Book Description
For over a full decade Black Sabbath had dominated Heavy Metal. As much as Led Zeppelin scorned the term Black Sabbath embraced it. In an age of bona fide supergroups Sabbath were unquestionably the heaviest thing stalking the planet and quite remarkably had remained a solid unit where others around them suffered ongoing membership fall outs and line-up reincarnations. Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Ozzy Osbourne and Bill Ward had weathered internal storms just as ferocious as every other band out on the circuit but had remained resolute. They had conquered the globe, sold close to 50 million albums and without concession had not pulled back one iota from delivering absolute, pure Heavy Metal. In 1977 the unthinkable happened. Ozzy Osbourne decamped. He would be lured back for one last album 'Never Say Die' before flying solo, rapidly building a band unit that would equal the repute of the mother-ship. Between 1979 and 1997 Tony Iommi and Ozzy Osbourne were pitched against each other in a titanic struggle unprecedented in Rock n' Roll. Both stars would employ the very finest players of the genre in the conflict and produce some of the finest Heavy Metal of the generation in the process. Tony Iommi, the man who without question invented Heavy Metal, fronted up Sabbath with vocal legends such as Ronnie James Dio, Ian Gillan, Glenn Hughes and Tony Martin against Ozzy's awesome arsenal of guitar innovators Randy Rhoads, Jake E. Lee and Zakk Wylde. Both Tony Iommi and Ozzy Osbourne reinvented their bands time and time again. The huge array of elite players that travelled through the ranks is now a constant source of fascination and rumours for Sabbath fanatics. 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath: The Battle for Black Sabbath' reforges the author's two previous landmark tomes 'Ozzy Osbourne: The Story of the Ozzy Osbourne band' & 'Black Sabbath: Never Say Die!' along with additional material into this one definitive Metal milestone. Complete with over 140 images, many never seen before, and unique interviews, including with the late Ray Gillen and Cozy Powell as well as the highly controversial figure of Jeff Fenholt and mysterious Dave Donato, 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath' is the definitive account of those years (1979 to 1997) before the reunion. Exclusive interview content with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Cozy Powell, Ronnie James Dio, Ian Gillan, Glenn Hughes, Ray Gillen, Tony Martin, Geoff Nicholls, Rob Halford, Bob Daisley, Lee Kerslake, Carmine Appice, Tommy Aldridge, Neil Murray, Dave Spitz, Eric Singer, David Donato, Jeff Fenholt, Bobby Rondinelli, Rudy Sarzo, Phil Soussan, Randy Castillo, Bernie Torme, Brad Gillis, Jo Burt, Pete Way, Dana Strum, Terry Chimes, Lita Ford, Steve Vai, Don Airey, Lindsey Bridgewater, Terry Nails and many, many more. Additional details: 8 page discography appendix detailing 264 career albums and singles from Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, Dio, Bill Ward, Geezer and Tony Iommi; plus 7 page index with 694 entries. Product Dimensions: 8.25 x 11.0 inches (210 x 279 mm). Weight: approximately 1.6 lbs (0.75 kg).
Customer Reviews:
I'm simply astonished.......2007-09-17
I'm simply astonished by the sheer amount pf information contained in this book. Dont'get it wrong: this is a HUGE book, with A4 paper format, more than three hundred pages with two columns in each one. But, if you're into Black Sabbath and Ozzy, you will read it really fast.
The books gives detailed information about almost everything. It has good taste without relaying in useless gossip. This was one of most gratifying readings I've had in years. Highly recommended!
Not a literary masterpiece... but we are dealing with Sabbath here........2007-05-27
If you're looking for a comprehensive account of the comings and goings of singers and drummers during the 80's and 90's, this book is very interesting. It's extremely detailed. Much of the information seems to come from Geoff Nichols, the unheralded keyboardist (unheralded to the point where he was off the stage half the time) who was with Sabbath for more years than anyone but Tony and Geezer.
As a piece of writing, this is not the best. It tends to read like a very long high school term paper. There is little concept of flow and readability. Every incident is given equal weight no matter how important or how insignificant. It seems like the author literally took every bit of information at his disposal and put it here, leaving some situations underappreciated and some boringly overdeveloped.
As stated before, the editing and production are also pretty abysmal. I'm not trying to be overcritical here but, let's face it, this is something they want us to pay for. If this information was something I came across on a free website I would be a little more forgiving.
That being said, if you're going to buy this book you are, more likely than not, a big fan. You'll find something here to justify the purchase. Just don't expect to sit next to the fire with this one sipping chardonnay and eating bon bons to achieve literary orgasm. It's not gonna happen.
as comprehensive as it gets.......2007-02-07
Everything you wanted to know about the history of Black Sabbath..and then some.The only criticism i have is that maybe it details just a little too deeply,but a good read and i learnt some things i didn't know before.
Very Informative / Very Poorly Edited.......2007-01-16
An excellent read for the most devoted of Sabbath fans. However, this is by far the worst editing I've ever seen of any publication in my entire life! Blatant mispellings & poor grammar abound.
Nothing New Here I'm affraid! .......2006-12-24
There is nothing new here in this book that has not already been said! Why does the author find that he needs to rehash what he has already written in two previous excellent publications, and submit it as a new title?
Dissapointed reader..
Book Description
The first ever biography of New Orleans rock 'n' roll legend Fats Domino by a writer who obtained exclusive access to the reclusive singer
Rock 'n' roll defined the last half of the twentieth century, and while many think of Elvis Presley as the genre's driving force, the truth is that Fats Domino, whose records have sold more than 100 million copies, was the first to put it on the map with such hits as "Ain't That a Shame" and "Blueberry Hill."
In Blue Monday, acclaimed R&B scholar Rick Coleman draws on a multitude of new interviews with Fats Domino and many other early musical legends (among them Lloyd Price, the Clovers, Charles Brown, and members of Buddy Holly's group, the Crickets) to create a definitive biography of not just an extraordinary man but also a unique time and place: New Orleans at the birth of rock 'n' roll. Coleman's groundbreaking research makes for an immense cultural biography, the first to thoroughly explore the black roots of rock 'n' roll and its impact on civil rights in America.
A true music lovers' biography, Blue Monday, includes new revelations about the politics behind the music labels of the 1930s and 1940s, and provides a searing indictment of the great white myths of rock 'n' roll. Coleman also brings the African-American culture of New Orleans to life, and his narrative is passionate, compassionate, and authoritative. Blue Monday is the first biography to convey the full scope of Fats Domino's impact on the popular music of the twentieth century.
