Reading the Boss: Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Works of Bruce Springsteen, edited by Roxanne Harde and Irwin Streight, draws together close readings of Bruce Springsteen's lyrics by scholars across a range of academic disciplines. The editors first make a compelling comparison between Bruce Springsteen and William Shakespeare, carefully building the argument that both men offer profound insight into the hungry human heart. Springsteen, they argue, uses many Shakespearean themes such as the ties of blood and friendship, commitment to country and community, the monsters of lust and jealousy, vanity and power, and the hopeful pursuit of real love. These themes lift his music beyond stories of characters casing the Promised Land of America to universal matters of the heart's truth wherever it is found. Then, the twelve chapters of Reading the Boss, written by established and emerging scholars, engage readers both critically and enthusiastically with central issues in Bruce Springsteen's writing, as they read his explorations of gender, place, religion, philosophy, and other literary texts, notably the works of Walker Percy and Flannery O'Connor. Driven by arguments grounded in a wide variety of theoretical and critical positions, these essays offer a comprehensive and accessible discussion of Springsteen's oeuvre, from Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. to Working on a Dream that will appeal to both specialist readers and Springsteen fans alike.

Wrestler turned rock manager, the late Peter Grant made his name as the manager of Led Zeppelin, helping to turn them into rock's biggest attraction by the mid 1970s. Author Chris Welch tells Grant's story from his childhood in war-torn London, to him becoming a bouncer, doorman and wrestler known as Prince Mario Alassio. He became tour manager of Chuck Berry, the Everly Brothers and Gene Vincent and The Animals before taking on The Yardbirds who eventually became Led Zeppelin. The book reveals the facts about his suspended prison sentence, his dispute with the group over unpaid royalties and his retiring from the music industry a rumoured heroin addict. Written with the full co-operation of Grant's family and friends to give an insight into the most fabled and feared man in the music business.

Colin Escott is famous for unearthing little-known stories behind the sometimes forgotten figures in pop music history. He is the author of several best-selling books on music, including Hank Williams: The Biography and Good Rockin' Tonight: The Sun Records Story. His new book presents an array of talents, form the famous (Roy Orbison, Perry Como) to the more obscure (Sonny Burgess, the Collins Kids). Writing in a colourful style, Escott shows how these individual stories illuminate an entire era of music history. Illustrated with wonderful period photographs, Roadkill will appeal to all fans of rock, pop and country music.

Pete Seeger is one of the most recorded artists in American history, and his recording catalog tells us not just the story of his career but the story of our culture and its political and social history. A Pete Seeger Discography: Seventy Years of Recordings is a comprehensive listing of the 45s, 78s, LPs, and CDs recorded by Seeger in his various incarnations: with the Almanac Singers, with the Weavers, as a solo artist, and with other musicians and contributors. David King Dunaway provides information, with easy to use cross-references, on rare recordings and archival collections. The discography offers details on Seeger's recording history, including the album title, song(s), other artists on the recording, the publisher and number, and the year or exact recording date if known, as well as the original release date and the re-releases of each recording. Structured to make locating details easy for readers, the recordings are organized chronologically and categorized by albums, singles, private pressings, and foreign releases. Readers can easily cross-reference through album and song title indexes and a contributing artist index. An appendix listing the unreleased archival holdings of the Smithsonian Folkways collection under Moe Asch completes the volume, and a photospread with more than 30 of Seeger's album covers convey a pictorial recording history of this well-loved artist. The authors gratefully acknowledge Furthermore: a program of the J.M. Kaplan Fund, for their funding assistance in preparing this discography.

Led Zeppelin's blend of rock and heavy metal with other genres of music such as blues, soul, folk, pop, Indian and Celtic ranks them as one of the all-time greatest bands whose influence is still felt today. Taking a chronological look at their career, this book takes the reader from the heady days in 1968 when they first brought their unique sound to a worldwide audience, through the early 1970s when they were billed as the 'biggest band in the world' and to 1980s when they became household names on both sides of the Atlantic. Led Zeppelin is part of Flame Tree's successful ongoing series, Rock Icons. Other titles in the series include David Bowie, Queen, Leonard Cohen, Johnny Cash, Pink Floyd, The Beatles and Elvis.

Originally formed by singer-songwriter Ian Anderson in psychedelic 1968, the band Hethro Tull has been recording its own kind of rock and roll and touring the globe for more than three decades. This is a history of the band through the present, written by a personal acquaintance of several of its members. The book includes a chronology of all of the band's recordings and information on all accompanying tours, with the author's critiques as well as the band's own reminiscences and opinions of each album. Also included are previously unpublished interviews with founder Ian Anderson long-time band member David Pegg, Mick Abrahams, Jeffrey Hammond, and Doane Perry, and other band members.

