Books — All Formats  

A treasure trove of 50s romance comics – brought together in a great-looking package, with helpful framing from author Michael Barson! The core material is great – way more than the soppy romance stories you might think – and instead some really compelling work that really gets at the worries and anxieties of America in the post-war years. Sure, there's certainly tales of gals looking for love in all the wrong places – but you'd also be amazed at how much of this stuff offers up a larger comment on society as well – penned with surprisingly thoughtful prose, and illustrated with relatively mature images too. If we had one complaint, it would be that Barson doesn't give us enough detail about the artists and writers of the material – but that's only because the whole thing's so beautiful, we want to know more! 208 pages, softcover, in full color.

An absorbing biography of one legendary French singer Edith Piaf – one of the most alluring voices of the past century – and superbly written by Carolyn Burke! Edith Piaf lived as fascinating of a life as any international icon we can think of – musical or otherwise – and Burke does a terrific job of of telling her story in a way that chronicles her artisty on a deeper level. There's no way to tell the Piaf story without covering the more sensational aspects of it – but we're just as enthusiastic to read about her vocal and lyrical craft. Burke manages to make the story of Piaf the artist and it's a very, very engrossing one at that!

Kim Fowley, an author? Stranger things have happened – and given Fowley's penchant for putting his finger in just about every pie that came within reach, the whole thing's no surprise at all! The book is a stunning account of Fowley's important years in the music business – working in the sometimes lowest reaches of the LA scene, yet sometimes hitting the highest heights too – all told in really interesting detail, with a pacing that's completely unique! At lots of points, it kind of feels like Kim's telling you the story of his life over a few dozen drinks at the bar – with all the tangents you might expect – but at other times, there's this lucidity that's right in line with the Fowley genius in the studio – that way of being and going crazy while still holding all your cool – summed up perfectly in these few lines near the end of the book: "Well this is my version of what happened to me. I don't know if it really happened or not, but I think it did. I'm holding back a lot of stuff because it's too overwhelming in its darkness and it would be a sad read."

Not just the "why" of jazz, but the "who", "how", and "when" as well – all laid out in a really unique format by jazz critic Kevin Whitehead! The book is roughly chronological, based on the history of jazz – but the approach is quite unusual – a set of questions that stand as basic fence posts to an understanding of jazz – asked and then answered in detail by Whitehead, who has a surprisingly poetic approach to his information! Think of the book as kind of your big chance to spend time with an expert who will answer all your questions – not just basic ones – and never make you feel embarrassed about something you didn't know. 172 pages, hardcover.

A second great look at Italy's legendary Baia Degli Angeli disco – presented in a package that's possibly even better than the first! As with that volume, this one's delivered in a book-style format – hardcover, and filled with color pages that contain images of the club in the 70s, a recent revival series, and a host of wonderful artifacts used for promotion – flyers, t-shirts, and other giveaways that are all pretty darn cool! Plus, there's notes on the club, scene, and music in both Italian and English – making for a whopping 60 pages that offer us a look at a key musical force from many years back. But the CD alone is pretty great too – filled with 16 great club classics that played well at the Baia Degli Angeli – including "You Are The Star" by Jakki, "Shu Dig Dancin" by Inner City Express, "Sing Sing" by Gaz, "Dr Doo Dah" by Kongas, "Funky Road" by The Invitations, "Crocos Dance" by Revelation, "Everybody Dance" by Bumblebee Unlimited, "I Think I'm Gonna Fall In Love" by Skyline, "Block Party" by Anthony White, "Rock Spank Freak" by High Voltage, and "Mary Hartman Mary Hartman" by The Sound Of Inner City.

A hefty art book on the story of the Stooges – filled with oversized vintage photos in both color and black and white – and supported by writings that tell the history of the band! If you think the front of Raw Power is a striking image, you'll be blown away with the photos in this volume – lots of which capture Iggy Pop in live action, plus some studio shots as well – mixed with a few other candid takes of the band. The book also features a full discography, with images, and even details on bootlegs – and the hardcover book is 192 pages, and oversize.

Think that funk, rock, and soul are the only styles of music that get groovy record covers? Think again – as this book from Horst Scherg definitely sets the record straight – by culling forth a cornucopia of covers from the late 40s onwards, all filled with some really cool images! Some are arty, some are trippy, lots are painterly – and the range of covers is pretty impressive – laid out in different sections that trace both historical and stylistic developments, with important text on certain labels and their preference for covers. The book also features a totally great history of classical music labels – very helpful for the budding classical collector – and the 216 page, hardcover volume features full color images, with over 777 covers in all!