White Bicycles: Making Music in the 1960s

Book Description

"This is the best book about music I've read in years, and a gripping piece of social history."-Brian Eno

When Muddy Waters came to London at the start of the 1960s, a kid from Boston called Joe Boyd was his tour manager; when Dylan went electric at the Newport Festival, Joe Boyd was plugging in his guitar; when the summer of love got going, Joe Boyd was running UFO, the coolest club in London; when a bunch of club regulars called Pink Floyd recorded their first single, Joe Boyd was the producer; when a young songwriter named Nick Drake wanted to give his demo tape to someone, he chose Joe Boyd.

More than any previous sixties music autobiography, Joe Boyd's White Bicycles offers the real story of what it was like to be there at the time. As well as the sixties heavy-hitters, this book also offers wonderfully vivid portraits of a whole host of other musicians: everyone from the great jazzman Coleman Hawkins to the folk diva Sandy Denny, Lonnie Johnson to Eric Clapton, Sister Rosetta Tharpe to Fairport Convention.

Record and film producer Joe Boyd was born in Boston in 1942 and graduated from Harvard in 1964. He went on to produce Pink Floyd, Nick Drake, Fairport Convention, R.E.M., and many others. He produced the documentary Jimi Hendrix and the film Scandal. In 1980 he started Hannibal Records and ran it for twenty years. He lives in London.

Customer Reviews:

Very slow and tiring read.......2007-08-31

This has got to be the most boring book about the music business I've ever read. I really tried to make myself believe it was going to be a true page turner, but it wasn't. The only reason I continued to turn the page is because, well... I'd paid for the book! I'm not the biggest fan of folk music, but I do like it and I love the blues, but this book made me dislike both genres (while I was reading, mind you). Mr. Boyd had such a long and fulfilling career in the music business, but the way he told the story was just plain boring. I've read many biographies on this business and have read some real bizarre stuff, but this book was quite tame. Don't get me wrong, I was GLAD that it was tame. I was quite impressed with Mr. Boyd's self-control and his professionalism. He sounds like a total "stand-up guy." But boy, does he tell a boring story. I usually pass my books on to friends so that they we can converse on the book, it's characters, the author, and so on. I must admit, when I FINALLY finished this book, I promptly threw it in the trash. I will give Mr. Boyd one other thing, I was so happy that he made mention of all the blues greats that have graced stages and auditoriums worldwide. That in itself was very much worth this book purchase, but that's about it.

"Matter of Fact".......2007-08-20

Woody Allen made a film called "Zelig" about a little guy who found his way into all the significant events of the 20th Century.

Well, record producer Joe Boyd's life in the 60's was kind of like that. He was all over the place, at the Newport Festivals (both jazz and folk), touring with bluesmen through Europe, and finally at the epicenter of both the British psychedelic and English Folk Rock scenes.

With all that material to draw from, you would think that this book would be a regular psychedelic sundae, vibrating like a day-glo art poster. Nope. It's just a recounting of Joe's ups and downs in the music business. There are nice reminiscences about Sandy Denny and Nick Drake, and Joe drops some little known facts about his resume, such as his involvement in the Eric Clapton/Steve Winwood "Powerhouse" recordings, and his production of Pink Floyd's "Arnold Layne"--plus his notable failures, such as missing out on opportunities to sign Procol Harum, or to profit from the Abba catalogue.

But, Joe is primarily known for his involvement with Folk-Rock, and he doesn't really pour forth with details, here. What about "Liege and Lief", generally called the greatest British folk-rock album of all time? What about Vashti Bunyan, a cult artist in her own right? She gets about one paragraph. And what about Linda (Peters) Thompson? Joe lets it drop that he was in an intimate relationship with her, yet she merits only a sentence or two.

This book isn't badly written, but it doesn't really give you a great picture of the music. It could have been much better. People who are curious about the time would be better served checking out the music. I guess a CD sampler of Joe's productions, also called "White Bicycles", is available. Otherwise, there is the great "Nuggets II" box set, which I recommend without reservation.

What a trip! And I wasn't even born yet when most of it happened!.......2007-08-10

As a musician and general music junkie, I'd rate this as a must have. Joe Boyd is just as important to learn from as those blues and jazz bands he resurrected in the last 50s and early 60s. I also sensed the sadness and reverence he had towards Nick Drake, the sad honesty about Sandy Denny, as well as rejoicing in the still flourishing career of Richard Thompson, all of which are influences of mine.

I wonder if he has ever been to the Philadelphia Folk Festival.

Somewhat interesting, ultimately disappointing.......2007-07-22

As previous reviewers said, I "couldn't NOT read this book" and "devour" it with the special anticipation of having seen the words 'Produced by Joe Boyd' on so many of my cherished album covers. However, though it contains a few new facts about the artists and some insight regarding the music business only an insider would know, the book was a disappointment. As earlier reviewers here have stated, it's too short - with not enough information about the actual sessions and music-making itself. The text also seems to be missing something - perhaps over-edited? Perhaps shortened for some reason at the last minute? And some of the potentially fascinating little stories he relates are left dangling in space. The subtitle of the book is 'Making Music in the 1960s', but there's very little of that in the narrative. I wanted to find out what is was like to observe luminaries such as Nick Drake at work in the studio. I wanted to be a fly on the wall at a Fairport Convention session with Sandy Denny & Richard Thompson. What made the Incredible String Band tick? How did these artists get their signature SOUNDS? I was looking for a window on Joe Boyd's working world; What we get are mildly interesting and too-quick glances of the surface of '60s-'70s music.

