Free Neil Young eBook at Wowio

Neil Young is known around the world as one of Canada’s greatest musical artists. His vast, diverse songbook and long, influential career have made him a unique figure in the history of rock.

In a deeply honest and revealing book, his half-sister, Astrid Young, gives us an intimate portrait of the private man behind the public performer. WOWIO’s Book of the Month version includes an exclusive video interview with the author and is free for the month of September.

Download the book for free here.

Thierry Mugler “Galaxy Glamour” – Daniele Bott (Thames & Hudson)

To view Thierry Mugler as a mere fashion designer is missing the point. Not since Jean-Paul Gauthier, has anyone approached the world of design with the grand theatrical spectacle of France’s outrageous Mugler. This is one designer who knows that the show does not end at the wardrobe, but that the clothing is just one piece of the potential presentation.

In this new work, author Bott describes Mugler as a superhero; one whose work is “untouched by economic upheavals and everyday banality, it is constantly explosive, a continuous fireworks display.” Mugler’s complete history is revealed; from his early education as a student of classical ballet, to the influence of comic books, to the eventual move to fashion design and the tableau of the runway. Through it all, we gain a new understanding of just how the designer became perhaps the most theatrical and over-the-top couturier of our era.

The book is the perfect showcase for the designer’s extreme fashion sense as well as a work that captures all the provocative and mind bending energy of his most famous runway shows. Mugler’s highly stylized, mostly futuristic designs – sometimes known as ‘fashion architecture’ – are shown from their sketchpad inceptions, to their actual assemblage on through their final appearances on a fitting set of models such as Jerry Hall, Eva Herzigova and Linda Evangelista. Beyond design, the seemingly indefatigable Mugler made a name for himself by using materials heretofore unheard of in the world of couture; from chrome to plexiglass, feathers to motorcycle parts(!) in various constructions and de-constructions creating the fashion equivalents of fiery jewelry settings, lush peacocks and even a few robotic, female C-3POs. All are aptly showcased here.

In this edition, Bott, a french fashion journalist (Vogue) who also profiled the House of Chanel, has done a magnificent job of capturing the truly other-worldly and proto-futuristic products that emanate from the mind of Thierry Mugler (including his parfum ‘Angel.’) The pictures (done by the man himself as well as Helmut Newton, Jean-Paul Goude and others) representing each phase of the designers oeuvre, are undeniably amazing (and if the cover doesn’t convince you, nothing will.) To see just what is possible at the outer edges of fashion, spectacle and design, this is a good place to begin – or end.

Coming Back: New Orleans Resurgent – Photographs by Mario Tama (Umbrage Books)

WIth the five year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, we are seeing numerous media reports re-capping the events of August 2005 alongside reports of how the Louisiana delta has, in some ways, only begun to recover from one of the most devastating natural disasters in U.S. history. (Thank you, BP!) Everything from a Brian Williams NBC Special, to a new Spike Lee joint, to CNN have all covered the rebirth extensively in filmed reports and documentaries. It is, in fact, CNN’s Anderson Cooper, perhaps the reporter single most associated with the Katrina disaster, who lends his words to the introduction of a new book on the city’s recovery from award-winning photo-journalist, Mario Tama.

In this, his first book, Tama, who as a news photographer for Getty Images has photographed hundreds of events from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, 9/11, the earthquake in Haiti, etc., captures both the wide-spread destruction of the New Orleans area in the wake of the flooding as well as the rebuilding of many areas over the course of the five-year time span. Areas of devastation were revisited to see how they look today; to see what improvements have (and in some cases have not) been achieved. What comes through is the powerful message of a unique society; people who did not run and hide, but a people that were tremendously resilient; people who somehow where able to bounce back, retain a shaky optimism through it all, and rebuild their city often with only limited outside assistance. With their vitality amid tragedy, Tama’s colorful pictures tell the story of a people whose spirit will not be denied.

Photographs from the book are featured at an exhibition at the Umbrage Gallery in New York through September 14th and will be part of additional events in New York and New Orleans this year. To keep up with the story, you can check the website at www.umbragegallery.com.