Progressive or art rock was one of the most important trends in rock and roll during the early and mid-'70s. Groups like Genesis, Yes, Procol Harum, and Pink Floyd broke new ground by taking classical composition techniques and structures and wedding them with the power and drive of rock. Yet, by the end of the decade, the punk backlash had pretty much ended prog-rock's reign as rock's leading style. Today, scholars of rock and popular culture have returned to these musical groups and their achievements with new recognition of the musical sophistication they brought to rock and roll. In this book, the glory days of progressive rock are relived in a series of insightful essays about the key bands, songwriters, and songs that made prog-rock such an innovative style. For fans-both old and new-this collection sheds new light on an important trend in rock and roll with repercussions still being felt among today's artists. Progressive Rock Reconsidered is a landmark work on this important era in rock's history.

Progressive or art rock was one of the most important trends in rock and roll during the early and mid-'70s. Groups like Genesis, Yes, Procol Harum, and Pink Floyd broke new ground by taking classical composition techniques and structures and wedding them with the power and drive of rock. Yet, by the end of the decade, the punk backlash had pretty much ended prog-rock's reign as rock's leading style. Today, scholars of rock and popular culture have returned to these musical groups and their achievements with new recognition of the musical sophistication they brought to rock and roll. In this book, the glory days of progressive rock are relived in a series of insightful essays about the key bands, songwriters, and songs that made prog-rock such an innovative style. For fans-both old and new-this collection sheds new light on an important trend in rock and roll with repercussions still being felt among today's artists. Progressive Rock Reconsidered is a landmark work on this important era in rock's history.

Made in Poland: Studies in Popular Music serves as a comprehensive introduction to the history, sociology, and musicology of contemporary Polish popular music. Each essay, written by a leading scholar of Polish music, covers the major figures, styles, and social contexts of pop music in Poland and provides adequate context so readers understand why the figure or genre under discussion is of lasting significance. The book first presents a general description of the history and background of popular music in Poland, followed by essays organized into thematic sections: Popular Music in the People's Republic of Poland; Documenting Change and Continuity in Music Scenes and Institutions; and Music, Identity, and Critique.

Made in the Low Countries: Studies in Popular Music serves as a comprehensive and thorough introduction to the history, sociology, and musicology of twentieth and twenty-first century popular music of the Dutch-speaking region comprising the Netherlands and Flanders as a region of federal Belgium. The volume consists of essays by leading scholars and publicists in this field, and covers the major issues, genres, and contexts of popular music. Each essay provides adequate context so readers understand why the issue or genre under discussion is of lasting significance to this transnational region. The book first presents a general description of the history and background of popular music made in the region, followed by essays that are organized into four thematic sections: I: Framing and Facilitating; II: Creation and Curation; III: Close Encounters; IV: Changes and Choices.

The perfect companion to Baz Luhrmann's forthcoming biopic Elvis, a major motion picture starring Tom Hanks and Austin Butler. What was it like to be Elvis Presley? What did it feel like when impossible fame made him its prisoner? As the world's first rock star there was no one to tell him what to expect, no one with whom he could share the burden of being himself - of being Elvis. On the outside he was all charm, sex appeal, outrageously confident on stage and stunningly gifted in the recording studio. To his fans he seemed to have it all. He was Elvis. With his voice and style influencing succeeding generations of musicians, he should have been free to sing any song he liked, to star in any film he was offered, and to tour in any country he chose. But he wasn't free. The circumstances of his poor beginnings in the American South, which, as he blended gospel music with black rhythm and blues and white country songs, helped him create rock and roll, had left him with a lifelong vulnerability. Made rich and famous beyond his wildest imaginings when he mortgaged his talent to the machinations of his manager, 'Colonel' Tom Parker, there would be an inevitable price to pay. Though he daydreamed of becoming a serious film actor, instead he grew to despise his own movies and many of the songs he had to sing in them. He could have rebelled. But he didn't. Why? In the Seventies, as the hits rolled in again, and millions of fans saw him in a second career as he sang his way across America, he talked of wanting to tour the world. But he never did. What was stopping him? BEING ELVIS takes a clear-eyed look at the most-loved entertainer ever, and finds an unusual boy with a dazzling talent who grew up to change popular culture; a man who sold a billion records and had more hits than any other singer, but who became trapped by his own frailties in the loneliness of fame.

Emilia Barna is Assistant Professor at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. She is a founding member and Chair of IASPM Hungary, editor of Zenei Halozatok Folyoirat (Music Networks Journal), and Advisory Board Member of IASPM@Journal. Tamas Tofalvy is Assistant Professor at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. He was the founding Chair and is the current Vice-Chair of IASPM Hungary.

