4 comments about The Yardbirds: The Band That Launched Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page.

1. High class bio of the Most Blueswailins, immaculately designed with dozens of rare photos (though precious little of the LITTLE GAMES era band). Author Alan Clayson makes it clear his book is a stylized, highly-personal take on the band, so it came as no surprise the pages were filled with empurpled hipster prose. Yet Clayson succeeds in eliciting trenchant quotes (both archival and new) from each member of the group, and captures the band's seat-of-the-pants creativity with eloquence and humor. On the downside, Clayson can't maintain a narrative and wastes too much ink on irrelevent details about other artists---especially aesthetic peewees like Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick and Tich and the Downliners Sect, both of whom make the Seeds look like the Beatles. There are also a number of factual errors (though only a pedant would care that Keith Relf didn't write "Shapes In My Mind") and a puny chronology almost entirely cribbed from Greg Russo's superior (though more workmanlike) ULTIMATE RAVE UP. The biggest problem with the book is Clayson's unwillingess to allow the band's story to unfold on its own. Virtually every paragraph is crammed to the gills with snoozy hyperbole that says more about the writer's fascination with his prose than it does about the subject. Nevetheless, it's a worthy pick up for fans of the Yardbirds, who have waited eons for the kind of journalistic respect accorded to the Who, Cream, Beatles, Stones and their other rivals. Where before we had to trawl through [the webites] to hunt down a battered copy of John Platt's 1983 book and pay [good money], now we have two quality reads---and despite his pretentions, Clayson's love for the band that gave us "For Your Love" and "Shapes of Things" shines through brightly. I can't knock him for that.



2. With great anticipation I ordered Mr. Clayson's book, however having finished it last evening I would have to say that I am somewhat disappointed.

   There is certainly no lack of research or knowledge on Mr. Clayson's part, but perhaps it was his style of prose that put me off. He writes not necessarily in a high-minded manner, but perhaps it is English dry-wit which makes it hard for an American to slog through; in many cases I could almost picture Mr. Clayson and another UK resident nodding and winking at each other across the bar. Annette Carson's JEFF BECK: CRAZY FINGERS was written in a much easier-to-digest style.

   The Yardbirds were known, at least in my youth here in the USA, as a band much better seen in person than to hear on record. Mr. Clayson certainly explains to the reader why that is so. The description of life on the road, for The Yardbirds, should be enough to put off any youngster with delusions of trying the same; that is, if he could get through to that point in the book.

   Being somewhat of a "gearhead," I missed discussion of the bands' equipment or more technical side. The photographs printed in this book are quite wonderful though, and to a degree appeased my appetite; Chris Dreja certainly went through some guitars! It is just a pity that things such as this were not spoken of in the text.

   I can see where this book would appeal much more to the English market than the American, given the discussion of musical groups never heard of here, and in that way the work is much like Mo Foster's 17 WATTS, where one must sort through that tedium.

   All in all, not a bad book, but not an easy read. That said, the overleaf shows that Mr. Clayson has published many works on music of the era, so he certainly has the authority of his research behind him. THE YARDBIRDS and his other work are surely the "go-to" source for any trivia you may wish to ferret out.




3. I didn't really learn anything new about the Yardbirds after reading this. Considering they were one of the most exciting and important bands in rock history, I would have expected more 'meat'. I felt Alan Clayson's writing style got in the way at times, distracting somewhat. However, the photos are really outstanding, particularly the cover shot showing them at Studio 51 in London (I think). What a classic moment frozen in time. Glad I read it. Any Yardbird book is better than no Yardbird book, however, there are better ones.



4. Conveyed new information, so was worth the read for an avid fan, but it dragged on and on.

5 comments about Eric Clapton - From the Album Eric Clapton Unplugged (Catalog No. 702086).

