Biographies

biographies

The Love You Make: An Insider's Story of the Beatles (Paperback)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly - Nearly two decades after its initial publication, this behind-the-scenes tale reappears in paperback (after all, didn't Rolling Stone say it would "sell forever"?). One of the suit men--as the Beatles dismissively, often with good reason, called the folk who saw to their business affairs--recreates the well-known saga of Beatlemania but does it dispassionately enough to make it interesting. Brown, who directed the Beatles management firm NEMS and later their disastrous financial organization Apple, seems to have survived the experience unscathed, the purges, rancor, glamour, notoriety, the dishonesty, jealousy and infighting among all those who wanted a piece of the action, or a bigger cut, which eventually came to include the musicians themselves as the group began to split apart. While seeming to be objective, he leaves little doubt about his preferences as he discusses the Beatles individually, their parents and in-laws, wives and lovers, probing the personalities to show us the underside of the pop culture with its sleazy pursuit of the big buck. There are revelations about John and Yoko and about their drug addiction, but the material is otherwise pretty familiar. Still, it's a dramatically good story and Brown catches us with the headiness of it all--and Gaines's now well-known name and a new foreword by rock critic Anthony DeCurtis may spark a little extra interest. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Washington Post Book World - The best backstage memoir yet of the most amazing musical phenomenon of our times.

Hammer of the Gods

Book Description - Led Zeppelin was the hottest, hardest, horniest, most hedonistic group in rock history. Their parties defined 60s and 70s excess, their concerts were long, loud and thrilling. Based on interviews and behind-the-scenes stories, here is the truth behind the genius of Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and the late John Bonham.--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Inside Flap Copy - Led Zeppelin was the hottest, hardest, horniest, most hedonistic group in rock history. Their parties defined 60s and 70s excess, their concerts were long, loud and thrilling. Based on interviews and behind-the-scenes stories, here is the truth behind the genius of Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and the late John Bonham.--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com According to the Rolling Stones hews closely to the formula set in 2000 by the publication of The Beatles Anthology. Like its predecessor, it's a beautiful coffee table tome with hundreds of gorgeous photographs, from childhood pics of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards to concert shots from the 40 Licks Tour. The text is taken from recent interviews with the band's four latter-day members (Mick, Keith, Charlie Watts, and Ronnie Wood). Notably missing, however, is any contribution from former bassist Bill Wyman, who left the band in the early '90s and published his own history of the band in 2002, Rolling with the Stones. Where Wyman is an obsessive collector and diarist, the other Stones are more impressionistic in their memories, lending an approach to history as casual as the band’s concerts are rigorously planned and staged.

Cobain (Paperback)

One of the most interesting books I've ever read. This book has an excellent collection of Rolling Stone articles of Kurt Cobain. Believe me, this conatins some excellent articles on Kurt Cobain prior to his death and after. This also has some exclusive interviews with him as well. The collection of pictures are also fantastic. What a great idea this was again for many dissapointed Nirvana fans. This is abolsutely a must have for the Nirvana fans. It's one of those books that you will never want to lose or put down. Buy it. Don't get it from the library. You'll end up wanting to get it again.

Jim Morrison

A portrait of Jim Morrison is based on seven years of research and tells the story behind his musical genius, worship of darkness, rejection of all forms of authority, and tragic death when his life spun out of control.

No one Here Gets Out Alive is the compelling biography of Jim Morrison, told through the perspective of Jerry Hopkins and Danny Sugerman. Through their unique experiences with Jim Morrison, Hopkins and Sugerman relive his life and philosophical legacy. The story is told through the poetic eye's of Jim Morrison, yet contains many outside analytical references to his behavior and persona. Morrison's biographies essence is brought to life as his magnetic personality is captured biographies through abstract dialog and inspiring stories. Morrison's tragic life is traced back from his childhood to the deeply spiritual awakenings that shaped his monumental life. One of Morrison's early memories was of a graphically depicted car accident in the dessert of New Mexico. Morrison portrays a prophetic Native American entering his soul, thus changing him forever. As Jim Morrison continued discovering himself through college, he became influenced by the new revolution in modern authors like biographies of Jack Kerouac and poetry from the Beat generation. However, Jim's ultimate inspiration came from within. The freestyle tone of the book is to the far extreme of non-conventional literature. The imagery provided within Morrison's tales paints an eclectic picture containing the memories Jim created. One who reads this book must step outside mediocrity and become open to a bold perception of the world. Biographies - No One Here Gets Out Alive is a pivotal view at one of America's great modern poets and is recommended to those who appreciate great minds.

biographies

Lynyrd Skynyrd

Editorial Reviews

Cameron Crowe, director of Jerry Maguire and Almost Famous who traveled extensively with Skynyrd in the 70s and was a close friend of Ronnie Van Zant. "...Ballinger has crafted the first book (biographies) to truly capture and illuminate the restless spirit of Lynyrd Skynyrd..."

Al Kooper, producer of the first three Lynyrd Skynyrd albums. "Full of legends, truths, lies and exaggerations, this saga unfolds like an old gothic novel..."

