The Tao of Willie: A Guide to the Happiness in Your Heart

Book Description

National icon Willie Nelson has evolved over the years from country music outlaw swimming against a Whiskey River to a Zen-like figure of wisdom and contentment. In this autobiographical collection of life advice, The Tao of Willie, one of America's truest hearts reveals the spiritual and practical lessons learned from decades of hard knocks and good bounces.

This inspiring and entertaining collection of "Willie wisdom" takes us from his days as a young boy in Texas where he learns to respect his elders, to his roadhouse days when he united redneck rockers, long-haired hippies and straight-laced country music fans, to the mega-sized benefit concerts and environmentalism that define his boundless heart. And there are plenty of his favorite jokes along the way.

With stories that will both make you laugh out loud and look deep inside yourself, he shows us how the Willie way — and the way of the Tao — can also be your way. Let Willie's common sense approach to life awaken you to the happiness that already exists in your own heart. With Willie as your guide, join the river of life and you'll be carried on an amazing journey.

Customer Reviews:

Backstage with Willie.......2007-09-11

I deployed to Afghanistan in May 2006. The morning of my departure, I received a phone call from both of the authors of this book. Willie and Turk wished me luck and a safe return on my journey. It was a memory that has been with me ever since. Just this past week, I had the fortune of getting to see Willie Nelson in concert (The Last of Breed Tour) for the first time in my 33 years. It was an amazing show and I also had the pleasure of meeting him backstage as he proceeded to the stage to perform with Merle Haggard and Ray Price. What an experience!
While on deployment I was able to read this book. There is little happiness in Afghanistan these days. But every night prior to lights out, I could always count on a smile and a reflection of my life through the words in this book. It was a pleasure to read.
To Willie and Turk...Thank you!

THE TAO OF WILLIE: A GUIDE TO THE HAPPINESS IN YOUR HEART.......2007-08-31

I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED THIS BOOK AND AM AMAZED AT THE WISDOM OF WILLIE. HE HAS CAPTURED GREAT DEPTH IN HIS INTERPRETATION OF THE TAO AND OFFERS IT IN SUCH A WILLIE-READABLE MANNER. THIS BOOK IS A TRUE JOY. DEFINITELY RECOMMENDED TO EVERYONE.

Product review.......2007-08-16

Book in pretty good condition but did have an inscription I was not aware of. Over all it was okay.

Fun to Read.......2007-02-13

This book is so much fun to read. Willie is such a wise man and has some great advice in this book. I would definitely recommend!

Delightful.......2007-01-06

I am a university professor and read many books, but I have not enjoyed a book this much for quite some time. It is a laugh out loud, down to earth book that brings one back to reality while having fun doing it. I put this book on my "read once a year" shelf, and sent copies to others. A quick read, and well worth it! Thanks for the good time, Willie.

Average customer rating:

Eric The Screenplay
A Good Read
Very enjoyable read
Anti-Gravity
Many of Eric's best friends are dead

Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood: A Memoir
Eric Burdon , Jeff Marshall Craig , and Jeff Craig
Manufacturer: Thunder's Mouth Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1560253304

Book Description

While Eric Burdon may be best remembered for his unforgettable vocals on the Animals’ platinum hit, “House of the Rising Sun,” this Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member has never stopped having adventures. Burdon was ripped off by unscrupulous agents, accountants, and record labels, hounded by the police, and framed for a crime he didn’t commit. Yet through it all, he never became bitter. He was the first rocker to play behind the Iron Curtain. He sang with Jimi Hendrix, chased Jim Morrison out of his house with a .44, and introduced John Lee Hooker to the toughest venue Hooker ever played. Eric Burdon explains how he became the “Egg Man” in the Beatles’ “I am the Walrus.” With the enthusiasm and good humor of his live shows, Burdon recalls the tense reunion between John Lennon and Lennon’s long-estranged father; racing motorcycles across the California desert with Steve McQueen; picketing the offices of MGM Records for nonpayment of royalties; performing in wartime Sarajevo with a symphony orchestra; getting run out of Meridian, Mississippi for promoting black music, and singing his heart out year after year. A complete discography and fifty photographs, many never before published, are included in this unforgettable memoir. “Burdon has lived like a real rocker.” —The New York Times Book Review “Riveting and informative.”—Los Angeles Times “These reminiscences will delight Burdon’s fans ... in general.”—Library Journal

Customer Reviews:

Eric The Screenplay.......2006-06-30

I found this book recently at a sale, and it came with a CD of three exclusive tracks for the Australia/ New Zealand market. The CD tracks were reworkings of House Of The Rising Son and Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood plus Lionize. I tend to baulk at most rerecordings, mostly finding the original to be the better version, which is the case here, however these two new versions are well arranged and performed, slightly over the top in the Burdon style, but he's still in good voice.

