Average customer rating:
- Nothing better...period
- Don't believe that you are getting 20 books.
- dumbed down
- The definitive dictionary of music and musicians
- The standard reference - deservedly
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The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (20 Volume Set
George Grove , and
Stanle Sadie
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
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The Harvard Dictionary of Music: Fourth Edition (Harvard University Press Reference Library)
ASIN: 1561591742 |
Amazon.com
This is the big one -- 20 thick volumes packed full of information on musical history, composers, artists and more. It carries a big price tag, but it's an invaluable aid for the serious student or writer. Grove has several other dictionaries, opera and jazz among them, but if you can only handle one, this is the one to get. This text refers to the 20 Volume edition of this title.
Book Description
Now available in a deluxe paperback edition, The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians is the world's greatest music encyclopedia. This unique 20-volume set is packed with over 18,000 pages of information on the history and development of music, instruments, musical forms and terms, musical cities and institutions, and, above all, thousands of eminent composers and performers. The text is fully illustrated with photographs, drawings and musical examples, and all major articles include extensive bibliographies. Entries on composers are accompanied by detailed lists of compositions, which, for example, list the precise instrumentation required for many compositions. These acclaimed worklists alone are a valuable resource for today's musician. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians includes: BL Ancient, Medieval, and Renaissance music--insights on composers as well as new appraisals of theorists, philosophers, and chroniclers. It explores early musical rites, forms, styles and genres, and the social and historical forces that shaped the music of these eras BL Composers--the first aim of Music and Musicians is to tell you virtually everything you will want to know about the people who have been writing music, from ancient times onwards BL Ethnomusicology--discover Polynesian chants, Uzbek teahouse ensembles, Xhosa wedding songs, cowboy laments, modern protest songs, and other manifestations of non-western and folk music BL Forms and genres--harmony, counterpoint, rhythm and melody--the basic materials of music. Symphony, opera, cantata, concerto, motet, oratorio and sonata--these and other genres are surveyed historically and their repertoires outlined BL Performers--Music and Musicians covers influential figures from the world of popular music, jazz and opera; it explores the lives of patrons and poets, novelists and scientists, dancers and instrument makers, everyone whose work influences music BL Places and institutions--travel from London to Vienna, Dresden to Osaka, Paris to Pittsburgh. Explore top musical arenas such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Covent Garden
Customer Reviews:
Nothing better...period.......2006-04-04
Despite the fact many have tried to "pretend" there are other dictionarys/encyclopedias that are better than The Groves, there simply are not. Sure, The Groves is not cheap, however, if you are looking for a quality work, it will never be cheap. So, whether you are a person with degrees in Music History, or someone who just wants to have information readily available on music/musicians, this is the only way to go.
Don't believe that you are getting 20 books........2004-02-29
Although the announcement makes you think that maybe yo will be getting 20 books for a song, you will be singing a different tune when it arrives. You will get one (yes, 1) volume selected apparently at random. I got volume 13.
dumbed down.......2002-05-02
Four stars for what has been carried over from the 1980 version, zero stars for what has been appended to it. We can't entirely blame the dictionary for the poor quality of most of these additions. The dictionary depends on a large pool of contributors, most of whom hold academic positions, and our academies are beset with insufficiently acknowledged problems.
One problem is the graduate-school analogue of what in secondary schools has been called "grade inflation". We might call it "degree inflation". Unqualified candidates are routinely pushed through graduate school; mediocre minds are awarded doctorates and assume faculty positions. This is partly the result of a misguided egalitarianism and partly the result of a quid-pro-quo cronyism. In any case, it is self-perpetuating and self-proliferating. It manifests itself here most obviously in rambling pseudo-intellectual essays on such empty buzzwords as "postmodernism".
Another problem is commercialization. It manifests itself here most obviously in vacuous and clumsily written (and randomly strewn with rock journalism cliches) extended accounts of various pop music figures, such as, for example, Bob Dylan and David Bowie. (Both Bob Dylan and David Bowie have composed interesting song lyrics and are worthy subjects for popular culture historians, but neither have any particular MUSICAL significance.)
The definitive dictionary of music and musicians.......1999-09-13
One could never hope for a 'compleat' dictionary of music and musicians any more than one could hope for hope for a 'compleat'library of knowledge in one publication. But, just as the Encycopeadia Britannica has come to be seen the most comprehensive summary available of knowledge generally, so has Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians come to be seen as the ultimate summary of information available about music and musicians.
The question now is: when will 'Grove' follow the Encyclopaedia Britannica and reach out to a wider audience via CD-ROM and Internet on-line services? For this reviewer: the sooner the better
Ian Bowie
The standard reference - deservedly.......1998-09-27
Discursive and authoritative, the one failing is the lack of convenient text search. When available on CD-ROM with that capability, it will be an ideal reference.
Customer Reviews:
FORCED TO BUY FOR JAZZ HISTORY.......2007-07-26
This was required for my jazz history class at Sacramento City College (MUFHL 315 - online). It was 125.00 at the college book (packaged along with some worthless CD's). It is not laid out like a normal textbook. At the beginning, it doesn't have a chapter outline or learning objectives. At the end of each chapter, all you have is a sorry summery that doesn't cover any of what the author is trying to say within the chapter. THIS IS THE WORST BOOK I HAVE EVER BEEN FORCED TO BUY FOR A CLASS. I am tired people publishing the results of their graduate work as TEXTBOOKS and ripping off poor undeserving student. Reading this book is like watching paint dry.
This book connects the dots..........2006-02-13
I had begun to get serious about immersing myself in Jazz. A little dive around the corner was showing excellent Jazz groups and I had to take the opportunity to discover this great art form. My daughter lent me a textbook she had from college.