Customer Reviews:
We waited...and finally saw..........2007-06-14
I guess if Antoine "Fats" Domino could keep the President and First Lady waiting, then he could keep us waiting for his first biography - this is a Natural Born book about a musical genius, intriquing personality, and unassuming cultural revolutionary.
The author tells his story and includes many entertaining anecdotes about life at home and on the road with several sets of support players - the greatest names of course being Dave Bartholomew, Herb Hardesty, and Lee Allen. We get a strong picture of the smiling, "safe" rock and roller, as the often defiant man's-man. And a complex artist/showman: he could sing The Rooster Song while flashing rings to make Freddie Blassie envious.
A great bunch of previously unpublished black and white photographs from Look magazine, among other handsome prints of lesser known shots really bolster the text.
A serious ommission for the audiophiles: not even a selected discography and no sessionography. [Though there are "Notes" in the back of the book on the mysterious Broadmoor recordings, including personnale and dates!]. Of course the '50s period sessions can be found as a booklet in the Bear Family 8-CD set, and in a European book, "Jazz Records"; also in a fairly recent issue of Goldmine magazine. But Fats Domino ABC-Paramount, Mercury, Broadmoor and Reprise FD session data has never, to my knowledge, appeared in print, and what a fabulous component that would have made.
Speaking of the ABC-Paramount tracks, the author did not mention in the text a very important 4-CD set, "The Paramount Years", which included the *incredibly* rare fourth l.p. for that label, plus the 1980 "If I Get Rich" from another record company!
The idea that "The Fat Man" is the first R & R record also doesn't agree with me. Yes, the elements are there, the upbeat shuffle and bright lead vocal, but that powerful sound (and many others by Fats in that '49 to '54 period) were not *primarily* for the youth. The first discs to be produced for teenage tastes came much later. I wouldn't even include "Tutti Frutti" in that category, as it too, lyrically and instrumentally echoed an earlier, "swingin'" sound. [It was "Ready Teddy" folks which screamed out...Rock and Roll!!!].
Still, this book should be "required reading" for those dedicated followers of those Rock and Roll Hall of Famers.
Stunning research and compelling writing about one of the first great rock stars.......2007-06-07
From his first record in 1949 until his harrowing escape from Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Antoine "Fats" Domino has defined New Orleans and its culture. This book puts Fats, his city, and his music into perspective in amazing detail. In the process, Rick Coleman convincingly demonstrates that Fats and his collaborators--especially songwriter/arranger Dave Bartholomew and producer Cosimo Matassa--have as solid a claim as Elvis, Carl, and Jerry Lee with Sam Phillips in Memphis or Wolf, Muddy, and Chuck with the Chess brothers in Chicago as the prime architects of rock 'n' roll. The product of more than 20 years of exhaustive research, this is, surprisingly, the first biography of one of the greatest early rock stars. Coleman had his work cut out for him; Fats is notoriously reclusive. Nevertheless, you come away from this book admiring Fats's talent and drive, and Coleman's exhaustive research and evocative writing. All the other great Louisiana rockers are here--the bayou wild men, backwoods musical savants, and forgotten honkers, shouters, string-benders, and drum-thumpers who helped create the Crescent City sound. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to understand the real, complete history of rock 'n' roll instead of the revisionist pap that passes for such.
-Mark Hoffman, co-author of "Moanin' at Midnight: The Life and Times of Howlin' Wolf"
IT'S ABOUT TIME FATS GOT HIS DUE.......2007-03-13
Rick Coleman's new book "Blue Monday" is the first full biography of Fats Domino. Many interesting things are therein.
- Fats was the first black rock & roll star. His records made the pop charts before r&r's dawn in 1955.
- Kids did not buy albums in the 50s, but Fats' albums sold, meaning he had an adult following like Louis Armstrong's.
- Fats concerts were often scenes of teenage riots. He may be known for `Blueberry Hill,' but his fierce rolling piano ignited his audience.
- "Blueberry Hill" was the product of a botched session. Engineer Bunny Robyn edited together the best parts of several incomplete takes and simply repeated the chorus.
- The string-laden "Walkin' To New Orleans" was a big breakthrough which traditionalists lamented. But it hit R&B (#2) even higher than pop (#6).
- Roy Brown once ditched a plan to have Fats open for him on tour. Fats never forgot it, and refused to have Brown open shows for him when the tables were turned.
Of the Big Five (EP, FD, CB, JLL, LR), Fats is the least lionized because he was not a "rebel." Historians normally embrace only people with bold lifestyles.
The Fat Man From New Orleans.......2007-02-16
Boy ol Boy, Rick Coleman has written a great book on the TRUE story of Rock & Roll! I know as I was there and if you want to know what it was really like to be on the scene when true rock & roll was called race music on a juke box, Boogie Woogie and the down home blues was taking over the country then get this book and turn others on to it also. No one person was more responsible for the birth of R&R and R&B than the Fat Man! This was long before Elvis, Haley and the hand full of others came on the bandwagon. [...]
The complete Fats Domino story........2007-02-16
This book is so well documented! Rick Coleman did high quality research before writing this wonderful book about the most swinging rock 'n roller of them all.
Book Description
From the critically acclaimed, best-selling author of Holler if You Hear Me, a fresh reassessment of the remarkable life, art, struggles, and death of an American icon.
Twenty years after his murder at the hands of his own father, Marvin Gaye continues to define the hopes and shattered dreams of the Motown generation. A performer whose career spanned the history of rhythm and blues, from doo-wop to the sultriest of soul music, Gaye's artistry magnified the contradictions that defined America's coming of age in the tumultuous 1970s. In his most searching and ambitious work to date, acclaimed critic Michael Eric Dyson illuminates both Marvin Gaye's stellar achievements and stunning personal decline--and offers an unparalleled assessment of the cultural and political legacy of R&B on American culture.
Through interviews with those close to Gaye--from his musical beginnings in a black church in Washington, D.C., to his days as a "ladies' man" in Motown's stable of young singers, from the artistic heights of the landmark album What's Going On? to his struggles with addiction and domestic violence--Dyson draws an indelible portrait of the tensions that shaped contemporary urban America: economic adversity, the drug industry, racism, and the long legacy of hardship.
Published to coincide with the twentieth anniversary of Gaye's death in 1984, and infused with the soulful prose that has become Michael Eric Dyson's trademark, Mercy, Mercy Me is at once a celebration of an American icon whose work continues to inspire, and a revelatory and incisive look at how a lost generation's moods, music, and moral vision continue to resonate today.
