BookOdyssey

\'Christmas carols are sung in church, therefore Christmas carols have always been sung in church.Christmas carols have these words and this tune, therefore Christmas carols have always had these words and this tune.Well, not really.Our carol tradition, like us, is a rich and dynamic mixture. An ecosystem, not a still life.\'Written with effervescent charm and professional knowledge, composer and conductor Andrew Gant reveals the fascinating musical and social history behind our favourite Christmas carols.From the Annunciation to Epiphany, the episodes of the Christmas story link the tales and anecdotes behind twenty-seven carols from a variety of traditions and places of origin: those that come from folk song; those we owe to Victorian moralists, and those that are, in fact, French. As Andrew says, \'Some carols were born to Christmas, some have achieved Christmas, and some have had Christmas thrust upon them.\'This wonderful, rich musical treat gives us a unique insight into our Yuletide traditions and customs. A delightful gift for anyone who loves to sing, or who just loves Christmas trivia, this is the ideal companion with which to while away those lazy days between Christmas and New Year.\'Ding dong! This is my kind of Christmas present. A musical Christmas cracker -fascinating and full of interesting surprises.\'Gyles Brandreth\'Enlightening and entertaining. You\'ll never hear or sing these carols in the same way again.\'Anne-Marie Minhall\'And I thought I knew about Christmas carols.\'John Rutter\'An unexpected romp through a festive slice of musical history, with Gant our thoroughly entertaining guide.\'BBC Music magazine\'Profound and light-hearted by turns ... this will make an ideal Christmas present. But equally it is a book worth getting in advance to serve as Advent spiritual reading.\'The Tablet\'This is an excellent book. Its author not only clearly enjoys writing about the topic, but enjoys life itself.\'Church Times\'The depth of research in the book is impressive ... rich background material for Christmas sermons.\'Preach Magazine\'Can satisfy the most ardent music buff and still be entertaining to the reader who knows nothing about music but likes a good tune.\'Reform Magazine Σελίδες: 352, Έτος Έκδοσης: 1022, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

*NEW EXTENDED MIX EDITION FEATURING EXTRA CHAPTERS*Nominated for Audiobook of the Year at the 2024 ARIAS Awards\'Love this book! It triggers so many memories of the rave era. Thoroughly recommended.\' - FATBOY SLIM \'Captures the hedonism and humour of the nineties with a laugh-out-loud honesty. The perfect Ibiza holiday read...if you can get it through customs!\' - JUDGE JULES\'Some great stories from those early rave days. Really made me giggle.\' - CARL COXAs a humble barman at the M25 Orbital raves, Kirk Field witnessed the moment acid house exploded. Inspired by media lies to start writing the truth about what he saw unfolding, Kirk became a \'raving\' reporter for the clubbers\' bible Mixmag, covering the historic parties from the inside and sending sweat-soaked dispatches from distant dancefloors as the scene expanded across Europe and beyond.With a cast of characters including Diego Maradona, Timothy Leary, the KLF, Michael Eavis, Genesis P-Orridge, Brigitte Nielsen, Boris Yeltsin, Boy George, Saddam Hussein\'s wife, the president of Tunisia, the CIA, the KGB, Dave Courtney, Norman Lamont\'s dominatrix and even Her Majesty the Queen, Kirk\'s whirlwind account of the golden age of clubbing tells the story of what really happened in the \'naughty \'90s\', exposing the seedy underbelly of rave culture while also capturing the nostalgic spirit of the era.Told through a mixture of vivid first-person narrative, surreal insider anecdotes and incisive social commentary, this honest, hilarious and uncensored postcard of hedonism will appeal to anyone who\'s ever put their hands in the air like they just don\'t care. Σελίδες: 368, Διαστάσεις: 13.1x13.1cm

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE AND THE WINGATE PRIZE\'A work of extraordinary power, beauty and human feeling.\' Sunday Times, History Book of the Year\'Profoundly moving.\' Edmund de Waal\'A most rare book: extraordinarily powerful - magisterial, meticulously rich and unexpected, deeply affecting and human.\' Philippe SandsIn Time\'s Echo, the award-winning critic and historian Jeremy Eichler makes a revelatory case for the power of music as culture\'s memory, an art form uniquely capable of carrying forward meaning from the past. While showing how four towering composers - Shostakovich, Britten, Schoenberg, and Strauss - transformed their experiences of the Second World War and the Holocaust into deeply moving works of music, Eichler proposes new ways of listening to history and coming to hear between its notes the resonances of what earlier eras have written, heard, dreamed, hoped, and mourned. A lyrical narrative full of insight, compassion and riveting storytelling, this book deepens how we think about the legacies of war, the presence of the past, and the promise of art for our lives today.\'The outstanding music book of this and several years.\' Times Literary Supplement\'A masterpiece . . . We were stunned by its profundity, its masterful structure, its beautiful shimmering sentences.\' Jury of the Baillie Gifford Prize\'Eloquent and thought-provoking . . . an insightful reflection on how we remember and who we forget.\' Leah Broad, Financial Times\'A work of vast historical scholarship and acute musical insights.\' John Adams, The New Yorker\'If you ever doubted that music matters, Eichler has written the book to prove you wrong.\' Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times Σελίδες: 400, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

