This is certainly the best book that writer Guiliano has ever been involved in. It is interesting to hear about this untold side of John Lennon's family life, straight from a real member of that family. Nice.

This is a very interesting book about the family man John Lennon. His sister Julia tells all the true about the relationships between John and his mother, his stepfather, his little sisters, the tragedy when their mother was killed by a drunk policeman, and the beginnings of the group that four years later became the greatest phenomenon of the popular music, The Beatles. Also, Julia remembers for us, the phone conversations with John in the late 70's, near to John's death, and the feelings of all family when John was tragicly death by the gun of an out of mind man. Great book.

Not much more info than available in "Climbing Anchors," by John Long. Mainly more pictures of various anchors. If you have a basic understanding of anchors, you can get away with not having this book.

This book will help make you an expert in building safe, sophisticated multi-point anchors. The relative meirts of the various methods of equalizing anchors -- rope, cordelette, and sliding X -- are discussed in depth. The authors take the position that there is no such thing as a perfect anchor, and present detailed analyses, with photographs, of the pros and cons of 52 anchors. Whether you are a beginning or an advanced climber, you will find yourself reading and re-reading this text, learning something new each time.

Anyone interested in the beloved Morrissey will enjoy this book. I am a Moz and Smiths fan, and found that the topically divided quotes help to define his personality, point out how disparaging he is of himself, and that he is a true chameleon. It is fascinating. The only criticism I have is that the quotes are quite dated now, and as Moz is always ungoing rebirth, they may not represent him and his career now.

Excellent book of quotes from the always witty singer of the Smith's Morrissey. This book sheds life on his opinions of topics raging from: his past, politics, sex, his lyrics, and Magaret Thatcher. This book Chronicles his visions of the band before they took off to stardom going as far back as May 1983 to 1988. Great book, I refer to it all the time.

Platt's book is excellent. Thorough accounts of the recording sessions that lead to Murmur, a fine (if idiosnycratic) song by song attempt at interpretation and an excellent overview of the album and its reception. My minor quibble relates to Platt's Michael Stipe - centric view of the band, but the book is still a great read and a nice addition to the "R.E.M. canon." :)

This book is exactly what you expect it to be and that's what makes it so refreshing. It is not another bio on the band, but a volume about every aspect of the making of Murmur, as well as obligatory info on its predecessor, the Chronic Town EP. For those with short attention spans, the book is filled with black and white photos from the early days that, for the most part, have not been published in any other book. It's nearly worth the price for these precious glimpses of the young band alone.

The book begins with a chapter about early attempts at songs, where Stipe's early lyrical stylings and methods (if you can call them that) are analyzed. We see how Stipe went from writing what the author calls "skeletal" lyrics which were banal and lacked heart to writing more emotive, sensitive lyrics. Of course, as has always been the fashion when it comes to discussing all things Stipean, the author theorizes that Stipe's dubious sexuality played into this transition in writing style, but acceptably meditates on this idea for no longer than a single paragraph.

Chapter two begins to get into the meat of Murmur. Each and every early song that made it onto a recording is discussed here, as well as several that merely appeared in live sets. Stipe's painfully cryptic lyrics are discussed far more heavily than any info about how the actual musical arrangements came about, but it's insightful enough that you sort of forget about what these song descriptions may be lacking.

Chapter three details all the early recording sessions for what would become Chronic Town and Murmur. Unless you're into knowing about studio trickery and all the embellishments and effects that were thrown into the mix for the finished product, you may find this chapter a tad boring. I enjoyed reading about most of that stuff, but some might be inclined to put the book down at that point.

Chapter four details the recording sessions for the actual Murmur album. Here we learn about the recording of new songs that had been written for Murmur as well as those that had been recycled from earlier sessions for their appearances on the fully-realized record. We learn of the disastrous "test session" with producer Stephen Hague, the sample of Bill Berry playing billiards being added to the mix on "We Walk", and even the story of Bill's chance involvement in a 1983 Dodge commercial.

