Book Description
Ever heard a song and thought "Hey, they ripped that off!"
Sounds Like Teen Spirit: Stolen Melodies, Ripped-off Riffs and the Secret History of Rock 'n' Roll is the first book ever to examine the phenomenon of songs that appear to have "borrowed" their melodies from earlier songs.
While many are familiar with the similarities between George Harrison's My Sweet Lord and the Chiffon's oldie He's So Fine, did you also know that:
· The first rock 'n' roll hit, Bill Haley's Rock Around the Clock took part of its melody from Hank William's Move it on Over?
· The guitar riff that powered Nirvana's classic Smells Like Teen Spirit had its origins in Boston's More Than a Feeling?
· Bob Marley's Buffalo Soldier shares its melody with The Theme from the Banana Splits, a kids show from the 1960s?
Come along for an exiting and informative journey through The Secret History of Rock 'n' Roll. You'll find out how ultra-hipsters the Strokes borrowed a melody from ultra-dork Barry Manilow; why Huey Lewis sued Ray Parker Jr. over Ghostbusters, how a novelty record cut by his dad may have influenced John Lennon's Imagine, and how an obscure song by the band Spirit was a likely inspiration in the creation of Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven.
Sounds Like Teen Spirit will delight any music fan, and is sure to send you running to your stereo or I-Pod to hear the songs for yourself!
"A fun and fact-filled book that you can either read from cover to cover, or skip around and open up at any page and dig in. Most of the songs you can hear in your head (or dig out the cds!) and you'll find yourself going again and again 'Oh yeah, this song really does sound like that song!' An enjoyable read."-
Bob Brainen, WFMU, Jersey City, NJ
"The book is a winner, one of those why didn't-I-think-of-that projects.guaranteed to elicit laughter and/or fistfights among your friendly neighborhood music geeks."
-Kirkus Discoveries
Customer Reviews:
Sounds Like is a Behind The Hits winner.......2007-06-29
As a music author (Behind The Hits) and a radio dj/musicologist, I was very excited to learn of Timothy's book. Smells Like Teen Spirit has put together many of the songs I have chronicled over the years that sound suspiciously like others.
On my radio shows I have played them in a feature named "Call The Lawyers!" -- and, indeed, some of these song pairings went to court. Others didn't but perhaps should have. All in all, they represent a fascinating side of rock music history. Rip offs or inspirations? Homages or stolen riffs? No matter -- it's what was in the grooves that counts. Some are obvious, but one is often surprised by the musical connection Tim's ears have made. There are some songs here that even I never put together (or didn't know about), like Jorge Ben's "Taj Mahal" as the basis for Rod Stewart's "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy". And the song by John Lennon's father? Imagine that!
This is a very well-researched, well-documented and well-written reference as well as being a fun read. I commend and recommend Timothy's book to all who love and enjoy the various decades of rock and roll and the artists who made (or should we say, "re-made"?) the music.
--Bob Shannon
A lot of fun despite errors.......2007-06-29
This book was a lot of fun. It included the sound-alikes everyone knows - "My Sweet Lord" and "He's So Fine," "Sweet Little Sixteen" and "Surfin' U.S.A." - and some surprises. Did you know, for example, that Radiohead's "Creep" borrows from the Hollies' "The Air That I Breathe," and that Bon Jovi's "You Give Love A Bad Name" was re-worked from a Bonnie Tyler song? I didn't, and it made me listen to those songs to hear the resemblances.
I wish the book had been twice as long, as there certainly are more such examples. I also wish the author had included a CD with examples, but I'm sure that would have been a copyright nightmare.
The book, as fun as it is, is full of printer's errors. Who are "Nirvina" and "Holwin' Wolf?" I hope the sequel is more carefully edited.
Fun and quick, but could be so much more.......2007-06-08
If you're into the history of rock music and love dissecting songs to see where they came from, you'll enjoy this book. It has many interesting examples of songs that were either directly ripped off from something else, or just sound suspiciously similar. The author gets into the history of the songs, the lawsuits and the stories behind the scenes. You'll be surprised and amused when you realize how many classic songs were ripped off from others, and that's the real joy of the book.
On the down side, the writing isn't dynamic and the book is a very quick read. You can probably get through it in half an hour. Also, it's tough to enjoy without hearing the music you're reading about. But if you can flip through it and listen to the songs at the same time, it's a lot of fun.
Book Description
This funny and irreverent how to takes young would be filmmakers fromt he moment of inspiration to a finished short film amd beyond.
Customer Reviews:
A Must Have for the Young Filmmaker.......2007-03-28
I bought this for my 13-year-old step son and he loves it! I read through it and discovered that it is very inspiring to young filmmakers. There are some great references in the back.
I bought him a small digital all-in-one video camera and he has done some very clever things with it after reading through the book. His best one was a little stop motion video about two rocks that had a fight with each other. One winner. One loser. Pretty funny.
I appreciate authors like Troy Lanier who can hold a teenage attention span for a couple hundred pages.
