BookOdyssey

The Primary Music Leader’s Handbook is the essential resource for any music subject leader working in a primary setting. It explains and supports with every aspect of the role – defining your vision, curriculum design, assessment, extra-curricular activities, performances, supporting colleagues – and much more besides. Download the online resources here: collins.co.uk/musicleader/download Teachers new to the role or with little musical experience will find an accessible starting point and straightforward explanations of the very basics. Music leaders who are more established will benefit from useful insights into research and thought-provoking points to consider. Regardless of your journey so far, this book will be your best friend, guiding, supporting, and encouraging you to deliver the best music provision that you can offer. Σελίδες: 80, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

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Dmitri Shostakovich was the most popular Soviet composer of his generation. Internationally esteemed, he is widely considered to have been the last great classical symphonist, and his reputation has continued to increase since his death in 1975. Shostakovich wrote his First Symphony aged only nineteen and soon embarked on a dual career as concert pianist and composer. His early avant-gardism was to result in the triumph of his 1934 opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. Though at first highly praised by Stalin, Shostakovich would later suffer from a complex and brutalising relationship with the Soviet dictator and the governments that followed him. In spite of this persecution, his Seventh Symphony was embraced as a potent symbol of Russian resistance to the invading Nazi army in both the USSR and the West. Though his later years were marked by ill health, his rate of composition remained prolific. His music became increasingly popular with audiences as he established himself as the most popular composer of serious art music in the middle years of the twentieth century. Σελίδες: 220, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0519

With a foreword by Simon Reynolds, Neon Screams explores the plethora of new street genres that have emerged at the turn of the 2020s. Neon Screams is a manifesto, a rallying cry for the new musical futurism. Taking street music’s embrace of Auto-Tune in the late 2000s as his starting point, Kit Mackintosh launches you through a whirlwind tour of the last decade of cutting-edge music, championing the modern genres still uncovering the sonic impossible, from mumble rap to drill to Afrobeats, bashment and beyond.  Beginning where most future music chronicles end, Mackintosh establishes a new pantheon of pioneers and innovators. Offering dizzying insights into the likes of Future, Young Thug, Migos and Vybz Kartel, Neon Screams is conceptual weaponry to use against all those who say music isn’t what it used to be. Part polemic, part synesthetic possession, Neon Screams is essential reading for everyone eager to uncover the new frontiers of future music. Σελίδες: 168, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

Lester Young fading away in a hotel room; Charles Mingus storming down the streets of New York on a too-small bicycle; Thelonius Monk creating his own private language on the piano... In eight poetically charged vignettes, Geoff Dyer skilfully evokes the embattled lives of the players who shaped modern jazz. He draws on photos and anecdotes, but music is the driving force of But Beautiful and Dyer brings it to life in luminescent and wildly metaphoric prose that mirrors the quirks, eccentricity, and brilliance of each musician\'s style. Σελίδες: 240, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

‘A humane discourse on the fragility of our minds, of the bodies that give rise to them, and of the world they create for us. This book is filled with wonders’ – Daily Telegraph Oliver Sacks’ compassionate tales of people struggling to adapt to different neurological conditions have fundamentally changed the way we think of our own minds. In Musicophilia, he examines the powers of music through the individual experiences of patients, musicians and everyday people – those struck by affliction, unusual talent and even, in one case, by lightning – to show not only that music occupies more areas of our brain than language does, but also that it can torment, calm, organize and heal. Always wise and compellingly readable, these stories alter our conception of who we are and how we function, and show us an essential part of what it is to be human. Σελίδες: 448, Έτος Έκδοσης: 1201, Διαστάσεις: 13.1x13.1cm

