Actually I have the original version of this book, The Playboy Interviews, but since I'm an avid collector of "all things Lennon" I'll probably buy this newer version as well. But man! What a great read this book is! I learned so much about John here in his own words. Do people remember when he was shot, and the current issue of Playboy had just come out with the John & Yoko interview? Man, I clutched that thing like a bible in those sad sad days of December 1980. That interview turned out to be just a portion of the whole interview, and now that is published in this book. A cautionary note: reading this book can re-awaken your love and feelings for John and the Beatles, and this can lead to some pretty serious melancholia. Twenty-plus years later! I still ponder the what-ifs of it all, if John had been allowed to live - for instance, how would that Beatles Anthology thing on Tee Vee had been with a living John? And would there have ever been a Beatles reunion? ( I doubt it.) Not to mention how the politics of the Reagan-80s if John had been there to help out! Anyway, buy this book. It is still very valid and even timeless in its depth and scope.

This book is basically a re-issue of 'The Playboy Interviews With John Lennon & Yoko Ono - The Final Testament" (Berkley Books, New York, 1982, ISBN 0-425-05989-8) with a new preface. It contains the last interviews with John & Yoko conducted in September 1980 (first published in the December 1980 issue of Playboy) and is absolutely essential reading for any Beatles fan.
The interviews stand out for their honesty and frankness and provide (among other things) a very good insight into John's views of The Beatles. The part where John discusses almost every released Beatles' song is a joy to read and read again.
Of course John's relation with Yoko also gets ample exposure.
If this book is still missing from your collection, get it now!

John Lennon gave two interviews in particular that were extraordinary for their length, depth, and honesty. One was his famous "Lennon Remembers" interviews with Rolling Stone in 1970, and the other was this one, shortly before his death in 1980. Lennon was a complex man, and it is interesting to compare his attitudes among the two milestone interviews. Yet this one (conducted over several days) stands alone for its insights into Lennon's personal life, his relationship with Yoko, his philosophising, and his song-by-song discussion of his work, both with the Beatles and afterwards. It offers an unprecedented glimpse into his mindset and outlook at the time of his death, filled with the usual engaging Lennon wit and wisdom. Lennon comes across not just as a vital source of information about his own life and career but as an interesting conversationalist, period. We are also treated to Sheff's brief glimpses of Lennon and Ono at work on their "Double Fantasy" album. This book is an important document for anyone interested in the man or his music.

This book is by far the absolute best book that will ever be written about Elvis. The authors are sincere Elvis fans who have done their homework, and it truly shows in this masterpiece. Whether you are a lifelong Elvis fan, or an "outsider looking in", this book is a must read. If you are an Elvis skeptic, read this book and you will be smitten for good. Kudos to the authors!!!

I JUST RECEIVED MY COPY OF ELVIS & YOU AND I ALREADY LOVE IT! I GIVE THESE AUTHORS (5) STARS! I HAVE AN ELVIS KING CREOLE FAN CLUB OF MY OWN AN I LOVE IT! THIS BOOK TO ME IS ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS ABOUT ELVIS' FANS! THANK YOU LAURA & JOHN & ALL THE PEOPLE THAT HELPED THEM OUT WITH THIS GREAT BOOK! I CAN'T WAIT TO FINISH IT!

At last, a book written with love and respect, like Elvis deserved. The authors know and love their subject and it shows... they're not trying to make us believe that Elvis was perfect but that he was a very human being with all the good and bad that come with it. Great suggestions of books, CD's, videos and web sites. You'll know Elvis more intimately after reading this book... and that's a very enjoyable way to know him, isn't it?

I just can say that it is great. There are no other words for this book...

I absolutely LOVE The Lion King. I, unfortunately have not yet been able to see it yet, but I might this summer and I'm so excited! I am 14 years old and I have recognized, for a long time now, Julie Taymor's brilliance! She is a designing and directing genius! I bought her SUPREME book title Playing With Fire, which I strongly recommend you all to buy...

The music from TLK on Broadway is, in itself, a brilliant thing! And, once again, if you don't have the CD, go out and buy that too. This book is an awesome thing that tells the whole story of bringing life to the godlike stage production we know to be TLKoB. The book is split into three parts; conceptualization, development, and performance. Julie Taymor is awesome and I love her! I would just DIE if I could meet her!

Many people don't understand the concept of infinity; I can't explain it except that it "goes on forever;" which is the way I feel about this book, the music, and ultimately, the musical. I'd give this book infinite stars! Enjoy!

"The Lion King : Pride Rock on Broadway" was really fun looking at.It had wonderful photos from the show and told how the show came together from conception to production design.It showed you costume designs, the actors in full costume, the sets, how they did the phenominal special effects, and much more!It's cool, and one of my favorite theater books!