That left the book. For me, tales of rock `n roll excess eg. Stones, Jim Morrison bios I've found to be distasteful so I was hoping this not would be too explicit. I'd passed up another Eric autobiography which was going second hand (for a song...) called "I Used To Be an Animal" for that reason. Well, the bump and grind of rock `n roll familiarity is here and fortunately it does not resonate too loudly with lurid excess.

Tales of rip off in this industry are almost mandatory - if they didn't rip you off you weren't there - and it's here as expected, those corporate thieves and slimy opportunists who would suck the marrow from the bones of a songwriter. Eric now appears philosophic; the years have dissipated his anger - unlike Van Morrison who continues to musically regurgitate his grievances (yawn). Dodgy manager Mike Jeffrey, who leeched Jimi Hendrix as well as Eric (who believes Jeffrey may have faked his death), still holds a special place in his thoughts......

He recounts how former band member Alan Price was bequeathed the royalties to mega hit House of The Rising Sun due to the insistence of Jeffrey and the inexperience of the other young members, and that must have rankled over the years. Yet the band worked together later, and again I guess the years deaden the anger.

The narrative is an easy read, though at times disjointed and patchy, and sometimes with sketches where you hoped for the full blooded scene. He was neighbour to the great poet and author Robert Graves and some Graves' anecdotes would have been fascinating. Graves moves in and out of a couple of scenes but with no dialogue. Elvis drops into Eric's view in one scene, flying in like a super hero to give a cheque to charity, as you might expect. He also recounts Lennon's acerbic reunion with his father, and a young, ignorant Jerry Lee Lewis goading Chuck Berry on a tour bus in the UK. Another scene has Eric himself threatening to blast an obnoxious Jim Morrison out of his house. He was good friends with Jimi Hendrix and offers insight to his death.

Eric has lived the full hoopla and now recalls events in his way. It certainly is not literature as another reviewer suggested - try Dylan's Chronicles for splashes of that. Dylan also recalls events as he saw them. Incidentally I read Dylan's book alongside Howard Sounes' biography of The Bobmeister - an interesting and amusing comparison of what others recalled compared with Bob's historical recollection. Well of course he'd recounted the screenplay as he rememberd it. And possibly Eric has done the same and doubtless he's not one to let a fact, or the lack of such a thing, get in the way of a good yarn. In the words of Clive James "Autobiography is a lying art". Well it might be but in Eric's hands it is certainly entertaining. However if you're a musicologist, don't expect detail. This book is more about Eric's life and loves, not the appreciation or creation of his music.

Eric is an enigma. A guy blessed with an almighty soulful voice who wrote and adapted some damned good songs but in this book he recalls few of them in the making. I get the impression he's a tradesman who goes in, wires the house and departs. He mentions some bluesmen, yet the passion for their music isn't displayed, but it must have been there. I suspect that the authors geared this book to their perception of the modern market. I think they missed an opportunity, or maybe they provided for another with a sequel. Anyway, the bottom line is that it is an enjoyable albeit bumpy ride through Eric's landscape of the last 60 odd years.

A Good Read.......2003-08-13

Informative and well written. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Very enjoyable read.......2002-08-04

Absolute must-have for any Eric Burdon fan. He is a wonderful story teller and keeps you amused and interested all the way through. He's and gives a lot of personal info. as well as sharing some great anecdotes about life on the road etc. After reading his book and learning about all he's been through,(and that's only what he's shared with us) and after seeing him play some 40 years after his start - you can only admire the man !!

Anti-Gravity.......2002-03-28

Anti-Establishment is a gross misrepresentation of Mr. Burden. Anti-gravity is far more accurate. God forbid this fella ever has an LSD flashback; he'd boomerang so far back he'd be skipping rope with his own DNA chain. Eric took drugs like the rest of us brush our teeth, daily at least once and some times more. The book is a terrific read.Great view from the inside from one of the front stage guys of the times. I picked up this book on Saturday, and put it down finished Sunday! Very, very entertaining. If you want to get away from the real world, without the use of intoxicants, grab on to Eric's shirt tail, its a real trip.

Many of Eric's best friends are dead.......2002-03-09

Jimi Hendrix, Brian Jones, John Lennon, John Lee Hooker....