\'Fascinating\' The Sunday Times\'Engaging . . . offers a fascinating glimpse into an altogether more innocent age\' Independent\'Vivid and engaging . . . refreshingly free of bitterness\' Mail on Sunday* * *Cynthia and John Lennon\'s relationship spanned ten crucial years of the Beatles phenomenon. But as well as new insight into the Beatles years, Cynthia has a compelling personal story of marriage, motherhood and the man who was to become the most idolised and admired of all the Beatles.Cynthia is candid about the cruel and the loving sides of John. She tells of the end of their marriage and the beginning of his relationship with Yoko Ono in more detail than ever before, and reveals the many difficulties estrangement from John - and then his death - brought for herself and Julian. Cynthia is a remarkable survivor and this is her extraordinary story and unique insight into a man loved and idolised all over the world.Soon to be the subject of This Girl, a play debuting in Liverpool later this year, this is the original true story of Cynthia Lennon. Σελίδες: 432, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0511, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

A memoir by the master pianist, conductor and internationalist Daniel Barenboim - \'the closest thing that classical music can offer to Nelson Mandela\' [THE TIMES]\'The power of music lies in is its ability to speak to all aspects of the human being-the animal, the emotional, the intellectual, and the spiritual. Music teaches us, in short, that everything is connected\'Daniel Barenboim\'s new book vividly describes his lifelong pursuit of knowledge and understanding, not only of music and of life, but of one through the other. Σελίδες: 224, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0101, Διαστάσεις: 13.8x13.8cm

With a foreword by MARK KNOPFLER\'An uplifting journey through the sheer hard work, pitfalls and thrills of navigating a great rock band to the pinnacle of success. I so enjoyed the ride!\' ROGER TAYLOR__________Dire Straits filled giant stadiums around the world and sold hundreds of millions of records. Throughout the eighties they were one of the biggest bands on the planet. Their classic songs - \'Sultans of Swing\', \'Romeo and Juliet\', \'Money for Nothing\', \'Brothers In Arms\' - formed the soundtrack of a generation and live on today: still racking up sales, still being played on the radio on every continent. In My Life in Dire Straits, John Illsley - founding member, bassist and mainstay - evokes the spirit of the times and tells the story of one of the great live acts of rock history.Starting with his own unlikely beginnings in Middle England, he recounts the band\'s rise from humble origins in London\'s spit-and-sawdust pubs to the best-known venues in the world, the working man\'s clubs to Madison Square Garden, gigging with wild punk bands to the Live Aid stage at Wembley. Until, ultimately, the shattering demands of touring on a global scale and living life in the spotlight took their inevitable toll.John\'s story is also a tribute to his great friend Mark Knopfler, the band\'s lead singer, songwriter and gifted guitarist - the only band members to stay the fifteen-year distance. Told with searching honesty, soulful reflection and wry humour, this is the first and only account of that incredible story. Σελίδες: 336, Διαστάσεις: 12.8x12.8cm

THE LANDMARK MEMOIR OF A GLOBAL MUSIC ICONSHORTLISTED FOR THE IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2021Sinéad O\'Connor\'s voice and trademark shaved head made her famous by the age of twenty-one. Her recording of Prince\'s \'Nothing Compares 2 U\' made her a global icon. She outraged millions when she tore up a photograph of Pope John Paul II on American television.O\'Connor was unapologetic and impossible to ignore, calling out hypocrisy wherever she saw it. She remained that way for over three decades.In her acclaimed No 1 bestselling memoir Rememberings, O\'Connor told her story - the heartache of growing up in a family falling apart; her early forays into the Dublin music scene; her adventures and misadventures in the world of sex, drugs and rock\'n\'roll; the fulfilment of being a mother; her ongoing spiritual quest - and through it all, her abiding passion for music.Rememberings is intimate, replete with candid anecdotes and full of hard-won insights. It is a unique and remarkable chronicle by a unique and remarkable artist.*****\'Inspiring, liberating, hilarious and fascinating\' Irish Times\'Beautifully observed ... lyrical, funny and anguished\' Guardian\'Her voice on the page is as fearless, riveting and unforgettable as her voice in song. The cadence alone is hypnotic, her story essential. Rememberings is a must-read\' Michael Stipe\'So good, you\'ll want to read it twice\' Sunday Independent\'A soul-bearing, brutally honest account of an extraordinary life\' BBC Online\'Tremendous . . . fierce and funny\' Sunday Times Books of the Year Σελίδες: 304, Διαστάσεις: 12.8x12.8cm