Customer Reviews:
Worse than a root canal.......2005-05-16
I thought the Publishers Weekly review was pretty accurate. This book read like a textbook. Maybe that is because Dyson is a college humanities professor. I could only get half way through before as Popeye said That's all I can stands, I can stands no more. Now I understand why I was able to purchase this book for 84 cents.
Congrats to Prof. Michael Dyson.......2005-01-25
Michael Dyson is such a great author and activist. He really knows the ups and downs of Marvin Gaye's life. Oh that's such a blessing I think every Marvin Gaye fan should get this just b/c they wanna learn more 'bout this man. 2 me he's one of my idols I grew up 'cuz he's such an inspiration. This book tells it all from his days of sex, drugs, violence, threats between his dad, how he got involved in the resurrection of life and death and the coming side of R. Kelly's admirer of Gaye. You see Marvin never say "Give up on what u got". No he saids "Take it lightly and slowly when u dead and gone". That's why we need to check ourselves everyday to the fullest until we live this normal or martyred life. I haven't bought the book yet but I'll may go it ASAP once it's still here. This is such an interesting story from the man who did the lifetimes of Tupac Shakur, black women, black people, the culture of our nation and black music and now. Definitely recommend along w/ Mase's memoir and Miles' memoir.
For the musicologist or sociologist, but not the rest of us.......2005-01-21
Dyson has written a fascinating analysis of the life and career of the late Marvin Gaye, a book that will appeal even to readers who don't know Gaye's music all that well. That having been said, this is a weighty tome, which touches on the religious, cultural and social influences of the black community and how they shaped the singer.
For example, in examining the effect of childhood abuse on Gaye, Dyson traces the problem of domestic violence in the black family to slavery. While this is an interesting discussion, it sways quite a bit from the book's star. Some readers will find these diversions tedious.
Because Gaye's relationship with Motown founder Berry Gordy is discussed at length, anyone who has studied the studio and its music will find something of interest here. References to the black church and family will ensure this book's place in programs of African-American study. Finally, the last chapter is in large part about present-day soul star R. Kelly. Dyson's discussion of how both men merged concepts of spirituality and sexuality within their music is interesting. In short, this book is a real find for a musicologist or sociologist, but it's not a biography "for the rest of us."
Disappointment.......2004-10-22
The reason I didn't care for this book may partially be my fault--I did not realize it was an essay instead of a biography. But the rest of the reason is on this author--this book was pretty much fact-based, reasons for songs were thrown out sporadically, Tammy Terrell's name was all over the place but the beatings were danced around (and one speaker even plugged her own book--why is that even in there?) and the author went on a history lesson through Motown with other artists. The organization was terrible, there was no set subject pattern, and it was a dry read. I ended up just skimming the book after page 20.
And as big a fan as I am of R. Kelly, I did NOT want to read about HIM in a book with Marvin Gaye on the cover. It's like the author forgot who he was writing about through half the book; he starts talking about the Supremes, Gordy, R. Kelly, James Brown; stick to the man on the cover!
The Man and His Music: A Critical Analysis.......2004-08-09
Michael Eric Dyson is known for his critical analysis of such public African American figures as Martin Luther King and Tupac Shakur. He has also delighted his fans with an ode to black women in Why I Love Black Women. In this body of work, Mercy Mercy Me, he explores the arts loves and demons of Marvin Gaye, one of the greatest singers of all time. This however, is not a biography in the traditional sense of how biographies are usually constructed. While accounts of Gaye's life from birth to death are chronicled, this writing is more of an analysis of the life of a man who essentially plotted his own death. When Gaye's father pulled the trigger in April 1984, twenty years ago, ironically the gun was the one he gave his father for protection.
Marvin Gaye was a genius, born to a fanatically religious father who ruled his home and family as a dictator. He was cruel, issuing beatings for the smallest infraction to both his wife and children. While the others buckled under the heat, Marvin, the most talented, rebelled and received the lion's share of punishment. He both loved and reviled his father, who was sexually deviated, yet proclaimed to be holier than thou. Marvin was a victim of his total upbringing, a loving, beaten down-trodden mother who coddled him and a sadistic father, who withheld his love. We learn of the psychological and emotional background of his Pentecostal father, Rev. Marvin P. Gaye and of what really went on behind the scenes.
Marvin loved women; he married Berry Gordy's sister, Anna, but it was a troubled marriage complicated by their age differences and her inability to have children. Yet, a son was produced--- that was Marvin's child-- sanctioned by the Gordys who had their own code of conduct for living that did not adhere to society's acceptable rules. In Gaye, we see a tortured soul as we learn how religion, sex and race intersected and became as one in his music and his life. There were women and more women. There was Tammy Terrell and depending on whom you talk to they were lovers or they were brother and sister. Also, there was a second wife, Janice.
The album that brought Marvin Gaye into mainstream American, What's Going On, was at first rejected by Berry Gordy as too radical but it was not to be denied. With the war in Viet Nam, the civil rights and free love movements, this album spoke volumes about the world in which we lived and that Marvin embraced. His music was his life and his life was music. Through careful text, Dyson takes us through a journey of how each album came to be. Here My Dear, Trouble Man, Let's Get it On were works of labor from a genius who was in a constant state of emotional turmoil
If you are looking for a straight biography of Gaye and his life from birth to death, this is not the text. There are several biographies on the market and Dyson highly recommends a few. At times the writing was dense with scholarly criticism and clinical terminology. However, it is offset by revealing commentaries such as an excellent chapter on the comparison and contrast of Marvin Gaye and R. Kelley which this reviewer found fascinating. The similarities are surprising and alarming and quite revealing when looking into the black family and community. Additionally, critical review of African Americans' attitudes on slavery and how black women are viewed in the black community is forthright, stunning and at times shameful. This manuscript will be long remembered and studied as a tool for looking into the life of a man who was an enigma even to himself. As always, Dyson delivers in his own style.
Dera Williams
APOOO BookClub
Marcus Book Club (Oakland)
Average customer rating:
- Still Biobibliography
- William Grant Still, is one of the best composers in history
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William Grant Still: A Bio-Bibliography (Bio-Bibliographies in Music)
Judith Anne Still ,
Michael J. Dabrishus , and
Carolyn L. Quin
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
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Book Description
Presenting the life and professional career of "The Dean of Afro-American Composers," this is the first comprehensive book on the writings by and about Still, the compositions with manuscript sources, the performances of Still's works, and the reviews of those performances. It includes a touching personal reminiscence by his daughter Judith Anne. The full resources of the extensive collection known as The William Grant Still and Verna Arvey Papers at the University of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville, give this book the distinction of being the first one about Still that utilizes diaries, letters, scrapbooks, and family papers to provide information on his works and performances. Still performed, composed, and arranged in the commercial music field before he began to write orchestral works and opera. He is called the "Dean of Afro-American Composers" because of his pioneering efforts on behalf of American music and his achievements as an African American. Still was the first African American to write a symphony that was performed by a major symphony orchestra in the United States, the first to conduct a major symphony orchestra, the first to conduct a major symphony in the Deep South, the first to direct a white radio orchestra, the first to have an opera produced by a major company, and the first to have an opera televised over a national network. His career tells an important story about the development of an American style of music.
