Music Books

Good Book, I wish it were updated & re-released!

Finally after all these years we have a book that tells us everything we ever wanted to know about the queen i love my copy since i got it a few weeks ago i've read it fron to back and found out some truly interesting things that i never even knew...hell i always thought i was an expert on Madonna but after reading just a few chapters i realised how little i knew about one of the most contoversial, and diverse women in the business today all the info in this book just go to show there will never be another that could come close to filling her shoes or have the global impact shes had
there never has been, never will or could be another MADONNA!!

Okay. So I bought this back when it came out in 1995. I remember reading it and thinking, "SO, there IS a fan out there that knows almost as much as I do about Madonna!" Although there is a lot of opinion expressed throughout the book and some missing detail, it is a book worthy of your shelf or coffee table. It may be outdated since Madonna has morph like fifty million times since this book was published. It still is a great book to ahve around, even if for camp purposes.

There are literally thousands of books that have been published over the years about everyone's favorite Material Girl. Regrettably, the vast majority of these books are incredibly sloppy and aren't even worth lining my birdcage with. But the "Encyclopedia Madonnica" is very unique. This is the most accurate book ever written about Madonna which is also the most informative and detailed. The author, Matthew Rettenmund who wrote this for fans from a fan's prospective speaks to the reader in both an entertaining and enlightening way. You will learn so much about a woman who everyone already thought they knew. My only complaint is that this lists the documentary "Blast 'Em" as part of Madonna's filmagraphy. I'm not sure why the author did that because "Blast 'Em" is not a Madonna movie or a movie that she agreed to appear in. It just includes clips of her being stalked by photographers and as a fan I looked for this movie for years simply because I wanted to have every single movie that she appeared it. When I finally got it I was very disappointed to learn that it was not one of her movies and perhaps it was simply an error on the author's part. If you're a fan who wants to read about Madonna there are really only 3 books you need to get. Besides the "Encyclopedia Madonnica," I also highly recommend I Dream of Madonna & The Madonna Scrapbook.

Matthew Rettenmund certainly has done his research. Encyclopedia Madonnica is the most informative book about the Material Girl that has ever been published. After reading this book, you will truly know everything there is to know about the most famous woman in the world. Well-written and organized, it's also chock full of often hilarious tid bits and witty rejoinders. Mr. Rettenmund should do an updated version of this book, to cover the years 1995 to the present. If you love Madonna, then you simply must own this book, along with Michael D. Craig's "Who's That Girl? The Ultimate Madonna Trivia Book!

My 2nd bio this month on Grant. I had seen some recent favorite movies of his. I'm certainly not an unbiased Grant fan; I have always loved his movies. I liked this book because of so many direct quotes by him. Assuming thsee are factual it gives you a great insight into his shy character which I had missed some of in the first bio I read. He was a great actor but had a sensitivity side that I had never seen. Nicely laid out. I'm more a fan now than I was!

"Evenings with Cary Grant" is the most incredible book. A sort of documentary on paper, Nancy Nelson uses an interview/intercut format and cleverly weaves a narrative through the most revealing and often amusing anecdotes. Cary Grant talks and then Gregory Peck. Katherine Hepburn says something, and then we hear from Audrey Hepburn. As one reviewer said, "When you get to the end, you feel as though you've lost a good friend." Nelson uses no conjecture or supposition. All her sources are primary. An announcement in a recent Sunday "New York Times" said that Nelson will speak about "The Cary Grant Few People Knew" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on June 15. I've got my ticket!

Like other reviewers, I'm a big Cary Grant fan. I usually hesitate to read about the personal lives of actors because they often lead disappointing lives. But Nelson's collection of stories and personal accounts from Grant's friends introduced me to the wonderful man behind the handsome movie star. I'm looking forward to watching his movies again after reading this book -- there is information from him and co-stars about some of the films that will make it fun to watch them again.

