Showing titles in History & Criticism

The story goes that under the influence of blues and rock and roll, Britain suddenly started making spectacularly great music in the 1960s like some clever, quick-learning cultural satellite of America. But Britain’s mid-20th-century pop music explosion didn’t happen from a standing start. The reasons, both dazzling and multifaceted, appear to lie deeper than those legendary deliveries of blues records to Liverpool’s port and the legacy of music halls.

This guide provides introductory and closing commentary for works from many famous classical composers, and includes time-stamped commentary to explain the technical aspects of what is being heard in the piece and the composer's intent in real time. This innovative audiobook enables you to hear both the music and the commentary in parallel. 

It's the songs that take you back. It's the music that celebrates the joys and hopes of the Holiday Season. Welcome to The 25 Songs of Christmas: The Greatest Holiday Songs Ever Made. In this audiobook, we will embark on a musical journey through some of the most beloved and iconic Christmas songs of all time. From the traditional carols that have been sung for centuries to the modern classics that dominate the airwaves, these songs capture the spirit and joy of the holiday season. Join me as we explore the history, lyrics, and enchanting stories behind each of these 25 timeless treasures.

“What are the greatest rock albums of all-time?” Perhaps one of the more common questions examined between music-loving chums that has led to many a good-natured debate. But if you really dig deeper into the question...is it from the standpoint of the album’s importance in rock history? A classic release that proved significant to an artist’s career? Or perhaps merely a personal favorite, that you just can’t get enough of?

Jens Balzer, einer der profiliertesten deutschen Kulturjournalisten, zeichnet ein farbiges Panorama der Siebziger, von der Mondlandung und Woodstock über die Ölkrise und den Deutschen Herbst bis hin zum Nihilismus des Punk. Ein Jahrzehnt, in dem sich so ziemlich alles ändert: Die Hippies erproben unerhörte Lebensweisen, die antiautoritäre Erziehung und die Emanzipationsbewegung ordnen die Familien- und Geschlechterverhältnisse neu, weltumspannender Idealismus trifft auf apokalyptische Weltuntergangsängste, und spätestens als Hacker den ersten "Personal Computer" bauen, wird deutlich: Genau hier beginnt unsere Gegenwart.

Discover the cosmic roots of Egyptian musical, vocal, and dancing rhythmic forms. Learn the fundamentals (theory and practice) of music in the typical Egyptian way: simple, coherent, and comprehensive. Review a detailed description of the major Egyptian musical instruments, playing techniques, functions, etc. Discover the Egyptian rhythmic practices in all aspects of their lives.

André Gide, one of the great intellectuals of the 20th century and a devoted pianist, invites readers to reevaluate Frédéric Chopin as a composer "betrayed...deeply, intimately, totally violated" by a music community that had fundamentally misinterpreted his work. As a profound admirer of Chopin’s "promenade of discoveries", Gide intersperses musical notation throughout the text to illuminate his arguments, but most moving is Gide’s own poetic expression for the music he so loved.

One of rock music's most fascinating personalities, Neil Young has persistently charted his own career, ignoring pop fashions, creating innovative music ranging from folk classics like "Heart of Gold" to rock-and-roll anthems like "Down By the River". Don't Be Denied charts Neil Young's formative years, from his high school days in Winnipeg, Manitoba, through his adventures in Toronto's Yorkville district to his ultimate successes with Buffalo Springfield, Crazy Horse, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, and as a solo performer.

The 1960s were a time of huge transformation, sustained and amplified by the music of that era: Rock and Roll. During the 19th and 20th centuries visionary and esoteric spiritual traditions influenced first literature, then film. In the 1960s they entered the realm of popular music, catalyzing the ecstatic experiences that empowered a generation. Exploring how 1960s rock and roll music became a school of visionary art, Christopher Hill shows how music raised consciousness on both the individual and collective levels to bring about a transformation of the planet.

