Rory Gallagher is revered as one of the world's greatest guitarists. He bounded across the stage with the swagger of a rock star, but offstage he was a shy, unassuming man. There were no wild parties, no marriages and divorces. His short life shifted between the bright lights of his success and the darkness of personal struggle. Gallagher was a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, singer and champion of blues music. His career began in an Irish showband, followed by four years as the central talent of Taste, one of the great Irish bands. He went on to even greater fame as a solo artist in the 1970s. Gallagher was dedicated to a steadfast musical vision, one that continues to burn brilliantly in rock history. Drawing on extensive interviews, Julian Vignoles casts new light on the familial, musical and other influences that inspired Gallagher, and on the complex personality that drove his career. He reassesses Gallagher's songwriting, often overlooked because of his dexterity as a guitarist. Crucially, Vignoles shows how many songs speak eloquently - and poignantly - about the person who penned them. Meticulously researched, this portrait is the insightful biography that Rory Gallagher deserves, as revelatory for his legions of loyal fans as for curious rock and blues enthusiasts.

Born to shell-shocked parents in shell-shocked London shortly after the end of World War II, Paul 'Sailor' Vernon came into his own during the 1960s when spotty teenage herberts with bad haircuts began discovering The Blues. For the Sailor it became a lifelong obsession that led him first to record collecting and stalking unsuspecting visiting bluesmen, and then into a whirlwind of activity as a rare record hunter, record dealer, magazine proprietor/editor, video bootlegger and record company director before a variety of personal and business setbacks eventually ushered him into seeking a more stable form of existence. The many twists and turns in the author's roller-coaster adventure of a life are all vividly charted in this hilarious illustrated autobiography. GASP as you read how he road-tripped his way through the Deep South armed only with a Rand McNally map, a Swiss army knife and an emergency jar of Marmite! MARVEL as you absorb in-depth descriptions of legendary performances by long-departed giants of the Blues! CHOKE on your coffee as one rotten gag after another blindsides you! REND YOUR GARMENTS as you realise just how many original Blues 78's went through his sweaty hands! SHOUT "BLIMEY!" within earshot of surprised elderly relatives as you follow the rags-to-riches tale of his extraordinary life! It's all here in this one-of-a-kind life history that will leave you reaching for an enamel bucket and a fresh bottle of disinfectant!

This stylish piano album takes players on a musical tour of springtime, presenting well-loved jazz standards such as 'April in Paris' and 'Honeysuckle Rose' alongside cool original compositions by celebrated jazz pianist Nikki Iles. The nine pieces present a variety of jazz styles, including swing, folk, samba, and contemporary, drawing inspiration from the likes of Keith Jarrett, Oscar Peterson, Count Basie, and Chick Corea. With fully notated rhythms, grooves, and improvisations, Jazz in Springtime is the perfect collection for pianists looking for that authentic jazz sound.

LONGLISTED FOR THE CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE 'A thrilling and essential social history that details the rebellious youth movement that helped change the world' Rolling Stone 'A riveting and inspiring history of punk's hard-fought struggle in East Germany' New York Times 'Wildly entertaining . . . A joy in the way it brings back punk's fury and high stakes' Vogue THE SECRET HISTORY OF PUNKS IN EAST GERMANY It began with a handful of East Berlin teens who heard the Sex Pistols on a British military radio broadcast to troops in West Berlin, and it ended with the collapse of the East German dictatorship. Punk rock was a life-changing discovery: in an authoritarian state where the future was preordained, punk, with its rejection of society and DIY approach to building a new one, planted the seeds for revolution. As these kids began to form bands, they also became more visible, and security forces - including the dreaded secret police, the Stasi - targeted them. They were spied on by friends and family; they were expelled from schools and fired from jobs; they were beaten by police and imprisoned. But instead of conforming, the punks fought back, playing an indispensable role in the underground movement that helped bring down the Berlin Wall. Rollicking, cinematic and thrillingly topical, this secret history brings to life the young men and women who successfully fought authoritarianism three chords at a time. Burning Down the Haus is a fiery testament to the irrepressible spirit of revolution. 'Original and inspiring . . . an important work of Cold War cultural history' Wall Street Journal

