God Only Knows
The Story of Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys and the California Myth
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Prime members: New to Audible?Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
God Only Knows
Buy for $25.79
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Alex Knox
-
David Leaf
-
By:
-
David Leaf
About this listen
Originally published in 1978 as The Beach Boys and the California Myth, this groundbreaking study was both the first full-length book on the band and the first to recognize Brian Wilson as one of the most significant and influential artists of the twentieth century. Covering the turbulent family strife and internal conflicts as well as giving proper attention to the remarkable music, the book was an instant classic. An intimate look at Brian's rollercoaster of a life and career, it's told through the eyes of those who were there during Wilson's most legendary productions including Pet Sounds and Good Vibrations.
Revised and updated, God Only Knows covers the decades since the 1985 edition, including Brian's first acclaimed solo album, his startling return to live performing, the landmark Pet Sounds tour, the 'All-Star Tribute to Brian Wilson' (which Leaf wrote and produced), and the triumphant and miraculous Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE world premiere in London.
Filled with surprising revelations, insight and behind-the-scenes detail, this indispensable book written by renowned Brian Wilson expert David Leaf begins with an overture from Sir Paul McCartney and includes essays from Sir Barry Gibb, Brian’s wife Melinda Wilson, and an introduction by Jimmy Webb.
©1978, 1985, 2022 David Leaf (P)2023 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
-
Catch a Wave
- The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson
- By: Peter Ames Carlin
- Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
- Length: 14 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 210
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 190
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 188
In Catch a Wave, Peter Ames Carlin pulls back the curtain on Brian Wilson, one of popular music's most revered luminaries, as well as its biggest mystery. Drawing on hundreds of interviews and never-before heard studio recordings, Carlin follows the Beach Boys from their earliest days through Brian's deepening emotional problems to his triumphant re-emergence with the release of Smile, the legendarily unreleased album he had originally shelved.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Not great
- By J. Barker on 08-08-16
-
George Harrison
- The Reluctant Beatle
- By: Philip Norman
- Narrated by: David Holt
- Length: 16 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 93
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 81
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 81
Despite being hailed as one of the best guitarists of his era, George Harrison, particularly in his early decades, battled feelings of inferiority. He was often the butt of jokes from his bandmates owing to his lower-class background and, typically, was allowed to contribute only one or two songs per Beatles album out of the dozens he wrote.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Not good
- By PEDRO on 03-12-24
By: Philip Norman
-
Living the Beatles’ Legend
- The Untold Story of Mal Evans
- By: Kenneth Womack
- Narrated by: Gary T. Evans, Kenneth Womack
- Length: 19 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 116
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 102
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 102
Malcolm Evans, the Beatles’ long-time roadie, personal assistant, and devoted friend, was an invaluable member of the band’s inner circle. A towering figure in horn-rimmed glasses, Evans loomed large in the Beatles’ story, contributing at times as a performer and sometime lyricist, while struggling mightily to protect his beloved “boys.” He was there for the whole of the group’s remarkable, unparalleled story: from the Shea Stadium triumph through the creation of the timeless cover art for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and the famous Let It Be rooftop concert.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A Must For Every Beatles Fan
- By shannonsongs on 11-23-23
By: Kenneth Womack
-
Good Vibrations
- My Life as a Beach Boy
- By: Mike Love, James S. Hirsch
- Narrated by: Mike Love
- Length: 15 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 271
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 249
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 244
As a founding member of The Beach Boys, Mike Love has spent an extraordinary 55 years, and counting, as the group's lead singer and one of its principal lyricists. The Beach Boys, from their California roots to their international fame, are a unique American story - one of overnight success and age-defying longevity; of musical genius and reckless self-destruction; of spirituality, betrayal, and forgiveness - and Love is the only band member to be part of it each and every step.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Worthwhile for Beach Boy fans...narration awful
- By jeffrey on 10-13-16
By: Mike Love, and others
-
I Am Brian Wilson
- By: Brian Wilson, Ben Greenman - contributor
- Narrated by: Fred Berman
- Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 611
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 549
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 542
As a cofounding member of the Beach Boys in the 1960s, Wilson created some of the most groundbreaking and timeless popular music ever recorded. With intricate harmonies, symphonic structures, and wide-eyed lyrics that explored life's most transcendent joys and deepest sorrows, songs like "In My Room", "God Only Knows", and "Good Vibrations" forever expanded the possibilities of pop songwriting.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Surviving the Minor Keys in Life - Love Overcomes
- By Russell on 12-01-16
By: Brian Wilson, and others
-
My Effin' Life
- By: Geddy Lee
- Narrated by: Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Cliff Burnstein
- Length: 16 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 1,864
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,684
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1,684
Geddy Lee is one of rock and roll's most respected bassists. For nearly five decades, his playing and work as co-writer, vocalist and keyboardist has been an essential part of the success story of Canadian progressive rock trio Rush. Here for the first time is his account of life inside and outside the band.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Lee's Narration Will Captivate You.
