Book Description

Reviews (16)

A POWERFULLY TALENTED ARTIST!
If Dusty Springfield was alive today, the road to fame might have been a little smoother. Today, life style no longer holds the barriers it did back in the 60's when the words "gay" and "lesbian" were only mentioned behind closed doors, and sometimes not even then. Regardless of Springfield's sexual orientation, she was by far one of the greatest superstars in her day.

Through the pages of this book, as written by her former manager and a close personal friend, the reader will come to understand this phenomenal artist in a way never before revealed. She did have many demons in her past to deal with, some imposed by others, many self-inflicted. For all the fame and glory she had in her "moment in the sun", the reader cannot help by feel that Springfield's life was such a tragedy filled with alcohol, drugs, self-mutiliation, insecurities and, finally, cancer which finally ended her tumultuous life. Springfield could belt out a song with such power and gusto, but how many fans really knew the tormented, insecure woman behind the voice. This is an excellent book written by two of the people who knew her best.

Dancing with Demons
This book was informative, funny, and a great glimpse of what it must have been like to be a friend of Dusty Springfield. The revealing of what it might have been like to be Dusty herself. It is a well written, poignant look at Dusty's career. Everyone assumes being famous is wonderful, however, this portrait shows both of fame's sides. If you enjoy Dusty's music, and want to know more about her as a person, this is the book for you. Several of those she worked with spoke to the authors. The authors' themselves provide a backstage glance into the career, personal life, and heartbreak of Dusty's life with complete honesty.

Gifed Singer... Troubled Soul...
"Dancing with Demons" is probably one of the most controversial accounts ever written on the late British songstress, Dusty Springfield. From her mediocre rise in Europe with "I Only Want To Be With You" to the tumultuous 70's, which saw her career evaporate and her songs disappear from the charts, and hitting an all-time low with drugs and alcohol. You will also read about Dusty's stormy, somewhat peculiar lesbian relationships, her struggles to get her career back on track, her moves from the UK to America and Toronto, then finally back to the UK.

A truly heartwarming account of this dearly missed lady who ruled 60's pop charts. Although Dusty may be gone in a physical sense, those of us who remember her will always treasure her memory and celebrate the days when she was one of the most glorious and talented singers who ever graced the stage. The magic she could do with a song endures today, and very few singers can evoke the same type of emotion with a song like she could. In summary, "Dancing with Demons" is a must for any true Dusty fan, and although the book might seem a little "gossipy" at times, it still should be read as it paints Dusty as a gifted, caring, beautiful, albeit troubled woman who was in conflict with herself, her music, her sexuality and the world around her. We miss you Dusty! Rest in Peace.

Dancing with Dummies
What I'd really like to know is exactly WHO authorized this book on Dusty Springfield, I seriously doubt that she did.

Additionally, I wonder what kind of beef the "authors," Vicky Wickham and Penny Valentine have with Dusty? If these women are her friends.... who needs enemies????

Read Lucy O'Brien's book, much better.

Interesting for hard core fans...but not representative
If you are just recently discovering Dusty Springfield,
I do not recommend this book, as it concentrates mainly
on her troubled personal life and does not really
talk about her musical achievements. The content
on her musical career is almost non existant and
when anything is mentioned its usually erroneus and
innacurate.

This however is an interesting book for hard core
fans that already know the musical genious of Dusty.
The book reveals what a trouble and horrific personal
life she had and how it obviously affected her
musical career. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A fair and honest book about a musical genius
This was a fascinating look into the development of one of the outstanding musical forces of the 20th century. It traces Gershwin's incredible rise from Brooklyn streets, through Tin Pan Alley, to Broadway, concert halls, and Hollywood. It looks into the many influences to his music, and his aspirations for higher forms. Greenberg introduces us to a man with a huge ego, an insatiable love of music, and an extraordinary gift - a lovable character, around whose piano you would love to stand for even just one song.
The author gives us a sense of the tragedy in Gershwin's life that was deeply touching without being melodramatic. After reading this book you'll listen to Gershwin's music with a much enriched appreciation and understanding. ... Read more

Book Description

Forced by a hand injury to abandon a career as a pianist, Robert Schumann went on to become one of the world's great composers. Among many works, his Spring Symphony (1841), Piano Concerto in A Minor (1841/1845), and the Third, or Rhenish, Symphony (1850) exemplify his infusion of classical forms with intense, personal emotion. His musical influence continues today and has inspired many other famous composers in the century since his death. Indeed Brahms, in a letter of January 1873, wrote: "The remembrance of Schumann is sacred to me. I will always take this noble pure artist as my model."

Now, in Robert Schumann: Herald of a "New Poetic Age," John Daverio presents the first comprehensive study of the composer's life and works to appear in nearly a century. Long regarded as a quintessentially romantic figure, Schumann also has been portrayed as a profoundly tragic one: a composer who began his career as a genius and ended it as a mere talent. Daverio takes issue with this Schumann myth, arguing instead that the composer's entire creative life was guided by the desire to imbue music with the intellectual substance of literature. A close analysis of the interdependence among Schumann's activities as reader, diarist, critic, and musician reveals the depth of his literary sensibility. Drawing on documents only recently brought to light, the author also provides a fresh outlook on the relationship between Schumann's mental illness--which brought on an extended sanitarium stay and eventual death in 1856--and his musical creativity. Schumann's character as man and artist thus emerges in all its complexity. The book concludes with an analysis of the late works and a postlude on Schumann's influence on successors from Brahms to Berg.

This well-researched study of Schumann interprets the composer's creative legacy in the context of his life and times, combining nineteenth-century cultural and intellectual history with a fascinating analysis of the works themselves. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Superb scholarship, daring musical analysis
Daverio's biography of Robert Schuman eschews the hackneyed themes familiar to what he terms "psychobiography"--dwelling on the supposed interrelationship between Schumann's idiosyncratic style and his mental collapse following the composition of the marvelous "Gesange der Fruhe." Instead, he offers insight after insight into the originality of Schumann's musical (and literary) genius, especially as they inform what he terms Schumann's uniquely "literary" musical enterprise. A must read for any Schumann devotee.

Top-notch Biography and Analysis
This biography is a superb survey of Schumann's life and works. Those of us who adore Schumann's music have found a great musicologist and champion in John Daverio. His insight into German Romantic music was already made stunningly clear in his previous book on 19th Century music and German Romantic Ideology. Now this book concentrates on the arch-Romantic composer who synthesized the old and the new to create a "New Way" for music. While being deeply analytical when necessary, particularly in regard to the musical works themselves, Daverio writes in a very accessible style which brings his subject quite vividly to life. And Daverio's concluding remarks are timely, beautiful and extremely touching. Just a wonderful book in every respect. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

From Blues ToDo Monthly, June 2004
I was sitting with Hubert Sumlin in the Green Room of Jazz Alley last week, when Mark Hoffman peeked through the doorway. The customary mischievous twinkle in his eye was augmented by an excited sense of urgency. In his hands he held a book; not just any book, but one he had written himself. This particular copy was a gift for Hubert, because Hubert had provided a critical link in the book's research. How could anyone write the definitive biography of Howlin' Wolf without consulting the man who'd been Wolf's guitarist for 25 years?

