Book Description
A fully updated and revised edition of the classic album-by-album, song-by-song study of the Beatles.
A unique combination of musical analysis and cultural history, Tell Me Why stands alone among Beatles books with its single-minded focus on the most important aspect of the band: its music. Riley offers a new, deeper understanding of the Beatles by closely considering each song and album they recorded in an exploration as rigorous as it is soulful. He tirelessly sifts through the Beatles discography, making clear that the legendary four were more than mere teen idols: they were brilliant innovators who mastered an extremely detailed art. Since the first publication of Tell Me Why in 1988, new primary source material has appeared--Paul McCartney's authorized biography, the Anthology CDs and videos, the complete Parlophone-sequenced albums on CD, the Live at the BBC sessions, and the global smash 1. Riley incorporates all the new material in an update that makes this a crucial book for Beatles fans.
Customer Reviews:
Getting the Beat out of the Beatles.......2007-05-03
I did not like the Beatles when I first heard them in high school, but by the time Sgt. Pepper came out, I had matured enough to discover that they were a very special phenomenon. Now there are so many books about them that it is hard to know what to read to get the best sense of their contribution to music. I recommend Tim Riley's book for that purpose. The best thing about this book is that it will increase your sensitivity to the Beatles creative art as you listen to their songs. If you pay attention, you will be able to hear the way Paul brings the bass in to support the lead guitar or to counter the drums. You can hear how Ringo changes the beat in accord with what the song is trying to convey, and you have a better sense of how the words and music work together.
As other reviewers have noted, it does require some knowledge of music, notably chord theory, to understand some of the details, I do not think it is entirely necessary. I know just enough about chords to understand major and minor changes and what they mean to the music, but I get lost when he goes into descriptions of the tonic and dominant. You will also need to know a lot about percussion, because he refers not generally to Ringo's drumming, but to what he is using (high hats, tom-toms, snare, etc.). It is clear from this book that Ringo contributed more to the group than he is usually credited with doing. He is the one, according to Riley, who was able to subdue his ego and try to keep everything together with his beat and ability to complement everyone else.
Riley likes John Lennon the best and tends to favor whatever Lennon did, albeit not uncritically. He gives Paul a rougher time, putting down any song that lacks an edge or an angle as another "silly love song" unless it rises to the level of a standard such as "Yesterday." Unlike other reviewers, I did not find his analysis of George Harrison's contribution to be all that insulting, but I do think he understated Harrison's contributions as a forward looking instrumentalist. Riley has a low opinion of the vocal abilities of both Starr and Harrison, but it is true that both (and a lot of other singers) suffer in comparison to both Lennon and McCartney, whose vocalizing was overshadowed by their composing talent.
You also need to understand that he is writing his opinions of the meanings of the lyrics and the reasons the Beatles did certain things musically. His bias shows clearly. He admires the group and his disappoint over some of their less than stellar creations is palpable. It is a very high standard that they set for themselves and, although Riley acknowledges the timeless nature of their best work, he is scathing in his criticism of their more mediocre efforts. Bruce Greenfield's review is correct in saying that Riley pontificates a bit too much. I also found it irritating that he claims to know exactly what the lads were trying to do with each note and word. Again, these are only Riley's opinions. Another problem I had with that is that he goes into great detail on the songs he likes and admires, but if a song does not measure up to that, he will give it a sentence or two, dismissively.
I found value in the book from his ability to explain some of the innovations the Beatles developed from the very beginning of their career. A few of these are almost common knowledge to rock fans, such as the use of feedback at the start of "I Feel Fine" to George Harrison's introduction of the sitahr. There are some very good insights that never occurred to me, though. Riley points out that the lyrics to "She Loves You" break new ground in that although it is sung in the first person, the singer is speaking to a friend rather than to the listener. Their music conveys a sense of excitement and joy in carrying this good news. Another example is from McCartney's bridge in "Day in the Life," which is marked by a quicker sharper beat from Ringo. Riley notes that this beat evokes the "corporate precision" of every day life, but notes that while this may seem like waking from Lennon's nightmare verses, it becomes hard to tell who is singing about the real nightmare.
You really have to listen to the song while reading the book and even then, it is often hard to hear what Riley is writing about. He devotes a lot of words to explaining how different sounds come from the right, left or center in stereo, but I found it hard to detect these even after numerous playing. Perhaps, as others have pointed out, it is very hard to hear without the 1982 masters.
Riley uses the albums that were originally issued on Parlophone and neither the US Capitol releases (which were a greedy manipulation of the buying public while sacrificing the art of the Beatles created in sequencing the songs) nor CDs. Younger readers will have difficulty relating to his idea of endings and beginnings of vinyl sides, which CDs have rendered meaningless.
