY surprised at how much i just didn't know or remember. But, a word of warning,don't write your answers in the book if you intend to let a friend (or 2) take the quiz's after you, use a scratch pad instead. The Oldies Music Aptitude Test is very reasonably price and certainly fun to read.....dale

My Boomer friends and I had a ball with this book - and then the kids wanted to 'play', too. Now my kids (30-somethings) grew up with my music for their lullabies and their lives in general. Imagine my chagrin to discover that these former 'Sesame Street residents' actually did better than we Boomers, in some cases! It was no consolation that they had learned it from me. As my son put it, "A test is a test, so stop crying and lose like an adult". It could have been worse - he COULD have called me a 'grown-up'. Sigh. Bring the generations together with these questions about the greatest era in music. Just check your ego at the door. Thanks, Barb, for a wonderful trip down memory lane. And next time we 'adults' play, we'll be sure to keep the kids locked out of the house!

There had to be something to all the praise over at Oldiesmusic.com about this book. So I bought it and now I understand. This is one truly different and fun trivia book. You know all those "multiple-guess" (yawn!) trivia books? Thankfully, this isn't like those at all! This one has funny categories and it's actually humorous! There are clever cartoons too that oldies lovers will really appreciate. Just take a look at the cover art, hahaha!

Spread the word, this is a super fun book and why it's not available in "real" bookstores is beyond comprehension. My college reunion is coming up and I'll bring this along with my lava lamp and Desiderata poster to set the mood. ;->

Best $... I ever spent on a trivia book, I must say!

Hohoho

I consider myself to be a bit of a trivia buff, from history to TV to music. At least I did before I got this book. Barb Jastrab has assembled a set of "tests" within the book to help you determine whether you are a "player" or a "pretender" in the world of trivia. Once you begin, you can't stop! It's funny, it's enlightening, it's humbling, and it's full of "DUH I should have known that" moments. Challenging and fun, well balanced.

I do have one complaint, Ms. Jastrab. You are responsible for eight hangovers this past weekend.

Your book and an eggtimer became the fodder for a drinking game of sorts after an otherwise civilized dinner party. Yes, I know better, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. Anyway, at my age, I suffer a bit more than I did in my youth after such foolishness.

We have all agreed that next time we do this, we'll play for orange juice. But play again we must! Thanks for a great book and a fun challenge.

This is the greatest book I ever seen. It' a complete guide for film and tv scorig. It analyses every aspects and tasks of the film music production for a composer. From the spotting to the business... It explains very clearly the concepts, also with a lot of quotations from today's most famous film composers, editors, executives, producers, directors... (more than 100 professionals have contributed with quotations to this 'bible'). There are many many printed score examples. It is very up to date, with modern films examples, and there's also a chapter concerning digital music composition. I've copied the whole contents pages, so you can see this book professionality.

Just don't care about the price, it's really a great investment. I was in doubt to buy it for the price, but when I've opened it I've realized that my money was spent in a great way.

CONTENTS
of On the Track by Fred Karlin and Rayburn Wright

Foreword by John Williams
Preface to the First Edition
Preface to the Second Edition
Acknowledgments for the First Edition
Acknowledgments for the Second Edition
Introduction
How iv Use This Book

I PRELIMINARIES

1 The Filmmaking Team
Meeting the Filmmakers. The Director. Communicating with the Director. Support and Guidance. Two-Way Dialogue between Director and Composer. The Producer. The Producer's Power. Communicating with the Producer. The Film Editor. The Music Editor. Music Executives and Supervisors.

2 The Script, Meetings, and Screenings
The Script. The First Meeting before Screening the Film. The First Screening. First Cut, Fine Cut, and Assembly. The First Discussion after Screening the Film. Composing before the Film Is Finished.

3 Role Models and Temp Tracks
Specific Film Scores or Cues as Role Models. Specific Film-Scoring Styles Used as Role Models. Specific Classical Pieces or Styles Used as Role Models. The Composer's Use of Role Models. Evoking a Role Model Inadvertently. Role Models and Plagiarism. Temp Tracks. Music Editors and Temp Traclcs--How It's Done. Why Filmmakers Use Temp Tracks. How Composers Work with Temp Tracks.

