I'll Be Gone; Mike Rudd, Spectrum and how one song captured a generation by Craig Horne

$32.99 AUD

Category: Music

It reveals the musical and personal journey of Michael Rudd a national treasure, even though he's a New Zealander! The book traces Rudd's musical origins leading Chants R&B, a quirky counter-cultural phenomenon of a band from Christchurch and follows him as he moves to Melbourne in the mid-1960's to become an integral member of two Ross Wilson led avant-garde outfits, Party Machine and Sons of the Vegetal Mother. In 1969 Rudd then formed what would become Australia's premier progressive/expressionist band, Spectrum. The book describes the political, social and artistic context in which Rudd led Spectrum for the next four years. This was an era when Dylan wrote symbolist lyrics such as those of Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands, The Beatles were using horns and harps, harmonica quartets, assorted animal noises and a 91-piece orchestra on their recordings and Pink Floyd's 1970 Atom Earth Mother LP presented side 1 as a suite, almost a symphony. Politically in Australia hundreds of thousands of young people all over the country were marching in the streets of our capital cities in protest of Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War and capitalism was under the microscope, with many young people challenging it's social and sexual inequalities, rampant materialism and environmental destruction. It was in this tumultuous context that Mike Rudd wrote his seminal song I'll Be Gone, a song that rejects the overriding materialist paradigm and describes an alternate life that embraces simplicity and freedom. It's a beautiful song that encouraged a generation of young people to embrace a spirit of hope over violence, naturalism over avarice and freedom over servitude. ...Show more

Bananarama: Really Saying Something by Sara Dallin; Keren Woodward

$35.00 AUD

Category: Music

MUSIC, FAME AND A LIFELONG FRIENDSHIP. In the early eighties, best friends Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward arrived at the YWCA in London, with their sights set on careers in journalism and the media... but that wasn't to be. London was the most vibrant and culturally innovative of places, and within the whirl of clubs, parties and new friends, a chance meeting with former Sex Pistol Paul Cook changed everything. Moving into Malcolm McLaren's old office, they started rehearsing and singing background vocals for Paul's new band, before teaming up with Sara's college friend Siobhan, and forming their own group. It wasn't long before they'd made their first appearance on Top of the Pops, wearing clothes they'd made themselves, and not sure which camera to look at. Who could have imagined that this would be the birth of one of the biggest-selling female bands of all time? Bananarama! From a groundbreaking performance at The Brits, to sold-out world tours, party games with George Michael, hanging out with Andy Warhol in New York and a Guinness World Record, Bananarama's DIY-style and attitude inspired a generation, obliterating all previous notions of what a girl band was or could be. Whether opening up about the challenges of making it in a male dominated industry, balancing motherhood and fame, the hairstyles and TV interviews they'd rather forget, or the joys of writing and recording new music, Sara and Keren are honest, revealing and hilarious. Really Saying Somethingis the story of two friends who continue to pursue their dreams their way - and have a great time doing it. It is a celebration of determination and a lifelong friendship, with an unbeatable soundtrack. ...Show more

Stranger Than Kindness by Nick Cave

$59.99 AUD

Category: Music

Stranger Than Kindness is a journey in images and words into the creative world of musician, storyteller and cultural icon Nick Cave. This highly collectible book contains images selected by Cave from 'Stranger Than Kindness: The Nick Cave Exhibition', presented by the Royal Danish Library in partnershi p with Arts Centre Melbourne. Featuring full-colour reproductions of original artwork, handwritten lyrics, photographs and collected personal artefacts, it presents Cave's life, work and inspiration and explores his many real and imagined universes. Images are paired with commentary and meditations from Cave and celebrated writer Darcey Steinke on themes that are central to Cave's work. Stranger Than Kindness asks what shapes our lives and makes us who we are, and celebrates the curiosity and power of the creative spirit. ...Show more

Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics by Dolly Parton

$55.00 AUD

Category: Music

Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics is a landmark celebration of the remarkable life and career of a country music and pop culture legend. As told by Dolly Parton in her own inimitable words, explore the songs that have defined her journey. Illustrated throughout with previously unpublished imag es from Dolly Parton's personal and business archives. Mining over 60 years of songwriting, Dolly Parton highlights 150 of her songs and brings readers behind the lyrics. Packed with never-before-seen photographs and classic memorabilia - Explores personal stories, candid insights, and myriad memories behind the songs Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics reveals the stories and memories that have made Dolly a beloved icon across generations, genders, and social and international boundaries.   ...Show more

