At a time in rock and pop history where most things in music have been done before, few artists have proved as restlessly innovative over the past two decades as Beck. Since bursting onto the scene in 1994 with 'Loser', he has zigzagged his way across the contemporary music landscape, consistently remaining one step ahead of expectations and doing things his own way: shape-shifting from indie icon to pop crooner, from folk hobo to Latino-rap hipster, and dabbling in country metal, blues and rock along the way, balancing big-budget chart highs with lower-key, introspective acoustic albums. Beck hails from a family tree rich in music and performance art, which has filtered into his music, videos, and live work. Early shows included spoken word sections, songs made up on the spot, and stage clearances using his leaf-blower. His enthusiasm for the experimental has not diminished with age. In the 21st century, he founded the Record Club, which brought together disparate artists to record cover versions of whole albums in a single day for release online. Then he took a troupe of doppelganger marionettes out on tour and made the brave decision to release Song Reader as a hardcover set of sheet music, challenging buyers to record and play their own versions of his new songs. Throwing Frisbees at the Sun is the first serious study of Beck's life and work for more than a decade. Drawing on new interviews with friends, family, collaborators, producers, and band-members, Rob Jovanovic has fashioned a carefully crafted, career-spanning retrospective befitting the many twists and turns of this intriguing performer's path through life and music.

We've sort of flirted with greatness, R.E.M.'s Peter Buck admitted. But we've yet to make a record as good as Big Star's Third. Although Big Star were together for less than four years and had little commercial success, the influence of their three original albums - numbered 1 "Record", "Radio City", and "Third" - continues to grow. Big Star bucked all the musical trends of the 70s. In an era of glam and prog rock they wrote catchy, radio-friendly power-pop tunes that remain influential today. Artists as diverse as Primal Scream, R.E.M., The Bangles, The Posies, Teenage Fanclub, Jeff Buckley, and Wilco have spoken about the Big Star legacy. In the decade since the original version of this book was published, Big Star have made a belated fourth album, "In Space", and released an acclaimed four-disc retrospective, "Keep An Eye On The Sky". The band have also lost two original members, an influential producer, and the photographer of their iconic logo. But interest in the group is as high as ever in the 21st century, with new bands such as Yo La Tengo and Hot Chip - and even pop superstar Katy Perry - carrying the flame. Now fully updated, and drawing on firsthand interviews with the band, family members, friends, and the major players at Ardent Records, this is the definitive history of rock's forgotten band.

From the formation of Wham! to his untimely death, this is the ultimate biography of George Michael. George Michael is an enigma. He was one of the most open and vocal pop superstars on the planet, yet he was also fiercely protective of his privacy. From the formation of Wham! in 1981 he immediately found fame and fortune beyond his wildest dreams. His music formed the soundtrack to the 1980s and he achieved all of this despite growing up in a dysfunctional family where his father openly proclaimed that George had no talent. Wham! Split in 1986 but Michael went on to greater things as a solo artist. Along the way he was embroiled in several controversies, but in a refreshing change to other superstars, he has been happy to address his issues head-on in the media. In the last decade he returned to touring with the massively successful 25Live tour and the critically acclaimed Symphonica after a serious health scare and a stint in prison. In the months before his death he was working on new material and a TV documentary. It was only after his death in December 2016 that stories of the full extent of his generosity came to light, adding another layer to the complex story of an unusual superstar. Rob Jovanovic's newly updated biography of George Michael tackles the issues and glory that formed the superstar and his place as a cultural icon.

For the last quarter of a century Michael Stipe has been the lead singer of R.E.M, who from their humble beginnings toured and built a steadily growing legion of fans before breaking into the mainstream during the early 1990s. Today Stipe is one of the most instantly recognisable faces in rock and R.E.M. are held in a respect that only 25 years of excellent song writing and hard work can justify. But Stipe is much more than just the singer. Michael Stipe: The Biography will explore his nomadic early years as the child in a military family, his early love of punk and photography, his relationship with his two sisters and the drive behind one of the hardest working men in music. When not working with R.E.M. Stipe has a keen interest in film making, from pop videos and independent shorts to producing big budget full-length movies; he is keenly interested in politics, he led high profile endorsements of the Democratic party in recent elections and for many years has been a champion of environmental concerns. Using first hand testimony from those who have worked closely with Stipe, Jovanovic presents a rounded picture of this most enigmatic of pop stars.

Kate Bush has written some of the most memorable songs in pop music history. Wuthering Heights, her debut single shot to number 1 in 1978 and she remains something of an enigma over a quarter of a century later. A singer, songwriter, musician, dancer, actress and director, Kate has inspired a devoted following around the world. Rob Jovanovic traces the story of Kate Bush's career, from her up-bringing in the Essex countryside through her first forays into music with a series of home recordings, to her number 1 debut album that propelled her to international stardom. Including exclusive interviews with studio musicians and choreographers, Jovanovic's biography emphasizes both her voracious talent and her intensely private personality. Over the last ten years, Kate Bush has taken time out from her hugely successful musical career to raise a family. In November 2005 however, she released Aerial, her first album in 12 years, to great critical acclaim.

The formation, music, and break-up of Big Star, a band that for many was the embodiment of the 1970s, is detailed in this definitive history. Even though Big Star was together for less than four years and had limited commercial success, the legacy of their three groundbreaking albums has influenced artists as diverse as R.E.M., the Bangles, Wilco, Jeff Buckley, and Garbage culminating in their song, "In the Street," as rerecorded by Cheap Trick, becoming the theme song for "That '70s Show." The band's music and romance made Big Star a holy grail for the post-punk generation. This book recounts how band leader Alex Chilton put his heart and soul into the music and believed that he would become a big star--and how when he didn't, he engaged in a fascinating sort of musical self-sabotage. Also described is the tragic story of his coleader on their first record, Chris Bell, who after leaving the band recorded "I Am the Cosmos," a devastating adolescent love song, and then died in a car crash just months later. Featuring new interviews with the band, family members, friends, and the major players at Ardent Studios in Memphis, this book offers the complete story of this incredibly influential band.