Music Books

Judy Collins somehow made it through the worst time of her life and she shares it with us, plus a CD included to boot. Who can ask for anything more?

Judy Collins shares her life lessons, pain, and joy with her millions of faithful fans. This book is very emotional, spiritual and inspiring. The CD songs are just beautiful! Buy it now for the CD insert is only for a limited time only. :)

While listening to the current recordings of this remarkable performer, humanitarian, and personality, one is immediately struck by the warmth of her voice and its enduring stamina and honesty, the same can be said about, "Singing Lessons, A Memoir of Love, Loss, Hope, and Healing. If anyone wonders if it is possible to survive unbearable tragedy, and thrive, they only have to read this book. If anyone wonders about physical, spiritual, and emmotional vibrancy, beyond the age of 40, they have only to read this book! It has been said that to survive any great tragedy, you have to go through it and experience it honestly. For those of us who have gone through far less than the loss of an only child, this book is a triumphant road-map on how to grow and survive any of lifes unfathomable, unexpected, and unreal experiences. Judy Collins is a shinning example, not only for those trying to cope with an enormous tragedy, but many of the new comers in todays music and entertainment industry who could well learn a "lesson" from her tremendous example on how to be a "good" star, someone who is truly grateful for the position they have achieved, and seeks to give back to the world, a true sense of caring, a steady sense of responsibility, and most of all, an enduring sense of the "real" kind of love, that makes this book "sing," and the journey possible and worth the effort to continue.

Read SINGING LESSONS by Judy Collins . . . this is a very
touching memoir of her life, her son's suicide and companion's
serious illness, and how she managed to survive these
events.

Judy Collins has always been one of my favorite performers . . . I also enjoyed reading about how her career evolved, as well as how she played with such other favorites of mine as Tom Paxton, Leonard Cohen, Joni, Mitchell, and Peter, Paul and Mary.

Best of all, the book came with a four-song CD (much to my
surprise) . . . what a treat to be reading her words at the
same time I was listening to her sing!

There were many memorable passages; ...P>[Andrew Weil confirms what I have learned through trial and
error about depression.] "The best single treatment (for
depression) is vigorous, regular aerobic exercise, at least
thirty minutes a day, five days a week." Most of the time, after I spend a half hour or more exercising, any cloud of depression lifts so completely that I feel a small miracle has been accomplished.

The writting style is stunnigly beautiful and impressive,just as authour's music always had a certain healing power.Many singers/actors are not capable to remember anything more than their LP's and awards - celebrities memoirs are too often simply boasting about their career - but Collins have a perfect ballanced view on her past and she writtes about her inner life much more than her career,which is mentioned basically briefly. Portraits of her father and mentor Anthonia are described with affection and of course the book never stops reflecting on her son.This is a clear picture of Judy Collins life from her point of view - no celebrity gossip,no recording dates,what really matters here are feelings and precious memories she shares with reader.At times I thought her story about son sounds a bit obsessive - until it made me realise that I think about my mother every day and she died 12 years ago,so I guess we never really let go.Not only that second half of the book brings very helpful observations how to cope with depression,Collins also have sharp witt and she saved certain original sense of humour which must be life-saving quality (on her knees in the bathroom of the White House,she laughs at herself),the whole book is a warm,affectionate celebration of spirit still shining bright after tragedy and life downfalls.

Sonar 2.0 is such a complicated program. I haven't even messed with many of the features, including MIDI, but have gotten quite good at audio editing. This book made a huge difference. I found it much clearer and easier to follow than the online help or manual that came with Sonar. Highly recommended!

I'm using Home Studio 2002 XL, which as one of the reviewers pointed out is basically just a cut down version of Sonar 2. I had hoped that this book would help me to really learn how to use the advanced features of Home Studio/Sonar, but I was disappointed to find little advice on technique in the book.

It's a very comprehensive overview of the features of the program, but apart from a few small features I'd overlooked there was very little that I hadn't managed to already learn from the included help files (which are pretty good) or previous experience with Sequencers and using MIDI.