I absolutely love old movies,old stars, new movies and their stars, but I LOVE Cary Grant!!! So I wanted to get a book about him and I always check up on the author and how much they knew about the person they are writing about,and when I saw this book and I had to get it.This Book shows the life of Archie Leach (we know him as Cary Grant)his life growing up,and his rise to stardom,his love life,his friends, and his wonderful sense of humor.I was so happy to find out that the man we all fell in love with was the same in real life that he was onscreen.I don't want you to have to read a long review but I just wanted to say how much I love this book and the writers style.Every body should own this book.It's worth reading more than one time.

It is no easy thing to become so successful in one's career and yet be universally loved and respected as Cary Grant was in his lifetime.

Thanks to the author for focusing on the good of the man and ignoring the rest. He was a good man and that is enough. Ms. Nelson does a good job in giving us an idea of who the man really was--a gentleman who was loyal to his friends, if not his wives...but in the end, even THEY still loved him after it was over.

My only disappointment (not the author's fault) was to find out that Cary Grant hated "Arsenic and Old Lace," one of my favorite movies.

My 22 month old son loves many books, but this one has been a stand-out since the first read. He keeps asking for it "again" at the ending and has started to take it to bed with him. I was initially surprised, but now I also love the rhythmic pace and gentle story.

My husband is from Thailand and we were having a hard time finding books that were for children with Thai themes. This was perfect. Our 1 year old son enjoys the colorful pages and the story is just the right length. I actually enjoy all childrens books by this author.

The little ones I read this to absolutely delight in the gentle, rolling rhythms of Hush! It's become a pre-nap favorite in their house.

I bought this book for my little grandbaby on his lst birthday .. I wanted to start building up his "library", and I found this title under a listing of Caldecott Award winners. The colors are wonderful, as are the graphics. The story is very sweet and something every parent can appreciate. I only wish this book was available in a more hard-bound format. I can see how little fingers can (and probably will) be too hard on the pages.

This is one of the few perfect books, perfect diction, few words as possible, using each word carefully and effectively to create a simple but strong story.

Not a book that is nice to have, but an indispensable necessary book. It's so special!

I must say I was very surprised at how good this book was! Yes there were basic things included as well, as mentioned in another review but there was also tons of new ideas and more advanced strategies. I understand how many people dont know the basics such as my bass player..lol Myself I know alot more than basic and this book gave me lots of ideas.. we already have booked more shows and following is growing for sure as more people are coming to shows..and got a review in the paper! never would of done that without this book! great read, Great strategies, and useful ideas here! Thank-You, Thank-You, Thank-You!

The book has some good ideas, but much of it explains really basic things like how to upload audio and video files. There's simply too much filler. All of the really good marketing ideas could have been written in ten pages or less.

There has never been anything available before that offers such clarity and knowledge of this industry. A must have for someone starting out either as an artist or anyone wanting to get into the field. The author really knows his stuff.

In today's world where music is the number one download on the Internet and connected with the top gift lines of today, making money with it has not been the on the "top of the online businesses to make money" for the average person. Until now.

From basic HTML codes to social networking, this book clearly and simply explains every single step of the way to the bank, with success whistling all the way. Its contents and index provide an easy way to browse through the book to find exactly what you need to know or do, with professional advice and teaching from cover to cover.

The book is written from heartfelt experience, tough roads, and successful insight. I enjoyed reading it, and with the information in this book opening up a new field on line--it would be best to jump in now ahead of everyone else.

I'm extremely suspicious of this book getting 17 5-star ratings. It was alright! Seriously though, any more than 3 stars is generous.

THE BAD:
It's quite basic, explaining how to set up a myspace page, etc. Now, maybe I'm biased because I was not new to MySpace when I purchased the book. I already knew about bulletins and blogs and messages and how things work on MySpace. I was more interested in getting more traffic to my band's page.