4 Spotting the Film
Talking It Over. Making Decisions. When To Use Music. Starting a Cue. Ending a Cue. Short Cues, Transitions, and Long Cues. The Importance of the Acting. The Director Communicates. Spotting Notes and Timing Notes. Changes in the Spotting after Scoring. Score Lengths.

5 Budgets and Schedules
Cost Factors. Figuring Costs. Working with a Smali Budget. Scoring Union or Nonunion. The Assumption Agreement. Working with the Contractor. Composing Fees. Budget Estimates. Time to Compose. Copying Time.

II CONCEPTUALIZING

6 Developing the Concept
Characterization. The Central Character. The Singie Dramatic Theme. Two Dramatic Themes. Ethnic/Geographic Considerations. Musical Styles. Combining Two or More Stylistic Elements. The Process of Elimination. Scores for Study.

7 Demonstrating the Score: Mockups and Electronics
Electronic Mockups. Mockups for Communication. Changes.

III TIMINGS
8 Timings and Clicks I
Free Timing. Using Clicks and Clock. Metronome Equivalents. When Timings Don't Sync. Requirements on Extremely Accurate Hits. Ritards, Fermatas, Accelerandos.

9 Timings and Clicks II
Music Editors. Cut Back Cues and Split Chases. Tempo and Mood Changes within Cues. Meter Changes within Cues. Timings with a Calculator. Using Videorecorders, Digitized Video and SMPTE Time Code. Drop-Frame or Non-Drop-Frame? Avoiding Confusion in Math Problems. Hardware and Software.

IV COMPOSING
10 Playing the Drama
Audience Expectations. Don't Tip the Story. Tone. Main Titles. Whose Point of View to Play? Playing the Overview. Playing What the Scene is Really About. Getting Inside the Character's Feelings. Playing the Environment or Location. Playing the Situation. How Intensely to Play the Drama less Is More/Understating the Drama. Avoiding Emotion. De-emphasizing a Scene. The Power of Silence. Playing through the Drama. Phrasing the Drama. Hitting the Action. Highlighting. Red Herrings. Scoring the Film Like a Ballet. Underscoring the Dialogue. Scores for Study.
11 Genres and Source Music
Genres. Action. Comedy. Documentaries. Historical and Period. Horror. Source Music. Interweaving Source and Score. Scores for Study.

12 Composing
Creative Considerations: Work Process. Intuition and the Subconscious. Writer's Block. Preparation. Planning the Score. Organizing the Score. Unity and Variety. Research. Tempo or Pulse. Personal Taste and Style. Beginning the Sketch.

13 UsingMelody
Motifs. Multiple Motifs. Unaccompanied Melody. Two-Voice Texture. Giving the Melody Character. Adapting a Theme. Hit Records. Scores for Study.

14 Using Harmony
Harmonic Languages. Harmony Resulting from Linear Writing. Harmonic Pedal Point and Ostinatos. Using Harmony for Characterization. Using Harmony as a Theme. Tension. Scores for Study.

15 Using Rhythm
Tempo and Pulse. Sketching the Rhythms. The Percussion Section and Electronics. The Orchestra as Rhythm. Rhythm as a Thematic Idea. Rhythmic Ostinatos. Uneven and Changing Meters. Polyrhythms. Scores for Study.

16 Using Orchestration
Characterizing the Film's Dramatic Theme. Suggesting Locale with Color. Symphonic Orchestration. Fresh Sounds and Interesting Combinations. Change the Color, Change the Emotion. Orchestral Effects. Smail Budgets. To Orchestrate or Not to Orchestrate? Sketches. MIDI Sketches. Transposed or Concert Pitch-Scores? The Art of Orchestration. The Composer/Orchestrator Relationship. Orchestrating from MIDI Sketches. Using Synths and Orchestra Together. Typical Orchestra Setups. Know the Instruments. Short Cuts. Orchestration Schedules. Changes. Other Practicalities. The Business Aspects of Orchestration. Scores for Study.

17 Technical and Practical Considerations
Technical Considerations. Streamers. Recording. Practical Considerations. Preparing to Record. Save Your Music. Checklists.

