Backbeat

Backbeat Slide Guitar (Book/CD)
Pete Madsen teaches you both the history and technique of slide guitar's masters, such as Brian Jones, Lowell George, Bonnie Raitt, and Robert Johnson. While exploring their musical lives and legacy, Slide Guitar provides lessons that give you the skills and encouragement you need to emulate these musical heroes. The accompanying CD offers specially recorded backing tracks in blues, folk, country, and rock, allowing you to play along in your favorite style and explore new sounds. Hardcover, spiral-bound. 168 pages....details

Backbeat Beatles Gear: All The Fab Four's Instruments From Stage To Studio
The official technical reference book for Beatles Rock Band, written by the official consultant to the game for technical specifications! This landmark book details exactly which guitars, drums, amplifiers and keyboards The Beatles used at the key points of their relatively brief but entirely revolutionary career - from the formation of the Quarry Men in the 1950s to the dissolution of The Beatles in 1970. It provides a fascinating fresh insight into Beatles history from an entirely new viewpoint, and along the way many myths are exploded and dozens of stories told for the first time....details

Backbeat The Songwriting Sourcebook
Complementing Rikky Rooksby's bestselling How to Write Songs on Guitar (00330574), this easy-to-use reference book will teach you how to write better songs. The songwriting resource book analyzes important issues including writing harmonies, melodies and lyrics, and how to improve your songs by redrafting. The reference section includes sequences from a variety of diverse songs, outlining 20 songwriting moments, recommended listening for songwriters, and quotes about songwriting from professional songwriters. The Songwriting Sourcebook's enclosed CD features examples of chords, chord progressions and harmonies featured in the book, with a case history illustrating how to develop a song....details

Backbeat White Stripes - Sweethearts of the Blues (Book)
Backbeat Books White Stripes - Sweethearts of the Blues is an engrossing book that tells the tale of the Detroit duo who shook up the music world with their candy-colored, gothic-coated world of melody, rhythm and storytelling. These unlikely-looking saviors reinvigorated the blues and blues-rock for a new generation. Writer Denise Sullivan relates The White Stripes' story with a keen eye for detail, a music lover's ear for influences and references, a fan's appreciation of the layers and subtleties, and a journalist's nose for a good story, with all its twists and curves, half-truths, and elaborate theories. Includes dozens of rare photographs, a full discography, and a song concordance. 7-1/4 x 9-1/4, 176 pages...details

Backbeat The Tube Amp Book (Book/CD)
The deluxe revised Tube Amp Book edition contains 40% new material, with a comprehensive A-Z section covering all the great tube amp manufacturers, with histories, photos, and information. Amplifier brands include Ampeg, Dr. Z, Fender, Gibson, Hiwatt, Marshall, Matchless, Mesa/Boogie, Orange, Vox, Watkins and many others. Features a CD-ROM with 800 schematic and layout diagrams, from Ampeg to Western Electric, plus dramatically improved design and page layout. The Tube Amp Book's technical tips, in-depth electronic specs, explanations, 350 schematic diagrams, and full-color plates make it a must-have for tube-tone fanatics. Hardcover with convenient enclosed spiral binding. 416 pages....details

Backbeat How to Write Songs on Keyboards - A Complete Course to Help You Write Better Songs (Book)
This book helps both keyboard and guitar players to find and develop interesting chords and chord sequences on a keyboard, and then use them to write their own songs. Rather than trying to teach intricate pieces of music, the book breaks things down into a simpler style and concentrates on basic chords and ideas, starting with a simple three-chord song and gradually adding more complex structures. A visual system that virtually eliminates the use of standard music notation allows guitarists who are used to using guitar tablature to feel totally at home. Songwriting issues are also analyzed, including key changes and writing songs in minor keys. The straightforward style of this book will have musicians writing on a keyboard with ease, even if they never have before....details

Backbeat Analog Recording - Using Vintage Gear in Home Studios (Book)
Today's hottest home-studio trend is the revival of analog recording. Everyone knows that digital is convenient, consistent, and reliable, but if you want the warm, live sound of real music, you need to allow analog back into the mix. The good news is that the equipment you need is still out there, and surprisingly affordable. This book tells you how to find, maintain and use: analog tape machines, analog mixing consoles and monitors, vintage and vintage-style microphones, analog reverberation, echo, compression and limiting. The book also takes you through the process of building a home studio and a live echo chamber. And there are hints and tips from the analog experts: engineers and producers who have worked with everyone from Phil Spector, Sonny & Cher, The Beach Boys and The Beatles through to Nirvana, Maroon 5, Paul Westerberg, and The White Stripes. The package includes an 11-track audio CD that demonstrates what you can achieve when you bring the human sound of analog into your digital home studio....details

Backbeat The Kinks - All Day and All of the Night Book
The Kinks - All Day and All of the Night by Doug Hinman tells the true story of The Kinks, one of the greatest pop bands of all time, through the facts about their daily professional lives as they wrote songs, appeared on stage, signed deals, performed for TV and radio stations, and made records in the studio. Author Doug Hinman lays out The Kinks' history in fascinating chronological detail, revealing new stories and fresh insights into the band started by brothers Ray and Dave Davies. Included in the book's 352 fact-packed pages are hundreds of photos, gig locations and on-the-spot reviews, detailed examinations of every known recording session, and thorough information about all the band's major record releases. The book, The Kinks - All Day and All of the Night is the result of Hinman's 20 years of deep research. He has been afforded personal recognition by the band members for his grasp of their history and has had their help and assistance in reconstructing this uniquely detailed story. (Hinman's) research ... takes popular music scholarship to a plateau of virtually unprecedented integrity. - Johnny Rogan, author of noted books on The Kinks, The Byrds, Neil Young and others...details

Backbeat Grant Green Book
Now in softcover! This heartfelt biography celebrates the life and music of unsung hero Grant Green, the late jazz guitar genius who played on nearly 100 albums from the early '60s to the late '70s, but narrowly missed celebrity. Today his music has inspired numerous acid-jazz and hip-hop recordings and his legend continues to grow. A straight-ahead jazzman turned funk wizard, you'll read in this Grant Green biography that he's best known for his rhythmic and driving tone as a session leader and sideman for Blue Note Records. The Grant Green biography paints a personal portrait of the artist's internal struggles through the eyes of his family, friends, and fellow musicians....details

Backbeat The Music Lover's Guide to Record Collecting Book
From tips for evaluating recordings, to lively discussions of bootlegs and piracy, to the history of recording formats, to collectible artists and more, The Music Lover's Guide to Record Collecting by Dave Thompson covers all the tracks. Designed for anyone who collects records for pleasure or profit, at garage sales or on eBay, this guide is both informative and entertaining. If offers a wealth of detail and informed opinion - unique in a field dominated by stodgy price guides. Engaging entries and essays explore the development of all recording mediums, from 78s to MP3; the distinctive character of import records; most collected artists, from The Beatles to Nirvana; collectible labels such as Sun, Chess and Motown; original packaging that enhances collectibility; and much more....details

Backbeat Turn! Turn! Turn! '60s Rock Revolution Book
Setting the scene with America's traditional folk of the early '60s, the book Turn! Turn! Turn! 60s Rock Revolution describes the sea of change that began in 1964 when the social consciousness of folk met the energy of rock. It concentrates on 1964-66, when the best, most popular, and most controversial folk-rock was created. The book explores the dizzyingly fast cross-fertilization of such giants as The Beatles, The Byrds, and Bob Dylan; the passionate conflicts between folk devotees and folk-rockers; the sudden frenzy of the media; and the unforgettable music that was born. Turn! Turn! Turn! also examines how folk-rock continued to influence late '60s psychedelic rock, country-rock and the British scene, as well as its gradual, partial transformation into the singer-songwriter movement. Based on firsthand interviews with such visionaries as Roger McGuinn, Judy Collins, Donovan, John Sebastian, Arlo Guthrie, Janis Ian and dozens of others....details

Backbeat How to Play Blues Guitar: The Basics and Beyond Book
Packed with musical examples, charts and photos, How to Play Blues Guitar: The Basics & Beyond is a complete, step-by-step course for learning acoustic or electric blues guitar. In-depth blues guitar lessons teach you to build your own style while exploring the music of traditional bluesmen and modern stars. From practicing your scales and turnarounds to breaking out Chicago-style, this guitar instructional book from the former editor of Guitar Player brings you: essential lessons on blues basics; insights into the music of masters like B.B. King, Eric Clapton, John Lee Hooker, T-Bone Walker, Albert Collins, Buddy Guy and many others; advice on selecting guitar gear and setting up your guitar; a great blues discography; and even free access to audio lessons on the web!...details

Backbeat Blue Melody - Tim Buckley Remembered Book
Celebrating the personal and musical legacy of Tim Buckley, Blue Melody tells the untold story of an exceptionally gifted and charismatic singer-songwriter rebel of the 1960s. Written by Buckley's lead guitarist and close friend, this combination of fond memoir and incisive biography is a remembrance of concerts, tours, recording sessions, friends, family and fellow musicians - and the tumultuous times in which they lived. It is also an informed appraisal of Tim Buckley's dramatic creative odyssey, offering in-depth insight into his complex and sometimes self-destructive personality. The vivid narrative depicts Buckley's panoramic evolution across folk, folk-rock, jazz, avant-garde, and funk-rock, highlighting his refusal to be defined by critical or commercial success. Revealing Tim Buckley's poetic intelligence and captivating humor, Blue Melody recounts dozens of behind-the-scenes stories, plus new information on the circumstances surrounding his alcohol and heroin overdose in 1975 at age 28....details

Backbeat The Yardbirds Book
Although together for only five years, The Yardbirds exerted tremendous influence on the music and style of the '60s and for decades beyond. Their impact has been felt throughout the rock genre, from psychedelia to blues-rock, heavy metal, and the music of today's jam bands. The Yardbirds came from middle-class England, embraced the soulful music of the African-American South, and helped reimport it back into the States as the embryo of heavy metal music. In the process, the band produced 3 guitar greats: Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Jeff Beck. Every fan of The Yardbirds, or of '60s-derived music in general, will revel in this book by Alan Clayson (which includes more than 50 photos from the group's heyday, plus a detailed diary of every gig, recording and broadcast they did) and enjoy reading the stories - old and new - as much as Alan Clayson enjoys telling them....details

Backbeat Neil Young - Journey Through the Past Book
Neil Young's musical evolution has been as versatile as rock itself: pioneering country-rocker with Buffalo Springfield; seminal folk-rocker with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; gentle acoustic guitarist; crashing hard rock electric guitarist; grunge prototype; and good-times rock 'n' roller. This cerebral singer/songwriter has penned unforgettable melodies, harmonies and lyrics, portraying plaintive sadness, lilting warmth and ragged anguish with his unmistakable tenor voice. Offering detailed analyses of this idiosyncratic musician's songs and the stories behind them, the book Neil Young - Journey Through the Past by Nigel Williamson examines all of Young's key albums from 1967 to 2000, including such milestones as After the Gold Rush, Harvest, Tonight's the Night, Rust Never SLeeps, Harvest Moon, Silver & Gold and many others. An essential companion to one of the most important of all rock repertoires....details