Sight Unseen, Sound Unheard.......2007-07-17

In the mid to late 60s, there were so many unheralded masterpieces, even the recording companies couldn't keep up with them. Most were relegated to
the old school, family-owned record store. Illinois Speed Press, The United States of America and Joe Boyd and the Field Hippies were a few of them. Some of their members went on to nominal fame in other groups, but they mostly languished in the bargain bins. If this is the same Joe Boyd,
and his way with prose is as adroit as his way with music, you are in
for an incredibly interesting ride. I haven't read the book yet, but I
haven't been moved to make a purchase of anything sight unseen or sound
unheard since I read an article in Hit Parader about CSN three months before their debut album was released in 1969.

Average customer rating:

Not worth it
Bang You Hair
AN '80's TIME CAPSULE
American Hair Metal
Those 80s!!! Wow!

American Hair Metal
Steven Blush
Manufacturer: Feral House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal

ASIN: 193259518X

Book Description

"We're not ashamed of a little hairspray and makeup. We've always said it takes a real man to wear makeup."-Bret Michaels, Poison (1988)

There was a time-not so long ago-when pomp and spandex dominated MTV and pop radio playlists. American Hair Metal visually celebrates this orgy of flamboyance, androgyny, and animal magnetism, of big-haired alpha males and the beautiful women who surrounded them.

Hundreds of striking photographs are surrounded by hedonistic ephemera from bands like Poison, Cinderella, Motley Crue, Skid Row, and Stryper, and wild inter-view quotes from major players such as David Lee Roth, Jon Bon Jovi, Sebastian Bach, Tommy Lee, Nikki Sixx, Bret Michaels, Don Dokken, and a good number of unsung heroes.

Interest in hair metal is currently exploding-witness the barrage of VH1 specials, arena-level revival tours, and reissue compilations that are even today best-selling CDs.

Customer Reviews:

Not worth it.......2007-08-23

I thoroughly enjoyed Steven Blush's previous book American Hardcore and had high hopes for American Hair Metal as well (being fan of both these genres). However, I was very disappointed when the book arrived in the post as it looked more like a hipster coffee table book than an actual good read. Opening the book I wasn't wrong either. This book is mainly full of page-size pictures with few quotes scattered here and there. No context, stories etc. In the introduction Blush mentions that he decided against the idea of interviewing ex-hair metalers as most of them were probably too embarrassed to speak about their past (having moved on to being family people now). This is almost like admitting defeat before he's even started! A bit of investigative writing would have been great. OK, so the photos are great but I can't see this book appealing to any serious fans of metal. One for the ironic-generation I guess. For the rest of you - just try Google Images instead.

For something similar (but much better) go for Mötley Crüe's The Dirt instead. Also check out Penelope Spheeris' brilliant film on the same subject: The Decline Of The Western Civilization Part 2.

One last thing: who the heck calls it "hair metal" anyway? We certainly didn't call it that back in the day. Is this just another lazy media term for an otherwise glamtastic genre?

Bang You Hair.......2007-06-30

If you were there, or were listening, or are still there and listening, this book will put a smile on your face; Page after page of quality, colorful pictures and highly amusing quotes by some of the biggest bands of the era; The only thing I wished was that it included more pictures, esp. since there is a huge list at the end of the book w/80's artists not pictured at all, and their one big song. This would include bands like Badlands, Helix, Shotgun Messiah, and Smashed Gladys....To think this book could have been twice the size only makes me think of things that could have been...

But this is no skimpy collection; A great book at a great price, LOTS of pics suitable for framing if you were so inclined...

And if you weren't ever into metal, there's still plenty to make fun of.

Man, did I really used to dress like that?

AN '80's TIME CAPSULE.......2007-04-08

Dying to relive, recapture, or just plain reminisce about your youth? Have I got a book for you. While reminiscent of Hollywood Rocks! (which focuses exclusively on the '80's Hollywood scene), American Hair Metal encompasses a much broader scope. It includes all of the de rigueur L.A./California bands while adding East Coast and international ones into the mix. It even throws in a couple of female rockers to boot. Don't expect any indepth bios on any of the bands. It's mainly a collection of photos and quotes. You may not have heard of all of the bands but the major players are all represented (though a little light on the Dokken, G N'R, and Great white if you ask me). So tease up, turn it up, and get ready to rock with Steven Blush's American Hair Metal.

American Hair Metal.......2007-03-11

If you are a child of the 80's like I am, you will love this book!! It brought back a lot of good memories! There were some truly awesome bands that came out of the 80's. I think you will enjoy this book!

Those 80s!!! Wow!.......2007-03-09

Wow,what great pictures,if you like the way the "Hair bands" looked you'll love this book. A few mistakes,one is on the page that has Phantom Blue,it has Precious Metal and couple more mistakes here and there,but otherwise a great book!! Miguel,Portugal!

