Product Description
Sweet Silver Blues: A war buddys death sends Garrett on a wild hunt for his mysterious heir, last seen in a vampire Nest which no mortal leaves alive. Bitter Gold Hearts: The Stormwardens son has been kidnapped, and Garrett must brave a host of ogres and assassins to rescue him. Cold Copper Tears: Theres a new cult in town: worshippers of a godlike Destroyer who think Garrett would make an ideal sacrifice!
Customer Reviews:
Great fun, loved it.......2006-08-18
Garrett Files combines the murder mystery and science fiction/fantasy genres. Add to the fact the writer includes a LOT of humour and you have three delightfully enjoyable books in one. The plots are easy to follow; the characters are fully developed, and very likeable. I liked these stories so much I immediately bought all the Garrett series:
Garrett, P.I. (3 book compilation)
Garrett Investigates (3 book compilation)
Garrett on the Case (2 book compilation)
Highly recommended.
Great detective/fantasy work, enjoyable set of books.......2006-06-23
This set of 3 books by Glen Cook does a lot to show the flexibility of this author, when contrasted with his Black Company series (I have yet to read the other series he has written). The three novels showcase the protagonist and his household in a number of lights, against enemies that are generally competent in their own right. Without spoilers, I felt that the detached resolution of book 3 was somewhat detached/anticlimatic, but overall this is a very enjoyable read.
Consolidation of the First Three Garrett Books.......2005-11-01
Since most of Cook's Garrett books are long out of print and very difficult to come by, you might end up having to buy this consolidation to find the individual stories. This book, "The Garrett Files," is the first of 3 consolidations (so far). The others are "Garrett, P.I." and "Garrett Investigates." This book contains the first three stories in the Garrett series: "Sweet Silver Blues," "Bitter Gold Hearts," and "Cold Copper Tears." "Garrett, P.I." contains the next three: "Old Tin Sorrows," "Dread Brass Shadows," and "Red Iron Nights." "Garrett Investigates" has the next three: "Deadly Quicksilver Lies," "Petty Pewter Gods," "Faded Steel Heat." The remaining two books ("Angry Lead Skies," and "Whispering Nickel Idols") still appear to be in print on their own. Regarding the physical book itself, I was very surprised by how good the quality was. When I was a youth I used to get books from the SFBC and the quality was less than stellar. This book appears well bound, has good quality paper, and is well cut. Unfortunately, I'm not sure what printing my book is. The date on this Amazon page is 2003. But, I can't find a date on mine anywhere (it's brand new). My cover is also different from the other one uploaded here (I've put a copy of mine here, too). Regardless, this is a very good book to have. As a pure average of my ratings for the three contained stories, I rate this book at a Very Good 4 stars out of 5. My individual reviews follow:
"Sweet Silver Blues:" Excellent Start of the Garrett Series. This is the first of Cook's Garrett series. It's an excellent, humorous combination of Fantasy and early Detective novels (Raymond Chandler is the usual comparison). What always strikes me about this series, and especially this book (since it's the first), is how Cook's writing makes it feel like the world he's describing actually exists (and has existed for some time). It's like the history, geography, and people are THERE and he's merely opening a window to their world. This is an excellent book which I highly recommend to anyone who likes either Fantasy or Mystery. I rate it at 5 stars out of 5.
"Bitter Gold Hearts:" Very Good 2nd in the Garrett Series. This is the 2nd in Cook's Garrett series. It's a very good book, but isn't quite as good as the first in the series. The deficiency isn't anything major: it's just that I noticed a couple of the secondary characters whose personalities drastically changed from scene to scene (more so than the variability of human nature would allow). The additional role Cook gives to the Dead Man makes up for it, though. I rate it at a very good 4 stars out of 5.
"Cold Copper Tears:" An OK 3rd in Cook's Garrett Series. This is the 3rd in Cook's Garrett series. It's an excellent book for the first 99%, but, unfortunately, the ending fizzles. Oh, Garrett and the Dead Man figure things out nicely. All the 'i's are dotted and all the 't's crossed. But, instead of involving us in the denouement, Cook relegates the final cleanup to a background role. It just lacks that visceral feeling of closure. Solely because of the ending, I can rate this book at only an OK 3 stars out of 5.