Young filmmakers will relish the opportunity to turn their dreams into reality .......2006-07-25
Young filmmakers will relish the opportunity to turn their dreams into reality - the reality of a finished short film - using the tips and insights of FILMMAKING FOR TEENS: PULLING OFF YOUR SHORTS. Chapter packed with insights on everything from brainstorming a solid, workable plot and setting to producing a first film, scheduling, shooting, and then marketing the finished results. Teens - and many a post-teen - will find all the passion of the new filmmaker translated into a series of practical chapters covering all aspects of one's first film endeavor - and should make this book a 'bible' of introductory steps to turning such a dream into reality.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
THIS BOOK IS AWESOME.......2006-06-21
This book is, by far, the best teen filmmaking book out there. It was so helpful to me I read it in 2 days and it was so interesting, that I read it again, then went back and took every bit of advice the authors gave me. Thank you so much Troy and Clay!
A Must-Read For Beginners of All Ages!.......2006-06-01
This is the only review I've ever bothered to write, so pay attention:
This is an absolutely fantastic book for anybody who wants to start filmmaking, regardless of what age you are. It's not for experienced filmmakers necessarily, I doubt you'll learn much here, but for somebody who has teetered on the edge of possibly making a movie, this book will give you that push you need.
The general purpose of the book is to help you make that step out of home video and into a more professional field. One of my favorite chapters is the one that discusses equipment, detailing exactly what you really need to make a good movie, what is useful, and what you don't necessarily need to worry about. And by "good", they mean "not home video". Just the basic necessities such as a reflector, a tv monitor, a good microphone, etc. It becomes surprisingly simple to make a good movie on a tight budget, although they are also clear where your budget might need to be stretched (such as with the microphone).
Another thing I love about this book is how they approach the reader as a true, budding filmmaker. The authors know that most of the people reading this book have huge ambitions, and really want to make their movie as fantastic as possible. The authors then provide just the perfect amount of both encouragement to pursue your dreams, and realism as to what is truly possible. Above all, they continually stress for the reader to get up off their seat and go make a movie! As I said before, it was just the push I needed, and I love this book for it.
I could go on, but I've said all the necessary stuff, I think. BUY THIS BOOK! You will love it.
Filmmaking for Teens.......2006-03-17
For anyone even remotely interested in making their own movie this book is for you. The authors are high school teachers in Austin, TX, and are in constant contact with teens, so they have the views and ideas that will work best for this age group. But don't let this stop you if you are no longer a teen. It will help anyone because of its easy going flow and entertaining writing style.
Troy Lanier and Clay Nichols start off suggesting to get organized and follow the steps outlined even though they might be a little tedious. It turns out their suggestions are right on! I followed their approach for the script and it is working great. They also suggested limiting the length of your first film to 5-6 minutes on the premise that if you can follow through and complete all the steps of script writing, auditions, gathering your crew, filming and editing you can make a longer film in the future.
I have bought some other books but none have been so through in the step by step process of filmmaking from beginning to end.
Overall a great book!
Amazon.com
This is a story of a screenplay, how it was initially conceived, "developed" by a number of studio heads and producers, and finally transformed into a movie even its writers admit is mediocre. In 1988, John Gregory Dunne and his wife Joan Didion began work on a film script based on the tragic life of anchorwoman Jessica Savitch. Over the next eight years, studio executives coaxed them to transform it into Up Close and Personal, a toothless star vehicle for Robert Redford and Michelle Pfeiffer. In his account of the script's metamorphosis, Dunne also mentions other potential masterpieces of excess that he and Didion worked on, including Dharma Blue, an aborted Jerry Bruckheimer-Don Simpson movie about UFOs and Ultimatum, a nuclear thriller that was abandoned after its studio spent $3 million on script development! Dunne makes no bones about being in show biz for the money--his film work financed his heart surgery, legal costs, and vacations in Honolulu. Still, this account of a screenplay's devolution unmasks an industry spoiled rotten by wealth and power.
Book Description
In Hollywood, screenwriters are a curse to be borne, and beating up on them is an industry blood sport. But in this ferociously funny and accurate account of life on the Hollywood food chain, it's a screenwriter who gets the last murderous laugh. That may be because the writer is John Gregory Dunne, who has written screenplays, along with novels and non-fiction, for thirty years. In 1988 Dunne and his wife, Joan Didion, were asked to write a screenplay about the dark and complicated life of the late TV anchorwoman Jessica Savitch. Eight years and twenty-seven drafts later, this script was made into the fairy tale "Up Close and Personal" starring Robert Redford and Michelle Pfeiffer. Detailing the meetings, rewrites, fights, firings, and distractions attendant to the making of a single picture,
Monster illuminates the process with sagacity and raucous wit.
Customer Reviews:
The Monster is the Studios Money..........2006-07-18
At a lunch with a studio executive,screenwriter John Dunne was insisting on a story point in the script that he had written with his wife,Joan Didion, the excutive mimed reaching under the table and bringing out,"The Monster",their money, to win the argument. Seven or eight years they toiled on the script that became ,"Up Close and Personal",this is the chronicle of their experiences. Fascinating and sobering, when you realize how things can dissolve and then reappear in a completly different form. It is very well told and forshadows his health problems that cost him his life in 2003, that his wife wrote so exquisitly about in "The Year of Magical Thinking". If how movies get made is of any interest to you this and his other film making tale, "The Studio" will fascinate you.