- By Nanooka on 11-14-23
By: Geddy Lee
-
Catch a Wave
- The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson
- By: Peter Ames Carlin
- Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
- Length: 14 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 210
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 190
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 188
In Catch a Wave, Peter Ames Carlin pulls back the curtain on Brian Wilson, one of popular music's most revered luminaries, as well as its biggest mystery. Drawing on hundreds of interviews and never-before heard studio recordings, Carlin follows the Beach Boys from their earliest days through Brian's deepening emotional problems to his triumphant re-emergence with the release of Smile, the legendarily unreleased album he had originally shelved.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Not great
- By J. Barker on 08-08-16
-
George Harrison
- The Reluctant Beatle
- By: Philip Norman
- Narrated by: David Holt
- Length: 16 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 93
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 81
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 81
Despite being hailed as one of the best guitarists of his era, George Harrison, particularly in his early decades, battled feelings of inferiority. He was often the butt of jokes from his bandmates owing to his lower-class background and, typically, was allowed to contribute only one or two songs per Beatles album out of the dozens he wrote.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Not good
- By PEDRO on 03-12-24
By: Philip Norman
-
Living the Beatles’ Legend
- The Untold Story of Mal Evans
- By: Kenneth Womack
- Narrated by: Gary T. Evans, Kenneth Womack
- Length: 19 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 116
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 102
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 102
Malcolm Evans, the Beatles’ long-time roadie, personal assistant, and devoted friend, was an invaluable member of the band’s inner circle. A towering figure in horn-rimmed glasses, Evans loomed large in the Beatles’ story, contributing at times as a performer and sometime lyricist, while struggling mightily to protect his beloved “boys.” He was there for the whole of the group’s remarkable, unparalleled story: from the Shea Stadium triumph through the creation of the timeless cover art for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and the famous Let It Be rooftop concert.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A Must For Every Beatles Fan
- By shannonsongs on 11-23-23
By: Kenneth Womack
-
Good Vibrations
- My Life as a Beach Boy
- By: Mike Love, James S. Hirsch
- Narrated by: Mike Love
- Length: 15 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 271
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 249
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 244
As a founding member of The Beach Boys, Mike Love has spent an extraordinary 55 years, and counting, as the group's lead singer and one of its principal lyricists. The Beach Boys, from their California roots to their international fame, are a unique American story - one of overnight success and age-defying longevity; of musical genius and reckless self-destruction; of spirituality, betrayal, and forgiveness - and Love is the only band member to be part of it each and every step.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Worthwhile for Beach Boy fans...narration awful
- By jeffrey on 10-13-16
By: Mike Love, and others
-
I Am Brian Wilson
- By: Brian Wilson, Ben Greenman - contributor
- Narrated by: Fred Berman
- Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 611
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 549
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 542
As a cofounding member of the Beach Boys in the 1960s, Wilson created some of the most groundbreaking and timeless popular music ever recorded. With intricate harmonies, symphonic structures, and wide-eyed lyrics that explored life's most transcendent joys and deepest sorrows, songs like "In My Room", "God Only Knows", and "Good Vibrations" forever expanded the possibilities of pop songwriting.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Surviving the Minor Keys in Life - Love Overcomes
- By Russell on 12-01-16
By: Brian Wilson, and others
-
My Effin' Life
- By: Geddy Lee
- Narrated by: Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Cliff Burnstein
- Length: 16 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 1,864
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,684
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1,684
Geddy Lee is one of rock and roll's most respected bassists. For nearly five decades, his playing and work as co-writer, vocalist and keyboardist has been an essential part of the success story of Canadian progressive rock trio Rush. Here for the first time is his account of life inside and outside the band.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Lee's Narration Will Captivate You.
- By Nanooka on 11-14-23
By: Geddy Lee
-
Leon Russell
- The Master of Space and Time's Journey Through Rock & Roll History
- By: Bill Janovitz
- Narrated by: Bill Janovitz, Jason Culp
- Length: 24 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 69
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 61
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 61
Leon Russell is an icon, but somehow is still an underappreciated artist. He is spoken of in tones reserved not just for the most talented musicians, but also for the most complex and fascinating. His career is like a roadmap of music history, often intersecting with rock royalty like Bob Dylan, the Stones, and the Beatles.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A dream come true for Leon Russell fans!!
- By William Straten on 03-15-23
By: Bill Janovitz
-
Scattershot
- Life, Music, Elton, and Me
- By: Bernie Taupin
- Narrated by: John Lee, Bernie Taupin
- Length: 15 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 100
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 86
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 86
This is the memoir music fans have been waiting for. Half of one of the greatest partnerships in popular music, Bernie Taupin is the man who wrote the lyrics for Elton John, who conceived the ideas that spawned countless hits, and sold millions and millions of records. Together, they were a duo, a unit, an immovable object. Their extraordinary, half-century-and-counting creative relationship has been chronicled in biopics (like 2019's Rocketman) and even John's own autobiography, Me. But Taupin, a private person, has kept his own account of their adventures close to his chest, until now.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Not Boring, A Relaxing Listen
- By jipickin on 09-14-23
By: Bernie Taupin
-
Surely You Can't Be Serious
- The True Story of Airplane!
