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Love Goes to Buildings on Fire
- Five Years in New York That Changed Music Forever
- Narrated by: Adam Verner
- Length: 13 hrs and 1 min
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Publisher's summary
Punk rock and hip-hop, disco and salsa, the loft jazz scene and the downtown composers known as Minimalists - in the mid-1970s, New York City was a laboratory where all the major styles of modern music were reinvented, all at once, from one block to the next, by musicians who knew, admired, and borrowed from one another. Crime was everywhere, the government was broke, and the city’s infrastructure was collapsing; but rent was cheap, and the possibilities for musical exploration were limitless.
Love Goes to Buildings on Fire is the first book to tell the full story of the era’s music scenes and the phenomenal and surprising ways they intersected. From New Year’s Day 1973 to New Year’s Eve 1977, the book moves panoramically from post-Dylan Greenwich Village, to the arson-scarred South Bronx barrios where salsa and hip-hop were created, to the Lower Manhattan lofts where jazz and classical music were reimagined, to ramshackle clubs like CBGB and the Gallery, where rock and dance music were hot-wired for a new generation.
As they remade the music, the musicians at the center of the book invented themselves: Willie Colón and the Fania All-Stars renting Yankee Stadium to take salsa to the masses, New Jersey locals Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith claiming the jungle land of Manhattan as their own, Grandmaster Flash transforming the turntable into a musical instrument, and David Byrne and Talking Heads proving that rock music “ain’t no foolin’ around”.
Will Hermes was there - venturing from his native Queens to the small, dark rooms where the revolution was taking place - and in Love Goes to Buildings on Fire he captures the creativity, drive, and full-out lust for life of the great New York musicians of those years, who knew that the music they were making would change the world.
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The first biography to focus exclusively on Angus Young - from his remarkable rise from working-class Glasgow and Sydney to the biggest stages in the world. Angus Young, the cofounder and the last remaining original member of AC/DC, has for more than 40 years been the face, the sound and sometimes the exposed backside of the trailblazing rock band.
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Excellent book
- By Anonymous User on 09-21-18
By: Jeff Apter
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So Many Roads
- The Life and Times of the Grateful Dead
- By: David Browne
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 15 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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No longer dismissed as relics of the hippie era, a new generation has lionized the Dead for creating a culture that paved the way for social networking, free music swapping, and the uncompromising anticorporate attitude of indie rock. Now, fifty years after the band first began changing rock 'n' roll both sonically and psychically, So Many Roads paints the most vivid portrait yet of the Grateful Dead, one of the most enduring institutions in American music and culture.
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Great first book on the Dead
- By robert on 10-30-15
By: David Browne
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Iggy Pop
- Open Up and Bleed
- By: Paul Trynka
- Narrated by: William Dufris
- Length: 14 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Iggy Pop's legendary career has been tumultuous, reaching great heights with mega-hits and then hitting rock-bottom lows in jail and mental institutions. Along the way, he's become a cult-rock hero, an inspiration for dozens of other famous rockers, and has had a pretty good time of it, too. But the image of Iggy Pop versus the man behind that image, James Newell Osterberg, Jr., is surprisingly contradictory.
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Banal and Boring
- By Michael on 12-03-08
By: Paul Trynka
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Here Comes the Night
- The Dark Soul of Bert Berns and the Dirty Business of Rhythm and Blues
- By: Joel Selvin
- Narrated by: Christian Rummel
- Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Here Comes the Night: Bert Berns and the Dirty Business of Rhythm and Blues is both a definitive account of the New York rhythm and blues world of the early '60s, and the harrowing, ultimately tragic story of songwriter and record producer Bert Berns, whose meteoric career was fueled by his pending doom. His heart damaged by rheumatic fever as a youth, doctors told Berns he would not live to see 21. Although his name is little remembered today, Berns worked alongside all the greats of the era.
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Great book.
- By The Blimmer on 10-14-23
By: Joel Selvin
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Paul McCartney
- A Life
- By: Peter Ames Carlin
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 13 hrs
- Unabridged
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The best-selling author of the definitive biography of former Beach Boy Brian Wilson offers new insight into the life and music of Paul McCartney, one of the world's most popular and influential musicians. Informed by new, exclusive interviews with friends, bandmates, and collaborators, the book describes McCartney's many triumphs as well as his failures, from the Beatles era through his decade with Wings and his subsequent solo career.
