ROCKinsights: Recommended New Albums

	Recommended Reads
	LET IT BLEED: THE ROLLING STONES, ALTAMONT, AND THE END OF THE 60'S ETHAN RUSSELL One of the most storied tours ever staged, the 1969 Rolling Stones US trek got massive coverage, much of it focused on the turmoil at Altamont Speedway during the hastily assembled festival where a fan was stabbed and beaten by Hells Angels right in front of the stage as the Stones played. The level headedness and charisma of Jagger on the stage was all that kept a bad situation from getting totally out of control and becoming a much bigger tragedy. But the tour had lots of great moments. Most of the public ones have been well chronicled in words and on film. Ethan Russell had unprecedented access to the band - on and off stage - giving him access to scenes no other photographer had. It was not wasted. The acclaimed photographer chronicles the tour in words and images that convey a real sense of what being in the middle of those remarkable moments was like. READ REVIEWS OR BUY IT
	BIG MAN: REAL LIFE AND TALL TALES CLARENCE CLEMONS & DON REO Each member of the E Street Band shares the spotlight with The Boss during a Springsteen concert. But when Bruce sings "The change was made uptown when the Big Man joined the band" during Tenth Avenue Freeze Out and Clarence Clemons starts a soaring sax solo, the crowd reaction is an electrifying message of how special he is. Big Man, the book that Clemons wrote with Don Leo, chronicles both legendary and little known stories about his years with Bruce. Springsteen himself pens the forward to the nearly 400 page volume. Advance positive poured in from sources as divergent as Bill Clinton, Chris Rock and NBA coach Pat Riley, but the best quote came from Artie Lange, who wrote that reading it is like a Yankee fan "...watching Babe Ruth walk to home plate: you're sure a big man is about to do something that's gonna make you cheer louder than you ever have before. This great book makes that feeling even stronger." Separating fact from fiction is a challenge; some of the stories Clemons tells are so far around the bend all you can do is wonder whether he really expects anyone to believe them. But if being entertained is a bigger priority than fact finding, this E Street Band account is an E ticket ride. READ REVIEWS OR BUY IT
	BOWIE: A BIOGRAPHY MARC SPITZ Bowie: A Biography arrives on the scene at a time when book's subject has been absent from it for the better part of a decade. Rumors about Bowie continue to circulate even though he doesn't. A bogus Twitter post triggered reports he was in Berlin working on a new album (story). More recently, it was rumored he would headline a festival next year (also discredited). Much wilder rumors, many of them true, swirled around Bowie during his most productive years, giving Marc Spitz plenty to take on in the comprehensive bio. Expect a good read. Even in his self-imposed exile, Bowie continues to fascinate fans and influence multiple generations of musicians. READ REVIEWS OR BUY IT
	TRUST: PHOTOGRAPHS OF JIM MARSHALL Jim Marshall has trained his lens on great musicians since the late 1950's, capturing incredible images of hundreds, including Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead, and both the Monterey Pop and Woodstock festivals. His photography is featured on more than 500 album covers. Dozens of his shots are considered among the most iconic photos in music history. Marshall's incredible archive of color photos is beautifully showcased in this great book, which provides some wonderfully candid looks at many of the greatest musicians of our time. READ REVIEWS OR BUY IT
	LONG STRANGE TRIP - THE INSIDE STORY OF THE GRATEFUL DEAD DENNIS McNALLY There is no better writer or more qualified individual than Dennis McNally to provide a behind the scenes chronicle of The Dead. 20+ years as the band publicist and de facto official historian afforded McNally unprecedented access to the inner circle, making him privy to details other authors of the stacks of books about the fabled band missed or heard second, third or fourth hand. For him, the gig and the book were labors of love. Serious DeadHeads should consider it a 'must read'. Casual fans and readers curious about the historic and cultural context of the times will find a lot to like about the way McNally approaches his subject. READ REVIEWS OR BUY IT
	GINGER BAKER, HELL RAISER COMPOSING HIMSELF: THE AUTHORIZED BIOGRAPHY OF JACK BRUCE Any book store worth checking out for books on music will have plenty of titles about Eric Clapton. Those are joined by two titles based on the other two members of one of Rock's great power trios, Cream drummer Ginger Baker, and former band mate and nearly constant nemesis, bass player Jack Bruce. *Hellraiser, the aptly titled autobiography by Ginger Baker* was scheduled for release in early October (2009) but got pushed back into February 2010. Having the Bruce book beat his to the shelf is no doubt a great source of irritation to the cantankerous drummer. If the book is as entertaining as the recent Rolling Stone piece on one of Rock's true renegades (story) the nearly 300 pages will fly by. leaving readers trying to figure out how Baker lived as long as he did. READ REVIEWS OR BUY IT Noted Clapton biographer Harry Shapiro (*Slowhand* and Eric Clapton - Lost In The Blues) provides a similarly comprehensive look at the life of the bass player in *Composing Himself: The Authorized Biography of Jack Bruce, (10/15/09). READ REVIEWS OR BUY IT*