Author:Andrew Rooney, Ben L Connor, Karen Windle, Nick Assirati
One of the most enduring US hard rock bands, Aerosmith have been around for over half a century now, although there have been plenty of ups and downs along the way. Inspired by UK acts such as The Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin, they produced some great albums in the seventies – take a listen to the likes of Toys in the Attic, Rocks and Draw The Line. They lost their way in the early eighties when Joe Perry left, a time the band was in the thrall of substance abuse – check out the book Babysitting a Band on The Rocks for more on this period. However, a late career resurgence with massive selling records like Permanent Vacation and Pump in the late eighties saw the start of a decade where the band became bigger than ever, although at times the music became maybe a bit less hard edged and seemed designed to appeal to a more AOR audience with songs like Don’t Want To Miss A Thing. This exhaustive look at the band’s output covers all the albums song by song as well as delving into what was going on behind the scenes in the band’s complicated internal relationships. A very engaging read even for the more casual fan like me who are probably happy with a decent ‘best of’ set..
Dave Grohl seems to be one of the most ubiquitous musicians of the 21st century, popping up here, there and everywhere, whether it be with Foo Fighters, his various side projects or as a guest appearance at someone’s show. The main thrust of the book is of course the Foo Fighters now extensive back catalogue, but it includes all the aspects of his career covering some releases that are quite obscure. Are they the biggest live attraction in the world – well they’re certainly up there and with the band resuming live activities later in the year who’d bet against the release of a new album to coincide. All in all, a very comprehensive, well researched and readable history of the man and the band, although for me they’re a much better band live than they are on record, even though of course they’ve created any number of enduring classic tracks that are now staples on classic rock radio.
Let me say at the outset my knowledge of Duran Duran is pretty much limited to their run of big chart topping singles from their eighties New Romantic heyday of catchy hit tunes and glossy videos, which appeared when that side of the industry was still relatively new. To give them full credit, they’re still going strong after almost 45 years, which isn’t bad for a band of any ilk, and they’ve kept a pretty stable line up in the main throughout the years. The book covers all sixteen studio albums, a number that took me by surprise, and key standalone singles, exploring the stories behind the individual songs from the big hits to the deepest of deep cuts. They have certainly transcended their original genre by far and show no signs of stopping, with their most recent album appearing as recently as 2023. Aimed at both the devoted fan and the uninitiated alike, this book provides a roadmap to their extensive back catalogue, so if you fancy exploring their music this is a great guide to help you on your journey.
The Clash On Track is a revised edition of a title that has been available before and has therefore already been reviewed on here, but it has now been updated to include some previously unpublished material from Joe Strummer’s notebooks and Ray Lowry’s archive. They are a band that seemed to get even bigger in the years after their break up, and the five albums by the classic line up still sound current today despite the passing of the years. As well as examining the canon in depth, the author looks at standalone singles, live recordings and sundry rarities, as well as considering the thorny problem of which is the best of the numerous compilations that have appeared in the intervening years. The concise narrative plots the rise and fall of this iconic band, putting each song into its own context and providing a concise yet reassuringly detailed overview of their comparatively short but hugely influential career. Well worth seeking out and reading, preferably alongside relistening to the still essential genre straddling music this extraordinary band created.
Length of Read:Short
Might appeal to people who enjoyed…
The work of these bands.
One thing you’ve learned
So much music, so little time.
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