Backbeat The Ukulele - 2nd Edition Visual History Book
The Ukulele - A Visual History by Jim Beloff is a fun, photo-filled look at the ongoing story of this diminutive instrument. This revised edition includes a new chapter on recent pop-culture visibility, new photos, and updated information throughout. The Ukulele features breathtaking color photographs of the finest and most unique ukuleles, the history of the ukulele, the greatest uke players, the great makers, and the uke in popular culture. Beautifully designed and presented in a deluxe hardcover edition ... uke can't go wrong with this book!...details

Backbeat All Music Guide to the Blues Book
Complete, concise, authoritative and fully updated to reflect today's revitalized blues world, the latest edition of this guide is any blues fan's lifeline to the best music, past and present. All Music Guide to the Blues reviews and rates 8,900 recordings in all major styles across the blues map - from Delta blues to Louisiana, Memphis, Chicago, Texas and beyond; from classic female singers to jump blues, blues slide guitar, blues in jazz, Dixieland, zydeco, soul blues, blues-rock, modern acoustic and electric blues, and more. This fun and easy-to-use guide provides profiles of over 1,200 artists. Historical essays plus supplemental music maps chart the roots and evolution of the blues, its various styles, instruments used, key artists, and more. The essays explore the blues from the Mississippi Delta to modern electric blues and everything in between. All Music Guide to the Blues also includes 30 top lists recommending the best albums for each blues style - essential for starting or expanding a great record collection....details

Backbeat American Basses Book
The first comprehensive book on American-made electric and acoustic bass guitars, American Basses by Jim Roberts offers a wealth of well-researched information about all of the important builders, from one-man shops to the biggest manufacturers. Hundreds of full-color photos illustrate the wide range of instruments available, and special insider essays take you step by step through the bassmaking process, from concept and design to final setup. American Basses includes how-to tips from top builders and designers on topics such as: neck and bridge setup; active vs. passive pickups; bolt-on vs. neck-through design; tonewood characteristics; defeating hum and buzz; string angle and tone; and more. "What a book! I feel much closer to my bass guitar after having read American Basses." - Will Lee, Bass Player for The Late Show with David Letterman...details

Backbeat Brave New Bass - Interviews Book
Brave New Bass offers an in-depth look at 30 visionary bass players in styles ranging from pop and rock to world music and experimental jazz. Each chapter includes revealing interviews by Chris Jisi and other top bass writers, as well as private bass lessons in standard notation and tablature, and up-to-date gear lists and discographies. Packed with insights and opinions from bassdom's standout stars and behind-the-scenes heroes, Brave New Bass deepens your knowledge of your instrument and its history. The book includes interviews with bass players such as Marcus Miller, Flea, Will Lee, Tony Levin, Jeff Berlin, Les Claypool, Christian McBride, Doug Wimbish, Darryl Jones, Me'Shell NdegéOcello, Jonathan Maron and many others!...details

Backbeat Reveal - The Story of R.E.M. Book
The band R.E.M. has produced some of the most consistently fascinating, successful, and honest music of the past few decades, combining lyrical and musical experimentation in ways that nonetheless are accessible to the mainstream rock audience. Drawing upon firsthand interviews with band members and insiders, Reveal - The Story of R.E.M. by Johnny Black is a biographical exploration of the work and life of this seminal band. With a focus on the music and how it evolves from the personalities within the group, this book provides new insights into R.E.M.'s creative process. 7-1/4 x 9-1/4, 272 pages...details

Backbeat How to Play Metal Guitar Book
The book How to Play Metal Guitar by Richard Johnston gives you vital instruction in metal basics from top guitar teachers, and reveals the secrets of the monsters of metal - often in their own words. Packed with musical examples, charts and photos, this is your complete course for learning metal guitar. In-depth guitar lessons with pros like Andy Ellis, Jesse Gress, Joe Gore, Jude Gold and Dave Whitehill teach you to build your own style while exploring the classic and modern sounds of the metal guitar masters. How to Play Metal Guitar covers: tips on altered tunings and 7-string guitar, pros' secrets of tone and recording, discography of the monsters of metal, and free access to audio lessons at an exclusive web page!...details

Backbeat Eight Miles High Book
Eight Miles High by Richie Unterberger documents the evolution of the folk-rock movement from mid-1966 through the end of the decade. This much-anticipated sequel to Turn! Turn! Turn! - the acclaimed history of folk-rock's early years - portrays the mutation of the music genre into psychedelia via California bands like the Byrds and Jefferson Airplane; the maturation of folk-rock composers in the singer-songwriter movement; the re-emergence of Bob Dylan and the creation of country-rock; the rise of folk-rock's first supergroup, CSN&Y; the origination of British folk-rock; and the growing importance of major festivals from Newport to Woodstock. Eight Miles High is based on firsthand interviews with such folk-rock visionaries as: Jorma Kaukonen, Roger McGuinn, Donovan, Judy Collins, Jim Messina, Dan Hicks and dozens of others....details

Backbeat A Player's Guide to Chords and Harmony Book
If you'd like to know about music theory but don't want to get bogged down in a stuffy college-level textbook, A Players Guide to Chords and Harmony by Jim Aikin was written just for you! It's a practical, no-nonsense guide ideal for: young musicians learning guitar so they can play rock, folk, or blues; DJs who've started recording their own tracks and need to know how chord progressions work; anyone who wants to play from the chord symbols in sheet music; classical musicians who want to do more than just read the dots, and countless other useful musical topics. A Players Guide to Chords and Harmony covers: intervals, scales, modes, triads and advanced voicings; interpreting chord symbols and reading sheet music; voice leading, chord progressions and basic song forms; classical, jazz & pop; and more, with helpful quizzes and answers....details

Backbeat Crank It Up - Live Sound Secrets Book
The live concert business is exploding; hundreds of acts are hitting the road every year, and whatever style music they play, they need to sound great. Learn more about a career n live music and discover how can you be at the controls for these show. Crank It Up - Live Sound Secrets by Clive Young introduces you to 72 of the world's finest front-of-house (FOH) and monitor engineers, and listen as they reveal what music gear they use and how, how they make top acts always sound amazing, and what it takes to survive the climb to the big time. Get the inside scoop on mixing live music straight from concert FOH engineers on the road with stars such as Aerosmith, KISS, Billy Joel, Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, U2, the Dixie Chicks, Blondie, Madonna, Norah Jones, Elton John, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and many others!...details

Backbeat First Bass - The Ultimate Guide to Bass Fundamentals (Book/CD)
First Bass is the ultimate book of fundamentals for the electric bass, designed to take the beginner to the next level. Through indispensable reading basics and exercises, this unique guide explores all techniques, concepts, and styles that cover 50 years of electric bass playing. The author also analyses scales, modes, popular music chord progressions, equipment, special effects, and recording techniques are also analyzed, giving bass players all the tools they need to improve their skills and develop their own styles. The audio CD demonstrates examples from the book....details

Backbeat The Blues-Rock Masters (Book/CD)
Duane Allman, Roy Buchanan, Eric Clapton, Albert Collins, Buddy Guy, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Biographical portraits highlighting each guitarist's position and influence in blues-rock history; details on gear including setup and tone; descriptive analysis of playing techniques; and several annotated music examples. Helping readers emulate the stylings of the masters, the accompanying CD contains examples from the book, played with each artist's preferred equipment....details

Backbeat Cream Book
Written by Chris Welch, former Melody Maker journalist and Cream confidante, this newly-researched book is the first full account of rock's premiere 3-man supergroup: guitarist Eric Clapton, bassist Jack Bruce, and drummer Ginger Baker. From Cream's formation in 1966 to their breakup in 1968, the book analyzes the group's working methods and offers detailed descriptions of all their recordings. A special section explores the musical interactions of Clapton, Bruce and Baker, plus key songwriters Bruce and Pete Brown. With rare full-color photos throughout, Cream - The Legendary 60's Sugergroup Biography also includes a complete discography, studio sessionography, and diary of live shows....details

Backbeat Afro-Cuban Jazz - Third Ear Listening Companion Book
Through anecdotal biographies and evocative photos, this Afro-Cuban Jazz book by jazz author extraordinaire Scott Yanow portrays every key Afro-Cuban Jazz innovator past and present, plus other jazz artists influenced by this infectious music. Also includes reviews and ratings of recordings that make (or don't make) the cut, and essays packed with historical insight not found in other guides. Musicians covered include: Tito Puente, Cal Tjader, Willie Bobo, Machito, Poncho Sanchez, Chucho Valdés, Arturo Sandoval, Mongo Santamaria, Gato Barbieri, Eddie Palmieri, and many more....details

Backbeat Celtic Music - Listening Companion Book
Celtic Music - Listening Companion is a comprehensive guidebook that covers all that is Celtic in music today, through essays exploring solo artists, bands, singers, and players of specialized Celtic instruments such as harps, pipes, fiddles, drums, squeezeboxes, whistles, mandolins and more. Performers profiled range from the rock-influenced group Clannad, to Welsh band Ar Log, Brittany group Gwerz, singer Christie Moore, harpist/piper/singer Alan Stivell, and many more! Reviews in Celtic Music guide readers to the essential recordings, as well as unexpected, genre-expanding discoveries for any new or established Celtic collection....details

Backbeat Power Tools for Reason 2.5 (Book/CD-ROM)
Power Tools for Reason 2.5 covers the advanced features of Propellerhead Software's incredibly popular Reason software. Reason is a computer-based music production studio that contains a full complement of synthesizers, drum machines and audio effects. Author Kurt Kurasaki created Propellerhead's CD-ROM tutorial Producing Music with Reason and also maintains an independent web site (www.peff.com) for Reason users. This book is an incredible compendium of insights and techniques, and contains over 100 advanced tips for producing cutting-edge music with Reason. This will be the first book on the market to cover the major new features in version 2.5 of Reason. Readers can expand their sonic palettes by applying the advice of a recognized Reason guru, and they will learn the audio concepts behind these effects so they can become experts in sound innovation....details

Backbeat 50 Years of Fender Book
The first Fender guitar hit the scene over 50 years ago - and music hasn't been the same since. Featuring 200 color photos, 50 Years of Fender gives you a visual chronicle of the premier guitar maker charts every Fender guitar from 1950 to 2000, accompanied by a parallel timeline of musical highlights. The book celebrates 50 years of Telecasters, Stratocasters, Precision Basses, and other Fender instruments played by such artists as Buddy Holly, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Kurt Cobain and many others....details