Insightful book on more of the business side of the process........2003-06-02
Few times have I been so compelled to finish a book as I finished this one. Of course, I have had a long time fascination with the inner workings of H-wood, which is to so many of us something of a mystery (including, I am sure, some of those who make a living there). This book offers an undressed view at two established and respected writers (John Dunne and his more well known wife Joan Didion) who over a span of eight years accept a screenwriting project and alternately work on it to its long delayed completion. Over the eight years, we get a sense of the "industry" as projects come and go and status' rise and fall and financial needs rather than passion or interest motivate what projects are to be taken and when. This by no means an account of your garden variety H-wood screenwriter. John Dunne and Joan Didion are both along in years and have work in the literary and screenwriting field for some time. Neither are starving young artists; however, they rely on the financing of the entertainment industry to maintain their comfortable lifestyle. What this book does is give us an opportunistic window to a project that in one way itself became a monster, and in another way became a perfect structure to provide an account of the typical dealings in H-wood.
It's up to the reader to decide if the author and his wife are "prima donnas." I did not get that sense. To keep from being taken advantage of, you must be tough, and maybe it rubs some people the wrong way. I do not understand how Dunne "name dropped" either. Many people he dealt with through the course of the book are names we recognize. Would it be preferred if he went the way of a gossip column by writing "a certain legendary so and so who..." and "a leggy blonde actress" type of lines?
One of the things that interested me about this story is the dispassionate though dogged effort with which the writer and his wife pursued Up Close & Personal. Usually books are written about great or even just notable movies. Maybe I should save this for another review, but Up Close & Personal is, to me, neither great nor even notable except to say that an insightful book about H-wood was written because of it. Another thing. I do not fault MONSTER for it, but I wish with it had been included one of the early drafts of the script when still centered on Jessica Savitch. That is a movie that sounds like it would be worthwhile.
Dunne is sterile, pompus and a Herculean name-dropper........2002-11-17
The title "Monster" is unintentionally ironic, as Dunne, a priviledged WASP insider, suffers little, financially or at the hands of Hollywood. The only "Monster" in this story is his unquestioning ego, which dominates the narrative like a power-broker at a cocktail party.
As a working screenwriter I've read the gamut of books on Hollywood. Some of the best, like "High Concept," and "The Gross," dish the dirt with a cold hand and are both gripping and informative; then there are first-person accounts like Max Adams' "The Screenwriter's Survival Guide," and the William Goldman books, which are self-mocking and full of personality as well as insight (although Goldman is a bit doddering). Dunne, however, plays his hand to his chest, disparages no one, most noticably HIMSELF or his wife (his writing partner/wife Joan Didion), and you learn little to nothing about the industry. Worse, Dunne drops more names than an usher retelling his evening at the Academy Awards. Futher running it out, Dunne often irrelevantly digresses into asides that serve only to pile on the list of the people he knows and places he's been. There are no real anecdotes, lessons or jokes involved with these mastubatory indulgences. Books like these thrive on the likability of the story teller, and if I saw Dunne at one of his many listed celebrity cocktail parties, I'd quickly turn the other way or leave. Truly the WORST and most dull of all the books I've read on the industry (other than Syd Field and his like). An utter waste of time. I returned it.
Prima Donna Writer Whines About Hollywood.......2002-02-18
I bought this book used for $2 and that's about all it was worth. Which isn't to say it doesn't tell an interesting story, but not quite in the way it intends.
John Gregory Dunne and his wife Joan Didion are Hollywood screenwriters. In this book, Dunne writes the story of the travails of writing the script for the movie "Up Close and Personal" (a terrible movie, to be sure, despite the fact that it grossed over $100 million worldwide). It is clear that his intention with this book was to garner sympathy for screenwriters (principally himself) - the hell the industry puts them through while writing and rewriting (and rewriting) scripts and the industry's inappreciativeness for all of their hard work. The book backfires though, because the reader ends up with little sympathy for Dunne who comes off as an egotistical, difficult to work with, prima donna writer with very little talent, and even fewer good character traits.
The interesting part of this story is not the travails of the writer nor the ins and outs of writing this script, but rather, the dynamic between the "studio" and "the writer" both of whom are difficult and both of whom have a very excessive view of their worth to the project (and neither of which any one of us would want to work with, not if we were in our right minds anyway.) Even more interesting is how Dunne is compulsive about showing the studio in the worst possible light, without realizing he himself comes off as badly as they do.
