Product Description
Arranged For Piano & Guitar With Lyrics, Chords & Chord Frames. Thirty-five Pop & Rock hits from 2007. Contents: Song Titles & Artists, Title& Artist Almost Lover (A Fine Frenzy) Anyway (Martina McBride) Because of You (Kelly Clarkson) Call Me When You're Sober(Evanescence )Chasing Cars(Snow Patrol) Clothes Off (Gym Class Heroes )Crazy ( Gnarls Barkley) Everything ( Michael Bublé 0 Far Away ( Nickelback )Freak On A Leash ( Korn featuring Amy Lee) Good Enough ( Evanescence)Hey There Delilah (Plain White T s) How Long (Eagles)If Everyone Cared( Nickelback) I ll Stand By You( Carrie Underwood ) It's Not Over( Daughtry) Last Request( Paolo Nutini )Lithium(Evanescence) Misery Business(Paramore) Never Again( Kelly Clarkson )New Shoes (Paolo Nutini )Over It ( Katharine McPhee)Phantom Limb (Shins)Radio Nowhere( Bruce Springsteen)Rockstar( Nickelback)Say It Right (Nelly Furtado)Shut Up and Drive(Rihanna)So Small(Carrie Underwood )Sober (Kelly Clarkson)Starlight ( Muse ) Summer Love(Justin Timberlake)Umbrella RihannaWay Back Into Love ( From Music And Lyrics) What Goes Around... Comes Around(Justin Timberlake )With Love (Hilary Duff ) ... Read more

Book Description
From the Tibetan Buddhist and Native American influences in the music of Pauline Oliveros to the arresting blend of Jamaican dancehall, rap, and bhangra of Apache Indians, this groundbreaking work examines the rise of "world music" and "world beat." Musicologist Timothy D. Taylor draws on a wide variety of sources, from popular culture, interviews, liner notes, the Internet and the music itself, charting an accessible path through the issues surrounding contemporary world music. Included in this volume are detailed discussions of such world musicians as the Kronos Quartet, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Youssou N'Dour, Peter Gabriel, Johnny Clegg, Angèlique Kidjo, Sheila Chandra, Apache Indian, Zap Mama and a host of others.

Exploring the dynamics behind such collaborations as Paul Simon and Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Taylor addresses the effects that these collaborations have on the music itself with particular emphasis on issues of authenticity and the expectations around it. In addition to looking at the ways western pop/rock appropriates the music from other cultures, he also demonstrates how these cross-cultural collaborations bring music and musicians from other cultures to a much wider audience as well as fashion new musics and identities through their innovative combinations of sounds and styles.

Global Pop offers a fascinating and timely survey of popular music and its impact on contemporary culture along with our ways of looking at and living in the world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Unique Perspective On World Music Phenomenon
The book is full of insight into "world music," which is mainly a marketing concept but also encompasses most of the world's popular music! This is an academic work that is also enjoyable to read and complementswell those studies that focus on the artists and music, such as "WorldMusic: The Rough Guide" and "The Brazilian Sound." ... Read more

Book Description
Music Managers and artists will learn the secrets of successful management in this timely guide to the popular music business. The book presents scenarios from a manager's work life along with the legal and business skills to master them. Through stories of real-life famous artist-manager teams, the authors analyze, criticize, and detail what a manager ought to learn to be an effective advisor and representative. Co-written by a performing arts manager and an actress/journalist, the book teaches future music managers and artists how to acquire clients, negotiate contracts, develop and image, administer taxes and finances, and deal with promoters, media, attorneys, and unions. A special chapter tells artists what to look for in a manager, how to sign fair management contracts, and how to avoid career manipulation. Packed with industry guidelines, sample contracts, sure-fire career tips, and photos of acclaimed industry icons, this book is a professional springboard for music managers, recording artists, singers, and rock bands alike.Download Description
Discover the real story through a "week in the life of a music manager" in this guide to success! Through entertaining, real-life stories of famous artist-manager teams, this book details what a talent manager must know to become an effective advisor and representative. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Neds improvement but good
This is a useful book but unfortunately only relates to pop music and the other genres are left alone. If you don't know which style you should choose and promote you should first read something more general like "Ty Cohen's Secrets to Making Money in the Music Industry" by Ty Cohen which is a valuable book for those who want to make a hit into the music business. This book reveals the most important secrets to succeed and you will start making profit in no time! Buy this book now if you want to find out the secrets from the pros.

A terrific guide, cleverly laid out---artists take note
Hard to imagine a book doing a better job than this one does of walking someone through the world of pop music management.The authors have hit on a clever way to provide a wealth of detail, wisdom and rules, while keeping things entertaining: The narrative follows three days in the life of a manager of a band, using that story on which to hang the nuts and bolts.That way, you not only learn the tricks of the trade, but you get a sense of the life as well.This book would by no means be of interest only to someone who wants to get in strictly on the management side--I'm a (hopefully up-and-coming) musician, and almost everything in the book seemed potentially helpful to me, both in understanding what I can expect in a manager, and in learning approaches to self-management as well.This book is a tremendously valuable addition to my career-development library. ... Read more

Book Description
This companion presents a kaleidoscopic view of the world of pop and rock. Expert writers follow the rise of fifteen global stars from Elvis to Public Enemy, Nirvana to the Spice Girls. They chart the changing patterns in production and consumption, and they trace the way new technologies have changed the sounds and practices of pop. Alive to areas of current debate, they also focus on issues such as race and ethnicity, politics, gender and globalization. The anthology contains profiles of major figures from the pop and rock field. But at the heart of this companion is the music itself--rock, pop, black music, dance music, world music--its impact, its power and its pleasures. ... Read more