I immediately picked it up and for several hours was scanning it backwards and forwards. I kept referencing all the artists and songs I had heard of all my life and this book very handily made the connections. It's loaded with clear and concise and insightful teaching aids.
I can now understand much better the overall experience and history of jazz. The technical parts are still quite overwhelming, but the author's writing is very articulate and non-judgmental. I've rarely seen a more learning friendly book. As I started to mention, you can start anywhere you want in this book and just take what you can handle.
not for jazz scholars alone.......2005-12-20
It has been nearly 30 years since Mark Gridley's first edition of Jazz Styles appeared, and no other treatment of jazz styles comes close to his careful analysis of how jazz has been made since its inception. It is a work of great and serious scholarship, an invaluable resource for students of the genre. Yet, Jazz Styles is also an enjoyable and entertaining companion for anyone who wants to become a more perceptive listener to jazz. The Listening Guides are useful even for those 'veteran'
jazz fans familiar with the works described. Gridley will take you to ever-deeper levels of appreciation for jazz in all its varieties.
Book Description
Now in paperback, the New York Times bestseller by one of rocks most provocative figures Scar Tissue is Anthony Kiediss searingly honest memoir of a life spent in the fast lane. In 1983, four self-described knuckleheads burst out of the mosh-pitted mosaic of the neo-punk rock scene in L.A. with their own unique brand of cosmic hardcore mayhem funk. Over twenty years later, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, against all odds, have become one of the most successful bands in the world. Though the band has gone through many incarnations, Anthony Kiedis, the groups lyricist and dynamic lead singer, has been there for the whole roller-coaster ride. Whether hes recollecting the influence of the beautiful, strong women who have been his muses, or retracing a journey that has included appearances as diverse as a performance before half a million people at Woodstock or an audience of one at the humble compound of the exiled Dalai Lama, Kiedis shares a compelling story about the price of success and excess. Scar Tissue is a story of dedication and debauchery, of intrigue and integrity, of recklessness and redemptiona story that could only have come out of the world of rock.
Customer Reviews:
Scar Tissue.......2007-09-06
Exactly what I was looking for, good book, good price, and took 5 days to ship as opposed to the 1 month it promised.
Brutally Honest.......2007-08-29
This is a fantastic read, and is very well written. Some very cool photos and lyrics are included. I spent the extra money to buy a hardcover version which is a good choice. The drug addiction and honesty that Anthony brings to that disease is worth the read alone. It is awesome he has found a way to deal with his addiction and keep writing and performing at an exceptional level.
truly inspirational book!.......2007-08-13
i was amased by this great reading. anthony isnt only an extraordinary performer but a very good writer. the moment i started reading it, i didn't let it out of my hands. fan or not of RHCP, you'll find this book entertaining.
Drugs, Women, Music and Drugs.......2007-07-25
For those who think they know the Chili Pepper story, or those that are new fans and are unaware of the beligerent lifestyle of the Chili's up unitl this decade, this book clears it all up. Discussed in a narrative voice, all the events and feelings are dictated by Anthony Kiedis and provide a real world connection to these superstars. His individual story as well as the group as a whole is shared in a way that makes them seem so human and makes anyone wonder, "how are these guys still alive, sane, and still making beautiful, boandary pushing music together?"
Never a dull moment!.......2007-07-15
All I can say is that I wanted to have a book to read over the course of about half of the summer and instead I read it in just a couple of days! It's heartfelt & candid. And its written through the voice of Anthony Kiedis rather than someone taking his thoughts and trying to put them in some dull, refined, intellectual way. Anyway, now I have to find something to read that won't bore me after reading this great book!
Book Description
This practical, easy-to-use self-study course is perfect for pianists, guitarists, instrumentalists, vocalists, songwriters, arrangers and composers, and includes ear training CDs to help develop your musical ear. In this all-in-one theory course, you will learn the essentials of music through 75 concise lessons, practice your music reading and writing skills in the exercises, improve your listening skills with the enclosed ear training CDs, and test your knowledge with a review that completes each of the 18 units. Answers are included in the back of the book for all exercises, ear training and review.
Customer Reviews:
Good workbook-style resource.......2007-08-06
I wrote a review of this and several other books for an upcoming article in Classical Singer Magazine. This is a good workbook-style resource for getting a headstart on your theory; goes from basic to early advanced topics. The only thing I would have liked to see in it was more composition exercises, but that's my bias as a composer.
Good for music fundamentals or review.......2007-07-30
I used this to brush up before taking music theory. It's a decent review of the fundamentals of music. If you are completely unfamiliar, you might want something a bit more comprehensive. If you know basic theory, this is probably a waste of your time.
Good practical theory book.......2007-07-13
It was just what I learned in California's Certificate of Merit program. I needed a review, but it was how I learned it the first time. I recommend it to anyone. And I love that it has the listening CD's. The one caveat is that I play viola, and this version doesn't have my clef. But the theory is still the same. It was brand new and delivery was on time.
Music theory.......2007-05-07
Very well done for a quick review of music theory and would also be excellent for complete novices.
Meh.......2007-02-28
It was not what I expected and it is very dry... I guess all music theory is dry. But this book just seems to kill it for me. I don't know how to explain it I guess. I'd recommend going to a store and flipping through it first to see if you would like it, I only got it because someone had it on a list that had other good books.
Book Description
To celebrate their 30th anniversary, the band Rush embarked on their R30 world tour in the summer of 2004, playing 57 shows for more than half a million fans. Drummer Neil Peart traveled between shows on motorcycle, logging 21,000 miles through 19 countries on both sides of the Atlantic. Part behind-the-scenes memoir, part existential travelogue, this book chronicles Peart's journey in search of the perfect show, the perfect meal, the perfect road, and an elusive inner satisfaction that comes only with the recognition that the journey itself is the ultimate destination.
