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Guitarist Gordon Giltrap is the epitome of what is often referred
to as a `musician's musician', in that the respect in which he is
held by his peers speaks volumes for his ability and influence.
Beginning his career as a solo acoustic guitarist and vocalist in
the late 1960s, it was 1976 before the name Gordon Giltrap came
into the public eye with the release of his landmark album
Visionary, and album and single chart success followed over the
next few years with the albums Perilous Journey and Fear Of The
Dark, as he formed The Gordon Giltrap Band to perform these
progressive rock-tinged works in the live environment. By now a
wholly instrumental performer, his greatest commercial success came
with his signature piece Heartsong, which followed up its chart
success by being picked up by the BBC for use as the theme tune to
their long-running Holiday programme. Following this, Gordon
retreated largely to the acoustic realm with his next few albums,
and retained a devoted hardcore following, as well as the
aforementioned admiration of some of the biggest names in modern
guitar music. Coming from the humblest of childhoods in South East
London, Gordon's life in and out of the spotlight has proved to be
a rollercoaster of highs and lows and one which ultimately
transcends even his musical achievements as a story of human
triumph and tragedy
There were a lot of very different bands peddling their wares in
the progressive rock 'golden age' of the 1970s - some tending
toward symphonic grandeur, other towards jazz fusion, and others
still ploughing the more immediate end of the spectrum. There were
the left-field eccentrics and the tricky 'difficult' bands. Apart
from it all, however, there were Van Der Graaf Generator. In a
decade stuffed with a wild array of influences, styles and
instrumental line-ups, there can be few tending quite so near to
the definition 'unique' as the four musicians who made up the
'classic' line-up of Van Der Graaf. For a start, there was the
astonishing songwriting and vocals of generally accepted 'leader'
Peter Hammill, but there was much more behind that to set these men
apart. Their unparalleled instrumental make-up saw little or no
guitar and no bass guitar, while organist Hugh Banton handled the
bass parts on pedals, David Jackson pioneered an astonishing
saxophone style, playing two instruments at once, electric rather
than miked up, and using a full effects pedalboard. Drummer Guy
Evans filled in - well, everything else. It was and remains a sound
quite like no other. This book documents their incredibly
influential first decade as prog's ultimate 'outsiders'. It's quite
a ride.
Think about Led Zeppelin and the image coming to mind would be of
them straddling the world as the archetypal 'rock gods', defining
the 1970s like no other artist did. Dig deeper though, and there's
a lot more to Zeppelin than hard rock and bluster, with folk and
blues strongly threading through their catalogue from the very
beginning. This book digs into every Led Zeppelin track recorded
during their decade-long existence before John Bonham's death
brought down the curtain, by way of facts, anecdotes, analysis and
a small dose of humour here and there. From the likes of 'Kashmir',
'Stairway To Heaven' and 'Whole Lotta Love' and their ilk, which
have entered the public consciousness, down to the deeper cuts
which only the fans will know, this book covers them all, while
also taking a look into the stories behind the often ground
breaking cover art, and the way the albums came to be recorded.
Celebrating the triumphs and the arguable lower points, this is an
alternative history of the band, told via the most important
element - the music itself - which has influenced so many down the
years. The history of led Zeppelin is a wild ride. This book shows
you why
Everyone has their favourite Monty Python sketches, often quoted
almost verbatim, whether it is 'the Parrot Sketch', 'the Cheese
Shop' or 'Blackmail' - amongst many. Likewise the Python films, the
mere mention of which might solicit quotes like ‘Tis but a flesh
wound’ or ‘He’s not the Messiah, he’s a very naughty
boy’. But what lies beyond these well-remembered favourites? How
many remember the 'Fresh Fruit Self Defence' sketch, or 'the
Fish-Slapping dance'? Or even such almost-forgotten curios as
'Blancmanges Playing Tennis', 'The Olympic Hide And Seek Final' and
'The Batley Townswomen’s Guild Re-enacting Pearl Harbour'. This
book will shine a light on all of these often-hilarious - but
occasionally misfiring - curios. As well as the films and all 45 TV
episodes, the record albums are also analyses for their content and
how they differed from the TV show, as well as the books which came
out as spin-off merchandise - but were never less than brilliantly
entertaining for all that. How did Python come to be, what tensions
were there between its stars, and what was the atmosphere like when
the crew reunited to make the films long after they had left their
TV show days behind them? All this will get an answer and much,
much more... Now, do you want to read for five minutes, or the full
half-hour?