Popoff's easy to read book utilises his celebrated timeline with quotes methodology, allowing for drop-ins on all aspects of Alice's busy life. The author has made use of his extensive archive of interviews with Alice and the band as well as producers, designers and even The Amazing Randi, world-renowned magician and inventor of Alice's legendary guillotine prop. Welcome to My Nightmare is an immense addition to Alice Cooper scholarship. Alice Cooper was one of the biggest concert draws in the seventies with a string of gold and platinum albums to his name. Hits include "I'm Eighteen," "Be My Lover," "Under My Wheels," "School's Out," "Elected," & "Billion Dollar Babies". Alice continued to shake pop consciousness with Welcome to My Nightmare and a string of hit ballads. He appeared regularly on TV and talk shows. Following a debilitating drug and alcohol addiction and subsequent notorious dark period in the early eighties which is addressed in the book, Alice returned to gold and platinum status with albums like Trash and Hey Stoopid, featuring smash singles "Poison" and "Feed My Frankenstein." He's never stopped touring and being a multi-media whirlwind since-Alice, with his pioneering use of facepaint, remains one of the most famous faces in America. Shockingly, there has not been a comprehensive Alice Cooper book since the eighties. The key here is the rich content Popoff brings to the project. Welcome to My Nightmare is sure to impress the Alice expert and novice alike, with new revelations and interviews turning up page after page.

Nothing defines the songs of the Great American Songbook more centrally than their urban sensibility. During the first half of the twentieth century, songwriters such as Harold Arlen, Irving Berlin, Dorothy Fields, George and Ira Gershwin, and Thomas "Fats" Waller flourished in New York City, the home of Tin Pan Alley, Broadway, and Harlem. Through their songs, these artists described America -- not its geography or politics, but its heart -- to Americans and to the world at large. In City Songs and American Life, 1900-1950, renowned author and broadcaster Michael Lasser offers an evocative and probing account of the popular songs -- including some written originally for the stage or screen -- that America heard, sang, and danced to during the turbulent first half of the twentieth century. Many songs portrayed the glamor of Broadway or the energy and Jazz Age culture of Harlem. But a city-bred spirit -- or even a specifically New York City way of feeling and talking -- also infused other widely known and loved songs, stretching from the early decades of the century to the Twenties (the age of the flapper, bathtub gin, and women's right to vote), the Great Depression, and, finally, World War II. Lasser's deftly written book demonstrates how the soul of city life -- as echoed in the nation's songs -- developed and changed in tandem with economic, social, and political currents in America as a whole. Michael Lasser, a former teacher and theater critic, is host of the syndicated public-radio show Fascinatin' Rhythm (winner of the Peabody Award) and the author of two previous books. Support for this publication was provided by the Howard Hanson Institute for American Music at the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester.

Lyrically unique, Morrissey saw post-industrial Manchester differently. Where most recognised the derelict remains of a Victorian powerhouse, he saw humour, where others saw post-industrial squalor, he felt the frisson of romance. As a result Manchester became as much a part of The Smiths output as the guitars, drums and vocals. As their fame grew, strangers in far away lands wondered about the location of the 'Cemetery Gates' or the setting of 'Vicar in a Tutu' . Unusually, these places still exist and provide the devotee with places of pilgrimage -- could Manchester offer anything else? In the first edition of this guidebook, Phill Gatenby set out three tours covering 20 or more sites that either featured in The Smiths music or were fundamental to their development as a band -- from early rehearsal spaces to the scene of their most memorable gigs. Now updated, "Morrisseys Manchester" has added new places to visit, more lyrical references and more background information on one of the world's most influential bands. However the most fundamental change any reader/visitor will notice are the continual changes to Manchester itself - a city in perpetual flux. Since the first edition venues have either been demolished, refurbished or shorn of their identity -- hence the need for an update. Now containing 40 new images, an improved layout, a revised map of the city centre and an opportunity to take the Smiths Tour without ever leaving the comfort of your home via google maps, "Morrissey's Manchester" has been fully updated for the 21st century.