White Line Fever: The Autobiography: The Autobiography

Average customer rating:

Lemmy tells it like it is
"The Dirt" UK style
Alot of fun!!!
Awesome!
The other way 'round

White Line Fever: The Autobiography: The Autobiography
Lemmy Kilmister
Manufacturer: Citadel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Entertainers | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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Motörhead - Stage Fright DVD
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1916
Lemmy (In Their Own Words)

ASIN: 0806525908

Customer Reviews:

Lemmy tells it like it is.......2007-06-20

Normally I would never take the time to write an online review...I'm just lazy. This time I am compelled to strongly recommend this read! I've been a Motorhead fan since I was 15 (twenty years now) so maybe I am a bit biased but there is no way to argue that this isn't an incredibly well written and entertaining book. As others have stated in their reviews the storytelling flows like a freshly tapped keg of fine ale.
I started reading this book while dropping a duece and when finished I found that I couldn't put the book down (except to wash my hands, of course)! I read it cover to cover in one afternoon and I wished it was longer! Lemmy is a survivor and proof that not every rock star has to be an arrogant pr!ck. Highly recommended.

"The Dirt" UK style.......2006-11-03

Here's a guy who paved the way for Motley Crue's excess and debauchery. A fun read. Gives you a glimpse into UK life during the 60's and 70's sex drugs & rock & roll age. Lemmy is the messiah of speed metal and death metal. It all started with Motorhead. Without Lemmy, we wouldn't have Metallica.

Alot of fun!!!.......2006-08-21

This is as fun as a book can get. I've never found myself laughing out loud while reading a book until now. Great bio about a hilarious guy and a great band. Long live Lemmy!!!

Awesome! .......2005-11-22

Given the fact that my only exposure to Lemmy and Motorhead was the music, I didn't know what to expect from the book. And let me tell you it does not disappoint! I think Lemmy's one the most prolific (and underrated) singers / songwriters in rock, and has influenced countless bands. This man is nearing 60, and showing no signs of slowing down. The current line-up with Phil and Mickey is the strongest that Motorhead has ever had. Hats off to Lemmy. He has been through it all, and is the perfect example of drugs, sex and rock n' roll. The Rolling Stones seem like a bunch of sissies compared to Lemmy. I love the way he has chronicled his life in the book, from the places he's been to all the colourful people he has met over his long career. There are plenty of surprises in the book. However, I wish he'd mentioned more about the making of each album (and songs), and what went into it. It ends in 2002, with the release of "Hammered", so i kinda feel it's incomplete. Lots more has happened since then. I wonder if Lemmy thinks of a volume 2.
If you're a Motorhead fan, you need to buy this book, and if you're not a Motorhead fan, you need to buy this book.

The other way 'round.......2005-10-02

Well, for starters I kinda bought this book out of sheer curiosity.
I knew some of Motörhead's music and I read and saw some interviews with Lemmy (plus I figured that a guy that survives this long in the rock business OUGHT to be one of a kind...!) but I can't say I'm a Motörhead fan.
Or am I not?
After I read that funny and witty autobiography I looked at Lemmy with different eyes; he's certainly not the average person and he's got a lot more to tell that what you might think... and he also puts it down in a clever way. Maybe a bit rude, sometimes, but that's one thing I at lest expected, so to speak...
Now I thing I'm gonna check out his music with a lot more attention...!
...go figure...!

Exile in Guyville: How a Punk-Rock Redneck Faggot Texan Moved to West Hollywood And Refused to Be Shiny And Happy

Average customer rating:

Very Funny take on Moving to LA!!
Please sir, can I have some more?
Brilliant
Funniest Book I've Read Recently
Hilarious!

Exile in Guyville: How a Punk-Rock Redneck Faggot Texan Moved to West Hollywood And Refused to Be Shiny And Happy
Dave White
Manufacturer: Alyson Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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101 Must-see Movies for Gay Men
I Am Not Myself These Days: A Memoir (P.S.)
Going Down in La-La Land
Alternatives to Sex: A Novel
My Lucky Star

ASIN: 1555839320

Book Description

Here's the diary of a man who in mid-life found himself uprooted and dumped into West Hollywood, an unfamiliar place not exactly known for stability. White explores his neighborhood ? "queens: 6 percent; cranky 70-year-old Russians who give you the evil eye when you walk past: 2 percent; blonde girls with big, round, hard fakeys who think Jennifer Anniston just got lucky: 10 percent; miscellaneous cool kids, hustlers, and actual crazy people: 5 percent."

White gets gigs as a freelance writer, goes to the grocery store where his Russian neighbors ask him questions because they think he's from the old country; and encounters Sara Gilbert at the Laundromat, Leonard Maltin at the movies, and Ben Affleck driving a Rolls-Royce so ridiculously conspicuous he might as well be driving Chitty-Chitty, Bang-Bang.

What began as weekly diaries emailed to out-of-state family and friends evolved into a blog called "Dave White Knows" and in 2003 became a monthly column in Instinct called "Exile in Guyville." Alyson Books now presents White's blogs in expanded form with loads of new material that will be even more irritating to the Instinct readers who didn't like his column. "They requested more fashion and skin-care features in its place, which makes me kind of proud."

Dave White is a freelance journalist specializing in music. His reviews and features have been seen in E! Online, IFILM, LA Weekly, Dallas Observer, Instinct, The Advocate, Glue, Cybersocket, Total Movie, Unzipped, and Frontiers. White lives in West Hollywood with his boyfriend, the Morocco Mole, and is locally esteemed as the "King of Pancakes."