Certain things about the book were frustrating. For instance, there is a subheading in one of the chapters titled "Getting on the Front Page." Well, in that section it talks about what a great opportunity it is to get on MySpace's homepage. (Duh.) However, it does NOT tell you how to accomplish this. Instead, it states how unlikely it is, but that it's a "wild dream for everybody." Useless. Basically, the book tended to tell you which things would be good things for you to do but then left you clueless as to how to go about it.

There was a type-o probably every 5th or 6th page, and that REALLY irritated me. It was hard to take the book seriously when it clearly had not been edited.


THE GOOD:
It is a quick read. You could go through the whole book in a day.

It talked a good deal about promotions for your band. Although, most of it involved writing or hiring a writer rather than flyers or other traditional techniques I assumed would be the most proficient.

Nicky Kalliongis obviously has a lot of contacts and has done some great stuff in his musical career. ... but I would not by any means consider him a good author.

Anyway, yeah, 3 stars, no more.

Don't look at this with the eye of a photo critic or you may miss the magic. This is an intimate glimpse into the life of Sammy, his family, friends, and acquaintances as only someone "on the inside" can capture.

A wonderful book!

an amazing collection of photos that serve as a historical and entertaining view of the times he lived through.

This book is so fun. It has so many candid great photo's, really intresting history on Sammy Davis Jr. and his relationship's. I really enjoyed this book. Great coffee table book.

I originally picked up this book as a curiosity and found its links to a bygone era utterly fascinating. The subject matter, i.e., rat pack photos were wonderful but the photographic mastery of Davis Jr. is, I think, equally as stunning. A look into Davis Jr.'s remarkable life is given by him in the way, like other great photographers, he insightfully choses to document and communicate with his subjects through the lens. Again, like many great photographers, the images are powerful and soft, crisp and dazzling. More talent revealed from a man who had more in his baby finger than most of us have coursing through our entire bodies.
Bravo. Well done.

Few have personified the phrase "self-made man" as did legendary entertainer Sammy Davis, Jr. (1925-1990). The world remembers Davis for his varied and extraordinary accomplishments as an actor, singer, musician, dancer, and comedian.

But hardly anyone outside his circle of friends and family has been familiar with his photography--until now. With this hefty book, interspersed with reminisces by longtime friend Burt Boyar (who co-wrote Davis's autobiographies Yes I Can and Why Me?), his old fans and a new generation can revel in hundreds of images that reveal yet another significant facet of Davis's far-reaching talents.

Though Photo lacks the singular thematic focus of books published by such photographer-celebrities as Dennis Hopper and Gerry Spence, that's no drawback for this posthumously published volume. Rather, it pulls the reader into the exciting world of nightclubs, casinos, and Beverly Hills homes in which Davis moved, mostly from the late 1940s through early '70s. A voracious shutterbug, he took his photography seriously: his compositions are strikingly iconic, employing sophisticated use of line and form. Yet, his pictures are mostly snapshots--in the best sense of the word: they capture their subjects spontaneously, and his joie de vivre suffuses his work. Think of it as a highly stylized family album packed with candid portraits of "Rat Pack" pals Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Joey Bishop, Peter Lawford, and Shirley MacLaine, as well as other famous friends like Nat "King" Cole, Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh, Sidney Poitier, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Jerry Lewis, and Bill Cosby.

Among the more touching aspects of this book are the portraits of his actual family: his parents, his second wife May Britt and their children, and his third wife (and widow) Altovise Gore Davis. The most poignant are the many shots of actress Kim Novak, the first great love of Davis's life, who was forced by Columbia Pictures studio chief Harry Cohn to break off their relationship (interracial relationships were strictly taboo in 1950s Hollywood, not to mention in society generally).

One photograph, despite its matter-of-fact framing, is particularly chilling. Through the window of a passenger train en route to Miami, Davis snapped a picture of an elderly white gentleman on a station platform holding a cigarette, standing before a pair of double doors over which the foreboding phrase "WHITE WAITING ROOM" is painted. Davis's photographic abilities and inclinations were such that we see a mostly glamorous world through his eye. Thus, when we arrive at this jarring image, it's impossible not to apprehend it from his point-of-view--and also not to feel the sense of injustice that he must have experienced in the Jim Crow South as he clicked the shutter.

