Along with giving the gift of SiriusXM this holiday season, there are some cool classic rock book releases that the one you love with definitely like getting. Here’s a rundown of a few that wound up on my desk that we recommend:
Bruce Springsteen: The Stories Behind the Songs
Brian Hiatt
Abrams
Brian Hiatt is a Senior Editor for Rolling Stone magazine and a die-hard Bruce Springsteen fan. For his book, Hiatt took on the massive task of telling the stories of all the released songs in Bruce Springsteen’s massive, nearly 50-year recording career. Hiatt had previously interviewed The Boss five times and those conversations lend legitimacy and authority to the beautifully illustrated book. E Street Band members Roy Bittan and Max Weinberg are among Springsteen’s familiar friends and producers who also lend their memories throughout the book, which at this point is only now missing an entry on Western Stars, which was released earlier this year.
To Feel the Music: A Songwriter’s Mission To Save High-Quality Audio
Neil Young and Phil Baker
Benbella
In March of 2014, Neil Young raised $6.2 million via Kickstarter for Pono, his high-resolution music player that was supposed to revolutionize the listening experience. The Pono plan was for listeners to experience music the way that it was created and heard in the recording studio, warmer than how digital music sounds. Though it had a strong start, Pono eventually collapsed. In To Feel the Music, Neil and his Pono partner Phil Baker tell the story of their determination to bring hi-res music to the masses, what worked and what didn’t.
Rush: Wandering the Face of the Earth – The Official Touring History 1968 – 2015
Skip Daly and Eric Hansen
Insight Editions
if you’re like me, you’re still getting over the fact that Rush has called it quits. The Holy Triumvate of Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart went out on a high with their amazing R40 tour, and the fact that the guys are steadfast in the band’s finality means Wandering the Face of the Earth is going to forever be accurate. The giant tome from Insight Editions covers the band’s entire touring history, complete with photos, setlist rundowns, and so much more. The book weighs a ton and leaves no stone unturned in detailing the Rush live experience. Wandering the Face of the Earth also features a foreword from Primus’ Les Claypool and an afterward from Stewart Copeland of The Police.
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