In the second edition, Riley gives a bow to Mark Lewisohn's book "The Beatles Recording Sessions," which is a description based on Lewisohn's hearing of all of the Beatle's master tapes. This book has its own insights and I would recommend it as a less harsh book than this one. Riley did not have the use of Lewisohn's book in writing "Tell Me Why," and it is clear that he would have benefited from it. The two authors disagree on a number of points so it would is useful to have the balance of their opposing views.
A Celebration of The Beatles' Music........2007-04-05
I loved this book. I don't know why so many people seemed to have a problem with it. Tim Riley is a knowledgable music critic,schooled in musical theory and an expert on classical music. He also absolutely adores the Beatles' music. With very few exceptions,he loves everything they ever did and tells,in great detail exactly what it was musically,that made them so special. Each and every song from Love Me Do to Let it Be,just like the title says,album by album, song by song. Actually,my love of the Beatles' music is a viceral thing. From the moment I first heard the opening chords of I Want to Hold Your Hand,this music seemed to enter my blood stream. I still get the same feeling whenever I listen to certain favorite songs,or hear their voices in harmony. But I never understood it in musical theory terms. The chord progressions, changes from major to minor chords in the same song, this had never been done before in pop music, only classical,until the Beatles. This is what excited everybody about their music but only other musicians can describe it accurately. Us lay people just think, "that song makes me cry" or "wow, I've never heard anything like this before". Riley dissects each song,practically note by note,every guitar lick,bass line, and drum fill. He particularly loves Rubber Soul and Revolver sighting them as two of the greatest albums of all time. He also loves Please Please Me, With the Beatles, and A Hard Day's Night. So he doesn't just give their later music a lot of acclaim,which would have been annoying. He feels that all of these albums were important, along with Abbey Road and the White Album. He describes them in a way that makes you think of them as little works of art. Each one pivotal and ground breaking in their own unique way. He also describes why each Beatle was wonderful and essential to the greatness of each song and album. He never lets you forget that they were an ensemble. He worships John and Paul's singing, calling McCartney's voice, "peerless". He details their songwriting and George's. He talks about how BOTH Lennon and McCartney were melodists, not only McCartney. He points out Paul's melodic,inventive bass lines,George and John's brilliant guitar work (not just George's like other books have). And he loves Ringo,calling his drumming underrated, because it was. He goes into so much detail about Ringo's drumming that it made me sit up and take notice of it also. Listen to 'Rain' and 'Ticket to Ride' and Ringo's live drumming, which he also loves. He dissects the Live at the BBC cds, and after reading that long section,I've begun to listen to all the things he hears on them. I see what a great live band they were. This book made me listen to their music from a fresh perspective, and I realize that I never really HEARD their music until now. There is so much going on, on their records. So much to listen to. While reading this book you need to have a cd player handy and a good pair of head phones with a bass booster. You need to be able to hear what he's talking about. In this new edition there is a section added which details the 3 Antology CDs, Live at the BBC,and others that have been released since the first edition of this book came out, in 1988.There is also a section on the solo records. You don't have to be a musician to enjoy this book either. You just have to be a fan of Beatle music.
Beatle Theory.......2007-02-13
I love this book. The author's trenchant, insightful analysis of the Beatles' music is nothing short of scholarly. He brilliantly discusses what the Beatles used to create their own unique sound. Fans will no doubt love and appreciate the Beatles all the more.
Tim Riley's research into the background of each Beatle is accurate and well done. He piques readers' interest in the group all the more by making them more aware of the influences that led them to create the songs they did.
This book is one musicians, guitarists in particular will love. Readers are treated to discussions of chord progressions so as to play Beatle songs the Beatles' way.
Very Enjoyable Book.......2006-09-22
I enjoyed this book immensely. I appreciated the song-by-song analysis from someone who obviously is a true scholar of music -- his articulation of what were the ingredients that went into making the Beatles' music so great truly enhanced my appreciation of them.
His knowledge of biographical and historical information -- such priceless vignettes as John's gleeful enjoyment of an obscure, chaotic Side B by a one-hit wonder group -- puts their music in a wider context, further deepening our understanding of how their music developed.
I dabble in music theory so I did appreciate the technical aspects of the book, such as getting into chord progression and such. I read this book many times -- it has provided me with many enjoyable hours.
Not for the Casual Fan or Non-Musician.......2005-12-31
"Tell Me Why" is a good look at the Beatles for what they are remembered for: the music. Long after all the gossip and backbiting and innuendos are forgotten, that is all that remains. And if you are a casual fan and only have "Tell Me Why" to guide you, I wish you the best luck in the world.
Tim Riley is a professional music critic, which means apparently that he thinks his audience will understand every musical notation cited in the text. If you really love discussing the difference between G chords and A chords, this will make your day. But for the rest of us, it's a bit much at times.
To be fair, though, if you get through the musician-speak without beating your head against the wall, you'll find that the book does a fairly fantastic job of getting at the heart of the music. By eschewing flowery discussions of the Beatles' history and concentrating on the music itself, Riley ends up creating a look at the creative process rarely dissected with such skill.
Riley has his opinions and isn't afraid to state them, especially in regards to what he considers the "fallow" period of late 1967 (after the release of the much-hyped Sgt. Pepper). Riley also pulls no punches in holding Paul McCartney's feet to the fire for his abandonment of the risk-taking that characterized his partnership with Lennon, instead becoming the pop-song behemoth that we all love to hate. The portrait that emerges of the Beatles as a group is that of a multitalented band with endless streams of talent on which to draw, with even their lesser efforts (Magical Mystery Tour, Let It Be, etc) having some worth not found in other music from the era.
Mark Hertsgaard's masterful "A Day In The Life" is probably a better selection for those who are casual or half-hearted fans, because it covers much of the same territory with little of the dedication to music-speak that colors some of the best passages in this book. But for a simple, nuts-and-bolts look at what made the Beatles' music special, and as a discussion of each and every song they ever recorded, "Tell Me Why" is hard to beat.
In the end, there is just the music. And it is a body of music worthy of such discussion as to have countless books written about it. But "Tell Me Why" is a nice one-book source for much of the motivation behind each song the Fab Four committed to vinyl, even if it's overboard with the musical composition language. If you can overcome that, you might find a good book about why the Beatles matter long after their last performance together.
Average customer rating:
- An emotional glimpse of the Golden Age
- Amazing book
- Living a Passion
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Glen Denny: Yosemite in the Sixties
Manufacturer: T. Adler Books/ Patagonia
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High Infatuation: A Climber's Guide to Love and Gravity
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Camp 4: Recollections of a Yosemite Rockclimber
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Off the Wall: Death in Yosemite
ASIN: 0979065909
Release Date: 2007-06-01 |
Book Description
The sheer granite walls of Yosemite Valley have drawn a lot of visitors over the years. In the late 1950s and through the 60s, they galvanized a dedicated group of rock climbers, who saw their glacier-polished faces as the purest challenge. When those climbers first made their way up Half Dome and El Capitan, they ushered in a new era--over the course of the 60s, they developed techniques, tools and philosophies that would change the sport forever. In the 60s spirit of social exploration, a small group of committed climbers eventually dropped out of the mainstream of work and society to take up residence at Camp 4, perfecting their skills and developing a unique scene. This austere, boulder-strewn campground became the epicenter of the climbing world. In between spectacular feats carried out on the walls, it served both as a launching pad for further adventures and a refuge from them. Here, plans were made, teams were formed and life was lived. The significance of Camp 4 was recently recognized in its placement on the National Register of Historic Places. Photographer and filmmaker Glen Denny was among its denizens, and captured his fellow climbers' personalities and parties, aspirations and preparations, loves and dreams in absolutely stunning, and sometimes death-defying, black-and-white. This majestic visual record of Yosemite in the 60s includes a foreword by Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, an introduction by Rick Ridgeway, whom Rolling Stone has called "the real Indiana Jones," and a wealth of previously unpublished photographs.
Customer Reviews:
An emotional glimpse of the Golden Age.......2007-09-17
I learned to climb in 1970, so I missed these golden years of rock climbing. And I've never been to Yosemite. BUT, I can say that these climbers were giants of their time who influenced most of my climbing since those times.
Now at the age of 56 I'm still climbing (okay, not so hard of routes), and looking at this book made me realize I'm still a product of their energy and passion.
A great book with heart and soul.
Amazing book.......2007-06-26
All I can offer is that Glen Denny is the Salgado of Yosemite photography. He really is that good. Buy the book!
Living a Passion.......2007-06-15
Yosemite in the Sixties tells a story of men who develop and live their passion. For those willing to invest a couple of hours to see and feel this experience, Yosemite in the Sixties is a must.
Glen Denny is a tall quiet man. He expresses much in few words. His book is of his pictures. They speak more than many could say. His pictures show faces: "...a rock wall or a human being," Chouinard writes. Glen's pictures show people who define themselves by their passion for climbing rock walls.
I read this book three times. The story Glen tells truly is "A Movable Feast."
