Rock and Roll Reads: Richard Blade thriller, 'Bowie at 75,' Belle and Sebastian Illustrated Lyrics, more!

Whether you are looking to add a good book to your personal library or seeking out early holiday gift ideas, there are a number of wonderful new titles available in print now.

Title: Ghosts of the Congo

Author: Richard Blade

Publisher: BladeRocker Books

Hardcover: 335 pages

Tell me more: One of America's best-known and popular DJs, Richard Blade hosts a daily show on SiriusXM's 1st Wave and on KCBS. He has recently earned well-deserved acclaim for his writing, penning an autobiography (World In My Eyes), a collection of interviews conducted during the pandemic (The Lockdown Interviews) and a series of exciting novels including SPQR, Birthright and Imposters. Blending the action-packed adventure of an Edgar Rice Burroughs classic with the pulse of an edgy contemporary political thriller, Blade's latest novel Ghosts of the Congo will keep readers engaged and entertained. Blade has a gift for using sharp dialogue, winning characters and colorful detail to propel his suspense-filled storytelling across every page. From the ravaged streets of America's broken cities and top levels of power in Washington, D.C. to the most remote jungles of West Africa, the events that play out in Ghosts Of The Congo blur the line between fiction and modern history. The story revolves around a thrilling rescue mission to save a group of America's most important VIPs, including the nation's First Lady and the Vice President. Read this thrilling novel before some savvy producer makes it into a cinematic blockbuster. Information: RichardBlade.com.

Title: Bowie at 75

Author: Martin Popoff

Publisher: Motorbooks

Hardcover with slipcase: 208 pages

Tell me more: Acclaimed author/rock music aficionado Martin Popoff has turned his expertise and wordcraft to celebrate the legacy of the late David Bowie. The essential Bowie at 75 is a fascinating and well-researched volume that chronicles distinct sides of Bowie's wide-ranging career that sadly ended with the release of his final album Blackstar on his 69th birthday — that masterwork was released a mere two days before his death on Jan. 10, 2016. Popoff brings the reader on a fast-moving chronological journey through 75 "career highlights" of Bowie's life. The result is both a well-aimed introduction and exhaustive appreciation of his singular journey as a pioneering singer-songwriter, genre-defying rockstar and acclaimed actor. Fully illustrated with historic photographs (including 250 color images), memorabilia such as concert posters, 7-inch picture sleeves and more, this is an important and objective appreciation of one of one of rock music's most influential names.  Information: quarto.com.

Title: Belle and Sebastian: Illustrated Lyrics

Authors: Lyrics by Stuart Murdoch; Illustrations by Pamela Tait

Publisher: Thames & Hudson

Hardcover: 128 pages; 40 illustrations in color and B&W

Tell me more: Scottish chamber pop outfit Belle and Sebastian has enjoyed acclaim for a winning parade of albums dating back to their 1996 debut Tigermilk. Now band leader Stuart Murdoch has teamed with illustrator Pamela Tait on the new hardcover title Belle and Sebastian: Illustrated Lyrics. The lovely collaboration features enticing visual reinterpretations of many of Belle and Sebastian's best-known songs including "If You're Feeling Sinister," "The Boy with the Arab Strap," "Piazza, New York Catcher," "Another Sunny Day" and "Nobody's Empire." A fateful project to be sure, Murdoch first fell in love with Tait's intricate and expressive illustrations when he rediscovered an old fan email sent to him by her a decade earlier. Now fans of Belle and Sebastian — as well as Tait's signature artwork - can share in the magic. Information: ThamesAndudsonUSA.com.

Title: Through the Prism: Untold Rock Stories from the Hipgnosis Archive

Author: Aubrey Powell

Publisher: Thames & Hudson

Hardcover: 320 pages

Tell me more: Those looking for a behind-the-scenes close-up look at the world of a number of classic rock masters will want to pick up Through the Prism: Untold Stories from the Hipgnosis Archive. Fans of Pink Floyd, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, The Who, The Police, Paul McCartney and others will all enjoy insights courtesy of designer, photographer and filmmaker Aubrey "Po" Powell. The multi-talented artist founded the graphic design studio Hipgnosis with Storm Thorgerson in 1968; this is a lavish edition to be sure with more than 250 illustrations and photographs spread across the volume's 320 pages. What's more, Powell is brutally honest as the shares previously-untold tales featuring a notable cast of musicians, actors, managers, comedians and world leaders. From the founding of Hipgnosis in the midst of rock and roll's golden age to surviving drug busts and sharing details about the birth of the most famous album cover of all time (Dark Side of the Moon), this is a must have title. Information: ThamesAndudsonUSA.com.

Title: Disturbing The Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave

Author: Bill Kopp

Publisher: HoZac Books

Paperback: 362 pages

Tell me more: Wire Train, Romeo Void, Red Rockers, The Nuns, Roky Erickson and Translator are only a few of the groundbreaking artists with ties to seminal San Francisco-based 415 Records in the late 1970s and early-to-mid 1980s. Now author Bill Kopp is revisiting the Bay Area's thriving indie music scene of that era via the wonderful Disturbing The Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave. Based on nearly 100 interviews with artists, industry executives, friends, producers, journalists and more, the book also features hundreds of photos, gig posters and memorabilia from the personal archives of those who were in the midst of the burgeoning music scene championed by 415 (pronounced four-one-five) Records. The book also features a foreword by Joel Selvin. Information: 415book.com.

