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Gig review: BLACK EYED SONS- The Lexington, London, 16 December 2024
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Gig review: STRAY – The Cavern, Raynes Park, London, 7 December 2024
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Album review: THE MENTULLS – Reflections
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Album review: PATTERNS ON THE WINDOW – The British Progressive Pop Sounds Of 1974 (3 CD Boxset)
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Album review: TOM KEIFER – The Way Life Goes
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Category Archives: BOOK REVIEWS
Book review: On track…JETHRO TULL, THE BEATLES
Sonicbond Publishing [Publication date 26.04.19] The On Track… series continues with some momentum, nearly 20 titles currently scheduled, spearheaded by prog aficionado Stephen Lambe. The idea is to discuss in some detail individual songs but that invariably means talking about … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS
Tagged book, classic rock, George Harrison, guide, Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull, John Lennon, On Track, Paul McCartney, pop, prog, Progressive Rock, review, Ringo Starr, song, The Beatles
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Book review: GARTH CARTWRIGHT – Going For A Song (A Chronicle Of The UK Record Shop)
As we approach another Record Store Day, it is timely to revisit one of the more recent tomes extolling the virtues or otherwise of the record shop. And also to compare and contrast with its antecedent which celebrates a 10th … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS
Tagged book, Garth Cartwright, Going For A Song, Graham Jones, history, Last Shop Standing, record shop, review
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Book review: BLUE OYSTER CULT – Every Album, Every Song (On Track) by Jacob Holm-Lupo
Sonicbound Publishing [Published 22.02.19] These Every Album, Every Song books are coming thick and fast with this one on Blue Oyster Cult coming after ones on Queen, ELP and Deep Purple. Norway’s number one Blue Oyster fan Jacob Holm-Lupo penned … Continue reading
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Tagged Albert Bouchard, albums, Blue Oyster Cult, book, Buck Dharma, classic rock, Eric Bloom, Jacob Holm-Lupo, review, rock, sci fi
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Book review: ON TRACK…ELP, DEEP PURPLE & RAINBOW
On Track … Emerson Lake & Palmer by Mike Goode [Publication date 18.12.18] Sonic Bond Publishing Two books in a series, that are subtitled “Every Album, Every Song”. These track by track intros to bands are not a new idea, … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS
Tagged Blackmore, books, Carl Palmer, classic rock, Deep Purple, ELP, Gillan, Greg Lake, Keith Emerson, Mike Goode, On Track, prog rock, Rainbow, review, rock, Sonic Bond Publishing, Steve Pilkington
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Book review: QUEEN – Every Album, Every Song (On Track) by Andrew Wild
Sonicbond Publishing [Publication date 08.11.18] Nicely timed by this new publisher Sonicbound (future titles in the series include ones on Blue Oyster Cult, Yes and Roy Wood & The Move), a book on Queen and their music as the film … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS
Tagged Andrew Wild, book Queen, Brian May, classic rock, Every Album Every Song, Freddie Mercury, John Deacon, melodic, On Track, pomp, review, rock, rock 'n' roll, Roger Taylor
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Book review: LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL by Kenney Jones
Blink Publishing [Publication date 31.05.18] Drummer Kenney Jones has penned an entertaining memoir, that covers his time in the Small Faces right up to the present with the Jones Gang, a collection of seasoned musicians who do the occasional gig, … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS
Tagged Blink Publishing, book, book review, Ian Mclagan, Kenney Jones, music, Paul Rodgers, pop, rock, Ronnie Lane, Small Faces, Steve Marriott, The Faces, THE WHO
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Book review: SNAKES! GUILLOTINES! ELECTRIC CHAIRS! Dennis Dunaway & Chris Hodenfield
St Martin’s Press [Published 14.08.18] Although this book, co-authored with Rolling Stone writer Chris Hodenfield, was first published in 2015, it now gets a paperback version and if you missed out on it first time around make sure you get this one. … Continue reading
Book review: JIM McCARTY with DAVE THOMPSON – Nobody Told Me: My Life With The Yardbirds, Renaissance and Other Stories