Customer Reviews:
Great read for Rush fans.......2007-09-28
Mom, when I grow up I want to be a musician - Well you know son, you can't do both.
I found it fun, informative, entertaining and reflexive. An excellent read for Rush fans that appreciate Neil's way to observe the world, his experiences and reflexions of being in 'the Limelight' while keeping his feet (and wheels) in the ground. He describes his job as "hitting things with sticks - big deal!" but since only mediocre men feel satisfied every day, keeps challenged to give the best show he can give. Fun anecdotes of how the band develops a strange relationship with fans through the years and how they recognize them and see them change, some others on how some fans can get disturbing. In any case, Neil is able to have a life among 'the mortals' and be recognized only occassionally during his motorcycle trips from city to city that he describes in ways that make you want to be in those places or appreciate those in which you've already been.
Good stuff!!!.......2007-09-28
Neil is a great writer. The story is great, just a narrative of a trip? No, Neil takes you there. He paints such a vivid picture, you'll feel like you are riding shotgun! This goes for the whole series. I think for being such a private dude, it's a cool way for the guy to share feelings, thought and philosophies. I don't feel like he was looking for pity, just an outlet. These books just might make a Rush fan out of you too, I warned ya!
Ah yes, another review by me. You're welcome........2007-09-16
Welcome to my wonderful second review ever. I have been practicing 2 to 3 hours a day on my reviewing skills. Drinking some protein shakes and eating lots of free range, organic, dolphin trained, tuna to bulk up.
Sadly, I haven't done any book reviews in my strenuous review regime. So, to get an idea on how to review a book, I read every single review for this book... Right...
I noticed two things. One, I agree with almost every review. The good and the bad. Ignore the stars my fellow reviewers give this book and just read a couple of good reviews and bad reviews and that's basically the book.
The second thing I noticed is something I thought every book reviewer should talk about but that not a single one did.
The book itself.
The books jacket has three very nice pictures on a nice glossy paper. There is also a nice little bit of writing inside the jacket about the book.
The actual cover of the book is of a grayish color with little raised ridges running down it. It also is an exact copy of the jacket itself. Well, if you replace all the colors with the grayish color. Get rid of the pictures. Take away a few lines of text and symbols. And they are EXACTLY the same.
Even though Amazon says this book weighs 1.4 lbs. I am going to have to go all out weatherman on this, and say it feels more like solid 1.8 lbs. More if you like reading on your back, holding the book over your head. I don't recommend reading it this way unless you have conditioned yourself for this task.
The font is easy to read but just a size too small for my tastes. But not a deal breaker. I can't help it if I am going blind and bald. It is very fine and precise with no smearing or runs of any sort in my copy. Although, there are some spelling errors here and there.
The paper is sturdy but not too thick. It has an off white, almost aged paper look to it. My hands are so calloused from my review training, that I cannot get a proper feel of the paper. I imagine it has a very slight rough texture to it though.
The book has a very understated musky odor. Only noticeable when I took a good honking sniff at close range. I could see this causing some discomfort to the sinuses if you were reading on your back, with the book over your head, and you passed out from the exertion. You might wake up with that smell in your nose which might be disconcerting.
At the beginning of every chapter is a little quote or joke. They are good sometimes. If you like to read a quick chapter before going to bed every night then you are out of luck with this here book. Unless you are some kind of freak speed reader. The chapters are sometimes quite long but lucky for you, they are broken up into subchapter type things.
Yeah, anyway, football is on and I hear my recliner calling me.
Neil, you "USED" to be my favorite drummer..............2007-09-14
Now your my favorite writer.........
I just finished three of your four books, and have gained alot of inspiration and insight. I'm planning to do a similar journey of my own, on a bike just like yours, with a journal on hand, from Orange County to the tip of Argentina. I'm saving your last book as reading material for the journey. When I finish the book Neil, I'm going to send you a copy. In the meantime, if I ever see you in person, I will simply smile and walk away. Thanks for everything. Love Drew
Fun read, but not mandatory for Rush fans.......2007-08-31
After reading all of Neil Peart's other travel books, I had a pretty good idea what to expect going into this book, and it neither disappointed nor surpassed my expectations. The title did seem to indicate that there would be more hard "Rush content" than his other books, but all told, I would estimate that about 20% of the book talks about the shows themselves, and the rest is devoted to Peart's travels between shows.
First a quick note about the tone of the book itself, since so many other reviews seem to hit on this. As with pretty much everything else he's ever written, Peart makes no bones about the fact that he isn't thrilled interacting with rabid fans. But he's also honest about the fact that he has a hard time talking to people in general, even going so far in this book to say that he thinks Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson are better friends to him than he has been to them. Pretty straightforward stuff. And to be fair, the negative interactions he describes here are with "fans" who can probably best described as nut-jobs. Even after reading this book, I still come away with the feeling that if I was ever to come across Neil, a simple "thanks for all the great music" would probably be met positively enough.
As for the content itself, the behind-the-scenes glimpses are great, as were Neil's views on Alex's legal battles, and his views on the State of Florida in general (no spoilers here, but it was pretty funny stuff). 400+ pages of motorcyle rides does get a bit tedious after a while though, and I found myself wishing that there was more technical info and anecdotes about the various concerts on the 2004 tour.
To an extent, this book does serve as a prelude to the "Snakes and Arrows" album, insofar as Neil describes in a bit more detail the various back-road church signs that inspired his work on that album. But are you missing anything from the album experience if you don't read the book? Probably not.
Overall, this was an enjoyable enough read, as it does provide some insight into the mind behind Rush's lyrics. But I wouldn't consider it as indispensible as "Travelling Music" is to describing the band's history.
