Sean Egan

Una guía elaborada por una magnífica selección internacional de más de 40 especialistas y críticos musicales que recorren lo más relevante de más de un siglo de música. El análisis exhaustivo de álbumes, singles y canciones clave procedentes de mas de 50 paises ofrece una vision en profundidad de las repercusiones de los artistas mas destacados de la musica popular. Incluye los mejores musicos, compositores, cantantes y las figuras mas influyentes. Un repaso a las repercusiones que los hitos musicales han tenido sobre la evolucion de la musica y la cultura popular, desde las letras mas explosivas y los albumes y singles que han irrumpido en las listas de exitos hasta los compositores mas destacados o los conciertos clave. Un analisis critico de estos elementos fundamentales y, a la vez, un homenaje a cien años de musica popular. Algunos conocimientos han sido legendarios, como la espectacular explosion del punk o la genialidad de las composiciones de Lennon y McCartney. Cada uno de estos elementos fundamentales se situa en su contexto historico, cultural y musical, creando asi una guia completa y accesible del mundo de la musica.

Cada periodista musical, cada crítico, cada aficionado, seguro que tiene elaborada su propia lista de discos preferidos. De Bob Dylan a los Sex Pistols, de Led Zeppelin a Bruce Springsteen, todos guardamos nuestros discos mas estimados en una estanteria o en un rincon de la memoria, pero ¿podemos comprender que alquimia hizo surgir la musica de los Beatles y alterar tan radicalmente la musica popular en los sesenta? O bien, ¿podemos llegar a saber cual fue el impacto real y verdadero significado de discos como Grievous Angel, Never Mind the Bollocks, The Freewheelin Bob Dylan o The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars?

Lo más parecido a una autobiografía de David Bowie que se puede encontrar en el mercado editorial.Bowie por Bowiereúne las mejores entrevistas que ofreció David Bowie a lo largo de sus casi cincuenta años de carrera. Con mas de treinta reportajes en los que Bowie se explaya en profundidad, este volumen es lo mas cercano a una autobiografia relatada en tiempo real de una leyenda del rock y el pop.Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane, el cantante de plastic soul, El Delgado Duque Blanco, el glam rock, la sexualidad, las drogas, sus colaboraciones con Lou Reed y con Iggy Pop, los excesos que desembocarian en el extraordinario periodo musical de Berlin, la experimentacion permanente, el exito masivo en los años ochenta, la actuacion en cine y teatro, la moda, las artes visuales, la controvertida banda Tin Machine, el esplendor creativo de mitad de los noventa: odiseas que lo llevarian a convertirse, sin duda, en uno de los musicos mas influyentes del siglo XX y XXI, que hizo de la reinvencion su bandera creativa.

Durante un par de años, desde 1964 a 1966, los Animals estuvieron al mismo nivel artístico y comercial que los Beatles y los Rolling Stones. El grupo, liderado por Eric Burdon, consiguió transmitir su pasion por el R&B al publico britanico e incluso logro que el interes por esa musica resurgiera en Estados Unidos. En poco mas de 24 meses, los Animals grabaron discos que terminaron convirtiendose en clasicos, como The House Of The Rising Sun, un numero 1 incontestable en ambos lados del Atlantico. A partir de 1967, con nuevos miembros, los logros de la banda continuaron. Hoy, ya en el siglo XXI, los Animals son aclamados como uno de los mejores grupos que surgieron del pop britanico de los 60. Hilton Valentine, guitarra solista y miembro original del grupo, ha colaborado en la edicion española de este libro, aportando fotos ineditas y escribiendo un afectuoso prologo.

Still going strong after four decades, The Rolling Stones are the ultimate rock band. The Rough Guide to The Rolling Stones explores every aspect of the music, and charts how Mick, Keith and the boys invented rock stardom. Features include: The Story: From the blues clubs of 60s Chelsea to the world tours and millionaire mansions, The Music: 50 essential songs and the stories behind them, plus the albums, bootlegs, soundtracks and solo projects, The Entourage: the girlfriends, managers and musicians, from Jerry Hall and Marianne Faithful to Andrew Loog Oldham and Nicky Hopkins, The Rolling Review: the movies, books and websites all the Stones info youll ever need. This Rough Guide leaves no stone unturned.

