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As any regular shopper already knows Twist & Shout carries one of
Denver's largest and most diverse sections of books relating to music
including biographies, art, criticism, reference books, and
counter-cultural scenes. To reflect this we will be featuring regular
reviews of new books we've received so be sure to check back regularly
to see what we have in store for you.
Krautrock: Cosmic Rock and Its Legacy by Black Dog Publishing
Krautrock: Cosmic Rock and its Legacy charts the history of
this influential music genre, from its roots in free jazz, psychedelia and
the music of Karlheinz Stockhausen, to the groundbreaking
experiments of Faust, Kraftwerk and Can. The late 1960s in West
Germany was a period of profound breakthroughs, upheavals and
reversals. Out of this climate, a music scene exploded that would
forever change the face of western rock; at times anarchic, at others
mystical, magickal, or utopian, it pushed rock beyond any known
limits. Illustrated with concert photos, posters, record cover art and
other rare visual material, and also including essays by Michel Faber,
Erik Davis, David Stubbs, Ken Hollings and testimonials from Gavin
Russom (Delia and Gavin/Black Meteoric Star), Plastic Crimewave,
Stephen Thrower (Coil/Cyclobe), and Ann Shenton (Add N to (X)) this is
an essential compendium to a music whose spirit and ideas still vibrate
through contemporary culture today.
The Lizard King: The Essential Jim Morrison by Jerry Hopkins
"He was rolling along, drunk much of the time, putting himself out
there, pretty much letting life happen to him," writes Hopkins of rock
star Morrison (1943-1971) in this refreshing addition to the already
large shelf of books about The Doors and their lead singer. Neither
mythmaker nor debunker, Hopkins (No One Here Gets Out
Alive) views Morrison as a talented yet disturbed person, easy to
dislike but impossible to dismiss. In particular Morrison fans will
welcome the most vivid descriptions of the star's death ever published,
an unusually sensitive treatment of his first wife, Pam Coruson, and a
previously unpublished interview. Hopkins also dispels the rumors
about Morrison's possible survival and describes the making of the
Oliver Stone film that sparked a resurgence of The Doors' popularity.
His polished style and sense of balance, evident throughout, add luster
to this well-explored subject.
Girl Power: The Nineties Revolution in Music by Marisa Meltzer
In the early nineties, riot grrrl exploded onto the underground music
scene, inspiring girls to pick up an instrument, create fanzines, and
become politically active. Rejecting both traditional gender roles and
their parents’ brand of feminism, riot grrrls celebrated and
deconstructed femininity. The media went into a titillated frenzy
covering followers who wrote “slut” on their bodies, wore frilly dresses
with combat boots, and talked openly about sexual politics.
The movement’s message of “revolution girl-style now” soon filtered
into the mainstream as “girl power,” popularized by the Spice Girls and
transformed into merchandising gold as shrunken T-shirts, lip glosses,
and posable dolls. Though many criticized girl power as at best
frivolous and at worst soulless and hypersexualized, Marisa Meltzer
argues that it paved the way for today’s generation of confident girls
who are playing instruments and joining bands in record numbers.
Girl Power examines the role of women in rock since the riot
grrrl revolution, weaving Meltzer’s personal anecdotes with interviews
with key players such as Tobi Vail from Bikini Kill and Amy Ray of the
Indigo Girls. Chronicling the legacy of artists such as Bratmobile,
Sleater-Kinney, Alanis Morissette, Britney Spears, and, yes, the Spice
Girls, Girl Power points the way for the future of women in rock.
I Am Ozzy by Ozzy Osbourne
"They've said some crazy things about me over the years. I mean, okay:
'He bit the head off a bat.' Yes. 'He bit the head off a dove.' Yes. But
then you hear things like, 'Ozzy went to the show last night, but he
wouldn't perform until he'd killed fifteen puppies . . .' Now me, kill
fifteen puppies? I love puppies. I've got eighteen of the f**king things
at home. I've killed a few cows in my time, mind you. And the
chickens. I shot the chickens in my house that night.
It haunts me, all this crazy stuff. Every day of my life has been an
event. I took lethal combinations of booze and drugs for thirty f**king
years. I survived a direct hit by a plane, suicidal overdoses, STDs. I've
been accused of attempted murder. Then I almost died while riding
over a bump on a quad bike at f**king two miles per hour.