http://www.jamesmccarty.com/ 305 pages paperback ISBN 978-0-244-96650-8 [Publication date: May 2018] ‘Nobody Told Me’ is a suitably titled autobiography that documents the life and times of Jim McCarty, The Yardbirds founder member, drummer and rock and roll hall of fame inductee. … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS
Tagged blues, book, Box of Frogs, British Invasion All Stars, Chas McDevitt, Chris Dreja, Cream, Dave Thompson, Eric Clapton, Georgio Gomelski, Jeff Beck, Jim McCarty, Jimmy Reed, New Age Music, Nobody Told Me, Peter Grant, psychedelic, R&B, Renaissance, review, Robert Plant, rock, Rolling Stones, Ruthless Blues, Simon Napier Bell, The Country Gentleman, The Yardbirds, Top Topham
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Book review: GORDY MARSHALL – Postcards From A Rock & Roll Tour
Splendid Books Limited – 251 pages paperback [Publication date: December 2012] ‘Postcards From A Rock & Roll Tour’ is: “a series of personal daily journals,” or as the Moody Blues co-drummer and author Gordy Marshall further elucidates: “more like extended … Continue reading
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Tagged book, Gordy Marshall, Graeme Edge, memoirs, Moody Blues, Postcards From A Rock & Roll Tour, review, rock, Tour
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Book review: JACKIE MCAULEY – I, SIDEMAN: The Story Of Me In The 60′s & 70′s
www.jackiemcauley.com – 253 pages paperback [Publication date: December 2017] Jackie McAuley’s ‘I Sideman: The Story Of Me In The 60′s and 70′s’ is an eloquently written, partial biography by a multi instrumentalist and vocalist who takes three quarters of the … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS
Tagged acoustic, Bonzo Dog Band, book, Brendan Bonass, Celtic rock, Charlie Watts, folk, Frank McCourt, Gene Vincent, Henry McCullough, I Sideman, Irish, Jackie McAuley, Jimi Hendrix, JOE COCKER, John Peel, Judy Dyble, Kim Fowley, Lonnie Donegan, Marvin Rainwater, Miami Show band, Paul Brady, Paul McCartney, Pete Brown, review, Royal Showband, The Kult, Them, Trader Horne, Van Morrison, Vangelis, Viv Stanshall
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Book review: SO HERE IT IS by Dave Hill
Unbound Books [Published date 16.11.17] Noddy Holder has written a couple of books and drummer Don Powell has published his memoir, now it is the turn of guitarist Dave Hill. Dave Hill was born in a castle in Devon, the … Continue reading
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Tagged book, classic rock, Dave Hill, Don Powell, Jim Lea, Noddy Holder, review, rock, Slade, Slade II, So Here It Is
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Book review: THE MEANEY OF LIFE – Sean Meaney
Cunas Music & Publishing – 329 pages paperback [Publication date: 28.07.2017] ‘The Meaney of Life’ is an autobiographical journey though the life and times of a proud Irishman Sean Meaney. He’s a passionate music fan who rises above what the … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS
Tagged Albert Collins, Belouis Some, book, Brendan O'Carroll, Brian Downey, Brian May, Brian Robertson, Brush Shiels, Dana Gillespeie, Dickie Rock, Dizzy Lizzy, Eric Bell, Gary Moore, Hunter S. Thompson, Irish World, Jonathan Noyce, Limehouse Lizzy, Man, Phil Lynnott, Philomena Lynnott, Polly Brown, Real Music magazine, review, Rory Gallagher, Roy Harper, Ry Cooder, Scott Gorham, Sean Meaney, The Meaney Of Life, The Mustard Seeds, Walter Trout, ZZ Top
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Book review: PINK FLOYD: SONG BY SONG – Andrew Wild
Fonthill Media [Publication date: 28.07.2017] There is a whole library-worth of books already penned about Pink Floyd, the third-best selling band in the history of popular music. So why, you may wonder, does the world need another? Well, having delved … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS
Tagged Andrew Wild, book, Dave Gilmour, Pink Floyd, review, Roger Waters, Song By Song
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Book review: Overkill The Untold Story of Motörhead by Joel McIver
Omnibus Press [Publication date 21.08.17] The original book was published in 2011, however since Lemmy’s death back in December 2015 the book has been re-issued as an enhanced eBook. Basically it adds a newly written chapter covering Motörhead from 2011 to … Continue reading
Book review: Some Fantastic Place by Chris Difford
W&N [Publication date 31.08.17] Chris Difford is the lyricist to Glen Tilbrook’s music and arranging in Squeeze, a band who have split up twice and now since reforming again in 2007 seem to be enjoying a purple patch both in terms … Continue reading
