Music Books

Big winner for my 2 and 4 year old.


We already own the Charlie Bird CD which they like.

They love this one. It is very very funky fun music that adults can listen to and enjoy as well which is not the case for a lot of children's music out there as most parents know.

There's maybe 12 songs or so on the CD and 8 will be huge hits with your kids. The only minor thing I can say is the book that it comes with is mostly useless -- it's not really a book. These guys should save the money and charge even less -- not that the price isn't more than fair. But definitely a great CD if you even like jazz a little bit.

This series is wonderful! Our two-year-old absolutely loves the Baby Loves Jazz series. We bought a few to start out, then ended up buying the whole set. Two months after acquiring them, she is still enamored and requests to listen to them and read them every day. Her favorites? Well, these are the words we hear most often: "Mommy, read Duck and Miles?" or "Daddy, listen to Duck and Miles?" Philly Joe is also high on the list. I recommend them all. The books stand out on their own, but the music is what makes this series really shine. For example, on Duck Ellington's CD, he does a great Monk style on one track, then switches to great impression of Coltrane's classic quartet on the next track, with a very nice McCoy Tyner impression. Lots of variety and high quality make this series worthwhile (though I could have done without Louis Lion's potty tune). Don't forget the Go Baby Go CD as well (a stand-alone CD without a book), which is perhaps a notch above the music on the book CDs. The ABC tune is her favorite on that one.

Our 17-month old always asks for Ella the Elephant music. She's completely entertained by it. My only complaint is that the book has minimal use, as there's not much to point out for an entire song on two pages.

Our 2 1/2 year old granddaughter played 'Ella Elephant Scats...' over and over for the week she was with us. We ALL enjoyed it every time.

Do not know if it is the rhyming in the beginning of the book or the beautiful breakout colors but my 16 month old loves this book.

If you are an Elvis fan, this is really one of those must have books. The pictures are to die for and it is just wonderful.

the photographs are spectacular, but where is the non-limited edition that i've seen retail in the bookstore for $65?

i Love this Book it has very good quality photos of the king in his prime!

This book is beautiful. The pictures are excellent and it is nice to have as a collectors item for any Elvis fan or give as a gift to any Elvis fan.

If you only have one Elvis book in your library, or one photography book, let it be "Elvis at 21"...you will never buy a more sumptuous volume. The printing of the images is phenomenal, with wonderful use of gatefolds. It is one of the very few art books I've bought that I didn't balk at the retail price.

Wertheimer's photographs are collectively an artifact of our cultural history. It's amazing to see so many of them gathered together and in sequence. A much smaller selection of this body of work was published about 20 years ago as "Elvis '56"--this was my one-book-in-the-library, even back when I only had a photocopied edition. With this expansion, a whole new king is crowned.

2007 is of course the 30th anniversary of the King's passing. The world should expect a vast onslaught of new and revised offerings on the man. "Elvis at 21" throws down an early gauntlet so firmly, the other publishers might just as well crawl back into their niches.

Buy it, and wear a bib so you don't ruin the pages with your drool.

This was ourchased for my 11 year old granddaughter. She love it. Basic things are explained perfectly!!!!!!!!!!!!

This book is a great addition to your ceramics library.
It has many beautiful and colorful pictures that will definately inspire the artist in you.

excellent reference book. covers all aspects of pottery. full of wonderful ideas and is a great inspiration for the artist. i am excited about adding this book to my reference libary.

I've been throwing for about 3 years and this book was given to me as a gift. It briefly touches on many subject and has a lot of good pictures.

I would recommend this to anyone with interest in pottery, both wheel throwing and hand building.

This is a great reference book with lots of ideas and lots of illustrations. Great for someone who wants to explore out of just throwing or hand building. Great step by step ideas with great color illustrations.

I agree with the reviews that say this is a careful biblical study of what constituted worship amongst OT and NT communities, and what new insight and emphasis Christianity brought. The unexpected answer - that, very broadly, it is in the loving interaction between the individuals of the Body, rings true, and from a personal point of view, cleared up many of the questions I had about those times when "worship leading" seems rather a shallow, simplistic reponse from someone who claims to want to see God's kingdom come on earth.