True, this movie takes eight years to make, with hundreds of rewrites (literally) along the way. Dunne and his wife initiate the project (which was originally supposed to be the story of the news anchor Jessica Savitch,) then after several rewrites of the script they're fired. Several other writers are brought in and many new rewrites are undertaken. Then Dunne and his wife are rehired. The story keeps changing. They rewrite and rewrite. In the meanwhile, a director is hired who, apparently, is impossible to work with, and the producer quits. Then Dunne and his wife quit. Then there are new writers and more rewrites. Then, Dunne and his wife are rehired. Then they rewrite and rewrite. Then the movie is made. They continue to rewrite, scene after scene, all through the shooting of the film.
Throughout this process, Dunne both grandstands and whines. And grandstands and whines. And whines. About how the studio is destroying their script by constantly asking them to change the characters and the story. About how the studio is too demanding. About how the studio is not paying them enough. About how difficult the studio is to get along with. About this and about that. Never mind that Dunne is equally as difficult and demanding. This book just about takes you to the limit of your patience with this man.
And yet, it's compulsive reading. You're privy to a powerstruggle (for control of the script) of the Hollywood kind, and you leave this book with a renewed appreciation of the egos involved in Tinsletown and with a sort of amazement that movies, in general, ever actually get made at all, given the process and the players involved.
Insufferable!.......2002-02-09
No need to repeat what other negative reviewers have accurately stated. As my sainted Irish mother would have said: "The man is too full of himself."
Book Description
Michael: At the last curtain call made the gesture of "being quiet" with my finger to my mouth. That was my signal to the house and to those around usan to myselfthat there would be no more words from Kramer.
Julia: Elaine was someone who single women laughed at because she wrestled with her worst secrets and biggest fears. Let's face it, she embodied lots of problems. In fact she was a jerk. Anyone who chooses Elaine as a role model should be in therapy.
Jason: When people reflected on their own lives in comparison to George's, they felt pretty good. They could tune in and see it was far worse for this poor slob. In a sick way that was comforting.
Jerry: After nine years, how do you say good-bye to the experience, the people, the accomplishments? Emotionally, I just hoped not to get crushed, yet all the while I knew I would.
Customer Reviews:
Just what I, a big Seinfeld fan, was looking for.......2004-12-03
This book is mostly imagery--photography--with "commentary" by the cast. At the same time, for the more intellectual/reader-type Seinfeld fan, the sentences beside each photograph are extremely interesting and usually funny too. These commentaries are by the 4 main members of the cast. If there is anything bad said about this book, it must only be because the rater expected more text or something. The photographs are excellent--they tell enough themselves.
After reading this book, the re-runs won't be the same to me again. (in a great way!)
WOW!.......2004-06-18
This book is truly moving in the way it presents the lasts days of one of the most remembered sitcoms in television history. With its stunning photos (black and white) and riveting commentary this is a must for all Seinfeldians.
Seinfeld.......2003-07-26
Mr James N Simpson, you do not seem to be a very good Seinfeld fan. It is a well known fact that the finale was only one whole episode, which aired for a 60 minute time slot. The re-runs are the ones split up into two sections. Obviously you only had a chance to watch re-runs and none of the original airings.
I suggest you do not claim yourself a true Seinfeld Fan as you don't seem to get the facts straight.
Behind the Scenes.......2003-06-21
This book takes the reader behind the scenes of Seinfeld's final two episodes. There's heaps of one line or paragraph interviews from each of the four main stars throughout this book. Most of the book will have a black and white photograph on one page with one paragraph on the opposite page.
You don't learn a great deal that you haven't heard elsewhere, but there are lots of photographs of the set and of the cast that you won't have seen before. The only downside is that all the photographs are black and white and none are colour and that there isn't more information.
I would actually recommend Jerry Seinfeld the Entire Domain instead of this book as it has a lot more information.
Since the final episodes are never shown as a one hour episode any more this book does cover both of the final two episodes. I realise the final episode was a one day special in the USA but not everyone lived in America and saw the two episodes as one when they were aired and a lot of people do enjoy watching them over and over again as the two. The book itself mentions they are two now as well. Either way if you are talking about one episode or two episodes it is the same episode and that is what this book is about.
If you are a Seinfeld fan... this is a MUST!.......2002-02-02
This is a great book... wonderful pictures! From "Hello Newman!" to watching Kramer run into Jerry's apartment, but from KRAMER'S side... These are all execellent pictures and excellent moments. Each of the cast members ideas and thoughts about the serious. Plus, you get pictures of EVERYONE, even Babu, Soup Nazi, Mr. Pit, the Constanzas, the Susan's parents, and many more...
Average customer rating:
- A Good Book For Your Coffee Table
- Rock Show!
- Covers both public appearances and private moments
- Superb Collection of Photographs
- a reader from Venezuela !!