1. Naturally, the title tells it all. Well, not naturally, but in this case it just so happens to be so. Although, as you can tell, I gave it 3 stars, it really can be made 5 stars if you're for the most part a beginner. The book includes all of the unplugged songs, and they are even in TAB form. The only catch is that these TAB's aren't the actual TAB's Clapton plays. Thus, although you'll be playing a more complex version of the songs then just chords, it still won't have the same fingering as Claptons. Although there is another version that actually has the exact fingering as Clapton (besides the solos, unfortunately), I haven't seen it on Amazon. There is one more version of the book on Amazon, but I'm pretty sure that it is the chords only verison, or sheet music version. Personally speeking, I've only played for around 1 1/2 years, and I have found the real version (the one with Claptons actual fingering in TAB form, which isn't available on Amazon) to be rather easy, and rewarding. Although some songs you might just rather learn the chords for, others loose much of thier style when played in only chords. Thus, I recommend going down to your local Guitar Center and seeing if they have the real version in stock. As far as the content, it's what you expect from slowhand. Perfection. The album consists of many blues classics, and the book is true to it. In my opinion, nearly every song on this album is worth knowing how to play if you wish to enhance your mastery of the blues. Get one version or another soon, though.



2. If you think this book will teach you the songs on "Unplugged", it won't. This is just a simplified version of the song transcriptions and is pretty much useless.

   There's another version out there that contains the note-for-note transcrptions. That's the version I bought several years ago when "Unplugged" first came out, and that's the one you should buy...




3. As the title states, this book is the easy guitar version. If that's what your looking for then this is the book for you. If you are looking for the note for note (as recorded on the album) version then go to musiciansfriend.com



4. This book is tabbed just like the recording. If you are a clapton fan you won't be disappointed



5. If you are a beginner I would advise you not to purchase this book, as it is so wrong it is past being rubbish.
   
   You do not get the songs that you are promised, but a very cut down version of them, and mostly in the wrong key, or alternate key from the original.
   
   I have been playing these songs for years but lost my copy of the unplugged book. I purchased this thinking it was the larger 112 page version (the real one), and was saddened by the lack of tab in this book and by the fact that it is factually incorrect.
   
   It states that "Tears In Heaven" is in G, when it is so obviously in E!
   
   All the songs in this book are wrong!!!
   
   This is not a good book, and all you get is melody lines! This may be good for an accompanying guitar but that is all.
   
   An absolute waste!

1 comments about Eric Clapton - The Cream of Clapton.

1. This collection (that goes very well with the CD by the same name) provides a great cross section of Clapton's guitar classics. It is a challenging set of music, and could be daunting for the novice. The book provides the full tab for both guitars (some songs use 3), and is a very good resource for getting the intricacies of the second guitar on songs like Cocaine.

   There are in my opinion only two problems with the book. The first is that the book is standard bound, and if you want it to lay flat you have to split the spine. The second problem is that these songs are more compositions by Clapton, and really require the layering of instruments to come off right. That means that in order to play them (with several exceptions) you need to have bandmates available. If you do, this is a great start to a Clapton cover band.

5 comments about Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs by Derek and the Dominos (Rock of Ages).

1. This Book is not about the making of Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs. At page 115 (!) The Dominoes goes in the studio. Before that you get the story about how pretty Pattie Boyd was (and still is). There are some interesting stories in this book, but none of them are about the making of Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs. Why Does This Book Got To Be So Bad? The answer is: Jan Reid is not focused on the music.



2. This is a great book that weaves together the personal tales of each of the Dominoes' members as they lead up to the collaboration that proved to be so historically important. Juicy, funny stories of each of these characters (like Gregg Allman's "foot shootin' party) make you want to read many passages out loud to anyone with a similar interest. Quite excellent.



3. This book is pure you-know-what (too much of a lady to say). Basically, he took Barry Rehfield's words and dropped them into his so called "book." It does not focus on the wonderful music that Derek & the Dominos created, but instead focuses on the personal lives of the band. The author seemed to be more interested in bashing a mentally ill man in prison versus writing about the talented players. I hope he makes no money from this book and, if he does, I hope he will give it to a charity who raises funds for the research for schizophrenia or assists musicians with mental disorders. This would almost make up for his bashing of a wonderful player who was suffering when he played and created the beautiful music that music lovers enjoy in all parts of the world.
   
   Now, I'll jump off my soapbox and start writing my version of Jim Gordon's life....in a more positive way, of course.
   
   Cheers!
   