Hubert grinned, Mark bubbled with appreciation. Crisp new pages and a freshly-pressed sepia close-up of a cigarette-puffing Howlin' Wolf on the cover. Someone set the finished product down on the table; that's when I grabbed it and started leafing through. It was impossible to resist.

Moanin' at Midnight, The Life and Times of Howlin' Wolf, finally gives the blues world back its missing link. When Howlin' Wolf left this earth in January 1976, he took with him his stories, his imposing presence and his immensely powerful voice. Fortunately, he left behind his recordings, which, for a generation now, are all we've had by which to remember him. Fortunately also, Wolf had many friends and associates who refused to let go of his memory, and were willing to share their recollections with co-authors Hoffman and James Segrest.

Throughout the book, Hoffman and Segrest use words like gargantuan, ferocious and primal to describe Wolf's persona. If you ever were lucky enough to see Wolf perform, you know why. But even the surviving videos are enough to get the point across. It was not only the man's size that was intimidating, it was the way he wrapped his huge and startling voice around a song. It was his big hands dwarfing a guitar neck or reducing a harmonica to relative invisibility. As the equally legendary record producer Sam Phillips remarked the first time he heard Wolf on the radio in 1951, "This is where the soul of man never dies."

Moanin' at Midnight is as thorough as a biography can be, but to Hoffman and Segrest the project was clearly a labor of love. A dozen years, hundreds of hours of interviews, cross-country commutes to glean insights into a personal hero, the relentless pursuit of detail...the devotion is unmistakable, and it shows.

What Hoffman and Segrest have accomplished with their book is nothing short of magnificent. What they have given us, at long last, is the big picture of Chester Arthur Burnett, aka Howlin' Wolf . At 6'3" (some say 6'6") and nearly 300 pounds, Burnett demands a big picture. Wolf was not only a bluesman's bluesman, he really was larger than life.

If you have any doubts, ask Hubert Sumlin.

An excellent biography
For any fan of Howlin' Wolf, this book is a must. It sheds a lot of light on a man that was as complex as he was talented. Wolf learned his craft from blues legends, like Charley Patton, and took the blues he heard when he was a child and molded it into his own sound. With a voice that was truly unique and actually quite flexible, he put everything he had into a song.

It tells the heroic story of a man born in the south in the first decade of the 20th century amid grinding poverty, extreme racial prejudice, and an unhappy childhood, that found his freedom and his place in the world of the traveling blues man. His early life scarred him both physically and emotionally, and it can be heard in his music.

The musical structure of his music could be very simple sometimes, but he put so much heart, so much emotion into it that the music is never boring, never trite. His childhood and life were hard, but his music is not merely a reflection of hard times. It also can reflect the joy he took in his talent and sharing it with people. A totally unique performer and voice in all of music, not just the blues. And a truly unique man.

The book is well written and is easy to read, with many bluesmen telling about their encounters with 'The Wolf'.

Highly recommended!

immerses you in the world of the wolf and the blues
In a word: spectacular. These writers have filled in what was, until now, the blank slate of Wolf's childhood and early life. They also describe every facet of his long career in detail, all the way from when he first started playing with Charlie Patton in the 1920s up to his last big show in Chicago in the 1970s. All the major players are in here: Willie Johnson, Hubert Sumlin, Sam Lay, Jody Williams, Eddie Shaw, Jimmy Rogers, Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Sonny Boys I and II, Little Walter, and on and on. So are an amazing number of fists, knives, bullets, and other instruments of mayhem-a lot more than you'd expect any human could survive in one lifetime. This is the big book about the big man that every blues fan's been waiting for for many years. It'll probably be the definitive biography and maybe the only one needed about the Wolf. Blues biographies don't get any better than this. ... Read more

Book Description

The first in Hal Leonard's new series of artist readers, The U2 Reader presents the world's most popular rock band from battle of the bands beginnings through today, in all of its many facets. Editor and compiler Hank Bordowitz, who Publishers Weekly says "provides evenhanded treatment of highly charged issues" and Library Journal adds "never takes sides or passes judgment, yet brilliantly illuminates ... ," has gathered articles ranging from U2's first mention in a suburban Dublin newspaper to coverage of the group's appearance at the Super Bowl. The U2 Reader deals with every aspect of the band from the way they do business to the way their music and lives convey their inherent spirituality. It includes reviews of albums and the live U2 experience, as well as behind-the-scenes looks at the band, including their forays into pop and politics. The book features a who's who of music journalism, including Dave Marsh (Born to Run, The Heart of Rock and Roll), Bill Flanagan (A and R; Executive Producer of VH-1's Behind the Music), Jim DeRogatis (Turn On Your Mind, Let It Blurt) and more than a dozen others. Authors not normally associated with music, such as Salman Rushdie, are featured, as are U2 peers such as Moby, Bruce Hornsby and Billy Corgan. A must read for even casual U2 fans!Hank Bordowitz is the author of Bad Moon Rising: The Unofficial History of Creedence Clearwater Revival. He lives in Suffern, New York. John Swenson is the co-editor of The New Rolling Stone Record Guide and the author of The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide and the former editor of Crawdaddy! magazine. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A journalist collection
Bordowitz does a great job in this reader collecting U2 "clippings" from the beginning of the band through its over 25 years of rising, dominating, declining, but above all, persisting in popular music. The articles really speak for themselves about the excitement of being on the world stage and the adulation and tribulations that come with that. The author does not do much more than really frame each time period of the band's existence in order to put the articles in accordingly. But I think that was his intention: this is not a direct analysis of U2's influence on music or pop-culture. That project is left for the reader to endeavor in, but only if they desire.

It is interesting and well worth your time to experience the band in the newspaperist chronology set out before you. We all like to think about U2 at different points in their career and we all have an idea of what "our favorite album" is or when we thought "U2 was making it huge". And so, its pretty neat to see whether or not the mainstream, worldwide news coverage of the band concurs with your own conclusions about different time periods.

It's a fun read if you are a U2 fan!

Multi-Faceted
Hank Bordowitz follows up on The Creedence Clearwater Revivial saga, Bad Moon Rising, with an excellent account on U2(The U2 Reader: A Quarter Century if Commentary, Criticism, and Reviews). What makes this book a winner, is the many perspectives and in depth research that Bordowitz provides. The songs and performances are analyzed from religious, political, and musical perspectives. Its great that Bordowitz gets quotes from musical luminaries like Bruce Springsteen, Sinead O'Connor, and Billy Coorgan.

Some moments are spent looking into the personal sides of each band member and how their personalities caused the band to evolve over time. The Unforgettable Fire certainly differs greatly from Pop as the band has evolved from a radical new wave band to one that seems to have their influence blend into the world today. Big time fans should pick this book up and even minor fans like myself will find that there is much merit in Bordowitz's fine research.

