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 origin story of a groundbreaking album The 1971 Allman Brothers Band album At Fillmore East was a musical manifesto years in the making. In Play All Night!, Bob Beatty dives deep into the motivations and musical background of band founder Duane Allman to tell the story of what made this album not just a smash hit, but one of the most important live rock albums in history. Featuring insights from bootleg tapes, radio ads, early reviews, never-before-published photos, and the memories of band members, fans, and friends, Beatty chronicles how Allman rejected the traditional route of music business success-hit singles and record sales-and built a band that was at its best jamming live on stage, feeding off the crowd's energy, and pushing each other to new heights of virtuosic improvisation. Every challenge, from recruiting a group of relatively unknown but established musicians like Jaimoe and Dickey Betts, touring the American South as an interracial band, and the failure of their first two studio albums, sharpened Allman's determination to pursue the band's truly unique sound. He made a bold choice-to record their next album live at Bill Graham's famous concert hall in New York's Lower East Side, a gamble that launched a new strand of American music to the top of the charts. Four days after the album went gold, Duane Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident. He was 24. This book explores how At Fillmore East cemented Allman's legacy as a strong-willed, self-taught visionary, giving fans of Southern rock and all readers interested in the role of rock music in American popular culture a new appreciation for this pathbreaking album.

Metallica formed in 1981 in Los Angeles, California, their original line-up consisted of Ulrich, rhythm guitarist and vocalist James Hetfield, lead guitarist Dave Mustaine, and bassist Ron McGovney. Mustaine and McGovney subsequently left and were replaced by Kirk Hammett and Cliff Burton. Burton sadly died when the band's tour bus crashed in 1986 and Jason Newsted stepped in as a replacement staying until 2001. Robert Trujillo later joined as the band's regular bassist in 2003. With a growing fan base on the underground music scene, the band was also to achieve critical acclaim in 1986 with the release of their "Master of Puppets" album, widely regarded as one of the most intense and influential of all thrash metal recordings. Fortune followed fame when their eponymous 1991 album (known to fans as "The Black Album") went straight to No 1 on the Billboard 200. It has since sold over 15 million copies in the United States, which makes it the 25th highest selling album in the country. Metallica has released nine studio albums, two live albums, two EPs, twenty-two music videos, and forty-three singles. The band has won seven Grammy Awards, and has had five albums debut at number one on the Billboard 200. They had sold over 100 million records worldwide by the time their latest album, "Death Magnetic", was released in 2008.

Designed for use with the Guitar Cards Chord Starter Pack, this pack of 55 cards gives you over 50 moveable chord shapes. Small enough to fit into your back pocket or guitar case, they are an easy way to learn new chords - suitable for beginners, songwriters and teachers.

Chess Record Corp A Tribute Chess Record Corp , A Tribute is the ultimate pictorial journey of one of the most iconic record labels in the history of music . Chess Records the foundation Rock n roll. See the faces that made Chess one of the most seminal record labels in the world. Virtually, every rock & pop artist in the 20 & 21th century can trace back to the influence and unique sounds of Chess Records artists. This high quality illustrated hard back features over 150 unique artist images from Blues,Gospel,Jazz, Rock & Soul as well as unique memorabilia images. Also includes complete R&B chart entry history of Chess Records and the Chess family archive contributions. A one of a kind 70th anniversary celebration of Chess Records for music fans worldwide. Foreword by Marshall Chess & Introductions by Richard Ganter.

'This book is a must for everyone interested in illuminating the idea of unexplainable genius' - QUESTLOVE Equal parts biography, musicology, and cultural history, Dilla Time chronicles the life and legacy of J Dilla, a musical genius who transformed the sound of popular music for the twenty-first century. He wasn't known to mainstream audiences, and when he died at age thirty-two, he had never had a pop hit. Yet since his death, J Dilla has become a demigod, revered as one of the most important musical figures of the past hundred years. At the core of this adulation is innovation: as the producer behind some of the most influential rap and R&B acts of his day, Dilla created a new kind of musical time-feel, an accomplishment on a par with the revolutions wrought by Louis Armstrong and James Brown. Dilla and his drum machine reinvented the way musicians play. In Dilla Time, Dan Charnas chronicles the life of James DeWitt Yancey, from his gifted Detroit childhood to his rise as a sought-after hip-hop producer to the rare blood disease that caused his premature death. He follows the people who kept Dilla and his ideas alive. And he rewinds the histories of American rhythms: from the birth of Motown soul to funk, techno, and disco. Here, music is a story of what happens when human and machine times are synthesized into something new. This is the story of a complicated man and his machines; his family, friends, partners, and celebrity collaborators; and his undeniable legacy. Based on nearly two hundred original interviews, and filled with graphics that teach us to feel and "see" the rhythm of Dilla's beats, Dilla Time is a book as defining and unique as J Dilla's music itself. Financial Times Music Book of the Year 2022

A classically trained countertenor who sang with his high school choir, Dee remembers the day he decided he was "not gonna take it" and stopped caring what people thought about him. Following in the footsteps of his idols Alice Cooper and Black Sabbath, Dee jumped from band to band until he met Jay Jay French and Twisted Sister. But it wasn't until he met his costume-designing soul-mate Suzette that they developed his unique style. Dee's hard work finally paid off with an impressive resume that includes: a monster hit record; smash MTV videos; a long-running radio show, "The House of Hair"; appearances in film (Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Howard Stern's Private Parts, StrangeLand) and television (Growing Up Twisted, Celebrity Apprentice); and a starring role in Broadway's Rock of Ages. He even authored a teenage survival guide that was required reading in Russia! Filled with entertaining anecdotes and candid confessions, Shut Up and Give Me the Miketakes you through the good times and bad with a heavy metal star who worked as hard as he played, and who did it all for his wife, four kids, and millions of "SMF " (Sick Mother F******) fans.