   Susan



4. I had to read the book, I love the Dominoes, its my favorite band and favorite album. But the author had so much wrong, it makes you wonder about what is true and what isn't. For example, the author says Hendrix came to England jammed with Cream then left for the states to form his own trio. Anyone who knows anything about Hendrix knows he stayed in England and got two Brits to back him, N.Redding and M.Michell. There are others but the most glaring is when the author states that D.Allman played on Keep on Growing and even adds some great slide to the end of the song just like the end of Hey Jude with Wilson Pickett. Again, anyone who knows anything about the Dominoes, knows Allman did not play on the 1st three tracks. Its all Clapton overdubs at the end of Keep on Growing. How this guy got so much wrong is a mystery to me......



5. The greatest album of all time deserves a CORRECT representation of how it was recorded. This is the Soap Opera Digest version. It is obvious to anyone who lived through the sixties and seventies that the author did NOT do his homework. A perfect example: Blackie, Eric's Stratocaster was made from three guitars purchased at Sho-Bud in Nashville, not five as reported by the author.
   Read Marc Roberty's book and the liner notes to the 20th Anniversary CD set for a better and more accurate account.
   I wasted my money and time

1 comments about Eric Clapton: Guitar Play-Along Volume 24 (Guitar Playalong).

1. This is an excellent product! The jam tracks on the CD are excellent quality - it's like having your own band to jam along with! I had previously purchased the Hal Leonard - Eric Clapton Signature Licks DVDs done by Doug Boduch and really enjoyed them. I was pleased to see the Play-Along volumes 24 and 41 jam tracks were also done by Doug Boduch. They are both excellent and I would highly recommend them. They accompany the DVDs perfectly. I would like to see more Guitar Play-Along volumes produced by Hal Leonard with Doug Boduch - they are terrific.

5 comments about Strange Brew: Eric Clapton and the British Blues Boom.

1. I'm not kidding with this title (well, maybe half-kidding). Like the Bible is, in some ways, the history of the Hebrew people, this book is a veritible day-by day document of the activities of Slowhand (God), John Mayall (Father), Peter Green (Green God) and Mick Taylor (Younger brother of God). I'll admit to being at first a bit put off about the calendar style of writing, but you easily sink into the format. Its all here. The story of British Blues as seen through the eyes of the greatest British guitarists of their generation. You will learn obscure details, such as set lists, equipment played and what went on in the recording studios. The formidible impact of Clapton on British music and blues in general is clearly illustrated here. Also, I was not aware that Paul Butterfield played gigs with Mayall during their tour there, or the fact that Bloomfield and Clapton connected in Britain prior to Clapton's visits to the U.S. The detailed info on the Beano, Hard Road and Crusade Mayall albums is worth the cost of the book alone (If this sounds like so-much guitar mumbo jumbo, celebrate, because it is!!!!! Those of you who are into this stuff will have a huge ball!!). The performance reviews are both insightful and at times extremely humorous. For instance, one review reports that all members of Cream, during an early gig, were so high that they got stuck in the "Cat's Squirrel" riff loop and it took them 15 minutes to find their way out of it. (:-). Beyond the detail, this book provides a clear picture of the British blues scene, specifically that scene revolving around John Mayall and his allumni. Mayall, in fact, provides the intro. The period covered runs from Clapton's membership in the Yardbirds through Derek and the Dominoes in the early '70s. Of course, other bands, including Hendrix (the best of them all), Free and Jeff Beck are also included. However, this book definitely has a Mayall focus. My only regret is that there wasn't any info on the Graham Bond Organization. However, for that info we also have the bio of the late great Dick Heckstall Smith which came out a couple of years ago. I heartily recommend this book to anyone who really wants to learn about one of the most formative periods in popular music, the rise of British Blues. It will inspire all you guitar players to dust off that Les Paul, plug in that Bluesbreaker Marshall and try your hand at "Steppin' Out"!



2. This is a great collection of tour dates and band interviews of all the bands that were emerging in London during the early sixties. The author does a great job of weaving it all together and this is a great edition to anyone's library of this period. Some great photos of the Bluesbreakers and all London players and club scene.



