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The history of rock and roll is a long and winding road full of unforgettable moments, but some of them provided more than magic memories: They triggered social and cultural revolutions. They radically changed the way music is performed and recorded. They altered our very perception of what popular music is. Written by a longtime industry insider and featuring interviews with over 100 key figures, Turning Points in Rock and Roll gives you a front-row seat to the pivotal events and breakthroughs of the past fifty-plus years in music. From the first great music festival at Monterey to the violence at Altamont that signaled the beginning of a new era, from Elvis's swiveling hips to Mick Jagger's pouting lips...it's all here -- the people and events that have kept rock and roll vibrant, vital, and constantly evolving in bold new directions. Book jacket.
Book Synopsis Turning Points in Rock and Roll by : Hank Bordowitz
Download or read book Turning Points in Rock and Roll written by Hank Bordowitz and published by Citadel Press. This book was released on 2004 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The history of rock and roll is a long and winding road full of unforgettable moments, but some of them provided more than magic memories: They triggered social and cultural revolutions. They radically changed the way music is performed and recorded. They altered our very perception of what popular music is. Written by a longtime industry insider and featuring interviews with over 100 key figures, Turning Points in Rock and Roll gives you a front-row seat to the pivotal events and breakthroughs of the past fifty-plus years in music. From the first great music festival at Monterey to the violence at Altamont that signaled the beginning of a new era, from Elvis's swiveling hips to Mick Jagger's pouting lips...it's all here -- the people and events that have kept rock and roll vibrant, vital, and constantly evolving in bold new directions. Book jacket.
The legendary critic and author of Mystery Train “ingeniously retells the tale of rock and roll” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). Unlike previous versions of rock ’n’ roll history, this book omits almost every iconic performer and ignores the storied events and turning points everyone knows. Instead, in a daring stroke, Greil Marcus selects ten songs and dramatizes how each embodies rock ’n’ roll as a thing in itself, in the story it tells, inhabits, and acts out—a new language, something new under the sun. “Transmission” by Joy Division. “All I Could Do Was Cry” by Etta James and then Beyoncé. “To Know Him Is to Love Him,” first by the Teddy Bears and almost half a century later by Amy Winehouse. In Marcus’s hands these and other songs tell the story of the music, which is, at bottom, the story of the desire for freedom in all its unruly and liberating glory. Slipping the constraints of chronology, Marcus braids together past and present, holding up to the light the ways that these striking songs fall through time and circumstance, gaining momentum and meaning, astonishing us by upending our presumptions and prejudices. This book, by a founder of contemporary rock criticism—and its most gifted and incisive practitioner—is destined to become an enduring classic. “One of the epic figures in rock writing.”—The New York Times Book Review “Marcus is our greatest cultural critic, not only because of what he says but also, as with rock-and-roll itself, how he says it.”—The Washington Post Winner of the Deems Taylor Virgil Thomson Award in Music Criticism, given by the American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers
Book Synopsis History of Rock 'n' Roll in Ten Songs by : Greil Marcus
Download or read book History of Rock 'n' Roll in Ten Songs written by Greil Marcus and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2014-09-02 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The legendary critic and author of Mystery Train “ingeniously retells the tale of rock and roll” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). Unlike previous versions of rock ’n’ roll history, this book omits almost every iconic performer and ignores the storied events and turning points everyone knows. Instead, in a daring stroke, Greil Marcus selects ten songs and dramatizes how each embodies rock ’n’ roll as a thing in itself, in the story it tells, inhabits, and acts out—a new language, something new under the sun. “Transmission” by Joy Division. “All I Could Do Was Cry” by Etta James and then Beyoncé. “To Know Him Is to Love Him,” first by the Teddy Bears and almost half a century later by Amy Winehouse. In Marcus’s hands these and other songs tell the story of the music, which is, at bottom, the story of the desire for freedom in all its unruly and liberating glory. Slipping the constraints of chronology, Marcus braids together past and present, holding up to the light the ways that these striking songs fall through time and circumstance, gaining momentum and meaning, astonishing us by upending our presumptions and prejudices. This book, by a founder of contemporary rock criticism—and its most gifted and incisive practitioner—is destined to become an enduring classic. “One of the epic figures in rock writing.”—The New York Times Book Review “Marcus is our greatest cultural critic, not only because of what he says but also, as with rock-and-roll itself, how he says it.”—The Washington Post Winner of the Deems Taylor Virgil Thomson Award in Music Criticism, given by the American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers
This infamous book has enjoyed a lively underground reputation since its first publication in 1970. Richard Meltzer (a.k.a. R. Meltzer) took his training as a young philosopher and applied it with unalloyed enthusiasm to the lyrics, sound, and culture of rock and roll. Never before had anyone noticed the relationship between the philosophy of Heidegger and a tune by Little Anthony and the Imperials, heard the cries of agony in the Shangri Las' “Remember (Walkin' in the Sand)”, or transcribed every "papa-ooma-mow-mow" in the Trashmen's “Surfin' Bird.”From Dionne Warwick to Plato, Jim Morrison to Bert Brecht, Conway Twitty to Miguel de Unamuno, Meltzer subverts high and low culture in his search for meaning, emotion, and codes in popular music. At once an earnest investigation and a crypto put-on, the book can be read for its nuggets of information and insights or for its humor. Here with Greil Marcus's new introduction, yet another generation of readers can be outraged and inspired.
