book Archive
21 May 2019
A Conversation with Laura Davis-Chanin, Author of ‘The Girl in the Back’ (Part Two)
Continued from Part One… I thought that your citing the Rashomon effect was really effective. Since the book has come out, have you heard — either directly or indirectly —from […]
20 May 2019
A Conversation with Laura Davis-Chanin, Author of ‘The Girl in the Back’ (Part One)
Laura Davis-Chanin is in a unique position to write a personal chronicle of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s New York rock scene. As the drummer in the Student Teachers, […]
29 Mar 2019
Book Review: John Borack — Shake Some Action 2.0
In 2007, John M. Borack (later the author of Life is What Happens) put together a compendium of album reviews in book form. Shake Some Action explored the narrow slice […]
28 Mar 2019
Book Review: Richie Ramone — I Know Better Now
Wait a minute: which one’s Richie? Oh, yeah: he’s one of the few Ramones who’s still alive. All four members of the band’s original lineup – Johnny, Joey, Dee Dee […]
15 Dec 2018
Book Review: World Domination: The Sub Pop Records Story
Author: Gillian G. Gaar Publisher: BMG, 150pp The stories of record labels are intricately woven into the more generalized history of pop culture. Theirs are a mixture of commerce and […]
24 Sep 2018
Book Review: Rev. Keith A. Gordon — Broken Record
One of my favorite lines of dialogue comes from William Shakespeare’s As You Like It: “Sell when you can; you are not for all markets.” Though the line is delivered […]
20 Sep 2018
Book Review: Anthony DeCurtis — Lou Reed: A Life
There have been a number of books written about Lou Reed and/or the Velvet Underground. Victor Bockris’ Transformer: The Lou Reed story hit shelves nearly a quarter century ago, at […]
08 Aug 2018
Book Review: Richard Macphail — My Book of Genesis
I really enjoy reading behind-the-scenes and/or personal memoirs about the different corners of the music world. While reading autobiographies by big names has its rewards, I tend to find greater […]
27 Jul 2018
Book Review: Michael Bruce — No More Mister Nice Guy
Once upon a time, Alice Cooper was a group, not a singer and showman. The original Alice Cooper group started out its professional recording career on Frank Zappa and Herb […]
25 May 2018
Billy Edd Wheeler: The Fire Ain’t Gone Out
Billy Edd Wheeler is a West Virginia-born American troubadour, an important part of the Appalachian storytelling tradition. He’s written songs made famous by Johnny Cash, Kenny Rogers and Richie Havens, […]