3. "Strange Brew: Eric Clapton & The British Blues Bloom" by rock historian Christopher Hjort is a history of the 1960s British blues music boom in general, and Eric Clapton's stellar music career from 1965 to 1970 in particular. "Strange Brew covers hundreds of gigs, radio and television appearances, recording sessions, discographical information, trivia, contemporary reviews, and first-hand accounts and recollections from ex-band members and fans. Some of the stories will be new information for even the most dedicated Clapton fan, such as the comprehensive account of Clapton's Greek odyssey in 1965 (including the true story of The Glands and Greek band The Juniors, as well as fresh information about John Mayall's recording with Bob Dylan). Here presented in a day-by-day format laced with photographs and memorabilia, the way the musicians behind the British Blues worked together, influenced each other, and helped each other to ever greater musical accomplishments. "Strange Brew" is essential reading for Clapton fans, British Blues music enthusiasts, and academic library 20th Century Music History reference collections.



4. Full disclosure: I am a guitar geek. I was the guy at sock hops who'd sit by the record player, not dancing, reading the liner notes (remember those?), and dreaming of stardom.
   What Christopher Hjort has accomplished with this volume is nothing less than amazing - a day-by-day accounting of concerts, club gigs, recording sessions, photo sessions, BBC broadcasts and even informal rehearsals by the movers and shakers of the blossoming British Blues scene. For the five years covered in this book, the careers of John Mayall, Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Mick Taylor (and pretty much anyone who came within five feet of an amplifier or microphone stand) are tracked in exquisite detail. The painstaking research is rewarding to anyone interested in the early days of groups like Fleetwood Mac, Cream and The Rolling Stones, and the cameos by Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and Jimi Hendrix are the icing on the cake.
   Great rare photos, detailed equipment lists, and Mr. Hjort's own recommendations for those wishing to hear the music described therein, this book is a keeper. I may have to get another one for lending out.



5. This book has an amazing amount of information but I find it hard to read straight through and instead wind up jumping from artist to artist and such.What I do love is the photos of my heroes in action,my favorites being a complete picture of Peter Green with the Orange amps behind him(a cropped version is used for Gary Moores "Blues For Greeny" cd),the Cafe Au Go Go shot of BB King,Clapton and Elvin Bishop jamming(a cropped version leaving out Elvin was used for "Riding With The King") and an alternate angle shot of Cream at Madison Square Garden(this date is used for the cover of "Live Cream") with a nice view of Cream's weaponry behind them(man,I love gear).That all being said its hard to imagine a more complete source of information on what is probably my favorite style of music,British Blues.

3 comments about Eric Clapton - From the Album Unplugged.

1. The book is a true helper to get the Unplugged tunes under your fingers.
   
   Want to play like Clapton? Buy it!



2. Provides accurate transcriptions of the awesome unplugged performance. Each nuance of the Clapton's exhibition is retained, which makes learning it all the more enjoyable. The accompanying CD is very well done and helped me to pare out the vocals and other performers and focus on the rhythm guitar. Highly recommended for those who love this album, the book will get you sounding like the original!



3. This is a very complete and accurate songbook with the exact same notes played by Clapton and each song has a text explaining the song's structure.
   
   For the solo parts, it has the tablature for the solo guitar and the rhythm one too. For the beginners, the accompaining CD really helps to get the song.

5 comments about John Mayall with Eric Clapton - Blues Breakers.

1. Enjoy the words and music from a classic blues album



2. Basiclly every blues lick you need to know is here :-)



3. Anyone wanting to learn core Clapton needs this book. It is well done with most tab appearing to be right on. Obviously some songs are Harp based, with Mayall laying down soem of his best work. Love it.



4. i play along with the recordings, the tabs are dead on.