Loud by Tana Douglas

$34.99 AUD

Category: Music

 What goes on tour stays on tour - unless you're the the first woman roadie in the world At just fifteen, Tana Douglas ran away to the circus that was rock 'n' roll in the 1970s, taking a job with a young and upcoming band called AC/DC. While still a teenager she headed to the UK and later the US to wor k for a who's who of bands and artists. Life on the road was exhilarating, hard work, occasionally surreal but never dull, particularly when you're the only woman in the road crew and the #metoo movement is still 40 years away.   ...Show more

Punk, Post Punk, New Wave - Onstage, Backstage, in Your Face, 1977-1989 by Michael Grecco; Jim Sullivan (Introduction by); Fred Schneider (Foreword by)

$59.99 AUD

Category: Music

Iconic and never-before-seen images of punk and post-punk's quintessential bands   In the late 70s, punk rock music began to evolve into the post-punk and new wave movements that dominated until the early 90s. During this time, prolific photographer and filmmaker Michael Grecco was in the thick of thing s, documenting the club scene in places like Boston and New York, and getting shots on- and backstage with bands such as The Cramps, Dead Kennedys, Talking Heads, Human Sexual Response, Elvis Costello, Joan Jett, the Ramones, and many others. Grecco captured in black and white and color the raw energy, sweat, and antics that characterized the alternative music of the time. Punk, Post Punk, New Wave: Onstage, Backstage, In Your Face, 1978-1991 features stunning, never-before-seen photography from this iconic period in music. In addition to concert photography, he also shot album covers and promotional pieces that round out this impressively extensive photo collection. Featuring a foreword from Fred Schneider of the B-52's, Punk, Post Punk, New Wave is a quintessential piece of music history for anyone looking for backstage access into the careers of punk and post punk's most beloved bands.   ...Show more

Grace Jones a to Z - The Life of an Icon - from Androgyny to Zula by Steve Wide; Babeth Lafon (Illustrator)

$29.99 AUD

Category: Music

An illustrated A-to-Z, celebrating the unparalleled artistic impact of the cultural icon Grace Jones.   Singer, songwriter, supermodel, record producer, actress, and iconoclast, Grace Jones is truly one of a kind, equal parts intriguing, intimidating, and indefatigable.   From her early days as a mo del working with Yves Saint Laurent and Kenzo, to her rise to disco stardom in New York City's Studio 54, followed by her storming the New Wave with her reggae-infused post-punk sound, through to her arresting, decade-defining work, Jean-Paul Goude, and featuring her eclectic and iconic film career and her continuing artistic output in the current day, Grace Jones A to Z charts her incredibly rich life. This book looks at her life, her art, creative collaborations, films, friendships, and fun--all in a brilliantly illustrated A-to-Z format. ...Show more

Symphony of Seduction: The Great Love Stories of Classical Composers by Christopher Lawrence

$29.99 AUD

Category: Music

'Love cannot express the idea of music, while music may give an idea of love.' Romantic composer Hector Berlioz Berlioz should know. He didn't just hear the symphony when he fell in love with an Irish actress back in 1827, he wrote it. What was love like for the people who could really feel that song coming on?Symphony of Seduction tells of the romantic misadventures, tragedies and occasional triumphs of some of classical music's great composers, and traces the music that emerged as a result. For the eccentric Erik Satie, love came just once - and even then, not for long. Robert Schumann had to take his future father-in-law to court to win the right to marry. Hector Berlioz planned to murder a two-timing fiancée while dressed in drag, and Richard Wagner turned the temptation of adultery into a stage work that changed the course of music while rupturing his own marriage. Debussy's love triangle, Brahms' love for the wife of his insane mentor - all find expression in works we now consider to be some of the summits of creative achievement. Christopher Lawrence takes what we know about these love-crazed geniuses and adds a garnish of imagined pillow talk to recreate stories that are ultimately stranger than fiction - and come with a great soundtrack. ...Show more

