Monday, October 16, 2023

Bowie At 75 - Martin Popoff (Motor Books)

An innovator. A disrupter. An influencer who was actually influential, not only in his era, but for generations of musicians who followed and those still to come.  The impact that David Bowie had went far beyond just music - his influence could be felt in fashion and culture.


Bowie’s enigmatic personality shifted  the cultural landscape long before the dime a dozen social media creations who lay claim to fame simply by alleging themselves to be famous. In short, Bowie was more than just a rock star.




Prolific music writer and curator Martin Popoff compiled the lavishly illustrated, Bowie at 75, which chronicles with words and pictures the span of Bowie’s career. Popoff delves deeply into Bowie’s ever changing personas.


Housed in a heavy duty slip cover, this epic collection explores the twists and turns from the Thin White Duke to Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders and the ultra-successful Let’s Dance album.


Along the way, Popoff checks off the list of players, producers and bands that came under Bowie’s influence. The parades includes legendary figures like: Iggy Pop, Mott the Hoople, Robert Fripp, Steveie Ray Vaughan, Nile Rodgers, Mick Ronson and Adrian Belew to name just a few.


Bowie’s collaborations also included hits with Mick Jagger & Tina Turner, Lou Reef, and Queen. Bowie ar 75, provides an amazing cornerstone addition for any Bowie collection.

Saturday, October 14, 2023

Michael Finkel - The Art Thief - A True Story of Love, Crime and Dangerous Obsession (Knopf)

Author Michael Finkel is a skilled practitioner of the dying art of long form journalism. In this age of short attention spans that demand stories be told in easily digestible, bite sized chunks, Finkel stands apart from the crowd by immersing not only himself, but also the reader. That goes for not only the stories he tells, but also the detailed characters that populate his stories.

Finkel’s checkered past a very public kerfuffle with his former employer, the New York Time Magazine. While writing about the slave trade in war torn West Africa, it was discovered that Finkel’s sympathetic profile of a young man caught up in the trade, turned out to be a composite character, culled from a number of people that he interviewed while in the strife ridden region. While the action was journalistically suspect, it fits with Finkel’s style of character driven storytelling.


For his latest outing,  The Art Thief - A True Story of Love, Crime and Dangerous 

Obsession, Finkel delves into the tale of an obsessive, daring and at times reckless criminal named Stephene Breitweiser, who racked up an astonishing haul of stolen art that has been estimated to have a collective value of $1.4 billion. Finkel chronicles not only Breitweiser’s heists, which at times occurred at a blistering pace, multiple times per month, but also the obsessive, manic nature of his compulsive need to add to his collection. 


Unlike most art thieves, Breitweiser wasn't in it for pure financial gain, but to add to his personal collection. Hardly the criminal mastermind, Breitwiser wasn’t trying to fill the walls of palatial estate, but rather his attic bedroom in his mother’s house. Yes, one of the most prolific art thieves in history was a bit of a slacker who sponged off of his mother while secreting his ill-gotten art in his locked attic lair.


Finkel details Breitweiser’s crimes in stunning detail. Those crimes were unlike any art crimes popularized in movies or books that featured detail planning of ways to circumvent elaborate security measures or blunt force robberies. Unlike say The Thomas Crown Affair, Breitweiser’s criminal enterprises were perpetrated in what amounts to the spur of the moment; fearless, daring, and armed with nothing more than a Swiss Army Knife and his girlfriend/sidekick Anne-Catherine. 


Finkel’s strong suit is delving deeply into the settings of these crimes, and painting a clear picture of the locales and the flaws of his characters. It becomes clear that Breirweiser’s downfall lands squarely at the feet of his obsessions; first with the art he desired and a close second was Anne-Catherine, who Finkel draws as a modern day, desirable, femme fatale. Finkel’s skill lies in his ability to draw you into those flawed characters and leave you wondering what’s next for the subjects he puts under his microscope.