In particular I was interested in more information on how best to arrange and mix songs, in particular using aux-buses, but I found that less time was spent on this topic than on explaining the different effects (in more detail than I thought necessary).

Perhaps I'm being a little harsh, and perhaps I'm looking for a different kind of book. I work with computers for a living, so I'm used to finding my way around new software - I guess if you aren't then this is probably a good tour of what the software can do.

I review this book as one who does not own this particular piece of software, but as a prospective Sonar user. I wanted to do a little research to see if Sonar was the way I wanted to go, and I found this book extremely informative. It makes what might be a scary program for the novice very approachable and user-friendly. If I do wind up purchasing Sonar, it's unlikely I'll even need to read the manual with this excellent resource available to me. Outstanding!!

Sonar 2 Power! is an excellent book. It is, by far, the best book available on Sonar, and a must have for anyone who uses Sonar. I have found it was great for intitially getting up to speed on the software. And now that I know the software much better, it is still full of tons of helpful information. Sonar 2 Power! lets you quickly dive right into those features you are interested in. Best of all, the author, Scott Garrigus, is able to make learning quick and enjoyable. It is clear that Scott has a great deal of enthusiasm for making music using his computer and Sonar; he does a very good job of getting this enthusiasm across, which makes the book all the more enjoyable to read. The author has a Website...for his readers.

This is a good book for Cakewalk Home Studio 2004 (and XL) users as well, because Home Studio 2004 is basically the same as Sonar 2 with a few missing features that Home Studio 2004.

I did a comparison of it to my recently acquired 2004 XL upgrade and other than the synchronization function, a couple of UI changes (Snap to Grid button changed locations), and a few effects that Home Studio XL doesn't give you, everything works identical to the Sonar 2 version in the book.

I haven't read the Cakewalk Power Book, but I did notice it looked thinner on the shelves than Sonar 2, and chose to buy Sonar 2 because I thought it was more comprehensive. I've been very happy about the purchase and what I've learned about Home Recording.

A simple technique to understanding the work words do in poerty and song writing. The practice is gentle and not difficult to perform.
Of all the praise I could heap upon Pat Pattison, the one bonus dimension is that of nuances, which are able to enhance poetry through the use of subtile qualities that words may possess, such as, shades or implications or reflections as to a more appropiate choice of words for a greater Songwriting experience: Essential Guide to Rhyming: A Step-by-Step Guide to Better Rhyming and Lyrics (Songwriting Guides)]].
I have sent this book to collegues and students to share the potential for skill enhancement.

This book does an excellent job of explaining the types of rhymes available to songwriters. How to choose the appropriate rhyme, and where to find it in a rhyming dictionary. I have had no previous experience in lyric writing or poetry and it was very easy reading, yet there is enough depth to last a very long time. You will need a rhyming dictionary for the exercises in this book, Pattison recommends 'The Complete Rhyming Dictionary' by Clement Wood. Overall this book is excellent for beginners, with enough content to assist more advanced lyricists.

This book explains rhyme and its importance to writing and inspiration. The author lays out the approach to writing much differently than I have been approaching it for years. This has opened up a whole new level for me in lyric writing - inspiration is much less of an issue because of this book. I highly reccomend this book for beginners, but it can improve even the best lyrical writings. This book is filled with exercises to improve your writing, and if you take the time to do them, you will be a better writer.

You will need a rhyming dictionary to use this book, as it is primarily an instruction on getting the most from your rhyming dictionary. This book explains how you can put a complete idea together using only a rhyming dictionary.

I happened to mention to a couple of friends of mine that I was reviewing a book on rhyming this month and one of them said, " What a dumb thing to write a book about, dude, I mean, a word either rhymes with another word or it doesn't...so you don't need a whole book for that, duh!?!"

My other friend was shaking his head in affirmation of this noble theory.

This confirms that I really need to do whatever it takes to find some smarter friends.

Songwriters need to be expert rhymesters and despite what the rest of the world might think about it being the most natural thing in the world, it's an ability that's got to be developed to the extreme for us to be able to write great songs to the extreme.

Enter: the book!

Songwriting: Essential guide to Rhyming by Pat Pattison.