5. i have been studying blues guitar for the last 2 years now. i've a number of books on the subject. i've progressed reasonably working with them.
   
   then i got this book. learnt a couple of songs. and my playing has simply jumped a notch!
   
   yeah because i'm playing what i want to play - being a huge clapton fan (bluesbreakers, cream etc). plus clapton is playing in such ways i never encountered in the tutorial books. his chops are simpler but much more effective. but some of his runs are quite difficult - not the mere playing of the notes, but the effect created by such.
   
   i'm never going to play what's in the tutorial books anywhere - but this is what i want to play and it is such great fun doing it.
   
   i can't comment too much on the accuracy of the tab - it sounds ok - trying to figure out the notes with the actual solos is itself quite a job - i recorded all the solos of this album in triplicate on a tape to use them as a reference. but guess it will get easier as i progress.
   
   it would be very helpful if you know atleast some basic blues - the 12 bar, the pentatonics etc. needless to say, as with all blues learning, one should focus on the tonic (1st), the dominant (4th) and sub-dominant (5th) notes and the way they are manipulated to create the blues effect.
   
   if you want to play like clapton get this.
   
   btw i wish somebody would publish similar tabs of the music of the great peter green - his album with mayall 'a hard road' and his early fleetwood mac material as well.

3 comments about Eric Clapton - Complete Clapton (Guitar Recorded Versions).

1. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect when I ordered this book, but to my astonishment, it was a compilation of Eric's music in a form I didn't expect. Knowing Eric Clapton can't read music, (or couldn't) I can't imagine the work, combined with technology, he poured into getting this music down on paper. I don't read music, nor do I have any musical talent... but I will never part with this collection. It is almost like having a piece of his soul.



2. As always another great Clapton book.If you are a CLapton fan & play his music jump all over this book,great book at a great price.



3. This is an awesome collection of Eric Clapton's music notated and tabbed with lyrics. Need I say more?

5 comments about Storms: My Life with Lindsey Buckingham and Fleetwood Mac.

1. I was looking forward to an insider's look into the world of Fleetwood Mac and instead I got a look at my own life. Actually, I should clarify that and say it was my life of 10 years ago. I can identify with each and every phase Carol Ann Harris went through with Lindsey Buckingham. The sudden and inexplicable temper explosions resulting in physical beatings. Carol Ann endured those at the hands of Lindsey and although some of the other reviewers are doubting her truthfulness, I have to believe her when reading about all the other physical symptoms she suffered. The panic attacks, the absolute numbness to any feeling after being nearly choked to death, going back to Lindsey repeatedly because she was sure she had done something to cause the violence.
   
   It takes a tremendous amount of strength to leave a relationship where you become caught up in the cycle of abuse and reconciliation. Carol Ann was dependent on Lindsey for room and board, a fabulous lifestyle, and even love...when she could forget the torture. She got out, made her own life, never gave any interviews and has only now spoken about this. Some people may ask why she felt the need to unburden herself. I say, Lindsey should have thought of that when he was dragging her by the hair as he drove away from Christine McVie's house (a bit of violence witnessed by Christine, by the way.)
   
   The book is well written and does give some great Fleetwood Mac moments, aside from the nightmares with Lindsey.



2. Being a fan of Lindsay Buckingham and Fleetwood Mac only in the last several years, I was interested in what he was like in the band's heyday and this book delivered. He seems very much of an enigma and I learned so much about him from the author's stories. She didn't seem to have a hidden agenda for this book, which I appreciated. This book does not give much information about the band, however, which I didn't think it would, but for those of you buying it for that reason, don't. It basically told me one thing about Fleetwood Mac "back in the day." That is that they did a LOT of drugs. I haven't ever read a book written like this before, from someone so intimately connected to a celebrity that I was interested in, and finished it in just a few days. If you are a fan of Lindsay Buckingham, I say this is a "must read."



3. eeehhhhh....ummmm. I just read this book. I love Stevie Nicks- but i realize that in her heyday she was probably a coked out bitch on wheels. That said, the writing in this book is awful, and I have a hard time believing that Carol Ann was the dumbass country bumpkin that she paints herself to be. Everyone in the book "turned ghostly white" and it was ALL SO SHOCKING!!! She never misses an opportunity to talk about how beautiful and sexy she was -all the while never even realizing it! "OMG I am going to stand in the middle of these bright lights and go all marilyn monroe on this fan and convince myself that everyone in the audience stopped staring at stevie to look at little ol' me!" Puke. She tried so hard to convince herself throughout the book that Lindsey wanted nothing to do with stevie -which may have even be true-but she didn't believe it for a second. All the talk of " beautiful insanity" and whatever other terrible metaphores she came up with made me cringe-she HATES these people-I can see right through her writing. Girlfriend is bitter!