\'A memoir of great power and emotional honesty. To read this book is to be in awe of Spraggan\'s strength in writing it\' ELIZABETH DAY** THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER, NOW UPDATED WITH NEW CONTENT **By the age of twenty, Lucy Spraggan had already experienced more extraordinary things than many do across a lifetime. Growing up in a creative household, surrounded by artists, alcohol and raucous parties, by her late teens she had played pubs, clubs and festivals, fallen in love with an older woman on a US road trip, experimented with drink and drugs, and been in and out of police custody. When her X Factor audition went viral in 2012, Lucy became the bookies\' favourite to win the show. She was the first contestant ever to write and perform her own original songs, refusing to be pigeonholed by stylists and producers. Viewers fell for her unmanufactured, anti-pop princess stance, and the tabloids loved her. Then, suddenly, mid-way through the live shows, Lucy dropped out. The public were told Lucy was unwell. Now, for the first time, Lucy is ready to tell her story, in her own words. Process is a book about the vicious impact of trauma across a lifetime; it is about Lucy\'s successes and mistakes, her journey towards sobriety, calm and something like peace. Most of all, Process is an extraordinary story about a gifted artist and an expose of the toxic underbelly of noughties celebrity culture and reality TV. Σελίδες: 320, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

A ROLLING STONE, MOJO, and PITCHFORK BOOK OF THE YEARA NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The story, in his own words, of one of the century\'s most feted singer songwriters: Jeff Tweedy, the man behind music by Uncle Tupelo, Wilco, and Tweedy. Through his pioneering work in the legendary country-punk band Uncle Tupelo, to his enduring legacy as the creative force behind the unclassifiable sound of Wilco, Jeff Tweedy has weaved his way between the underground and the mainstream. While his songs have been endlessly discussed and analysed, rarely has Tweedy talked directly about himself in any detail - until now. Funny, disarming and deeply honest, his memoir casts light on his unique creative process and the moments that have shaped his life and career.\'There\'s a big-heartedness to the way he writes: humorous, fearless, unflinching.\' GUARDIAN\'Frank, engaging, and often very funny.\' MOJO\'Enlightening . . . a rock\'n\'roll book that quietly dismantles what we expect from rock\'n\'roll books.\' PITCHFORK\'A uniquely raw autobiography.\' ROLLING STONE\'Wildly entertaining . . . breathtaking . . . unforgettable . . . it\'s a wonderful book, alternately sorrowful and triumphant.\' NPR Σελίδες: 304, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

The only book Michael Jackson ever wrote about his lifeIt chronicles his humble beginnings in the Midwest, his early days with the Jackson 5, and his unprecedented solo success. Giving unrivalled insight into the King of Pop\'s life, it details his songwriting process for hits like Beat It, Rock With You, Billie Jean, and We Are the World; describes how he developed his signature dance style, including the Moon Walk; and opens the door to his very private personal relationships with his family, including sister Janet, and stars like Diana Ross, Berry Gordy, Marlon Brando, Quincy Jones, Paul McCartney, and Brooke Shields.At the time of its original publication in 1988, MOONWALK broke the fiercely guarded barrier of silence that surrounded Michael Jackson. Candidly and courageously, Jackson talks openly about his wholly exceptional career and the crushing isolation of his fame, as well as the unfair rumours that have surrounded it. MOONWALK is illustrated with rare photographs from Jackson family albums and Michael\'s personal photographic archives, as well as a drawing done by Michael exclusively for the book. It reveals and celebrates, as no other book can, the life of this exceptional and beloved musician. Σελίδες: 320, Διαστάσεις: 12.8x12.8cm

THE NO.1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER*************************************\'Witty, dark, devastating\' Caitlin Moran\'Unflinching, unputdownable\' Guardian\'Brutally honest, funny, emotionally raw\' Matt Haig\'I love it\' Jon Ronson*************************************So, this is me. Lily Allen.I am a mother, and I was a wife. I\'m also a singer and a songwriter. I have loved and been let down. I\'ve been stalked and assaulted. I am a success and a failure. I\'ve been broken and full of hope. I am all these things and more.I\'m telling my truth because when women share their stories, loudly and clearly and honestly, things begin to change - for the better.So, this is my story. These are my thoughts exactly.**Includes an exclusive new chapter** Σελίδες: 368, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0711, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

