January 2023 MBR The Music Shelf

The Music Shelf

Diary of a Rock and Roll Tour Manager
Willie Perkins
Mercer University Press
1501 Mercer University Drive, Macon, GA 31207-0001
www.mupress.org
9780881468465, $25.00, PB, 144pp

https://www.amazon.com/Diary-Rock-Roll-Tour-Manager/dp/0881468460

Synopsis: With the publication of "Diary of a Rock and Roll Tour Manager: 2,190 Days and Nights With the South's Premier Rock Band", Willie Perkins chronicles the triumphs and tragedies of the day-to-day touring of The Allman Brothers Band from 1970 to 1976, detailing their rise from obscurity to the absolute pinnacle of rock super stardom.

As their tour manager, Perkins shepherded the band from their lowly beginnings in smoke-filled bars to six figure payoffs before hundreds of thousands of fans in outdoor venues. He was there for the tragic, untimely accidental deaths of both Duane Allman and Berry Oakley, the ugliness of drug and alcohol abuse, and the love for the music and true brother and sisterhood among band, crew, management, and family members.

In a fully candid memoir, Perkins writes in detail about the efforts involved in the touring and recording career of The Allman Brothers Band in their early and most productive years. He also introduces the reader to some of the colorful promoters who produced the concerts and the interesting historical venues where they performed -- many of which no longer exist.

Critique: A fascinating and informative read, "Diary of a Rock and Roll Tour Manager: 2,190 Days and Nights With the South's Premier Rock Band" is a 'must' for the legions of Allman Brothers Band fans. Informatively illustrated throughout, "Diary of a Rock and Roll Tour Manager: 2,190 Days and Nights With the South's Premier Rock Band" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and academic library American Popular Culture & Rock Music History/Biography collections.

Roadhouse Blues
Bob Batchelor
Hamilcar Publications
https://hamilcarpubs.com
9781949590548, $18.99, PB, 256pp

https://www.amazon.com/Roadhouse-Blues-Morrison-Doors-Sixties/dp/1949590542

Synopsis: Shrouded in mystery and the swirling psychedelic sounds of the Sixties, the Doors have captivated listeners across seven decades. Jim Morrison (haunted, beautiful, and ultimately doomed) transformed from rock god to American icon. With each successive generation of fans, the Doors become more popular and transcendent. Yet the band's full significance is buried beneath layers of mythology and folklore.

With the publication of "Roadhouse Blues: Morrison, The Doors, and the Death Days of the Sixties", author Bob Batchelor presents an epic tale of one of rock's (and America's) most significant periods, as the Age of Aquarius gave way to a new age of mayhem, presidential misdeeds, and murder. In "Roadhouse Blues", Batchelor deftly combines cultural history, musical and lyrical analysis, along with a broad stroke of pop-culture mythos to give fresh perspective on a pivotal time.

Candid, authoritative, and utterly absorbing, "Roadhouse Blues" is a biography of a man, a band, and an era that set the tone for the contemporary world. Beyond the mythology, the hype, and the mystique around Morrison's untimely death, "Roadhouse Blues" takes its readers on a roller-coaster ride, examining the impact the band had on America as the nation veered from decadence to debauchery.

Critique: Fascinating, informative, extraordinary, and essential reading for the legions of Jim Morrison fans, "Roadhouse Blues: Morrison, The Doors, and the Death Days of the Sixties" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, college, and university library Rock Music/Rock Band collections in general, and Jim Morrison/The Doors reading lists in particular. It should be noted that "Roadhouse Blues" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Bob Batchelor (https://www.facebook.com/bobbatchelorauthor) is a cultural historian and the author of "Stan Lee: A Life", "The Bourbon King", and a dozen other books exploring history and biography. He has written about many iconic musicians and eras, including Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Grunge, and jazz. Batchelor's books have been translated into a dozen languages, while his work has appeared or been featured in the New York Times, Cincinnati Enquirer, Los Angeles Times, Today.com, The Guardian, and Time.