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Why do so many of us listen to classical music, and how can you get the most from listening to it?In this unpretentious and instructive book, internationally celebrated conductor and teacher John Mauceri brings to bear his lifetime of experience and profound knowledge. A protégé of Leonard Bernstein and an artist who has performed and recorded all over the world, Mauceri is the guide par excellence to the joys of classical music. Mauceri illuminates our understanding of what it is we hear when we listen; how each piece bears the traces of its history; and how the concert experience allows us constantly to discover music anew.\'Wonderful\' Marilyn Horne\'This delightful book is not so much the opening of a door as an affectionate hand on the arm, guiding the reader with enthusiasm and intelligence into a world of beauty\' Stephen Hough Σελίδες: 224, Έτος Έκδοσης: 1011, Διαστάσεις: 12.8x12.8cm

Dividing the sum total of human musical achievement, from Beethoven to The Beatles, Busta Rhymes to Bach, into just six fundamental forms, Levitin illuminates, through songs of friendship, joy, comfort, knowledge, religion and love, how music has been instrumental in the evolution of language, thought and culture. And how, far from being a bit of a song and dance, music is at the core of what it means to be human.A one-time record producer, now a leading neuroscientist, Levitin has composed a catchy and startlingly ambitious narrative that weaves together Darwin and Dionne Warwick, memoir and biology, anthropology and a jukebox of anecdote to create nothing less than the \' soundtrack of civilisation\' . Σελίδες: 368, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

Sixty extraordinary years of Eurovision, from Céline Dion to Dustin the Turkey, from Abba to Conchita Wurst - the drag acts, the bad acts and all the nul points heroes.For 60 years the Eurovision Song Contest has existed in a parallel universe where a song about the construction of a hydro-electric power station is considered cutting-edge pop, where half a dozen warbling Russian grandmothers are considered Saturday night entertainment, where a tune repeating the word \'la\' 138 times is considered a winner, and where Australia is considered part of Europe During those sixty years we have witnessed scandals: in 1957, Denmark\'s Birthe Wilke and Gustav Winckler enjoyed an outrageously long 13-second kiss because the stage manager forgot to say \'cut\' during the live broadcast. We have witnessed national outrage: the 1976 Greek entry was a savage indictment of Turkish foreign policy in Cyprus. But most have all we have witnessed silly costumes, terrible lyrics and performers as diverse as Celine Dion and Dustin the Turkey.This book chronicles the 100 craziest moments in the history of Eurovision - the drag acts, the bad acts, the nul points heroes and the night in Luxembourg when the floor manager warned the audience not to stand up while they applauded because they might be shot by security forces. It captures some of the magic from this yearly event that continues to beguile and bemuse in equal measure. Σελίδες: 224, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0412, Διαστάσεις: 12.6x12.6cm

