History & Criticism

Joel Selvin tells the definitive story of the Rolling Stones' infamous Altamont concert in San Francisco, the disastrous historic event that marked the end of the idealistic 1960s....

Legendary rock journalist Mick Wall delivers definitive insight into America's bestselling band of all time, exploring their meteoric rise to fame and the hedonistic days of the '70s music scene in LA, when American music was taking over the world....

In essays that have been published by the New York Times, MTV, and Pitchfork, among others—Abdurraqib uses music and culture as a lens through which to view our world so that we might better understand ourselves, and in so doing proves himself a bellwether for our times....

In this intimate and open account—nothing like any rock-and-roll memoir you’ve ever listened to—Alex Van Halen shares his personal story of family, friendship, music and brotherly love in a remarkable tribute to his beloved brother and band mate.

Without Nebraska, Bruce Springsteen might not be who he is today. The natural follow-up to Springsteen’s hugely successful album The River should have been the hit-packed Born in the U.S.A....

Nick Corasaniti tells the captivating oral history of the iconic music venue the Stone Pony and of the rise, fall, and rebirth of Asbury Park, New Jersey.

The story of how jazz arrived at the pinnacle of American culture in 1959, told through the journey of three towering artists—Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Bill Evans—who came together to create the most famous and bestselling jazz album of all time, Kind of Blue....

In 1785, when the great German poet Friedrich Schiller penned his immortal “Ode to Joy,” he crystallized the deepest hopes and dreams of the European Enlightenment for a new era of peace and freedom, a time when millions would be embraced as equals....

In 1992, the Screaming Trees were expected to become the next big band to come out of the Seattle music scene during the heyday of grunge. Except it never happened....

I Want My MTV tells the story of the first decade of MTV, the golden era when MTV's programming was all videos, all the time, and kids watched religiously to see their favorite bands....

By a pair of veteran music writers, an unprecedented history of the electric guitar, its explosive impact on music and culture, and the people who brought it to life....

The co-founder of The Cure and author of Cured delivers a fascinating deep dive into the dark romanticism of Goth music, a misunderstood genre and culture....

This is the never-before-told story of the musical revolution that happened right under the nose of the Reagan '80s - when a small but sprawling network of bands, labels, fanzines, radio stations, and other subversives reenergized American rock....

Fleetwood Mac's classic 1977 Rumours album topped the Billboard 200 for 31 weeks and won the Album of the Year Grammy....

Willie, Waylon, and the Boys traces a path from Waylon Jennings’ survival on the Day the Music Died through to the Highwaymen and on to the current creative and commercial explosion of Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, Tyler Childers, Jason Isbell, and the Highwomen....

On June 4, 1984, Columbia Records issued what would become one of the best-selling and most impactful rock albums of all time. An instant classic, Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the U.S.A. would prove itself to be a landmark not only for the man who made it, but rock music in general.

Ted Gioia's History of Jazz has been universally hailed as a classic - acclaimed by jazz critics and fans around the world....

With astounding access to all the key players of the time, including members of Green Day, The Offspring, Rancid, Bad Religion, Social Distortion, and many others, music writer Ian Winwood at last gives the significant, substantive, and compelling story of '90s punk rock its due....

An energetic and explosive oral history examining emo’s pop culture takeover from 1999-2008, featuring exclusive interviews with My Chemical Romance’s Mikey Way and Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz and Patrick Stump....

Discovered at last, the legendary lost manuscript of Grateful Dead co-founder and primary lyricist Robert Hunter, written in the early 1960s—a wry, richly observed, and enlightening remembrance of “the scene” in Palo Alto that gave rise to an incredible partnership of Hunter and Jerry Garcia.

A monumental, revealing narrative history about the legendary group of artists at the forefront of West Coast hip-hop: Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, and Tupac Shakur....

An epic achievement and a huge delight, the entire history of popular music over the past 50 years refracted through the big genres that have defined and dominated it: rock, R&B, country, punk, hip-hop, dance music, and pop....

A companion to the #1 music podcast on Spotify, this book takes listeners through the greatest hits that define a weirdly undefinable decade....

Dangerous Rhythms tells the symbiotic story of jazz and the underworld: a relationship fostered in some of 20th century America’s most notorious vice districts. For the first half of the century mobsters and musicians enjoyed a mutually beneficial partnership....

The music that would come to be known as hip-hop was born at a party in the Bronx in the summer of 1973. Now, fifty years later, it’s the most popular music genre in America....

The life-changing, transformative power of classical music, as told in powerful and moving personal experiences of composers, artists, amateurs, students, teachers, critics, audience. 38 chapters. With special contributors: James Kent, director, CHOPIN SAVED MY LIFE Rachel Barton Pine, violinist Len Mullenger, founder, Music Web International Nicholas Reed, producer, THE LADY IN NO. 6 (Academy Award, Best Documentary, Short Subject). Professional cellist, author and program annotator writes: "Extraordinary! You have beautifully introduced these meaningful stories, all of which should be ...

"Wonderful compilation" -- Henry Fogel, Dean, Chicago College of Performing Arts, Roosevelt University; former president, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, American Symphony Orchestra League "An enjoyable read, and a great conversation starter." -- James McCarthy, Limelight magazine, Australia "...for those seeking to shake up their listening habits and explore musical rarities -- Opera America Focus on obscure composers from 19th century Romantic Period, drawn from Obscure Composers series, volumes 1, 2, and 3.

