U2: Songs + Experience is the ultimate celebration of the act hailed as the greatest rock band in the world. Co-written by Brian Boyd, a leading music journalist and close associate of the band, and Niall Stokes, editor of Ireland's legendary Hot Press magazine, the book recounts the band's incredible career and analyses the songs from all of their studio albums (including Boy, The Joshua Tree and Songs of Experience). The book discusses influences, inspiration and the origins of their immensely popular music, all accompanied by rare photographs, including many items of rock memorabilia, comprising posters, backstage passes, classic flyers and more.

Who is the real Madonna? At the age of sixty, she is still one of the richest and most successful pop stars in the world. Her provocative behaviour continues to generate headlines yet she remains an enigma. Until now. In Madonna, J. Randy Taraborrelli has crafted a brilliant biography full of vivid detail, insight and humour. From the driven, ambitious young woman struggling to get a break in New York to the outrageous pop diva and more spiritual mother, the changing faces of Madonna are revealed. We see her relationships with men like Basquiat, Tupac, Prince and Warren Beatty, and what happened in her marriages to Sean Penn and Guy Ritchie. We see her embracing motherhood. And we see her today with five children, still recording and touring, finding happiness with much younger boyfriends, defiantly living life on her own terms. Madonna is based on decades of research and exclusive interviews with people speaking of her publicly for the first time - including friends, business associates and family members. Taraborrelli has also interviewed the star herself on numerous occasions, and he draws on first-hand experiences to bring Madonna to life as not merely a sensational tabloid delight, but as a flesh-and-blood woman with human foibles and weaknesses, as well as great strengths.

Told in a series of interviews with Sir David Willcocks and rounded out with reflections from a roll-call of eminent composers, musicians, and friends, this book presents a portrait of a highly gifted musician whose leadership, decency, and humanity have inspired countless singers to follow his example and live a life in music. Includes CD with many of Sir David's famous recordings.

The Bruce Springsteen Vault chronicles the Boss's incredible musical career through photos and memorabilia. In-depth text tracks Springsteen through his childhood in New Jersey and early shows on the college circuit, to the formation of the E Street Band and breakout album Born to Run, to the energy he brings to his music at age 62. Also covered will be Springsteen's evolution as a musician, an examination of his technique, his influences and inspiration, and an exploration of how his music has shaped American culture over the last 40 years. Packaged in a handsome hardcover format, the Bruce Springsteen Vault features over 100 images including concert photos (both on-stage and backstage), album covers, and personal photographs. New interviews with Springsteen insiders and artists he has collaborated with throughout his career, in addition to previously unpublished concert photographs and ephemera. The collection will also include ten pieces of removable memorabilia such as ticket stubs, posters, and handwritten lyrics.

As a noted composer and critic, and later an editor and composition teacher, Paul Dukas (1865-1935) was a major figure in fin-de-siecle and early twentieth-century French music. Although his catalogue of published scores was relatively modest in quantity, he was internationally recognised as an artist and intellectual of distinction who contributed significantly to Parisian musical cultures and critical debates as they evolved from the 1890s until the 1930s Moving in the same circles as Debussy and Faure, as well as networking with trailblazers such as the Ballets Russes director Sergei Diaghilev and the conductor Serge Koussevitzky, Dukas created works that reflect French sensibilities but also resonate with transnational audiences. L'Apprenti sorcier is still his best-known work, while the opera Ariane et Barbe-Bleue has been revived and remains relevant for the twenty-first century. Works such as the Piano Sonata and the ballet La Peri respectively exemplify the twin attractions of tradition and progress for the composer. Intensely self-critical, however, he ended up destroying many of his scores. This book is the first full-length Anglophone study of Dukas. It perceives his critical essays as a form of creative, philosophical thought that synthesised the riches of the Parisian music scene yet also represented the formation and development of his own artistic voice. Investigating Dukas's interrelated identities as composer and critic, it seeks to explain his broad aesthetic motivations and artistic agenda. LAURA WATSON is Lecturer in Music at Maynooth University.