Few rock bands were as successful as the Scorpions by the mid '80s - headlining arenas/stadiums worldwide. German Metal Machine: Scorpions in the '70s is the first-ever book to focus solely on this period of the band. Interviews include such former members as Michael Schenker, Uli Jon Roth, Francis Buchholz, and Herman Rarebell, longtime Scorpions producer Dieter Dierks, plus members of other bands that are major admirers,

Discover the cadence of history and the melody of time in "Harmonies and Histories". This in-depth exploration delves into the captivating world of classical music, offering a comprehensive understanding that fascinates both neophytes and veteran aficionados alike. Embark on a rich journey starting with the origins and impact of classical music in Chapter 1, expanding your knowledge about this timeless genre. Unravel the beauty of appreciating classical music in Chapter 2, learning to identify musical elements and interpret gripping narratives. Chapter 3 will then guide you through the ...

Rhythm & blues emerged from the African American community in the late 1940s to become the driving force in American popular music over the next half-century. Although sometimes called "doo-wop", "soul", "funk", "urban contemporary", or "hip-hop", R&B is actually an umbrella category that includes all of these styles and genres. It is in fact a modern-day incarnation of a musical tradition that stretches back to 19th-century America, and even further to African beginnings.

Writing a comprehensive exploration of the top ten best rappers of all time is an exciting journey through hip-hop history, artistic impact, and individual contributions. Given the broad scope and rich depth of the genre, this book will present a blend of universally recognized legends alongside influential voices that have shaped the direction and culture of rap. . .

"I was 22 years old, a hard-on with a pulse: wretched vice-ridden, too much to burn and not enough minutes in a hour to do so. 1995 was a full 365-day year of drinking, fucking, lying, raging and exploration for me - not a dull one in the bunch. It was a time of self-shit: self-importance, self-absorption, self-indulgence and selfishness. I was the only person in the known galaxy and I wanted what the fuck I wanted sooner rather than later." The action begins in Iowa, where Corey Taylor committs each of the Seven Deadly Sins.

For better or worse, Wagner is the most widely influential figure in the history of music. Around 1900, the phenomenon known as Wagnerism saturated European and American culture. A mighty procession of writers, artists and thinkers felt his impact. Anarchists, occultists, feminists and gay-rights pioneers saw him as a kindred spirit. Then Adolf Hitler incorporated Wagner into the soundtrack of Nazi Germany and the composer came to be defined by his ferocious anti-Semitism. Neither apologia nor condemnation, Wagnerism is a work of intellectual passion.

The central experience of the Ramones and their music is of being an outsider, an outcast, a person who’s somehow defective, and the revolt against shame and self-loathing. The fans, argues Donna Gaines, got it right away, from their own experience of alienation at home, at school, on the streets, and from themselves. This sense of estrangement and marginality permeates everything the Ramones still offer us as artists, and as people. Why the Ramones Matter compellingly makes the case that the Ramones gave us everything.

Every Christmas, millions gather in cathedrals and concert halls for a spectacular tradition: the sing-along to the Messiah. It’s a celebration of one of music’s finest miracles, where a composer drafted the world’s perennially favorite oratorio in just 24 days. Choruses and solos range from stirring to dizzyingly complex, and together, the songs express the full significance of what Christ came to this scarred world to achieve on our behalf.

Power Chord is the story of one man’s epic pilgrimage to gain rock enlightenment from the gods and guitar heroes of the Golden Age of heavy metal. Author Scott McKenzie set off to make contact with the legendary metal superstars he worshipped in his rural Kentucky youth - men like George Lynch of Dokken, Glen Tipton of Judas Priest, and Ace Frehley of KISS - hoping to gain wisdom and a better understanding of the electric guitar mystique.

Everybody's Doin' It is the eye-opening story of popular music's 70-year rise in the brothels, dance halls, and dives of New York City. It traces the birth of popular music, including ragtime and jazz, to convivial meeting places for sex, drink, music, and dance. Whether coming from a single piano player or a small band, live music was a nightly feature in New York's spirited dives, where men and women, often black and white, mingled freely - to the horror of the elite.

Ehemals Musik junger Abgehängter und Outlaws, ist Heavy Metal heute mehr und mehr in der Mitte der Gesellschaft angekommen: Wohl mehr als 10 Millionen Deutsche hören Heavy Metal. Aber warum tun sie das? Was suchen und was finden sie in dieser Musik, die von Außenstehenden oft als purer Lärm empfunden wird? Warum wimmelt es im Heavy Metal nur so von Monstern und Teufeln - und wieso schweigen auch die Götter und die Engel nicht? Was erleben Metal-Fans, wenn sie ihre Musik hören - und welche Erfahrung treibt sie immer wieder ins Konzert.