Introduction

As the principal of Oak Hill Theological College in London, England for the past 11 years, David Peterson has been a significant vessel that God has used to elevate that seminary to be one of the largest in the United Kingdom and in the Church of England. Only recently succeeded by Michael Ovey as Principal, Peterson has shown himself to be an astute interpreter of the biblical text, being formerly a lecturer in New Testament at Moore College in Sydney, Australia. As such, it is no wonder why Engaging With God is another first-rate example of Peterson's careful exegesis and gospel-centered hermeneutic.

Subtitled A Biblical Theology of Worship, Peterson's Engaging With God is the author's attempt at a biblical theology of worship that is evangelical and generally free from denominational bias. Students of biblical worship would be happy to see an extensive exegetical volume finally released, as Peterson provides a full-orbed examination of what worship is according to the whole counsel of God and the entirety of Scripture - both the Old and New Testament.

Summary

In his introduction, Peterson establishes the nature of Christian worship as "an engagement with [God] on the terms that he proposes and in the way the he alone makes possible" (20). The rest of the book is hence an explanation of `engaging with God' as an idea that is found in the totality of Scripture. With this purpose in mind, Peterson thus begins careful exegesis of the Old (in chapters 1-2) and New Testament (in chapters 3-9) to provide the foundation for his thesis.

The groundwork for his biblical worship theology is provided in the first two chapters, where Peterson examines engagement with God from the Old Testament. The ark, tabernacle and temple are shown to be the God-ordained, God-initiated means for Israel to acknowledge and live in relation to the royal and holy presence of God. Worship in Old Testament has its emphasis on God's self-revelation: God makes it possible for His covenant people to worship Him by the cultic observance of the sacrificial system. Through a detailed look at various important worship sections in Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy, Peterson finds that it is only by "God's provision through the cult the covenant relationship could be maintained" (49).

Further, the author establishes that honoring, serving and respecting God are encompassed by adoration as an expression of awe and grateful submission to the LORD (73). While this includes the physical acts of bending/bowing down or falling down before God that hinted at by the Greek word proskynein or the Hebrew histahawa (57), expressing homage according to the Old Testament is not merely bending over at the waist. It further includes awe and submission that is motivated by gratitude, and so it is also a matter of heart-worship, thanksgiving that inevitably leads God's people to serve Him (64-70). While the obedience to God's demands in cultic activity enabled Israel to express reverence to God, Peterson concedes that "fear of God in the more positive sense of reverence and respect is regularly on view" (71) - by walking faithful in God's ways and in keeping His commands.

In Chapter 3, Peterson turns from the Old Testament to the new, beginning with an analysis of how Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament temple. Through an analysis of the Gospel according to Matthew and John, Peterson concedes that it is in the person of Jesus Christ that God's presence and glory is fully and finally experienced, and further, that Judaism finds its destined end of worship in Christ himself. Jesus Himself transferred the significance of the temple from Jerusalem to another entity -- not in the messianic community, but primarily in his own person and work. Christ replaces the temple as the wellspring of life and renewal for all the world, as Jesus Himself is the eschatological destination to which all nations journey to for worship. "The divine presence is no longer bound up in the temple, but the Word who was with God `in the beginning' and who in fact `was God' " (93).

In terms of being the fulfillment of the old covenant, Peterson argues that Jesus preached "a new centre for Israel, in himself and the salvation he proclaimed, rather than in the synagogue, the temple, the law or the inherited customs of his people" (112-113). Being the fulfillment of Jeremiah 31:31-34, Jesus fulfilled and transcended the Mosaic Law in his perfectly righteous life. For Jesus is shown to exalt Himself as the new standard of what does or doesn't constitute defilement (114), and as the new authority for the determination of acceptable Sabbath behavior (116). In the sacrificial service to God and His people, Jesus gave us the "final and perfect expression of uncompromising worship" (129) through the offering of Himself by dying on the cross for man's sins. By the means of the shedding of His blood, Christ inaugurated the new covenant, and thus replaced and fulfilled the sacrificial system of the old covenant.

Having argued for Jesus' as the fulfillment of the temple and the old covenant, Peterson then examines the community of apostles in Acts to show how the Christian life and ministry should be viewed as an expression of service to God. Unable to immediately disassociate themselves from the temple, the early apostles and Christians still saw the temple as a place for revelation and a place of public prayer (138), and consequently, also as a place where they experienced opposition and unrest (139) from those opposed to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The character and function of early Christian gatherings focused around apostolic teaching/preaching, as well as in the fellowship (Greek koinonia) of believers who eat together and pray and praise God together. The Christian community life thus can be a function of worship.