V RECORDING
18 Recording: The Scoring Stage
The Scoring Stage. Underscoring, Prerecording, and Set Recording. Scoring Primarily or Completely with Electronics. Prerecording Electronic Tracks. Prerecording Acoustic Tracks and Soloists. Planning. The Mixer. Producing the Music. Conducting. Conducting Aids. Film Sound. Recording Format. Headset Mixes. Rehearsal Protocol. Creative Responses. Working with the Director. Changes on the Scoring Stage. Recording. Working with the Mixer. Playbacks. Overdubbing (Layering or Stacking). Prerecording an On-Screen Performance. Time Pressures on the Stage. Recording Away from Home. Timing Corrections while Recording. Postmixes and Sound Processing. Using Samples in Final Mix. Remixing for a Soundtrack Album.

19 Dubbing: The Final Mix
The Composer on the Dubbing Stage. The Dubbing Stage and the Participants. Preparing the Music for Dubbing. Predubbing. The Music Mixer. Dubbing Stage Sound. First Adjustments during the Mix. Overail Music Levels. Changing/Losing Cues. As the Director Sees It. Dubbing Stage Protocol. Dubbing with Dialogue. Losing a Score. Dubbing Schedules. Previews. Scores for Study. VI ELECTRONIC AND CONTEMPORARY SCORING

20 Using Electronic Music
Electronic Instruments as Acoustic Re-creations. Electronic Instruments for Unique Sounds. Blending Electronic and Acoustic Instruments. Scoring with Electronics. Recording Electronic Music. Scores for Study.

21 Using Contemporary Music
Using Contemporary Rhythm Sections. Contemporary Scores. A Closer Look at Three Contemporary Scores. Scoring with a Solo Artist. Scoring with a Group. Contemporary Source Music. Scores for Study.

22 Scoring for Television
Television Series. Main Titie Themes. Composing. Working with the Producers. Dubbing. Scoring with Orchestra. Scoring Long Form. The Use of Songs. Television!Film Differences.

VII SONGS
23 Musicals and Prerecording
Prerecording (Prescoring). Prerecording Grease and Fame. Postrecording (Postscoring). The Classic Musicals and Beyond.

24 Songs
The Functions of a Song. Content. Songwriting Collaboration. Syncing the Lyric to the Visuals. Rewriting, or Writing Another Song. Demonstrating the Song. The Artist. Hits and Big Business. Footloose: An Origina1 Compilation Song Score. Yentl: An Origina1 Song Score by One Team of Writers.
VIII THE BUSINESS
25 The Business
Getting the Job. Moving from Television to Films. Demos. Being Heard. Agents. Film and Television Deal Points. Commercials. ASCAP and BMI. Music Budgets. Licensing. Soundtrack Albums. Music and Business.

Epilogue. On the Track
The Interviewees and Authors
Appendix A. Study Assignments
Appendix B. Footage/Timing Conversions
Appendix C. Calculator Methodfor Timings
Appendix D. Drop-Frame
Glossary
End Notes
Bibliography
Web Sites
Music Excerpts
Index

This book is perfect for people who is interested in filmscoring, discussing every aspect of filmcomposing that you need to know about. It`s the best I`ve read so far.

This book is a MUST for everybody who is involved in the film industry (composers, producers, directors, film and music editors, etc...) and wants to know the insides of composing film scores:

It has many examples, references, quotes and the expertise of such a great composer as Karlin is.

Wanna be serious in this business, must get it.

It's worth buying it.

Fred Karlin and his orchestration teacher Rayburn Wright both passed away but their spirit comes alive through the pages of this book. Fred's love for film music and to impart fledgling composers to imbibe the intricacies of film music composition is well documented and presented and is current with examples of cues from movies till 2002 in the 2nd edition of the book. Fred's reverence for film composers is both inspirational and exhaustive and reveals what a brilliant human being he was. This world and the music community needs people like this who have taken their chosen art form and has the good heart to share that information which is hard earned to let other men take lead and become CAUSE over their own vistas of expression in film music. Fred is BRILLIANT AND ALIVE. It is inevitable that you can't help but think of him with gratitude and call out to him and say THANK YOU. These are the people who can bring about changes in the field of film music education and the evolution of man in general by helping us create better art. This is the Veda of Film Scoring. Its that good.