Customer Reviews:

Very Funny take on Moving to LA!!.......2007-06-21

As a native Angeleno, I was ready to take offense at Dave's experience of Los Angeles, but I was laughing too hard. He's had some pretty interesting experiences of LA. A very light, fun read.

Please sir, can I have some more?.......2007-06-12

I loved this book, I loved Dave's unapologetic ranting and whining about LA and its inhabitants (a**holes!!). I loved his special brand of 'gayness' and his queeny categorisations of the OTHER brands of gayness he is forced to interact with in rainbow flagged West Hollywood. For all the other non-shinyhappy people who inhabit (yes they do!!!) anywhere out of the LA geographical area, this book is a refreshing take on the whole stereotypical celeb seething wannabe clusterf*** that is 'reality' for anyone LIVING in LA and earning less than mega squillions a year. If you enjoy reading books like "Chorewhore", or relate to the hispanic domestics everpresent in the background in any LA-based flick, you'll also enjoy Exile in Guyville.

It'd be great to see a follow up, or even a collection of Dave's columns. His observations of his grudgingly adopted home town resonate at the same frequency as Henry Rollins occasionally do: they both live there because they have to but they aren't going down without a fight goddarnit! These are witnesses to the flabbergasting proliferation of acceptable a**holeness which is flourishing in places like LA: road rage, blithe and rampant consumerism, self-centredness, rudeness and downright unfriendliness. Dave observes the LA reactions to his natural Texan inclination to greet a stranger or passer-by with a wave or a smile and he comments also that the people of LA regard themselves, and not the sun, as the centre of the universe.

I like that people like Dave and Henry are documenting and commenting. And congratulations Dave, you did it stylishly and with humour. It'd be good to see some more.

Brilliant.......2007-03-28

White's brilliance lies in the fact that the review by "Aniston Obsessed" is a compliment to "Exile."

Funniest Book I've Read Recently.......2007-03-08

Homophobes stay away - as one should gather from the title. That being said - this book had me laughing out loud. It's a must buy. I've already bought a copy for one of my friends.

Hilarious! .......2007-01-06

I discovered Dave White because he writes an American Idol blog which I look forward to each and every week.

Exile in Guyville did not disappoint. Dave chronicles his first year in the hell that is LA. Despite that fact that he has serious trouble adjusting, he never loses his keen sense of humor. There are many many laugh out loud moments.

I loved it!

Obviously, this book isn't for everybody. So if the title offends you, move along. But if you consider whining a hobby, and other people's crabbiness makes you laugh, you will love Exile in Guyville!

Nicole Del Sesto, author of All Encompassing Trip

Average customer rating:

Fascinating account of the Incas and a great travelogue about Peru
On Target
Good travel and exploration book
Pointless Rambling
Read this book while traveling in Peru

The White Rock
Hugh Thomson
Manufacturer: Overlook TP
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Conquest of the Incas
The Machu Picchu Guidebook: A Self-Guided Tour
The Ancient Kingdoms of Peru
Eat Smart in Peru : How to Decipher the Menu, Know the Market Foods & Embark on a Tasting Adventure (Eat Smart in Peru)
The Peru Reader: History, Culture, Politics (The Latin America Readers)

ASIN: 1585675032

Book Description

With the backdrop of the ever-intriguing Andes mountains, The White Rock, Hugh Thomson's intoxicating history of the Inca people and their heartland, is a thrilling mix of information and adventure. The author, an acclaimed documentary filmmaker and explorer, expertly weaves accounts of his own discoveries and brushes with danger with the history of those who preceded him—including the explorer Hiram Bingham, who discovered Machu Picchu; the twentieth century South American photographer, Martín Chambi; the poet Pablo Neruda; and the Spanish conquistadores who destroyed the Inca civilization—and the eccentric characters he meets on his travels.

Customer Reviews:

Fascinating account of the Incas and a great travelogue about Peru .......2007-02-11

_The White Rock_ by Hugh Thomson is a fascinating, well-written account of both the author's travels to Inca sites in Peru and Bolivia and his efforts to address the big discrepancies between popular conceptions of the Incas and the actual evidence of what they were like, an effort complicated by the fact that the Incas left no written record and much of what know about them comes from the often biased accounts of Spanish conquistadors and from the supposition of archaeologists.

Though Thomson visited a number of Inca sites throughout the book, Machu Picchu clearly dominates, as it is most famous Inca site, the one most likely known to the average person. The very familiarity of the place he wrote can lead to misleading impressions of the Incas and Thomson regretted that few visitors to Peru traveled beyond it.

The author recounted a number of misconceptions regarding the site. Many suppose that it is a major site for archaeologists; it is not, as the site was thoroughly excavated by the famous (and some say "over-enthusiastic and cack-handed") Hiram Bingham in the early years of the 20th century, who acted "with the over-confidence of an age of certainty" and so thoroughly excavated the site that little was left for later researchers. In addition, later restoration efforts to prepare the site for tourists were often done with little thought for archaeological preservation.

Speaking of Hiram Bingham, he is famous for having discovered the site. Thomson wrote that it would more accurate that he should be famous for having publicized the site. A geographer by the name of Antonio Raimondi had a site labeled as Cerro Machu Picchu on a map made in 1875 and in 1902, a full ten years before Bingham visited, Don Enrique Palma of Cuzco visited the site and left an inscription on its walls.