The Art of the Dead showcases the vibrant, charismatic poster art that emerged from the streets of San Francisco in 1964 and 1966. It traces the cultural, political, and historical influences of posters as art back to Japanese wood blocks through Bell Epoque, on to the Beatniks, the Free Speech Movement, and the Acid Tests. Featuring interviews and profiles of the key artists, including Rick Griffin, Stanley Mouse Miller, Alton Kelley, Wes Wilson, and Victor Moscoso.
The book uses Grateful Dead as the vehicle to tell the story of poster art as The Dead were the band that ultimately proved to be the most substantive and engaged partner for the artists and hence featured the best art of any rock 'n' roll band ever. The book will follow a chronological evolution of the art from the band's origination in 1965 through Jerry Garcia's death in 1995.
The book is in four-color throughout, featuring iconic and rare images as well as extensive process material, including sketches, original art, blue lines, film, and printing plates that show how the art was created. It will also include essays by Greil Marcus, Peter Coyote, and Victoria Binder, as well as essays on the elements of the printing process from the original art to the final poster.
Ultimately, the Art of the Dead makes the case that poster art is truly an original form of American fine art.

This fascinating biography provides a detailed portrait of the high-energy, charismatic international superstar and frontman of the ever-popular band, Bon Jovi. The book charts Jon's relationship with the other band members who have their fair share of rock and roll stories - sex, booze, burnouts, health and women problems. Although rock music is Jon Bon Jovi's first love, he has more recently developed an interest in acting - starring in various hit TV shows such as Ally McBeal and Sex and the City and attracting critical acclaim for his role in World War II hit film, U-571. He has also scored film music, with his score for Young Guns earning him an Oscar nomination. Bestselling writer Laura Jackson explores the personality, character, drive and the determination that have taken him from playing New Jersey clubs through all the groupie excess and glamorous indulgence to where the band is today. Two new chapters in this updated edition detail his recent work for charity, his involvement in politics and football and also give an update on the band's new albums and tours.

For 30 years, Pat Benatar has been one of the most influential women in popular music. Now, this rock legend tells her story as she saw it, recalling her rise to fame, life in the MTV generation, her tours, the fans, and how she managed to avoid the trappings of rock stardom. Part of the first generation of female rock stars to put the women's movement into practice, Benatar's career has embodied the defiant attitude and rebellious edge that has long been associated with her music. As the first woman ever to be featured on MTV, Benetar's story is an incredible inside look at the integral role that the nascent cable network played in shaping the face of music in the 1980s, helping to propel rock anthems like "Heartbreaker" and "Love Is a Battlefield" to the top of the charts. Winner of an unprecented four consecutive Grammys for best female rock performance, Benatar details a unique time in music history, demonstrating how the advent of music videos turned musicians into platinum selling stars overnight, but also set the stakes for being a female sex symbol in the male-dominated world of the music business.

First Published in 2000. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Women and Popular Music explores the changing role of women musicians and the ways in which their songs resonate in popular culture. Sheila Whiteley begins by examining the counter-culture's reactionary attitudes to women through the lyrics of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. She explores the ways in which artists like Joplin and Joni Mitchell confronted issues of sexuality and freedom, redefining women's participation in the industry, and assesses the personal cost of their achievements. She considers how stars such as Annie Lennox, Madonna and k.d. lang have confronted issues of gender stereotyping and sexuality, through pop videos for 'Justify My Love' and 'Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)', and looks at the enduring importance of the singer-songwriter through artists such as Tracey Chapman. Lastly, she assesses the contribution of contemporary artists including Tori Amos, P.J. Harvey and Courtney Love, and asks whether the Spice Girls are just a 'cartoon feminist pop group' or if they provide positive role models for teenage girls.

Million Dollar Quartet' is the name given to recordings made on Tuesday December 4, 1956 in the Sun Record Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. The recordings were of an impromptu jam session among Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash.The events of the session. Very few participants survive. Includes interviews with the drummer and the sound engineer. A detailed analysis of the music played - and its relevance to subsequent popular music. The early lives and careers of the quartet - where they were in 1956. Relevant social and economic factors which meant that a massive audience of young people were keenly looking for a new kind of music they could call their own. The "reunions" of surviving members of the quartet. The emergence of the tapes, first on bootleg and then on legitimate CDs. The genesis of the stage show and its reception - the enduring appeal of the music.