- By: David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, Jerry Zucker
- Narrated by: "Weird Al" Yankovic, Arne Schmidt, Barry Diller, and others
- Length: 7 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 319
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 284
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 284
Surely You Can’t Be Serious is the first-ever oral history of the making of Airplane! by the creators, and of the beginnings of the ZAZ trio (Zucker, Abrahams, Zucker) – charting the rise of their comedy troupe Kentucky Fried Theater in Madison, Wisconsin all the way to premiere night. The directors explain what drew them to filmmaking and in particular, comedy.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Absolutely fantastic
- By A. Soergel on 10-11-23
By: David Zucker, and others
-
Into the Void
- From Birth to Black Sabbath—And Beyond
- By: Geezer Butler
- Narrated by: Geezer Butler
- Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 341
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 297
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 297
With over 70 million records sold, Black Sabbath, dubbed by Rolling Stone “the Beatles of heavy metal,” helped create the genre itself, with their distinctive heavy riffs, tuned down guitars, and apocalyptic lyrics. Bassist and primary lyricist Geezer Butler played a gigantic part in the band’s renown, from suggesting the band name to using his fascination with horror, religion, and the occult to compose the lyrics and build the foundation of heavy metal as we know it. In Into the Void, Butler tells his side of the story.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Geezer, The Only Member Of Sabbath You Can Trust.
- By monday night by satellite on 06-15-23
By: Geezer Butler
-
Taking Berlin
- The Bloody Race to Defeat the Third Reich
- By: Martin Dugard
- Narrated by: Samuel Roukin
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 116
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 107
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 106
Fall, 1944. Paris has been liberated, saved from destruction, but this diversion on the road to Berlin has given the Germans time to regroup. The American and British armies press on from the west, facing the enemy time and again in the Hurtgen Forest, during the Market-Garden invasion, and at the Battle of the Bulge, all while American general George Patton and British field marshal Bernard Montgomery vie for supremacy as the Allies’ top battlefield commander.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Great until personal politics showed up
- By UP North on 12-16-22
By: Martin Dugard
-
But Will You Love Me Tomorrow?
- An Oral History of the '60s Girl Groups
- By: Laura Flam, Emily Sieu Liebowitz
- Narrated by: Laura Flam, Emily Sieu Liebowitz, Robin Eller, and others
- Length: 14 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 15
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 11
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 11
The girl group sound, made famous and unforgettable by acts like The Ronettes, The Shirelles, The Supremes, and The Vandellas, took over the airwaves by capturing the mixture of innocence and rebellion emblematic of America in the 1960s. But while the songs are essential to the American canon, many of the artists remain all but anonymous to most listeners. But Will You Love Me Tomorrow?: An Oral History of 60s Girl Groups tells a national coming-of-age story that gives particular insight into the experiences of the female singers and songwriters who created the movement.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Now More Than Ever
- By priest on 09-15-23
By: Laura Flam, and others
-
Everybody Had an Ocean
- Music and Mayhem in 1960s Los Angeles
- By: William McKeen - editor
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 13 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 22
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 17
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 17
Everybody Had an Ocean chronicles the migration of the rock 'n' roll business to Southern California and how the artists flourished there. The cast of characters is astonishing - Brian and Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, eccentric producer Phil Spector, Cass Elliot, Sam Cooke, Ike and Tina Turner, Joni Mitchell, and scores of others - and their stories form a modern epic of the battles between innocence and cynicism, joy and terror. You'll never hear that beautiful music in quite the same way.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Extremely entertaining
- By Wayback machine on 10-05-22
-
Lou Reed
- The King of New York
- By: Will Hermes
- Narrated by: Will Hermes
- Length: 20 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 60
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 57
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 57
Since his death ten years ago, Lou Reed’s living presence has only grown. The great rock-poet presided over the marriage of Brill Building pop and the European avant-garde, and left American culture transfigured. In Lou Reed: The King of New York, Will Hermes offers the definitive narrative of Reed’s life and legacy, dramatizing his long, brilliant, and contentious dialogue with fans, critics, fellow artists, and assorted habitués of the demimonde.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Best Biography I’ve Ever Read
- By Sammy Criscitello on 11-21-24
By: Will Hermes
-
Goth
- A History
- By: Lol Tolhurst
- Narrated by: Lol Tolhurst, Budgie
- Length: 7 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 60
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 55
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 55
GOTH is an entertaining and engaging historical memoir, and a journey through Goth music and culture, exploring creative giants like The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus, Joy Division, and many more great bands that offered a place of refuge for the misfits of the ‘80s and ever since. Written by Lol Tolhurst, co-founder of The Cure, this book offers a riveting retrospective of the genre’s iconic movers and shakers, infused with stories from Tolhurst’s personal trove of memories.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Lol’s life experiences and literary skills come together for this exquisite perspective on the subject
- By Marshall K. on 11-08-24
By: Lol Tolhurst
-
Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)
- A Memoir
- By: Sly Stone, Ben Greenman - contributor, Questlove - foreword
- Narrated by: Dion Graham
- Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 110
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 102
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 102
One of the few indisputable geniuses of pop music, Sly Stone is a trailblazer and a legend. He created a new kind of music, mixing Black and white, male and female, funk and rock. As a songwriter, he penned some of the most iconic anthems of the 1960s and ’70s, from “Everyday People” to “Family Affair.” As a performer, he electrified audiences with a persona and stage presence that set a lasting standard for pop-culture performance.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Thank You!