As Davis's show business career took off, many venues--even north of the Mason-Dixon Line--were happy to let blacks perform onstage; but the same headliner artists weren't even permitted to drink at the bar, use a dressing room, or occupy one of their hotel rooms. Photographs from Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial, and portraits of politician friends Senator Robert Kennedy and President Richard Nixon, give silent witness to Davis's largely forgotten achievements as an outspoken civil rights advocate.

Photo is a coffee-table book that won't spend much time on the coffee table if your houseguests are anything like mine. Because of a car crash in 1954, Sammy Davis, Jr., was left with only one eye. But what an eye this cat had!

For those who know of Roy Buchanan...he's not as well known to the general public...this book documents the upbringing and influences that guided and shaped one of the most talented and unique guitarists ever. A wonderfully researched chronicle of the life of an icon in music.

I've always wondered why Roy Buchanan, who in my opinion was the world's greatest guitar player, never broke through to a larger audience. After reading this excellent biography of his life, I completely understand why. Phil Carson did an outstanding job of pulling together a huge amount of detail into a page-turning, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny and other times heart-wrenching story of Roy's life. I've read quite a few biographies on music legends and the majority of them have been hard to read chronologies of factoids and interviews loosely held together. So, even though I was very motivated to learn more about the life of this unsung guitar master, I assumed that I was in for a chore. Much to my surprise, this was an outstanding read...a well researched, heart-felt, telling of the life of a gifted, albeit troubled, man.

If you're a fan of Roy's, then order this book immediately. If you aren't familiar with Roy's music then order a couple of Roy Buchanan CD's and listen to them while you read this book.

Note to Phil Carson: I'd love to see you take on the biography of another relatively unknown guitar master, Nils Lofgren (a protégé of Roy Buchanan).

THIS BOOK IS FANTASTIC..ROY WAS FANTASTIC....IF YOU ARE A FAN, YOU NEED THIS BOOK..I WILL READ IT OVER AND OVER....

All I ever wanted to know,about the man and his music.Great biografy,have read many books on other artist.If you go through Buchanan`s songs,there are many differt styles he mastered.Country,rockabilly,rock & &roll,instrumentals,pop,r & b,jazz.Saw him live once in Oslo,that was great.My friends say,play the #Telecaster# and die young,but I have to play it,have -blonde 52 reissue.Now I study bossa nova masters,like Lois Bonfa,Joao Gliberto,Jobim etc.cause I got a job with a female singer,playing spanish guitar.There are a few cuts with Roy playing acoustic and they are great.Read the book,by his concert DVD,s,and if you run short,get bored playing the beast,listen to the man.There have never been a guitar player like him,he had his own style,his style will never be duplicated.All american music styles,and Malaguena.The roadhouse king will live on forever.Arnie Buy-ROY BUCHANAN his first and SECOND ALBUM on Polydor,that is a good start.Good reading,good listning and play them over and over,and you will hear his soul.

I like Roy's first records--loud and clear, with the focus on his playing. Later on they tried to make him like Clapton, but it didn't work. I would rate Roy in the top 5 of the people I have heard. I also like Bugs Henderson, Tinsley Ellis, Wes Jeans, and Dave Hole. This book is a very good read. I saw Roy at Park West in Chicago. He did a very short set. It was hard to enjoy him with the female booze hustlers bothering me, but, he seem to be in top form. I still have my ticket, inside Roy's live Japan import.

This particular book follows the eleventh and twelfth seasons of the "Simpsons." We are offered summaries for each episode, as well as chalkboard and couch gags, hard-to-know facts and trivia, and character sketches and designs from various episodes. This is a great addition to the first two books in the series, but seems to be filled with some extra, not very essential material, just to seem larger and worthy of the price. Yet, in any event, I think if you are a big "Simpsons" watcher, or want to know more about these seasons, this book is a great purchase.