Book Description
Paperback book and CD set. Effortless Mastery: Liberating the Master Musician Within is a book for any musician who finds themselves having reached a plateau in their development. Werner, a masterful jazz pianist in his own right, uses his own life story and experiences to explore the barriers to creativity and mastery of music, and in the process reveals that "Mastery is available to everyone," providing practical, detailed ways to move towards greater confidence and proficiency in any endeavor. While Werner is a musician, the concepts presented are for every profession or life-style where there is a need for free-flowing, effortless thinking. Book also includes an audio CD of meditations narrated by Kenny to help the musician reach a place of relaxed focus.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book for what Ails you.......2007-09-23
The ideas in this book about self-awareness and practicing music are so profound -- and so true -- I've read this book three times this year.
Werner describes the thought process behind becoming a jazz musician. No one has previously described the mental pitfalls and hangups more clearly, sometimes it's like he has transcribed dialogue from ones own head. This book has made a difference in my playing and outlook, and for some of my friends.
For these reasons, I can't recommend this book enough (even if I disagree with him that meditation is the primary solution to the problems he describes).
Effortless Redundancy.......2007-08-29
In my estimation, this is not a book for anyone who is struggling with how to develop a clear method for practicing the piano or any instrument. In fact, book seems to be more focused upon Mr. Werner's ideological views about society than with the real issues of serious piano practice. For instance, he spends several paragraphs discussing the downfall of society as a result of women being able to use pain killers during child birth and humans being able to eat canned peaches. Then he makes some offhand comment about menopause. One begins to wonder whether this man has serious issues of his own and should be therapy. The bottom line is the book is extremely redundant and is of no help. I wouldn't recommend this book to any of my students as it would be a complete waste of their time. This book is really nothing more than a reflection of Kenny's stream of consciousness: a submerged mysogynistic and puritanical view of society that would have been better served if humans had not discovered the benefits of technology.
If a student really wants to become a master, then he or she should study the harmonic form of the piece and immerse oneself in the beauty of that experience. As Webern said, "your ears may tell you where you're going, but you have to know why."
Everyone should read this book.......2007-08-05
Even though, as a previous reviewer has noted, many of these truths should be self-evident, we forget them often. If nothing else as a reminder of what we already know, this book is a gem.
I would recommend this book for any musician.
Calling All Serious Muscians.......2007-07-18
This book is simply and profoundly inspirational. I've already noted a positive shift in my perspective towards my playing and improvising. If you are serious about your music and want deepen your musical and spiritual practice, I would highly suggest reading this book over and over!
Highly recommended for musicians of any instrument or style.......2007-07-12
I'm a drummer, and although Kenny is a pianist, the principles still applied.
He's a jazz man, and I prefer and play Rock, but his message still propels me to recommend this book. The only reason I rated 4 instead of 5 stars, is that I am Christian, and some of his "lessons" will definitely conflict with that faith. Disregard those passages, and you're still left with awesome material to internalize, and learn from.
Average customer rating:
- true story of u2 genius
- Excellent
- THE PICTURES ALONE ARE WORTH THIS BOOK!
- Fabulous
- Pure Joy
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U2 by U2
U2 , and
Neil Mccormick
Manufacturer: HarperEntertainment
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Book Description
In 1975, four teenagers from Mount Temple School in Dublin gathered in a crowded kitchen to discuss forming a band. The drum kit just about fit into the room, the lead guitarist was playing a homemade guitar, the bassist could barely play at all and nobody wanted to sing. Over thirty years later, Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. are still together, bound by intense loyalty, passionate idealism and a relentless belief in the power of rock and roll to change the world.
Watch a video introduction to U2 by U2 |
In a epic journey that has taken them from the clubs of Dublin to the stadiums of the world, U2 have sold over 130 million albums, been number one all over the world, revolutionized live performance, spearheaded political campaigns and made music that defines the age we live in.
From the anarchic days of their Seventies punk origins through their Eighties ascent to superstardom with the epic rock of The Joshua Tree, the dark post-modern ironies of Achtung Baby in the Nineties and their 21st-Century resurgence as rock's biggest and boldest band, this is a tale of faith, love, drama, family, birth, death, survival, conflict, crises, creativity . . . and a lot of laughter.
Told with wit, insight and astonishing candour by the band themselves and manager Paul McGuinness, with pictures from their own archives, U2 by U2 allows unprecedented access into the inner life of the greatest rock band of our times.
Customer Reviews:
true story of u2 genius.......2007-08-24
Reading this book is the same as getting to know members of the band personally. I was especially amazed by the stories on how they started at the end of 70's, they reveal all the insides of their struggle to get recognized. The power of these people and their incredible belief in the future of what they were doing deserves the attention of not just U2 fans but also anyone who's interested in being taken into this amazing journey of four personalities. Highly recommended, worth of every penny spent
Excellent .......2007-05-14
I purchased this book as a gift for my boyfriend. He hasn't stopped talking about it and continuously quotes facts about U2 that he's read in the book whenever we're together. I'm very pleased with this purchase. I wouldn't have known about the book if it wasn't reccommended in the "if you liked this, you might also like that" section when I purchased a U2 CD. Thanks!
THE PICTURES ALONE ARE WORTH THIS BOOK!.......2007-05-13
Excellent book!, writen in anecdote format. The pictures alone are worth this book, you will not believe how beautiful they are. Written in a heart-warming and personal fashion. I would recommend this book to any music fan, for a u2 fan it is a must!!!!!!!!!
Fabulous.......2007-05-02
I love this book. The pictures are great and it is a great asset to the coffee table. Love it!