These are the people that Eric Burdon thinks most highly of, and they are all dead. He is much less kind to the living throughout much of this book. I feel a big reason for this is that the dead cannot refute the statements you make about them. The topper was his claim that he was the "eggman" that Lennon sang about in "I Am the Walrus." It kind of cast a shadow on many of his other claims.

Don't get me wrong. I enjoy most of Eric's (original) work and I strongly regret the unavailability of his late 1960's work outside of the numerous compilations. The stories presented in this book took me by surprise and sometimes made me laugh out loud. I shared more than a few of these anecdotes with my co-workers.

What the book is missing is more focus on the music. I would have loved to read more about his days with the original Animals and the stormy reunions. I also would have liked to read his thoughts on the period between "Winds of Change" and "Love Is" - how the music changed and his thoughts on the later Animals players and how he discovered them.

All in all, this is fun reading. The personal anecdotes are priceless, but it left me wanting to hear more about the music itself and the people that he worked with (not just the one off jams, but the albums).

Average customer rating:

INSIDERS' FILM-MUSIC GUIDEBOOK GOES PUBLIC

Film and Television Composer's Resource Guide: The Complete Guide to Organizing and Building Your Business
Mark Northam , and Lisa Anne Miller
Manufacturer: Hal Leonard
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Plastic Comb

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From Score To Screen: Sequencers, Scores And Second ThoughtsThe New Film Scoring Process

On the Track: A Guide to Contemporary Film Scoring, Second Edition

Complete Guide to Film Scoring

How To Get Your Music In Film And Tv

The Reel World: Scoring for Pictures

ASIN: 0793595614

Book Description

Many musicians are finding a new market for their music scoring for films and television. This comprehensive resource guide provides all the practical tools and information needed about how to organize and run a film and television music business. Section I contains helpful marketing materials, such as sample letters, brochures, postcards, resumes, and product packaging. Section II provides forms, documents and examples for the management, production, recording and delivery of music for projects. Section III features frequently used sample contracts and agreements, and Section IV lists other composer resources, such as a glossary of terms and abbreviations, info on performing rights organizations, attorneys and agents, listings of different markets to tap, internet resources, and much more. Essential for any musician interested in a career in film and television music.

Customer Reviews:

INSIDERS' FILM-MUSIC GUIDEBOOK GOES PUBLIC.......2000-01-12

I first noticed this book in the office of the National Academy of Songwriters in Los Angeles, where it was used as a sort of coffee-table reference book for their members, who are increasingly interested in the film world as a potential market for songs. Now, book in hand, I confess I'm genuinely excited about Northam's and Miller's achievement, which Northam describes as a manual intended for film composers in the first five years or so of their careers. To appreciate it in context, you need to understand that music industry how-to books seem to come in batches, and the nineties will be remembered as the decade when the film industry came to light, going from, maybe, half a dozen good books which were available through the 80's to twenty or more by this writing. Based on what's available now, you'd never dream there was a recent time when very little information could be found about music in film. These days there are several popular magazines (see for example FILM SCORE MONTHLY), and books on just about every aspect of film music and the business that surrounds it. And now, let's talk about CinemaTrax, the business name for co-authors Northam and Miller, and their FILM AND TELEVISION COMPOSER'S RESOURCE GUIDE. Of all the new film music books, theirs used to be the hardest to find, and yet it's possibly the most helpful with respect to doing the business of film music. (For the actual music crafting part of film scoring, the front-running book is ON THE TRACK, by Fred Karlin.) If the best success formula for these days is, as I believe, to literally become a music business while you're taking your shot, then it's only logical that a good new book would come along promoting business savvy and independent entrepreneurial spirit among film music composers and songwriters. These authors talk about getting started, with sample cover letters, demo package cover letters, advice on how to handle the marketing and promotion of one's music, legal aspects, including how to read and negotiate a deal memo, business considerations germane to the world of film music, budget checklists and breakdowns, and then some nuts and bolts reference material on temp tracks, time code, spotting, cue sheets, all the things that are so difficult to find out about if you're trying to break in from the outside. The book is rounded out by listings and references that will help in the building of your own personal and customized data base (no matter how many reference books one buys, there's no way to avoid the creation of your own networking system.) They also include tips on navigating the several websites devoted to film music topics. Thinking back to my own breaking- in days, when Sound Column Productions was getting off the ground with a lot of music inside us but not much industry background, I'd have given just about anything to get my hands on a book like this. To me it seems incredible that such a insider's book would be available in the broad national market, and that is exactly what has happened in 1999, as publishing giant Hal Leonard Books has picked up distribution rights. Better grab one of these. Ron Simpson, School of Music, Brigham Young University. Author of MASTERING THE MUSIC BUSINESS.