Customer Reviews:
Still Biobibliography.......2003-12-15
Carolyn Quin's biographical sketch is particularly useful. Her compilation of the musical works, major performances, and contemporary critical commentary on them is very valuable. The book is not easy to use, however. Still's musical works are listed alphabetically by title, but there is no chronological list, and the book's index does not include the music, a frustrating omission. There are no running headers, making it hard to spot the titles of works on the page. The list of Still's commercial arrangements, an area of his work that has drawn more attention in recent years, is provisional and incomplete. Dabrishus's bibliography of writings by Still and Verna Arvey (Still's second wife) does not include numerous writings by Arvey that aren't about Still. Despite its shortcomings, this book is essential for researchers on Still. I reviewed this book for *College Music Symposium* almost ten years ago; my opinion hasn't changed. Like most Greenwood titles, it's overpriced, now $20 over the original list.
William Grant Still, is one of the best composers in history.......1999-10-18
I think this book, is very wonderful. If you need some information about him, or just want to study about him this is the book for it. This BOOK is very GOOd.
Book Description
Black Sabbath are the ultimate heavy rock band. They have sold millions of albums worldwide, with ardent fans across the globe. Dave Tangye and Graham Wright were in the crew during the seventies, the bands heyday, and have the stories to prove it. For the first time they cover, in detail, the early days of the group, including a certain gig in the Scottish borders, where they were almost beaten up by the local farmers. As the Sabs rose to fame and notoriety, touring Europe, Australia and North America, delighting fans and disgusting law-abiding members of the public, incidents of bad behaviour stack up alarmingly. Full of new information, How Black Was Our Sabbath is a real Spinal Tap story, a warm, funny, poignant tribute to four mates from Birmingham who became the biggest heavy rock band in the world.The first insiders book about Black Sabbath, this is funny, revealing, and should become a rock classic like Hammer of the Gods. Sabbath are still massively popular, still record and tour. Contains rare and never-before-published photographs. The massive success of The Osbournes has created a whole new market of readers who will want to see what Ozzy was like in his pre-Sharon days (just as mad-but-endearing).
Customer Reviews:
Sabbath sucky Sabbath.......2007-06-14
This book is definitley not a must read. It talks mostly about the roadies and not the members of Black Sabbath. I would definitley pass on this one.
It's The Real Thing........2007-04-18
There seems to be quite a few publications around now relating to Black Sabbath in all their varying line-ups. I must admit I have not had chance to read them all. The main ones I have read are Gary Sharpe Young's 'Never Say Die' a fantastic account mainly of Black Sabbath after Ozzy Osbourne had made his exit, also Martin Popoffs great 'Doom Let Loose' which is penned in Popoff's own inimitable style.
But as for "How Black Was Our Sabbath; An unauthorised view from the crew", this is clearly in a different dimension altogether from all the rest, and covers the one and only original band line-up.
Here we have a couple of old school roadies, obviously not too burned out as the excesses of the 1970's that have claimed many before them.
I found the book a real eye-opener and a real page turner, in style, content, and delivery.
The book somehow transports you back to the 1960's thru to 1970's and in the reading, you get to feel and taste the sense of adventure that the band as a whole were experiencing at the time.
From their early humble beginnings, through to their sell out stadium tours. The anecdotal evidence of just what it was like in the golden age of 'ROCK'; when the now superstar icons of today were just a wild bunch of young lads, with a burning ambition to succeed and play their way out of the mundane, and the shackles of poverty.
I most certainly recommend this book, as not only a history book to Black Sabbath, but also a history book on the development of the whole genre of 'Rock Music' as we have come to know it today.
Entertainment for Sabbath fans only.......2006-11-04
This is an entertaining book,but I would mainly recommend it for Black Sabbath fans only.As it states on the cover it is unauthorized.Although there are some good early photos of the band the text is made up of personal reminiscences and therefore is not very objective.All in all,it's a good book,but just don't purchase it for the teenage Ozzy fanatic.I happen to be a major Black Sabbath fanatic in my late thirties and the reason I got this was because I want all the information that I can get on the group.I love Black Sabbath in all its incarnations and am offended by those who say that the "Ozzy years" were the best.I'm really looking forward to seeing the Ronnie James Dio line-up on the road next year.'Nuff said.
Great eye witness account. .......2006-09-20
This book grabs you and won't let go. I never found it to be boring or slow at any point. A great read for any Black Sabbath fan unless you prefer the post Ozzy years. Are there really any of you out there?
Best book available on Black Sabbath.......2006-08-18
If you're a Black Sabbath fan, this is the book you need to read. It is filled with great anecdotes. Some are hilarious, some sad, some poignant. You get a real feel for the Sabs, what the times were like, their working relationship, and, to an extent, their personal lives, though sometimes the writers, out of respect for the band members, don't go there too deeply. We find out, for example, that Tony Iommi's personal life was made difficult because the burden of creating the music came to rest more and more on his shoulders, and he necessarily had to put in extraordinary time. But what also comes out is that these guys were a band of brothers. Everyone played an important role. Ozzy was the showman and, while all of the guys were cut-ups, Ozzy was the master. Geezer was the imagination. His lyrics made Sabbath Sabbath, and he was and is a tremendous musician. Bill was the heart of the group, with his drumbeat but especially because he was and is such a decent guy. He would frequently call on everyone involved with the band when they weren't touring just to check up on them to be sure all was well. Lots more. This is THE book for Sab fans. The couple of others I've read were poorly written and told you next to nothing about the band. This is a straightforward narrative. You'll laugh, feel a great fondness for the band, and wish you could be transported back in time to the early to mid 70s so that you could watch a Sabbath concert with a backstage pass and then party with the band afterward.
Book Description
R.E.M. has produced some of the most consistently fascinating, successful and honest music of the past 20+ years, combining lyrical and musical experimentation in ways that nonetheless are accessible to the mainstream rock audience. Drawing upon first-hand interviews with band members and insiders, Reveal is a biographical exploration of the work and life of this seminal band. With a focus on the music and how it evolves from the personalities within the group, this book provides new insights into R.E.M.'s creative process. 7-1/4 x 9-1/4, 272 pages
Customer Reviews:
Good Leisurely Read.......2007-01-10
I was pleasantly surprised at how conversational & easy this book was. Black provides a relaxed story-telling w/ occasional personal attitudes towards what the band has to say/do.