4. I suppose any literate person should have gathered this would be a "tell-all" book, which is bound to contain reams of gossip and irrelevant banter. However, there is also a great deal to be said for eye witness accounts, even if they may be a bit clouded from drug use. Carol Ann Harris introduces herself as down-home charming laced with infuriating learned helplessness in this revealing book.
   
   All evidence is delivered in a first person narrative, citing event after event that should/presumably would have made most people run for the hills. No amount of cocaine could make the horrors Ms. Harris claims bearable. After reading this book, one will probably never see the members of Fleetwood Mac the same way again, most particulalry Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. The previously admiring lens which simply saw talented musicians will be shattered. The other three members maintain the personas most likely prescribed to them by most fans, but these two... wow. It's disappointing, another example of "reality" media, giving us more information than we really wanted. The writing style is also a bit disjointed, with quirky, although adorable, insertions of Ms. Harris' folksy internal thoughts ( lots of " Jeeze" and " friggin'), yet, at the same time, an attempt to strike a formal note with sentences beginning, for example, with " For I surely....", and redundent ruminations are plentiful. It is advised, however, that one plow through those moments, because Ms. Harris will plant an interesting, major detail square in the middle of one of those passages that almost puts one to sleep.
   
   If you are a Mac fan, it's worth getting for a lazy Sunday afternoon read. There is some sensational writing within, and one does have to question what motive Ms. Harris has, at this late date, for writing such a tell-all. Further, prepare yourself for a lot of forehead slapping, wondering " What was wrong with this girl! What part of this picture was so hard for her to understand!" This book does a fine job of humanizing the larger than life characters who form Fleetwood Mac.



5. As a very, very longtime fan of Fleetwood Mac, I got this book as soon as it came out. I felt sure it would be one sided, as is the nature of autobiographies, but thought any book about my favorite band would be a fun weekend read nonetheless. And it was. I don't doubt Stevie was hell on wheels or that Lindsey was abusive, I think drugs, godawful quantities of drugs at that, make you do horrible things you normally may not do. There were also some very funny stories recounted by Carol and I thought it was a very interesting look into "life on the road." But I thought the book was horribly written and she made herself out so be such an innocent little lamb, it's gag worthy. And there are so many innacuracies, it's hard to take anything she says as truth. I mean, c'mon, she says she wrote this book using her old journals and tapes she recorded, but if she did that, how the hell can she get dates wrong? Not just wrong by a few days but wrong by years! If she can't remember dates of events she says she wrote about in a journal, how did she remember all these conversations, word for word, that she wrote in such such detail in this book? And some of the things she says ar just rediculous if you know anything about this band. The first thing that caught my attention is she writes that when she met Lindsey, he was so over Stevie and could care less about losing her. But Lindsey himself has stated several times that he was devastated by the breakup, is was extremely hard for him to move on and took him a decade or more to do so. Another part I found somewhat laughable is when she writes about one time when Stevie was "mean to her" and of course, she ran straight to Lindsey to tattle. So Lindsey says he'll talk to Stevie and get her to apologize. He leaves Carol in their hotel room, goes to Stevie's room and doesn't come back for several hours. Uh, Carol dear, open your eyes! I doubt they were "talking" about you for that amount of time. From all accounts SnL were still screwing around all through the 80's, they themselves have practically admitted as much. I guess what bothers me is not so much that she didn't acknowledge in her book that Stevie and Lindsey still had strong feelings for each other for many years, I'm not sure I would if I were in her shoes either. What bothers me is that even though she didn't mention it in her book and she made it look like Lindsey was so gaga in love with her that he didn't give Stevie a second thought, BUT she had no problem laying it all out a few months after the books release. Yes, Carol gave an interview after the books release saying she knew both Stevie and Lindsey harbored feelings of pain and regret over their breakup for many years and never got over each other and she actually said she knew Lindsey was still in love with Stevie all the years he was with Carol. If it's good enought for an interview, why is it not good enough for your book? IMO, you don't write an autobiography, then contradict yourself later. That makes your entire saga much less believable.