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Best The Beatles

All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Beatles Release (9/22/13)
Every album and every song ever released by the Beatles - from "Please Please Me" (U.S. 1963) to "The Long and Winding Road" (U.S. 1970) - is dissected, discussed, and analyzed by two music historians in this lively, fully illustrated work. *Starred Review* This hefty gem of a book catalogs every recording released by the Beatles, in chronological order of album release. They know their stuff (Guesdon is a musician; Margotin, a music critic), and it shows—especially in the Production and Technical Details sections, where the type of equipment is named and described, recording speeds are discussed, and there is much talk of the number of takes each song required and why.
Reviews
"book takes the "greatest bits of info" from the Lewisohn, Babiuk, Ryan/Kehew books, as well as previously published interviews by the Beatles and associates, recording anomalies (readily available on several internet sites) and puts them together under one cover (primary songwriter, instrument/vocal credit, dates/mixing/studio location and personnel, specific instruments used, the Anthology series audio material and additional background info). You will not see photos of the EMI recording boxes nor photos of every single instrument used, however there is certainly enough visual material to make the book a valuable tool covering the studio career of the Beatles."
"This is the book for it!"
"I received this great book for Christmas.....wow....exactly what I wanted."
"I was amazed how many instruments George Martin played on some later albums."
"Beatles 4 ever!"
"Bought this as a Christmas present for my Dad and he’s obsessed!"
"Loved it all, the pictures, instruments used on each song, the history and background."
"If you fell in love with the print version, as I did, but were waiting for the Kindle version so you wouldn't have to lug around that giant physical book be warned that the Kindle version has NONE of the great photos found in the print version."
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The Beatles Anthology
What a book The Beatles Anthology is! They talk in turn about those early years and how they came to join the band that would make them known around the world as John, Paul, George and Ringo. At last, here is The Beatles' own story. Those are augmented by excerpts from interviews with John that are integrated effectively and almost seamlessly with the new material, and by occasional comments from the group's closest associates, such as recording producer George Martin. Although the contents are somewhat sanitized--this is, after all, essentially a group autobiography--the four address less-pleasant incidents, such as the sacking of original Beatles drummer Pete Best and the petty squabbles that led to the group's 1970 breakup.
Reviews
"Fantastic book for any true Beatles fan!"
"Love this and all the picture books I have found on The Beatles."
"Beautiful hard back book!."
"Excellent!"
"Anything about the Beatles is more than PERFECT."
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The Beatles Lyrics: The Stories Behind the Music, Including the Handwritten Drafts of More Than 100 Classic Beatles Songs
The definitive book of Beatles songs, shown as first written by their own hands and put into authoritative context, for the 50th anniversary of the Beatles coming to America. "Beatles expert Hunter Davies demonstrates that the Fab Four wrote their songs just about anywhere--many began as a scribble on the back of an envelope, on a napkin, or on hotel stationery. "A fascinating, intimate glimpse into the creative process behind some of the greatest pop songs ever written. "This tome still finds some fresh ground to break and observations to make for diehard and casual fans alike, often derived from their handwritten words.
Reviews
"My Daughter is a serious musician and loved me for surprising her with this substantial catalog of music."
"This book was a birthday gift for our 12-year-old grandson who likes The Beatles music."
"It is a good read although I should have known I pretty much knew everything in here."
"Very good copy of this edition."
"My son is a super fan of the Beatles."
"Bought as a Christmas present for my SIL."
"Fantastic book packed with information and illustrations."
"This was bought as a present for a friend who is a huge fan."
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Best Lieder & Art Songs