Backbeat All Music Guide to Popular Music Book
From folk to avant-garde to world music, All Music Guide to Popular Music is a fun-to-browse book that easily guides readers to more than 20,000 great recordings by over 4,000 artists through thorough reviews and ratings. Arranged by genre (the book covers 16 styles in all), each section provides informed essays on how the music evolved and its various styles, intriguing artist biographies, and insightful reviews and ratings of the top recordings. The lives and work of major artists are described in depth. Easy-to-read music maps chart the development of each genre, its key players, and their influences. Now in its fourth edition, All Music Guide to Popular Music is an authoritative reference highlights essential collection albums as well as first purchase recordings to help listeners buy CDs. "Nearly 1,500 info-packed pages! Makes you delirious with knowledge." - Entertainment Weekly "The most useful single volume your money can buy." - MojoFrom Library Journal: Given the comprehensiveness, popularity, and timeliness of the free All Music Guide web site, one wonders whether an abridged print version is needed. Still, it's hard to ignore the pleasures of browsing this highly entertaining tome, now in its fourth edition, which provides guidance on the best music from virtually all popular (i.e., nonclassical) genres. Over 20,000 albums and 4000 artists are represented from the worlds of rock, blues, country, jazz, rap, folk, gospel, reggae, avant-garde, and more. The book is arranged into 16 genre chapters, each beginning with an overview of the genre and its various subgenres or "styles." (Tabs on the page edges would have facilitated thumbing to a particular genre.) Artists are listed alphabetically within each chapter, making the comprehensive index crucial for determining the genre under which an artist is listed. Unfortunately, the index is off by a few pages for artists in the fourth chapter (Gospel) through the end. Each artist entry includes vital statistics, styles played, a biographical sketch, and a selective list of albums. All albums are rated from one to five stars, with additional symbols denoting recommended first purchases and albums that are essential representations of a genre. Signed reviews from scores of contributors accompany the most significant titles. (Beware: an album's rating and review do not always jibe. Also, ratings and reviews in the book may differ from those found on the web site for the same album.) Other features include music maps (a sort of family tree outlining the history and key artists of a genre or style) and sidebar articles on topics such as Caribbean music styles and English and Celtic folk instruments. While still selective, the All Music guides (there are also separate volumes on rock, jazz, blues, country, and electronica) tend to provide more detail and analysis of an artist's oeuvre than the MusicHound, Rough Guide, and Rolling Stone tomes. All in all, pa...details

Backbeat Funk - Listening Companion Book
Get down with the music that mixes R&B and soul with a little rock'n'roll. This newest addition to the Third Ear - The Essential Listening Companion series traces funk from its James Brown roots through today's groove with groups like the Red Hot Chili Peppers - folks who got on the good foot. Alongside detailed artist biographies, anecdotes and discographies, the Funk Listening Companion reviews and rates 1,500 recordings that illustrate each band's sound and musical impact. Artists covered include Average White Band, George Clinton, Herbie Hancock, Rick James, Chaka Khan, Curtis Mayfield, The Meters, Prince, Sly Stone, Tower of Power, War, Wild Cherry and many more....details

Backbeat Marvin Gaye, My Brother Book
Marvin Gaye's life and brilliant career were cut tragically short on April 1, 1984 - one day before his 45th birthday - when he was shot and killed by his own father. Now, for the first time ever, Marvin Gaye biography is told in intimate detail by a member of his family, his brother Frankie Gaye. Frankie and Marvin Gaye were close from childhood until Marvin's death. Frankie was at Marvin's side when he died, and only Frankie heard his deathbed confession. Full of never-before-told personal anecdotes, Marvin Gaye, My Brother takes you behind the scenes from Marvin's childhood, through his spectacular success at Motown and then Columbia, his stormy relationships with women, and finally to his descent into drugs and despair. The true story of the man behind the beloved music is now available to fans old and new. Includes great photos throughout, a helpful index, and a timeline of important events in Marvin's life....details

Backbeat Bass Grooves (Book/CD)
The only book to teach groove development strategies that includes drum notation and tips on programming drum machines, this book/CD combo gives bass players both the musical background and training needed to get on with their grooving. With lessons guided by a metronome and presented in various musical styles and rhythmic applications, bassists increase their ability to internalize rhythm. The book also breaks down classic styles and grooves from rock, blues, R&B, jazz, Afro-Caribbean, and other traditions. Each illuminating example includes a notated version of the drum part and details how to program it into a drum machine. 96 pages....details

Backbeat Django Reinhardt (Book/CD)
This book is part biography and part teaching guide. It details the accident in which Django Reinhardt lost the full use of his left hand and provides in-depth analysis of his technique, tone, and harmonic approach. The accompanying CD includes 8 of Reinhardt's classic original recordings as well as newly recorded backing tracks without lead guitar for perfect practice sessions. Django Reinhardt allows guitarists to get closer than ever to the bewitching, addictive, and at times bewildering technique of this guitar great....details

Backbeat The Jazz Bass (Book/CD)
More than a player's manual, this book portrays jazz bass as a vital element of 20th century American music. Citing examples from key recordings in the jazz canon, the book defines the essence of the musical contributions made by more than 70 important jazz bassists, including Ray Brown, Eddie Gomez, Charles Mingus, Milt Hinton and many others. Bassists get expert guidance on mastering proper technique, practice methods and improvisation, plus new insight into the theoretical and conceptual aspects of jazz. The companion CD featuring bass plus rhythm section allows readers to hear technical examples from the book, presented in slow and fast versions. It also offers play-along tracks of typical chord progressions and song forms....details

Backbeat Eddie Van Halen - Know the Man, Play the Music Book
The book Eddie Van Halen - Know the Man, Play the Music is geared to teach guitarist both the history and technique of one of rock's greatest guitarists. It explores the musical life and legacy of Eddie Van Halen from his high school days in Pasadena, California, to the present day; and provides detailed accounts of his most significant recorded work. The book also offers commentary from Van Halen himself and the well-known guitarists he has influenced. Guitar lessons on technique provide the skills and encouragement players need to emulate this musical master. An in-depth look at Van Halen's guitars and music gear rounds out this compelling portrait. 160 pages....details

Backbeat Reggae and Caribbean Music - Listening Companion Book
More than a listener's guide, the book Reggae & Caribbean Music reveals the rich historical development of a regional music that is now embraced worldwide. Packed with incisive essays, ratings and reviews of 2,700 reggae and island music recordings, plus fantastic photos and engaging biographies, this guide captures the allure of reggae, calypso, dancehall, rock steady, soca and other evocative styles of the entire English-speaking Caribbean region past and present. The artists featured in Reggae & Caribbean Music - Listening Companion include: Bob Marley and the Wailers, Jimmy Cliff, Peter Tosh, Lord Kitchener, Arrow, Lee Scratch Perry, Buju Banton, Brother Resistance, Prince Buster, David Rudder, Wailing Souls and many others....details

Backbeat The Hits Just Keep On Coming Book
This lively blast from the past peels back the many layers of the Top 40 phenomenon: the DJs, fans, singles, jingles, dedications, contests, requests and more. The book The Hits Just Keep On Coming by Ben Fong-Torres features interviews with such renowned radio personalities and programmers as Casey Kasem, Dick Clark, Wolfman Jack, Cousin Brucie Morrow, Gary Owens and many others, and includes an exclusive CD with airchecks - rare recordings from 16 legendary DJs on actual Top 40 broadcasts - so that readers can hear the crazed, creative, and compelling voices that made Top 40 so memorable. The Hits Just Keep On Coming also includes lots of fantastic black-and-white photos to help readers put faces to the voices they know so well, a bibliography and index, and a special Top of the Pops section featuring the Number One records of Top 40 radio from 1957 through 1997 as calculated by the staff of Gavin....details

Backbeat The Working Bassist s Tool Kit (Book/CD)
This book by Bass Player contributing editor and columnist Ed Friedland teaches electric or acoustic bassists of any style the musical skills essential in the working world, survival tips for tackling any gig, and techniques for achieving a competitive edge. It helps new working bassists hit the ground running, and pro players grow stronger. Topics include time and groove, chord charts, ear training, doubling, thumb technique, keeping time, faking tunes and many more, plus ways to assess a gig and deliver the goods. Includes lots of musical examples and exercises, both in the book and on the play-along CD....details

Backbeat Gear Secrets of the Guitar Legends (Book/CD)
Explore the sounds of more than 30 guitar legends, from '50s rock'n'rollers to today's nü-metal practitioners. You'll discover the secrets of their classic tones, learn how they played their most famous rhythms and leads, and find out what gear they used to forge their unique styles. The CD walks you tone-by-tone through licks that characterize the signature sounds of: Clapton, Santana, Dave Matthews, Metallica, Van Halen, Korn, Bill Gibbons, Hendrix, Dimebag Darrell, and others. Also includes essential discographies for each artist....details

Backbeat Masters of Jazz Guitar (Book/CD)
The Backbeat Masters of Jazz Guitar (Book/CD) delves into the history of jazz guitar and the master players have had vast influence on provocative 20th century music. Written by some of the world's foremost jazz authorities and illustrated with more than 200 gorgeous photographs, this book spotlights remarkable musicians whose artistry has made the guitar fundamental to jazz. From 1930s electric pioneer Charlie Christian, to 1960s fusion visionary Larry Coryell and beyond, Masters of Jazz Guitar celebrates the achievements of players who changed the sound of jazz. Features deluxe paper stock, full-color throughout the book, and a bonus CD with 14 classic tracks by Howard Alden, Tal Farlow, Danny Barker, Al Casey, George Barnes, Herb Ellis, Bucky Pizzarelli, Phil Upchurch and Jack Wilkins....details

Backbeat The Acoustic Rock Masters - They Way They Play (Book/CD)
This great book/CD pack lets you explore the work of ten guitar heroes who span the entire acoustic-rock spectrum: Neil Young, Dave Matthews, Eagles, Tom Petty, Keith Richards, Paul Simon, Peter Buck, George Harrison, James Taylor and Pete Townshend. You'll discover the secrets of their picking and fingering styles, learn how they played their most famous lines, find out how they forged their unique styles, and get tips on miking and recording. The accompanying CD walks you note by note through licks that characterize the signature sounds of these world-class musicians. Just as these guitar greats have inspired one another, this book will inspire you....details

Backbeat The New Metal Masters (Book/CD)
Play and sound like the new metal legends! This book/CD pack lets you explore the work of a dozen guitar czars who span the entire spectrum of new metal. You'll discover their stylistic secrets, learn how they played their most famous riffs, and find out how they created their unique sounds. The accompanying CD walks you note-by-note through licks that characterize the signature sounds of these killer guitarists....details

Backbeat Guitar Licks of the Brit-Rock Heroes - Clapton Beck & Page Book with CD
In this premier title in the Guitar Lick Factory player series, teacher/guitarist extraordinaire Jesse Gress takes you deep inside the styles of these 3 guitar heroes. Presenting more than 100 of the players' characteristic licks, Gress shows you the secrets of their styles and explains how you can develop your own playing by understanding the essence of each guitarist's approach. This book presents each example with its own mini-lesson, and Gress performs the licks on the accompanying CD....details