Average customer rating:
- Terrific Book
- 4.5 Blue Ribbons for WITH LOVE by J. L. Langley
- Really good, but...
- Fantastic Anthology
- Love from Heartache
|
Hearts from the Ashes
Ally Blue ,
Willa Okati , and
J. L. Langley
Manufacturer: Samhain Publishing
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Without Reservations
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ASIN: 159998346X |
Book Description
In the city of Asheville, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, six men discover lasting love from the ashes of heartache. In Eros Rising by Ally Blue, Scott and Keegan have both been hurt by love. Can they overcome their painful pasts and build a future with each other? There's nothing better than a cup of coffee and your one true love. Gray's in for the surprise of his life when he gets not two, but three for one in Cafe Noctem by Willa Okati. When werewolves Devlin and Laine meet in With Love by J.L. Langley, it's instant attraction. However, the pack Alpha is determined to take Laine for himself. Can Devlin protect his newfound mate¿and keep them both alive? Warning, this title contains the following: explicit sex, graphic language, violence and hot nekkid man-love.
Customer Reviews:
Terrific Book.......2007-10-02
I absolutely recommend this book. The stories inside are wonderful and you will find yourself revisiting them so you can enjoy the characters again.
4.5 Blue Ribbons for WITH LOVE by J. L. Langley.......2007-08-20
Devlin Johns is supposed to be meeting with Victor, the alpha of the wolf pack that resides in Asheville. However, when he arrives at the meeting site, he sees an omega being assaulted. While omega wolves are the lowest wolves of a pack, Devlin knows that they are still invaluable to the smooth running of a pack and deserving of protection. Getting in the middle of the ruckus, Dev stops the assault, which only re-directs the alpha's hatred toward him. Feeling a tingling along his spine, Devlin is both astonished and ecstatic that this unconscious omega might be his mate. It isn't until the omega wakes up that Devlin will know for sure.
Laine Campbell smells something wonderful as he slowly reaches consciousness. Unsure of where he is, he opens his eyes and is instantly delighted and amazed at what he sees. He has a mate of his very own and this mate is hot! Not only is he hot, but he seems to feel the same way as Laine. Not quite understanding how to proceed, Laine happily lets Devlin take over and enjoys every aspect of their lovemaking.
Laine and Devlin set out to slowly explore their relationship. Devlin has no plans to let Laine go, no matter that the alpha of Asheville is a jerk and a bully. Devlin plans to show Victor how an alpha is supposed to act and he is going to enjoy every minute of it!
Once again J. L. Langley has woven a tremendous story of love and acceptance. In WITH LOVE, Laine is endearingly accident-prone and constantly making mistakes. I found it humbling to see Devlin take him as he was, and love him in spite of his quirks. Laine charmed me with his first smile of delight at finding Devlin by his side. Their loyalty to each other was just the icing on the cake!
WITH LOVE is one of three novellas in the anthology, A Heart From The Ashes, coming to Samhain in January 2007. I just can't get enough of J. L. Langley!
***Natasha Smith for Romance Junkies***
Really good, but..........2007-07-12
What is with all the gay fiction being written by women? The sex scenes are sort of hot but clearly written by someone who has no idea about the physiology of male sex organs and gay sex. Sorry, I'm gay, love sex but I cannot have sex 6 times a day, physically impossible and what kind of life would you have outside of sex? Some of the things we do hurt or are acquired tastes. Sort of offputting.
Fantastic Anthology.......2007-05-20
I can't say enough wonderful things about this anthology. Ally Blue, JL Langley and Willa Okati never fail to please. "Eros Rising" and "With Love" are gorgeous, both JL and Ally shining as always with hot sex, humor and real people.