Rattle & History
Of the many U2 books on the market, with more to come, it is refreshing to get a sense of historical perspective of the world's most popular, if not relevant, band.

U2 was not always the most beloved band, especially after its forays into electronica. Even during the early days there were some doubts, hard to believe now, of the band's durability. The book is worth the price alone for reading Jon Pareles's early review of U2 from The New York Times. In 1981 he actually wished the band would break up!

This book scans the thoughts and musings of a wide variety of authors from the band's earliest days to the present. One of the convenient pluses of the book is that, as a compilation, it can be read in bursts or it can be read just sitting down for an afternoon on the beach. Each article short enough to look up to see if the kids are alright and yet engaging enough to say to your wife, "yes dear."

Few books today really put U2 into this proper context of where they stand in the eyes of the critics. It will appeal to the long time fan still able to recall those early days at the clubs and theaters and also to the newer fan wondering what it was like when they were just starting out but still able to be familiar with the band that is today.

Overall, a timely and needed effort, especially as U2 writes their new album and takes a pause from the last phase of their career. It is also a fun read. Who said history isn't fun? ... Read more

Book Description

SoCal alt-metal sextet Linkin Park's first CD Hybrid Theory was the record industry's biggest seller of 2002, with over 14 million copies sold. The band's fusion of hip-hop, rock and electronic music has attracted a diverse, dedicated following around the globe. During their 2003-04 world tour to promote their latest multi-platinum effort, Meteora, Linkin Park brought in photographer Greg Waterman and others to document their experiences on and off the stage. The results come alive in this essential book, filled with deluxe full-page, full-color photos on premium paper, with candid captions, written by the band members themselves. Presented with all the attitude and honesty LP fans expect, From the Inside offers an intimate glimpse into Linkin Park's life on the road. This one-of-a-kind book follows Mike, Rob, Phoenix, Brad, Mr. Hahn, and Chester, as they ride high on the wave of Meteora's success. ... Read more

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

The art of Nirvana's Kurt Cobain was all about his private life, but written in a code as obscure as T.S. Eliot's. Now Charles Cross has cracked the code in the definitive biography Heavier Than Heaven, an all-access pass to Cobain's heart and mind. It reveals many secrets, thanks to 400-plus interviews, and even quotes Cobain's diaries and suicide notes and reveals an unreleased Nirvana masterpiece. At last we know how he created, how lies helped him die, how his family and love life entwined his art--plus, what the heck "Smells Like Teen Spirit" really means. (It was graffiti by Bikini Kill's Kathleen Hanna after a double date with Dave Grohl, Cobain, and the "over-bored and self-assured" Tobi Vail, who wore Teen Spirit perfume; Hanna wrote it to taunt the emotionally clingy Cobain for wearing Vail's scent after sex--a violation of the no-strings-attached dating ethos of the Olympia, Washington, "outcast teen" underground. Cobain's stomach-churning passion for Vail erupted in six or so hit tunes like "Aneurysm" and "Drain You.")

Cross uncovers plenty of news, mostly grim and gripping. As a teen, Cobain said he had "suicide genes," and his clan was peculiarly defiant: one of his suicidal relatives stabbed his own belly in front of his family, then ripped apart the wound in the hospital. Cobain was contradictory: a sweet, popular teen athlete and sinister berserker, a kid who rescued injured pigeons and laughingly killed a cat, a talented yet astoundingly morbid visual artist. He grew up to be a millionaire who slept in cars (and stole one), a fiercely loyal man who ruthlessly screwed his oldest, best friends. In fact, his essence was contradictions barely contained. Cross, the coauthor of Nevermind: Nirvana, the definitive book about the making of the classic album, puts numerous Cobain-generated myths to rest. (Cobain never lived under a bridge--that Aberdeen bridge immortalized in the 12th song on Nevermind was a tidal slough, so nobody could sleep under it.) He gives the fullest account yet of what it was like to be, or love, Kurt Cobain. Heavier Than Heaven outshines the also indispensable Come As You Are. It's the deepest book about pop's darkest falling star. --Tim Appelo ... Read more

Reviews (191)

Worthwhile, though not definitive
Charles Cross' biography on Kurt Cobain is a thoroughly researched, highly intelligent, thoughful book. Even if you are not familiar with the music - or even care for rock as a whole - it is a solid read. However, it is important to bear a couple of factors in mind:
a) the access to Cobain's journals was granted through Courtney Love, Kurt's surviving wife. Therefore, the book casts her in a sympathetic light, and maybe a little too much so at times, losing its' objectivity.
b) The book is essentially in many ways a very well-written transcription of Kurt's journals and Michael Azzerrad's "Come As You Are", which is the preferable of the two, and the more relevant (though it was written during Kurt's life - so it may seem a little out-of-date, it features many interviews with him and his bandmates, and the tragedy (and drama) of his death becomes more apparent)
c) Greater participation from his former bandmates would reveal still further layers of Cobain's life and psyche.

d) Cobain's legacy is evolving still, so - in the wake of the realease of Journals and the Nirvana greatest hits package - even this book could benefit from an updated revision.

So what to do? Of course, check out nirvana's Nevermind and In Utero (as well as unplugged). From there Michael Azzerod's Come As You Are, then read Journals. This book is by no means redundant at that point. In fact, I had read this initially when it first came out, and didn;t really care for it. Having thumbed through journals and coming back to the recently published paperback edition, I found Cross' book much more illuminating and compelling.

what a disappointment
if you've never known about the existence of kurt cobain, then frankly, reading this book isn't going to bring you any closer. this book is a complete disappointment. you never find out who kurt cobain as a person really was, and most especially you never find out just what it was that made him so special. if i hadn't known about kurt beforehand, i'd wonder just what the big deal was. you want to know who kurt was, this is not the book to turn to.

looks behind the myths
This book gave me an alternate view of Kurt Cobain by the author's willingness to examine the singer's mythology that developed around him (thanks in part to Cobain's purposeful attempts in interviews) and present the real facts. For example, if you take this account as true, Cobain was something of a bully himself in school, he didn't sleep under a bridge,and Courtney Love tried to discourage, rather than facilitate, his drug abuse.

The book incorporates interviews from just about everyone you can imagine who knew or knew of Cobain, mostly the former. Although some of the material could have been omitted without decreasing the impact of the book as a whole, it is still a mostly intriguing read.

What else could I say?
This is a great book, from beginning to end, it is amazingly written; jumping from time to time in Cobain's life with no rhyme or reason, but manages to flow without being too confusing. There was only one problem I had with this book, even though the book is 'unauthorized', sometimes it feels as though Courtney pressured some stuff to be a certain way, it could be that Cross and Love knew each other before the book was published, but some stuff just seemed to be purposely left out.

Interests Can Be Dangerous
I read this about 3 years ago, about the time it was first released. I bought it on hardback and it took me awhile to finish, because I basically had to have the time to really read it.

