Synopses & Reviews
Sexy, provocative, playful, beautiful:and#160;from their earliest days, LP covers have been objects of art and fascination.and#160; This celebration of album artistry presents more than 350 of the best covers, and departs from the usual approach by organizing the images by visual theme. Many of us remember the iconic album-cover images that defined our collective and individual historiesand#151;such as the smoldering pinup girl on the Carsand#8217; Candy-O, the plaintive baby following a dollar bill through water on Nirvanaand#8217;s Nevermind, and Andy Warholand#8217;s controversial zippered pants on the Rolling Stonesand#8217; Sticky Fingers.
From perennial classics to lesser-known gems, here is the LP art that shook, rattled, and rolled us through musicand#8217;s early formative years.
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The thematic chapters include:
Art: Ornette Coleman, Empty Foxhole; The Sex Pistols, Never Mind the Bollocks;
Santana, Abraxasand#160;
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Death: Otis Redding, History of Otis Redding; Frank Zappa, Hot Rats; Ice Cube, Kill At Will; Metallica, Master of Puppets
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Drugs: The Beatles, Sergeant Pepperand#8217;s Lonely Hearts Club Band; The Monkees, Head; Thelonious Monk, Underground; Peter Tosh, Bush Doctor
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Ego: Frank Sinatra, No One Cares; Astrud Gilberto, Nothing Better To Do; Joni Mitchell, Clouds; LL Cool J, Mama Said Knock You Out; Bjork, Debut
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Escape: Johnny Cash, Orange Blossom Special; Bob Dylan, Freewheelinand#8217;; Peter Gabriel, 1 (car)
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Identity: The Jackson 5, ABC; Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon; Blondie, Parallel Lines
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Politics: Funkadelic, America Eats Its Young; Bruce Springsteen, Born in the USA
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Rock and Roll: Jerry Lee Lewis, Jerry Lee Lewis and His Pumping Piano; Clash, London Calling
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Sex: The Ohio Players, Honey; Robert Palmer, Double Fun; Pulp, This Is Hardcore
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Real World: The Allman Brothers, Brothers and Sisters; Bob Marley, Catch A Fire; Lucinda Williams, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
Review
"He doesn't live amongst the rest of us who have to juggle normal lives and responsibilities with our passion for music and the printed word. Harvey's entire life IS his passion for music and the printed word. He is the consummate historian, the cosmic chronicler, a divine human train wreck of Lester Bangs and Carlos Castaneda. He is the yacking warrior of archetypal anecdotes who has authored many excellent tomes but without a doubt, 'Canyon of Dreams:and#160; The Magic and Music of Laurel Canyon,' is his most formidable, dare I say, breathtaking literary work. You don't just read this book, you smell it, hear it and feel it. As a native of L.A. who grew up in the San Fernando Valley and made the trek to Hollywood through the canyon a thousand times, I now traverse that sacred asphalt with a quiet reverence.and#160; And instead of turning the music up in the car, I throttle it down now with hopes I just might -- if i really try -- touch theand#160; spirits of the artists who made the magic and the music.and#160; Bravo, Harvey. Bravo."and#160; --Lonn Friend, author, Life on Planet Rock
Synopsis
A book that's as eye-catching, over-the-top, and fabulous as Lady Gaga herself!
The Grammyand#174; Award-winning Lady Gaga has taken the world by storm, setting sales records and becoming a style icon. This lavish volume examines the Lady's history and phenomenal rise, her music and videos, and her unique look and chameleon-like nature. Chock-full of photos that capture Gaga from childhood through stardom, it also includes images of those who have influenced her style and an appraisal of her place in the pantheon of performance artists.
Gaga is a must-have for the millions who love this very special performer and celebrity.
Synopsis
A lavishly illustrated insiderand#8217;s look at 80 years of music and culture in Laurel Canyon.
and#160;Laurel Canyon is a zip code with its own play list: to name just a few, Sonny and Cher, The Doors, The Turtles, Canned Heat, Monkees, Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne; Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young; Eagles, and Carole King all cultivated their immortal sounds in this L.A.-based musical fraternity.
and#160;Written by a long-time L.A. resident who knows them all, Canyon of Dreams traces the history of the community and its enduring legacy. Taking a deeply personal approach, it uses a multiple-voice narration based on exclusive interviews with the areaand#8217;s musical elite. Because of their close and long-time connection with Kubernik, some of these stars are speaking openly for the first time.
and#160;Eye-opening both visually and informationally, this is a book no music lover can be without!and#160;
Interview highlights include:
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- For the first time in years, the three surviving Doors talk about performances, recordings, band dynamics, and, of course, Jim Morrison
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- Randy Meisner reminisces about the Eagles first gig and the recording of and#8220;One of These Nightsand#8221;
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- Graham Nash reflects on life with Joni Mitchell and describes writing and#8220;Our Houseand#8221;
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- Lou Adler discusses his legendary Sunset Strip venuesand#8212;the Whisky a Go-Go, Roxy Theater, Rainbow Bar and Grill, and Tapestryand#8212;and, with Michele Phillips, reflects on the Monterey Pop Festival.
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- Slash, a child of the Canyon, details the formation of Guns N' Roses
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- And much, much more!
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Synopsis
The Beach Boys pioneered the wildly popular andquot;Surf Sound,andquot; selling more records than any other American band. And 2016 marks the 50th anniversary of their groundbreaking and hugely influential album Pet Sounds and the hit single, andquot;Good Vibrations.andquot; This book offers the first fully illustrated, in-depth examination of the groupand#39;s story, with an emphasis on these two masterpieces and what followed in their wake.
About the Author
Harvey Kubernik, a lifelong resident of the Canyon area, is a veteran music journalist whose work has been published nationally in Melody Maker, The Los Angeles Free Press, Crawdaddy, Musician, Goldmine, MIX, The Los Angeles Times, and MOJO, among others. He has been a record producer since 1979 and was a former West Coast Director of AandR for MCA Records. As a West Hollywood and Laurel Canyon insider, he has unparalleled access to the sources, personalities, and even those who lurk in the shadows of the Canyon.