When Alice Cooper became the stuff of legend in the early '70s, their shows were monuments of fun and invention. Riding on a string of hits like "I'm 18" and "School's Out," they became America's highest-grossing act, producing four platinum albums and hitting number one on the U.S. and U.K. charts with Billion Dollar Babies in 1973. As teenagers in Phoenix, Dennis Dunaway and lead singer Vince Furnier, who would later change his name to Alice Cooper, formed a hard-knuckles band that played prisons, cowboy bars and teen clubs. Their journey took them from Hollywood to the ferocious Detroit music scene. From struggling for recognition to topping the charts, the Alice Cooper group was entertaining, outrageous, and one-of-a-kind. Dennis Dunaway, the bassist and co-songwriter for the band, tells a story just as over-the-top crazy as their (in)famous shows. Snakes! Guillotines! Electric Chairs! is the riveting account of the band's creation in the '60s, strange glory in the '70s, and the legendary characters they met along the way.

Respected journalist Harvey Kubernik charts every aspect of Neil Young's extraordinary career with the aid of exclusive interviews conducted with fellow musicians, record producers, music journalists, film directors and loyal fans. The period spanning Neil Young's debut with local bands in his native Canada through to his more recent record-breaking tours and his acclaimed 2014 album A Letter Home covers some 50 years. It encompasses a spell with the seminal West Coast band Buffalo Springfield, collaborations with Crosby, Stills and Nash, and a glittering solo career which began in the 1970s. The scale of Neil Young's achievements as a singer-songwriter and his longevity as an artist have given him a status and an influence that helped shape the history of popular music. Among those featured in this book are musicians Graham Nash, Nils Lofgren and Richie Furay, filmmaker Jim Jarmusch, photographer Henry Diltz, producers Jack Nitzsche and the late Kim Fowley, and many, many more. Along with a retrospective commentary on every studio and live album, this is the ultimate tribute to one of rock music's true giants.

The King departed this world during the month of punk Rock's apotheosis. Punk had set out to destroy Elvis, or at least everything he came to represent, but never got the chance. Elvis destroyed himself before anyone else could. Nearly forty years after his death, Rock's ultimate legend and prototype just won't go away and his influence and legacy are to be found not just in music today, but the world over. Elvis Presley has permeated the modern world in ways that are bizarre and inexplicable: a pop icon while he was alive, he has become almost a religious icon in death, a modern-day martyr crucified on the wheel of drugs, celebrity culture, junk food and sex. In Elvis Has Left the Building, Dylan Jones takes us back to those heady days around the time of his death and the rise of punk. He evokes the hysteria and devotion of The King's numerous disciples and imitators, offering a uniquely insightful commentary on Elvis's life, times and outrageous demise. This is a fresh account, written with the authors customary panache, recounting how Elvis single-handedly changed the course of popular music and culture, and what his death meant and still means to us today.

An American original, Patti Smith is a multi-disciplined artist and performer. Her work is rooted in poetry, which infused her 1975 landmark album, Horses. A declaration of existence, Horses was described as 'three chords merged with the power of the word'; it was graced with the now iconic portrait by Robert Mapplethorpe, the subject of her award-winning memoir Just Kids. Initially published in 1998, Patti Smith's Complete Lyrics was a testimony to her uncompromising poetic power. Now, on the fortieth anniversary of the release of Smith's groundbreaking album, Collected Lyrics has been revised and expanded with more than thirty-five additional songs, including her first, 'Work Song', written for Janis Joplin in 1970, and her most current, 'Writer's Song', to be recorded in 2015. The collection is liberally illustrated with original manuscripts of lyrics from Smith's extensive archive. Patti Smith's work continues to retain its relevance, whether controversial, political, romantic or spiritual. Collected Lyrics offers forty-five years of song, an enduring commemoration of Smith's unique contribution to the canon of rock and roll.