The coda of the book consists of a brief smattering of reviews of the record, a selected early discography, and a bit of info on bootlegs where cast-offs from the early recording sessions can be found. All in all a highly informative book on a landmark album that no one who calls him or herself a music fan should overlook.

This collection of magazine and newspaper articles follows R.E.M. as they go from college band to cult favorite to arena fillers. Many of the aritcles were 1st published in lesser known mags like Bucketfull of Brains, so they have an edge that you don't find in places like Rolling Stone.And it's interesting to see the band members adroitly justify doing things they'd sworn they'd never do, like lip-synch, switch record labels or play arenas, or break up when a member left. They still make great music, so who cares? I'd recommend this book if you're a hard-core fan, but if you're a casual fan, it's probably more information than you need.

This book is the most comprehensive review of Charlie Parker's life and his influence on sociey today. This is a must read for any jazz fan or performer.

A very dry, in-depth look at the recording sessions of The Who. This book corrects many release/recording dates etc. that other books on The Who have gotten wrong. A hust-have for hardcore fans (only). No pictures. Excellent discography. I would have given it 5 stars if it were organized like a reference book (like an encyclopedia) rather than the liner form (like a Biography) that it is in.

This book is the best book about the Who that I have ever read. Never has anybody taken the time to put all of this information down in one place. I feel that this book should have been out years ago and that every recording artist deserving a book like this to be written about their recording career should have the chance. If you don't have this book, get it now. It is the most helpful book that I've used about the Who ever. The price may seem a little steep but I would pay twice as much for this book. It is absolutely the greatest.

I was born in 1979 so I was too young to even know about the Sex Pistols. However, growing up, I heard a lot about them and became quite fond of them. I would hear these crazy stories about the band but I didn't know what to believe. Now picking up this book I know what to believe and what not to believe.

Lydon has nothing to hide in this book and that is evident when you are reading it. He gives his honest feeling towards the Pistols, former band members, record executives, British royalty, the music business in general, etc. However, what many people don't realize without reading this book is how intelligent Lydon is and how right-on he is with his views.

Lydon has always been comical to me. He says funny things and acts in outrageous ways that always makes me chuckle. This book maintains Lydon's wit while also being upfront with many issues (i.e. Sid's death).

I would highly recommend this book to fans and non-fans of the Pistols. This book is more a history of a movement and what it was like to be involved in the chaos. Great job Lydon!

Reading Lydon's book is such a sigh of relief! It's not too long, not too short, and in no way dry or boring---John Lydon writes the way he acts: no sugar-coating, no fluff. I found this book to be a quick, easy read because of his witty, conversationalist style of writing as well as the interesting subject matter (basically his life before, during, and after the Sex Pistols). Mainstream society seemed to disregard the fact that the punk movement was comprised of /people/, and some very intelligent ones at that; Lydon's book puts the humanity back into understanding the movement. He proves, definitively, what an incredible person he is and what an incredible life he's had. I agree with a previous reviewer's comment that more photos would have really added to this book, but regardless, it is still a necessary item for those interested in the British punk scene of the late 70s. You get an insider's look at what went on in the Sex Pistols behind the media trash as well as a view into the mind of a punk genius. Lydon's book is a welcome relief from the mediocre punk documentaries of late.

Unfortunately, with all of the hype concerning the infamous Sex Pistols, their rapid rise and just as rapid decline and break-up, people have a tendency to forgot about the people involved in the band. Although Johnny Rotten is probably the most well-known member of the Pistols (I say probably because Sid Vicious is, quite possibly, more well-known), he is often seen as little more than a "punk rock" icon. In this book, he sets it straight, as he sees it. It is an incredibly good read, and Lydon (his real last name) is brutally honest about his home life, his childhood, his inclusion into the Pistols and the breakup and demise of the Pistols. The book is, at times, depressing, touching and upsetting, but it is always entertaining and, surprisingly, incredibly funny. Lydon is a very witty guy, and he holds nothing back in this autobio. Definately recommend for anyone interested in the man, the Pistols or punk in general.