- By Gina M. McKenzie on 10-20-23
By: Sly Stone, and others
-
Here Comes the Sun
- The Spiritual and Musical Journey of George Harrison
- By: Joshua M. Greene
- Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
- Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 100
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 85
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 83
Joshua Greene, who studied meditation with the legendary Beatle George Harrison, draws on personal remembrances, recorded conversations, and firsthand accounts to create a moving portrait of Harrison's spiritual life, his profound contribution to the Beatles' music, and previously unpublished anecdotes about his time with music legends Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, and others.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A great read
- By Joshua Deal on 12-14-20
By: Joshua M. Greene
-
Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli
- The Epic Story of the Making of The Godfather
- By: Mark Seal
- Narrated by: Phil Thron
- Length: 15 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 922
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 786
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 782
The story of how The Godfather was made is as dramatic, operatic, and entertaining as the film itself. Over the years, many versions of various aspects of the movie’s fiery creation have been told - sometimes conflicting, but always compelling. Mark Seal sifts through the evidence, has extensive new conversations with director Francis Ford Coppola and several heretofore silent sources, and complements them with colorful interviews with key players including actors Al Pacino, James Caan, Talia Shire, and others.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A great book that draws from many, many sources
- By DARBY KERN on 04-11-22
By: Mark Seal
Related to this topic
-
Elton John
- The Biography
- By: David Buckley
- Narrated by: Simon Shepherd
- Length: 16 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 53
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 50
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 50
Elton John is as much loved for his outrageous personality and witty outspokenness as for his music. Such shamelessness and sheer silliness rivals anything uttered by punk rockers, yet it is so typically Elton: honest and intemperate. Tragedy and heartbreak have played a large part in his life. Behind the parties, the hedonism, the lavish stage costumes, and silly glasses lies a more somber story. Between disputes with managers, legal wranglings, public breakups, and divorce, John has been faced with serious health problems and drug addictions.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Trite!
- By michael mckone on 08-04-22
By: David Buckley
-
Down the Highway
- The Life of Bob Dylan
- By: Howard Sounes
- Narrated by: Peter Markinker
- Length: 20 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 302
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 265
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 264
Down the Highway is an essential biography for Bob Dylan fans and all music enthusiasts, delivering the full, fascinating story of the life and work of this great artist. Author Howard Sounes interviewed more than 250 key people in Dylan’s circle, and gained access to previously unseen documents, to create a fresh and compelling book that takes the reader on a journey from Dylan’s childhood in a Minnesota mining town, through his rise to fame in the 1960s, to his current status as the senior figure in popular music.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I'm a little late to the party
- By BrassHat on 06-05-17
By: Howard Sounes
-
The Never-Ending Present
- The Story of Gord Downie and the Tragically Hip
- By: Michael Barclay
- Narrated by: George Stroumboulopoulos
- Length: 17 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 55
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 45
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 44
From our talent-rich neighbor to the north comes this biography of one of the most successful Canadian rock bands, The Tragically Hip, which announced a year-long tour after sharing the news of lead singer Gord Downie’s inoperable cancer. Now available to US listeners, The Never-Ending Present details what led up to the memorable night when music fans all over the world watched Downie’s heroic final performance.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Hometown Heroes
- By Tommy Garou on 12-13-18
By: Michael Barclay
-
You Never Give Me Your Money
- The Beatles After the Breakup
- By: Peter Doggett
- Narrated by: Shaun Grindell
- Length: 14 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 152
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 131
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 131
Acclaimed journalist Peter Doggett recounts the previously untold story of the dramatic final chapter in the lives, loves, and legal battles of John, Paul, George, and Ringo - a.k.a. The Beatles - from their breakup in 1969 to the present day. Called "refreshingly straightforward and highly readable" by the Daily Telegraph (London), You Never Give Me Your Money is the dramatic and intimate story of the breakup and aftermath of The Fab Four as it's never been told before.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Four human beings
- By Tad Davis on 10-02-20
By: Peter Doggett
-
Let’s Go Crazy
- Prince and the Making of Purple Rain
- By: Alan Light
- Narrated by: Fred Berman
- Length: 7 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 521
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 464
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 460
Purple Rain is a song, an album, and a film - each one a commercial success and cultural milestone. How did this semiautobiographical musical masterpiece that blurred R&B, pop, dance, and rock sounds come to alter the recording landscape and become an enduring touchstone for successive generations of fans?
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A Must-Read For Any PRINCE Fan
- By Bryan K. Chavez on 05-06-16
By: Alan Light
-
Light & Shade
- Conversations with Jimmy Page
- By: Brad Tolinski
- Narrated by: Robert Fass, John Lee
- Length: 7 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 180
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 156
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 157
More than 30 years after disbanding in 1980, Led Zeppelin continues to be celebrated for its artistic achievements, broad musical influence, and commercial success. The band's notorious exploits have been chronicled in bestselling books; yet none of the individual members of the band has penned a memoir nor cooperated to any degree with the press or a biographer.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Production History, FY!
