Category Archives: BOOK REVIEWS

Book review: Noise Damage by James Kennedy

Posted on October 22, 2020 by jason

Eye Books [Publication date 18.10.20] I’ve not just got a passing interest in rock autobiographies. I positively devour them. Pretty much anyone I admire who puts one out these days will tend to end up on my reading list sharpish. … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS | Tagged book, indie, James Kennedy, memoir, music, Noise Damage, punk rock, review, rock | 1 Comment

Book review: MARK BADGEMAN & ANDREW WOLFMAN – Memories of The Market Tavern Kidderminster 1990-96

Posted on September 25, 2020 by jason

Self-published [Publication date 16.11.20] Even if you didn’t attend a gig at Kidderminster’s Market Tavern, if you’re a live music fan then there’s plenty here to enjoy. This long defunct but fondly remembered and unique venue is celebrated in this … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS | Tagged Andrew Wolfman, book, Carter USM, gigs, Glen Matlock, live, Mark Badgeman, Memories of The Market Tavern Kidderminster 1990-96, pop, punk, review, rock | Leave a comment

Book review: On track…MIKE OLDFIELD (Every album, every song) – Ryan Yard

Posted on September 18, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

Sonicbond Publishing [Publication date 18.09.20] As Ryan Ward suggests in this survey of Mike Oldfield’s music, his calling card Tubular Bells – in 1973 – defined him and was never surpassed. He was only 20. Those of a certain age … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS | Tagged book, classical, dance, Every Album, Every Song, guitar, instrumental, Mike Oldfield, music, On Track, prog, progressive, review, rock, Ryan Yard, Tubular Bells, world | Leave a comment

Book review: The Development Of Large Rock Sound Systems – Chris Hewitt

Posted on August 22, 2020 by petefeenstra

A Dandelion Records Book [Publication date 14.08.20] ‘The Development Of Large Rock Sound Systems’ is a book with no beginning and no end, but it has plenty of substance in the middle. Much like the other 7 books from the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS | Tagged Adrian Maben, Alan Styles, Arthur Brown, Carey Chenoweth, Cat Stevens, Charlie Watkins, Chris Hewitt, Colosseum, David Martin, Dinky Dawson, Dire Straits, Fleetwood Mac, Hawkwind, Isle of Wight, Jim Marshall, Jimi Hendrix, John Hiseman, John Thompson, Johnny Winter, Led Zeppelin, Peter Watts, Pink Floyd, Pompeii, Rod Stewart, Roger Chapman, The Development Of Large Rock Sound Systems, The Faces, The Pink Fairies, The Rolling Stones, THE WHO, Tim Boyle, Weeley festival, WEM | Leave a comment

Book review: On track…THE WHO (Every album, every song) – Geoffrey Feakes

Posted on August 12, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

Sonicbond Publishing [Publication date 17.08.20] One of the good things about any book like this, it encourages you to either dig out old vinyl or notice that you’ve missed something. In the case of The Who they released their latest … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS | Tagged book, classic rock, Every Album, Every Song, Geoffrey Feakes, John Entwistle, Keith Moon, mod, On Track, Pete Townshend, pop, review, rock, Roger Daltery, THE WHO | Leave a comment

Book review: On track…DREAM THEATER (Every album, every song) – Jordan Blum

Posted on August 12, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

Sonicbond Publishing [Publication date 17.07.20] This volume reveals the strengths and weaknesses of the series’ premise. Jordan Blum’s careful expose of all the albums reveals how indebted he is to other writers, websites and magazines. And, let’s be honest, Wikipedia. … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS | Tagged book, Dream Theater, Every Album, Every Song, James LaBrie, John Petrucci, Jordan Rudess, Mike Portnoy, On Track, progressive metal, review | Leave a comment

Book review: On track…10cc and Godley & Creme (Every album, every song) – Peter Kearns

Posted on August 11, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

Sonicbond Publishing [Publication date 17.08.20] In the hot summer of 1976 I was checking roll-on roll-off cargo at Liverpool Docks and realised I was looking at a consignment of music gear. It turned out that 10cc were coming over from … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS | Tagged 10CC, book, Eric Stewart, Godley & Creme, Graham Gouldman, Kevin Godley, Lol Creme, pop, pop rock, review | Leave a comment

Book review: On track…GENTLE GIANT (Every album, every song) – Gary Steel

Posted on August 11, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

Sonicbond Publishing [Publication date 17.08.20] The only time I saw Gentle Giant live was when they “supported” a film about Jimi Hendrix at Liverpool Stadium. Due to the poor PA system it was just cacophony. Giant’s music is so full … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS | Tagged book, Gary Steel, Gentle Giant, On Track, review | Leave a comment