Through an analysis of Paul's underlying worship theology, Peterson advocates for the consecrated Christian life and gospel ministry as specific expressions of Christian worship. "Missionary preaching and the establishment of churches in the truths of the gospel can be described as fulfilling a God-given `liturgy' or service to the churches" (182). Supporting his theology of worship with a careful examination of Philippians, Peterson beautifully portrays the inseparability of sacrifice, faith and the Spirit - for worship by the Spirit is synonymous to faith in Jesus' crucifixion and the salvific implications of his death (187). In a further analysis of the Corinthian church, Peterson explains that worship the gathered church meets in order to participate in edification (195-197). During those times when a prophetic word and the word of Christ dwells in the midst of believers, and during times when thanksgiving, prayer and praise are shared together, the assembled church thus can "meet with God when we meet with one another" (198). As a result, ministries that are genuinely used for the benefit of others while purposed for the glory of God can actually be an expression of worship.

Through a detailed overview of the book of Hebrews - the one book of the New Testament that provides a thorough and integrative worship theology - Peterson analyses of key `worship' chapters within Hebrews, and argues for Christ as essentially the typology of all the Old Testament themes and symbols as previously discussed. Worshipping Jesus means worshipping Him as the High Priest, synagogue, temple, and sacrifice at one and the same time (228-230; 232-237). Under the new covenant, drawing near to God as an expression of worship is both congregational and personal to the Christian's daily experience (237-246), and service that aims to please God is foremost obedience through Christ our mediator (230-232). Concluding with synopsis of Revelation, Peterson portrays worship in the new covenant community as in taking a stand against paganism by bearing faithful witness to the truth of the gospel (265) and in the singing of God's praise (278).

Critical Evaluation

Engaging with God may not be an easy read for the regular layperson or the theologically untrained worship leader looking to get a biblical perspective on what worship is. The attention to exegetical detail is evident in Peterson's analysis of worship terminology in the original Greek and Hebrew, providing for the reader plenty of transliterated terms in his presentation. While most of the text-critical arguments are moved to the endnotes, the author's interpretive arguments for his thesis are included in the book's body and supported by careful study of worship terminology in its original biblical context. Such an exegetical method may be put off as unimportant for those unfamiliar with it, but those who are at least a little familiar with basic Bible interpretation methods would benefit significantly from Peterson's heavy-duty text work. A prime example of this is in his differentiation between worship as physical homage and worship in the general, abstract sense: "When other verbs denoting bowing or kneeling are absent from context and there are no other indicators of physical movement, the more general and abstract sense of `worship' may be understood" (61).

Having provided a lengthy and thorough biblical analysis, Peterson's work distinguishes itself in at least two areas. First, he demonstrates that there is tremendous meaning for today's church when we see Jesus as the new temple - most notably in the need for gospel-centered preaching. Christian teaching and preaching must center on the person and work of Jesus Christ in order to be biblical in its content and its aim, especially in terms of evangelism (102) and in the building of the Messiah's church (207). As Peterson proclaims in his summary chapter, "Throughout Scripture, the word of God is fundamental to a genuine engagement with him" (286).

Secondly, Peterson demonstrates that the church gathers in corporate worship to build each other up - for mutual edification, and not just `to worship' as some would argue. While Peterson does show the "central importance of the concept of edification for the meeting of God's people" in Paul's teaching (196), Hebrews is his chief support of this argument (247-250). As an expression of worship, Peterson convincingly argues that the mutual up building between Christians is purposed to help each other persevere in the faith and grow in spiritual maturity in light of the apostasy that a believer can possibly fall into. With this unique emphasis on the care that the church congregation should have for each other, it is no wonder why the divinely inspired writer of the book of Hebrews exhorts us to not forsake the local gathering of believers as some professing Christians do. This argument by itself sets Peterson's work exceptionally distinctive.

Conclusion

Peterson addresses central themes and expressions of worship throughout the Bible, each one of them supporting his thesis that worship is unquestionably engagement with God in terms He sets and ways He permits. Although this biblical theology on worship is extensive in its biblical exposition, it is a worthwhile read that will challenge the reader to examine his or her worship theology to see whether it conforms to the biblical text. While much of recent worship literature examine the English term worship, Peterson's book fills the gap with a succinct, biblical theology of Christian worship that can be warmly accepted by churches of any evangelical denomination.