Telling Stories by Tim Burgess of The Charlatans is one of the decade\'s most revealing rock books \'Clear, honest. An unusually frank and well-written rock memoir\' The TimesThe Charlatans. Madchester. Britpop. Taking on the world. Here are the highs, the lows, the joys, the agonies, and the stories of what it\'s like to be in a rock band, as told by front man and survivor, Tim Burgess. \'Like the best bits of every cautionary rock star tale . . . there is armed robbery and smuggling. There\'s serious fraud. There are near and actual death experiences, divorce, industrial cocaine consumption and magnificent cameos from Madonna, Alan McGee, Ronnie Wood, Joe Strummer, LA drug dealer Harry The Dog, and Joaquin Phoenix. A minor classic\' QFor readers who enjoyed Life by Keith Richards and Bit of a Blur by Alex James, Telling Stories is one of the finest music books of recent times. It\'s a story of achievement and survival, from London to LA. \'A vivid read\' Independent on Sunday\'The Charlatans\' frontman recalls the heyday of Britpop and Madchester with endearing exuberance. He\'s unflinchingly honest about the bad times but also peppers his story with anecdotal nuggets about the pitfalls of rock \'n\' roll excess\' Metro\'Burgess keeps a level head, a sharp eye and a nice turn of phrase\' Independent\'Written with the stylish flow of a novel - light and dark, hilarious and melancholic\' Emma Forrest\'For a man whose behaviour borders on the suicidal, Timothy Burgess, the people\'s friend, is what you call a life enthusiast. He is also mad. It\'s a much-abused word, mad . . . but he really is proper coo-ee clouds pan-dimensional mad mad\' Syliva Patteerson, SkyTim Burgess was born in Salford but grew up in a village near Northwich, Cheshire. Leaving school at 16 to work at ICI, his real love was music and soon afterwards he was invited to join new band The Charlatans. For twelve years Burgess lived in Los Angeles but he has recently returned to the UK. Σελίδες: 256, Διαστάσεις: 13.1x13.1cm

\'Thrilling.\' John Banville, GuardianThe Eighth Symphony was going to be different from anything Mahler had ever done before: it would speak in different tones, and of a different kind of experience. The world premiere in Munich in the summer of 1910 was the artistic breakthrough for which the composer had yearned all his adult life. Stephen Johnson recounts the symphony\'s far-reaching effect on composers, conductors and writers of the time. Placing Mahler within his world, The Eighth reassesses Mahler\'s work in the context of the prevailing thought of his age, but also against the backdrop of that tumultuous summer, when Mahler worked desperately on his Tenth Symphony, was betrayed by his wife, and consulted Sigmund Freud. It is a story like no other. Σελίδες: 320, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

*Featured in The Times\' \'Best Books of the Year So Far\'*What do you do when you realise you have everything you think you\'ve ever wanted but still feel completely empty? What do you do when it all starts to fall apart? The second volume of Moby\'s extraordinary life story is a journey into the dark heart of fame and the demons that lurk just beneath the bling and bluster of the celebrity lifestyle. In summer 1999, Moby released the album that defined the millennium, PLAY. Like generation-defining albums before it, PLAY was ubiquitous, and catapulted Moby to superstardom. Suddenly he was hanging out with David Bowie and Lou Reed, Christina Ricci and Madonna, taking esctasy for breakfast (most days), drinking litres of vodka (every day), and sleeping with super models (infrequently). It was a diet that couldn\'t last. And then it fell apart. The second volume of Moby\'s memoir is a classic about the banality of fame. It is shocking, riotously entertaining, extreme, and unforgiving. It is unedifying, but you can never tear your eyes away from the page. Σελίδες: 416, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

A superbly insightful and moving exploration of Wagner\'s last opera, by one of Britain\'s leading intellectuals Wagner\'s last music-drama tells the story of Parsifal, the \'pure fool, knowing through compassion\', who has been called to rescue the Kingdom of the Grail from the sins that have polluted it. The Grail is a symbol of purity in a world of lust and power, but although Parsifal is the culmination of Wagner\'s life-long obsession with the religious frame of mind, the redemption sought by his characters is far from the Christian archetype. For Wagner, redemption occurs inthis life, when compassion prevails over enslavement, and purity replaces spiritual pollution. His music here ties together suffering and contrition, sin and forgiveness, downfall and redemption in an inextricable knot, healing the fractures and uniting the warring elements in human life in a way that is clear, convincing and uncanny. More than any other of his works, Parsifal expresses in music a depth of feeling for which we do not have words.This short but penetrating book, by a writer who was uniquely both a leading philosopher and musicologist, shows us how Wagner achieves this profound work, explaining the story, its musical ideas, and their coming together into a sublime whole which gives us the musical equivalent of forgiveness and closure. There are few writers who can so enhance our understanding of one of the greatest works in western music. Σελίδες: 208, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