What is refreshing is that, unlike other writers, he doesn't just fawn over the band and agree with whatever they have to say or do. Occasionally, he'll disagree or throw a contrary opinion in there worth considering.
I give it a B+. Insightful, yet fun and light. Great coffee-table book
Incredible (almost) flawless R.E.M. biography. .......2004-12-27
I received this book as a gift for Christmas. To let you get a perspective on my review, I've been an R.E.M. fan for over 10 years and own every cd they've ever put out, and am generally obcessive when it comes to them. I've read all the previous books before that were mainly published when R.E.M. was in their heyday of Losing My Religion. I've even reviewed them, and found them to be full of misinformation, hearsay, etc. (Writing a bad review on one book even earned me a nasty email from the author!! lol)
But I digress. This book was incredible. It was well thought out and planned. It was completely linear - it only deviated from the timeline in the introduction to the book. Black approached writing this book as one would an academic research paper. He researched, researched, researched, and in his works sited he gave all credits where it was rightly due. I found out much I didn't know about R.E.M. in the early days. The great thing about this book is it's really recent, it goes up to right before Around the Sun came out, and addresses R.E.M.'s political leanings this year against the Iraq War.
I hate to use a overused cliche, but I couldn't put this book down all day. I had to read all through it. If you are a die hard R.E.M. fan, or know one, pick up this book as it's the definitive R.E.M. biography out there!!!
PS - The one flaw in the book is one picture was credited as being from "Out of Time" when it was clearly from the "Monster" era. But that's it!! Good stuff!
Book Description
Bob Marley was a reggae superstar, a musical prophet who brought the sound of the Third World to the entire globe. Before the Legend: The Rise of Bob Marley goes beyond the myth of Marley to bring you the private side of a man few people ever really knew. Drawing from original interviews with the people closest to Marley – including his widow, Rita, his mother, Cedella, his band mate and childhood friend, Bunny Wailer, his producer Chris Blackwell, and many others –– Legend paints an entirely fresh picture of one of the most enduring musical artists of our times.
Customer Reviews:
DON'T DO IT!!!!!!.......2007-06-14
Do not, I REPEAT, Do NOT waste your time or MONEY on this so-called book.
This man knows nothing about Bob, Rasta, OR BLACK CULTURE. It's an insult
to us who are Rasta, Jamaican and fed up with Americans USING Bob for their gain. This is why true Rasta, only reason and Follow Jah. We not
on their path to glory fame money.
One day a voice will emerge chosen by Bob himself to speak the REAL TRUTH,
and that will become the true story.
Too much SAID, not enough WISDOM Foolish man, soon find hiself wit other
fools. Now, I waste my time no more.
Bob trust nobody: we tired of this. Jah bring Truth.
Disappointing and unimaginitive.......2007-01-05
Initially, I was excited to read "Before the Legend" after I saw Mr. Farley promoting it at the Harlem Book Fair. Upon finishing the book (which was an arduous task for its mere 204 pages), however, I was extremely disappointed and regretted both the effort and the $15. Admittedly, I had never read anything written by Farley before but was aware that he had been a music critic and editor for Time magazine. According to the back insert of the book, he currently works as an editor for the Wall Street Journal. In my estimation, he should stick to editing because he is a very poor and unimaginative writer.
Firstly, I am a Bob Marley fan and truly believe that he is, undoubtedly, a LEGEND. Bob Nesta Marley lived an extraordinary and fascinating life. Sadly, Mr. Farley's writing is not congruent with this. This is either because he is a poor writer or was not inspired by the subject matter (the latter I find hard to believe because Farley was born in Kingston). His attempts at creativity are sometimes just plain silly: "The music was as lean and hungry as a roadside goat" (139). Other times his cliffhangers come off boring and trite: "The reggae singer Bob Marley would die at age twenty-seven, but he would be reborn--as a rockstar" (184). I purchased the book because I thought the concept was novel. Many books have been written about Marley, but most fail to examine his life before he made it big. I must credit Farley with some of the research and interviews he conducted concerning Marley's youth, as I learned a few new tidbits. Also of interest was the section devoted to Marley's conversion and involvement in the Rastafari movement. Rastafarianism has always fascinated me and, although I learned nothing new about the religion, the section devoted to Bob and Rita Marley's spirituality is interesting.
I can only recommend this book if you are a true Bob Marley fanatic and are looking to either learn anything new you can (which isn't much in this book) or to add it to your collection. If you are the casual fan, however, there are better biographies out there. The author's writing style is too boring and unimaginitive and will fail to impress most readers.
HE IS TRUE!!!.......2006-12-03
THE WHOLE BOOK IS ALL WHAT INSPIRES ME.
BOB MARLEY IS ONE OF THE GREATEST LEGENDS IN THE WORLD
AND HE STILL LIVES AS I'M CONCERN.
CHRISTOPHER JOHN FARLEY,THANK YOU FOR TAKING ME CLOSER
TO HIM MORE AND MORE THROUGH YOUR WONDERFUL WRITINGS.
I HAVE BEEN HAVING THIS BOOK SINCE THE RELEASE DAY AND
I NEVER THOUGHT OF DOING THE REVIEW.BUT NOW IS THE TIME.
I ENJOY EVERY PAGE OF THIS BOOK AND IT'S REALLY AMAZING
HOW A WRITER CAN TOUCH MY HEART THIS FAR.
I'M MUCH MORE MOVED BY MUSIC BUT I NEVER THOUGHT FOR A
SECOND A BOOK COULD WORK ME TOO.HE REIGNS FOREVER AND BOB
MARLEY WILL ALWAYS STAY MY NUMBER 1(#1) OF ALL TIMES.
KEEP WRITING AND DOING YOUR THING CHRISTOPHER...
JAH BLESS!
Great read about Marley before "Exodus".......2006-08-22
I got wind of this book when an excerpt was published in - of all places - the Wall Street Journal. It turns out the author, Christopher John Farley, is an editor at the Journal, which probably explains how it ended up being excerpted there.
Bob Marley is really the great popularizer of Reggae in Europe and the U.S., going back to the late 70's and early 80's. He was the rage when I lived in Jamaica from 1977 to 1979. His album "Exodus" was a hit at the time.