- By Amy Peacock on 02-21-17
By: Brad Tolinski
-
Elton John
- The Biography
- By: David Buckley
- Narrated by: Simon Shepherd
- Length: 16 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 53
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 50
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 50
Elton John is as much loved for his outrageous personality and witty outspokenness as for his music. Such shamelessness and sheer silliness rivals anything uttered by punk rockers, yet it is so typically Elton: honest and intemperate. Tragedy and heartbreak have played a large part in his life. Behind the parties, the hedonism, the lavish stage costumes, and silly glasses lies a more somber story. Between disputes with managers, legal wranglings, public breakups, and divorce, John has been faced with serious health problems and drug addictions.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Trite!
- By michael mckone on 08-04-22
By: David Buckley
-
Down the Highway
- The Life of Bob Dylan
- By: Howard Sounes
- Narrated by: Peter Markinker
- Length: 20 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 302
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 265
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 264
Down the Highway is an essential biography for Bob Dylan fans and all music enthusiasts, delivering the full, fascinating story of the life and work of this great artist. Author Howard Sounes interviewed more than 250 key people in Dylan’s circle, and gained access to previously unseen documents, to create a fresh and compelling book that takes the reader on a journey from Dylan’s childhood in a Minnesota mining town, through his rise to fame in the 1960s, to his current status as the senior figure in popular music.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I'm a little late to the party
- By BrassHat on 06-05-17
By: Howard Sounes
-
The Never-Ending Present
- The Story of Gord Downie and the Tragically Hip
- By: Michael Barclay
- Narrated by: George Stroumboulopoulos
- Length: 17 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 55
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 45
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 44
From our talent-rich neighbor to the north comes this biography of one of the most successful Canadian rock bands, The Tragically Hip, which announced a year-long tour after sharing the news of lead singer Gord Downie’s inoperable cancer. Now available to US listeners, The Never-Ending Present details what led up to the memorable night when music fans all over the world watched Downie’s heroic final performance.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Hometown Heroes
- By Tommy Garou on 12-13-18
By: Michael Barclay
-
You Never Give Me Your Money
- The Beatles After the Breakup
- By: Peter Doggett
- Narrated by: Shaun Grindell
- Length: 14 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 152
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 131
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 131
Acclaimed journalist Peter Doggett recounts the previously untold story of the dramatic final chapter in the lives, loves, and legal battles of John, Paul, George, and Ringo - a.k.a. The Beatles - from their breakup in 1969 to the present day. Called "refreshingly straightforward and highly readable" by the Daily Telegraph (London), You Never Give Me Your Money is the dramatic and intimate story of the breakup and aftermath of The Fab Four as it's never been told before.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Four human beings
- By Tad Davis on 10-02-20
By: Peter Doggett
-
Let’s Go Crazy
- Prince and the Making of Purple Rain
- By: Alan Light
- Narrated by: Fred Berman
- Length: 7 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 521
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 464
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 460
Purple Rain is a song, an album, and a film - each one a commercial success and cultural milestone. How did this semiautobiographical musical masterpiece that blurred R&B, pop, dance, and rock sounds come to alter the recording landscape and become an enduring touchstone for successive generations of fans?
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A Must-Read For Any PRINCE Fan
- By Bryan K. Chavez on 05-06-16
By: Alan Light
-
Light & Shade
- Conversations with Jimmy Page
- By: Brad Tolinski
- Narrated by: Robert Fass, John Lee
- Length: 7 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 180
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 156
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 157
More than 30 years after disbanding in 1980, Led Zeppelin continues to be celebrated for its artistic achievements, broad musical influence, and commercial success. The band's notorious exploits have been chronicled in bestselling books; yet none of the individual members of the band has penned a memoir nor cooperated to any degree with the press or a biographer.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Production History, FY!
- By Amy Peacock on 02-21-17
By: Brad Tolinski
-
The History of Rock & Roll
- Volume 1: 1920-1963
- By: Ed Ward
- Narrated by: David Colacci
- Length: 15 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 129
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 107
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 105
Ed Ward covers the first half of the history of rock & roll in this sweeping and definitive narrative - from the 1920s, when the music of rambling medicine shows mingled with the songs of vaudeville and minstrel acts to create the very early sounds of country and rhythm and blues, to the rise of the first independent record labels post-World War II, and concluding in December 1963, just as an immense change in the airwaves took hold and the Beatles prepared for their first American tour.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Author's blindspots mar this book
- By Mark Clark on 03-28-17
By: Ed Ward
-
Skydog
- The Duane Allman Story
- By: Randy Poe, Billy F. Gibbons - foreword
- Narrated by: Arthur Flavell
- Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 30
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 24
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 24
Revised and expanded, with a new afterword by the author, this is the definitive biography of Duane Allman, one of the most revered guitarists of his generation. Skydog reveals the complete story of the legendary guitarist: his childhood and musical awakening; his struggling first bands; his hard-won mastery of the slide guitar; his emergence as a successful session musician; his creation of the Allman Brothers Band; his tragic death at age 24; and his thriving musical legacy.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
duane was the best great story
- By OBIE on 08-08-23
By: Randy Poe, and others
-
Catch a Wave
- The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson
- By: Peter Ames Carlin
- Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
- Length: 14 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 210
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 190
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 188
In Catch a Wave, Peter Ames Carlin pulls back the curtain on Brian Wilson, one of popular music's most revered luminaries, as well as its biggest mystery. Drawing on hundreds of interviews and never-before heard studio recordings, Carlin follows the Beach Boys from their earliest days through Brian's deepening emotional problems to his triumphant re-emergence with the release of Smile, the legendarily unreleased album he had originally shelved.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Not great
- By J. Barker on 08-08-16
-
Bright lights dark shadows
- The real story of Abba
- By: Carl Palm
- Narrated by: Adrian Mulraney
- Length: 26 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 122
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 102
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 100
An exploration of all aspects of the Abba member’s lives and careers. Amazingly detailed, it examines the group member’s family backgrounds, the pre-Abba days, the legendary 70s, the marriages, the divorces, the business ups and downs, and the post-Abba solo careers.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Awesome! -- All the Swedish words pronounced!