Average customer rating:
- Rolling Stone Lit at its best
- Rolling Stone Lit at its best
- Paint It Gray.
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Blown Away: The Rolling Stones and the Death of the Sixties
A. E. Hotchner
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
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Binding: Hardcover
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Customer Reviews:
Rolling Stone Lit at its best.......2003-01-11
This is an outstanding book that provides excellently written information on the world's greatest rock and roll band. Although i question some of the accuracy of the information, it is one of my favorite books.
Mick jagger ROX!!...
Rolling Stone Lit at its best.......2003-01-11
This is an outstanding book that provides excellently written information on the world's greatest rock and roll band. Although i question some of the accuracy of the information, it is one of my favorite books.
Mick jagger ROX!!!!!
Paint It Gray........2002-09-06
I really wanted to like this book. I saw A.E Hotchner on TV talking about Doris Day, and he just struck me as a likeable, earnest sort of guy. Unfortunately he didn't live up to his Tv-self in print. Most of the book is comprised of large chunks of interview material, both from Hotchner's own research and Rolling Stone magazine interviews you've probably already read. The rest is made up of highly subjective meanderings and vain attempts to link two ideas together.
It's hard to make this story dull, and some of the Marianne Faithfull stuff is good, but there are better books with less academic-sounding titles about the same subject. Or you could just watch "Gimme Shelter" for the condensed version.
Book Description
Barbarella vs. Mrs. Robinson! James Bond vs. Jean-Luc Godard!
Don't miss these and more exciting encounters in Movies of the 60s!
116 A-Z film entries include:
• Synopsis
• Film stills and production photos
• Cast/crew listings
• Box office figures
• Trivia
• Useful information on technical stuff
• Actor and director bios
Plus: a complete Academy Awards list for the decade
Customer Reviews:
Moveis of the 60s.......2007-07-03
Another lush picture book that fits with the others in the series. It's just as one would expect, extremely impressive visually. Odd omissions, here and there (but that's true of the entire series.) Generally, an excellent volume.
Great Book. Where's the Other Great Movies?.......2006-04-08
Bought this book here on Amazon a while ago. I love it a lot. I still get chills when I see the image of Vanessa Redgrave holding her bare chest in "Blow-Up" (aka "The Vanessa De Milo"). But I have a problem with this book: Why is it that Muller left out some of the other great movies? Because of this, this only gets four stars. I mean, where's "Judgement at Nuremberg"? "Splendor in the Grass"? "Days Of Wine And Roses"? "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World"? "Seven Days in May?" "Cat Ballou?" (in which Jane Fonda plays the title character and it paved the way for "Barbarella" and when you think about it, Fonda is playing the same character, but different genre) The Michael Caine films as Harry Palmer? "The Chase"? (Also with Fonda) "Georgy Girl"? "Harper"? "Morgan"? "Tony Rome"? "Wait Until Dark"? "Isadora"? "Petulia"? "Medium Cool"? Well, you get the idea.
Also, how is it that Muller can feature "The Pink Panther" and not "A Shot in the Dark"? Some say the latter is a thousand times more funnier than the first. And how can he have "Hell in the Pacific" with Lee Marvin in the book and not give a review of the film he did before which was "Point Blank"? Plus, he has "The Odd Couple." What about the other Neil Simon comedy before that-"Barefoot in the Park"? (With Robert Redford and again with Jane Fonda). Lastly, how can he have all these foreign films and not mention "Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow"? That film features Sophia Loren in the most famous strip scene ever put on film. Fonda's floating strip scene in "Barbarella" is no match for Loren's. In conclusion, this is an A- book and I still like it.
Movies of the '60s.......2005-08-18
This is a great book. It contains (wonderful) pictures and writing on great films of the '60s - Breakfast at Tiffany's, Zorba the Greek, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Graduate, Lawrence of Arabia, A Hard Day's Night, 2001: The Space Odyssey, Barbarella, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and many others.
As a film enthusiast, I can spend hours reading and looking through this book. Anyone interested in film or the 1960s should give it a try.
And, the book itself is beautifully made.
Book Description
"David James has written a comprehensive book that will excite both scholars and general readers. His political contextualization of the avant-garde cinema in America is superbly researched, lucidly written, and powerfully argued."--P. Adams Sitney, author of "Visionary Film: The American Avant-Garde" From Stan Brakhage and Andy Warhol to the underground cinema and political films, David James gives a thorough account of the growth, development, and decay of nonstudio film practices in the United States between the late fifties and the mid-seventies. Unlike other scholars who discuss these practices as totally separate from Hollywood, James argues that they were developed in various kinds of dialogue or negotiation with the commercial film industry. He also demonstrates that the formal properties of the films were determined not simply by aesthetic considerations but by the functions the films served in the various subcultures and dissident groups that produced them. After an opening chapter on film hermeneutics, the book gives detailed accounts of the contrary projects of two exemplary filmmakers: Stan Brakhage, who pioneered an artisanal, domestic film practice, and Andy Warhol, who redirected such a practice toward the film industry. James then discusses the beats and other idealist countercultures, the social groups that formed around civil rights and the Vietnam War, artists who shunned social involvement for pure film ("structural" film), and finally the women's movement.