Monday, March 15, 2021

Lock Down, Rock Down

As we celebrate (?) or better, tolerate, the one year anniversary of “15 days to flatten the curve,” and you’ve probably reached the point in binge watching things, or re-watching things, might I suggest an alternative? There has been a recent influx of truly entertaining rock books and memoirs worth not only checking out, but distracting you from the latest Fauci-isms.

Do You Feel Like I Do: A Memoir – Peter Frampton – (Hachette)

Legendary rocker Peter Frampton delivers his memoir in the form of Do You Feel Like I Do, in which he details the both the high highs and low lows of his decades long career. It is a familiar rock ’n’ roll refrain of drug and alcohol abuse, being ripped off by slimy managers and rising from the ashes.


The rising from the ashes part is quite literal, as Frampton recounts a running tale throughout the book of the search for his infamous Gibson Les Paul guitar, the one he totes on the cover of his mega-bestselling live album Frampton Comes Alive. He dubs the guitar The Phenix, (his twist on the spelling) as he tells the story of its alleged destruction in a plane crash in Venezuela. Thought to be destroyed in the flaming wreckage, the guitar was resurrected, stolen, bought and sold, spotted and disappeared, and finally reunited with its rightful owner over the course of many twists and turns.

Frampton could have become bitter and negative after all of problems that have befallen him, many of his own choosing, but the book offers insight into his thoughts on what amounts to a life full of unique experiences and opportunities.

They Just Seem a Little Weird – Doug Brod – (Hachette)

There is more than a little bit of fan-boyishness in veteran rock writer, Doug Brod’s They Just Seem a Little Weird, which recounts how the bands Kiss, Cheap Trick, Aerosmith, and Starz, left an impact on rock and roll. Brod details the band’s beginnings, how the regularly crossed paths and the long running competition for supremacy led to strange alliances and long running feuds.


He delivers some insider insights into the strange and strained relationships that the four bands engendered. Starz, a hard rocking, New York based band seem like an odd choice for inclusion among this grouping, when you consider the fact that they came and went so quickly and that the other three are all members of the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame. Brod gives his take on why the quintet never quite lived up to their potential, ranging from mis-management, mismatched producers, and bad relations with their record label.

If you grew up in the 70s and these bands were an everyday part of your life, this book makes for a fun read. Be warned there is a bit of a ping pong ball bouncing around quality to the narrative that at times makes it hard to track.   

Right Place, Right Time – Bob Gruen (Abrams)

Unless you are a die-hard rock fan, obsessed with liner notes and photos of your favorite musical heroes, the name Bob Gruen is not a household one. Gruen has enjoyed a decades-long career as not only one of the photographers of choice for many rockers, but as a guy responsible for some of the most legendary photographs in rock history.


While he has released a number of collections of his legendary work, Right Place, Right Time, is the first time that he details the stories behind so many of his greatest photos. While the title suggests that luck played a part in his success, I would make the case that Gruen is not only a skilled practitioner behind the lens, but also someone that his built his career on being a trusted friend, who relied on the relationships he formed with the subjects of his work. This book offers unique insights into both the photographer and artists he shoots.

One Last Song – Mike Ayers (Abrams)

The concept is simple; If you could hear one last song before you died, what would it be and why? In One Last Song, author Mike Ayers explores that question with a range of artists and delves into their responses and reasoning.


I think the concept is a statement about the role and impact that music has on our lives. It can range from impacting our interactions, to being the soundtrack to our lives and even how we relate to one another. This book is thought provoking and surprising in how we respond to the question. Friends who are what I would consider music junkies struggled with the either the answer or the concept.

Music is a part of our life and this forces us to think about it being a part of our death. My responses ranged from the cynical; The Allman Brothers, Mountain Jam, from the Live at Ludlow Garage, two CD set, that times out at 45 minutes plus, to give me just a little extra time in this mortal coil. At the other extreme were things like the raw power of Van Halen’s Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love, always a favorite, to On the Wings of Love, which played at our wedding 30 plus years ago.

Punk, Post Punk, New Wave – Michael Grecco – (Abrams)

When you look back fondly to the earliest days of punk rock and its later incarnations, it becomes clear pretty quickly that the movement was more about the attitude than it was about the music. While the music certainly did its best capture that attitude, Punk, Post Punk, New Wave, a collection of photographs by Michael Grecco of that era, truly captures that attitude.


There is a sneering and leering quality to many of the photos in this collection, all captured in black and white. While Grecco is focused on the bands, much of the story in these photos is told by the settings and the people around the band. He does a masterful job of capturing the raw energy of the time and the scene, which makes this an indispensable part of any punk fans collection.

Tuesday, December 1, 2020

Running with the Big Dogs

 Talking to GOATS – Jim Gray (William Morrow)

There are times when I can honestly say that after nearly 25 years in the news and sports media, that I am embarrassed by much of the current crop of broadcasters. Sports media in particular, has become a full on dumpster fire; full of preening nitwits full of stupid opinions about politics and the world, and high opinions of themselves. Even longtime talents like Bob Costas have become insufferable assholes who seem to be bent on focusing on anything and everything but sports.

One of the few bright and consistent spots in sports broadcasting is and remains, Jim Gray. For over four decades, Gray has turned his focus to the proposition that sports, is a metaphor for life, all the while never losing sight of the fact that he is a sportscaster. Gray brings the world of sports into sharp focus with his new book Talking to GOATS, taking readers inside his relationships with some of the greatest of all time (hence GOATS) that he built on trust over his long career.

Gray is the perfect mild-mannered foil to these often flamboyant, high flying greats, who bring not only outsized talent and success to their side of the table. With so many folks looking to take a piece of these superstars either physically or financially, trust is difficult commodity to build under the best of circumstances. With easily recognizable names like, Jordan, Ali, Tiger, Kobe, LeBron and Brady, to name a few, Gray’s track record of being a tough but fair interview and a consummate storyteller as allowed him to garner unprecedented access to legends.

It isn’t the subject matter that sets this book apart from so many other sports books; it is Gray’s often very personal insights about what went into the interviews collected in Talking to GOATS are what set this book apart. Perhaps the most stunning revelation in the book comes at the very end, when Gray posits the chapter title “I am NOT writing another book.” While this book covers his checkered career and the event and personalities he has interacted with over time about a well as you can, that he won’t do another is disappointing.

Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Queen: Of Biblical Proportions

Queen: All The Songs, The Story Behind Every Track – Benoit Clerc (Black Dog and Leventhal)

Full confession up front- as a recovering rock radio DJ, I fully admit to not being a fan of Queen’s music. Chalk it up to them not being my cup of tea and the fact that they were omnipresent on the airwaves and got played over and over.

I gained a new appreciation for the band with the release of the biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody, which gave insight into not only their beginnings, but into the process of writing songs and recording.

So it is from that perspective, one of new found appreciation that that I approach Queen: All The Songs, The Story Behind Every Track by Benoit Clerc. For me, the book has a great similarity Mark Lewisohn’s timeless book The Beatles: The Recordings, which delves not the nitty gritty detail of the Fab Four’s studio sessions. Queen: All The Songs, dwarfs that book, not only shear volume, but in the depth of the very specific detail. It covers songwriting, the recording studio, the participants on the production side and the specifics on the session itself.

I am an old school album collector and as a music fan obsessed with the minutiae of liner notes. Clerc delivers liner notes on performance enhancing drugs. This is super-sized fan stuff.

Lavishly illustrated with archival photos and highlighted tons of fan friendly tidbits and trivia, this is one of those great books that fans will dip into on a regular basis. I can easily see pulling out a stack of Queen albums and gaining insights into what went into the making each of the songs. Great stuff all the way around.

Monday, November 9, 2020

The Death of Honesty

Win at All Costs – Inside Nike Running and Its Culture of Deception – Matt Hart (Dey St.)

“It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game”Grantland Rice, early 20th century sportswriter. Ah, remember the good old days…

There is a phrase that gets tossed around, “sport is a metaphor for life,” which has been credited to actor Robert Redford, of all people. As I read Win at All Costs by journalist Matt Hart, which delves into the deceptive culture of cheating, fraud, and lying that is pervasive at Nike Running; I couldn’t help but think of how reflective this story is on the current state of our country.

With quite literally billions of dollars at stake in the world of sports, we have seen over the course of time, words like truth, integrity, and honesty, become quaint thoughts from a bygone era, replaced by a ruthless, win at all costs, and screw the rules attitude. Cheating and rule breaking have become not only accepted, but expected, not only in sports, but in everyday life. As former UCLA Bruins head football coach “Red” Sanders (no it wasn’t Vince Lombardi) first said “winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.”

Hart, who covers sports science, performance enhancing drugs and human powered adventure and exploration, (whatever that is) does a nice job of capturing the intrigue and spy novel stuff that is a part of this story. Win at All Costs, is a well-researched and written tale, that will hold the attention of not only those who follow the sport of running, but those with even a passing interest in the business of sports. Hart’s portrait includes all the colorful characters and the internal machinations at Nike, all brought forth by a whistleblower, in the spy novel twist of a mysterious jump drive containing internal Nike documents, with a skilled eye to detail.

Anyone who even remotely familiar with Nike’s early story and that of the late, legendary, runner Steve Prefontaine, know that improvements came in form of harder work in training, and enhancement of equipment. In the case running, that came in form of improved shoes and housewife sacrificing her waffle maker, for a new version of the sneaker sole.

Sports, like so much in our life, has gone through a radical transition. Athletes, once admired for their on field abilities, are now more often lauded for their social media following, woke social stances and other non-sport endeavors. With our collective eye off the ball, cheating, rule breaking and defrauding fans has become common place. We end up with world rife with performance enhancing drugs and the pursuit of trying to find ways around the drug testing regimens becoming a cottage industry all their own. We live in a world where scumbags who abuse their wives or girlfriends are welcomed back to elite sports because the can hit the longball, the strike zone, the opposing quarterback or the wide receiver on the deep route, almost as well as the can their significant other. Law and order, and rules be damned; this is about ticket, jersey, and sneaker sales and ringing the cash register. So, bang on the garbage can and get a shot in the ass all you want, because in the end getting caught won’t matter much.

You can’t help but draw comparisons between this story and the news of the day; where not only is corruption, fraud, dishonesty and cheating accepted and/or overlooked, it is applauded and often abetted by a complicit news media, whose job it used to be, to call out these dirty dealings. The media has become nothing more than glorified stenographers for talking points and adoring cheerleaders for criminals.

Thursday, November 5, 2020

In Good Compny

 The Company – A Novel of the CIA – Robert Little – (Harry N. Abrams)

The Company by Robert Little, re-issued in a new paperback version, this 2002 classic, is a dark, complex espionage thriller that walks the reader through a twisted maze of intrigue.

Its not surprising that Littell comes from a journalism background, as he brings an old school journalist’s eye for detail as he let’s the story of the post-World War II Berlin Station play out. There is a real sense of reverence for history that comes through in Littell’s words as he weaves in historic figures like William Casey, William F. Buckley and even G. Gordon Liddy, in with his fictional creations. This technique lends an additional level of authenticity to the story.

Not dependent on biff, bam, and pow action like so many of the books in the spy genre, Littell infuses The Company with suspense, driven by tension and a high level of tactical acumen that is reminiscent of John la Carre. As a reader, you will appreciate the detailed scenes Littell draws, leaving you with a sense you are viewing things through his eyes. You’ll really feel the cold, dankness of the drafty safe house and taste the smokey-ness of the whiskey that is being downed.

Doorstop heavy, at nearly 900 pages this is not a lite read, but it’s more than worth the time to delve into this epic read. It makes for a great lead into Littell’s forthcoming book Comrade Koba.