Product Description
Songs by Dido, Sheryl Crow, Chad Kroeger, Josh Groban, plus many others arranged for solo instruments. All editions are compatible and can be played separately or together. Titles are: Across the Stars (Love Theme from Star Wars: Episode II) * Beautiful (As You) * Can't Fight the Moonlight * Escape * Hero * I Hope You Dance * I'm Alive * I'm Already There * I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman * Only a Woman Like You * Original Sin * Soak Up the Sun * Thank You * This Train Don't Stop There Anymore * A Thousand Miles * To Where You Are * You. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Book
This Book is great! It has many different songs as well as songs fit for the professional flute player down to middle-high school band level. Awesome book! ... Read more

Product Description
Titles are: Big Yellow Taxi * Complicated * Cry Me a River * Dance with My Father * Flying Without Wings * Forever and For Always * I Move On * I'm wi th You * Stuck * These Are the Days * This Is the Night * What the World Ne eds * When the Lights Go Down * You're Still Here * You're Still You. ... Read more

Book Description
From the Archies to Britney Spears, bubblegum music has excited every generation of music lovers. Featuring interviews with many of the genre's major creators, this ambitious anthology dismantles the worst myths about how bubblegum is produced and identifies the gum tendencies of artists as various as the Sex Pistols, Abba, the Monkees, and the Ramones. The book reveals the light and dark sides of the music, telling bitter tales of litigious backstabbing, pistol-wielding producers, and the perversities behind the jingles. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Letter to the Editors
The following is a copy of a letter I wrote to the editors of "Music Is the Naked Truth" - it says all I can say about the book:

I'd been looking forward to reading your book
"Bubblegum Music is the Naked Truth" for several years
and finally got hold of copy and read it last month.

I felt like I needed to contact (you) the editors,
if only to express my major disappointment.

Your book is advertised as a dark history of bubblegum music
and I was looking forward to some sort of logical outline and
readable history of bubblegum (a type of music I don't know much about)

However, immediately upon reading the introduction and first few
tentative essays, I could see it was going to be rough going.

While planning the book, I'm sure you all thought it would be cute for
your contributors to use as many kooky and coy references
to gum, candy, sugar, sweets, etc as possible.

While delving into your book, initially the candy
references were annoying...then they became plain
excruciating... and then painful. The painful candy references
on almost every page made reading the book an almost impossible chore.
But I'd paid good money for it, so I struggled through all the "gooey,
chewy, yummy" references

Another glaring annoyance in "Bubblegum Music is the Naked Truth"
is the fact that there are NO color photographs inside...and what photos you
do place in the book are all 2 X 2 inches and in gray-ish black and white

Oh, wait...I forgot...there IS a large forlorn photo of a Monkees lunch box...
...but why are all the other photos the size of large Puerto Rican postage stamps?

A book about bubblegum music without color photos is
beyond ridiculous. Something along the lines of a thick,
colorful, well-written glossy would have been preferable
and you may have sold a few more books.

I'm sure by now your book as become the "textbook"
on bubblegum music...however, it's clearly not.
And I'm sorry I paid money for it...and I would
feel guilty loaning it to friends or even donating
it to my local library.

Thanks for reading and better luck next time

Give me more, more, more of that bubblegum music
This is a collection of essays about (yes) bubblegum music.Most of them are very interesting.If you like to interested in the lighter side of rock and roll, this book should interest you.

POP!
I'm a big fan of bubblegum music (it's not often someone will openly admit that), and I thought this book was going to be interesting. It was, to an extent. All of my favorite bands were listed (1910 Fruitgum Company, Ohio Express, and my personal faves, The Monkees), and a lot of the cartoon rock bands were talked about, too (mostly from Hanna-Barbera Studios, such as The Impossibles, Josie and the Pussycats, and the Banana Splits, just to name a few). Another one of the book's best moments was the "100 Greatest Moments of Bubblegum" list in the beginning (or something like that)

However, there were some drawbacks to this book. When they were talking about the producers and record labels, the essays got kind of long, and sort of boring. I got bored with this section very quickly. Another downside to the book was when the authors were talking about the Backstreet Boys, 'NSync, Britney Spears and the like (which in my opinion are NOT bubblegum) and then comparing them to The Monkees (which is totally bogus, becuase the Monkees DID play their own music after the first 2 albums, and 'NSync and the rest have yet to actually pick up a guitar, but I digress).

Other than the drawbacks listed, I think you'll get a bang out of this book. It's the perfect thing for those who grew up with the Partridge Family and the Monkees, or those of you who are new fans, and want to know more about the subject of bubblegum music.

SPLAT!
The naked truth, indeed!

Editors Kim Cooper and David Smay have outdone themselves in producing the definitive work on the wildly popular yet strangely esoteric world of bubblegum rock, compiling dozens of essays written by some of the finest scribes of the underground press.

Case in point: "Looking for the Beagles" by Steve Mandich, the author of the fantastically comprehensive biography "Evel Incarnate: The Life and Legend of Evel Knievel." Here Mandich sheds a similarly swell light on the all-but forgotten rockin' doggie duo the Beagles, who starred in their own short-lived late-'60s Saturday-morning cartoon series and released one gleeful pop album.

Other contributors include the comic world's Peter Bagge ("Hate") with a hilariously enthusiastic overview of his young daughter's contemporary bubblegum CDs, Jake Austen ("Roctober") deconstructs KISS, and, in the interest of fairness, Dennis Eichhorn ("Real Stuff") bursts the bubble with "I Hate Bubblegum!"

Buy for its long-lasting flavor.

Splat!

