Tag Archives: book review

Books and Periodicals, Pop Culture

Led Zeppelin: Good Times, Bad Times – A New Book That You Must Own!

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Good Times Book
Led Zeppelin: Good Times, Bad Times
A Visual Biography of the Ultimate Band

By Jerry Prochnicky & Ralph Hulett
with a foreword by Anthony DeCurtis

Getting free stuff in the mail is fun, especially when that free thing is a huge coffee table book full of pictures of Led Zeppelin, the greatest hard rock band ever in the Universe of all time. I’ve spent a couple of days looking through this amazing and gorgeous book and it has given me a nearly unprecedented series of nostalgic thrills, because I love Led Zeppelin so much. But whether you just dig Led Zeppelin’s music, or you are a total completist collector fan geek for whom the members of Led Zeppelin are gods – like myself – trust me, you will want to own this book. Authors Jerry Prochnicky and Ralph Hulett kick off a fantastic chronological collection of over 200 rare photos with a very complete yet concise introductory overview of Led Zeppelin’s career – from their first gigs as “The New Yardbirds” to John Bonham’s tragic death, and subsequent band reunions featuring Jason Bonham taking his dad’s place behind the kit. So, even if you didn’t previously know anything about Led Zeppelin’s history before picking up Good Times, Bad Times you will be an expert by the time you gaze at a beautiful black & white photo of The New Yardbirds on stage at their very first gig on September 7, 1968 (41 years ago today) at the Gladsaxe Teen Club in Copenhagen. History!

No one who lived and rocked through the seventies will deny that it was arguably the best era for Rock & Roll that still had balls; and no band personified The Rock better than Led Zeppelin. Led Zeppelin! Whether the photo depicts the band onstage, backstage, recording in the studio, on tour, or at home, there are accompanying captions with the details of and history behind each picture. I never get tired of seeing shots of Led Zeppelin on stage and in action. But I really loved seeing pictures of the guys with their wives and kids. I loved seeing pictures of them hanging out with groupies at the Rainbow on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip. And I also found a nice shot of Jimmy Page’s Robert Plant’s exceptionally hot ass as he gets out of a pool after being pants’d by John Bonham. Candid!

If I were you, and did not get this book for free in the mail, I would buy it as soon as possible or pre-order it from Amazon right now.

Led Zeppelin: Good Times, Bad Times. A Visual Biography of the Ultimate Band will be released on October 1, 2009 with a cover price of $35.00.

Pop Culture

Excellent Book I Am Reading Right Now: My Booky Wook By Russell Brand

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My Booky Wook

Do you know who Russell Brand is? He’s pretty (in)famous in England, but over here I guess he’s best known for his role as the womanizing rock star, Aldous Snow in Judd Apatow’s wildly hilarious comedy, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, or for causing a massive and wonderful ruckus as the “controversial” one-time host of MTV’s otherwise lame Video Music Awards a few years back. He also does a righteous stand-up comedy routine, which I have seen on HBO. Also, he’s dangerously good-looking – definitely my type, physically. I love him so much.
Continue reading Excellent Book I Am Reading Right Now: My Booky Wook By Russell Brand →

Books and Periodicals, Pop Culture

Must Read Rock Book: Poisoned Heart By Vera Ramone King

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Despite the fact that it has possibly the longest title of any book ever written, I was able to read Poisoned Heart: I Married Dee Dee Ramone (The Ramones Years). A Punk Love Story – the gritty new biography by Dee Dee Ramone’s long-suffering ex-wife Vera Ramone King – in the 3 hours it took me to fly from Chicago to Newark. Let me tell you, I loved this book!
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Books and Periodicals, Pop Culture

Thanks and Have Fun Running the Country: Kids' Letters to President Obama

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Obama Mania has extended to an amazingly fun and sweet new book called Thanks and Have Fun Running The Country: Kids’ Letters to President Obama. After the election of President Obama, hundreds of 6 to 14-year-olds in cities across the country were asked: “What should President Obama do now?” Here is one of my favorite letters from the book:

“I know you want to save the earth, but people don’t want to clean. My life is to clean up all the world and help you to clean. I always dream of cleaning the world with you. I’ll do anything for you because you are the president in this world.
Stephanie Gonzalez, age 7
Los Angeles”

Ohmygod, how cute is that? Proceeds from the sale of this cool book benefit 826 National, a network of nonprofit writing and tutoring centers around the country. Thanks and Have Fun Running The Country sells for $12 and is available for purchase at McSweeny’s.

Books and Periodicals, Pop Culture

Five Rad Books I Am Reading Right Now

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Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Cherry Bomb!

Ever since the summer, when I served for two weeks on a New York City Grand Jury and was able to read three entire books in ten days, I’ve been on a bit of a reading jag. Here are some books I’m working on right now.

Cherry Bomb by Carrie Borzillo-Vrenna

Carrie was my editor back when I occasionally wrote for the late great All Stars News. She’s the one who assigned me to cover the Shakira Press conference at the Rainbow Room where I got so overwhelmed by my love for Shakira that I actually started crying. Carrie is awesome. Cherry Bomb is her new book where she interviews a bunch of rocker chicks about how and why they rock so hard. Sort of a Guide To Style for Rocker Chicks like me! Expect a more detailed review of Cherry Bomb on this page some time in the future once I finish the book.

Haunted By Chuck Palahniuk

I recently saw the movie Choke, based on one of Palahniuk’s novels, and it made me want to read all of his books. This is the one I am reading now. Think “Survivor meets The Donner Party.” Very scary!

Naked by David Sedaris

Geoffrey let me borrow this one after a friend of a friend of mine made me promise I’d read it.

The Lovely Bones By Alice Sebold

I always wanted to read The Lovely Bones just because I like the title so much. I got a new, hard cover copy on Swaptree.com in exchange for a Katy Perry CD. What a bargain!

I Hate New Music, The Classic Rock Manifesto by Dave Thompson

This book doesn’t come out until November, but I got a reviewer’s copy in the mail just yesterday and I can’t wait to read it, because I hate new music too!