LONGLISTED FOR THE CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE LONGLISTED FOR THE HWA NON-FICTION CROWN \'A moving, powerful and highly innovative sidelight on the fall of Communism in East Germany through punk style and music. This is a complete original\' HWA Non-Fiction Crown Judges \'A thrilling and essential social history that details the rebellious youth movement that helped change the world\' Rolling Stone\'A riveting and inspiring history of punk\'s hard-fought struggle in East Germany\' New York Times\'Wildly entertaining\' VogueTHE SECRET HISTORY OF PUNKS IN EAST GERMANYIt began with a handful of East Berlin teens who heard the Sex Pistols on a British military radio broadcast to troops in West Berlin, and it ended with the collapse of the East German dictatorship. Punk rock was a life-changing discovery: in an authoritarian state where the future was preordained, punk, with its rejection of society and DIY approach to building a new one, planted the seeds for revolution.As these kids began to form bands, they also became more visible, and security forces - including the dreaded secret police, the Stasi - targeted them. They were spied on by friends and family; they were expelled from schools and fired from jobs; they were beaten by police and imprisoned. But instead of conforming, the punks fought back, playing an indispensable role in the underground movement that helped bring down the Berlin Wall.Rollicking, cinematic and thrillingly topical, this secret history brings to life the young men and women who successfully fought authoritarianism three chords at a time. Burning Down the Haus is a fiery testament to the irrepressible spirit of revolution.\'Original and inspiring . . . an important work of Cold War cultural history\' Wall Street Journal Σελίδες: 384, Έτος Έκδοσης: 1027, Διαστάσεις: 12.6x12.6cm

George is the story of two extraordinary lives – the private man and the public legend. Georgios Panayiotou was just eighteen when he decided to adopt the stage name of George Michael. Sometimes his two worlds would collide with shattering consequences. Bestselling biographer Sean Smith has gone back to the neighbourhoods of North London to trace the astonishing journey of a sensitive but determined boy who grew up to be one of the biggest British pop stars of all time. Along the way, he talks to those close to George, revealing the real man – funny, articulate, intelligent and generous spirited – who hid behind the powerful image he created. He reveals the complex relationship with his high-achieving Greek-Cypriot father; the unconditional love of his mother; his teenage relationships with girls; and his first tragic love affair with another man. George’s career began falteringly with a schoolboy band, exploded with Wham! before he became a solo phenomenon. But at the height of his fame, the world seemed to turn against him. Smith describes his despair at losing the two people who mattered most, how he sought consolation in drugs, his notorious ‘coming out’ and how he ended up in jail. His health failed him and he died heartbreakingly alone on Christmas Day, 2016. Affectionate yet honest and moving, George is both a celebration of George Michael’s music and a lasting tribute to a decent and much-loved man. Σελίδες: 272, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

The definitive account of Whitney Houston’s astonishing life, ground-breaking career and tragic death – complete with never-before-seen photographs – from the only one who truly knows the story behind the headlines: her mother, Cissy Houston. Cissy has said little publicly about Whitney’s heart-breaking death. Now, for the first time, she opens up and shares the unbelievable story of her daughter’s life, as well as her own, and addresses Whitney’s brightest and darkest moments. A legendary Grammy Award-winning gospel singer in her own right, Cissy Houston shows how the lessons from her own musical journey helped to shape Whitney’s career – from teaching Whitney to use her voice, to keeping her level-headed throughout her meteoric rise to fame. With candour and respect, she sets the record straight about Whitney, exploring both her turbulent marriage and her misunderstood struggles with drug abuse. Cissy goes behind the tabloid headlines to show fans around the world the true, human side of a strong, successful – yet flawed – musical icon who died much too young. Includes a Foreword by Dionne Warwick. Σελίδες: 352, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