Customer Reviews:
Allegories of Cinema.......2005-04-18
A history of American cinema in the 1960s. It focuses on the avant garde, experimental scene -- Brakhage, Warhol et al.
Book Description
An evocative and unique exploration of the most important era in international filmmaking
In film history, the sixties are commonly known as the golden age of international cinema. The period from 1958 to 1969 saw a brilliant explosion of talent not just in Europe but throughout the world. From Sweden and Poland to India and Japan, from Brazil and Hungary to Spain and Czechoslovakia, young filmmakers seemingly sprang out of nowhere, challenging the stale conservativism of fifties cinema. With films like Jules et Jim, 8 1/2, and Breathless, to name but a few, they flouted taboos both sexual and political while bringing sharper, fresher, franker, more violent, and more personal visions to the screen than ever before.
In Revolution!, Peter Cowie discusses the themes, trends, and creative filmmakers of the period--including Antonioni, Bergman, Cassavetes, Fellini, Godard, Kurosawa, and Truffaut--while focusing on those whose voices still evoke the struggles and achievements of the sixties and set the creative and intellectual standard by which today's finest films are still held.
Book Description
From the author of the acclaimed English Gothic: A Century of Horror Cinema, American Gothic presents an in-depth survey of the early years of the American horror film--ranging from the birth of cinema and the silent era to the mid-1950s. Jonathan Rigby examines a great many of the seminal films, including Cat People, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Dracula, The Fly, Frankenstein, Freaks, House of Wax, The Invisible Man, and She. He also looks at the actors and directors--Lon Chaney, Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, and Vincent Price, to name but a few. For fans and students of the horror classics, American Gothic is an essential work. This is the genre as it flourished from Univeral's early-thirties cycle and which culminated in Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 masterpiece Psycho, a film which forever changed and expanded the possibilities of horror cinema.
Customer Reviews:
Who's on first?.......2006-10-27
First published in 1990 as THE OFFICIAL ABBOTT & COSTELLO SCRAPBOOK, this 1997 release of THE ABBOTT & COSTELLO STORY by Stephen Cox and John Lofflin is an affectionate and nostalgic journey through the career of these two comedians. It's everything the Abbott and Costello fan would want to know, and then some.
A majority of the book's thirteen chapters comprise a narrative history of the team's progression through burlesque, radio, film, television, and animation. Additionally, there's one chapter summarizing each of their 36 films (production facts, cast members, plot, and sidelights), plus the one film that Costello did solo, from 1940 to 1959, and one chapter summarizing each of the 52 installments (cast and plot) of their TV show , which aired in 1952-53. Finally, and perhaps over the top for the reader satisfied with less rather than more, there's a chapter of one-paragraph program synopses for the 156 Abbott & Costello cartoons produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions in the late 60s, by which time Lou was dead, though Bud, by then in declining health, managed to provide the voice for his character.
THE ABBOTT & COSTELLO STORY includes lots of sidebar stories, the most significant of which is perhaps daughter Chris Costello's defense of her father as he was depicted in the 1978 NBC-TV docudrama "Bud and Lou", a production she loathes to this day.
Cox and Lofflin manage not to be too slavish in their admiration of the pair. The authors don't hesitate to remind the reader of A&C's addiction to gambling, in which they lost vast sums at cards, Bud's alcoholism and cavalier attention to U.S. tax law, and Lou's borderline sadistic sense of humor when it came to playing on-set pranks on an old pal, Bobby Barber, whom Costello apparently hired for just that purpose. The most amusing negative aside is one noted as coming from character actress Mary Wickes, who appeared in two A&C films ("Who Done It?" and "Dance with Me, Henry"), and who said:
"I didn't care for them. But that's alright. They just had no taste. They were coarse."
THE ABBOTT & COSTELLO STORY is loaded with photos, which might make it a coffee-table book except that, in its paperback format, it wouldn't likely serve as such in a Martha Stewart home. On the other hand, because of its awkward size - 10" x 8" x 3/4" - it doesn't fit easily on a bookshelf nor is it amenable for inclusion in carry-on luggage for reading on a plane. Perhaps the best way to approach it is to leave it at the bedside, enjoy it immensely at your leisure, then pass it on to a friend when finished.