The Complete Photographer – Tom Ang (DK Books)

With the advent of digital photography, the market for photography books suddenly became glutted with volumes of ‘how to’ books on the subject of taking better photos. Among the popular titles in this theme were ‘How to Photograph Absolutely Everything’ and the ‘Digital Photography Masterclass’ series, both by Tom Ang.

Now Ang returns with what may be the most authoritative book yet in “The Complete Photographer: A Masterclass In Every Style and Subject” from DK. This full color, 400 page volume presents an impressive array of instructions and analysis of all the major photographic styles – from Portrait, Landscape, Fashion, Sports, Travel, Architectural, Fine Art and more – dissected into a format which includes tutorials, image analysis, assignments and interviews all designed to explain and explore the detailed essence of what it takes to create superior photographic results. Composition is a key theme throughout Ang’s work as are exposure, zoom, lighting, motion, focus and every possible element needed to convey the maximum emotion of the photographic image.

Far from run-of-the mill instruction, Ang’s examples utilize top notch photography as well as inside information from recognized experts in each of the aforementioned fields, the result of which is a stunning display of results not typical of most books on the subject. Both his use of image analysis (including detailed discussions of elements in the frame well beyond the subject of the photo) along with the ‘conversations’ with a variety of accomplish photographers specific to each field represented, make Ang’s work observably superior to most any other book on the subject.

By virtue of his work to date, Ang has ably demonstrated his position as a completist in his field. Beyond serving as a starting point, it could reasonably be argued that “The Complete Photographer” may be the only photography book you may ever need. It certainly goes in the desert island book collection.

Corn Flakes with John Lennon – Robert Hilburn (Rodale)

What a surprise. As many suspected, but couldn’t exactly put their finger on, Robert Hilburn was keeping a secret. A three decade secret. The secret, finally revealed in this ‘memoir’ of sorts, is that while we all thought he was the pop music critic for the Los Angeles Times, Hilburn was quietly on another mission. The search for the replacement Elvis.

As the pop (or more aptly, rock) music critic of one of the nation’s largest daily broadsheets, Hilburn was charged with bringing the world of rock’n'roll to the doorsteps of his avid readers weekly and he developed a solid reputation for doing so within music circles. Over the years however, many readers began to notice the critic’s seeming obsession with a small cast of characters who garnered outsized coverage often at the expense of other so-called talents. The plurality of Hilburn’s coverage seemed to center around a handful of iconic figures (Springsteen, U2’s Bono, Prince) as well as a coterie of other performers that played to the critic’s early country leanings (John Fogerty, the Band’s Robbie Robertson, and even a true country act like Waylon Jennings). While the writer certainly covered other acts (LA’s “X” was a perennial favorite as was P.J. Harvey in his latter day writings), most acts escaped much of his purview presumably due to his judgment as to their lesser cultural importance. (In these pages, Clapton, R.E.M., Pearl Jam and The Clash collectively get less mentions than a single Springsteen album, ‘Nebraska,’ while Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd simply don’t exist.)

In “Cornflakes with John Lennon: And Other Tales from a Rock ‘n’ Roll Life,” we now have the answer, the reason, the motivation for it all. Simply put, Hilburn was searching, consciously or otherwise, for the successor to Elvis Presley; an act that left an indelible mark on the young critic that proved difficult, if not impossible to dismiss. Hilburn’s quest was to find and identify the next icon to capture the imagination of the mass rock audience. Not just good bands or those who made great records, but singular performers who could rise to take the leadership of an entire genre, much the way Elvis did until his demise. To Hilburn, it is all about the message, the grand statement and the commitment needed to carry it to the world.

Along the way, the author shares stories – most rather candid and personal – from his Louisiana upbringing filled with country and blues to his time spent with his idols like John Lennon, Springsteen and even Michael Jackson. Through his unique access, we are given quite a window into many a superstar’s otherwise private moments; backstage with Yoko, coaxing reluctant interviewees like Springsteen and Dylan, and yes, even corn flakes with John Lennon.

