Music : Rock

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Price: $10.95

Rock 'n' roll music in all of its forms has had as profound an effect on American culture as any art form ever. Its impact on the 1960s helped to end the war in Vietnam, and assuage the guilt of that war on the American psyche. In this highly original and engaging book, respected music journalist Mark Kemp shows how rock music helped a generation of Southerners finally come to grips with its past. He masterfully blends his own background growing up in the South with the stories of the Allman Brothers, REM, and many other musicians into a seamless narrative. As kids Kemp and his friends listened to rock from England, from LA, from New York, not realizing until later that these white musicians in Europe and the United States were incorporating into their own music the rhythms and styles of black blues masters from Kemp's part of the world, men such as Robert Johnson, Willie Dixon, and Chuck Berry. The musical influence came full circle when white Southerners like the Allman Brothers, the Charlie Daniels Band, and Lynyrd Skynyrd started playing rock 'n' roll. Kemp argues that the music and the sense of community derived from these bands (and many others, like R.E.M., the B-52s, and the Dave Matthews Band) have helped heal the racial guilt experienced by many white people who came of age in the 1970s and 80s in the South. Kemp describes his youthful ambivalence about his home: "I loved the land that surrounded me but hated the history that haunted that land." Southern rock from the 1960s through the present has offered a different identity than the pervasive shame that many white Southerners grew up with. Mark Kemp has written a book that will get major attention for both its strong writing and fascinating thesis, a book of enduring power that could rank among the best music books of all time. more...

Price: $26.00

The ultimate introduction to the life and works of the King. Want to understand Elvis Presley? This friendly guide covers all phases of Elvis's career, from his musical influences as a teenager in Memphis and his first recordings to his days at Graceland and the mystery surrounding his death. You'll discover little-known details about his life, appreciate his contributions to music and film, and understand why his work still resonates with so many people today.: Explore Elvis's musical roots — see how Elvis's childhood and his Southern background influenced the development of his sound;. Trace the beginnings of his storied career — be there as Elvis makes his first recordings for Sun Records;. Relive the magic — experience the frenzy and excitement that surrounded Elvis's entrance to the national music scene;. Take a fresh look at Elvis's films — understand the misconceptions surrounding Elvis's Hollywood career;. Watch as Elvis reinvents himself — witness his comeback to live performances, culminating with an historic act in Las Vegas. Open the book and find:.: The significance of the major events in Elvis's career;. Meanings behind Elvis's music;. The controversy over his musical performing style;. Career highlights that no other performer has accomplished;. A typical Elvis concert — what it was like and what it meant;. Details on Elvis's television appearances;. The many ways fans keep Elvis's memory alive;. An appendix of the important people in Elvis's life more...

Price: $21.99

The first definitive biography of the ultimate American rock band How did a pair of little Dutch boys trained in classical music grow up to become the nucleus of the most popular heavy metal band of all time? What's the secret behind Eddie Van Halen's incredible fast and furious guitar solos? What makes David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar so wacky? And, are all those stories about groupies, booze bashes, and contract riders true? The naked truth is laid bare in Everybody Wants Some—the real-life story of a rock 'n' roll fantasy come true. more...

Price: $25.95

It's 1983 and Chuck Klosterman--a Wyndmere, North Dakota fifth-grader--wants to rock. His parents will not permit the long hair that his particular brand of rocking requires, but thankfully his brother returns from Fort Benning with the right tunes: Motley Cure's Shout at the Devil. So begins Chuck's love affair with heavy metal music, a genre that conquered the charts throughout the 1980s before disaffected grunge rockers like Nirvana and Pearl Jam laid it to waste in the early 90s. Critics dam more...

Price: $14.00