Book Description

biographies

In true rock & roll bad-boy fashion, they were a bunch of tough kids who scraped their band together, and even decided to name it after a hated high school gym teacher. But once their searing triple-guitar attack roared out of the South at the apex of Dixie rock, Lynyrd Skynyrd was no longer following rock history; they were making it, with such classics as "Free Bird," "Sweet Home Alabama," and a string of live performances that brought audiences to their feet everywhere they played. This is the story of how a group of Southern men (and women) turned themselves into one of the world's greatest rock & roll bands, told in the words of the people who were there, both before and after the horrific 1977 airplane crash that claimed three band members' lives. Lee Ballinger weaves historical and current interviews with every member of Lynyrd Skynyrd together with the perspectives of their friends, collaborators and chroniclers, including musicians Charlie Daniels, Jimmy Hall and Al Kooper, journalists John Swenson and Cameron Crowe, producer Tom Dowd, and many more - even that immortalized teacher, Leonard Skinner. The result is an intensely personal backstage history of euphoric triumph and calamitous tragedy, your best look ever at a group of rugged street survivors and their earthshaking effect on rock & roll.

With rare photos.

biographies

Charlie Daniels

biographies

The truth will set you free, this book is the truth

Charlie Daniels covers a lot of issues and speaks from a lot of experience. He addresses the difficult issues of our day such as:

1. Abortion. Partial birth abortion involves delivering the head of a baby, then hitting it in the head with an ice pick and then sucking its brains out with a vacuum. According to Charlie Daniels this is murder. Millions of babies are killed this way in America each year. This is the American Holocaust. And all these people who say that other people from other countries such awful things and that they would never do such things are hypocrites if they support partial birth abortion. Congress approved a ban on this procedure. Clinton vetoed it twice. GW Bush agreed with the ban and signed the bill. In Proverbs of the bible, it says, "fear of God is the beginning of wisdom". Someone who fears God would not murder babies.

2. Patriotism versus globalism. A patriot wants what is best for America and the citizens of the USA. Globalists see themselves as citizens of the world rather than America and feel loyalty to the UN rather than the USA. Charlie Daniels is a patriot and is loyal to USA. Globalists support the UN's request that USA citizens pay taxes to UN so that it can provide welfare to other countries. Globalists are happy to have manufacturing shipped out to other countries with the result that more Americans lose jobs.

4. Faith in God. Charlie Daniels is a right wing Christian. He says that he is sick and tired of people using the term "right wing Christians" in a negative way. He said, being a Christian means follow the teachings of Jesus, follow the 10 commandments, treat your neighbor as you would want to be treated. He says that Christianity is one of the cornerstones that helped to make this a great country and the teaching of Jesus is to love thy neighbor which is a winning philosophy because it creates happy, successful families and communities where diverse groups can get along well and work well together.

5. He feels that atheism is dangerous, because a person who does not have faith in God may not have hope or good morals and leads to confusion in children.

6. TV. Charlie believes it is a sad commentary on America when you can flip thru 100 channels and not find anything good on TV. He does like NASCAR, Fox News (especially O'REilly factor and Sean Hannity) and baseball.

7. He is supportive of the men and women in the military who risk their lives to defend this country.

8. Summary. This is an enjoyable read and represents values that helped to make America great. The cornerstones of America's success in the past have been Capitalism, Freedom, JudeoChristian traditions of 10 Commandments and love thy neighbor (treat them kindly), Patriotism, and Science and technology. It is sad that America is in a phase of rapid decline whereby it is becoming a socialist country (a political system that has failed everywhere it has been tried because it goes against human nature), atheistic country (this is typical of dictatorships eg. USSR etc.), hedonistic culture with rampant abortion. The birth control bill is the suicide pill of western civilization. No children means no future. Hypocrisy about abortion and immorality makes USA look like a pathetic joke when it tries to recommend its culture and morality to others.

biographies Janis Joplin

Review

"One of the best books about a rock figure thus far...Buried Alive is unquestionably an accomplishment and it may well be the best portrait we'll have of Janis -- and past even that, it seems a study of the motivations of stardom as true as one is likely to achieve....I'd take Buried Alive over Norman Mailer's metaphysical Marilyn any day!" -- Rolling Stone

"Brilliant, marvelous, emotionally devastating...I don't think there's anything about Janis the book leaves untouched....I can almost hear her speak and, more relevantly, hear her laugh." -- New York Daily News

"Written with a sympathetic intelligence, at times fiercely lyrical, Buried Alive is an honest book about Joplin the idol....This is the best book yet about rock...."

biographies

The bestselling book that set the record straight about the most famous woman singer in rock history is back. This updated edition puts Joplin's life and music into perspective for a new generation of fans. "One of the best books about a rock figure. . . ."--Rolling Stone. 16-page photo insert. Previously annotated.

biographies

Book Description

Electrifying, highly acclaimed, and intensely personal, this new and updated version of Myra Friedman's classic biography of Janis Joplin teems with dramatic insights into Joplin's genius and into the chaotic times that catapulted her to fame as the legendary queen of rock. It is a stunning panorama of the turbulent decade when Joplin's biographies was the rallying voice of a generation that lost itself in her music and found itself in her words. From her small hometown of Port Arthur, Texas, to San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury, from the intimate coffeehouses to the supercharged concert halls, from the glitter of worldwide fame to her tragic end in a Hollywood hotel, here is all the fire and anguish of an immortal, immensely talented, and troubled performer who devoured everything the rock scene had to offer in a fatal attempt to make peace with herself and her era. Yet, in an eloquent introduction recently written by the author, Joplin emerges from her "ugly duckling" childhood as a woman truly ahead of her time, an outrageous rebel, a defiant outcast and artist of incomparable authenticity who, almost in spite of herself, became to so many a symbol of triumph over adversity.

This edition also contains an afterword detailing the whereabouts of a large and colorful cast of characters who were part of Joplin's life, as well as "We Remember Janis," a new chapter of poignant and affectionate anecdotes told by friends.

biographies

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biographies