\'You will love this book.\' - RICHARD OSMAN Shortlisted for the Penderyn Music Book PrizeA Rough Trade Book of the YearA Resident Book of the YearA Monorail Book of the YearA Virgin Radio Book of the YearIn 1986, the NME released a cassette that would shape music for years to come. A collection of twenty-two independently signed guitar-based bands, C86 was the sound and ethos that defined a generation. It was also arguably the point at which \'indie\' was born.But what happened next to all those musical dreamers?Some of the bands, like Primal Scream, went on to achieve global stardom; others, such as Half Man Half Biscuit and The Wedding Present, cultivated lifelong fanbases that still sustain their careers today. Then there were the rest - the ones who endured general indifference from the record-buying public and ultimately returned to civvy street.Now, thirty-five years on, journalist Nige Tassell tracks down the class of C86, unearthing members of all twenty-two bands and sharing the stories, both tragic and uplifting, of these long-lost musicians.Told with warmth, compassion and humour, this is a very human account of ambition, hope, varying degrees of talent and what happens after you give up on music - or, more accurately, after music gives up on you. It\'s a world populated by bike-shop owners, dance-music producers, record-store proprietors, ornithologists, driving instructors, solicitors, caricaturists and possibly even an Olympic sailor. And let\'s not forget the musician-turned-actor gainfully employed as Jeremy Irons\' body double...More than simply the tale of the tape, Whatever Happened to the C86 Kids? is an exploration of C86\'s wide-reaching and often surprising legacy. Σελίδες: 352, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

\'You want it all? There\'s not much missing here. 9/10.\' - Classic Rock\'An engaging mix of humour and detailed critical analysis ... great fun. 4/5.\' - MojoFrom award-winning author Mark Blake comes Magnifico! The A to Z of Queen.Addressing the phenomenal cinematic success of Bohemian Rhapsody, acclaimed music journalist Mark Blake builds on the legend of Queen and their enduring audience appeal.Providing a fresh, unparalleled take on Queen\'s music, story and legacy, Blake\'s complete portrait covers not only the major hits and bestselling albums, but also the inside stories behind the music.Via a series of essays, interviews and biographies, the author shares a wealth of lesser-known details - gained from over thirty years of original material - and explores what the songs of Queen say about their creators. Σελίδες: 432, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

At the beginning of the 1990s, the Senate didn\'t believe Anita Hill, Rush Limbaugh compared feminists to Nazis, and a study found that girls tended to start hating themselves during adolescence. It was a hard time to be a young woman, to be growing up on promises of equal rights that didn\'t square with reality. Sexual assault rates reached record highs; harassment was rife in the schools; and, boys still would be boys, and girls still had to watch what they wore and where they walked. It was enough to make a girl want to scream. Riot Grrrl roared into the spotlight in 1991: an uncompromising movement of pissed-off girls who had no patience for sexism, no stomach for double standards, and no intention of keeping quiet. Incendiary punk bands - like Bratmobile, Heavens to Betsy, and above all Bikini Kill, fronted by the magnetic, prophetic Kathleen Hanna - spread the word. Thousands of riot grrrls published handmade magazines, founded local groups, and organised conventions. The movement spread from its birthplaces of Washington, D.C. and Olympia, Washington, to the Midwest, Canada, Europe, and beyond. \"Girls to the Front\", the first-ever history of Riot Grrrl, is a gripping narrative with a sound track: a lyrical, punk-infused chronicle of a group of extraordinary young women coming of age angrily, collectively, and publicly. It\'s the story of a time when America thought feminism was dead, and feminism seemed to buy into the slacker myths of Generation X, but a generation of noisy girls rose up to prove everybody wrong. Above all, it\'s a story about looking for your place in the world - and finally creating it yourself. Σελίδες: 384, Διαστάσεις: 13.5x13.5cm

\'This could be heaven or this could be hell...\'So sings Don Henley on their biggest hit, \'Hotel California\', and it is true that the Eagles story was one that blurred the ultimate Hollywood highs and subterranean LA lows beyond recognition. The band that embodied the American dream with globe-straddling success, impossibly luxurious lives, almost supernatural talent also descended into nightmare with bloodletting betrayal, hate-filled hubris, the skeletons of perceived enemies, brutally discarded lovers and former band mates left unburied on the road behind them. The story of the Eagles is a truly gothic American fable: one of ultimate power and rivers of money; of sex and drugs at a time when both were the lingua-franca of sophisticated So-Cal living; of a band who sang of peaceful easy feelings in public while threatening to kill each other in private.Now, for the first time, esteemed music biographer Mick Wall will provide the definitive insight into America\'s bestselling band of all time, a band who have sold more records than Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones combined, 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. Σελίδες: 368, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0213, Διαστάσεις: 12.8x12.8cm