Book review: JOHN BARROW – How NOT to Make it in the Pop World

Posted on July 15, 2020 by jason

Trafford Publishing John Barrow’s hugely entertaining memoir about his life as a working musician is now onto its third edition, having originally been published in 2004. Having instantly taken a liking to John from reading the original edition, it’s good … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS | Tagged book, How NOT to Make It in the Pop World, John Barrow, memoir, music, musician, pop, review, rock | Leave a comment

Book review: STEVE HACKETT – A Genesis In My Bed

Posted on July 12, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

Wymer Publishing [Publication date 24.07.20] It was perhaps inevitable: riding the crest of the prog resurgence, repurposing classic Genesis in front of insatiable crowds, and making well received solo albums. And now, the book! Steve Hackett traces his journey from … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS | Tagged A Genesis In My Bed, autobiography, book, Genesis, guitar, guitarist, prog, Progressive Rock, Steve Hackett | Leave a comment

Book review: FLYPOSTING: Posters Of A Music Revolution by Chris Hewitt

Posted on June 17, 2020 by petefeenstra

Dandelion Records [Publication date 15.06.20] ‘Flyposting – Posters Of A Music Revolution’ doesn’t so much document the radically changing times of the 70′s, as reflect an era when the medium became the message. Up until such times as when local … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS | Tagged Barclay James Harvest, Bob Marley, book, Burning Spear, Captain Beefheart, Chris Hewitt, Dandy Shaft, Flyposting Posters Of A Music Revolution, Ian Gillan Band, Iron Maiden, Jethro Tull, John Cooper Clarke, Led Zeppelin, Man, Queen, Racing Cars, Rainbow, review, Slade Rabid Records, Snips, Squeeze, Stackwaddy, Stanley Clarke, Steam Hammer, Steve Gibbons, Steve Hardcastle, Steve Hillage, The Bystanders, Tosh Ryan, Trapeze, Writing On The Wall | Leave a comment

Book review: HAWKWIND On Track – Every Album, Every Song by Duncan Harris

Posted on May 1, 2020 by jason

Sonicbond Publishing [Publication date 26.03.20] ‘Hawkwind – every album, every song’ is another volume in Sonicbond’s ‘On Track’ series, this time taking on the Herculean task of documenting the prolific adventures of Dave Brock’s gang of space rockers in the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS | Tagged book, classic rock, Dave Brock, Duncan Harris, Hawkwind On Track – Every Album Every Song, Lemmy, review, space rock | 1 Comment

Book review: Broken Greek by Pete Paphides

Posted on April 30, 2020 by jason

Quercus [Publication date 05.03.20] An entertaining memoir that works on two levels, first and foremost as a musical journey through the hits (and some misses) of the 70s and 80s charts, and secondly as Pete Paphides recalls his own family … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS | Tagged book, Broken Greek, ELO, memoir, Pete Pahides, pop, review, rock | Leave a comment

Book review: A Platinum Producer’s Life in Music by Ted Templeman as told to Greg Renoff

Posted on April 16, 2020 by jason

ECW Press [Publication date 21.04.20] Ted Templeman started out on the other side of the mixing desk as a musician, being part of Harpers Bizarre who had a number of US hits, the most well-known being ‘59th Street Bridge Song … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS | Tagged Aerosmith, book, Classic Albums, Dave Lee Roth, Eddie Van Halen, Greg Renoff, Harpers Bizarre, producer, review, rock, soul, southern rock, Ted Templeman, The Doobie Brothers, Van Halen | Leave a comment

Book review: FAIRPORT CONVENTION On Track – Every Song, Every Album by Kevan Furbank

Posted on April 13, 2020 by jason

Sonicbond Publishing [Publication date 26.03.20] The ‘On Track’ series by publishers Sonic Bond provides an album by album, track by track overview of a number of artists. The latest in the series to get this treatment are British folk-rock legends … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS | Tagged book, Dave Pegg, Every Album, Fairport Convention, folk, folk rock, Kevan Furbank, On Track Every Song, review, Richard Thompson, Simon Nicol, Sonicbound Publishing | 1 Comment

Book review: STEVE ROTHERY – Postcards From The Road

Posted on February 27, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

Astral Horizon Press [Publication date 21.05.20] Steve Rothery’s photo book was first published in 2016 when it was sold via a pre-order campaign and then at gigs and the band website. Now it gets a full release. Rothery was a … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS | Tagged book, Fish, Marillion, photography, Postcards From The Road, review, Steve Rothery | Leave a comment

Book review: ON TRACK…Toto/The Solo Beatles/Steely Dan (“Every album, every song”)

Posted on February 19, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

Sonicbond Pubishing [Publication date January/February 2020] Liked and loathed in equal measures by the music press in the 1970s and 1980s, ultimately the band may have had the last laugh. As author Jacob Holm-Lupp reiterates, their latest offering – XIV … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS | Tagged AOR, book, classic rock, Donald Fagen, fusion, George Harrison, Jazz rock, John Lennon, melodic rock, On Track, Paul McCartney, pop, review, Ringo Starr, Steely Dan, The Solo Beatles, Toto, Walter Becker | Leave a comment