Tour guides and many popular books on Machu Picchu speak of the city's great religious significance, but Thomson interviewed archaeologists who said that the site was not a religious shrine at all. Occupied for less than a hundred years, largely forgotten after it was abandoned (something the Incas would not have done if it was a religious or especially a pilgrimage site), it was basically a winter quarters for the Inca emperor (known as the Inca), a country estate or leisure complex, a "gigantic hunting folly" that was "both too impractical and ostentatious" to maintain, basically an old country house and pleasure resort built on a grand scale at the height of the Inca Empire and then "left to fade away as royal tastes and fashion moved on." While the site was attractive both for its milder and warmer climate that Cuzco and its abundance of game, it was an expensive locale to live in.

Those who maintain the notion that the site was religious point to the great number of female skeletons unearthed at the site, labeled by many as "Virgins of the Sun." In fact later studies showed that the proportion of male and female remains was about equal; this misconception dates back to one of Bingham's colleagues, George Eaton, who in 1912 wrongly identified most of the remains as female.

Another misconception (albeit one that the Incas themselves promoted) was that they were the only or the first Andean or South American civilization. Incan rulers like the famous Pachacuti (originally known as Inca Yupanqui but who took the title Pachacuti or "Transformer of the Earth") promoted within their own society powerful origin stories, as Pachacuti, though important as he led the first wave of Inca conquests to Bolivia and Lake Titicaca, bringing an area from Colombia to Chile, some 3000 miles and about the size of continental Europe, under Inca control, carefully promulgated official versions of Inca history.

In reality, the Incas were adept at incorporating whole tribes into the Empire, as large numbers of people or even whole populations were taken away from their homelands to serve as tribute labor elsewhere in a system called mitamayo (the workers were called mitimaes). Thomson compared the Incas to Stalin in the way that they moved around client peoples, shipping them from one part of the empire to another to do jobs, moving potentially difficult peoples into new, uninhabited (and distant) areas, even splitting towns into upper and lower sections and having them compete in providing services to the State and the town itself.

The Incas were noted for appropriating the ruins of previous civilizations, altering them as they saw fit, manipulating and distorting the meaning of the ruins and of history. In reality, the Incas, "[f]ar from imposing order on an unruly bunch of savages, ...were merely the latest dominant tribe (and a short-lived one at the that) in a series of Andean civilizations" that had existed for over 2000 years previously. The Incas built their achievements on earlier civilizations such as the Moche of the north of Peru (noted for their magnificent pottery), the Huari, and the Tiahuanaco culture (who produced magnificent stone buildings) near Lake Titicaca.

Thomson also recounted many other aspects of the Incas. He noted their careful uses of terraces and canals, giving them the ability to support thousands where only dozens now live today. I had heard of Peruvian mummies before, but I had no idea of their role in Inca society; when each Inca died, his estate or panaca continued to maintain his palace as if he were still alive, with the Inca's mummified form resident in the old palace and brought out for feast days and coronations (Thomson wrote that the"mummy lobby" was very powerful towards the end of the Inca empire and was a system open to much abuse). Other interesting topics covered include the building, planning, and maintenance of Inca roads, Inca architectural methods and styles, and the course of the Spanish Conquest, particularly the struggles of the last Inca Emperors.

The book is also a great and witty travelogue particularly of Peru, with maps and many photos.

On Target.......2006-11-22

I read this book some years ago and as a fan of travel literature placed it near the top. However, I did not write a review at that time. Now, having recently returned from a two week vacation in Bolivia and Peru, I can see what a fine book it is. The Incas were the last of the world's great civilizations to be "discovered." Since they developed in isolation and were not literate, we must try to interpret their mind set from what has survived these 500 years. Mr. Thomson manages by observation, rigid scholarship, many miles on the trail, along with canny speculation to get inside the mind of the Inca as well as anyone. For all of you romanticists out there this book comes as close as is possible to the modern possibilities of adventure.

Good travel and exploration book.......2006-06-28

The author does a great job of recreating both the ancient world of the Incas and the modern world that exists around the ruins today. You definitely see the sights, smell the odors, hear the sounds.

It keeps your attention while taking you to an exotic world past and present

Pointless Rambling.......2006-03-18

This book is more about the self absorbed author than Peru or the Inca. Hugh Thompson's idea of exploring seems more like pointless wandering. I would certainly not recommend this book to anyone

Read this book while traveling in Peru.......2005-09-26

I picked this book up while working on an Archeological dig near Cusco. It was recommended by a fellow Earthwatch explorer. After working on the dig, my travel companion and I explored many areas in the Villacabamba. My singular disappointment in traveling Peru is that I missed the sites of Llactapata and Choquequirao. This book spiked such interest in those locations that I felt a deep urgency to see them for myself. In spite of that miss, I don't think Peru would have been the same without the experience of this book. I also thoroughly enjoyed the author's switch between his history, Inca history and more present history. Traveling in Peru and while reading this book was the best.

Money for Nothing: A History of the Music Video from the Beatles to the White Stripes

Average customer rating:

A 'must' for any collection strong in media history
Never thought I would use the words "thought-provoking" and MTV in the same sentence
Your cortex will thank you
Groundbreaking Work for Music Video Fans

Money for Nothing: A History of the Music Video from the Beatles to the White Stripes
Saul Austerlitz
Manufacturer: Continuum International Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Direction & Production | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

History & Criticism | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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Visual Rocks: The Heart of the Music Video
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A History of Video Art: The Development of Form and Function

ASIN: 082641818X

Book Description

With the music video at a historic turning point, caught between its television-fuelled past and a still-unformed Internet future, it is an ideal time to look back at the life of this mutant art form - one that united the two most influential media of the last 50 years.