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Great...But
- By Diego on 05-02-10
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Power Chord
- One Man's Ear-Splitting Quest to Find His Guitar Heroes
- By: Thomas Scott McKenzie
- Narrated by: Fred Berman
- Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Power Chord is the story of one man’s epic pilgrimage to gain rock enlightenment from the gods and guitar heroes of the Golden Age of heavy metal. Author Scott McKenzie set off to make contact with the legendary metal superstars he worshipped in his rural Kentucky youth - men like George Lynch of Dokken, Glen Tipton of Judas Priest, and Ace Frehley of KISS - hoping to gain wisdom and a better understanding of the electric guitar mystique.
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Such a fun read, especially for metal-heads
- By Jack on 04-01-23
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Fire and Rain
- The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, James Taylor, CSNY and the Lost Story of 1970
- By: David Browne
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 11 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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January 1970: the Beatles assemble one more time to put the finishing touches on Let It Be; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young are wrapping up Déjà Vu; Simon and Garfunkel are unveiling Bridge Over Troubled Water; James Taylor is an upstart singer-songwriter who's just completed Sweet Baby James. Over the course of the next twelve months, their lives---and the world around them---will change irrevocably.
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Fascinating information, easy to listen
- By NCKitkat on 07-28-11
By: David Browne
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Fornication
- The Red Hot Chili Peppers Story
- By: Jeff Apter
- Narrated by: Adrian Mulraney
- Length: 15 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Despite an epic reputation for exhibitionism, drug taking, and drunkenness, through it all the Chili Peppers have continued to produce records that shock, challenge, and intrigue their fans. Jeff Apter tells the complete Red Hot Chili Peppers story, from their first meeting at a Los Angeles high school to the creation of such career-defining albums as BloodSugarSexMagik, Californication and By The Way.
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Cabron
- By Amazon Customer on 10-02-19
By: Jeff Apter
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The Ballad of Bob Dylan
- A Portrait
- By: Daniel Mark Epstein
- Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
- Length: 15 hrs and 26 mins
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The Ballad of Bob Dylan is a vivid, full-bodied portrait of one of the most influential artists of the 20th-century - a man widely regarded as the most important lyricist America has ever produced. Acclaimed poet and biographer Daniel Mark Epstein frames Dylan against the backdrop of four seminal concerts - all of which he attended. Beautifully written, The Ballad of Bob Dylan is a unique, eye-opening portrait of an artist who has transformed generations and continues to inspire and surprise today.
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Excellent book, excellent narration
- By L chandler on 12-22-11
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Punk Rock Blitzkrieg
- My Life as a Ramone
- By: Rich Herschlag, Marky Ramone
- Narrated by: Corey M. Snow
- Length: 13 hrs and 21 mins
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Story
Having outlived his bandmates, Marky is the only person who can share the secrets and stories of the Ramones' improbable rise from obtuse beginnings to induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But it wasn't all good times and hit songs, and Marky doesn't shy away from discussing his own struggles.
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Dedicated Punk Fans Must Read
- By Leostriple on 03-26-15
By: Rich Herschlag, and others
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All These Things That I've Done
- My Insane, Improbable Rock Life
- By: Matt Pinfield, Mitchell Cohen
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 7 hrs and 24 mins
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Performance
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Matt Pinfield is the ultimate music fan. He's the guy who knows every song, artist, and musical riff ever recorded, down to the most obscure band's B-side single on its vinyl-only EP import. As a child, music helped Pinfield make sense of the world. Later he would approach his music idols after concerts and explain why he loved their music. As an adult, rock music inspired his career, fueled relationships, and, at times, became a life raft.
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great listen
- By nilda v. on 08-28-20
By: Matt Pinfield, and others
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Catch a Wave
- The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson
- By: Peter Ames Carlin
- Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
- Length: 14 hrs and 15 mins
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In Catch a Wave, Peter Ames Carlin pulls back the curtain on Brian Wilson, one of popular music's most revered luminaries, as well as its biggest mystery. Drawing on hundreds of interviews and never-before heard studio recordings, Carlin follows the Beach Boys from their earliest days through Brian's deepening emotional problems to his triumphant re-emergence with the release of Smile, the legendarily unreleased album he had originally shelved.
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Not great
- By J. Barker on 08-08-16
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Goodnight, L.A.
- Untold Tales from Inside Classic Rock’s Legendary Recording Studios
- By: Kent Hartman
- Narrated by: Dan John Miller
- Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins
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From behind the walls of a handful of well-hidden, unlikely recording studios in the Los Angeles area, legends-in-waiting created masterpiece albums. It was a time of astonishing creativity and unprecedented fame and fortune. It was also a time of unfettered excess that threatened to unravel everything along the way. With access that only a longtime music business insider can provide, Kent Hartman packs Goodnight, L.A. with never-before-told stories about the most prolific time and iconic place in rock 'n' roll history.