Backbeat Playing From The Heart Book
Through the eyes and ears of top music writers, Playing from the Heart brings you closer to 43 of the best players in popular music. Drawn from the rich archives of Guitar Player, Bass Player, Keyboard and Drums & Drumming, these classic interviews and photos reveal the skill, artistry, and personality of world-class musicians in rock, blues, jazz, and other styles. Provocative, often controversial, and always insightful, these interviews get to the heart of each player's creative process: their musical ideas and innovations, playing styles and techniques, equipment, influences, and more. Plus you'll learn the backstory of each interview, direct from the writers and editors. Artists covered in Playing From The Heart include Chuck Berry, The Edge, Bonnie Raitt, Bootsy Collins, Billy Joel, Ginger Baker, Lars Ulrich, and many others....details

Backbeat Guitar Lick Factory Book
There's nothing like the feeling you get when you add a new guitar lick to your musical vocabulary. An encyclopedia of hip lines, Guitar Lick Factory helps beginning and intermediate guitarists build their lick repertoire. In addition, it opens the door to jazz for blues and rock players of all levels, gives jazzers the key to authentic blues and rock, and shows the important connections among all 3 genres. Guitar Link Library contains hundreds of ready-to-play guitar licks presented as short melodic modules. Using Jesse Gress's ingenious grid system, players will learn how to extract dozens of melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic variations from each module....details

Backbeat Jimi Hendrix - Musician Book
In the decades since Jimi Hendrix's untimely death, much has been written about his life, loves, drugs, money, and hassles. In the meantime, the reputation of his music has been quietly growing. The book Jimi Hendrix - Musician concentrates firmly on his work, examining what makes Hendrix's music so extraordinary. Author Keith Shadwick offers a unique slant on the man as musician, following Jimi Hendrix from his 1960s beginnings, through the years of his intense listening and learning, to the full flowering of his Experience. Jimi Hendrix - Musician is an insightful, coffee table-quality book that concludes with a bold new anaysis of how Hendrix, like so many artists of genius before him, lost control through his determination to assert it. Includes an appendix on Hendrix's gear by music journalist and guitarist Douglas J. Noble. Full color, filled with fantastic photos throughout....details

Backbeat 45 RPM - The History, Heroes, and Villains of a Pop Music Revolution Book
In the 1950s and '60s, those shiny 45-rpm records with the big hole in the middle were the primary delivery system for popular American music, especially rock 'n' roll. Cheap to manufacture and available to even fly-by-night record operations, the donut disc changed the way popular music was written, recorded, promoted and marketed, and it broke-at least for a time-the iron-fisted dominance of the major record corporations. This book traces the history of the 45 7" phonograph record from its origins back to the 1880s to explaining the personality conflicts that led an eccentric genius to develop the 45 single record into one of postwar America's most popular consumer products. 45 RPM by Jim Dawson & Steve Propes explores how the jukebox, the autonomous disc jockey, and payola and artist rip-offs kept the 45 at the forefront of rock for 20 years. There are also chapters on the most valuable (and legendary) 45 records of all time, as well as the oddities, oddballs and freak hits that make listening to 45s so much fun. With over 80 illustrations - many in full color.45 RPM Pop Music Revolution Contents: Chapter 1: Record Revolution Chapter 2: Columbia Unveils the LP Chapter 3: Getting Up to Speed Chapter 4: The Battle of the Speeds Chapter 5: The Kiddie Discs Chapter 6: The Jukebox Saves the Day Chapter 7: The 45 Takes Over! Chapter 8: The EP Chapter 9: The Record Sleeve Chapter 10: Hot Biscuits (How to Make a 45) Chapter 11: "Stormy Weather": The Most Legendary 45 Chapter 12: A-Sides, Free Rides & Killer B's Chapter 13: The 7-Inch Alternatives Chapter 14: The 12-inch Single Chapter 15: The End of the Single Chapter 16: The 45 Will Rise Again! Chapter 17: The 50 Most Expensive 45s Chapter 18: Odd Lots, Odd Balls & Odd 'n' Ends...details

Backbeat The Live Sound Manual Book
From faders to frequencies, microphones to mixing, pink noise to polarity, The Live Sound Manual is the all-inclusive manual for creating the finest sound for live performances. It applies to the entire range of stage performers and their equipment - solo acoustic guitar and vocal, full-scale band requiring complex amplification, or electronica DJ working multiple turntables. Every aspect of live sound is covered, including: analyzing venue needs, acquiring and managing the ideal sound system, setting up and audio testing equipment, understanding and applying the theories of acoustics, maintenance, troubleshooting, and much more. The Live Sound Manual also features a 15,000-word technical glossary....details

Backbeat Riffs: How to Create and Play Great Guitar Riffs (Book/CD)
This book identifies 30 distinct guitar riff types, and illustrates them with 150 examples, examining how they have been developed and used by great rock musicians, including members of Cream, The Beatles, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Metallica, Limp Bizkit, The Strokes, and The White Stripes. The first half of the book analyzes classic rock riffs and reveals the stories behind their creation, supported by illustrations and a 30-track CD of audio examples. The second section shows how to construct great riffs. You'll learn how to shape a melody, integrate a guitar riff with the rest of a song, enhance it with effects, and work with intervals and scales. Includes an exclusive interview with Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones. 176 pages....details

Backbeat The Unreleased Beatles Book
The Unreleased Beatles details the incredible breadth of music The Beatles recorded but did not release, as well as film footage of the group that hasn't been made commercially available. Beatles expert Richie Unterberger examines a huge array of material, including unreleased studio out-takes, BBC radio recordings from 1962-1965, live concert performances, home demo recordings, fan club Christmas recordings, and other informal demos done outside of EMI studios. The staggering wealth of unreleased gems encompasses The Beatles' entire career, from a recording the Quarrymen made on July 6, 1957 (aka "the day John met Paul"), right up to out-takes from the final sessions of "Let It Be" in 1970. Also includes a general overview of Beatles bootlegs, their songs recorded by other artists in the 1960s, never-recorded material, and more than 100 photos....details

Backbeat Country Fried Soul - Adventures in Dirty South Hip Hop Book
Hip-hop is the biggest youth movement in the world today, and leading the way is the new sound of the South, exemplified by platinum and multi-platinum artists like OutKast, Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz, Ludacris, Ying Yang Twins and 8Ball and MJG. This fascinating book reveals where Dirty South hip-hop came from and where it's heading. It explores the hopes, struggles, and frustrations of performers and producers, and guides you to the best in Southern hip-hop on CD and DVD, in magazines, and on the web. If you want to know where the South is taking music, you need this book. Includes foreword by Mississippi rapper David Banner....details

Backbeat Studio Stories Book
This is an engaging account of some of the most memorable moments in New York's recording history, as seen through the eyes (and ears) of the many producers, engineers, songwriters, and recording artists who helped make them happen. It explores the explosive 30 years between 1950 and 1980 and the numerous ingredients that made them unique - artists performing live in large, vibrant recording spaces, producers and engineers spontaneously creating new effects and techniques; composers writing parts on demand in the studio; and, most important, recording studios that had life, character, and their own fingerprint sound....details

Backbeat The Complete Pro Tools Shortcuts Book
This indispensable guide provides a complete list of over 250 shortcuts to help you get the most out of Pro Tools with the least effort. Each shortcut shows the key combination needed on both Mac and Windows, what it does, in what context the command is available, and other important features. Power users praise this book as an invaluable resource for harnessing the depth and speed of Pro Tools, the most popular computer-based digital audio production system available. So get up to speed and start working like a pro! Pro Tools guru Jose Chilitos Valenzuela is a musician, recording/mixing engineer, and certified Pro Tools trainer based in Los Angeles. He is the author of The Complete Pro Tools Handbook, Audio Digital, Descubriendo MIDI and Diccionario Illustrado de Musica Electronica....details

Backbeat Turn It On Again - Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins and Genesis Book
One of the most successful rock acts of all time, Genesis enjoyed a longevity exceeded only by the likes of the Rolling Stones and the Kinks, and provided a launching pad for superstars Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins. Turn It On Again is the first book to document the complete history of this popular and influential band, bringing their story up-to-date while placing them in the context of their time. It explores the relationship between the band and the remarkable solo careers it spawned. Drawing on dozens of exclusive interviews with band members past and present, as well as the musicians' friends and associates, author Dave Thompson chronicles Genesis' evolution from progressive-rock visionaries to mainstream rock stars, and the continuing careers of its most famous alumni. 328 pages....details

Backbeat Elwood's Blues Book
Elwood's Blues is an entertaining and informative collection of conversations with the legends and rising stars of blues and rock music, drawn from the popular syndicated radio series, The House of Blues Radio Hour. Host Dan Aykroyd, in character as Elwood Blues of the legendary Blues Brothers, has interviewed over 900 blues and rock greats since 1993. This book compiles the best of those, including discussions with living legends B.B. King and Buddy Guy, past masters John Lee Hooker and Stevie Ray Vaughan, rising stars Keb' Mo' and Susan Tedeschi, and blues-rooted rock stars such as Robert Plant and Bill Wyman....details

Backbeat Hit Singles Book
This entertaining book presents the U.S. and U.K. Top 20 charts side by side, month by month - showing how rock and pop developed on each side of the Atlantic. Fully updated, it lists the hits from 1954 through 2003. Alongside every song listing, readers will find important facts such as the artist's name and nationality, current and previous month's chart position, record label, weeks on the chart, and simultaneous position on the other side of the pond. Includes an alphabetical listing of song titles with artists, and an alphabetical listing of artists with song titles and chart-entry dates, enabling easy cross-referencing to help you track down any Top 20 record since 1954....details

Backbeat Power Tools Software for Loop Music (Book/CD-ROM)
This training book and CD-ROM illuminates the technical & creative aspects of looping, allowing you to master this limitless form. Covers: digital recording & sampling, creating your own loops, signal processing & routing, mixing like the pros, legal aspects of sampling, shortcuts and more, exploring applications of the most popular software tools. As a bonus, the included CD-ROM contains demo and lite software of the tools discussed, in both Mac OS and Windows versions, plus 250+ megabytes of license-and royalty-free loops and audio samples in a variety of styles....details

Backbeat Gibson's Fabulous Flat-Tops - Revised And Updated
Finally back in print! The must-have book on Gibson's killer acoustic guitars, now updated. From the 1920s to the present, Gibson and its flat-tops have been synonymous with American music. Whether the music you listen to is from the North or the South, the country or the city, it is likely that a Gibson guitar was involved in creating it. Through more than 200 photos and detailed text, this book chronicles the development and evolution of Gibson's fabulous flat-tops, showing why these guitars have been the choice of so many great musicians, professional and amateur alike, over the last 70 years....details

Backbeat Out Of Our Heads - Rock'N'Roll On Drugs
Take a trip through rock 'n' roll's haziest, craziest period, beginning with The Beatles and Bob Dylan turning on in a New York hotel, and continuing on through two decades of wonderful, colorful, history-changing music. From psychedelic Woodstock warriors like Hendrix and the Jefferson Airplane to psycho-stereo adventurers Pink Floyd; from the post-hippie bliss of Neil Young and cosmic cowboy Willie Nelson to the druggy blues of Black Sabbath and the hemp-happy rhythms of Peter Tosh and Bob Marley, Out of Our Heads gleefully celebrates music's most creative minds - and their chemically induced expansion. This is the rare book that is unafraid to bask in the groovy good times of rock 'n' roll without the politically correct preaching that has helped stifle the party. To all those who have ever listened to Dark Side of the Moon on a pair of headphones and said Wow: this book is for you....details