Marley died in 1982 of brain cancer, at the age of 37. The cancer may have been induced by the vast volume of ganja (that's marijuana) he ingested in the form of giant spliffs in the prior 15 or 20 years.
Since his death, his popularity has grown exponentially. The album "Legend", kind of a "Bob Marley and the Wailers" greatest hits album is one of the all time bestsellers worldwide. And "Exodus" was named the "album of the century" by Time Magazine.
In fact, the book is very good, very enjoyable. It takes you from Marley's birth in 1945, discusses his family, the fact that his mother was black but his father was mostly white, his life as a poor boy in Kingston, and his musical aspirations. The author Farley was born in Kingston himself but raised in upstate NY and attended Harvard. He interviewed all the major people who are still living and knew Marley well. And there is an extensive bibliography.
There's a whole heap of stuff about Jamaican culture, about the influence of slavery on the culture, and the author paints a nuanced picture of life in Jamaica in the 50's and 60's.
Marley was very much a man of his culture. A sincere Rastafarian, married at 21, at least seven children by four different women. Able to survive by his wits in a culture where many of the artists and producers carried guns as a matter of course.
Marley spent a good deal of time in the U.S. In fact he was a member of the UAW! He worked for several years in Delaware in a car parts factory. This all before the big breakthrough in 1972, when he produced on Island Records (through Chris Blackwell - Island Records was a British label) his first big album, "Catch a Fire".
So the book is a fine looking glass into Jamaica, it's culture, and the group, Bob Marley and the Wailers. There were a number of people who moved in and out of the Wailers, but the two who were there the whole time were Peter Tosh (shot dead in his own house in 1987) and Bunny Wailer who is still making music in Jamaica.
The book inspired me to get an early album of the Wailers. A collection of ten of their early songs, the "Millenium Edition". Good, but a rough album, in the sense that the songs were all produced in Jamaica, without exactly state of the art production facilities. More importantly, they lack the rock influence, which was probably crucial to driving their popularity overseas. I also got another copy of "Reggae Bloodlines" a great book from the late 70's - great text, great pictures - off Amazon, second hand. I am surprised this book wasn't in Mr. Farley's excellent bibliography.
Brigid and I are fans of Marley. In April 2005, while visiting Jamaica, we stopped in the tiny village of Nine Miles to see where Marley was born. We were on our way from Runaway Bay on the north coast to the town of Mandeville where we had met and been married in 1979.
There's a museum and a kind of shrine there, where he is buried. We didn't go in but simply had a look in the gift shop and chatted to the museum "guides." It's an interesting trip if you want more out of Jamaica then just beaches and Red Stripe beer.
The beginning of a legend.......2006-07-14
As the title states this book is primarily about the early days and beginning of Bob Marley's musical career. Fans of Marley know most of this information already but it's still enjoyable to read.
The book starts with Bob being born in the country and his eventual relocation to Trenchtown. We read about his family roots and how he came to be interested in music with his friends. Eventually he formed the Wailers with them.
Some of the more fascinating information in the book is the revealing of Bob and the Wailer's early struggles. They recorded over 200 songs and toiled in the music industry for 10 years before they finally got their big break with Catch a Fire. Prior to this they were continually denied getting paid what they deserved by record producers and were broke most of the time. Another area that is captivating is Farley's account of the history of reggae and even its influence on rap.
For those of you interested in the spiritual side of Marley there is discussion of Rastafarianism. After all, you can't really separate Bob and his spiritual aspects from his music.
Overall, this book is pretty brief at just over 200 pages and I found a few aspects disappointing. I was a little disappointed at the abrupt ending of the book. I felt that I was reading about the development of Bob's career, his life, and his message up till Catch a Fire and boom the book was over. Obviously, the book is about the rise of Bob and not his whole life but it seemed like the author was under time constraints and had to just finish in a hurried fashion. Christopher Farley has writing ability and you can tell his Harvard education comes into play. However, with this writing skill, why not expand it and give us more to chew on?
Despite the few minor setbacks this book has, as a music fan you'll enjoy it. Not only do you get to read some about the history of reggae and Jamaica but you also get to read about one of the most influential artists of all time. Some would even argue one of the greatest men of the 20th century. You can never go wrong there.
Average customer rating:
- Short on prose, big on content.
- Henry doth whine too much!
- Henry brings you the world.
- Reality Check
- That One Observation
|
Smile, You're Traveling (Black Coffee Blues Part 3)
Henry Rollins
Manufacturer: 2.13.61
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Similar Items:
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Do I Come Here Often? (Black Coffee Blues, Pt. 2)
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Black Coffee Blues (Rollins, Henry)
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Solipsist (Rollins, Henry)
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Roomanitarian
ASIN: 1880985691
Release Date: 2000-10-01 |
Book Description
Henry Rollins's thought-provoking pieces about the life and times of a world-traveling entertainer are always intense and often humorous. In this book he chronicles a year spent rehearsing, recording, and touring for the Rollins Band's last-ever album, Come in and Burn, and shares travel stories from his trip around the world.
Customer Reviews:
Short on prose, big on content........2007-02-11
Rollins could learn a few things from some English classes. He may be a weak writer technicaly, but he's strong on content and character. His words are not poetic or even well arranged, but the overall impact of his related experiences is quite profound and often moving. I find his lack of detail and poor sense of pacing to be frustrating, but he has the rare ability to make his stories your own as only an everyman can. "I listened to some of it and it was pretty great and he asked me if I would like to sing on a track. I heard this one track that was intense as hell and asked him if I could work out on that one." (12) "I got back here just tripping on the awesomeness of this day." (13) Rollins has produced a massive amount of work very similar to this. For that reason, he will forever remain an Alternative Icon and will probably never reach mainstream literary success. This shouldn't stop most readers from learning from his trials and tribulations. The world will always need a Rollins; A lonely man who chooses to relate to us his view of the world so that we may sharpen our own.
Henry doth whine too much!.......2006-07-25
I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Smile You're Traveling"(particularly the Appendix), and I love Rollins and his work, but I can't help but gripe a bit about what he has written here overall. Sometimes, especially towards the end of the Appendix as he details his trip to Bankok, Thailand, he just sounds like such a typical spoiled-rotten American CHILD! That's right, I said it: Rollins sounded just like a spoiled brat. It was more or less like, "Oh, Bankok is such a stinkhole! It's fascinating and all but I'm just bored and I want OUTTA here!! I wanna go see the next thing, I'm just so TIRED and BORED of seeing these pathetic people living in squalor! Next!" All Rollins does throughout the book is complain about the living conditions of the people in various poor countries, but not once has he even considered the possibility of using his popularity and influence to try and make at least a small difference. Which brings me to his snapping on Bono: Now I'm not a big fan of U2 either, but I do admire the extensive humanitarian work that Bono has done in Africa. Yet Bono is the favored target of Rollins' barbs, but what the hell is Rollins doing? At least Bono is doing something; all Rollins does is whine and COMPLAIN,COMPLAIN,COMPLAIN. What's up with that, Rollins?