No cobbled-together overview, this is an impressive, meaty book of great integrity. Care has obviously been taken to do the research & get the facts straight. "Heavy hitters" like John Mayall, Fleetwood Mac, the Butterfield Band & the Yardbirds are covered admirably in a way that is both comprehensive & concise. Lesser known artists also appear, & when reading the book one constantly encounter players who would turn up in other places, at other times. The reader feels himself in good, knowledgeable hands from the get-go. (Martin Celmin's introductory essay is worth the price of the book in & of itself.)
It's that rarest of things, a book that is both entertaining & a solid reference work as well. The A-Z approach also makes it, as my friend Chris Darrow calls it, a great "toilet book." Meaning, I hasten to clarify, a book one can dip into whenever or wherever.
It's the first in a series, & I look forward to the future volumes.

This book is fantastic! The only thing that would make it better yet, would be the addition of a few more blues artists that seem to have been left out. (The Animals, Eric Burdon, Spencer Davis,...and WHERE is Led Zeppelin!!!...the greatest Blues rock band ever??) It is still well worth owning, if you can still get one...lots of information, and things even an avid Blues Rock fan probably didn't know. The "Introduction" is one of the best parts, giving you virtually a complete history of how this great music evolved. Gives Blues Music the attention it has deserved for so long, and never got.

The "Blues-Rock Explosion" falls into the "must have" category for all serious music fans and collectors. The book features a great mix of well known and obscure bands and artists and is full of facts and details that even the most ardent fan will not be aware of.

Having been a British Blues fan/collector/writer for 30+ years it's great having detailed information on all of my favorites(Savoy Brown,Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation,etc.)in one place. Great articles,discographies, and photos highlight a book that is hard to put down.

So grab a stack of cds,the "Blues-Rock Explosion" sit back and enjoy!

This book is pretty cool. It offers good advice for improving your single-note technique, especially in the realm of soloing. John also presents helpful tips on how and when to use certain modes, along with a couple of demonstrations of each. It's not an exhaustive book on anything, really, but it's definitely worthwhile looking at for players of nearly any level.

Wellllll.. like rock discipline, this is a must-have as well. If you're searching for "wild stringdom" on amazon.com, you're probably already familiar with john's columns, so i need not elaborate on them here. My advice is, as i advice on rock discipline, GET IT, NOW!! :) But be willing to muster discipline, that's all you need. This book won't turn you into the guitarist you envision yourself to be unless you put time, discipline and willingness to practice everything AS GIVEN from bottom to top and back, and vice versa, a life time long. BUY IT! :)

I've seen it elsewhere in the reviews, and this statement is correct. If you're just starting out in guitar (less than 1 year experience), this is not the book for you.

Ideally the guitarist reading this book should have at least a basic working knowledge of the 7 basic modes (and all the types of chords, scales, and associated arpeggios) , circle of 5ths, and alternate picking techniques.

The book has a ton of great exercieses ( a LOT of chromatic runs) which will help your improve dexterity and 'cleanliness' in picking.

A HUGE bonus is the CD that's included in the back with like 100 tracks, you can actually hear the examples in the book as they are supposed to sound.

If you, as a guitarist, have been stuck in a rut, or are looking to delve into more exotic and cool song structures and such, definately check out this book!

There is so much in this book. I think the best approach is to take it 1 week at a time, and cover a chapter per week. That's what I'm going to attempt!

I myself have been a practicing guitarist since 1996.

Kyle
[URL]

Yes, this is an odd book. Some of the entries were very funny, some very odd, and some were really quite disturbing. However, despite being put off by some of the stories, I did thoroughly enjoy the way Lennon wrote. The play on words were especially humurous if very hard to interpret at times.

This book may not be for those who enjoy traditional comedy, but it's certainly worth a read if you're looking for something new. The complete randomness and, well, weirdness of Lennon's style (and, perhaps, mind) are very intriguing, whether you find it funny or not.

The introduction by Yoko Ono is also worth a look at (it's a little suprising, but oddly thought-provoking).

I love The Beatles and I love nonsense so this was a perfect match. When you feel you've been thinking too much for one day this is the book to read it is just pure fun. The little short stories just make you giggle even if you're one of those people who never laughs when reading. This book also makes John Lennon seem more human since he has become this legend you get to see this silly but still genius side to him. Just a warning don't try making sense of this book it will just give you a headache just read it for kicks. To quote dear Mr.Lennon "this correction of short writty is the most wonderfoul larf I've ever ready."

One of the best books I read in a while. John lennon puts all his wit/humor that is his whole aura of his famous personality. I also enjoyed his little pictures though out the book. So even if your not a fan of his music you'll be a fan of his writing and maybe get to appreciate a little more by venturing in his mind a bit.