Money for Nothing begins with the earliest days of the music video, when Hollywood musicals, experimental animated films, Soundies, and Scopitones fused music and image in ways that would presage the eventual form of the MTV clip. By the time A Hard Day's Night was released in 1964, the combination of pop music and short films was ready to sweep the world. It didn't take long for other acts to see the possibilities of promotional films - the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, and Bob Dylan had tried their hand at videos by the end of the 60s. The 1970s brought further rapid development. Artists as diverse as Queen, the Residents, Devo, and Elvis Costello all experimented with the form, establishing the boundaries of the nascent genre. By the time MTV debuted in 1981, the music video was ready for the spotlight. There were artists who construcetd whole careers around it (Madonna, Duran Duran), some who seemed occasionally flummoxed by it (Prince, U2), and those who did their best to subvert it (the Replacements, the Smiths).

In the 1990s, the music video reached its apogee, with enormous blockbuster clips from acts like Guns N'Roses, Michael Jackson, and Aerosmith marking the last moment of the video's cultural centrality. At the same time, the rise of alternative rock and hip-hop ushered in a renewed golden era of video, with big-name directors like Michel Gondry, Spike Jonze, Hype Williams, and Paul Hunter redefining what a music video could, or should, be.

As MTV and VH1 have morphed into lifestyle channels, the video no longer has the cultural impact it once had, but our era of YouTube and bloggers has revitalized the form, sparking a video resurgence among bands, directors, and fans. Money for Nothing is a smart, informative, and affectionate history that shows artistry and commercialism clashing, fusing, and occasionally creating works of real beauty.

Customer Reviews:

A 'must' for any collection strong in media history.......2007-04-19

MONEY FOR NOTHING: A HISTORY OF THE MUSIC VIDEO FROM THE BEATLES TO THE WHITE STRIPES is a 'must' for any collection strong in media history. Such collections will find the narrowed focus on music videos to be involving: it covers the earliest days of the music video when fusions of animated films, Hollywood musicals and more preceded MTV clips. The blend of pop music and short films fostered by the Beatles would sweep the music world - but had its roots in early Hollywood history. From the development of music-backed promotional films to 1970s alternative experiments with the medium, MONEY FOR NOTHING is packed with insights perfect for college-level media history holdings.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Never thought I would use the words "thought-provoking" and MTV in the same sentence.......2007-01-29

Austerlitz is an insightful and funny guide through the world of music video, and it's a tour worth taking. I spent a good portion of my adolescence looking on in horror at the flopping fish in Faith No More's "Epic," taking style cues from MC Hammer, and watching the worms crawl around Peter Gabriel's head, but my middle school eyes didn't see much past the flash. For those of you like me who loved it (but maybe didn't get it) the first time around, this book is an eye-opener - as when Austerlitz takes points to the beginnings of music video in WWII "Soundies" - while still holding on to the fun and nostalgia of an afternoon (or maybe a good, solid year) watching VH1. There's plenty in here for cinephile, music geek, or the merely curious. In short: buy it, read it, and enjoy.

Your cortex will thank you.......2007-01-23

The history of music videos is unwritten, even though the appeal of this strange, incandescent art form should be just as oversized for people of all ages as it is for those of us who grew up in the eighties and nineties. Austerlitz is a witty, thoughtful guide who writes with a gentle mix of scholarship and loving irreverence. Read this book no matter who you are--and then go to YouTube and burn his top 100 videos into the back of your brain.

Groundbreaking Work for Music Video Fans.......2007-01-20

As a child of the 80's who grew up in front of MTV, I have been waiting for a book like this to arrive. Music videos have been one of the most innovative and influential forms of media for the last twenty years, but there has been surprisingly little scholarship on the genre.
In that sense, Austerlitz is breaking new ground with this book. He is a savy tour guide for the visual landscape we all share. From the music video's early days, to the hair metal 80's into the ganster 90's, he manages to articulate in witty and insightful prose the nuances and salient features of the genre as a whole, and specific high points in particular.
With the explosion of youtube, and other self produced video formats, its about time we have some serious thinking published on the subject. Austerlitz does just that. At the same time, this is a book for the music video fan. Those of us who remember the glory days of Motley Crue's reign on DIAL-MTV, or that graffiti set of Parents Just Don't Understand, upto the great Guns and Roses triology will be thrilled to hear a wise and equally passionate voice take us back through these videos.
I only hope the sequal will shed some light on Trapped In the Closet.

Rock Climbs in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, 3rd edition (East Volume)

Average customer rating:

Does anyone know what happened with Websters's West volume

Rock Climbs in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, 3rd edition (East Volume)
Ed Webster
Manufacturer: Mountain Imagery
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Mountaineering | Sports | Subjects | Books

Mountain Climbing | Mountaineering | Sports | Subjects | Books

General | Sports | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Secrets of the Notch: A Guide to Rock & Ice Climbing on Cannon Cliff and the Crags of Franconia Notch
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The Self-Coached Climber: The Guide to Movement Training Performance

ASIN: 0965319903

Book Description

Rock Climbs in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, 3rd edition (East Volume) is the authoritative and comprehensive rock climbing guidebook to the eastern portion of New Hampshire's White Mountain region. The 1st edition of this guidebook was published in 1982. This latest definitive edition covers all the rock climbs on Cathedral and Whitehorse Ledges in North Conway, the cliffs of the Kancamagus Highway area west of Conway, the outlying crags of the Mt. Washington Valley, and the alpine cliffs of Huntington Ravine on New England's tallest peak, Mt. Washington (6,288').