The 1950s and early '60s were a period of unprecedented change on the British music scene, witnessing the emergence of trad jazz, skiffle, folk and rock'n'roll, a renaissance of Irish and Scottish music, and a gradual fading of the influence of operatic balladeers, crooners and the big band sounds of the post-war years. The market was awash with great records, many of which sold well but failed to get into the charts. Until now, there has been no way of knowing which records these were, or how close they came to becoming hits. This unique book documents for the first time anywhere all those singles and albums that 'bubbled under' the UK hit parade between June 1954 and March 1961. As no Bubbling Under chart was ever published in the UK, the author has specially compiled one from record dealers' returns of the time. As an added bonus, the pre-chart histories of hit records are also included. A goldmine of information, it is sure to be an invaluable resource for music fans, record collectors, researchers and historians for years to come.

Throughout a long and sometimes turbulent career let us not forget that from the release of the debut album in early 1970 through to Never Say Die! in 1978, the classic line-up of Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward virtually created the blueprint for heavy rock. With eight albums plus hundreds of concerts across the globe, this was the defining decade for Sabbath that saw them rightly earn their place as one of the most iconic bands off all time. With photos spanning the decade, this beautifully presented book is a celebration of Black Sabbath in all its glory. Containing many previously unpublished shots of the band in the USA and Europe.

'Wonderful...Carlin's book never shies from the details of this most enduring of American heroes. The divorces, cruelties, years in therapy and his antidepressant fuelled comeback of 2003 are all here' Sunday Times This sweeping biography of one of America's greatest musicians is the first in twenty-five years to be written with the cooperation of Springsteen himself. With unfettered access to the artist, his family and band members, acclaimed music writer Peter Ames Carlin presents an intimate and vivid portrait. 'A readable, expansive portrait of the New Jersey rocker that delves into his family background and personal life more than previous biographies' Sunday Telegraph 'The first serious Bruce Springsteen biography for 25 years. Carlin was granted unprecedented access to family, friends, management, even the Boss himself, enabling him to paint a vivid picture of the man, warts and all' Sunday Express 'A revealing portrait of a rock colossus... Peter Ames Carlin's new book is the first in 25 years to have been written with the co-operation of Springsteen. Previous biographies have tended towards closely argued adulation but Carlin has not been blinded by his access to Springsteen' Daily Telegraph 'One for the regular fan on the street...well written and jaw-dropping in its research...Weighty, fact focused, readable' Metro 'Painstakingly researched and based on - for the first time - interviews with Springsteen's family and friends as well as the Boss himself. To that extent it is the first authorised account for a decade...This is a warts-and-all account that includes Springsteen's flashes of temper when things didn't go his way...' Sunday Times

The first biography of the legendary British band to focus on their formative years. it highlights the desperately urgent days of pre-stardom, when the Queen quartet played with bands like The Reaction, The Opposition, 1984 and Sour Milk Sea. Author Mark Hodkinson has interviewed over 60 friends and colleagues of Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon and pieced together a fascinating web of stories that for the first time tell the story of the emergent Queen. From the tiny downbeat village of Oadby in Leicestershire, where John Deacon grew up to the exotic splendour of Zanzibar, where Faroukh Bulsara was born, Hodkinson offers a new and enticing version of Queen. In tracing these unpublished stories he also examines the Queen era before and immediately after stardom. This is the first genuine account of Queen's rise to stardom, as told by those who knew the band and watched from the front row. Illustrated with many previously unseen early photographs of the four members of Queen.

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.

Rebellion is a part of youth. Sometimes it's dangerous. Instead of a sword, I hold a guitar in my hands. I'm in the same, rigid world but instead of Molotov cocktails, I've got a computer. It's a much more powerful weapon. Confessions Of A Heretic is the forthright and erudite memoir of the front man and driving force behind the Polish heavy-metal group Behemoth, currently at the top of their game following the release of their 2014 US Top 40 album The Satanist. Presented as a series of interrogations by friends and associates, the book reveals a complex man of great contrast-a health-conscious, highly personable intellectual known for his extreme views and even more extreme music-lifting the lid on everything from his clashes with the Polish Catholic church to appearing as a judge on the Polish edition of The Voice to his recent battle with leukaemia.