Book review: NOW That’s What I Call A Quiz: Puzzle Your Way Through Sixty Years of Pop by Michael Mulligan

Posted on December 5, 2019 by jason

Trapeze [Publication date 31.10.19] Based on the bestselling series of NOW compilation albums this is a good all-round music quiz book. Split into sections that include decades, the themed NOW compilations (e.g. Disney, football anthems) and genres (rock, classic rock … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS | Tagged book, charts, Michael Mulligan, music, NOW That's What I Call A Quiz: Puzzle Your Way Through Sixty Years of Pop, pop, punk, quiz, review, rock, soul | Leave a comment

Book review: Where’s My Guitar? by BERNIE MARSDEN

Posted on October 17, 2019 by jason

4th Estate [Publication date 28.11.19] Previously self-published by Bernie as a limited release via a Pledge campaign in early 2017 under the title ‘Where’s My Guitar?: On the Tour Bus with the Snakeman’, the book now gets a full publication … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS | Tagged Alaska, Bernie Marsden, blues, book, classic rock, David Coverdale, guitarist, Jon Lord, memoir, Micky Moody, review, rock, Solo, Where’s My Guitar?, Whitesnake | 1 Comment

Book review: FRANK ZAPPA – On Track Every Album, Every Song 1966 to 1979 by Eric Benac

Posted on October 13, 2019 by petefeenstra

Eric Benac - On Track Frank Zappa 1966 to 1979

Sonicbond Publishing [Publication date 29.09.19] Where Ben Watson’s exhaustive mid 90′s ‘Frank Zappa: The Negative Dialectics of Poodle Play’ provided a left wing cultural and critical examination of Frank Zappa and his conceptual continuity, Eric Benac’s ‘On Track’ take a different approach. … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS | Tagged album, Apostrophe, Ben Watson, Chunga's Revenge, Eric Benac, Frank Zappa, George Duke, guitar, Hot Rats, Joe's Garage, One Size Fits All, Overnite Sensation, review, Sheik Yerbouti, The Grand Wazoo, tracks, Waka Jawaka, zenochrony | Leave a comment

Book review: THE MOODY BLUES – Every Album, Every Song (On Track) by Geoffrey Feakes

Posted on October 10, 2019 by jason

Sonicbond Publishing [Publication date 22.08.19] The format follows the tried and tested Every Album, Every Song formula by tackling each album in chronological order. In this book though Feakes adds in piece about the album cover – the Moody Blues … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS | Tagged book, classic rock, Every Album, Every Song, Geoffrey Feakes, Graeme Edge, John Lodge, JUSTIN HAYWARD, On Track, orchestral rock, pop, Ray Thomas, review, rock, Sonic Bond Publishing, symphonic rock, The Moody Blues | Leave a comment

Book review: ELTON JOHN – Every Album, Every Song 1969 to 1979 (On Track) by Peter Kearns

Posted on August 15, 2019 by jason

SonicBond Publishing [Publication date 16.08.19] This book is nicely timed what with ‘Rocket Man’ recently being shown in cinemas and the DVD release in August, plus of course Elton John is currently on his worldwide farewell tour. The book covers … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS | Tagged Americana, Bernie Taupin, book, Classic Albums, classic rock, Elton John, Every Album, Every Song 1969 to 1979, On Track, Peter Kearns, pop, review | Leave a comment

Book review: GENESIS – Every Album, Every Song (On Track) by Stuart Macfarlane

Posted on July 1, 2019 by GRTR! HQ

Sonicbond Publishing [Publication date 5.07.19] For those wishing to find out more about the prog rockers who went pop, this is a useful summary following the band’s progress from shaky beginnings in 1969 to their final studio album ‘Calling All … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS | Tagged AOR, book, Every Album Every Song, Genesis, melodic rock, Mike Rutherford, On Track, Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, pop, pop rock, prog, Progressive Rock, review, Steve Hackett, Stuart Macfarlane, Tony Banks | Leave a comment

Book review: THE ROLLING STONES 1963-1980 – On Track by Steve Pilkington

Posted on June 14, 2019 by jason

Sonicbond Publishing [Publication date 27.06.19] Over the years I have read a number of these types of books, each telling the story behind well-known artists albums and songs, and the trouble is that a song can easily be interpreted differently … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS | Tagged book, Classic Albums, classic rock, Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, On Track, review, rock, Steve Pilkington, The Rolling Stones | Leave a comment

Book Review: DOUG MACLEOD –The Authorized Compact Biography by Vincent Abbate

Posted on April 30, 2019 by petefeenstra

Create Space Independent Publishing Platform [Published 18.09.18] Vicente Abbate’s 143 page paperback ‘Doug MacLeod: The Authorized Compact Biography’, takes a unique approach in his appreciation of his blues hero. Abbate dives straight into the first time he came across the … Continue reading →