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Powell's Staff:
Five Book Friday: In Memoriam
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Every year, the booksellers at Powell’s submit their Top Fives: their five favorite books that were released in 2023. It’s a list that, when put together, shows just how varied and interesting the book tastes of Powell’s booksellers are. I highly recommend digging into the recommendations — we would never lead you astray — but today...
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Brontez Purnell:
Powell’s Q&A: Brontez Purnell, author of ‘Ten Bridges I’ve Burnt’
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Rachael P.:
Starter Pack: Where to Begin with Ursula K. Le Guin
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Customer Comments
JohnnyC has commented on (14) products
U2's Achtung Baby
by
Stephen Catanzarite
JohnnyC
, January 21, 2009
This exquisitely written book is at once a review of the album in the context of this insightful series and an offering to anyone curious to interpret music in their own, unique way. Catanzarite has pitched a strong, thoughtful theological interpretation of U2's great record that is easy to read, succinct in style and without dogma. Music is my religion and Stephen's religion includes U2.
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No Time To Think
by
Howard Rosenberg
JohnnyC
, November 19, 2008
The strength of any argument is directly related to the articulation of that argument. I'm afraid that Rosenberg and Feldman's 211 page rant fails to make a convincing argument because it is so poorly written. The book is an angry diatribe against the News industry for being seduced by speed rather than facts, predicated by the 24/7 news cycle best exemplified by CNN. This is certainly a worthy topic, but the book's narrative style, which is cross between the rhetoric of Jerry Seinfeld and the logic of Bill O'Reilly, fails to present itself in a serious way. It's full of jargon, pseudo-street talk and anger. As a result, the book offers some good examples of bad reportage and the increasing use of opinion as factual information, but if fails to connect our changing technology to the larger picture, offering at the end only a "dose of hope". Our addiction to speed is clearly related to our access and hunger for faster technologies. This book does nothing to enlighten or inform the reader beyond the superficial. A Pulizer prize winner should have done a better job.
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Shoot Out the Lights
by
Childs, Hayden
JohnnyC
, October 29, 2008
Hayden Childs has written an excellent study of Shoot Out The Lights, complete with song analysis and myth-busting factualness. But I don't understand why the literary device of using a fictional character to tell the story was necessary. Clearly, Childs has the passion and the research to drive the narrative and for me, that's all he needed to write this book.
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Tom Waits' Swordfishtrombones
by
David Smay
JohnnyC
, April 28, 2008
David Smay has done his homework. He's been able to dispel a few myths surrounding the life and work of Tom Waits, and still make him mysterious nevertheless. Waits is a unique musician whose song writing and production techniques rarely reveal the man himself. Without saying too much, Smay has written one of the best books in the series so far. It's a great read offering everything you need to know about one of Waits's most important albums yet asking the reader to open one's imagination on the same plane as Tom Waits. Now that's great writing!
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Celene Dion's Lets Talk about Love: A Journey to the End of Taste: 33 1/3 52
by
Carl Wilson
JohnnyC
, January 31, 2008
When I was 15 years old, I wanted to explore Classical music for the first time. I subscribed to a series of Lps and was sent the first lot: it was the 9 Symphonies of Beethoven. When it arrived, my father was outraged. "I don't like this kind of music!". I had to return the Lps and cancel my membership. This started the great divide in taste that was to distinguish me from my Dad in more ways than you can imagine. After reading Carl Wilson's book I came to understand the great divide and how one person's music is another person's noise. Is it possible to convert to the music you don't like? Wilson's extraordinary mission to get on the better side of Celine Dion, will make you consider your own sensibilities and why your taste in music is no better than anyone elses. Have fun!
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by
Sam Inglis
JohnnyC
, January 16, 2008
In one of the most balanced critiques of a recording, Sam Inglis offers us the notion that although this album is famous for any number of reasons, it may not be all it's cracked up to be. Yet, I couldn't help feeling rendered enthusiastic about the history of the album and it's musical context in the career of Neil Young. To the latter, Inglis succeeds very well. To the former, Inglis tries to be critical but still finds it difficult to commit to any opinion, be it positive or negative. But perhaps this is the mystery of the record: it contains enough musical ideas to be at once both brilliant and mediocre.
