SHORTLISTED FOR THE EAST ANGLIAN BOOK AWARD 2023'Exceptionally well-written and intelligent ... if you are interested in this remarkable microcosm of England, the book will grip you; if you aren't, it will make you realise that you jolly well should be.' Simon Heffer, Spectator'A deeply sensitive and engaging portrait of a misunderstood county and its people' Financial Times'A stellar perfo...

Casting his eye widely across the globe, Tim Burrows examines the facts, myths and characters behind such legendary venues as the Grande Ballroom in Detroit, the Astoria in London and the Cloudlands Ballroom in Brisbane. Interviewing the musicians and promoters who were there at the beginning and those still involved today, he paints striking pictures of a variety of popular musical movements including jazz, rock n' roll, reggae, punk and rave. He shows how venues have evolved over the yea...

What is Counterculture? - It's an alternative lifestyle... - The ideas that spark a revolution... - A movement that changes the world... This new collection of essays celebrates the incredible originality of British post-war culture. British art, film, theatre, dance, literature and music have attracted international recognition, from the Angry Young Men to the Sex Pistols to Grayson Perry. Now gaming, the internet and social media enable creative communities to flourish and either fight f...

Robert Plant is one of the few genuine living rock legends.Frontman of Led Zeppelin, musical innovator and seller of millions of records, Plant has had a profound influence on music for over four decades. But the full account of his life has barely been told … until now.Robert Plant: A Life is the first complete and comprehensive telling of Plant’s story. From his earliest performances in folk clubs in the early 1960s, to the world’s biggest stages as Led Zeppelin’s self-st...

The definitive history of Pink Floyd, one of the world's greatest bands, by founder Nick Mason.'One of the greatest stories in the pantheon of rock' Guardian'Wise and witty' Ian Rankin'A miracle' Ruby WaxOne of the most fascinating rock bands ever, Pink Floyd was formed in 1965. After a year in the London 'underground' experimenting with revolutionary techniques such as lights that ...

"A wise, breezy, supersmart memoir" from the legendary guitarist and cofounder of the seminal British band The Smiths ( The Guardian).Johnny Marr was born in 1960s Manchester to Irish emigrant parents and knew from an early age that he would be a musician. Forming his first band at thirteen, Marr spent his teenage years in public housing, playing guitar, devouring pop culture, and inventing his own musical style.It wasn't until the e...

Modern pop began in 1952 when the first British chart was published and the first 7" singles were released. It ended (perhaps) in 1995 when Robson and Jerome reached the top of the charts with the first number one not to be available on vinyl since 1953. The internet age ushered in the death rites of over 40 years of pop.A Complete History Pop describes the journey that leads from 'Rock Around the Clock' to 'Crazy in Love'. Raw, thrilling, surprising and sometimes downrigh...

Rory Gallagher is a hero and icon of rock music. He inspired guitar players from The Edge to Johnny Marr, Slash to Gary Moore, Johnny Fean to Philip Donnelly, Declan Sinnott to Brian May. He toured incessantly and sold over 30 million albums worldwide. Acknowledged as one of the world's leading guitarists, he collaborated with his boyhood hero Muddy Waters, and played with Jerry Lee Lewis, Albert King and Lonnie Donegan. In this compelling biography, contemporaries, fellow musicians, film ...

We live in a pop age gone loco for retro and crazy for commemoration. Band re-formations and reunion tours, expanded reissues of classic albums and outtake-crammed box sets, remakes and sequels, tribute albums and mash-ups . . . But what happens when we run out of past? Are we heading toward a sort of cultural-ecological catastrophe, where the archival stream of pop history has been exhausted?Simon Reynolds, one of the finest music writers of his generation, argues that we have ind...

Cliff Richard has been a muscial icon for 5 decades, and this eBook has been released to help celebrate his 70th birthday last October. 250 million record sales later - Cliff still continues to delight his fans with new music and spectacular live performances. The book is written by ex DJ and Cliff's goof friend Mike Read.

Rock Diary: Led Zeppelin is a uniquely chronological, day-by-day, month-by-month and year-by-year history documenting the complete history of one of the most popular and influential rock groups of all time. This definitive factual story is the ultimate biographical timeline of the legendary quartet of Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and John Bonham - from their earliest days rising the ashes of the Yardbirds in 1968, to their thrilling reunion in London in 2007 and beyond. Every ...

Rock Diary: Pink Floyd is a uniquely chronological, day-by-day, month-by-month and year-by-year history documenting the complete history of one of the most popular and influential rock groups of all time. This definitive factual story is the ultimate biographical timeline of the legendary band from its earliest Syd Barrett days in the psychedelic underground scene, through its heady heights when steered by Roger Waters to its latter-day triumphs fronted by David Gilmour. Every triumph, tra...