Amy Winehouse needs no introduction. A critically acclaimed recording artist, she touched millions with her music during her short but extraordinary life. Following her tragic death in July 2011, Mitch Winehouse wants to tell her incredible story in full. “Amy, My Daughter” will take the reader through her mischievous early years, her rise to stardom and to her much publicised struggles with addiction. The book will bring the many layers of her life together – the personal, the private and the public – to create a fitting tribute to his much loved daughter. Using exclusive extracts from his personal diary, Mitch discusses shocking and concerning events in his daughters life that will tug at the heartstrings of Amy’s fans across the globe. Featuring never-before-seen photos of Amy, taken from the family album, “Amy, My Daughter” promises to be the definitive account of an iconic figure who, although tragically taken at an early age, has left a musical legacy that will enthral audiences for many years to come. All proceeds from the book will be donated to The Amy Winehouse Foundation, the charity that Mitch has established in Amy’s name to help children and young adults facing difficulty and adversity in their lives. Σελίδες: 320, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

\'Highly stimulating ... Kraftwerk is a pleasure to read\' Jon Savage, New StatesmanThe story of the phenomenon that is Kraftwerk, and how they revolutionised our cultural landscape\'We are not artists nor musicians. We are workers.\' Ignoring nearly all rock traditions, experimenting in near-total secrecy in their Düsseldorf studio, Kraftwerk fused sound and technology, graphic design and performance, modernist Bauhaus aesthetics and Rhineland industrialisation - even human and machine - to change the course of modern music. This is the story of Kraftwerk the cultural phenomenon, who turned electronic music into avant-garde concept art and created the soundtrack to our digital age. Σελίδες: 336, Διαστάσεις: 11.2x11.2cm

\'Beguiling ... Limpidly written, effortlessly learned\' William Boyd, TLS, Books of the YearIn November 1838 Frédéric Chopin, George Sand and her two children sailed to Majorca to escape the Parisian winter. They settled in an abandoned monastery at Valldemossa in the mountains above Palma, where Chopin finished what would eventually be recognised as one of the great and revolutionary works of musical Romanticism - his 24 Preludes. There was scarcely a decent piano on the island (these were still early days in the evolution of the modern instrument), so Chopin worked on a small pianino made by a local craftsman, which remained in their monastic cell for seventy years after he and Sand had left.This brilliant and unclassifiable book traces the history of Chopin\'s 24 Preludes through the instruments on which they were played, the pianists who interpreted them and the traditions they came to represent. Yet it begins and ends with the Majorcan pianino, which during the Second World War assumed an astonishing cultural potency as it became, for the Nazis, a symbol of the man and music they were determined to appropriate as their own.The unexpected hero of the second part of the book is the great keyboard player and musical thinker Wanda Landowska, who rescued the pianino from Valldemossa in 1913, and who would later become one of the most influential musical figures of the twentieth century. Kildea shows how her story - a compelling account based for the first time on her private papers - resonates with Chopin\'s, while simultaneously distilling part of the cultural and political history of Europe and the United States in the central decades of the century. Kildea\'s beautifully interwoven narratives, part cultural history and part detective story, take us on an unexpected journey through musical Romanticism and allow us to reflect freshly on the changing meaning of music over time. Σελίδες: 368, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

** Shortlisted for the NME Best Music Book Award 2018 **THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERA TIMES BOOK OF THE YEARA GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE YEARA HERALD BOOK OF THE YEARAN IRISH INDEPENDENT BOOK OF THE YEAR\'The definitive book on Bowie\' The Times Drawn from a series of conversations between David Bowie and Dylan Jones across three decades, together with over 180 interviews with friends, rivals, lovers, and collaborators - some of whom have never before spoken about their relationship with Bowie - this oral history is an intimate portrait of a remarkable rise to stardom and one of the most fascinating lives of our time.Profoundly shaped by his relationship with his schizophrenic half-brother Terry, Bowie was a man of intense relationships that often came to abrupt ends. He was a social creature, equally comfortable partying with John Lennon and dining with Frank Sinatra, and in Dylan Jones\'s telling - by turns insightful and salacious - we see as intimate a portrait as could possibly be drawn.Including illuminating, never-before-seen material from Bowie himself, drawn from a series of Jones’s interviews with him across three decades, DAVID BOWIE is an epic, unforgettable cocktail-party conversation about a man whose enigmatic shapeshifting and irrepressible creativity produced one of the most sprawling, fascinating lives of our time.***NOW REVISED AND EXPANDED*** Σελίδες: 592, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