Robert Kinsler

Rock 'n' Roll Reads Celebrate Music-Making Masters

With the end of 2017 rapidly approaching, it is time for a roundup of some of the year's most essential books celebrating rock 'n' roll masters.

Title: Led Zeppelin: All the Albums, All the Songs (Voyageur Press)
Author: Martin Popoff
Edition: Hardcover, 256 pages
Tell me more: Because so much has been written about Led Zeppelin since the band's formation nearly 50 years ago, it is almost overwhelming for new fans of the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers to know where to start in terms of deciphering the secrets behind the British quartet's nine studio albums. Look no further than the recently-released Led Zeppelin: All the Albums, All the Songs penned by well-known music journalist Martin Popoff. This beautifully-illustrated book provides insights into the creation of the 81 enduring rock tracks blending folk, blues, Celtic and rock that comprised Led Zep's original catalog spanning from their eponymous 1969 disc to the late 1978 recordings featured on "In Through The Out Door" (the rarities-minded 1982 release "Coda" is also assessed in depth). Yours truly has always been perplexed at the how rock fans and critics often argue about the merits of Led Zeppelin's recordings and songs, but Popoff makes a compelling case for the band's singular and groundbreaking rock brew that continues to inspire and influence new generations of musicians long after the band's demise. Information: martinpopoff.com.

Title: HENDRIX: The Illustrated History (Voyageur Press)
Author: Gillian G. Gaar
Edition: Hardcover, 224 pages
Tell me more: Widely-regarded as the greatest and most influential rock guitarist of all time, Jimi Hendrix carved out his amazing legacy from the middle of 1966 until his death at age 27 in September 1970. Author Gillian G. Gaar's wonderful HENDRIX: The Illustrated History is worthy of its talented subject — the newly-published hardcover book has images spanning from Hendrix's childhood to those taken shortly before his death; along with the wealth of photographs, album artwork and posters are well-written details about the singer-guitarist's life and career. Hendrix aficionados will love details on the gear that the guitar great used, as well as the selected live appearances list highlighting many of his most notable concert appearances and "selected discography" featured in the book. HENDRIX: The Illustrated History is truly a must-have for fans of Hendrix and those whose life-long quest is to master the art of playing guitar. Information: amazon.com.

Title: Rush: Album By Album (Voyageur Press)
Author: Martin Popoff
Edition: Hardcover, 192 pages
Tell me more: When Canadian rock trio Rush was finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013, it provided acknowledgement that bassist-keyboardist-vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson and drummer-lyricist Neil Peart are one of rock's most powerful, talented and unique voices. In addition, as of 2017, Rush has reportedly sold more than 65 million albums worldwide since the early 1970s. Now author Martin Popoff — widely considered an expert on Rush — explores the 50-year history of the band in his outstanding Rush: Album By Album." Spanning from Rush's self-titled 1974 debut to 2012's excellent Clockwork Angels, every Rush album is covered via a comprehensive look reflecting not only Popoff's views but those he collects in conversations featuring the likes of Kirk Hammett (lead guitarist of Metallica), Paul Gilbert (guitarist in Mr. Big), Mike Portnoy (the drummer of Dream Theater) and other notable names who provide additional depth into the work of Rush. As is fitting of the ambition of Rush, the conversations and narrative in Rush: Album By Album covers not only the music (including well-known solos) and lyrics, but related live performances and album artwork. Information: martinpopoff.com.

Title: A Grammy Salute to Music Legends
Author: Edited by David Konjoyan; foreword by Jimmy Jam
Edition: Hardcover, 208 pages
Tell me more: While most music fans recognize that The Recording Academy presents its GRAMMYs to honor award-winning music that has had an impact in a specific year, the majority of those who catch the televised ceremony might not know about the Special Merit Awards section of the GRAMMY program book where deserving persons are honored through the Lifetime Achievement Award, Trustees Award and Technical GRAMMY Award. These special awards honor individuals who have distinguished themselves over the course of many years and come from a wide range of musical genres. Now A Grammy Salute to Music Legends shines a bright light on these notables who have earned Special Merit Awards, with the seminal music pioneers typically celebrated by artists they have influenced. For example, Tom Petty's tribute to George Harrison's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015 and Kris Kristofferson's tribute to Leonard Cohen for the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010 are among the many highlights in the insightful anthology. Information: halleonardbooks.com.

Title: Rockin' the City of Angels (Diego Spade Productions)
Author: Douglas Harr
Edition: Hardcover, 396 pages
Tell me more: Rockin' the City of Angels celebrates the 1970s. Big time. The coffee-table book closely mirrors the size of an LP vinyl album cover, spans 396 pages and includes more than 600 images. Written by Douglas Harr and designed by Tilman Reitzle, Rockin' the City of Angels brings together the work of a number of photographers to capture the parade of stellar concerts staged in Los Angeles during the 1970s. Indeed, images of The Who, the Rolling Stones, Elton John, Yes, AC/DC, Queen, David Bowie, Paul McCartney & Wings, and others are showcased here. Photographers whose images are featured in the volume include Richard E. Aaron, Jørgen Angel, Fin Costello, Ian Dickson, Armando Gallo, Stacey Katsis, Terry O’Neill, Neal Preston, Michael Putland, Jim Summaria, Lisa Tanner, Brian Weiner and Neil Zlowzower. Information: https://www.facebook.com/rockinthecityofangels/. You can also purchase the book from Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/Amazon-RTCOA.


Robert Kinsler