'Bookended by tragedy, shot through with violence, ultimately uplifting' Guardian 'An insight into a singular artist' New Statesman 'Fierce, funny and indomitable' Observer 'My tears were relentlessly pricked by Tricky's memoir' Daily Telegraph Tricky is one of the most original music artists to emerge from the UK in the past 30 years. His signature sound, coupled with deep, questioning lyrics, took the UK by storm in the early 1990s and was part of the soundtrack that defined the post-rave generation. This unique, no-holds barred autobiography is not only a portrait of an incredible artist - it is also a gripping slice of social history packed with extraordinary anecdotes and voices from the margins of society. Tricky examines how his creativity has helped him find a different path to that of his relatives, some of whom were bare-knuckle fighters and gangsters, and how his mother's suicide has had a lifelong effect on him, both creatively and psychologically. With his unique heritage and experience, his story will be one of the most talked-about music autobiographies of the decade.

The first major biography of one of the most fascinating yet misunderstood figures in American popular music, drawing on dozens of exclusive interviews, never-before-seen diaries, and years of original research.

The Beatles provided the soundtrack for the `Swinging Sixties', wrote and recorded groundbreaking albums, made films and were adored by fans universally. To pay tribute to their success as one of Britain's most loved bands, this special tin includes four vinyl record coasters that celebrate some of the fab four's best-known hits!

Imagine being alongside one of the greatest bands in the history of rock, touring the world and being there as they perform at some of the best and biggest music venues in the world. Peter Hince didn't have to imagine: for more than a decade, he lived a life that other people can only dream of as he worked with Queen as head of their road crew. In 1973, Queen was the support act for Mott the Hoople, for whom Peter was a roadie. Back then, Queen had to content themselves with being second on the bill and the world had not yet woken up to the flamboyant talent of Freddie Mercury. Peter started working full time for Queen just as they were making A Night at the Opera, the album which catapulted them to international stardom. In this intimate and affectionate book, Peter recalls the highlights of his years with the band. He was with Freddie when he composed 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love'; he was responsible for making sure that Freddie's stage performances went without a hitch - and was often there to witness his famed tantrums! He was also party to the sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll which are invariably part of life on the road with a rock band.

This latest edition of Under The Ivy is fully updated to include analysis of Bush's stunning return to live performance in August 2014. Her run of London concerts was the most unexpected and eagerly awaited pop event of the 21st Century. An acclaimed study of one of the world's most enigmatic artists, Under The Ivy combines a wealth of new research with rigorous critical scrutiny. Featuring over 70 new interviews with those who have viewed from close quarters both the public artist and the private woman, this compelling biography offers numerous fresh perspectives on a unique and elusive talent. Under The Ivy examines Bush's unconventional upbringing in south London, the youthful blossoming of her talent and her evolution into one of the most visually and sonically creative artists of the past 35 years. It focuses on her unique working methods and pioneering use of the studio on landmark albums such as The Dreaming and Hounds Of Love, her core influences and key relationships, her profound influence on successive generations of musicians, and her most recent releases: Director's Cut, on which Bush reworked 11 songs from her back catalogue, and 50 Words For Snow, her first album of new material for six years.

The first book ever on the classic British rock band UFO. Based around the author's many interviews with all the key players such as Phil Mogg, Pete Way & Michael Schenker. Noted author Martin Popoff takes you through the Schenker era in great detail; album-by-album, song by song along with touring anecdotes and of course, tales revolving around the wild and excessive behaviour that was very much a part of the band. Rounding if off is a full discography.

Arguably the greatest of all piano virtuosi, Liszt was one of the few composers of his day who had the technique to perform his own compositions. A child prodigy pianist who could read music before he could recite the alphabet, Franz Liszt is one of the most outrageously gifted and most controversial figures in classical music. Unconventional in both his approach to composing and his personal life, he had a reputation for courting hostility and riding rough-shod over other people's feelings, particularly those of his musical peers.
This lavishly illustrated book chronicles Liszt's life and times with the help of many rare photographs and contemporary prints. With numerous quotations from the people who knew him best, extracts from personal letters and diaries, this remarkable book gives an intimate picture of the composer's private life, and also investigates the complex religious and emotional forces which inspired his music.
Includes a CD featuring a selection of recordings by the composer.