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Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures
by
Chris Ott
JohnnyC
, November 27, 2007
Joy Division was never treated the same way as other bands from the late70s angst or post-punk era, by its fans or critics. They were beloved from the get-go. Chris Ott has written a very good book that challenges the myths surrounding Joy Division and in particular, Ian Curtis their lead singer who died by his own hand just as the band was ready to hit America. Ott goes to great lengths to put the history of Unknown Pleasures into its proper context and considering the short musical history of Joy Division, he excels at de-mystifying the legend of Curtis without falling into the trap of hero worship. The next to last chapter is particularly good offering insight into Curtis's condition and his desire to be a rock star. This is a well-written blend of history, trivia and analysis.
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The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds: 33 1/3 19
by
Jim Fusilli
JohnnyC
, November 16, 2007
Teenage angst isn't the most obvious element of this recording, but Jim Fusilli successfully reveals the strong undercurrent of Brian Wilson's unhappiness with fame and his place in the world, which is the foundation of Pet Sounds. Fusilli's personal relationship with the record at a critical time in his youth, offers a legitimate reason why this album is important. But stylistically, he sounds more like a university professor than a seasoned writer about music. But considering the songs and the nature of the author's presentation, I felt like I was in a lecture hall. When is our next class?
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Band's Music From Big Pink
by
John Niven
JohnnyC
, August 31, 2007
John Niven's first novel is good one. He's successfully merged the counter-culturalism of the late 60s with the music of The Band, who's first album was the anti-thesis of the strong-armed Rock made popular at Woodstock. One note to Nivens: Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving in October, not in November like our American cousins. Otherwise it's a great story and completely different from other titles in this exceptional series.
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The Beatles' Let It Be
by
Steve Matteo
JohnnyC
, August 31, 2007
Steve Matteo has written one of the best historical books on The Beatles. It's a great study of one of the most misunderstood periods in the history of the band from 1968 to 1970. Matteo's detailed bibliography offers us a well-researched study of the Let It Be recording sessions and the movie. It's a marvelous story and it's well told.
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(10 of 20 readers found this comment helpful)
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Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited: 33 1/3 35
by
Mark Polizzotti
JohnnyC
, August 03, 2007
Mark Polizzotti has written a pretty good book about a very complicated recording, not only for Bob Dylan but his fans. While the first half of the book is an exhaustive study of one, famous song, the second half rolls nicely along. Polizzotti offers a solid mix of technical and historical context in the book, including information about the famous cover and its visual attitude. It's a good read and inspired me play the album extra loud.
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(12 of 23 readers found this comment helpful)
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Steely Dan's Aja
by
Don Breithaupt
JohnnyC
, August 03, 2007
Don Breithaupt's heavy analysis of this great album is strictly for musicians. His detailed look at every song is honourable but too "inside" to inspire anyone to take another look at this recording. The book starts off well with his personal relationship with the album but later gets too bogged down in musical details to really move the reader. And I'm a musician! I wanted more personal notes than technical and the addition of musical definitions and recommended recordings is good, but superfluous.
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(11 of 20 readers found this comment helpful)
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Joni Mitchell's Court and Spark
by
Sean Nelson
JohnnyC
, August 03, 2007
Sean Nelson's exhaustive analysis leaves a lot to be desired stylistically speaking, but he does hit the mark on one of Joni Mitchell's most popular recordings. At times he works too hard to find deep meanings into Mitchell's songs, often missing the satirical side of Mitchell's writing. That said, Nelson loves this record and he's not afraid to show it. He puts it into historical and musical context very well and adds a personal story that is hard to resist.
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(6 of 11 readers found this comment helpful)
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Captain Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica
by
Kevin Courrier
JohnnyC
, August 03, 2007
This is a great study of an under-recognized classic in music history. Courrier has done a wonderful job at bringing the musical and contextual history together in order to understand this complicated album and its creator, Don Van Vliet. The author's style is personal, informative and insightful with a dash of constructive criticism. One of the best in the entire series.
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(7 of 13 readers found this comment helpful)
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