- By Howard_a on 06-18-12
By: Carl Palm
-
My Life with Earth, Wind & Fire
- By: Maurice White, Herb Powell
- Narrated by: Dion Graham
- Length: 11 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 555
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 491
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 484
The late Grammy-winning founder of the legendary pop/R&B/soul/funk/disco group tells his story and charts the rise of his legendary band in this sincere memoir that captures the heart and soul of an artist whose groundbreaking sound continues to influence music today. With a foreword by David Foster.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Maurice--Earth, Wind and Fire
- By Linda Ealey on 02-28-17
By: Maurice White, and others
-
Chairman at the Board
- Recording the Soundtrack of a Generation
- By: Bill Schnee
- Narrated by: Bill Schnee
- Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 45
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 37
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 36
With over 125 gold and platinum records, and two Grammys for Steely Dan's Aja and Gaucho, Schnee has been called a living legend - recognized and respected in the industry as the consummate music man with an incomparable career that he lovingly shares with listeners in humorous detail.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Worst narration ever!
- By Anonymous User on 01-26-23
By: Bill Schnee
-
Relentless
- The Memoir
- By: Yngwie J. Malmsteen
- Narrated by: Yngwie J. Malmsteen, Fred Berman
- Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 177
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 160
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 159
Yngwie Malmsteen's revolutionary guitar style - combining elements of classical music with the speed and volume of heavy metal - made him a staple of the 80s rock scene. Decades later, he's still a legend among guitarists, having sold 11 million albums and influenced generations of rockers since. In Relentless, Malmsteen shares his personal story, from the moment he burst onto the scene seemingly out of nowhere in the early 80s to become a household name in the annals of heavy metal.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Bloviations
- By David A. Kaplowitz on 12-29-19
-
Shining Star
- Braving the Elements of Earth, Wind & Fire
- By: Philip Bailey, Keith Zimmerman, Kent Zimmerman
- Narrated by: Philip Bailey
- Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 131
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 115
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 117
With more than 90 million records sold and eight Grammy Awards throughout its 40-year history, Earth, Wind & Fire has staked its claim as one of the most successful, influential, and beloved acts in music history. Now, for the first time, its dynamic lead singer, Philip Bailey, chronicles the group's meteoric rise to stardom and his own professional and spiritual journey. Never before had a musical act crossed multiple styles and genres with a quixotic blend of astrology, universalism, and Egyptology as Earth, Wind & Fire (EWF) did when it exploded into the public's conscience during the 1970s.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Great book, but needed pro narrator
- By Wayne on 03-23-16
By: Philip Bailey, and others
-
Your Song Changed My Life
- From Jimmy Page to St. Vincent, Smokey Robinson to Hozier, Thirty-Five Beloved Artists on Their Journey and the Music That Inspired It
- By: Bob Boilen
- Narrated by: Bob Boilen
- Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 59
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 54
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 53
From the beloved host and creator of NPR's All Songs Considered and Tiny Desk Concerts comes an essential oral history of modern music, told in the voices of iconic and up-and-coming musicians, including Dave Grohl, Jimmy Page, Michael Stipe, Carrie Brownstein, Smokey Robinson, and Jeff Tweedy, among others - published in association with NPR Music.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Cool if you know all interviewed artists
- By Farfield on 12-05-16
By: Bob Boilen
-
Walk This Way
- Run-DMC, Aerosmith, and the Song That Changed American Music Forever
- By: Geoff Edgers
- Narrated by: Geoff Edgers
- Length: 6 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 51
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 40
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 40
Washington Post staff writer Geoff Edgers takes a deep dive into the story behind "Walk This Way", Aerosmith and Run-DMC's legendary, groundbreaking mashup that forever changed music.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A MUST LISTEN/READ
- By Aron Teo Lee on 05-17-19
By: Geoff Edgers
-
Sing to Me
- My Story of Making Music, Finding Magic, and Searching for Who's Next
- By: LA Reid
- Narrated by: Dion Graham
- Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 623
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 547
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 548
Legendary music producer LA Reid - the man behind artists such as Mariah Carey, Toni Braxton, Kanye West, Rihanna, TLC, Outkast, Pink, Justin Bieber, and Usher - changed the music business forever. Now he tells his story, taking fans on an intimate tour of his life. Sing to Me is a fascinating journey from Reid's small-town R&B roots in Cincinnati, Ohio, and his work as a drummer to his fame as a Grammy Award-winning music producer and his gig as a judge on the hit reality show The X Factor.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Wow!! What a journey!!!
