Out of the Basement: From Cheap trick to DIY Punk in Rockford, Illinois, 1973-2005 by David Ensminger

by Dick Weissman | Mar 14, 2017 | Archived Reviews (pre-April 2020), Biographies & Memoirs, Music

Although this is a slim 95-page book, it is essential reading for anyone who cares to explore the roots of the DIY (do it yourself) movement in music. The author sketches the odyssey of the town, which he describes as a rust belt remnant with high unemployment, and a...

I Love Music by Marion Billet

by Seniye Groff | Jan 4, 2017 | Archived Reviews (pre-April 2020), Children's, Music

This tiny book teaches your little one six musical sounds which includes the recorder, guitar, piano, drum, violin, and xylophone. The colorful board book also features six different animals playing his instrument. Elephant plays the piano, while Cat plays the violin....

I Am Brian Wilson: A Memoir by Brian Wilson, with Ben Greenman

by Dick Weissman | Nov 2, 2016 | Archived Reviews (pre-April 2020), Biographies & Memoirs, Music

[alert variation=”alert-info”]Publisher: Da Capo Press Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook, Kindle, Audiobook, Audible Purchase: Powell’s | Amazon | IndieBound | iBooks[/alert] Brian Wilson’s memoir is a frank and revealing portrait of a troubled...

Your Favorite Band is Killing Me: What Pop Music Rivalries Reveal About The Meaning of Life by Steven Hyden

by Dick Weissman | Sep 13, 2016 | Archived Reviews (pre-April 2020), Music

[alert variation=”alert-info”]Publisher: Back Bay Books Formats: Paperback, eBook, Kindle, Audible Purchase: Powell’s | Amazon | IndieBound | iBooks[/alert] Author Steven Hyden sets up a series of rivalries between sixteen bands or artists. Some of...

Singing In My Own Key: A Vocalist’s Triumph Over Stroke by Valerie L. Giglio

by Emily York | Sep 8, 2016 | Archived Reviews (pre-April 2020), Biographies & Memoirs, Music, Sponsored

[alert variation=”alert-info”]Publisher: Forza Press Formats: Paperback, eBook, Kindle Purchase: Powell’s | Amazon | IndieBound | iBooks[/alert] After suffering from a debilitating stroke at age 42, completely paralyzing one side of her body, it...

It Is What it Is by Peter Wick

by Dick Weissman | Sep 1, 2016 | Archived Reviews (pre-April 2020), General Fiction, Music

[alert variation=”alert-info”]Publisher: Azzurri Publishing Formats: Paperback, Kindle Purchase: Powell’s | Amazon[/alert] Wick’s short novella is the story of Zenny, an aging drummer, who becomes entangled in the contemporary world of rock and roll....