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A special selection of disc guides and discographies, music history, record art books, graphic novels, and some nicely-priced remainders!
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(Items 1 – 71 of 71)
Taschen, 2017. New Copy ... $24.99 39.99
The rowdy road antics of the legendary Fab Four – captured here in a wealth of candid shots during their last two years of global touring – and presented here in glorious black and white! Photographer Harry Benson had unfettered access to the group during these years – and the ... read more Book
Smak/Prestel (Germany), 2009. New Copy ... $4.99 60.00
Dara Birnbaum is a video artist, which means that her artwork is often not as easy to see as that of painters or photographers – who can be easily distilled into book, poster, or postcard format – yet this book does a pretty great job of providing an overview of Birnbaum's massive ... read more Book
Primary Information, 2018. New Copy ... $24.99 34.00
One of the coolest discographies you'll ever see in your life – a special book devoted to ultra-rare records created by artists as well as musicians – first published in 1989, and filled with a wealth of obscure records from the 50s through the 80s! Musical styles run from avant jazz ... read more Book
(Limited edition – and comes with a bonus flexidisc!)
Victor Bockris —
Transformer – The Complete Lou Reed Story ... Book Harper (UK), 2014. New Copy ... $6.99 18.00
Lou Reed gave us some mighty fascinating music over his many years of recording – and the man himself also led an equally fascinating life – one that's covered here in very great detail, in a hefty biography that begins with Reed's troubled life as a child, to his early years moving ... read more Book
Cyrus Bozorgmehr —
Once Upon A Time In Shaolin – The Untold Story Of Wu Tang Clan's Million Dollar Secret Album, The Devaluation Of Music, & America's New Public Enemy No 1 (hardcover) ... Book Flatiron Books, 2017. New Copy ... $4.99 26.99
The amazing story of the Wu-Tang's one-copy, million dollar album – a record that may be one of the greatest hoaxes in modern music, or a true marriage of hip hop and the art world! The record is hardly canonical material from the group, but it does represent a fascinating 21st Century ... read more Book
Riverhead Books, 2015. New Copy ... $6.99 27.95
You know her from Sleater-Kinney, you love her on Portlandia, and you'll soon discover that Carrie Brownstein is a hell of a writer, too – able to tell her tale with all the wit she's brought to recent TV work, but also with the kind of openly powerful words that she first gave us with her ... read more Book
(Spine has a small remainder mark.)
Grove Press, 1962. New Copy ... $5.99 16.00
60s brilliance from William S Burroughs – not only a key book in the development of his cut-up writing technique, but also a hell of a rollicking read from start to finish! As you'd guess from the cut-up, the writing is a bit fragmented – but that also serves to really abstract the sci ... read more Book
Rob Chapman —
Psychedelia & Other Colours (hardcover) ... Book Faber & Faber (UK), 2015. New Copy ... $4.99 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
Octopus Books (UK), 2017. New Copy ... $8.99 39.99
A day-by-day list of important dates in hip hop – starting in 1973, and running all the way up to the present! Given that Chuck D's the man in charge, the set focuses most strongly on the 80s and early 90s – with very strong chapters on 1984 through 1995 – where date after date ... read more Book
A Alyce Claerbaut/Bolden, 2015. New Copy ... $11.99 35.00
A beautiful tribute to one of the greatest composers of the 20th Century – Duke Ellington's longtime musical partner, the mighty Billy Strayhorn! The book presents Billy's life and music in a really great format – using songs as sidebars amidst the larger text – which is then ... read more Book
Annie Cohen Solal/Thames & Hudson (UK), 2014. New Copy ... $6.99 35.00
A stunningly vivid portrait of New York in the postwar years – a time when the city's already-strong hold on American culture was taken to its apex – as the city became home to some of the most important artists, actors, writers, and creative forces of the generation! The book is ... read more Book
Hat & Beard, 2018. New Copy ... $52.99 60.00
A beautiful expansion of a famous moment in creative journalism – the famous 1968 issue of Esquire magazine that featured William S Burroughs, Terry Southern, Allen Ginsberg, Jean Genet, and Abbie Hoffman at the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago! The results of that tumultuous event have ... read more Book
University Of Chicago, 2019. New Copy ... $22.99 30.00
Writer John Corbett has given us words on a huge variety of musical styles over the years – a fair bit of them left field and avant – but this time around, he's tackling the full range of 70s rock, pop, and soul music – in a huge book that's unlike anything he's ever written ... read more Book
Polygon (UK), 2016. New Copy ... $6.99 14.99
Stuart Cosgrove has turned us on to plenty of music over the years – we first began reading his NME articles many years back – and this time around, he delivers a wonderfully detailed history about his youth as a fanatic for American soul music on the UK scene! Cosgrove was lucky ... read more 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.)