People ask me how come I'm still alive, and I don't know what to say.
When I was growing up, if you'd have put me up against a wall with the
other kids from my street and asked me which one of us was gonna
make it to the age of sixty, which one of us would end up with five kids
and four grandkids and houses in Buckinghamshire and Beverly Hills, I
wouldn't have put money on me, no f**king way. But here I am: ready
to tell my story, in my own words, for the first time.
A lot of it ain't gonna be pretty. I've done some bad things in my time.
I've always been drawn to the dark side, me. But I ain't the devil. I'm
just John Osbourne: a working-class kid from Aston, who quit his job
in the factory and went looking for a good time."
Just Kids by Patti Smith
In 1967, 21-year-old singer–song writer Smith, determined to make
art her life and dissatisfied with the lack of opportunities in
Philadelphia to live this life, left her family behind for a new life in
Brooklyn. When she discovered that the friends with whom she was to
have lived had moved, she soon found herself homeless, jobless, and
hungry. Through a series of events, she met a young man named
Robert Mapplethorpe who changed her life—and in her typically lyrical
and poignant manner Smith describes the start of a romance and
lifelong friendship with this man: It was the summer Coltrane died.
Flower children raised their arms... and Jimi Hendrix set his guitar in
flames in Monterey. It was the summer of Elvira Madigan, and the
summer of love... This beautifully crafted love letter to her friend (who
died in 1989) functions as a memento mori of a relationship fueled by
a passion for art and writing. Smith transports readers to what seemed
like halcyon days for art and artists in New York as she shares tales of
the denizens of Max's Kansas City, the Hotel Chelsea, Scribner's,
Brentano's, and Strand bookstores. In the lobby of the Chelsea, where
she and Mapplethorpe lived for many years, she got to know William
Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Johnny
Winter. Most affecting in this tender and tough memoir, however, is her
deep love for Mapplethorpe and her abiding belief in his genius.
Smith's elegant eulogy helps to explain the chaos and the creativity so
embedded in that earlier time and in Mapplethorpe's life and work.
The Music of Django Reinhardt by Benjamin Givan
When most people think of the great jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt,
they conjure up the unusual details of his colorful life: a childhood
spent in gypsy encampments outside of Paris; the tragic caravan fire
when he was eighteen that rendered his left hand nearly unusable; and
his survival during World War II, when gypsies were massacred by the
hundreds of thousands. The amazing story of Reinhardt’s life even
became the basis for Woody Allen's Sweet and Lowdown.
Yet, it is the music of Django Reinhardt that made him one of the most
original guitarists in history. In particular, his partnership with violinist
Stéphane Grappelli, in the Quintette du Hot Club de France, brought
him international renown and the attention of some of the most
important American jazz musicians of the day, including Coleman
Hawkins, Benny Carter, and Duke Ellington.
The Music of Django Reinhardt explores the story of the man
and his music as never before. Benjamin Givan shows how one of jazz's
greatest guitarists created his unparalleled sound. This book is an
analytical study of his music, including his process, his improvisational
style, and his instrumental technique.
The Beatles: Across the Universe by Andy Neill
Culturally the Beatles were a global phenomenon - changing all facets
of popular music for good, but not just because they were a band that
made great recordings. How big a part did performing in concert play?
Would they have achieved what they did without an early grounding in
the dance halls and clubs of Liverpool and Hamburg? After their first
year as a headline-grabbing attraction, why did The Beatles soon tire
of the relentless pace of Beatlemania? Through print and images from
the visually-astounding "Daily Mirror" archive, Across The
Universe: On Tour And On Stage answers these questions,
examining in detail the Beatles as a live act between the key
Beatlemania years of 1963-1966 and to mark the event's 40th
anniversary, The Beatles' last ever performance - an impromptu session
on a central London rooftop. Across The Universe: On Tour And On
Stage takes the reader on a magical mystery tour though
ballrooms, theaters, airports, limos, and stadiums across the globe and
along the way, illustrates why The Beatles were seen but not heard
throughout the 1960s.