I enjoyed Engaging With God because it was different than any other book or discussion of worship I have ever read or heard. It went straight to the bible to address the deep questions about worship that most books and people do not discuss. Starting with the Old Testament and moving right through to the end of the New Testament Peterson interacted with worship in the Old Covenant, reverence for God, and New Testament teaching by Jesus and about Him as fulfillment of Old Covenant shadows. He laid out a solid framework from which to answer the controversial but surface questions the modern Church is asking about what to do in church services and what not to do. He also stressed that the object of worship is to engage with God on a relational level that permeates all of life. Finally, a biblical analysis rather than a argument based on opinion and preference.

This text is written so that all may understand and yet provides indepth notes for those who would like to take their studies deeper. It is extremely informative concerning both the Old and New Testament usages in both Greek and Hebrew.

Peterson's "Engaging with God" is an excellent treatment of the biblical doctrine of "worship." His basic argument is that the Bible doesn't understand worship to be an occasional act of praise, or even a corporate meeting, but rather a life charcterized by obedience and reverence to God, and lived on the terms that God proposes. Peterson is particularly good when he discusses the meanings of the different Hebrew and Greek words that we translate "worship", and when he talks about how Christ fulfills the sacrificial/temple worship of the Old Covenant. This is simply a really solid, thoughtful, and biblical theology, written from an evangelical point of view. It is the standard biblical theology of worship, and rightfully so.

Peterson also talks about corporate worship (namely church services), emphasizing that the New Testament seems to suggest that gatherings of Christians are for edification more than worship. His argument is that worship is what we should be doing all of the time, so it doesn't make sense to talk about gathering for that express purpose. I think he fails to emphasize the special quality that God, in his providence, has ordained for corporate worship.

Regardless, this is an excellent, supremely biblical book, and comes recommended by scholars as eminent as D.A. Carson, Mark Dever, and I. Howard Marshall. It is scholarly, but pretty accessible, and well-written.

This is the tell all book about the entertainment industry and braodcasting set up. I would like to recomend this book for anyone that is searching for direction when it comes down to entertainment, and how to get started.

I had the pleasure of meeting the author last fall for a workshop where she was the keynote speaker. It was inspirational and reaffirming. Entertainment Power Players, EPP for all those 'in the know, is a great resource to use for the television, film, and music business. Ms. Sterling also included in this book interviews with people in the industry. I highly recommend this book for anyone (YES, anyone) searching for contacts and information for the entertainment industry. Use it for inspiration, use it as a resource, use it to help propel you to the next level in your quest to delve deeper into the industry. It is not only a must read, but a must have.

Ms. Dackeyia Sterling has manifested a entertainment manual that really gives direct liasons with the power players you really need to know to move and shake in the respective entertainment industries. In addition to legitimate contact information, she integrates into the fabric of the manual inspirational stories and interviews of those in various facets of the arts that have beaten the odds and made strong names for themselves. The subjects she chooses are not conventional, they are diverse and often times behind the scenes. Those whose creativity has made others shine. The presentation of the manual is also top-notch. Definitely a good and smart buy for anyone who is serious about the biz, any creative biz.

I recently received my copy of Entertainment Power Players and it has been a great resource for me. It has given me plenty of contacts to use for my clients. Thank you!

I am a screenwriter and filmmaker. My career has gone through a number of stages and degrees since purchasing the first volume of this series from a business conference. It was a tremendous resource. Though the larger company contacts are ones that I could have found online, it saved me a lot of time searching (and time is money). But, the real value came in some of the other information in the book. Every significant production company in every part of the industry is listed, and there are even specific listings for more obscure segments of the industry such as animation and sound. So, information that I couldn't readily find online is now at my fingertips.

Since the first volume, I've purchased this one. My career is a little further ahead now, and still I find this to be an invaluable resource. What it does for me now is give me ideas that I would have never come to without having the book sitting in front of me. I can have one path in mind for getting something done, or for getting a project into the right hands, and as I'm looking for a phone number in this book, I'll run across another listing that makes me consider another option. I've even beat my manager to finding contacts and phone numbers at times when she was flipping through her rolodex. She was impressed.

