Friday, September 12, 2014

There Are Some Interesting New Tunes On Our Shelves

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August 2014 marks 50 years since Bob Dylan released his fourth album, Another Side of Bob Dylan. Recorded in one night, in the middle of a turbulent year in his life, the album marked a departure from Dylan's socially-conscious folk songs and began his evolution toward other directions.

During the years they spent together, few people outside of Dylan's immediate family were closer than Victor Maymudes, who was Dylan’s tour manager, personal friend, and traveling companion from the early days in 1960s Greenwich Village through the late 90’s. Another Side of Bob Dylan recounts landmark events including Dylan's infamous motorcycle crash; meeting the Beatles on their first US tour; his marriage to Sara Lownds, his romances with Suze Rotolo, Joan Baez, and others; fellow travelers Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Wavy Gravy, Dennis Hopper, The Band, The Traveling Wilburys, and more; memorable concerts, and insights on Dylan's songwriting process.

On January 26th, 2001, after recording more than 24 hours of taped memories in preparation for writing this book, Victor Maymudes suffered an aneurysm and died. His son Jacob has written the book, using the tapes to shape the story. The result is a vivid, first-hand account of Dylan as an artist, friend, and celebrity, illustrated with never-before-seen photographs, and told by an engaging raconteur who cut his own swathe through the turbulent counterculture.


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The legendary former lead guitarist of The Runaways--"heavy metal's leading female rocker" (Rolling Stone)--opens up about the '70s and '80s music scene and her extraordinary life and career in this long-awaited, emotionally powerful memoir.

Lita Ford lived her dreams, until her life turned into a nightmare. She left home at age sixteen to join the world's first all-female rock group, the Runaways--a band whose legend was sealed by the 2010 hit movie starring Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning--and went on to become the first woman hard rock guitarist, a platinum-selling star who gave Ozzy Osbourne his first Top Ten hit, a bare-ass, leather-clad sexy babe whose hair was bigger and guitar licks were hotter than any of the guys. She is also the mother of two sons whose harrowing tale of her catastrophic marriage to a metal rocker makes Ike and Tina Turner sound like life at the country club.

But in the end, Lita's story changes from a music story to a woman's story--a wrenching, desperate drama of human bondage and a mother's love, a life-and-death struggle over her own soul. Trapped in an increasingly terrifying marriage, systematically stripped of her connections to the outside world, Lita Ford became a prisoner in her own life, a slave to her husband's demands, living like a captive. She plotted her escape and her freedom cost her the boys she stayed in the marriage to protect. Her graphic, explicit story will terrify and horrify readers, but they won't be able to put it down.

Living Like a Runaway will shock people with the candor that Lita Ford shines on her dramatic life story. At ease as a woman in the previously all-male world of rock, Lita shares with her male counterparts an unvarnished directness when it comes to topics such as sex, drugs, money or fame.

No female rock star of Lita's stature has ever before told the real story of women in rock. With unprecedented rawness and honesty, Living Like a Runaway reminds us that Lita Ford is not only one of music's greatest pioneers, but also one of its fiercest survivors.


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From the co-founder of Five Finger Death Punch, a fascinating inside account of one of the most successful heavy-metal bands of the past decade, and a revealing personal journey through the wild highs and terrifying lows of the rock and roll lifestyle--a wry and rollicking tale of music, addiction, and recovery.

Hailed by the New York Times as one of the most unexpectedly consistently popular bands on the rock charts, Five Finger Death Punch has become the new heavyweight champ of the metal scene. In this high-energy memoir, Jeremy Spencer, the band's co-founder and drummer, takes us onstage and behind the scenes, on tour and into the studio to tell the band's story and his own.

Death Punch'd is a detailed in-depth account of the group's origins and influences, as well as the infighting and tensions that, when channeled properly, result in the music fans love. It is also the hard-charging, laugh-out-loud tale of how a mischievous boy rose from small-town Indiana to rock royalty--and how he nearly destroyed it all for a good time.

Told in his unique, self-deprecating voice, filled with his twisted and humorous take on living the sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll dream turned nightmare, and including dozens of photos, Death Punch'd is a lively, no-holds-barred ride and an inspiring cautionary tale that offers lessons for us all.


http://bit.ly/1wdxGcc
From the Grammy Award-nominated singer, drummer, and percussionist who has shared the stage with countless musicians and is renowned for her contributions throughout the music industry, a moving memoir about the healing power of music inspired by five decades of life and love on the stage.
Sheila E., born Sheila Escovedo in 1957, picked up the drumsticks and started making music at the precocious age of three, inspired by her legendary father, percussionist Pete Escovedo. Two years later, she delivered her first solo performance to a live audience. By nineteen, she had fallen in love with Carlos Santana. By twenty-one, she met Prince.

The Beat of My Own Drum is both a walk through four decades of Latin and pop music--from her tours with Marvin Gaye, Lionel Richie, Prince, and Ringo Starr--to her own solo career. At the same time, it's also a heartbreaking, ultimately redemptive look at how the sanctity of music can save a person's life. Having endured sexual abuse as a child, Sheila credits her parents, music, and God with giving her the will to carry on and to build a lasting legacy.

Rich in musical detail, pop and Latin music history from the '70s and '80s, and Sheila's personal story, this memoir is a unique glimpse into a drummer's singular life--a treat for both new and longtime fans of Sheila E. And above all, it is a testament to how the positive power of music serves as the heartbeat of her life.

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