Books — In Stock — Books 
A special selection of disc guides and discographies, music history, record art books, graphic novels, and some nicely-priced remainders!
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Tim J Anderson —
Making Easy Listening – Material Culture & Postwar American Recording ... Book University Of Minnesota Press, 2006. New Copy ... $3.99 25.00
A very deep look at the rise of easy listening in the postwar years – the transformation of instrumental styles to a particular kind of mood music that had a huge rise in sales during the 50s and 60s! Author Tim Anderson looks at a wide number of factors here – including workings of ... read more Book
Poeira Zine (Brazil), 2021. New Copy ... $34.99 39.00
Author Bento Araujo has given us previous examinations of crucial Brazilian records in the 60s and 70s – and this important third volume shows just how strongly the spirit of experimentation continued well into the 21st Century – as the CD era opened up new frontiers for sonic ... read more Book
Jake Austen —
Flying Saucers Rock 'N' Roll – Conversations With Unjustly Obscure Rock 'N' Soul Eccentrics (paperback) ... Book Duke University Press, 2011. New Copy Book ... $5.99 24.95
The best (truly – they got this book right) of Roctober gets a classy rock 'n' soul book compilation from Duke University Press – an incredible collection of interviews that were featured over the years in the great DIY magazine over the years! Interviews with musical legends who ... read more Book
IDW Publishing, 2017. New Copy ... $8.99 29.99
A beautiful book of graphic imagination – a book that features 60s-styled ads for toys that never existed – but which take us back to the glory days of Matchbox, Big Daddy Roth, and Aurora Monster Models! The artwork is all by Marty Bauman – who would have made a heck of a toy ... read more Book
(Spine has a small remainder mark.)
Chicago Review Press, 2012. New Copy ... $4.99 29.95
A stunning look at the great Mary Wells – one of Motown's first female acts of the 60s, and one of the decade's most important early soul figures as well! Mary's work on record is very well-known, but the story behind the music is completely different, and surprisingly dark at times – ... read more Book
St Martins, 2016. New Copy ... $6.99 34.99
That's quite a cover photo on the book – and the interweaving of key talents in the image really gets at the style of the narrative within! Author Steven Blush delivers a decidedly one-sided document of the New York scene from the late 60s onward – a picture of countless creative ... read more Book
(Spine has a small remainder mark.)
Steven Blush with Paul Rachman & Tony Mann —
Lost Rockers – Broken Dreams & Crashed Careers (hardcover) ... Book Powerhouse Books, 2016. New Copy ... $5.99 27.50
A pretty great book about folks who almost made it in the music business, but who never quite hit the stardom they were destined for – even though a few of these figures have become legendary over the years! The book looks at rock and soul artists from the 60s and 70s, almost all of them ... read more Book
Running Press, 2015. New Copy ... $15.99 65.00
A stunningly beautiful book on the 60s work of director Federico Fellini – one that's oversize, and overflowing with images that include film stills, publicity shots, candids, film posters, and other vivid representations of his cinematic imagination – all put together in a special ... read more Book
Billy Bragg —
Roots Radicals & Rockers – How Skiffle Changed The World (hardcover) ... Book Faber & Faber (UK), 2017. New Copy ... $8.99 29.95
You'll know Billy Bragg as a singer/songwriter, but he's also a surprisingly strong historian and author here – giving us a vivid look at the rise of skiffle bands on the UK scene at the end of the 50s! Skiffle was something that never played as strongly on our shores, but was inspired by ... read more Book
Peter Brotzmann & Others —
Along The Way (hardcover) ... Book Wolke Verlag (Germany), 2021. New Copy ... $36.99 40.00
A fantastic volume of artwork by Peter Brotzmann – a talent that most people know for his groundbreaking work on saxophone, but also a visual artist with a style that's as powerful as his music! You've likely seen some of Brotzmann's art on the covers of his various records over the year, ... read more Book
Nick Brownlee —
Bubblegum – The History Of Plastic Pop ... Book Sanctuary, 2003. New Copy ... $3.99 19.98
A cool little retrospective of 50 years worth of manufactured pop music – one that starts out with the earliest roots of the genre in rock and roll, and follows it right up to present-day boy bands and studio acts! The book moves forward decade by decade, focusing on group after group – ... read more Book
Andrea Caputo, ed —
All City Writers – The Graffiti Diaspora ... Book Kitchen 93, 2012. New Copy ... $12.99 49.95
Maybe the most amazing graffiti book you'll ever hope to own – an amazingly heavy, oversized volume that tells the tale of the birth of the format and its global spread – served up in dozens of articles brought together in the space of an imaginary newspaper! The pages are huge, and ... read more Book
Jeff Chang —
Who We Be – The Colorization Of America (hardcover) ... Book St Martins, 2014. New Copy ... $8.99 32.99
Jeff Chang's given us some of the most thoughtful writing we've ever read on hip hop and its history – and this time around, he turns his talents towards larger issues of race and culture on contemporary America – at a level that's surprisingly prescient, given the struggles of the past ... read more Book
(The spine has a remainder mark.)