Backbeat Jimmy Page - Magus Musician Man
Now in paperback, Jimmy Page: Magus, Musician, Man is the first-ever biography of Led Zeppelin's legendary guitarist and producer. Never before has the story been told in such sharp detail, leaving no stone unturned, from the heady days of swinging London in the 1960s - when Page was lighting up the scene as an incendiary session man - through the bombast, beauty, and blues that is Led Zeppelin (not to mention the wanton sex and drug orgies that would come to define rock excess). Here is the story of rock's most enigmatic and influential icon. This biog is a cut above. - MOJO...details

Backbeat The Electric Guitar Handbook
Backbeat's successful Handbook format applied to the world's most popular instrument. The Electric Guitar Handbook is the latest entry in Backbeat's best-selling handbook series, combining a two-part book and an audio CD in a practical lay-flat binding for ease of reference when playing. Part one of the book examines how different types of electric guitars are made, and why varying construction methods influence the way guitars sound. It also looks at the role of various pieces of guitar hardware, including pick-ups, tremolo set-ups, and bridges. Part two is a comprehensive, user-friendly course in playing the electric guitar, from the basics of posture and hand positioning to music and tab reading and advanced performance. Newly written exercises - presented in the book and also on the accompanying CD - take the learner through each step in the process, covering styles including rock, country, blues, soul/funk, indie/alternative, and metal. Author Rod Fogg also offers practical advice on everything from simple scales to complex chords, alongside short features introducing key performers and styles....details

Backbeat Fab Four Faq 2.0: The Beatles' Solo Years 1970--1980
In the years following the 1960s, Beatle fans around the world were twice-stunned: in 1970, when their beloved group disbanded, and ten years later when the murder of John Lennon ended a decade of hope that somehow the Fab Four would reunite. Fab Four FAQ 2.0 picks up the story where the acclaimed Fab Four FAQ left off. Loaded with images of rare period ephemera, including periodicals, single sleeves, and movie stills, this is the first comprehensive biography of all four ex-Beatles. This book covers everything from their recording careers in the decade after the band's dissolution to the musicians they played with, the bands they influenced, the manifestations of latter-day Beatlemania, and the constant clamor for reunion expressed by fans and - sometimes - by the four themselves....details

Backbeat Gruhn's Guide To Vintage Guitars 3Rd Edition Updated And Expanded
Gruhn's Guide to Vintage Guitars is the most extensive and detailed list of specifications ever published for identifying, dating, and establishing the authenticity of an instrument. This new edition is enlarged and updated, making it once again the essential guide enabling collectors, dealers, players, and fans to determine the authenticity, rarity, and relative value of vintage acoustic and electric guitars, basses, mandolins, banjos, and amps. Gruhn's Guide's thoroughness, detail, and clear organization have made it without peer, the must-have tool for discerning an instrument's manufacturer, model, and date-and most importantly, whether it is in original condition. You will not find a better guide, nor one that is so easy to use. - Vintage Guitar magazine...details

Backbeat The Piano Handbook - A Complete Guide For Mastering Piano with CD Hardcover
With clear and easy-to-understand exercises, The Piano Handbook is perfect for anyone interested in learning the piano or improving their skills. It provides fresh material and techniques in styles ranging from classical to jazz, rock, bebop and fusion, and gives new players everything they need to learn and enjoy the piano. This book's innovative tutorial approach covers classical and contemporary music styles in an integrated way, and the companion CD brings the playing techniques and concepts to life. A full-color photo gallery illustrates the history of the piano and its essential recordings. This hardcover, deluxe edition also features semi-concealed spiral binding so the book stays open on the piano. The Piano Handbook prepares you not just to play, but to perform - and not just as a pianist, but as a complete musician....details

Backbeat The Levon Helm Midnight Ramble
The official record of the incredible down-home jam sessions held by Levon Helm, the charismatic drummer, singer, and sometimes mandolin player for The Band. Accompanying the spectacular photos are testimonials and remembrances from the notable blues entertainers and musicians who have joined the Ramble....details

Backbeat 60 Years Of Fender: Six Decades Of The Greatest Electric Guitars
The latest addition to Tony Bacon's acclaimed series of guitar books, 60 Years of Fender gives a year-by-year history of the most successful electric guitar maker. In 1950, Leo Fender introduced to the world the solidbody electric guitar - the instrument known as the Telecaster. He soon added two more classics: the Precision Bass (1951) and the Stratocaster (1954). Fender's sleek, adaptable guitars have since fueled modern music - from country to rock - and have been heard in the hands of virtually every guitarist of note, from Buddy Holly to Kurt Cobain, from Eric Clapton to John Mayer. Illustrated with an unrivaled gallery of color photographs of instruments, players, and memorabilia, this revised and updated edition expands upon 50 Years of Fender (published in 2000), covering nine more years of the Fender story....details

Backbeat Rickenbackers And Twelve String Electrics
The definitive history of the world's most famous 12-string electric guitar. When the Byrds recorded their hit version of Dylan's Mr. Tambourine Man, they popularized a new sound in pop music: the electric 12-string guitar. Rickenbacker is the guitar maker that brought the electric 12-string to market and has since been almost single-handedly responsible for establishing what such a guitar should do. The California company gave one of its earliest 12-strings to George Harrison of the Beatles on the group's first tour of the United States in 1964. He immediately used it live and in the studio and showed off the sound of electric jangle to the rest of the world. This book tells the story of those heady days in the '60s, of the competitors who tried and failed to match the sound, and of the instrument's continuing production by Rickenbacker and use by many modern guitarists. Complete with high-quality photos and exclusive interviews with many of the 12-string's leading players, this is the best guide yet to the history of the sound of jingle-jangle....details

Backbeat The Piano Improvisation Handbook
The Piano Improvisation Handbook offers a comprehensive overview of the practical skills and theoretical issues involved in mastering all forms of piano improvisation, including classical, jazz, rock and blues. Whereas most books offer little more than models for imitation and exercises for practicing, this one adopts an approach specifically designed to encourage and enable independent creative exploration. The book contains a series of graded tutorial sections with musical examples on CD, as well as an appendix listing useful scales, chords, voicings, and progressions across all keys, a bibliography, and a discography. In addition to sections outlining how melody, harmony, rhythm, texture, and form work in improvised piano music, giving distinctive emphasis to the interconnectedness of classical and jazz improvisation, there are sections devoted to explaining how ideas can be developed into continuous music and to exploring the process of finding a personal style....details

Backbeat The Folk Handbook: Working With Songs From The English Tradition
by David Atkinson, Vic Gammon, Rikky Rooksby, Mark Brend, John Morrish, Martin Carthy, and Nigel Williamson Words & melodies for 80+ traditional songs, plus detailed explorations of their history & meaning and their value to writers & performers. With a CD of 20 songs recorded in the field....details

Backbeat Melody - How to Write Great Tunes (Book and CD Package)
Melody is the true heart of music, often inspired by nothing more than the songwriter's muse. Yet melody can be learned. This book teaches the art of melody and how to write effective tunes. Starting from basics, it covers the essentials - rhythm, intervals, scales, and harmony - and builds to offer a wealth of advanced techniques and tricks. Every musical example in the book is also on the CD, allowing musicians to increase their awareness of melody through both sight and sound....details

Backbeat Six Decades of the Fender Telecaster (Book)
Launched by the fledgling Fender company in 1950, the Telecaster has become the longest-lived solidbody electric guitar, played by everyone from Muddy Waters to Chrissie Hynde. All who play know that the key to the Telecaster's importance and versatility is its sheer simplicity. Packed with high-quality photographs of the great Telecasters, collectable catalogs, period press ads, and memorabilia, Six Decades of the Fender Telecaster is a tribute book that tells the story of the Telecaster and the Fender Company through exclusive interviews with Fender figures who were there when this musical star was born....details

Backbeat The Electric Guitar Sourcebook - How to Find the Sound You Like (Book/CD)
Why does an electric archtop sound so different from a solidbody guitar when they have the same strings and pickups? Why does Eric Clapton use a vibrato Stratocaster with the vibrato arm removed and the mechanism blocked off with a piece of wood? Why does a strings-though-body guitar sound brighter than an instrument with the strings anchored at the bridge? The sound of an electric guitar is the sum of many parts. Every component, from the wood in the neck to the metal in the tuners and everything in between, including the amount of air in the body, affects the overall tone of an instrument. In this book, Dave Hunter looks at the development of the electric guitar since the earliest instruments in the late 1930s, and how, since then, guitar makers and players have sought to define and refine all the elements that create a guitar's tone.This book includes: analysis of the different components that make up a guitar and how each affects the sound of an instrument, chapter-by-chapter breakdown of the main body types, their characteristics, and their strengths and weaknesses, in-depth specifications of over 70 guitars, interviews with significant people in the guitar-making world, accompanying CD with examples of many of the guitar sounds described in the book. By looking at all the variables involved, this book will set you, the player, on the road to achieving that sound you've always wanted....details

Backbeat R'n'B Bass Masters - The Way They Play (Book/CD)
R&B Masters is a close examination of the legendary R&B bassists that shaped modern music. Explore the styles of Duck Dunn, Chuck Rainey, George Porter, James Jamerson, Jerry Jemmot, David Hood and many others through written examples and play-along tracks. Learn their stories, their working setup, and their unique approaches to the groove. The CD features examples from all of the book's lessons....details

Backbeat Bunny Brunel's Power Bass: Soloing Secrets (Book/CD)
Created specifically for bass players, this book takes you inside Bunny Brunel's innovative system for solo improvisation. Drawing on more than 30 years of experience performing and teaching, Brunel presents his methods for understanding modes, scales, chords, harmony and substitutions, and shows you how to apply these concepts to blues and jazz soloing. Includes transcriptions of Brunel's mind-blowing solos, and his performance of the solos and examples on CD. Bunny explains in a clear way the essence of improvisation. Any student will gain invaluable knowledge reading and practicing with this book. - Stanley Clarke...details

Backbeat Guitar Rigs - Classic Guitar and Amp Combinations (Book/CD)
This book examines the combinations of guitars, amps, and pedals used to create the most unforgettable sounds in pop, rock, and blues. Dissecting a wide range of setups, the book pinpoints specific elements that contribute to sought-after tones, and teaches guitarists of all levels how to get these sounds with gear available today. It also explores how mixing and matching gear can change each setup's tonal properties. The CD includes 54 tracks demonstrating the different sound qualities of the various guitar rigs discussed.Guitar Rigs meticulously examines the tonal properties of each piece of equipment as each new item or variable is introduced. So not only do the book and CD break down and analyze the sonic qualities, for example, of a Fender Stratocaster plugged into a Fuzz Face pedal and played through a Marshall JTM45 amplifier, they also demonstrate how the resultant tone changes if you substitute a Les Paul for the Strat, or an Ibanez Tube Screamer for the Fuzz Face pedal, or an open-backed 4x10 speaker cabinet for the Marshall's closed-back 4x12.Dave Hunter, author of Guitar Effects Pedals, is a former editor of Guitar Magazine, he has contributed to TV and radio documentaries, and has edited and contributed to many guitar books. 192 pages....details