Pat begins this book by describing the number one "rhyme crime" in the business, transitive verbs. It's the rhyme that you find when a good rhyme doesn't show up so you flip the sentence upside down and jam it into your song like, "My love for you is not a fake, your heart I will now pledge to take".

By the time the listener gets to the verb "take", they have to try to remember that the "heart" was the object. It forces the listener to think backwards as they listen forward and this confusion will not attract your listener to your work.

Yoda, from Star Wars speaks almost exclusively, using transitive verbs like, "Much to learn, you still have". This may work for Yoda but it has no place in a song, so unless Yoda suddenly gets a major label deal...

Back to the book.

Pat offers some great solutions for transitive verbs and also solves the other problem that goes along with them which is how to express universal themes without cliché rhymes. This will be amazing stuff to check out.

Pat also deals with a problem that I have whereby, I don't really like to write with a dictionary and a thesaurus and a stack of grammar books on my piano but he writes convincingly that a good rhyming dictionary is good to keep at arms reach since rhyming is a purely mechanical thing and may help find you the word you need fast enough to keep your muse on track. This now makes a lot of sense to me.

Through the remaining chapters, Pat shows you all the types of rhyming available to you and if your anything like me and don't know all that much about; masculine and feminine rhymes, identity, mosaic rhymes, perfect and imperfect rhymes, additive and subtractive rhymes, assonance and alliteration then you need to get your hands on this book.

The real point of the book, really, is to lay out the rhyme types and let them expand you opportunities to BOTH say what you mean AND rhyme. The book presents the rhyme types in descending order, from the closest to perfect rhyme to the most remote rhyme types. And better, the book shows you how and when to use the different rhyme types.

This is the last of the three books by Pat Pattison that I have had the pleasure of reviewing in these last three issues of The Muse's News. They were, "Songwriting: Essential Guide to Lyric Form and Structure", "Writing Better Lyrics", and "Songwriting: Essential Guide to Rhyming".

I have almost run out of superlatives to express the value of the material in Pat Pattisons books but I would have to say that his books actually define lyric writing for me and have impacted my work like no other outside influence. If this is what you want to bring to the table for your next songwriting project, hit a good bookstore...

I think this book is the greatest, but practically on the
first page, the author proves to his readers that they must
use a rhyming dictionary to create. Going it alone is pure
"silly". He says "finding rhymes is almost never a creative act. It is a purely mechanical search."
Well, I have a small rhyming dictionary by Webster, but this is
not a good one at all. I need specifically The Complete Rhyming Dictionary, edited by Clement Wood (Doubleday) because "it divides rhymes into Masculine, Feminine, and three-syllable rhymes."
Once I get that, then I can really work with Pattison book and
learn.
So if you are buying this book also buy the Wood Rhymer right away and save postage.

this is a great book for the chirstian who wants to see souls saved. Only read if your serious about evangelism.

I have long had problems with books on evangelism. Too much seems to hang in the balance according to feelings. How I feel about this or that, whether or not I feel like I ought to do such-and-such. Spurgeon unapologetically reminds us of every member of the church's responsibility to share the Gospel. Yet he provides very practical and surprisingly relevant advice for those who would wish to do so. This is the only book on the subject (outside of the Bible, of course) that has motivated me to go a-soul-winning. I would recommend it to anyone who is afraid of evangelism, a seasoned evangelist, or someone curious about this thing called evangelism. It speaks to all three and more in a timeless and accurate manner, without a hint of dryness; indeed, it's a pretty entertaining book to read overall.

This book is amazing. If you are looking for a humbling book that WILL kindle that spiritual fire in you, this is it. Spurgeon is a great author. His works have succeeded 115 years after his death, which should give you an indication of his ability to teach. This is a must-have book for anyone involved in evangelism of any kind.

How did it happen that we've moved so far from our purpose as Christians? All creation waits for us - the Christian - to be revealed so that they too have the hope that is within us! Spurgeon once again gets us back to basics and teaches us about ourselves so that we can fulfill the call - the way God intended. I read the first half of The Soul Winner on a flight from Colorado to Ohio and could not stop the flow of tears while I once again felt God speaking to my heart and leading me back to the passion of soul winning. This book will cause your heart to break with the things that break God's heart. I am buying more and passing them along to others from church leaders to my family. Quick - get the book before it's too late - in more ways than one!