Nirvana is easily my favorite band of all time and there is no question how controversial his life was. Cross finely examines this in 'Heavier than Heaven.' Cobain's life is dark, but in a way, it's almost that you can see where he could have made it better. After reading, I realized there were many situations where Kurt did it to himself. So I developed a sense of, well, he has his problems, but chooses to not go on.

Surprisingly, after years later of research and thorough study of Cobain's life and death, doing research papers and none such, it's been claimed that Cross' book is very falisified. Either way, the book has it's values, where you can find information that is really interesting, not on just Kurt, but on Nirvana as well.

There are some chapters where I am surprised and wonder how Cross knew of it, but I guess that might explains the mishaps in the writing.

The book is the best biography for Kurt's life, not his murder, and I would love to pick it up and read it again, some time. It's a good book to have and Cross is a fine author.

For a Nirvana fanatic, it's necessary, but for anyone else, I say once again, 'to each is own.' ... Read more

Book Description

Williams, a founding member of the legendary Motown group the Temptations, tells the story of the group's formation and its years of musical success. ... Read more

Reviews (51)

A Wonderful Book!
Once I saw the movie, I wanted to know more about David, Eddie, Paul, Otis and Melvin, so I decided to get this book so I could learn more about one of the most incredible, talented, groudbreaking not to mention classiest groups of all time. This book has a lot of info that isn't in the movie, so it was wonderful to read an account of how things really went down, especially at Motown in the early days. I finished this book in less than a week, I just couldn't put it down. This book has definitely made me a Temptations fan for life. I admire all of them and what they went through, and I especially commend Otis Williams for writing a book that discussed the good times and the bad, with class and grace. I am saddened by the fact that Eddie, David, Melvin and Paul (my favorite) aren't with us today, but their places in music history will always be remembered. A wonderful book!

One Of The Best Biographical Books On Music
When I first saw this book, I thought to myself "What can be so different between this and the NBC mini-series." I was wrong. In fact, this book gives more information than the movie, that in some ways it tells a little different version in the story of how one of the most famous R&B groups, in history, had started. For instance, in the movie it shows Elbridge Bryant singing lead on a song called 'Come On'. In Otis's book, he writes that Richard Street sang lead on that song.
It tells all about the countless changes in the group lineup. From day 1 until today, Otis mentions every Temptation that evr stood on stage with them. Also, he writes about Motown, when it was in it's early days, when Mary Wells and the Contours were making hits.
About this book, I give it five stars. It tells more details on the history of Otis Williams, and the Tempations, than any other source. I think Otis Williams tells the story wonderfully. I would recommend this book to any music lover.

A Big Fan from Old School!
I read the first edition of this book(in "88"). I borrowed it from the Library.Read it in four days, it was so informative on
life within the group and I loved the pictures. Wished there were
more of them. Being grown in the sixties, you know, I know of them.

I broughtjust about all of their 45's(smiles) and quite a few of
their albums,and now cd's. My loves were David and Eddie.
Otis's account of the group is one that he lived, whether we
like it or, we have to respect him as a living monument to the
group."REALITY CHECK," AS ONE REVIEWER SAID, Otis has a right to
have some bitternes.He put a lot of heart, sweat and tears into
keeping the group together. I also have the dvd of them and the
"Standing In The Shadow of Motown dvd, the Funk Brothers Band's
story, behind Motown's Music. I recomend this one too. Read other
performer's story about Motown for more history.I'll buy this book, for my self and WILL read it. If you don't buy, get it from
the library. God bless you Otis! you must be doing something right!I saw Their Movie, but the book is actuall.

Disgusted with Otis
I have read the 1988 version and the updated version of the Otis book. I even went out and bought the DVD. Okay, Otis if you want to hurt your soul brothers you have achieved! Why the hate!! According to you, Melvin and you did not do anything but become true Temps and everyone else was there for personal reasons. I totally agree with one of the reader, I will not buy anything that YOU publish!! Moreover, if you come to my town I will not spend a dime to see the show. Your true hate should be Barry Gordy not four uneducated men who did not understand how to become successful. I don't blame Eddie, Paul, David, and Dennis for their demons however; I blame the one who made 5 million dollars off of Temptations Barry. Yes, the producers wrote the songs but, Temptations brought the songs to life. You were all great in your own special way why do you hate your brothers because you are mad at BG.

BG used five talented men to get what he wanted and it is a shame you did not get that!! When I read the book, I cried for all of you guys not just you Otis!! With little or none education, you guys did not understand that you were being used to point that Paul had to drink; Eddie had to increase smoking, and David bad behavior. Next time you get in mood of bashing your brothers, please ask yourself why they acted like that!!

I am so sorry I bought the 1988 version, the updated version, and the movie. Otis, when you guys were at the top I was a baby I did not get an opportunity to share in the Motown excitement. All I can do just wonder what it was like in that era but after reading your materials I wish I would never pick up the book. I wish Eddie, Paul, Melvin, and David was around so they can help me understand what it was like being a temptation. In the movie, you were referring to David success brings out the worst in people. I think you were talking about yourself.

Recomendation to readers if you are looking for a book that will bash all the members please feel free to buy Otis version. If you want to celebrate the lives of the classic 5, seach for a book that will give a fair balance of each member.

Otis's Version of the Tempts
I love this book and I am grateful that Otis Williams wrote it. But I strongly suggest to all Motown fans to do your own research and read other books because things don't add up with Otis's version of the Temptations. I am not calling the man a liar because I admire him and I think he believes his own story, but I feel that he's trying to add importance to himself by taking away from David, Paul (my favorite), Eddie, Dennis and even Melvin. I didn't like the way he protrayed any of them. Yes, its true that David, Paul, Dennis and Eddie had both ego and personal problems, but I am sure that Otis had his demons too. In fact, from what I hear he wasn't the best person either. But he doesn't show that side to you in his book. The only bad thing he admits to is cheating on his wife and at times, I felt like he was bragging about his relationships with certain women. Although he was kinder to his friend Melvin, he protrayed Melvin as a follower and not a leader. I wonder why? One of the most disturbing tales in his book is about Paul's drinking problem. Its true that he had a problem, but Otis doesn't really talk about Paul's bout with Sickle Cell which made his problem even worst. Also Paul's "suicide" his rather strange and things don't add up (but do the research). I also found it odd that he didn't talk alot about how Berry G. ran Motown and why alot of the artists lived terrible lives after their Motown's glory years and why most died broke. By now, everyone knows that Berry was a cheat, but Otis seems to forgive him more than he forgives his brothers. Part of the reason why they died so young has something to do with Berry. Now, I am not blaming Berry for everything. I have read books that put all the blame on Berry (which I don't agree with), but its doesn't take an expert to realize that the Motown story is mostly sad. We will never hear David, Paul, Eddie, and Melvin's side of the story...and that is why you shouldn't take this book as 100% fact. Maybe the still living Dennis will write his own version. Excellent book, but not perfect. ... Read more