It's the first Backstreet Boys book I've read and it told me stuff even I didn't know and I'm a die hard BSB fan. I have over 1,000 pics of my fav, Nick Carter. I told me stuff I didn't know about him also. It has a lot of facts and tons of quotes. It's the first BSB book I've read and I've already read 3 times. I just got it yesterday. All BSB fans should read it. It tells you everything about all the guys. Remember, KTBSPA!

Totally cool book about the Backstreet Boys.You'd like it the most if you are a BsB freak like me but even if you aren't you will love it.It's soooooooooooo cool!!!!I already knew a bunch about the BsB before I read this book,but now I know a whole lot more.It's great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

this book is da bomb! it tells you the whole story of the backstreet boys! it tells you where they got their name and how they got started and everything else! it also gives you some new info that even the most die-hard bsb fan might not know! it also takes you each member of bsb one by one! also, it gives a very detailed personal file on each backstreet boy! they also talk about their success and what they hope for in the future! it also includes sixteen pages of full-color photographs!!! it also includes their thoughts on having girlfriends, being in a relationship, and what their dream girls would be like! it also includes names of famous ladies they have crushes on! this book is sooooooooooooooooooo awesome!!!! i give it two thumbs up, 5 stars! i recommend this book to any new backstreet boys fan who wants to learn more about these five very talented, very good-looking guys!

Travel through the life of John Densmore and the band the Doors to experience the adventuresome world of fame in the 1960's. Riders on the Storm is a biographical story of the journey through which each person took whom associated with Jim Morrison. Jim Morrison's temerity and lack of sobriety made working and living with him an adventure in itself. This book is an intriguing and interesting look at an amazing human being. A glimpse at Jim Morrison's life from an insider. Turmoil, addiction, alcohol, drugs, women, insanity, and immeasureable intelligence all represent the life and experience associated with Jim Morrison. John Densmore portrays the dark world of Jim Morrison and the Doors in such a way that you feel compelled to find out more of what really went on.

John Densmore's account of his life with Jim Morrison is a sensitive, searching memoir that invites readers to share its intimate point of view. Densmore details the genesis, breakthough, and dissolution of The Doors with an honesty made palpable by his obvious need for truthful answers. Anchoring the narrative are excerpts from a long letter Densmore wrote to Morrison after his death, and it is through this letter that the drummer enables us to understand how haunted he is by his time working and touring with Morrison, a gifted and difficult artist capable of both clear-eyed transcendence and frustrating childishness, of lucid grace and drunken mumblings. Densmore's reconciliation allows us access not only to his life with Morrison, but to our own lives with people who might similarly inspire and baffle us. RIDERS ON THE STORM makes for a wonderfully moving read, and Densmore's deft placement of Morrison's lyrics and poetry throughout illuminates what a fine and pioneering rock lyricist he was.

Riders on the Storm is the first account of the Doors by one of its members, John Densmore, the drummer who chronicles his memories and experiences with the Doors. The book takes us back to seeing Morrison's grave, his feelings toward his old friend which were sadly, never resolved and dealing with the guilt of not saving him. Also included is the last time he spoke with Morrison and the groups reaction to his death, revealed honestly for the first time. The chapter Wild Child Densmore talks about his mucical development, from here you can tell he is music mad. He even talks about his first acid trip. He gives a very good overview of the Doors early years and his times hanging out with Morrison and hearing his dark and mysterious lyrics. Densmore recalls these times with a thrill and reveals great satisfaction. The book keeps its consistency as he takes us through the recording sessions and live performances. He reveals his frustrations and is a bit negative about the Hollywood Bowl concert. He should of mentioned that the doors did continue to play gigs after the Miami concert but keeps us interested as he tells of what happened socially and politically in the sixties as do other doors books and inserts songs and poetry to complement his story wgich provide a great soundtrack. This book can aslo be read or kept with Ray's mew book Light my fire as 2 perspectives fo the band. Fans will get a revealing insight by 2 of the groups talented members. Is there a new updated release of this book available? What is the "new Afterward by the Authour". Please contact me if anybody knows.