Pure Joy.......2007-04-10
I do not generally read non fiction and picked this book up for the photos. To my surprise, I actually read it cover to cover. It was interesting to learn the origin of the songs. For years I have been singing U2 word for word without realizing the meanings behind the songs. I had no idea that this group was so spiritual and found the book to be inspirational as well. Get all your U2 CDs out as you will want to play them in chronological order with the book.
Amazon.com
Right in time for the Grateful Dead's 40th anniversary, eccentric bass player extraordinaire Phil Lesh has delivered fans a most welcome gift: his autobiography. There are many books out there about the Dead told from the perspective of roadies, journalists, third party observers, and fans. However, with the exceptions of Jerry Garcia's ramblings in Garcia: A Signpost to New Space and Conversations With the Dead, Lesh's Searching for the Sound is the first time a founding member of America's favorite band tells their own story of what it was like inside the Grateful Dead. And what a wonderful, strange tale it is.
Phil Lesh, considered the most academic of the group due to his avant-garde classical composition training, literate mind, and passion for the arts, decided to write his story himself. Written without the crutch of a ghostwriter, Searching for the Sound might be considered disjointed in places, but overall it comes across as conversational, intimate, informative, and candid (particularly regarding topics of drug use and death). If you are familiar with the band and their extended family, their history, the sixties' musical milestones and influences and all the band's famous tales (the Garcia/ Lesh "silent" confrontation, being busted on Bourbon Street, the Wall of Sound), you may be a little disgruntled there is not much new here in the way of content. However, what is "new" and totally satisfying is Phil's warm, optimistic perspective on the many events that helped shape his life. As described by Lesh, his life's journey, much like the Dead's music, is "a [series] of recurring themes, transpositions, repetitions, unexpected developments, all converging to define form that is not necessarily apparent until it's ending has come and gone." For the many fans who enjoyed the fruits of his life pursuit of sonic explorations, Searching for the Sound is a welcome addition to their Dead library. --Rob Bracco
Book Description
Right in time for the Grateful Dead's 40th anniversary, eccentric bass player extraordinaire Phil Lesh has delivered fans a most welcome gift: his autobiography. There are many books out there about the Dead told from the perspective of roadies, journalists, third party observers, and fans.However, with the exceptions of Jerry Garcia's ramblings in Garcia: A Signpost to New Space and Conversations With the Dead, Lesh's Searching for the Sound is the first time a founding member of America's favorite band tells their own story of what it was like inside the Grateful Dead. And what a wonderful, strange tale it is. Phil Lesh, considered the most academic of the group due to his avant-garde classical composition training, literate mind, and passion for the arts, decided to write his story himself. Written without the crutch of a ghostwriter, Searching for the Sound might be considered disjointed in places, but overall it comes across as conversational, intimate, informative, and candid (particularly regarding topics of drug use and death). If you are familiar with the band and their extended family, their history, the sixties' musical milestones and influences and all the band's famous tales (the Garcia/ Lesh "silent" confrontation, being busted on Bourbon Street, the Wall of Sound), you may be a little disgruntled there is not much new here in the way of content. However, what is "new" and totally satisfying is Phil's warm, optimistic perspective on the many events that helped shape his life. As described by Lesh, his life's journey, much like the Dead's music, is "a [series] of recurring themes, transpositions, repetitions, unexpected developments, all converging to define form that is not necessarily apparent until it's ending has come and gone." For the many fans who enjoyed the fruits of his life pursuit of sonic explorations,Searching for the Sound isa welcome addition to their Dead library. --Rob Bracco
Customer Reviews:
Moonlight Rain.......2007-05-31
I FINALLY finished this book. It took two or three false starts (i.e., read up to page fifty and stop; wait a month or two, read up to page 50 and stop) but 6 days in the hospital (nothing life threatening) gave me ample time to finish the book. Fascinating- yes. Filled with interesting facts- yes. Reads more a history text book than the autobiography of a rock star- yes. I kept referring to a dictionary ever time (frequently) Phil used a word that I had never heard before. One cool thing is Phil refers to composers (Stockhausen, Berio, etc.) that most Deadheads would enjoy. (BTW, I've been hip to Stockhausen for several years. If you think the Grateful Dead invented "Space", you are wrong.) The same goes for references to books he has read. Basically, it's a slow read but very interesting. What I want to know is with all of the LSD he took, how he was able to remember tiny details from 1966?
Bass-ically where its at!.......2007-05-14
As a bassist myself, I relate to Lesh's writing and train of thought. He documents being a part of Grateful Dead as more of an ironic string of occurances than a drugged out trip. His book is incredibly personal while he discusses such moments as learning an instrument overnight, attending classical concerts while on tour, loosing friends, and finding the inner peace in chaos. He is funny, sad, and everything in between. Although some of the technical parts get a bit too detailed for those unfamiliar with sound technology, one can understand how dedicated he was to his craft aside from the music and lyrics. I liked how Lesh pointed no fingers, rather pushed towards the positives in everyone. I would recommend reading this book with Rock Scully's Living With the Dead because they follow the same format and share similar situations. Lesh's however comes across more intimately humorous. I strong urge readers to dig into this book!
Interesting and Illuminating.......2007-03-26
I've never been to a Dead concert, but once had a roommate in college who'd recorded about 100 of them, which he constantly played, so I've certainly heard my share of Live Dead. Everyone w/ a passing knowledge of the Dead knows that their best stuff was live, not studio. Just an observation that has nothing to do with the Lesh book. It's an interesting read and Lesh is an interesting character. Especially funny was how he got out of the army:
Army Doctor: "read the bottom line on the eye chart" Lesh: "I can't see anything" Army Doctor: "You can't see the bottom line of the chart?" Lesh: "What chart?" Army Doctor: "The chart on the wall" Lesh: "What wall?" Lesh certainly is thoughtful and observant. A good journey through the history of the Dead and sometimes quite moving.