More than three decades since U2 formed, as teenagers in Dublin, they are still one of the world's biggest and best-loved groups. This book looks at all the various haunts of Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen: the venues they played, the studios they recorded in, the locations of their videos, and where they lived their personal lives. It is a unique portrait of the band, from their childhood to the present day. A must for every U2 fan, this book features fascinating insights into the group, with reminiscences from many of those who grew up knowing them and who were in the audience at many of the early gigs, witnessing their musical development. With more than 100 pictures of U2, iconic related locations and scene setting memorabilia, this book is a great way of finding out about U2's thrilling rise to fame.

Robert Plant is one of the few genuine living rock legends. Frontman of Led Zeppelin, musical innovator and seller of millions of records, Plant has had a profound influence on music for over four decades. But the full account of his life has barely been told ... until now. Robert Plant: A Life is the first complete and comprehensive telling of Plant's story. From his earliest performances in folk clubs in the early 1960s, to the world's biggest stages as Led Zeppelin's self-styled `Golden God', and on to his emergence as an emboldened solo star. The sheer scale of Zeppelin's success is extraordinary: in the US alone they sold 70 million records, a figure surpassed only by the Beatles. But their success was marred by tragedy. These pages contain first-hand accounts of Plant's greatest highs and deepest lows: the tragic deaths of his son Karac and his friend, Zeppelin drummer John Bonham. Told in vivid detail, this is the definitive story of a man of great talent, remarkable fortitude and extraordinary conviction.

How do you love and not like the same thing at the same time? This was the riddle that met Mississippi writer B. Brian Foster when he returned to his home state to learn about black culture and found himself hearing about the blues. One moment, black Mississippians would say they knew and appreciated the blues. The next, they would say they didn't like it. For five years, Foster listened and asked: "How?" "Why not?" "Will it ever change?" This is the story of the answers to his questions. In this illuminating work, Foster takes us where not many blues writers and scholars have gone: into the homes, memories, speculative visions, and lifeworlds of black folks in contemporary Mississippi to hear what they have to say about the blues and all that has come about since their forebears first sang them. In so doing, Foster urges us to think differently about race, place, and community development and models a different way of hearing the sounds of black life, a method that he calls listening for the backbeat.

'Brilliant biography of an undersung late-blooming treasure . . . subtly profound as well as wickedly entertaining, this biography does its subject scintillating justice' Mojo Cruel to Be Kind is the definitive account of Nick Lowe's uncompromising life as a songwriter and entertainer, from his days at Stiff Records, to becoming the driving force behind Rockpile, to the 1979 smash hit 'Cruel To Be Kind'. Nick's original compositions have been recorded by the best in the business, from enfant terrible of the New-Wave, Elvis Costello, to 'The Godfather of Rhythm and Soul', Solomon Burke; from household names, including Engelbert Humperdink, Diana Ross, and Johnny Cash, to legendary vocalists such as Curtis Stigers, Tom Petty, and Rod Stewart. His reputation as one of the most influential musicians to emerge from that most formative period for pop and rock music is cast in stone. He will forever be the man they call the 'Jesus of Cool'. 'Nick's poise as a singer, his maturity, and his use of tone is beautiful. I can't believe it's this guy I've been watching since I was a teenager' Elvis Costello, 2013 'The master of subversive pop' Nick Kent, NME, 1977 'Nick Lowe is such a f*cking good songwriter! Am I allowed to say that?' Curtis Stigers, 2016