Out in L.A.: The Red Hot Chili Peppers, 1983
Hamish Duncan
Chicago Review Press
814 North Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 60610
www.chicagoreviewpress.com
9781641608015, $30.00, HC, 336pp

https://www.amazon.com/Out-L-Chili-Peppers/dp/1641608013

Synopsis: A rock music band, The Red Hot Chili Peppers were going to be a one-time act for a friend's album release party. Forty years later the funk rock band is arguably one of the best known and the longest running in the United States.

Everything that happened in 1983 set the course for the rest of the band's career. The scrappy band quickly rose to scene-wide fame, playing all over Los Angeles and gaining fans and media attention wherever they performed. Before the year was out, they had played approximately thirty shows, put together an early, beloved repertoire, recorded a blistering demo that secured them a recording contract with EMI/Enigma, and lost two of their founding members to a rival band.

"Out in L.A.: The Red Hot Chili Peppers, 1983" by Hamish Duncan is an attempt at finding out exactly what happened during that first year and exploring what it is that makes the Red Hot Chili Peppers so compelling and fresh, even as they continue on their musical journey today.

Critique: As the founding member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Hamish Duncan provides an authentic 'insider' perspective as he deftly lays out the band's history with the publication of "Out in L.A.: The Red Hot Chili Peppers, 1983". Informative enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of an Appendix (The 1983 Venues), four pages of Notes, and a an eleven page Index, "Out in L.A.: The Red Hot Chili Peppers, 1983" is a 'must read' for the legions of Red Hot Chili Pepper fans. While unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library American Pop Culture and Rock Music History collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Out in L.A.: The Red Hot Chili Peppers, 1983" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).

Editorial Note: Hamish Duncan (https://www.toppermost.co.uk/red-hot-chili-peppers) is the founder of the Red Hot Chili Peppers Sessions Archive website (www.rhcpsessions.com) and editor of Red Hot Chili Peppers Live Archive (www.rhcplivearchive.com). He currently resides in Sydney, Australia.

Kurt Cobain: The Last Interview
Introduction by Dana Spiotta
Edited by Melville House staff
Melville House
46 John Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
https://www.mhpbooks.com
9781685890094, $17.99, PB, 176pp

https://www.amazon.com/Kurt-Cobain-Interview-Other-Conversations/dp/1685890091

Synopsis: Kurt Cobain (February 20, 1967 - April 5, 1994) burst into American consciousness with a vengeance with the release of Nevermind, an instant classic that defined a sound and a generation. Three years later, he was dead of suicide, leaving a meteoric career and a cultural influence that would never wane.

As the lead singer and guitarist of Nirvana, Kurt Cobain changed American music as few musicians ever have. His instantly identifiable raspy croon, his slash-and-burn guitar playing, and his corrosive and poetic lyrics made him a hero to a generation of lost souls. In interviews Cobain was funny, thoughtful, sarcastic, impassioned, and even kind. "Kurt Cobain: The Last Interview and Other Conversations" is collection of interviews provides a look at a man who was too often misunderstood.

Critique: Deftly compiled and edited by the Melville House staff, and an absolute 'must read' for the legions of Kurt Cobain fans, "Kurt Cobain: The Last Interview and Other Conversations" is an especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library 20th Century American Pop Culture and Music History collections. It should be noted that "Kurt Cobain: The Last Interview and Other Conversations" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Kurt Cobain was an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. With his band Nirvana he invented the hard-rock genre known as grunge and became an inspiration to a generation with his corrosive, poetic lyrics and blistering stage presence. He was inducted posthumously into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Cobain)

The Inner Light: How India Influenced the Beatles
Susan Shumsky, D.D.
Permuted Press
https://permutedpress.com
9781682619773, $30.00, HC, 512pp

https://www.amazon.com/Inner-Light-India-Influenced-Beatles/dp/168261977X

Synopsis: The spiritual journey of the Beatles is the story of an entire generation of visionaries in the sixties who transformed the world. The Beatles turned Western culture upside down and brought Indian philosophy to the West more effectively than any guru. "The Inner Light: How India Influenced the Beatles" illumines hidden meanings of the Beatles' India-influenced lyrics and sounds are decoded by Susan Shumsky who is a rare insider having spent two decades in the ashrams and six years on the personal staff of the Beatles' mentor, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