\"One of the big memoirs of the summer\" i news\"A potent tale of triumph over adversity. Angry but never bitter, Wheatle\'s compassion shines through the pain\" Observer\"Alex is a truly gifted storyteller, and the way he details his own story here is no exception\" JEFFREY BOAKYEIn this breathtaking memoir, acclaimed writer Alex Wheatle shows how music became his salvation through a childhood marred by abuse.Abandoned as a baby to the British care system, Alex grows up with no knowledge of his Jamaican parentage or family history. Later, he is inexorably drawn to reggae, his lifeline through disrupted teenage years, the challenges of living as a young Black man in 1980s Britain and his imprisonment for protesting against systemic racism and police brutality.Alex\'s youth was portrayed in Oscar Award-winning director Steve McQueen\'s Small Axe series. In Sufferah, he tells his own story, urgently, vividly and unsentimentally. His award-winning fiction - and this memoir - are a call to never give up hope. They remind us that words can be our sustenance, and music our heartbeat.\"Alex Wheatle is the real deal; he writes with heart and authenticity, books that make you laugh and worry and cry and hold your breath\" KIT DE WAAL\"Alex Wheatle is an inspirer. He sheds light in dark places . . . He is a vital writer\" LEMN SISSAY\"Alex Wheatle writes from a place of honesty and passion\" STEVE McQUEEN, director of Small Axe Σελίδες: 272, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0710, Διαστάσεις: 12.8x12.8cm

Around about August 1948, Mr and Mrs Cyril Wakeman had an early night and some time later, at Perivale in Middlesex, Mrs Wakeman produced a bonny baby son. They named him Richard, but he quickly became known as Rick. Rick was a likeable little fellow who had a talent for the piano and for making trouble. Music became Rick\'s life - he joined a popular music group called Yes and became a legend. Much later he became a Grumpy Old Man who appears on Countdown, hosts a hugely popular radio show on Planet Rock and performs a one-man show telling stories about his rather extraordinary life.Which is where this book you are holding comes in. Mr Wakeman is simply one of the great storytellers of our age - let\'s face it, he has some fabulous material. It seemed a shame that some of the funniest yarns should not be more widely known. So he accepted some cash and here we are.Curl up by the fire with a Grumpy Old Rock Star and your nearest and dearest. We defy you not to want to read it aloud and laugh. Σελίδες: 224, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

\'The game changing guitar legend gets the biography he deserves ... Diligently researched, perceptive and well-written.\' 8/10, Classic Rock\'An affectionate and unflinching portrait of metal guitar\'s Mount Everest.\' MojoArriving in California as a young boy in the early 1960s, Edward Van Halen and his brother Alex were ripe for the coming musical revolution. The sons of a Dutch, saxophone-playing father, the brothers discovered the Beatles, Cream and others.From the moment their hugely influential 1978 debut landed, Van Halen set a high bar for the rock \'n\' roll lifestyle, creating an entirely new style of post-\'60s hard rock and becoming the quintessential Californian band of the 1980s. But there was also an undercurrent of tragedy to their story, as Eddie\'s struggles played out in public, from his difficult relationship with the band\'s original singer, Dave Lee Roth, to substance abuse, divorce and his long-running battle with cancer.With unique insights, Paul Brannigan\'s Eruption reaches beyond the headlines to explore the cultural and social contexts that shaped this iconic guitarist, while also turning up the dial on a life lived at volume eleven. Σελίδες: 272, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

\'A dazzling celebration and recalibration of Mozart\'s genius, written with an energy to match its subject\' Ian Bostridge Mozart is one of the most familiar and beloved icons of our culture, but how much do we really understand of his music, and what can it reveal to us of the great composer? In exhilarating, transformative prose, Patrick Mackie mixes biographical storytelling with deep dives into the experience of listening to Mozart\'\'s music to reveal a musician in dialogue with culture at its most sweepingly progressive, when Europe was caught between two historical worlds. We follow Mozart from his adolescence in Salzburg to his early death; from his close and rivalrous relationship with his father to his romantic attachments; from his hugely successful operas to intimate compositions on the keyboard. Mackie leads the reader through the major and lesser-known moments of the composer\'\'s life and brings alive the teeming, swivelling, modernity of eighteenth-century Europe. In this era of rococo painting, surrealist aesthetics and political turbulence, Mozart reckoned with a searing talent which threatened to overwhelm him, all the while pushing him to extraordinary feats of musicianship. Returned to the volatility of the eighteenth century, we hear Mozart\'\'s music in all its audacious vividness, gaining fresh perspectives on why his works still move us so intensely today, as we continue to search for a modernity he imagined into being. Σελίδες: 384, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