Many bands may lay claim to inventing or popularising the term
`heavy metal', but few would deny that Black Sabbath have defined
the genre in the minds of many, and have come to embody its popular
image. From the `classic' first decade with singer Ozzy Osbourne,
through the Ronnie James Dio period and the oft-overlooked later
albums, the Sabbath name has always been a trademark of quality,
despite some less celebrated, though often fascinating, periods. To
commemorate the final retirement of the band, lifelong devotee
Steve Pilkington takes the reader through every song on every one
of the band's studio albums, taking in the highs and occasional
lows, as well as looking at the cover artwork and stories behind
the albums. He also discusses live recordings and DVD releases. The
result will surely be regarded as the most exhaustive guide to the
band's music yet produced, as critical opinion rubs shoulders with
facts, trivia and anecdotes to provide the ultimate guide to this
legendary band. Whether you are a hard core fan, or simply want a
guide to what lies beyond `Paranoid', this book is for you.
Mention the words `heavy metal' with regards to the past four
decades, and chances are one of the first names you'll get back is
Iron Maiden. From their early days as front-runners of the New Wave
Of British Heavy Metal in 1980, through to their epic and
progressive works of more recent times, via 30 years fronted by
Bruce Dickinson broken up by a short period with Blaze Bayley, the
band have been 'All Things To All Men' in the metal world. Such is
their profile that even the non-metal fan would probably cite them
as a key example of the genre. This book lifts the lid on every
single track recorded by the band, album by album, from the
punk-ish debut album with original vocalist Paul DiAnno through to
the sprawling double disc epic Book Of Souls. By way of facts,
anecdotes, analysis and a dollop of opinion, author Steve
Pilkington provides both an informative companion for the die-hard
fan and perfect road-map for the more casual listener to follow.
From `Prowler' to `Empire Of The Clouds', through each and every
line up change, this is every Number recorded by The Beast - the
ultimate recording history of Iron Maiden.
Incredibly, Uriah Heep have now been active for a full fifty years.
However, few would argue that the period which has come to define
them the most, and during which they were at their most
influential, was 1970-1980. During this decade they released an
incredible thirteen studio albums and a legendary double live
album, as well as having a regular turnaround of musicians in all
but the guitar and keyboard roles. During this remarkable decade,
there were the first three albums, as the band sought to find a
stable line-up, followed by the classic run begun by the Demons And
Wizards album featuring the definitive
Box/Hensley/Byron/Kerslake/Thain line-up. When charismatic frontman
David Byron departed, there was a period of some uncertainty, but
still some remarkable music was made. In this book the reader will
be taken on a year-by-year journey through that decade, looking at
the albums, the often gruelling touring schedules and the ups and
downs of the relationships within the band. Never quite attaining
the sales and success of some of their rivals at the time, Uriah
Heep nevertheless released some of the most extraordinary music of
the decade - and this book takes you through it all.
* The first book to combine the "classic" output of Deep Purple and
Rainbow into one book in such detail. * 2018 sees the 50th
anniversary of the first Deep Purple album "Shades of Deep Purple."
* Deep Purple have remained active until this day, and a version of
Rainbow reformed for live shows in 2015, to considerable media
attention. * Written by a respected journalist and magazine editor.
Few would deny that Deep Purple were one of the most influential
and popular heavy rock bands to emerge from the melting pot of the
late `60s, going through several line-up changes, and stylistic
shifts, before splitting up for the first time in 1976. Talismanic
guitarist Ritchie Blackmore carried the spirit on in many ways when
he formed Rainbow after leaving Purple in 1975, particularly with
his partnership with legendary singer Ronnie James Dio. This is an
exhaustive guide to the band's music, as critical opinion rubs
shoulders with facts, trivia and anecdotes to provide a fascinating
`alternative history' of these revered bands . Whether you are a
hardcore fan or simply want a guide through the world which lies
beyond Smoke on the Water, this book is for you.
The Rolling Stones: Still going strong and defying the doubters,
over 55 years since their formation, they possess a longevity
almost unheard of in popular music - especially with three of the
five original members still present. The majority of people,
however, would surely consider their work during the `60s and `70s
to be their most creative, influential and original, from the early
R&B material through the psychedelic experimentation of Their
Satanic Majesties Request, the country/blues flavourings of Beggars
Banquet , the louche swagger of Sticky Fingers and Exile On Main
Street through to the mature and sophisticated feel of the more
complex Goats Head Soup. With `new boy' Ron Wood replacing Mick
Taylor in 1975, the band returned to basics a little more with the
album Black And Blue and a resultant world tour which saw over a
million people apply for tickets to a run of six Earl's Court shows
in 1976. The band have continued as a major force since the turn of
the `80s, but it is that period up to 1980 which this book looks
at, studying in depth every single song released during the band in
that time, via factual, anecdotal and critical analysis. It's only
rock and roll, but this is the ultimate study
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