Music & Radio - Page 1

All fans of rock music will appreciate David Roberts' Rock Chronicles: The Essential Guide to the Greatest 250 Rock Acts of All Time, a large encyclopedia covering some of music's most legendary acts. The hardback features 250 of the world's best-known, and most important, groups from the past 50 years and charts their evolving line-ups, sounds, label and achievements. The book features photography that chronicles their ever-changing looks and also contains detailed family trees of the best bands from each decade, all interlinked by influences and band members. This is a peerless work of reference for any music fan.

The tragic death of Amy Winehouse in July 2011 shocked her loyal fans. In Amy, My Daughter, her father Mitch Winehouse offers readers full access to the Rehab singer's mischievous early years, her rapid rise to stardom and her losing battle with addiction. Telling her incredible story in full, this book is both powerful and poignant and a fitting tribute to Mitch's much-loved and much-missed daughter. The book brings many layers of the iconic singer's life together - the personal, the private and the public - and contains never-before-seen photographs of Amy, taken from the family album. It describes how, despite a troubled and all-too-short life, Amy has left a musical legacy that will enthrall audiences for many years to come.

All royalties from this book will be donated to the Amy Winehouse Foundation.

Written by Mitchell Symons to celebrate 70 years of the hit BBC Radio 4 programme, Desert Island Discs: Flotsam & Jetsam is the ultimate trivia book for fans of the show as it features a whole range of fascinating facts and figures from its extensive archives. Spanning the early years with Roy Plomley through to the present day, the hardback takes the reader through seven decades of wonderful entertainment that includes information on who chose what, and why. From Beethoven and The Beatles to chessboards and chocolate, this is the perfect companion guide to a national treasure.

An international pop sensation with a big voice and even bigger personality, Jessie J gives fans an insight into her life in her autobiography Nice to Meet You: My Story. In this bold and intimate hardback, The Do It Like A Dude and Price Tag singer offers up exclusive backstage photographs, personal snaps and an up-close insight into her music, style and passion for being true to who you are. Highly personal, Jessie J reveals her own story in her own words, with all the strength, honesty and passion that she is now famed for. She talks openly about her health issues and a heart condition, and how she discovered her own identity while breaking into the mainstream. This is a real-life read that will both shock and enthrall. (Please note that the book includes some explicit language.)

A refreshing and frank portrayal of Robbie Williams’ life story, written by one of Britain’s best celebrity biographers, Robbie is a must-have hardback for his legions of fans. Through superb research and new interviews, author Sean Smith charts Robbie’s life from his ‘Jack-the-lad’ upbringing in Stoke-on-Trent through to his record breaking tours and lifetime achievement award at the age of 36. Including interesting new material for even the most hardened fan of the Take That star, this is sure to make a wonderful gift.

What are the greatest pieces of classical music ever composed? Every music lover has a favourite, whether it is one that stirs you to joy or tears, that makes itself heard with marching refrains or delicately rises with soft flutes. Classical music reaches our ears in many forms, from the hauntingly memorable strains of the requiems by Faure or Mozart to the scores of Hollywood masterpieces such as James Horner's 'Titanic' and John Williams' 'Star Wars'. Based on fifteen years of selections by the listeners of Classic FM, The Classic FM Hall of Fame presents the stories behind the 300 most loved pieces of classical music. Tim Lihoreau, Darren Henley and Sam Jackson guide us through the world of classical music and the enduring compositions that occupy it.

This title covers the lives and works of the great musical creators of the Medieval, Baroque and Classical eras, with 200 illustrations. This is a guide to over 30 of the most famous composers from the Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque and Classical eras, including Palestrina, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert. It includes biographies for each composer, with historical information about the musical eras, events and artistic movements of the time, and how the composers influenced or changed the development of their art form. Chronologically arranged, the expert text features at-a-glance fact boxes summarizing the composers' key works. This book provides an illustrated guide to the most influential composers from the beginnings of composition in the 12th century to the golden age of Western music in the mid-19th century. The entries for each composer are accompanied by full-colour photographs and fine art, showing their portraits, the places where they lived and worked, and scenes from their ballets or operas. The expert text explains how each composer fitted into society, other events and artistic movements that were occurring at the same time, and how their work was regarded by other composers and the public. Throughout the book there are at-a-glance guides to each composer's nationality, place of birth, principal works and musical style.

This book poses the questions What is music?A" and What is a musical instrument?A" Each of the principal ancient civilizations is investigated, with information about key developments and traditions. The text focuses on methods of music-making, explaining how the string and bow create sound, the tonal quality of single and double reeds, the impact of the development of valves, the variety of drum skins, and the types of keyboard mechanisms. The book also covers the most famous musicians, the role of the composer and the conductor, and the best-known orchestras and concert halls around the world. It not only charts the history of the orchestra but also looks at the history of all the major musical movements and forms, including folk music, brass and military bands, country music, jazz, big bands and popular music.

This is the first of two titles by the Manic Street Preachers' bassist and lyricist, Nicky Wire. For more than twenty years and from Blackwood, Wales to Tokyo, Japan, Nicky Wire has kept a personal visual history of the band in their various stages from "Generation Terrorists" through "Holy Bible" and right up to last year's remarkable album, "Postcards from a Young Man". Edited down from over 1,000 of Wire's personal polaroid's and with accompanying text by the man himself, "Death of The Polaroid" promises to be a rich, visual biography of one of the most loved and iconoclastic British bands of the past two decades.

Written by the popular presenter and choirmaster Gareth Malone, this book is released to accompany the hit BBC series The Choir: Sing While You Work. In Choir, Gareth reveals all about his previous TV series' and gives fans a `behind the scenes? glimpse into what it is like to be in control of a variety of successful choirs. The book also focuses on the outstanding success Gareth oversaw with Military Wives, which resulted in their Christmas Number One success in 2011. With refreshing honesty and humour, Gareth describes the tears, triumphs and transformations he has witnessed over the past few years as well as the memorable people he has met - including a number of improbable choristers! A candid memoir, this is a must-read for any fans of Gareth and his inspiring work.

A frank exploration of a pop sensation’s musical journey across the world, told through the eyes of his travel partner and family friend Peter Hardy, Different Country, Same State: On the Road With James Blunt follows a marathon international tour. An intimate behind-the-scenes account that at first-hand details the experiences of Blunt, his band and Hardy as they make it to 213 shows across 58 countries over 15 months, this amusing inside story sees the singer bare all. Packed with great anecdotes and reflections as the star deals with lost guitars, adoring fans, ludicrous bar bills and very late nights, this is a must for all fans or those fascinated by travel writing and music.