If you're just starting out in the entertainment industry, and you've spent time online looking for agents and production companies, save yourself some time and purchase this book. If you are into your career, but still climbing, this book can only be of assistance in helping you make your way. And, if you are an industry bigwig ... well ... you or your company are probably already in the book :-)

The Fanatic's Guide shifts the One Note emphasis from recognizing pitches to producing pitches. The accompanying CD contains 12 tracks, 1 in each key. Each track sets up a key, and then drones on that tonic chord for about 5 minutes. The book suggests a number of exercises to sing over the drone, starting with correctly being able to sing diatonic and then chromatic pitches against a key, and then moving on to singing multiple pitches against the drone. This book is both challenging and immensly rewarding. I am now able to identify almost all pitches against a key (still getting the b2 and #6 in tune), but I am much more excited about my new found ability to create melodies and really hear them internally without the aid of an instrument. In my practice sessions each Friday, I have been singing random melodies using any of the pitches I have worked on so far. I have been playing a relative minor arpeggio against a major chord for years, but it has been muscle memory and habit as much as anything. Now I'm really hearing what the 6th, root, and 3rd sound like againt the tonic. When I'm really dialed in, it almost feels like I'm high (or so I would guess).

So how does all of this transfer to the real world, you ask? I have noticed some minor improvements, but I wouldn't say I have a new set of ears just yet. I can pick some things out on the country station, and I think the sight singing exercises have been helping with vocal rehearsals in my band, but that's about it so far. On the other hand, I have been playing music in some form since I was six, and nothing in all of that time has improved my ear as much as the hour a day spent practicing these exercises for a few months. So with that in mind, I have enough faith in this path to keep at it. I just ordered the next books in the series, and look forward to seeing what I start to hear next.

I have been working with Mr Arnold's ear training methods for just over two years now and would like to share with you some of my experiences over that time.

There is no other system of ear training i know that constantly pushes the boundaries of your aural perception. Working with his is as Mr Arnold reminds us a "lifetime's journey". Over the years i have steadily gained the ability to recognise any pitch in relation to a key center and sight-sing any required pitch readily (including chromatics). That is what one note complete and the fanatic's guide seeks to achieve.

The above lays the foundation for further development. In December of 2007 I finally completed key note recognition, that helps you to learn to adapt to various modes(major and minor) and recognise the key by listening to how notes function in relation. Now I am beginning work on two note that builds recognition for multiple notes and following complex modulations.

All this is impossible without dedication and an intense commitment to practice, practice,practice. As a guage i have worked at this at least an hour a day broken up into short sessions over the last two over years. And without keeping to this and really working at it, you won't be able to really understand what this method is all about. But IF you do, this will really change the way you are involved with music.

Just to describe a few simple experiences...

- Early on i began to gain a deeper sense of the music i was listening to. Suddenly everything opened up what can only be described as a kaleidoscope of colours.

- As an active musician, people began commenting on how musical and expressive my performances were getting and always "spot on" with pitching.

- Am now coming to grips with progressively more harmonically complex melodic forms such as modern jazz and funk.

I'm now embarking on the next phase in my ear training that is two note and beyond. I know it's going to be nothing short of gruelling, but with the positive changes that I have experienced in aural perception, I really can't wait to discover what else happens along the way.

Many thanks to Mr Arnold for his fantastic work, gift to aspiring musicians and continuing commitment to music education.

This method is excellent! If I could give it more than five stars I would. If you're willing to put in the time it pays off. I have been working on the exercises from this book for almost a year and my ear has improved tremendously. Follow Mr. Arnolds directions in the book exactly as spelled out and you will do yourself a big favor. He has put in the time learning this material himself and knows all the pitfalls of doing it wrong and has distilled a method that works. He learned from the pros and has published what he learned. If you want a nice glossy book with lots of cool pictures this isn't for you. If you want something that works get it, do it, and you'll be amazed. The bottom line is you have to the work for the results. I have noticed some reviews that note the starkness of Mr. Arnold's books. His books are all substance and no jive! He shows his dedication to the material he presents by providing a FAQ section on the museek Website. You can submit a question and he answers it right away, sometimes in minutes, never more that 24 hours. That really surprised me!

I've been using Mr. Arnold's approach to ear training for about a month now. I have found it very challenging but on the same hand very rewarding. The main thing I have come away with from Mr. Arnold's Ear Training method is how damaging interval based ear training can be to your musical development. He believes that you must first understand how to hear the sound of all 12 notes against a key. I was a little unsure whether this all made sense but after working with this method I am seeing real progress. I'm currently using a combination of the (Ear Training One Note) and the Fanatic's Guide and I find it to be a winning combination. If you are serious about developing your ears like I am, I'd highly recommend checking this method out and starting off on the right path.