An A-Z of Franz Ferdinand by Helen Chase
One of the UK's most successful pop bands in recent years, Franz
Ferdinand formed in Glasgow, Scotland at the beginning of 2002. Since
releasing their breakthrough single "Take Me Out" in 2004 to
worldwide acclaim, they have gone on to sell more than six million
albums and have received recognition in many quarters - they were the
first band to receive a Mercury Prize, Brit Awards and NME Awards
within the space of twelve months. Known for their guitar driven, disco
influenced, catchy pop melodies and intelligent lyrics Franz Ferdinand
oversee every aspect of their creative output believing that the imagery
of a band is as important as the sound. They are currently writing and
recording their third album. The band have a considerable UK and
world fan base and appeal to both mainstream and indie types.
Elvis 1956: Photographs by Alfred Wertheimer
1956 was the year Elvis released his first record, made his first
television appearance, and started his movie career. It was the year he
became a star. Alfred Wertheimer, then a young freelance
photojournalist, was there to document the extraordinary transition.
Elvis 1956 features images that are a national treasure,
including photographs of Elvis never before published: a unique visual
record of one of the most exciting performers of his time, one of the
most influential of all time, the first true icon of rock 'n' roll. Here is
the first and last unguarded look at Elvis, featuring images of him in
every aspect of his life - from performance and with the fans, to the
recording studio and at home with his family.
Elvis 1956 serves as the catalogue for a nationally traveling
exhibition exhibition developed collaboratively by the Smithsonian
Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, the Smithsonian's National
Portrait Gallery, and the Govinda Gallery to celebrate the 75th
anniversary of the legendary rock star's birthday. Lavishly illustrated
with 72 tri-tone photographs and with an introduction by curator Chris
Murray, essays by E. Warren Perry, Jr. and National Portrait Gallery
historian Amy Henderson, Elvis 1956 is a remarkable window
into a defining time for rock 'n' roll's most enduring presence.
Spray Paint the Walls: The Story of Black Flag by Steve Chick
They were the pioneers of American hardcore, forming in California in
1978 and splitting up 8 years later leaving behind them a trail of blood,
carnage and brutal, brilliant music. Throughout the years they fought
with the police, record industry and their own fans. This is the band's
story from the inside, drawing upon exclusive interviews with the
group's members, their contemporaries and the groups who were
inspired by them. It's also the story of American hardcore music, from
the perspective of the group who did more to take the sound to the
clubs, squats and community halls in American than any other.
Downbeat: The Great Jazz Interviews edited by Frank Alkyer and Ed Enright
Culled from the DownBeat archives - includes in-depth interviews with
literally every great jazz artist and personality that ever lived! Features
classic photos and magazine covers from DownBeat's vast archives. In
honor of its 75th anniversary, DownBeat's editors have brought
together in this one volume the best interviews, insights, and
photographs from the illustrious history of the world's top jazz
magazine, DownBeat. This anthology includes the greatest of
DownBeat's Jazz Hall of Famers: from early legends like Jelly Roll
Morton, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and Benny
Goodman; to bebop heroes like Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, John
Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, and Miles Davis; to truly unique voices like
Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, Thelonious Monk, and Rahsaan Roland
Kirk; to the pioneers of the electric scene like Chick Corea, Herbie
Hancock, Pat Metheny, and Joe Zawinul. The Great Jazz
Interviews delivers the legends of jazz, talking about America's
music and America itself, in their own words.
Kiss Kompendium by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley
Known as the fire breathing, blood splitting and larger than life co-
founders of hard rock super group KISS, Gene Simmons and Paul
Stanley founded the band in the early 1970s. Since then, KISS has gone
on to sell over 80 million albums and to perform over 2,000 shows
around the world. Currently preparing their new album, the band is still
touring and performing today. Gene Simmons also stars in A&E's hit
reality show, Family Jewels. He is the author of Sex Money
Kiss, Kiss and Make-Up, Ladies of the Knight, Kiss and Tell, and
Kiss: The Early Years, which he co-wrote with Stanley.
Leonard Cohen: Hallelujah, A New Biography by Tim Footman
Chronicling the highs and lows that have punctuated the life of a
musical genius, this in-depth biography reveals new insight into the
legendary songs of Leonard Cohen. Covering each stage in his prolific
career—his early years as a poet and author in Canada, his relocation
to New York City and subsequent impact within the folk and rock
scenes, his years spent in a Buddhist monastery, and his recent
rediscovery by a new generation of fans—this definitive history
combines perceptive research with previously unpublished photos.
