For the music lover on your holiday gift list, check out our recommended AC/DC, Beatles and Grateful Dead books along with rock activity books from Fantoons and a collection of indie rock photos from Piper Ferguson.
“AC/DC at 50” – Martin Popoff – (Motorbooks, hardcover, 192 pages)
For those about to rock, well, read on, here's a must-have book for AC/DC fans. Part of the Motorbooks “At 50” series, here respected music journalist and prolific author Martin Popoff examines the career of Australian greats AC/DC through 50 key events. These include chapters on the early days when Bon Scott was the lead singer of the band. Each of the 50 chapters is accompanied by photographs and images of ephemera (posters, ticket stubs, backstage cards) from the era and a short essay by Popoff, whose eloquent commentary is not only informative but often entertaining. For example, when “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” was released in the US, Popoff reveals that the phone number Scott mentions in the song was a real work number and its owners received calls from people wanting to hire the dirty deed performer. . There's a chapter for each album (through 2020's Power Up), a sad chapter about Scott's death and another about his replacement by Brian Johnson, a chapter about when Axl Rose replaced Johnson, and more sadness in the chapters about the ill health of guitarist Malcolm Young (died 2017) and the legal problems of drummer Phil Rudd (drugs rejection). Mostly though the book is upbeat and happy, it is conveyed not only by Popoff's words but also by the performance and the off-stage photos that show the children experiencing great joy. Series here or by clicking on the book cover below (ad):
“All the Years Combine: The Grateful Dead in Fifty Shows” – Ray Robertson – (Biblioasis, paperback, 233 pages)
As the book's title suggests, here author Robertson traces the evolution of the Grateful Dead through reviews of fifty concerts, beginning with a 1966 performance at the Vancouver Trips festival in Canada and ending with the band's final concert, a 1995 performance at the Soldier Field in Chicago. While many Deadheads have seen hundreds of Grateful Dead shows in person, Robertson works here by listening to recordings from the band's archives (they recorded every show.) Robertson is honest in his reviews, sometimes even kind, making it clear that while he is extremely knowledgeable about the Grateful Dead, the purpose of the book is not to blow up anyone's smoke. He boldly describes how the band lacked pieces in the early days, especially rhythm guitarist Bob Weir and original frontman Pigpen. the band had a meeting to discuss kicking Pig out of the band, but he never did anything about it. Details like these are found throughout the book, making the read much more than the band's performance on any given date. Readers will also hear about the highs, the moments when everything clicked and the band rocketed into the stratosphere. No doubt carefully selected, Robertson's selection of concerts covers every phase the band went through and all member changes, including the tenure of the beloved duo Keith and Donna Godchaux. Each chapter begins with the show's set list, and some readers will likely, if they were at a particular show, recall hearing “Uncle John's Band” or “Stella Blue.” “Oh man, the band was really flying and so was I!” “All the Years Combine” is a quick, enlightening read, but it's also something to be savored, like one of the Dead's infamous hour-long jams. Series here or by clicking on the book cover below (ad):
“Indie/Seen: The Indie Rock Photography of Piper Ferguson” – Piper Ferguson – (WeldonOwen, hardcover, 272 pages)
Ferguson began her career in the late 1990s, and as the book's title suggests, she turns her lens here on hot indie bands of that era. Some photos are in black and white, but most are in color as Ferguson's shots capture the excitement of live performances as well as the serenity of off-stage moments. Particularly striking shots include a shirtless Iggy Pop (of course) at Coachella in 2001 showing the veins on his neck and chest clearly bulging, a black-and-white photo of Robert Levon Been of the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club riding a motorcycle (perfect!) , Kasabian recreates The Beatles' famous cover of “Butcher Block”, The Shins dressed in superhero outfits (while in bed) and Hepcat's Greg Lee looking all grown up in a field of clover and flowers. Ferguson adds commentary to many of the photos and candidly reveals how she was nervous about a session with Joe Strummer at the infamous West Hollywood hotel The Chateau Marmont and equally on edge shooting Verve's Richard Ashcroft in London (everything was fine and she made it Great shots.) It's page after page of eyes throughout with some of the other luminaries pictured being Beck, the Strokes, Cat Power, Happy Mondays, Mercury Rev, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Kelly Osbourne, Chali 2Na , Radiohead, Persephone's Bees, PJ Harvey, Courtney Barnett, Supergrass, and well, the list goes on and on. Johnny Marr writes the front of the book. A great one to leave on the coffee table for all to enjoy. Series here or by clicking on the book cover below (ad):
Rock Activity Books by Fantoons
A holiday gift from Fantoons is sure to bring a big smile to the music lover on your gift list. In collaboration with the best illustrators, Fantoons presents impressive activity books such as the “Where's Waldo” type seek and find puzzle book “Where is Alice Cooper?” The large, hardcover book features 15 full-color puzzles where readers try to spot Cooper among a maze of cartoon characters, mostly human and non-human. Cooper is drawn slightly differently from puzzle to puzzle, but there is a hint page that shows you which of the Alices to look for in each puzzle. Like Cooper's music, each puzzle is completely wild, but readers will enjoy the fact that each one is themed after one of his songs or album titles. For the more artistically inclined there are coloring books with the newest being “The Beach Boys Official Coloring Book” which contains all kinds of fun. use markers or colored pencils to color scenes of surfing, hot rodding, singing in the studio and more. It's probably best not to tear pages out of this collectible, but when the pages are done depicting the Surf's Up album cover and a scene from Pet sounds will beg to be framed. Fantoons also has a new Tenacious D coloring book with tons of wild scenes. Unlike the wholesome Beach Boys book, this one has plenty of adult humor. And finally, for the budding punk rock kid, there's “Learn to Count with Johnny Ramone.” Small in size like many children's books, this one shows kids how to count to four with illustrations showing four of various objects: cats, buildings, monsters (not scary), guitar chords, movie posters, punk rock clothes and more. Made from sturdy cardboard to withstand the use and abuse a child will give it. View all fun Fantoons books and order here.
Beatle Wives: The Women the Men We Loved Fell With Marc Shapiro – (Riverdale Avenue Books, paperback, 181 pages)
Shapiro is a New York Times best-selling author, and here he focuses not on the Fab Four, but on the wonderful women who married them. The chapters are presented chronologically and the first to marry was John Lennon who married Cynthia Powell when she was five months pregnant with his child. Ringo was next, marrying his first wife Maureen Cox, followed by George Harrison with Patti Boyd and Paul McCartney with Linda Eastman. About halfway through the book Starr remarries, this time to former Bond Girl Barbara Bach, to whom he remains married today. The perception remains to this day among many that Lennon's second wife, Yoko Ono, “broke up the Beatles”. Here Shapiro chronicles the mental problems, including a suicide attempt, that Ono had before Lennon. Harrison remarries Olivia Arias. the couple remained married for the rest of Harrison's life, and she had an affair with an intruder who tried to murder George in the couple's home. The last two chapters of the book cover the two and three McCartney wives, Heather Mills and Nancy Shevell. Although the focus here is on the wives, the Beatles' legacy can't be removed from the stories, and there's plenty of coverage here of significant moments that happened on each husband's watch. “Beatle Wives” is a refreshing read and a different look at Beatlemania that will keep readers enthralled. Series here or by clicking on the book cover below (ad).
