Five great music books for the gift-buying season are featured.
George HarrisonHere’s a capsule look at five can’t miss rock ‘n’ roll books that are sure to please anyone on your gift-buying list:
“All Access – The Rock ‘n’ Roll Photography of Ken Regan” by Ken Regan. (Insight Editions) $75.
The most visually jaw-dropping of this year’s rock ‘n’ roll coffee table books, this is packed with the work of one of the genre’s greatest photographers, Ken Regan.
He was taking candid snapshots of the Beatles when they arrived at JFK International Airport in New York City in 1964 but some of his most memorable work is reserved for the Rolling Stones, whom he photographed on countless occasions. In fact, the band was so enamored with him that Mick Jagger wrote the introduction for this book and Keith Richards penned the preface.
Virtually every major pop figure of the past 40 to 50 years can be found here in this dazzling 304 page book.
“Clapton – The Ultimate Illustrated History” by Chris Welch. (Voyageur Press) $40.
The man known as “Slowhand” is profiled in this 347-page homage, reaching back even before his days with the Yardbirds.
But that band is extensively covered here as are Cream, Blind Faith, Derek and the Dominoes, his solo career and much, much more.
As opposed to just endless photos of the guitarist it is also filled with shots of all kinds of memorabilia, from ticket stubs and concert posters to rare records and detailed photos of Clapton’s guitars.
“Eagles – Taking it to the Limit” by Ben Fong-Torres. (Running Press) $30.
They were just supposed to be a backup band for Linda Ronstadt on one gig in 1971, but that exploded on them, leading to the Eagles’ first album, second album, superstardom, and a reunion that once seemed like it would happen “when hell freezes over.”
Glenn Frey, Randy Meisner, Bernie Leadon, Don Henley, Don Felder, Timothy B. Schmit and Joe Walsh have seen it all in 40 years, and that wild ride is documented by Ben Fong Torres, who witnessed plenty of the band’s history first-hand.
Tons of photos are included along with the author’s detailed analysis.
“George Harrison – Living in the Material World” by Olivia Harrison. (Abrams) $40.
In conjunction with the HBO documentary by Martin Scorsese, comes this gorgeous book on the life and times of George Harrison, simply title “George Harrison: Living in the Material World.”
Authored by the late Beatle’s wife Olivia Harrison and edited by Mark Holborn, it offers a treasure trove of rare photos, artifacts, memorabilia, hand-written letters, set lists and the recollections of friends such as Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton and others.
The book’s photos alone are priceless from Harrison’s early days growing up and bring infatuated with the guitar to latter-period family shots. It’s not a day-by-day historical account of his life as much as one depicting his spiritual journey.
“Rockabilly – The Twang Heard Round the World,” various writers, edited by Michael Dregni (Voyageur Press) $30.
Elvis Presley’s first Sun records, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Wanda Jackson, Ronnie Hawkins, Dale Hawkins and Brian Setzer are just a few of the rockers who played a major part in the history of that twang-time creation we now know as “rockabilly.”
Covering everything from the birth of hillbilly bop right up to modern day offerings in Chapter 8: “Rave On: The Worldwide Rockabilly Revival,” the book features a series of major artist interviews, accompanied by some classic photography.