In addition, this pocket-sized guidebook contains numerous detailed photo-diagrams of the cliffs and rock climbs themselves, written descriptions and historical data about the various routes, and a multitude of archival and modern photographs of famous first ascents in the region, from the 1930s to the present. For extra durability, the guidebook also has a sewn and glued binding, and a plastic laminated synthetic cover.

Customer Reviews:

Does anyone know what happened with Websters's West volume.......1999-08-30

This guide is great. You can tell the author spent a lot of time working to perfect it. I am looking for a climbing guide for the mountains neer Rumney which is western NH. Any comments? shuldman@eden.rutgers.edu

50 Classic Hikes in Nevada: From the Ruby Mountains to Red Rock Canyon

Average customer rating:

Adventure for the Truly Dedicated

50 Classic Hikes in Nevada: From the Ruby Mountains to Red Rock Canyon
Michael C. White
Manufacturer: University of Nevada Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Walking | Hiking & Camping | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Sports | Subjects | Books
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Hiking Nevada, 2nd: A Guide to Nevada's Greatest Hiking Adventures (State Hiking Series)
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Afoot & Afield Reno-Tahoe: A Comprehensive Hiking Guide

ASIN: 0874176298

Book Description

Nevada boasts some of the most diverse and beautiful landscapes in North America and is rich in trails that embrace the state's scenic, geologic, and historic resources. Mike White, renowned outdoors writer and instructor, now offers a guide to fifty of the best Nevada hikes, ranging across the entire state from the Mojave Desert to the Sierra Nevada, from sagebrush basins to the alpine heights of the Ruby Mountains.

Here are hikes for every taste and level of fitness, including outings suitable for families with small children and full-scale assaults on challenging peaks. Each hike is described in terms of its route and special features, and includes a map and elevation profile. The book also offers information about the geology, wildlife, plants, history, and weather features of Nevada, as well as helpful directions to ensure safe and comfortable travel in Nevada's rugged and isolated backcountry. This is an indispensable guide for anyone seeking enjoyable adventures in some of the country's most spectacular natural regions.

Customer Reviews:

Adventure for the Truly Dedicated.......2006-10-11

I'm never sure what to make of Nevada's outdoor opportunities. On the one hand the state has some spectacular scenery. I think Red Rock Canyon is the best Vegas has to offer for hiking and sight seeing. I also like exploring (spring time only) the Lake Mead Recreation Area. Mt. Charleston offers fine mountain hiking and Great Basin National Park is a real gem in the national park system. On the other hand, I also like being able to drive an ordinary car to trailheads, and it is here that Nevada presents obstacles not found in my home state of California. A significant percentage of the hikes Mike White describes in this book require a high clearance vehicle just to get to the trailhead. On top of that, in many cases trails are not maintained. Fortunately White provides very detailed route descriptions, an absolute necessity when attempting Boundary Peak and several lesser known hikes in the state.

On the whole this is a good book. It is not intended to be comprehensive, but is rather a selection of what the author thinks are the best walks in the state. The Ruby Mountains receive a lot of attention, as does Nevada's half of the Lake Tahoe region. I was pleased to see that Cathedral Rocks State Park also received a nice write-up. Sharp pictures and decent location and hike maps will help those who want to further explore the Silver State. But in the final analysis, for many casual dayhikers (I am often in that category and my wife always is) the rigors of getting to the trailhead will discourage attempting many of these trips. What Nevada needs is an outdoors book along the lines of 'California Hiking' by Steinstra and Brown. Such a book would be far more comprehensive than this one and list hikes for all levels of walkers. It would also provide more opportunities for those whose sense of adventure does not include replacing the transmission pan on their vehicle after, or worse yet during, a trip to the mountains. But if you are willing to risk it, this book is for you. It offers high adventure without the crowds found in other western states.

Average customer rating:

Disturbing
An exciting read....

Serpent on the Rock
Kurt Eichenwald
Manufacturer: Broadway
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Company Profiles | Biography & History | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

True Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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Den of Thieves

ASIN: 0767923847
Release Date: 2005-12-27

Book Description

A real-life thriller—the story of kickbacks and payoffs, of shady deals struck in secret with known felons; a story in which half a million people lose enormous sums—some their life’s savings—in the largest securities fraud of the 1980s, with names like Onassis and Bush numbered among the victims.

Customer Reviews:

Disturbing.......2007-03-06

Its not the best written story of a financial scandal and overly relies on several characters for the facts and anecdotes. That written, it is a disturbing look at what was allowed to happen in the key mid-tier brokerage firm as controls lapsed in the pursuit of profits.

An exciting read...........2006-03-09

This is not Eichenwald's best book. But it's still better than 95 percent of the junk that passes for thrillers these days. In fact, I would be raving over this book if I hadn't read Eichenwald's "The Informant" and "Conspiracy of Fools" first. Those two set a very, very high bar. This one doesn't clear it completely, but it still gets darn close.