And then there is the depression. When you read his journal entries about the extensive bouts with loneliness and depression, you just feel so bad for him, not only because he struggles so hard with these things, but because the answers he seeks on how to deal with it is right in front of him. It's like you just want to smack him one and then give him a big hug and tell him it's going to be alright, that is, with the help of a therapist or counselor. I'm serious. Another thing: the subject of wife and kids. Now, I actually agree for the most part about what Rollins says about being a loner, that you get more things done, that certain things take on such profound meaning when you and ONLY you are there to revel in said things. His experience in Madagascar, for one, under the moon and stars. Of course such instances wouldn't be the same if he were sharing that experience with someone else. It wouldn't have had the same impact. Now with that said, I find it rather striking how Rollins reiterates, over and over, how he will never ever ever bother with having a wife and/or kids. His reasons are flimsy at best. Not that I blame him overall, a spouse and kids are rather cumbersome, but still, here is my observation: if Rollins was SO adamant about that, he wouldn't feel the need to keep stressing it. You can't help but think to yourself, "Just who are you trying to convince, Henry?"
All in all, it's a good book. It has the unique effect of putting you in this man's head and seeing the world through his eyes. I would highly recommend it to someone who's ever thought about ditching his/her job to do what he/she really wants to do in life, or at the very least, to someone who is seriously considering(or planning)extensive world travel, as I am. I actually hope to meet Rollins someday; perhaps we may cross paths while I'm on my own travels.
Henry brings you the world........2004-01-07
It's funny how people in the western world have become so thoroughly accustomed to fakes. People without the mental energy to take that small leap to reality are shocked that they've actually purchased a book off the modern shelves written by someone willing to be completely human in his prose. Readers not smart enough to realize how attuned they've become to charlatans whine that there are "contradictions," even "hypocrisies" in the text. Almost every other nonfiction book about a person's life or actions, biographical or autobiographical, provides a one-dimensional, public-validated, fake version of the subject. So a REAL human comes off as "contradictory" for those who can't escape their media training.
How would those critics hold up if they were to keep a journal and be completely, brutally honest about what they were feeling and how they saw the world? There would be much LESS consistency than in Henry's fantastic books about seeing places that most of his readers will never get to see. Humans feel both good and bad. Yin and yang, babydoll. I'd highly suspect anyone trying to come off real who DOESN'T display a few double standards. That's the way we all are. I sure am -- and so are you. Awesome days alternate with utter travesties. Henry pulls no punches, and he doesn't lie to his journal. It's addictive, fascinating, warm, funny and galvanizing to read about where our collective friend has been and what he thinks. He happens to be superintelligent and he has a perspective based on experiences at the top of the mountain alternating with being burnt in the lava inside the cone.
No hypocrisies...just a human being, willing to let it all hang out and show his readers why they should realize, every day, that they're ALIVE.
Thanks again, Henry. For everything. For the fantastic books, for the wonderful Black Flag tribute album in support of the WM3, for all the hard work you do. It's inspiring and exactly what some of these feeble minds need.
ALSO RECOMMENDED: Broken Summers by HR.
Reality Check.......2003-08-17
In his third installment of the Black Coffee Blues series (Black Coffee Blues and Do I come here Often?) Our favorite American boy (Henry Rollins) uses frequent flyer miles to visit Africa after his stay in England to see a reunited Black Sabbath.
"I WAS A SPAZ" quotes Rollins.
His journal entries on the serenity of Africa will make you envision what he saw on his journey.
His use of language to describe everything is excellent.
A must have series for anyone that has an intellect.
Simply amazing.
That One Observation.......2003-07-04
I am beginning to wonder if a fan of Henry Rollins can give an objective review of his work. Like Rollins himself, his fans seem to portray an intensity that leaves them blind to their idol. I learned quite a bit by reading this book. I learned that Rollins plagues me. It isn't the volumes of contradictions and ridiculousness that bother me. It is that one stinging observation, the one that makes me stop and realize his vision and clarity, that makes me insane. Many times while reading this book I found myself wanting to drive to LA, find Rollins, grab his shoulders and shake him. I wanted more, yet I couldn't take it. I finished this book rather quickly, and I have been contemplating since then whether or not to start another of his books. As it is, I sit and watch VH-1 countdowns and say to the television, "where is Rollins' commentary?". I check his website like a silly obsessed groupie. I don't know that I can call this an enjoyable book. It is tolerable, at best. And anyone who thinks about reading it should make sure they are ready to commit to the long haul. Henry Rollins has a way of attaching himself to your synapses, leaving you not knowing if you love or hate him.
Book Description
Black Gold: The Lost Archives of Jimi Hendrix is the first comprehensive biography to authenticate the lost sessions, previously unknown recorded collaborations, and rare film/video documents of one of the most innovative and influential rock guitarists in music history. Hendrix's life is celebrated through exclusive interviews with people who knew him well, including his father, Al Hendrix, musicians Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin, his lover and close companion Kathy Etchingham, and many others. Author Steven Roby sifts through a wealth of unreleased and commercially unavailable studio, live, and home recordings to chronicle every stage of Jimi Hendrix's legendary career. In each instance, he tells the reader whether the event was documented and if it is available. In several tragic instances, the recordings are lost forever. Black Gold is the first book to offer a comprehensive analysis of Hendrix's unfinished album, First Ray of the New Rising Sun. Three attempts have been made so far to "finish" it, and the author explains why none have succeeded. The book also explores Hendrix's journeys into jazz with Miles Davis, John McLaughlin, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk; his excursions into blues with B. B. King, Johnny Winter, and Buddy Guy; and his backing of early rap pioneers The Last Poets. Black Gold features a foreword by Noel Redding, Hendrix's bass player from 1966 to 1969, as well as 45 photos, including several rare and never-before-published shots.
Customer Reviews:
For Hendrix Completists.......2007-06-07
Hendrix left behind thousands of reels of tape containing hundreds of hours of music, much of it never made widely available. This book details all that mass of material and exposes just how much more Hendrix exists than his handful of commercial releases. Little, it appears, ever went unrecorded, though the author chronicles those lost items with great regret. Hendrix is now mythological, and this book only increases his legend by whetting the appetite for more 'new' Jimi that will surely come sooner or later, now that the estate of Hendrix is in charge of his music. Had he lived, it seems likely that Hendrix would have entered a jazz period. If he were alive today, who knows what he'd be playing? Most likely, he'd be more like the drug addled Sly Stone than the lifelong creative artist that Miles Davis was until he died. Still, in his brief 27 years, Hendrix changed music, as this book makes clear.
