Life (2010) New!

by Keith Richards

This is the Life. Believe it or not I haven't forgotten any of it
-- Keith Richards, Life

Now available as a Popular Pick!

One of the greatest rock memoirs ever....David Fricke, Rolling Stone

Who better to discuss the fragile nature of human life than a member of the undead? While he might not be a literal zombie, Life by Keith Richards only reaffirms the notion that he's done enough drugs over his 60+ years to preserve himself long into the afterlife. Covering ground from his childhood and first musical interests through becoming a Rolling Stone, tax exile, husband, father, and eventually big-screen pirate, Life has more insight to offer than you might think. -- Uncrate review.

Amazon Best Books of the Month, November 2010: It's hard to imagine a celebrity memoir--or any memoir for that matter--that is as easy to drink in (so to speak) as Keith Richards's Life. Die-hard Stones fans will love tales of the band's ascension from the "interval" band at the Marquee to the headliners at Super Bowl XL; guitar gearheads will scramble to sample the one lick that has eluded Richards for 49 years; and historians and romantics alike will swoon over the raspy, rambling, raucous detail of this portrait of the artist in situ. Yes, some tales are told, but Life is refreshingly not gossipy, mean-spirited, or sordid--or at least not more than the truth demands. Richards is as comfortable in his bones as a worn pair of boots, and Life captures the rhythm of his voice so effortlessly that reading his tale is like sharing a pint with an old friend--one who happens to be one of the most iconic guitarists of all time. --Daphne Durham

You've got a friend in the 'biz; a practical guide to the music industry for musicians & aspiring represntatives by Michael Wood

Product Description From Amazon.ca:
Author Michael Wood has been described as "the hardest working man in show business". He has been called one of the "most connected people in today's music industry". Everything from touring North America to voting on the Grammy Awards to now being a professor at one of the largest colleges in Canada, Michael has tried to take everything he has learned along the way and help aspiring musicians and music executives to reach their goals. On top of sharing his experiences and ideas, he has called upon some of his "friends in the 'biz" to share their stories and help point you in the right direction. People such as Casey Kasem, Ruth McCartney (Paul McCartney's sister), JT The Brick (Fox Sports Radio), Don Kronberg (worked with Jerry Seinfeld, Martina McBride), Dale Penner (Producer, Nickelback), Shawn Mullins (Grammy Award winning songwriter) and many more have all participated to make this book a down to earth, unpretentious and humorous guide to the music industry. The back of the book contains contacts in the industry and an opportunity to contact Michael directly to receive hundreds of more contacts making this the most interactive music industry book between writer and reader on the market today.

--The Library Technician

Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon--and the Journey of a Generation by Sheila Weller

From the Publisher:
A groundbreaking and irresistible biography of three of America's most important musical artists — Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Carly Simon — charts their lives as women at a magical moment in time.

Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Carly Simon remain among the most enduring and important women in popular music. Each woman is distinct. Carole King is the product of outer-borough, middle-class New York City; Joni Mitchell is a granddaughter of Canadian farmers; and Carly Simon is a child of the Manhattan intellectual upper crust. They collectively represent, in their lives and their songs, a great swath of American girls who came of age in the late 1960s. Their stories trace the arc of the now mythic sixties generation — female version — but in a bracingly specific and deeply recalled way, far from cliché. The history of the women of that generation has never been written — until now, through their resonant lives and emblematic songs.

Reviews:
"Captivating. A strong amalgam of nostalgia, feminist history, astute insight, beautiful music and irresistible gossip. Weller's grand ambition winds up fulfilled." -- Janet Maslin, The New York Times

"A page-turner of the first order....a must read....." -- The Boston Globe

"Both scholarly and dishy. A superb journalist, Weller has managed to uncover a trove of unreported facts on her subjects." -- People, Pick of the Week

-- Patti-Lynne

Twenty Thousand Roads:
The Ballad of Gram Parsons and His Cosmic American Music

by David N. Meyer

I remember something you once told me
And I'll be damned if it did not come true
Twenty thousand roads I went down down down
And they all led me straight back home to you
--Gram Parsons, "Return of the Grievous Angel"

Here it is -- the most comprehensive, definitive biography of musical legend Gram Parsons. Meyer gleefully delves into Parsons' short, tragic, prolific life and successfully separates the man from the myth. What Meyer gives us is a sympathetic, balanced, passionate portrait of one of the greatest songwriters of our time. Because Parsons' young life crossed paths with so many musical icons, the book is rich with detail about such personalities as Emmylou Harris, Merle Haggard, Bob Dylan, and the Rolling Stones. Meticulously researched, Twenty Thousand Roads is certain to become the classic, standard text of not only Gram Parsons, but the Southern California music scene at its apex.