The Nearest Far Away Place: Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys, and the Southern California Experience

Average customer rating:

Serious Beach Boys Fan? This is a MUST HAVE,
A Decent Book About A Gigantic Talent!
Beach Boys- 5 stars / So. Cal Experience- 1 star
A Genealogist takes humbrage with comments on BB book
Ambitious but uneven

The Nearest Far Away Place: Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys, and the Southern California Experience
Timothy White
Manufacturer: Henry Holt & Co (P)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

History & Criticism | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Catch a Wave: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson
Brian Wilson And The Beach Boys: How Deep Is The Ocean?
Wouldn't It Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds (Vinyl Frontier series, The)
Heroes and Villains: The True Story of the Beach Boys
Beach Boys - An American Band / Brian Wilson - I Just Wasn't Made for These Times

ASIN: 0805047026

Book Description

The long awaited study of the seminal California Surfin' band and the culture that produced it. Timothy White's book is simultaneously a social history of the era and an intimate portrait of the group. Intertwined with the personal details of the band's members and their contemporaries is the evolution of California's music industry. Told by William Schallert. 3 hours, 2 cassettes.

Customer Reviews:

Serious Beach Boys Fan? This is a MUST HAVE,.......2007-04-03

The level of detail in here is absolutely astounding and this is a fascinating book. If you enjoyed Catch A Wave read this next. It will help you understand the genius of Brian Wilson and how he evolved into the master that he is. The history of the Wilson family is so well researched that it taught modern Wilsons things about their heritage that even they didn't know. This book goes well beyond what you would expect in rock and roll non-fiction/ rock biography. This delivers a window into American history and musical history. It also gives you a window into the hearts and dreams of an American family that has become a household name because of Brian.

A Decent Book About A Gigantic Talent!.......2006-03-08

The Beach Boys and Brian Wilson made unique and wonderful music over their long and successful career. If you are interested in reading the story behind this music there are several books to choose from. This book is probably a good choice for a Beach Boys fan who wants to find out about their heroes' accomplishments without delving too deeply into the tabloid type scandals of Brian Wilson's personal life and the lives of the other Beach Boys. The best parts of this book are the critical examination and praise for the Beach Boys later albums, such as "Sunflower," which are sometimes underappreciated, and the portrayal of Brian Wilson's bravery and persistence in battling mental illness. The biggest weakness of this book is the beginning, which seems to go on forever, describing the Wilson family background. Brian Wilson isn't even born until page 64! A smaller problem is that the dysfunctional lives of the Beach Boys, especially Brian Wilson, Mike Love, and Dennis Wilson, were a big part of the story, and probably deserved more attention than this author gives in order to get an accurate portrayal of the subject.

Beach Boys- 5 stars / So. Cal Experience- 1 star.......2005-06-17

All in all a fascinating and detailed amount of interesting info on the Beach Boys marred only by side trips to the Southern California Experience. If you have no interest in geneaology you can easily skip the first 80 pages and not be at a loss. I read them but came away with not much being of interest or memorable. Also, if you have no interest in the various nuances of surfing or gas-powered vehicles you can skip over several more pages scattered throughout the book. But hey, I guess if you pay attention to the title you should know what to expect. The title certainly doesn't suggest that's it's totally devoted to only Brian and the group.

But the Brian Wilson & the Beach Boys story alone is worth the price of admission. This includes behind the scenes studio session information, lots of details on all the side musicians who filled in with the group as well as Brian's tragic descent into mental illness. A very enjoyable read even if you just skim over the peripheral material.

A Genealogist takes humbrage with comments on BB book.......2005-04-24

Timothy White is a superb writer, and he really makes one understand why did the Beach Boys become who they were. Why was Dennis such a rebel? Why was Murry so abusive? The answers are here. Brian Wilson is a genius, but his fragile nature he was not born with. The Wilsons were a poor family, and full of hard luck until the boys struck gold with rock n roll.

I am kind of angered and annoyed at the foolish people on this comment board that are annoyed that much of the book dealt with the ancestors of the Beach Boys. I am certain many of them are totally oblivious and ignorant of what genealogy is and how families, even way traced back, can influence and impact who you are today. The story of the Beach Boys is a truly American story with their roots going through NY, Ohio, KS, and finally California. Why were they in California? Why did they not stay in Hutchinson, KS? You just can't start with Murry and Audree as one needs to also study Murry's past...HIS relationship with his dad. Get a grip, genealogy hating posters!

Why not critics here study their own genealogy if they have the intellectual acumen and they will see how the past can influence the present whether they want to believe it or not. Then they will understand the reason why biographies usually have a huge section on the ancestors of a person(s).

Ambitious but uneven.......2002-06-20

If you're interested in the early 20th-century westward migration, and in the early 60's surf and car culture, the first half of this book will be useful to you. As a history of the band, however, it's spotty at best, especially post-1970: an enthusiastic track-by-track review of 1970's "Sunflower" album is followed, not by discussion of the "Carl & The Passions" and "Holland" albums (which it doesn't even mention) but a capsule history of the discovery of polyurethane skateboard wheels and the revival of that sport. If you really want to know what was on every page of a newspaper from Hutchison, Kansas, circa 1910, then you'll probably like this book.

White does seem to love the band, at least. Seek out his "How Deep Is The Ocean?" for a more satisfying read.

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