Without a doubt one of the most important, influential and acclaimed artists since the 1960s, Leonard Cohen is admired by fans, musicians and composers the world over. His death in 2016 at the age of 82 was front-page news globally. The deeply personal nature of his work, and its profound insight into humans and human nature see him revered as a lyrical genius, and for good reason. His ongoing themes of depression, love, religion and relationships struck a chord with fans all over the world and his albums (as well as his books of poetry) sold accordingly. The Little Guide to Leonard Cohen features quotes from the man himself, as well as contributions from many great artists and commentators. Cohen had many celebrity fans, including Bob Dylan, Kurt Cobain, Judy Collins and more. This book contains many insightful, witty and meaningful quotes by and about Leonard Cohen, as well as fascinating facts, song lists and more. SAMPLE QUOTE: 'My reputation as a ladies' man was a joke. It caused me to laugh bitterly through the 10,000 nights I spent alone.' - Leonard Cohen SAMPLE FACT: 'Hallelujah' has been recorded by more than 200 artists, in many languages. Many of the cover versions have outsold Cohen's original.

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'A handsome six footer with a warm and engaging personality, Davie Jones has all it takes to get to the show business heights including . . . talent.' David Bowie at 17 in May, 1964 writing his own press biography. Respected arts commentator Paul Morley, one of the team who curated the highly successful retrospective exhibition for the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, David Bowie Is . . . constructs the definitive story of Bowie that explores how he worked, played, aged, structured his ideas, invented the future and entered history as someone who could and would never be forgotten. Morley will capture the greatest moments of Bowie's career; from the recording studio with the likes of Brian Eno and Tony Visconti; to iconic live performances from the 1970s, 80s and 90s, as well as the various encounters and artistic relationships he developed with rock luminaries John Lennon, Lou Reed and Iggy Pop. And of course, discuss in detail his much-heralded, and critically-acclaimed comeback with the release of Black Star just days before his shocking death in New York. Morley will offer a startling biographical critique of David Bowie's legacy, showing how he never stayed still even when he withdrew from the spotlight, how he always knew his own worth, and released a dazzling plethora of mobile Bowies into the world with a bloody-minded determination and a voluptuous imagination to create something amazing that was not there before. 'A thrilling hymn to a brilliant and beloved "song and dance man"' Observer

On September 19, 1973, Gram Parsons became yet another rock-and-roll casualty in an era of excess, a time when young men wore their dangerous habits like badges of honour. Unfortunately, his many musical accomplishments have been overshadowed by a morbid fascination with his drug overdose in the Joshua Tree desert at the age of twenty-six. Known as the father of country rock, Parsons played with the International Submarine Band, The Byrds, and the Flying Burrito Brothers. In the late 1960s and early 70s, he was a key confidante of Keith Richards. In 1972, he gave Emmylou Harris her first big break. When Tom Petty re-formed his Florida garage band Mudcrutch, he invoked the name of Gram Parsons as an inspiration. Musicians as diverse as Elvis Costello, Dwight Yoakam, Ryan Adams, Patty Griffin, and Steve Earle have also paid homage to alt-country's patron saint. In Calling Me Home, Kealing traces the entire arc of Parsons's career, emphasising his Southern roots. Drawing on dozens of new interviews as well as rare letters and photographs provided by Parsons's family and legendary photojournalist Ted Polumbaum, Kealing has uncovered facts that even the most stalwart Parsons fans will find revealing. Travelling from Parsons' boyhood home in Waycross, Georgia, to the southern folk mecca of Coconut Grove, Florida, from the birthplace of outlaw country in Austin, Texas, to the Ryman auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee Kealing celebrates Parsons's timeless and transformative musical legacy.

The definitive account of Whitney Houston's astonishing life, ground-breaking career and tragic death - complete with never-before-seen photographs - from the only one who truly knows the story behind the headlines: her mother, Cissy Houston. Cissy has said little publicly about Whitney's heart-breaking death. Now, for the first time, she opens up and shares the unbelievable story of her daughter's life, as well as her own, and addresses Whitney's brightest and darkest moments. A legendary Grammy Award-winning gospel singer in her own right, Cissy Houston shows how the lessons from her own musical journey helped to shape Whitney's career - from teaching Whitney to use her voice, to keeping her level-headed throughout her meteoric rise to fame. With candour and respect, she sets the record straight about Whitney, exploring both her turbulent marriage and her misunderstood struggles with drug abuse. Cissy goes behind the tabloid headlines to show fans around the world the true, human side of a strong, successful - yet flawed - musical icon who died much too young. Includes a Foreword by Dionne Warwick.

In 1956 many people thought rock `n' roll was a passing fad, yet over forty years later , more than ever, Popular Music is a part of contemporary culture, reinventing itself for successive generations. Pop embraces its own history, with musicians from every genre routinely sampling the sounds of the past. present.
Living Through Pop explores popular music's history, and the ways in which it has been produced by musicians, broadcasters, critics and fans. In discussing this complex relationship between the past and the present, the contributors investigate signficant moments in music's history, from the Rolling Stones and the Velvet Underground to the Sex Pistols and the Verve, from drum `n' bass to European extreme techno.

Author Biography:
Andrew Blake is Head of the School of Cultural Studies at King Alfred's College, Winchester.