Winner of the 2010 Non-Fiction National Book Award Patti Smith's definitive memoir: an evocative, honest and moving coming-of-age story of her extraordinary relationship with the artist Robert Mapplethorpe 'Sharp, elegiac and finely crafted' Sunday Times 'Terrifically evocative ... The most spellbinding and diverting portrait of funky-but-chic New York in the late '60s and '70s that any alumnus has committed to print' New York Times 'Render, harrowing, often hilarious' Vogue In 1967, a chance meeting between two young people led to a romance and a lifelong friendship that would carry each to international success never dreamed of. The backdrop is Brooklyn, Chelsea Hotel, Max's Kansas City, Scribner's Bookstore, Coney Island, Warhol's Factory and the whole city resplendent. Among their friends, literary lights, musicians and artists such as Harry Smith, Bobby Neuwirth, Allen Ginsberg, Sandy Daley, Sam Shepherd, William Burroughs, etc. It was a heightened time politically and culturally; the art and music worlds exploding and colliding. In the midst of all this two kids made a pact to always care for one another. Scrappy, romantic, committed to making art, they prodded and provided each other with faith and confidence during the hungry years--the days of cous-cous and lettuce soup. Just Kids begins as a love story and ends as an elegy. Beautifully written, this is a profound portrait of two young artists, often hungry, sated only by art and experience. And an unforgettable portrait of New York, her rich and poor, hustlers and hellions, those who made it and those whose memory lingers near.

The achievements of Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly have been extensively documented, but until now little if anything has been known about the many ways in which their lives were interconnected. For the first time anywhere, rock & roll expert Alan Mann takes a detailed look at each artist's early years, comparing their backgrounds and influences, chronicling all their meetings and examining the many amazing parallels in their lives, careers and tragic deaths. Contains many rare and previously unpublished photographs. A fascinating, thought-provoking insight into two of the greatest popular musical figures of the Twentieth Century.

The full story of Taylor Swift's stratospheric rise to fame; all any dedicated Swifty needs to know about the pop superstar who's taking over the world. A small-town girl with an incredible talent, and the strength to realise her dream, Taylor has grown into an award-winning, chart-topping artist and worldwide star, as well as a strong and stylish woman. But how did she get there? And what lies in store for her in the future? From childhood dreams of a musical future in Pennsylvania, to determined and budding teen musician with a trademark she's stayed faithful to ever since: honest lyrics about real-life events; her fight to be taken seriously in the music industry, through to the rewards of success and the intense pressure of expectation, Taylor Swift: The Whole Story is a full account of Taylor's incredible journey, with everything you need to know about America's Sweetheart. This compelling book is packed full of fascinating details revealing the true Taylor - what drives, motivates and moves her, how she overcame the challenges that loomed on the road to fame and looks at how authentic her wholesome image is, plus the truth about her relationships with Harry Styles, Jake Gyllenhaal and Conor Kennedy and who she's really talking about on her tracks. The full portrait of a girl who could so easily have faded into the background - but who blossomed in the spotlight into a grounded, graceful and inspiring young woman.

With Genesis having formed over fifty years ago this photographic book celebrates the family of bands from the seventies to the present day. As well as being crammed full of images of Genesis from the days with Peter Gabriel through to the 2007 reunion, this book includes photos from the solo careers of Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Steve Hackett, Mike & The Mechanics, Ray Wilson and Anthony Phillips. Beautifully designed it includes previously unpublished concert photos stretching back in time from the Lyceum, London in 1971; Plymouth, 1972; Brighton, 1973 and unique photos taken at Headley Grange, Hampshire in 1974 during the recording of The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway - the last album with Peter Gabriel. The journey continues with never before seen photos from the first tour after Gabriel's departure as well as from Gabriel's first solo tour. Following Steve Hackett's departure in 1977 the band is captured at the massive Knebworth concert of `78. There are also photos of Hackett, Gabriel from their appearances at the Reading Festival where the later was reunited with Phil Collins. Moving into the next decade and beyond there are plenty of shots of the band during the hugely successful period with Phil Collins at the helm and even the brief period with his successor Ray Wilson is covered as well as the one off reunion with Gabriel and Hackett at the Six Of The Best concert at Milton Keynes in 1982. Additional imagery from the solo tours of Collins and Mike Rutherford's band Mike & The Mechanics help to round off the book along with plenty of photos that continue to document the solo careers of Hackett and Gabriel in recent times, as well as paying homage to the band's original guitarist Anthony Phillips that ensures all facets of the band are covered.