My favorite is "Cafe Noctem". Willa uses paranormal elements sooo well and this story is beautiful, about healing and finding love and moving forward with your life in the knowledge that you can still be happy. The Cherokee mythology adds an unusual but really appealing twist -- and ooh, what a cool surprise ending!
Definitely a must-buy.
Love from Heartache.......2007-03-19
This collection of love stories surprise and entrall. Each story is unique to its relationship but connected by the promise of lasting love. The stories start out of painful beginnings-the end of love in the first, a lost love in the second, and danger in the last-but they all end with a total committment to love.
I don't have a favorite story, because no one story knocked it out of the park (like Brokeback Mountain in the anthology "Close Range"). But this book did contain the spark of realism, with the multiple stories in one town. Most fictional books leave you in the realm of fiction when it's over.
Book Description
This engaging collection of stories is an intimate look at Dolly Parton's family, told by her oldest sister, Willadeene. Rare family photos included.
Customer Reviews:
Such A Talented Family of Singers........2005-08-05
Dolly had a hard life growing up in the wilds of East Tennessee; she started out poor and indeed did have a 'coat of many colors' as her children's book explained.She was born at home like me. She wore hand-me-downs in the backwoods of Sevier County where my paternal grandfather's people lived. She's funny. Coming from the country, it took some doing and lots of help to get where she is today. She has re-invented her personality through the years from the young lovesick girl who write 'I Will Always Love You' to Porter Wagoner. He gave her the first 'big' break, singing on his show in Nashville.
Dolly had been on local talent shows in Knox County, Cas Walker's for country music. She migrated to Middle Tennessee to sing on the Grand Ole Opry where she met my friend, Hal Durham, who was manager of that fabulous old show on radio, television and live. I once attended at the Ryman and he gave Zachary and me a backstage tour.
In Nashville and in the movies, she had a good life but suffered some setbacks and depression. The two photo secitons show how little Dolly the girl was transformed into Dolly the bombshell blonde. She is the richest person in this area as she owns Dollywood, the major attraction for people from all the states who visit the Great Smoky Mountains and from other countries.
In her 'thanks' section, she included her favorite makeup, Revlon staff, and favorite lingerie shop, Frederick's of Hollywood. She includes Terry Morrow, local entertainment columnist for the News Sentinel daily Knoxville newspaper, and Ligiea Saveanu (whoever she is -- I was going to name my daughter Ligeia). From the Grand Ole Opry, she includes Archie Campbell from the famous Civil War area in East Tennessee, Bull's Gap, Grant Turner, and Bud Wendell, WSM announcer. Game show hosts were Bob Eubanks and Huell Howser; how could she leave out Wink Martindale and Pat Sajacks, both Tennesseans? For some reason, she included the Knoxville Democrat Party chairman, Jim Gray, Al Gore, Jim Sasser, and Sandra Fulton (wife of Dick Fulton of Nashville).
Movie stars included Kevin Costner, Jane Fonda, and Delta Burke, while singers were Mac Davis, Billy Ray Syrus, Whitney Houtston and Reba McEntire. She has Johnny Carson, Eddie Hill, and many many others -- too many to mention.
Like most successful people, she has humility when it comes to feeling indebted to others for her success. She has talent galore, and I wish Dolly could live forever. She will -- in the figure on Sevier County Courthouse Lawn, as a young country girl. Dolly is everything to everybody.
One of the best Writers I have ever come in contact with!!.......2002-02-14
Willadeene Parton is a very wonderful and great writer. She is not only sucessful at writing about her family but she is a great poet and cook as well. Her cook books are Awesome if you are into some great southern cooking. I have ate some of her meals in her cook book prepared by none other than herself, I used to be her Personal Assistant, and let me tell you, she cooks better than anyone I know. The Books are a great Pleasure to read and the cook books are just as much fun. Not just coming from a Friend but form a True Fan. ....