All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Beatles Release (9/22/13)
Every album and every song ever released by the Beatles - from "Please Please Me" (U.S. 1963) to "The Long and Winding Road" (U.S. 1970) - is dissected, discussed, and analyzed by two music historians in this lively, fully illustrated work. *Starred Review* This hefty gem of a book catalogs every recording released by the Beatles, in chronological order of album release. They know their stuff (Guesdon is a musician; Margotin, a music critic), and it shows—especially in the Production and Technical Details sections, where the type of equipment is named and described, recording speeds are discussed, and there is much talk of the number of takes each song required and why.
Reviews
"book takes the "greatest bits of info" from the Lewisohn, Babiuk, Ryan/Kehew books, as well as previously published interviews by the Beatles and associates, recording anomalies (readily available on several internet sites) and puts them together under one cover (primary songwriter, instrument/vocal credit, dates/mixing/studio location and personnel, specific instruments used, the Anthology series audio material and additional background info). You will not see photos of the EMI recording boxes nor photos of every single instrument used, however there is certainly enough visual material to make the book a valuable tool covering the studio career of the Beatles."
"This is the book for it!"
"I received this great book for Christmas.....wow....exactly what I wanted."
"I was amazed how many instruments George Martin played on some later albums."
"Beatles 4 ever!"
"Bought this as a Christmas present for my Dad and he’s obsessed!"
"Loved it all, the pictures, instruments used on each song, the history and background."
"If you fell in love with the print version, as I did, but were waiting for the Kindle version so you wouldn't have to lug around that giant physical book be warned that the Kindle version has NONE of the great photos found in the print version."
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Best Lyrics in Music

The Complete Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics
These are some of the best-loved songs in the modern American songbook. A gorgeous keepsake edition of the Dead’s official annotated lyrics, The Complete Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics is an absolute must-have for the fiftieth anniversary—you won’t think of this cultural icon the same way again. Why are the obscure tales of their characters' (Jack Straw, Black Peter, August West, et al) trials and tribulations on the psychedelic Americana landscape so intriguing? What is the deal with the reoccurring imagery that popped in and out of their songs for decades (the crows, light and darkness, rolling rivers, gambling, playing cards, space, and, of course, roses)? It is clear the Grateful Dead's lyricists Robert Hunter and John Barlow tapped into the well of the collective subconscious for material, but rarely were any explanations provided. The Complete Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics began as a research project for David Dodd while he was working at the University of Colorado.
Reviews
"Can't say enough good things about this book ; stories & additional info about inspirational content are VERY interesting !!!"
"Great collector's item for any Dead Head."
"I’m enjoying this book!!!"
"Wow."
"Lots of great tunes for any Deadhead who doesn't have the entire catalogue memorized."
"Bought this for my hubby for Christmas."
"Nice to look at this when listening to the many versions of the songs in this book that I have in iTunes."
"It's a long strange trip for those of us who follow the band...and it's a nice walk down memory lane.."
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Best Forms & Genres

The Rap Year Book: The Most Important Rap Song From Every Year Since 1979, Discussed, Debated, and Deconstructed
Here's what The Rap Year Book does: It takes readers from 1979, widely regarded as the moment rap became recognized as part of the cultural and musical landscape, and comes right up to the present, with Shea Serrano hilariously discussing, debating, and deconstructing the most important rap song year by year. Complete with infographics, lyric maps, uproarious and informative footnotes, portraits of the artists, and short essays by other prominent music writers, The Rap Year Book is both a narrative and illustrated guide to the most iconic and influential rap songs ever created. Shea Serrano is a no.
Reviews
"Don't trust a man who gives this less than 5 stars."
"Books about rap ranked: 1."
"Let it be known that ShaunPG can be counted on in a crisis."
"Great all-around book."
"A) If you don't buy this book, you can't be trusted in a crisis."
"Simple choice to pick up for you or a friend with its low price point. Shea's writing style is an easy read and is an entertaining "controlled chaos" with the use of footnotes to bring laughs is right out of the Bill Simmons playbook."
"This book is fantastic, but that's not why you should buy it."
"I as well can be counted on in a time of crisis."
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Best Popular