THE BOOK to read and own on Abbott & Costello!!!.......2001-11-26
I've read a lot of (good, medium and bad) books on Abbottt and Costello -- and this is the BEST e-v-e-r.
If you're just discovering Abbott and Costello (and a major movie is reportedly in the works so you will hear more about them) you'll discover in these lively, profusely illustrated pages why the team greatly inspired Jerry Seinfeld and others. If you're into comedy and want to learn about their techniques and routines, you'll get plenty of helpful analysis plus some superb transcripts of some of their most famous, classic routines. If you're a Baby Boomer and want to read THE ULTIMATE book to take you down a nostalgic path to your beloved childhood stars, this is all you need. Why? A few reasons:
1. It's filled with tons of bio material about their careers, long lively quotes, a complete listing of their movies, tv and other appearances.
2. It is not a fanzine book. It looks at the two, warts and all, dispells a few of the myths that grew up due to bad reporting and, in one case, apparently, a highly inaccurate Hollywood movie about them done nearly 30 years ago.
3. It traces their whole careers, their triumphs, the sad loss of Costello's drowned son (how he went on the radio nonetheless with his show), their split up, Costello going solo, his tragic untimetly death, Abbott's attempt to stay in show biz, Abbott's tax problems and final years.
4. It has the BEST interviews from people who worked with them and knew them.
5. It has the BEST photos, illustrations - even a full color section that is not available in any other book on them. We don't usually think about this team in color, even though they made two color flicks.
6. Its the BEST COLLECTION of info and the most UP TO DATE. This is basically a comprehensive rewrite (LOTS of new stuff) and expansion of an earlier book on them under a different title. I have both books now and will not part with either.
The biggest compliment of a show biz bio book is that you read it and you immediately want to re-examine the artists' work. You truly won't want to put this book down if you're a comedy fan, just discovering this team, or remember them. Save your money on the other books -- get, read and/or gift this. I'm an entertainer and I collect show biz bios...NO OTHER BOOK ON THIS COMEDY TEAM COMES CLOSE.
This Abbott and Costello story is a rerun.......2000-05-26
Abbott and Costello fans be warned: this book shamelessly recylces and abridges material from earlier books, including Jim Mulholland's "Abbott and Costello Book" (1975) and Furmanek and Palumbo's "Abbott and Costello in Hollywood" (1991) in an offhand attempt to cover all of Bud and Lou's work. As a result, it covers nothing well. Other detriments: no index; numerous errors; the corny "theme of baseball" approach; a gushy, juvenile writing style suitable for nine-year-olds. Pick up either of the other books, which are vastly superior.
This book is on First!.......2000-05-12
Any true fan of Bud and Lou will be delight and even overwhelmed by the amount of great things found within these pages. There is no other book on the market which features such great pictures, interviews, and rare tidbits on Abbott and Costello. This is the difinitive book about the comedy team and the only book you'll have to search for if you enjoy old comedy teams from the vintage era. The FULL COLOR photography inside the book is worth the price of the book itself, not to mention the superb photo reproduction and page quality. The design is bright and easy to access, although I wish it had an index. A few typos in the book. The coauthors did a marvelous job putting Bud and Lou's career into perspective and paying tribute to their unique blend of comedy which traveled the spectrum of stage, film, radio, tv, cartoons, you name it. This is THE book to have. Don't pass it up!
Hey Abbott [and Costello Fans] !.......1999-11-26
The Abbott and Costello Story is a must for Abbott and Costello fans. It is not only entertaining and informative, but it is also moving and emotion provoking. For Baby Boomers, it takes us back to to our innocent youth, and gives us a chance to relive those days of deriving pure joy from watching the Boys on TV. This book is a perfect compadium for those of us who have the TV shows [all 52 of them!] and movies of Abbott and Costello on videotape. Let us bring some of that innonence and wholesome family value with us as we head into the 21st Century. Thank You God for Abbott and Costello. This book helps us feel good about their comedy, ourselves, and our country.
Book Description
Written by Chris Welch, former Melody Maker journalist and Cream confidante, this newly-researched book is the first full account of rock's premiere three-man supergroup: guitarist Eric Clapton, bassist Jack Bruce, and drummer Ginger Baker. From Cream's formation in 1966 to their breakup in 1968, the book analyzes the group's working methods and offers detailed descriptions of all their recordings. A special section explores the musical interactions of Clapton, Bruce and Baker, plus key songwriters Bruce and Pete Brown. With rare full-color photos throughout, it also includes a complete discography, studio sessionography, and diary of live shows.
