Enter the world of Professor Peter Smith. I have lived a full, exciting, and unique life. In my youth I lived a conundrum. My rebellious nature drew me my away from my academic studies into the world of punk rock; a very different world to that which I normally inhabited. Some might say I was a middle-class, aspiring academic. However, during the late 1970s I threw myself into the maelstrom of crazy, manic, dangerous concerts full of young, disillusioned, punks and skinheads, many of whom ...

Robert Plant is one of the few genuine living rock legends.Frontman of Led Zeppelin, musical innovator and seller of millions of records, Plant has had a profound influence on music for over four decades. But the full account of his life has barely been told … until now.Robert Plant: A Life is the first complete and comprehensive telling of Plant’s story. From his earliest performances in folk clubs in the early 1960s, to the world’s biggest stages as Led Zeppelin’s self-st...

This is a comprehensive in-depth exploration of the career and work of one of the worlds greatest hard rock bands.With the likes of Richie Blackmore, Ian Gillan and David Coverdale passing through their ranks, Deep Purple was always destined to produce extraordinary music - what was less predictable was in the incredible story of the bands formation, rise to fame and struggle to cope with the immense pressures of international superstardom. Jerry Blooms sparkling narrative tells the story,...

George Michael is an enigma. While he is one of the most open and vocal pop superstars on the planet, he also fiercely protective of his privacy. From the formation of Wham! In 1981 he immediately found fame and fortune beyond his wildest dreams. His music formed the soundtrack to the 1980s and he achieved all of this despite growing up in a dysfunctional family where his father openly proclaimed that George had no talent.Wham! split in 1986 but Michael went on to greater things as...

'Unflinching, forthright and full of wry humour as the man himself, and there's little praise greater than that' CLASSIC ROCK'Wall's vision of Lemmy as a Rock'n'Roll stalwart who made no concessions is vivid to the last' GUARDIANIn 'The Ace of Spades', Motörhead's most famous song, Lemmy, the born-to-lose, live-to-win frontman of the band sang, 'I don't want to live forever'. Yet as he told his friend of 35 years, former PR and biographer M...

Paul Weller wrote some of the best songs during his sabbatical with The Style Council - from savvy socially-conscious pop to effortless love songs. Between 1983 and 1985, its as if Paul was happiest taking chances, usurping expectations, borrowing magpie-like from the past and remoulding it for the present (in true Mod fashion). Iain Munn must be congratulated for flying the flag for Weller's least understood musical exploit: The ultimate fans eye view of Weller's seven year itch. "Painsta...

And then there was David Bowie, the uber-freak with the mismatched pupils, the low-tech space face from the planet Sparkle. This was Bowie's third appearance on TOTP but this was the one that properly resonated with its audience, the one that would go on to cause a seismic shift in the Zeitgeist. This is the performance that turned Bowie into a star, embedding his Ziggy Stardust persona into the nation's consciousness.With a tall, flame-orange cockade quiff (stolen from a ...

A music journalist and fan examines the life and work of the Scottish guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter.The book that fans of the Skids, Big Country and the Raphaels have been waiting for—a critical perspective not only of Adamson's music and its wider cultural influence, but also the excesses of fame and how the music business really works. Stuart Adamson: In A Big Country tells the story of how a teenager who was raised in a small Fife village released ...

The Cure emerged in the post-punk 70s and defied all expectations to launch a marathon career marked by hit records and a string of sell-out arena shows. Never Enough traces The Cure's roots in middle-class Crawley, Sussex, and tracks their gradual rise, revealing how their first major album Pornography, almost ended the band well before their multi-platinum career began. Also documents Robert Smith's escape into the Siouxie & The Banshees camp during the 80s, and his experimentation with ...

The indispensable soft-back edition consumers' guide to the music of Led Zeppelin. An album by album track by track run down of everything recorded by Led Zeppelin during their 12 year career and everything released subsequent to their disbanding in 1980. Features include Details of when and where their music was written and recorded Details of how each track was put together and in what studio A consumers' guide for those new to Zeppelin's Music A section of Led Zeppelin Remas...

Yes have now been on the rock circuit for an incredible 34 years. Jon Anderson Steve Howe Rick Wakeman Chris Squire and Bill Bruford are just some of the star players who helped to make the band one of the greatest-ever names in classic rock. Their turbulent story spans the early days of pub and club gigs international supergroup status in the heyday of rock and various line-ups since. Chris Welch's definitive biography of Yes is once again updated to include the historic return of Rick Wa...

With its own fashion, culture, and chaotic energy, punk rock boasted a do-it-yourself ethos that allowed anyone to take part. Vibrant and volatile, the punk scene left an extraordinary legacy of music and cultural change. John Robb talks to many of those who cultivated the movement, such as John Lydon, Lemmy, Siouxsie Sioux, Mick Jones, Chrissie Hynde, Malcolm McLaren, Henry Rollins, and Glen Matlock, weaving together their accounts to create a raw and unprecedented oral history of UK punk...