New Music Books

New books about music and musicians and performers, available now or coming soon to the Music and Drama department in the Central Library:

Johnny Cash: The Biography: Michael Streissguth (2006)
"An honest account that sets Cash's achievements in the context of his troubled life." The Independent, 2nd December 2006.

The Dave Grohl story: Jeff Apter (2006)
Comprehensive biography detailing Grohl’s life in rock and roll, as a member of two influential bands Nirvana and the Foo Fighters, and rock and roll lifestyle over the past two decades.

Black Knight: the Richie Blackmore story: Jerry Bloom (2006)
Biography of one of the great rock guitarists, whose life and career is much more than Deep Purple in the 1970s, Rainbow and then Blackmore’s Night.

The Progressive Patriot: a search for belonging: Billy Bragg (2006)
Bragg explores and offers solutions to what he sees as problems with patriotism and national identity in modern Britain.

Rough Guide to world music: Africa and the Middle East: Simon Broughton et al (2006)
Entries are fully revised and updated with expanded discographies in which the CD reviews are preceded by easily accessible, biographical notes on the artists and bands.

Pogue Mahone: Kiss my arse: the story of the Pogues: Carol Clerk (2006)
Warts-and-all story of the Pogues, with contributions from many with connections to the Irish folk rock band.

The lost tribes of pop: goths, folkies, iPod twits and other music stereotypes: Tom Cox (2006)
A vision of the multi-faceted pop scene, based on those that make it what it is: the fans.

The best of the Beatles book: Jonny Dean (editor) (2005)
Forty years of the best photos, features, cartoons and letters from the Official Beatles magazine.

Guitar man: Will Hodgkinson (2006)
Despite being new to the guitar, Hodgkinson is resolved to play a gig in front of a paying audience. This is his autobiographical story of his journey, on both sides of the Atlantic, to learn both more about the guitar and how to play it.

Dirty blonde: the diaries of Courtney Love: Courtney Love (2006)
Personal letters, poetry, diary entries and other writings from Courtney love, rock musician, actress, and former wife of the late Kurt Cobain.

It just occurred to me ...: the reminiscences and thoughts of Chairman Humph: Humphrey Lyttelton (2005)
Autobiography of the great band leader, jazz trumpeter and humorist, from his early life as the son of a famous Eton housemaster, including anecdotes about the jazz giants he has played with.

Joe Strummer and the Legend of the Clash: Kris Needs (2004)
Biography of the great rock and roll icon from the punk era, Joe Strummer of the Clash, with interviews with former band members and others connected with him.

The Penguin Guide to blues recordings: Russell, Tony et al (2006)
Informative, insightful and easy-to-use guide through the record shops and the online music stores, cataloguing the recorded work of more than a thousand blues artists.

The importance of being Barbra: Tom Santopietro (2006)
Biographical account of the forty-year career of the award-winning singer and actress, Barbra Streisand.

Number one in heaven: the heroes who died for rock 'n' roll: Jeremy Simmonds (2006)
Entries and biographical details for many of the music industries biggest names who died before their times.

The Libertines: bound together: the story of Peter Doherty and Carl Barât and how they changed British music: Anthony Thornton (2006)
Biographical account of the short-lived British band.

King of clubs: sex, drugs and thugs: a decade of dance: Terry Turbo (2006)
No-holds-barred autobiography from the man behind one of the country’s biggest dance empires that included One Nation, Rave Nation and Garage Nation venues.

The gospel according to the Beatles: Steve Turner (2006)
Examination of the Beatles’ links with religion, both Christian and Eastern, and the gospel they left of love, peace, freedom and the search for transcendence.