Amazon.com

On the heels of Peter Guralnick's acclaimed two-volume study of the rise and fall of Elvis Presley (Last Train to Memphis and Careless Love) comes a book that chronicles the same epic tale in a manner that's far less weighty than the preceding tomes, but almost as telling. For this quick-hit chronology of the Elvis story, Guralnick and his collaborator, archivist/record producer Ernst Jorgensen, were given access to 35 tons of Presley flotsam that included everything from his first income tax return to a mother lode of unpublished candids. Freed from a narrative structure, the authors chronicle the cultural icon through snippets that capture the mundane (Elvis gets his first Tupelo Public Library card, February 13, 1948) and remarkable (Elvis enlists in the battle against drugs when meeting President Nixon in the White House, December 21, 1970). Little by little, the fragments fit together to form the picture of a man hurtling toward the precipice (March 24, 1977: "Elvis's stage wardrobe is limited to two jumpsuits that he can fit into"). In this sense, Day by Day's scrapbook appearance is deceiving; this is serious business, indeed. --Steven Stolder ... Read more

Reviews (8)

How information for book was obtained
A previous reviewer questioned how the writers could know what Elvis was doing from day-to-day. Just a clarification...the authors had full access to the Elvis archives that house artifacts from the entertainer's life, including 60,000 photographs, 4,000 pieces of wardrobe, stacks of furniture, and more than a MILLION pieces of paper.

The archives are located in 5 warehouses not open to the public and the authors were granted rare access to the archives.

The public usually only sees the "hot" items such as the flashy outfits and gold records. But the housed artifacts include items such as grocery receipts from Tupelo, Army leave papers for some R&R in Paris, casual notes, canceled checks, furniture invoices from when Elvis decorated Graceland and other odds and ends.

Obviously, no one person is going to know exactly what Elvis did everyday of his life but with as many items that have been archived, the authors give a more fuller picture of Elvis' life than you might expect.

Discover all 16,217 days of Elvis Presley's life.
Ernst Jorgensen and Peter Guralnick have really out done themselves. Thanks should go to the Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. for being cooperative and allowing this precious book to be made. You can almost literally follow all the living days of Elvis. This book covers his family history, and from the day of his birth a day by day listing (like a diary) of what Elvis did in his personal life leading to his destined professional life. Whom he made friends with, movies he would stay up to see all night, when a certain song was recorded and released, what TV shows he appeared on and where he performed before making it big, his movie deals, it's all here. Every account of his life. Now you can follow the 16,217 days of his life. 42 years and 220 days of his wonderful life and the entertainment he gave to us. There are 487 photos inside this book with 337 of Elvis Presley. The two most interesting "unknown" facts in this diary that I enjoyed reading and certainly raised an eyebrow were the two dates of April 17, 1963 and November 22, 1963. On April 17, 1963, for a party at Graceland, what did Elvis order for food and beverage? On November 22, 1963, who was Elvis with and what were they doing on that tragic, historic day? Read this book to find out and buy it for your very own home personal library.

My Favorite B-S book of all time
Aahhhhh finally my favorite!
A wonderful personal daily diary on Elvis!

I have just a few questions:
Just how would these two "Elvis wonders" know what went on EVERYDAY of Elvis life?
Were they there with Elvis every moment?
Were they a fly on the wall in a past life?
Did a psychic tell them EXACTLY what happened to Elvis and when?
Maybe they were Elvis reincarnated?

If these men knew Elvis' daily happenings, they would have to be at least 10 years old in 1935, to remember anything ... and that would make both men around 76 in age, right?

ONLY ELVIS CAN WRITE HIS DIARY --- NOT THE MASTERS OF THE ELVIS UNIVERSE!

Elvis is....Elvis
Elvis Day By Day is not perfect. The depth of the book doesn't match say, The Beatles Anthology and it could have. It doesn't have the striking pictures that other books in the genre do. But let's not get to critical. Ernst Jorgensen has almost singlehandedly revitalized the music of Elvis into mainstream America and Guralnick, while not always perfect has presented an accurate image of Elvis. Many little things add interest to this book. These include the many photos of documents that Elvis signed. Also, some unreleased and rare photos.I could have suggested more quality photos and experiences from the 68-72 era. The day by day in these years could have been better chronicled, in my opinion. I thought the picture of Elvis on stage live with Tom Jones was quite neat and worth the price of the book. Overall this book is excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed it and any fan will be delighted to have it on their coffee table. Kevin Hogan, ...

The 'Definitive' Elvis history book.
I initially bought this as a gift, but ended up keeping it myself. This is not your typical rock star coffee book with the same rehashed Elvis tidbits regurgitated over and over again.

From the very 1st pages you will learn more about Elvis's family that has ever been told. The records are more than just accurate, their are TONS of factual pictures and documents that have been scoured up from all of the Presley family and elsewhere. It is outsatnding! For the devout Elvis fan, I guarantee you will learn new tidbits, especially his early life in highschool, how many times they moved, and ALL the odd jobs he had.

The day-to-day history is simple to read, and full of very amazing trivia. Short enough to keep you interested, yet very detailed. The only con I have with this book is that it lists many of his early booking dates, with no more than the location and those get a bit tedious after a while.

The pictures throughout the book are amazing. Never have I seen a collection of Elvis pictures, and I'm sure many of them have never been in print before. The occasional full page 'splash' pictures capture The King in all his splendor from different periods of his life, whereas this book can almost be considered an art/photography book. (I really liked his judo poses throughout the years in his different costumes backstage-amusing)

In addition to the life of Elvis, we see the corresponding day by day accounts of Col. Tom Parker, Priscilla, Vernon, Gladys, and tons of other characters that somehow would come to touch Elvis's life. Truly a treasure, you will not be disapointed with this book at this price! Now I gotta buy another one as the first gift I intended it to be. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Michael Getz and John Dwork are serious deadheads. The two "passionately and relentlessly record and trade the Dead's music on tape." Who better then to compile a "database" of recorded Grateful Dead music? In this, the first volume, Getz and Dwork cover the years 1959 (the date of the first pre-Grateful Dead recordings) to 1974 (the year the band took an 18-month hiatus from touring). The listings are chronological and include the location of each show, the set list, source and length information, a quality rating, and a review of the recording.