In this essential and impassioned text, LeRoi Jones traces the intertwined development of blues and jazz music with the history of its creators in \'White America\'. As important and relevant as at its first publication in 1963, it shows how music and its people are inseparable - expressing and reflecting the other, surviving and adapting through oppression. Σελίδες: 256, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

A Book of the Year in Rolling Stone, Uncut, Mojo, The Telegraph and the Glasgow HeraldThis troubadour life is only for the fiercest hearts, only for those vessels that can be broken to smithereens and still keep beating out the rhythm for a new song.Last Chance Texaco is the first-ever no-holds-barred account of the life of two-time Grammy Award-winner Rickie Lee Jones, in her own words. It is a tale of desperate chances and impossible triumphs, an adventure story of a girl who beat the odds and grew up to become one of the most legendary artists of her time, turning adversity and hopelessness into timeless music.With candour and lyricism, the \'Duchess of Coolsville\' (Time) takes us on a singular journey through her nomadic childhood, to her years as a teenage runaway, through her legendary love affair with Tom Waits, and ultimately her longevity as the hardest working woman in rock and roll. Rickie Lee\'s stories are rich with the infamous characters of her early songs - \'Chuck E\'s in Love,\' \'Weasel and the White Boys Cool,\' \'Danny\'s All-Star Joint\' and \'Easy Money\' - but long before her notoriety in show business, there was a vaudevillian cast of hitchhikers, bank robbers, jail breaks, drug mules, a pimp with a heart of gold, and tales of her fabled ancestors.In this electrifying and intimate memoir by one of the most remarkable, trailblazing and tenacious women in music are never-before-told stories of the girl in the raspberry beret, a singer-songwriter whose music defied categorization and inspired pop culture for decades. Σελίδες: 384, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

\'The book I\'ve been waiting for my entire life\' DOLLY ALDERTONIs it possible that life without romantic love isn\'t so bad?When poet Amy Key was growing up, she looked forward to a life shaped by romance, fuelled by desire, longing and the conventional markers of success that come when you share a life with another person. But that didn\'t happen for her. Now in her forties, she sets out to explore the realities of a life lived in the absence of romantic love.Using Joni Mitchell\'s seminal album Blue - which shaped Key\'s expectations of love - as an anchor, Arrangements in Blue elegantly honours a life lived completely by, and for, oneself.Building a home, travelling alone, choosing whether to be a mother, recognising her own milestones, learning the limits of self-care and the expansive potential of self-friendship, Key uncovers the many forms of connection and care that often go unnoticed.With profound candour and intimacy, Arrangements in Blue explores the painful feelings we are usually too ashamed to discuss: loneliness, envy, grief and failure. The result is a book which inspires us to live and love more honestly.**A SUNDAY TIMES AND INDEPENDENT BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023***‘Marks an important shift in ideas about intimacy\' OBSERVER Σελίδες: 240, Διαστάσεις: 12.8x12.8cm

\'Utterly absorbing and deeply affecting\' – The GuardianAs a Spice Girl, TV talent show judge and Broadway star, Mel B a.k.a Scary Spice, has been a global icon since her twenties. But behind the glittering façade of fame, the struggles and pain of this working-class, mixed-race girl from Leeds are laid bare in her critically acclaimed best-selling memoir, Brutally Honest. With deep personal insight, remarkable frankness and trademark Yorkshire humour, the book tells how she went from Girl Power to girl powerless during her ten-year emotionally abusive marriage. Tracing a path through the key moments in her life, she reflects on her childhood, rise to fame and her chilling downward spiral before she finally broke free. In this expanded edition, written with Louise Gannon, Mel brings her story up to date. With her trademark honesty, she tells the unfiltered story of piecing herself back together, dealing with trauma and new heartbreak whilst becoming a champion for survivors of abuse, performing once more with the Spice Girls and receiving her MBE from Prince William. Σελίδες: 320, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