This is a great book to add to your collection and to improve your technique and knowledge of film scoring. it's worth the price!

I first saw this dvd when I was a teenager...my aunts all loved it and shared it with my mom and I. We "borrowed" the vhs tape from my aunt for about 3 years and watched it over and over! :) I just watched it again today and I love it even more. I've never been the same since I saw this video! It took my breath away and inspired me in so many ways. Its soo sooo beautiful! And the different international locations and local people make it that much more enriched. It shows how music is a universal language and unites us all. A great dvd to own! I recommend it a million times over! It's stunning.

This work is a musical and visual experience of the highest caliber. I highly recommend it. It is filmed in various international locations and shows how music is a gateway to different cultures. At the same time, and seemingly paradoxically, music is shown to provide a common language for the various cultures.

We liked this work so much that we purchased a second copy and had it delivered as a gift.

My life has not been the same since I first saw this performance on PBS. I taped it off-air; then when it came out on VHS I bought ten copies to give to friends. The DVD makes it more beautiful to see and hear and easier to find specific sections.

About a year after I first saw it I had a chance to meet the violinist, Lorenza Ponce, who, in my opinion, is the centerpiece of the whole production. Her playing of the violin, her singing and her presence are absolutely incredible. She is a wonderful person to talk to and has her own web site and has made a number of CD's.

had it been more performance oriented, as John Tesh claims it to be. Instead all we have here are travel music videos in the MTV tradition of lip-syncing and other audio tricks. One would have expected more of a serious approach to a serious topic, instead we have grown-ups pretending to be playing when they really aren't. And when we do hear them at the end of one song, they sound really bad.

I got mine used so I don't feel so bad, but I wouldn't recommend this if your looking for real musicmanship.

What's good about this DVD? Excellent picture, sound, great visuals. If that's all you want, then you'll be happy.

I totally enjoyed the concert, the locations, the presentation, and the way the talent was showcased. John is unselfish about "allowing" the other musicians to be spotlighted, and as well as thoroughly enjoying the orchestral participants, I enjoyed all the others as well. The young Irish dancers were splendid! Robert Mirabel is a master of his genre, and the sequence on the mountaintop was most enjoyable. I became an instant fan of the incredibly talented Lorenza Ponce, and have purchased both her CDs. The sound quality is glorious - all in all, worth having in any DVD/sound library unless you just don't like music that sounds and FEELS good!

I had this when I was a child (20 years ago) and I learned how to play almost everything in it, as well as how to improvise according to the song's key and play blinding legato runs. I recently bought it again and am digging into this classic once more because it is so worth it.

I'm 25 and have been playing guitar for about 14yrs. I started out playing electric and was motivated to play like Randy from the start. Before I ever even picked up a guitar I always dreamed and wondered "What if I could sound like that?" refering to Randy on the Tribute album, truley a masterpiece performance/recording. I was young and ambitious and wanted to sound just like him. When I found Wolfe Marshall's transcriptions I fell in love. Marshall was the best for me and my guitar playing developement during those early days because he showed me how to model my playing style after that of Randy's. Through Marshall I learned Randy better than I could ever imagine learning Randy without Marshall. Truley a great book. Now after having impressed many o' college coed and friends with some awsome guitar playing and feel I have Randy & Marshall to thank. Really what come's out in my playing more than even skill (which you will learn) is the feel for the music. There is true feeling in Randy's playing and if you honestly make the effort to learn you can become a really good player because you will feel the music. Sounds wacky but I don't know how else to explain it. You will certainly see smiles on peoples faces when you play not so much because you can play (really good if you study hard) but because people will know you are enjoying yourself pushing yourself emotionally to your limits through your instrument. Randy's inspiration makes that possible ONLY IF YOU PRACTICE AND APPRECIATE HIS STYLE. Good luck to any begginer choosing to take on this book and this masterpiece...take it serious and you'll have something with you for the rest of your life that will make your life that much nicer, guitar skills and guitar heart. Only works if you really feel like you can be a great guitarist...push yourself with this book!