Beyond the wall of fame, Hilburn examines his own influence on star-making (Elton John’s U.S. debut at the Troubadour) or lack thereof (John Prine’s early work). Through it all, what comes across are two things. One, that Hilburn was keenly aware of zeroing in on the artist even over and above any singular piece of musical output, and, two, that much as his critics argued for years, the writer was, at times, perhaps indeed guilty of acting as a fanboy in ‘critic’s’ disguise. And while this may have given rise to some contempt during his years as a top metropolitan arbiter of taste, it certainly makes for a great (and appropriate) read when presented in a book of reportage that is both personally insightful and a fun behind-the-scenes ride through the three most powerful decades of rock and roll as only a person of Hilburn’s stature and access could deliver.

Coming to paperback this October.
Robert Hilburn’s website

Richard Rogers + Architects: From the House to the City (Fiell)

If he did nothing else than to design and build France’s Pompidou Center, Richard Rogers (and his collaborator on the project, Renzo Piano) would be immortalized in the architecture Hall of Fame. Fortunately for us, Rogers has a large and impressive body of work that pre-dates and continues on to today. His modern, lightweight, transparent architectural design has been responsible for both residential and industrial icons from the U.K. to Japan (i.e. the famed Kabuki-Cho) to France to Korea; from houses to airports to industrial complexes and a great deal in between.

‘From the House to the City’ both exemplifies and explains Rogers impact on contemporary industrial design, particularly in the UK, where his unique creations have taken the landscape of an old world European style city and transformed sections of it into a cutting-edge modern, steel and glass metropolis. (There is even an example of his work in the ‘new town’ area near Milton Keynes in ‘Design for Manufacture Housing.’) From the Millennium Dome to the fabulous columns of the Lloyds of London headquarters to the home of Britain’s Channel 4 Television, the Canary Wharf project and beyond, Rogers and his team have assembled futuristic buildings that will no doubt remain landmarks for many years to come.

The book divides Rogers work across style functions (green, transparent, urban, systems, etc.) and explains his design and constructions in nearly poetic terms along the way. Amply filled with pictures, drawings and text, the book shows the sweeping magnitude of both Rogers’ well-known existing work as well as giving equal weight (in terms of description and illustration) to a large number of works that are on the drawing board or yet to be built. Unlike any architecture book we’ve ever seen, there is even a ‘manifesto’ which covers the firms beliefs, organization goals, charity endeavors, etc.; the factors that drive their work. To see a remarkable design career in progress (rare in these catalog style art and architecture volumes) be sure to check out ‘From the House to the City.’ It’s a sure way to see what’s coming next – and why.

Robert Altman – The Oral Biography – Mitchell Zuckoff (Knopf)

Hard to think of a director in Hollywood who’s made more of an impact but got less credit than Bob Altman. After all, his movies like M*A*S*H, Nashville and The Player were never really considered to be box-office blockbusters. Nor was Altman ever honored with a single Oscar for producing or directing, though his films received many nominations throughout the 70’s, 80’s and 90s.

No, Robert Altman was an outcast, a scalawag; a rapscallion of film directors.

That’s what makes his story so great.

In “Robert Altman: The Oral Biography,” author Mitchell Zuckoff captures it all. From Altman’s early days knocking around Kansas City (a place on which he would later base his feature film of the same name) to his war years, his roguish romantic escapades, his eventual landing in California (working for, among others, the legendary Alfred Hitchcock) Zuckoff’s assemblage of the autuer’s story covers all the bases.

As colorful as the oral history is of the director’s early dating and family life, his military service and his career beginnings in both industrial films and, once in Hollywood, television, (‘Combat,’ Whirlybirds,’ etc.) the best portions are reserved for his relationships with the actors he loved and the studio bosses he loathed. When actors would add a line to their dialogue, most film sets expected a visit from the studio brass. When Altman’s actors wanted to add a line, he openly encouraged them to add more. (M*A*S*H’s Sally Kellerman (‘Hot Lips’) practically wrote her way into the whole movie from what was originally slated as a naked shower scene.) In the final analysis, Altman was the master of the ensemble film; his indelible mark comes from the inner workings of the casts he assembled, not necessarily from the stories themselves. As Zuckoff points out in Altman’s own words, he would be the first to admit it.