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great stories and insight into a miraculous time
- By RWM on 05-27-22
By: Kent Hartman
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What listeners say about Love Goes to Buildings on Fire
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- J. Cruz
- 11-12-21
Clear Passionate and Informed
This was a selection made on a whim. I’ve been digging through NYC(1978-1989). This is a result of doing research on Jean-Michel Basquiat. Although he is not mentioned, nor is John Lurie, I feel like this book sets up the stage for the period that I’m researching.
I especially love the inclusive nature of the normally disparate range of musical stylings. For example, sure, the Ramones are here, but as a Latin music fan, I WAS SO IMPRESSED WITH THE INCLUSION OF FANIA AND THE STARS OF THE ERA!!!
Clearly Mr. Hermes is well versed and knowledgeable about the period. Yet even mire fantastic is his ability to write with passion about all of the content in this book. I would not go out of my way to select LGBTQ reading/listening material, but Hermes writes so passionately and informed about it, that the topic cannot help but be interesting and 100% necessary for the entire 360* perspective.
Like the aforementioned Ramones, I’m not a bug graffiti/hip-hop guy, but yet again, Hermes presents the material so well that I might just do two things #1. Listen to a Ramones album and #2 watch “Wild Style” (the graffiti flick).
I strongly recommend this book, I even bought a hard copy!!!
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- Laguirre
- 01-18-22
BRILLIANT! A MUST READ!
This book is absolutely perfect from beginning to end. It is packed full of names dates and performances that are crucial to the history of music and the culture of America. I cannot recommend this book enough.
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- Damian Konopka
- 10-01-23
Great history of NY music scene
Plenty of really good stories about artists I love, like Talking Heads and Patti Smith and Bruce Springsteen. I learned a lot also!
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- rpnz
- 12-08-23
A well written masterclass of NYC music, musicians and culture.
What I love is the authors passion and commitment to the music, musician’s, NYC, and his vast inclusivity in all genres of music and humanity. This is a dense detailed, incredibly well researched study on the time, history and music. I loved it from cover to cover. Well done.
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- George Guarino
- 09-22-21
Like feeling my own blood pumping, life, music, breath
The most impressive point, for me, was the depth of music influences Hermès brought together to form this account. His knowledge and passion flowed like a series of mountain streams coming together, heading toward the Hudson. Well read and written. Enjoyed every minute of it. Learned a lot.
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1 person found this helpful
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- James David Bottoms
- 01-12-21
Utterly essential.
Yes, there have been numerous books about these days, people, bands, scenes...but this is the absolutely comprehensive account. Every burgeoning style and expression in this fecund city is explored in fascinating detail. This is the new authority.
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- Aaron
- 03-12-12
Great text, fine voice, hilarious mispronunciation
Any additional comments?
If you're interested in the art and culture of 1970s NYC, you'll love the book, but you will also laugh out loud more than once at Verner's mispronunciations.
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6 people found this helpful
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- R. Herz
- 04-09-12
Ok but....
Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?
Well written / read, but for something claiming to trace groundbreaking years, it is provincial and nearly claustrophic. Imagine a book constructed entirely of footnotes. I expected something larger.
Would you ever listen to anything by Will Hermes again?
Yes. I'd at least go, as I did with this, halfway.
What about Adam Verner???s performance did you like?
Wonderful.
If this book were a movie would you go see it?
Yes. Movie might be better.
Any additional comments?
Worth a listen if you temper your expectations, and probably wonderful if you grew up in NYC in the early 70's listening to groups this marginal but convinced you were at the center of the universe.
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- Meg O
- 12-08-23
history of new york and the music culture
occasionally, I felt like the story got to rambling and jumping around erratically. But at the same time it felt intimate and had some great details and things I never knew about how well-known artist became woven together and influenced each other in the scene.
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- Casper P.
- 01-04-16
Great New York Rhapsody
The paperback caught my eye some years back and I liked it so much I had to get the audiobook. It's a text tht reads like a novel with multiple characters. We follow Philip Glass Steve Reich, Bruce Sspringsteen, Grandmaster Flash, Patti Smith, Lou Reed etc etc, through their development in the time span 1970-75. There is SO much information here I am listening for a third time right now. But I always do this. In my opinion, a good book is only good if it makes you want to re-read. I mean, considering how easy it is with audio.
What's so great about this text is that it covers all styles from punk over minimalism ,DJing, salsa, to jazz. For example the New York loft scene, the Bronx street parties with power tapped from street lights.
I used to live in NYC so there's a special affection there but this will be thrilling for any music fan.
Enjoy!
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