Helpful hint: listen to the album if you get stuck at any point while reading the book and feel like you need clarity at any point during a song. Usually by listening to the record you'll go "Oh that's what marshall meant here". Marshall will tell you and Randy will show you...great way to learn!

His songwriting (yes, Randy's songwriting cause Ozzy hasn't written anything close to what was on 'Blizzard' and 'Diary' since!) was clearly GENIUS!!! Randy's solos challenged your music theory knowlege and technique. Then he would touch your heart too with his SOLO'S. Kind of telling you what kind of person he was!!! A genuine one, a nice one (obviously INTELLIGENT AS WELL). Someone dedicated to music. NO ONE HAS COME CLOSE SINCE. AS A WORKING MUSICIAN IN ANOTHER GENRE I WILL TELL YOU THAT RANDY HAD A FEELING IN HIS PLAYING NO ONE WILL EVER DUPLICATE!!! He took that polka dot flying V and MADE PEOPLE REMEMBER BUDDY GUY!!!! Hell, I bet Chuck Berry is proud of him too!!! DO YOU REALLY KNOW ABOUT GUITAR? DO YOU KNOW THAT CHUCK BERRY IS THE KING OF ROCK AND ROLL!!!! DO YOU KNOW THAT "JOHN LENNON" SAID THAT IF ROCK AND ROLL HAD ANOTHER NAME, IT WOULD BE "CHUCK BERRY"? I JUST LOVE MUSIC PERIOD, I GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE.....

MR. RANDALL RHOADS THIS WORLD SORELY MISSES YOU AND YOUR TALENT!!!!

I'm 26 and play guitar, and I have to say that Rhoads was the best of the best..the only guy that comes close in my opinion is Zakk Wylde.

Dimebag Darrell, Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen and Stevie Ray Vaugn also come to mind,,,but Rhoads is my favorite..I dont have this book but I have the album..I wish I had the privlidge of seeing him perform live

I was lucky enough to grow up watching Randy play weekends at the Starwood on Santa Monica Blvd with Quiet Riot. The guy is still the best I have ever heard and this "Randy Rhoads Tribute" truly rocks. Sorry everyone, if you never saw the skinny dude with his polka dot bow tie live, this is the best you can do!

Very efficient with delievery and a book in excellent condition. I thank you .Our son reads alot and we were pleasently surprised in ALL areas of this transaction.

I am a new fan of the clash and just fell in love with them one day. Wanting to know more about this band, I bought this book and was blown away!! I honestly couldn't put the thing down. It really gives an insightful history of the band and really made me like them even more. If you love the clash this book is worth every cent. Buy it!!!

I just got it a week ago. I CANNOT put it down. Well written and a lot of great facts that I never knew about. For example: Did you know that Joe Strummer's first guitar was actually originally owned by Pete Townshend?

A great,detailed and thorough history of The greatest Punk band ever. This is a MUST READ for anyone interested in the origin of contemporary rock music. The author delves into the personal history of the band members from childhood on. Pat Gilbert obviously has a passion for The Clash as every band today should and probably does. This book is an amazing overview, easy to read and impossible to put down. I bought this for myself but my 14yr. old son "permanently borrowed" it from me, reading it like crazy(he's not fond of reading) and I couldn't be happier.
Thank you Pat Gilbert for writing this awesome book!!!!!

This review applies to the 2004 hardcover edition. I knew a reasonable amount about The Clash before reading this book but the author here opened my eyes to a number of things and helped to confirm some of my ideas and reject others.

This is an academic book in the sense that any university sociology or history department type would or should respect the high standard of scholarship here - painstaking research involving interviews with a large number of band friends, business associates and childhood and youth buddies - and objective and intelligent analysis throughout. Although the research is detailed and Gilbert takes the subject matter seriously, the writing is still lively and captivating.

The book first traces the childhoods, youth days and former bands of all members individually which is fascinating and well researched. A lot of this information would be new to even the diehard fans. It's fascinating to read about and see a picture of Mick Jones' gran's 18th floor council flat in South London overlooking the Westway - where Mick "practised daily in my room" according to the song Stay Free. We also get to learn about Mick's close friend, also written about in Stay Free, who in real life did serve time for a bank robbery offence.