Rob Chapman —
Psychedelia & Other Colours (hardcover) ... Book Faber & Faber (UK), 2015. New Copy ... $6.99 36.00
An incredibly dense book on the psychedelic scene of the 60s – a huge volume that not only looks at an impressive array of music, but also the wider trippy culture, too – but all with a level of text that goes far beyond most of the thinner volumes on the period! Many of the chapter ... read more Book
Nate Chinen —
Playing Changes – Jazz For The New Century (hardcover) ... Book Pantheon Books, 2018. New Copy ... $5.99 27.95
A refreshing look at jazz in the early years of the 21st Century – served up by Nate Chinen, who spent most of that time working as a jazz critic for the New York Times, and contributing to NPR! Chinen's been at the grass roots level, and does a great job here of noting key changes in the ... read more Book
(The spine has a small remainder mark.)
Alan Clayson —
Serge Gainsbourg – A View From The Exterior ... Book Sanctuary (UK), 1998. New Copy Book ... $2.99 12.95
One of the few English language looks we've ever seen at the music of Serge Gainsbourg – a well-penned biography that covers all of his classic years in a fair bit of detail! Author Alan Clayson does a good job of paying as much attention to the music as he does to Serge's celebrity – ... read more Book
Shipwrecked, 2020. New Copy ... $9.99 29.99
Chris Connelly is a hell of a singer – a man with a god-like voice that we'd rank right up there next to David Bowie and Scott Walker – and we're sometimes so entranced by the sound of his voice that we actually forget to listen to the lyrics of his songs, which are equally great! This ... read more Book
(Initial copies signed by Chris Connelly himself!)
Stanley Crouch —
Kansas City Lightning – The Rise & Times Of Charlie Parker ... Book Harper Perennial, 2013. New Copy ... $4.99 16.99
The story of Charlie Parker is often draped in hyperbole and exaggeration – which is why it's extra great that this biography is handled by Stanley Crouch – one of the few writers we could trust to get past the hype and really find a way to link Parker's life and music! As you might ... read more Book
(Spine has a remainder mark.)
Basic, 2011. New Copy ... $4.99 16.99
A deep look at one of the more unusual Johnny Cash albums of the 60s – his Bitter Tears/Ballads Of The American Indian – a set recorded in 1964, and years ahead of its time in terms of drawing attention to Native American culture! The set was a real surprise at a time when Johnny was ... read more Book
Blank Forms, 2021. New Copy ... $15.99 20.00
Fantastic work from an overlooked poet – one who takes up music as her subject matter throughout this collection of work – with individual pieces on Roscoe Mitchell, Henry Threadgill, the Bad Brains, Thelonious Monk, The Art Ensemble Of Chicago, and other key figures in music from the ... read more Book
Design Museum, 2020. New Copy Book ... $24.99 30.00
An unusual book on electronic music – as it looks at the medium from the perspective of design – which is maybe not a surprise, given that it was put together by the Design Museum! The book is very visual – filled with full color images in a range of modes – some photos, ... read more Book
Soul Jazz (UK), 2014. New Copy ... Just Sold Out!