Just in case this mass of detailed information about every known Grateful Dead recording made over an almost-20-year period does not satisfy your yen for the Dead, the book includes a centerfold of color photos of the band in concert. Additionally, the authors introduce the compendium with a philosophical assessment of the taping phenomenon, and interviews with the likes of soundman Owsley "Bear" Stanley and official Dead tape archivist Dick Latvala. A smattering of black-and-white photos and reproductions of original ticket stubs are sprinkled throughout. This book is almost sure to extend the long, strange trip of the Grateful Dead fan who opens it. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

A must for all Deadheads
Wow! What a book! An absolute must for all Deadheads and not just tapers. If you are an experienced taper, then this tells you all you need to know about the history of taping of Grateful Dead shows. If you are a newbie, it tells you how to start amassing you own collection of the world's most recorded rock band. And for all those interested in the Dead, it has an excellent sequence of colour photos, stacks of relevant interviews with members of the Dead's extended family, plus reviews of every known tape throughout the period covered in this, the first volume of what promises to be a massively important series. If you've been to any of the shows reviewed here, you're in for a real treat as you take that Long Strange Trip down memory lane - the reviews are of a consistently high standard. And the book tells the reader what tapes are worth getting, how to get hold of them, and what to listen out for once you've got them. Towards the back of the Compendium, there's a list of all the tracks the Dead played with show dates for the hottest versions of each of them - so, whether your favourite Dead track is Stella Blue, the Green Green Grass of Home, or Scarlet Begonias you can easily search out the best show for adding to your collection. My wish list is just about completely satisfied with this book - the only additional thing I could ask for (and I feel almost guilty mentioning it when the book is just so good) is individual track times as well as overall show length times. Roll on volume two.

A must-have for new & old fans of Grateful Dead music
This is an excellent reference book for beginners and experienced tape collectors alike. I particularly enjoyed the articles and interviews with the tapers. The individual tape reviews are very helpful in deciding which tapes to acquire and which ones to pull out of my collection and listen to again. There's a detailed "how to" section for those who want to take up the hobby of collecting live concert tapes. Great photos! Can't wait for Vol 2 & 3.

a deadhead's book of tales should be the title
This book has mis-directed focus. It proclaims to be a 'compendium' of recordings, set lists and reviews, but it is certainly unrealistic and virtually impossible to create a printed volume that doesn't become wildly inaccurate in a very short period of time. The advent of electronic media over the internet makes the print medium obsolete for this. And there are at least half a dozen different consistently updated online resources out there already for set lists and recordings.

So, if you leave out the set lists and notations of a relatively small group's collections, you are left with reviews. This part is an anecdotal amusement park. Absolute fun but in no uncertain terms should it be used as a reference for whether the 'tire-kickin' collector should check it out.

Very rarely would a serious or knowledgeable deadhead concur with even their closest and dearest friend on each other's unique and personal experience with the music. I'm paraphrasing, but even Jerry Garcia once said that he pushed Phil Lesh down a flight of stairs following a performance he thought was aweful, only to discover later while listening to the tapes that the show was "crackling with energy".

So, the title should be "an in-depth guide to the fiction known as 'deadheads opinion's of grateful dead on tape'"

The most important Dead biography!
Will the Dead's music continue to be sought and traded a hundred years from now? Perhaps, but regardless of that possibility, this book and its two proceeding volumes will continue to stand as unique testaments to the art of the band. Currently marketed as resources for tape traders, these volumes will evolve into something much more vital as the members of the band and their fans fade into time.

Never has music been more thoroughly documented and described in the context of it composers. Unprecidented! Imagine a biography about John Coltrane that included descriptions of each performance of his career!

If future generations are curious about The Grateful Dead, they will be interested in the band's art, not the personal flaws or outside experiences of its individual members. I believe these volumes will outlive all the many conventional biographies about the band. They cover the things we should be allowed to know about The Grateful Dead. The rest is "better left unsung."

reply to "bible"
in reference to : "This book should be used as a guideline for enhancing the experience of Grateful Dead taping and tape trading - not as a Bible. No Bible will ever exist for all the shows the band played because some were unfortunately either never taped or the tapes were lost to time."

Well...I believe that the grateful dead themselves should be the judge of that. They are the ones who possess almost all recorded versions of shows in existence. Only then should a comprehensive "bible" of tapes be published/. ... Read more

Book Description

The only fully authorized story of the girl and her piano, containing over 150 never-before-seen photographs — many from Tori’s own private archives. This unique book traces her path to worldwide success from her early years as a child prodigy, detailing her professional career at the piano at age thirteen in the bars of Washington, DC, her rock-chick days in L.A., underground success in London, her doomed debut album ‘Y Tori Kant Read,’ the soul-searching 1992 ‘Little Earthquakes,’ and on through ‘Under the Pink’ and ‘Boys for Pele.’ Includes a complete discography plus full World Tour itineraries. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

A Must-Have for Tori Fans
A well written and in-depth look at Tori Amos. The pictures are wonderful and quite beautiful, and it's nice to see so many of her earlier days. The book gives a lot of insight into her life and songs, and is something all die hard Tori fan should own.

Coffensionings of a Choirgirl
The book, an autobiography of the most amazingly wonderful singer/song-writer/pianist Tori Amos, is stunning. If you're a fan of Tori Amos, which I happen to be, you need to buy and read this book. It is absolutely fascinating. I've read it once, and plan to read it again and again. It, as well as her music, is mesmerizing. Another biography is coming out soon that will have a section in it about her upcoming album, "From the Choirgirl Hotel." I am anxiously awaited the bio and, most of all, the album...

From A Tori Fan
A nicely written, brief review of Tori Amos' musical history up until the BFP album. While the biography includes only some Tori quotes and intropective info, it mainly focuses on her life as a mucisian. There are great tid-bits that breifly discribe her brilliance as an amazing human/mucisian, and great pics of her recording for each album. I would reccomend adding this biography to any book collection.

Great pictures but little information on Tori, the person.
I gave this book four stars though I was thoroughly disappointed. It had great color pictures, a tour itinerary, a discography (Up to _Boys for Pele_, the book was published right after that album), and, of course, wonderful "Tori-isms." However, it was painfully obvious that this was an authorized biography. Not that I want 500 pages of pure dirt on Tori, but this was more sanitized than most of her interviews. The hyperbole that Rogers (the author) sprinkles throughout makes you feel she is more a fan than an author. Not that is a bad thing in itself, but it makes you doubt the validity of many recounted episodes (was the show breath-taking or was Rogers' breath taken away?) Also, many facts that Tori fans know off-hand are glossed over. Eric Rosse is referred to as her producer throughout and only once, when Rogers briefly covered the development of _Pele_, did she mention that they "separated." If you aren't a Tori fan, you might think Rogers meant professionally, not personally. This sort of omission made me wonder what else was left out.

So: If you want good pictures and and overview of the nuts and bolts of Tori's rise, then this is great book. But if you want to know more about Tori as a person and her life, then this book doesn't contain anything you don't already know. A must for fans, a good start for new fans, but pass if you want something comprehensive.

Well-written, informative, and a Tori photo treasure-trove
I didn't have very high expectations when I bought this book. Tori Amos is notoriously coy, cryptic, and evasive with interviewers, so I expected a pretty but unenlightening volume riddled with errors (in the tradition of the Tori Amos interview CDs). I was pleasantly surprised. The biography is well-balanced and gives Tori's formative childhood years as much weight as each era of her career. To my surprise, I learned a couple of things I didn't know about Tori. The photographs are beautiful, and what a treat it was to see so many showing young "Myra Ellen" and her family!