Book Synopsis The Aesthetics Of Rock by : Richard Meltzer
Download or read book The Aesthetics Of Rock written by Richard Meltzer and published by Da Capo Press. This book was released on 1987-03-22 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This infamous book has enjoyed a lively underground reputation since its first publication in 1970. Richard Meltzer (a.k.a. R. Meltzer) took his training as a young philosopher and applied it with unalloyed enthusiasm to the lyrics, sound, and culture of rock and roll. Never before had anyone noticed the relationship between the philosophy of Heidegger and a tune by Little Anthony and the Imperials, heard the cries of agony in the Shangri Las' “Remember (Walkin' in the Sand)”, or transcribed every "papa-ooma-mow-mow" in the Trashmen's “Surfin' Bird.”From Dionne Warwick to Plato, Jim Morrison to Bert Brecht, Conway Twitty to Miguel de Unamuno, Meltzer subverts high and low culture in his search for meaning, emotion, and codes in popular music. At once an earnest investigation and a crypto put-on, the book can be read for its nuggets of information and insights or for its humor. Here with Greil Marcus's new introduction, yet another generation of readers can be outraged and inspired.
Rock and Roll was born in 1956. In that year, Elvis released "Heartbreak Hotel;" Chuck Berry sang "Roll Over Beethoven;" Little Richard blurred the boundary with "Tutti Fruitti;" Janis Martin sang for women with "Drugstore Rock and Roll;" while pop music hit the big screen with "Rock Around the Clock." In one year the youth quake went overground. Music journalist Nick Johnstone charts the events of this turning point and the origins of rock and roll, showing how the DNA fused in that one burst of creativity persisted for the next 50 years.
Book Synopsis A Brief History of Rock 'n' Roll by : Nick Johnstone
Download or read book A Brief History of Rock 'n' Roll written by Nick Johnstone and published by Robinson Publishing. This book was released on 2007 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rock and Roll was born in 1956. In that year, Elvis released "Heartbreak Hotel;" Chuck Berry sang "Roll Over Beethoven;" Little Richard blurred the boundary with "Tutti Fruitti;" Janis Martin sang for women with "Drugstore Rock and Roll;" while pop music hit the big screen with "Rock Around the Clock." In one year the youth quake went overground. Music journalist Nick Johnstone charts the events of this turning point and the origins of rock and roll, showing how the DNA fused in that one burst of creativity persisted for the next 50 years.