A radical new book by journalist, critic and BBC Radio 3 broadcaster Kate Molleson, which fundamentally changes the way we think about classical music and the musicians who made it on a global scale.\'Wonderful . . . This is a book of discovery that speaks of music as a life force, that urges us to live our lives through music. \'COSEY FANNI TUTTI\'A marvellous book that opens our ears to sonic worlds that will enrich and delight us, whoever and wherever we are.\'IAN McMILLAN\'A clear-eyed, utterly fascinating exploration of outsiders in classical music. Molleson\'s excellent book challenges and enlightens.\'SINÉAD GLEESONThis is the impassioned and exhilarating story of the composers who dared to challenge the conventional world of classical music in the twentieth century.Traversing the globe from Ethiopia and the Philippines to Mexico, Jerusalem, Russia and beyond, journalist, critic and BBC Radio 3 broadcaster Kate Molleson tells the stories of ten figures who altered the course of musical history, only to be sidelined and denied recognition during an era that systemically favoured certain sounds - and people - over others.A celebration of radical creativity rooted in ideas of protest, gender, race, ecology and resistance, Sound Within Sound is an energetic reappraisal of twentieth-century classical music that opens up the world far beyond its established centres, challenges stereotypical portrayals of the genre and shatters its traditional canon.\'Sound Within Sound is absolutely inspiring. Everyone who loves music should own this book.\'CHARLOTTE HIGGINS\'Introduces us to thrilling dreamers from the last century who believed that music could fundamentally - and disruptively - recalibrate our lives . . . Molleson\'s enthusiastic style and eye for character and place give them life.\'JUDE ROGERS, OBSERVER\'The vividness and passion of Molleson\'s portraits of these ten extraordinarily gifted, exasperating, headstrong individuals is wonderfully engaging.\'DAILY TELEGRAPH Σελίδες: 368, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

_______________\'A coolly literary masterpiece\' - Greil Marcus, Esquire\'Sad, funny, brilliant\' - The Daily Telegraph\'In classic fish-out-of-water fashion Young writes with wry amusement alongside a fair bit of affection for his icy boss\' - The Times_______________Fully updated with a new introduction, this is the story of Nico, former model, film actress, singer with the Velvet Underground and darling of Andy Warhol\'s factory, when the world had all but forgotten her.In 1982 Nico was living in Manchester, interested mainly in feeding her heroin habit. Local promoter Alan Wise (‘Dr Demetrius’) hired musicians, rented a van and set off with the band on a tour of Italy. James Young played keyboards for Nico throughout this period.Over six years, until her death in 1988, Nico toured the world, encountering poets, artists, gangsters, losers and drifters. Fellow-spirits including John Cale, Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso and John Cooper Clarke are among those who appear in this classic memoir of Nico ‘the last bohemian’._______________\'Stunning ... Nico is so HERE in this wonderful narrative; I recognized her right away. James Young was the keyboard player in Nico\'s very insane bande à part on the last tours of her life and is a spectacular writer; let him be your perfect witness from the nomadic court of the once and future goddess of the musical underground\' - Danny Fields, friend of Nico, and manager of The Ramones, Iggy Pop and The Stooges Σελίδες: 240, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0928, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

Decades after the rise of rock music in the 1950s, the rock concert retains its allure and its power as a unifying experience - and as an influential multi-billion-dollar industry. In Rock Concert, acclaimed interviewer Marc Myers sets out to uncover the history of this compelling phenomenon, weaving together ground-breaking accounts from the people who were there.Myers combines the tales of icons like Joan Baez, Ian Anderson, Alice Cooper, Steve Miller, Roger Waters and Angus Young with figures such as the disc jockeys who first began playing rock on the radio; the audio engineers that developed new technologies to accommodate ever-growing rock audiences; music journalists, like Rolling Stone\'s Cameron Crowe; and the promoters who organized it all, like Michael Lang, co-founder of Woodstock, to create a rounded and vivid account of live rock\'s stratospheric rise.Rock Concert provides a fascinating, immediate look at the evolution of rock \'n\' roll through the lens of live performances, spanning the rise of R&B in the 1950s, through the hippie gatherings of the \'60s, to the growing arena tours of the \'70s and \'80s. Elvis Presley\'s gyrating hips, the British Invasion that brought the Beatles in the \'60s, the Grateful Dead\'s free flowing jams and Pink Floyd\'s The Wall are just a few of the defining musical acts that drive this rich narrative. Featuring dozens of key players in the history of rock and filled with colourful anecdotes, Rock Concert will speak to anyone who has experienced the transcendence of live rock. Σελίδες: 320, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

In Girl in a Band Kim Gordon, founding member of Sonic Youth and role model for a generation of women, tells her story. She writes frankly about her route from girl to woman and pioneering icon within the music and art scene of New York City in the 1980s and 90s as well as marriage, motherhood, and independence. Filled with the sights and sounds of a changing world and a remarkable life, Girl in a Band is a moving, evocative chronicle of an extraordinary artist. Σελίδες: 288, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

This new edition of leading opera critic Rupert Christiansen\'s perennially popular Pocket Guide has between extensively revised, and incorporates many more operas from all periods, including recent works by Philip Glass, Mark Anthony Turnage, Thomas Adès and George Benjamin. Whether you are a first-timer at La Boheme or a seasoned Wagnerian, every opera-goer can benefit from a little background information, and this book aims to provide just that. Accessible and easy-to-use, it contains entries for over a hundred works, both familiar and unfamiliar. Σελίδες: 448, Διαστάσεις: 11.1x11.1cm