The one drawback I can see is that this book was published in 1996, and thus is missing Tori's three most recent albums, as well as her marriage and the birth of her daughter. Perhaps we can hope for an updated edition in the future. ... Read more

Book Description

"Will I like this book?" asked Deborah Harry, the still sultry lead singer of Blondie, when recently presented with an advance copy. She definitely will, and so will you!

Blondie, From Punk to the Present: A Pictorial History is the first new book on Blondie in two decades. Over three years in the making, this unique and distinctive 8 1/2" x 11" softbound book contains 514 pages of articles, essays, and photographs.

Blondie took the music world by storm in the late '70s and early '80s, and the influence of this band and its lead singer Deborah Harry is still being felt today and increasingly recognized with the passage of time. Blondie reunited in the late 1990s, produced a new album, No Exit, in 1999, and another album is due in 2003. In the meantime, we all await with anticipation as to what Blondie holds in store for us in the future.

New York City-based Blondie was formed in 1974, honing its musical skills at the famous punk rock club, CBGBs, and eventually emerging on top of the new wave scene and then crossing over to the pop music mainstream. Their self-titled first album, Blondie, reflected a punk ethos and 1960s girl group sensibilities or, the Ramones meets the Ronettes, as one music critic opined. Blondie made six albums from 1976 to 1982, the most successful being Parallel Lines, considered by many music critics to be one of the best rock albums of all time. Within this time span, from the late seventies to the early eighties, Blondie constituted a major force on the rock/pop scene, producing a string of hit singles internationally. The most well-known of these singles are the reggae-inspired "The Tide Is High," the rap song "Rapture," and the disco-flavored "Heart of Glass" and "Call Me." More recently, in 1999, the single, "Maria," debuted at number one in the United Kingdom, making this song the sixth number one single for the group there. With this hit single, Blondie reached yet another milestone—the first band to have had a number one single in each of the last three decades in the United Kingdom. So Blondie continues to make music history and the band's legacy grows. The members of Blondie are true pioneers in every sense of the word.

This comprehensive compendium is more than the usual anthology since it contains essays from such well-known insiders as Chris Stein, Blondie's co-creator, and Victor Bockris, respected music journalist and critic.

The text is divided into chronological sections covering the early days of Blondie, punk rock and new wave music a quarter of a century ago, through Deborah Harry’s solo career, the band’s reunion, and into the new millennium.

In addition to the comprehensive text, the book is about one-fifth photographic content, and is divided into three sections covering the band's early years, Debbie's solo period, and the band's reunion.

The large photo sections present the fine work of such internationally acclaimed rock photographers and photo documentarians as Roberta Bayley, Bob Gruen, Stephanie Chernikowski, Marcia Resnick, Tina Paul, Mick Rock, Ebet Roberts, Joe Ryan, Pete Still, Mike Morton, Sylvie Ball, Teresa Hale, and many more.

The volume is rounded out by a series of selections in an Appendices section, an extensive Bibliography, and seven indexes. The book constitutes a valuable reference resource, and encompasses the more general subject of American popular culture. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

"The Blondie Bible"
Allan Metz and a wonderful array of sources from all scenes and directions associated with New York's ultimate icon band of all time, "Blondie", create a detailed compilation of insight and imagery from the band's early emergence and impact to their re-emergence and continued success years later. Shockingly beautiful vocalist Debbie Harry is not the sole focus of this project and the fact that "Blondie is a Band" is reinforced continually. What is refreshing about this book as compared to other writings is that the viewpoint of the band's influence and effect on culture is widened. All-inclusive insight from fans to promoters to photographers. Adding color photographs and a hardcover would have made it perfect. "From Punk to the Present", though is absolutely THE official "Blondie Bible".

It's As Big As A Phonebook!
If nothing else, this new volume will have to go down in history as the biggest Blondie book ever. At over 500 pages, it's HUGE, which would please any fan. And fans are what "Blondie From Punk To Present" is all about. It's clearly put together by and for people who are gaga for Blondie/Debbie Harry, and has the feeling of a giant fanzine more than anything else. Definitely the focus is on the present reunion (probably because recent pix were easier to come by--especially free ones-- than vintage), and I did find myself wishing that there was more from the band's early days. As a "pictorial history", it's very text heavy--Metz let just about everyone have their say (including myself), and while the voices are diverse, I think I would have preferred more pix and less talk. But it's nice just to have something new on the band, and clearly this project was a labor of love.

Blondie Heaven!
A must! Go into the world of one of the greatset bands in pop history! I can't say in words how much of a Blondie fan I am! And when I saw this book here at amazon I got it as fast as I could. This tells everything about the band! It talks about each album, each struggle, and there big success! Blondie fans must own!

An overdue Christmas present for Blondie fans
Full disclosure: I have an article reprinted here ("Blondie: Once More Into The Bleach," DISCoveries, 9/99). That said, I'm pleased at how this project turned out. I read it in two subzero vacation days here, and couldn't put it down once.

From Punk To Present works well as a photo essay, scene history, and critical overview (including the band's triumphant '99 comeback). This is a Christmas present for the Blondie/Deborah Harry fan - and long overdue.

The best selections put Blondie in context of its often-turbulent times. Kudos here to Robert Betts's interviews with longtime scene photographer Roberta Bayley (whose nonchalance wins points for charm ); Victor Bockris (whose censored High Times interview elicits some candid admissions about Harry's struggles with drugs); Francois Wintein, for his freewheeling interview with drummer Clem Burke (a great subject, as I can attest); and original bassist Gary Valentine.

Being a collector type myself, I also appreciated the forays into less-obvious terrain, including Harry's work with the Jazz Passengers ("Private Lesson: Debbie Does Jazz"), and the reunited band's bid for radio acceptance ("No Exit In Sight: The Rebirth Of Blondie" -- which reminds us of the skewed promotional logic that prevails in the music business. For anyone writing off Harry's '80s and '90s solo work as chopped liver, Daniel Porter provides a thoughtful, balanced assessment.

I would have liked tighter editing of the academic pieces, and interweaving of photos into the lengthier selections, just to give the reader's eyes a break. (Of course, printing budgets play a role in these decisions, so that's hardly a knock.) That said, this book's sprawling nature is part of its charm; it's not aimed at the attention-span-starved armchair quarterback, but the bug-eyed fan who owns those "New Zealand"-only disco mixes. There's nothing like a fan's book for fans; now let's see an updated version to accompany the new Blondie album!

Ink the Flesh
A labor of both love and lust, this hanging-on-the-telephone-book sized compilation feels like a fansite that somehow sneaked off the web and onto a printing press. An overemphasis on their 1999 comeback and fuzzy photos gets it docked a star, but it's hard to argue with such woozily wondrous excess, both the author's and the band's. ... Read more

Book Description

Arranged by Dan Coates. Contains: Angel Eyes * Because You Loved Me * Desperado * From a Distance * The Greatest Love of All * (Everything I Do) I Do It for You * I Can Love You Like That * I Swear * If You Believe * Stairway to Heaven * Un-Break My Heart * Valentine and 10 more. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Great songs, challenging arrangements...
This arrangement of songs by Dan Coates is definately challenging. I actually have to practice to get through these. Not for the beginning piano player. This book is for moderate to advanced talent levels. Great songs like Desperado, Angel Eyes, The Rose, Open Arms and more. My only complaint is that delivery time was VERY slow. Took nearly a month to receive.