Terry W. Bettis has published two books: "Guards at the Gate and co-authored The Spiral Notebook, transcribed from her diary, written by Billie K. Bettis. His passions to seek out the stories of history and current events is without question as to his motives. Ever wonder what is happening to our country? In Turning Points; Terry W. Bettis, takes you through the history of this country, looking at how through the years our Republic has had its ups and downs. As you read, you will learn about things that have given life to this country, as well as things that have drained the life from it. You will discover things that you thought were a blessing to this country, only to find that in fact, they are destroying our freedoms, and our Constitution, turning our country from one filled with God's blessing to one of slavery. Discover those things which are causing our Republic to fade completely away. The United States was founded on Christian principals, though far from perfect, it has been blessed by God, because we had put Him first. Being attacked on many fronts God is being pushed out the door of America. We are seeing the results. In Turning Points, you will learn how this is happening, plus the effect it is having on our country, churches, families and the future generations, yet to be born. It is a deep desire of Terry's to awaken the American people to what is happening to our beloved United States. You will learn and be blessed with this book as well as with, Terry's first book, Guards at the Gate, hopefully finding understand about what our country is experiencing and what we are leaving for our children and grandchildren. Gail Odegaard - Wyoming April 13, 2012 My friend Terry Bettis is a keen observer of life and life in motion. I have known him for decades and Terry ́s incisive mind is ever at work on society and its transmogrification's. He is a constitutional scholar and an exponent of personal freedom. I am in awe of the depth of Terry ́s knowledge of our Constitution and the freedoms it bestows. As a human being? Terry Bettis is hard to beat. He is revered by his friends and associates. He works hard and remains pleasant under even the most adverse circumstances. He and his wife, Billie, have been dear friends of ours for decades. If we needed someone to administer our estate, we would choose the Bettises. They are honest and intelligent. My wife and I regretted that Terry and Billie moved from Texas to New Mexico. We figured the move increased the median IQ of New Mexico and decreased that of Texas. Paul Freeman Marble Falls, Texas Terry is well qualified to write a book because of his fervor and passion for history the way it was written. He has demonstrated to me and others his great attention to detail in his research and fact finding in preparation for those books he has authored and co authored. He possesses the ability to build a story line and back it up with facts. His conclusions are based on historical facts. Mr Bettis is a true Patriot. His zeal and passions to preserve this great Republic through his teachings and lecture are well known in TEA party and conservative circles. Mr. Bettis is a resident of New Mexico with deep roots in Texas as well. His service to this country and to the public as a law enforcement officer qualify him to be a patriotic American.
Book Synopsis Turning Points by : Terry W. Bettis
Download or read book Turning Points written by Terry W. Bettis and published by AuthorHouse. This book was released on 2012-06 with total page 472 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Terry W. Bettis has published two books: "Guards at the Gate and co-authored The Spiral Notebook, transcribed from her diary, written by Billie K. Bettis. His passions to seek out the stories of history and current events is without question as to his motives. Ever wonder what is happening to our country? In Turning Points; Terry W. Bettis, takes you through the history of this country, looking at how through the years our Republic has had its ups and downs. As you read, you will learn about things that have given life to this country, as well as things that have drained the life from it. You will discover things that you thought were a blessing to this country, only to find that in fact, they are destroying our freedoms, and our Constitution, turning our country from one filled with God's blessing to one of slavery. Discover those things which are causing our Republic to fade completely away. The United States was founded on Christian principals, though far from perfect, it has been blessed by God, because we had put Him first. Being attacked on many fronts God is being pushed out the door of America. We are seeing the results. In Turning Points, you will learn how this is happening, plus the effect it is having on our country, churches, families and the future generations, yet to be born. It is a deep desire of Terry's to awaken the American people to what is happening to our beloved United States. You will learn and be blessed with this book as well as with, Terry's first book, Guards at the Gate, hopefully finding understand about what our country is experiencing and what we are leaving for our children and grandchildren. Gail Odegaard - Wyoming April 13, 2012 My friend Terry Bettis is a keen observer of life and life in motion. I have known him for decades and Terry ́s incisive mind is ever at work on society and its transmogrification's. He is a constitutional scholar and an exponent of personal freedom. I am in awe of the depth of Terry ́s knowledge of our Constitution and the freedoms it bestows. As a human being? Terry Bettis is hard to beat. He is revered by his friends and associates. He works hard and remains pleasant under even the most adverse circumstances. He and his wife, Billie, have been dear friends of ours for decades. If we needed someone to administer our estate, we would choose the Bettises. They are honest and intelligent. My wife and I regretted that Terry and Billie moved from Texas to New Mexico. We figured the move increased the median IQ of New Mexico and decreased that of Texas. Paul Freeman Marble Falls, Texas Terry is well qualified to write a book because of his fervor and passion for history the way it was written. He has demonstrated to me and others his great attention to detail in his research and fact finding in preparation for those books he has authored and co authored. He possesses the ability to build a story line and back it up with facts. His conclusions are based on historical facts. Mr Bettis is a true Patriot. His zeal and passions to preserve this great Republic through his teachings and lecture are well known in TEA party and conservative circles. Mr. Bettis is a resident of New Mexico with deep roots in Texas as well. His service to this country and to the public as a law enforcement officer qualify him to be a patriotic American.