The tales of a unique family come to life in an amusing book.......1999-04-28
Originally, this book was released as "In the Shadow of a Song" in 1986. I read it then, and I read it again and enjoyed it as much as a second helping of grits and gravy and country ham. Brandon B., Tampa, FL
I loved it........1998-02-27
I have read this book front to back three times!! I was born in Appalachia and have lived in the hills and hollows of East Tennessee all my life. I related to the deep family roots, and loving atmosphere their family had growing up. Willadeene captured not only their family spirit but, the pain, laughter, and triumphs of the Appalahcian people.
Great job on your book, Willadeen. I love you!.......1997-09-08
Great reading . This is a very special book about a very special family. I promise you'll love it
Average customer rating:
|
Preservation Hall: Music from the Heart
William Carter
Manufacturer: W W Norton & Co Inc
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0393029158 |
Book Description
The Blessed Mother's Blue Rose of the Healing Heart provides direct experiences of Divine Mother Mary.
The Outer Mysteries gives a daily prayer ritual for opening the heart and healing the self - the inner child and shadow self. The Mother's gift is the Blessed Ascension Rosary and the Rosary of Tribulation. The Virgin's guidance is clear.
She offers profound new teachings - The Flaming Hearts of Mary and Jesus. Mary speaks on prayer, unified faith, forming Blue Rose World Service Prayer Groups and Her Visitations. Archangel Michael offers protection, initiation and your personal sword.
The Inner Mysteries includes the Grail Legend, the new embodiment process and teachings held in secret for 28 years by Lord Jesus who explains, "Now is the time to release these truths: White Madonna, Black Madonna, the Twelve Christs, Jesus and the Magdalene, the five secret mysteries and the Order of the Blue Rose, which all reveal unknown truths."
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Blue Hearts
Jim Lehrer , and
James Lehrer
Manufacturer: Public Affairs
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ASIN: 1586480316 |
Book Description
harles Avenue Henderson and Bruce Conn Clark shared a CIA mission in late November of 1963 that helped change the course of world history. When Henderson, now living the quiet life of a bed and breakfast owner with his beloved wife in rural West Virginia, approaches former Secretary of State Clark at a posh D.C. restaurant and suggests they let some of yesterday's secrets out today Clark responds with a plan that puts Henderson's life at risk and tests both of their dormant "spook" skills. Henderson underestimated the depth of Clark's secrets and Clark underestimated Henderson's resolve. It's a mistake that neither will make again as the old allies match cloaks and daggers against each other.
Customer Reviews:
Fun read, a little reckless with the facts, however.......2007-04-20
Marsh is a fine writer, this book will start and continue arguments. It's a lot of fun. Not sure how "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" tops the list, it's not even Motown's best, and frankly Gladys Knight did a better version. But that's Marsh's opinion.
The Beatles don't come in until No. 29 -- a clear oversight, in my opinion.
The worst part is the lack of attention to detail. Marsh notes that Spinners' lead singer Phillipe Wynne nails the lyrics in "I'll Be Around" and "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love." Uh, no, that would be Bobbie Smith leading both of those songs.
Marsh also assumes Eddie Levert lead sings all O'Jays songs, when anyone with a decently tuned ear can tell on about 80 percent of their songs, they rotate leads with Levert and Walter Williams. Marsh quotes a line in "Backstabbers" that Levert sings well, when in reality it is Walter Williams. I'm wondering how many other errors I didn't find.
That said, this book is still worth getting. No one will every agree with anyone's song rankings, but for the most part Marsh does an excellent job. He should've paid more attention to the facts, however.
Dave Marsh's observations are music to my ears........2006-06-30
Having worn out the 1st & 2nd editions of The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made by Dave Marsh, I reordered the 2nd edition, as about 15 pages were missing from the copy I owned. From big sellers ("I Heard It Through The Grapevine", Marvin Gaye) to obscure (apparently to Dave Marsh) songs ("Please Say You Want Me", The Schoolboys) each review/confession/tribute is lovingly and accurately discribed, with from-the-gut comments ("...Prepare to meet the dawn.": "Lead Me On", Bobby Bland). Whenever I hear one of these songs for the first time, I eagerly see what Dave has to say about it. Or, if it's one of my favorites that I haven't heard for awhile, I do the same.