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Each One Believing: On Stage, Off Stage, and Backstage
Paul McCartney
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
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ASIN: 0811845079 |
Amazon.com
Each One Believing isn't your standard tour memento, but then the tour it chronicles was pretty extraordinary, too. Paul McCartney's 2002-2003 world tour demonstrated just how much mania an ex-Beatle could trigger more than three decades after the demise of the Fab Four. McCartney, who was approaching his 60th birthday when the tour began, headlined a rapturously received extravaganza that took him from Milwaukee to Moscow, from Tokyo to Tacoma. Each One Believing attempts to capture the tour from all angles via numerous on stage and backstage photos, interviews, and press quotes (no need to toot ones own horn when you have a Mexico City newspaper tagging a performance "the most legendary in history forever"). Don't expect anything in the way of grit in this road tale; the clean-living superstar and his entourage dine on the best vegetarian food money can buy and the youngish sidemen are simply delighted to be performing "She's Leaving Home" with the legendary Sir Paul. Each One Believing isn't revelatory in the least, unless one is desires how many crewmembers it takes to construct a stadium-sized rock stage these days (some 140, it seems). But the many who saw McCartney on the triumphant excursion (or Back in the U.S. DVD) and diehard Beatles fans will find it to be a breezy, eye-catching coffeetable book. --Steven Stolder
Book Description
Each One Believing is a revealing, access-all-areas account of life on the road with Paul McCartney. Filled with photographs never before published and insider details, Each One Believing takes you behind the scenes for an exclusive look into a private world. Based on Paul McCartney's most celebrated tour since The Beatles, it weaves Paul's own personal reflections -- along with those of his wife, Heather, his band, and his crew -- together with hundreds of dynamic images by the tour's official photographer, Bill Bernstein, showing both Paul's public appearances and the quiet, one-on-one moments. What drives him to perform? What does it feel like to sing the songs that have touched so many of our lives? This remarkable journey takes us from New York in the days following 9/11, when Paul wrote Freedom; across North America, Europe, and Japan; to his historic show in Moscow's Red Square, "because, having written 'Back in the USSR', I wanted to go there and play that." Poignant and candid, funny and illuminating, Each One Believing is a road trip unlike any other.
Customer Reviews:
A Good Book For Your Coffee Table.......2005-11-27
A great collection of photos -- perfect for the coffee table where you and your guests can pick it up and flip thru it to enjoy the interesting pictures. However, the best Beatles book of the year is undoubtedly TURN ME ON, DEAD MAN by Andru J. Reeve. It's available here at Amazon.com. While "Each One Believing" is nice eye-candy, "Turn Me On, Dead Man" is great journalism, and a much better target for your reading dollar. That's just my opinion.
Rock Show!.......2005-05-17
This book is a cornucopia of photographs and text. Paul McCartney, a veteran in the entertainment business and a class act to boot is clearly happy with himself and quite comfortable on stage, doing his job. No doubt fans as well as those with a more "moderate" interest in Paul McCartney as well as the Beatles will be delighted with this book. I love it!
Paul McCartney is not only an extraordinary showman, but serious and dedicated to his musical Muse. He is a musical purist in the truest sense of the term in that he respects the art of being able to create and perform musically. He paints musical murals with his words; he has a full range ability in performing many different musical styles which makes him musically versatile.
I like the feeling of cooperation that appears to underscore the people directly involved with this show...it sounds like the entire crew had a wonderful time and enjoyed the fruits of their success in technically enabling Paul McCartney to do a spectacular show! Paul McCartney acknowledges this which speaks highly of him. He also accepts the outpouring of love from his audience with grace and aplomb, never losing his humorous approach.
To this book's credit, Paul is not put up on a staged pedastal and fawned and spoonfed obsequious flattery. The people who were directly involved in the production and execution of the concert were serious about doing their jobs well and that was reflected in the actual performance. They were doing their jobs and not currying favor from anybody. It is only natural to be enthusiastic at such a performance and no doubt making any contribution toward the show could only prompt enthusiastic delight.
The photographs are delightful - readers see Paul having fun on and off stage; his lovely wife Heather and the crew who made it all possible. The book speaks to professionalism on the part of the crew; the performers and those photographing and writing about the concert.
This book is truly beautiful and there are many funny, touching, endearing and serious parts. It is Gestaltism - the whole IS greater than the sum of its parts because it is the whole, that is the performer, the crew, loved ones, audience and all who had a part in the production who made the whole show/experience/book as wonderful as they are. It is a glimpse behind the performer's curtain.
Covers both public appearances and private moments.......2005-03-11
Fans of the Beatles and Paul McCartney won't want to miss this lovely title, filled with photos never seen before and insider details from McCartney himself, and packed in an eye-catching hardcover suitable for gift giving and coffee tables. Each One Believing: Paul McCartney - On Stage, Off Stage and Backstage blends McCartney's personal reflections and those of his wife Heather, his band, and his crew and covers both public appearances and private moments. An intimate atmosphere is created which follows some of his finest on-stage moments in recent years.
Superb Collection of Photographs.......2004-12-27
Each One Believing: Paul McCartney; On Stage, Off Stage, and Backstage by Caroline Grimshaw and photography by Bill Bernstein is an excellent visual collection and recollection of Paul McCartney and his band, and the people that were involved with his 2002-2003 World Tour. The book has a great layout and captures McCartney and company in candid moments that go with documentary photography. The chapters in the book are particularly named from lines of songs included in the tour, and at the back of the book, is a quirky section, the Tourasaurus, that McCartney shares with his readers that gives a run down of terms that were used during the tour.