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Tagged book, Chris Difford, Glen Tilbrook, memoir, pop, pop rock, review, Some Fantastic Place, Squeeze, W&N
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Book review: Smashing it Up: A Decade of Chaos with the Damned by Kieron Tyler
Omnibus Press The book focuses on their formation and subsequent first decade, where along with the Clash and the Sex Pistols, were one of the first punk bands. The influence of the band stretches far and wide, be it them … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS
Tagged alternative, book, Brian James, Captain Sensible, Dave Vanian, Kieron Tyler, Omnibus Press, punk, Rat Scabies, review, rock, Smashing It Up, The Damned
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Book review: Some Weird Sin – On Tour with Iggy Pop by Alvin Gibbs
Extradition Publishing [Publication date 25.08.17] UK Subs bass player Alvin Gibbs and I share a birthday. I was born on his 16th birthday and as I celebrated my own 16th birthday he was playing the last of 230 nights over … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS
Tagged Alvin Gibbs, book, Hanoi Rocks, Iggy Pop, punk, review, rock, rock 'n' roll, Some Weird Sin - On Tour with Iggy Pop, UK Subs
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Book review: PETE WAY – Fast Ride Out of Here: Confessions of Rock’s Most Dangerous Man
Constable Books [Publication date 11.05.17] It is about time that someone wrote a book that gives the life and times of UFO an objective and entertaining airing from the inside. For about two-thirds of Pete Way’s autobiography, I was bemoaning … Continue reading
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Tagged autobiography, book, Fast Ride Out of Here, Pete Way, review, UFO, Waysted
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Book review: THOMAS DOLBY – The Speed of Sound
Icon Books www.iconbooks.co.uk [Published 08.06.17] Thomas Morgan Robertson become Thomas Dolby after his friends named him after the famous Dolby noise reduction device found on many 70′s and 80′s sound systems. Most will know the name for his early 80′s … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS
Tagged book, David Bowie, Foreigner, memoir, Michael Jackson, Mick Jones, music, pop, Prefab Sprout, review, technology, The Speed of Sound, Thomas Dolby
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Book review: MARTIN HANNETT – His Equipment And Strawberry Studios by Chris Hewitt
Dandelion Records & Books [Publication date 07.04.17] Given the fact that the author Chris Hewitt has already released the exhaustive DVD ‘Martin Hannett – He Wasn’t Just The Fifth Member Of Joy Division’ and the book ‘The Pleasures Of The … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS
Tagged A Certain Ratio, book, Chris Hewitt, Chris Sieve, Durutti Column, Factory records, Frank Zappa, Happy Mondays, His Equipment And Strawberry Studios, John Cooper Clark, Joy Division, Magazine, Martin Hannett, New Order, OMD, Peter Hook, Phil Spector, producer, Reabid records, review, Rob Gretton, Strawberry studios, The Buzzcocks, The Psychedelic Furs, the Stone Roses, Tony Wilson, U2
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Book review: Somebody to Love: The Life, Death & Legacy of Freddie Mercury
Matt Richards & Mark Langthorne Blink Publishing There have been many books published on both Queen and Freddie Mercury, so why another one and what is its hook? Well the two authors here have included the usual Queen story of … Continue reading
Book review: GEORGE HARRISON – I Me Mine (The Extended Edition)
Genesis Publications [Publication date 21.02.17] It’s probably not a book you would want to take on holiday, fearing that Ryan Air would charge excess baggage. Similarly it may break your coffee table. But ‘I Me Mine – The Extended Edition’ … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS
Tagged autobiography, book, Derek Taylor, Genesis Publications, George Harrison, guitar, guitarist, I Me Mine, review, The Beatles, The Extended Edition
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Book review: AC/DC In Full Flight – by Alan Perry
Wymer Publishing [Publication date: November 2016] www.wymeruk.co.uk This 128 page, A4-landscape coffee table tome documents the Aussie rockers during the years 1978-82. Photographed by Alan Perry – and with his own comments putting the gigs in context – this becomes … Continue reading
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Tagged 1978-1982, AC/DC, Alan Perry, book, gigs, In Full Flight, memorabilia, photographs, review, rock, Tour, Wymer Publishing
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