Balancing his literary and musical influences with themes of religion,
depression, sex, politics, and complex interpersonal relationships,
fresh perspectives are highlighted through interviews with colleagues
who have never before gone on record. His recent release of new
music, current revival in popularity, and first tour in 15 years are fully
detailed and cited as one of the most dramatic periods in the life of
this eloquent songwriter.
Little Richard: The Birth of Rock 'n' Roll by David Kirby
This book is a concise, evocative, and thoroughly researched study of
one of the great rock'n'roll pioneers. After "Tutti Frutti," Little Richard
began garnering fans from both sides of the civil rights divide. He
brought black and white youngsters together on the dance floor and
even helped to transform race relations. In June, 2007, Little Richard's
1955 Specialty Records single, "Tutti Frutti" topped "Mojo" magazine's
list of "100 Records That Changed the World". But back in the early
1950s, nobody gave Little Richard a second glance. It was a time in
America where the black and white worlds had co-existed separately
for nearly two centuries. After "Tutti Frutti" Little Richard began
garnering fans from both sides of the civil rights divide. He brought
black and white youngsters together on the dance floor and even
helped to transform race relations. Little Richard: The Birth of Rock
'n' Roll begins by grounding the reader in the fertile soil from
which his music sprang. In Macon, Georgia, David Kirby interviews local
characters, who knew Little Richard way back when, citing church and
family as his true inspiration. Kirby sees Little Richard as a warrior, one
fighting with skill and cunning to take his place among the greats. In
the words of Keith Richards (on hearing "Tutti Frutti" for the first time),
"it was as though the world changed suddenly from monochrome to
Technicolor". Those sentiments have consistently been echoed by the
music-listening world, and the time is ripe for a reassessment of Little
Richard's genius and legacy.
Jerry Lee Lewis: Lost and Found by Joe Bonomo
The story of Louisiana hellcat Jerry Lee Lewis and his 1958 wedding
scandal, when it was discovered that at 22 he had married his 13-year
old second cousin, Myra, before he was divorced from his second wife
long ago took precedence over the man himself and the music he
makes. In Jerry Lee Lewis: Lost and Found, author Joe Bonomo
lets others focus on the scandal and delves more deeply into the
accidental intersection between fading American Rockabilly and
ascending Beatlemania. By first taking a look at the critical years
before his famed night in 1964 at West Germany's Star-Club and what
that meant not only for him but the entire live album-making world
then the tumultuous years that follow, culminating in his time on the
American Country charts in the late 60s/ early 70s, Bonomo brings
Jerry Lee Lewis to life in new and fascinating ways.
In spite of plummeting record sales and concert fees, a media savaging
of his personal character, a change of record labels and management,
and a considerable upturn in his drug and alcohol abuse, Jerry Lee
Lewis has persevered. In between being betrayed and ignored, he
would record one of the greatest rock & roll performances in history.
Bonomo's thorough research includes new interviews with Live at
the Star-Club producer Sigi Loch, members of the Nashville
Teens, and other musicians and fans who were at the Star-Club
performance, as well as with music industry figures ranging from
famed Nashville producer Jerry Kennedy and legendary Memphis
stalwart Jim Dickinson to Killer-influenced contemporaries John Doe
and Dave Alvin. This passionate book examines and explains the
almighty impact of the Father of Rock n Roll.
Taking Aim: Unforgettable Rock 'n' Roll Photographs selected by Graham Nash
This handsome volume features vibrant photographs of some of the
world's most recognizable musicians, selected by Graham Nash, an
internationally acclaimed artist of two media photography and music
who is uniquely qualified in both worlds. Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Janis
Joplin, and Johnny Cash share pages with Kurt Cobain, Sting, Michael
Stipe, and many others in shots by legendary photographers such as
Daniel Kramer, Charles Peterson, Annie Leibovitz, and others. A rare
collection, Taking Aim is destined for the shelves of both
photo collectors and rock and roll fans.
Phish: The Biography by Parke Puterbaugh
In the wake of Phish's wildly successful summer reunion tour,
journalist and Rolling Stone contributor Puterbaugh delivers a
consistently lucid and revelatory look at the 26-year-long career of the
legendary jam band. Puterbaugh's solid and intelligent take on how
Phish blends both seriousness and whimsy into rock, jazz, funk,
country and experimental music (sometimes in the same song) will
satisfy newcomers as well as the band's obsessively knowledgeable
fans. In the process, Puterbaugh definitely demolishes the media's
reflexively drawn comparisons of Phish to the Grateful Dead just
because both played long improvisational concerts for hardcore fans.
