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Books > Music > Contemporary popular music > Rock & pop
"Yungblud is like nothing you've seen before. That is, unless
you've seen a smiley punk/alt rocker from Doncaster, UK who wears
pink socks, black-lipstick, and a skirt, plays a mean guitar, has
an endless amount of energy, and an interesting aura of sex appeal.
Then, and only then, can you say you've seen someone like
Yungblud." - musicinminnesota.com YUNGBLUD. A striking new musical
voice has emerged for Gen-Z. Political, provocative and
impassioned, Yungblud has in the space of three years become one of
the UK's most recognisable artists through his unique blend of pop,
punk and emo music - gaining one of the most die-hard fanbases on
the planet in the process. From 21st Century Liability, where
nothing was sacred - gun violence, psychosis, sex, drugs and
suicide - to his sophomore album Weird!, an exploration of oddity
and self-acceptance, YUNGBLUD challenges our zeitgeist as much as
he channels it. This is the first fully authorised book, featuring
photographs by his friend and closest collaborator Tom Pallant.
Featuring an amazing selection of rare and unseen photographs, All
My Friends Have Deserted charts Yungblud's journey from late 2019
as he toured his debut album across the world, right through
releasing his second album during a global pandemic, scoring his
first UK #1, returning triumphantly to Reading and Leeds festival
mainstage and culminating in his biggest ever headline show, a
sold-out Alexandra Palace in London. All My Friends Have Deserted
shows YUNGBLUD as a man of multitudes: dominating the stage,
screaming into the mic, laughing behind-the-scenes, enjoying quiet
creative moments and pulling faces at the camera. The vicious
energy of his performances carries onto the page. The result is a
rollercoaster of a photo-essay that carries readers on a journey
through the highs and lows of Gen-Z's most essential new rock star.
"My generation is over being divided. Being divided is an old
concept that is rapidly becoming obsolete. We are opinionated. We
are full of contradictions. That's the beauty of it. Our intention
is to make this world equal. No matter what size you are, what
shape you are, what colour you are, what sexuality you are..."
Underpinning it all is the message of empathy. Those who his lyrics
resonate with are not alone. Authentic and electric, rebellious and
irreverent, yet still utterly human, YUNGBLUD is the new face of
punk. Here he presents himself through a series of exclusive and
unseen photographs, taken by his friend and closest collaborator,
photographer Tom Pallant.
Turn on any classic rock station and you'll soon hear a song that
Ken Scott worked on. As one of the preeminent recording engineers
and producers of the 20th century, Ken has garnered gold, platinum,
and diamond record sales awards; multiple Grammy nominations; and
even a Clio award (for his recording of the classic Coke ad "I'd
Like to Teach the World to Sing"). Abbey Road to Ziggy Stardust
shares Ken Scott's intimate memories of working with some of the
most important artists of the 20th century while crafting a sound
that influenced generations of music makers.
Ken's work has left an indelible mark on hundreds of millions of
fans with his skilled contributions to Magical Mystery Tour and The
White Album. As producer and/or engineer of six David Bowie albums
(including the groundbreaking Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from
Mars) as well as other timeless classics, the sound Ken crafted has
influenced several generations of music makers that continues to
this day. Ken captured the sonic signatures of a who's-who of
classic rock and jazz acts, including Elton John, Pink Floyd, Jeff
Beck, Duran Duran, The Rolling Stones, Lou Reed, America, Devo,
Kansas, The Tubes, Missing Persons, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Billy
Cobham, Dixie Dregs, and Stanley Clarke.
This is his story, complete with funny, provocative, and
oh-so-honest tales of the studio, stage, and even an infamous
swimming pool incident. Never-before-seen photographs and technical
details make this book a must-have for every music fan.
"This is easily the best book of its sort I've ever read, and it
works on so many levels?it's got great stories that give us
insights into some of the biggest names in music; it offers a
history of recording technology and techniques from the late '60s
to the present; and coursing through it all is an unflinching and
often self-deprecating biography of our hero as he negotiates the
perils, pitfalls and triumphs of a life in the m
The definitive biography of Chuck Berry, legendary performer and inventor of rock and roll.