University Of Chicago, 2017. New Copy ... $26.99 35.00
Way more than just another book of album cover art – as this impressive volume presents countless images from the evolution of blues music in the 20th Century, alongside detailed writings that also try to explore visual trends, tropes of representation, and the larger role of the music in an ... read more Book
Ericka Blount Danois —
Love Peace & Soul – Behind The Scenes Of America's Favorite Dance Show – Soul Train Classic Moments ... Book Back Beat, 2013. New Copy ... $4.99 24.99
One of the greatest soul music TV shows ever (and one that originated in Chicago, too!) – presented here in deep detail with loads of interesting stories and anecdotes too! The book's almost a more personal history of the show than a technical one – but that's OK with us, because it ... read more Book
Sterling, 2013. New Copy ... $6.99 24.95
As the frontman for The Kinks, Ray Davies has always given us a wonderful picture of his native England – so we're already on board with his look at our homeland in this compelling blend of history, essay, and memoir! The book has Davies looking at different strands of America through ... read more Book
Fantagraphics, 2013. New Copy ... $4.99 35.00
An amazing collection of 40s and 50s jazz drawings by Gene Deitch – the complete anthology of his work for legendary jazz magazine Record Changer! Gene was an amazing artist and cartoonist, whose work helped solidify the legacies of some of the most famous cartoon characters in the American ... read more Book
(These copies may be slighly shop worn.)
Prestel (Germany), 2015. New Copy ... $15.99 60.00
A treasure trove of beautiful objects designed at mid-century – all creations of designer Peter Muller Munk – German by birth, and part of the wave of creative talent to come to America during wartime – which meant that we got to reap all the benefits of Peter's genius! Famous ... read more Book
Albin Michel (France), 2016. New Copy ... $22.99 120.00
Artist Obey created an amazing installation to draw awareness to climate change – a huge globe suspended in the middle of the Eiffel Tower, emblazoned with images to call attention to the worldwide crisis! This huge book not only replicates the artwork on the globe, but also offers up some ... read more Book
Scott Faragher/Hal Leonard, 2011. New Copy ... $8.99 24.99
A heavy-duty look at one of our favorite instruments of all time – the mighty Hammond Organ, a keyboard that forever changed the sound of jazz, soul, and even rock and roll on the US scene of the 50s, 60s, and 70s! The book is huge – a fully-illustrated history of the electric organ in ... read more Book
Hat & Beard, 2019. New Copy ... Just Sold Out!
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
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 ... $5.99 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.)
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.)
Thom GIlbert —
Soul – Memphis' Original Sound (hardcover) ... Book Officina Libraria (Italy), 2014. New Copy ... $11.99 65.00
A visual love letter to the Memphis music scene – served up in a hefty, oversized book that's overflowing with beautiful photographs, and a bit of commentary from the musicians themselves! The largest part of the book is contemporary portraits of musical greats from the 50s onward – ... read more Book
AMMO, 2015. New Copy ... $8.99 29.95
Rock and roll artwork from Michael Gillette – an artist you might know from album covers or other work for groups and singers over the past 20 years – and one who's also really kept up the theme in the rest of his creations too! Gilette kind of reworks an older aesthetic with all sorts ... 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.)