Amazing essay collection
This was a rarity in non-fiction for me: I couldn't put it down! So many of the essays were so wonderful, I just had to keep reading to see how strong the next one was. There are a few that I can tell were included more for completeness than quality compared to some, but overall this book is highly educational and entertaining at the same time. Worth it for anyone with an interest in pop culture. Also would make a good gift for that too-snobby-for-the-room culture vulture in your life that needs to be reminded that even The Ramones got into kitsch. ... Read more

Book Description

A range of genres, rooted in local impulses, reaching global audiences; a main prop of commercial culture and an art form open to aspirants and fans from every background: About the vast and diverse topic of pop, scholars and critics, journalists and musicians have much to say, but rarely to each other. A crossover venture begun at Seattle's Experience Music Project, this book captures the academic and the critical, the musical and the literary in an impromptu dialogue that suggests the breadth and vitality of pop inquiry today.

This Is Pop illustrates what can happen when the best of scholarship, criticism, and pop's inherent unruliness intersect. Robert Christgau and Gary Giddins, pivotal critics, encounter Simon Frith and Robert Walser, pioneers in the study of popular music. Luc Sante and Geoffrey O'Brien write about sound with the same prose elegance they apply to noir or New York streetlife. Musicians Carrie Brownstein and Sarah Dougher, both active in the riot grrl and rock scenes of the Pacific Northwest, examine how audience responses affect their craft. John Darnielle, of the Mountain Goats and the idiosyncratic zine Last Plane to Jakarta, attends to the web postings of hair metal fans. From film tracks to Merle Travis, from Ray Davies to rock infighting, from indie poetry to the Carly Simon Principle of pop sincerity, this book reflects the welter of ambition, style, and meaning that draw us to pop in the first place. The result is a collection as cluttered with treasures as a good music store.

Product Description
The GUITAR SONGS Series is built around beautiful, and playable, solo guitar arrangements of the greatest songs of all time. Each arrangement includes melody, lyrics, and chord frames on one line, and a complete, easy-to-play solo guitar arrangement in standard notation and tablature on a second line. Every guitar play er will want to own these books! Always And Forever (Heat Wave) * Foolish Games/Jewel * The Greatest Love of All (Whitney Houston) * Hands (Jewel) * I Will Alwa ys Love You (Whitney Houson) * Kiss From A Rose (Seal) * My Heart Will Go On (Love Theme from from "Titanic" (Celine Dion) * Something About the Way You Look Tonight ? Sunrise, Sunset (from "Fiddler on the Roof") ? Not a Day Goes By (from "Merrily We Roll Along") ? Send in the Clowns (from "A Little Night Music") ? Tom orrow (from "Annie") ? You Are My Home (from "The Scarlet Pimpernel"). ? ... Read more

Book Description
February 1964: The Beatles step onto the tarmac at JFK International Airport and turn the country on its head. It's the advent of rock and roll's uninterrupted reign, youthful rebellion, and overt teenage sex. It's also the deathblow for the pop music of another generation -- the songs of Pat Boone and Georgia Gibbs -- and all its perky, white-bread conformity.Not two years later, Karen Schoemer is born, and comes of age with rock and roll. While her parents might enjoy the new music, the cultural upheaval passes them by, and they cling to the promises made by the music they loved as teenagers, the sweet, innocent 1950s pop of Patti Page, Frankie Laine, and the like. But having courted and wed against a backdrop of ideals peddled by this music -- finding true love, living happily ever after -- Schoemer's parents, like so many people, are crushed by disappointment when love doesn't deliver what the songs promised. Fifties pop falls quickly off the charts; their marriage eventually falls apart. In Great Pretenders, a lively, provocative blend of memoir and music criticism, former Newsweek pop music critic Karen Schoemer tries to figure out what went so wrong, way back in the hazy past, for her parents' marriage and for the music of their youth. To find the answers, she embarks on a strange, lonely journey in search of some of the brightest stars of the 1950s.Schoemer's search started when, twenty years after her parents' divorce, the new Connie Francis box set appeared on her desk at Newsweek. Now a successful rock critic dispensing post-punk opinions to the hipoisie, she was about to toss aside this relic when she was struck by the cover image of Francis, which bore an uncanny resemblance to her own mother; on a whim, she played one of the CDs. For all their cloying, simplistic sentimentality, songs like "Where the Boys Are" had an undeniable power -- "the sound of every teenage girl in every bedroom on every lonely Saturday going back a thousand years." It was the music of her parents' long-lost adolescence, and much to her surprise, it moved her.Thus Schoemer, arbiter of Gen X cool, found herself falling into the saccharine thrall of 1950s pop music, that pariah of the rock establishment. Even as her colleagues tried to steer her away from the terminally uncool genre, she tracked down seven former pop idols of the late 1950s and early 1960s: Connie Francis, Fabian, Pat Boone, Patti Page, Tommy Sands, Georgia Gibbs, and Frankie Laine. As she became privy to their inner lives and immersed herself in their music, Schoemer revised her own notions about the fifties at the same time that she explored her family's vexed dynamic. The result is a wonderful romp through an unappreciated chapter in music history and, more important, through her own past.Full of humor, insight, and unflinching honesty, Great Pretenders bucks the received wisdom, explores the intersections of our private lives and pop culture, and broadens our understanding of a crucial moment in our history.Download Description
"Full of humor, insight, and unflinching honesty, Great Pretenders bucks the received wisdom, explores the intersections of our private lives and pop culture, and broadens our understanding of a crucial moment in our history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Strange Indeed
It'a an ambitious look with a complicated thesis and perhaps only a really theoretically comfortable writer might have pulled it off, someone like Greil Marcus or the late Lillian Roxon for example.Basically we have been led to believe that pop music entered a steep decline after Elvis joined the army and before the Liverpool invasion of December 1963.Schoemer argues that it was not as bad as all that, which isn't that much of a thesis, but it's interesting to think about.She reproduces a typical top 100 pop list for a week in 1959, and a mere survey of the list proves her very point that American pop music, even in what was supposedly the worst of times, had a richness and a depth and a freshness that you just can't associate with the second rate.