This is the bible for tape/CD traders of Grateful Dead shows! It lists, as far as is known, all performances in chronological order, plus whatever tunes were performed at each show. For the most part, I've found very few errors in the book. When the author(s) don't know for sure, they're up front and say so. But sometimes shows differ from Deadbase. I've got a Jan. 1970 Honolulu show that has all the tunes listed in Deadbase, but in a different order. Are my two CDs of the show right, or is Deadbase? It doesn't really matter, of course, because the music is good. Deadbase also contains a statistician's dream of information, such as how many times songs were played, when they were first played, when the last time they were played, and on and on. It also has a great section (which, after the show listings is my favorite) of reviews from fans. This book gets 4 stars and not 5 from me simply because I really don't care how many times Loose Lucy was played. I'd rather have fewer stats and more reviews. The reviews are great and, though I have some 800 shows on tape, there are some reviews of shows I'm looking for and they've been very helpful. The reviews also are helpful for "newbies" (an affection term for someone just starting out on tape/CD trading) to decide what shows they want to get first. I could sit for long periods of time and enjoy Deadbase. For a while, a Deadbase Jr. was being published, and I liked it because it was not much bigger than a paperback, had all the shows, major venues, some stats, but was easy to refer to when looking at lists on the Internet. I STILL use my tattered Jr. when I can, but kicking back on the couch with the "big book" and dreaming of shows yet to come is a pure joy. For anyone involved in tape/CD trading, this is ESSENTIAL and very, very highly recomended!

If you are a taper, collector, trader, or just forgot what opened the second set in the last Philly JFK show, then this book is a must. Finally make a setlist for all those unidentified MP3s. Check off what you have to make trading easier. Get goosebumps over one of the transitions you forgot about. Kick yourself for working and not seeing the second night. If you collect you gotta have this or wait for the next one coming soon.

Have you ever looked for that perfect show? Ever wondered how many times "Me & My Uncle" was played? Ever was curious about who all were guests at Dead shows? Do you ever trade Grateful Dead music? If you answered "yes" to any of the questions above, this book is a MUST HAVE! It contains setlist from almost every Dead show played from 1965-1995 including helpful timings, "every time played", and "feedback" columns. If you are a Dead trader & you do not own a copy of Deadbase shame on you. It is the bible of Grateful Dead music. Peace.

Have fun, & if you get confused...LET THE MUSIC PLAY!

This is an excellent book on Nirvana, and it is too sad that it is out-of-print. It contains important interviews and write-ups from several pop culture mags of that era on the band--on performances--on their overall views...

Does this signal that Kurt was right: Grunge is dead?

Well, perhaps dead but not yet interred into the earth.

It tells alittle bit about the history of Nirvana but its mostly about the making of Nevermind and about the songs. Its pretty good.

Yeah, yeah, it's really lame to buy a book about them and all, but this isn't just another stupid ripoff fan book- this is really good stuff. It's funny. It's sad. It gives Courtney a chance to look less evil- I changed my mind about her because of this book. And it's not just about Kurt like most Nirvana books are- there's a good amount of stuff on Krist and the various drummers as well. Serious Nirvana fans really need to read this.

This book was a lot of fun. I didn't know too much about "country rock" so I'm not an expert but I can tell ya one thing.Don't go out and buy every Poco record just cuz they "invented" country rock cuz they ain't that good. I do like the Dillards though.

Another "Must Read", from my favourite Canadien author, how well I recall the time period 1969-1976,as I followed those whose stories shine once again,in this well written account,of a sometimes tumultous time,but never dull!! At long last, Gram Parsons is given his truthful due,as a sometimes brilliant,though mostly erratic musician,who was somewhat mis-cast as an innovator of his times. John Einarson has given us another well researched account-I look forward to his next book.

For a while there in the '70s and '80s, it was chic to sneer at country-rock -- just another reason to hate L.A. In part, this was due to the style's runaway success, what with the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt's domination of the soft pop market during the height of the disco years. Country rock has often been hard to pin down, though -- are we talking about the sleek Top 40 stuff, or the scrappy hippie bands that would just as soon pick up a sitar as a pedal steel? This book is a well-written, highly readable look at the history of this rather amorphous subgenre, spanning from Buck Owens' Fender-bending twanginess to the present-day musings of bands like the Jayhawks, Steve Earle and Lucinda Williams. The bulk of the attention is on the 'Seventies, when country-rock was a marketable niche, and Einarson does a great job fleshing out the personalities and development of the scene, including interviews with numerous artists who may seen peripheral or obscure to us now. There's also the inevitable eulogizing of the great Gram Parsons, amid a detailed portrait of SoCal's longhair hipster hordes, with a rich play-by-play of the artistic development of the Byrds, Michael Nesmith and Ricky Nelson, giving credence to a wealth of hippie-era experimentation which if often written off as indulgent or ill-formed, and helping frame its importance to the growth of the present-day "young country" Nashville crossover sound. Einarson's exploration of the deep interconnections between hard country and early rock is a little facile -- he points to Elvis and Hank Williams, where pre-rock artists such as Hank Penny and Moon Mullins might have been a little more instructive. But really, that's just nitpicking -- this is a fine book, and certainly a must for folks drawn in by the whole "No Depression" scene. Recommended!