Besides the tremendous photographs in the book, there are radio interviews embedded in the contents of the book that reveal McCartney as one unstoppable rockin' machine, or not to be cliched, a fine wine that keeps "gettin' better" as time goes by. Indeed, he is an icon in rock and roll history and in history in general. There is a line in the book where he speaks about singing and writing "Yesterday," which reveals how far this man has come: "I was writing with wisdom of an old man, but I was quite a young man. So now, once you have actually lost friends and lovers, then it really is kind of ... it means more" (27).
Overall, this a nice addition to anyone's coffetable book collection as well for anyone interested in photography. In addition, this is a wonderful accompaniment to McCartney' Back In the USA DVD, and for those fortunate to be a part of this rock and roll spectacular, this is a book that relives the moments of the tour. McCartney sums up the excitement: "And it's electrifying. It's like a warm blanket, a big wave of heat coming over you, and you just get the intensity, and you see these faces and you think, "Wow! They've come to party" (128).
a reader from Venezuela !!.......2004-12-25
Great great book!! if you are a McCarteny fan, you must have it. mostly if you were in the 2002-2003 "Back in the USA" tour. I don't think that Paul needs to promote himself like some reviews said, this is a good, ilustrative and photographic memories from that great tour. The photos are great, the quality of the book too. I was blessed to be in the last show from that leg of the tour in 2002 Ft. Lauderdale FL, amazing show!! and this book brings to me once again all the emotions from that show !!
Book Description
An enlightening critical examination of Joss Whedon's Angel after the character's departure from Buffy's Sunnydale In 1999, Joss Whedon spun-off the vampire with a soul from Buffy the Vampire Slayer into his own show, Angel. Recast in L.A., Angel developed its own preoccupations, exploring a darker vision of alienation, atonement and the fight for redemption. The series ended in 2004, but its legion of loyal fans continue to petition the WB network for a new spin-off or motion picture on the 'Save Angel' website and other online fansites. This book covers all five seasons, discussing the cinematic aesthetics of Angel, its music, shifting portrayals of masculinity, the noir Los Angeles setting, the superhero, and horror. A complete episode guide is included.
Customer Reviews:
Not as good as the Buffyverse academic books.......2007-03-31
Not a terrible book. Just not as good as the Buffyverse readers -- I was looking for more ethics oriented material, but at least there IS an Angel reader. Still haven't read all of it, but it's worth if if you are an Angel fanatic and want something besides fanfic.
Essays and Analysis of a Supernatural Soap Opera.......2006-05-09
Stacy Abbott has done a wonderful job assembling a diverse set of essays into a very readable book for fans of Joss Whedon's ANGEL. The diversity of writers with different voices and opinions come together here to analyze and comment on subjects such as: gender politics, film noir elements, humor (in it's many forms), cinematic language, and music as a narrative agent. If any of these areas spark your interest, I would suggest picking up this book and giving it a read. It may sound very academic, but while I found the essays a large step up from the usual fan writing in both tone and content, they are still highly readable and very enjoyable.
Reading Angel.......2006-03-23
Not a bad read for the dedicated Angel fan. I really enjoyed it. Some of the articles were a bit of a heavy read but entertaining. Worth reading.
Beginning the critical investigation of "Angel".......2005-11-18
"Reading Angel: The TV Spin-off With a Soul" is a collection of essays by academics from mostly the U.K. edited by Stacey Abbott, a Lecturer in Film and Television Studies at Roehampton University. Abbott does the introductory essay, "Kicking Ass and Singing 'Mandy': A Vampire in LA," that covers a lot of ground in touching on the moral ambiguity of Angel/Angelus, the elements of contradiction and self-parody, and the generic hybridity and Angel's visual style. That certainly gives you a sense of the scope of topic covered in these essays. More importantly, if you are not an academic, you should still be able to look at those topics and figure out what most of them are going to be about. After all, you do not need advanced degrees to recognize things like moral ambiguity and self-parody on "Angel," although generic hybridity might take some thought. On balance, fans of the late lamented WB series will find insights of interest in most of these chapters, although be forewarned there are some points where these academics dive into the deep end and start throwing names and theories around fast and furious.
Part One, "It Was a Seminal Show Cancelled by the Idiot Networks": Narrative and Style on "Angel": (1) "'Angel': Redefinition and Justification through Faith" by Phil Colvin looks at the character of Faith as being paradigmatic of the show and the character's mission statement; (2) "'Ubi Caritas'?: Music as Narrative Agent in 'Angel'" by Matthew Mills is a cursory look at the pivotal role music played in the show; (3) "Transitions and Time: The Cinematic Language of 'Angel'" by Tammy A. Kinsey looks at the visual transitions, prophetic visions and other cinematic experimentations, proving that there were was logic and significance to all those high speed montages; and (4) "A Sense of the Ending: Schrodinger's 'Angel'" by Roz Kaveney looks at senses of ending provided by the final season and episode, taking into consideration the possibility of a sixth season or future television movies.