Rihanna invites you into her world with this stunning visual autobiography.

From her Barbados childhood to her worldwide tours, from iconic fashion moments to private time with friends and family, the book showcases intimate photographs of her life as an artist, performer, designer, and entrepreneur. Many of these images have never before been published.

This large-format book is 504 pages with 1,050 color images on 3 paper stocks and 7 single- and double-page gatefolds, 9 bound-in booklets, 1 tip-in sheet, and a double-sided, removable poster.

Nu Metal: Resurgence documents the groundbreaking movement from its original inception, right up to the present day. Featuring fully detailed band biographies that includes major players such as Korn, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Papa Roach, Rammstein and Slipknot, a guide to 'The Nu Breed' of bands coming up like Cane Hill, DED, Frontstreet and Lethal Injektion, and exclusive interviews with members of classic Nu Metal bands that includes Alien Ant Farm, Coal Chamber, Kittie, Nonpoint, Orgy, Spineshank and Taproot; as well as record producer extraordinaire Ross Robinson- Nu Metal: Resurgence confirms once and for all that Nu Metal is indeed here to stay.

This definitive biography of John Mellencamp is "a true coming-of-age story" (John Sykes, chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation) of an iconic American rock and roll original, featuring exclusive in-depth interviews and never-before-told details. Perfect for fans of Janis and Born to Run.

John Mellencamp is not your typical rock star.

With music inspired by the work of William Faulkner, John Steinbeck, and other giants of American literature, he has experienced a colorful career unlike any other. Now, this fascinating biography fully charts the life of one of this country's most important voices in American music.

Mellencamp's story is also the story of the American heartland. His growth as an artist and evolution into legendary status directly reflected the major changes of the last fifty years. From the Summer of Love to the growing divisiveness of American politics and beyond, his music has served as the backdrop to this country for millions of fans.

Featuring exclusive interviews with friends, family, and colleagues, and exploring everything from the founding of Farm Aid to his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, this is a fresh, expansive, and "inspirational" (Nora Guthrie, president of The Woody Guthrie Foundation) look at a true original.

This scholarly analysis of the music of Taylor Swift identifies how and why she is one of the early 21st century's most recognizable and most popular stars. By the age of 13, singer-songwriter Taylor Swift had already inked a development deal with a major record label. This early milestone was an appropriate predictor of what accomplishments were to come. Now a superstar artist with an international fanbase of millions and several critically acclaimed and commercially successful albums, Swift has established herself as one of the most important musicians of the 21st century. This accessible book serves Taylor Swift fans as well as students of contemporary popular music and popular culture, critically examining all of this young artist's work to date. The book's organization is primarily chronological, covering Taylor Swift's album and single releases in order of release date while also documenting the elements of her music and personality that have made her popular with fans of country music and pop music across a surprisingly diverse age range of listeners. The chapters address how Swift's songs have been viewed by some fans as anthems of empowerment or messages of encouragement, particularly by members of the LGBTQ community, those who have been bullied or been seen as outsiders, and emerging artists. The final chapter places Swift's work and her public persona in the context of her times with respect to her use of and relationship with technology-for example, her use of social media and songwriting technology-and her expressions of a new type of feminism that is unlike the feminism of the 1970s. Provides the only scholarly critical analysis of the songs and recordings of megastar Taylor Swift Places Swift, her work, and her public stances in the context of her generation and its definition of "empowerment" and "feminism" Explores Swift's work as an extension of the early 1970s' confessional singer-songwriter movement

One Man's Search for the Perfect Gig You know the way the bass makes your plastic cup of watery beer throb? Who the hell (you think, as you sit there in some huge hangar, peering into the distance) are those ants on the stage? Ever bumped into a celeb and said something that made you sound like a prat? Ever found yourself stuck at a red light in a battered old car with ten of your mates, chased by four angry skinheads? Over more than thirty years of gig-going, Adam Broadway has been there, done that. The Jam, Killing Joke, DeadMau5, Glastonbury, dodgy sanitation and stitches a | The Prodigy, James, U2, Reading, ecstasy and embarrassment a | Leftfield, The Rolling Stones, Prince, Ezio, Cambridge Junction and Brixton Academy, everyday life and Goths - and much, much more. Along the way Adam - yes, now follically challenged and with tinnitus to boot - tells us something the shallow-callow cool-school of rock journalism never could. He tells it like it is. If you ever found music really said something to you about your friends, your relationships, your dreams, your life - the sheer passion and honesty of Down the Front is here to remind you. Join Adam for the best view in the house. a Go on a | get down the front.'

From his early Liverpool days, through the historic decade of The Beatles, to Wings and his long solo career, The Lyrics pairs the definitive texts of 154 songs by Paul McCartney with first-person commentaries on his life and music. Spanning two alphabetically arranged volumes, these commentaries reveal how the songs came to be and the people who inspired them: his devoted parents, Mary and Jim; his songwriting partner, John Lennon; his "Golden Earth Girl", Linda Eastman; his wife, Nancy McCartney; and even Queen Elizabeth II, amongst many others. Here are the origins of "Let It Be", "Lovely Rita", "Yesterday", and "Mull of Kintyre", as well as McCartney's literary influences, including Shakespeare, Lewis Carroll and Alan Durband, his secondary school English teacher. With images from McCartney's personal archives-handwritten texts, paintings and photographs, hundreds previously unseen-The Lyrics, spanning sixty-four years, is the definitive literary and visual record of one of the greatest songwriters of all time.