Jonathan Gould —
Otis Redding – An Unfinished Life (hardcover) ... Book Crown Archetype, 2017. New Copy ... $6.99 30.00
A huge book on the too-short, but very tremendous life and music of Otis Redding – a man who definitely lived an unfinished life, given that he died tragically in 1968 – but also had a chance to forever shape the sound of soul music in the space of less than a decade! The author takes ... read more Book
(Spine has a small remainder mark.)
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.)
Peter Guralnick —
Sam Phillips – The Man Who Invented Rock N Roll ... Book Little Brown, 2015. New Copy ... $4.99 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.)
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
Rittor (Japan), 2017. New Copy ... $18.99
A beautiful book on the decades of recorded output from one of our favorite composers ever – the legendary Michel Legrand – an artist known to most folks for his famous soundtracks of the 60s and 70s – but also a jazz musician, singer, and even a very groovy instrumental arranger! ... 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.)
HarperCollins, 2017. New Copy ... $6.99 27.99
A really great look at the complexity of Sarah Vaughn – a volume that balances equally between an understanding of her music and a look at her often-private life – with a fair bit more detail than we've ever seen before! Sarah was neither tragic nor as public as some of her ... read more Book
(Spine has a remainder mark.)
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
David C Driskell Center, 2018. New Copy ... $4.99 25.00
A collection of self-portraits by African-American artists of the 20th century – but one that goes way beyond the standard modes of the form – laid out here in full page illustrations from an exhibition at the Driskell center in Maryland! The book includes paintings, sculpture, ... read more 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.)
Faber & Faber (UK), 2015. New Copy ... $6.99 22.95
The full story of Sandy Denny – one of the most important female voices to rise from the British scene at the end of the 60s – and a singer who left this planet all too soon! Author Mich Houghton previously gave us a fantastic look at Elektra Records, and this time around his writing ... read more Book
Almighty & Insane Books, 2018. New Copy ... $25.99 30.00
An Almighty & Insane book that goes a little further back to the old school street gang era – presenting vintage business cards from Chicago gang members from as far back as the 60s and through the 70s – a means of street communication from the days before modern technology we've ... read more Book
Old House (UK), 1967/2013. New Copy ... $4.99 9.95
Take a trip back to 1967 – the glory days of the London fashion scene, when Carnaby Street styles were all the rage, and the city was having a huge impact on the world of style! A big part of London's impact was its selection of small shops and exclusive boutiques – and this book, ... read more Book
Equinox (UK), 2018. New Copy ... $24.99 29.99
The story of Mark Murphy – one of our favorite jazz singers of all time – written by Peter Jones, also a jazz singer himself! Jones is London-based, and as such, does a really great job of capturing the ongoing enthusiasm and excitement about Murphy's career that was always a big part ... read more Book
Aurum (UK), 2013. New Copy ... $5.99 14.95
A behind-the-scenes look at The Kinks – a group you'll know for their fantastic music of the 60s and 70s, but who also have a much larger tale behind their songs! The book certainly offers up plenty of history on the group, and strong appreciation of their music – but it also opens up ... read more Book
Hat & Beard, 2019. New Copy ... $52.99 60.00
A beautiful complement to the groundbreaking Big Ears music festival in Knoxville – an annual event that keeps on pushing the boundaries of listening, with a challenging roster of sonic activity that just keeps on getting better and better over the years! In the introduction, Ben Ratliff ... read more Book
(Also includes a download card – to download performances from the festival over the years!)