Wow! This book is GREAT!
For some time now I have been looking for a book that would challenge me and make me practice! Most of my books I have played for years and as a result I don't have to work to play any of my music. So, I started looking for some advanced books and came across this book by Dan Coates. I've had it just over a month and love it! I've love all the "extras" that have been added! I'm back on Amazon looking for more books by Dan Coates! If you are looking for a book to challange you, and a book that you will enjoy while learning each song, then you need to buy this book!!! You won't be disappointed!

One of the best I've seen
This book almost single-handedly got me back into piano playing after a 20-year hiatus. I've never been happy with the arrangements in most popular sheet music, especially "PVG" and "Easy Piano" sheets -- they are too simple and have almost no left hand accompaniment to speak of. Generally, there are no chords or arpeggios -- just single note "plink, plink, plink" etc. while the right hand has to carry the whole song.

On the other hand, many of the arrangements in this book (and in Dan Coates "Advanced" and "Professional Touch" books in general) have *wonderful* left-hand accompaniments and dramatic chording and other nice touches for the right-hand. Difficulty ranges from intermediate ("The Rose", "Open Arms") to advanced ("I Will Always Love You").

Sure, if you're talented enough to arrange for yourself you might find fault, but for those of us who just read and play and like to play popular music, this is an exceptional book.

Not a good idea
Sheet books of contempoary music, I have found, are generally a bad idea. They are usually mediocre arrangements that take away the beauty of a song that was never intended for a solo instrument. This compilation is no exception and many of the arrangements are unacceptable rips. I found many of the arrangements in this collection are "light" and unappealing. But admittedly the fault is more in the genre of music than in the arrangements per se.

The musician advanced enough to read this music will gain more satisfacaction trying to arrange the songs himself from a public domain chord sheet! If you're desperate and really need to play some popular music on the spot, it might be worth investing in this book.

wonderful
This book had such a wonderful variety of sheet music from the calssical eighties pops to modern day hits. it is wonderful just to sit around with the family on a sunday evening and sing together. with easy to read lyrics and easy to read notes, the whole family can join in on the fun. thatnmks amazon, this is a great book! ... Read more

Book Description

This autobiography is a luminous portrait of a Soviet artist, richly woven against the backdrop of Soviet History. Translated by Guy Daniels.
... Read more

Reviews (4)

a fierceness requited...
Vishnevskaya's reputation for forthrightness AND the sub-title she chooses here --A Russian Story-- indicate strong intentions for this book. Not 'MY Russian Story', but 'A Russian Story', because Galina Vishnevskaya tells an epic Russian story, honoring with a severe truth the Russia of sorrows of which her story forms but a unique part. This is no prima donna's idle tableau of a curtained career. Vishnevskaya's art comes of suffering, & she doesn't head down that road. She divulges her art generously, but her attitude never self serves. Her aim is always higher - she's interested to say not only what HAPPENED in Soviet life, but what WAS. and WHO!--- Vishnevskaya regularly excoriates with galvinizing abandon the soviet lackeys with whom she had to deal! She names names and motives, because it's the damned truth! The West in general and artists in particular owe a huge debt to Rostropovich and Vishnevskaya for the willing sacrifice of themselves in exile for the simple truth. Rostropovich garners the commentary in the West with the cello & conducting, but Galina is the heart of genius, and THAT seems the telling component in this book. Her depiction of Solzhenitsyn is heartrending, and stands as the book's axis; everything leads to it, and derives from it. Her friendship with Shostakovich, her brilliant feelings toward him-- an almost daughterly reverence informed by the highest artistic aesthetic. It's also through the part Shostakovich played in her life that we meet a musically learned Galina as well. She was a musician FIRST, singer second. How rare and wonderful - no wonder Slava fell in love! Galina dances with the shadows of Shostakovich throughout, & it's one of the book's endearing aspects. There are wonderful stories too of Britten and his music, & a surprisingly frank exposition of Furtseva, soviet Minister of Culture, whose enigmatic machinations both helped and ill-served Galina more than once. Vishnevskaya can sing AND write! The book ends when you don't want it to, leaving Russia... it's ultimately a love story -- Galina and Russia. Maybe she'll yet write her American story.

Galina: A Russian Story
Galina, né Pavlova, has many interesting stories to tell about her remarkable life: as a baby abandoned by her parents, an army officier and a polish/gypsy mother, she was raised by her paternal grandmother. Galina overcame so many difficulties in her life, surviving the blockade of Leningrad during the war and so many hardships such as tuberculosis and starvation. Unlike so many singers' biographies, this intelligent artist shares more than anecdotes about the opera world and her many successes in the theatre. She speaks of her personal friendships with people such as composer Shostakovich her neighbor, scientist Andrei Sakarov, also a neighbor, and writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn, a live-in guest in her dacha. There is much commentary written with not a little bitterness about the Soviet authorities who so often thwarted her career and blocked free expression in the arts within the Soviet country and in other countries where she was invited to perform. She writes very well and with much insight into philosophy, human relations, personalities, etc. I found the book very absorbing and hard to put down. Her close friendship with British composer Benjamin Britten also yields many stories of their memorable times together both at Aldeburgh and on vacation in Armenia and Russia. Her remarkable and at times stormy marriage to cellist/conductor Mstislav Rostropovich, her third husband, brought about big changes in her life, and their mutual courage and boldness to stand up for freedom against the Soviet regime cost them their citizenship.

"Everything was backwards..."
"...We were actors in real life and human beings on the stage."

Thus spake Galina Vishnevskaya, in interviews she and her husband, Mstislav ("Slava") Rostropovich, gave in Paris in 1983, captured in a companion book ("Russia, Music, and Liberty: Conversations with Claude Samuel.") to this one. The quotation barely begins to suggest the Kafkaesque world in which they lived, when they were musical artists of the highest order in the Soviet Union.

Vishnevskaya was a "prima donna assoluta" at the Bolshoi Opera during her prime, arguably the finest Russian soprano of all time. And, as her prime overlapped those of Maria Callas and Renata Tebaldi, one can only wonder what her international reputation might have been had her career been entirely in the west; the first two-thirds (and best) part of it was largely away from the gaze of the international music community.

This is, as she subtitles it, her "Russian story" covering her life up to the final hours in 1976 when she left the Soviet Union, eventually (two years later) as an exile. And it almost ended before it ever started.

Born in poverty to parents who abandoned her to her grandmother, she possessed an incredible voice as a child. Largely self-taught, and then - at age sixteen - improperly taught - she didn't learn proper voice technique until after she had established a beginning career in operetta. Then she contracted TB, and