Danny Elfman's Batman : A Film Score Guide

Average customer rating:

Excellent read for Elfman fans

Danny Elfman's Batman : A Film Score Guide
Janet K. Halfyard
Manufacturer: Scarecrow Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0810851261

Book Description

This resource is the most in-depth scholarly resource available on Danny Elfman. It integrates a careful study of Elfman's scoring technique with a detailed analysis of the film itself.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent read for Elfman fans.......2005-07-21

I bought the score to Batman when it came out in 1989, and consequently decided that I wanted to do music for film. When I saw that this book was available, I immediately wanted to get it. It's extremely in depth, looking at every angle of the score, it's relationship with the film, the cultural significance of both the film and the score, the orchestration, the overall thematic elements, etc. I can only imagine how many times the author must have seen the film. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Random Precision: Recording the Music of Syd Barrett 1965-1974

Average customer rating:

Syd Barrett, RIP
Excellent

Random Precision: Recording the Music of Syd Barrett 1965-1974
David Parker
Manufacturer: Cherry Red
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1901447251

Customer Reviews:

Syd Barrett, RIP.......2006-07-12

Syd Barrett will be greatly missed. His whimsical songwriting style was unique and greatly influenced many famous musicians like David Bowie. This book is an essential purchase for those wishing to know about a genuis.

Excellent.......2003-11-06

At last, it has happened. Ever since Mark Lewisohn published his momumental session-by-session "The Beatles Recording Sessions" in 1988, I have been waiting for other important artists to be given the same thorough, studious treatment. It's been a long wait, for while some vaguely similar titles have been published (including one about Jimi Hendrix), few of them could offer access to the same obsessive documentation that Abbey Road studios required of its engineers. Syd Barrett, the offbeat genius and erratic founder of Pink Floyd, also happens to have done most of his work at Abbey Road, and David Parker has been through every corner of the studio files to come up with this impressive offering. In it, we learn the date and content of every professional recording session Syd Barrett (with and without Pink Floyd) is known to have done during his finite career, from the first 1965 demos through the last, unheard, abandoned sessions in 1974. Some of Syd's engineers, friends and managers (Peter Jenner, etc.) contribute memories and comment perceptively on each of the songs and sessions. (Alas, no comments from members of Pink Floyd.)It should be noted that the author did not actually get to listen to many of the tapes; indeed, sometimes tape was recycled at the studios and the originals no longer exist. Nevertheless, the documentation is here. This is a wonderful, respectful reference work for any Syd Barrett fan, and an amusing read for anyone interested in recording sessions in general. Discographies, a compendium of live shows, and other appendices add to the completist fun. Wow, a winner.

Milestones: The Music and Times of Miles Davis

Average customer rating:

Enlightening and Infuriating at the Same Time
Definitive book on Miles
fine book, but . . .
Bravo Chambers!
The definitve biography of Miles Davis written thus far

Milestones: The Music and Times of Miles Davis
J. K. Chambers
Manufacturer: Da Capo Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0306808498

Customer Reviews:

Enlightening and Infuriating at the Same Time.......2007-03-12

Yes, this is THE source for information on Miles Davis' career. It should get five stars but there is a major sticking point for me. The book pretty much sticks to the musical aspects of Miles' life and it is chock-full of great information about line-ups, tours, recording dates.

I love all of Miles' work from his days with Parker until the day he died. It ALL has its place. Given that, I have a very serious problem with this book. Chambers is incredibly biased against Miles work from In a Silent Way onwards. He delivers many judgments about some recorded performances a "failures". He has very few positive things to say about this period. His comments about Big Fun and On the Corner (now considered far ahead of its time and a masterpiece) are inexcusable. He claims any listener to the music on Big Fun will find it frustratingly boring. Speak for yourself Chambers, Big Fun was the very record that got me into Miles Davis. If it's so lousy, why is it still in print in both a 24 bit remaster AND SACD? Chambers describes "He Loved Him Madly" from "Get Up With It" as "monochratic" and asserts it is incapable of sustaining the listener's interest. What? Again, if it's so boring, why is "Get Up With It" still in print and beautifully remastered 27 years after its initial release? SOMEbody is buying this stuff. We know who we are ;-)

I believe most folks don't read a book like this because they want a critique, they want information and perhaps insights from the folks who were there, playing the music, producing the music, etc. The information is here in this book, but the reader has to put up with Chamber's shallow opinions about Miles' later work. His comments about the Cellar Door gig with McLaughlin are ridiculous - especially given we can now actually hear much of those performances on the Cellar Door Sessions and that this was an incredibly good band with or without McLaughlin.