I bought this book about 6 months ago. I have only been working on two of the exercises so far but even that has really turned my head around about how to hear sound. I basically have found that this book has started to change my perception of how to identify sound. Though I haven't mastered the ideas presented in this book I am starting to realize that you can indeed memorize the sound of each note within a key and use this as a method to identify pitches. My overall recommendation is not to get this book if you don't have a lot of dedication to practicing. I have found the exercises to very difficult and quite honestly was about to give up a few times. I suppose each person who might buy this book is coming from a different place so my comments may not pertain to everyone. For me, I just couldn't latch onto a method of ear training that worked for me. This method is no "walk in park" but it is working and that's what matters to me.

If you are a Spice Girls fan then you will absolutely love this book. Its pretty much a book full of behind the scene photos with a section of quotes and little stories from the girls. It is definitely a must have for any Spice Girl's collection.

This Spice Girls book is an absolute blast!! It has about 90 pages of photos and 24 pages with text. When you first look at the book, it looks like there isn't a lot of written words, but there actually is. They crammed a lot in those 24 pages. All the pictures are a marvel to look at, becuse a lot haven't ever been released before. The Girls of Spice did an amazing job putting this book together, because the ords and pictures are straight from their heart. They decided what was going into the book. In the text, they talk about the tour, Geri leacing, boyfriends, home life, and a lot more! If you live for Spice, you need to get this book. Out of all the official Spice books, I think this is second best, with their first one, Girl Power, in the lead. This book is highly reccomended, I got it last Thursday and am still marveling over every page!!

The Spice Girls Book, Forever Spice, Is The BEST Book I Have Ever Bought. It Has Great New Pictures Of All Four Spice Girls. This Book Is DEFINITLY Worth Buying.

i have one of these at home and i must say that the spice girls really, really, really worked hard on it. the pictures are nice too. in my opinion, the spice girls really poured out their guts and blood just to make this book so great job girls and GIRL POWER...

This book is a must for Spice Girls fans! Hundreds of awesome Spice Girls pictures and wonderful stories written by the Spice Girls about thier tour, home life,solo efforts, and Geri leaving. Im thier # 1 fan in the world. But I reccomend your order this from amazon.co.uk because Amazon.co.uk got it out to me in one day!

When I first sat down to listen to his audio of this book, my mind was filled with the business of the season. I was bored with listening to a story when so many other things were expected of me. Later I decided to stop buzzing around and relax and try listening again, and I am so glad that I did. It is truely a story of hope, a story of love and it brings Christmas Day so much closer to the reality of the season. This will truely touch your heart. Charleen Crenshaw.

This is a wonderful holiday tale. It's right up there with Miracle on 34th Street and the movie version of White Christmas. The premise is totally original. this story will touch your heart and make you ponder the magic of Christmas!

This is truly a Christmas classic!

Another Christmas classic: Christmas Gifts, Christmas Voices--this story shows the miracles that occur as a result of simply thinking of others.

It's not only a beautiful story but the book itself is the highest quality. I wanted to share the "Christmas spirit" with my children and friends.

A Christmas tradition to be read every year. I must point out that this edition does not include the CD (which you definitely need to have!) but if you like to play the songs yourself, it includes the score. Nice print, comfortable to read... Just great.

I got tired of our son borrowing ours and not returning it until after Christmas so we got him his own...finally. We love this story.

Medium to hard-core music fans will love it. Casual fans will enjoy it. If you are into the music of the FREE, BAD COMPANY, and/or Paul Rodgers - you owe it to yourself to get this book. This is a great read, real life story, with loads of interesting details behind this moderately popular (but outstanding) rock band. This book is NOT a "kiss-up-hero-worshiping-everything-they-did-was-wonderful-critical-review" thing. Just the facts. Some ugly stuff. Some sad. Always interesting. I was amazed to discover how serious & determined these "kids" where to produce the music THEY wanted play. Find out what happened to Andy Fraser (bass). Who/What was SHARK? TOBY? Dates, Names, Places. It even includes a complete sessionography listing obscure unreleased sessions by Paul Rodgers band named PEACE (who?!). Even as a hard-core fan, I was completely unaware of 90% of the information I discovered in this book. Be forewarned that that this book will probably cost you more money down the road - as you scramble to complete your collection of FREE related music. Read the book. Listen to the music. You will not regret it.

this great book at second edition try the reader in a dimension as end '60 never forget and reach light on the hard times of the group.very fine photos but only black and white ,i think perhaps not could be a difficult thing to buyer for this splendid book.
i hope in a third edition with more accurate pages,photos colours and in a book only dedicated to my great guitar player and always inspiration source PAUL KOSSOFF.
peter from italy.