Customer Reviews:
Cream - 60's Supergroup.......2007-07-30
This book addresses exactly what I hoped for....... Specifically, what were the detailed backgrounds of each member of Cream and how did that influence their collective musical direction? Further, what internal and extraneous influences caused their rise to fame and break-up over such a short period of time? Influences of Pete Brown, Robert Stigwood, Felix Pappalardi and others are also part of the book's focus. Kudos to the author for not idolizing, nor ripping apart the main cast of characters. The writing style is more factual (but not dry) than anything else. In other words, there are no "good guys" or "bad guys" in this book, everyone is treated fairly. A good read for Cream fans and actually a pretty good book, even if you are not a Cream fan!
Strange Brew at the Crossroads.......2007-03-30
Chris Welch, a first-rate journalist and a musician himself, with the help of Tony Bacon, has produced one of the most well-informed and beautifully produced rock books that I have ever read. Those who remember Chris' writing from the old Melody Maker days will immediately recognise his lucid and impartial style.
The meteoric rise of Cream in the late sixties started a lot of balls rolling, unless you're one of those who reckon that the Jeff Beck Group got there first. As Chris points out, what is remarkable about the band is that they managed to stay together even for the short time that they did. Bruce and Baker were never the best of friends and they seemed to come from disparate backgrounds. Clapton was in his "Clapton is God" phase, besotted by Robert Johnson, Otis Rush and other great blues players, and in truth, Bruce and Baker were not so well known, despite their Graham Bond/Manfred Mann pedigrees - more from the world of jazz. But somehow they managed to create a sound that is unique. Welch manages to recapture those heady days when, from day one, Cream conquered the world, and includes a mass of quite wonderful memorabilia and photos lovingly reproduced. The narrative sparkles and Tony Bacon has sorted out a complete gig list, including one "lost" gig at London University. This is a marvellous read and anybody who saw the band will remember the frightening power and sheer ability of these three remarkable musicians. It sent me straight back to the Live "Crossroads" from the Filmore and yes, gang, they were that good. Never bettered, in fact, and even Zep did not have a musical combination like this. Chris gets behind the mass of influences and for the first time, manages to rationalise how a band of this sheer power could record Toad one minute and Wrapping Paper the next. This a fantastic book, lovely production values, about a band that showed everybody else the way - and the door.
I was very pleased to contribute to this book - you will find my recollection of my encounter with Ginger opposite the "Salisbury City Hall" gig in the gig list, plus photos of the "Sundays at the Saville" programme and the newspaper cutting of the "lost" gig at University College, London. But I had no hand at all in the editorial, which is just excellent.
Tom Thatcher, Salisbury.
Postscript: Two years ago year Cream reformed at the Albert Hall after 37 years. I was there. Chris is right. They were and are unique. Buy this book even if your first love is grouting.
My wife met Eric C at a shoot on the downs (hills) behind our house in Wiltshire. Eric signed Cream programmes 37 years apart and also a mug for my daughter - "To Izzie, Love Eric". What a gent. What a musician.
Welch's Cream: Cream de la Cream.......2007-01-04
A thorough biography of the group and a great reference in terms of concerts and discography. A must have for Cream enthusiasts.
Mark "Sparky" Heppler
Very Infromative.......2006-08-14
Lots of good, in depth information of the days leading up to the bands creation, Jack Ginger and Eric's musical influences and important happenings. Thumbs up
very good book for cream fans!.......2005-08-05
i found this book to be very good. however it didn't go as i depth on the equipment as i would have liked. i would have also liked hearing about recording tricks that they used, or things to that extent. nonetheless, it was a very good book which i read in just about three evenings. it's a very informative book and exciting too!
Book Description
A brilliant cultural history detailing the fascinating relationship between movies and American society in the 1960s.
In what the New York Times's A.O. Scott called a "suave, scholarly tour de force," J. Hoberman delivers a brilliant and witty look at the decade when politics and pop culture became one. This was the era of the Missile Gap and the Space Race, the Black and Sexual Revolutions, the Vietnam War and Watergate—as well as the tele-saturation of the American market and the advent of Pop art. In "elegant, epigrammatic prose," as Scott put it, Hoberman moves from the political histories of movies to the theater of wars, national political campaigns, and pop culture events.
With entertaining reinterpretations of key Hollywood movies (such as Bonnie and Clyde, The Wild Bunch, and Shampoo), and meditations on personages from Che Guevara, John Wayne, and Patty Hearst to Jane Fonda, Ronald Reagan, and Dirty Harry, Hoberman reconstructs the hidden political history of 1960s cinema and the formation of America's mass-mediated politics.