Way way way more than just another book of album cover images – and instead, a stunningly huge volume that offers up key images from the disco generation, plus a wealth of knowledge and information too! The book really lives up to the "encyclopedic" promise of its title – as ... read more Book
Duke University Press, 2016. New Copy ... $4.99 26.59
A collection of essays on a great range of musical topics from Chuck Eddy – a writer whose work you might know from Creem or The Village Voice – and who covered a surprising amount of music in his decades in publication! The book brings together columns from a four decade stretch that ... read more Book
Hat & Beard, 2019. New Copy ... $52.99 60.00
One of the greatest books we've ever seen on The Velvet Underground – and one that definitely lives up to the promise of the title! The volume brings together interviews, essays, and other material over the space of the group's career, and beyond – but all mixed with vintage images, ... read more Book
V&A (UK), 2012. New Copy ... $4.99 35.00
A fantastic look at the use of images in political activity on the British scene – a great legacy that runs from the early 20th century to the present – presented here a book of stunning full color images! Most of the work here focuses on the strong role that posters, billboards, and ... read more Book
Pops Foster with Tom Stoddard —
Autobiography Of Pops Foster – New Orleans Jazzman, As Told To Tom Stoddard ... Book Backbeat Books, 1971/2005. New Copy ... $2.99 15.95
The autobiography of New Orleans jazz double-bassist George Murphy "Pops" Foster – first published in 1971, and chronicling his life and work great artists from Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington too Charlie Parker and John Coltrane! The book was written from hours and hours of ... read more Book
Freddy Fresh —
Freddy Fresh Presents The Rap Records – Revised 2nd Edition ... Book Freddy Fresh, 2007. New Copy ... $14.99 39.99
If you liked the first volume of this essential book, you'll love this revised edition – because it's almost 3 times bigger, and stuffed with great new features! The book's a lifetime labor of love for Freddy Fresh – an extensive discography that's got to be the most definitive book on ... read more Book
Will Friedwald —
Great Jazz & Pop Vocal Albums (hardcover) ... Book Pantheon, 2017. New Copy ... $6.99 40.00
One of the greatest writers on singers presents his essential collection of albums from the 20th century – all served up with the kind of loving detail that's always made the prose of Will Friedwald so great! Will's written the book on Frank Sinatra – literally – and on Tony ... read more Book
(Spine has a small remainder mark.)
Gary Giddins —
Bing Crosby – Swinging On A Star – The War Years 1940 to 1946 (hardcover) ... Book Little Brown, 2018. New Copy ... $8.99 40.00
Gary Giddins' great second chapter in the career of Bing Crosby – handled with all the same detail and deep knowledge of the music as the first volume – and continuing this much-needed look at one of the most important figures in pop music during the 20th Century! Crosby helped forge ... read more Book
(Spine has a small remainder mark.)
Justin Gifford —
Street Poison – The Biography Of Iceberg Slim (hardcover) ... Book Doubleday, 2015. New Copy ... $4.99 26.95
The legendary Iceberg Slim has given us plenty of his own story over the years – but this book is the first to look at the man behind the man – writer Robert Beck, who started as a pimp and became a surprisingly successful author – as well as an underground figure who inspired a ... read more Book
(Spine has a small remainder mark.)
Powerhouse Books, 2013. New Copy ... $12.99 75.00
A massive book of beautiful photographs from the 50s, 60s, and 70s – all done by photographer Ormond Gigli, who worked heavily for Life, Time, and other publications at the time! The book is huge – almost like one of those large Taschen books – and each page presents a stunning ... read more Book
Yale University Press, 2016. New Copy ... $6.99 30.00
Ralph J Gleason might just be one of the coolest cats to ever write about music – a key part of the San Francisco scene during the postwar years – where his talents helped illuminate both the worlds of art and music during the beat generation – then really helped shine a spotlight ... read more Book
Robert Gordon —
Memphis Rent Party – The Blues, Rock & Soul In Music's Hometown (hardcover) ... Book Bloomsbury, 2018. New Copy ... $6.99 28.00
One of the best writers on Memphis gives us a journey through his musical hometown – portrayed through chapters that focus on some of the city's most legendary figures – including James Carr, Sam Phillips, Jim Dickenson, Robert Johnson, Charlie Feathers, Jeff Buckley, Tav Falco, Bobby ... read more Book
(Spine has a small remainder mark.)
Colin Grant —
Natural Mystics – Marley, Tosh, & Wailer (hardcover) ... Book WW Norton, 2011. New Copy ... $6.99 26.95
A very well-written book – especially in comparison to the fluffy Bob Marley books that usually litter the market – and a much deeper look at the role of The Wailers, and the triangulated sense of character that hung between Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer! The book gives equal ... read more Book
Al Green & Davin Seay —
Take Me To The River – An Autobiography (paperback) ... Book Chicago Review Press, 2000/2009. New Copy Book ... $4.99 14.95
The story of one of greatest soul singers of all time, and also one who is living a fascinating journey, to say the very least – the great Al Green! The Arkansas born, Memphis soul legend tells his story to music writer Davin Seay, from his years reinventing southern soul music through his ... read more Book
(2009 Chicago Review Press reprint.)
Black Cat, 2005. New Copy ... $4.99 16.00
The story of Guided By Voices – a group who labored in the American underground for quite some time before finding big fame – a story that makes the group's success far more interesting than most! The book details all the work and time that Robert Pollard put into getting the group ... read more Book
Peter Guralnick —
Sam Phillips – The Man Who Invented Rock N Roll ... Book Little Brown, 2015. New Copy ... $2.99 19.99
The story of one of the all-time greats – told by one of the all-time greats – the full tale of Sun Records founder Sam Phillips, told by southern music giant Peter Guaralnick! Long before he rose to fame as the man who discovered Elvis Presley, Sam Phillips was already humming strong ... read more Book
(Spine has a small remainder mark.)
UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center, 2012. New Copy ... $6.99 19.95
A fascinating look at the world of Mexican music in the 20th Century – put together in collaboration with Arhoolie Records, the label that's done plenty to reissue the music over the years! The book begins with the huge archive of recordings by the label's founder, Chris Strachwitz – ... read more Book
Joe Hagan —
Sticky Fingers – The Life & Times Of Jann Wenner & Rolling Stone Magazine (hardcover) ... Book Canongate (UK), 2017. New Copy ... $8.99 32.00
A mighty tribute to the legendary Jann Wenner – a humble editor by trade, but one who forever shaped the world of rock music and journalism with his magazine Rolling Stone! Wenner came along at just the right time to be able to provide just the right platform for a new sort of writer, and ... read more Book
David Hamsley —
To Disco With Love – The Records That Defined An Era (hardcover) ... Book Flatiron Books, 2015. New Copy ... $6.99 19.99
Way more than just a simple book of record cover images – and instead a love letter to the sound and style of the disco generation – put together from classic album artwork, and augmented by thoughtful musings by the author! The book features full color reproductions of over 250 album ... read more Book
(The spine has a small remainder mark.)
Ele-King (Japan), 2020. New Copy ... $34.99
A really insane guide to video game music – one that features album and CD releases, but also music that only saw issue within the games too – hence the "beyond the discs" in the title! The book follows a similar format to other Japanese disc guides – and the contents ... read more Book
Ajay Heble & Rob Wallace —
People Get Ready – The Future Of Jazz Is Now ... Book Duke, 2013. New Copy ... $5.99 26.95
The future of jazz is now, even if it's in the past – as the editors here bring together a selection of essays that document the forward-thinking movements in jazz from the mid 60s onwards – some of which are only getting full appreciation all these many years later! There's a nice ... read more Book
Duke University Press, 2020. New Copy ... $18.99 25.95
A fascinating look at a very unique musical scene – Iranian music created in Los Angeles, a city that's home to the largest Iranian population outside of the homeland! Author Farzaneh Hemmasi spent years doing ethnographic fieldwork in the city – and presents a richly detailed portrait ... read more Book
Lucky Kind, 2021. New Copy ... $13.99 14.99
A small book of notes from author Dave Hoekstra – designed to accompany the documentary of the same name, and like that film – a volume to tell the overlooked tale of this lost center of Midwestern music! The 42 page book is less of an historical tome, than added notes for the film ... read more Book
Barney Hoskyns, ed —
Joni – The Anthology (hardcover) ... Book Picador, 2017. New Copy ... $6.99 26.00
Barney Hoskyns is normally the writer – but this time around, he acts as editor – to pull together a wealth of writing on the lovely Joni Mitchell – from early press at the start of her career, to reviews of her records from major press outlets of the 70s, to important reflections ... read more Book
(Small remainder mark on spine.)
Kenney Jones —
Let The Good Times Roll – My Life In Small Faces, Faces & The Who (hardcover) ... Book Thomas Dunne, 2018. New Copy ... $8.99 29.99
Drummer Kenney Jones finally gets his time in the spotlight – a fantastic force on the drumkit, and maybe one of the few who could replace the late Keith Moon in The Who – not to mention a core element in the great sound of both The Faces and Small Faces, plus some of the early Rod ... read more Book
(Spine has a small remainder mark.)
Reel Art, 2018. New Copy ... $34.99 45.00
Beautiful posters from a huge legacy in film – 100 years' worth of images that were used to promote black cinema – with entries that run from the early silent era, through unusual mid-century material, 70s blacksploitation movies, and both mainstream and indie films from later decades! ... read more Book
Powerhouse Books, 2018. New Copy ... $8.99 40.00
Here's a book that will immediately wipe away any Orange Is The New Black fantasies you might have about prison – as the heavy volume is filled with images from the Cook County jail, located in our fair city of Chicago – presented here with an unwavering eye, in a series of portraits, ... read more Book
Lawrence Kumpf, Don Cherry, & Others —
Organic Music Societies – Don Cherry ... Book Blank Forms, 2021. New Copy ... Just Sold Out!