An Epic Journey through the Golden Era of Rock & Roll Embark on a thrilling musical voyage with The History of Rock & Roll, Volume 1. The book traces the evolution of rock and roll from its humble origins in the 1920s, culminating in the seismic shift ushered in by the Beatles in the 1960s. This rollercoaster ride through the decades invites you to tap your feet to the music of vaudeville and minstrel acts, rhythm and blues, and the unmistakable sounds that defined post-World War II America. Our guide through this iconic era is none other than celebrated writer Ed Ward. With his definitive narrative style enriched by a profound knowledge of music, Ward spotlights lesser-known heroes and big-name legends alike. Uncover the fascinating stories of Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, and Ray Charles. Delve into the unsung tales of pioneers such as the Burnette brothers, the “5” Royales, and Marion Keisker. For all music lovers and rock & roll fans, Ward spins story after story of some of the most unforgettable and groundbreaking moments in rock history, introducing us to the musicians, DJs, record executives, and producers who were at the forefront of the genre and had a hand in creating the music we all know and love today.
Book Synopsis The History of Rock & Roll, Volume 1 by : Ed Ward
Download or read book The History of Rock & Roll, Volume 1 written by Ed Ward and published by Flatiron Books. This book was released on 2016-11-15 with total page 417 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An Epic Journey through the Golden Era of Rock & Roll Embark on a thrilling musical voyage with The History of Rock & Roll, Volume 1. The book traces the evolution of rock and roll from its humble origins in the 1920s, culminating in the seismic shift ushered in by the Beatles in the 1960s. This rollercoaster ride through the decades invites you to tap your feet to the music of vaudeville and minstrel acts, rhythm and blues, and the unmistakable sounds that defined post-World War II America. Our guide through this iconic era is none other than celebrated writer Ed Ward. With his definitive narrative style enriched by a profound knowledge of music, Ward spotlights lesser-known heroes and big-name legends alike. Uncover the fascinating stories of Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, and Ray Charles. Delve into the unsung tales of pioneers such as the Burnette brothers, the “5” Royales, and Marion Keisker. For all music lovers and rock & roll fans, Ward spins story after story of some of the most unforgettable and groundbreaking moments in rock history, introducing us to the musicians, DJs, record executives, and producers who were at the forefront of the genre and had a hand in creating the music we all know and love today.
Whether the reader is, has been, or will become a middle school teacher, or a middle school student or parent, this book provides a close look at life in middle school: How challenges emerge and obstacles are overcome, as well as how one student turned his life and his school around. Many middle school students don't see the dangers of not working to their potential. Involuntarily encouraged by social promotion and other factors, they may not reach a turning point until, in some cases, it is too late. In Turning Point, authors Paul Rallion and Chuck Wong present the reality of many middle school students, some of whom believe that all they have to do is sit pretty in class. Yet, there are other students who show tremendous academic growth. What makes them do well? What's their turning point?
Book Synopsis Turning Point by : Paul Rallion
Download or read book Turning Point written by Paul Rallion and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2012 with total page 141 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Whether the reader is, has been, or will become a middle school teacher, or a middle school student or parent, this book provides a close look at life in middle school: How challenges emerge and obstacles are overcome, as well as how one student turned his life and his school around. Many middle school students don't see the dangers of not working to their potential. Involuntarily encouraged by social promotion and other factors, they may not reach a turning point until, in some cases, it is too late. In Turning Point, authors Paul Rallion and Chuck Wong present the reality of many middle school students, some of whom believe that all they have to do is sit pretty in class. Yet, there are other students who show tremendous academic growth. What makes them do well? What's their turning point?
