From the musical director of Rent comes a thirtieth-anniversary account of how Broadway’s iconic grunge rock show and its music were made and how they would forever reshape musical theater.Thirty years after Rent, Jonathan Larson’s groundbreaking rock opera, opened on Broadway, you would be hard-pressed to find a musical theater fan who doesn’t know at least some of the show’s iconic tunes by heart. “Take Me or Leave Me,” “Light My Candle,” “La Vi...

Thirty years after Rent, Jonathan Larson's groundbreaking rock opera, opened on Broadway, you would be hard-pressed to find a musical theater fan who doesn't know at least some of the show’s iconic tunes by heart. Much of the impact comes from the show's musical style, a singular blend of grunge rock, power pop, gospel, and R & B that was brought to life by the show's onstage band, headed by the legendary musical director Tim Weil.From his first day as audition accompanist...

"You have to bear in mind that [Questlove] is one of the smartest motherf*****s on the planet. His musical knowledge, for all practical purposes, is limitless." --Robert ChristgauA punch-drunk memoir in which Everyone's Favorite Questlove tells his own story while tackling some of the lates, the greats, the fakes, the philosophers, the heavyweights, and the true originals of the music world. He digs deep into the album cuts of his life and unearths some pivotal moments in black art...

* INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER *A sweeping and evocative memoir from the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Grammy Award–winning, platinum selling singer-songwriter Michael McDonald, written with his friend, Emmy Award–nominated actor, comedian, and #1 New York Times bestselling author Paul Reiser.Doobie Brothers. Steely Dan. Chart topping soloist. Across a half-century of American music, Michael McDonald’s unmistakably smoot...

Instant New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller!An intimate and light-hearted memoir by viral sensation and three-time Emmy-nominated musical comedian Randy Rainbow that takes readers through his life—the highs, the lows, the lipstick, the pink glasses, and the show tunes .

An entertaining trivia compendium flush with fun facts about all things music.From boogie-woogie to Beethoven, from Prince to Pavarotti, from the bards of Broadway to the rebels of rock 'n' roll—it's all here. Uncle John has created this harmonious collection of tuneful tales for music lovers everywhere.Uncle John has proven once again that he is in tune with our legion of loyal readers. This 516-page musical masterpiece dedicated to all things noteworthy r...

Legendary and iconic singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper offers a poignant account of the journey that led her to become an international superstar. From her years growing up in Queens, New York, to the making of enduring hits like 'Time After Time', 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun' and 'True Colors', to becoming an actress, a mother, an outspoken activist and maintaining a music career that has lasted more than thirty years.After leaving her childhood home at seventeen, Cyndi took on a seri...

**In this “**highly entertaining snapshot of a wild-frontier moment in pop culture” (Rolling Stone), discover the wild and explosive true story of the early years of MTV directly from the original VJs.Nina Blackwood, Mark Goodman, Alan Hunter, and Martha Quinn (along with the late J. J. Jackson) had front-row seats to the music television revolution—and to the wild antics of pop music icons like Adam Ant, Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, and Duran Duran. As the firs...

Time Must-Read Books of 2024 Independent Best Non-Fiction Books 2024 Mojo Books of the Year 2024"A vibrant, multifaceted portrait of a music enigma" Guardian"A powerful portrait" Irish Independent"Displays a bracing rigour and an exhilarating curiosity about its subject, coming closer than most to catching up with Mitchell on her lonely road" Times

After learning to play guitar at the age of ten, Shawn Colvin was determined to make a life in music—a decision that would send a small-town girl out on the open road for good. In 1997, two decades after she started, she got her big break. Like the troubled would-be arsonist and survivor of her smash hit "Sunny Came Home," Colvin knows a thing or two about heartache—and setting fires. Diamond in the Rough recounts this passionate musician's coming-of-age, from the prairies of South Dakota ...

A photographic look into the world of vinyl record collectors—including Questlove—in the most intimate of environments—their record rooms.Compelling photographic essays from photographer Eilon Paz are paired with in-depth and insightful interviews to illustrate what motivates these collectors to keep digging for more records. The reader gets an up close and personal look at a variety of well-known vinyl champions, including Gilles Peterson and King Britt, as well a...

Joni Mitchell has only visited the U.S. Top 40 singles chart four times in her long recording career - and the Top 20 just once. So much for 'stoking the starmaker machinery behind the popular song', as she sang in her 1974 song 'Free Man in Paris'.What Joni has done, on the other hand, is record a handful of masterful albums - Blue, Court And Spark, The Hissing Of Summer Lawns for starters - that prove she is right up there with the big boys: wi...