I have spent many years enjoying and appreciating this great book.
Kissing Marsh's Ring.......2005-07-09
Flipping through this book can be kind of fun in very, very small doses. You get to read about some well known classic songs, some lesser known ones, and get reminded of some you might not have though of in years and be introduced to some you may have never heard. But boy, what an ego Marsh has, and what arrogance! I mean think about it. Do you really think that anybody would buy and read a book by you about YOUR favorite songs?
concerning the lack of 60's folk music.......2005-02-23
Concerning folk music of the early to late sixties Mr. Marsh states: ......in musical style and class orientation it was very much a reaction against the dominance of rock and roll and r & b in the fifties. He also states: "Folk pop of the sort that hit the charts tailored itself to appeal primarily to white middle class collegiates, particularly ones who found the music of contemporary blacks and working-class whites too vulgar." It's amazing to me how people who just don't like folk music in the first place, makes such statements.
For me though, there was an earthiness, a sincerity to the folk music of that time. Mr. Marsh may not have liked the music but he shouldn't blame it on some sort of conspiracy against R&B and Rock and Roll.
The Heart of Rock and Soul.......2003-12-21
Before this book was published I didn't know much about doowop or Fortune Records.
This book really opened my ears to "black music". For which I am really thankful. Together with a friend I collected all songs and made a nice tape-collection out of it. Most of all the search for these songs brought a lot of great adventures.
An online version of this book can be found at http://www.lexjansen.com/marsh.
Enjoy!
Average customer rating:
- Mainly for fans, but solid
- Very informative and easy to read
- Distorted, Dull, and Uninformative
- A Tough Slog
- Record collectors and music devotees listen up
|
Bill Evans: How My Heart Sings
Peter Pettinger
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
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ASIN: 0300071930 |
Amazon.com
Perhaps it was a white jazz musician's need to negate his very ordinary American boyhood, or maybe it was in the genes he inherited from his alcoholic father--no one can be quite sure--but Bill Evans, one of the most influential American jazz pianists ever, was a drug addict. He picked up his habit shortly after joining the Miles Davis Sextet in the 1950s, but it took Evans more than 20 years to be swallowed by the abyss of heroin, methadone, and cocaine. Sitting at the piano in the shadow of Davis, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones--the era's paragons of cool--could not have been easy for the retiring musician who suffered harsh ribbing at the hands of both bandmates and fans. Ironically, as the drugs distorted Evans's body and soul, his fingers coaxed ever more sublime music from his keyboard. Biographer Peter Pettinger was himself a professional pianist and a longtime listener of Evans, so he is expert at articulating the nuances of the music. He is perceptive too in exploring the forces that imbued in one life so much beauty and so much pain. The result is a book that is both a memorial to a burdened man and an homage to his transcendent music.
Book Description
This enthralling book is the first biography in English of Bill Evans, one of the most influential of all jazz pianists. Peter Pettinger, himself a concert pianist, describes Evans's life (the personal tragedies and commercial successes), his musicmaking (technique, compositional methods, and approach to group playing), and his legacy. The book also includes a full discography and dozens of photographs.
Blurbs from Barry Kernfeld and Gene Lees
.
Customer Reviews:
Mainly for fans, but solid.......2007-09-26
As other reviewers have noted, this is a rather dry tome in some ways, but if you appreciate Evans' musical genius at all, then it's a worthwhile read.
Not a lot of gossip here, although Bill's junk and blow issues are honestly but never obsessively dealt with. I love the scene where Bill gets a ten grand advance in the early 60s and has his pal drive him around to all the friends who loaned him money for smack rather than see him get in deep with the mob. Bill paid every debt he had; not a typical junkie to be sure, and one more reason to respect the man's heart. It's also nice to trace Bill quitting his habit.
The first trio is discussed in much depth; LaFaro's death was clearly a massive blow from which the pianist never fully recovered.