Wasn't it CS Lewis said that the health of a country depends on the richness and multiplicity of its minor writers--not its great superstars, but the everyday writers in the background?Schoemer has something of the sort to prove here, and yet her book lacks the requisite concision and force to make its case.Two huge problems get in the way.Number one, her own personal saga (and her problems with her mother) might be the single dullest storyline of any work of creative non fiction of the past 20 years.Reading this book, you just can't believe she held down a professional job (music critic at NEWSWEEK?) for she comes across as a self-obsessed blogger.

Problem number two, is that she decides to hone in on seven pop stars of the period, which might have been an OK strategy, had she been able to bring even one iota of insight into any of them.Patti Page comes off best, but Schoemer's just not prepared enough to do a proper interview.Patronizing isn't the word.She wastes their time with her ill-defined "Tell me what you meant to girls of my mother's generation" questions.It could have been a really good book, instead it's a great pretender.

Know your subject
Through the first 30 pages of this book, I was rolling right along with the author's premise and intrigued by her point of view. Then came this: " . . . jazz coronetist Sidney Bechet." Now I suppose one could have meant "clarinetist", or even may have mistakenly thought Bechet played cornet, or even conflated the two, but from that point, I found it difficult to take seriously anything in the book, given either the author's or editor's carelessness in regard to this point. Furthermore, I was constantly distracted by mental images of someone trying to play a coronet: can't blow into it, so I guess you'd have to bang it like a tambourine (which this pair would probably render as 'trampoline.')Hardly a book goes by in which you can't find some egregious editorial error of this sort. One would think Simon & Schuster could pay enough to obtain competent editorial help. As for Ms. Schoemer, as a would-be music critic of the stature to which she aspires in these pages, she simply should have known better.

As noted elsewhere in these reviews, instances of this sort keep cropping up, and I found my interest (and Ms. Schoemer's credibility) slowly dwindling. Too bad---given the subject and Ms. Schoemer's interesting take on it, this could have been a pretty good read; as for me, I'll just go play my coronet.

MORE THAN NOSTALGIA
I picked this book up because I'm a closet fan of this kind of music (I actually own a couple of Pat Boone LPs). I wound up a fan of Karen Schoemer, the reformed rock critic whose wry, witty manner brings both an off-beat look at the other side of '50s music and a writer who weaves interesting, honest memories with the interviews (and aren't memories what vintage music's all about?).
Karen grew up in plush New York suburbs and saw the grit of classic rock (Springsteen especially) as an escape from both sterile surroundings and her parents' messy divorce. Yet through many years as a free-lance rock critic for Newsweek and the New York Times, she never forgot the white-bread '50s pop hits that somehow stayed with her even after countless interviews with punk and grunge types. So she chose to embark on a quest for meaning in her life through meetings with stars from her mom's (and my mom's) generation. To my delight, the formula worked.
Seven '50s stars made Karen's cut, with the "holy grail" in the form of, oddly enough, Connie Francis- whom she finally meets at her retirement home in South Florida. She also talked to big-band era singers- Frankie Laine, Patti Page, even the all-
but-forgotten Georgia Gibbs. Pat Boone, mentioned earlier, proves to be irrepressible, while two minor teen idols- Fabian and Tommy Sands- fill out the collection. In all seven pieces, Karen's a participant, not an observer. This may turn purists off, but she's very entertaining and has surprising twists in both the interviews and listening. Sands, for instance, was best-known as Nancy Sinatra's (short-lived) husband; his only huge hit, "Teenage Crush", sounds what she calls "grotesque" yet once Karen hears Tommy's uneasy renditions of Sinatra-type standards, she's unexpectedly moved.
That's the essence of "Great Pretenders"- the discovery of real musical and emotional nuggets in a framework that doesn't sound too promising. "Give me more bad music"? "Connie was a virgin!" "Patti Page: for those who thought Ella Fitzgerald was a little too taxing." Yes, Karen sounds like a snide know-it-all, but she's better than that. There's real warmth here as she appreciates this music for what it was- and how, after so many years, it can win over even a wannabe hipster.
"Great Pretenders" isn't your average book of rock criticism; it's not a memory-lane piece; it isn't chick-lit either. It's part musical autobiography, part road trip, and all Karen Schoemer- a woman you'll either hate (if you want nostalgia) or, like me, you'll enjoy for her spunk. Whoever said "I hate spunk" never met her- and the soundtrack's great (if cheesy) too!
BTW- I always loved Pat Boone's "Speedy Gonzales".