The art-school beginnings and the "squatting days" in early 1970s London (living in vacated houses under the Westway without paying rent) and the members' pre-Clash bands are well documented. Overall, Gilbert does an excellent job in helping the reader recreate in his/her mind the world of 1970s South London where the Clash story was played out. That is one of the book's great strengths in my opinion.

The book demolishes some punk myths, but keeps others alive. Firstly, the book demolishes the cherished idea that The Pistols and The Clash were working-class lads who met up, decided to form a band, and sing about social and political topics. There is some element of truth in that idealised view. However, the bands' respective managers, Malcolm McLaren of The Pistols and Bernie Rhodes of The Clash, clearly manufactured the bands to a certain extent based on their personal visions of what they wanted to achieve. Joe clearly understood this and was willing to co-operate with Rhodes to achieve common goals - but Mick was less supportive, being more of a traditional old-time rocker.

Gilbert clearly describes the social changes affecting Britain in the late 70s - the rise to power of the Thatcher right-wing government and the first wave of West Indian immigrants into London (and especially Brixton). We see how all band members had a genuine and sincere desire for racial harmony - they were fascinated by Jamaican reggae music and later New York hip hop. The bands' involvement in anti-racism gigs and sharing the stage with acts such as Bo Diddley and Micky Dread were extremely influential in contributing to the unity of the streets.

Another Clash myth that the book does not debunk but strengthens is their closeness to the fans and genuine warmth they felt towards the fans and vice-versa. However, the bitter infighting and bad vibes involving Joe, Mick and Paul often seemed to take the joy out of their lives and the book exposes this fully. It ultimately led to Mick's sacking at the hands of Joe, Paul and Bernie.

Other highlights are detailed descriptions of the recording sessions that led to each album and brief song-by-song descriptions (however, the focus on the actual music is fairly brief - the book is more a study of people and society).

Producer Guy Stevens' drunken chair-smashing antics during the London Calling sessions are hilariously recounted. His crazy energy probably contributed to the eclectic joy that London Calling produced. The details of the football games during the London Calling sessions are also interesting. The orange mohawked Japanese guys they met playing football in the London park - who knew every note of every Clash song (and Joe's cynical reaction to them, in contrast to the other band members) - also is humorous in my opinion.

Lastly, we are also are given a rare insight into The Clash Mark II. The three young band members who replaced Mick and Topper are all interviewed. Naturally they were dissapointed with certain aspects of the Mark II experience - but they don't seem bitter and it doesn't seem that they were treated totally badly (at least not by the band - by Bernie Rhodes maybe). In my opinion "This is England" (from 1985) ranks in The Top 3 Clash songs of all time. Good to get an insight into this less-publicised and once-denied stage of the band's existence. It almost makes me want to go out and buy Cut the [...]!!

I enjoyed my trip to the world of South London that Gilbert offered and South London became a better place I'm sure due to the huge influence of Joe, Mick, Topper and Paul. Stay free...

See also my soon to be published paper:
James, K. (forthcoming). "'This is England': Punk Rock's Realist/ Idealist Dialectic and its Implication for Critical Accounting Education", Accounting Forum, doi:10.1016/j.accfor.2008.01.002 (available at www.sciencedirect.com or by contacting me at kieran_james@yahoo.com (Kieran James)).

Someone had left this on the seat in the Red Line when we got stuck the better part of an hour on the bridge. There is a limit to how long you can sit and look at MIT so I began reading it.
It seemed to be a pretty quick book, the kind you would hide behind on the subway to avoid any kind of contact with the other passengers. But I ended up reading the whole thing, finishing late that night while my upstairs neighbor was dancing to a Bruce Springsteen CD.
I cannot describe the sense of grief I had after finishing this book. Taking Merlin Black's (i.e. Miles Davis) final affair as its starting point, the author picks up various points in the trumpeter's life, using psychological rather than plot connections to explain who this man really was. Talk about an anti-hero! And yet you accept Merlin's sleaziness as his natural condition, rather like dealing with a life-long disease. It becomes impossible to judge him.
I would highly recommend this book.

This was really like a videocam on somebody's private life. Just that it gets turned on and off randomly. It makes sense, if you just keep in mind that this guy is never up to any good, whatever he's doing.