This book is hilarious, even better than the other two! Every series,the simpsons just gets funnier and funnier. I can't wait for the next book to come out and the next series to be shown on C4. If you like The Simpsons, you will love this book.

Amazing. The ultimate for any Simpsons fan!

THE SIMPSONS BEYOND FOREVER! A COMPLETE GUIDE TO OUR FAVORITE FAMILY...STILL CONTINUED is probably the best book on the Simpsons that I've read, along with THE SIMPSONS: A COMPLETE GUIDE TO OUR FAVORITE FAMILY and THE SIMPSONS FOREVER! A COMPLETE GUIDE TO OUR FAVORITE FAMILY...CONTINUED. It includes, and I am taking this right from the cover, all new characters, episodes, and secret jokes you might have missed from seasons 11 & 12. The book was created by Matt Groening and edited by Jesse L. McCann. It details each episode and even has extras: Season 11 Production Art; Season 11 Character Designs; Season 12 Production Art; Season 12 Character Designs; Church Marquees; "D'oh"s and "Mmm"s; Itchy & Scratchy; Couch Gags; Who Does What Voice; and Songs Sung Simpson.

The books dedication even reads:
TO THE LOVING MEMORY OF SNOWBALL I:
YOU ALWAYS MANAGED TO LAND ON YOUR FEET.

My favorite sayings in the book are all on p. 104 - 105, "Simpsons Tall Tales":

A hungry, hungry Homer: "I haven't had buffalo in six hours. Marge, how about whipping up some buffalo sausage, huevos buffaleros, and some fresh-squeezed buffal-OJ?"

VICTUAL REALITY:
HUCK FINN (NELSON): I'm considerable hungry. We got any food left?
TOM SAWYER (BART): Hmm. Looks like we're out of cornpone, fatback, hardtack, fatpone, corntack...
HUCK: Any tackback?
TOM: Tackback?
HUCK: I mean, backtack.
TOM: Plum out.

COMPARE AND SAVE:
APU: One jug of whiskey, three plugs of tobacky, and some extra-strength opium. That will be two cents, boys.
TOM: Gasp!
HUCK: Two cents!
APU: Hey, if you think my prices are high, go across the street!
(He points at a $0.99 Store.)

I would buy this book for double the price!

P.S. - I also reviewed the first two books mentioned above.

Wow, The Simpsons has been around a LONG TIME! Right now, they're on Season 15 and the hit show doesn't look like it will end anytime soon. Of course, the episodes are kind of stupid now and some are losing interest. The Simpsons Beyond Forever covers season 11 and 12. The book is basically a really detailed episode guide. Inside, there is an Itchy and Scratchy Filmography, Homer's D'OHS! and his mmm's, and of course, the couch gags. But, that's only part of the book.
Also, they tell everything you need to know about each episode in seasons 11 and 12. There's the stuff Bart writes on the chalkboard, quotes from the episode, a summary and hilarious pictures. With 2 pages for each episode, they have plenty of room to fit anything they want on it. They even do a The Stuff You May Have Missed section for every episode. They have even more information for the Treehouse of Horror episodes. 4 WHOLE PAGES! The episodes aren't even that great!
The book, I wouldn't consider short, but not long. The first book(The Simpsons: A Complete Guide To Your Favorite Family) almost has 100 more pages than Beyond Forever! But, Beyond Forever has enough information that the few pages don't really matter.
You'll find EVERYTHING you need to know about season 11 and 12 in this book. Basically, it's amazing. I would reccommend this true work of art to any Simpsons fan. You could watch one Simpsons episode and still find this book interesting. Seasons 11 and 12 weren't included in the drop of ideas that has suddenly come into The Simpsons. The wonderful episode HomR lets you discover Homer's only stupid because he lodged a crayon up his nose as a kid. Plus, there's the crazy Trilogy of Error episode where it tells where Homer's finger was cut off by Marge and her brownies.
All in all, this book is AWESOME! Buy it.