An idea with lots of potential comes up short
Normally I am caught up in books discussing much more serious subjects. It was time for a break. So when a friend told me he had just finished up Karen Schoemer's "Great Pretenders: My Strange Love Affair With 50's Pop Music" and offered me his copy I simply could not resist. In fact, I had almost purchased the book myself a couple of months ago. It was a book I had high hopes for and I wound up reading it in a single day. As one who has been collecting popular music for more than 40 years I hoped to gain some additional insight into the music of the early 1950's.Very little has been written about this period and much of what you do find is extremely negative.Most of the so called "enlightened" rock critics immediately dismiss the music of such artists as Pat Boone, Connie Francis and Patti Page as trite and superficial.Yet this music certainly struck a chord with millions of Americans in the early fifties.Karen Schoemer wanted to find out why and she certainly seemed to have the credentials.She wanted to know why her parents, her mom in particular, loved this stuff. So she decided to write a book about this era. She began this project back in 1999 and admittedly struggled with the concept over the next several years.In the end she wound up interviewing seven of the era's biggest stars.She chatted with Patti Page and Frankie Laine, Georgia Gibbs, Fabian, Tommy Sands and two of the biggest stars of early 50's pop Connie Francis and Pat Boone.Much to her surprise she discovered that most of these folks were anything but the stuffy, uptight people she expected to find. As of matter of fact she really did like most of them. And as her work on the book proceeded she found herself enjoying this music even more.She suddenly decided it was OK to enjoy this stuff despite what the so-called critics thought of it.Not everything she listened to had to be hip or loud or socially relevant.Karen Schoemer had discovered what made this music so attractive to her parents generation.
"Great Pretenders" is a mighty strange book.I craved to learn more about the songs and about the artists Karen had a chance to speak with.Instead I came away frustrated that I did not find out as much about these people and their careers as I had expected.In general, I found "Great Pretenders" to be pretty unfocused at times and I certainly could have done without the frequent references to the authors personal life.For a project in the works for 7 years I would have to classify it as somewhat of a disappointment.In spite of all of its shortcomings I still managed to finish "Great Pretenders".I just happened to be in the mood for some lighter reading and it fit the bill perfectly.
Though it was not a total waste of my time in the final analysis this is a book that clearly misses the mark.As such it is not a book that I can recommend.

Strictly from badsville
As a major enthusiast of the late '50s/early '60s teen sound, I was excited to check out this book.Unfortunately, Schoemer's attitude toward the music she's writing about is apparently the same attitude held by the vast majority of music critics, albeit wrapped in a different package.My first problem with this book is that the author doesn't seem to know what she's writing about.Several times in the introduction, she refers to "teen pop," but only a few of the performers she features are truly teen pop.If she'd taken the time to research the teen sound instead of namedropping her hip indie rock pals, maybe she would have figured out that teen pop and pre-rock 'n' roll pop are not the same thing.

I was also confused by her desire to write about this music before actually listening to any of it.From reading the introduction, I was able to gather that this book was some sort of response to her relationship with her mother.If that's the case, she should have written an autobiography.I was particulary upset by the chapter about the great Tommy Sands.Schoemer makes a big deal out of how much she wants to interview Tommy, and I can't blame her -- I'd love that opportunity myself.However, we soon learn that she's never even heard Tommy's music, and her main reason for wanting to interview him was because her mother liked him.She buys a CD of his Steady Date album, and describes his song "Teen-Age Crush" as "grotesque" and decides that the only way she can "enjoy" his music is to think of it as being so bad that it's good.This is an insult to both Tommy and the countless people who truly enjoy his music.

While I appreciate the fact that Schoemer wants to revive interest in talented artists such as Tommy Sands, Fabian and Connie Francis, I wish that the author would have written this book because of a true love for their music.Instead, she seems more interested in herself and proving other music critics "wrong."Since Schoemer is supposedly a music writer, I would have hoped that she'd realize that music is not about being "wrong" or "right," but about simply loving the music.Unfortunately, that is not the case with this book. ... Read more

Book Description
The Year the Music Died is packed with information,stories, trivia, and photos relating to the "golden era" of pop musicbetween 1964 and 1972. Author Dwight Rounds covers the Beatles, RollingStones, Byrds, Doors and CSNY, followed by sections on other influentialgroups of the era. Music trivia buffs and casual fans alike will not wantto miss this unbeatable collection! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Informative and A Lot of Fun!
I was excited when asked to review this book because I experienced first-hand the music so well documented in it.
The years 1964-1972 brought with it music creators like, the Beatles, the Doors, Rolling Stones and the Byrds, just to name a few. Author Dwight Rounds takes us back to the 'golden era' of music in this work with information on different groups, trivia, quizzes and lists of their songs; along with charts and great pictures from old magazines of many different groups. I giggled at some of the lists he put in this work rating the artists. Good touch.
I take my hat off to this author as it would be impossible not to realize the work and research that was done. and the time it took to put this work together, great job. Let me just say this; if you enjoyed your youth during this time and want to splash in the past for a while you will love this book.Or, if you are a music enthusiast that yearns to know more, you won't be able to put this one down. To coin a phrase, this one is "A Blast From the Past."A really fun and interesting work.Well done Mr. Rounds, thanks for the memories.
... Read more

Amazon.com
"Clop" a rhythm like a pony! Take the musical tree elevator! MeetQuentin Quarter Note! With this lively, toe-tapping, time-keeping interactive book, aspiring young musicians pull tabs, flip flaps, and tickle the ivories of a real battery-run electronic keyboard (three SR1130 batteries included). Soon everyone will be reading music! Friendly critters introduce each of the basic musical elements: rhythm, notes, time signatures, the staff, scales, sharps and flats, and key signatures. Fabulous images ensure that the learning will be lifelong--a plump elephant sits on a note to make it flatter. Rock-'n'-rolling "Beetles" teach an easy way to remember the order of notes on a staff: "Even Groovy Bats Drink Fly-juice." The amount of color, creatures, and information on each page may be a trifle overwhelming, but it leaves no doubt that there will be something new to discover with every reading.