- By Marty Cohn on 02-06-16
By: LA Reid
-
Uncommon People
- The Rise and Fall of The Rock Stars
- By: David Hepworth
- Narrated by: Matthew Lloyd Davies
- Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 57
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 51
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 51
The age of the rock star, like the age of the cowboy, has passed. Like the cowboy, the idea of the rock star lives on in our imaginations. What did we see in them? Swagger. Recklessness. Sexual charisma. Damn-the-torpedoes self-belief. A certain way of carrying themselves. Good hair. Interesting shoes. Talent we wished we had. What did we want of them? To be larger than life but also like us. To live out their songs. To stay young forever. No wonder many didn't stay the course.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
INSIGHTFULL!
- By CLAUDIA R KENNEDY on 02-18-18
By: David Hepworth
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
Catch a Wave
- The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson
- By: Peter Ames Carlin
- Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
- Length: 14 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 210
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 190
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 188
In Catch a Wave, Peter Ames Carlin pulls back the curtain on Brian Wilson, one of popular music's most revered luminaries, as well as its biggest mystery. Drawing on hundreds of interviews and never-before heard studio recordings, Carlin follows the Beach Boys from their earliest days through Brian's deepening emotional problems to his triumphant re-emergence with the release of Smile, the legendarily unreleased album he had originally shelved.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Not great
- By J. Barker on 08-08-16
-
I Am Brian Wilson
- By: Brian Wilson, Ben Greenman - contributor
- Narrated by: Fred Berman
- Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 611
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 549
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 542
As a cofounding member of the Beach Boys in the 1960s, Wilson created some of the most groundbreaking and timeless popular music ever recorded. With intricate harmonies, symphonic structures, and wide-eyed lyrics that explored life's most transcendent joys and deepest sorrows, songs like "In My Room", "God Only Knows", and "Good Vibrations" forever expanded the possibilities of pop songwriting.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Surviving the Minor Keys in Life - Love Overcomes
- By Russell on 12-01-16
By: Brian Wilson, and others
-
Good Vibrations
- My Life as a Beach Boy
- By: Mike Love, James S. Hirsch
- Narrated by: Mike Love
- Length: 15 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 271
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 249
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 244
As a founding member of The Beach Boys, Mike Love has spent an extraordinary 55 years, and counting, as the group's lead singer and one of its principal lyricists. The Beach Boys, from their California roots to their international fame, are a unique American story - one of overnight success and age-defying longevity; of musical genius and reckless self-destruction; of spirituality, betrayal, and forgiveness - and Love is the only band member to be part of it each and every step.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Worthwhile for Beach Boy fans...narration awful
- By jeffrey on 10-13-16
By: Mike Love, and others
-
Petty: The Biography
- By: Warren Zanes
- Narrated by: Warren Zanes
- Length: 13 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,074
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,845
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,841
No one other than Warren Zanes, rocker and writer and friend, could author a book about Tom Petty that is as honest and evocative of Petty's music and the remarkable rock and roll history he and his band helped to write. Born in Gainesville, Florida, with more than a little hillbilly in his blood, Tom Petty was a Southern shit kicker, a kid without a whole lot of promise. Rock and roll made it otherwise.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Tom Petty gets some bio love
- By tru britty on 12-15-15
By: Warren Zanes
-
Music
- A Subversive History
- By: Ted Gioia
- Narrated by: Jamie Renell
- Length: 17 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 128
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 109
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 109
Histories of music overwhelmingly suppress stories of the outsiders and rebels who created musical revolutions and instead celebrate the mainstream assimilators who borrowed innovations, diluted their impact, and disguised their sources. In Music: A Subversive History, Ted Gioia reclaims the story of music for the riffraff, insurgents, and provocateurs. Gioia tells a 4,000-year history of music as a global source of power, change, and upheaval.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Squeezing cherry-picked facts into a simplistic narrative
- By Erik A. Ritland on 11-24-20
By: Ted Gioia
-
The Wrecking Crew
- The Inside Story of Rock and Roll's Best-Kept Secret
- By: Kent Hartman
- Narrated by: Dan John Miller
- Length: 9 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 897
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 820
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 822
If you were a fan of popular music in the 1960s and early '70s, you were a fan of the Wrecking Crew - whether you knew it or not. On hit record after hit record by everyone from the Byrds, the Beach Boys, and the Monkees to the Grass Roots, the 5th Dimension, Sonny & Cher, and Simon & Garfunkel, this collection of West Coast studio musicians from diverse backgrounds established themselves as the driving sound of pop music - sometimes over the objection of actual band members....