Backbeat Power Tools for GarageBand (CD-ROM)
Apple's GarageBand is the hottest and most accessible digital music software available today, giving musicians of all levels an affordable tool to create extraordinary sounds. Power Tools for GarageBand teaches pros and aspiring artists how to get the most out of this exciting software - offering in-depth lessons, tips, and tricks to create music using loops, MIDI sequencing, and audio recording. With these power tools in hand, the sonically inclined can create ultraphonic designs....details

Backbeat Bill Evans - Everything Happens To Me - A Musical Biography
A Grammy winner and pioneer of multi-track jazz recording, Bill Evans was the pianist on Miles Davis' classic Kind of Blue album and a key figure in the development of modern jazz piano. This new Backbeat book details his wide-ranging and absorbing career, from freelance work in the 1950s, through his groundbreaking trios and solo releases, to his relationships with various record labels, to the intense final phase before his death in 1980. Printed on top-quality stock, the book includes fantastic full-page photos throughout, and a special color section....details

Backbeat Backstage Passes & Backstabbing Bastards
A rock 'n roll classic, back in print, updated and revised. One of the funniest rock memoirs ever, Al Kooper's legendary Backstage Passes is available again! Al's quirkly life, from would'be teenage rocker, to crashing Bob Dylan's recording session and playing the organ on Highway 61, to forming Blood, Sweat, and Tears and masterminding the Super Sessions, it's all here...plus, in this updated version, Al rides with us all the way back to the end of the 20th century. There has never been a more wickedly humorous and honest book by a man who has made such rock history....details

Backbeat Confessions Of A Record Producer Book/CD-Rom
It's been 10 years since Confessions of a Record Producer published real-life numbers showing what artists made on so-called hit records and how producers, labels, managers, and even the artists' own lawyers conspire to cheat them out of royalties. It's the only publication that tells the real story of how artists get ripped off and how they can protect their assets. In a special 10th Anniversary Edition, author Moses Avalon, one of the industry's most sought-after consultants and artist's rights gurus, has updates on all of the old shams and many new ones created by the internet and the ongoing transformation of the music industry. ú Detailed numbers on how new royalties from digital downloads are calculated, collected, and manipulated. ú Deep inside the new so-called 360 Deals offered by the major labels. ú Plus a DVD-ROM containing private lessons from Avalon's Workshop. Groundbreaking charts and graphs show industry consolidation, who owns what, and where the future of the music business is headed...details

Backbeat Lyrics - Writing Better Words For Your Songs
Lyrics sheds light on all aspects of lyric writing for music and will make songwriters feel more confident and creative when they tackle lyrics. It's perfect for all songwriters: those who don't like their own lyrics and find them difficult to write, experienced writers looking for a creative edge, and those offering lyrics to set to music in a partnership. Topics include channeling personal experiences into lyrics, overcoming writer's block, the right lyrics for a bridge, the separation between lyrics and poetry, exploring imagery and metaphor, avoiding clich‚s, and more. The book also offers tips on the various styles of lyrics, from protests, spirituals, and confessionals to narratives and comic songs....details

Backbeat Waiting For The Sun - A Rock 'N' Roll History Of Los Angeles
A classic, finally back in print! British rock historian Barney Hoskyns (Hotel California, Across the Great Divide: The Band in America) examines the long and twisted rock 'n' roll history of Los Angeles in its glamorous and debauched glory. The Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield, the Doors, Little Feat, the Eagles, Steely Dan, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell, and others (from Charlie Parker right up to Black Flag, the Minutemen, Jane's Addiction, Ice Cube, and Guns N' Roses) populate the pages of this comprehensive and extensively illustrated book....details

Backbeat Funk Guitar And Bass - Know The Players, Play The Music
Details the history of funk, then teaches guitarists and bassists lessons and exercises in the styles of the pros. All of the greats get their due, including James Brown, Sly Stone, Parliament/Funkadelic, Kool & the Gang, the Isley Brothers, Average White Band, Prince, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and others. The accompanying CD contains all of the musical examples, and a funk glossary lays out the lingo. Hardcover, with spiral binding....details

Backbeat Musician's Guide To Reading & Writing Music
Learning musical notation can be intimidating. But regardless of instrument or proficiency in reading music, there's hope and help for all musicians in this practical guide. Writing in a friendly manner that puts readers at ease, author Dave Stewart starts with the basics: staves, clefs, and how to find the notes. He then advances step by step through rhythm, key signatures, chords and intervals, and how to write it all down. This book is useful for novices, seasoned players who never learned to read music, and pros seeking a refresher course....details

Backbeat The Beach Boys - The Definitive Diary Of America's Greatest Band On Stage And Studio
Beginning their career as a popular surf band, The Beach Boys had emerged by 1966 as America's preeminent pop group, the only act able to challenge the success of The Beatles with both mainstream listeners and the critical community. This book reconstructs their evolution to one of the best-produced groups of the '60s, and also profiles Brian Wilson, one of the most gifted songwriters, producers, and arrangers in popular music. The book's easy-to-browse, day-by-day format details their entire concert history, all known recording sessions, their broadcast history, and all records issued in the U.S. and the U.K....details

Backbeat Vintage Synthesizers Book
This new edition is the ultimate exploration of the upstart instruments - and their unique analog growls and screams - that paved the way over the last four decades for today's fast-paced electronic music world. Explores the development of the modern synthesizer from 1962 on, with in-depth interviews with pioneering designers Bob Moog and Alan R. Pearlman of Moog Music and ARP Instruments fame. These and other designers reveal their initial ideas, reflect on their hits and misses, and discuss how star performers have used their creations. Histories of groundbreaking instruments examine modular, analog & digital synths and samplers, plus more unusual instruments like the Mellotron. Noted synthesist Keith Emerson and composer Wendy Carlos (Switched-On Bach) offer musical insights and performance techniques. Includes fully updated pricing and production info, and more than 200 photos and a stunning color section....details

Backbeat Gibson Electric Guitar Book
The Gibson Electric Guitar Book is a comprehensive, richly illustrated guide to Gibson electrics past and present. Starting with the ES-150 - generally acknowledged as the first commercially successful electric guitar - through the 335s, Les Pauls, SGs, Firebirds, and more, it is packed with facts, stories, and images that tell the story of Gibson's great guitars and their most famous and influential players....details

Backbeat The Les Paul Guitar Book
Tony Bacon's definitive guide to Gibson's most famous guitar moves into its latest and most complete version yet with this new and thoroughly revised edition. Now with 16 more pages and 45 new pictures, this timely (and re-titled) update of 50 Years of the Gibson Les Paul (2002) tells the story of one of the greatest musical instruments of the 20th century - and one that is still holding center stage today. Since Gibson's Les Paul solid body electric guitar first appeared in the early 1950s, it has always been easier to list the famous guitarists who have not used one at some point or another in their careers. This improved edition of the book features a complete history of the guitar and its players - from the original Goldtop through the Fretless Wonder and the revered 1958-60 Burst, and on to the reissues of today. Richly illustrated with 250 archive and performance shots, ephemera, and specially commissioned studio photos, The Les Paul Guitar Book is the most complete guide ever to Gibson's best-known guitar, and a must-have for every player and collector....details

Backbeat Grateful Dead Gear
The origins and secrets of the Grateful Dead's magical sound are told! This book is the first in-depth examination of the Dead's technical side, including their recording methods. From the Acid Tests of the mid-'60s to the famous Wall of Sound PA setup in the '70s and on to their exceptional later touring systems, the Grateful Dead were always on the cutting edge of technological innovation and experimentation. This exhaustive study includes clear and concise explanations of the band's equipment technology, instrument design, and studio recording techniques, plus a history of the group. Features: more than 100 photos and diagrams, many never before seen; new interviews with band members and tech personnel; suggested listening for every era of the group's history; and more!...details

Backbeat Steve Earle - Fearless Heart, Outlaw Poet
This book examines the life and music of Steve Earle, one of the most important and controversial singer-songwriters of our time. Through in-depth interviews with family members, producers, musicians, and with Earle himself, this volume traces Steve's journey from southeast Texas to his debut No. 1 country album, Guitar Town and his descent into drug addiction, and on to his triumphant comeback with Train a-Comin' and his subsequent challenging projects with co-producer Ray Kennedy. Rosanne Cash, Rodney Crowell, Peter Rowan, and Norman Blake are among the artists who offer insights into Earle's music....details

Backbeat Classic Electrics - A Visual History Of Great Guitars
Expert guitar historian Walter Carter provides a comprehensive pictorial history of the genuine classics to have emerged during the first 70 years of the electric guitar. The book's handy A-to-Z format details more than 350 models from 70+ manufacturers, richly illustrated in color throughout....details

Backbeat Shred - The Ultimate Guide To Warp Speed Guitar Book/CD
With knuckle-busting lessons covering surefire techniques, Shred! will light a napalm-hot blaze under your fingers and kick your playing up to ludicrous speed! Shredding is a challenge, but this book breaks it down, demystifying guitar solos that sound intimidating on record. Each chapter examines one killer technique in-depth, including: sweep picking, thrash-chording, blues shredding, tapping, legato playing, and the whammy bar. The CD includes each exercise demonstrated....details

Backbeat Jazz Singers: The Top 500
The Jazz Singers is an overview of the great vocalists who have sung jazz. By drawing on original interviews conducted exclusively for this book, along with Scott Yanow's extensive knowledge, The Jazz Singers offers fresh and insightful information in its 521 main entries. Other features include a historical overview, a section on jazz vocal groups, and a comprehensive survey of jazz singers in film....details

Backbeat Hammond Organ - Beauty In The B - 2nd Edition Softcover
Now fully updated, The Hammond Organ: Beauty in the B traces the technological and artistic evolution of the B-3 and other tonewheel organs, as well as the whirling Leslie speakers that catapulted the Hammond sound into history. You'll discover the genius that went into the development of Hammond's tonewheel generator, drawbar harmonics, percussion, scanner vibrato and other innovations, as well as the incredible assistance Don Leslie provided for Hammond by creating his famous rotating speaker system. Plus - B-3 legends including soul-jazzman Jimmy McGriff and progressive rocker Keith Emerson share their playing techniques; technical experts offer tips on buying, restoring, and maintaining Hammonds and Leslies; and over 200 photos illustrate historic Hammond organs, Leslie cabinets, and B-3 masters at work....details

Backbeat Pro Tools Surround Sound Mixing Book/DVD
This essential guide takes you through all the steps you need to record, mix and produce multi-channel music with Digidesign's Pro Tools. It covers preproduction, recording, setup, mixing and delivery of surround music, and explains how you can use Pro Tools to deliver mixes in DVD-Vdieo, DVD-Audio, and SACD. You'll also learn about encoding mixes for Dolby Digital and DTS, mixing to picture, and the strengths of the Pro Tools platform. In addition, the included DVD provides audio examples of the concepts illustrated in the book....details