"Gram Parsons' life was like a country song, equal parts tragedy and transcendence, often in the same chorus....Meyer's unflinching, empathic portrait is of a mercurial and willful talent unable to escape his upbringing and bring-downing, or to find solace within his manifest musical gifts." --Lenny Kaye

From Book Description:
Gram Parsons lived fast, died young, and left a beautiful corpse–a corpse his friends stole, took to Joshua Tree National Monument, and set afire in its coffin. The theft and burning of his body marked the end of Gram Parsons’ life and the beginning of the Gram Parsons legend. As a singer and songwriter, Gram Parsons stood at the nexus of countless musical crossroads, and he sold his soul to the devil at every one. Parsons hung out with glamorous women and the coolest friends. His intimates and collaborators on his journey included Keith Richards, William Burroughs, Marianne Faithfull, Peter Fonda, Roger McGuinn, Clarence White, and Emmylou Harris. Parsons had everything–-looks, charisma, money, style, the best drugs, the most heartbreaking voice–-and threw it all away with both hands. His ballad is one of gigantic talent colliding with epic self-destruction.

--Trudi

Coltrane: The story of a sound (2007)

by Ben Ratliff

A triumphant analysis...without ever surrendering to the usual jazz book gush. Ben Ratliff's measured intelligence and readable, elegant prose, his willingness to make necessary distinctions and unsentimental judgments, earn him a place among the best critics we have. —Phillip Lopate

Publisher's Weekly (Starred Review) :
Ratliff, the jazz critic for the New York Times, isn't interested in simply retelling the biographical facts of John Coltrane's life. Instead, he analyzes how the saxophone player came to be regarded as the last major figure in the evolution of jazz, tracing both the evolution of his playing style and the critical reception to it....Ratliff has a keen sense of Coltrane's constantly changing sound, highlighting the collaborative nature of jazz by discussing the bands he played in as both sideman and leader. (One of the more intriguing asides is a suggestion that Coltrane's alleged LSD use might have inclined him toward a more cooperative mode of performance.) The consideration of Coltrane's shifting influence on jazz--and other modern musical forms--up to the present day is equally vigorous, refusing to rely on simple adulation. Always going past the legend to focus on the real-life stories and the actual recordings, Ratliff's assessment is a model for music criticism.

--Trudi

Legendary jazz musician Oscar Peterson (1928-2007) passed away last night (December 23) in his home at the age of 82. Peterson who was born in Montreal but made Toronto his home, was renowned for his skill and talent as a pianist and made hundreds of recordings over the span of his illustrious career that included appearances at major jazz festivals and stints at Carnegie Hall and Massey Hall. A private funeral will be held for Peterson, with a public memorial service scheduled in the new year.

To learn more about Peterson's life, career and achievements, click here to access his profile in the Encyclopedia of Music in Canada.

Also, check out RPL's collection for biographies and video about Peterson:

- A Jazz Odyssey: The Life of Oscar Peterson by Oscar Peterson

- Oscar Peterson: A Musical Biography by Alex Barris

- Oscar Peterson: The Will to Swing by Gene Lees

- In The Key of Oscar: One Man's Journey Home (Video)

- Oscar Peterson: The Life of a Legend (Video)

To find out which music CDs by Peterson are held by RPL, click on the following author link:

- Peterson, Oscar, 1925-

Posted by May who remembers writing a report on jazz many moons ago and did some research on Peterson

Coltrane: the story of a sound by Ben Ratliff

New York Times jazz critic Ratliff places Coltrane, and jazz, within the larger context of American social and cultural history. What drew musicians to his style? Why is he so revered today, forty years after his death? Will you agree that Coltrane deserves a place among the greatest of American artists? If the book doesn’t make you a Coltrane fan, try a CD from our jazz collection!
Ken

Bono in Conversation with Michka Assayas

Bono...the man, the legend. He's a singer, songwriter, and humanitarian. Personally, I could listen to Bono talk (or sing) all day. I saw U2 live twice, and I am in awe of the man's stage presence. But, you may ask, does he have anything interesting to say? Your answer lies in this book.

Bono in Conversation is candid and moving and reveals him to be a man who has much to say about life, love, spirituality, fame and politics.

Now, for those of you who feel that Bono's campaign for Africa and AIDS is getting tiresome, fear not. This book touches on his involvement with DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa), but is by no means consumed by it. Give it a try. You may be surprised at what goes on behind the sunglasses. And for you fellow die-hard fans...enjoy!

Related Works:

Bono: the Biography (2001), Laura Jackson

U2: the Complete Encyclopedia (2001), Mark Chatterton

Walk on: the Spiritual Journey of U2 (2001), Steve Stockman

-- Patti-Lynne