Chambers also prefaced this new edition with a long diatribe about Miles' last decade, calling him "Freaky Deaky" and making lots of plagerism complaints, i.e. Miles ripped off many of Chambers accounts and stories to create his autobiography. That may be a very valid point but I didn't buy this book to read about that sort of thing. So what, Chambers is upset that an old man who always claimed to have a poor memory used his book to recall some of the instances of his own life? Pathetic. Chambers forgets that he's made a handsome profit off of the life of Miles Dewey Davis. If Chambers felt he just HAD to include it, then it should have appeared as an epilogue not as a prologue full of sour grapes.

If you want to learn a lot about Miles, this is definitely THE book to purchase, but ya sure have to endure a lot of the author's sour grapes and subjective, snotty criticism to get the goods.

Definitive book on Miles.......2005-12-26

The best book on Miles Davis and one of the best jazz books ever written. Originally published in two volumes, the first half covers Miles from his birth up to 1960, the second half since 1960. The book is a bio-discography and centers around Miles's recording sessions. Full session details are given along with excellent commentary by Chambers.

Chambers knows what he's talking about when it comes to the music (a lot of jazz biographers are shaky when dealing with the actual music involved). Additional biographical detail is related as the book proceeds chronologically - club dates, personnel changes, business deals, troubles. It's a fascinating, detailed, and authoritative account of the life and career of Miles Davis. Definitive and a must-have book for anyone at all interested in Davis or modern jazz in general.

fine book, but . . ........2004-03-15

A fine book.
But Chambers is also slightly upset, I think, that Quincy Troupe got to work with Miles on his autobiography and not he -- and what Chambers' book is missing is exactly the kind of personal material (and voice) you find in Miles' autiobiograpy ("Miles").
The best thing about this book is the discussion of the wider context of Miles' music and performance ("the times"), but without Miles own voice it degenerates through the end of Part Two into a kind of annotated discography (mind you -- that's not all bad -- it is accurate and gave me a few ideas for out of the way purchases).
So, I recommend reading both this book and "Miles", for a complete picture.

Bravo Chambers!.......2003-02-04

This is probably the best book about the life of Miles Davis I have found. I have read his autobiography, the biography by Carr, and So What along with a couple of other Miles books. This one simply gives the best detail and most interesting about the artists life. If you want to read a book about Miles Davis start with this one. It is quite lenghty but there weren't many dull moments in Davis's life.

The definitve biography of Miles Davis written thus far.......2001-01-09

Jack Chambers has done a very hard task and that is to present the life of the legendary Miles Davis to readers in a very interesting, yet complex style which was reflective of the way Miles Davis led his life and music.

Miles Davis was the premiere jazz musician of his time along with John Coltrane, Charlie "Bird" Parker, Herbie Hancock, etc, yet while you can love Davis's music, to know the man was very hard to do, since Miles Davis was a standoffish and sullen individual. Chambers describes Davis's behavior as being sullen and hard to know because Davis's was a very shy man. I am sure that Davis lived a tough life because of injustice, yet it is sad that he didn't trust his fans and those who cared for him. Davis certainly lived the life of a "star", he over-indulged in sex, was an abuser of drugs, and had split personalities later on in life, yet his musical vision was almost always focused and clear, whether it be in the pinnacle of his talent (1950-1962), or his creating fusion (1967-1973), or the later part of his life.

Chambers does an excellent job of detailing the relationship Miles had with his fellow musicians such as the love-hate relationship with Theolonius Monk, the admiration and jealousy between Coltrane and Miles, as well as Miles being a mentor to such jazz greats as Herbie Hancock, John McGlaughlin, Chick Corea, etc.

I am a tremendous fan of Miles Davis jazz visions, I love his music and his musical style, yet after reading this book I feel sadness because I don't know if I pity Davis or just not liking him altogether, or admiring him no matter what, his final years were spent in paranoia, suspicion and feeding his ego, that is sad because if he would of just relaxed and enjoy his fans admiration I believe he might have lived longer. Anyways, this is an outstanding book and is highly recommended to all jazz lovers and fans of the immortal Miles Davis.

Average customer rating:

A must-own for the Beethoven fan

Excellent Handbook

Unparalleled Structure

Fascinating and Wonderfully Complete!

Everything to do with Beethoven!