All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Beatles Release (9/22/13)
Every album and every song ever released by the Beatles - from "Please Please Me" (U.S. 1963) to "The Long and Winding Road" (U.S. 1970) - is dissected, discussed, and analyzed by two music historians in this lively, fully illustrated work. *Starred Review* This hefty gem of a book catalogs every recording released by the Beatles, in chronological order of album release. They know their stuff (Guesdon is a musician; Margotin, a music critic), and it shows—especially in the Production and Technical Details sections, where the type of equipment is named and described, recording speeds are discussed, and there is much talk of the number of takes each song required and why.
Reviews
"book takes the "greatest bits of info" from the Lewisohn, Babiuk, Ryan/Kehew books, as well as previously published interviews by the Beatles and associates, recording anomalies (readily available on several internet sites) and puts them together under one cover (primary songwriter, instrument/vocal credit, dates/mixing/studio location and personnel, specific instruments used, the Anthology series audio material and additional background info). You will not see photos of the EMI recording boxes nor photos of every single instrument used, however there is certainly enough visual material to make the book a valuable tool covering the studio career of the Beatles."
"This is the book for it!"
"I received this great book for Christmas.....wow....exactly what I wanted."
"I was amazed how many instruments George Martin played on some later albums."
"Beatles 4 ever!"
"Bought this as a Christmas present for my Dad and he’s obsessed!"
"Loved it all, the pictures, instruments used on each song, the history and background."
"If you fell in love with the print version, as I did, but were waiting for the Kindle version so you wouldn't have to lug around that giant physical book be warned that the Kindle version has NONE of the great photos found in the print version."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Vocal Songbooks

The Beatles: Complete Scores (Transcribed Score)
Songs include: All You Need Is Love * And I Love Her * Baby You're a Rich Man * Back in the U.S.S.R. * The Ballad of John and Yoko * Blackbird * Can't Buy Me Love * Come Together * Drive My Car * Eleanor Rigby * From Me to You * Glass Onion * A Hard Day's Night * Help! * Hey Jude * I Saw Her Standing There * I Want to Hold Your Hand * Michelle * Penny Lane * She Loves You * Twist and Shout * Yesterday * and many more!
Reviews
"My husband bought me a keyboard and my first music purchase was this Beatles collection, Volumes 1 and 2. Most of the songs are written to include the melody in the piano part so you can play them without a vocalist."
"Overall, it's great to have a book with all instrumental and vocal parts."
"Great for fans of the Beatles."
"The chords, the notes, the lyrics all seem true to the orginals and are easy to read."
"Great tunes for the casual piano player."
"This is great as a reference though I still like to consult a variety of sources when learning a song."
"This is the perfect gift for the musician in your life."
"Because I can't read the small print, I can't comment on the accuracy of the scores."
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Best Children's Musical History

Story of the Orchestra : Listen While You Learn About the Instruments, the Music and the Composers Who Wrote the Music!
Eye-catching illustrations and an accompanying 70-minute CD make this an exciting and educational introduction to the world of classical music-from composers and music history to the instruments of the orchestra-for elementary age children (and parents, too! There are interesting and sometimes humorous bits of information about the men, their music, and corresponding historical events. An accompanying CD provides musical selections for readers to listen to at specific places in the text.
Reviews
"I love this book."
"What a wonderful tool for teaching a child music appreciation."
"The writing level is difficult for some of my upper elementary students, but with connected classroom teaching the terms used are useful."
"I bought this book for my elementary students (Pre-K- 6th grade), and there are not enough pictures and the words are not big enough for them to really enjoy the book."
"I bought this for my 11 year old daughter after hearing how much she enjoyed stories shared during her music class."
"There was no CD in the sealed plastic!"
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Best Pop Culture Art

Go the F**k to Sleep
" Go the F*** to Sleep challenges stereotypes, opens up prototypes, and acknowledges that shared sense of failure that comes to all parents who weary of ever getting their darling(s) to sleep and briefly resuming the illusion of a life of their own." Seriously, Just Go to Sleep, a children's book inspired by Go the F*** to Sleep and appropriate for kids of all ages, is also available, as well as Seriously, You Have to Eat for finicky ones everywhere! Adam Mansbach's novels include The End of the Jews, winner of the California Book Award, and the best-selling Angry Black White Boy, a San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of 2005.
Reviews
"I was shocked to find that some reviewers, apparently completely forgot to read the title of the book before purchasing. For those parents who do have a sense of humor and who may not find profanity particularly offensive and who live in the real world. It's real, overworked, frustrated beyond belief, about to loose your mind at 3am, inner parent monologue. Samuel L. Jackson should narrate a book for every single stage of life, from being born to the grave. This book is one that will be shared from one exhausted, fed up, delusional, red eyed, sleep deprived parent to another."
"I purchased this book as a 21st birthday gift for my best friend."
"A great shower or first baby gift for those parents with a sense of humor."
"If you have a child that fights sleep, this book may be for you."
"Then they said their baby wouldn't need it - that they knew how to make babies sleep really well."
"This book is clever and funny and says what as a parent I have wanted to say countless times - just go the F to sleep already!"
"Nor should you purchase this book if you do not have a sense of humor."
"I gave this book to my best friend who is due any day now and she could not stop laughing."
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Best Pop Culture Magazines