A much-needed look at a crucial chapter in the career of trumpeter Don Cherry – his overseas time on the European scene, where Don experimented with new organic music forms, alternatives to mainstream society, and a much larger cultural milieu than jazz! Cherry's organic music period has ... read more Book
Paul Lester —
Gang Of Four – Damaged Gods ... Book Omnibus (UK), 2008. New Copy ... $5.99 20.99
The first-ever book on Gang Of Four – one of our favorite groups of all time – served up by the writer who also gave us an important book on The Wire! Paul Lester's writing style is maybe a bit loose here – different than a completely in-depth look at the group and its influence ... read more Book
Shawn Levy —
Dolce Vita Confidential – Fellini, Loren, Pucci, Paparazzi & The Swinging High Life Of 1950s Rome (hardcover) ... Book Norton, 2016. New Copy ... $6.99 27.95
Italy was hit hard in the postwar years – as you've no doubt seen in the urban landscapes of neo-realist directors from the time – but the city of Rome was one of the first places to really bounce back, and was ablaze with new cultural activity during the 50s! The story of that scene ... read more Book
Norton/Kicks, 2014. New Copy ... $18.99 19.95
The incredible rise and too-fast fall of the late Bobby Fuller – the southwest rocker who gave the world the classic "I Fought The Law", then died as a beaten, broken man in a car fire in 1966! The book tells the full story of Bobby's life and music from the perspective of his ... read more Book
Bruno MacDonald —
Greatest Albums You'll Never Hear – Unreleased Records By The World's Greatest Musicians (hardcover) ... Book Aurum (UK), 2014. New Copy ... $8.99 28.00
A really cool look at albums that never happened – planned projects that were almost produced, but which fell apart at some point in the creative process – leading to a surprisingly large legacy of lost albums by some of rock music's biggest stars! Sure, everyone knows a few of these ... read more Book
Sal Maida, Mitchell Cohen, & Friends —
White Label Promo Preservation Society – 100 Flop Albums You Ought To Know ... Book HoZac, 2021. New Copy ... $28.99
A really great idea for a book on records – and one that's completely different than most that we've seen before! Unlike other books of this nature, which are filled with "essential" or "classic" records – this book is full of flops, or records that never really hit ... read more Book
Man Ray/Tate (UK), 2016. New Copy ... $15.99 45.00
The first full edition of the writings of Man Ray – an artist who's best known for his important contributions to the worlds of Dada and Surrealism in the 20th Century – but also a surprisingly sensitive theoretician, one whose comments on his work and his world offer up a very ... read more Book
Ele-King (Japan), 2020. New Copy ... $32.99
An unusual Japanese book on the music of the genius German group Can – one that's half history, half discography – including a fair bit of listings for later projects and related works by members of the group! If you can't read Japanese, there's not much for you in the first half of ... read more Book
William Meyers —
Outer Boroughs – New York Beyond Manhattan (hardcover) ... Book Damiani (Italy), 2015. New Copy ... $6.99 50.00
New York far beyond Times Square and tourist sites – served up here in a beautiful book of black and white photographs from the other four boroughs of the city! Over the course of decades, photographer William Meyers took random subways to Queens, The Bronx, and Brooklyn – and the ... read more Book
Ethan Michaeli —
Defender – How The Legendary Black Newspaper Changed America (hardcover) ... Book Houghton Mifflin, 2016. New Copy ... $6.99 32.00
We're ultra-proud to be Chicagoans – and one of the many things that makes is proud is The Chicago Defender – our city's famous African-American newspaper, easily one of the best and most important in a long legacy of progressive 20th Century publications! This very hefty book tells ... read more Book
(Spine has a small remainder mark.)
Barry Miles —
Zapple Diaries – The Rise & Fall Of The Last Beatles Label (hardcover) ... Book Peter Owens (UK), 2015. New Copy ... $6.99 26.95
A really cool look at a label that was maybe one of the hippest things the Beatles ever did – the short-lived Zapple imprint – which was part of their main Apple label, but dedicated to more experimental work from a variety of musicians and writers! The imprint is perhaps best ... read more Book
Tim Mohr —
Burning Down The Haus – Punk Rock, Revolution & The Fall Of The Berlin Wall (hardcover) ... Book Algonquin Books Of Chapel Hill, 2018. New Copy ... $6.99 28.95
That's not a typo in the title – as this "haus" is the city of Berlin in the 80s – or more specifically, East Berlin – home to a punk rock underground that had a surprising amount of political power as the decade moved on! Berlin on the other side of the wall was home ... read more Book
(The spine has a small remainder mark.)