The Beethoven Compendium: A Guide to Beethoven's Life and Music
Anne-Louise Coldicott , Nicholas Marston , and William Drabkin
Manufacturer: Thames & Hudson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Beethoven (Revised Edition)

Late Beethoven: Music, Thought, Imagination

Beethoven (Master Musicians)

Beethoven: The Music and the Life

Beethoven's Letters

ASIN: 0500278717

Customer Reviews:

A must-own for the Beethoven fan.......2004-09-25

All the key facts about Ludwig at your fingertips, plus many more you probably never knew. This book is a terrific reference, an enjoyable read, a great collection of facts and essays, and a bargain to boot. For those who think you need to be a scholar to have this level of interest, you don't. But even a scholar will find handy having so many facts in one place.

The book covers not just Beethoven and his life and works, but Vienna in general, the musical climate of the time, history, politics, developments in musicology, the scholarship of Beethoven's music, musical instruments and practices of Beethoven's time, etc. It's all very well-organized, too, with many nice illustrations of everything from Beethoven's handwriting (how can anyone read it?) to portraits of his contemporaries. And after you finish this marvelous volume, get the one on Mozart, too! I only wish they'd make compendiums for Bach, Schubert, Liszt, Schumann, Haydn, Tchaikowsky, Rachmaninoff, Sibelius, Bartok, Wagner, etc., etc.

Excellent Handbook.......2001-03-13

This book is an excellent resource for researching the life and works of Beethoven. The sections regarding compositions are broken down by ensemble and type, and provide important information such as performance dates, key signatures, time signatures, and movement headings. Almost all topics, including such things as Beethoven's handwriting, favorite literature, philosophies, thoughts on other composers, are covered. Very handy for reference, as well as a guide to starting Beethoven research. Well worth it at twice the price!

Unparalleled Structure.......2000-11-13

Undoubtedly thousands of books have been written about Beethoven, but what sets this one apart from the others is its well-organized and exhaustive structure. Perhaps the best way to highlight this for the prospective buyer is to list the actual sections contained in this book. 1. Calendar of Beethoven's life, works and related events 2. Beethoven's family tree 3. Who's who of Beethoven's contemporaries 4. Historical background 5. Musical background 6. Beethoven as an individual 7. Beethoven's beliefs and opinions. Following section 7 are several more sections dedicated solely to his music. As you can see, this book offers several aspects that many others neglect to include. This structure also affords one the opportunity to go directly to an area of interest without having to wade through myriad pages. Also included are eight pages of paintings, sculptures and sketches of the maestro. This book is equally at home in the bathroom, on the coffee table, or in the study. It is an invaluable source of information for anyone desiring to learn more about this amazing genius.

Fascinating and Wonderfully Complete!.......2000-04-29

This book offers chapter after chapter of information on every aspect of Beethoven. I find that every time I pick this book up, I can find something interesting to read about. Obviously the music as catalogued and described. Beyond that, details of the great composer's personality, writing style, health difficulties, as well as his known views on a variety of topics provide endless hours of fascinating reading. I am impressed by the thoroughness of this book. Listings of people who Beethoven knew or interacted with, his influences and those he influenced, pictures and descriptions of his handwriting and manuscripts, the historical perspective on the times he lived in, all clearly described. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about this great master, and to anyone who is interested in the life and times of one of the most influential artists to ever live. In summary I have found it accurate and complete and always interesting. It is an indispensable reference.

Everything to do with Beethoven!.......1997-06-29

This book has the biography, the politics of the times, the pictures of, the letters of, the thoughts of others about him, deciphering of each piece of music, a list of his contemporaries, patrons, loves, friends, family tree... everything you could ever want to know about Beethoven's life and times! I love this book

The Barbra Streisand Companion: A Guide to Her Vocal Style and Repertoire (Companions to Celebrated Musicians)

Average customer rating:

A Barbra Fan's or Vocal Enthusiast's Dream
Technical Stuff
Expensive Disappointment

The Barbra Streisand Companion: A Guide to Her Vocal Style and Repertoire (Companions to Celebrated Musicians)
Linda Pohly
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0313304149

Book Description

Barbra Streisand has enjoyed worldwide artistic success for more than three decades, and her recordings are a consistent and integral part of her multifaceted professional life. As part of Greenwood's series, Companions to Celebrated Musicians, this volume explores the musical life and style of Barbra Streisand and places her in the context of American popular music of the second half of the 20th century. Attention is given to other aspects of her career as they relate to her recordings. Chapters proceed chronologically and trace Streisand's evolving musical career and her successes. Analytical sections focus on musical elements, such as instrumentation and orchestration, melody, harmony, rhythm and tone, dynamics, and form, as they examine in detail Streisand's recordings and songs. This study of Barbra Streisand's music will appeal to American and popular music scholars and fans alike. The detailed musical analysis is written in straightforward prose. An appendix includes an album discography, song discography, and listing of other recordings and videos. An extensive bibliography serves as a guide to further research.