Kate Petty and Jennie Maizels have created several books designed to make scary subjects less intimidating: The Amazing Pop-Up Multiplication Book and The Amazing Pop-Up Grammar Book. Their imaginative paper mechanics and goofy animal antics make their books a hit with reluctant learners and avid scholars alike. (Ages 6 to 10) --Emilie CoulterBook Description
Animals clap, a band marches in time, and smiling notes slide up and down the staff--there is music and movement on every page of this jamming, jazzy pop-up. From the creators of the Amazing Pop-Up Grammar Book and the Amazing Pop-Up Multiplication Book, here is a fun-filled introduction for beginning musicians. Lively lessons on rhythm, notes, scales, time, and tempo build gradually to a music-making finale where readers can play a real keyboard to accompany a pop-up animal chorus.

Kate Petty and Jennie Maizels have created a unique series of books that take the terror out of difficult topics through an irresistible combination of quips, hints, exuberant illustrations, and ingenious paper mechanics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

The Amazing Pop-up Music Book - would be if you could get it !
I have seen this book and it is well done and an excellent teaching tool.However, on the Amazon site this book has also been on back-order for almost 1 year.I have repeatdly had to re-order this item as per request by Amazon but it has never been shipped.Just when does Amazon consider an item no longer available?

don't buy it from amazon
good product, just don't buy it from amazon.
I placed the order with amazon on March 6. Amazon kept delaying its shipment. It's May now and amazon, for the 3rd time, sent me email telling me there was a delay on the shipment.

no wonder my favorite mutual fund short amazon stocks

Great book!
Great book with fab paper engineering and loads of tabs to pull, etc.The keyboard on the last page actually works and is a very clever addition to the book.As someone mentioned they couldn't work out how to change the batteries, I have actually managed to do it.On the keyboard, just above the keys, run your finger along and you'll feel a tiny screw (cross-head) near the bird on the right.Unscrew that (it leaves a tiny hole in the paper) and the battery compartment should then slight out towards the right.Hope that helps!

The Amazing Pop-Up Music Book
This is a wonderful book for all ages. Each page is a delight with its dancing characters and fun tabs to pull. The information is easy for children to assimilate. I especially enjoyed the real keyboard. And the last page is eye popping. My sister, a piano teacher, covets my copy. I may have to get her one for her birthday.

Can't make the keyboard work
The keyboard feature in the copy I bought from Amazon.com does not work. I can't tell whether this is because the batteries are dead or not included, because I CANNOT FIGURE OUT HOW TO OPEN UP THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT! The instructions on the back say to use a screwdriver to remove the battery cover, but there are no screws visible and I cannot figure out what else I might possibly be able to move with a screwdriver. This might be a very neat book to have IF you can get the keyboard to work, but I really can't tell. ... Read more

Book Description
The Totally Awesome 80s!

Customer Reviews (6)

totally tubular
This book is awesome. We had an 80s party theme for my daughter's 40th birthday and I was desperately seeking information to use. She absolutely adores the eighties music and this book provided the quiz questions for the entertainment. Everyone loved the book and all the information it has. It was a blast seeing the different generations rack their brains for answers and how well everyone remembered the decade. It was a great item for keeping the conversations going while listening to the music and it's a great keepsake for my daughter from a very memorable party. The 80s rock and so does this book.

2 stars, but only for the concept
This book is filled with misinformation.My husband & I found several incorrect answers when going through it the first time.The concept is GREAT...a book dedicated to the pop culture of the 1980s!SUPER COOL!However, that's where the excitement ends.You'll have a better times looking online at different short trivia games.Incredibly disappointing!

It came from the 80s!
I got turned onto this book in an 80s chat room! Ordered the book, and I'm glad that I did. It really captures the spirit of the music of the time, which was a lot of fun. It makes a great addition to my pop culture book collection.

It's like, Totally Tubular, ya know?!
This is the best book I have found that I have actually gotten stumped at....but then I realized that I must have had a fugue state....remembered them!!! *grin* Great book, great author....

The Interactive 80s Network's (i80s.com) 80s Book Review
The Totally Awesome 80s Pop Music Trivia Book is an excellent resource for all 80s music fans.From cover to cover this book is jam packed with everything you want to know about 80s Pop Music Trivia and more!We especially love The Totally Awesome 80s Pop Music Trivia Book because we offer our members/visitors 80s trivia.With the graciousness of author Michael-Dante Craig allowing us to utilize information from the book, we now have an excellent addition to our 80s trivia section... ... Read more

Book Description
The first documentedhistory of the music America listened to from the Gay Nineties to the Rockin' Fifties, taken from a variety of popular music charts. Artist Section lists each artist's charted recordings in chronological order, with each recording's highest charted position, date first charted, total weeks charted, original label and number, total weeks in the #1 or #2 position, and much more. Includes a wealth of facts and notes about many recordings and artists of pop's early years. Complete Title Section cross-references all titles alphabetically with significant chart data. 6 inch. x 9 inch.. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

A very useful reference book
Whitburn has delivered a very useful and very informative book that i use a a reference book for my research on music from the beginning of the 20th century. He gives enough information on the artists and the chronological list of all # 1 hits in the end is very handy!
This book is recommended to anyone interested in musical history.

Excellent
As someone who loves music this was perfect. While I tend to prefer 1955+ music, I appreciate older music as well. It's interesting to see various music trends. It shows you where music has gone and where it's going. This books has everything from ragtime to rock and roll.