Natalie Y Moore —
South Side – A Portrait Of Chicago & American Segregation (hardcover) ... Book St Martins, 2016. New Copy ... $6.99 28.99
A personal look at the south side of our hometown of Chicago – one that traces historical patterns of growth and segregation, and looks at the area as both one of the city's dark secrets and its overlooked strengths! Author Natalie Y Moore grew up on the south side, and spent years reporting ... read more Book
Rittor (Japan), 2019. New Copy ... $34.99
A beautiful book that looks at the rise of the cheesecake album cover in the 50s – partly in the world of easy listening and mood music, but also in some other surprising genres too! The book is put together by the Japanese Rittor company, who've given us other great "disc guides" ... read more Book
Michael Nesmith —
Infinite Tuesday – An Autobiographical Riff (hardcover) ... Book Crown Archetype, 2017. New Copy ... $8.99 28.00
To those in the know, Mike Nesmith has always been way more than a Monkee – a genius at business, a sensitive songwriter, and a guy who's had a hand in so many key moments in music and culture – even if he doesn't always take credit for his work! That understated quality has always ... read more Book
(Spine has a small remainder mark.)
Ele-King (Japan), 2020. New Copy ... $29.99
A special sort of Japanese disc guide – one that focuses on the key recordings in gangsta rap from the 80s onward – served up here in the usual format of these publications! As you might guess, the text is all in Japanese – but the book is filled with hundreds of album covers, ... read more Book
Anne Stewart O'Donnell —
Motawi Tileworks – Contemporary Handcrafted Tiles In The Arts & Crafts Tradition (hardcover) ... Book Pomegranate, 2008. New Copy ... $8.99 29.95
A beautiful book that really follows up the image on the cover – offering up dozens of full color illustrations of contemporary ceramic work with a very vintage vibe – all tiles created by the Motawi Tileworks company in Ann Arbor, Michigan! The book is full color – and although ... read more Book
Mitsuru Ogawa —
Jazz Meets Europe – European Disc Guide ... Book Ele-King (Japan), 2020. New Copy ... $36.99
Here's a book that we wish we had way back when we started digging for rare jazz vinyl – as the whole thing is a fantastic guide to some of the coolest, most interesting European jazz rarities – presented here with full color images of the covers, and English listings of the labels, ... read more Book
Penguin Books, 2016. New Copy ... $4.99 16.00
The stories that inspired the legendary Pal Joey musical and film – but almost even more amazing on their own! The book came out of a series of short pieces that John O'Hara wrote for the New Yorker – done as letters from a low-level singer on the road to a pal back in New York City ... read more Book
(The spine has a small remainder mark.)
Todd Oldham —
Strange Stories – The Pohotography Of Gerald Davis (hardcover) ... Book AMMO, 2014. New Copy ... $10.99 39.95
The cover image should be more than enough to let you know that you're in some pretty offbeat territory – and with Todd Oldham at the helm, the whole thing's a great guide through the wild and weird world of photographer Gerald Davis! Davis takes pictures of people, but he often does so in a ... read more Book
Yoko Ono —
Half A Wind Show – A Retrospective (hardcover) ... Book Prestel, 2013. New Copy ... $6.99 60.00
An amazing testament to the continuing genius of Yoko Ono – a beautiful monograph from a career's worth of work – filled with images that will have you thinking of Yoko as way more than just the wife of a famous Beatle! The book goes back to some of Ono's earliest years – with ... read more Book
Elizabeth Partridge —
This Land Was Made For You & Me – The Life & Songs Of Woody Guthrie (hardcover) ... Book Viking, 2002. New Copy Book ... $4.99 21.99
A stunner of of a biography on The Life And Songs Of Woody Guthrie – titled This Land Is Your Land, apporpriately enough – a National Book Award finalist for author Elizabeth Partridge! To research, Partridge spent time with Guthrie friends, peers, family and influencees, from Pete ... read more Book
Albert D Patterson —
Beats To The Rhyme – A Collection Of Instrumental Hip Hop Records For The Beat Connoisseur (hardcover – with bonus CD) ... Book Gingko Press, 2013. New Copy ... $6.99 24.95
Think you know hip hop records? Think again – because if you only know the commercially released and vocal versions of the material, then you only know half the story – because among true collectors, the instrumental wax can be even more in-demand! This book opens up that secret world ... read more Book
(Includes bonus CD mixed by DJ Spair!)