Good 'Ol G.D........2007-01-21
My brother got this book signed by Phil himself. Another biography of the Grateful Dead. Written by One of the band members. It's good. Phils good. Check it out.
Searching for a Ghost Writer.......2006-11-23
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Not by the writing. In fact, some of the prose is quite unnerving, such as "if Mickey had been born Native American, his name would have been `Pushing the Envelope.'" Although he did remember the concept of foreshadowing from High School English, and he makes of point of highlighting all of the ominous signs of the chaos to come. But overall I was surprised, because, unlike many musicians' autobiographies I've read (for example, Miles Davis), Phil Lesh does not come off as a brittle narcissist. He does not use this opportunity as a format for squabbling, for giving his side of the story. He actually comes off as a thoughtful, sincere guy, and someone willing to take the time to reflect on the past.
I was interested to hear his take on the disintegration of the Grateful Dead in the eighties and nineties. His take on it was not unlike my own. He takes some ownership for his role, admitting that the Grateful Dead had become too large of an organization, too much of a money-maker with too many dependents. The band had to keep up an outrageous tour schedule, despite the obvious decline in the quality of the music and the painfully obvious deterioration of Jerry Garcia.
He makes a note-worthy observation about the parallel process between the band and the audience. At first, it was a bunch of guys with different musical backgrounds, but all with open minds, all in the right place at the right time, who used drugs to expand the individual consciousness of each member as well as the group consciousness in step with the counter-cultural revolution happening around them. They pushed boundaries but they also communicated with each other through the music, with novel sounds erupting organically from their collective experiments. But the drugs that fueled their creativity would also eventually isolate each of them from each other and from themselves. As alcoholism and heroin addiction destroyed the sense of community within the band, the dead head scene would suffer as well. By the end, prior to Jerry's death, you had a band on stage pretending they were playing together, pretending to play with even a fraction of their potential. And as an audience, we pretended too. Or at least those of us who still believed we were there for the music pretended, and the frat boys just came for the party. And they continued to sell out stadiums, while shows were marred by police stings, gate crashers, riots, tear gas, and death threats.
When I was catching shows, late eighties early nineties, you would hear two different kinds of fans as you filed out of one of their 2 in 3 mediocre shows. The Pollyanna-heads would be glowing, talking about how Jerry lifted his arm at one point, or almost rocked his shoulders with the beat, "Yeah, he was really into it tonight." The more jaded heads would just be complaining, complaining about the lackluster set-list, complaining the Jerry continued to tune himself down in the mix, that he was quitting on solos, that Bobby was trying to steal the show again. Both types annoyed me. I like to tell people that I quit going to shows because I realized that the fans who supported the Dead were enablers, burying our heads in the sand. But in reality, that's a post-hoc, grandiose explanation. I quit going because I was paying $35 for tickets a mile away from the stage, to see dishearteningly bad performances, while the drunken frat boys all around me didn't even know enough to get quiet during those increasingly rare moments of musical transcendence. The breakdown was complete, and for both band and audience, going to show meant little more than participating in a ritual.
Phil spends the most time on the early years. That's a good thing. That's the most interesting part. When they were actually hippies, living like hippies, and things were just starting to happen. Woodstock and Altamont are recounted not just as events but as contrasting symbols of everything that was good about the hippie scene and everything that was wrong about it. Ultimately it is a commentary on human nature, the capacity to love and experience ecstasy versus the tendency to retreat into hostility and hatred.
Like I said, Phil owns his role in it all, admits to mistakes, and doesn't spend a lot of time defending himself or trying to bolster his reputation. The only part where it felt like he had a little bit of a self-serving agenda was when he talked about the different directions he wanted to push the band, more experimentation with exotic time signatures for example. But even then, he talks about it in terms of lessons learned. He realizes he misread the mood of the band, they were content to play their songs and didn't want Phil as martinet. I think Phil is giving an honest account here. If you listen to the post-Dead music coming from all the living members of the Dead, it is Phil and Friends who continue to be the most exploratory. Though not the most charismatic of a stage presence, he may have been the biggest "believer" of the bunch, the most devout in his quest for the divine through the psychedelic. Along those lines, it's also interesting hearing Phil weave in and out of magical thinking. He's often grounded and very down-to-Earth, but moments later can go off on a tangent about any kind of mystical spirituality that he can tie in to the moment.
It's worth a read. Not great writing but good enough, readable, and will certainly be of interest to any fan of the band. The book ends with the recent history, the fall-out from Jerry's death, some of the ugly fighting over who owns the rights to what, and ultimately Phil's hepatitis and liver transplant. He really does end up sounding like a likeable guy, the grinning musical little brother of Jerry, the classically-trained marching band nerd, and the survivor who gets a second chance at the gift of being a father.
Average customer rating:
- David Cassidy is truly a legend
- A great insight
- Nicely co-written and edited
- Bit of a fantasist in parts
- Revealing and endearing
|
Could It Be Forever?: My Story
David Cassidy
Manufacturer: Headline Book Publishing
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0755315790 |
Book Description
In the early 1970s, when he was just 20 years old, David Cassidy achieved the sort of teen idol fame that is rarely seen. He was mobbed everywhere he went. His clothes were regularly ripped off by adoring fans. He sold records the world over. He was bigger than Elvis. And all thanks to a hit TV show called The Partridge Family. David Cassiday, in his own words, gives a brutally frank account of those mindblowing days of stardom in which being David Cassidy played second fiddle to being Keith Partridge. Including stories of sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll that explode the myth of Cassidy as squeaky clean, it is also the story of how to keep on living life and loving yourself when the fickle fans fall away. David Cassidy is also the author of C'mon, Get Happy: Fear and Loathing on the Partridge Family Bus.