Jeff Kaliss —
I Want To Take You Higher – The Life & Times Of Sly & The Family Stone (paperback) ... Book Back Beat, 2008. New Copy ... $5.99 16.99
The heady life and even hipper music of Sly Stone – told here by an author who managed to get Stone's participation on the project! The book focuses most strongly on Sly's rise to fame and key late 60s/early 70s years – a time when his records not only changed the face of soul music, ... read more Book
Damiani (Italy), 2015. New Copy ... $6.99 45.00
A great reworking of the classic street photography mode – served up here in a host of contemporary images by David Lykes Keenan, but with an approach that really links him back to a longer tradition in the genre! Keenan's images here are all black and white – but more than that, they ... read more Book
Herb Kent & David Smallwood —
Cool Gent – The Nine Lives Of Radio Legend Herb Kent (hardcover) ... Book Lawrence Hill Books, 2010. New Copy ... $4.99 24.95
A Chicago legend finally gets his due – the legendary Herb Kent, who was known as the "Cool Gent" on radio – and also ended up working on TV, and also playing a big part in the city's steppers scene in the 90s! Herb was a real trailblazer – part of a Chicago generation ... read more Book
Rizzoli, 2016. New Copy ... $20.99 65.00
A lavish art book on the Sex Pistols – the kind that Johnny Rotten would have gobbed at back in 1976 – but which we're more than happy to have all these many years later! Jon Savage provides a very detailed timeline of the group and their activities throughout the book – ... read more Book
(Please note: These copies have some light wear, but are fine overall.)
Hat & Beard, 2019. New Copy ... $56.99 65.00
A special side of the legacy of photographer George Rodriguez – an important force for capturing the famous and glamourous in the 20th Century, but also a hell of a documentarian too! This book brings together George's images on both sides of the spectrum – great portraits and candid ... read more Book
Preston Lauterbach —
Beale Street Dynasty – Sex, Song, & The Struggle For The Soul Of Memphis (hardcover) ... Book WW Norton, 2015. New Copy ... $4.99 26.95
A very well-written account of one of the most important musical streets in America – and one that get way past all the tourist hype and trappings of contemporary Beale Street in Memphis today! Instead, the author really goes back – to some of the much earlier years of the city, and ... read more Book
Doubleday, 2011. New Copy ... $5.99 27.95
Jonathan Lethem is a writer that we totally love – an author who's given us great novels and short stories over the years – and who, somehow between that ever-growing creative output, manages to write a good deal of essays and other articles too! We're not sure when Lethem ever finds ... read more Book
Vintage, 2003. New Copy ... $5.99 15.95
A fantastic novel from Jonathan Lethem – and a book that's filled with so much that resonates with Dusty Groove – 70s soul, graffiti art, Brooklyn, and even superheroes – all tied together in a narrative that's completely engaging! Lethem does a great job of grabbing the spirit ... read more Book
(Spine has a small remainder mark.)
Vintage, 1999. New Copy ... $5.99 15.95
A mindblowing book from Jonathan Lethem – one that follows from his early work in a sci fi mode, but which has a much stronger realist sensibility overall! The story tells the tale of a Brooklyn mobster, but one cursed with Tourette's Syndrome – a disease that's mostly understood from ... read more Book
(Spine has a remainder mark.)
Reel Art, 2013. New Copy ... $8.99 29.95
Michael Caine in the 60s – probably his greatest decade on film (although to us, they're all pretty great) – a period that gave us classic Caine moments in movies that include Alfie, Ipcress File, The Italian Job, and Billion Dollar Brain! Those films, and others, are each laid out ... read more Book
Reel Art, 2017. New Copy ... $39.99 75.00
A stunning selection of rare jazz photographs, most of which have never been seen before – all shot at the Newport and Monterey Jazz Festivals during the 1960s, with a span across the decade that really shows a shift in sound and style! The book has way more than just shots of big name ... read more Book
Blurb/Etc, 2018. New Copy ... $16.99
A beautiful little DIY black & white photography book by Ramon Norwood, aka Radius Etc, the multi-talented Chicago abstract hip hop producer, beatmaker and artist! We don't fancy ourselves art critics here at Dusty Groove, but we know Radius's sound, and for us it's pretty nice to see how his ... read more Book
Liveright, 2015. New Copy ... $8.99 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.)
Stuart Russell (UK), 2019. New Copy ... $14.99
A fantastic book on one of the coolest, hippest cats on the Chicago soul scene of the 60s – and an artist who made some totally funky records, but never fully got his due! In some ways, Jerry O might be the king of the funky 45s – as he only ever worked in the 7" single format, ... read more Book
(First edition pressing – limited to 150 signed copies!)