Wagnerism - Art and Politics in the Shadow of Music by Alex Ross

$65.00 AUD

Category: Music

'An absolutely masterly work' Stephen Fry Alex Ross, renowned author of the international bestseller The Rest Is Noise, reveals how Richard Wagner became the proving ground for modern art and politics--an aesthetic war zone where the Western world wrestled with its capacity for beauty and violence. Fo r better or worse, Wagner is the most widely influential figure in the history of music. Around 1900, the phenomenon known as Wagnerism saturated European and American culture. Such colossal creations as The Ring of the Nibelung, Tristan und Isolde, and Parsifal were models of formal daring, mythmaking, erotic freedom, and mystical speculation. A mighty procession of writers, artists, and thinkers, including Charles Baudelaire, Virginia Woolf, Isadora Duncan, Vasily Kandinsky, and Luis Buñuel, felt his impact. Anarchists, occultists, feminists, and gay-rights pioneers saw him as a kindred spirit. Then Adolf Hitler incorporated Wagner into the soundtrack of Nazi Germany, and the composer came to be defined by his ferocious anti-Semitism. His name is now almost synonymous with artistic evil. Wagnerism restores the magnificent confusion of what it means to be a Wagnerian. A pandemonium of geniuses, madmen, charlatans, and prophets do battle over Wagner's many-sided legacy. The narrative ranges across artistic disciplines, from architecture to the novels of Philip K. Dick, from the Zionist writings of Theodor Herzl to the civil-rights essays of W. E. B. Du Bois, from O Pioneers! to Apocalypse Now. In many ways,Wagnerism tells a tragic tale. An artist who might have rivalled Shakespeare in universal reach is implicated in an ideology of hate. Still, his shadow lingers over twenty-first century culture, his mythic motifs coursing through superhero films and fantasy fiction. Neither apologia nor condemnation, Wagnerism is a work of intellectual passion, urging us toward a more honest idea of how art acts in the world. ...Show more

Astonishing Rock Trivia by John Tait

$24.95 AUD

Category: Music

Did you know that in 2013 Chubby Checker sued Hewlett-Packard over a 99c app called the Chubby Checker which allowed user's to enter a man's shoe size to estimate the size of his penis. He claimed that the product would cause damage to his goodwill tarnishing his image. Trivia with a twist. Did you know that Charles Manson co-wrote a song for the Beach Boys Plus hundreds of questions to tease and expand the mind ...Show more

Beginner's Step-by-Step Guitar by DK

$39.99 AUD

Category: Music

From Jimi Hendrix to Ed Sheeran, every guitar hero started somewhere - so stop dreaming and start playing! Covering acoustic and electric, this book includes everything you need to know, from choosing your instrument and reading guitar tab, to using amplifiers and effects. Easy-to-follow lessons take y ou through all the steps to becoming a great guitar player: from tuning for beginners to advanced techniques for experienced players such as fingerpicking and two-handed tapping. Pick up guitar theory along the way including rhythm, chords, and scales, and how to fine-tune your playing for blues, pop, rock, and more. Beginner's Step-by-Step Guitar also helps you take your music to the next level with practical tips on forming a band, recording, and playing gigs. Whether you want to play along with your favourite songs at home or rock out onstage, this is the ultimate step-by-step guide to guitar greatness. With superb photography, easy-to-understand tips and tricks, and free downloadable tutorial videos accompanying each session, you will learn how to play the guitar like a pro and hit all the right notes. ...Show more

Cassette Culture - The Past and Present of a Musical Icon by John Z. Komurki (Text by)

$10.00 AUD

$39.99 (74% off)

Category: Music

From videos by Frank Ocean to the Guardians of the Galaxy movie, tapes have become increasingly prominent in cinema, advertising, and, of course, the music industry. And as tape sales in the US grew by 74% last year, there is no doubt that it is time to address past, present and future of the "Compact C assette" as icon of popular culture. New generations of individuals, record labels and DIY communities are rediscovering its unique characteristics, adapting them to a contemporary context. In the age of soulless MP3s and similar digital formats there is a real appreciation for the physical qualities of an item that can be collected, exchanged and individually designed. This volume covers themes such as recording and design, distro as distribution source, interviews and provides a step-by-step manual to conducting own tape experiments. ...Show more