Customer Reviews:
David Cassidy is truly a legend.......2007-09-16
When this book came out I just had to have it! Like all young girls in the early 70's I was crazy about this guy! My sister and I would be glued to the tv to watch the Partridge Family and fight over which one of us would marry David when we grew up. While in my early teens I discovered David Bowie and have followed his career for over 30 years. In August of 2006 I re-discovered David Cassidy. His music makes you feel happy and your troubles seem to disappear. Since August of 2006 I have had the pleasure of meeting him backstage 3 times. What a thrill! I have so much respect for this man and the life that he has led. The second time I met him I told him he is my hero. He couldn't thank me enough and I could tell he meant it. I highly recommend this book. It is very well written and David's honesty shines thru. His story is truly amazing. He even mentions David Bowie in it!! lol When I started reading this book I honestly couldn't put it down and will re-read it again soon. For those of you who have never seen him live I highly recommend you catch one of shows. He is an incredible performer and sounds awesome. I was very pleasantly surprised the first time I saw him in 2006. You will walk away happy and very entertained. Now I just need to get back stage again so he can autograph my book! Read and enjoy! and yes...I still want to marry him! hehehe
A great insight.......2007-08-25
Most of the early part of the hard-cover was a repeat of the first book, so I skipped ahead, starting with coverage of the Rolling Stone issue. From then, until the last pages, it was all new material. He covers the RCA recording sessions, why he chose the songs, & includes interviews with Kim & Dave, Bruce Johnson, & songwriters Bill House & Gerry Beckley. Even Shaun gives his opinions. This was the sort of subject matter I wish had been in the first book.
The new material also covers Katie & her career, the Vegas years, the new recordings, & the "Brothers' Tour" of Florida. It touches briefly on Evelyn's declining health, & Meryl Tanz.
It dismays me that he seems to be using prescription medicine more frequently, with the advent of hurting his legs during the Blood Brothers tour, until his foot surgery after "EFX", but I appreciate his honesty in showing how he is dealing with his mental health problems (I never want to see him ending up like Jack).
Shaun, Patrick, Ryan, & Sue all give their sensitive opinions of their relationship with David through the years and Beau writes his own chapter of what it's like to be David's son.
One of the most interesting passages I could relate to was on page 344, where his friend, Jerry Bilinski, writes of his dedication to his horses, especially Myan King. He says that even though the horse didn't do well in a race in Kentucky, David was able to perform on stage in Connecticut. I was at that concert- it was my first time at Mohegan Sun!
I would recommend this new book to any David Cassidy fan, just for the new additions (but if you're an American who is financially impaired, I would wait until June, when it is released n Canadathe exchange rate is a bit more reasonable).
Nicely co-written and edited .......2007-07-03
This new updated version of a 1994 publication, was co-written and edited by music author Ken Sharp. He also arranged and conducted the interviews with family members and friends. These updates gave this 2007 edition a better feel. Some parts of the orig. 1994 edition, which was co-written at that time by music author Chip Deffae, were also left intact.
Bit of a fantasist in parts.......2007-06-16
Whereas this is a pretty good autobiography as they go, in places, it just does not stick. Cassidy's story about 'being personally invited to have tea with the Queen of England', during his first ever trip to the UK, well frankly, my dear, it would NOT have happened. THAT particular privilege is reserved for visiting presidents, diplomats and dignitaries in groups, and other visiting royalty. For a start, the Queen does NOT issue personal invitations to pop stars or anyone else for that matter, they are issued by the Foreign Office, via Embassies. She does NOT ring people in their hotels and therefore, David Cassidy would never have had the opportunity to 'turn her down' to have dinner with a girlfriend. The Queen never has one-to-one meals with anyone, not even her own children, they are usually invited to full meals such as banquets, so tea with a pop star would never have happened, Mr. Cassidy, not even in your wildest imaginings, and no, it did NOT make the papers and there was no fuss and believe me, I'd have remembered. The nearest he got to Buckingham Palace, was to pose for the press in the Mall, outside it. The Queen DOES meet pop stars, however. Usually when she is forced by the Prime Minister to give them undeserved knighthoods or some such nonesense.
As for his friends 'sneaking onto a Royal Navy destroyer moored near his luxury yacht in the Thames on the second visit made to the UK to 'steal a few trophies in revenge' for the sailors insulting Cassidy, well, how was this little fiasco possible? No one 'sneaks aboard' a Royal Navy ship of any description, not with the amount of sailors on duty at all times and the radar and security aboard and no, that didn't make the papers either, and any items taken belong to the Crown and the Navy. Had this fantasy happened, they would have been caught and arrested and most certainly deported and diplomatic links would have been severed temporarily.
Whatever else David Cassidy has in his mind, let's hope he doesn't decide on a volume 2. If he does, perhaps it will be a more truthful volume, without the fantasy and without the need to draw into question our country's good name. However, it should be required reading for any youngsters feeling the need to become popstars, as it is a good read and provides a good lesson in how not to choose a career. Maybe it will make any youngsters think twice before they embark on a life of sex 'n' drink 'n' rock 'n' roll because it really isn't all it's cracked up to be. I did feel sorry for Cassidy, having been a fan for so many years, I had no idea how idol worship could affect a person. Yes, I still buy the albums, yes, I bought this book, but I was rather disappointed. It's written for an American readership and doesn't obviously credit the original ghost writer (yes, I have the original book too, of which, this is an extended version). I was also disappointed with the picture content, which promised to be a lot more, but didn't deliver.