First off- the book itself is just beautiful; an amazingly well designed book. It's just HUGE, and every page is a treasure; lovely to look at. My big problem was the cost- I wouldn't mind so much if all (or even SOME..) of the proceeds went to charity. Do the Beatles (and the inexplicable Yoko) not have enough money?

That said, I enjoyed the book a lot. The book is laid out in a way that makes you feel that you're sitting around a table with The Fab Four, just shooting the breeze. Their stories are fascinating, especially the way their memories don't...quite....gel. John, unfortunately, comes off as something of an egomaniac, and a rather pompous one at that. It seems that everything of any worth (in his opinion) was his idea. I'm still a fan of his music, I'm just a little less a fan of the man.

My only real beef with the book is the lack of a narrative voice- The Beatles mention John's car accident, Mary Quant, etc., but there is no narrator to let the unenlightened in on what happened, who that person was, etc. Otherwise, Beatles fans will spend many a happy hour reading this book.

So very many books were written about the Beatles, and so many TV documentries were made about them. Anthology is definitely the best one yet, and I don't think there will ever be another book as complete and sincere as it. For the first time the Beatles tell their own story (yes, even John - material from old intreviews with him are beautifuly collected and edited into the book), along with some help from George Martin, Derek Taylor and Neil Aspinall and some old quotes from Brian Epstein, Mel Evans, Pete Best and others, and that makes Anthology a truly unique experience. The story is told from such a personal viewpoint that you will feel like you're part of the band. George, Ringo, Paul and John will become your closest friends for the period of reading the book.

Anthology covers every (well, probably almost every) aspect of the Beatles' life and musical career. It starts as four seperate stories as every band member describes his childhood, then melds into the story of the band. All the interviews from the wonderful Anthology TV series are in the book, but so are many more. There are far more details - especially about the music itself, which was neglected in the series. While in the series some albums were hardly mentioned, in the book the Beatles refer to almost every song, telling a thing or two about its background. Also, more touchy subjects which were avoided in the series appear here - such as, the (phony) death of Paul McCartney, the (real) death of Stuart Sutcliffe, the unfortunate Hell's Angels incident and the terrible case of Charles Manson and his connection to the White Album. The photographs and documents shown in the book are facsinating as well.

And no, it's NOT too long. The only problem with the book is its weight, which makes it quite uncomfortable to read. Anthology is a superb book, which reminded me why I used to love the Beatles so much and got me to hear all their albums again - twice.

The Beatles story is an incredibly fascinating one. In so many ways their history is not merely of a musical group, even a great one. The Beatles transcended mere music. From 1962-1970, the entire period of their recording career, the Beatles recorded hundreds ofbrilliant songs, groundbreaking albums and lived enough advenutre to fill a lifetime. When this book was published, the three surviving Beatles had lived more than twice as many years since the breakup as the entire time the group was together. It is really remarkable to read (or see in the video) McCartney, Starr and Harrison talking about the Beatle's times from the perspective of late middle age. The story itself will be familiar to any Beatle's fan. The early days in Britain, the crazy days of Beatle mania, the acid drenched mid-sixties when the times began to influence the Beatle's sound and the Beatle's music so headily influenced the times. The flirtation with Indian religion, the death of Brian Epstein, Yoko Ono, the slowly growing rigt and finally the acrimonious breakup. All in an incredible 8 years. What makes this book unique, even from earlier books that quote the Beatles is the perspective of time which has clearly mellowed the three surviviors. Lennon's quote's are necessarily taken from before his death in 1980 and it is interesting to see how his failure to reach middle age lends a different perspective to his memories of the Beatles, in his case memories less than fifteen years old. How fascinating to hear Paul and George discussing the making of "Let it Be" where the bitterness was clear. Paul essentially apologizes and it is nice to know he and George settled their differences before Harrison's death late last year. Not only do I recommend this book, it cannot be missed by anyone interested in the Beatle's history in their own words. No other auto-biography will be as comprehensive for one reason. It will require much of the book to focus on pre and post Beatles years. As I stated, the Beatles recording career lasted 8 years. Today a top band would record at most three albums in that time. Don't miss the book or the video collection