This book should be read out aloud from cover to cover. Not only does it reveal some of Spurgeon's greatest lesson: the one in which he had most experience, the job of winning converts. It does as well set a relevant example for contemporary preachers.

By Bob McCarthy.
This is a essential toll to your knowledge.
Even if you're unconversant with the high techniques on sound design and alignment. But prepare yourself to spend a lot of time on this book.
Get serious....
Thak you Mr.McCarthy.
Carlos Guinle.
[Milton Nascimento & Jobim Trio FOH enginner]

This is not a book for beginners. But for the rest of us, it's the best book you can buy on this subject. In most audio literature you'll find the same old info you have already read in other books or know by experience. Not so here: this book is a treasure!

I'm can honestly say, this book is changing (the more I read) how I think about designing the systems I've been setting up for the last 17 years.

I am so glad I have this tool.

Peter Thompson- Thunder Audio Inc. Detroit MI

Bob McCarthy did a great job. This book cover the black holes on sound systems design.
No matter how good audio guru you are, this is a MUST HAVE TOOL!.

What surprised me most about this book was how readable it was. OK, I know it's not going on Oprah's book club list, but I was expecting a book that I wouldn't be able to understand beyond certain basics. Kind of like my 10th grade math book. But the way McCarthy works his way through the subject was well organized, clear AND at time humorous. I think that it's an excellent book that most sound engineers are going to want on their bookshelf.

Stairway to Heaven is an interesting, informative book about the final resting places of some of rock music's legends. Many of the graves of famous stars are photographed and accompany the text. It's a book you pick up to read and can't then put down. Excellent to return to again and again.

I have 2 main interests. Rock and ghosts.Not just ghost but i think graveyards are cool. So this book was perfect for me. This book taught me so much and i love reading it. It's awesome for anyone who is interested in music!!!!1

This made an excellant gift for a rock fan and someone that is somewhat of a historian and likes things like this...

interesting and fascinating all at the same time. The photos were
wonderful and the text was clear. Highly recommend for both the browser and the reader

Have you ever gone to see your favorite artist in concert only to go home somewhat upset because they didn't play this song or that song? Well,I thought I would be thinking that way when I purchased this book,thinking that it would not have the gravesite(s) of this artist or that artist or so on. WAS I WRONG!!! This is like a who's who of dead people of the music world. The book in no way caters to just one genre of music. It practically contains every dead artist from all genres of music. From country (Johnny Cash,Hank Williams) to rap (Jam master Jay,Eazy E) to classic rock (Brian Jones,Jimi Hendrix) to blues (Muddy Waters,John Lee Hooker) to punk (Sid Vicious,Johnny Thunders) to even Tejano (Selena),this book has it all. From members of the beatles to members of MC5 and from members of Lynyrd Skynyrd to members of The Ramones and The New York Dolls,no band is left out. There are roughly 100 artists in this 160 page book which includes artist and gravesite photos as well as the stories behind their deaths. No music fan is left out. It is a masterpiece worth buying. Although it contains no directions to getting to the sites,it still can also be used as the perfect travel guide for the rock n roll historian. Rock on!!!!!

They should've gotten Ron Jones to do First Contact instead of Goldsmith. This is the kind of score you need for an epic battle with the Borg. Wonderful action sequences with stirring strings and threatening brass. And the Borg theme is just marvelous. Ron Jones or Dennis McCarthy or even Jay Chattaway should do all future Star Trek motion picture scores.

I consider the two-parter The Best Of Both Worlds© to be Star Trek™'s most pivotal & influential episodes, and the soundtrack does a beautiful job in adding to the feel and suspense. Although Ron Jones' compositions on this CD aren't quite as ambitious as the tunes one would hear in the Star Trek™ movies, his efforts did help make these two watermark NextGen episodes seem truly grand and larger than life. The military style of some of the tunes also gives a warlike tone to the show, as the Enterprise™ and the Federation™ fight desperately to stop the Borg™ invasion.