Essential reference book for the serious collector.
I have owned books by Joel Whitburn for over two decades now.As an avid record collector and someone who is extremely interested in the history of popular music I cannot imagine life without them.Of all of Whitburns books,this is perhaps my very favorite.This book is unique among the Whitburn offerings in that it begins with a seven page "Chronology of Milestones in Popular Music/Recording History 1877-1954."It is a fascinating look at the history of the recording industry beginning with Thomas Edisons invention of the phonograph. You will also learn about the history of the Billboard music charts as well as the beginnings of two of America's most venerable record labels Columbia and Victor.
But the main thrust of any Joel Whitburn book is the chart information.In this volume,you will find an artist by artist listing of over 12000 records that appeared on various pop music charts from 1890 through 1954. By perusing the pages of this book you will learn about some of the most popular turn of the century artists such as Henry Burr and Billy Murray.You will be amazed at how dominant such long forgotten artists as the American Quartet and Paul Whiteman were in their day.Of particular interest to me was how prolific Bing Crosby was between 1931 and 1954.During that period Crosby had an astounding 340 charted records!!!It is also fun to peruse some of the titles.You learn that things really don't change all that much.My very favorite among these is a 1915 hit by the Peerless Quartet entitled "Cows May Come, Cows May Go, But the Bull Goes On Forever."
You may be a bit put off by the price of a Joel Whitburn book.But believe me if you are a serious collector they are worth every penny.I bought my copy of this book more than fifteen years ago and still refer to it frequently.

If you're interested in pre-Elvis music, this helps a lot
Music charts never tell the whole story as anybody who has followed pop charts of any era will know. They serve as an approximate guide to what music was fashionable at the time.

It is particularly important to note that the economic depression of the thirties meant that a lot of singers chose to do radio broadcasts rather than make a lot of records which few could afford. This explains why Frances Langford (for example) was extremely popular yet had few hits.

The other thing you notice is that then, as now, some of the songs you think would have been massive hits (like Moonlight in Vermont and Georgia on my mind) were only modest hits, while other songs which were massive hits appear to have sunk without trace.

Despite all that, this is a valuable source of information for anybody seriously interested in the music of the pre-Elvis era, although very little music is currently available from the early 1920's or before.

I don't think this book could be improved much. Death dates updated? Nice but hardly essential. Pictures? If you buy the music, you'll probably get a picture of the singer. As to the very early artists, photography was also primitive, so pictures may not be available, unless paintings or drawings are available.

There is one improvement which would be really useful - include all the later hits from 1955 onwards for major artists who had a lot of hits up to 1954. Wouldn't it be great to have the complete hits record of Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Doris Day and other major artists in one volume?

But that's a minor point - the information here is not available anywhere else. It's well worth the price if you're into this sort of music.

A Musical Journey Through The Past
I purchased this book through Mr.Whitburn's Record Research company in 1993-Right away,I was awestruck at the amount of artists & songs that were listed-I was happy to see that the songs that helped to launch the rock era were included,such as "Sh-Boom",& "Shake,Rattle,& Roll"-One reviewer indicated that this book should be updated,as far as listing the years when these artists died-I'm sure that Joel Whitburn would find that to be quite time consuming-Anyway,this book is terrific. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (2)

As light as air
A light and undemanding read.Little more than a list of the hits of the late '70s with some specious analysis that is as shallow as a puddle. Not unentertaining, maybe good for a short flight or train journey.

A Look at the Late 70's
Canadian brothers Don & Jeff Breithaupt examine the last five years of the 70's music scene in Night Moves.Just like their first 70's book, Precious & Few, each chapter is broken up to cover a certain type of music like punk, new wave & disco or examine a particular artist like Bruce Springsteen.The chapter heading lists essential songs from the subject.The brothers interject personal accounts into the stories that make for a nice touch.The book is a quick, easy and completely enjoyable read and together with Precious & Few offers a reverential and sunny look at the 70's. ... Read more

Book Description
Your favorite sheet music will come to life with the innovative Piano Play-Along series! With these book/CD collections, piano and keyboard players will be able to practice and perform with professional-sounding accompaniments. Containing eight cream-of-the-crop songs each, the books feature new engravings, with a separate vocal staff, plus guitar frames, so players and their friends can sing or strum along. The CDs feature two tracks for each tune: a full performance for listening, and a separate backing track that lets players take the lead on keyboard. The high-quality, sound-alike accompaniments exactly match the printed music.Volume 3 includes: Ebony and Ivory * Every Breath You Take * From a Distance * I Write the Songs * In My Room * Let It Be * Oh, Pretty Woman * We've Only Just Begun. ... Read more

Book Description
The first and only guide to all the music and musicians, young and old, of America's most raucous, rocking state.

What is it about Louisiana that breeds and attracts musicians? There are literally hundreds of them: Dr. John, the Meters, Harry Connick, Jr., Randy Newman, Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails), the Marsalis family, all part of a tradition going back to Louis Armstrong, Fats Domino, Professor Longhair, Jelly Roll Morton, Buddy Bolden, and Mahalia Jackson. Rick Koster, in tackling the monumental task of surveying the lush musical landscape of the state, examines all of the ingredients that went into creating this hotbed of talent -the social influences, the musical traditions, the food, the drink, the heat-and introduces us to the stars, both local and national, who have emerged. Discover the past and present of jazz, rock, zydeco, R&B, gospel, blues, country, and straight-up rock 'n' roll; learn too about the styles unique to Louisiana, like voodoo music, swamp pop, second-line brass bands, and Mardi Gras Indian tribes. With the laid-back charm and easy appeal that defines the state, Koster has created a survey as uniquely and teemingly rich with sound and story as the place itself. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Good Overview of Louisiana Music.
Hey - it does what the title says.It is not the greatest book on the subject - but I appreciate the writing style, and the journey that the author leads us on.It is a very very broad subject - Louisiana Music - and the book could be 100 times bigger and not cover it all.This is an OK book for the beginner student on Louisiana Music.

