Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Beats On Order

A heavy carton arrived this week;  Prince, Amy Winehouse, Common, The Doors, Joan Jett, George Harrison, Eminem, Pearl Jam, Will Smith, and a crash of rappers jostled their way out of the box.  The Library's teen advisory board, the Teen Think Tank, helped me choose these books for the Young Adult non-fiction collection.  Funding was provided through the generosity of the Katlyn MacCready Bird Educational Fund.

Abba the Scrapbook, Jean-Marie Potiez, 2012. (on order, expect delivery in February)  Illustrated with unique photographs and rare memorabilia, ABBA The Scrapbook gives a history of one of the best-loved pop groups of all time: including their early days in Sweden; relationships within the band; the Eurovision victory; the1970s fashion and style of ABBA; and the eventual break-up of the group.

Amy Winehouse : The Biography : 1983-2011, by Chas Newkey-Burden, 2011.  A detailed biography of Winehouse's turbulent life and untimely death. Winehouse's blend of jazz, pop, and soul singing and songwriting brought her a host of awards--including two Ivor Novellos and five Grammys.

The Anthology of Rap, edited by Adam Bradley, Andrew DuBois ; foreword by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. ; afterword by Chuck D and Common, 2010.  From the school yards of the South Bronx to the tops of the "Billboard" charts, rap has emerged as one of the most influential cultural forces of our time. This anthology brings together more than 300 lyrics written over 30 years, from the "old school" to the present day.

The Doors: A Lifetime of Listening to Five Mean Years, by Greil Marcus, 2011.  There have been many books on the Doors. This is the first to bypass their myth, their mystique, and the death cult of both Jim Morrison and the era he was made to personify, and focus solely on the music.

The Way I Am, Eminem, 2008.  A rap artist shares his private reflections, drawings, handwritten lyrics, and never-before-seen photographs.


George Harrison : living in the material world, by Olivia Harrison; foreword by Martin Scorsese, 2011. Olivia Harrison reveals George's life through his archive of photographs, letters, diaries, & memorabilia; from his guitar-obsessed boyhood in Liverpool, to the Beatles years, to his days as an independent musician and bohemian squire.

Joan Jett, by Todd Oldham, 2010.  Rock-and-roll goddess, Joan Jett, started her first band, The Runaways, at age fifteen.  The book chronicles all aspects of her career and passions through images--from forming The Runaways to her years of touring with her band, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts.

Ludacris, by PhilipWolny, 2009.
The rise of Christopher Bridges -- Hitting the big time -- Superstardom and beyond -- The actor, the mogul, the legacy.

One Day It'll All Make Sense: A Memoir, by Common with Adam Bradley, 2011.  The Grammy Award-winning recording artist and actor shares the story of his life, from his youth on Chicago's South side and rise in the hip-hop industry to his movie appearances and the lessons he has learned as a son and a father.

Pearl Jam Twenty, by Cameron Crowe, and Pearl Jam, 2011. Published in celebration of Pearl Jam's 20th anniversary and in conjunction with Crowe's documentary film and soundtrack of the same name.  Contains behind-the-scenes anecdotes, rare archival memorabilia, and the band's personal photos, tour notes, and drawings.

Prince: Inside the Music and the Masks, by Ronin Ro, 2011. In his 3 decades-long career, Prince has had nearly 30 albums hit the Billboard Top 100. He is the only artist since the Beatles to have a #1 song, movie, and album at the same time. "Prince" is the first book to give full treatment to this artist.
 
Queen: The Complete Works, Georg Purvis, 2012.  Queen's place in history as the greatest glam band of them all is rock solid.  A session-by-session, song-by-song, album-by-album, tour-by-tour record of the band's progress. 
Rihanna: Rebel Flower, by Chloe Govan, 2012.  An in-depth look at the life of one of pop music's international stars. The story of her transformation from schoolgirl Robyn Fenty to R&B artist. Features exclusive interviews with Rihanna's schoolfriends, producers, songwriters, video directors, journalists and many more.

Slipknot Unmasked....Again, by Joel McIver, 2012. The first edition of this book published in 2001 followed the band from their inception in Des Moines, Iowa in the mid-90s through to the release of their second album.  It's now a decade since the first volume appeared, and in that time Slipknot have evolved into a different band from the one that first emerged in1999.

Under the Ivy: The Life and Music of Kate Bush, by Graeme Thomson, 2012.  The first in-depth study of Bush's life and career. Features interviews with school friends, band mates, studio collaborators, former managers, producers, musicians, video directors, dance instructors and record company executives. Every aspect of her music is discussed from her albums to her solo live tour, her pre-teen poetry, and unreleased songs.