Pulp Culture: The Art of Fiction Magazines
An illustrated collection of magazine covers from pulp fiction magazines looks at cover styles of westerns, erotic stories, mysteries, and horror. The covers became more and more garish, and promised ever greater excitement. Western covers went from an illustration of an Indian gently paddling his canoe to furious cattle stampedes, a huge gang of obviously ferocious savages attacking a defenseless family, and depictions of shootouts in every conceivable locale. Mystery covers went from showing a cop on the beat to villainous thugs tearing the clothes off a helpless young woman (most frequently a generously endowed young blonde) or any other sort of action that promised the reader endless excitement. Pulps became more and more specialized as their numbers increased, soon appealing to fans of jungle stories, science fiction, fantasy, railroad stories, romances, Westerns, Western romances, aviation, the Foreign Legion, engineering, the outdoors, courtrooms, Wall Street, newspapers, firefighters, and so on.
Reviews
"More than a simple coffee table book, this tome is worth repeated perusals.With original pulps rapidly rising in costs, the images in this book make nice stand-ins."
"Must have for any illustrator or writer."
"Great history of pulp fiction and wonderful pictures of cover art, illustrations, etc."
"What a wonderfull book."
"excellent collection of illustrations."
"Unlike other books I've seen, this one strives to cover the entire range of genres, subgenres, and specialized subjects, so that along with more familiar genres such as SF, horror, adventure, romance (love story and romance pulps had the highest circulation of any genre, we are told, but are the least likely to survive), detective, western, war, hero (the Shadow knows!"
"I also wanted a book which would represent the various genres of pulp covers, from adventure covers to science fiction to sexy damsels and risque covers, and this book delivered."
"Hard-boiled Detectives, mysterious heroes, shadowy villains, evil oriental masterminds, and dames in distress...they are the stuff of the pulp magazines and the subject of this wonderful book by Frank Robinson which traces the history of pulp magazines and provides covers to hundreds of these great pulp magazines, so many lost in the antiquity of time...not to mention paper drives of the 1940's war years. Argosy would premiere as the first true pulp back in 1896 and before long dozens of competitors would emerge such as Popular Magazine, All-Story Weekly, New Story and so many more. In the 1930's, detective pulps became the most popular as there were literally dozens of detective pulps being published. From there it's on to the hero pulps and the birth of the most famous pulp characters of all including "The Shadow", "Doc Savage", and "The Spider". But the genre that gave us the most outrageous and grisly covers of the pulp era belongs to the "shudder pulps". Robinson closes his book by providing an appendix to a handful of pulp dealers and notes on pulp values."
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Best Pop Culture Encyclopedias