Excellent balance of facts and history.......2006-12-20
Admittedly, this book will appeal to the Hendrix-ophile more than the casual reader. However, Roby weaves a good thread of history and minutiae that will capture the interest of the casual Hendrix listener as well. Since the book was published, a lot of the "lost" material has been officially released. However, there is a wealth of video and audio that even the most ardent collectors have not seen or heard. (Experience Hendrix possesses some but not all of this un-bootlegged material and will probably release it in dribs and drabs for the next decade or so, consider this: a large armored truck was used in the 70's to transport all of the hundreds of reels of Hendrix material) Roby does neglect covering the Douglas/Hendrix period with the same level of archivists detail. What about all the sessions set up with Tony Williams, Mother Hen/Dave Holland, the apartment jam w/Miles Davis? There is still much entombed in vaults and will be for decades to come. Roby's book scratches the surface but I think as time passes more and more evidence will confirm the importance of Hendrix to pop music and music in general.
Excellent for the music-lover.......2005-09-24
Maybe 'Electric Gypsy' from Glebbeek is the ultimate biography , this however is more into Jimi's MUSICAL legacy.Full of detail and if you pick this up , you won't regret it...
Getting to the Heart of the Matter.......2003-09-08
Steven Roby has written a masterful account of Jimi Hendrix's recorded legacy. Black Gold is an essential resource for the dedicated Hendrix collector, and is also a great read that would interest anyone who loves Jimi's music. It is the difinitive history of one of rock's leading legends, delving deeply into the recordings he made, and into the man himself. By including quotes made by Jimi and his peers, Roby's unique perspective has illuminated aspects of Jimi's musical life that had previously been shrouded in darkness and shadow.
Roby presented himself with a nearly impossible task, which required talking to musicians, associates, friends and family about the past, then attempting to separate myth from fact when discrepancies arose. It may not be possible to uncover the whole truth, but Black Gold cuts two or three layers deeper into Hendrix's recordings and claims about it, than any previous account.
an essential Jimi read.......2002-10-03
Ever wonder who jammed with who? This book helps you to find out. This book both a comprehensive list of all recordings of Jimi and his band, as well as an intimate look at the lifestyle of one of America's greatest musicians. I skipped over a lot of the lists and dove into the narratives that told stories of Jimi jamming with Janis Joplin, Eric Clapton (Jimi is supposedly the only guitarist to ever play Clapton off-stage), The Who and many other greats. What I enjoyed most about the book was the details about Jimi learning to play the guitar and his first gigs. Jimi is a musician that stayed true to his roots and his own unique style.
I only gave this book 3 stars because, unless you know absolutely nothing about Jimi Hendrix or some of the other musicians in the book, much of what you read you are likely to already know. Redding included many well known anecdotes as filler for his archival list, which is admirably constructed and researched. The only problem is, is that much of what is on the list is unavailable to the public.
Still, if you're a Jimi fan, you have to read it. After all, it's a book about Jimi.
Book Description
In 1919, the world stood at the threshold of the Jazz Age. The man who had ushered it there, however, lay murdered--and would soon plunge from international fame to historical obscurity. It was a fate few would have predicted for James Reese Europe; he was then at the pinnacle of his career as a composer, conductor, and organizer in the black community, with the promise of even greater heights to come. "People don't realize yet today what we lost when we lost Jim Europe," said pianist Eubie Blake. "He was the savior of Negro musicians...in a class with Booker T. Washington and Martin Luther King." In A Life in Ragtime, Reid Badger brilliantly captures the fascinating life of James Reese Europe, tracing a critical chapter in the emergence of jazz through one man's remarkable odyssey. After an early start in Washington, Europe found his fame in New York, the entertainment capital of turn-of-the-century America. In the decade before the First World War, he emerged as an acknowledged leader in African-American musical theater, both as a conductor and an astonishingly prolific composer. Badger reveals a man of tremendous depths and ambitions, constantly aspiring to win recognition for black musicians and wider acceptance for their music. He toiled constantly, working on benefit concerts, joining hands with W.E.B. Du Bois, and helping to found a black music school--all the while winning commercial and critical success with his chosen art. In 1910, he helped create the Clef Club, making it the premiere African-American musical organization in the country during his presidency. Every year from 1912 to 1914, Europe led the Clef Club orchestra in triumphant concerts at Carnegie Hall, winning new respectability and popularity for ragtime. He went on to a tremendously successful collaboration with Vernon and Irene Castle, the international stars who made social dancing a world-wide rage. Along the way, Europe helped to revolutionize American music--and Badger provides fascinating details of his innovations and wide influence. In World War I, the musical pioneer won new fame as the first African-American officer to lead men into combat in that conflict--but he was best known as band leader for the all-black 15th Infantry Regiment. As the "Hellfighters" of the 15th racked up successes on the battlefield, Europe's band took France by storm with the new sounds of jazz. In 1919, the soldiers returned to New York in triumph, and Europe was the toast of the city. Then, just a few months later, he was dead--stabbed to death by a drummer in his own orchestra. From humble beginnings to tragic end, the story of Jim Europe comes alive in Reid Badger's account. Weaving in the wider story of our changing culture, music, and racial conflict, Badger deftly captures the turbulent, promising age of ragtime, and the drama of a triumphant life cut short.
Customer Reviews:
Jim Europe, The Founder of the International Jazz Movement.......2000-02-23
In a true sense of the word pioneer James Reese Europe, brought the only true American Art form to continental europe in the early part of the twentieth century. Reid Badger has captured the essence of a time in history that brought jazz and the cultural attitudes of black America to the international scene.
The very detailed text is a wonderful read, that gives you a sense of the push and pull of being an American Black living in the early 1900's. The book reads as if it were an adventure tale with all the action one could wish for.
The author has done a wonderful job of putting together facts and photos in a fast moving easy to understand academic work. His understanding of the contribution that Europe made to the growth of Jazz is clear and compeling. The details of the stature of the man that was Jim Europe reveals his human and sometimes non perfect personality.
Of particular interest to all should be his tenure as the Band Master of the famous 369th Infantry "Hell-Fighters" band during WWI in Europe.
This a must read for any student of jazz or military history and all who read about contributions to African-American society.
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