This book is an interesting life story. I felt that the author had valid points to make about the character, who as I understood it, is a disguised version of a now deceased jazz musician. This was a man who was not really in control of himself, however talented he may have been. It was gripping enough to read as the author managed to endear the character to me even though few would consider him admirable.
I don't know why so many intelligent authors today feel they must stick explicit descriptions of sex acts in every twenty pages or so. This book was recommended to me by a fellow church member as an example of how a very intelligent individual can go through life, getting no better and no worse, if they pay no attention to religion. I suppose the sex was there just to show, Merlin did not have his own best interests for eternity at heart.

One thing I do, on the road, is track this man Miles. I have been everywhere, this man has been. Every nasty dive that's now a parking lot, every apt. bldg., if he was there, I've been there. And sometimes I stop in a library, NYPublic by Grand Central usually, and look up the newest book on Miles. Until this book, which is kind of rare, I never got further than twenty pages.
Now this book fit with the pattern that I can see, going the places he went, and thinking of his music, which I memorized, all of it. I've talked to some people who actually knew him, but not big light people, and the picture you get is like the one drawn by this man Walter Ellis. He wasn't a nice guy, but mad all the time and even kind of violent when he wasn't too messed up to kick. This is the real picture. And Ellis starts the story when Miles was flopped, a sorry rich man who hadn't played trumpet in five years. By flashbacking to all the separate times he got somewhere and then got down with the dogs again, he gets you into this man's mindset, which was failure and all kinds of ways to fail in dealing with failure. And when you understand that, you'll understand the music.

We had to read "fiction" about an African American artist for the Black History Month assignment, but they would not let us do Rap. I got this from the assignment sheet and I did not want to but had to because I had been out sick the day of the first picks. The teacher said it was about Miles Davis, even though the wrighter calls the dude Merlin Black. I had never heard of either one, but a friend of mines stepfather says he knows who he was sure. He playde jazz, which is slow, I thought.

And man this is a real surprise. This is the kind of dude I want to be, because he is a bad mother in many ways but really good. He held off some pretty bad racists and always did his own jobs. He was not nice to his women but there were a lot of them and he always felt sorry. I got my friend to get some cds of this Miles from his stepfather and I really liked some of his music eventhough some of it really is slow.
Also the book is short. I didn't want to read a long one.

You know how there's a haitus in your reading when you're waiting for the next book of a series to come out? Well that's what happend as I continued to randomly pick up books to read as i awaited several books to be published.

I'm really glad I picked up The Principles of Love because its a wonderful book starting out the series. Love's life is interesting and relatable in many different aspects. I gave this book five stars for a reason and readers should definitely give it a read.

Spoilers Below!

Cute book! One massive complaint before moving on to details--the font. I hate being so nitpicky, but ugh, could there be a smaller, tougher-to-read font? Quite frankly, that's the only reason I'm docking a star, because sometimes, it just gets really hard to read, no matter how interesting the book is, when your head's throbbing from squinting at the pages.
Now on to specifics. I have a lot to talk about with the names. Obviously, the first name to discuss would be Love's. How amazing is that? I really want to name my kid Love or something like it now, that's got to be the prettiest name ever, and it suits her, too! Oh, the irony of it all, right? Another name: Robinson. Is it just me, or is the bad guy always named Robinson? And third, Jacob. Jacob, Jacob, Jacob. Anyone else seeing the horrible Jacob Black parallels here? He's the other guy, the friend. Kind of awesome.
Plot stuffs. Love's got the coolest Dad in the world, seriously. I would definitely love to see more about her mom, and seeing as we've now got a box of her letters, I think I'd bet we're about to learn more, and I'm excited. I totally saw the DrakeFan thing coming wayyyy early, it was pretty obvious that it was Jacob. I did not, however, see Love and Jacob together, although I thought they were adorable. You knew Robinson was the bad guy, the first guy, the 'lust' guy, he's always a bad guy, at least in the YAs.
The cultural references were stunning. Could it get any more Gilmore Girls than this? LOVE it.
I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. I thought I'd like this book a lot less than I did, and envisioned, God forbid, something more like "Prep". Glad that was disproved. Highly looking forward to the rest of the series!