Backbeat Running The Voodoo Down
This book reassesses Miles Davis' electric period and analyzes its continuing influence on contemporary music. While jazz purists often revile this phase - which encompasses the entire second half of his career, from 1967 until his death in 1991 - this book takes a new, appreciative look at this music and shows its importance to Davis' career and to jazz as a whole. The author also reveals surprising connections between Davis, Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone, particularly the ways they fed each other's creativity. This book will stir up the longtime debate about this important music and give Davis' legions of fans refreshing insights into his work....details

Backbeat Frustrated Songwriter's Handbook
Stop pulling out your hair and crumpling up paper - The Frustrated Songwriter's Handbook blasts away your mental roadblocks so you can tap into your deepest creative resources. Whether you're a total novice or a seasoned pro, whether you're a pencil-and-paper songwriter or a gearhead with way too much recording equipment, whether you just want to go further as a songwriter or throw out everything and start over, The Frustrated Songwriter's Handbook will revolutionize the way you write music. It outlines a radical new system - Immersion Music Method - designed to help you smash through creative block, become recklessly prolific, and make quantum leaps in your musical and compositional skills. Bursting with mind-blowing tips and games and tales from the trenches of extreme songwriting, The Frustrated Songwriter's Handbook will show you how to summon those elusive moments of inspiration on command, resulting in rogue creativity and fulfillment you never dreamed possible. You'll learn how to: ú Confront and slay your biggest songwriting phobias ú Roll over procrastination like an armored tank ú Form a self-motivated group of composer friends (a songwriter lodge) ú Concoct new musical styles like a mad scientist ú Use technology to supercharge your creativity...details

Backbeat Jazz On Film The Complete History Of The Musicians And Music Onscreen Softcover
Jazz on Film reviews, analyzes, and rates virtually every appearance of a jazz musician or singer on film. After presenting a detailed essay on the history of jazz on film and television, Yanow reviews and rates 1,300 movies, documentaries, shorts, videos, and DVDs. This book lets readers know how to view the jazz legends and the greats of today, and what DVDs and videos are worth acquiring. Each film is a given a 1 to 10 rating and a concise description of its contents and value. Jazz on Film covers the entire jazz field, from Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington to Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Wynton Marsalis, and Diana Krall....details

Backbeat Jaco - The Extraordinary And Tragic Life Of Jaco Pastorious Anniversary Edition Book/CD
A fitting tribute to the troubled genius who revolutionized electric bass playing and bridged the gaps between jazz, R&B, rock and funk. From his early days in R&B club bands through his international stardom with fusion group Weather Report and on to his solo career and tragic death at age 35, this book portrays the life and music of Jaco Pastorius, the self-proclaimed world's greatest bass player. This special anniversary edition features new interviews with Jaco's childhood friends, prominent bass players of Jaco's era and afterward, and girlfriend Teresa Nagell, who was with Jaco in the last few years of his life. Some incidents from the first edition have been further researched and expanded to become full chapters. Exclusive to this edition, the CD features newly revealed music tracks from Jaco's early years along with spoken testimonials from Jaco's friends and colleagues. The book also contains new, never-before-seen photos acquired from the Pastorius estate....details

Backbeat The Fiddle Handbook
The Fiddle Handbook is a treasure trove of information spanning the whole range of fiddle playing. It looks in detail at the most commonly played styles among today's fiddlers. From America, there's old time, bluegrass, Cajun, Western swing, country, blues, rock, klezmer, and jazz, while from the British Isles there's Irish, Scottish, and English. There is also a quick romp through Eastern Europe and beyond, from the spike fiddles of Africa and Asia to the Chinese Erhu, the fabulous Indian Sarangi, and the mysterious Norwegian Hardingfele. A wealth of musical examples - ornaments, bowing patterns, scales, modes, exercises and complete tunes - are faithfully reproduced on the accompanying CD, to give you a taste of each style. And finally, the book answers once and for all the hoary old question, What's the difference between a fiddle and a violin? The answer, of course, is that fiddle players have more fun.......details

Backbeat Bill Bruford - The Autobiography
Bill Bruford - once called the godfather of progressive-rock drumming - has been at the top of his profession for four decades, playing with Yes, King Crimson, Genesis, Earthworks, and many more. The Autobiography is his memoir of life at the heart of prog rock, art rock, and modern jazz. It is an honest, entertaining, well-written account of life on the road and in the studio - rubbing shoulders with the famous, the less famous, and the infamous, and creating an impressive tally of great music. A rock musician with the temperament of a classical musician who became a jazz musician, Bruford defies all the clich‚s about drummers. He says: You write what you have to write, you play what you have to play, because you can't sleep at night. If you can sleep at night, you shouldn't be doing this anyway. From time to time, at polite dinner parties, someone will ask Bill what he does. He replies that he is a musician. Yes, but what do you really do? retorts the enquirer. This unusual, funny, and insightful music memoir answers the question....details

Backbeat Guitar Licks Of The Texas Blues Rock Heroes Book/CD
With enough hot licks to set the whole Lone Star state afire, this book details the solo styles of legendary guitarists, complete with essential stylistic details that make the music come alive. You get it all, from pioneers like T-Bone Walker, Freddie King, and Lightnin' Hopkins, through the next generation of innovators like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Billy Gibbons, and Johnny Winter, and on to latter-day explorers like Eric Johnson. You'll learn more than 100 licks in the authentic style of each player, each lick with its own mini-lesson, performed by the author at half and full tempo on the accompanying CD. Also features: a rundown of each player's guitars, amps and effects ú lists of must-have tracks, albums and videos ú revealing quotes from dozens of 6-string notables ú essential tips on tone and style ú insight-filled lessons....details

Backbeat Behind The Glass Volume II - Interviews with music producers
Behind the Glass, Volume II presents another prime collection of firsthand interviews with the world's top record producers and engineers, sharing their creative secrets and hit-making techniques - from the practical to the artistic. In these pages you'll find Daniel Lanois (U2, Bob Dylan) discussing the future of digital recording; T-Bone Burnett (Robert Plant and Alison Krauss) sharing his unique view of creating complex low end; and Hugh Padgham (Police, Genesis) analyzing the state of the business today. For real-world advice on everything from home recording to mixing to coaching a nervous singer, check out author Howard Massey's conversations with Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse), Tony Brown (Reba McEntire), Gus Dudgeon (Elton John), John Simon (The Band), Russ Titelman (Steve Winwood), Bruce Swedien (Michael Jackson), Rodney Jerkins (Mary J. Blige), Simon Climie (Eric Clapton), Matt Serletic (Matchbox Twenty), and more....details

Backbeat Between The Dark And Light - The Grateful Dead Photography Of Jay Blakesberg
Between the Dark and Light presents an astonishing array of images that capture the musical, cultural, and personal magic of the Grateful Dead. Now in paperback with 16 pages of new photographs, this acclaimed book showcases more than 900 rich color and black-and-white photos that bring the Grateful Dead experience to life. Accompanying the photos are essays by Dead historians Blair Jackson and J.C. Juanis and rock photographer Jon Sievert, a foreword by Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh, and photographer Jay Blakesberg's own reflections. From Blakesberg's travels following the Dead in the late 1970s to his revealing band-member portraits of the '80s and '90s, and his extensive post-Grateful Dead project photos, Between the Dark and Light is a compelling view of an unparalleled pop culture phenomenon whose ripples will resonate for years to come....details

Backbeat Bass Player Presents The Fretless Bass
Who would have thought the electric bass guitar with its frets removed would transcend the rhythm section to become one of the most instantly recognizable sounds in all of music? From the jazz genius of Jaco Pastorius and the funk/punk abandon of Les Claypool, to the landmark rock of Jack Bruce and Sting, the instrument has a lyrical legacy all its own. This book collects the very best interviews, lessons, and gear and maintenance guides into one smooth-reading compilation. With insight from over 25 masters, including Tony Levin, Marcus Miller, Gary Willis, Jimmy Haslip, and Percy Jones, The Fretless Bass will give you a keen appreciation for the important innovators, as well as plenty of tools to find your own voice on the instrument....details

Backbeat To Live Is To Die - The Life And Death Of Metallica's Cliff Burton
Metallica, the seventh-biggest recording act in American history, are consummate musicians - but it wasn't always that way. A significant proportion of their playing expertise was acquired from a pivotal three-year period in their history - 1983 to 1986 - during which their music, a potent variant of thrash metal, evolved from garage-level to sophisticated, progressive heights - thanks to the teachings of their bass player, Cliff Burton. The San Francisco-raised Burton pushed the band to new musical levels with his musical training, songwriting ability, and phenomenal bass guitar skills. Cliff's life was short but influential; his death was sudden and shocking. With his death, Metallica's most critically acclaimed period of activity ended. They went on to record huge-selling albums, but by their own admission, never pushed the creative envelope as radically as they had done in the first four years of their career....details

Backbeat Gruhn's Guide To Vintage Guitars - Pocket Edition
You walk into a local vintage guitar shop. You see what you think is the exact vintage Gibson Les Paul guitar you've been looking for the past seven years. Is it really true? Have you actually found it? How can you know for sure? You don't have your dependable Gruhn's Guide to Vintage Guitars updated and expanded edition with you because it's too big to carry around! And right when you most need it, too! You don't ever have to miss an opportunity like this again, because now, for the first time, Backbeat Books presents the unabridged Gruhn's Guide to Vintage Guitars Pocket Edition. Made in the classic model of traditional pocket field guides, this book contains all the valuable up-to-date information found in the standard edition, but is designed to be the ultimate user-friendly collector's companion, easy to carry anywhere. ú Small size book that fits in your gig bag or pocket but is easy to read ú Contains all the same information that the full size edition has, including all photos ú Lightweight paper that's durable and reproduces the book's photos well and a textured, soft leatherette cover make this the perfect compliment to your full size home edition...details

Backbeat Arranging Songs - How To Put The Parts Together Book/CD
This book is an essential manual of techniques for recording a song. It explores arranging essentials such as grouping instruments effectively, using multi-track recording, artfully layering parts, achieving a good mix, and creating unusual arrangements using common techniques. The accompanying CD illustrates all of the techniques presented in the book. Guitar chord boxes are included for the CD tracks where appropriate....details

Backbeat Classical Music- Third Ear Essentials Listening Companion
Ranging from Gregorian chant to Philip Glass, this well-balanced guide to historical and contemporary classical music examines major works by 500 composers worldwide. It focuses on exemplary recordings of symphonies, operas, concertos, choral pieces, chamber music, piano pieces and other works performed by an international spectrum of premier conductors, musicians and vocalists. Incisive, often anecdotal critiques define the distinctive style and interpretation of thousands of selected works and recordings. Composers profiled and reviewed include: Bach, Beethoven, Bernstein, Brahms, Chopin, Copland, Czerny, Debussy, Gershwin, Gilbert & Sullivan, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Prokofieff, Puccini, Reich, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, VarŠse, Wagner and hundreds of others....details