Each track complements the scene it plays in almost perfectly. One good example is Hansen's Message©, which plays through the end of the scene in Part One when the crew sees the Borg™ ship for the first time. The moment itself is chilling, but with the music, along with the crescendo at the climax, it becomes even more suspenseful! Another great tune to complement the moment is Intervention©, heard in Part Two when Worf™ and Data™ sneak into the Borg™ ship to rescue Picard™ (now changed into the Borg™ Locutus™) and get him back to the Enterprise.

Thanks to the synergy between the music and the scenes, The Best of Both Worlds© becomes a whole lot more than the sum of its visual & musical parts!

'Late

I LOVE it it is so very relaxing to listen to on occations when you need a dose of Star Trek.

Without comparing this TV score to that of a film, I would consider this an excellent TV score. Hearing the Alexander Courage's version of Jerry Goldsmith's Star Trek theme really opens the album up. It is really a shame that it appears only once or twice in minor situations because then it would mean this score has some trace of thematic development like film scores do. The Borg theme, played by a synthesized chorus, sounds very mysterious yet somewhat hostile and threatening. You have to have seen the show to know what's happening because there's barely any thematic music to base what's happening on. The strings and celeste playing on the tracks before the borg encounter adds the sense of mysterious but foreshadowed danger. The battle tracks between the borg and Enterprise aren't upbeat like scores from John Williams or Horner but sound much more suspenseful and average-paced like on Crimson Tide. Ron Jones seems to back off on fast-paced string and brass parts and prefers edgy brass and percussion coupled with electronics. Away Team Ready is a haunting, military-like cue as some people prepare to board the borg ship. An unused cue for the exploration of the borg ship sounds very far and dissonant like on The Empire Strikes Back, Return Of The Jedi, and Aliens. Both are very original sounding. Let me admit that the music on the second and final fight between the Enterprise and Borg ship heats up but leaves more to be desired. Of course, this is a TV score scored under a period of a week so forget what I just said for any film score fan. After a bittersweet ending stopping with an afterthought, the brilliant Star Theme comes up for the credits and draws this score to a close. I recommend this original score for anyone who has seen the borg episode of TNG but don't expect a Star Wars score here for any film score collectors.

Fans of the syndicated television show "Star Trek: The Next Generation" may remember the two-part episode "The Best of Both Worlds" as a high point for the series, and for science fiction television in general. This cliffhanger and its resolution constituted the third season finale and fourth season premiere. In the story, the United Federation of Planets faces an invasion by the Borg, a seemingly unstoppable cybernetic race that "assimilates" whole civilizations into its insect-like "collective." Captain Picard and the crew of the Starship Enterprise represent the Federation's only hope against this relentless enemy.

Such an epic tale calls for an epic musical score, and composer Ron Jones delivers. His music pounds with excitement during the thrilling space battle sequences. He makes brilliant use of eerie musical effects to capture the alien nature of the Borg Collective and its dispassionate "drones." He also brings out all of the emotion of the heroic struggle of the Enterprise crew to save the Federation from conquest and assimilation. But it's not all big, bombastic space opera music; Jones also pays attention to more intimate moments between the crew.

Yes, "The Best of Both Worlds" was a landmark in the ongoing, multigenerational "Star Trek" saga, and Ron Jones' superb score is an integral part of the story. This is an essential disc for fans of science fiction soundtracks.

The Williams Brothers have been my all-time favorite male gospel group for about as long as I can remember. I read this heartwarming story when it came out back in 1999 and have since re-read it. I love the biographical voice of this book and it allows fans (such as myself) to get a feel of where these dynamic singers and entertainers come from and how they got to where they are. I had the opportunity to meet this group and spend a little time chatting and taking photos with them back in 1996 in Valdosta, GA. Aside from having talent to spare, they are also very inspirational and have absolute magnetic personalities. This book is a must-have for any Williams Brothers fan.