Above all this is a real tribute to Evans' music, with plenty of tales of the making of each album. It helps if you know a little musical theory; there's a fair bit of discussion of Bill's unique harmonic concept, and his innovative use of inner voice movement. If you don't know A from Bb, however, it won't matter; there's a ton of interesting stories here anyhow.
This is by and for serious Evans fans, but if you're a real devotee of his splendid piano mastery, this is a true gem; it made me love the man and his music even more.
Very informative and easy to read.......2007-08-29
For Jazz Piano fans this is a must have book, written by a concert pianist Peter Pettinger. This is a lot more than the cobbled together batch of newspaper stories you get with biographies of some pop stars. There is a brief look at his early years, but mostly the book concentrates on the music and a few of the major events in Bill Evans sadly short life.
A lot of time and research has gone into this fascinating book. Did you know for example that Conversations with Myself was recorded on the same Steinway Piano as Glenn Gould used from 1960 onwards? If you are a musician and hoping for transcriptions there is only one, and it is only a small section. There is also the head to Peri's scope wriiten out on a Village Vanguard menu by Bill Evans!
Sadly hepatitis in his youth, drug abuse, and just unbelievable bad luck lead to Bill Evans death at 50. He has left us a huge range of recordings to listen to, as evidenced by the huge discography at the back of this book.
This is a marvellous biography of one the most important Jazz pianists in history.
Distorted, Dull, and Uninformative.......2005-12-25
This is not so much a biography as an annotated discography. Immensely significant aspects of Bill Evans's life are either mentioned only in passing are else skipped over entirely. Mostly this book comprises a seemingly endless and thoroughly tedious compilation of superficial descriptions of Bill Evans recording sessions.
Very occasionally the book attempts to impart some actual musical information, and this is where it falls flattest and is most misleading. The author is purportedly some kind of pianist himself, and he seems to labor under a great pianistic misapprehension. There is in fact an entire page of this book devoted to an appreciation of the tone Evans allegedly teases out of a SINGLE ISOLATED note. Here's a news flash, Mr. Pettinger: The pianist controls ONLY the velocity that the hammer hits the strings, which is to say, the dynamic. He can emphasize certain notes in a chord or a melodic line by playing them louder than others, he can play legato, portato, or staccato by putting more or less silence between notes, and so on, but at a given dynamic on a given piano a single isolated note will sound the same whether played by Bill Evans or your pet cat.
The author also seems to believe that Bill Evans's distinction is that he was the first (or even remains the only) jazz pianist with classical training, which is, of course, nonsense. I'd tentatively (I haven't researched this thoroughly or taken a poll) go so far as to say that classical training for jazz pianists is--and was then--the rule rather than the exception. In any case, classical training is certainly not Bill Evans's DISTINCTION as a jazz pianist.
A Tough Slog.......2005-12-06
Having read The Making of Kind Of Blue just previous to this book, and seeking an insight into Bill Evans, I was quickly disappointed by the academic approach to this book. I'm not a pianist and I don't read music, though I am a musician, and the dry details of every gig and recording were little more stimulating than the reading out loud of a schedule book, in my opinion. The sheer volume of names, sometimes dozens to a page, was mind-numbing--even though I recognized every one.
Music is best appreciated when listened to, not read about, so in my opinion this book deserves to be on the high and dusty shelves of a conservatory library rather than on my shelf next to the dynamic biographies of Miles Davis and yes, Elton John--books that really gave me an insight into the people behind the music.
Record collectors and music devotees listen up.......2005-02-02
A conscientious effort written by a musician concentrating on Mr Evans' recorded legacy with considerable detail and assessment on the various records issued. As Mr Evans was more concerned with music than any other thing in his life, I'm sure he would approved. But the feeling that was the essential element in everything Mr Evans produced is somewhat absent in this bio. Not a gripping read but one I would not be without.