Part Two: "The Big Wacky Variety Show We Call Los Angeles": The City of "Angel": (5) "Los Angelus: The City of Angel" by Benjamin Jacob details how elements of the real L.A. are combined with those from film noir, ; (6) "Outing Lorne: Performance for the Performers" by Stan Beeler examines the character as the microcosm to the macrocosm of the L.A. entertainment industry as well as high camp, and (7) "'LA's got it all': Hybridity and Otherness in "Angel"'s Postmodern City" by Sara Upstone considers the city as representing the Other, which makes it ideal for the a vampire with a soul.
Part Three: "Hell Incorporated": Wolfram & Hart's Big Bad: (8) "Gender Politics in 'Angel': Traditional vs. Non-Traditional Corporate Climates" by Janine R. Harrison contrasts how Lilah Morgan and Kate Lockley function in traditional corporate climates while Cordelia Chase and Fred Burkle become actualized in non-traditional corporate climates; (9) "The Rule of Prophecy: Source of Law in the City of 'Angel'" by Sharon Sutherland and Sarah Swan considers the show as riffing on the law genre and then links it to the rule of prophecy, which is not an obvious way to go but certainly interesting.
Part Four: "Trapped in What I Can Only Describe as a Turgid Supernatural Soap Opera": Issues of Genre and Masculinity in "Angel": (10) "The Dark Avenger: Angel and the Cinematic Superhero" by Janet K. Halfyard compares Angel to Superman and Batman, as well as recent cinematic vampires; (11) "'And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine': Wesley/Lilah and the Complicated(?) Role of the Female Agent on 'Angel': by Jennifer Stoy focus on the couple as the unlikely source of redemption and renewal in season four; (12) "From Rogue in the 'Hood to Suave in a Suit: Black Masculinity and the Transformation of Charles Gunn" by Michaela D. E. Meyer argues that Gunn's transformation questions the idea of black masculinity; (13) "'Nobody Scream...or Touch My Arms': The Comic Stylings of Wesley Wyndam-Pryce" by Stacey Abbott makes an interesting comparison between Angel and Wesley with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, developing both the importance of Wesley's comic relief in the early seasons and his ultimate transformation into something more; and (14) "'Angel''s Monstrous Monsters and Vampires with Souls: Investigating the Abject in 'Television Horror'" by Matt Hills and Rebecca Williams looks at how the show achieved horror despite violating generic categories.
Part Five: "Let's Go to Work": The Afterlife of the Spin-off with a Soul: (15) "Afterword: The Depth of 'Angel" and the Birth of 'Angel' Studies" by Rhonda V. Wilcox and David Lavery looks at how academics are starting to write about the show more now that it is over, although not nearly as much as they do about "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," and (16) "'We'll Follow "Angel" to Hell...or Another Network": The Fan Response to the End of 'Angel'" is a brief look at the effort to save the show.
The back of the book has a list of "Angel" episodes, and a list of articles and convention papers for Further Reading, some of which will be accessible only to academics who attended the "Slayage" Conference on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," but others of which are available online and several of which are already in various "BtVS" criticism books sitting up on my shelf. The idea is that this collection constitutes a start to further critical explorations of the vampire with a soul and the Fang Gang (sorry, that just does not have the same cache as the Scoobies on "BtVS") and I already have ideas for a couple of essays.
Book Description
How did a decade of love and peace end in Altamont and the Manson Family bloodbath? Gary Lachman explores the sinister dalliance of rock's high rollers and a new wave of occultists, tying together John Lennon, Timothy Leary, Mick Jagger, Brian Wilson, Charles Manson, Anton LaVey, Jim Morrison, L. Ron Hubbard and many more American cultural icons.
We will use advance copies to solicit reviews in national newspapers and magazines, as well as embarking on a radio interview campaign. The author is a well-known journalist and literary critic and interviews extremely well.
Gary Lachman was a founder member of Blondie and wrote the group's early hits. Born in New Jersey and a long-time resident of both New York and Los Angeles, he now lives in London.
Customer Reviews:
Brilliant, well-researched, insightful........2007-10-18
Don't let the cheezy cover discourage you. This book is well written and well-researched. He covers all the dark and "groovy" aspects of the 60s with a fair-handed and well-researched approach.
It's a fun read and no matter how much you know about the 60's and its love of the occult, I can guarantee you will find gems of knowledge stashed away in this little tome.
He covers everything from Aleister Crowley to J.R.R. Tolkien, not to mention such icons of the 60s as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.
