Deceptive Bends


Book Description

Things aren’t always what they appear to be in this collection of short stories. With elements of Sci-Fi, Comedy and Horror they explore the back roads and porous borders between reality and fantasy. Enjoy the ride. Michael Psciuk is a Scottish writer living, not in the highlands of Scotland… but in the highlands of northern Thailand. His many previous published stories have appeared in various magazines and Web Sites.




Deceptive Bends


Book Description




Us and Them: The Authorised Story of Hipgnosis


Book Description

'Hugely entertaining history' - Mojo Between the late '60s and early '80s, design house Hipgnosis created some of the most iconic and ubiquitous album artwork of all time. Their original lifespan coincided with the golden age of the 12-inch LP, beginning just as the Beatles' Sgt Pepper made the record sleeve the ultimate blank canvas and ending just as new technology looked set to usurp vinyl. Having originally been approached to design an album cover for their friends Pink Floyd, students Aubrey 'Po' Powell and Storm Thorgerson would go on to define the visual identity of rock and roll for the next fifteen years, swiftly gaining international prominence for their famed The Dark Side of the Moon artwork. This paved the way for other major musicians to set foot in the surreal photo-design world of Storm and Po, resulting in seminal Hipgnosis creations for the likes of Led Zeppelin, Paul McCartney, Genesis, Black Sabbath, ELO and Yes. In this authorised account, with access to previously unpublished material and exclusive contributions from David Gilmour, Jimmy Page, Peter Gabriel, Roger Waters, Robert Plant and even Aubrey Powell himself, Mark Blake goes behind the scenes of the Hipgnosis partnership to reveal the pioneering ambition and grand vision that led to their success, as well as the clashing egos and artistic differences that undermined it. The Hipgnosis story also offers hitherto-untold insight into some of music's most legendary bands, as viewed through the prism of the people who shaped their imagery and cultural legacy. With the work of Hipgnosis continuing to be referenced, reproduced and revered worldwide, Us and Them serves as a celebration, a cautionary tale and a compelling human drama, exploring the vital intersection between art and music.




All Music Guide Required Listening


Book Description

Collects reviews for one thousand enduring classic rock albums ranging from the extremely popular to more obscure works.




Deceptive Bends


Book Description




British Progressive Pop 1970-1980


Book Description

Positioned between the psychedelic and counter-cultural music of the late 1960s and the punk and new wave styles of the late 1970s, early 1970s British popular music is often overlooked in pop music studies of the late 20th century, but it was, in fact, highly diverse with many artists displaying an eclecticism and flair for musical experimentation. 'Progressive pop' artists such as Roxy Music, David Bowie, the early Queen, the Electric Light Orchestra, 10cc and Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel successfully straddled the album and singles markets, producing music that often drew on a variety of different musical styles and traditions. Similarly, such artists often set new benchmarks for songwriting and production, utilizing the full potential of the rapidly expanding studio technology of the era to produce albums of highly diverse material featuring, in some cases, special studio-crafted effects and soundscapes that remain unique to this day. This book considers the significance of British progressive pop in the early 1970s as a period during which the boundaries between pop and rock were periodically relaxed, providing a platform for musical creativity less confined by genre and branding.




The All Music Book of Hit Albums


Book Description

A comprehensive, chronological listing of the Top Ten albums in the U.S. and the U.K., from 1960 through the present day, includes monthly charts, accompanied by photographs, information on the albums, and artist trivia. Original. IP.




More Text Than Sex


Book Description

"Deeper than an edgy contemporary romance, More Text Than Sex is a slow dance with the very soul of music." Tania Doko, award-winning singer/songwriter. "What a treat to dive into this insatiable story. Jim Shomos is a literary rock star!" Marcelle, Singer/Songwriter Music never judges us but it sometimes helps us question. When Robbie is delegated onto Annie and Cat’s project to run a public songwriting contest, he’s convinced he’ll connect romantically with Annie, a single mother on the verge of relaunching her singing career. Annie is furious, and Cat terrifies Robbie. Yet the professional and relationship mayhem at Merger Music runs deeper than the contest chaos. Annie’s ex-lover, and still legally her manager, reappears after nine years and demands joint custody of their eight-year-old son. Cat’s volunteer work is financially and emotionally draining. How much can her heart bleed for others before someone bleeds for her? Robbie’s going to be the hottest manager of rock stars in Australia, if he can just navigate through a negative minefield: his family. And their CEO’s weakness for starlets creates a scandal that threatens to destroy everything they’re all working for. Can you find your true self, let alone love, in a business built on sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ lies?




The Dolphin Enigma


Book Description

New Zealand in 1981 is a one-party state. The prime minister is holding secret talks with his Australian counterpart to create a new political Australasian Federation. Meanwhile, a group called the Tiger Moth Club wants to restore a more democratic form of government and remove the prime minister from office. The club is unknowingly receiving assistance from the Soviet KGB through a sleeper agent code named Dolphin. In a separate development, the Soviets wish to establish a greater presence in the Antarctic before a moratorium on further exploration is approved by the United Nations. They need a support base in New Zealand, but New Zealand's prime minister will not agree, causing the Politburo to approve a new plan. Unknown to the KGB, this plan is also given the code name Dolphin. Things start to go wrong when the KGB decides to eliminate all those in New Zealand who were involved in the first Operation Dolphin, including the sleeper agent. The KGB operator sent to carry out the assassinations defects. However, no one in New Zealand government believes his tale, except for a young SIS field officer, Greg Strongman. A second KGB operator is dispatched to eliminate the defector. Greg discovers there's a mole within the government, and unless he can unravel the new Dolphin plan, the Hawkes Bay of the North Island of New Zealand will be annihilated.




Walk Away René


Book Description

"A book of designs and photographs for rock 'n' roll bands"--Page 4 of cover.