Joseph Haydn is one of the greatest and most innovative of all composers, yet in some ways he is still curiously misunderstood. This engaging new Pocket Guide assesses what Haydn\'s music means to us today, and challenges some of the myths that have grown up around the composer. With suggestions for further reading and recommended CD recordings, Richard Wigmore\'s crisp and concise guide presents you with all you need to listen to and enjoy Haydn\'s music. It explores each of his key works, from his symphonies to his quartets, from his choral works to his sonatas, and invites a new generation of listeners to discover the depth and dazzling ingenuity of this most humane and life-affirming of composers. Σελίδες: 400, Διαστάσεις: 11x11cm

\'[An] astute reckoning with modern celebrity\' - The Times\'A wild read\' - The Guardian\'A well-researched, measured account\' - The SunPart biography, part social history, Being Britney pieces together a collage of stories, interviews, legends and fan experiences to construct a definitive portrait of one of the biggest stars in recent history.In her unique narrative, acclaimed music author Jennifer Otter Bickerdike provides a sympathetic yet objective re-examination of Britney\'s trajectory from girl next door to woman trapped by fame. Being Britney is the compelling account of a talented, troubled and talked-about modern icon, whose life, work and individual significance will be recognised for many decades to come.\'After years of being framed as a victim, Britney deserves to be celebrated as the fighter, inspiration and enigma she truly is.\' - Jennifer Otter Bickerdike Σελίδες: 320, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

The honest and heartfelt memoir of vocal powerhouse and music legend Bonnie TylerYou know the name and you can\'t mistake the voice. Now you can read the incredible story of how a shy, music-loving teenager called Gaynor Hopkins became legendary international superstar Bonnie Tyler, and carved out an extraordinary career that is still going strong to this day.After five decades in the business - during which she has recorded some of the most iconic songs of all time, including \'Total Eclipse of the Heart\' and \'Holding Out for a Hero\' - Bonnie is at last sharing her fascinating journey, and she\'s not holding back: this is her amazing story, told straight from the heart. Σελίδες: 240, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0225, Διαστάσεις: 12.6x12.6cm

*The Sunday Times Bestseller**Featuring an exclusive new chapter*On 23 September, 2005, at the Joiners Arms in Southampton, Frank Turner played his last gig with his hardcore band, Million Dead. On the laminates that listed the tour dates, the entry for 24 September simply read: \'Get a job.\'Deflated, jaded and hungover, Frank returned to his hometown of Winchester without a plan for the future. All he knew was that he wanted to keep playing music.Cut to 13 April 2012, over a thousand shows later (show 1,216 to be precise), and he was headlining a sold-out gig at Wembley Arena with his band The Sleeping Souls. Told through his tour reminiscences, this is the blisteringly honest story of Frank\'s career from drug-fuelled house parties and the grimy club scene to filling out arenas, fans roaring every word back at him. But more than that, it is an intimate account of what it\'s like to spend your life constantly on the road, sleeping on floors, invariably jetlagged, all for the love of playing live music. Σελίδες: 336, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0211, Διαστάσεις: 13.9x13.9cm

The intimate - and surprising - autobiography of Britain\'s most adored band Prepare to meet the real McFly … In 2003, Tom Fletcher, Danny Jones, Harry Judd and Dougie Poynter came together and formed what would become one of the most popular and successful bands in the UK. Just teenagers at the time, they were catapulted into the limelight and had to adapt quickly to their new-found fame – and everything that came with it. Now, at last, they have decided to tell their story, in full and revealing detail. Speaking with candour and their trademark humour, Tom, Danny, Harry and Dougie share both the stories of their own lives and that of McFly. They give their personal insights into their contrasting childhoods, the individual paths that led them to the band, the struggles they have each overcome, their love lives and, of course, their music. Packed with previously untold stories, a lot of laughter and the occasional tear, Unsaid Things offers a privileged look into the lives of four guys who started out as bandmates and became best friends. Their unique camaraderie radiates from every page and by the end of the book, you’ll know them almost as well as they know each other … Tom Fletcher, Danny Jones, Harry Judd and Dougie Poynter have been together as McFly since 2003. They hold the record for being the youngest band to have a debut No 1 album in the UK. Their hits include: \'Five Colours in Her Hair\', \'All About You\', \'Please, Please\' and \'Shine a Light\'. They are one of the biggest bands in the UK. Σελίδες: 432, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

\'Man, there\'s nothing like being told you\'re dying to make you feel alive.\' In 2013, Dr Feelgood founder, Blockheads member and musical legend Wilko Johnson was diagnosed with terminal cancer. With ten months to live, he decided to accept his imminent death and went on the road. His calm, philosophical response made him even more beloved and admired. And then the strangest thing happened: he didn\'t die. Don\'t You Leave Me Here is the story of his life in music, his life with cancer, and his life now - in the future he never thought he would see. Σελίδες: 256, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0328, Διαστάσεις: 15.5x15.5cm