Backbeat Making Music With Samples - Tips, Techniques & 600 Ready To Use Samples Book/CD
It undoubtedly found a natural home in dance music, but sampling is by no means restricted to one single musical genre. It's everywhere these days - whether or not you're aware of it. That cutting acoustic guitar part in the latest singalong pop hit, or luscious string pad on the romantic ballad, or wheezy organ riff that warms up a funky new dancefloor tune - there's a good chance all of those are samples. Sampling can be obvious, or it can be subtle; it can be exploitative, it can be innovative; it can be legal, or it can be illegal. This book steers you towards some of the more creative uses of samples, as well as helping you stay on the right side of the law. A few of the areas covered in Making Music with Samples include: the technical basics of sampling ú choice of samples ú editing techniques ú creating a sampler instrument ú manipulating sounds ú MIDI controllers ú history of sampling ú and copyright law. The book incorporates two CDs - one offering audio illustrations of sampling processes and techniques described in particular chapters, the other containing 500MB of samples culled from the libraries of Zero-G for you to use and experiment with in your own time....details

Backbeat The Hammond Organ - Keymaster
A hands-on history and tutorial on one of the greatest keyboards ever. Professional session player Steve Lodder's Classic Hammond Organ explores the history of this enduringly popular instrument and examines some of the best performers to get their hands on the twin manuals. The book features: ú Analysis of the styles of Jimmy Smith, Rick Wakeman, Jon Lord, and Keith Emerson among others. ú Expert instruction on a variety of Hammond exercises designed to get you playing in the style of the greats. ú An accompanying CD that provides support audio for these exercises....details

Backbeat By The Time We Got To Woodstock - The Great Rock 'N' Roll Revolution Of 1969
A fast-paced, fun, and sometimes brutal look at America's most volatile and creative year in music - 1969: a time of euphoria and devastation, freedom and assassination, revolution and retribution, moonwalks and sit-ins, love-ins and race riots, sex, drugs, and guns. Idyllic college campuses became killing fields and inner cities went up in flames as the drumbeat of popular music tried to drown out the drums of war. 1969 was birthed through the visions and violence of 1968. By the Time We Got to Woodstock breathlessly documents a year that saw more music-as-manifesto and rock-as-revolution than ever before. At one mad outdoor party after another - from Miami to Denver, and from Woodstock to Altamont - cracks in the promised hippie utopia quickly turned to canyons. This was the year that saw the Beatles go supernova while Bob Dylan hightailed it to Nashville. From the Byrds, Joan Baez, Jimi Hendrix, the Airplane, and Janis Joplin to the Velvet Underground, the Mothers of Invention, Funkadelic, and the Fugs, 1969 stands up as a decade-smashing anomaly in the annals of rock'n'roll captured gloriously in this blistering book....details

Backbeat Paul McCartney Bass Master
Paul McCartney is one of the best pop bass players in the world, and this book presents a musical analysis of his consistently inventive and influential bass playing during his tenure in the Beatles. This indispensable guide offers full transcriptions (including tablature and chord names) of nine of McCartney's most revered bass parts: Dear Prudence, Drive My Car, In My Life, Lovely Rita, and more. Each track is analyzed and explained in detail to show today's bassists how much they can still learn from McCartney's remarkable skill and imagination....details

Backbeat The Bass Book
Revised and expanded edition of every bass player's favorite book. Since it was first published in 1995, the best-selling Bass Book has become the standard text for anyone searching for a complete history of bass guitars. In this revised and expanded edition, it offers a complete illustrated history of bass guitars, from Fender's first electric model in the 1950s through all the major models of the next 50 years that formed the foundation for modern music. The book features original interviews with bass makers past and present, dozens of unusual, specially commissioned color photos, and a reference section that provides critical information on every major manufacturer....details

Backbeat White Light/White Heat - The Velvet Underground Day By Day
By turns fiercely confrontational, literate, primitive and sweetly melodic, The Velvet Underground remain one of the most influential bands in the history of rock. The ultimate cult band and the ultimate art rock experience, the VU's music and style have served as a blueprint for everyone from David Bowie to The Jesus and Mary Chain. Yet for all their enduring importance, they were unsuccessful in their day, selling minute numbers of records, with their monochrome look and photo-realist lyrics at odds with the garish colors and peace fantasies of the hippy era. It was only when David Bowie started to champion the band in the early 70s, after they had split up, that the VU's reputation started to spread. In White Light/White Heat, noted rock writer and historian Richie Unterberger analyses the band's career and influence in forsensic detail, drawing on many new interviews with band members and associates, previously undiscovered archive sources and a vast knowledge of the music of the times. The result is a comprehensive, articulate, immensely detailed history - the most thorough work on the band yet published....details

Backbeat Unknown Legends Of Rock 'N' Roll Book/CD
For every Beatles or Stones, there are dozens of visionary rock groups who remain unsung heroes. From cult figures such as Pink Floyd's Syd Barrett (the most famous musician included here) to virtually undiscovered artists, this behind-the-scenes book with a fascinating CD of 12 rare songs celebrates the best rockers in everything from '50s rockabilly to '90s post-punk - the unknown greats who, for one reason or another, just never made it. Features lots of photos throughout....details

Backbeat Guitar Amplifier Handbook
There's a huge amount of hype and mythology surrounding tube amplifiers in the guitar world. For years, experts have argued over the tiny details of exactly how they do what they do, and how their various components interact. What's undeniable is that, far more than being just a loudness booster, the unique combination of tubes, capacitors, resistors, and transformers in these amps can contribute enormously to the quality of sound derived from any electric guitar. In this thorough and authoritative book, Dave Hunter cuts through the marketing hyperbole, and the blind faith, and supplies all the information you need to choose the right amp, and get the best from it. The book also features exclusively conducted, in-depth interviews with leading figures in the tube amp-building world - including Ken Fischer, Mark Sampson, and Michael Zaite - and even provides full instructions on how to construct your own high-quality tube guitar amp from scratch....details

Backbeat Sonic Boom - History Of Northwest Rock
The compelling saga of how one backwater music scene could produce such disparate mega-talents as the Ventures, Jimi Hendrix, Heart, Robert Cray, Queensryche, Sir Mix-a-Lot, Nirvana, and the legendary garage stompers, the Sonics. Includes 500-plus exclusive interviews with trailblazing DJs, sound engineers, label founders, and the luminaries of Northwest rock....details

Backbeat Fingerstyle Guitar Lessons In Technique And Creativity Book/CD
Crafted by an expert guitarist, this unique approach to fingerstyle guitar does away with useless jargon and overly technical explanations, encouraging players to tap into their natural playing instincts and find their own voice. Covering topics ranging from technique to visualization, this is an indispensable guide aimed at teaching effective articulation, altered tunings, composition and structure, accompaniment patterns, and idea development. Lessons exploring motor memory, body awareness, concentration development, and anxiety control will maximize your growth, as will the many exercises that lead to original compositions. In interviews with guitarists such as Pierre Bensusan, Laurence Juber, Peter Finger, Don Ross and Dale Miller, the author explores such essential topics as tone, posture, hand position, and composition. And on the accompanying CD, Gore performs many of the book's exercises and etudes in his own captivating style....details

Backbeat History And Artistry Of National Resonator Instrument Soft Bound
These beautiful instruments have long been a favorite with musicians. This book is a history, source book and owner's manual for players and fans which covers the facts and figures necessary for serious collectors. In addition to many black and white historical photos, there is also a 32-page color section highlighting models. The book covers the company's full history, specific styles and models of all instruments, Hawaiian, blues, and jazz artists who have used Nationals, a history of their advertising, set-up and maintenance, and much more. Appendixes include serial numbers for all instruments, a company chronology and a Hawaiian Artist Discography....details

Backbeat Bass Handbook - A Complete Guide To Mastering The Bass Guitar
This indispensable handbook helps players of all levels produce better, more creative, and more varied bass lines. Divided into two sections - Playing Your Bass and Knowing Your Bass - it covers everything from tuning, reading music, scales and chords, and advanced techniques to tips on buying and upgrading a budget bass and troubleshooting. Along with a list of suggested listening and a reference guide, this book provides an unrivaled digest of bass information that might otherwise take an entire career to amass....details

Backbeat The Drum Handbook - Buying, Maintaining, And Getting The Best From Your Drum Kit
Drummers from beginners to pros will relish this comprehensive guide to the tools of the trade! The Drum Handbook gives you the in-depth knowledge you need to choose the whole range of gear, including drums, cymbals, hardware, heads and sticks - new, used and vintage. Includes info on setting up, tuning and maintenance, plus tips from top pros on gear, recording, playing live and surviving on the road. Fully illustrated and authoritatively written, this book includes a website directory and an exhaustive glossary of technical terms....details

Backbeat The Complete Singer Songwriter
Of all the paths available to today's musicians, the life of the singer-songwriter remains one of the most alluring and popular. This handbook is the ultimate guide for the modern singer-songwriter, full of real-world advice and encouragement for both aspiring and accomplished troubadours. The founding editor of Acoustic Guitar magazine, Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers draws on his own experiences as a performing songwriter and interviews with artists such as Joni Mitchell, Ani DiFranco, Arlo Guthrie, Chrissie Hynde and Paul Simon to offer an invaluable companion for the journey from idea to song to stage and studio. Also includes inside info from managers, agents, lawyers and record execs. A lucid, well-written, fact-stuffed work. - Bruce Cockburn...details

Backbeat Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell -The Dangeous Glitter Of David Bowie, Iggy Pop, And Lou Reed
First-ever look at the intertwining, outrageous lives of three rock legends. When Lou Reed and Iggy Pop first met David Bowie in the fall of 1971, Bowie was just another English musician passing through New York City. Lou was still recovering from the collapse of the Velvet Underground, and Iggy had already been branded a loser... Yet within two years they completely changed the face of popular music with a decadent glamour and street-level vibe. With Bowie producing, Reed's Transformer album was a worldwide hit, spinning off the sleazy street anthem Walk on the Wild Side. Iggy's Raw Power, mixed by Bowie, provided the mean-spirited, high-octane blueprint for Punk. Bowie boosted elements from both Iggy and Reed to create his gender-bending rock idol Ziggy Stardust. Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell is the story of this friendship and the incredible productivity and debauchery that emerged from it. Presented here for the very first time are their stories interwoven in a triple helix of sexuality, glam rock, and drugs - as seen through the eyes of the people who made it happen....details

Backbeat Jack Bruce Composing Himself
As a member of Cream, Jack Bruce co-wrote and sang such major '60s hits as Sunshine of Your Love and White Room. But he was a singular talent who wanted to be a pioneer, not just a pop star, and he was never happy resting on his reputation. His has been an often troubled life - heroin addiction, management rip-offs, family tragedy, and a failed liver transplant - all of which he speaks about frankly in this book, telling a story that is sometimes inspirational, sometimes bleak, and always honest....details