Set among the Malibu mansions and Hollywood rock clubs of California's southland, Never Break the Chain finds Tim Green's grief over the loss of his father spinning into an obsessive quest to track down the wayward mother who deserted him almost three decades before. It's a journey that, like Believe in Me before it, sends Green venturing deep into the heart of the rock and roll jungle. Opening a few months after the end of Believe in Me, Never Break the Chain lands Green in the oceanfront Malibu compound of British guitarist Blake Saunders, who's just hired him to pen an authorized biography of his floundering, formerly-huge arena rock band. Even as the highly combustible Saunders' son Mal-recently installed as the band's new lead singer-and daughter Jane offer him distorted reflections of himself, Green's efforts to retrace his mother's steps through LA's rock and roll underworld propel him toward a cathartic confrontation. The revelations to come challenge every answer he once thought he possessed to the most fundamental question of all: who is Tim Green? Equal parts family drama, literate thriller, and peek behind the curtain of an aging rock band, Never Break the Chain is ultimately a story about families-the ones we're born into, and the ones we create. Praise for Never Break the Chain: "Rock writer Jason Warburg ties up some loose ends with his latest Tim Green novel, Never Break the Chain. His charming protagonist is still threading the road to self-knowledge by poetically and amusingly examining the lives of others in this tale of excess and success. Best of all, a turn in the story resolves the mystery of who Tim Green really is. It's the magic of music that takes us there, along with Warburg's very entertaining style." -- Viola Weinberg, Poet Laureate emerita of Sacramento & former KZAP FM News Director "A beautiful book... Never Break the Chain is a novel about family life and the ties that bind people together. It is not easy to write about music and the life of musicians in a convincing way, but Jason Warburg never misses a beat. Warburg understands how music can play a major part in the staging posts of people's lives." -- Greg Spawton, co-founder & songwriter, Big Big Train
Book Synopsis Never Break the Chain by : Jason Warburg
Download or read book Never Break the Chain written by Jason Warburg and published by . This book was released on 2017-08-16 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Set among the Malibu mansions and Hollywood rock clubs of California's southland, Never Break the Chain finds Tim Green's grief over the loss of his father spinning into an obsessive quest to track down the wayward mother who deserted him almost three decades before. It's a journey that, like Believe in Me before it, sends Green venturing deep into the heart of the rock and roll jungle. Opening a few months after the end of Believe in Me, Never Break the Chain lands Green in the oceanfront Malibu compound of British guitarist Blake Saunders, who's just hired him to pen an authorized biography of his floundering, formerly-huge arena rock band. Even as the highly combustible Saunders' son Mal-recently installed as the band's new lead singer-and daughter Jane offer him distorted reflections of himself, Green's efforts to retrace his mother's steps through LA's rock and roll underworld propel him toward a cathartic confrontation. The revelations to come challenge every answer he once thought he possessed to the most fundamental question of all: who is Tim Green? Equal parts family drama, literate thriller, and peek behind the curtain of an aging rock band, Never Break the Chain is ultimately a story about families-the ones we're born into, and the ones we create. Praise for Never Break the Chain: "Rock writer Jason Warburg ties up some loose ends with his latest Tim Green novel, Never Break the Chain. His charming protagonist is still threading the road to self-knowledge by poetically and amusingly examining the lives of others in this tale of excess and success. Best of all, a turn in the story resolves the mystery of who Tim Green really is. It's the magic of music that takes us there, along with Warburg's very entertaining style." -- Viola Weinberg, Poet Laureate emerita of Sacramento & former KZAP FM News Director "A beautiful book... Never Break the Chain is a novel about family life and the ties that bind people together. It is not easy to write about music and the life of musicians in a convincing way, but Jason Warburg never misses a beat. Warburg understands how music can play a major part in the staging posts of people's lives." -- Greg Spawton, co-founder & songwriter, Big Big Train
We solve our problems based upon the way we think of ourselves and the world. From peak energy and peak debt to failing economies and the realities of climate change, everyday life is showing us where we’ve outgrown the thinking of the past. It’s also showing us where big changes in the world mean big changes in our lives. Through dramatic shifts in our jobs, our relationship to money, our health, and even our homes, it’s clear that our lives are changing in ways we’ve never seen, to a degree that we’re not prepared for, and at speeds that we’ve never experienced. It’s also clear that the thinking of the past is no longer enough to meet our needs today. A new, healthy, and sustainable world is emerging, and our ability to accept what it offers begins with our willingness to: • Honestly acknowledge the facts of what we’re up against. • Embrace the new discoveries that reveal the role of cooperation in nature and human communities. • Create resilience in our lives, families, and communities based upon five proven and sustainable principles. • Through easy-to-understand science and the wisdom traditions of the past, The Turning Point identifies the extremes in the world that are reshaping our lives, the keys to thrive in the midst of the transformation, and the strategies to get us there.