Customer Reviews:
The Movies and America in "The REAL Greatest Generation".......2006-11-04
I saw this book at the university library and I like it. I'll use it as one of my sources because I plan on writing the defining book of the movies in the 1960's someday. The cover of Clint Eastwood for "Dirty Harry" is a classic. One weakness to this book is that there are no photos to keep it entertaining and Hoberman left out some other important movies from the decade. But it was ironic that choose "Blow-Up" as the movie that defied the decade considering it started three things: It was the first movie to ever delt with life after JFK's murder, it was the movie that started the porn film (in the few short years after this movie, there were sexually charged films like "Belle De Jour" and "I Am Curious (Yellow)," right up to "Deep Throat") and it started the feminist movement. We all know that Tom Brokaw wrote a book in which he believes the World War II era was the greatest generation. But I think the Baby Boomers (which includes my divorced parents) made it that title and I think the years 1963 to 1974 (from Kennedy butchered in Dallas to Nixon embarrassed over Watergate) was the REAL greatest generation and look at some of the movies that came out in that time like "Tom Jones" up to "The Godfather Part II." This does make for a good reference book.
A fine history evolves which uses the film world as a reflection of cultural change.......2005-10-05
Here's a new cultural history of the Sixties - through the eye of the camera as it considers the social and political impact of movies and theater of the times. Using key Hollywood productions from Shampoo to Bonnie and Clyde, senior film critic at the Village Voice Hoberman provides a lively reconstruction of the politics behind the films, examining with actors and subjects with a critic's eye for detail. A fine history evolves which uses the film world as a reflection of cultural change.
Excellent book about 50s-70s movies and culture.......2004-01-26
This is a great book. It touches on an almost dizzying number of milestones, from the fifties TV show ''The Next Voice You Hear'' to Brian De Palma's movie ''Blow Out.''
The point of the book, if there is one that can be easily summarized, is that political and cultural events (especially films) first became genuinely inseparable during the 1960s (not dissimilar to the points that Marshall McLuhan made in ''Understanding Media'' and Daniel Boorstin made in ''The Image: or What Happened to the American Dream'' while history was happening; but, as Hoberman points out, that history could not have been fully understood by those prophets in the midst of it).
This is a masterfully rendered cultural history. Hoberman's style can get breathless at times, and there are a lot of films and events to keep up with, but the narrative (and the analysis) are involving, cogent, and thoughtful. Think ''The Dirty Dozen,'' ''Easy Rider,'' ''Bonnie & Clyde,'' ''Blow Up,'' ''The Wild Bunch,'' ''Shampoo'' (and songs like ''The Ballad of the Green Berets''): they're all here, along with the cultural context that they fed into and the ''dream life'' that they helped construct.
Magical Mystery Tour of the Sixties.......2003-11-24
This is a wonderful book (I devoured it over a weekend). It examines the relationship between American social and political life and the movies during the turbulent decade of the Sixties, although the book actually covers films well into the Seventies. The book argues that this relationship was a two-way street, with the movies being influenced by what was happening in society, but also that the movies influenced politics and society. For example, Hoberman asserts that Kennedy's fascination with James Bond and secret agents and Nixon's obsession with the movie Patton to some extent influenced the style and substance of their presidencies. Another overarching theme of the book is how the Western, that most American of movie genres, evolved almost beyond recognition through the course of the Sixties and early Seventies (from The Alamo to Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid).
Among the films prominently covered in the book are Blowup, Spartacus, The Manchurian Candidate, Bonnie & Clyde, Easy Rider, The Wild Bunch, and Dirty Harry, but the book also discusses more obscure films such as Tell Them Willie Boy is Here and Wild in the Streets. That most quintessential of all Sixties films, Woodstock, is oddly absent from the book.
A couple of quibbles: Hoberman quotes Norman Mailer far too often and it would have been nice to have a true bibliography rather than having to rummage through the source notes. That aside, I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in either the social history or films of the Sixties--you will not be disappointed!
Books:
- That Sweet Enemy: The French and the British from the Sun King to the Present
- The Alfred Hitchcock Story
- The Art of Expressing the Human Body
- The Art of Serenity: The Path to a Joyful Life in the Best and Worst of Times
- The Audrey Hepburn Treasures
- The Bruce Lee Story
- The Culture of History: English Uses of the Past 1800-1953
- The Daughters of Juarez: A True Story of Serial Murder South of the Border
- The Girls in the Van: A Reporter's Diary of the Campaign Trail
- The Gospel of Mary of Magdala: Jesus and the First Woman Apostle
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