Yes, it is a fantastic book even for us outside the U.S. with limited insight to how Hollywood worked (and works) in the '50s and early '60s! I'm from Sweden where the Lassie shows were on the air week by week and sure was very popular with us kids!
Jon Provost and Laurie Jacobson is a perfect team making this book one of the absolut best biographies I ever read! The book is so fascinating that I really had to force myself letting it go for some sleep in the evenings! Especially the early years with the Lassie series, is close
to me - giving an direct emotional telling how it was like to be this little boy, completely left out in a adults' world with very limited freedom of playing and having a "normal" life with family members and friends of your own age!
Even though you may get the impression that he was forced to do this acting all the time (by his mom in particular), I can sense that she wanted all the best for his son!
The book is also densly enriched with pictures from those days which makes it extra fun! Also the "timelines" is a plus, establishing the stories in their original time!
Thank you, Jon and Laurie for this achievement - this book is a must in every American home! (and European as well!)
I'll give it a 5 star rating of course!!!
Chris Lindstrom in Sweden!

I found "Timmy's in the Well" to be a fascinating read. It brought to my consciousness the Lassie TV show's innate moral values which, watching it every week for years, had a positive formative impact upon my character (there's a positive for the power of the media!). It was then fascinating to see the oftimes contrast between the appearance of the show and the reality behind it: particularly chilling was the instance when Jon was applauded for his "performance" of drowning, when he actually almost had. Interesting also was the impact that Jon's career had on his siblings, another "reality" behind the scenes. In this autobiography, co-authored by his wife, Laurie Jacobson, Jon's recollections are balanced by many quotations of his family and friends; their statements often give different perspectives to the same event, and thus give a three dimensional depth to his story. The reader is left with some work to do, some conclusions to draw, which is analogous to the process of reading a great novel.

While this book covers the life events of Jon Provost's life, it is also a powerful statement of the social climate of the 50's and 60's in this country. It was startling to realize that it was less than fifty years ago that racial prejudices were so severe that Lassie's sponsors were afraid that they would lose business if a famous black sports figure appeared as a guest on the show. Later in this autobiography, the "highs" and the "lows" of the 60's scene are brought to life in a realistic accounting of those days of "free love." Laurie Jacobson did an excellent job of presenting Jon's life within the context of the times.


But the real value of this autobiography for me is that it is an exploration of love between all the members of a family struggling to cope with their roles in this unusual and unreal life. Despite the tensions, conflicts, jealousies, and inherent misunderstandings, each Provost family member managed to arrive at a place of mutual respect for each other. And any book, or any life, that can achieve that goal, is an inspiration for us all.

This is well-written, filled with many quotes from famous kids of the time on tv.
And best of all, there are pictures on almost every page!
The only downer might be Paul Peterson (can he EVER say anything nice about anything?), but all the rest of the contributors are excellent.
GET THIS BOOK!!!

luv, miss josh emmett

This book is absolutely terrific, not just for movie and TV fans, but also for any adult who might be preparing for, or currently struggling with, success, challenge, frustration, or failure. Do you enjoy Hollywood movie history, or info about legendary stars and classic TV? Or perhaps when growing up, you watched a favorite child star perform and dearly wanted to be like him or her, thinking life would be so fun, rosy and glamorous to be so popular, cute, rich and famous. Perhaps you dreamed it would bring fast cars, beautiful living, smart clothes, endless friends and gorgeous dates. Well, now's your chance to personally experience what all this might have been like. But beware. Things are not always what they seem. Sometimes they are more.

In this very special and unique autobiography, you'll become a member of Jon Provost's family, past and present. You'll feel right at home, following the young actor through all the ups and downs, hopes and dreams, thrills and chills (not to mention pains and strains), of a childhood spent working in 50's and 60's movies and television. You'll be transported into a wonderful, yet sometimes strange and even downright dangerous world of wild success, fame and fortune.