Revealing and endearing.......2007-06-16
I grew up in Arabia, Germany, and Africa through the 1960s and first few years of the 1970s. TV was non-existent and popular radio featured light jazz or nightclub-style piano music plus a smattering of recycled 1950s BBC radio programs. So I missed almost the entire David Cassidy phenomenon. As a teenager I caught him once only, on a BBC TV program called Top of the Pops. David had just arrived at London's Heathrow Airport and he performed a song on the tarmac before rushing off to some engagement. I remember thinking the song was weak, but the performer was phenomenal. Back in those days in which everyone and their dog seemed to be dressing up and playing "let's pretend" (and yes, I do mean you, among many others, Mr. Bowie...) here was a young man who had the ability to communicate directly and whose singing voice, even after a transatlantic flight, was highly personal and very professional.
My family then went to Spain so I never saw David Cassidy after that; by the time we returned his star had faded and my future lay peripherally in the orbit of people like Jeff Beck. Years later I came across a David Cassidy album and played a few songs. I was impressed by the artistry and one song, "I Am A Clown" had a haunting quality about it that stuck in my mind. But I wasn't really his target market, and besides I was moving into madrigals, Bach cantatas, fourteenth-century polyphony, and eventually 20th century composers like Shostakovitch and Prokofiev.
But... Fast forward to earlier this month. A friend of mine in the UK happened to mention that she'd just read a book written by a teen idol she'd had a crush on back in the early 1970s. His name was David Cassidy. I looked on the 'net and there it was and there he was - now in his fifties but still with that direct, optimistic look that I remembered from the one and only time I'd seen him on television when he sung his song on the tarmac at Heathrow. Gambling a few dollars, I bought the book.
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about David Cassidy is that he seems to be the kind of person most people would really enjoy having in their lives. No doubt he has omitted the less salubrious aspects of this life, and no doubt he has his quirks and imperfections. But all in all he comes across as painfully honest, decent, and - dare I say it - nice. He describes his roller-coaster life without settling scores or whining. And his life really has been an astonishing journey. A young man, with no intellectual foundation and a painful family background, was thrown into the maelstrom of super-stardom and then, at the height of his fame, he left the stage of his own volition and over the coming years descended into a personal hell.
In a way, the David Cassidy of this book is an archetype. Take every rock-n-roller fantasy you've ever imagined and then turbo-charge it and you still wouldn't get close to what he experienced. Amazingly, the David Cassidy who shines through in this book is now a reasonably well-balanced, thoughtful, and basically good person. Not many of us would fare so well in the face of the experiences he went through, and very few of us would escape the insidious corruption of the soul that comes from such fame and its attendant power, all experienced at a very young age. I ended up greatly admiring both the young and naive David Cassidy and also the mature man who wrote this book. Of course part of it is self-justification, self-portrayal. He's eager for us to know that he has real talent. If this were a book by someone else, much of the references to his talent would result in the reader becoming irritated; but in this book I think we end up sympathizing. And listening to some of those old songs confirms the claim: he really is a talented performer. It's this talent than enabled him to exert force of will to recover from the ultimate in "Career Over" post-idol job death.
I finished the book knowing that while I'll never meet David Cassidy, the world is just a little bit of a better place for his presence in it. I imagine he will continue to bring pleasure to his many fans for years to come, and I would also imagine that most people who read this book - even if, like me, they aren't David Cassidy fans - will feel the same way. The book may not be literature and its style of writing may be simplistic, but it's a genuine and genuinely touching account of an astonishing life and a decent human being. It's also an excellent "what to avoid" manual for any aspiring performer.
Book Description
This book explores issues of character facing Christian artists who want to use their gifts more effectively in church ministry.
Customer Reviews:
This book is a must have for your artistic team!.......2007-08-31
This book is great! This is required reading for anyone who wants to join our ministry team, be they actor, musician, vocalist, stage crew or technical staff. It is broken up into easy to use chapters, with group discussion questions at the end of each chapter, as well as "action points". These discussion questions have been proven to be an invaluable tool in evaluating attitudes, expectations and spiritual readiness for ministry. They also give the leader an opportunity to expand on their vision for ministry. This study primarily focuses on servanthood, having a right view and appreciation of your God given gifts and talents, and being a team player and not always having to be "in the spotlight". It sets the bar for serving in an artistic capacity in the church while being sensitive to and encouraging those who serve. I highly recommend it for your artistic ministry team.
Helping Artists to Understand Each Other.......2007-05-17
"The Heart of the Artist" brings to life real situations that happen in church ministry no matter what church or denomination. Leaders that are in charge of these different ministries are not always equiped on how to handle the struggles, situations, and circumstances that happen to them as they lead these ministries. "The Heart of the Artist" reveals Scripture and examples of how to deal with these situations, which when bathed in prayer and studied, will equip any struggling leader on how to handle these situations in the future. Rory Noland has done an excellent job in bringing his experiences and letting God use him to share with all artist on how to better themselves in understanding through Scripture and his advice, what they can do to lead better and how anyone can better themselves with their people skills. It's a book every artist should read to better equip themselves in leading and understanding how to work together as artist to build God's Kingdom.
Heart of the Artist.......2007-03-08
This is an excellent book for anyone wanting to gain knowlege of leading worship. It has been an eye opener and made me think alot. It is wonderful. I recommend it highly.
Okay.......2007-01-19
The arrival time was okay, but the condition of the book did not match the description. There appeared to be some kind of dried liquid stains throughout the book?? Coffee or tea perhaps??
Great tool for Worship Leadership!.......2006-11-10
This has been one of the most convicting and inspiring books. It is a must read for anyone in my leadership team. It keeps your heart as the main issue, and the strive to serve God with the gifts He has given. Rory Noland shows an authentic heart for wanting more of what God has for him. Best ministry book in my library!
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