CAN YOU DIG ITWalter Hills The Warriors was not just a motion pictureit was a social phenomenon on every level.The tale of a Coney Island street gang who, framed for murder, have to make the perilous journey back to home turf across the terrain of rival crews out for revenge, it caused a sensation when it hit the theaters in early 1979. Despite a low budget, an absence of marquee names, and minimal promotion, it proceeded to lead the box office, devoured by an urban youth that had never before been represented non-judgmentally on screen. Within weeks, though, the glory was tarnished when deaths at and around screenings created an unparalleled controversy about imitation of on-screen violence.The Warriors never recovered commercial momentum. However, it never lost its critical kudos, partly deriving from its plots unlikely origincourtesy of the 1965 source novel by Sol Yurickin Greek classic Anabasis. It now enjoys cult-classic status. "Can you dig it?"the call to arms against the Man dramatically enunciated by rival gang leader Cyrusis now one of cinemas immortal catchphrases.Sean Egan has spoken in depth to the people who made The Warriors, including its director-screenwriter, producers, stunt coordinator, costume designer, soundtrack composer, and starring actors. He details how its shoot was engulfed in acrimony and strife, including a spiraling budget, the leading lady breaking her arm, and intimidation from loitering real-life gang members. Then there was the astonishing decision taken halfway through shooting to fire the leading man. He explains how the controversy surrounding the movie caused Paramount Pictures to take the devastating decision to pull it from theaters. He then explores the way public affection and critical goodwill ultimately saw The Warriors and its cast and crew rehabilitated and vindicated.Can You Dig It is the full story of the rollercoaster journey of a remarkable film.

For the Internet generation, a quick introduction to the great and inventive chameleon of rock, David Bowie.David Bowie needs no introduction. An immense star whose music and writing transcended generations he was one of the most articulate influencers of modern music. Over fifty years his singles and albums slid up and down the bestseller charts, adapting to the changing times, exploring new musical themes, always pushing at boundaries in a desperate desire to seek out the new and the different. This fantastic new, unofficial biography covers his life, music, art and movies.

Tommy Docherty dragged the worlds biggest football club into the modern era. Between 1972 and 1977, The Doc led Manchester United on a rollercoaster ride of failure and success unmatched at any time in their history.Appointed manager in late 1972 when the club was at their lowest post-War ebb, Docherty dismayed many with muscular tactics in his efforts to keep the club in the top flight. But after initial problems, not least relegation to the Second Division, he and the club never looked back. A new, young and eager team took shape and United began to live up once again to their Red Devils nickname, returning quickly to the First Division, where they proceeded to stun English football by challenging for both the championship and the FA Cup, using an exhilarating 4-2-4 formation as they did so.But whilst his brand of football was beautiful, Docherty was a controversial individual, and within weeks of winning the clubs first trophy for a decade, he was sacked following revelations about his private life. However, he left behind a club whose decay had been permanently halted, and his reign paved the way for the phenomenal success of Alex Ferguson.Packed full of detail and new interviews with many of the key characters, The Docs Devils explores one of the most interesting ever pairings of club and manager and provides a riveting and unprecedentedly in-depth account of one of the most extraordinary periods in Manchester Uniteds history.

Their songs have been covered by acts as diverse as Ride, Boney M and the Sex Pistols; they impressed Pete Townshend so much that he asked their guitarist to join the already successful Who; said guitarist pioneered the use of the violin bow on guitar strings a trick promptly lifted and made famous by Led Zeppelins Jimmy Page; they inspired the name of Creation Records, the most influential record label of the 90s; they have been cited as an influence by Paul Weller, Alan McGee, Ride, Pete Townshend, John Lydon and others.Yet The Creation never had a bona fide hit single in either Britain or the US. They had a recording career that spanned merely mid-1966 to early 1968 and never in their original incarnation released an album on either side of the Atlantic. The Creation are pops quintessential example of Never Mind The Career Width, Feel The Musical Quality. Their compositions Makin Time, Painter Man, Biff Bang Pow, Nightmares, Can I Join Your Band, Life Is Just Beginning, Through My Eyes, How Does It Feel To Feel and others helped define psychedelia and pop art and are cherished by several different generations of music fans."Our Music Is Red With Purple Flashes" (the immortal quote coined by Creation guitarist Eddie Phillips to describe his bands records) draws on new and exclusive interviews with all three surviving original band members Phillips, bassist cum vocalist Bob Garner and drummer Jack Jones and their producers Shel Talmy and Joe Foster, as well as two dozen other band intimates and associates including an exclusive interview with Ronnie Wood, to finally give one of historys great neglected bands their due.