Super witty, lucky, mysterious, and modern is Love's life, and reading about each of her experiences from an honest, confused, and lovable perspective is refreshing and addictive. I just can't wait for the next book next month!

This book is very great and so is the series. The books are short but packed with details of a young girl named Love. She is smart and funny even though she doesnt always see herself that way. The only downside is every book has a cliff hanger at the end so you have to get the next one or like me wait until they come out about six months apart. Even so, they are still some of the best books out there right now!

According to a critic this book is suppose to accurately delve into boarding school life, but I think it accurately portrays adolescence whether it's set in public or private school. Of course this book is a fictional creation, so some of the events in the book are unreal (unless you're the luckiest teenager in the world), however this book is highly entertaining and you end up rooting for this character through her triumphs and mistakes. Another plus is the fact that, to a music lover like me, there are several really great (so far) references in the book that I've explored and have yet to explore. If you like fast reads, good plot lines, and music, this book is a must.

As a young teacher, this book has been unbelievably helpful in crystalizing my thoughts about playing and teaching. A lifetime of violin study with a master violinist and teacher in a single volume, absolutely priceless. Along with
The Suzuki Approach,
The Inner Game of Tennis: The Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performance, The Inner Game of Music,
The Art of Practicing: A Guide to Making Music from the Heart, The PracticeSpot Guide to Promoting Your Teaching Studio: How to make your phone ring, fille your schedule, and create a waiting list you can't jump over,
and What Every Musician Needs to Know About the Body: The Practical Application of Body Mapping & the Alexander Technique to Making Music,
this is the foundation and core of my violin/viola playing and teaching philosophy and of my studio.

What Every Pianist Needs to Know About the Body is extremely helpful as well since we all need to play the piano!!

After seeing the positive reviews on this book, I decided to go ahead and get it, as I realized despite my having played viola for such a long time, I don't own a single tome detailing the principles of good technique and playing.

So far I've gone through sections dealing with left hand positioning (the frame) and intonation. The writing is clear and engaging; Galamian observes many times it is important not to lay down arbitrary rules on how things should be done - unless there is a compelling reason. I like how the sections contain exercises that are written out - the provide a concrete method to achieve the results he discusses. The photos of hand positioning are also very descriptive.

I can tell I'm going to refer to this book again and again in the coming years - it is so nice to have it reinforce what I've heard (and often forget!) from different teachers! Definitely recommended!

I'd like to add that I found this book for about $20 less at Shar Music - but at any of these prices it's completely worth it!

I would recommend this book to any musician. Although it extensively covers bowing and left hand technique, the most important aspects are in how to practice and master your art. The variations suggested can be used by any musician on any instrument and will take you to a new level of technical control.

I would not suggest this book for a beginner, this material is best learned from an experienced teacher. Advanced students and teachers should all have this book in their book collections.

As a former violin student of 9 years who moved towards piano instead, I have found this book immensely valuable in helping me as a Suzuki parent of a young violinist myself. If you have a child moving into the Kreutzer etudes, or in Book 7 or later in the Suzuki series, this book is a godsend. At this point in your child's studies, you have no doubt been listening to many great artists, and wondering how they attain the immense variety in tonal coloring, or how they actually implement such amazing shifts, or complex bowing techniques. This book, with its pictures, is outstanding in deconstructing these motions. While it is highly analytical in parts, the book is also excellent in addressing the body's motion as a whole - in showing the coupling between the hand, elbow, shoulders, violin... using well known extracts from etudes, caprices, and solo works as practical examples.

It most definitely helps to be an advanced instrumentalist in reading this book, as the author certainly presumes that the reader has a trained ear. The sections on how to practice will also be appreciated by those who have worked in intensive Master Classes, and have carried back from these classes some improved practice habits.

All-in-all, this is book not to be missed, particularly by the supportive parents of maturing artists.

this is a MUST for any violinist who is serious about playing the violin. This book has solution to all of the problems that a violinist faces, in addition, this is a great leaning tool, lines from major concertos are used as exemples. again, this book is a must for anyone who's serious about playing the violin or even becoming a concert soloist.