A ýmust' for avid fans of Louisiana music
Rick Koster's Louisiana Music is the first and only guide to the variety of musicians in this southern American state: others have focused on specific styles (Creole, Cajun, Zydeco) but Louisiana Music considers the past and present of jazz, rock, gospel and other styles of both urban and lesser-known areas, including the Mardi Gras Indian tribes. Louisiana Music is a `must' for avid fans of Louisiana music.

Another hit for Koster!
Just finished this book. It is another great effort on the part of this very talented writer. This will make for a wonderful addition to my music collection as a fantastic reference book. This work is HIGHLY recommended! Rick Koster -- keep writing!

Astounding Historical Value
This book contains a plethora of very valuable histories
of many well known and (more importantly) lesser known Louisiana bands and artists.Mr. Koster, although from neighboring Texas, has really done his homework on this project. You can also find Mr. Koster's dry humor come into play throughout.

If you like this book, you will also enjoy Mr. Koster's book on the history of Texas music called, you guessed it, "Texas Music". ... Read more

Book Description
Easy to use and fun to explore, this 1,400-page tome is the most complete guide ever published on the artists and recordings that really rock. Compiled by dozens of music critics, it reviews and rates more than 14,000 great albums by over 2,200 artists and groups in more than 400 styles - both mainstream and alternative - including bootlegs, import-only releases, important out-of-print recordings, and lesser-known cult artists. A brief profile details each performer's career, while insightful reviews of top recordings help define the musician's artistic development and impact on rock. Expanded biographies spotlight major figures, along with complete album discographies. Also features educational essays and "music maps" that chart the evolution of rock's diverse subgenres at a glance. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Marvellous
This is the 3rd edition of the AMG guide and its a brilliant read. Subtitled "The Definitive Guide To Rock, Pop and Soul" it is five years old now, but as its nearly 1400 pages in length you won't get bored with it.

Artists are listed alphabetically and an enhanced 5 star rating system is used. Apart from the number of stars some albums additionally get either a filled circle a filled star or the outline of a star. Generally the very best recordings by an artist will get a filled star and any acknowledged masterpieces will get an outline star. So most of The Beatles albums are 5 star albums with an extra outline star. Sounds complicated on paper but its not - its just difficult to describe!

At the back of the book are a series of essays on different genres, such as electric blues, Rap etc. These feature family trees of the most important artists and are interesting reading their own right.

AMG also do separate books on Jazz, Soul and Blues all of which I recommend. You can waste hours with this book reading about what you are listening to, which makes the whole experience that much more pleasurable.

Why Does All Music Review Get Their Facts SoMixed Up?
When I read things written, as in biographical form, attributed to All Music Guide, I have to wonder if they have ever heard of, 'fact checking'. How about comparing the lp/cd's and official bios and websites to get the honest picture of what might have happened.
Please give me a place to write to them - especially Chris Woodstra and the others who think they are the Gods of power pop.Unfortunately, their sense of journalism is nothing but fluff and an attempt at entertainment.What ever happened to real journalists and companies who FACT CHECKED?
I would never have been a publicist if I had not had that skill and I have been one for nearly 30 years!
Sincerely,
Annie Pfeiffer Gower
Former "National Tour Publicist" for the launch of Virgin Records USA 1979/ meshing of Virgin/Atlantic and launch of both labels including Frontline and Caroline, Virgin Publishing (including The Sex Pistols) and many bands on the road - the most important was all the press done before The Records even hit the States.
Crashes was aptly named but The Records bio is never correct.A{G

More punk & less r&b next time...PLEASE!
First off this is supposed to be a guide to ROCK. With that in mind the following artists are missing:
Fear, Robin Trower, Accept, Raven, Giant Sand, Saxon, Yngwie Malmsteen(in fact there are no shred guitarists from the 80's included), New Model Army, Monkeywrench, Michael Viner's Incredible Bongo Band, The Pandoras, Warrior Soul & Deadbolt.
The next list is all of the artists that are in this ROCK guide:
Celine Dion, Mary J. Blige, D'Angelo, TLC, Tony! Toni! Tone!, Jessica Simpson, Britney Spears, Spice Girls, Sir Mix-A-Lot, Mariah Carey, Biz Markie, Coolio, Das EFX, Dr. Dre, Raekwon, Puff Daddy, Public Enemy, Queen Latifah, Rakim, Busta Rhymes, Vanilla Ice, Jay-Z, Jodeci, K-Ci & Jojo and last but not least the rockinest act ever Kid & Play.
Another beef that I have is that quite often a greatest hits type of record will be the only album reviewed by what I consider to be important bands. One that comes to mind is Rainbow. They had many albums with many different lineups so reviewing a greatest hits album will just not suffice. With all this negativity I still admit to reading this thing to death and it does come in quite handy for mostly classic rock purchases.
Next time leave the radio r&b for the r&b guide and include more complete discographies, metal, indie & punk or press up some separate guides for those genres.

5 stars, PLEASE!!
Desiding that I needed a new record guide book as my Rolling Stone Record Guide, copyright 1979 was out dated, I bought the All Music recorg Guide, 3rd edition. They hand out 5 stars like candy. I think that as I have aged( I'm 55.) that the critical faculty of reviewers, be that music, books or movies has deminished. A 5 star record should be a combination of extrodinary talent, musically and lyrically and be somewhat groundbreaking. Not to mention that EVERY song on it had better be good! You would have a hard time housing all the 5 star recordings in the tome.
Let's reserve the 5 stars for the truely GREAT!!! Recordings that will stand the test of time. So I would say take quite a bit of salt with this guide.

Excellent bathroom reading
Has some errors and odd omissions, but I still learn something every time I pick it up. The online version is far more complete ... but I don't have a computer in my bathroom, yet. ... Read more