An informative and facinating volume that draws back the curtain on the Beatles' experiments with psychedelics, meditation, chanting, and Indian music. Among many shocking revelations never before revealed, we discover who invented "raga rock" (not the Beatles), the real identity of rare Indian instruments and musicians on their tracks, which Beatle was the best meditator (not George), why the Beatles left India in a huff, John and George's attempts to return, Maharishi's accurate prediction, and who Sexy Sadie, Jojo, Bungalow Bill, Dear Prudence, Blackbird, My Sweet Lord, Hare Krishna, and the Fool on the Hill really were.

Half a century later, the Beatles have sold more records than any other recording artist. A new generation wants to relive the magic of the flower-power era and is now discovering the message of this iconic band and its four superstars. For people of all nations and ages, the Beatles' mystique lives on. "The Inner Light" is Susan Shumsky's gift to their legacy.

Critique: Fascinating, informative, revelatory, "The Inner Light: How India Influenced the Beatles" by Susan Shumsky is a 'must read' selection for the legions of Beatles fans. While certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to personal, community, and academic library Rock Music History collections, it should be noted that "The Inner Light: How India Influenced the Beatles" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).

Editorial Note: Susan Shumsky (https://en.everybodywiki.com/Susan_Shumsky) has authored twenty books in English, released thirty-six foreign editions, won forty-one book awards, and done 1,300 media appearances. A rare insider, she was on the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's personal staff for six years and lived in his ashrams for twenty years.

Eagles: Up Ahead in the Distance
Rik Forgo, author
Steve Cafarelli, author
Time Passages LLC
https://timepassages.net
9781734365337, $39.99, PB, 503pp

https://www.amazon.com/Eagles-Up-Ahead-Distance-Trilogy/dp/1734365331

Synopsis: The opening guitar chords of "Take It Easy" captured America's attention in June 1972, and Eagles' debut single became that summer's national anthem. Blending musical and commercial excellence, the band from Los Angeles became a pop-rock phenomenon with few peers over the next several years.

"Eagles: Up Ahead in the Distance" is a history of this rock music legendary band with 500-plus pages of detailed stories, in-the-moment photographs from rock's greatest photographers, exclusive interviews, comprehensive informational graphics, and Time Passages' own brand of "forensic rock research" that uncovers specifics in the band's history that offers the most thorough retelling of the Eagles' story ever published.

Authors Rik Forgo and Steve Cafarelli pick up where the first book in the series, "Eagles: Before the Band", left off -- continuing the stories of the group's evolution from opening act to can't-miss headliners. This second volume in the series and tracks how the Eagles rocketed to the top of the charts with hits like "Witchy Woman," "The Best of My Love," "One of These Nights," "Lyin' Eyes," "Take It to the Limit," "Hotel California," and "The Long Run."

"Eagles: Up Ahead in the Distance" explores the inspirations behind the songs you know (and some you don't!) and traces each band member's journey and the artistry and personalities that blended so beautifully but could clash so vehemently. "Eagles: Up Ahead in the Distance" follows the band's ascent into rock's upper echelon and describes how the pressure to succeed, creative intensity, and an unrelenting drive for perfection consumed its members and led to their breakup in 1980.

Critique: Absolutely essential reading for the legions of Eagles fans, "Eagles: Up Ahead in the Distance" continues the saga of one of America's premier rock bands. While unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and academic library Rock Music/Biography collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Eagles: Up Ahead in the Distance" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

Editorial Note: Ric Forgo (https://rik-time-passages.medium.com) is a fan of history and classic rock music, a writer, an editor and an entrepreneur who owns and operates Time Passages LLC, a independent book publisher near Annapolis, MD.

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