Tortoise Books, 2019. New Copy ... $25.99 29.99
A beautiful little book from one of the more inspired creative talents on the Chicago scene – writer/artist Dmitry Samarov, who's always got a talent for getting to the heart of the city – and for being very open about what matters, and why! This book is Dmitry's love letter to the ... read more Book
(Limited edition first pressing!)
Equinox (UK), 2008. New Copy ... $20.99 25.00
Trumpeter Ian Carr has a legacy that's larger than most – early work in both bop and beat group fields, then a tremendous period of experimentation in the 70s – where his performance and conception helped shape a whole generation of British musicians! Writer Alyn Shipton covers all ... read more Book
Gary Simons, 2018. New Copy ... Just Sold Out!
A beautiful discography, dedicated to the music of Brian Eno – and one that features all his many side projects, solo recordings, and other performances on record from the start of the 70s onwards! The book is hardcover, with full color pages throughout – and each entry reproduces an ... read more Book
Gary Simons —
Return Of Super Scratch – Lee Scratch Perry 1969 to 2019 (hardcover) ... Book Gary Simons/P & C Secret History Books, 2019. New Copy ... $16.99
A beautiful book on the recorded legacy of Lee Scratch Perry – one that builds on a previous discography by the author, but which is much more vivid overall! The hardcover book is in full color throughout – and offers up dozens of images of Lee Perry recordings – rare albums, ... read more Book
Equinox (UK), 2017. New Copy ... $29.99 36.00
Tubby Hayes was one of the greatest tenor saxophonists in jazz during the 50s and 60s – even though his music only touched our American scene a bit, and mostly had its biggest impact on the London scene that Tubby called home! Yet that doesn't change things a bit – as to our ears, ... read more Book
University Of Chicago, 2017. New Copy ... $26.99 32.00
A much-needed look at the genius of The Art Ensemble Of Chicago – one of the coolest, most compelling groups to emerge in the great wave of avant jazz in the late 60s – and one who continued to give the world a lifetime legacy of groundbreaking music! There's been plenty written on the ... read more Book
Hat & Beard, 2019. New Copy ... Just Sold Out!
A hell of a look at the legendary Lou Reed – a very cool book that brings together a wealth of vintage interviews from years back, with an especially strong focus on Lou's key solo years in the 70s! The book features both images of the original articles in the press, plus much clearer ... read more Book
Martin Torgoff —
Bop Apocalypse – Jazz, Race, The Beats, & Drugs (hardcover) ... Book Da Capo, 2016. New Copy ... $6.99 25.99
An insanely detailed book on the role of drugs in American music – written by a guy who's already written a fair bit about drugs and culture! This time around, Martin Torgoff turns his eye towards the postwar years – looking at the interwoven landscapes of jazz, underground culture, ... read more Book
Rittor (Japan), 2006. New Copy ... $28.99
It's no secret to crate diggers that Japanese record buyers really take their job seriously – and now here's a book to finally prove it! Record Buyer's Diary was put together by two Japanese record buyers as they travel the globe in search of the music they love – and it features ... read more Book
Hatje Cantz (Germany), 2015. New Copy ... $6.99 45.00
A beautiful look at a near-lost legacy from the Cold War years – the cultural embassy named Amerika Haus – first built in Berlin during the immediate post-war years, then an even more important outpost once the wall went up! The space itself was a work of art – strongly in the ... read more Book
Du Books (Japan), 2014. New Copy ... $28.99
A very cool book on Brazilian music – one that serves up a well-chosen array of very hip records, all laid out in decade-by-decade chapters – along with color images of the album cover art, label, date, and style information in regular text – and a review of the record in Japanese! ... read more Book
P-Vine (Japan), 2018. New Copy ... $29.99
Brazilian music in the 21st Century is alive and well – and the past two decades may well represent the most creative period in that nation's scene since the early 70s! We've stocked plenty of recent Brazilian albums over the years – but this book is maybe the first we've ever seen to ... read more Book
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