Brownswood (UK), 2021. New Copy ... $79.99
A truly remarkable book, and unlike anything else we've ever seen – part discography, part photography, part travelogue – and together, an amazing testament to both the human spirit, and the power of music to see us all through! Gilles Peterson put the book together as something of a ... read more Book
Soul Jazz (UK), 2020. New Copy ... $40.99 49.99
A beautiful book of ultra-rare album cover art – Cuban records from the 50s through the 90s – a fair bit of which were never available here in the US market! The book follows similar projects by Stuart Baker under the Soul Jazz imprint – but this one is maybe even more essential, ... read more Book
Duke University Press, 2019. New Copy ... $20.99 29.99
A fantastic look at the music of Henry Cow – that important British band of the 70s, and a key bridge between the worlds of art, experimentation, politics, and improvisation at the time! Henry Cow trafficked in ideas that were fairly intellectual, but the group had a way of bringing them ... read more Book
Sun Ra —
Extensions Out – Four Poetry Books 1957 to 1972 ... Book Corbett vs. Dempsey, 2021. New Copy ... $42.99 50.00
An incredible package – one that brings together four rare publications by Sun Ra – printed words that are every bit as groundbreaking as his music – and which together represent the farther-flung corners of his vast cultural enterprise! The set represents each of the texts in ... read more Book
St Martins, 2013. New Copy ... $4.99 22.99
The title's a bit misleading – as there's not really any noise going on here, and the main focus is on lyricism – given that the author spends his time interviewing a huge array of famous songwriters for this project! The book is very large, and features author Daniel Rachel ... read more Book
Soul Jazz (UK), 2011. New Copy ... $35.99 39.99
A magnificent document of a very unique cultural moment – the voguing ballroom world of the New York scene at the end of the 80s! The book is filled with beautiful vintage photographs that really get at the complexity of the ballroom scene – the cross-gender, cross-class, cross-fashion ... read more Book
Mark Ribowsky —
Dreams To Remember – Otis Redding, Stax Records & The Transformation Of Southern Soul (hardcover) ... Book Liveright, 2015. New Copy ... $5.99 27.95
A hefty book on the great Otis Redding – one of the best soul singers of all time, even though he left this planet all too soon! Redding's career on record was less than a decade long, but marked by a huge amount of work – not just time in the studio, with the legendary Stax Records ... read more Book
(Spine has a small remainder mark.)
Robbie Robertson —
Testimony ... Book Three Rivers, 2016. New Copy ... $5.99 18.00
Robbie Robertson has always spoken volumes with his guitar, but this well-written memoir reveals him to be quite a man of letters, too – over the course of nearly 500 pages that chart Robertson's long musical career – from early work with Ronnie Hawkins, to his time with Bob Dylan, and ... read more Book
(Spine has a small remainder mark.)
Sharon Robinson —
On Tour With Leonard Cohen (hardcover) ... Book Powerhouse Books, 2014. New Copy ... $8.99 45.00
A close-up view of Leonard Cohen during his 2009 worldwide tour – served up over the course of almost 200 photos taken by Sharon Robinson, who was embedded with Cohen during the tour, and had continual access to its process! These aren't the usual stage or backstage shots – although ... read more Book
Powerhouse Books, 2012. New Copy ... $8.99 39.95
A fantastic collection of images from Times Square, pulled from the years before Disney took over – at a time when the action moved 24 hours a day, and at a non-stop pace! Bill Butterworth was right on the streets during the early 80s – and presents stunning full color shots of a range ... read more Book
Claus Schreiner —
Musica Brasileira – A History Of Popular Music & The People Of Brazil (paperback) ... Book Marion Boyars Publishers (UK), 2002. New Copy ... $3.99 16.95
A history of popular Brazilian music from Claus Schriener – a nice and very far reaching reference as well as a more personal view of the diverse, amazing wealth of great music to come from the country over many years! Schriener blends portraits of Brazil's most iconic musical figures as ... read more Book
Little Brown, 2017. New Copy ... $8.99 50.00
A very unusual sort of diary from writer David Sedaris – but maybe that's what we'd expect, given that Sedaris has always been something of an unusual figure himself! The book does feature diary entries, often from moments when Sedaris was visiting a certain place – but there's also a ... read more Book
HoZac, 2020. New Copy ... $16.99 20.00
An incredible document of the punk and post punk era live music scene in Chicago by Brian Shanley – a photographer and designer who shot so many iconic bands and did design work for Wax Trax Records early on – and this book of his black & whites is pretty breathtaking if you have ... read more Book
Rittor (Japan), 2013/2020. New Copy ... $29.99
Not just obscure sounds, but a host of rare records too – served up in this wonderful Japanese discography that will have you digging for lots of gems you've never heard before! The book is an ultra-cool guide to obscure records – and like other Japanese discographies, it's got plenty ... read more Book
University Of Chicago, 2020. New Copy ... $25.99 30.00
One of the most unique books to ever look at the music of Sun Ra – and one that's very near and dear to our hearts, given that the role of Chicago is seen as vital to the development of the music! The book digs very deep into Ra's early years – time that isn't covered in as much ... read more Book
Kathy Sloane —
Keystone Korner – Portrait Of A Jazz Club (with bonus CD) ... Book Indiana University Press, 2011. New Copy ... $4.99 40.00
A beautiful portrait of one of the most important jazz clubs on the west coast scene of the 70s – the legendary Keystone Korner, a name you might recognize from the dozens of great albums that were recorded at the venue! The book has a very cool approach – in that it lets the many ... read more Book
City Files, 2015. New Copy ... $8.99 45.00
A beautiful combination of words and image – as the poetry of Patricia Smith is combined with vintage 70s photographs by Michael Abramson – the same sort of material that was featured in the Light On The Southside book/album from the Numero Group! This presentation is quite different ... read more Book
Snorri Bros —
Laundromat (hardcover) ... Book Powerhouse Books, 2013. New Copy ... $6.99 40.00
The title's no lie, as the book is exactly what is promised – a surprisingly cool photo book that documents the laundromats of New York City – conveniently divided up into different chapters for each borough, with the real address of each location as well! Every image has the same ... read more Book
Gemma Solana & Antonio Boneu —
Uncredited – Graphic Design & Opening Titles In Movies (hardcover) ... Book Gingko Press, 2013. New Copy ... $9.99 55.00
An art book on a format that almost never gets is full due – that of the opening credit sequences in cinema – often a whole genre of film unto themselves! Fortunately, the authors correct the big lack of writing on the mode – and offer up hundreds of pages that reproduce opening ... read more Book
(Includes DVD.)