An intimate exploration of Joni Mitchell's life and art. When singer, musician, and broadcast journalist Malka Marom was asked to interview Joni Mitchell in 1973, she eagerly accepted the opportunity to converse with the performer she'd first met late one night in 1966 at an open mic in Yorkville. More conversations followed over the next four decades of friendship, and it was only after Joni and Malka completed their last recorded interview, in 2012, that Malka discovered the heart of their discussions: the creative process. In Joni Mitchell: In Her Own Words, Joni and Malka follow this thread through seven decades of life and art, discussing the influence of Joni's childhood, love and loss, playing dives and huge festivals, acclaim and criticism, poverty and affluence, glamorous triumphs and tragic mistakes ...This riveting narrative, told in interviews, lyrics, paintings, and photographs, is shared in the hope of inspiring others.

'So honest and pure as to count as a true rapture' JOAN DIDION 'A poetic masterpiece' JOHNNY DEPP 'Our St John of the Cross, a mystic full of compassion' EDMUND WHITE 'A roadmap to my life', from the National Book Award-winning author of Just Kids: an unforgettable odyssey of a legendary artist, told through the prism of cafes and haunts she has worked in around the world REVISED EDITION WITH FIVE THOUSAND WORDS BONUS MATERIAL AND NEW PHOTOGRAPHS M Train begins in the tiny Greenwich Village cafe where Smith goes every morning for black coffee, ruminates on the world as it is and the world as it was, and writes in her notebook. Through prose that shifts fluidly between dreams and reality, past and present, and across a landscape of creative aspirations and inspirations, we travel to Frida Kahlo's Casa Azul in Mexico; to a meeting of an Arctic explorer's society in Berlin; to a ramshackle seaside bungalow in New York's Far Rockaway that Smith acquires just before Hurricane Sandy hits; and to the graves of Genet, Plath, Rimbaud and Mishima. Woven throughout are reflections on the writer's craft and on artistic creation. Here, too, are singular memories of Smith's life in Michigan and the irremediable loss of her husband, Fred Sonic Smith. Braiding despair with hope and consolation, illustrated with her signature Polaroids, M Train is a meditation on travel, detective shows, literature and coffee. It is a powerful, deeply moving book by one of the most remarkable artists at work today.

Few have combined the music with a message in such a radical way as the Jamaican born superstar. The best of Marley's work conveys elements of his social background and religious and political experience. To fully appreciate his legacy, it is vital to explore his songs, with their attendant themes, stories, nuances and characters. This book is the first comprehensive, biographical examination of the huge output of material unleashed on a succession of superb singles and albums delivered by Bob Marley & The Wailers. It looks at the background, circumstances and significance of each song from the early 1960s right up until Marley's untimely death in May 1981.

This full-colour book will be the perfect companion for fans around the globe. Reproducing their brilliant live shows throughout the course of their careers as musical artists. Sharing their many musical influences, from the Rolling Stones to Elton John, and even Andy Warhol. Charting their rise to international super-stardom Revealing the story of the men behind the masks

In Waiting For The Man, Jeremy Reed focuses on Lou Reed as rock's principal literary avatar, paying special attention to his controversial lyrics and prototypical garage sound. Lou Reed influenced generations of copyists that took note of his outlaw status, ambiguous sexual orientation characterised by his seventies relationship with the transvestite Rachel, his implacable mystique, cool and defiant attitude as the narrator of subcultures. Finally the book examines the transcendent, if reluctant calm, that Reed arrived at in later life. Taking in the sweep of Reed's career from Velvet Underground to the variants of forty years of resistant solo pioneering, Waiting For The Man accesses the man and his music, with the extraordinary perception and attention to detail.