Along the way, the book regales the reader with stories from all the front line players (as in ‘The Player’) in Altman’s great body of work. Legends like Paul Newman, Bob Evans, Cher (remember her red dress at the black and white ball?) Jimmy Caan, Bobby Duvall, Elliot Gould, Patricia Neal, Richard Zanuck, Meryl Streep, Harry Belafonte, Lily Tomlin, Tim Robbins, Beatty, Becall and others weigh in and reminisce about their (rather detailed) recollections of Bob’s past. The one thing that rises above it all, is that Altman worshiped the actors; always exhorting them to mix it up, speak over each other words, act like in real life. So while he may not have been Hollywood’s most successful director, in many ways, he was perhaps its most authentic.

After his passing in 2008 (and after having finally received an honorary Oscar from the Academy in 2006) Altman needed a book – not on his work, but on the man himself. It is fitting that this oral biography is comprised of many of the same ensemble players that created the Altman oeuvre itself. Well done. Fade.

Hulk Elvis – Jeff Koons (Rizzoli)

There is perhaps no other artist that engenders such diametrically opposed reactions in the art world as Jeff Koons. It’s no secret that his larger than life reproductions of everyday objects inspire some while often disturbing others. Koons’ flair for serious kitsch combined with what some regard as a self-aggrandising attitude have put him at the center of controversy in the art world for the last two decades.

His latest work, ‘Hulk Elvis,’ scales back the ambition slightly (no 45 foot topiary sculptures in this volume) to showcase an exhibit from his show of the same name at London’s Gagosian Gallery in 2007. The large format, 140 page book features images of the Incredible Hulk, the Liberty Bell, an inflatable monkey and even a distortion of Led Zeppelin photograph.

Koons’ eye-popping images are a layered combination of photo montages, photoshop color halftone backgrounds and metallic silver paints (properly reproduced here with a fifth-color layer of metallic ink) to create images that jump off the page with animated energy. Commentary on Koons work is provided by Artforum’s Scott Rothkopf (much of which oddly centers around Jeff Koons’ October 2008 exhibition at Berlin’s Neue Nationalgalerie, Celebration.) The book also features an interview with Koons by longtime curator Hans Ulrich Obrist.

There is also a collectable, autographed, first-edition that sells for about $500 when you can find it online.

Uncharted TerriTORI (Video)

It’s not every Hollywood starlet whose name greets you on a Virgin Airways flight into la-la land. But Tori Spelling has come to accept that her life is a spectacle. Her name is her brand, and business is booming. Too bad when your job is to be yourself, you can’t exactly take a break.

See what this Hollywood actress, mother and best-selling author has to say about her current state of affairs in this video for her latest book ‘Uncharted TerriTORI’ here at Blog on Books.

Heaven – Walter Iooss (Sports Illustrated)

Long before Victoria’s Secret and well before America’s Top Model, there was the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition. What began as a way to boost flagging magazine sales during the winter months of 1964 turned into an instant hit and over the last four decades, an eventual institution.

Nobody has made more trips and shot more models for it than S.I.’s top photographer, Walter Iooss. Beginning in the Bahamas in 1972, Iooss has travelled to some of the world’s most exotic locations to photograph both up-and-coming as well as some of the top supermodels the modern world has ever met.

As an exceptional sports photographer (see his book ‘Athlete’ for the best in sports photography), Iooss has demonstrated a remarkable flair for capturing images that have managed to stand the test of time. In ‘Heaven,’ Iooss has assembled the highlights of his favorite trips from 16 different locations (from Mexico and South Africa to the virtual destination-making choices of the Seychelles and the Maldives) where some of Iooss’s shots have put subjects like Cheryl Tiegs, Christie Brinkley, Carol Alt and Kathy Ireland on the permanent supermodel map. His work continues thru today as he photographs the likes of Brooklyn Decker, Marissa Miller and Bar Refaeli, all in settings that are exotic yet simple and dramatic while fun.

With it’s large scale, coffee table format, complete with collages and journal notes, Iooss’s ‘Heaven’ is a great travelogue, beauty book and photography exhibition all in one. Introduction by Jimmy Buffett – of course.

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