Robert E Steele/David C Driskell Center, 2012. New Copy ... $6.99 25.00
A well-done monograph for a show that ran at the University Of Maryland – and one that stands well enough on its own, given the amount of history and information included with the images! The book follows the spirit of the exhibition – and not only includes a timeline of creative ... read more Book
Ellin Stein —
That's Not Funny, That's Sick – The National Lampoon & The Comedy Insurgents Who Captured The Mainstream (hardcover) ... Book WW Norton, 2013. New Copy ... $4.99 27.95
Not the first book on the groundbreaking comedy of the National Lampoon – but a very detailed document of the fantastic story of the magazine – a publication that not only shaped our sensibilities in the 70s, but also had a pretty big impact on radio, recording, and film as well! The ... read more Book
Travis D Stimeling —
Country Music Reader ... Book Oxford, 2014. New Copy ... $8.99 39.95
A great survey of important writings on country music from the earliest years to the present – one that doesn't just focus on the work of historians and music journalists, but also includes material from popular magazines, fan newsletters, trade publications, and even the artists themselves! ... read more Book
Jcopy (Japan), 2016. New Copy ... $32.99
One of the coolest books on turntable culture we've ever seen – a really lovely book that features dozens and dozens of Japanese portable turntables – each laid out with lots of photos, model information, and listing of the features too! The book is similar to some of the Japanese ... read more Book
Pat Thomas —
Did It – From Yippie To Yuppie – Jerry Rubin An American Revolutionary (hardcover) ... Book Fantagraphics, 2017. New Copy ... $8.99 49.99
A surprisingly beautiful book on the famous 60s radical Jerry Rubin – one that's not only the first-ever look at the man's life, politics, and influence – but one that's also presented in a lavishly visual style that really conveys the crossroads of art and ideas of which Rubin was a ... read more Book
Dempsey Travis —
Autobiography Of Black Chicago ... Book Bolden, 1981. New Copy ... $4.99 17.00
A well-known book around these parts – and a very important piece of Chicago history! The playful title is no mistake – as Dempsey Travis tells the story of black Chicago through his own history – his youth on the south side, rise as an important African-American businessman, and ... read more Book
Fuel (UK), 2020. New Copy ... $25.99 32.95
Jonny Trunk's a man who's given us plenty of great music over the years – his fantastic productions on the Trunk Records label – but this time around, he's presenting us with something sweeter – hundreds of rare candy wrappers from the 20th Century, mixed with some soda cans and a ... read more Book
Fuel Design (UK), 2005. New Copy ... $42.99 55.00
An incredible guide to sound library music around the world – one that features artwork from countless different labels, and brief notes on their history and output! The package is quite unique – not really a discography, not really an art book – but kind of a mix of both – ... read more Book
Reel Art (UK), 2019. New Copy ... $30.99 39.95
A decade's worth of images from one of the hippest jazz clubs on the planet – London's Ronnie Scott's, which was home to some of the best performances in the city in the 60s! Photographer Freddy Warren was there through much of the decade – almost a fly on the wall for his access to ... read more Book
Ben Watson —
Derek Bailey & The Story Of Free Improvisation ... Book Verso, 2013. New Copy ... $6.99 26.95
An incredibly deep book on the life and music of Derek Bailey – the British guitarist who really helped push the sound of free improvisation forward in the 60s and 70s, then continued with a legacy of creative music for decades more! Ben Watson knocks it out of the park with this one – ... read more Book