Customer Reviews:

A Barbra Fan's or Vocal Enthusiast's Dream.......2005-09-15

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I have been a lifelong fan of Ms. Streisand's vocals, and to have all of her styles and vocal capabilities studied and documented along with interesting tid-bits about her career is truly a great thing for posterity. Very interesting, entertaining and memory provoking!

Technical Stuff.......2002-11-26

Not your usual Barbra bio, but add it to your collection.

Expensive Disappointment.......2000-03-20

There is a huge void when it comes to musical studies or analyses on Streisand. Having been fascinated all my life with Streisand's voice, but having no formal musical training, I didn't think twice about spending $50 on The Barbra Streisand Companion.

It didn't take more than a day to realize this book is not what I expected. For starters, the book is comprised of 6 chapters, 3 appendices, and a reference bibliography. Of all these 256 pages, only 4 chapters (122 pages) are presented as musical analyses. Chapter 1 is devoted to biographical material (as if we need another biography) and includes details such as:

-Barbra was named to the International Best Dressed List in 1965;

-Barbra was snubbed by the Oscars;

-Barbra has a hobby of buying and redecorating houses; and

-Barbra has Christie's auctions to sell her belongings.

Honestly, I do not know how the author feels these details contribute to a musical study of Miss Streisand. After the biography, the author categorizes Barbra's lengthy career into four time periods (hence, the four chapters mentioned earlier) and begins her "analytical sections".

Are you familiar with My Fair Lady? If you are reading this, you probably are. In that movie, Henry Higgins is a professor who studies language and enunciation. I was reminded of him as I read the following in the Companion:

"Careful study...illuminates the diversity of her palette as related to diction. Words ending in er are sung as though spelled uh or ah...vowel combinations...are almost chewed...."

This kind of analyses in repeated over and over (and over) in this book. The quote above was made in reference to The Barbra Streisand Album. However, in the discussion of this album, there is no reference to Barbra's vocal range (highest note, lowest note), the key she is singing on, or how well she is singing in tune. Other than diction, the author does touch on some of the musical influences noted, song types (she lumps all Barbra's early years into 4 categories), and descriptions of how certain songs are played out. However, these descriptions are rarely useful, and quite honestly, not anything the reader doesn't already know. For example, "this ... arrangement begins with Barbra and plucked string bass. Shortly, strings and brass and a rhythm section join...". Honestly, most Streisand fans could have easily written this.

When reading the Preface, I noticed it started with a Streisand quote, "...excellence is in the details." Which is why I was very surprised when I came across a number of factual errors in the discography, For example:

-p. 196. "Barbra and Neil received a Grammy...for their recording." (No, they did not.)

-p. 200. "The score [Yentl]...is rated multi-platinum in sales" (No, it is only platinum.)

-p. 210. "Nolte won in the category of Best Actor." (Again--No. Nolte did not win an Oscar for The Prince of Tides.)

Customer Reviews:

Well Researched Book - Just Splendid!.......2005-02-11

This yellow hardback book is out of print, so it is pricey. If you are a die hard fan of Monkee history, of any generation, mine being 2nd, then this book is for you. It is like a Chronological History of the Monkees, which is probably a more apt title of the book, in my opinion. It is well done, lots of factoids packed with all black and white photos in 307 pages. The style in which the info is presented feels kind of like a school annual. The book does in some ways it seem older than mid-1980s when it was published.

I like how it is chornological, year by year milestones of the Monkees, even in the post-Monkees years to 1986. There are lots of great rare black and white pictures of the guys from all eras as well. I also enjoyed how the authors displayed images of the band's releases in foreign countries and post Monkee releases; quite detailed. I also liked reading the week by week tracking of the Monkees songs on the Billboard chart. Also they found many obscure ads, photos, of the Monkees. All very interesting.

The only drawback appears to be the lack of details about the Monkees in 1969, while the 3 Monkees, minus Peter, appeared on numerous TV programs as guests. The Monkees also had toured with Sam and the Goodtimers; I wish there was more information here. I would like to know more about this weird era post-TV show. Also the cinematic flop, Head, has sparse info. To make up for that shortage, there is lots of info and pictures, too about the 4 Monkees in the 1970s and 80s.

One neat fact I did not realize was that cassette tapes were in use in 1969! - There was a photo of Head release on LP. 8 Track and cassette. It mentions that 5 Monkee albums were released on cassette in 1969. I thought cassettes were introduced a few years later, like 1974ish.