David Clayton has done a great job in assembling the stories of the individual players in the early days, how they came together, early struggles, eventual success etc. The reminicences of those who knew them and extracts from music magazines of the time make for interesting reading.

It is a sobering and sometimes depressing read about a band who should have been much larger, but instead were corrupted by eventual success after years of struggle and poverty.

Young up and coming bands would do well to read about, and try to avoid, the mistakes this band made regarding management, drugs, egos, song selection, and group parasites which all got in the way of the music.

what a great and in depth biography. if you like Free or any of its members, this is a must for your book shelf or coffee table. can't say enough good things about it

Way back in the early eighties, intrigued by the components that made "All Right Now" such a great song, I went on a quest to find any and every recording of the late, great, lamented band, Free. I thought I was the only person on the planet who still listened to them. Thank God I was not. If you dig their music then you will want the book, and you'll love it. If you don't know about the music so well, then this book will definitely wet your appetite for it. They created their own oevre and instantly recognizable sound. The minimalism is addictive. Listen carefully. You will be moved.

I'm surprised that full color pictures can do so much for a computer manual. But maybe it's because it's put together the playful, hand-holding prose that makes this such a joy to read.
This book has absolutely everything from the most relevent keyboard tip to describing workflow to diving down into every tool, pallet and menu.
I can read it at my bedside and the stuff still sticks. Wonderful book for a wonderful program.

As w/ all Pouge books, this one has lots of good info that's easy to access, presented in an easy to understand form, & while it's written for an earlier version, most of it applies to the latest version of GarageBand (v4.2) as well.

David Pogue's, "GarageBand 2: The Missing Manual" is much more than a Manual for GarageBand 2. It is a treasure-trove of tips and tricks, a detailed-yet-comprehensible resource, and it is the best non-periodical Computer publication I have had the joy to read.

Whether you are a weekend Musician with little more experience than "chopsticks" on your Aunt's piano, or you are a Conservatory-Educated Musician with a degree in Music Performance, "GarageBand 2: The Missing Manual" has something for you.

David Pogue writes with a level-headed voice, presenting the information slowly while always giving the reader a sense of excitement. I found myself putting down the book for several days, just after reading something new from Mr. Pogue.

My, "I just gotta try that!" excitement is balanced by the "Wow!" factor of learning a keystroke that I did not know existed, or finally learning in plain terms, or most importantly how to double the speed of GarageBand 2.

If you are using GarageBand 2 and looking for "The" Manual to purchase, this is it.

Thank you, David Pogue!