Fame does bring great stuff, attention and privileges. It's all here in this book, with amazing, wonderful, unbelievable, incredible times. You'll meet many famous adult and kid stars backstage and in real life, as well as numerous regular friends and coworkers, too. Their impressions and perspectives, both positive and negative, are quite candidly included. Family and off-camera photos on practically every page help to set the period and mood.

But fame and success bring even more. And the extra stuff is often not so good, seldom anticipated, or even understood, not only by the person at the center of the maelstrom, but also by family, friends, employers and fans.

In this book, Jon Provost and his entire family circle confide their personal lives with a most rare honesty and openness. It's a deeply personal journey toward success of a different kind. You'll find it hard to stop reading. I recommend it very highly. Just as his character "Timmy" did on Lassie, Jon Provost is still teaching us valuable lessons about life, but this time through his own.

From: [..]

"Timmy's In The Well" is an amazing accomplishment. If you ever watched Jon as Timmy Martin in "Lassie," you must get this book.

It's not a book for kids. Provost vividly evokes the sweeping social changes in America from the staid 50's, through the swinging 60's, and beyond. This is a real insider's view of growing up in Hollywood, with many revelations about the life of a TV child star.

All of the wild fun, the hard work, and the bitter pain, is told candidly, with total honesty and utter sincerity. There are many quotes and comments from Provost's colleagues and friends in the entertainment business, and although the photos are small, there are a lot of them, conveniently integrated into the text.

Look no further. This is the Reason book to own. I'm looking forward to a Reason 3.0 version!

This book is the most well written, documented, and friendly instruction manual I have ever read.

Firstly, its entirely clear that the author is a professional user of Reason, knows heaps about the program and how to maximize its potential, as well as suggests ways for taking it out of the norm.

Secondly, the tone of the author is friendly and fun. You get the feeling this book was written by your big brother or best friend giving you the details. The text is clear, simple, and accurate. The author conveys information without loosing your interest or overwhelming you with dry tech speak.

I have used Reason for 2 years and am a Reason 3.0 user, but still refer to this book often. It covers so much about the core of the program that you will quickly be able to learn the new devices in 3.0 as you will have a fantastic foundation and understanding of the application. The book explains all the devices in 2.0 (including the functions of knobs, sliders, buttons, synthesis models, loops, envelopes, etc), CV/Gating, Sequencing, ReWire, use with other major audio applications, useful tips/tricks, and plenty of links to helpful user websites. It also has numerous quick and easy "how to" tutorials, that are clearly documented step by step and with pictures.

Very well done. I am grateful for how quickly I was able to ramp up on Reason due 90% to this book. Honestly, this should be the standard for instructional texts.

No, you can't RECORD with Reason. But there are countless ways to use files that you have recorded with other, very simple or even free applications (how about your Sony Minidisk recorder hooked up to a decent mike? talk about light years ahead of what we had available way back when); files that you have downloaded, files that you have gotten off of records or CD's or even TV, in Reason (shame!). It can be as simple as having the drum machine play a sound file from anywhere on your computer, with a surprising amount of control of, for example, sample start-and then you move on to the more powerful samplers... And then this will provide you with many different ways to control and distort, filter, and manipulate those files that are so easy to trigger or otherwise get inside Reason. Because that is what Reason does, it gives you a studio full of tools-synths, samplers, mixers, and the many sound sculpting modifiers to create, twist, and control your sounds.

