New Releases by Dave Marsh

Selected writings on three decades of popular music from one of the most influential critics of his generation. Spanning three decades worth of astute, acerbic, and overall astounding music writing, Kick Out the Jams is the first large-scale anthology of the work of renowned critic Dave Marsh. Ranging from Elvis Presley to Kurt Cobain, from Nina Simone to Ani DiFranco, from the Beatles to Green Day, the book gives an opinionated, eye-opening overview of 20th-century popular music—offering a portrait not just of an era but of a writer wrestling with the American empire. Every essay bears the distinct Dave Marsh attitude and voice. That passion is evident in a heart-wrenching piece on Cobain’s suicide and legacy; a humorous attack on “Bono’s bullshit;” an indignant look at James Brown and the FBI; deep, revelatory probes into the work of underappreciated artists like Patty Griffin and Alejandro Escovedo; and inspiring insight into what drives Marsh as a writer, namely “a raging passion to explain things in the hope that others would not be trapped and to keep the way clear so that others from the trashy outskirts of barbarous America still had a place to stand—if not in the culture at large, at least in rock and roll.” If you want to explore the recent history of pop music—its politics as well as its performers—Kick Out the Jams is the perfect guidebook.

"NEW REISSUE! The Who burst upon a startled world in the early sixties and since then have maintained a pre-eminent position in shaping the sound and style of a generation. Best-selling Rolling Stone writer Dave Marsh’s Before I Get Old is the first book to discard the myth and nonsense; it tells the story of not one but six personalities; guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle, drummer Keith Moon and singer Roger Daltrey and their original managers Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp. It charts their origins in the steamy nightlife of London as well as their meteoric rise to fame, describing the creation of the rock opera Tommy, which turned the Who into superstars. In short, this story contains every line of fascinating, shocking, hilarious material on the Who and their wild, crazy lives and careers."--Publisher''s website.

A new edition of Dave Marsh''s classic work on the three-chord song that rocked the world "A tale as compelling as any John Grisham thriller." -Rolling Stone "Dave Marsh''s Louie Louie is part rant, part rock criticism and part cultural analysis, with a good dose of Ripley''s Believe It or Not! thrown in." -The New York Times Book Review "Marsh keeps the story of one trashy song interesting by revealing how ''three chords and a cloud of dust'' contains within it the history and future of rock ''n'' roll." -Booklist "What you don''t know about ''Louie Louie'' probably won''t hurt you. But everything you need to know is in Marsh''s book, including the lyrics-the real ones and the ones people thought they heard. If there is a better measure of your pop-cultural IQ, I don''t know where to find it." -USA Today Since his days as the original editor of Creem, Dave Marsh has been revered as one of rock''s greatest critics. During the 70s he was record editor at Rolling Stone, and in 1983 he founded Rock & Roll Confidential. His other books include Glory Days: Bruce Springsteen in the 1980s (1987), and Before I Get Old: The Story of the Who (1983).

In 1964, Douglas Gilbert was hired by Look magazine to photograph a young up-and-coming musician named Bob Dylan. Gilbert snapped over 900 of the most candid shots ever taken of Dylan, less than a year before he became completely inaccessible to the public. The photos, beautifully composed, capture the 23-year-old Dylan in rare private moments hanging out with friends (including Allen Ginsberg, Phil Ochs, and John Sebastian, among others) and family in Woodstock, at concerts, and in New York City''s classic dive bar -- the Kettle of Fish. Look magazine never ran the story and the photos sat unseen for forty years, until now. With an intimate and revealing text by acclaimed Springsteen biographer Dave Marsh, Forever Young is an irresistible compendium of nearly 100 of the best images from this fascinating, pivotal time in Bob Dylan''s career.

A leading rock music critic offers a critical study of the Beatles'' inventive second album--which included such hits as "Roll Over Beethoven," "Long Tall Sally," and "You Really Got a Hold on Me"--offering a provocative look at the music industry of the era in both Britain and the U.S., the dynamics of the group, and the seminal influence of this important album.

Bruce Springsteen on Tour is an amazing, three-decade celebration of one of the greatest live performers of all time."--Jacket.

Bruce Springsteen: Two Hearts is the definitive biography of one of the most important songwriters and performers of the last three decades. Critic Dave Marsh has traced Springsteen''s career from its beginning, and has earned the singer''s respect through his careful documentation and critical description of Springsteen''s work. This biography brings together for the first time Marsh''s two previous biographies, Born To Run (which covered Springsteen''s early career through the mid-''70s) and Glory Days (which took him through the mid-''80s). Both were widely praised for their insightful and near definitive coverage of Springsteen''s life and music. For this book, Marsh has written a new chapter covering major developments in Springsteen''s career to today, particularly focusing on his album The Rising and its impact on American culture.

On February 13, 1970, Black Sabbath released its first album and changed the face of music forever. The band seemed to come out of nowhere, with a dark, otherworldly sound dominated by the soul-piercing wail of twenty-two-year-old John "Ozzy" Osbourne. Once its brooding, overpowering music was out, millions of listeners couldn''t get enough, an record and in concert. It was the birth of heavy metal. In Black Sabbath: An Oral History, Mike Stark leads you into the studio and on tour with the quintessential British metal band, a primary influence right up to the present day on hundreds of rock groups, from Metallica to Spinal Tap. Here are firsthand accounts from Black Sabbath''s four founding members -- Bill Ward, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Ozzy Osbourne -- and from other members through the years, including Ronnie James Dio, Rob Halford, Eric Singer, Tony Martin, Cozy Powell, and Neil Murray. In their own words, they tell you what it''s like to turn up the amps, hit the stage, and power-chord an audience into submission -- and create a brand -- new kind of rock in the process.