Much of the book's success stems from Puterbaugh's experience as in-
house PR writer for the band from 1995 until its 2004 breakup. His
insider access allows him to get never-before-published comments
and insights from the band, its management, archivists, crew and close
friends. His solid reporting produces the best account so far of Phish's
college-era birth and growth in Burlington, Vt. And his exclusive
interview with Trey Anastasio provides a frank look at how the
guitarist's drug addiction brought down the band, how his recovery led
to their reunion and why there's no reason that Phish couldn't go on for
quite some time.
Hello Sunshine by Ryan Adams
"Ryan Adams writes with equal parts precision and recklessness; the
blood he draws from the text is easily as unnerving as its unapologetic
tenderness. He is proof that poetry will find its writer.”—Mary-Louise
Parker, actress
Ryan Adams may be acclaimed primarily for albums such as
Cardinology, Heartbreaker, Gold (which includes the popular
hit songs “When the Stars Go Blue” and “New York, New York”), and
Easy Tiger, but the world-renowned singer/songwriter has
always been a poet and fiction writer at heart.
With the release of Hello Sunshine, Ryan continues to break
literary ground beyond what he established with his wildly popular first
book, Infinity Blues. Ryan’s new work provides perhaps an
even deeper insight into the man than is revealed through the songs
that have resonated with his hundreds of thousands of fans.
Where his debut was characterized by the bitterness of heartbreak,
Hello Sunshine is a graceful, sensual assertion of the other
side of the emotional coin. This is a 2009 fever dream—inside Ryan's
heart and mind—replete with unforgettable verse that will shock and
delight those expecting a mere continuation of where Infinity
Blues left off.
Ryan Adams is known for his prolific nature, which in the last ten years
has resulted in various international hit albums. Ryan has also
produced Willie Nelson’s album Songbird and contributed to
records by Toots and the Maytals, Beth Orton, the Wallflowers,
Counting Crows, and Cowboy Junkies; additionally, he has appeared on
CMT’s Crossroads with Elton John.
Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell by Dave Thompson
First-ever look at the intertwining, outrageous lives of three rock
legends. When Lou Reed and Iggy Pop first met David Bowie in the fall
of 1971, Bowie was just another English musician passing through New
York City. Lou was still recovering from the collapse of the Velvet
Underground, and Iggy had already been branded a loser... Yet within
two years they completely changed the face of popular music with a
decadent glamour and street-level vibe. With Bowie producing, Reed's
Transformer album was a worldwide hit, spinning off the
sleazy street anthem "Walk on the Wild Side." Iggy's Raw
Power, mixed by Bowie, provided the mean-spirited, high-octane
blueprint for Punk. Bowie boosted elements from both Iggy and Reed
to create his gender-bending rock idol Ziggy Stardust. Your Pretty
Face Is Going to Hell is the story of this friendship and the
incredible productivity and debauchery that emerged from it. Presented
here for the very first time are their stories interwoven in a triple helix
of sexuality, glam rock, and drugs - as seen through the eyes of the
people who made it happen.
Bob Dylan Revisited: 13 Graphic Interpretations of Bob Dylan's Songs
Rendered in striking, explosive graphic form, many of Bob Dylan’s
most famous songs—illustrated as they’ve never been before.
Mesmerized by the power of Bob Dylan’s lyrics and intrigued by the
possibilities of translating his powerful, enigmatic personality into art,
thirteen leading graphic artists banded together to create this unusual
testament to the universality and transcendent vision of an American
musical genius. With their vibrant, unexpected colors and dynamic,
cinematic imagery, this group has assembled in Bob Dylan
Revisited one of the most provocative interpretations of Dylan’s
music in decades. Whether illustrating “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “Like a
Rolling Stone,” “Hurricane,” or “Lay, Lady, Lay,” these artists capture
the tender emotions, the ineffable sadness, and the romantic
overtones of Dylan’s classic songs, at the same time reflecting the
moral and political urgency of his music. Each artist’s style surprisingly
complements Dylan’s lyrics and offers an irresistible window through
which to reconsider one of America’s most enigmatic artists. A deeply
respectful and brilliant homage to the extraordinary influence of Bob
Dylan.