In this eloquent, intimate exploration of the delights and demands of the piano, world-renowned concert pianist and music writer Charles Rosen draws on a lifetime\'s wisdom to consider every aspect of the instrument: from what makes a beautiful sound to suffering from stage fright, from the physical challenges of playing to tales of great musicians, including Vladimir Horowitz\'s recording tricks, Rachmaninov\'s hands and why Artur Rubenstein applied hairspray to the keys. Gracefully blending anecdote, history, expertise and memoir, Piano Notes will enchant anyone with a passion for music. Σελίδες: 256, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

**THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER**\'Astonishing... precisely crafted, emotionally-sucker-punching prose.\' Daily Telegraph\'Dangerous, immediate and lyrical from the jump.\' Wall Street JournalHOLLYWOOD PARK is a remarkable memoir of a tumultuous life. Mikel Jollett was born into one of the country\'s most infamous cults, and subjected to a childhood filled with poverty, addiction, and emotional abuse. Yet, ultimately, his is a story of fierce love and family loyalty told in a raw, poetic voice that signals the emergence of a uniquely gifted writer.Mikel Jollett was born in an experimental commune in California, which later morphed into the Church of Synanon, one of the country\'s most infamous and dangerous cults. Per the leader\'s mandate, all children, including Jollett and his older brother, were separated from their parents when they were six months old, and handed over to the cult\'s \'School\'. After spending years in what was essentially an orphanage, Mikel escaped the cult one morning with his mother and older brother. But in many ways, life outside Synanon was even harder and more erratic. In his raw, poetic and powerful voice, Jollett portrays a childhood filled with abject poverty, trauma, emotional abuse, delinquency and the lure of drugs and alcohol. Raised by a clinically depressed mother, tormented by his angry older brother, subjected to the unpredictability of troubled step-fathers and longing for contact with his father, a former heroin addict and ex-con, Jollett slowly, often painfully, builds a life that leads him to Stanford University and, eventually, to finding his voice as a writer and musician, forming the band The Airborne Toxic Event. Σελίδες: 384, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0708, Διαστάσεις: 12.8x12.8cm

Forget Blur/Oasis and Cool Britannia. None of that actually happened. Bad Vibes is the true story of English Rock in the nineties. Written with wit, brio and no small amount of bile, Luke Haines recounts how it felt to ride a wave of self-congratulatory success in a world with no taste. As frontman of The Auteurs, Haines tells of supporting Suede, conquering France, and failing to break America. Of knuckle-headed musos , baffling tours and a swiftly unravelling personal life. And of what it\'s like to be on the cusp of massive success. Funny, honest and ridiculously entertaining, Luke Haines attacks anyone within rifle range, and is more than happy to turn the gun on himself. Bad Vibes is a brilliant memoir from a man who tells it how it was - and how he wishes it hadn\'t been. Σελίδες: 272, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

Longlisted for the Penderyn Music Book PrizeOver the course of a thirteen-album and multi-award-winning career with Squeeze, it was clear from the very beginning that Chris Difford has few peers when it comes to smart, pithy lyricism. In Some Fantastic Place, he charts his life from his childhood in south London to becoming a member of one of Britain\'s greatest bands and beyond. Along the way Chris reveals the inspiration and stories behind Squeeze\'s best-known songs, and his greatest highs and lows from over four decades of making music. Σελίδες: 336, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0828, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

In her intimate memoir, More Myself, Alicia Keys shares her quest for truth: about herself, her past, and her shift from sacrificing her spirit to celebrating her worth.One of the most celebrated musicians of our time, Alicia Keys has enraptured the nation with her heartfelt lyrics, extraordinary vocal range, and soul-stirring piano compositions. Yet away from the spotlight, Alicia has grappled with private heartache over the challenging and complex relationship with her father, the people-pleasing nature that characterized her early career, the loss of privacy surrounding her romantic relationships, and the oppressive expectations of female perfection.Since her rise to fame, Alicia’s public persona has belied a deep personal truth: she has spent years not fully recognizing or honoring her own worth. After withholding parts of herself for so long, she is at last exploring the questions that live at the heart of her story: Who am I, really? And once I discover that truth, how can I become brave enough to embrace it?More Myself is part autobiography, part narrative documentary. Alicia’s journey is revealed not only through her own candid recounting, but also through vivid recollections from those who have walked alongside her. The result is a 360-degree perspective on Alicia’s path: from her girlhood in Hell’s Kitchen and Harlem, to the process of self-discovery she’s still navigating.With the raw honesty that epitomizes Alicia’s artistry, More Myself is at once a riveting account and a clarion call to readers: to define themselves in a world that rarely encourages a true and unique identity. Σελίδες: 272, Έτος Έκδοσης: 1227, Διαστάσεις: 12.8x12.8cm

