Anyone Who Had a Heart: My Life and Music by Burt Bacharach

In his memoir Anyone Who Had a Heart, Burt Bacharach, one of the greatest songwriters of all time, offers a frank and riveting account of his unparalleled life. Candid and emotional, and with 16 pages of color photographs, Anyone Who Had a Heart: My Life and Music is Burt Bacharach in his own words—a powerful and personal look at the award-winning songwriter and composer.

George Anderson: Notes for a Love Song in Imperial Time by Peter Dimock

On May 4, 2013, in Book Reviews, Fiction, by Editor

For over twenty-five years, ghost-writer Theo Fales has been helping retired generals and CIA directors justify their decisions in the first-person. One day, however, hearing a song at a colleague’s memorial service, Theo has a vision, sensing in the music a completely different way to live. How can he reconcile this revelation with his professional allegiance to power? Is he mad, or has history itself lost its way?

The Soundtrack of My Life, A Revealing Account of the Entertainment Industry by Clive Davis

On March 21, 2013, in Biographies & Memoirs, Book Reviews, Entertainment, Music, by Editor

In this star-studded autobiography, Clive Davis shares a personal, candid look into his remarkable life and the last fifty years of popular music as only a true insider can. Told with Davis’s unmatched wit, frankness, and style, The Soundtrack of My Life exposes a trove of never-before-heard stories—some hilarious, others tragic, all revealing—that will captivate and inspire all music lovers.

I Dreamed I Was a Very Clean Tramp: An Autobiography by Punk Avatar Richard Hell

On March 20, 2013, in Biographies & Memoirs, Book Reviews, Entertainment, Music, Nonfiction, by Editor

The sharp, lyrical, and no-holds-barred autobiography of the iconoclastic writer and musician Richard Hell, charting the childhood, coming of age, and misadventures of an artist in an indelible era of rock and roll. I Dreamed I Was a Very Clean Tramp evokes with feeling, clarity, and piercing intelligence that classic journey: the life of one who comes from the hinterlands into the city in search of art and passion.

The Oscars and Funny Business: You Can’t Please All of the People All of the Time

On March 7, 2013, in Guest Writers, Misc. Contributions, by Misc. Contributions

When it came to reactions to Seth MacFarlane’s hosting of the oscars, the script was almost as predictable as the ending of Lincoln. If you thought MacFarlane was funny, the chances are you’re a guy under 40. If you thought the whole thing was rather juvenile, you’re in pretty illustrious company.

Woody Guthire: This Machine Kills Fascists

On February 7, 2013, in It's all about music..., by Editor

Woodrow Wilson “Woody” Guthrie (July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer-songwriter and folk musician whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional and children’s songs, ballads and improvised works.

The Love Song of Jonny Valentine: A Provocative and Bittersweet Novel by Teddy Wayne

On January 29, 2013, in Book Reviews, Fiction, by Editor

Poignant, brilliant, and viciously funny, told through the eyes of one of the most unforgettable child narrators, this literary masterpiece explores with devastating insight and empathy the underbelly of success in 21st-century America. The Love Song of Jonny Valentine is a tour de force by a standout voice of his generation.

Klaus Nomi – Countertenor Extraordinaire Turned Rock Star

On January 22, 2013, in Editor, Klaus Nomi, Special Interest, by Editor

Klaus Sperber (January 24, 1944 – August 6, 1983), better known as Klaus Nomi, was a German countertenor noted for his wide vocal range and an unusual, otherworldly stage persona. Nomi was known for his bizarrely visionary theatrical live performances, heavy make-up, unusual costumes, and a highly stylized signature hairdo that flaunted a receding hairline.

Shall We Play That One Together?: The Life and Art of Jazz Piano Legend Marian McPartland by Paul de Barros

On January 13, 2013, in Biographies & Memoirs, Book Reviews, Entertainment, Music, Nonfiction, by Editor

More than the life story of one of our greatest artists, Shall We Play That One Together? by Paul de Barros chronicles an age when jazz was a vital art form. Just as inviting as Marian’s signature question on Piano Jazz, Shall We Play That One Together? is an invitation to readers everywhere to listen to the score of a bygone age.

Love Song: The Lives of Kurt Weill and Lotte Lenya by Ethan Mordden

On January 5, 2013, in Biographies & Memoirs, Book Reviews, History, Music, Nonfiction, by Editor

For the first time, Ethan Mordden chronicles the romance of Kurt Weill and Lotte Lenya in Love Song, a dual biography that unfolds against the background of the tumultuous twentieth century, scored to music from Weil’s greatest triumphs: Knickerbocker Holiday, Lost in the Stars, Lady in the Dark, Happy End, One Touch of Venus and The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny.