Thursday, June 17 2010
‘Cigar Box Banjo’ Is a Nice Parting Gift From One of Canada’s Most Talented Writers
Cigar Box Banjo is less a memoir than it is an epitaph: Paul Quarrington wanted to be taken seriously as a bluesman, less so as an author.
Friday, April 16 2010
Echoes: The Complete History of Pink Floyd by Glenn Povey
In an oversized edition, lavishly illustrated, this is a book that will put Floyd fanatics over the dark side of the moon.
Wednesday, January 20 2010
Rolling Stones: In the 1960s
This two-disc set is a decent attempt at encapsulating the group's early career -- a formidable task given the complexities of both the band and the era.
Friday, January 15 2010
King of the Queen City: The Story of King Records by Jon Hartley Fox
The story of dozens of artists great and small, and the record label that helped define both R&B and country music in the '40s, '50s and '60s.
Sunday, October 25 2009
Linthead Stomp: The Creation of Country Music by Patrick Huber
Patrick Huber's counter-narrative of Piedmont country music's complicated origins and characteristics deserves to be the dominant one.
Friday, August 21 2009
Black Postcards by Dean Wareham
As a participant in the rock 'n' roll scene in the late ‘80s and throughout the ‘90s, Wareham proves to be an invaluable guide and an incisive observer.
Wednesday, April 22 2009
Grunge Is Dead by Greg Prato
Prato's book makes one misty eyed for the good ol’ days, when flannel was the fashion and sludge rock was king.
Tuesday, April 21 2009
Hot Burritos: The True Story of the Flying Burrito Brothers by John Einarson with Chris Hillman
It seems like Einarson was more eager to include multiple perspectives, no matter how much they overlapped, than he was to craft a flowing narrative.
Wednesday, March 11 2009
I Want to Take You Higher by Jeff Kaliss
Although the Viscaynes had disbanded by the time their music hit the airwaves, Stone had solidified his decision to continue pursuing a career in the music industry.
Tuesday, January 20 2009
The Rest Is Noise: Listening to the 20th Century by Alex Ross
Alex Ross' tome, winner of the 2007 National Book Critics Circle Award for Criticism, offers a history of the 20th Century as seen through the prism of the modern-day composer.