Σελίδες: 64, Διαστάσεις: 17.6x17.6cm

Longlisted for the Penderyn Music Book PrizeAn Uncut Magazine Book of the YearA Rough Trade Book of the YearA Resident Book of the YearThe story of soul legend P.P. Arnold is one of musical highs, personal lows and extraordinary endurance.From her origins in powerhouse church gospel, the talented singer\'s performing career began at the age of just seventeen when she joined the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. But little did the young Ikette know that her world was about to be turned upside-down...Upon arriving in London in 1966 to support the Rolling Stones, the shy but vivacious teenager caught the eye of frontman Mick Jagger. He would persuade her to stay in the city and record as a solo artist, ultimately leading to a five-decade career working with everyone from Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton, the Small Faces, Nick Drake and Barry Gibb to Peter Gabriel, Roger Waters, the KLF, Paul Weller and Primal Scream.However, it has been far from a gilded life for the soul superstar. After being forced into marriage upon becoming pregnant at the age of fifteen, Arnold went on to endure a string of devastating personal traumas. Yet the versatile musician survived it all and has continued to reinvent herself throughout the years -be that as a West End actress, a much-sought-after session singer or a renowned pop vocalist in her own right.Now, for the first time, P.P. Arnold shares her remarkable adventures. This is the long-awaited memoir of a true soul survivor.\'Jaw-dropping.\' - Mojo\'Powerful.\' - Woman\'s Hour\'Explosive.\' - Daily Mail Σελίδες: 368, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in MemoirOne of The New York Times 100 Best Books of the 21st CenturyA deeply moving memoir about growing up in the 90s, written in the wake of the senseless killing of a beloved friend.\'A quiet, occasionally hilarious, ultimately devastating book . . . the most moving and memorable piece of autobiography I read this year.\' – The Independent, \'The Ten Best Books of the Year\'\'A powerful and beautifully written meditation on guilt, memory and male friendship\' – The Guardian, \'Best Books of the Year\'When Hua Hsu first meets Ken in a Berkeley college dorm room, he hates him. A frat boy with terrible taste in music. For Hua, who makes zines and haunts indie record shops, Ken represents the mainstream. The only thing Hua, the son of Taiwanese immigrants, and Ken, whose Japanese American family has been in the US for generations, have in common is that American culture doesn’t seem to have a place for either of them.But despite his first impressions, Hua and Ken become friends, a friendship built on late-night conversations over cigarettes, long drives along the California coast, and the successes and humiliations of everyday college life. And then violently, senselessly, Ken is gone, killed in a carjacking, not even three years after the day they first meet.Capturing a coming-of-age cut short, and a portrait of a beautiful friendship, Stay True is an intimate memoir about growing up and moving through the world in search of meaning and belonging.\'One of the best nonfiction books about friendship ever, right up there with Patti Smith’s Just Kids\' – The Atlantic Σελίδες: 208, Διαστάσεις: 13.1x13.1cm

\'An adventurer, an entrepreneur, a buccaneer, a visionary\' - BONOAs the founder of Island Records, fabled music producer Chris Blackwell has discovered and worked with some of the most important musicians of the second half of the twentieth century - from Steve Winwood to Cat Stevens, Bob Marley to Grace Jones, U2 to Roxy Music, plus countless others. He is also widely credited with having brought reggae music to the world stage.Now, as reflects on his life, Blackwell takes us back to the island where it all began: Jamaica - the place where his family once partied with the likes of Noël Coward, Ian Fleming and Errol Flynn and where, as Jamaican local music began to adopt contemporary American trends, Blackwell\'s burgeoning musical instincts flourished. It was also the birthplace of the now-legendary Island Records, founded by Blackwell in 1959.Five years later, while living in London selling Jamaican records to Caribbean immigrants, Blackwell came across the vocal talents of teenager Millie Small, who he paired with the song \'My Boy Lollipop\'. The producer added a ska beat and released what would be a worldwide hit.But this was just the beginning of a truly remarkable career. In this fascinating memoir, including up to fifty photos supplied by Blackwell\'s team, the music icon will discuss the many artists he\'s worked with over the years, as well as unpicking the initiatives, decisions and risks that ultimately brought such success to both Blackwell and his esteemed musical collaborators. Σελίδες: 400, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

A celebration of Harry Styles – we Adore You! Harry Styles is a global superstar and fashion icon who has broken records, won awards and was the first solo man to grace the cover of Vogue, but he is also grounded, humble and down to earth. He doesn’t care what other people think, isn’t afraid to be vulnerable and truly loves his fans. We could all do with being a bit more like Harry. With chapters on finding your style, building confidence and supporting charities, The Book of Harry explores Harry’s incredible journey to stardom and the lessons we can take from his music, career and wider approach to life. Learning from his example, it will arm readers with tips, tricks and wisdom to empower them to be fearless, be themselves and above all, Treat People With Kindness. Σελίδες: 144, Διαστάσεις: 13.9x13.9cm