Urban Spacemen And Wayfaring Strangers

This book explores the evolution of 20 artists bred by the unique musical scene of their era and traces the musical and cultural trends that gave birth to musicians such as Tim Buckley, The Beau Brummels, The Fugs, and more. Includes audio CD. Photos.

Exploring the careers of the original wave of artists and their contemporary equivalents, Leech tells the story of acid and psychedelic folk recording artists from the 1960s to the present day.

A portrait of folk rock cites its role as a vehicle for musical and social change, chronicling its evolution in the 1960s while profiling its major contributors and milestones, such as Bob Dylan, the Byrds, Simon and Garfunkel, the Newport Folk Festival, and Woodstock. Original.

Blending personal insight with recent firsthand interviews, this book is a tribute to rock and roll anarchists--such as Ike Turner, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, The Kinks, Talking Heads, and Elvis Costello--who ignited generations of musicians and fans. 40 photos.

A survey of the significant body of recorded works by the Beatles that were not released includes discussions on an array of live concert performances, home demo recordings, studio outtakes, and more, in a chronologically arranged volume that includes coverage of unreleased video footage. Original.

Eight Miles High documents the evolution of the folk-rock movement from mid-1966 through the end of the decade. This much-anticipated sequel to Turn! Turn! Turn!(00330946) - the acclaimed history of folk-rock's early years - portrays the mutation of the genre into psychedelia via California bands like the Byrds and Jefferson Airplane; the maturation of folk-rock composers in the singer-songwriter movement; the re-emergence of Bob Dylan and the creation of country-rock; the rise of folk-rock's first supergroup, CSN&Y; the origination of British folk-rock; and the growing importance of major festivals from Newport to Woodstock. Based on firsthand interviews with such folk-rock visionaries as: Jorma Kaukonen, Roger McGuinn, Donovan, Judy Collins, Jim Messina, Dan Hicks and dozens of others.

Based on more than one hundred first-person interviews, this thoughtful portrait of the Byrds creative genius Gene Clark reveals how he pioneered new sounds within rock music while serving as one of the main musical visionaries in the seminal 1960s group. Original.

Five Years Ahead of My Time: Garage Rock from the 1950s to the Present tells of a musical phenomenon whose continuing influence on global popular culture is immeasurable. The story begins in 1950s America, when classic rock ’n’ roll was reaching middle age, and teenaged musicians kept its primal rawness going with rough-hewn instrumentals, practicing guitar riffs in their parents’ garages. In the mid-1960s came the Beatles and the British Invasion, and soon every neighborhood had its own garage band. Groups like the Sonics and 13th Floor Elevators burnt brightly but briefly, only to be rediscovered by a new generation of connoisseurs in the 1970s. Numerous compilation albums followed, spearheaded by Lenny Kaye’s iconic Nuggets, which resulted in garage rock’s rebirth during the 1980s and ’90s. Be it the White Stripes or the Black Keys, bands have consistently found inspiration in the simplicity and energy of garage rock. It is a revitalizing force, looking back to the past to forge the future of rock ’n’ roll. And this, for the first time, is its story.

A comprehensive history of the influential cult band draws on dozens of new interviews and previously undiscovered archive sources, tracing their initial lack of success before they inspired and were championed by such artists as David Bowie. Original.