Best known as the groundbreaking artist behind classics like "Johnny B. Goode," "Maybellene," "You Never Can Tell" and "Roll Over Beethoven," Chuck Berry was a man of wild contradictions, whose motives and motivations were often shrouded in mystery. After all, how did a teenage delinquent come to write so many songs that transformed American culture? And, once he achieved fame and recognition, why did he put his career in danger with a lifetime's worth of reckless personal behaviour? Throughout his life, Berry refused to shed light on either the mastery or the missteps, leaving the complexity that encapsulated his life and underscored his music largely unexplored--until now.
In Chuck Berry, biographer RJ Smith crafts a comprehensive portrait of one of the great American entertainers, guitarists, and lyricists of the 20th century, bringing Chuck Berry to life in vivid detail. Based on interviews, archival research, legal documents, and a deep understanding of Berry's St. Louis (his birthplace, and the place where he died in March 2017), Smith sheds new light on a man few have ever really understood. By placing his life within the context of the American culture he made and eventually withdrew from, we understand how Berry became such a groundbreaking figure in music, erasing racial boundaries, crafting subtle political commentary, and paying a great price for his success. While celebrating his accomplishments, the book also does not shy away from troubling aspects of his public and private life, asking profound questions about how and why we separate the art from the artist.
Berry declined to call himself an artist, shrugging that he was good at what he did. But the man's achievement was the rarest kind, the kind that had social and political resonance, the kind that made America want to get up and dance. At long last, Chuck Berry brings the man and the music together.
For centuries many have pondered the prospect of an afterlife and
feared what came to be known as 'hell'. In the near future, we map
the elusive 'dark matter' around us, only to find out that it is
hell itself, and it is very real... As the satanic President Razour
attempts to bring forward Armageddon to prevent humanity repenting,
the fate of us all rests in the hands of Cleric20, a hedonistic
loner with a chequered past, and his robot sidekick, GiX. An
action-packed literary shock to the senses that mixes flights of
comic fantasy with bouts of brutal violence. Mankind's only hope
seems to be having a very bad day. Can Cleric20 halt Razour's
devilish plans after an experimental bioweapon deployed to kill him
accidentally gives him superpowers? Has the Devil inadvertently
created a hero who could actually stop him? See why this was voted
as one of Den of Geek UK's Top Books of 2019. Little can prepare
you for this spiritually-charged, cyber-noir thrill ride.
Released in 2008, J-pop trio Perfume's GAME shot to the top of
Japanese music charts and turned the Hiroshima trio into a
household name across the country. It was also a high point for
techno-pop, the genre's biggest album since the heyday of Yellow
Magic Orchestra. This collection of maximalist but emotional
electronic pop stands as one of the style's finest moments, with
its influence still echoing from artists both in Japan and from
beyond. This book examines Perfume's underdog story as a group long
struggling for success, the making of GAME, and the history of
techno-pop that shaped it. 33 1/3 Global, a series related to but
independent from 33 1/3, takes the format of the original series of
short, music-basedbooks and brings the focus to music throughout
the world. With initial volumes focusing on Japanese and Brazilian
music, the series will also include volumes on the popular music of
Australia/Oceania, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and more.
Black celebrities in America have always walked a precarious line
between their perceived status as spokespersons for their race and
their own individual success -and between being "not black enough"
for the black community or "too black" to appeal to a broader
audience. Few know this tightrope walk better than Kanye West, who
transformed hip-hop, pop and gospel music, redefined fashion,
married the world's biggest reality TV star and ran for president,
all while becoming one of only a handful of black billionaires
worldwide. Despite these accomplishments, his polarizing behavior,
controversial alliances and bouts with mental illness have made him
a caricature in the media and a disappointment among much of his
fanbase. This book examines West's story and what it reveals about
black celebrity and identity and the American dream.
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