Dark Mystical Thrills.......2007-08-21
This book was a lot of fun to read. When I got to the end of its 400 pages I wanted it to go on for another hundred. It tells the story of the rise of mysticism and the occult in the 1960's in America and England. You know brother, the Age of Aquarius... But where did these beliefs come from and how did they disseminate throughout popular culture? Yes, Lachman tells us about the Buddhism of the beats, but he also uncovers other sources like Madame Blavatsy, Henry Miller, Herman Hesse, J.R.R. Tolkein, and Alister Crowley. We see L. Ron Hubbard conducting black magic ceremonies before the invention of Scientology, and we learn about accusations that the Maharishi used his powers of mind control to reduce his hotel bill. We hear Neil Young's testimony that Charlie Manson was a "really great" musician before he had Sharon Tate slaughtered in a Satanic ritual, and we encounter Carl Jung's dream in the 1930's about a tree of flowers sprouting in Liverpool, and his prediction that the Age of Aquarius would dawn in 1964. In all, this book is a juicy history of the mystic happenings of the 1960's and a source book for the influences that brought about the events of that unique decade. It's like an "Easy Riders, Raging Bulls" of the Occult in the 1960's. A great summer read...
A great insight from someone within the music industry.......2007-01-19
Amazing read of music history. An insight of music and lyrics and the possible influences to the music we have all been affected.
With so many people named and their connections to the mystic. Each person could have a chapter devoted to each of them.
As I read the book, I certainly have come up with great questions that I would ask music icons, like Mick Jagger and Paul McCartney of their musics true meaning.
Engrossing.......2006-11-05
I have found Mr. Lachman's explorations into the occult to have the
page turning quality of a captivating novel combined with the author's deep and penetrating insight into the mysteries of the human condition. For anyone seriously interested in knowing all the dimensions of the 1960s, I highly recommend this book.
An Intriguing Look at Some of the Forces Behind the Mystic 60s.......2006-09-25
I rarely review more than one book by a single author, but in Gary Lachman's case it is really justified. He is the former bass player and songwriter with the band Blondie, and so he came in on the tail end of some of the extraordinary goings-on that permeated part of the art and music culture of the late 1960s.
Gary has done an extraordinary amount of research and digs deeply into the dark side of the 1960s. He turns up some fascinating material about the people who provide the soundtrack for many of us as we were growing up. There is a wealth of anecdotes about the Mick Jagger, Marianne Faithfull, the Rolling Stones and a host of other celebrities who soaked themselves in New Age spirituality, and in some cases the dark side of the occult, producing songs like Sympathy for the Devil and eventually spawning bands like Black Sabbath.
The book is populated by some extraordinary individuals including Kenneth Anger, Anton LaVey and, of course, the Maharishi, who all hoped to extend their reach by appealing to the rich and famous in the music and the arts. The motives of some of the people whom we meet were clearly of the highest order, while others, including Charles Manson had their own agendas.
Gary's book is quite well researched, opinionated and extremely readable. Though I would be willing to bet that most readers will also find a few things that he says to be infuriating. I thought that I knew a lot about those days, but it turned out that there was much that I had not known before: The book is a revelation about people, beliefs and practices that are still affecting us today.
If you have any interest in the New Age, mysticism and in the explosions in music and personal freedom that happened at the end of the 1960s, I cannot think of a better book that ties them all together.
Book Description
The Off-Hollywood Film Guide cuts through the clutter of the thousands of films currently available on video and DVD by specifically catering to independent- and foreign-film enthusiasts. In addition to a list of essential must-see films, this guide includes hundreds of entries, each with brief commentary and a list of pertinent details, such as release date, cast, director, awards garnered, special DVD features, and double-feature suggestions. The listings are also cross-referenced by genre, director, actors, and country of origin.
Customer Reviews:
A great book for a 4-9 year old.......2000-05-15
This is the best pop up book I have ever seen. Amazing effects, eye-popping art. I give it over and over as gifts to the under 10 set. The pop-up effects are so complex that they do not stand up well to toddlers pulling them apart, so be may not be great for younger kids.
Book Description
The 3rd edition of Spike Jones Off the Record - The Man Who Murdered Music by Jordan R. Young. Expanded and updated!
Customer Reviews:
The definitive authority on Spike Jones - great........1999-02-28
Other than being a fun read, "Off The Record" is a definitive, all-inclusive reference source for Jones' life and career, as well as a great source of information about the bands and musicians he performed and recorded with. Great photos too. As a tribute band with only one recording we're only a small part of the story, but we were honored (and tickled) to be included with a reference.
Well-researched look at the king of crazy music........1999-01-23
This is an excellent, well-researched look at a musician who influenced people from Zappa to Weird Al. Jones' serious side and dedication to his music are well-explored without the sense of a tabloid "tell-all." This is the ultimate biography of Jones, with attention paid to the importance of the members of his band. Reading the book made me listen to his music with a new, informed ear. I was especially interested in (and saddened by) the life of Doodles Weaver. An honest and fascinating book.
Warped, warts and all........1998-01-07
Jordan R. Young returns to a subject he originally covered in the 1984 "Spike Jones and His City Slickers", in a somewhat expanded format. His revised version is far and away the definitive work on an incredibly complex entertainer. Jones comes across in the work as a man for whom show-business was truly a business, and a ruthless one at that. His habit of stealing credit for all manner of innovations developed by his band members makes him appear the Tom Edison of Corn, in more ways than one. While the book is highly informative -- particularly in the biographical appendix of the band members -- it suffers from atrocious editing.
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Influence