Book Description
In this evocative and intensely personal history of the blues, Bill Wyman pays tribute to the musicians who inspired him and whose music he took around the world as a member of the Rolling Stones. The starting point of Bill's Odyssey is the journey of African slaves to the plantations of America's Deep South. We follow their descendants as they walk, travel the highways, and ride the railroads out of the Delta and the troubled South via Memphis to the northern cities of Chicago and St. Louis. But this is no superficial history: Bill Wyman's in-depth odyssey reveals a society where poverty and injustice as well as love and faith, found their expression in a musical style that gave birth to rock 'n' roll. Location shots of smoky juke joints, railroad stations, and endless highways combine with richly detailed maps to bring the Blues alive. Feature spreads with previously unpublished photographs from Bill Wyman's personal archive showcase 40 Blues legends from Robert Johnson to John Lee Hooker, telling the story of their fascinating and often troubled lives. Bill Wyman is a legend in his own right. He has known and played with many of the Blues legends, and his personal knowledge and unprecedented access give this book an authenticity that is almost impossible to match.
Customer Reviews:
Blues.......2007-02-16
Great book with pictures and portrayals of the great blues players throughout the ages.
glossy, interesting.......2003-06-22
Overall, a great book that educates the reader in an entertaining, clear and down-to-earth manner. I especially appreciated the background information (for example, on slavery, segregation and the cotton trade) which puts the blues into its social and spiritual context. This book is clearly a labour of love, especially for Bill Wyman, but that love unfortunately extends to an excessive number of Bill Wyman photographs. Bear in mind that as a coffeee table book, this book lacks some of the depth and flow of a good blues read, evident in books such as Robert Palmer's "Deep Blues" or Alan Lomax's "The land where the blues began".
Pretty Pictures, Problematic Prose.......2003-06-13
A coffee table book, pure and simple, with thick, glossy pages full of photos, timelines, and charts. But the prose is the equivalent of a high school term paper--no flow to the paragraphs, themes jumbled and disorganized, little explication or analysis. Sure, it is an encyclopedia of facts, some of them quite interesting, but who wants to read an encyclopedia cover to cover? Apart from the inelegant ghost writing, Wyman's own asides are entirely superfluous. Compare this to Alan Lomax's "The Land Where the Blues Began".
Roots of the Blues and African American History.......2002-06-08
Sure this book is like an encyclopedia, but you won't find a better guide for finding obscure blues artists that otherwise would be forgotten. Most books go into familiar territory and rehash the same old information, but Bill Wyman is a serious collector who wants to share his love of the blues. This book is loaded with enough information to get you started on your own eclectic blues collection.
A Major Masterpiece on the Mojo Music of America!.......2002-05-26
Bill Wyman - of The Rolling Stones, and The Rhythm Kings - has written a major masterpiece on the mojo music of America. This is The Blues. ... There is no other music as deeply authentic and as emotionally gutsy as the blues. It is a music based on a feeling whose archetypal root is grounded in the solitary pain of the existential core of reality: LONELINESS - and the joyous TRANSCENDENCE of that loneliness. ... We all feel pain, and because of this we can all relate to the blues - the loneliness, the pain, the anger, the freedom to rebel from it, and the joy of the thrill and excitement of escaping from this loneliness. ... Only the blues, in its powerful simplicity of delivery, can sincerely convey these emotions to and from the human soul. It is these same emotions which many musicians, including Bill Wyman, have been inspired by to play the blues - and which cause us to RESONATE with the blues we hear being played by our fellow musicians. Non-musicians in touch with these same basic feelings deep in their soul feel the same way when they hear the blues being played. It's like someone is saying, with musical words: "Man, that's EXACTLY how I feel, and how it is!" ... It is THIS spirit of EMPATHY for the blues that is captured in this excellent book by Bill Wyman. ... If you have ever been moved by the blues and want to learn more about it, but don't know where to start, then start with this book! It is well written, has glorious photographs, pays true homage and respect to the musicians who created this musical artform, and contains many personal stories about Bill Wyman's musical journey through life as a blues musician as well. ... I admit: I am an ENTHUSIAST - and I am very enthused about this book because I KNOW that it will inspire ENTHUSIASM for the blues in everyone who reads it. ... BRAHVO, Bill Wyman, on a work well done! ... - The Aeolian Kid
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