And this book does a fantastic job of showing you these tools, in a very carefully thought out order and depth. Like another reviewer said, you would have to be a serious power user indeed not to get many good ideas from this book; and like yet another reviewer said, people that write textbooks should look at this one and see just how well it can be done. It will take you from a novice to synthesizers to an expert on Reason and computer synthesis music creation, giving history and background to help you learn about the many music synthesis tools. It is filled with tutorials, how-to's, and tips and tricks that even go beyond Reason sometimes. You could take a tutorial and change it as you follow along and create it and have a complete Reason song of your own easily. I also thought it gave a summarily good introduction into the powerful usage of the Control Voltage interface from ages past (one of Reason's most powerful tools in it's bag of tricks-one that ties everything together like you have never been able to do with so many different devices), with tips and tricks there, too. There are a lot of toys available in Reason, but once you get past a certain not-too-difficult level, it is actually a very intuitive and very fun to use interface; and this book is definitely filled with this same infectious enthusiasm for that rack o' modules and wires. It is an extraordinarily good book for beginner to expert.

You should see my copy of this book, it is nearly destroyed from so much usage, carrying it about wherever I go and constantly going back to it for reference.

As a side note, I think the Acrobat Reader Operation Manual supplied with Reason is also excellent. It's just what it should be-precise and to the point-it's an Operation Manual, after all. If you take the time to practise and apply what you read, it will give you the background to know what you are doing (as much as is possible-sometimes when you have so much going on in a patch it would be hard for anyone to say how you got there-and that can be fun, too) and what every control does. This book will do the same and take you farther with much more help.

Before I read this book I had Reason installed on my computer and I didn't use it very often because the interface wasn't straightforward for a beginning user like myself to understand how to operate it beyond basic operations. This book is an excellent source to learn how to use Reason 2 or 2.5. It contains practical, hands-on tutorials, explanations of the knobs and interfaces, and helpful tips. This is a must have if you want to become proficient in Reason!

This book contained a great amount of information. To use as reference or to learn from over all a great buy.

It helped me along in using C.V. Gates ect. and offers lots of other great information.

A must for any user of reason

P.S. Any one that made comments to recording audio in to Reason ha ha ha

Get Cubase or some other Program that will run rewire.
Think before the mouth opens. . . . know what I mean Mate

Thank you to Derek Johnson & Debbie Poyser

This is an excellent, easy to understand book that will enable even a beginner to customize their guitar to any level, including true vintage tone through full hot rod modifications. If you own a strat(or clone) it would be foolish to not know how to maximize your investment. This is how.

Don't waste your time searching the Internet for tidbits on how to tweak your guitar's sound. This book will show you how to modify your guitar's wiring to make it sound more expressive than its current design allows it to be. The book is well-organized, clearly written, and jammed-packed full of diagrams and photos so can see you how guitar circuits are typically wired, and what you can do to modify them. The author gives you access to online sound samples, and provides a link to a downloadable ebook version of the printed book. The ebook version contains extremely clear, high-resolution color photos of the pictures in the book. It has a ZOOM-IN feature that lets you see everything in such fine detail it feels like you are taking a virtual tour of the wiring inside your guitar. The author also includes some links to out-of the ordinary guitar parts suppliers you might not have discovered. This book is definitely worth owning.

I purchased this book with the thought of getting a little more sound out of my American Strat. The book is an excellent source for the internal wiring of the guitar but it also contained useful information on selecting aftermarket pickups.

Added bonus!! It contained the wiring diagrams for my Les Paul. This is a must book for anyone that wants to understand how the electronics in their guitar works!

I really enjoyed this information. The techniques I learned are great for what mods I want to do to my axe. Fender Guitars have thier own sound and wiring. This ref book has made it easy to make the mods I wanted happen.

This is another great step-by-step guide which will teach you endless possibilities for your guitar. From wiring in new pickups, with countless configurations, to a vast array of tonal possibilities. All of which enable you to sound like the pro's or to create your own 'personalised' sound - all with easy to follow instructions and easy to see photo's. If you don't buy any other book, you should at least buy this one! A great reference tool for anybody wanting to maintain & Hot Rod their own Axe, whether you are a beginner or an advanced guitar tech, there will be a host of DIY Mods you WILL be capable of doing! Many thanks to the writer for creating such an easy to follow guide.