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Left Guessing
- By Patrick King on 04-29-14
By: Kent Hartman
-
Catch a Wave
- The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson
- By: Peter Ames Carlin
- Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
- Length: 14 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 210
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 190
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 188
In Catch a Wave, Peter Ames Carlin pulls back the curtain on Brian Wilson, one of popular music's most revered luminaries, as well as its biggest mystery. Drawing on hundreds of interviews and never-before heard studio recordings, Carlin follows the Beach Boys from their earliest days through Brian's deepening emotional problems to his triumphant re-emergence with the release of Smile, the legendarily unreleased album he had originally shelved.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Not great
- By J. Barker on 08-08-16
-
I Am Brian Wilson
- By: Brian Wilson, Ben Greenman - contributor
- Narrated by: Fred Berman
- Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 611
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 549
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 542
As a cofounding member of the Beach Boys in the 1960s, Wilson created some of the most groundbreaking and timeless popular music ever recorded. With intricate harmonies, symphonic structures, and wide-eyed lyrics that explored life's most transcendent joys and deepest sorrows, songs like "In My Room", "God Only Knows", and "Good Vibrations" forever expanded the possibilities of pop songwriting.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Surviving the Minor Keys in Life - Love Overcomes
- By Russell on 12-01-16
By: Brian Wilson, and others
-
Good Vibrations
- My Life as a Beach Boy
- By: Mike Love, James S. Hirsch
- Narrated by: Mike Love
- Length: 15 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 271
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 249
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 244
As a founding member of The Beach Boys, Mike Love has spent an extraordinary 55 years, and counting, as the group's lead singer and one of its principal lyricists. The Beach Boys, from their California roots to their international fame, are a unique American story - one of overnight success and age-defying longevity; of musical genius and reckless self-destruction; of spirituality, betrayal, and forgiveness - and Love is the only band member to be part of it each and every step.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Worthwhile for Beach Boy fans...narration awful
- By jeffrey on 10-13-16
By: Mike Love, and others
-
Petty: The Biography
- By: Warren Zanes
- Narrated by: Warren Zanes
- Length: 13 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,074
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,845
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,841
No one other than Warren Zanes, rocker and writer and friend, could author a book about Tom Petty that is as honest and evocative of Petty's music and the remarkable rock and roll history he and his band helped to write. Born in Gainesville, Florida, with more than a little hillbilly in his blood, Tom Petty was a Southern shit kicker, a kid without a whole lot of promise. Rock and roll made it otherwise.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Tom Petty gets some bio love
- By tru britty on 12-15-15
By: Warren Zanes
-
Music
- A Subversive History
- By: Ted Gioia
- Narrated by: Jamie Renell
- Length: 17 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 128
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 109
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 109
Histories of music overwhelmingly suppress stories of the outsiders and rebels who created musical revolutions and instead celebrate the mainstream assimilators who borrowed innovations, diluted their impact, and disguised their sources. In Music: A Subversive History, Ted Gioia reclaims the story of music for the riffraff, insurgents, and provocateurs. Gioia tells a 4,000-year history of music as a global source of power, change, and upheaval.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Squeezing cherry-picked facts into a simplistic narrative
- By Erik A. Ritland on 11-24-20
By: Ted Gioia
-
The Wrecking Crew
- The Inside Story of Rock and Roll's Best-Kept Secret
- By: Kent Hartman
- Narrated by: Dan John Miller
- Length: 9 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 897
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 820
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 822
If you were a fan of popular music in the 1960s and early '70s, you were a fan of the Wrecking Crew - whether you knew it or not. On hit record after hit record by everyone from the Byrds, the Beach Boys, and the Monkees to the Grass Roots, the 5th Dimension, Sonny & Cher, and Simon & Garfunkel, this collection of West Coast studio musicians from diverse backgrounds established themselves as the driving sound of pop music - sometimes over the objection of actual band members....
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Left Guessing
- By Patrick King on 04-29-14
By: Kent Hartman
What listeners say about God Only Knows
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- prism
- 04-25-23
Fascinating,
Doctor McCoy [Star Trek]: "I'm a Doctor, Jim, not a music critic!"
That's kind of how I feel writing this review.
Suffice it to say that David Marks filled a gap that was desperately needed when he wrote his original book on "the Beach Boys and the California Myth." Now he has provided a MUCH needed service with this updated version.
As a kid in the 1970s I heard the Beach Boys' compilation albums "Endless Summer" (released in 1974) and "Spirit of America" (Released in 1975). As a result, I became an instant massive fan and I was starving for information about the Beach Boys. STARVING. I could not find much at the very small local library. I rarely came across radio interviews, documentaries, or written pieces for that matter.
David Leaf's book was one of the first books on the Beach Boys that I came across. While I don't agree with his interpretations on a number of things, I do believe his updated revision is a timely, much needed work.
Thank you, David (and the publisher) SOOO MUCH for making "God Only Knows" available in audio format!
Now let's hope the same happens for Mark A. Moore's Tome, "Dead Man's Curve: The Rock 'n' Roll Life of Jan Berry."
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall2 out of 5 stars
-
Performance2 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- BigReader
- 12-26-23
Too long, lost interest after hours on Smile (and I’m a massive BW fan).
Too long, too much about Smile, lost interest after a while…and I’m a massive BW fan, The author continues to remind us how close he is to Brian. We get it. I was hoping it would be more captivating. The best part of the book is the first part when he talks about the early days.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!