** Now with three bonus songs**\'Go Your Own Way\' by Fleetwood Mac\'Come on Eileen\' by Dexys Midnight RunnersWhy Can\'t We Be Friends?\' by WarSongs that sell the most copies become hits, but some of those hits become something more - iconic recordings that not only inspire a generation but also alter the direction of music. In this follow-up to his classic Anatomy of a Song, writer and music historian Marc Myers tells the stories behind fifty-five more rock, pop, R&B, country and reggae hits through intimate interviews with the artists who wrote and recorded them.Part oral history, part musical analysis, Anatomy of 55 Hit Songs ranges from Creedence Clearwater Revival\'s \'Bad Moon Rising\' to Dionne Warwick\'s \'Walk On By\', The Beach Boys\' \'Good Vibrations\' and Black Sabbath\'s \'Paranoid\'. Bernie Taupin recalls how he wrote the lyrics to Elton John\'s \'Rocket Man\'; Joan Jett remembers channeling her rage against how she had been unfairly labeled and treated into \'Bad Reputation\' and Ozzy Osbourne, Elvis Costello, Bob Weir, Sheryl Crow, Alice Cooper, Roberta Flack, John Mellencamp, Keith Richards, Carly Simon and many others reveal the emotions and technique behind their major works. Σελίδες: 416, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

PRINTED METHOD BOOKS, SERIES AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES FINALIST FOR THE 2025 ART OF PIANO EDUCATION AWARDS The Piano Player: Classical Chillout presents a curated selection of beautiful classical pieces to bring calm and relaxation. Transcribed for intermediate solo piano, this collection includes modern works such as I Giorni (Einaudi), Island II (Olivia Belli), At Dawn (Hania Rani) and River Flows in You (Yiruma), alongside classics Gnossienne No. 3 (Erik Satie), Prelude in C major (J.S. Bach) and many more. The atmospheric cover features Edward Bawden’s colour linocut ‘Town Hall Yard’ (1956), and a double-side colour print provides the full artwork as a beautiful collectible. The Piano Player series includes several wonderful collections of some of the greatest classical music ever written, specially arranged for the intermediate pianist, each with its own collectible pull-out poster of the stunning Edward Bawden cover artwork. Σελίδες: 64, Διαστάσεις: 22.9x22.9cm

\'Will fascinate and enthrall anyone interested in music.\' Stephen FryWho dreams of becoming a conductor?What does it take to get there and stay in the game?In Good Hands: The Making of a Modern Conductor invites us to think anew about one of the signature roles in classical music.In a frank, fascinating portrait, Alice Farnham, one of Britain\'s leading conductors, explores what modern conducting really entails, and what it takes to lead, unite and inspire people.\'Takes readers behind the scenes of the eccentric world of classical music.\' Guardian\'Conducting, Alice Farnham writes, is an \"elusive art\". Her book, part memoir and part study of the craft, pins it down . . . Accessible [and] engaging.\' Matthew Giley, New Statesman\'Alice Farnham\'s enchanting blend of insight, experience, musical understanding, sparkling good sense and intelligence brings alive and demystifies what it is to be a conductor.\' Stephen Fry\'Alice Farnham\'s insightful book is an inspirational tool.\' Cate Blanchett Σελίδες: 320, Διαστάσεις: 12.8x12.8cm

Including tracks by the Velvet Underground, Joni Mitchell, Otis Redding, Dolly Parton, and Billie Eilish-as well as thoughts on Jeff\'s own songs - World Within a Song asks: why do we listen to music, why do we love songs, and how can music connect us to each other and to ourselves? Σελίδες: 256, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm