Category Archives: Books

Hair Metal Years Revealed in Massive Oral History

Posted on January 5, 2022 by Bob Ruggiero

Come with us, children, back to the magical, mystical land of the 1980’s. Where for a brief but shining span of time the hair was high, the riffs were righteous, the lead singers preening, the flashpots fiery, the colors popping, … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Hair Metal | Leave a comment

Rob Halford of Judas Priest Confesses Everything. EVERYTHING.

Posted on August 5, 2021 by Bob Ruggiero

Confess: The Autobiography by Rob Halford 368 pp., $30, Hachette Books For much of the 1970’s and ‘80s, even as he was fronting Judas Priest, one of the most popular, loved, and revered heavy metal bands of all time, lead … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Judas Priest, Rob Halford | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Chris Hillman Looks Toward the Byrds, the Burritos, and Beyond

Posted on August 3, 2021 by Bob Ruggiero

Throughout his nearly 60-year career in music, he’s flown high as a Byrd and a Burrito Brother. He’s served as a Squirrel Barker and a Golden State Boy. He left the train depot in Manassas on his way out west … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Byrds, Chris Hillman, Flying Burrito Brothers, Manassas | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Jimi Hendrix: Where the Wild Thing Was

Posted on July 13, 2021 by Bob Ruggiero

Wild Thing: The Short, Spellbinding Life of Jimi Hendrix By Philip Norman 400 pp., $28.95, Liverlight Publications When veteran music journalist Philip Norman turns his attention to a musician, the word “definitive” is not an understatement. For while many of … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Jimi Hendrix | Tagged , | Leave a comment

America’s Book of History

Posted on June 2, 2021 by Bob Ruggiero

If you’re a fan of the band America – the trio behind the classic rock warhorses as, well, “A Horse with No Name” along with “Sister Golden Hair,” “Ventura Highway,” “Tin Man,” “Lonely People,” “Sandman,” “I Need You,” and “You … Continue reading →

Posted in America, Books | Leave a comment

Chris Frantz Remembers Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club, and – of course – Tina!

Posted on May 28, 2021 by Bob Ruggiero

Chris Frantz remembers very vividly the first time he ever laid eyes upon one Martina Weymouth. It was September of 1971, and was lounging on a grassy park with a fellow student at the Rhode Island School of Design. When … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Talking Heads | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Peter Frampton Shows the Way to His Past in Memoir

Posted on May 6, 2021 by Bob Ruggiero

Do You Feel Like I Do?: A Memoir By Peter Frampton with Alan Light 352 pp., $28, Hachette Books If rock star careers were measured in terms of their level of roller coaster-ness, then Peter Frampton’s would be a ride … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Peter Frampton | 1 Comment

Who is He? The Silent, Stoic Bassist’s Story is Finally Told

Posted on November 8, 2020 by Bob Ruggiero

The Ox: The Authorized Biography of John Entwistle by Paul Rees 384 pp., $30, Hatchette Books Every member of the Who has been the subject of a number of biographies and autobiographies save one: bassist John Entwistle. Known as “The … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, John Entwistle, Who | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Ted Templeman’s Tales: Doobies, Van Halen, and…Frank Sinatra??

Posted on October 25, 2020 by Bob Ruggiero

Ted Templeman: A Platinum Producer’s Life in Music by Ted Templeman as told to Greg Renoff 450 pp., $19.95, ECW As an introduction to the often misunderstood art of record production, young Ted Templeman could not have found a better … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Doobie Brothers, Van Halen | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Janis Joplin Finally Gets the Book She Deserves

Posted on May 24, 2020 by Bob Ruggiero

Janis: Her Life and Music By Holly George-Warren 400 pp., Simon & Schuster, $28.99 Rock’s first female superstar has already been the subject of a numerous biographies, memoirs by those who loved and worked with her, documentaries, and even a … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Janis Joplin | Tagged , | 1 Comment