On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio
Now long out of print, John Dunning's Tune in Yesterday was the definitive one-volume reference on old-time radio broadcasting. Now, in On the Air , Dunning has completely rethought this classic work, reorganizing the material and doubling its coverage, to provide a richer and more informative account of radio's golden age. As he did in Tune in Yesterday: The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio (Prentice Hall, 1976), Dunning here provides a storehouse of information about the people and programs of radio's Golden Age (1930s, 1940s, 1950s). Devotees of classic television shows may be surprised to find out that such programs as Father Knows Best , Our Miss Brooks , Queen for a Day , and Sky-King all started as radio programs. Another recent publication, the Historical Dictionary of American Radio [RBB Ag 98], covers a wider range of topics related to radio but has far less coverage of individual programs.
Reviews
"Rather than replace "Tune in Yesterday" with this volume (or not buy "Tune in Tomorrow" at all), I'd advise people who are really into old-time radio to own both as companion pieces."
"There is no article in the book on any of the three (later four) broadcast companies - NBC (with its Red and Blue separate networks), CBS, Mutual and after 1943, ABC (which was the former Blue Network of NBC, forced to sell by anti trust legal action)."
"Very happy with my purchase."
"Very nostalgic for an old timer."
"John Dunning's book is amazingly comprehensive, but so are many other such assemblages of old-time radio data."
"I discovered this book while evaluating encyclopedic resources for my MLIS class; I could not put it down and bought it for my home library and as a gift for an avid radio enthusiast I knew would enjoy it!"
"For most of us today, it's hard to realize just how much good radio programming was available in the 1930s and 1940s, some of which has been preserved, and is available in places like archive.org because a small percentage of the old program records have survived."
"Interesting to find out that child voices were played by adults and black characters were played by whites."
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Best Popular Culture in Social Sciences

A Feast of Ice and Fire: The Official Game of Thrones Companion Cookbook
George R. R. Martin’s bestselling saga A Song of Ice and Fire and the runaway hit HBO series Game of Thrones are renowned for bringing Westeros’s sights and sounds to vivid life. A passion project from superfans and amateur chefs Chelsea Monroe-Cassel and Sariann Lehrer—and endorsed by George R. R. Martin himself— A Feast of Ice and Fire lovingly replicates a stunning range of cuisines from across the Seven Kingdoms and beyond. In all, A Feast of Ice and Fire contains more than 100 recipes, divided by region: • The Wall: Rack of Lamb and Herbs; Pork Pie; Mutton in Onion-Ale Broth; Mulled Wine; Pease Porridge • The North: Beef and Bacon Pie; Honeyed Chicken; Aurochs with Roasted Leeks; Baked Apples • The South: Cream Swans; Trout Wrapped in Bacon; Stewed Rabbit; Sister’s Stew; Blueberry Tarts • King’s Landing: Lemon Cakes; Quails Drowned in Butter; Almond Crusted Trout; Bowls of Brown; Iced Milk with Honey • Dorne: Stuffed Grape Leaves; Duck with Lemons; Chickpea Paste • Across the Narrow Sea: Biscuits and Bacon; Tyroshi Honeyfingers; Wintercakes; Honey-Spiced Locusts. There’s even a guide to dining and entertaining in the style of the Seven Kingdoms. Chelsea Monroe-Cassel and Sariann Lehrer co-run Inn at the Crossroads, a popular food blog based on A Song of Ice and Fire.
Reviews
"I unfortunately ordered The Unofficial Game of Thrones Cookbook: From Direwolf Ale to Auroch Stew - More Than 150 Recipes from Westeros and Beyond before this one (my incessant need to buy anything asoiaf-related), and it was a disappointent. There's the Wall, the north, the south, King's Landing, Dorne, and across the Narrow Sea. They do this for a LOT of recipes and I think it's a really neat idea, since medieval dishes can be too unusual for some people's palates or too complex to make. With its beautiful, glossy pictures and pages, varieties of recipes, and best of all - GRRM's stamp of approval, you can't go wrong with this."
"My Boss loved it and if you read an earlier review then you know we are going to cook some of the dishes for the series finale."
"The recipes are wonderful with excerpts from the SoIaF books and historical recipes they are well documented and also suggest dish and beverage pairings. The next meal was 'Summer Green Salad' which was my first time working with Fennel and daresay I was amazed by the ingredient. The crumbled cheese gave a sharpness that paired with the tart grapes and the sunflower seeds gave it a crunch without being obtrusive to the crisp salad and to top it off the mint fennel fronds gave the entire salad a refreshing delicate palate reminiscent of mint and onion. Dinner was Corn Fritters, Honeyed Chicken, Onions in Gravy, berries in Cream custard. Berries in cream custard is a simple sweet recipe. the berries are chilled then the cream custard is a simple sauce which is thick, creamy and sweet but not overly sweet to overpower the tart sweetness in the berries."
"I love the description of the GoT series."
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