The guitar line rises like a Roman candle, it bursts into a joyfully sassy horn riff, and all of a sudden you just cant sit still anymore--because youre a soul man. When Sam Moore and Dave Prater brought the call-and-response sounds of the black church onto the charts in the mid-sixties, they set soul music on fire and energized an entire generation. Teamed with legendary Stax songwriters Isaac Hayes and David Porter, Sam and Dave scored a string of enduring hits that ignored radio format boundaries: Soul Man, Hold On, Im Comin, I Thank You, You Dont Know Like I Know, and more. Sam Moore and For the Record series editor Dave Marsh lead you deep into the world of soul and show you the real-life roots of an unforgettable musical act. Bracingly candid, intensely personal, these are a lifetimes worth of memories from a real survivor who has experienced both pleasure and pain in his groundbreaking career. From the choir to the studio, from the juke joint to the concert stage, here is your closest look ever at the Sam and Dave phenomenon, and what it cost to be part of it. In Sams own words, this is how you become a soul man--and how you stay that way.

Introduction by Ray Blount Jnr. ''Rock and Roll'' has now been in the lexicon for nearly fifty years. With any institution come the requisite skewering humour, and naturally rock and roll is now ready for that treatment. Who better to do it than two veterans of the scene, rock chronicler Dave Marsh, author of Before I Get Old The Story of the Who and Kathi Kamen Goldmark, founder of the infamous Rock Bottom Remainders.

When Born to Run: The Bruce Springsteen Story was first published in 1979, the publisher hoped that it would sell 15,000 copies. It would end up selling a miraculous 150,000 copies-becoming the first rock ''n'' roll best seller ever. It was a landmark book, virtually creating the genre of the rock book & going on to be translated into five foreign languages. Born to Run, reprinted now with a new introduction, combines a biography, a fan''s notes, a photo book, an analysis of the biz, & an annotated discography cum touring chronology to make the most encyclopedic exploration into Bruce Springsteen''s life & the rock ''n'' roll world available. Dave Marsh is perhaps the best-known rock critic in the country. He is the founding editor of Creem & has been a contributing editor of Rolling Stone since 1975. His syndicated record reviews have appeared in more than 200 newspapers, & his articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Village Voice, The Nation, & TV Guide. He is also the author of The Rolling Stone Record Guide, co-author of The Book of Rock Lists, & contributor to The Illustrated History of Rock & Roll.

Dave Marsh has been an editor and columnist at Creem and Rolling Stone. His books include Born to Run, Behind Blue Eyes: The Story of the Who, Glory Days, and Louie Louie. This virtual Methusaleh of rock critics currently serves as a music critic at Playboy and as editor of Rock and Rap Confidential.

"Louie Louie" started as an innocent ditty about a lovesick Jamaican sailor. But The Kingsmen turned it into one of the most censored and celebrated songs to capture the American imagination. Bestselling author Marsh presents a comprehensive, entertaining social history of the raucous rock anthem, including the actual lyrics.

It doesn''t feel like Christmas until the music starts. And whether you prefer to rock around the Christmas tree or walk in a winter wonderland, holiday songs summon up powerful memories and emotions. Even the Grinch appreciated a good carol. This book celebrates this unique body of music, from Bing Crosby''s "White Christmas" to today''s classics. It''s the behind-the-scenes story of how these songs were written and recorded, how they sold, which ones lasted, and which ones disappeared. And it''s about what the music says -- about Christmas in America. Illuminated with color reproductions of vintage album covers, celebrity Christmas cards, top ten lists, and more, this is a book that anyone who loves Christmas and music will treasure.

The official story of Motown records, from 1960 to the present day. Artists featured include Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, The Jackson 5 and Diana Ross and The Supremes.

Discusses various things individuals can do to fight back against censorship.

The only Bruce Springsteen biography written and published with his full cooperation--with over half told in his own words--by his good friend, rock critic Dave Marsh, author of Born to Run. 32 pages of illustrations.

Based solely upon the hard facts of his career-the most Top Forty hits (107), the most Top Ten hits (38), the most consecutive #1 hits (10), & the most weeks at #1 (80)-Elvis Aaron Presley''s place among the pantheon of rock & roll legends seems secure. Indeed, Elvis''s records continue to sell well today, a full twenty years after his death. Author Dave Marsh delves into very aspect of Presley''s life & art, pursuing the two solid sources of evidence that remain from the performer: sight & sound. With a mature & experienced eye, Marsh-a longtime editor & rock critic at Rolling Stone Magazine-confronts the myths about Elvis''s music, analyzing his gripping mix of gospel, country, & rock. To punctuate these fascinating insights, hundreds of black & white photos from every stage of Elvis''s career accompany the text, showing in pictures how the King''s life played out in his songs. Using these two indisputable facets of the King''s legacy, Marsh builds a seminal mosaic of the tragic trajectory of this utterly American hero. Compassionate & fair, Elvis is a tremendous resource for everyone who has come under the spell of this great musician, actor, & performer.

A biography highlighting the career of the well-known rock musician.