Kendra Norman-Bellamy
author of
For Love And Grace

This is a wonderful book that chronicles life as seen through the eyes of Doug and Melvin. I would very much like to have heard more from Henry Green and Leonard Williams regarding the early days in the business. The fact that there was not much dialogue from Henry Green makes one wonder what he has to say and how he viewed the same instances as the other two. I saw pictures of Leonard on the web a month ago when he signed the Jackson Southernaires to his Melendo label. He was my favorite, and it was good to see that he is still gorgeous!!!

I ordered my copy of Still Standing Tall and I read it in one sitting. Their story is very inspiring and uplifting. They are living testimonies that if you raise your children to serve God and live for Him , you will truly be blessed. Melvin, Doug, and Henry, you guys keep serving God and your blessings will runneth over.

I have every recording the williams brothers made they are simply the best. And might I add very handsome

I am a true fan of the Williams Brothers. I grew up with nine sisters and two brothers. I have every record, tape, CD, they recorded. My father was a minister,and I was raised up the old fashion way. I just purchased the book and I know it is a very good one. I have been to several of their concerts in North Carolina and have met them in person. I admire them for the old fashion up bringing and you can tell, by the music, they are true believers in the ALMIGHTY GOD. They have truly been BLESSED. Keep up the good work and please don't stop praising GOD.

Essie Bynum
Burlington, NC

we got this book as a gift and thought it was pretty cute, but it has turned out to be one of our daughter's favorites! she even tries to snap along and she's only 14 months! i think the part we'll eventually like best is the bit of history included - there's a great description of the 9 jazz musicians showcased in the book. it's a lot of fun to read and there is a lot of interaction possible. so i've been giving it as a gift to everyone!

this book presents the soundtrack! All of these giants on one stage. I love it, but more importantly, my three year old son is OBSESSED. We read it 5 times a day. It is a great read aloud book in which children and adults can exchange riffs. The scatting musical sounds of each musician provide ample opportunity for improvisation while the bios of each player gives a nod to tradition and history. My son has mastered counting to ten with this book because it is so fun. He also loves looking for the hidden jazz mouse.

This is the perfect book for any child, jazz lover or not. In fact, it is really two books in one. The first is a jazzy recasting of that familiar childhood tune "This Old Man" with the eponymous geezer replaced by the great men of Jazz: Armstrong scats, Bojangles taps, and Mingus is among us. Kids will love Ehrhardt's textual rendering of musical sounds that stand in for the non-sensical "knick knack paddywhack," and be mesmerized by Roth's perfectly paired illustrations (which feature a fun game of 'find the jazz mouse' to boot.)
The second book here is the biographical sketches presented as the encore to the joyous rhyming beginning. Ehrhardt has a knack for finding interesting biographical facts of these men who changed the way we listen to music.
Bravo!

This is such a wonderful book! I used it in my K-2 art classes as an introduction to Jazz music followed by a lesson on making art with a Jazz theme. The students loved the rhythm and rhyming patterns in the book and caught on to it quickly. It follows the tune of "This old man, he played one...." The illustrations are light and colorful with beautiful patterns and textures (all which the students incorporated into their artwork). Short bios on the jazz musicians at the back of the book were a nice way to wrap up the reading portion of our lesson and made the book really come to life. Highly recommended for anyone who loves jazz, children's books, illustrations, etc. A really fun read!

I love this book! My son is 20 months and loves this book the rhythm of the words, the numbers, the clapping the sounds of the instruments. What would be excellent if there was an auditory accompaniment to the book. A taping of someone reading the book who can demonstrate the sounds or even better a taping that included musical instruments playing.
I know a lot of people would LOVE to hear it as well and it would be an excellent teaching tool. Please forward this to the appropriate individuals and if possible keep me updated on the release date of the cd. Thank YOU for writing such an awesome, entertaining and needed book!

this book is actually one of the best of its kind. It documents quite well the music of the New Wave era and is a nicely done update of the previous edition.

I got hooked on the TP Record Guides in the mid 80s by luck browsing a cool bookstore. Love at first sight. Ira A. and crew approached a gigantic task with a process and a great sense of humor. Their reviews are amazingly complete for some amazingly obscure bands. [I actually feel honored to know music of obscure underground bands that were somehow unbelievably, under their radar. I wonder what ever became of the "Cache Valley Drifters"? I sure hope Pete and Lou Berryman are still out there too.] They treat most bands with respect, excepting bands of the "Frankie Goes to Hollywood" ilk, heck I trash them too even if I don't know any better! How's that for loyal?

A couple examples of the wonders that drift among the pages. One of my favorite reviews is Simple Minds. The reviewer carefully goes over the bands' brilliant first releases and then lashes out at an apparent total sell out after they got sucked into big production movies.

This book, plus the 1990s edition following it up, will give you an enduring look at the rise and fall of underground music.
Try this at your local library, open this book to Nirvana...read the terse review of the band printed shortly after "Nevermind"s release. Now thumb to Nirvana in the New TP Guide to 90s Music, written many years later, but right next to it in the stacks (dream on). It says things like "every generation has events like hula hoops and Nirvana, they explode out of nowhere" The book is a look at what is important to young people at an important time when their brains desire to look beyond the mirror, even farther outward than the next meal, and they turn to music. It's all-together mindbending and probably important.

This book is a quest giver. Ever hear of the Morels? Me neither, but from what Ira says in his review in this book, I've been on a quest to find some of their musical legacy and so far I've failed. But I'm persistent, they're out there somewhere on some dusty shelf. I'm zealous about this book because in this world you've got to edit.

I love this book. I have to say that I didn't always agree with Robbin's et al views of the music on display. One reviewer mentions their treatment of Simple Minds, and I could make a case for the Silencers. a great Scottish band of the mid to late 80's.

What makes this book great isn't the reviewing they do (concise and well written, always), but rather the fact that Trouser Press provides histories for each band before jumping into their material, and traces the progression of bands through their careers (read the Sonic Youth entry if you don't believe me).

This book leaves all others I've ever read far behind for that simple fact. If you want little info on the bands and sketchy histories and lineups, then by all means, run to Rolling Stone and Dave McKean. But if you want to understand the individual formations of bands, their original vision, how and why they changed, and a full critical accounting thereof, buy the Trouser Press guides.

Magic, I tell you. Magic.

Before there was such a thing as P2P music downloads and other ways of getting ear candy for free (hopefully just to listen before you buy the real CD from the artist you like) you had to rely on word of mouth or radio. Since radio did not play most of the great music listed here, take it from a Suicidal Tendencies/Thin Lizzy fan, this was the one way I KNEW the music I risked my money on was worth it. As far as guides go, this one surpasses them all.

I got hooked on the TP Record Guides in the mid 80s by luck browsing a cool bookstore. Love at first sight. Ira A. and crew approached a gigantic task with a process and a great sense of humor. Their reviews are amazingly complete for some amazingly obscure bands. I actually feel honored to own music of obscure underground bands that were somehow unbelievably, under their radar. They treat most bands with respect, excepting bands of the "Frankie Goes to Hollywood" ilk, heck I trash them too even if I don't know any better! How's that for loyal?

A couple examples of the wonders that drift among the pages. One of my favorite reviews is Simple Minds. The reviewer carefully goes over the bands' brilliant first releases and then lashes out at an apparent total sell out after they got sucked into big production movies. And this book, plus the 1990s edition following it up, will give you an enduring look at the rise and fall of underground music.

Try this at your local library, open this book to Nirvana...read the terse review of the band. Now thumb to Nirvana in the New TP Guide to 90s Music, written many years later, but right next to it in the stacks (dream on). It says things like "every generation has events like hula hoops and Nirvana, they explode out of nowhere" These books are a look at what is important to young people at an important time when their brains look beyond the mirror, even farther outward than the next meal, and they turn to music. It's all-together mindbending and probably important.

This book is a quest giver. Ever hear of the Morels? Me neither, but from what Ira says in his review in this book, I've been on a quest to find some of their musical legacy and so far I've failed. But I'm persistent, they're out there somewhere on some dusty shelf. I'm zealous about this book because in this world you've got to edit.