Book Synopsis Turning Point by : Gregg Braden
Download or read book Turning Point written by Gregg Braden and published by Hay House, Inc. This book was released on 2014-01-28 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We solve our problems based upon the way we think of ourselves and the world. From peak energy and peak debt to failing economies and the realities of climate change, everyday life is showing us where we’ve outgrown the thinking of the past. It’s also showing us where big changes in the world mean big changes in our lives. Through dramatic shifts in our jobs, our relationship to money, our health, and even our homes, it’s clear that our lives are changing in ways we’ve never seen, to a degree that we’re not prepared for, and at speeds that we’ve never experienced. It’s also clear that the thinking of the past is no longer enough to meet our needs today. A new, healthy, and sustainable world is emerging, and our ability to accept what it offers begins with our willingness to: • Honestly acknowledge the facts of what we’re up against. • Embrace the new discoveries that reveal the role of cooperation in nature and human communities. • Create resilience in our lives, families, and communities based upon five proven and sustainable principles. • Through easy-to-understand science and the wisdom traditions of the past, The Turning Point identifies the extremes in the world that are reshaping our lives, the keys to thrive in the midst of the transformation, and the strategies to get us there.
“A hot-rod joy ride through mid-20th-century American history” (The New York Times Book Review), this one-of-a-kind narrative masterfully recreates the rivalry between the two men who innovated the electric guitar’s amplified sound—Leo Fender and Les Paul—and their intense competition to convince rock stars like the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and Eric Clapton to play the instruments they built. In the years after World War II, music was evolving from big-band jazz into rock ’n’ roll—and these louder styles demanded revolutionary instruments. When Leo Fender’s tiny firm marketed the first solid-body electric guitar, the Esquire, musicians immediately saw its appeal. Not to be out-maneuvered, Gibson, the largest guitar manufacturer, raced to build a competitive product. The company designed an “axe” that would make Fender’s Esquire look cheap and convinced Les Paul—whose endorsement Leo Fender had sought—to put his name on it. Thus was born the guitar world’s most heated rivalry: Gibson versus Fender, Les versus Leo. While Fender was a quiet, half-blind, self-taught radio repairman, Paul was a brilliant but headstrong pop star and guitarist who spent years toying with new musical technologies. Their contest turned into an arms race as the most inventive musicians of the 1950s and 1960s—including bluesman Muddy Waters, rocker Buddy Holly, the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Eric Clapton—adopted one maker’s guitar or another. By 1969 it was clear that these new electric instruments had launched music into a radical new age, empowering artists with a vibrancy and volume never before attainable. In “an excellent dual portrait” (The Wall Street Journal), Ian S. Port tells the full story in The Birth of Loud, offering “spot-on human characterizations, and erotic paeans to the bodies of guitars” (The Atlantic). “The story of these instruments is the story of America in the postwar era: loud, cocky, brash, aggressively new” (The Washington Post).
Book Synopsis The Birth of Loud by : Ian S. Port
Download or read book The Birth of Loud written by Ian S. Port and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2019-01-15 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A hot-rod joy ride through mid-20th-century American history” (The New York Times Book Review), this one-of-a-kind narrative masterfully recreates the rivalry between the two men who innovated the electric guitar’s amplified sound—Leo Fender and Les Paul—and their intense competition to convince rock stars like the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and Eric Clapton to play the instruments they built. In the years after World War II, music was evolving from big-band jazz into rock ’n’ roll—and these louder styles demanded revolutionary instruments. When Leo Fender’s tiny firm marketed the first solid-body electric guitar, the Esquire, musicians immediately saw its appeal. Not to be out-maneuvered, Gibson, the largest guitar manufacturer, raced to build a competitive product. The company designed an “axe” that would make Fender’s Esquire look cheap and convinced Les Paul—whose endorsement Leo Fender had sought—to put his name on it. Thus was born the guitar world’s most heated rivalry: Gibson versus Fender, Les versus Leo. While Fender was a quiet, half-blind, self-taught radio repairman, Paul was a brilliant but headstrong pop star and guitarist who spent years toying with new musical technologies. Their contest turned into an arms race as the most inventive musicians of the 1950s and 1960s—including bluesman Muddy Waters, rocker Buddy Holly, the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Eric Clapton—adopted one maker’s guitar or another. By 1969 it was clear that these new electric instruments had launched music into a radical new age, empowering artists with a vibrancy and volume never before attainable. In “an excellent dual portrait” (The Wall Street Journal), Ian S. Port tells the full story in The Birth of Loud, offering “spot-on human characterizations, and erotic paeans to the bodies of guitars” (The Atlantic). “The story of these instruments is the story of America in the postwar era: loud, cocky, brash, aggressively new” (The Washington Post).