GarageBand is not aimed at professional musicians. Instead it is intended to help amateurs produce music easily. The application comes with 1,000 pre-recorded sampled loops, plus 50 sampled or synthesized instruments which can be played using a MIDI keyboard connected to the computer, or using an on-screen keyboard. This is a complex piece of software, thus enters David Pogue and his "Missing Manual" series to explain it all.
The book has three parts. Part 1 deals with how to construct and edit a song or composition in GarageBand. Pogue explains how to use GarageBand loops (repeated musical patterns) and how to create original material. The most helpful feature in this section is the tutorial that takes the reader through the construction of a composition using loops. Pogue offers a couple of ideas about constructing music for those new to the process.
The pluses and minuses of using the onscreen digital piano, the Mac keyboard as a piano, and using a MIDI keyboard are discussed. Pogue supplies information needed about additional equipment and software to enhance GarageBand. Websites are listed where equipment and software additions can be purchased and downloaded. Pogue lists prices and states what can be expected from each purchase. He also lists many sites where information, tutorials and software are available free.
Part 2 tells you how to mix tracks and export music to post it on a website, how to export it to iTunes, how to burn it to a CD, or how to use it as background music in iMovie, iPhoto, or iDVD. The problem with GarageBand is overcoming the amount of memory and power it requires, so there is troubleshooting information as well as recommendations about shareware add-ons and Web sites to visit for additional help.
The Appendices round out the book with invaluable information about all of the menus, keyboard shortcuts, and a section on musical concepts for the non-musician.
Pogue is an entertaining writer who is very capable at explaining difficult concepts to novices without boring veterans. GarageBand was designed to enable the writing of music with little or no musical training, and Pogue writes so that the music theory involved in the program can be grasped by the inexperienced. I'm a person whose limited knowledge of music and music theory is self-taught, and I found this book very accessible and enjoyable. I guess the best judge of this book's quality is how much my stepson, who is a musician, has been enjoying it and GarageBand. He's never been one for the books, but he's practically joined at the hip with this one.
I notice Amazon does not show the table of contents, so I do that here for the purpose of completeness:
PART 1: BUILDING A HIT
1. Setting Up the Garage
Equipment Requirements; Installing GarageBand; Opening GarageBand; Playback; Cycling; Navigating the Music; Two Kinds of Music; Tracks; Muting and Soloing Tracks
2. Loops
Starting a New GarageBand Project; The Loop Browser; Placing a Loop; More Loops
3. Regions
Selecting Regions; Renaming Regions; Dragging Regions; The Grid; Looping Regions; Shortening Regions I; Shortening Regions II; Lengthening Regions; Splitting Regions; Joining Regions; Copy and Paste; Option Drag; Delete; Tutorial for Non-Musicians
4. Software Instruments (MIDI)
How To Feed a Hungry GarageBand; Your Free On-Screen Digital Piano; The Mac Keyboard as Piano; MIDI Synths and Controllers; Recording a MIDI Track; Retakes; Spot Recording; Cumulative Recording; Mod Wheels and Other MIDI Fun
5. Editing Software Instruments
The Track Editor; Notation Editing; The Encyclopedia of MIDI Editing; Transposing Notes or Regions; Quantizing; Velocity, Pedaling, and Other MIDI Data
6. Recording and Editing Live Audio
The Setup; Recording a Live Audio Track; Editing Real Instrument Regions; Enhance Timing, Enhance Tuning
7. Effects, Guitar Amps, and Instrument Modules
Instrument-Named Presets; Save Instrument, Deleted Instrument; Effect Modules
PART 2: BEYOND THE GARAGE
8. Mixing and Publishing
Mixing Tracks; The Master Track; Publishing the Song; Your Music in iPhoto, iMovie, and iDVD
9. Adding On, Moving Up
Making Your Own Apple Loops; Moving Your Loops to Another Drive;
Importing MIDI Files; Import iTunes Music Store Files (SoundFlower); More Free Software Instruments (SoundFonts); The iSight as Microphone; Save as Archive; The Instrument Tuner; Re-Wire; Build Your Own Instrument Loops (iDrum); Add an E-Z Chords Feature (ReMIDI); Beyond GarageBand; GarageBand Online
10. The Speed Chapter
Set the Stage; Mute Some Tracks; Lock Some Tracks; Temporarily Squelch the Effects; Combine Tracks; Enlarge Your Buffer; Lose Some Software Instrument Voices; Reduce the Track Overhead; Convert Software Instrument Loops; Turn Monitoring Off; Bounce Down Many Tracks into One; Install More Memory
11. Troubleshooting
Trouble with Loops; Recording and Editing Problems; Mixing and Publishing Glitches;
APPENDIXES
A. The GarageBand Music Course
B. GarageBand, Menu by Menu
C. GarageBand 2 Keyboard Shortcuts

Would you like to be able to create professional sounding musical recordings? If you would, you're in luck! Author David Pogue, has done an outstanding job of writing a book that will guide you through a long list of enhancements, large and small, that make GarageBand a better musical tool than ever before.

Pogue, begins by introducing you to GarageBand. Then, he discusses Loops. The author continues by showing you how to manipulate regions in general--but these techniques are especially useful for manipulating loops. Next, he explores software instruments (MIDI). Then, the author shows you how to edit the software instrument parts. He continues by showing you how to record and edit live audio. Next, he deals with effects, guitar amps, and instrument modules. The author continues by describing how to wrap up your workflow in GarageBand and present it to a wider audience. Then, he introduces a few of the coolest ways to enhance GarageBand's repertoire, suggests where you might go when you decide it's time to graduate to more powerful (and expensive) music software, and points out some Web sites where you can learn more about GarageBand. Next, he presents the accumulated wisdom of thousands of online GarageBand fans sharing their workarounds, plus Apple's own suggestions. Finally, he shows you how to troubleshoot GarageBand.

Don't let the rumors fool you. This most excellent book may be simple, but it isn't simplistic.