In All the Years Combine: The Grateful Dead in Fifty Shows, Robertson listens to and writes ecstatically about fifty of the band's most important and memorable concerts in order to better understand who the Grateful Dead were, what they became, and what they meant-and what they continue to mean.

A brief survey of death in classical music and how composers treat the subject is the theme of this new book by John A. Sarkett. He is the author of Obscure Composers, Obscure Composers 2, and Bach and Heaven: The Promise of Afterlife in the Text of the Cantatas. A distinguished trio of scholars contributes a superb set of insightful essays as well: "Wagner and Schopenhauer," by Dr. Leo Eylar, professor and conductor, California State University, Sacramento "Arthur Schopenhauer reads Richard Wagner" by Dr. Karl S. Guthke, professor, Kuno Francke Research Professor of German Art and Culture,...

"Wonderful compilation" -- Henry Fogel, Dean, Chicago College of Performing Arts, Roosevelt University; former president, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, American Symphony Orchestra League "An enjoyable read, and a great conversation starter." -- James McCarthy, Limelight magazine, Australia "...for those seeking to shake up their listening habits and explore musical rarities -- Opera America A sequel, volume two. Some 90 composers profiled. Special chapter by pianist, conductor, Sir Andras Schiff. The author writes: I will let you in on a little secret. The classical world is prejudiced. If ...

The author begins: I will let you in on a little secret. The classical world is prejudiced. If it’s not Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, (or maybe Bartók), some, most? classical listeners think it’s inferior by definition, and not worthy of attention. Virtually each of us has had some degree of symptoms, even if sub-clinical. Yes, even your author. So, to ameliorate the situation, I set off for musical parts unknown, seeking out obscure composers, those rarely or never heard, and lo and behold, got a set of music to enjoy perhaps 10 times larger than before. From some names I had never heard ...

One of the most celebrated artists of her generation, Joni Mitchell has inspired countless musicians and authors, while never stopping still herself. In Traveling, Ann Powers seeks to understand the paradox of Mitchell – at once both elusive and inviting – through her myriad journeys. Drawing on extensive interviews with Mitchell’s peers and deep archival research, Powers takes readers to rural Canada, charts the course of Mitchell's musical evolution, follows the winding road of Mitchell's collaborations with other greats and explores her loves along the way.

In the vast expanse of the rap universe, few stars shine as brightly and controversially as Drake. With his melodic flow, introspective lyrics, and genre-bending music, Drake has left an indelible mark on both rap and pop culture. However, his ascent to the summit of the music industry has not been without its detractors. From fellow artists to internet trolls, many have sought to challenge Drake's dominance through the age-old tradition of the diss track. Yet, despite the barrage of criticism and ridicule, Drake remains not only relevant but also revered in the world of music.

For millennia, the sacred drummers of pre-Christian Mediterranean and western Asia were women. In this inspiring book, Layne Redmond, herself a renowned drummer, tells their history.

History of Electronic Music like you never heard it before! Electronic music is so much more than electric guitars and bass. This is the book for those who want to know how everything started and how electronic music has evolved since the late 1800s. Find out what the very first electronic instruments were and how they worked. Learn more about interesting ways to find natural sounds that would be impossible to achieve without this technology! Some of what we learn in this book: About early electronic instruments (not what you think!) The most important electronic music pioneers and ...

History of Opera A quick rundown of opera history awaits! Some of the contents in this book: The history of opera from its beginning until today Information and recommendations on different operas and composers Fun facts and interesting anecdotes Have you ever wondered why people make fun of operas? Do you know which composer was inspired by his poverty to write an opera and ended up rich? Or would you like to know how operas were written and performed in a concentration camp in Nazi Germany? Then, you will enjoy this book! It takes us all the way back to the Baroque period and tells the ...

In this, the first book to take a big-picture view of the entire post punk period, acclaimed author and music journalist Simon Reynolds recreates a time of tremendous urgency and idealism in pop music. Full of anecdote and insight, and featuring the likes of Joy Division, The Fall, Pere Ubu, PiL and Talking Heads, Rip It Up And Start Again stands as one of the most inspired and inspiring books on popular music ever written.

Explore with renewed wonder the thorough, touching, and inspiring firsthand account of performing with and learning from Arturo Toscanini. In this expanded second edition of This Was Toscanini, original author Samuel Antek's reflections on The Maestro gain new insights as his daughter Lucy Antek Johnson enlightens readers of what her father himself was like, and shares her fond and intimate reflections on a musical partnership.

In 1970, Asbury Park, New Jersey, was ripped apart by race riots that left the once-proud beach town an hour away from Manhattan smoldering, suffering and left for dead. Four years later, a few miles down the coast in Seaside Heights, two bouncers, Jack Roig and Butch Pielka, tired of the daily grind, dreamt of owning their own place. Under-prepared and minimally funded, the two bought the first bar they considered, in a city where no one wanted to be, without setting one foot in the place. They named it the Stone Pony.

The tragic and inspiring story of the leaders of Outlaw country and their influence on today’s Alt-Country and Americana superstars, tracing a path from Waylon Jennings’ survival on the Day the Music Died through to the Highwaymen and on to the current creative and commercial explosion of Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, Zach Bryan, Jason Isbell, and the Highwomen.