Other than my criticisms, this is a splendid book. If you are a serious collector, it is worth spending the extra money. I hope you find a good deal on it: I have not seen this book listed online for less than $50.

I would like to purchase/review some of the other Rock and Roll Reference Series books they had published. Topics include: Lots of Beatles books, such as the Beatles Bootlegs and "Who's New Wave In Music."

The Monkees-A Manufactured Image.......2002-03-05

I would love to give you a review of this book, but it's been four months and I still have not received this book. I really want this book, I'm a lifelong Monkees Fan, and I'v been looking for this book a long time now. When I saw it listed on this site, I jumped on this chance and ordered it. But still no luck. If anyone could tell how I could get this book I would really appreciate it. I don't want my money back, I just want this book.
Very unhappy Customer

Everything you EVER wanted to know about the Monkees!.......2000-07-02

If you are looking for the DEFINITIVE reference book on everyone's favorite TV show ABOUT a rock and roll group...this is the one. I thought I knew a lot about the show and the guys, but thanks to Bill Chadwick (who was almost a Monkee, and was there for it all!), Maggie McManus (Monkees fan extrodinaire), and Ed Reilly (whose memorabilia collection I REALLY wish I had! ), this publication is the most comprehensive, detailed book regarding The Monkees ANYWHERE! In "A Manufactured Image", you will discover the day to day occurances and situations that took place from the very beginnings of Monkeemania, following the guys through the height of their popularity, through the dissolution of the cast and group, including Head and 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee, and throughout their respective solo careers, up through their triumphant return in 1986. It was great to be able to follow Micky, Davy, Peter, and Mike through their trials and tribulations after the project ended, and it tied up a lot of loose ends to questions I had about where they were, and what they did between 1970 and 1986. As a fan of the music, I especially enjoyed the complete list of recordings, seeing the titles of the unreleased stuff up to the date of publication. You will also see a section on some of the hundreds of Monkee Collectables from throughout the years, hundreds and hundreds of wonderful pictures, a great number of them previously unreleased. Want to know how the TV show fared against Gilligan's Island and Gunsmoke? Want to know how long The Monkees had SEVEN albums on the charts at one time in 1986? It's all here! In addition, pictures of the 45's by the guys, both solo and with the group, along with LP covers from around the world, which was a real treat! I highly recommend this book as an excellent way to introduce new fans to the Monkees, as well as fans who want to learn more about their favorite "Pre-Fab" Four! You cannot go wrong with "A Manufactured Image"

Tchaikovsky: A Listener's Guide Book/2 CD Pack Unlocking the Masters Series (Unlocking the Masters)

Average customer rating:

Perfect for high school-level music libraries or any general lending collection handling cds and text alike.
What an Expert Sees/Hears

Tchaikovsky: A Listener's Guide Book/2 CD Pack Unlocking the Masters Series (Unlocking the Masters)
Daniel Felsenfeld
Manufacturer: Amadeus Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1574671340

Book Description

Composer and author Daniel Felsenfeld takes the reader on a tour of some of the "Little Russian's" most beloved works, including The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, 1812 Overture, Romeo and Juliet, Symphonies Nos. 4 and 6, the Serenade for Strings, and his Violin Concerto. The book is a series of blow-by-blow listening sections matched to the music on two accompanying CDs, guiding the reader through these magical compositions, illuminating their edges and fine points.

Customer Reviews:

Perfect for high school-level music libraries or any general lending collection handling cds and text alike........2007-04-07

Tchaikovsky was a composer of lovely melodies rooted in his personal angst: TCHAIKOVSKY: A LISTENER'S GUIDE blends prose to music by offering two accompanying cds from classical music cd publisher Naxos to accompany author Daniel Felsenfeld's exploration of his most notable works. The pairing of text from a music writer and composer with the master pieces of an artist makes for a particularly involving production perfect for newcomers to Tchaikovsky's works. Perfect for high school-level music libraries or any general lending collection handling cds and text alike.

What an Expert Sees/Hears.......2007-03-28

To listen to great music and to enjoy it is one thing. Yet the professional student of classical music sees/hears/understands so much more than the rest of us.

In this book Daniel Felsenfeld, a prolific composer and music writer has written what he sais agimes to give 'the interested but potentially uninitiated listener' the tools he or she needs to lsiten to Tchaikovsky's music and to become more comfortable with classical music overall. This provides an insite that most of us, particularily those of us living in remote areas, can never see.

I never imagined that you could see so much in this music.

The book comes with two full length CDs.

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